Show Pony

Quilted Jacket: 1997

I wanted to update my wardrobe with a little bit of patchwork fashion and had fallen for Mary Mashuta’s book, "Wearable Art for Real People", 1989.  I chose my favourite design, found a pattern and selected fabrics with pink & black roses as a starting point. Later I added a batik, a nice soft, fine cotton, for lining and sandwiched pellon inbetween.  The main fabric was hand dyed (discharged dyed) after folding it shibori style.  (This actually jogs my memory about a class I did with Deborah Brearley and the Geelong Quilters Guild- 4 Jun 1988- some years before.)  I've been dabbling with dyeing (procion dyes & bleaches) every now and then ever since.  

I loved this jacket, even though I hardly wore it.  I had made the sleeves ¾ length and I found that a bit annoying in the end.  Somehow solutions to fix it only seemed to make it worse.  And by then of course, such dramatic pieces were no longer fashionable...

The jacket would look better if it was on a model but
one can't take photos & model at the same time!!!

Learning New Things

Stars & Angels: 1997

I made this mini wall hanging in a self-help workshop with the RLI girls.  We decided we wanted to learn the “new” & fashionable fused applique technique.  The girls had just emerged from a series of classes for a traditional Baltimore-style applique quilt, so this fast, finish-in-a-day sample (sure! ever hopeful...) seemed a bit of a release. 

Being so close to Christmas, we worked with that theme in mind and chose this pattern, although I’m not sure where it actually came from.  We fused on the angels and stars, then blanket stitched around them.  The result was a bit folk-arty for me.  I used up lots of Christmas fabric scraps (many were rather old designs, even then….but waste not, want not!).  I used even more left-overs for a random patched backing.   It all worked quite well with the folksy theme.

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 65x 78.5cm
Block Size:”
Cut in: 1997
Pieced & Basted: Machine 1997
Quilted: Hand 1997
Quilt Type: Workshop
Quilt Finished: 1997
Exhibited:  No
Collection: Home# 028
Pattern Name: Unknown
Fabrics Purchased: 1980’s
Fabric Design: Christmas prints
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
Whilst I enjoyed spending the day with the girls, I think I was beginning to understand that I wasn’t getting much joy from slavishly copying other people’s quilts. Having said that, I do think it’s important to try new techniques and experiment a little (or a lot!).  All this helps define your own style.  

Using up every last bit of scrap

Beary Good Girls

Milly & Molly: 1997  (Started: 1996)

I bought a Merry Beary bear pattern #72 during a trip to Berrima in 1996, and finally managed to put two girls together in 1997.  I started stitching their jackets in May 98, but the embroidery & applique aspect of it languishes still.  I have a photo of them amidst the packing up for our move from Watsons Bay to Kenso, so they were just in need of jackets even then.  I gave the girls to mum for a bit of girl talk. One day she’ll get their jackets too!

The bears themselves were quite easy to sew up and I managed to find a rather nice felty type of fabric.  Very Cute with their little dresses!!

This is the pattern which I found on ebay & currently for sale.
I'll replace this with a photo of the girls one day soon. 

Changing the Rules

South Pacific Drums: 1997  (Started: 1996)

Colourful spools & a prairie points held down with buttons
(the garden is just the right setting?)

The RLI Quilters had scheduled workshops during their monthly meetings so I seemed to forever be finishing off projects, getting further and further behind.  Rather than attempt bed-size quilts, I began to think about working smaller to get more done – meaning FINISHED!  So, when we had this workshop with Dawn Perrin May/Jun 1996, I was well on my way with smaller (and fewer) quilts.  At this time I was not only working full time but studying at university too (forever the student…) so time and space management was rather important.  Even so, I managed to get a little quilting done on the side.

I planned to use fabrics that were “a little different” in this quilt rather than end up with yet another scrappy quilt of American florals.  I used up some of the boys old board short fabric and some cotton sarongs that I had purchased on a trip to Fiji (on a Pacific Island cruise – a necessary  & relaxing break), then chose a plain gakky green to define the quilt as it had a definite tropical feel to it.  On reflection, (and had they been available then) it would have been better to have used a motley fabric such as a Bali batik.  I added some beads & buttons to tie down the prairie point edging.  In the end, I thought the spools looked more like African drums and for some reason I always think of that children's poem about "the great grey, greasy Limpopo".

This was my first attempt to do an interesting backing too. By this stage I was buying Quilters Newsletter and they often had helpful articles on subjects like "backings" to help you mix things up a little. Anyway, I had fun making it; especially the big Hawaiian flowers and the batik pieces which helped define the theme.  We machine pieced this quilt, and I machine quilted the centre panel of spools, and then hand quilted a border after tying the prairie points down.

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 121x 121cm
Block Size: 6”
Cut in: 1996
Pieced & Basted: Machine 1996
Quilted: Hand & Machine 1997
Quilt Type: Workshop
Quilt Finished: 1997
Exhibited: 
Collection: Home# 026
Pattern Name: Spools
Pattern Source: Dawn Perrin
Fabrics Purchased: Fiji (some)
Fabric Design: Eclectic Mix
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
I loved the quilting process –sewing, cutting, problem solving yet also providing me with a chance to be creative. Whilst I appreciated the improved range of opportunity offered by ever increasing popularity of this craft, I was also conscious of an overwhelming American influence in the marketplace.  Neither did I want to faithfully replicate someone else’s design – it was important to add my own stamp.  I’m not sure I was entirely successful in this case as the result grates on my nerves at times.  But it was indeed another step forward in the learning process.