Colour & Chaos

Here in Australia it is Labour Weekend which means that surf patrols have started on beaches all over the country. Surf life saving clubs are integral to Australian beach culture and safety.

At our beach, we have the Copacabana SLSC at the northern end and the MacMasters SLSC at the southern end. Flags and lifesavers caps (not to mention lashings of lycra) make for a riot of colour particularly when clubs get together for surf carnivals. Consequently, this early quilt of mine is called Copacabana Carnivale:

Unfortunately, I started quilting this quilt at a time when I was less confident with free motion quilting. Instead, I secured the layers with some diagonal stitching and selected an arc motif using the walking foot. Even though I decided that only the outside two rows would have the arcs - that is still fifty blocks. I ran out of steam at block No 8 and the quilt has languished in the cupboard ever since. I can’t bear to unpick what I have done but nor do I want to continue in this mode.

My current thoughts are to combine the quilting that I have done with something more freeform…

By way of background

This afternoon I went through the painstaking process of foundation piecing this background for a not-to-be-disclosed applique (gasp!) project:

It seemed to take ages and I haven’t finished yet. Maybe it was because I was distracted by a great SBS documentary on New Zealand artist Colin McCahon, closely followed by a riveting final quarter of the Aussie Rules grand final. The Sydney Swans lost by a mere point - oh no, Erica will be inconsolable!

Fun at School

Earlier this week I attended a local high school to give a quilt presentation to some textile and design students (13-14 year olds). Of course, I can talk about quilts all day but I thought it would be more fun for the students if I incorporated a design activity. Here is the resulting quilt top which I will quilt up and donate to the Starlight Foundation as my charity quilt for quilt camp next year:

Autumn Splendour

Welcome to Autumn Splendour: When Nature Goes to Pieces - my 2006 guild challenge quilt. I completed it last night (apart from the label) but waited for daylight for better photography conditions to share it with you:

I can proudly declare that the top is made entirely from scraps. The 8-piece unit used is a variation of Tommy’s “Falling Down” block which features in the Artful Quilters Tutorials See Tommy’s 1 April post and 5 April post for other quilts incorporating this block.

Now I had better do that label and get this quilt into the post…

Watching Brief

This is the status of my challenge quilt as at 6am…fortunately it only has to be 50 x 70 cm (20 x 27 inches or so). Check back later for progress as I try to get it completed, quilted, bound and a hanging sleeve and in the mail by 4pm…

Lunchtime Update: I have a reprieve. According to the challenge entry form, the deadline IS 29 September. I’m still trying to get as much done today as I can and here is a progress shot:

Going to Pieces

No, I am not referring to ring-Mom Diane’s blog. “Going to Pieces is the theme of this year’s challenge of The Quilters’ Guild of NSW. It is also a reflection of the my current state of organisation. Here was I thinking that the challenge deadline was 30 September. Then I checked the guild website and I see that the deadline was 23 September. Oh well. I may miss the closing date for judging purposes but I am sure it will still be accepted for the suitcase exhibition so I’m sewing madly…

Happy Birthday Chantel!

On this 25th day of September, I would like to wish the family snow boarding bunny Chantel a very happy 30th birthday. Tomorrow I am off to a local high school to make a presentation to some textile and design students so I will have more to report then. In the meantime, here is the start of my guild challenge quilt which is due in a couple of days…

Happiness is..

Happiness is knowing that one of your baby quilts is getting a good workout. My sister Amy snapped this photo of Finn and his quilt in Ireland this weekend:

Finn is getting to know his new Buzzy Bee toy all the way from New Zealand.

A Satisfying Saturday

It’s been good to get back to the sewing machine. This is a teaching sample for my forthcoming workshop Serendipity Circles to be held at Terrigal Rotary Hall on Friday, 2 February 2007 (which isn’t as far away as it sounds!):

It’s All About Me

My first blog anniversary is coming up at the end of the month and so far I have eschewed memes. However, it has been such fun to read Kirsty and Nic’s lists that it seems churlish not to join in. So here goes:

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Usherette - my parents ran the local picture theatre so I saw lots of films and patrolled the aisles with my three cell torch. For some reason, no one ever asked me on a movie date…
2. Bistro cook and waitress - the summer job combo from hell as I cooked at one establishment in town at lunchtimes and waitressed in another at nights. Some customers saw me at both places and got very confused.
3. Mail clerk (envelope stuffer) - my friend and I job-shared this position in a sharebroking house while studying at university in the heady, pre-crash late-80s (think Gordon Gekko). The job involved taking the contracts notes off the dot matrix printer; perforating them; putting them in envelopes; stamping the envelopes and posting them off. Diana is now a freelance journalist specialising in personal finance issues so I guess something rubbed off.
4. Commercial & regulatory lawyer - for 15+ years I had a corporate lawyer gig with a focus on infrastructure and public policy. I loved learning about different industry sectors - telecoms, electricity, gas, water, aviation, rail, buses, taxis and so on - and had some great clients. But I don’t miss the killer hours, timesheets or other occupational hazards.

Current: Quiltmaker, designer, teacher, blogger, web designer, Guild Exhibition Secretary, public speaker - welcome to “retirement”

B) Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Moonstruck - because it reminds of the crazy American-Italian family that I have married into and because it has great skyline images of the World Trade Center before you know what.
2. Miracle on 34th Street & Holiday Inn - compulsory holiday viewing in David’s family.
3. -
4. -
After years of watching movies over and over (see A1 above), I’ve drawn a blank. These days I only see movies on planes which never shows them to their best advantage.

C) Four places you have lived:
1. Warkworth (pre wineries), New Zealand - classic small town upbringing, surrounded by farms, close to multiple beaches and close enough to the big smoke to enjoy the services and cultural attractions of the city.
2. Sunnyside, Washington State, United States of America as a Rotary exchange student in 1983;
3. Auckland - Point Chevalier, Kingsland, Grey Lynn and Orakei. Same great university flatmates over several years; different locations and always with my very first quilt.
4. Balmain, Sydney - charming inner-city, harbourside living - I lived there for a very big chunk of my life but Casa da Praia at Copacabana called.

D) Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Grey’s Anatomy - the Seattle backdrop reminds me of my friends in that great rainy city.
2. Doctor Who - a late convert but, like Nic, I love this latest reincarnation.
3. Sunday Arts on ABC.
4. The BBC series of Pride & Prejudice - I could watch this over and over.

E) Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Noumea, New Caledonia - my first overseas trip in 1981 for a French class exchange. Twenty five years later and my billet, Fabienne, and I are still firm friends.
2. Axat in the French Pyrenees and Airton in the Yorkshire Dales in spring 2006 - two very agreeable home exchanges - see my May/June posts. Also, check out this new, free home exchange listing service:

3. All over New Zealand - any questions, just ask me, I think I was a travel agent in another life.
4. South America - Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay in 1993. Would love to return but in a season other than winter.
5. New Orleans for a deferred honeymoon in September 2001 immediately following 9/11 (and pre-Katrina), we had this wonderful city to ourselves - great food, architecture, music and memories.

F) Websites you visit daily
1. My collection of favourite blogs via bloglines.
2. My sitemeter and other stats collection sites for my blogs and website.
3. Southern Cross Quilters
4. Quiltart

G) Four of my favourite foods
1. Any fresh fruit, in-season from a New Zealand roadside stand.
2. Bread and cheese - especially when in Europe.
3. Oysters and Veuve Clicquot
4. Chocolate.

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
Frankly, after such a busy year of travelling, I am totally content to be in my studio at Copacabana

I) Four friends I think will respond:
Don’t know - do tell!