On Its Way

 

In this simple box is the result of a year's work and planning and stress and sleepless nights!

Unbelievably all the quilts for my Jewel Pearce Patterson Scholarship Exhibition - Textured Treasures are packed into this innocuous box. It might look small but is quite heavy and has been dispatched to Houston. Nervous few days until it arrives but I am so relieved that it is done and on it's way.

Here are a couple more of the gorgeous quilts in the Exhibition.

This is Windows on Orvieto. Robyn Anderson joined me last year at my workshop in Orvieto in Italy and most of the fabrics in this quilt were created in our wonderful studio and balcony in the Italian sun. It was such fun that Robyn is already talking about returning for my next class this time next year. If you would like to join us here is the link to the Adventures in Italy site.

 Jenny Bowker has made this amazing quilt called Talisman and more information can be found on her blog

 Maggie Gilbert has combined a wonderful selection of fabrics with turtle motifs from her trip to Hawaii last year. They are so cute and there is some excellent hand embroidery on their backs.

Small Quilts for the Exhibition

Here are some of the small quilts which are part of my Houston Exhibition. These are all about 25in square or less and done in or as a result of my Textured Treasures workshop.

Rita Summers Odyssey

Sally Westcott - Poppies 

 These are from my Bicheno workshop - Sue Smith - Square in a Square

 Julie Robertson - Day in the Life

 Pam O'Hara - Glasgow Roses

 Sue King - Textured Circles

 

Pam King - Transisitions

 Helen Rhodes - Nautica Botanica (from the perth workshop)

 Pamela Troode - Poppies for Rememberance

 Marlene Wells - Forest Floor

 

I am so thrilled with these. I think they will make a perfect addition to the exhibition won't they?

More Stars

 A few weeks ago I posted an image of the completed Gaudi Star quilt which is part of my Houston Exhibition. Here is a shot of my original inspiration from Parc Guell in Barcelona

I had quite a few hand printed hexagons left over so when I was invited to contribute a small quilt for the Silent Celebrity Auction in Houston I jumped at the chance to use up more of them

So I stitched them together by hand

Painted a Gaudi inspired star design over the top in transparent paints so that the gold opaque paint still showed through

Then quilted it using the hexagon designs as a starting point in a continuous line freemotion design.

Now faced and hanging sleeve attached - I am very pleased with it. Now I just have to hope there will be some bids on it in Houston.

BUT - now I didn't like the large exhibition quilt as the vast expanse of yellow had always worried me but I was too nervous to do anything about it when my deadlines have been so tight.

But I thought - what the heck and got out the paints again and attacked the yellow. I am so glad I did now and am much happier with it.

Finished at Last

 

I have achieved two milestones this week based around the same quilt.

I have finally finished my Gaudi inspired quilt which I have called Gaudi Star which is part of my Houston Exhibition and was previewed here in little bits and pieces a few weeks ago.

 

I was such a breeze to quilt on my Handiquilter Sweet 16 that I didn't want to stop

And the second milestone is that this quilt was also my final assessment piece for my City and Guilds Patchwork and Quilting Course Level 3 which I have been doing for over two years. And it has passed!

I am notoriously bad at finishing courses - even with the best will in the world so this one has been happening in the background and at a snail's pace forever. I am so lucky that my tutor Marie Roper has been a patient and encouraging person. I did the course through Linda and Laura Kemshall's Design Matters in the UK and can not speak highly enough about their inspiration and encouragement. I love their Design Matter TV as well and if you join up - please let them know that I recommended it - you'll love it.

In the Mail

Look what I got in the mail today!

The last 12 months have been pretty amazing for me but NEVER in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I would see this.

Needless to say that the quilts are underway but with all my travelling recently most of the creative work has been in my head (and dreams/nightmares). It is a pretty terrifying prospect but hopefully it will be all right when it needs to be. My group of students are all working hard too and I am so excited about the work that they are creating.

Also another unbelievable prospect is that I am teaching at Quilt Festival as well. I hope some of you who are planning to be there will consider my classes or lecture as it will be very embarrassing if no one signs up.

I will give you more details later but now I am back to the studio.

Houston Exhibition Quilts Underway

An exciting part of my Jewel Pearce Patterson Scholarship  is to mount an exhibition of my work and work of my students.

There are quite a few of us working away on our quilts so I thought I would occasionally let you see what I am up to.

The exhibition is called Textured Treasures and works will be based on my workshop of the same name where we explore different surface design techniques on fabric and then assemble them into textile works based on influences around us.

I am working on a series of pieces based on my travels and the patterns and shapes and colours of Italy and Spain.

My first one is influenced by my love of the work of Anton Gaudi in Barcelona. I was totally wrapped in his organic architecture when we were there last year. His hexagonal design for the paving stones in Barcelona intrigued me to a point where I just had to incorporate them into a quilt. 

I attended a great workshop in Houston with Maggie Weiss on thermofaxing and just had to get my own machine. So I have designed a screen and have spent a couple of days printing up my base fabric.

 

Now to cut out the 300+ hexagons and stitch them together. A great activity to do with all my upcoming travel.

My first idea was to print on coloured fabric but that wasn't going to work for the design I have in mind. After some false starts I realised that I could paint the quilt top after I have pieced it so now I have decided to print three different colours of hexagons on white fabric so I have a great canvas to work with when they are done.

Hope you follow my journey.

Busy Time

We have been so busy getting ready for the Australian Quilt Convention - Setup day of 13th April might seem a long way away to you but it is only just around the corner for us. Everything has to be ready for shipping in about two weeks and there is still a lot to be done.

I have spent the last week making some more samples of our fabulous new products.

I am also working very hard on some quilts for my Houston Exhibition. I have to create 3 or 4 quilts and they will be displayed with some of my student quilts. There are some amazing quilts underway. I am working on quilts influenced by Orvieto, Barcelona and Venice and using a combination of techniques including Thermofax Printing

and Stamping

 

A long way to go but as I am away teaching for many weeks this year I need to have work that I can do on the road as well as in the brief periods I will be home. Should be a fun year.

Bonnie McCafferey Houston Vidcast

I met Bonnie over breakfast one day in Houston. I have always been a fan of her vidcasts and this one is no exception. She is of course an award winning quilter and a fellow Jewel Pearce Patterson Scholarship winner.

She has captured a fabulous array of quilts from the Houston Show in her latest vidcast including many I don't remember seeing and now regret. It is just such an enormous show that there is never enough time to see and absorb everything so it is great that I can revisit it now. It was great to see three award winning Australian quilters featured too.

Bonnie is coming to Australia next year to do some of her terrific workshops so I am hoping to catch up with her then.

Nearly Over

The Quilt Festival and Market are over but I still have one more little treat - a two day trip to San Antonio Texas and the Alamo. The back to Houston and then homeward bound.

I cannot express how much I have enjoyed the last few weeks. I have met so many incredible people and seen and learned so much that my brain is exploding with ideas. Next year is going to be so creative for me I know. Doors I didn't know existed have opened for me and people I have long admired are now called friends. To have been totally immersed in this environment for two weeks is something I know will influence me for a long time. How lucky am I?

I am so grateful to Karey Bresenhan and her fabulous team for making this all possible.

Another Major Winner in Houston

Someone who has slipped under the radar is Aussie Eileen Cambell who has won the Festival Gallery of Quiltart at the Houston Show with her incredible Iris quilt.

Congratulations Eileen for another beautiful quilt.

Aussies Win in Houston

What a brilliant exciting day for many Aussies in Houston.

Most exciting is the Major - World of Beauty Award for Rachelle Denneny for Royal Amethyst.

Jenny Bowker won a Honourable Mention for Sandstorm over the White Desert

Linda Steele won an Honourable Mention in the Embellished Category and it was so funny to see her being presented her award by the CEO of Baby Lock who was 6'6".

Mariya Waters won 2nd prize for Magical Mauve

Pam Holland and her group won 2nd prize in the Group Category but I missed getting a shot of them accepting their award.

Best of Show was won by Sharon Schamber who is no stranger to these awards with her incredible quilts.

And for me - well I still can't believe my day but the absolute highlight was being asked to stand up by Karey Bresenhan - Founder and Director of the International Quilt Festival - in front of probably 1000 people and introduced as the Jewel Pearce Patterson Scholarship winner. She then read out my bio to everyone - what a moment.
I spoke to her and Nancy O'Bryant after the ceremony - can anything top this moment? Probably not!

The rest of the day was also filled with highlights which I will tell you about soon.

Houston - Manic

It is 2am and I can't sleep so I have succumbed to the exorbitant hotel internet charges so I can blog and skype. I would much rather be asleep after the last two incredibly manic days I have had.
Today I was in a class from 9-12, then a luncheon/lecture with Lesley Riley where I got to sit at the main table. Judy Murrah even introduced me to the room and I had to stand up and smile. Thanks to the Aussie's in the audience who gave me a lovely reception.
Yummy Chicken and feta salad and Lesley's talk was inspirational.

Then back to the class from 2-5. Class was with Alisa Burke who was just as terrific as I expected her to be. I love her techniques and a new quilt is well underway. I only wish I had a machine in my room as I would definitely be sewing right now. Isn't it great when the bug hits?

This is what a classroom looks like. I think there were about 20 students.

From 5-6 I rushed off to a local hotel to meet Sue Spargo which was great. A quick Gin and Tonic and then back to a 6-9 Class with Pokey Bolton on Gelatine Monoprinting.
What fun and now I have even more cool fabrics to take home.
Finally made it back to the hotel where I thought I would just have a quiet bowl of Tortilla Soup (my favourite and cheap dinner) to find Jenny Bowker and Helen Godden (who had just arrived) so gatecrashed and sat with them for a while.
A long long (but extremely fun) day and tomorrow is going to be even busier but I wouldn't change it for anything - except for more than 2hours sleep in a row which would be nice.

It is not that I am name dropping - it is just that everytime you turn a corner there is someone you know or have admired. This place is incredible and I am just so thrilled to be part of it this time!

Looking Around Houston

Today I took the shop tour. The main reason I wanted to go was that it also went to NASA but I enjoyed the shops even though I didn't buy anything. This is the last Apollo Rocket made. This one was not launched but they have used the only bit that comes back to earth. It is the little rusty looking capsule at the top and was one that was recovered.

I ate some of the freeze dried icecream. They did taste like Cookies and Cream that they were supposed to but when they fell off the spoon (as they did because they were small and round) they melted just like icecream all over my clothes!

The shops were interesting with a big focus on childrens clothes made from patchwork cottons and bags bags bags! I did like these oversized buttons which were used on the bags.

One shop had different rooms like this Happy Room (with childrens fabrics) as well as a Repro room and a sale room etc.

All three shops we went to were very large and had good classroom areas. One did show signs of the lack of money generally around as the shelves were padded out with gimmicky nic nacs rather than fabric. Stock looked a bit tired too but the other two stores had good current ranges. One thing I did notice was the complete lack of anything to do with Art Quilting. A few token books and some bits and pieces but generally very traditional or the usual Kaffe ranges.

I did a little shopping tour to a local mall but it was a bit out of my price range. All the top line shops were there (and empty). I did like these Jimmy Chu ugg boots although I didn't bother to ask the price. I suspect they weren't cheap.

Tomorrow is Day One with an early start and lots to see and do in Schoolhouse and then Sample Spree which I believe is a manic experience.