Cure for Post-FoQ Blues

 It's always a bit difficult getting started again after being so overwhelmed with beautiful  work at Festival of Quilts. But the  deadline looming for submission of JQ's for CQ challenge by end of August focuses the mind! At least I've been posting mine monthly this time rather than having to submit 4 in one go ( which rather defeats the object of a journal quilt  in my mind). Augusts offering 'Door scraps I' is made from the offcuts of the sample below which I mounted on a canvas for Cwilt Cmyru 'meet the artist'.  

 It was made with photos of doors and acrylic paint applied over masking tape stencils rather then the paper lamination of 'Peeling Portals' below ( which I've just posted off for Harrogate quilt show , cross fingers!) . This technique does have potential, far simpler than paper lamination but it doesn't yield such complex results

 While my offcut basket was out ( just some of the trimmings from finished quilts...) I had fun composing some more 'door' pieces - so September is sorted out !

This   door JQ (scraps of African indigo fabrics) has been on the go since February, a nice size to hand stitch on  train journeys, it might get finished for October. I initially thought the 8inch size would be too small for my liking but this years challenge has proved a delight, permission  to play and see what happens.

Another little quick project was making a present for  intern Ebrailon  who has been such a help in the lab, particularly chopping up slices of orchid roots we've collected to see if they have any fungi in.  He goes back to Brazil next week  and we'll miss him.  I printed some photos of root samples on Jacquard cotton sheets and ironed them onto  a cotton bag with bondaweb

Peeling Portals and Kew Petition

After relaxing break in Elounda, work is currently taking all my creative energy - planning experiments after finding my funding applications for bryophyte conservation were successful  in   tough times - 40 other projects didn't get funding. Not a huge amount of money and only for a year but everything helps.
Very worrying  times at Kew at the moment,  125 jobs to go, until the  new science strategy is in place I don't know whether my job is secure and whatever happens , things will be very different. I worry that in chasing other funding sources we'll no longer be able to do the conservation work  we're known for.
So sign the petition,  ( overseas supporters can do so too, ) and if you're in the UK, ask your MP  to support the Early Day Motion

Meanwhile, inspired by some of the wonderful peeling Cretan doors, I've returned to finishing off some WIPs ( Works-in-Progress) completing quilting and cutting back through the  laminated organza of 'Peeling Portals', companion piece to ' Every Wall is a Door'. I missed the deadline for  Sandown Quilt show - at 24 inches square  it's  too small for entry in other  competitions.  Maybe next year!  Just needs binding and sleeve putting on now.

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.  

Retreat : quilts, walks ,sketches, sun and CAKE

I made quite a lot of progress playing with the arrangements of my 2 green door quilts while on retreat last week  as well as some stitching on 3 Journal Quilts  but that stranger the sun was too much of a distraction despite the ice and frost and I spent  more time walking and sketching in the beautiful surroundings.

 Glenthorne last year  was a welcome  break but the house and setting of Rydal Hall were amazing- lovely grounds with sculptures dotted everywhere, many of them textile (more in another post)

 Rydal Falls was literally on the doorstep   and Rydal Water just on the other side of the road.

 

The light in our work room was very good ( and handily situated next to the bar which sold beers from microbreweries) . The food supplied was excellent  as were the cakes which we'd each brought for morning  and afternoon breaks (photo above taken on the first day through the window with 12+ stacked up). Despite a valiant effort, there was still a large spread left at the end of the week which we divided up to take home (below). 



The company too was excellent - a lot of laughs and exchange of ideas while still giving space for personal time, as expressed in this carved plaque  in a quiet spot :
" You must come away to some lonely space all by yourselves and rest for a while"