Workshop for beginners

Thinking about what I could teach beginners, I dug up 'Rose Window'
Designed and made in 1993, until I stopped teaching patchwork, it was the most often requested workshop.I often went back to places like Dalveen, to teach it again to a different group of quilters.

Details:
Size: 40" x 40" , approx. 1m x 1m
This one is all machine stitched, but the strips can be hand stitched if preferred.
In 1993, how to make the strips out of black lawn was part of the workshop, now we can buy Fusible Bias Tape in all colours which will give you a flying start. There are also some tools now to make your own. 

Over the years, people have made the flowers in different colours, all gorgeous.
Some quilters used this as a start for a bed quilt.
Full size pattern will be available.
It will be quite easy to arrange these blocks into a runner for bed or table. 

Retrospective opening, Rainbow Maze, writings

Councillor Elect Cheryl Gaedtke opening my 'Retrospective of Patchwork and Textile Art'.
I was excited to see so many friends there.
More photos

Rainbow Maze

This is Brigitte's Ring.

How beautiful is that!

Such gorgeous colours and great workmanship!

I can't wait till my Test Team has caught up to where they are ready for me to teach them Machine Trapunto Appliqué!  I'll do the demo at one of our weekly Glen Rock Stitchers days. All welcome!

Added to my To Do is a How To on Shadow Appliqué for this blog. 

Writings

Sometimes my words fly out of my mouth without going through any kind of thought process.

'I'll write you a manual for the next Art Awards' I said to my SASI committee colleagues. 

This was while still on a high from the incredibly successful Somerset Art Awards 2015. 

To be honest, it doesn't seem such a fun thing to do at the moment. Part of it is that I am not totally happy with the format but I don't know how to fix it.

Maybe my graphic artist friend Ros can help when she gets back.....

My Novel

Gosh, I was so pleased to have found Aeon Timeline to keep track of  events and characters. The programmers have brought out a new version and I am getting tired of constantly having to relearn updates of programs. I am not even sure the new version will suit me as well, but unless I learn, how will I know? 

Bought the paperback version of:  Hex, Vex, Smash and Smooch.

Most surprisingly was the speed it arrived: one week from the US. It is a great book for anyone who is interested in the English language, how it developed and how to use it.

Re rules:in a living language(unlike Latin) the spoken word happens first, rules are created i to try make sense of it. 

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....

Rainbow Maze, where to now?

Just as well I am a much better quilter than I am a photographer!
The quilt went to Melbourne for the Australian Quilt Market and I haven't heard back what happens next. 

Here are some quilting details: using variegated thread and a fly machine stitch. I made a template from the piecing templates. 

Rainbow Maze is finished and gone!

Centre is finished

The centre has been done. All applique has been stitched on in black blanket stitch and reactions have been excellent.
My quilting group christened the quilt : Rainbow Maze. 

I made a border with some of the left over Bali Pops, but I am disappointed in how it looks. 

There is going to be a 2" strip of background between the edges of the rings and the strip pieced border, but I still feel it won't look as I was hoping for.

What looks like a black strip, is in fact a dark navy.

It is back to the drawing board to find a better solution, I may even cut that strip piecing in half lengthwise to tone the clunkyness down somewhat. 

Centre of quilt together, flowers pinned on

Here is the main part of the quilt, borders will be added to this.

It is stitched, ready for the flowers.

I've pinned the flowers and leaves on, but I am not quite satisfied with the lay-out. I wanted to get away from the square design, by which I mean I started by added four sets of leaves. 

Next I pinned on 3 large flowers in the centre.

Now, how do you change a design of 4 to a design of 3?

I don't know yet.

I also think it needs another flower shape. 

I found the samples Victorian Textiles had sent me and tested out the various products. I just loved, loved, loved printfuse. You print your design, like the flower elements, on the printfuse with your printer. Cut and fuse to the design fabric  as per usual and you don't only have an iron-on patch, this patch sticks to the background temporarily and can be moved about. 

A pity I only had two sheets, I definitely will make sure I keep this product handy. 

Nearly assembled!

OK, I really hoped my top would be together, but I am starting to make mistakes and unpicking isn't much fun. 

I wasted a couple of hours trying to design a template for the plain centre circle, but in the end, it didn't seem totally accurate when I checked it with the other templates.
I went back to my original plan: use a finished ring as a template.

The interesting thing  ( or challenge, if you like) is that this is not a perfect circle, but has 4 straight sections where they are stitched to the squares.

In the end, it wasn't a problem. 

I probably have a couple of hours to go and the 9 rings will be together and  squared off ready for the appliqué!

And speaking of unpicking: don't take your frustration out on the fabric or the stitching, but unpick gently, tremove the bits of thread  and press fabric to bring it back to its original crispness. 

Good progress

Here are the elements pinned to my design wall. 

 OK, I am still pining for an on point design, but I underestimated the background fabrics required and I would have needed additional fabric. I really can't  afford the time it would set me back waiting for that, so it will be a straight design. 

At the moment I am waiting to hear from VT whether or not they will provide the templates to square off the rings before adding a border. 
This can be done with template cut pieces or I can simply appliqué the rings onto the borders. Either will work. I might even use the one-piece arc piece to cut fusible, trim the seam allowance off the rings and machine appliqué them as per usual, using a blanket stitch, same as I will use for the flowers I will appliqué. 

I like the idea that I use what is left over of the Bali Pops, either or both in the binding or maybe an extra border.  

Here is the first completed ring:

The project needs four of these, which will be rotated in the quilts as per the picture above.

I love scrap double wedding ring quilts  ( or any quilts for that matter) because of the visual movement they provide. They make your eye go around the surface. I hope the shop keepers and quilters also like it. 

I also enjoy the technicality of this design and it was always one of my favourite workshops, as people would come to the workshop full of doubts that they would be able to master what does look so complicated and then walk out confident that they too can stitch a Double Wedding Ring quilt. 

I used the Bali Pops in the order they came. I could have maybe created more of a colour wash effect, but I loved the look of the Pops as they were arranged and decided to go with that. I was two colours short, in other words, 2 of the colours are used in more than one colour way, but I challenge anyone to pick them!

I think tomorrow I have to work on the SASI newsletter, the Somerset Art Society, but hopefully I can do at least another ring...or even two....

New project

I am so excited to be creating a new Double Wedding Ring project for Victorian Textiles, to be ready in time for the Australian Quilt Market next month! No pressure ...
I have been working on the design for a while, but today the gorgeous Bali Pops  arrived: 2.5" strips to use for the arcs in beautiful rainbow colours  and Bali Snaps, 5" squares I will use for the flowers, plus the background, a colour called 'Dewdrop', soft hand dyed of blue  splotches and swirls on a white background. 

The idea is 3 x 3 rings, but the centre is just a plain circle for some appliqué, which of course I will do in my favourite machine trapunto.

Some arc pieces

Here are some of the arc pieces. This Bali 1895 fabric is so lovely and crisp, 

a pleasure to cut and sew. 

The Double Wedding Ring  will be cut using the super templates by Victorian Textiles.

Here I am cutting the Melon shapes: note the smaller cutting board, it allows me to turn it instead of having to turn the partly cut patch and maybe shift the fabric. 

Can you spot the difference between these two images?

On the top each ring consists of four arcs, each in a different colour group.

On the bottom, each ring repeats the same arc four times.

At the moment, I prefer the bottom one...

Mini Masterpieces

This was an initiative of the Hampton Festival Committee.
Artists could collect up to two A5 canvasses. There was no charge, no entry charge either. They would be offered for sale for $30, $5 commission.
After asking around, we entered eleven pieces by 6 artists. Two were sold, including one of mine, which was amazing.

I had neither the time nor the motivation to create something totally new.
I found a glasses case I had made from a piece of textile art done at a workshop by Gabriella Verstraeten, many years ago. BTW: a wonderful tutor!
I covered the canvas with some fabric and simply glued the piece on and titled it 'Gabriella'.

For 'Pansies' I covered the canvas with a pink

velvet. Next I found some yoyos I had made years earlier and glued them on. Initially I was going to leave it at that, but then decided to use acrylic paint to give it some extra effect. Inspired by Somerset Art Society president, Jan Godfrey, who, in turn, learned it in Morocco. That was really fun...I should use that technique again,


'Pansies' was sold! The whole exhibition of about 100 of these Mini Masterpieces looked fantastic and we will file the idea away to use sometime in the future.

Back from Contextart

What can I say?
I enjoyed the class with Liz Maidment and I will try to complete the little project sooner rather than later. I learned some new embroidery techniques,  Liz was a charming and helpful tutor  and I enjoyed the company of my fellow students,

My thanks in particular to Barbara, who provided transport to get me from the house in Wentworth Falls to the school at Hazelbrook when she realised my situation, It was an easy walk from the house to Wentworth Falls station, but no way to get from Hazelbrook station to the Korowal School, except by car. It was left up to us to either find someone to give us a lift or use cabs. 

At other similar events I have attended, accommodation was either provided on campus or a bus provided transport for participants. This was the first time it was left to the individual students to manage how to get to and from the venue. Not good.

The knitting workshop just wasn't me. But Teresa Dair, our tutor, supported me when I decided to go freeform, giving me some lovely bundles of yarn to use. I started a piece that will go into Art Awards in July. 

I attended the Edwardian Night at Katoomba at the historic Carrington Hotel. The Embroiderer's Guild showed part of their collection of historical and vintage clothing complete with a running commentary that was both informative and entertaining. 

After two days of the four day workshop I couldn't go any further on my piece and I checked out of the school. 

Visited Wentworth Falls, Falls Gallery, Katoomba Cultural Centre and all the lovely shops along Katoomba Street. 

Ready for Contextart

Contextart is a textile event held in the Blue Mountains from 11-16 April.
I was originally booked into the two day workshop Stitched and Collaged Landscapes with Liz Maidment and four days with Fiona Hammond,: Beading Embellishement for the creative fibre artist.
I had met Fiona only recently at the Brisbane Stitches and Craft show and seeing her work in person, I couldn't wait to do the classes. Unfortunately, she had an accident and I had to choose another workshop. Not easy, with only 2 days left to source any material I might need.

I picked http://contextart.com.au/shop/jewellery-interior-design-and-more/ with Teresa Dair, because all I had to bring was knitting needles.
Knitting? Moi???? Had to borrow the needles, mine had been thrown out years ago.
But hey, it might open another door for me, I might love it, I might see possibilities in it, who knows.

I did consider Ken Smith's class, Bracken, Lichen and Fungi.
I probably could have gotten a sewing machine through the local Bernina shop, I probably had in my stash everything on his long materials list, but with only two days left in which I had to get ready, including getting the SASI (Somerset Art Society) newsletter out, have a hair cut and try to get some internet.

I am with Westnet and on Friday morning,  now five days ago, we, here in Esk,  were  not only without landline nor ADSL, but my  mobile phone service was also very limited. I received emails, but could not send and could not open attachments, let alone use the phone to tether to my laptop. Yesterday morning I bought pre-paid Telstra wifi.

Boo to Westnet, Telstra and Optus who did not work together to avoid this disaster for our area and/or provided better support.

Somerset Art Awards 2015

As well as an independent textile artist, I am also treasurer and newsletter editor of Somerset Art Society Inc. which is based in Esk, Queensland, Australia.  This is a dynamic organisation and  we're right in the middle of organising our second Biennial Art Awards.

Here's a photo of the 2013 event, held in our beautiful Somerset Civic Centre. 



Important dates: 
1 July: entries close
24 July: Gala Opening
25-26 July Exhibition: free admission
25 July Art and craft market in the foyer
Go to website for more details.

Where are my Spectrum Spiral Quilts?

Thanks to Kerrie Hay at Bernina Sewing Machines, seven of my Spectrum Spirals are now on their way to Jenny's Sewing Centre in Angaston, in time for the Barossa Valley Vintage Festival.
Three others are hanging at the office of Jim Madden MP, Brassall.
Thank you Jim, Kerrie and Jenny, I so enjoy having my quilts on display!
All Spectrum Spirals and their story is on my website
Here is one of my favourites.