A leap of faith into the washing machine

Talk about mixed metaphors!

This is 'From my garden, with love'
There is a long history with this quilt, suffice to say I got the book published with Martingale "That Patchwork Place' in the nineties, after self publishing a different version when I couldn't find an Aussie publisher, 

 The book is no longer in print, although there  may be copies still floating around....

Back to the story: the quilt was made nearly 20 years ago, travelled to Alaska US for an exhibition when I was teaching there in 1999 with Cynthia Morgan, came back to Australia,  travelled again to the US for the gorgeous photography for the book, returned home  and went onto the bed in my spare room.

When a window was left open, it rained on the quilt and in spite of always pre-washing my fabrics, the red of the sashing bled into the blocks.

I tore out my hair, stamped my foot, thought unkind thoughts about the person who left that window open, but wasn't game to try anything to get it out, fearful to make it worse.

But it has to take pride of place at my exhibition next week and really, was looking a tad tired.  I bit the bullet, put it into my washing machine, added diluted Orvus Paste which had lurked in my cupboard for many years and I not only crossed my fingers, I crossed my legs, eyes and arms as well. Which worked!

First the water that spun out was a bit pinkish. Oh-oh what did that mean?

But the quilt looked OK when I pulled it out of the washer.  I put it over two wires on my Hills Hoist and not only was there no further running of colours, the previous pink blotches over the pristine cream had come out too! 

I breathed again....

 I got it in just before a rain storm struck, laid it on the bed with the ceiling fan on to make sure it got perfectly dry and now I am making two rod pockets that have  to go on  the long side of the quilt, so it can be hung 'landscape' and not 'portrait' because of where the picture rails are in the venue. 

It can't believe how fresh and new it looks!

The quilt blocks in this quilt use a technique called 'Shadow Applique' which reflects the layer of sheer organza that covers the appliquéd squares. 
I love this technique because,  while the appliqué is done by hand, you only use a tiny running stitch, much easier than needle turn, which is traditionally used for hand appliqué, 
Will put a How To on this blog soon.

First Ring, Frankie Mag, books

Here is the first progress picture from my Rainbow Maze Test Team.

Mary has chosen a monochromatic colour scheme that goes from white to black on a grey background. Flowers will add red to it later. Can't wait to see more.

Finally bought Frankie magazine. I have picked it up many times, always putting it back because it is more expensive than most and I wasn't sure if it was worth it.

I love it!

It is very different to any other magazine and takes a little bit more attention. 

A bit like the difference between ice cream and a perfectly cooked steak,

One you can swallow without further effort, the other needs some chewing, but then you can enjoy the flavour and texture much longer. 

I left the article on Data Visualisation for days, it looked too complicated and what the hell was this?  Art? Technology?

This was Mr. Google has to say:

Data visualization is the presentation of data in a pictorial or graphical format. It enables decision makers to see analytics presented visually, so they can grasp difficult concepts or identify new patterns.

Yawn......

Except, Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec did the visualisation, which is really a fancy word for drawing, by hand on postcards in coloured pens and pencils..

No link in the article, but here it is 

I'll keep watching the progress and put the book on my wish list.

What a beautiful invitation!

 Designed by Ros Rowett!

I have two large quilts I want to include: 'Crotons in a Blue Pot' and 'From my garden, with love'. They will be too long to hang the normal 'portrait' orientation.

I can hang them 'landscape', I checked at the Hardware store yesterday, they have rods long and heavy enough, but it needs me to stitch rod pockets on one of the long sides and then make sure the weight can be supported by more than two hooks....

No promised photos of the Rainbow Maze works-in-progress by my test team. I only wanted a photo of one ring and will see if I can chase it up.

'Choices'

I do have a working title for my novel, but it gives away too much of the plot.

So here is the new working title: 'Choices'.

However it started, it has become the stories about women, the choices they have, the consequences of those choices. Of course, there is a connection between these women and the connection is my antagonist Nick.

Was surprised this morning, 1000 words and one of my heroines made a choice I had not expected. 

But that's the fun about writing: that you only have to nudge your characters and you can see what they are up to. 

I've started working on the flyer for the Retrospective Exhibition of Patchwork and Textile Art that will open on 2 April. 

Thank you to my friends Ros who will design them!

Going through my images, gotto love this bit of stitching I did on my Tibetan Panel Coat, which will be on display during the exhibition,

A lovely surprise in my inbox from someone I had given a wall quilt to in appreciation for what she had done for me and my husband during his illness.

Here it is: beautifully framed:

Fantastic to know the work was appreciated!

What about my writings?

I've written lots of non-fiction. 

I write a newsletter for Somerset Art Society Inc, I write a long weekly email update to family in Australia, PNG, Canada and The Netherlands and last year's personal journal had 200.000 words.

About two years ago, after some courses with the Australian Writers Centre  I started a novel. Early this year I learned how to get to the finish from one of my favourite authors:  Jodi Picoult, 

"And – here's a critical part – when you finally start to write something, do not let yourself stop…even when you are convinced it's the worst garbage ever. This is the biggest caveat for beginning writers. Instead, force yourself to finish what you began, and THEN go back and edit it. If you keep scrapping your beginnings, however, you'll never know if you can reach an end."

I use Scrivener to write my novel and here's is yesterday's effort.

Thank you to my intrepid team of testers!

Thank you Brigitte, Mary, Helen, Carol, Trish and Lesley who are now making sure the instructions I am writing for this quilt are the clearest and easiest to follow they can be!

Loved what I saw of your versions today!
Will take photos next week to post here. 

The quilt was received well in Melbourne and the instructions will definitely be in time for next Quilt Market. 

Thank you Victorian Textiles for your support and encouragement.

What else did I do: I updated my website, with a bit more to go, I changed  my facebook name Hetty Vb to  Hetty van Boven....