I've been hung at last!

This morning my friend Penne Jefford-Kane and myself put in some hard yards at the Deception Bay Library: we had been asked to submit a selection of art quilts as 'artists in residence' for the month of July.

I didn't realize until today what hard work it is arranging a small show.
I've also decided I do not like ladder work any more.regardless of the exercise involved (smiles to myself)

We grouped these three works together because
a) The two smaller quilts are the same theme,but different techniques.
The upper piece is a machine applique`d fabric landscape and the lower black bordered one is worked in machine felted wool and silk fibres.

Over the computer desk we arranged some of my Journal Quilts,and on the wall opposing them was hung "Shapes" and one of my favourites,although it doesnt really qualify as an art quilt.
"I love a sunburnt country" is a Redwork hand embroidered quilt featuring flora and fauna and surrounding a map of Australia.

Unfortunately my camera batteries "died" so you'll need to visit again to see the rest of our exhibit.

Maybe now,I'll have :
"TIME" to make a start on that "Embellish stitch and Enrich" course of Dale R's which must now be entering it's fifth week.
b)The larger piece "Asymmetrical Abstraction" is an attempt at an abstract landscape.

Shapes revisited

I know that I said a while back that "Shapes" was complete;
However,I felt it was too blah so I have added some tracks to add to the over all textural effect with various fibres.
Still not happy with it,so I guess 'somebody' may end up with a placemat.

Asymmetrical abstraction

Finally I can say "It's complete"
What started as an idea for an abstract landscape has done it's own thing and turned out totally different to what was planned.
Maybe I need to get back to my original premise beat it into submission, and see what results

Glasshouse mountains

When we still had Lo-e ,our beautiful 45 foot diesel cruiser,we used often to travel up Pumicestone Passage and anchor where we used to experience the most wonderful sunsets:
Behind the Glasshouse Mountains,and reflected in the waters of Tripcony Bight,these are my attempts at portraying a special place.

Landscape Postcards

Finally,my landscape cards are ready to travel toSweden,Ireland and the USA.I have tried to give a feeling of our Australian landscape
from the Northern Territory;Western Australia and Queensland.
The first two are stylised version (artistic licence?) of Edith Falls in NT.

The third is of a part of the Westralian coastline,with it's sandstone "islands".

The fourth card is an area that calls deeply to my heart: the Glasshouse Mountains.This is meant to represent Mt Tibrogargan.

"Shapes"...completed

It was an idea,which in my opinion didn't "work" the way I hoped.
I feel the piece is too bland.
However,it's been a long time since I used a six strand embroidery cotton for quilting: not the sort of thing that works with a #9 quilting needle,but rather requires a 23 crewel.

It's wild in the 'burbs

As Autumn slowly morphs into what passes for Winter in the sub-tropics, some of the local residents indulge in a little sunbaking in the garden.

This blue tongued lizard travels between my neighbour's and my gardens free from any hassle.
About 30 cm long,it's main form of defence is to puff itself up and hiss/huff at the intruder (me)

At least,while 'he' is in residence the insect population and snails and slugs will be reduced in numbers

Backyard birds

I went to peg out the laundry this morning,and there feasting on the seed pods of the Spathodea over the back fence were six Galahs.
They even gave me time to get inside the house,grab my camera and take a few pics........
I do miss the birdlife that visited so regularly at Moodlu.

Quiltie: Ticket to Ryde

When I returned from my recent week of RnR with family in Rockhampton, a parcel from Jo S was waiting for me:
It was Jo's "Ticket to Ryde" my part of the great Quiltie swap on one of my groups.
Jo's explanation of her 6 inch fabric art square was:

"The background was of my train tickets printed on fabric;
The braid made good tracks and the ric-rac represents the sometimes rugged journeys I sometimes endure on my way to work.
The tangled lines are self explanatory............"


Jo's piece was timely,as my journey to Rocky was via the super fast Tilt train (VBG)
which seemed to spend more time on side rails to allow cattle and coal trains through;never maxxed at more than 103 k/hour and was 45 minutes late arriving in Rocky!

Thanks Jo,I appreciate your work!

Collage Mania 2008

As from May 5 (USA time) some 200 plus collages are available for sale /bids
to raise money for FiberArtfor a Cause.............in this case Cancer Coucil/

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageMania0815.html
So many pieces have been submitted as homage to friends and family that have fought the fight,and in some cases,WON a battle against Cancer.

Can you help?

Cynthia Morgan workshop

Last Saturday, I was privileged to participate a workshop with Cynthia Morgan at her home in Caloundra.(Q'ld)

I chose her nature photograph of a gorge in the Kimberleys,W.A. as my inspiration,and am trying to interpret it in fabric.
There were eight of us in the group,and we each chose a different inspiration photo as Cynthia prefers not to have everyone in the group competing over the same scene.

Apologies for all the white dots,but I'm still auditioning scraps of fabric for a good effect, and they being so small,need an awful lot of applique pins to keep them in position.


I'd like to add another couple of Australian fabric landscapes to my collection,
but will persevere with this in order that it doesn't succumb to the dreaded UFO-itis !

It was a wonderful day with Cynthia as she shared her tips and tricks of the trade,and also showed us her dyeing area....and to see up close and personal so much of her work:
landscape and flora was truly awesome.

Back to postcards!

As the forthcoming swap on the ArtUMail groups is themed for "your favourite landscape"
I thought I'd play around a little and to to employ some of the tips that Cynthia Morgan shared at her Landscapes Workshop last Saturday :
The first one represents two large rocks in a sea scape:
The fibre I used to represent froth and foam didnt work as I'd hoped,so back to the drawing board.

The second is of a waterfall.

Still a lot of room for improvement.........so maybe I'll try a more simplistic piece with the next attempt

Outside the Square"

The brief on the Craft Forum was to create a (finished) six inch square "Quiltie"
featuring "something" on both the front and the reverse.

I chose to work "outside the square" of traditional P&Q.
The "front" I formed using wool tops ,cotton muslin and my Janome Xpression machine to form a piece of machine n/f felt of lime green,rust and a small patch featuring lavendar,gold and green.

After a recent foray into a scrapbooking shop,I found an interesting piece of shaped card,of which I cut a small sqaure which was then painted with Lumiere metallic sunset acrylic.

This piece was anchored to the felt by using sequins and bugle beads.

I then added two dyed and split silk cocoons,which were anchored with green sea shell fragments.


The reverse or backing features a cluster of leaves,super- imposed with a hot glue motif!

The motif was a result of a challenge on the "yahoo textile challenge group",which was overpainted with (sunset) metallic Lumiere acrylic paint.
The shape was then "rubbed with gold embossing for further definition

My point in this piece was to demonstrate that a "quiltie" need not be a traditional P&Q piece .

I LIKE thinking; "What if? Why not?"
whether my fellow swappie agrees,remains to be seen.

But I had FUN......and enjoyed what I did.
C'est la vie!

C'est finis

The fat lady has sung: The edges have been bound and the two landscapes are as complete as I can make them.
(Please ignore the daisy pins holding the hanging to the rod :-( I forgot they were there when I took the photos)
The upper pic is totally fabric: machine appliqued.

The pic with the black (fabric) "frame" was worked using wool and some silk tops.

The settler's hut/cottage is of machine appliqued fabrics.

Both were based on the same small watercolour postcard: they were my first attempts at a 'true' landscape,and yet to me,both are so different.

At the present,I'm working on a quiltie: a six inch finished square...........one side consists of a square embellished onto a piece of cotton scrim,and further embellishments added.

The reverse side will feature a batik style fabric embellished with a hot glue effect(courtesy of a challenge a while back on the yahoo Textile challenge group)
I'm trying to work outside the traditional quilting square!
Interested??
Watch this space.

Combining...........

Two different types of CQ blocks!

The original blocks were my "Rainbow Garden" and I'm wondering if it's possible to combine a "Rainbow Garden "with some
"Dancing Fans /Fan dancing"blocks........
.there is a totally different colourway between the two sets,
but I have this "feeling" that if I combine them,I'm reducing the stack of UFOsand creating a special piece.
There are five "Fan dancing" blocks" and seven "Rainbow Garden" blocks.
The Rainbow Garden blocks are the ones that appeal to me the most: the result of a Round Robin on "southerncrosscrazies"/yahoo group a few years back.
In fact,back when I thought my DH was indestructible.....before the dreaded Prostate cancer knocked him for six (in cricket terminology) and Life was hunky dory
Although there are two totally differing themes,I am seriously thinking of combining them both to commemorate a significant time in our marriage............a Memento Mori.

Finished at last!

The landscape fabricated using my Janome Xpression is finally as complete as I can make it.
I've added a little 'foliage' and a few rocks in the lower edge for extra dimension.

Now, it's time to try complete the fabric machine applique version.......

The Song is over........

(but) "The Melody Lingers on"

A Collage made of fabric paper,as seen in yesterday's blogging.
A violin and musical notes laid over torn sheet music,and a machine embroidered butterfly
representing the soul that has passed over.

Paper fabric

As I was needing some themed paper fabric for a special project I got to and fabricated some paper fabric today;
The upper pic is themed with sheet music,lavender from a paper serviette and blue & lavender coloured tissue paper.
As the piece is 12 by nearly 30inches, and I only require a piece 6 by 8,I'll have plenty for others---a series,maybe?

The larger lower piece was made to have ready for embellishing when the desire arises.

Apart from these pieces, I frog-stitched the hand quilting on the "Simple shapes " of a couple of weeks ago and more firmly anchored the shapes with an invisible blind stitch.
Now to start quilting again.......if family circumstances allow .

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.