Unfinished Objects

Symposium Projects: 1989

With some sense, I had mostly chosen Symposium workshops that were not beginnings of UFO’s.  I knew I was too busy with TAFE to start stocking up on more unfinished goodies.  However, I did end up with these three:

This was a quilt in the exhibition (photo of its medallion centre)
using a similar applique technique to the one I was hoping
to master.  I am not sure who made and quilted it.

Applique Medallion: Elizabeth Kennedy.  I had wanted to learn more about 3D applique which was all the rage at the time.  So I started using those horrible blue marking pens which I regretted almost immediately!  I’m guessing that the dye heat set (in my car? in the hot Tamworth sun) and nothing seemed to shift it.  So, my solution was to (think about) embroidering over these lines, add a few more flowers and try to avoid any self pity.  This project still resides (WEF 2013) in my UFO box and (after 25 years) may soon be entitled to a small pension if I don't get busy.

Well, here we are in class trying to get our colour
choices to have some zing...

Show One’s Colour: June Lyons.  Colour has always been one of my fatal flaws and I never seem to tire learning of ways to understand and make best use of it.  Eventually we pieced up a Josephs Coat block (10”) with the intention of finishing 5 more; all were to have darks placed in different positions. This use of a limited palette would assist us understand the principle of colour dominance. The idea was interesting but somehow I couldn’t get into it, probably because of TAFE demands.  So this poor block never even made it into the UFO box and is lost to the world…..  I did however, discover the usefulness of having a design wall.  What to do when you live in rented accommodation was the major challenge to implementing this useful tool. 

Our design wall in progress; my works to the front

Raffle Draw: Christmas Fairies.  The blocks are sweet, very naïve and so not me.  They too languish in the UFO box waiting on inspiration or a UFO purge.  Who knows?  I've seen some rather nice Sue Spargo designs in old copies of Quiltmania, my favourite read at the moment. 

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)

Always Busy

Other TAFE Class Samples

Stained Glass Cushions: 1989

I am not sure if the idea for bold flowers came about as a result of the Ballarat workshop I'd been to or one with the Swan Bay Quilters (Nov 1988) but stained glass was certainly the flavour of the month and I enjoyed the heat fixing and stitching process. 

Nice shot of the evaporative airconditioner (I really did love it!)

This cushion design finally came into being as a class sample for the Tamworth TAFE in May 89.   I quite like the large flowers and hand applique process but purple silks– what was I thinking?  I gave the finished cushions to my Mother for Mother’s Day. 

Patchwork Bag:  1989

We had made these purple sample blocks in our patchwork classes and I used them up to make a pretty but rather substantial carry-all.   I still use it today to carry quilts to group meetings because it fits my hoop. 

(I've just noticed that I really did have a thing for purple at the time.) 

Landscape Bag:  1989

This was another bag I made up to fit my cutting mat.  We carried a lot of our own supplies and tools with us (to make things easier on ourselves) to class.  The landscape design was the view from my kitchen window at Tamworth and made up in a TAFE class.

I think that about wraps it up for those TAFE projects.  I know I did quilting as an elective as well but I can't for the life of me think what I did for my major work.  Obviously not a quilt or I would have it with me now.  Oh well, maybe one day I'll get a flash of inspiration. 

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.

Cabin Fever

House Log Cabin: 1989

Tamworth Town

I made this quilt by foundation piecing each block so that it was finished (or pre-quilted).  Following Georgia Bonesteel’s directions for her “Quilt as you Go Technique”, I stitched the blocks together to make a finished quilt. I chose this particular method as it didn’t require any further quilting once completed.  Time was of the essence when you had to produce a major work in 6 weeks.   I can’t say though that I enjoyed working this method, but what I did develop further as a theme was the use of odd, scrappy backings.

I decided to add a piped edging around the inner blocks and found adding the border to that something of a technical challenge but it all sat quite flat in the end.  I hand quilted the border. The piping adds a dimensionality to the quilt.

Lap Leftovers Floor Rug
Collection: Home# 019 (Lap Quilt)

I had so many left overs that I stitched together a baby floor rug out of them (91.5 x 125cm).  This was totally machined.  I remember really learning how to get the most out of my machines from this TAFE course, so in some ways, I was taking a giant leap from my very traditional hand piecing & quilting beginnings in Queenscliff.  Endless possibilities offered themselves and whilst I still enjoy the Zen experience of hand work, I have since used the machine to perform more mundane tasks faster. 

This quilt was completed as a major project for my Commercial Needlecraft course at Tamworth TAFE in 1989/90. Elective: Patchwork

I used kiddie prints for the back of Tamworth Town

Given that I had made a quilt for the elder son some years earlier, this one was for A (Mr Mayhem). I intended for this one to be used, hence the choice of cheaper fabrics and somewhat rugged machine stitching.  Heavy duty is a byword for boys.  (I have to laugh now to think that neither of them at the time had quilts anywhere near their beds!!!  Don't feel sorry for them.  I later made others, one of which expired from hanging rather too long on a clothes line - we are talking months here!)

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 131.5 x 226cm
Block Size: 12”
Cut in: 1989
Pieced & Basted: Machine 1989
Quilted: Machine 1989 (Quilt-as-you-go technique)
Quilt Type: Single Bed
Quilt Finished: 1989
Exhibited: 
Collection: Home# 018 (Log Cabin)
Pattern Name: Log Cabin
Pattern Source: Georgia Bonesteel
Fabrics Purchased: 1989
Fabric Design: Prints & Plains; House print
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Poly Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
One of the joys of this course was the chance to trial a variety of techniques during class time. To me it was play time too. This course was not structured around finding yourself; it was a business class.  Like any apprentice, we needed to become familiar with our tools but also with managing a business or seeing scope for professional development within the trade.  To this end, I concentrated on technique and used the opportunity to determine if running a shop or teaching classes would work for me.  It most certainly was not wasted time!

Picture Pleasure

Joy Ride: 1989

Cute Katie

I saw this Koala pattern in an old McCall’s Needlework & Crafts magazine when I had been experimenting with machine applique. I had thought about doing the series (which may have been 4 cot quilts in all) but only completed Katie Koala on her balloon ride. One has to know one's limits...

I did an adventurous double binding border and used a variety of materials including leather, ribbon and lace in the machine applique project.

This quilt was completed as a major project for my Commercial Needlecraft course at Tamworth TAFE in 1989/90. Elective: Applique

Always fun with Machine Applique

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 90 x 116cm
Block Size:
Cut in: 1989
Pieced & Basted: Machine 1989
Quilted: Hand 1989
Quilt Type: TAFE Major Project
Quilt Finished: 1989
Exhibited: 
Collection: Home#0 17
Pattern Name: Katie Koala
Pattern Source: McCalls Magazine (July August 1981 p87)
Fabrics Purchased: 1989
Fabric Design: Prints & Plains
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Poly Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
This was a fun quilt to make although all that fusing with visoflix meant it was firm rather than a cuddly quilt. Also the 3D attachments made it rather unsuitable for a cot. In the end it could only be used as a wall hanging. If I made another as a cot quilt I would most certainly use needle turn applique to achieve a softer, more flexible (and thus washable) result and forget the 3D elements.     

Going Academic 1989

Tamworth TAFE: 1989-90

For now I think I have covered the best of those creative & learning years in Queenscliff.  I’m sure I’ve missed heaps and as I type I remember all the machine applique that I did too (mostly on children’s clothing) and haven’t added.  So there may be a few more posts for the late 80’s yet!

However, eventually the time came when we had to say a fond farewell to the Bellarine Peninsular and move on.  Away from the Victorian coast and out far into NSW northern slopes & plains.  Yes, Tamworth and country music’s great champion. 

We settled in well and enjoyed the companionship of a close knit community there too.  This was our first experience of living in a large, self-supporting country town.  The children added a number of outdoor activities including horse riding, soccer and BMX biking to their list of must do sports.   I went back to school. 

The Tamworth TAFE offered a two year Commercial Needlecraft course and this presented me with a couple of exciting opportunities.  First was the chance to explore a wide range of textile crafts and techniques with expert tutors.  Secondly, I had a chance to see if I could earn a living from a hobby I was passionate about.  More on that later!

So it was back to school.  This course meant I had little time to explore my own work (as it were) with a demanding schedule and rigorous assessment.  In order to complete the course in two years, each semester we had to complete (over a period of 18 weeks) a staggering list of core subjects and at least two electives.  Assessment was by reference book, class exercises and, for the electives, a major work.

We made up reference books for each subject.  It contained course notes & exercises, illustrations & diagrams, our own notes and any material we were able to source on our subject such a newspaper clippings, samples, interview notes etc.  Presenting this in a jumble was not on the cards either as we were also assessed on clarity of content and layout of work. 

Class exercises were also assessed.  We were allocated marks based on planning, possession of appropriate equipment & materials and of course on our ability to coordinate colour, threads, fabrics, stitches and design details.   

I couldn’t wait to start….

Our basement made the perfect studio.  Photo by my MIL

Needless to say, not all the work we completed on the course was relevant to my P&Q habits, and although interesting work, I won’t be posting up every detail.  Most of my binders disappeared, albeit only a couple of years ago, when I finally started to clean up my garden shed to give me room to work.   

(As an aside, I’ve decided to cover my two years in Tamworth by the various groups or organisations I belonged to.  It seems easier that way and the flow of work easier to see.)