India’s Bounty

India proved to be a textile lover’s dream.  I was able to select and use fabrics that were handmade, specific to region and full of symbols and meaning.  Wow!  My explorations into fabric shops only tipped the iceberg (to coin a phrase) of the variety in India as a whole.  Never been to a wedding exhibition?  Try it, your textile horizons expand rapidly!  Of course, the best place for me personally to start was the Crafts Museum. 

Sari Shopping

My time for sewing was limited (given there was just so much else to see & do) so I set a few boundaries for myself to ensure I actually finished something.  Firstly size; I chose to limit the width to no more than 45” (114cm) and let length take care of itself in the design phase - with some guidance from Fibonacci sequencing.  It goes without saying that my only fabric choice was local designs.  As for a theme, colourful saris fascinated me, particularly the pallu (free-flowing sari end) which is a designer’s heaven.  Like the Korean textiles I saw at the Powerhouse, saris are rich in history, specific to area and their designs jam-packed with meaning.  Finally, I wanted to work in a “sort of series” to learn from the design process, so the sari theme met this requirement quite nicely.

During thinking time and those exhaustingly hot July days when the aircon fails and water scarce however, I attended to a few little projects, including the tea leaves I’d brought with me.  When I felt I'd done enough research on saris, I started planning my quilt series; more specifically, designing the first one. 

Meeting a few friends in my street. Not a normal day...

But in the city it was just another normal day...

Life in Delhi was not limited to the four walls of my apartment and I was introduced to the fabulous Seven Cities Group.  This absolutely brilliant concept added immensely to my knowledge of India’s history and appreciation of their “style”.  Not to mention my photo collection.

Luckily, I was also led to a patchwork group made up of expats and locals alike, Garam Masala Quilters.  We met regularly (weekly) and our chief organiser was the indefatigable Anju.  Life was grand!

The GM Quilters not only stitched; some of us travelled as well.
Here we are in Orissa

(In case you were looking for more information on India & my travel adventures, you won't find it here.  That task will be given over to Textile Tourist and as there's so much to pack into these posts, it's going to take a while..  Hope you enjoy your virtual tour!) 

Happy Times

Christmas is upon us; a time for celebration and reflection with family, friends and neighbours.  It is also the start of our long summer holidays.  And don’t we have some fond memories of those times!  As I write though, I remember how exciting 2004 was for us – a new start in many ways.  Given that December is a cool month in some parts of the world (and we’re so not used to that!), we took a trip with a difference… There was certainly no snow involved in this trip! (Read more about our Egypt trip on Textile Tourist.)

Finding colourful local textiles

Watching the sun rise over Mount Sinai

Can you believe it's 10 years ago....

Sadly, recent events in Australia (2014) have highlighted that it can be a stressful time too.  Our thoughts go out to those affected by these events and to the amazing support organisations that work selflessly during these busy, demanding times.

Season’s Greetings to my fellow stitchers and I hope you manage a little one-on-one time with your fabrics and sewing projects.

Full Immersion

Dream  Plan  Draw  Stitch  Write  Stretch

Making a move overseas meant more than just thinking about how I planned to occupy my time - there was lots to do to make it all happen, or at least appear to happen, seamlessly...  

So, if you’re wondering where the previous post was leading, here I was again in 2003, pondering pretty much the same thing.  What did I hope to achieve from my time in India and would any plan I managed to dream up ever hope to cover so many unknowns?  My life was changing in so many ways but from some scant notes I found in my diary it seems I was settled on focusing on these goals (not in any order):

Making a move is never as simple as it seems...

• Exploring options involved in starting a Small Business. (What would I do with myself after the “post-Delhi honeymoon”?)
• Developing a Renovation Plan for our house. (A first in ownership stakes & only recent acquisition in Australia so we were keen to dream.)
• Travelling & really exploring this opportunity. (We had lived overseas before, so culture shock was something we looked forward to with relish!)
• Improving my Photography & Writing Skills. (And later embracing new and advancing digital technologies). 
• Producing Art (smaller & more modern) & Traditional Quilts to record my travel learning journey

The Ivory Tower, Nizamuddin

To achieve this rather large undertaking meant that I had to keep everything simple.  I was hooked on the digital age and therefore rather pleased that my travelling office could all be coordinated through my laptop.  I still needed to manage life at home – albeit from some distance.  Also, we were going to be living in a one-bedder, so I had to pare down my clutter. The usual ponderings – dinner table was doing double duty as sewing table; where would I hide my stash; would I be able to buy quilting necessities etc. etc.  So in general my plan was to:

• Keep a diary. This was too good an opportunity to waste.  Clippings, cuttings photographs, invitations, tickets and all sorts of ephemera would be piled into a box for when that creative moment struck.  In fact, anything that would “round out” my scrapbook.
• Do some research.  India promised a textile hunters dream so I planned to learn as much as I could.  Oh, and collect a few examples along the way…
• Use local fabrics. I was by now totally over the “same again” ranges of quilting fabrics on offer and my career & lifestyle, that I was busy wrapping up, allowed little time to experiment with make-your-own alternatives. Design planning was also in the lap of the gods – who knows what inspiration would come from seeing such a treasure trove of fabrics.
• Travel for inspiration.  And record it!  With a sensory overload outside my front door in Delhi, travelling for more seemed a bit greedy.  But, oh well, someone has to do it!
• Get to know my local community.  It goes without saying that you can’t live in a bubble.  India simply will not let you…

So here’s what I did.  I packed two suitcases and boxed up my best buddy, Bertie Bernina.  The rest I stored at home.  My first suitcase contained a few clothes and the other, essential quilting supplies. No fabric!  I also took a couple of Aussie quilting magazines to give away should I get lucky and find a quilting group.  The one “text” book I chose was “101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts” by Judy Hopkins & Nancy Martin.  This book is still my favourite source of designs – an ever reliable & accurate source.  I also threw in an unfinished cross-stitch (it was driving me mad) and various bits of my Tea Leaves quilt, all cut out and ready to sew should divine inspiration take longer.  All this pending some engagement with the local quilting community, if it existed!  High hopes indeed!

Despite the best of intentions, constructing quilts became low in my list of priorities – largely because there was so much else to do and see.  Life was constantly hectic yet so rewarding.  Immersion into another culture.  Would I recommend it?  Too right! 

Even the washing in India took on a whole new appeal

A Little Learning

December 2014

Before I delve into the great wonder that is India, I’d like to take a step back and perhaps explain a little of where my head was taking me at the time.  Up front, I consider myself to be a quiltmaker; pure & simple with no fancy aspirations.  I love what I do and like to explore opportunities, especially learning to help myself to “do this thing” better.  I’m a great exponent of lifelong learning.

Patched Japanese Jacket.  Wendy Lugg Exhibition, 2000

By 2000 I had been quilting for 15 years and had had a wonderful time learning all sorts of techniques, improving my technical skills and trying to add my own twist to things eg unusual colour choices, pieced backings.  Was I bored?  Well, I don’t think so, but what I did need was something to get the blood pumping again.

The 1998 Rapt in Colour exhibition of Choson Dynasty Textiles (Korean Wrapping Cloths) at the Powerhouse Museum was part of my reconditioning experience.  It came like a bolt of lightning!  Quilts CAN have depth, a personality and convey messages.  Similarly, the various exhibitions we attended before going to Japan (2000) had me off and running. My first “textile” travel experience was thereafter destined to become a quest of discovery.  In other words, a real foraging!

I had also by happenstance, come across an interview with Linda McCartney (I think the ABC, played in 2000) about her photography.  I found it incredibly interesting and inspiring.  The gist, in my own words, was that your “medium” is simply an expression of your reaction to things around you.  LMcC believed in modest materials and a minimalist approach eg one lens and black & white prints.  This allowed her to focus on her chosen subject and add a touch of surrealism.  She believed that we need to understand the history of our “medium” and how that influences our own style or way of seeing.  We need to grasp how old masters have used the elements and apply that learning to our own work too.  Copying is certainly out of the question, unless it is traditionally or culturally acceptable.  Finally, LMcC advised how important it was to add something of yourself (capturing your own style) and to just seize the moment.  

Rapt in Colour, Powerhouse, 1998

With these experiences in mind, I had a plan:

1. Take a sketch diary with me to Japan (Well, I did but used my camera instead.  Time to languish was not on our side!)

2. Think about a theme eg blue & white, manhole covers, flowers, seasons etc. Try a fresh approach if it's been done before. (It was so hard to focus in Kyoto...land of the unbelievably beautiful.)

3. Review my current works and make a note of what I’ve learned from that exploration.  (Had I sewn myself into a corner?  Where (or what or even who) was my superhero to help me on my way?)

4. Join a group of like-minded individuals to discuss work.  Learn from others.  (This is why I love attending classes.  Teachers can offer fair criticism.  My friends offer other constructive options to consider.  Fantastic – only a few blocks to unpick!) 

5. Travel and be inspired…could I record the experience?  (I am continually inspired, my photograph collection is approaching digital mega-tons and my mind is spinning with ideas.  From all this though, my love for blogging has bloomed.) 

6. Now of course, all there is to do is focus and get on with it. 

Oh, sure….