A Bigger Australian Splash wins Visitors' Choice - speechless

I am thrilled to have won the Visitors' Choice award at the Richmond and Kew Quilters' exhibition this weekend for the quilt "A Bigger Australian Splash". The good opinion of fellow practitioners and peers makes the 250 hours of work worth it!

Blogged about here, here and here. I'll need to get some decent photographs of it now!

Vexed by vexillography

Our quilt group will have its tri-ennial exhibition from 23- 25 October in the Landmark Centre in Teddington.  We always try to have at least one group challenge to display, and have successfully had Round Robin challenges in the past.  I blogged in 2014 about my challenge to the group and the quilt above is the result.  No new fabrics bought, all from stash, or contributed by participants.

I have used this piece to practise several different quilting patterns and am very pleased with how it has turned out, (46 x 46 inches).

Border quilting with machine embroidered binding

Mixed designs in one block.

Superb applique dragon by one of the participants (thanks, Kay!) with flame quilting and geometric continuous pattern in the sashing to tone down the black

Feathers and stipple - always useful.

I gave participants these web sites as resources for the design of flags.

http://flagdesigner.appspot.com/#d=3&c1=4&c2=7&c3=2&o=11&c4=5&s=14&c5=7

 

http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/game/tools/flag-maker

 

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1908091/

Round robin, quilted cards and painting

Lots of small bits of creativity going on around the big project.  First of all, the round robin top.

I am so delighted with how much thought and effort the participants put into these blocks.  Each has a little narrative describing how they reached their designs, and i'll get those typed up at a later date.  Our quilt show is in October this year, so I'll need to get cracking with this one very soon.

Also for our Quilt Show, I'm on a card-making marathon to raise funds for the group.

Sorry for the angle on the next one.

I'm also getting more confident with the painting course, this week, painting in tones on a coloured ground.  In the studio,

from this object

and then at home,

wonky, and the bottle is very foreshortened, but recognisable, from this arrangement

Landscape, light, paint, roofs, journal, London

Today started with the Landscape Photographer of the Year exhibition at Waterloo Station, extended until 28th February.  One of the advantages to the non-shoping fraternity of the addition of the Waterloo balcony are the occasions when it becomes a temporary exhibition space.  These photographs are fantastic,and many of them are taken with relatively straightforward cameras, without photo editing but with a lot of preparation, observation of the light and huge amounts of patience.   The winners are here and I could not choose a favourite.

Inspired by all of that, and waiting on the steps of the National Gallery, I attempted some  silhouettes of Nelson's column.  All photos are from my phone as I forgot my camera, hence the elongated format.

and an opportunity to photograph the first of this year's journal quilts "en plein air".

 En route to the fantastic, huge paintings of "Walls of Water" by Maggi Hambling.  On until 15 February, only one room of  paintings but completely free and well worth a trip.

These paintings have ben subject to a scathing review, but I loved seeing the way the paint was handled, and three of the painting in particular made me feel as if I was in front of a giant wall of water.  Down in the espresso bar, my friend and I also liked ( after a very good courgette and pumpkin seed muffin - better than it sounds) the selection of  monotypes, also on the theme of water, printed with Frank Connelly of Morley College, with whom my friend is currently studying.

Then off to Bloomsbury, stopping by St George's Church, designed by Hawksmoor and recently restored, to marvel at the acoustics and the intricate reflections on the brass chandelier.

A quick lunch on the deserted and unexpected roof garden of the Mary Ward Centre

with some shapes worthy of drawing practise sharply outlined in the sunshine.

 

Then down to the class to work on using tones on a coloured ground.  Couldn't get that foreshortened top of the triangular object at all.

Finishing off with a meeting of the quilt group to see the Contemporary Quilt Group Suitcase challenge on the theme of " All in a Day's Work" .  As ever, these 43 little quilts were enormously imaginative, although the number that featured lists in some form or another was a bit worrisome.  

There was also the return of the finished blocks for the round robin challenge.  I am very pleased with how every interpreted my challenge, and amazed at the amount of work that went into the blocks.  Everyone kindly wrote about their inspiration in the notebook that I sent round with the quit, so I now need to think how best to incorporate those comments so they don't get separated from the previous work.  No photograph yet, as I need good light to show the detail on those blocks.

And eventually to bed, head buzzing.

Vexillography…..…..

………….is the art and practice of designing flags.  As a Scot who has lived outside Scotland for longer than I lived in it, I have no vote in the decision about Scottish independence. However, I have been pondering what might happen to the UK flag if the vote means that Scotland will leave the United Kingdom.  These thoughts have led to some questions and research about flags: who designs them; what size are they; what proportions do they have; how many colours make a distinctive flag?

Coinciding with the start of our quilt groups's round robin challenge, I had my subject.

I have started this quilt with a new flag for the remainder of the UK, without Scotland: running red, light blue waves, the dark blue of the Scottish saltire disappearing off in to the distance, and the black hole of “ what happens now?”.

This block is 9 x 15 inches and will hopefully return to me, in 5 months, accompanied by another 5 interpretations of a possible new flag.

Buttons, beads and thread

Plum and I are doing a demonstration of making buttons at our quilt group tomorrow.  We both did an excellent online course with Karen Ruane two years ago.  

In between business travel, London travel disruption, lost purse and travel card and coordinating elder son getting off to a trip to France, I've been stitching up some examples.  I'll use these to demonstrate the mounting technique in to the button.

Beaded on hand-dyed velvet, about 29mm in diameter

Beaded and stitched on indigo - shibori cotton

Detail of beading, again about 29mm in diameter

Detail of "buttoned" button

and if you've ever wondered why you sometimes have difficulty threading a needle, could this be why?  Image from here.

From the mundane to the sublime in one weekend…..

Like the cobbler's children who have no shoes, mending is very low priority on my list of sewing projects.  However, when it gets to the point that every double duvet cover has some sort of textile-related problem, it is time to act.  The only way to get through it  was to promise myself some more interesting textile time in the afternoon.

Duvet reclamation, apparently, this Ikea design was designed by Cath Kidston before she was "Cath Kidston".  It's the closest I'll currently get to any Cath Kidston and it hasn't worn very well.

Now a single duvet cover - female guests only as the boys refuse to have this on their beds, I guess the non-gender -based parenting has failed.  I love seeing the sewing machine whizz through the repeat button holes.

Like 95% of quilters, I have a load of unfinished projects.  This year( !) the aim is to finish at least half of them.  This one has languished for over 3 years and only needs 2 blocks to finish.  It  was supposedly an exercise in using a neutral top with curved piecing, but it morphed in to something else.  I wish I had room for a design wall!

Lime green sparkling in the sun.

and then of course, I decided that some of the existing blocks don't work as well as they could, and that I could make a more interesting back, rather than just use one piece of cloth.  

When does a pieced back become another quilt on the back? - when it takes all afternoon to plan and put together.  The paint squares fabric has been stored for over 15 years, and that is part of the finishing resolution.  If it has larger than 1metre, and has been there for over 10 years - use it, swap it or give it away.

And finally some real hand stitching, preparing a piece of American smocking for Morley on Tuesday.   There are several tutorials on the web, and I followed the instructions in the book by Colette Wolfe, " The Art of Manipulating Fabric".  I think my cloth is too sturdy as there are more folds in this piece than in a previous version I attempted.  I deliberately used dark thread in this as I need contrast for the experiment I hope to try on Tuesday.

Back

Front - there are two different patterns on here, lattice and lozenge, which is why it looks a bit irregular.

Hoping to get the quilt basted up tomorrow night at Richmond and Kew Quilters sewing evening.

 

Am I a professional now?

Our biennial quilt show went off superbly this weekend. Over 600 visitors, a good sum of cash raised for the Royal Marsden, and much pleasure given to all. Our venue always looks strangely empty when the quilts are hung, as it is so large, and there is a bit of a last minute worry as to whether there is enough for visitors to look at.


Finished quilts from the Jan Hassard workshop.

However, when people start coming in and appreciating the space that there is to get a really good look at the quilts, both close-to and from afar, those worries are put aside.


I was working on Friday so came in to the exhibition on Saturday to see a "SOLD" sign on one of my small quilts, which was very exciting. And the excitement continued through the day when I sold two more. Not enough to give up the day job, but glimmers of that portfolio career appearing.


The proceeds of this one are going to charity as the design is by Pat Archibald and it is not my own design.

River Race, all my own work, design and fabric dyeing, ( far left) also sold.


As did lower right " Unexpected item in the thinking area".


Visitors' choice can be seen on the Richmond and Kew Quilters Facebook page, and hopefully this week, on our website.
A great few days and thanks to all my friends who came to visit.


Afternoon sunlight reflecting through the stained glass on the pillars above the quilts.

Quilt show, Teddington 5- 7 Oct

If you are in the Teddington area next weekend, do drop in to the Richmond and Kew Quilters' biennial show at the Landmark Centre. Easy transport from Waterloo ( no parking there, I'm afraid) , over 100 quilts on display, craft stall, quilters' bric-a-brac, raffles, traders, tea, coffee cakes - not much more needed for the perfect day out. See this quilt live and come and say hello. I'll be there on Saturday and Sunday.

"Finished is better than perfect" weekend

A rare weekend with no family responsibilities gave lots of time to finish some WIPs that were eating into energy that is needed for other creative endeavours. First up, a ' Hawaiian quilting meets Scottish iconography" cushion.



Hand-appliqued with my own design, after a lesson several years ago from Maggie Davies.. Machine quilted.




This will be in the Richmond and Kew Quilters exhibition, on the craft stall or on the cushion raffle.

Next up, quilt as you go pinwheels, which featured here some time ago. Turned into a bit of a "shambles-as-you-go", as once again I launched into the sewing without a complete plan and had to adapt as I went. Hand and machine quilted. Machine quilted with Bottomline thread, which is incredibly fine, so much so that I had to use the Bernina bobbin case finger extension for the first time. Worth exploring if you are having a problem balancing top and bottom tension.


Details of machine quilting

Mindless making

There are some occasions when the stresses of the day are not relieved by family, laughter, exercise, reading, watching TV or listening to music. That's when I turn to mindless making. No pattern, no plan, just pieces of fabric, the sewing machine, whatever wadding comes to hand and thread. This week's mindless making coincided with a need to start stitching items to sell at our quilt show in October ( yes, we believe in planning ahead). These cards are the result.




Transfer printed synthetic fabric, machine quilted around the random motifs. These are square, just distorted by the angle of photography.



Indigo dyed cotton, with foiled circles, then machine quilted. I should have photographed these before putting them in the cellophane bags. Why is it that the very act of putting these in the bags, and sealing them, makes them immediately look more professional?

My local area challenge

My local quilt group has an exhibition in early October 2012. One of our challenges is to make an A3 piece, on the theme "My Local Area". I've ummed an aahed over this for months and finally settled on piece based on my photos of the Great River Race, held on the Thames in September. My personal challenge for this year is to use more of my printed textiles from Morley in finished items. So here it is.


The colours are a bit faded in this photo, it is brighter than this in reality. Details:



Machine quilted with holographic thread for the water effects, which went through the machine more readily than I had anticipated.

I blogged about creating this fabric here.