Provenance

I can’t leave "Tamworth" without commenting on how difficult it has been so far to “recollect” details of my quilts.  Despite leaving a fairly decent paper trail courtesy of TAFE notes, photos, diaries and a feeble attempt to make up a Quilt Album (a bit of a fad in the 1980/90’s) I still find it difficult to date my quilts in detail.  Yes, I do sign and date my quilts – an early “must do” subscribed to by teacher Joc at Queenscliff - but only with the basics.  I’ve since made up a few labels with additional information such as quilt titles and try to embroider this detail rather than just pen it on. 

Keeping an annual appointment diary also helped as has my list preoccupation.  At the end of 1996 I must have decided to write up a wish-list (with pattern details) and added to it my UFO’s, which seemed to be getting out of hand.  Most years since, I’ve made this list-making my New Year’s priority.  That way I can keep a promise to myself to finish off at least one UFO a year (regardless of how much I really dislike it) before surrendering to something new or signing up for an impossible to finish workshop schedule. 

1922 "Wedding Quilt" MJH
NGA Collection

What brought me to comment on the value of labelling quilts?  The Armidale Symposium in 1990 held a Quilt Exhibition (14-19 September 1990) as part of its activities.  Aside from nearly 100 quilts from members and Symposium teachers, the exhibition had a special showing of two 1920's quilts by Mary Jane Hannaford, of Blandford (and also Tamworth), NSW.  Margaret Rolfe mentions an unknown MJH in her 1987 book, Patchwork Quilts in Australia.  At that time little was known of the elusive MJH, however, at least 3 of her quilts were in the safe hands of the Australian National Gallery at that time. (See photos above & below).  Because MJH initialled and dated her works, we now know of a further 4 quilts (6 are now held at the NGA along with a workbook of poems and sketches) and at least one other quilt, owned by a private collector.  Research and information has brought to light her name, her history and a little more of her life details. 

1924 "A Last Day" MJH
NGA Collection

We also have a wonderful on-line resource in the National Quilt Register, so if you have something that could enhance our understanding of early Australian life and textiles, help this resource list to grow. 

It is best then, to follow the advice in just about every quilting book out there and sign and date your work at the very least.  Future family members, quilt historians or owners may just want a little provenance with your quilt legacy left to them. 

Sadly, I don't have any photos from the Armidale exhibition but I did copy down a poem written by MJH.  She was indeed an inspiring and creative spirit from our early history.

Omission

It isn't the thing you do, dear

It's the thing you have left undone,

Which gives you a bit of a heartache

At the setting of the sun.

The tender word forgotten,

The letter you did not write,

The flower you might have sent, dear

Are your haunting ghosts tonight

The stone you might have lifted

Out of a brother's way,

For life is all too short

And sorrow is all too great

And it's not the thing you do

It's the thing you leave undone,

Which gives you a bit of a heartache

At the setting of the sun.

written by Mary Jane Hannaford, 1840-1930

Artful Machining

Machine Embroidery Workshop: 1990

I managed to find a space on a machine embroidery workshop in Armidale (Jul 12-14 1990) with Wendy Wright ADVA which was quite exciting – and rather liberating as well.  I learned to push my old (even then!) Elna to its limits.  Of course everyone else seemed to have a fancy Bernina, but it was still fun and came in good stead a few years later in Dover Heights.   I produced a few interesting samples but saw opportunities to use this artistic technique mostly on garments rather than quilts.  However I didn’t really have much time to follow it up.  We sadly missed out on having the subject offered at TAFE (during my time there) and I made a decision that it wasn’t really my area of interest at the time given all the other tempting options available.  What the course did offer me was confidence in using my machine as a means of artistic expression.  Fast forward to lessons on domestic machine quilting in Randwick a few years later and I could really push that technique much further!   

Hard at work in my downstairs studio

Well, that about wraps up my couple of years in Tamworth “going academic”.  I didn’t actually produce terribly much in the way of quilts, but I did learn a lot in terms of skills, knowledge and experience.  My TAFE teachers were fantastic, knowledgeable and very supportive.  Importantly, we were encouraged to see beyond our current passion for craftwork, to use it as a framework to support other (perhaps more profitable) ventures.  So with my mind bursting with ideas, we packed up our happy home (including my burgeoning craft collection) and moved back to the bright lights of Sydney.

(A repeat photo I'm sorry to say, but photos of that time are just so few and far between.)

On Show

 

I participated in a couple of other ventures during my Tamworth time.  All were wonderful experiences which added to my "toolkit" of experiences. 

Regional Fibre Exhibition: 1989

The Tamworth Art Gallery hosted the Regional Fibre Exhibition (18-27^th September).  This was an exciting opportunity to be offered as a TAFE student.  I had three items chosen – my Little Boys Breeches  (1987), Joy Ride (1989) and Government Camp Lillies (1989).  There is nothing like seeing your work hanging in such a professional setting!.  Aside from the value of stepping away from your work (we often view our quilts closely as we stitch) to see it as a “whole”, the other thing that impressed me was attention to quality.  To see quilts hanging perfectly (no frilly edges) and flawless quilting (neat stitching, quilting suited to the quilt design etc) proved that striving for technical perfection was worth it.  Some quilts just popped out like wonderful works of art.  (Barbara Macey was my inspiration here!)

Regional Evening College: 1990

I put together a couple of workshop ideas to fill “gaps in the market” and taught out of the Tamworth Regional Evening College. This was a worthy experience and built on my knowledge gained teaching at the Queenscliff Neighbourhood House.  I was rather more nervous teaching in Tamworth, as in Queenscliff I had always felt I was just helping out friends.  The most popular workshop was machine applique and we certainly had lots of fun with that!  Whilst the money did supplement our coffers a little, teaching in the evenings was challenging given our family circumstances.  I really enjoyed the teaching aspect however and wanted to learn more about it....one day!

Craft in the Park, a collage of photos from the day

Fibre Fest: 1990

Part of our TAFE course requirement was to plan setting up a small business.  Our group decided that running a craft making venture would be a useful learning tool and our products easy to sell at local craft markets – the ideal starting place for many a more grand business.  I decided that I would work on needlework kits and baskets, something not readily available locally.  I had fun making them, managed to sell a few and decided that the old craft dilemma (recovering the costs of your time) made the business aspect of craft work not worth pursuing for me personally.  I can say that we did all have fun, found the business aspect of craft not so easy and laughed to find cheap copies of our products offered at the markets a few months after.   Ah, competition…..

Sadly, TAFE no longer offers Commercial Needlecraft courses.  Although I did not take up craft as a business, this course was a most useful tool to realise the demands and challenges of working in the industry professionally.  It also provided me with a huge opportunity to learn about my personal capabilities   Some time later, I did re-assess this situation and prepared a thorough business plan based on my Tamworth TAFE learnings.  Again, that business was not to be (by choice) but I don't believe that my time was ever wasted researching it and certainly all the better for my time studying at TAFE.

Busy at our "Sew Special" Table

Fashionista

Given my interest in sewing and experience in sewing my own clothes, I used some of my time and class samples to run some up.  I wanted something different but not too exotic.  Tamworth was not the place to be running around in Yvonne Porcella’s outrageously colourful designs.  This was an RM Williams boots, moleskin jeans and tweed jacket kinda town.  

Well, here you have a sample of what I did get up to.  I’m not sure I wore all these things but it was fun making them and experimenting with different techniques.  Some of these items even made it into the Armidale Symposium Fashion Parade but sadly my photos from that evening are so bad that they can’t even be digitalised.

Black Seminole dress: 1989

Back view; rame linen with cotton insert border
Sadly, I don't think I'm going to be snapped up
by the High Fashion Set any day soon....

This dress made it into the local newspaper – albeit an ad for TAFE. 

Purple Leaf Printed Vest: 1990

It was fun to print the fabric and I think this must be my first foray into free-form machine quilting. And a nice sparkly little thread it was too, causing me much grief.... 

Black Block Printed Skirt

Hardly worn.  I discovered I wasn’t good a picking patterns suited to my figure type.  It was fun to make though!

Blue Skirt & Top

Worn to death.  I loved this outfit.  It was subtle and didn’t scream “home-made”.  It has long since been consigned to the recycling bin.  I will have to dive into the photo albums from that time to see if a photo exists of this outfit. (So I'm leaving a space here... & hoping!)

White Linen Shirt:  1989

Hard to see but the yoke (both front and back) was hand worked in drawn thread and took hours and hours and hours.