Exhibitions & Outings

1998 was a breakout year.  I’m not sure I finished much or indeed started much but I was, as they say, “stocking the pond”.  Perhaps over-stocking more like…but I did have fun!

Quilt Camp:
First event of the year was a relaxing weekend of finishing off, meeting like-minded ladies and not cooking meals.  Quilt Camp retreat (May 98) in rural Fitzroy Falls was a perfect way to hide away from work & family.  Our welcome pack included this bear as a kit – just in case we arrived with nothing to do!  I was inspired by Erica’s tea leaves.

This young fellow isn't mine but we all made clones.

Quilters Guild NSW Quilt Show:

Finally, I had a chance to visit the huge Sydney Quilt Show at Darling Harbour (Jun 98).  I’m sure I’d visited at least once before (they started in 1993) but this year was inspirational for me.  I took my time, shopped from an amazing array of merchants stalls, picked up some great ideas and best of all came away with my head just spinning with ideas. 

Meeting Annette Gero:

My interest also extended itself to Australian Quilt history and with an introduction to the Quilt Study Group, we took a “History Lesson” with Annette Gero (Jul 98).  A fantastic follow-up to this was to see the real deal on display at Elizabeth Bay House (Jul 98).  After mooching around for a bit, we took the offer of going on a guided tour of the quilts.  Having seen (in books) so much information about American quilt history, it was quite an experience to realise that we too had our own (both history and style).

Quilters Gathering, Mittagong:

Not satisfied with just one retreat this year, I packed up and headed off for the Quilters Gathering in Mittagong (Sep 98). I’m not sure that this resulted in any finished product (or at least I can’t find any specific evidence at the moment) but I did have a good time. No matter where you go, I always find that quilters are the nicest people.

Traditional Korean Textiles:

Lured by colourful designs, I found time to visit the Korean Antique Textiles on exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum (Nov 98).  More on that in a later post.

Airing of the Quilts, Braidwood:

To round out an inspirational year (and realise just what I had been missing out on) we took a trip to the Braidwood Quilt Airing (Nov 98) and had a lovely day looking at quilts, checking out quaint homes and exploring interesting galleries. 

Now, I’m sure that I have photos from at least some of these events but I’ll add them as I find (and scan them).  Sometimes you just don’t realise how much resides in shoe boxes under the stairs….

Exciting Possibilities

Quilt Symposium Armidale: 25 – 29 Sep 1989

The Armidale Symposium was the first of its kind.  Organised by Barabara Meredith, the format was an instant hit with quilters.  Imagine the chance to meet so many other quilters, live for a week fully immersed in P&Q and have the opportunity to be exposed to some of the world’s best teachers.  We were welcomed with handmade nametags, pins and a shopping bag full of goodies.  We had to make up a “donation” block too for a lucky draw at the end of the symposium. Barbara and her helpers worked especially hard to make everyone feel welcome and she achieved much to not only advance quiltmaking as a craft but also (and probably more importantly) promote it as a friendly one. 

Fashion Parade USA Instructors

This was my first serious quilt event….more or less, after Geelong.  I seriously missed the Victorian activity and friendship, so signed up for this week-long symposium.  Fortunately, it was held at the Armidale University only a short distance away (a country road hour) and during semester break too, so I had a week off from my course at Tamworth TAFE. 

Pitcairn Island (200 years) Celebration Quilt

I went alone (not fun) but had a room to myself at least.  We worked hard during the workshops and most nights had something to participate in, such as a talk or slide show.  One night we had a fashion parade.  I think I may have entered something in the parade but certainly didn’t offer to model it.  It was a chance to meet some quilt or textile professionals like Caryl Bryer Fallert and see some of her creative pieces, all hand dyed and machine quilted.  Her clothing was spectacular and we all took the notes on how to make her accordion pleated skirt. 

Caryl Bryer Fallert's unmistakable style
(& note machine quilting)

I spent my Wednesday break trawling lovely shops in Armidale and viewing an exhibition of quilts in town.  In all, I had a nice break from our active children and the creative time charged my quilting battery immeasurably.  In a nutshell, my chosen program was:

Presentations:

Writing a Resume: Catherine H  Anthony
On Her Works: Caryl Bryer Fallert

Workshop: Monday 25//9/89

Borders and Beyond: Catherine H Anthony (USA)

Workshop: Tuesday 26/9/89

Hand Applique: Elizabeth Kennedy (NSW)

Workshop: Thursday 28/9/89

To Show One’s Colour: June Lyons (Vic)

Workshop: Friday 29/9/89

Colour Workshop: Carol McLean (Canada)

First Impressions

Guild Guest Speaker:  Susan Denton “Contemporary Design” 19 Mar 1988

Sadly I can’t remember this event – my mind is a total blank.  However, I mention it to remind myself of the powerhouse effect that Susan Denton and Barbara Macey had on me in those early days.  Their work was exciting, thoughtful and professionally constructed.  It also sent out clear messages that textile art could be far more than simple reproductions of traditional works – if that’s what you wanted to do.

My signed copy so I must have been there!

I had a lot of exploring to do in the quilting world and I wasn’t sure I had even thought about developing “personal style”.  I was caught up in learning techniques and perfecting my stitching.  As one does! 

The internet makes it just so easy to study other artists work.   Links to Susan Denton’s work appear as listed: (I've just discovered that none of the links below are active anymore. I suppose it's now 2021 not 2012! Google may be as ever helpful in finding more about Susan Denton and Barbara Macey.  It was after all, the beginning of the modern quilting world in Australia.) 

• News article: Susan Denton’s work
• Art quilt: Susan Denton's membership so you can get an idea of her current work (Susan is no longer with this group)
• Exhibition photos courtesy of shiny: (blog post no longer available)

Not forgetting Barbara Macey, whose clean lines and precise stitching has fascinated me for years.  Barbara perfected a "quilt-as-you-go technique that she manages with confidence and extreme precision.  Wonderful!

If you are interested in discussion on developing your own artistic style, then creative journey offers some interesting links too.  Let it be a start, a New Year’s resolution to find out more about your own contribution to the quilting world.  Start a journal and thoroughly explore each aspect of discussion; don’t be put off by some of the fancy journals you see about today – just making notes can be enough.  Visit a gallery and jot down your thoughts on a couple of artists pieces.  Compare it to your own work.  A bit of reflection never hurt anyone! 

A further Comment: 2023.  Susan Denton and Barbara Macey's amazing talent and approach to the modern quilt genre were certainly well ahead of their time.  Now some 35 years on, given we support both traditional and modern quilt guilds and a huge appreciation for textile art, we should be thankful for their pioneering spirit, leadership and encouragement in growing this textile art form.