Images of the quilts from the 2008 Guild Challenge are now uploaded to the online album Coast and Country. Alternatively, you can view the slideshow. Members were invited to focus on either theme element or both. It’s always interesting to see what creative images people come up with - Girls Day Out is a particularly light-hearted interpretation of the theme and was awarded Viewers Choice.
The next “reveal” of the Twelve by Twelve challenge quilts is on 1 December US time. I have one three four five numerous mathematics themed quilts in various stages of completion and am not sure whether “the one” has emerged yet.
While I don’t like making quilts to a deadline, challenges can work in a benign way to give you creative focus. Here is just a handful of quilt challenge and exhibition opportunities coming up in the next few weeks and months:
It’s easy to lose count of all the opportunities that are out there so let me know if there’s one that I have missed.
This afternoon we were witness to the unexpected but uplifting spectacle of a wayward whale doing backflips and belly flop splashes in the middle of the bay. (It is the time of year when whales are heading back south but generally their southward migration is further out to sea and out of sight.)
This reminded me that I have not yet posted an image of my 2008 Guild challenge quilt. The challenge theme was Coast and Country and this seemed an ideal opportunity to use some more of my water shibori fabric in Allagai Bay (a companion piece to Tudibaring). Click to enlarge:
My studio overlooks Allagai Bay, the combined waters of Copacabana and Macmasters Beach (see this view from above). The ever-changing patterns on the surface of the water created by light, waves, currents (and whales!) are a constant source of inspiration and delight.
Apart from selling some of my patterns and contemporary quilt notecards at the market day, the highlight of yesterday’s Guild meeting was a presentation by Cath Derksema and Kirsten Junor of Prints Charming. Reknown for their fresh and funky fabrics, the Prints Charming team shared the story of the genesis of their creative business which today finds them developing lines for Marcus Fabrics whilst still continuing their strong tradition in handprinted fabrics.
As part of their presentation, Cath and Kirsten showed us their original design samples created by screen printing through paper stencils onto various base cloths on a relatively small table surface (see, for example, these blog photos). It was fascinating to see how faithfully the designs have been interpreted by the mills. I was even more excited to learn that Cath and Kirsten offer Print Your Own Fabric workshops where you learn how to layer colour using papercut designs to create 1.5 metres of your very own fabric. Classes are limited to four people per class and the 2008 program is booked out but I am keen to add my name to the list for the 2009 program.
The theme for this year’s Guild challenge is Coast and Country. Members are permitted to focus on either theme element or both. (See the Guild website for more details.) Quilts are due on 28 September but, since I will be away, I am delivering mine this week. I can’t show the entire 50×70cm quilt but here is a detail shot of Allagai Bay (a companion piece to Tudibaring):
The sleeve is on. Now I just have to do the label and you will recall from a previous post how much I don’t enjoy this particular step…
The viewers have cast their votes and the verdict is in. Congratulations to Adriana Gismondi and Vicki Jenkin who were awarded first and second prize for Viewers’ Choice at Sydney Quilt Show 2008.
The Sydney Quilt Show opened today and I am pleased to announce that a gallery of prize winning quilts can now be viewed online at: www.quiltersguildnsw.com/quiltshow
Please share this link and enjoy looking at the beautiful quilts.
This week has been all about selecting, grooming, folding, packing, hauling, driving, unfolding, displaying, folding, packing, hauling, driving, unfolding, and`sorting quilts. First with my presentation at the general meeting of the Quilters’ Guild of NSW, then with my show and tell at The Cottage Quiltworks and finally today with delivering “my” allocated quilts to judging day of the Sydney Quilt Show and being a “handler” at the judging table.
I should have started training earlier as I feel utterly exhausted and my forearms ache. On the upside, whereas in previous years I had the daunting prospect of preparing and churning out prize certificates and other show documents in the window between the end of judging day and the start of set-up day on Tuesday, this year a new Exhibition Secretary faces this task. My sole responsibibility for tomorrow is to prepare the web pages of the prize winning quilts which will go live on Wednesday. But first I must get some sleep…
Behind the scenes I’ve been busy with Sydney Quilt Show preparations including: designing some new webpages to more attractively display the prize winning quilts; finalising layout diagrams and construction notes so that our volunteers can put together the necessary equipment and hang quilts on set-up day; and liaising with quilt show entrants regarding delivery of their quilts to me as a Drop Off Lady.
This year I have been allocated a number of quilts from interstate members. Thus a weight-training element has been added to the morning regimen as the long-suffering Laundry King or I return from our walk and swim laden with quilts from the Post Office. It’s so exciting to unfold the quilts and, I confess, conduct a review drawing upon the matters covered in the judging workshop I attended last year. It will be interesting to see how “my” quilts stack up with the rest of the exhibition.
Attention: For other methods of finishing a quilt (other than binding), see my useful listing of online tutorials: Alternative Quilt Finishes.
Today I finished one water quilt and started quilting another. I can’t show you the finished quilt yet but I can report that my variation on Mrs Mel’s Mitred Facing Technique worked very well. Rather than making the mitres after attaching the facing strips, I made the mitred frame first and pinned it right side down on the top of the quilt in a similar fashion to Step 3 of my Wholecloth Facing tutorial.
Incidentally, I am demonstrating a range of quilt finishing techniques at 11am before the next general meeting of The Quilters’ Guild of NSW Inc at Burwood RSL on Saturday 31 May. I am also the guest speaker later in the day so this is an opportunity to come and have a look at my quilts in person. Non-Guild member guests are welcome to join this event.
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©2006-2008 Brenda Gael Smith trading as Serendipity Patchwork & Quilting.
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