Annette's Choice 2005

A Brighter Day: 2005

The Garam Masala Quilters were an active lot, gathering weekly and always with many projects on the go.  Meetings were always fun, we shared lots of ideas and of course, loved to find shops to satisfy our fabric obsession.

A Brighter Day Quilt made by Annette

We all loved to share our textile finds

One of our group projects (Dec 2004) was a set of exchange blocks.  We had completed a couple of blocks for departing members prior to this but had not organised a serious project that covered something for all group members to share.  I think I set the bar a bit high with my request for a fantasy bag.  My general idea was for a purse, basket etc to be appliqued (or even applied eg a photograph) to the block.  The item was then to be decorated with items that represented that "fantasy".  For example, a snake charmer's basket (very India) with said dancing snake or an African safari suitcase with grazing giraffe. Out of the 8 participants, I only managed to be given 4 blocks back.  So my lesson was not to get too creative with exchanges!   

One of my blocks made by Corinne

Sadly, those that were made, and the details of others' requests (yes, I managed to get my 7 challenges completed!) still languish in my UFO box waiting for inspiration.  However, I think I may have found a solution following my visit to the Caroline Bay Quilters Exhibition in Gosford last year...  But I have wait to see if a pattern by Linda Butcher is still available.  Meanwhile the design stage, if I'm ever to get this quilt out of the box, requires a little massaging.

This exchange sadly marked my departure from the group and India in 2005.  I was sad to leave as I was just getting to know India.  It’s a big country with such incredible diversity that even our trips around Delhi and into other states did not cover everything we wanted to see and do.  And of course, the more you look the more there is to find.

(GM exchange blocks & exchange blocks #2  UFOs both Home Collection # 046 & 047)

Getting Shirty

Tailor’s Choice, Shankar Market: 2009  (Started: 2004)

Interestingly, I've just noticed those off-centre squares. Wow!  I see why it's
recommended to stand well back from or take a photo of your quilt in the design phase!

I was attracted to this quilt which enabled me to make use of various high quality shirting fabrics available in Delhi, India.  The quilt reminds me of the many neighbourhood tailor shops with machines, electric and treadle, and all impossibly ancient. This quilt speaks of a preference for handmade designs, beautiful fabrics and made to measure quality.

I liked the simplicity of the design with its blue and white stripes but wanted to add just smidge of red for some oomph.  Squares were cut from each pattern and then recut in triangles.  The pattern is more difficult than it looks and certainly tested my skills.  Firstly, remembering to set out the design on flannel before sewing* and then accurately stitching ¼ inch seams (which of course I didn’t and had to fudge a bit – as we all do!). 

The fabrics were sourced and purchased with Annette & two other ladies from the Garam Masala Quilters in Delhi at Shankar Market.  We had seen Kaffe Fasset’s design in “Passionate Patchwork” and decided Delhi’s bounty of shirting fabrics would be well suited to it. I recall that we purchased a metre each of the required number of fabrics, adding a few extras that we personally wanted to include in our design e.g. a splash of red.

The fabric store assistants were most helpful (all men; tailoring is taken most seriously) and we could have come home with a great deal more - the choice of stripes, even in this limited colourway, was fantastic!

Being greedy (like any kid in a lolly shop), I also purchased a collection of darker, autumn colour stripes to eventually make up (maybe) into Kaffe’s Optical Squares - also in Passionate Patchwork…. 

The design finished a little narrow for my liking and it took some time to decide on side panels – width and style of fabric.  I was desperate to put in some Chinoiseries style blue and white but thankfully, friends talked me into sensibly using plain blue bands. 

Pieced backing - good for using up left-overs...

I pieced the backing from remnants and an old blue & white cotton skirt I made (actually, pieced) years ago but had never worn.  A few florals were added to give the back a bit of zing.

The quilt was machine pieced then hand quilted sashiko style using thread purchased in Japan on a trip with Yvonne (2000).  The result has an essential “beach house” vibe.

* A lesson in designing with colour - Kaffe Fasset Workshop in Sydney 2000 

On Exhibition - Australia Day 2010

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 145 x 217cm
Block Sizes: 3 sizes: 9”; 6”; 3”various
Cut in: 2004 Delhi
Pieced & Basted: 2006 Kathmandu Machine
Quilted: 2009 Sydney
Quilt Type: Own Design
Quilt Finished: 2009 Sydney
Exhibited: Australia Day, 2010
Collection: Home# 048
Pattern Name: Shirt-Stripe Boxes p130
Pattern Source: Passionate Patchwork, Kaffe Fasset
Fabrics Purchased: Shirting 1200Rs each bundle; Shankar Market, India 2004
Fabric Design: Shirt Stripes
Fabric Style: Men’s shirting
Materials Type: Garam Masala Quilters & friends
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants   

Meeting Mr Singh

Mr Singh & I: 2006  (Started: 2004)

This piece is one of my all-time favourites.  I purchased the fabrics (florals) at Nehru Place, specifically from HP Singh and Amit Textiles (Mr Jain).  Shankar Market provided me with an amazing variety of shirt stripes and a man’s lunghi (said "loone ghee"- a sarong) which became border pieces, albeit fussy cut. 

The story begins with a photo of the Garam Masala Quilters taken at Sandra’s home in October 2004.  It was then photocopied on fabric (commercially) and given to out to all those who wanted a copy.  Mine became a central medallion for this quilt and was kindly signed for me when I left the group mid-2005.

Using the Tin Man pattern, I made the “men” in florals to represent the Garam Masala Quilters and used the stripes in each block for background zing.  I also upsized the 6” block to 9”.  Now I had a fun “group”!

This fabric mix best represented our varied backgrounds and the man’s lunghi added a slightly masculine attitude and colour.  I had wanted to move away from using American florals and use locally available fabrics – these give even traditional patterns a new fresh look.

Once pieced, I took my top into a fabric shop in Khan Market to find a stripe to bind my quilt.  The store assistants were shocked to learn that I had sewn it myself. And I suspect they did not believe me initially!  I’m not sure that they had ever come across a quilter before.  I felt proud of my achievement as they admired the “quality work, Madam”.

My quilting visitor, Yvonne, lugged over masses of cotton wadding for me so that I could get a few projects underway – basted at least!  Finally, I managed to get the piece machine quilted (with my domestic).  I’m so pleased I took Bernie Bernina away with me to India (& then on to Nepal).  It was well worth the effort to have quality tools at my disposal.

"Mr Singh & I" was eventually hung, fittingly, on a wall in our house in Kathmandu – a happy reminder of my time with the GM Quilters.

Living in Delhi was a glimpse into many worlds, one of which was that of expat life.  One woman had a tailor on staff; another decorated her home like a gorgeous gallery.  I seriously fell in love with decorating Indian style!  So yes, serious envy on all counts!!

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 108 x 175cm
Block Sizes: 6”
Cut in: 2004
Pieced & Basted: 2004/05
Quilted: Machine 2005
Quilt Type: Friendship
Quilt Finished: 2006
Exhibited: Australia Day, 2010
Collection: Home# 045
Pattern Name: Tin Men (enlarged to 9”) p229*
Pattern Source: *101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts” by Judy Hopkins & Nancy Martin
Fabrics Purchased: India 2004/05
Fabric Design: Various florals & stripes
Fabric Style: Handwoven & Commercial Cottons
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton Batt
Backing: Cotton Sarong

Yellow for Sun Gods

Indian Sari Series #3: 2011  (Started: 2004)
Konark’s Chariot

Lesson for photographers: lighting from behind doesn't work in this instance!

I’m not sure there’s a lot more to say about this one, number three, but oh my, that’s some interesting yellow to work with.  Very sadhu (holy man)!  I fussy cut a stripped ikat to add detail to the stars and used quite a collection of fabrics.  Lastly, rather than feature one large piece, I added two borders, offset, by that strong blue. 

Ah yes, there’s still more fabric waiting to be made up to add to this series.  One day, one day…..

(The Konark Sun Temple, a 13^th c Hindu temple, takes the form of a huge chariot for the Sun God, Surya.  It symbolises the passage of time: seven horses pull the chariot on 12 pairs of wheels.  Located in Orissa.  It is spectacular!)

Machine washed & clothes-line wonky

Just for the Record: 

Quilt Finished Size: 115 x 164cm
Block Sizes: various
Cut in: 2004
Pieced & Basted: Machine Pieced 2004; Basted 2005
Quilted: Machine 2011
Quilt Type: Own Design
Quilt Finished: Jan 2011
Exhibited: Australia Day, 2011
Collection: Home# 044
Pattern Name: Army Star, p35*
Pattern Source: Own Design
Fabrics Purchased: India 2004
Fabric Design: Ikat
Fabric Style: Handwoven Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton Batt
Backing: Cottons_Indian dress fabrics

*101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts” by Judy Hopkins & Nancy Martin

Delectable Mountains

Indian Sari Series #2: 2011  (Started: 2004)
Sun Temples in the Heat Haze

Australia Day Exhibition 2011

As always, once you actually start something it doesn’t take long to want to make another.  This time I chose “Delectable Mountains” as my basic pieced panel along with a substantial and oh-so-very interesting piece of ikat fabric to make up this quilt.  Again, I was inspired by the fabrics and considered how best to use them without losing their character.  Finally, I settled on making up an interesting sari pallu design. That brings together my interests in traditional clothing, textiles and pieced designs.

To add to the effect, I pieced up a backing making do with leftovers and “interesting” bits – all purchased at Nehru Place, of course!  Needless to say, it was all machined, including the quilting.  I added a few cowrie shells for good measure.

Backing with machine quilting showing - just!

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 112 x 160cm
Block Sizes: various
Cut in: 2004
Pieced & Basted: Machine Pieced 2004; Basted 2005
Quilted: Machine 2011
Quilt Type: Own Design
Quilt Finished: 2011
Exhibited: Australia Day, 2011
Collection: Home# 043
Block Name: Delectable Mountains, p71*
Pattern Source: Own Design
Fabrics Purchased: India 2004
Fabric Design: Ikats
Fabric Style: Handwoven Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton Batt
Backing: Cottons; Indian dress fabrics

*101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts” by Judy Hopkins & Nancy Martin

(This piece looks a bit wonky as it had just
been washed but I think it better represents colour.) 

Challenging Colours & Fabrics

Indian Sari Series #1: 2010  (Started: 2004)
Garden in the Amber Fort

On display at the Australia Day Exhibition 2011

I wanted a simple block to highlight several ikat handloomed fabrics I had discovered in Nehru Place.  And feature those bold colours so loved in India!  I found an interesting design for a background in a bamboo sampler design that I adapted.  It was interesting because the plaid increased incrementally over the length of the quilt.  This seemed a great place to make a start.  I also deliberately chose an asymmetrical design – I guess that’s the Japanese influence coming out too. 

Preparing my fabrics wasn’t easy as I only had a bucket in my shower to wash them.  Here I learned about renegade dyes…. And then later about fussy cutting! The quilt went together quite easily and as always the ever-reliable Hopkins & Martin ensured my rotatory cutting was less wasteful and more accurate.  The main feature for this whole “set” of quilts however, was always going to be that fab ikat fabric.  Don't even ask about the choice of yellow - it just seemed to work...

Close-up of fabrics, quilting & those prairie points

With a few bulges...line dried

Finally I used a sarong I’d purchased in Kathmandu as backing.  The colour red has special significance especially to married women in India & Nepal.  The whole thing was machined and I managed to eventually locate some wadding to baste it together. (Wadding is not something needed in Delhi’s warm climate, although there are traditional quiltmakers – just not quilts similar to the ones we were making.)

For those interested (& as it’s quite fashionable at the moment) ikat is a resist “tie & dye” process where threads are dyed in a specific pattern before being woven to complete the design.  Here’s a few descriptions of the ikat process to follow up on:

Here's a simple description of ikat or a more complex one with lots of detail to follow up on.

 

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 119 x 140cm
Block Sizes: various
Cut in: 27^th Jun 2004
Pieced & Basted: Machine Pieced 2004; Basted 2005
Quilted: Machine & Hand 2010
Quilt Type: Own Design
Quilt Finished: 2010
Exhibited: Australia Day, 2011
Collection: Home# 042
Pattern Name: Various
Pattern Source: Own Design
Fabrics Purchased: India 2004
Fabric Design: Ikats
Fabric Style: Handwoven Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton Batt
Backing: Cotton Sarong

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

Garam Masala in Delhi 2004

Off to India

By early 2004, I was packed and rearing to go – to India!  Before I can post those exciting years up, there’s a fair bit of work I need to do.  So it’s back to the scanner and the reference books for a bit of research.  It may, as they say, be a long time between drinks (well, posts actually!). 

Don’t forget to visit Textile Tourist as I post up interesting textile discoveries along the way of our travelling lives.  Here's a few photos from fabulous and culture rich Turkey.  See you in the Spring!

Roman mosaic floor tiles in Ephesus, Turkey

Goodies for sale in Selcuk

Travel Bug

First Trip to India

2001 had not been entirely textile desperate, as I had managed a trip to India & Sri Lanka in early 2001 (28 Feb–11 Mar 01).  This was a couple of wonderful weeks bashing around “the tourist triangle” in the back of a lovely old black Ambassador.  Little did I know that this was to be the start of some greater attachment….

(Photos, when found, will be scanned in)