Mended Door- Change of Scale

Quilt number 3 for International Threads challenge is   finally completed after several months marinating on the design wall. The theme was change of scale or large/small scale.  I returned to ideas I worked on a while ago on incorporating a photo of door within a large scale detail  as in these JQ's

The smaller scale area  is a photo of part of a patched, mended door with newer wood inserts among the old on Queen Charlottes Cottage in the grounds of Kew Gardens. The larger scale  shapes and colours are based on some of the sections of the photo, a mixture of African batik, hand dyed fabric and monoprints with acrylic paint from Jae Maries course.  I  used different weight threads ( 40 and 12) in these areas to further emphasise the change of scale.

I took this  quilt along to the Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles group meeting yesterday in Bracknell - which apart from our AGM featured an interesting  talk   by Jane O'Brien  on the history of Damask ( co-incidentally I've reading through the silk route section of the 'History of the World in 100 objects). She highlighted the damask on various Renaissance paintings, many in the National Gallery which reminded me of my drawing courses there - remembering how I struggled with the patterns on cloth  in the  Bellini painting of the Doge!  
In the afternoon, it was good to be reminded of design principles, particularly the golden section  and I couldn't resist assembling a small flock from the delightful knitted sheep the Kate Crossley had brought for sale.

 

Ian meanwhile  had been picking the last of the figs from our tree  but even he admitted this time they were seriously underwhelming in taste - we need that Mediterranean sun! 

Ultimate Guide to Art Quilting

In the post this week I received my copy of  'The Ultimate Guide to Art Quilting' by Linda Seward , which features in the quilting section my quilt 'Tideline - after the storm', one of my favourites  as it summons up a particular place and time. I'm in very good company, sharing the page with Annette Morgan and Pia Welch.

Linda did her usual meticulous research  with incredible attention to detail and besides being a lovely book to look at , with nearly 140 artists featured, the instructions for every art quilt technique you can think of (and more!) are clear and succinct. The deceptively simple illustrations  are by Tom Messenger  and the overall design of the book  by Jane Glennie (TVCT)

Looking at the spread on indigo dyeing, which I know something about  but which I wasn't involved in contributing to, I can see that  it gives you enough just information to give it a go and then follow up further in the extensive bibliography. I looked with interest at the section on rust dyeing, especially now I've heard I've got a place on CQ Winter School with Alice Fox! It even has useful sections on sewing machine tips and exercises.

Linda and her team  have done a really thorough job - I thoroughly recommend the book, and not just because I'm in it! I'm sure it will become the art quilt equivalent  of  what many consider the Q&P bible. Other reviews from Gillian Cooper, Margaret Cooter, and Sandy Snowden
Linda will be  the Festival Of Quilts  launching the book with a display of quilts from the book (including 'Tideline') on stand B30 and is giving a couple of lectures on the artists and the process of putting the book together.

Quilts returned and a curation exercise

On  Saturday I went to  a meeting of Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles ( arriving an hour  late because of booking my BBC Proms tickets !)Besides being an interesting meeting, I also collected 2 quilts that have been away for a while in different exhibitions. I unfurled them  as soon as I got home, good to see them again in situ!

'Nautical Dawn' was part of the CQ 'Horizons' exhibition, going to FoQ, Ledbury and Prague.
 'Fleet mudflats'   was in the open competition at FoQ and then  in 'Halfway Between' by TVCT exhibited at  Knit and Stitch Olympia (where it was used in the advertising !) and the National Needlework Archive

 

 

 

In the afternoon of the TVCT meeting, we had the chance to look through the latest CQ suitcase collection 'All in days work'. Some fascinating pieces, made more powerful by the stories associated  with them.  We then had a curation exercise,  working to  a theme, choosing just 10 -15  from the 40+.  A valuable experience, and  as someone pointed out, reassuring  to think that if your work is rejected it might be nothing to do with the quality of work but because it doesn't meet the brief or work with other pieces chosen.

I did make me grateful that 'Nautical Dawn'  was included in the Horizons  exhibitions - it was so singular in it's  colour  that it was displayed on  it's own at FoQ, it could easily have been rejected. 

 

The model Jane and I had constructed for  Halfway Between had another airing as I attempted to explain  my thought processes. I had  initially chosen  groups of 2 or 3 pieces that worked together ( theme, contrast,  colour , shapes, sizes) and then worked  at getting a pleasing flow  not forgetting  practicalities like where the entrance  was, sightlines and electrical points. A lot of it  seemed intuition or gut reaction but  wasn't . I've probably been analysing   what works or not from all the exhibitions I've been to  and treated it like any other  composition.  

 



Spring Knit and Stitch, Olympia

A week has now gone by since the Spring Knit and Stitch Show at Olympia  and I've just about recovered! On the Saturday I went with my mother-in -law Sheila to have a good look round  but Sunday was stewarding day.

I went in early before it was open to the public  so I could take photos of the TVCT 'Halfway Between' stand. It looked fantastic and I'm so pleased that my dolls house mock-up proved useful .

It was quiet to begin with but soon there were lots of interested people having a look around. The show attracted quite a wide  range of  knitters and stitchers and I think our stand with it's variety of textiles appealed to that audience.

No photography allowed(we encouraged people to buy the catalogue)  but in a quiet time I got Sue to take a snap of me with  my 'Fleet Mudflats' ( as used  in advertising and  show catalogue!) .
There's still the opportunity to see 'Halfway Between' at the National Needlework Archive

I spent the Sunday afternoon with my white gloves on , stewarding the 70 or so  quilts of Contemporary Quilt Specialist Group of Quilters Guild Of British Isles. Lovely to see such a wide range of quilts (including older ones) made by my friends and with my white gloves having a  fine time sneaking a look at their backs. I've written a post for the 'fire' blog on this topic. 

A little retail therapy did not go amiss - some fabrics to dye with indigo later in the summer and a range of threads including luscious linen ones from  Namolio.

Buy a Plank!

 

I love African fabrics  and have bought a lot from Magie Relph  of the  African Fabric Shop over the years ( I was her first customer! ). I especially like the kola and indigo fabrics that Musa produces, using quite a lot of it in my 'Tunisian Door' made especially for 'Under African Skies' exhibition.  So I was sorry to have missed out on the opportunity of buying a piece of Helen Conway's quilt when she cut it up.   However the artists that  did obtain a 'plank' have produced a wonderfully diverse selection of quilts which are now up for auction on the 'buy a plank' auction website. I urge you to visit  and consider bidding  for a worthwhile cause. I know which one I'd like to own!

Thanks to Nina-Marie  for asking so nicely if she could use this as inspiration for her colour palette!

I also used  some of Musa's fabrics in my 'Fleet Mudflats' piece (below) for TVCT 'Halfway Between'  exhibition which opens at Spring Knit and Stitch show at Olympia, stand F60, tomorrow. I'll  be visiting on Saturday, stewarding on Sunday  so if you see me, do say hello - I love to meet people who read my blog!

Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles at Knit and Stitch Olympia 13 -16 March

 

Booking is now open for Knit and Stitch at Olympia  13-16 March   and TVCT  'Halfway Between' is one of the featured exhibitions. I'm thrilled that an image of the stitching on  my 'Fleet Mudflats' is being used in the advertising !! Find out more about Thames Valley Contemporay Textiles here.

Text in Textiles

 An inspiring day at Thames Valley Textile Group last weekend,  with talk from Sara Impey ( who's  work I've long admired). Very entertaining  with wonderful sense of fun and ridiculous while addressing serious issues. Phrases that resonated I scribbled down : a liking for "density of text on the printed page"; "integrity of wholecloth" and tips such as not leaving big gaps between words  as get repetitive patterns forming.  I haven't done much with text apart from peeling poster JQ's but I fished out this piece of paper lamination -  and then put it back in the box as there are too many other projects on the go at the moment!

In the afternoon, the grand reveal  for 'Halfway Between' . In a moment of weakness I'd offered to help with curation and design of exhibition at Knit and Stitch  at Olympia next spring. With such varied work both 2d and 3d , it's going to be a challenge to make a cohesive display in a small space.

Peeling Portals Preview

I've had 'Green Door II/ Peeling Portals' on the design wall for months, pending finishing other projects. With deadline of 14 September  fast approaching (TVCT 'Half way Between' submission date) it was time to review in earnest.  After several weeks of swapping doors around , printing off some new images on fabric , finally  ended up with an arrangement I was happy with , pretty much a tweaked version of what I started with! It's now sown together with strips of Heide Stolle Webber fabric, it just (just!) needs quilting before and after adding the laminated layer.  

SAQA Benefit Auction and other news

The SAQA Benefit auction of my 12 inch quilt 'Indigo Waves' is  now open for bidding ( page 2b).  Just sold for $350!!!
 Another indigo piece 'Rules the Waves' is  featured on the Contemporary Quilt Website  - it was in the Guild challenge ('What Britain means to you' ) at the FoQ.
The TVCT exhibition 'Whatever Floats Your Boat' which includes my 'Taplow Vase' currently has another outing at the National Needlework Archive.

On Monday I gave a talk (Powerpoint and lots of quilts) at  Dulwich Quilters meeting (thanks Khurshid for inviting me). I had a lovely time, they were so hospitable and asked so many interesting questions.  I hope to get to their exhibition in November. Many of them said their favourite quilt was 'City Girls Dream of the Sea' - it's  mine too and lives on our landing.  Most people won't be aware of it as it was completed in 2000. It won 3rd place  at Great Northern Quilt Show in Harrogate   and make it on the cover of Popular Patchwork but  hasn't been on show since.  I've made so many seascape quilts now, it would be wonderful to have the opportunity to put them all on display somewhere, including the older pieces like this one.

I've just booked for the Quilters Guild of the British isles 2013 AGM and Conference at the University of Nottingham. My first AGM was in Paignton in 1987 and for quite a while I went every year as it was the only large quilt gathering going on and a great way of making new friends and meeting up with old ones. It then turned into every other year and then more infrequently as there were more and more quilt events which seemed more relevant to me and competed for my limited time and funds.

While I enjoy the lectures and activities at the AGM conference, it is having top quality workshops which is what now attracts me (or not).
My last AGM was in 2008 in Cambridge when the draw was an excellent workshop with Charlotte Yde - I continue to use the curved piecing methods she taught.
So I'm very much looking forward to coming to Nottingham for a workshop with Uta Lenk. There's been a lot of grumbling about the price of the weekend  but compared to the costs of workshops at say FoQ it is excellent value and I get all the benefits of the conference too! ( apart from anything else Nottingham  is where I spent 3 years doing research for a PhD)

Meanwhile, the bathroom is getting there- a few setbacks but the tiling is mostly done and towel rail installed. We're getting a little tired of  going downstairs to the loo and the bath is at an increasingly jaunty angle  but it will be worth it!

Stewarding, Stitching and Spirit Stains

 I spent Saturday stewarding the TVCT group exhibition 'Whatever Floats Your Boat' at Gallery@49  in Bracknell. Perishing cold - just as well Sandy had warned me  and I came armed with thermals and layers of fleeces.  It's a nice space if a bit tricky to take photos although I rather like how the art pieces interacted with the environment.

 I spent most of my time stitching on my latest indigo piece ( usefully long enough to cover my legs!) and people watching out of the window, fascinated by what purchases people brought out of the emporium opposite. Black tinsel was popular, the display outside had to be replenished, quite tricky in the stiff breeze.

 Some interesting conversations with Tonia who came down from her studio periodically to thaw out and with the few people who ventured into the Gallery. Several artists who popped in to admire the textiles talked about their own work, including a man who worked in leather. A couple of weeks ago Ian's mum had given me an old box of leather 'spirit stains' that had been her fathers so this was the opportunity to find out a bit more about them.   When I described them, he said that they were probably aniline dyes which you can't get anymore (for H&S reasons of course!) but apparently they're the best - transparent but intense. This led to futher discussions about tanning methods and whether he had a stash of leathers equivalent to my fabric. A little hesitantly he admitted this was the case!!