Remembering Fromelles

You may recall the quilt that I made for the “Identity” theme for the Twelve by Twelve challenge - Lost & Found at Fromelles:

At 11:00 am today there will be a ceremony to rebury the first of the 250 Australian and British soldiers recovered from Pheasant Wood at the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, which is currently under construction by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The reburials of the remaining soldiers, which will be carried out in exactly the same way, will then continue throughout February (weather permitting) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting at 9:00 am each day. Each reburial will take the form of a standard military funeral, with hearse, bearer party and padre in attendance.

The last soldier’s remains will be buried at the final commemorative event and dedication of the new cemetery on 19 July 2010 – the 94th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles. Each soldier will be buried initially without a permanent headstone awaiting identification if possible. In March 2010, a specially convened identification board will consider evidence to determine what, if any, level of identity can be attributed to each soldier. Evidence will include historical, anthropological, archaeological and DNA information.

New companions

One thing I noticed while I was travelling without continuous access to the internet is that even merely reading blogs is a time consuming process. I’d check into a wifi hotspot and before I knew it, my allocated time was up and I’d only quickly scanned my e-mails and scrolled through the latest posts showing in my Bloglines reader. I’ll be updating my blog roll soon. In the meantime, here are some new (to me) blogs that I am enjoying and that I don’t begrudge the time it takes to peruse:

• India Flint - Not All that Wander are Lost, need I say more!;
• Leni Wiener - photo inspired art quilts and thread painting;
• The Textile Blog - John Hopper is a trained textile designer who has now become a writer on the subject of interior and general design history. The Textile Blog is a daily blog concerning the history of interiors and interior furnishings of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 21st century quiltmakers are also featured;
• Elizabeth Barton - Art and Quilts, cogitations thereon;and
• Kathy Loomis - Art with a Needle.

Let me know if there’s a blog that you recommend that I add to my reading list. It doesn’t have to be textile-related (but it helps!)

PS: My new logo and newsletter are coming. Sign up to the next issue of the Serendipity Studio Newsletter and go into a draw to win a copy of 500 Art Quilts.

More Serendipity @ Material Obsession

For 2010, I am teaching a series of contemporary quiltmaking workshops at Material Obssession in Sydney on Saturdays as follows:

• 20 February Serendipity Circles
• 20 March Scrap Queen Odyssey
• 17 April Stacks of Improvisation
• 29 May - TBA maybe Bound to Please or Strata Various

Spaces are limited so contact Kathy & the MO Girls to book your spot (Tel: 02 9817 2733). I hope you can come join the buzz.

See the Serendipity Schedule for details of my other teaching, speaking and exhibition engagements.

India Flint, the botanical alchemist

One of the most beautiful books in my collection is Eco Colour - botanical dyes for beautiful textiles by India Flint.

I heard India speaking in a radio interview yesterday and, while looking up a link to put in this post, found this link to an even better video clip.

India has some workshops coming up in 2010. If you are a tiny bit intimidated by some of the techniques, here’s an opportunity to learn from an expert.

*Not all of the techniques in the book require you to boil fabrics and leaves over an open fire!

Ian Jones

When I saw an promotion for a summer exhibition at the Milk Factory Gallery in Bowral, including the work of Ian Jones, I first thought his medium might be textiles. Can you see why?

A hint of things to come

After studying fonts and tweaking colours, my new logo is nearly ready for the world. Watch this space…

In the meantime, have you signed up for the next issue of the Serendipity Studio Newsletter?

Twelve by Twelve in New Zealand

In an exciting development this week, I am thrilled to report that the Twelve by Twelve exhibition will be touring New Zealand as part of the Craft & Quilt Fair in September 2010 as follows:

• 9 - 12 September 2010: Craft & Quilt Fair Hamilton, New Zealand
• 17-19 September 2010: Craft & Quilt Fair Christchurch, New Zealand

I will be accompanying the exhibition and and am available for teaching engagements along the way. Please contact me if your shop or group is interested in hosting a workshop in September 2010. Details of my classes can be found on my website and you can download my latest Serendipity Patchwork & Quilting Workshops Brochure.

Power Stripping with Kaffe

The postal system has yet to deliver my complimentary/contributor copy of 500 Art Quilts but the mail box today yielded other treats including this “designer roll” of 48, 2 1/2in selvedge to selvedge strips of Kaffe Fassett fabrics:

As you can see, I purchased my roll from Hancocks of Paducah but they are widely available and perfect for my “Power Stripping” projects such as Kaffe Tapestry. Indeed, I am proposing to make up a new teaching sample for my Power Strippingworkshop using ONLY the strips. Fortunately, there’s a reasonable (60/40) mix of darker and lighter values and, with around 3 metres of fabric, there is plenty to make a fun quilt top:

By the way, I’m teaching a Power Stripping workshop at the Australasian Quilt Convention and there are just a couple of places left. Be quick!

Glimpse of 500 Art Quilts

I’m hanging out by my mailbox waiting for my copy of 500 Art Quilts. In the meantime, Terri kindly sent me a photo of the page where my quilt appears:

I understand that the images in the book have been sympathetically arranged according to colour and style. I share page 151 with fellow Australian textile artist Alison Muir. (Other Australians whose work appears in the book are Dianne Firth, Beth Miller and Margery Goodall.) The quilt on the facing page is by Nelda Warkentin.

Remember, all subscribers to my newsletter go into a draw to receive a copy of 500 Art Quilts. Sign up today!

Remember the AP&Q AQC Challenge!

In 2010, my quilt Magic Carpet travelled all over Australia as part of the AP&Q AQC Fantasy exhibtion.

The AP&Q AQC challenge is a wonderful opportunity to share your contemporary or traditional designs and I encourage Australian readers to enter this challenge in 2010.The theme is “Remember”. Prizes are awarded based on the interpretation of theme, excellence in design, and craftsmanship.

• FIRST PRIZE: $5,000 cash
• RUNNER-UP PRIZE: $2,000 cash
• AGE 18 AND UNDER ENTRANT PRIZE: $500 cash

Each work must measure a minimum of 100cm (39 1/2in) on each side up to a maximum of 150cm (59in). The participating quilts must be available for eight months, from April 2010 to November 2010 and will be exhibited at the Australasian Quilt Convention, Melbourne April 29 – May 2, 2010 and selected Craft & Quilt Fairs around Australia and in New Zealand. Download the entry form. Remember - completed entry forms must be postmarked no later than 10 February 2010!