March and April Journal Quilts

I've been having a purge of quilt books (Ian is selling them on his Amazon Marketplace site'Snapupbooks') . One that I wouldn't get rid of and that is still fresh despite being published in 1996 is 'The Fabric Makes The Quilt' by Roberta Horton. I was thinking of it when for my March Journal Quilt 'Indigo Sea' I put together 2 Indigo shibori fabrics bought from Changs at recent Region 1 area day with some African damask from Magie Relph and they spoke 'waves' to me. There's been a bit of a discussion on BQL Yahoo group about the 'skinny insert' techniques of Alison Schwabe and I was also thinking of the curved techniques that Charlotte Yde taught at QGBI AGM in Cambridge. I'm really excited with the results and possibilities in cutting curves into these irregularly striped fabrics. The foreground reminded both Ian and I of sky reflected in wet sand ripples.
I'm also planning to use these stripey African shibori/tie dye fabrics in a quilt based on Tunisian doors and the use of 'skinny inserts' of a blue/black Japanese fabric proved just the job to suggest the cracks in between the wood panels . In April's Journal Quilt 'Berber Door' I've experimented with iron on transfer sheets to 'decorate' the door with the studded nail patterns and 'Hand of Fatima' patterns I saw on so many examples in Tunisia. I'm not sure what the pattern on the lower left means but we saw it everywhere in Le Kef . The transfer gives rather a plasticy feel but that seems quite appropriate for a crumbly door!

Distressed Doors

I've always been a connoisseur of a nicely distressed, crumbly door- every holiday I go on I have to do at least one watercolour sketch besides taking numerous photos. Going back year after year to Paralio Astros I have been able to document the decline of some prime examples. (Greek doors in their array of blues and greens are particularly delicious).
I've struggled to realise their potential in textiles despite several experiments and samples but finally I think I'm getting there.

Loutra Kithnos

Pedoulas, Cyprus

Paralio Astros, Peleponnese

Gythion, Peleponnese

I've been experimenting for a while with painting on sections of old Durham Quilt that have a wonderful texture in their hand quilting. I was wondering how I could print photos on this surface ( they're too thick to go through my printer) so have gone back to trying iron -on transfer sheets. The best distressed effect was when I removed the sheets too soon and got an incomplete transfer of the image , with sections of the background showing through and mixed matt and gloss areas ( tho' I can imagine the quilt judges commenting on it being done incorrectly - how to get across that it's intentional! )

I gessoed the background and the edges of the print - it's already looking aged!

Than I painted with acrylics, trying to match up the colours and 'brushwork' of the photo.

This smaller sample was even more effective, especially in close-up, the painted gesso really has that feeling of an old cracked wall

I've still got my work cut out to scale up but it's an exciting start.