My art quilt at The Australasian Quilt Convention 2010

I'm so excited, yet it is a bit surreal. An art quilt of mine is going to be on display at the Australasian Quilt Convention Melbourne next weekend. One of the textile groups 'Out Of The Fold' that I belong, made for our exhibition in October 2009 in Bury St. Edmunds, England a collection of art quilts all measuring 18'x45' on the theme 'Inside Out'. That collection will be on display in Australia next weekend. Annette Morgan , quilt artist, author and the groups mentor is teaching workshops as well as displaying the quilts. It is really so exciting. It could have been fantastic to have attended the Quilt convention. I have never been to Australia, and would love to visit. Maybe one day. It is always totally mind boggling visiting huge shows like that. The amount creativity, inspiration and positive energy makes it such an amazing experience. I hope Annette takes a lot of photos:-)

Textile challenge

In one of my textile groups we have done two challenges. The challenge is that we all get the same little package containing the same selection of fabric, beads, metal, cord and other tid bits. When we are handed the package we decide in the group whether we are allowed to add anything, whether it all need to be used or just be represented etc. Usually there are no stipulations on what item to make.
The package from which I made the mini quilt in the pictures, was a selection of very strong coloured sari fabrics. They were so much in your face. I like colour but they were just over the top. After having made a simple strip pieced top, I sandwiched it with wadding, backing and a final overlay of a chiffon scarf on the top to knock the colours back. Then I quilted it. Cut it up, played with joining and embellishing, finishing it of with raw edge stitching. I was really pleased with the result. It was a lot of fun to make. I can highly recommend doing a challenge like this. It is absolutely amazing to look at the different results, having all started from the same base.

To See A Quilt Grow

I have been quilting making traditional quilts for about +20 years. The last +10years I have made art quilts and I have experimented high and low with lots and lots of techniques. I'm often combining fabric, papers, found objects... what ever fits, the project. This type of work is obviously not meant to be washed, nor handled in a way, one would a quilt made as a throw, lap quilt or bed spread.

I still make traditional quilts and I'm nearly always working on one along side all my other projects. I love the process of figuring out a pattern, cutting up the fabric and then sewing it all together again. To see a quilt grow is a lovely process. I usually like the more straight forward quilt patterns. When stitching it all together on the machine, it is blissfully mindless. Quite meditative in its own way. The tactile feeling of the fabric is lovely. Seeing the quilt top change expression when being quilted always amazes me. It is as if the quilt top starts to find its own identity. I love hand quilting, but now mainly do free motion machine quilting. From a time perspective it is not realistic for me to hand quilt large quilt and I would end up with too many of UFO's (unfinished objects).

Charity Quilt

Once a month for two hours in the evening, I meet with a group of lovely ladies. "Material Girls" is an open patchwork and quilting group, where people for a small fee either can join as a member or come and pay as you go. What makes the group so lovely is the mixture of ladies. There are absolute beginners that have just been introduced to quilting, to the very experienced. We have a program. Sometimes we have lectures, mini workshops where we either teach each other or we have an external tutor. Other times we just do our own work. There is always help at hand if someone has run into a problem and is stuck. At our meeting last month a member of the group asked if we would be interested in making about 15 quilts approx. 3 x 4 feet. She is involved with a charity that helps children that has fallen victim to the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster in the 1980'ies, where a nuclear power plant in Russia was destroyed by fire. The area is still contaminated and the next generations are paying the price. In July 15 girls age 8-11 will come to this area for a month recreation, and she thought it would be a lovely idea if we gave each one of them a quilt to take back home. At the meeting last night we saw lots of lovely quilt tops in progress.