What a perle

June 29, 2009 | Filed Under Twelve by Twelve | 2 Comments

These yummy variagated perle threads may feature in my “Passion” quilt for the Twelve by Twelve Collaborative Art Quilt Project:

A new ATC in my collection

June 27, 2009 | Filed Under ATCs and Postcards | 1 Comment

“Stephanie from Perth”* traversed the country to join her friends at the Sydney Quilt Show. At the Gala dinner she shared an array of Artist Trading Cards inspired by her trip to Broome. Even better, I got to take one home and here it is on my wall along with postcards, ATCs and ACEOs from inspiring exhibitions and artist friends including Lisa Call and my fellow Twelves Terri and Kristin:

 
*Alas Stephanie does not have a blog but we hope to change that one day.

Upcoming Workshops at The Cottage Quiltworks

June 26, 2009 | Filed Under Teaching | Comments Off

I will be teaching at The Cottage Quiltworks at Bilgola on Friday 14 August and Friday 16 October. Chris and Jann welcome your input on selecting which of mySerendipity Workshops we’ll be doing. Maybe it will be my new workshops Strata Various or Stacks of Improvisation or maybe it will be something else.

Call Chris or Jann on (02) 9918 7550 to nominate your preferred workshop and to reserve your place!

Treasure Chest

June 25, 2009 | Filed Under This & That | 3 Comments

Today a courier delivered my prize from the Art Quilt category of the Sydney Quilt Show - a veritable treasure chest of Madeira rayon and metallic threads. I am looking forward to some thread play.Thank you to Guild sponsor and craft and haberdashery supplier,SSS Pty Limited.

 

Red Hot Iron

June 24, 2009 | Filed Under Gadgets, Technique:Dyeing | 6 Comments

Ironing damp fabrics smooth and seeing patterns emerge is one of my favourites parts of the dyeing process:

In this task, I am aided by my new Tefal Aquaspeed 225 iron purchased in the end of financial year stocktake sales.

I asked for recommendations both here on my blog and on my Facebook account. Both Rowenta & Black & Decker brands were popular choices but neither is available at the Australian stores I visited (although we have a B&D iron in the main house that we bought ages ago). I’ve veered away from the Tefal in the past because of its bulky profile but since none of my previous irons (top-end Sunbeams and low-end, department store homebrands) has performed particularly well I thought I would follow reader Judy’s recommendation. So far, apart from the smell (think new car smell on steroids), I am quite impressed - great heat, steamy steam and fine mist diffuser, and auto on-off without an annoying beerp. Thanks Judy!

And in answer to Sue’s question on my previous post, the fabric pieces that I scrunch into the plastic containers are approximately 24×36 inches and sometimes I squeeze in a smaller piece later in the batching to get a lighter colour. My base fabric this time is some 180cm wide white calico purchased from Lincraft. I think this might be a new line. Certainly I’ve not seen it before. Anyway, it’s not a high thread count and there are slubs here and there but it has dyed up beautifully and has a soft hand so I will be buying some more.

Getting Reddy

June 23, 2009 | Filed Under Twelve by Twelve | 2 Comments

There were some messy moments in David’s workshop today as I dyed some fabrics for the next Twelve by Twelve challenge - passion. Ssshush, don’t tell him…what goes down in the workshop, stays in the workshop.

Looking back

June 21, 2009 | Filed Under Technique:Quilting | 3 Comments

Remember my disappointing dyeing day where the results were afflicted with red speckitis? Well some of those fabrics worked perfectly well as a backing for Savannah:

This also gives you some idea of the quilting. All those thread changes; all so close; all those tails. Next time I will factor in a much greater allowance for quilting and finishing.

PS: Excuse the label - that’s what you get for sewing it on at 6am on judging day…

Dyad - Nic & Janine’s Forthcoming Exhibition

June 20, 2009 | Filed Under Out & About | 3 Comments

Tomorrow Erica, Fiona and I are off to the Fairfield Museum & Gallery to view A Conversation with Rain:

A national innovative contemporary textile exhibition to stimulate and inspire the artists. A challenge has been sent out to artists to develop new and innovative textile artworks. This exhibition will involve works that address environmental issues. This exhibition is curated by internationally recognised textile artist Helen Lancaster and involves thirty selected contemporary textile artists from all over Australia.

Getting organised to make such an excursion takes a little pre-planning which is why I give readers in the Sydney area advance notice of Dyad: Life from Two Perspectives - an exhibition of textiles, painting and scuplture by Nic Bridges and Janine Matthews that is on at the Project Contemporary Artspace in Wollongong from 1-12 July 2009.

Two New Serendipity Workshops

June 19, 2009 | Filed Under Teaching | Comments Off

Following several requests I received during the Sydney Quilt Show, I have expanded my workshop portfolio to include two more exciting new workshops that focus on improvisational art quilt techniques:

Strata Various

Make beautiful music in fabric and colour. First create your unique strata in your favourite colours. Then mix it up with cutting, slashing, insertions and other deconstruction and improvisational techniques.

Stacks of Improvisation

Improvise with fabric stacks, freehand cutting and pinless curved piecing. Imagine the possibilities! These colour and design exercises will set you on the path of personal, creative self-expression in art quilts and can be translated to larger works.

See my Serendipity Workshops Brochure or the Teaching section of my website for the complete listing of workshops available.

Designing matters

June 18, 2009 | Filed Under Quilters' Guild of NSW, Technique:Design | 1 Comment

One of the benefits of membership* of The Quilters’ Guild of NSW Inc is access to an extensive library. Recently I borrowed Ann Johnston’s Color by Design which is a veritable recipe book for painting and printing with dye. With its spiral-bound format, this book provides a practical guide to exploring colour and design directly onto fabric. I was really impressed at the clear instructions and beautiful photographs so when I saw Ann’s expanded second edition of The Quilter’s Book of Design on sale at the Sydney Quilt Show, it was a no-brainer to bring a copy home with me.

 
As someone with no formal background in art or design, I was first introduced to the elements of design in my City & Guilds coursework with Linda Kemshall. However, not everyone can take these kinds of courses and, even if they do, it is instructive to revisit the principles of design from time to time. As the title suggests, The Quilter’s Book of Design is aimed squarely at quiltmakers. It is not a dry, analytical textbook but a rich resource with inspiring images from the author’s body of work. I heartily recommend that you buy or borrow a copy for yourself.

* The membership year commences on 1 July. Download a membership form and join or renew your membership now!