Musa's Clinic Online Quilt Sale 02 Dec

I've donated  two 25cm ( 10 inch) square quilts , backed with  4mm felt and a hanging loop to the African Fabric Shop online quilt sale in support of the Sukuta Health Centre in The Gambia.

They both incorporate  Musa's Kola and Indigo fabrics which I've used in  many of my quilts from Tunisian Door to Fleet Mudflats ( I was  one of their first online customers , ordering fabric on Boxing day 1999! )  As with the conservation projects I've been involved with at Kew, a relatively small amount of money can make a big difference.

UPDATE. I'm pleased to say that these sold within  hours of the online sale opening  and will be heading off to buyers in UK and Qatar  soon. Thank You! 

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!

Quilt Review 2010

 I've grouped my Journal Quilts for the year by theme rather than month. I did start off with a painted sample for my honesty quilt but  decided not to include it but  to have something that united all the pieces: indigo and/or a blue and black Japanese fabric which I also used as binding.
Only one JQ (February snow in Llangollen) uses acrylics:with exception of  'Rich as Honesty'  this year has featured a return to improvisational piecing and wonderful fabrics

But what an exception! 'Rich as Honesty' was unfinished business, making the quilt that I wanted 'Lunaria '  to be. I think it's my best yet and was recognized as such by receiving 'Highly Commended' award at Festival of Quilts.
Making 'Tunisian Door' for 'Under African Skies' exhibition at the Quilt Museum was the trigger to reconnecting with African and indigo  fabrics  and exploring their use in new ways.

Of all  my quilts this year this JQ from March 'Indigo seas' is my favourite - it's simplicity , showcasing some wonderful fabrics in a painterly way expresses the most the direction I want to take.
I'm currently setting up a website for my artwork - another new direction for the new year.

Thanks for all your comments, I wish  you all a wonderful 2011. 

Door Samples and SeptemberJournal Quilts

As I'm still ruminating about next quilt and fighting off sore throat and sniffles, time to do some mindless sewing, catching down the facings of samples produced while making Tunisian Door Quilt. Ever since 2008 CQ Journal quilt challenge, I've liked the 12 x 12 inch format and have found it a big enough size to test out techniques , fabrics and stitching. I like to bind/face them so they're 'proper' quilts with the potential to mount on 12 inch canvases for sale at some point.
Another semi-mindless task was sorting through all fabric and scraps from the last few projects, folding them and putting them back in their colour baskets or classifying them by size and potential usefulness ( and there was me thinking I wasn't a taxonomist!)
I had a lot of wonky strips left over from the Tunisian Door which I decided to use for my September Journal Quilt, putting into fabric the ideas started in Elizabeth Barton's workshop of a distant photo placed over a detail/texture. Didn't put too much thought into it - like the flashes of pink that come through from the background fabric I used.
With the addition of an offcut leftover from 'thin blue line' quilt there were enough trimmings left after I'd cut it down to make another quilt, which I think I prefer. I like the results of being thrifty but how would I scale up and produce enough scraps of scraps?

FoQ Purchases

Yet another new experience, updating my blog on the train! On my way up to Malham for painting course, via York to see my Tunisian door quilt at the Quilt Museum. Apart from Blogger initially being in Swedish, length of time to upload photos and sqwarking child in carriage , all is well I've brought my notes with me from Elizabeth Barton Masterclass, hoping to find some time to digest them and summarise (in between grinding pigments!)

My purchases were relatively modest: more shibori/tray dyed fabric from African Fabric shop;book on 3d embroidery(have idea about making a vessel for Slough Museum Challenge)

Under African Skies at Quilt Museum

Magie sent me a photo of my Tunisian Door quilt on display at the Quilt Museum as part of 'Under African Skies' exhibition. Seems quite appropriate to have windows either side, like a play house ! The other quilts and fabrics on show look great ( Magie has more about them on her website) and I look forward to seeing them on August 23 when I visit en route to my painting holiday at Malham. I'll be picking up some postcards made of my quilt which are on sale in the shop. The journal of SDA had just arrived and appropriately is titled 'African Sampler'!