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.

Last days in Western Australia

I have been teaching for the last few days. Having a great time as my students are enthusiastic and very creative.

 

Here are some of my students from West Australian Quilt Association above with their Beneath the Surface Workshop and below are the ladies in Busselton working on their Breaking the Drought pieces.

 

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.

Adventures in Italy Newsletter

If you have been following my blog for a while you will know that I recently returned from a wonderful experience in Orvieto with Adventures in Italy. I am so thrilled to be invited back in 2012 so thought you might like to see their newsletter and maybe even subscribe to keep in touch.
This is me licking my fingers after making a wonderful desert in our cooking lesson. That reminds me that I have the recipe so should make it again - it was so delicious.

Mt Buller Summer School

There is a new Quilting Retreat opening next year and I am fortunate enough to be invited to be one of the first tutors.

It is at Mt Buller in Victoria and is taking advantage of this beautiful landscape in the warmer months which is a great idea. It is called the Mt Buller Summer School.
The dates are 13th - 18th February 2011.

I will be teaching the following workshops over the week and I hope some of you might like to join us.
Textured Treasures

Aurora

Beaded Buttons

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.

O is for Octopus

Jodie did my Creative Beading class recently and I was thrilled to get this photo of her lovely ATC.
This is what she said in her email - isn't it a joy when you can give people permission just to have fun,

I never thought I would be able to manage something like that with all those little beads & stitching. In my first solo attempt I blinged up a little octopus on my O is for ATC. Surprise, surprise, NOT! It has 8 little free hanging beaded legs and outlined body. The comments I have received from the recipients have been amazing. So thanks for adding a new dimension to my work and for allowing me to start believing that I am able and can do things, even if it is slowly.

Be Creative Workshop Continued

Above is the centrepiece of Narelle's tree fern. Fabric collage formed the background and then additional cutout leaves were added before covering in solvy and then intensely stitched.

Shelley started out with her starburst made with Solvy and then continued on the same theme. There are some other really interesting lettering and foiled pieces included.

Carolyn really enjoyed the stamp cutting process and made some beautiful stamps which formed the basis of some further embellishments. Her dragonfly piece is

Brenda created this wonderful landscape and embellished it with lots of metallic stitching and fibres.

Be Creative Retreat - Coffs Harbour

I have been teaching my new Textured Treasures workshop at Coffs Harbour for the last three days and have had so much fun. The idea of this workshop is to create a quilt using your own inspiration - it can be a landscape or texture or shapes. We then explore many surface design techniques to use as a basis for our final quilt. Rowena's seaside landscape above is developing beautifully.

This was the first time I have run this workshop but my students were so terrific that they were happy to join me for the experience. 14 students over a three day class can be fairly intimidating but the time went so fast.



We were nervous of ruining the carpet so had half a day outside painting and stamping and stencilling.


We beaded, stamped, collaged, fused and quilted and here are a few of the magnificent pieces.

Fiona and Wendy did landscapes based on their own images. Now to bead them for more added texture

Keryn was working outside her usual comfort zone but creatively turned this image of a cactus garden into a beautiful quilt. She carved stamps of the cactus and the main border fabric is a fabric made in Africa given to her by her brother many years ago and has special significance.


More tomorrow

This is similar to my Orvieto workshop and there are still places to join us in September.

Update on Textile Workshop in Orvieto Italy

Time is ticking away and if you have been thinking of joining me in Orvieto Italy, for my workshop - Textured Treasures - A Taste of Italy -now would be a good time to make a decision. The lovely folk at Adventures in Italy are about to leave for their May workshops and tell me that there has been a lot of renewed interest in the September workshops and numbers are kept small to make the experience even more special.

While Spring is a lovely time in Italy - Autumn is even more special with the beautiful colours and textures of this medieval village shining through. This link will take you to some more stunning photos.

I have been making samples for the workshop including foiling and beading and stamping and fabric printing and rubbings which I will be using as a starting point for creating your own special memories of this beautiful place.


Would you like more information - contact Bill or Kristi soon.