Houseguests

No sooner do my human guests escape from our clutches than our next guests arrive. This time is the feline variety who usually are the spoilt children of darling daughter (see previous post).
Now there haven't been cats here in a long while although hopefully they will find our not so friendly rodent visitor an interesting playmate.

Worse than children although I think the water bowls are pretty cute

At least this one has taste although if I could teach her to cut this mountain of fabric I would be happy.

Let's find the most awkward spot to hide. Guess it fancied the champagne.

Now out of the hiding spot - this one thought the bathroom cabinet was a comfortable spot

Opening Day & Night

It was a long day.

Getting to the Gallery early and fine tuning some of the layout then writing up the catalogue in the correct order took some time. Before I knew it, it was 11am and the official gallery opening time. Actually at 10 minutes before 11 there was a knock at the door and my first two visitors were clamouring to get in. Ok not clamouring but they had driven 2 hours just to come so I was more than happy to let them in. With only one page of the catalogue complete, I printed it out and left them to wander while I finished the last page.

Did I really mean to have two number 18s they asked - nothing like having someone to test your work. A quick edit and reprint corrected the error. Page two dutifully delivered and checked in situ and we had liftoff. My lovely first visitors stayed for ages and wrote positive messages on my visitors list so I was feeling terrific.

They were quickly followed by another couple who commented that the catalogue text font was a bit small so next version with larger font was dutifully printed. I love continual improvement. This visit also resulted in my first red sticker so I was thrilled. Maybe having this exhibition was not the most stupid self indulgent thing I had ever done.

Six o'clock arrived eventually and the doors opened for the expected throngs and I wasn't disappointed. Old friends and new started arriving and soon the gallery was respectfully filled with a variety of people from all areas and times of my life. The conversations were full of compliments and positive feedback for my work. My uneasy decision to make art my full time career was being reinforced as the right thing to do which gives me great joy.


This is me - the one with glasses in the red top.






The wine flowed freely thanks to the wonderful Maggie
who seemed to avoid photos but I am very grateful for her kindness.




A steady stream of red stickers and a wonderful opening speech by Annette Gero gave me tangible proof that my life was changing in the right direction.
My gorgeous daughter Sarah and her boyfriend Matt were wonderful helpers with the food and wine.

Great friend Alex came all the way from the USA just to take these wonderful photos for me. She threw in a few weeks holiday as well but it was great to have her to share the experience.

Here is Nic who quilts my prize winning quilts - she recently won a prize (third year in a row) at the Birmingham Quilt Show in the UK for her quilting.

Finally - where would I be without my soulmate, best friend and love of my life, Peter.

Setup Nearly Complete

I am in the final stages of setting up my Exhibition - Dyed Heaven - which opens tomorrow at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery in Pidcock St Camperdown (Sydney).

I must be nearly finished as I am up to making up little numbers to put next to the quilts.
There will be a little fine tuning tomorrow but I promise to post some photos as soon as I have a chance.

I have, however, had a few days in Queensland and loved this house with the garage door covered in Brick wallpaper


We went to a quilt show at the Gold Coast Arts Centre and this elephant was outside making everyone smile.


My friend Karen lives on the river in Brisbane and this is her outlook as the sun sets. It was pouring with rain nearly all the time I was there but it was very welcome rain.

This is also the view from Karens deck and if you look really closely you will see something very unexpected amongst the ferns.

Just a night on the Gold Coast but I did manage a long walk on the beach.

More Fabrications

Some more photos arrived today. Judy Sanday did my Fabrications quilt and she did a great job.

Detail with quilting by Ellie Neal




Still counting down to the Exhibition - one week to go. I wonder what I have forgotton?

Busy Time

Just back from a few days teaching in our nation's capital Canberra. I had a wonderful time especially the hospitality. I could get very fat doing this - ok fatter but so much happier. Not a lot of time for photos but a couple of shots of the sky and the view from the car through the morning fog.




One of my students Sue, brought her finished piece from last year when she did another of my classes.

I had painted a couple of lengths of fabric before I left and the rain meant that it was taking forever to dry. I really like them now.

Blue Fabrications

Louise has sent me a photo of the completed Fabrications quilt top. Doesn't it look wonderful? I love her use of our fabrics - especially the multicoloured piece used in the border.

Exhibition

I am getting ready for my second exhibition which is very exciting.
Here is the invitation I have had printed. It opens in just 19 days and I have still so much to do.
My friend KT did the invitation using an image of my Squared Up quilt which recently won a First Prize at the Sydney Show.

Painting in the Sunshine

This weather is so wonderful for fabric painting - sunny and calm. It's no fun trying to paint when your fabric keeps flapping around in the breeze.

I have a new painting table. Actually it is the old table with boards to increase the size to 2m covered with a pond liner. This was bought years ago and never used and is a heavy duty plastic/rubber material that softens slightly in the sunshine and creates a wonderful heavy flat surface.

First a bit of deep blue

Then some purple. Trying to keep it darker on the top and lighter on the bottom.

Some more blue - more turquoise this time

Now some salt to create the wonderful reactions.

The results are yummy.

Rain has Stopped

That was quick but I think the bottom of the water tanks were just covered yesterday. With no more rain forcast for at least a week, it will be a long wait till they are full I think before they get a top up.

But it was perfect dyeing weather today so here are the results.









These are now on my website (with detail images too) if you are interested. These show about 1 metre (40") by the full width of the fabric which is about 1.4m (54").

We also went to a small quilt show in Camden and also a country market where we found some yummy lemon marmalade, balsamic onions and sun dried tomatoes.
I love old churchyards


This tree caught my eye with its branches spread out against the bright blue sky.

It's Raining

I am very excited as today it is raining. The weather here has been perfect but my garden is dying and we are desperate for rain as we are having a drought. The last time it rained it was about 2 months ago and the day after we paid a large deposit for two rainwater tanks.


They were installed this week and so we have been eagerly awaiting the forcasted rain today. So we were very thrilled to hear the pitter patter of raindrops on our roof when we woke up today. The tanks are doing their bit and I think by the sound of it - the bottom is covered with wonderful rainwater. Yes I did go out in the rain to listen to the trickling.

Also working on more beading but my hands are starting to let me know that I should stop for a while.