Make MY Nine in 23

Warning.  This is going to be a wordy (clearly no sewing) post. And as my 150^th post, it is dedicated to my quilting friends.

Image Courtesy of Graphics Fairy 

I’ll begin by saying, this Make Nine in 23 is not my idea but one developed by Veronica.  And I might add one which she has used successfully over several years to inspire her to make time to sew, create and finish things.  As always, it is useful to have a Things to Do List and this one quite took my fancy as a useful springboard, particularly for working out where I am at in my quilting life.  For many years now, early each New Year, I add to my Project List – a basic list of my (many) languishing unfinished projects with a few little extras sitting in a not-quite-ready-to-sew pile (these are my bright little sparkles added to keep the joy :-).  Of course, I also keep another list of quilts that I’m inspired to do some day…now wouldn’t that be half of those in Quiltmania…oh my!  So, I have to confess that my list(s) is not quite so arty and has rather more than 9 projects.  What inspired me most was Home Row’s Nine Questions to ask yourself to help narrow down your chosen projects for the year.

Using these questions to help me massage and sort out my own yearly “maker’s routine” was quite an interesting exercise and one I think, helped me to focus on what was important.  Especially given the time I have for sewing!  Rather than record all my rather wordy responses, I’ll list the questions I asked myself and then give a condensed version of the answers.  I should note here that I enjoy this sort of self-reflection as it helps me focus – so little time & so many things to do – whilst some makers just prefer to get on with it and be led by the whimsy & joy of creating.

So, the Nine Questions I asked myself were:

1. What do I want or need?
2. What did I learn from last years successes?
3. What values are important to me?
4. What quilts are currently on my bed and on my walls?
5. What do I like & not like doing? (In terms of technique & quilting style).
6. Am I a seasonal maker?
7. Making time.  What’s my plan?
8. Do I want to stash or UFO bust?
9. Do I like to explore new techniques or crafts/arts?

In summary, I find something inspiring in patchwork & quilting.  It is enough for me, although I would like to get back to making my own clothes – perhaps one day.  Right now, I’m consumed by quilts.  However, my making time is currently limited to 6 months of each year as I also love to travel.  I have a large stash and many UFO’s (grin) – 12 at last count with many more ear marked for the future. As to the UFO’s, they have their own life and I’m not about to rush them for the sake of finishing them.  I always think you get a better end-result if you let the quilt, as it progresses, speak to you.  I live to honour the old but am also prepared to explore the new.  I also am fairly fastidious about workmanship and quality; I try not to rush a quilt’s progress just to get it done.  I’m also not big on following trends – each quilt has to stand on its own in terms of colour, texture, pattern, design.  That doesn’t mean they always work out – these ones are my quilts of learning!

I’m mostly inspired by old blocks & designs (Barbara Brackman, Nancy Cabot), love colour (Rachel Hauser) and love modern interpretations of old designs (SujataShah, Kaffe Fassett) & recently discovered a useful book by John Q Adams. 

If you’re wondering, I have, over the years, cleared my work area (my Garden Shed) from knitting & wools, cross stitch kits, silk screens (fabric printing), embroidery, a hardly touched weaving frame and most of my polyester fabrics so that my focus is on quilting.  I do dabble from time to time in dyeing, will add embroidery to a quilt if essential (just not too much!) and now, am loving the quiet style of boro & sashiko (Mutsu).  In all, I probably spend too much time on the internet (Jenny Doan) or with my head in a book or magazine, looking for inspiration. 

Now all I have to do is work out which ones are to make the selection final Nine in what little remains of 2023.  See if this works for you... 

Williamsburg Bugs (Curious?)

 Waltzing in Spring: 2022  (Started: 2021)

The Curio Collection designed by Betsy Olmsted was another super bargain I purchased at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum Gift shop (Williamsburg, Virginia) in 2019.  So good in fact, I toyed with the idea of getting a second bundle.  Now that I’ve finished this quilt, I’m rather glad I didn’t.

This collection is so distinctive and I am so used to “scrapping from my stash”, that it took me ages & ages to decide on a pattern.  My challenge to myself was to work with only the collection fat quarters and not to add any “blendables” from my stash.  I also didn’t want to cut the pieces too small and ruin all those gloriously bright bugs and butterflies.  Once I found the Fat Quarter Fancy design by Caroline, SewCanShe, in Tula Pink’s wild fabrics, I knew this block, in version II, would work for me.  True to form, it sewed up easily and fairly quickly.  I even managed to make up some smaller squares from the left-over triangles – more fodder for the downsized but still dreaded scrap box! 

Waltzing in Spring out on show at last

But good old Bertie Bernina played up and refused to cooperate, so construction took a little longer than I planned.  Of course, we were still in Covid lockdown during this time too and the repair centre was well outside my LGA.  Such a dance; such a performance!  Dame Nellie Melba could not have done better.

Finally, all blocks were completed.  Not without having to add a few extra fabrics to make up the necessary block numbers, but I think they blend in well with the original collection.  I then spent some time arranging these blocks and finally settled on rows in colour order rather than random placement.  The colours are quite strong and range from blacks to bright colours, so rows seemed the best way to contain all that colour contrast and energy.  The backing was also an interesting decision to make and I finally settled on a bottlebrush design (bright red flowers on a black ground) by Jocelyn Proust then partnered this with a black and white modern print. (Photo when it comes off the wall!).  I quilted this one with a medium stipple in variegated thread.  I rather like the way it reflects the watery theme of so many of the fabrics.  Looking at this quilt seemed to me to be looking into tidal pools, the way we did when we were kids, looking for shells and other exciting bits of sea-life or flotsam. Above the pools, butterflies and dragonflies dance to their own music.  (Check out Heather's amazing collection of rather attractive bugs on Pinterest!)

A few close-up shots

The finished quilt is one that you might either love, or not!  It is quite modern in design, very bold and holds the strength of the fabric design and distinctive colours very well.  I loved the challenges of making this quilt and the opportunity to experiment and grow my own design and quilting skills.  Limiting myself to work with a single collection was a very useful learning experience.  Yes, it was a certainly a moment, and one that I will say I’m glad I had, but doubt I would repeat.

As an afterthought, I’ve finally realised what was bugging me (ha ha!) about the quilt.  It’s modern, fresh and appealing but it really is ALL about the fabric, which is highlighted further by a pattern that features large pieces.  It's not about me, and perhaps not in my style - only time will tell.  It also highlights one of the problems for quiltmakers.  Each quilt takes a great deal of time and effort - from planning to construction.  It’s hard to get to the end and find you are not quite so happy with the result.  Still, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve unpicked a top to “re-imagine” it!  So, in all an interesting learning experiment and one that took me on a journey outside of my colour-mixing, pattern selecting comfort zone.

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 153 x 191cm
Block Sizes: 20cm (8 inch); 7.5” finished
Cut in: 6 September 2021
Pieced: 24 October 2021
Basted: 1 November 2021
Quilted: Machine 27-29 Nov 2022 over 3 full days; 2 reels Gutermann Sulky 30wt 4023 (Natural Taupe) using 12 bobbins (Gutermann 50wt 618).
Quilt Type: Modern
Quilt Finished: 9 December 2022
Exhibited:
Collection: Home #129-2021
Pattern Name: Fat Quarter Fancy II, Free Pattern
Pattern Source: SewCanShe.com**
Fabrics Purchased: From the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in 2019.
Fabric Design: Curio Collection by Betsy Olmsted (See Link above to her Collection)
Fabric Style: Brights; Bugs, Butterflies, Eggs & Corals
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton (Warm & White, needled cotton)
Backing: Pieced; 2 fabrics

**SewCanShe by Caroline is a fantastic resource & one that I hope will, over time, help tame that overwhelming stash of mine.  (We can all live in hope!!)

Finding something to bind this quilt was a challenge too!
I ended up with a slate blue Bali Batik that seemed to suit.

Christmas Seminole Tablecloth

Christmas Re-imagined: 2022 (Started: 1987)

My Covid splurge was a new dining room table.  After all, we’d had the sturdy pine one since 1985 and it managed to survive many, many moves and growing children.  So, in December 2021, when I laid out the well-used Christmas tablecloth (made in no less than 1987) on the new table, it looked a little sad.  Hardly a surprise!  So rather than consign it to the bin, I decided on a make-over. 

Yes, the fabrics are definitely a reminder of the 1980’s, and there’s a bit of poly in the cotton selections, but it was worth saving.  I set about separating the two layers (top front & backing), then added some batting.  After wondering for a moment what I was doing when I got it ready to baste, it all came together after giving it the kiss-of-life with machine quilting in a medium stipple – a quick and easy pattern.  I chose a variegated thread to quilt with; bright red, green & a touch of yellow (Gutermann, Sulky 30wt, Colour: 4112, Vintage Holiday).  Finished size at a decent W 143cm x L 248cm.  And I am so over-the-moon with the result.  Should have done it years ago!!

I finished the Christmas Tablecloth makeover on 28 November 2022, just in time for this year’s celebrations with grandchildren.  Better get to decorating the rest of the house, there’s only a few weeks to go!

Making progress at the machine in the cooler weather this year

I am hopeful for a few hours of sunshine to have another photo session.  There's quite the backlog of quilts needing a photo or several.  Fingers crossed that the weather improves!

A temporary "indoor" fix until the sun shines again...

Languish Not…Make Another Quilt!

2022

2021 vanished in a flash, leaving me counting UFO’s and dreaming of more fantastic quilt designs to add to the “To Do - hopefully one day soon - List”.  Hmmm, I should stop reading those enticing magazines!  The year did finish with a flourish, however, as I managed to add 4 quilt tops to the “basted and ready for quilting box”. 

The new year however, became the year of catching up with family & friends as borders and boundaries opened.  Our poor car did not sit idle for long at all as we galivanted across 4 states before settling down to a cold and rather wet winter on the river.  Too cold and wet to work in the outside sewing room (my garden shed).  Meanwhile, other indoor projects took priority; sorting photos being one huge job that has STILL to be finished.

At least the RLI girls were able to meet at Randwick again, and aside from the odd bout of Covid isolation and overseas jaunts, we’ve settled back into the old meeting routine.  I’ve now limited myself to taking portable projects to the meetings too, after having my sewing machine in for a service & repairs twice last year.  It just doesn’t enjoy travelling the way it did in its youth!

So, it was with some relief then, that in October, I had reason to limber up and get Bertie primed for a session of free motion quilting.  Woohoo!  Off and running at last.  Now I am working on quilt #4, so it is good to see a nearly empty box on the shelf.  I seriously doubt it will be done by Christmas this year; it still has quite a bit of embroidery to add once the quilting is done.  Never mind, it’s all progress. 

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, a prosperous New Year and time for lots and lots of stitching.

Clip Art from The Graphics Fairy

Stylish Gifting

Japanese Knot Bags 2021

Again, and after successful home-made gifting in 2020, I was determined to give it a shot in 2021.  I was on a roll!!  I decided to undertake another set of bags made of fabrics selected only from my stash.  This time, I wanted a smaller bag but with a twist; again, a reference to Japanese style.  This time I concentrated on a more traditional knot bag handle design but wanted a “standing” bag – a square bottom.  It needed to be big enough for a large phone or mail (yes, we still get letters, mostly bills ; ) in the post) and would keep keys, masks and other odd bits together if dashing to the shops. 

I settled on a great pattern from sumoftheirstories.com, found on 23rd October.  I cut all the bags out at once (8 Nov) and then started madly sewing until 12^th December, cutting it quite fine for Christmas gifting.  I did though, have fun with a Spotlight selection of Aussie flower and bird designs by Jocelyn Proust.  Don’t you just love her modern prints! 

Finished Size of bag: w-4.5; h-7.5; d-2.5 (inches) & w-11.5; h-19; d-6.5 (cms); Finished size of straps or handles: Width: 2in or 5cm; Lengths: long strap L-12 (30.5cm); short strap L-7 (18cm).  Sizes are for your information only and are in accordance with changes I made to the original pattern offered on sumoftheirstories.com to suit my needs.  Once cut out and quilted (onto wadding leftovers), I could make 3 to 4 a day.  

These bags worked up a treat, were relatively simple to make and I think, were well received.  Over the year, I finished off a few more, in all 27 bags completed.  I used them for Christmas or thank-you gifts; many were donated for raffle prizes. 

TideMark

Tidemark: 2021  (Started:2019)

I just love scrap quilts and after a rather too-long hiatus and an overflowing scrap bin, I felt the urge to search the net for inspiration.  Thanks to viewing an “extreme” (well, for me) quilt collection makeover by Pat Sloan, dying of envy for Jeni Baker's (In Colour Order) organised stash and suggestions by my friendly quilting buddies to check out Bonnie Hunter for her scrappy quilts, I present to you my take on Bonnie Hunter’s 2014 leader & ender challenge quilt.

Bonnie’s original design inspiration came from an old quilt named “Stained Glass”. It was made in 1890 by Frances Clarke Westergren of Boston and can be found in the book “Massachusetts Quilts, Our Common Wealth”.  It looks just fabulous as it is but also serves as great design to mess about with and to add your own personal touches. 

My scraps were not so much scraps but fabrics from a Moda Metro Mixologie Layer Cake pack lying dormant in my “Collections” box just waiting for the right moment to present itself.  I wanted a modern look, and if anything, thought using this selection of fabrics might lead to the quilt looking a bit too samey-samey (bland!).  Perhaps to rescue it, I decided on a black and whites for the corner blocks.  Not wanting to waste any of my Layer Cake pieces, I modified Bonnie’s block to suit, i.e. larger pieces.  Now that took some math effort! 

I’m normally fairly lazy when it comes to cutting – lulled by the ever-accurate rotary cutting instructions in Judy Martin’s books, so this came as quite a shock for the old grey matter.  Never-the-less it worked out and my math held up, until after a loooong break in proceedings, I inadvertently cut my remaining corner squares the wrong size.  Back to the drawing board, hi ho!  I now cut shapes then store them in sandwich bags; all clearly labelled with sizes.  

I’d planned to make this for a friend’s 60th (it did take a wee bit longer though) as the colours seemed to suit those chosen for her house renovation.  And the modern design, highlighted by the black & white corner blocks, looked great.  To me, it was very much in keeping with her outlook on life.  She loves the water, and as the quilt looked rather like tiles in an exotic swimming pool, I chose to finish it off with a medium stipple (or meander) pattern.  

For those interested in Pat Sloan’s stash management process, here is a link to her blog post.  Pat offers a quick and easy approach to sorting out the bags, boxes and suitcases full of scraps into functional scrap sizes. Now all I need is the time to be so organised - ha ha!   

The garden is a bit too shady to show the quilt colours at their best

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 159 x 190cm
Block Sizes: 4.5 x 8.5” rectangles; 2 ¾” squares (incl s.a.)
Cut in: 17 Jan 2019 (started working out pattern size)
Pieced Started: 21 Mar 2020; Finished: 28 Dec 2020
Basted: 2 Jan 2021
Quilted: Machine: 15 Mar 2021
Quilt Type: Modern
Quilt Finished: 24 Mar 2021
Exhibited:
Collection: Home #071
Pattern Name: Lozenges
Pattern Source: Bonnie Hunter 2014 (PDF pattern here)
Fabrics Purchased: Moda Metro Mixologie layer cake…
Fabric Design: Prints, Stripes & Dots
Fabric Style: Brights
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants
 

Progress underway in 2020

Cross Roads

At this point (the start of 2021) and with time at home to think, I found myself dithering over where and how to organise my posts featuring finished quilts.  When I started this blog, it was easy to list quilts by "year started" as all I had was a photo of a finished article.  Now I am at a cross-roads with UFO’s.  I have bits & bobs here & there and lots on the go in the WORK BOX too.  Not to mention quite a few unfinished items.  I wonder (to myself loudly) if it wouldn’t be easier to change mid-stream and begin tagging projects by year finished.  What a beat-up!  What a lot of work!

But this great idea has since hit the floor with a thud… Everything would have to be re-arranged and perhaps nothing would make any sense.  There would be no apparent logical order.  And the world as we know, loves order.  Yes, even finding it in chaos. 

However, I've since had an epiphany. My plan now, after all this wasted time on “will I or won’t I” debate, is to note:

   1. The FINISH & START year in my post sub-headings. 

   2. The FINISH year in a "label cloud" making it easy to search.  

All dates will still be located in "Just for the Record" notes of each finished quilt and every post will still be dated according to time/date posted.  In all, this organisation should allow me to easily find key quilt dates, and enable linking of posts (perhaps), even in-progress reports (if I'm super-keen).  I’m so very slow to finish quilts, some taking years (and years) to finish so it is easy to forget details.  And doesn’t everyone keep digital photos and an excel spreadsheet (a documented quilt list) of their wonderful creations?

There, that feels better.  Now, did you really need to know this? 

Wildflower in the Blue Mountains

 

Shopping from Home - oh, stash...

 Making Christmas Gifts (Japanese Rice Bags) 2020

In the interests of “shopping from home” for Christmas gifts in 2020, I decided to make simple bags from my stash for family and friends.  I wanted something that was a useful size, not too complicated to sew and yet looked a bit different.  Take a bow, the humble Japanese Rice Bag, Komebukuro.  Stuart Hillard offers an easy-to-follow tutorial that makes fun viewing. (Link to his Japanese Rice Bag tute here).  Stuart’s pattern is a classic box shape but I wanted something a little more tote-like (probably not a rice bag, then?) with handles.  I’d also seen a pattern with ties rather than handles, a Furoshiki Tie Bag but the pattern was rather complex and used quite a bit of fabric.  BeBe Bold had a nice one but they don’t appear to stock it any more.  It did require quite a bit of fabric making it somewhat of an expensive kit.  This one by Kokka Fabrics looks good too – but I’ve not tried it yet.  (Now that I look at it, the Kokka pattern was similar to the one included in the BeBe Bold kit!) I really loved the little tie handles that made it just so sweet.

Margaret uses hers for her knitting 

Eventually, I settled on a pattern from SewCanShe.  Her Japanese Tote comes together very well and I managed to make two, maybe three bags a day, once I had everything cut up and ready to sew.  I also used wadding leftovers rather than interfacing to strengthen the bag.  I didn’t add drawstrings, they pulled the bags and made them look a bit too unstructured for my liking.  The bags worked up a treat, were relatively simple to make and I think, were well received.

A fun print and who doesn't love polka dots?

Of course I gave them all away before taking a photo.  As you do!  And as we're not quite out & about so much these days, it may take a while until I can locate one for the blog shot... 

(Ed: Visits made and photos finally taken...only 18 months later!!)

Intermission

I’ve been doing a lot of wishing lately.  You all know what I mean; indecision that comes from wanting to do something.  Perhaps it’s something new or maybe just a project lurking in the box of the “great unfinished”.  But you’re waiting, waiting for lightning to strike.  And the resulting idea - you know it has to be really good!

So, rather than fret, I’ve been lurking on the net instead of petting my stash, and like Brenna Riley Gates (The Quilting Company) trying to decide what to do and where to go.  I’m currently on a mission to find quilts that make my heart stop a beat, that inspire me or are just crying out to be made.  I’m looking for the commonalities so I guess I’m looking for me.  I’m in the process of assembling a “little” collection of these images to make into a screen saver or similar – an easy-access on-line personal inspiration board.  I can hear you all shout “Pinterest” or “Instagram” but really, I’m not sure at the moment I want another reason to sit longer at my computer.  I’m really, really trying to find more time for sewing…

So indeed, WHY am I blogging?  Well, in my search for interesting Nancy Cabot blocks after my last quilt, I revisited an inspiring modern scrap block in a Flickr group (link here) called X & + (or X Plus or Criss-Cross).  It seems Nancy Cabot originally called it Spool Block.  My need for a pattern (with the math done to confirm my own guesstimations) led me to Elizabeth Eastmond’s blog with said pattern nicely done along with some wonderful wisdom that’s well worth repeating.
  
“I hate every project three months in.  I’m exhausted.  I’m questioning whether it’s any good.  I’m unhappy.  [But] that’s just the process.  You have to get through that.  You have to commit. . . there’s no pulling out–it has to work.  And then it works out, because of the commitment.  There’s always failure when you don’t see it through fully.” Andrew Zuckerman, photographer, film director & author (Interview link).  Isn’t it true that sometimes you just need to sit and listen to understand where you have come from and going to…

This same block (free download) also led me to Scissortails who indeed is asking questions and looking forwards (link here) in an admirably organised way – it’s all worth pondering and getting a little personal sometimes!  I’m wondering, given the connection seems to be either Nancy Cabot or her Spool Block, if this is what has lead us to this point of personal contemplation (just plain navel-gazing really) but it’s just so useful/therapeutic/Zen.  So, maybe it is back to the great unfinished, to accept the challenges and work with them – maybe just thinking outside the box or in a different light might just resolve those Gordian Knots.  Or just start a new one! 

Missing Home

Looking forward to doing this all over again...

Nothing better than warm slippers, a raging fire and a few colourful yarns to get one relaxed and ready to stitch.

The Great Unfinished

Incentive to "Get On With It": 2015

2015 hard at work with the new design "wall" unfurled
with a Jen Kingwell design found in Quiltmania underway 

This list is part of my effort to publicly name and shame myself; a challenge to motivate & to get this lot finished (or sent to File 13 - a Bermuda Triangle of quilting & file disasters.  Oh yes, it does exist!). 

1.  (1980) Stumbling Fans
2. (1988) Creative Landscapes
3. (1989) Christmas Fairies
4. (1989) Floral Wreath
5. (1999) Fairy Quilt #2
6. (2002) Thai Ethnic Embroideries
7. (2005) GM Exchange Blocks
8. (2005) Yet More GM Blocks
9. (2006) Antique Toys #3
10. (2008) Explorer Series Homework
11. (2011) Something Flashy
12. (2012) Windom Quilt
13. (2013) Horta Calling Cards
14. (2014) Circles of Fun

Aside from this list of things to do, I've also got to get out the camera again and take some photos of those quilts finished but not photographed.  Another list as long as your arm!  Oh, well....

Incentive comes in the form of a new camera, so once I manage to drag myself away from the computer, it will be tally ho! and on with big push.  Now my next search will be finding how to take better blog photos.  Always Learning.

(Some of the above quilt titles are based on pattern names - only for a temporary reminder of what I was planning or using.)

and this one (Creative Landscapes 1988) has since found the Quilting Bermuda Triangle....

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!) 

A Braidwood Quilt Experience

Inspiration at Every Street Corner

I can’t leave 2000 without posting up a few photos of Braidwood.  Each year, since 1995, the town obligingly hosts a quilt extravaganza – an Airing of the Quilts.  Quilts are only aired on the Saturday but both days are packed with all kinds of interesting things to do and see.  Braidwood is a quaint village full of wonderfully restored cottages – quite historic in its own right (but only old in comparative terms). 

The “airing” is usually held annually in late November and made for a long day’s drive from Sydney.  This year though, quite likely our second visit, we had decided to drive on to Canberra and spend Sunday doing a textile tour of our Capital’s famous quilt shops.  Needless to say, we found lots to look at and quite a few enticing fabrics.  Why didn’t I buy a car with a bigger boot?

These little trips away are the perfect remedy for lack of inspiration, terrific for stash building (you know what I mean!!), and make a nice addition to our group’s annual program of activities.  Thankfully I took my camera, so, we do have a few reminders.

Quilting - Coming of Age

Quilt Show at Darling Harbour: 2000

Having been at quilting for some 15 years (in 2000) and watched our craft grow from strength to strength, I’ve particularly noticed how wonderfully encouraging it is for quilters to meet and show their work.  The huge show at Darling Harbour in Sydney’s CBD announced that quilting had come of age.  In these shows, we have always been treated to a fantastic exhibition of locally produced quilts that range from traditional to art quilts.  There is also a complementary exhibition of note – I still remember the fabulous work of a collection of Japanese quilts I saw one year.  Under this same roof are market stalls with all the latest gear a textile devotee could ever want, a series of workshops to help build skills, a collection of wearable art that made the heart palpitate and all the quilting fans you could ever hope to meet. 

I never fail to walk away overawed, inspired and somewhat bedraggled.  And usually with a few bags full of “interesting things” that I had never planned to buy but just had to have! 

(Photos to come eventually, once scanned...)

Turning 2000

We started Y2K with a bang, and as luck would have it, I started a new job and had gone back to uni.  It was also the year we bought our house on the wonderful Hawkesbury River and I took on a stint of single-parenting teens.  This of course put an end to most of my “spare” time and took a bit of an edge off my patching/quilting progress.  Meanwhile, the pile of UFO's seemed to be multiplying in the deep, dark recesses of my sewing space.  However, I did have a textile trip planned - an escape to Japan no less, so it was certainly exciting times.

A magic ferry ride

I’m in the process of documenting my travel notes (slim pickings here) and photos (all pre-digital) of the Japan trip with Margaret Wright over on Textile Tourist, so I won’t re-invent that wheel here.  Needless to say, I had a great time and came back with just a tad more fabric (2 large boxes - cough! cough!).  This experience only served to re-affirm my belief that we (in Australia) were settling comfortably into “American style” crafting.  Japan’s textile heritage, fabric choices and sincere respect for craftsmanship just blew me away. 

Up in the cooler Japan Alps we found cherry blossom! 

Prior to our trip we also were invited to an exhibition "Common Threads" showcasing the work of Textile Artist Wendy Lugg and Sue Leighton-White’s Japanese textile collection.   

There were two big lessons from this; one that it really is ok to follow textiles in your own way – be it creator (in any style) collector or even admirer!  The second is that it’s ok to take inspiration from history and translate it in any direction you care to drive it.  But always respectfully of course!

Year 2000 was also the start of what I call my Japanese Discovery Period.  Somehow, something cropped up each year (until end 2003) that steered me towards learning about Japanese textiles, techniques and culture.  I was in blue & white heaven; imagine a culture that reveres its textile masters and cultivates its textile heritage!  This passion was of course driven by a wave of enthusiasm for something different – not only by me, but the textile community generally.

More Desert Island Reading

Books I can’t be Without continues:

101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts

Judy Hopkins & Nancy J. Martin, 1998, Martingale & Company, Bothell, Washington

I've just noticed that 101 seems to be my favourite number!  By the time I purchased this book I was well and truly obsessed with patchwork and quilting.  Whilst I still loved hand piecing and quilting, I realised that my machine (dear old Ernie Elna) was my best buddy and, along with the rotary cutter, my only way forward.  Of course, some quilts still demand “slow” making but there were times in my increasingly busy life when I needed a quick fix.  I was occasionally making clothes too, so it seemed only natural to do more than just machine borders and bindings on to my quilts.

Hopkins & Martin had written other books but I couldn’t wait to get my little fingers on this big bruiser.  It has become, and still is, my most favourite reference book of all.  If I want a basic pattern, it’s usually here.  The illustrations are terrific, the measurements always exact and I’ve never yet had a dud – and trust me, I’ve made quite a few from this book!  Yes, the patterns are classic but it only takes a moment to add, subtract and massage and before you know it, another new creation!  Mind you, I know I prefer to make quilts that are basically geometric designs, so that helps.

When I went to live in India in 2004, I took, aside from my machine, 2 suitcases.  One with clothes and one with quilting supplies (not fabric though, just a few UFO’s).  This book was the only one I took.  It was in the spirit of adventure – and proved a very valuable learning environment.

That Perfect Stitch: the Secrets of Fine Hand Quilting

Roxanne McElroy, 1998, The Quilt Digest Press, Chicago, Illinois USA

When it comes to hand quilting books, my choice was difficult but this one by Roxanne McElroy was a standout because it is almost a scientific evaluation of the hand quilting process.  If ever you want to improve your stitching, this is the place to come.  I particularly appreciated advice on batting choices for hand quilting and how better to position your hand to protect against repetitive strain.  I also made the decision not to buy a frame (I’d been wanting one for years) after reading this book, because I didn’t think it suited MY style of quilting.  This book is so worth the read, there is much to learn, and I refer to it time and time again.

I can’t leave the subject of hand quilting without mentioning Liuxin Newman (Perfect Hand Quilting without Pain, Thimblelady, Australia, 2003).  I did a hand quilting workshop with Liuxin a few years ago and it turned my quilting life around. I just love to use her thimbles; they are so perfect for the method she taught us.  Another plus was that I managed to use a hoop -finally! I’d always used one for embroidery but had found I had trouble quilting with one.  Now I wouldn’t quilt without one. 

So I guess the moral of the story is that it’s fine to know, understand & appreciate the theory, however well it’s presented, but it’s understanding your own needs and lots of  practice that makes the difference.     

Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts

Kaffe Fassett, 2010, Abrahams, New York

What can I say!  The title says it all - simple shapes highlighting fantastic fabrics that are all about COLOUR.  Kaffe is definitely the colour master.  I could have chosen any of his books for my “fab” favourites.  His quilts are, each and every one, a lesson in colour play and I sometimes think that in the race to make all those quilts that dance in our heads, we miss taking a slow approach.  Perhaps by making our designs less complex, taking (lots of) time to explore colour options, and considering construction options, we too can get the message. This doesn’t mean that I copy, copy, copy.  But I do see how shapes and colour can be grouped and use this as a springboard to help me find the next rung on my learning ladder.

Well, reviewing has been lots of fun; the thinking hard but at last a vague notion of better understanding - myself and my motivations.  Why?  Well in the words of Melody Crust, “my best quilt is my next one”.