An hour later

Let the sunshine in!
The back and side gardens: after I attacked the Rosellas.

In the lower photo you can see the pile of plants after the hair cut!

Tomorrow,hopefully I'll have time to prepare the pods for jam making.

How does your garden grow?

Last year,about May 1,I blogged pics of the state of the "garden".....

Today ,Saturday March 22, 2008 this is how it looks :

Photo 1: is the view along the back of the house;the jungle nearest the house wall are the Rosella plants I planted as seedlings last November.
I have just picked another bucketful of Rosella fruit for jam making,so these will be removed very shortly.

Photo 2 My pot of Cooktown Orchid is covered in buds. I'm hoping the present plague of grasshoppers don't have it for dessert.

Photo 3 : Taken from near the Orchid pot and looking northwards,you can see the shady part of the garden,with Cordylines;Acanthus, Syngonium;
Cardwell lily,native Ginger Golden cane palms and Iris.

Photo 4: Is what my neighbour refers to as "the day of the triffids"...
where the rosella and the Lab-lab beans have turned feral !
(You wouldn't think there had been a severe pruning here about three weeks ago would you!)

Well,it's time to be ruthless and remove the rosella and again trim back the bean plants.
In all the years I've grown Rosella it's the first time I've had them grow to the house gutter height.........what's that! Over two metres.I must have fed them too well.
Anyway,with summer heat hopefully finished,the plants hiding behind all that shelter can venture out again.

FREEBIE........Quilt give away !!

(No, it's not mine!)

But do take a trip over to visit with Dana at Old Red Barn and drool over the vibrant quilt that's on offer.
She is making this gesture to celebrate her 200th blog posting.

If you do leave comment,would you mention that you found news of it via my blog ,please!

Abstract

Today I finally got around to using scrim as foundation for a needle felted piece and this square was the result.
The white areas visible in some areas is the result of punching from the 'wrong side':

When punching on the reverse side, there's a tendency to cause the base mesh to loop up through the felt,much the same way that incorrect tension on a sewing machine can leave 'loops' on the right side of fabric.

After cutting the square from the perpared piece,I then embellished some (silk) thrower's waste across......reminds me of the Stingers sometimes seen in Moreton Bay.

Some CQ again

Yes........I've made a start on Doreen's block!
It seems so long since I've done any CQ and embroidery,that I find I'm referring back to a few favourite books to remember how it's done.
These days with fabric and fibre postcards and Journal quilts consuming my interest my CQ has sadly dropped away.
I keep telling myself that when the electrician comes and adds a few more power points,I'll be able to sit and stitch at night;
So I guess I better organise a sparkie!

Something simple

After skimming through my new quilting books:

Gloria Loughman's "Luminous Landscapes"
Maggi McCormick Gordon's "Quilters guide to Pictorial quilts"
Valerie Hearder's "Points of view"
and Jane Davila & Elin Waterston's "Art Quilt Workbook"

I thought I'd get back to basics!
Hence the current work in progress:
Simple geometric shapes on a plain background.

And,I'm doing it "my way" using a klip lok type of quilting frame;
I want to see if I can quilt without basting , pinning or spraying.

I'm using an overdyed pearl thread and hand quilting initially around the shapes.
What happens after that?
Who knows!
But I am finding that the frame seems to be working as I hoped,and keeping a reasonable tension on the quilt sandwich. The finished piece should be about 15 by 24 inches.

Apples aint apples.......

The upper photo is the machine needle felted landscape with a fabric hut replacing my attempt at a lake:
it gives the scene more focus I think.

So now that the hut pieces are vleisofixed in position I'll anchor them with stitching and a wee bit more needle felted foliage.








The lower photo is the fabric appliqued landscape: and I think it's ready for its final tweaking and mounting.





And then,with a free conscience,I can enjoy working on Doreen's CQ block.

I'm not really here.........

..........I'm actually over here:
It's just that in the past turbulent six months I haven't actually got my act together........
I've forgotten so much!

When sometime last year I changed the format of my blogger KenmaursCorner I lost all the links etc I had in my sidebars ,and I haven't got round to researching and replacing.

(Has anyone got a spare Aladdin's lamp??)

Well,today's mail delivered me a new book "The Quilter's guide to Pictorial quilts" by Maggie McCormick Gordon,so I think I'll go do some reading,and dreaming!
Nite all!

Is it a lake?

The lower area in the middle of the piece is where the settler's cottage "should be";

But...........the patch of WSS peeking through kept on murmuring "water" to me.

So,using some silk and glitzy fibres I momentarily filled in the void.
(That's ok,because if I still proceed with applying a fabric cottage,it will need a stronger backing than WSS stabiliser)

Of course the 'water' is pretty basic at the moment: it would need reeds,reflections and
more shadows around the banks.

At this point,I'll stop a while and ponder what to do next.

Stage one:

Being a little weary of playing with fabric and feeling that it's been 'forever' since I played with my Xpression, I thought I'd try my hand at constructing the appliqued landscape in wool

I haven't got too far with this afternoon's effort: I drew the cartoon onto heavy duty WSS backed with a tear away stabiliser (to stop the WSS 'grabbing ' on the machine bed.)

Once again,this is another case of "What if.......why not!"

If the weather stays wet and dreary again tomorrow I should get at least the cartoon blocked in in colour.

If it turns fine........the garden,and very fast growing weeds and succulents are demanding to be removed.

Landscape

I've been doing a bit of constructing.....and destructing, lately!

I've been attempting a landscape in the A4 size format,and finding "things" a wee bit fiddly.
Several times it was flung into the recycle bin,but a friend urged me to keep on working and learn from my mistakes.

There's still quite a bit of work to be done on the piece before it's completed,but I thought I'd share this with you to show that I have been attempting to create.

By the way the dark edging is a roughly cut window in matt card,not fabric; after the piece is quilted ,I'll probably frame it.

Naked CQ blocks

It's so long since I've constructed any naked CQ blocks,that I'm sure I broke a few 'rules today.

The upper block: yes Autumn tonings is mainly constructed from kimono offcuts;
four of the fabrics have been used frequently over the past four years.

The lower block features an Iris print and I've attempted to pick out the colours in the central flowers.

Tomorrow ,hopefully,I'll manage some soft pastel shaded blocks.

I also need to complete that NZ landscape,tackle a n/f landscape,and pursue some ideas I have for "recycled" themed postcards for a PostMark'Dart swap in a couple of months.

It's a good job that no visitors are due........
Most everything has migrated from the sewing room (too small) to the large dining room table,where it looks like a cyclone has blown through,

Anyone for tea?

F.A.T. is currently running an elegant tea postcard swap:

Elegant?
Well, it should feature tea,roses and lace.

Just as a play thing I resurrected a piece of "ancient" fabric from my stash,and with some fussy cutting,Misty Fuse and lace and tatting,these three postcards were the result.

Now WHY am I doing this when DoreenG is patiently waiting for a naked CQ block.........
I have no idea!

Will go start on the blocks NOW, Doreen.........

I PROMISE!

Hot lips!

The third card in the ArtUMail "Valentine" swap arrived yesterday:

With such a luscious pair of red satin lips,what else should it be called but
Hotlips Houlihan (apologies to MASH)

Jan gave the card extra bling by adding a wide strip of square sequins over the background floral.

The card really brightened up a rather grey day.
Thanks Jan!

O toyota!!

Wednesday I had attempted to complete the hand stitching to allow me to mail "Autumn Blues" to Canberra,
but due to a few hiccups ,that didnt eventuate.

After a plethora of visitors Thursday,early Friday morning I accepted that the 'ivy' leaf and piece of bark

(see earlier bloggings where items were pinned in position)

had gone walkabout with one of the visitors........

In desperation I discarded idea of the leaf trailing over lower edge of the quilt
and added a few blue skelton leaves.

This morning...........the errant leaf 'returned'-----

The only place I hadn't looked/searched:
In the kitchen sink!

Back to Autumn Gold

ArtUMail........Valentines

This past week I've received two cards based on the Valentine's Day theme:
The red and white card arrived yesterday from Carol H in Barker.N.Y.

The second ,striking card arrived from Carina K in Sweden:
Carina has worked in metallics-- using a copper foil for the two hearts, and machine stippling in turqoise and copper metallic thread over turqoise foils.
Very effective!
Thank you ladies!

Autumn Blues

The 'Autumn blues' quiltlet is complete----I think!
Its ten inch square was made in memories of many Autumns spent at KenMark,when the several silky oak trees(Grevilliea robusta) used to deposit great heaps of leaves...which required regular raking and burning.
It really made my autumns blue......we felt like squirrels in one of those round cages......never finished until spring arrived!
Several large garbage bins each day.

But the October blossoms brought the birds for the nectar,and by Summer we had wonderful shade on the western outlook; No pleasure without a little pain.

Leaves in the Autumn come tumbling down
Scarlet and yellow,russet and brown.
Leaves in the garden swept in a heap
The trees are ready to sleep.

Be my Valentine?

Some weeks back I experimented with calico,various tissue wrapping papers,diluted glue,Angelina fibres and Lumiere paints,to produce some rather bright paper/cloth?

Remembering that I'd committed to a Valentine Postcard swap,I thought I'd "play":
These photos are the result resulting collages./postcards.

The first pic features some fine pink bridal lace and a lace motif behind black bridal tulle.

The second and the third cards feature two fabric prints made and given me by my friend SandieW.

One is framed with some cream braid from my stash and gold butterfly stamping;

The next,a sepia toned print is framed with lace from my CQ stash and ruffled ribbon floss.
A fine blue organza bow anchors the lace and floss.











Finally,another lace motif heart with more Angelina imprisoned by black bridal tulle.
All cards are edged with a multi-coloured blanket stitch.


I hope the recipients enjoy my attempts.

Enough,already!

"Autumn blues"
Leaves in the Autumn come tumbling down
Scarlet and yellow,
Russet and brown.
Leaves in the garden are swept in a heap
The trees are ready for sleep.


Finally,I am getting closer to the finishing post:
Will I add a few skeletonised leaves,or will I accept that it's "enough,already!"

S.E.X.

Today,my friend Pen and I had our weekly day 'out'.

Pen/Penne is not only a recognised potter in Australia (google :Penne Jefford to see some of her magnificent works)
but also an artist with paints and collage.

Lately she has turned her talents to fibre art and oh boy! is she widening my horizons!

Today was our weekly 'day out' and we ventured up to Spotlight (a bit like the USA Walmart)
I went: to only buy some quilter's muslin/scrim,and some black bridal tulle.(smile)

Just recently I used some larger/coarser netting (no way I could call it tulle) and was really disappointed with the results.

But I came away owning some shades of green,brown,blue and grey.

Because Pen is shepherding me towards landscapes, and I've just completed an "Autumn" theme, I purchased fabrics which I hope will produce an Australian landscape.
The two books featured in the pic are one by Australian Gloria Loughman "Luminous landscapes"
and "Color on Paper and Fabric" by Ruth Issett.

I've already washed and folded the fabrics and have a vague idea HOW I want to use them.....dare I say I have another shade of Autumn in mind.

That Challenge....again.

This afternoon I had another "go" at 'Autumn Blues': adding more of the Challenge Angelina,which I fused to some Nasturtium silk Organza I bought when I killed my plastic at Robyn Alexander's "Colour Streams" last year.
I thought that it could be used both sides to represent Autumn leaves and the flames of a bonfire consuming the leaves.

Unfortunately,my pile of leaves looks more like a discoloured Pointsettia flower........too tidy!

But I wanted a 3-D effect with the leaves being able to hang away from the background,or even turn to show both sides.

Maybe when it gets to be permanently in a vertical position (read wall-hanging) the leaves will fluff and dangle as I visualised.

I did do a little surgery on the main piece: it will now be a 10 inch square when finished.
There are some other bits 'n bobs to be added,but,because they're delicate and require hand stitching,they will be added when this is backed and bound.