On the Road

 

I always struggle writing blog entries when I am travelling. My carrier is usually pretty good bit this week it let me down (and I was only three hours from Melbourne). Anyway - enough of a winge.

I taught my Luscious Landscape workshop at the Vickery Craft and Quilt Retreat in Alexandria. This is a great venue either for a workshop or if your group just wants to get away and do your own thing - the house sleeps 10 and has a great workroom for sewing, an wood burning heater and airconditioning and a large garden.
As we had two days for a workshop that can also be done in one day, we decided to add my Threads to Dye For workshop as well so that they could use their own hand dyed threads in their finished landscapes

Leanne was so keen to see her threads and fabric that she was glued to the washing machine.

 

 Sarah turned this poppy field into a field of fabric poppies.

This photo of a canola field was perfectly converted to a textile piece by Jill and the addition of beads will be perfect. This workshop also has a beading introductory session included.

 

 Sarah really enjoyed the process and finished her poppy field at night so the next day she started on another piece.

 Isn't it terrific?

  I had students travel all the way from Adelaide and Sydney and Geelong as well as locals which was lovely.

The owners Beverley and Anne as well as the students were so pleased with the workshop that I have been invited back to Vickery next year - November 19th and 20th to run my very popular Textured Treasures workshop. Places will be very limited so if you are interested I would suggest making contact soon.

Another Textured Treasure Weekend

 

What is this you might ask - well it is a beautiful piece of hand stamped and painted fabric which is drying in the sun. The Sun Dye paints I use in these classes has brilliant colour and creates wonderful sun prints.

This weekend I taught a group in Sydney - Mosman Night Owls is a terrific group and are really getting into challenges so it was great to watch them really have fun with lots of different materials and techniques.

Some of the group hard at work

 I love this stamp with its curving motion

 Painted fusible web

 Stamped and overpainted fabric

 Some of Maggie's hand painted and stamped fabrics

Rubbing over a hand carved stamp with paint sticks create a lovely base and then can be overpainted with a painted wash

 We also have a beading session in this workshop and Anne-Marie has already started this gorgeous panel for a bag front. She was also kind enough to demonstrate some embroidery stitches for me.  Of course she had stamped and painted this fabric in the class too,

 This was my new stamp that I made from Wet and Grow and I think it is going to get a lot of use.

 

I had a great weekend and saw the start of some incredible projects including hand stamped and beaded lavender sachets, quilts, bags and original fabrics.

If you would like more information about this (or other) workshops contact me soon - 2012 is filling fast.

Fabulous Fabrics

This week I taught my Textured Treasures Workshop at Ocean Keys Sewing Centre near Perth. I love teaching there as it is such a wonderful friendly place and the students are always such fun.

Here are some of the fabrics created on day one - all started on white fabric and them embellished with paints, hand carved stamps, foils, inks etc. They are all on their way to being incorporated into quilts and bags and other wonderful textile pieces.

More Cutouts

 

Sandi in Geraldton has sent me a couple more photos of nearly finished Cutout Magic  quilts. We had talked about trying the technique with triangles instead of squares and so the challenge was set. Looks really interesting doesn't it?

 

 I do have some great photos to share of Perth but seem to have mislaid the gizmo that transfers photos from my camera to Macbook Air (one of the few negative aspects of this otherwise terrific computer - no camera disk slot). Will show you some great street art when I get another.

Workshop Opportunities

 

I just wanted to mention a few opportunities coming up.

I am teaching my Textured Treasures Workshop at Ocean Keys Sewing Centre in Perth on 23/24 May. This is the workshop which is the basis of my Houston Exhibition and some student works from this workshop may be included in the exhibition.

We play with surface design, painting, stamping, foiling, beading etc and it is a great opportunity to try out techniques in a fun environment. A materials fee is included so you don't need to outlay lots of money for things you may decide not to use again. Spaces are very limited in this workshop so if you are interested contact Faye at Ocean Keys ASAP.

I am also teaching a workshop in Port Lincoln in SA on 16/17 July. This will be my only trip to South Australia this year  so I will also be available the following few days if any group or shop is interested in a workshop too. Travel costs can be shared with the Port Lincoln group. Contact me for more information or check out my workshop information on the website.

Crystallisation with a Twist

 

Helen Conway in the UK - one of the famous 12 x 12 group did my class in the UK last year. Being the creative soul she is - she used the technique but made it her own.

You can read more about her inspiration on her blog where she also has brilliant detail shots of the stitching

Beneath the Surface Workshop

Today I taught my first workshop for the year. It is called Beneath the Surface.
It was a fun day and I had great students. I can't wait to see photos of finished  quilts.

 

Kits are available if you are interested or I am happy to do a workshop for your group.

Mt Buller Retreat now open for Day Visitors

 

Mt Buller Retreat has vacancies now for single workshops so if you can't come and stay all week you can just come for a day or two.

I am teaching my Textured Treasures Workshop, Aurora and Beaded Buttons so something for all tastes.

So contact them as soon as possible to book your place.

Beading Done

 

I have finished the beading on this little quilt. I kept it very simple by just outlining the painted pattern in one of the fabrics.

I think it just adds a bit more interest and texture and is to be a sample in my Textured Treasures workshop.

It obviously got the seal of approval from one of the grandkittens but has since been moved

 

Thanks also to Dena Crain who has mentioned my Online Beading Course on her blog. I should add that Dena has a great range of online workshops with Quilt University and well worth checking out. Dena lives in Kenya which just shows confirms what a brilliant resource the internet is.

Made my Day

I often get emails and letters from students thanking me for a workshop or advice and always get such a thrill from them but this letter from Hania in WA really blew me away. I love teaching so to have this sort of acknowlegement really gives me such a great feeling.
 
Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed following your travels and creative achievements around the world.  I have loved your quilt and beading designs since I first saw them over two and a half years ago in Perth.  I attended your three day workshop after the Quilt West held in the Alexander Craft House.  I did finally finish the Fabrication quilt, which now hangs in pride of place in our 'parlour'.  I learnt so much doing it.  Firstly how to make the beautiful abstracts out of fabric scraps.  Then when it was all pieced I had to teach myself how to free machine quilt and bobbin quilt.  What satisfaction to have it all work out.  I called it 'My Hamersley Gorge' , with acknowledgement to you as the designer and fabric printer.  

After completing this quilt I went on to create a quilt out of silks and this was accepted to be exhibited in the Stitched and Bound Exhibition of Contemporary Art Quilts of WA.  That was a honour I always feel was due to your initial classes. 

Thanks so much Hania - you have really made my day 

New Retreat Venue

There is a lovey new Quilting and Craft Retreat in Victoria.

It is called Vickery Retreat and it is a newly renovated property in Alexandra, a pretty country town located in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range 130 kilometres north east of Melbourne, Victoria.


They have a blog which shows how pretty it is and its first visitors.

I have been invited to teach there on 2nd March 2011. We haven't decided on which workshop I will be teaching yet but if you are interested in finding out more then contact Anne.

Crystallisation Quilt from England

Judy did my workshop at the Bramble Patch in the UK a few months ago and has sent me these great photos of her Crystallisation Quilt. Aren't the colours vibrant?
Above is the closeup of the centre and here is the full quilt.

She has told me that it is hanging in her newly decorated guest room and the colours are a perfect match.
I will be returning to the UK in 2012 and am already taking bookings so if your group is interested please let me know.

Also - bookings open TODAY for Be Creative by the Sea Retreat 2011 and I will be teaching my Luscious Landscapes and Beneath the Surface projects so contact Wendy ASAP to book your place at this wonderful venue.

Tasmanian and Victorian Quilters

I am now fine tuning my Workshop schedule for 2011. I will be in Tasmania late February doing some workshops in Bicheno and Devonport before heading towards home and a workshop in Wagga Wagga. Due to a change of plans I now have the first week of March free so if you are somewhere along that route and are interested in a workshop please let me know.

Some of my students work in 2011 will be selected to be part of my exhibit in Houston next year so this could be your opportunity. My Textured Treasures workshop will be the inspiration for this exhibit and is a great way to combine interesting techniques and your own inspirations.

Be Creative by the Sea 2011

I am very excited to be asked back to Be Creative by the Sea in 2011. I will be teaching alongside internationally acclaimed Hollis Chatelain and Carol Taylor as well as my friend Deb Louie.

I will be teaching Beneath the Surface where we work with freehand curved piecing and angelina applique leaves and beads

and Luscious Landscapes where we play with lots of different fabrics and yarns to create a landscape.

I will be incorporating some of the many processes and ideas that I am absorbing here in Houston so I hope you will consider joining my class.

Registrations open on December 1st.

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!