Queen size quilt using stack and whack technique

As our slightly spoilt airedale terrier cannot resist occasional visits to (not hers) bed, fabric colours were selected with this need in mind.  

This queen-size quilt was based upon the Stack & Whack technique – of many layers of the same piece of fabric being cut so that exactly the same profiles appeared in six pieces.   These were then pieced in uniform fashion and as you can see, many surprizes appeared.  So it was an intriguing quilt to make.

Although I made this quilt about 4 years ago, and it still is intact despite a “few” visits by our loved doggy, I thought it deserved to be posted for you to see.   You see, it has been a rather quiet time for my creativity due to my loved feline – a Tonkinese female – being quite ill ….. good news though….she is recovering.   Has her own little bed with warm fluffy blankets in a corner of my sewing room.   Now that she is improving she likes to “inspect” my pieces of fabrics – you know those ones I have spent some time laying out carefully in a purrrticular order…..!  

Good news!  -  I have nearly finished a postcard for a Aus/NZ postcard challenge, that will soon appear on my blog.   So please watch this space … in a couple of days time.

“Where I Live” quilt entry for Quilters’ Guild of NSW Inc – calendar challenge

My entry for the calendar challenge

This little quilt was my entry to the calendar challenge.    Being completed in super-quick time due to “time starvation”  and limited to fabric scraps available to me at the time, it turned out to be a whimsical fun wall quilt.  

Notwithstanding the stunning entries received by the Guild for this challenge, my little quilt did not reach the finals, but at least I had a go.

The idea for this style of quilt was a result of an article in my favourite magazine, “Quilting Arts” which really got me going.  

Mmmm, I need more time to have another go – cause it was rather freeing to work in this style.

Bookmarks – inspired by Terri Stegmiller’s book.

Bookmarks made with watercolour technique from Terri’s book

 

 

Here’s a sample of a few bookmarks that I created

following a particular watercolour painting technique

adopted from Terri Stegmiller’s book.

Sorry there are not more to show you but my laminator has given up on me.

Painting these was loads of fun.

More creations from Terri’s book.

Painting with watercolours created such interesting images.

Using ideas floated by Terri Stegmiller in  her book (see my other post), I created these small pieces on watercolour paper.

 

Some of them have become bookmarks which have found their way to my friends.  

 

I am thrilled at how easy it was to follow Terri’s instructions and when the weather is warmer I will be getting out the paints again.  It is such meditative fun – and – very addictive.

Terri Stegmiller’s book brought new ideas to play!

New ideas – using watercolours!

 

Lucky lucky me -  my resourceful quilting friend Brenda, loaned me her copy of Terri Stegmiller’s book to inspire further playtime with paper and paints.  

This is such a stimulating book – it gave me completely new ideas on how to use watercolours for such interesting effect.   Easy peasy to do with wonderful images being produced.   

As a result some of my friends now have a bookmark to add to their collection.   Time starved I was – so the bookmarks ended up being mini sized!

If you want to expand your craft by incorporating paper and paint to your textiles or want to try your hand at making paper quilts, do take a look at Terri’s book.  

I know Brenda had fun using some of the ideas because I read about it on her blog.   Her blog is always such stimulating reading where lots of new ideas are floated…. and I also enjoy reading about her involvement in the Twelve by Twelve challenge.   Why not take a look?  Just click onto Serendipity and the art of quilts on the right hand side of this page and say hi to Brenda.

And…do you know, you can see more of  Terri Stegmiller’s work by clicking on Twelve by Twelve.    She also has her own website which you can enjoy.

Sydney Quilt Show

The biggest quilt show in the southern hemisphere (and I think the best), has just finished.  More than 350 quilts were exhibited during 5 days at Sydney’s exhibition hall.   Whilst my two entries did not win a prize, they did rub shoulders with winners .   I am pretty happy with that!  

My two art-quilts were experimental pieces using water soluble paper and paints – this  was something completely out of my left field.   What do you think of them?

A rewarding day together.

Angelina Fibre Workshop

Playtime with Angelina Fibre and incorporating it into a small art-quilt was well received by this group of Central Coast ladies.  

I taught the differences between hot-fix, standard, and metallic Angelina fibres and how they can be successfully become part of the quilt design.

Feed dogs were down and all machines were freewheeling, firstly on samples, to discover how easy it is to sketch with our needles and thread.  

Then it was time to landscape the pieces together to create a fantasy piece or a more realistic landscape image.  

This photograph shows my group being very happy with their progress and outcomes from the one day together.   I left them  feeling much more confident about their ability to continue playing with Angelina and fine tuning their art-quilting.

It was also a discovery day for me – I came home feeling very pleased with the progress made and very keen to continue my tutoring endeavours.   I have realised how much a pleasure it is to teach quilting and textile art.

“Inchies” : An exchange of green fabric inchies

Theme of green was set by the moderator of AusNZ art-quilters

Joining the AusNZ art-quilters group this year, has thrown challenges that could not be resisted.  

One challenge has been to make seven sets of nine inchies in fabric, adopting the theme “green” and being one inch square.  

Being my first time ever to make inches I took the theme quite literally and concentrated on the different moods and texture of green – leaves are a favourite so they had to be included.   

Today my 84 inches were divided into 7 packs and mailed to the moderator for distribution to other 19 inchie fans.   In mid-June these will be swapped with others from our group of 20 “inchie buddies” from NZ and Oz.  

This is what mine look like.   What do you think of my first attempt at these little ones?

Angelina Fibre Workshop

The backdrop for angelina

Playing around with various types of Angelina Fibres, I find that the Hot Fix is easy to work with and it produces a very glossy finish.

Lots of ideas are floating around my mind – after creating a myriad of shapes using my iron, stamps, and other items from the bottom of my cupboard.   A soldering iron is one of the further approaches I plan to trial.

Angelina is an amazing product to incorporate into art-quilts.    A workshop is arranged for mid-June whereby I will be encouraging a small group of ladies to get in there to play and experiment!

Safety pins!@!!

All these pins for one lap quilt!

All of these pins were removed as I quilted the top using a favourite variegated thread.  

I received a request to make a quilt that features the feline animal - Ah, I do have such lovely catty friends!   Out came my range of cat fabrics and off to the shop to purchase a few more;  then within a week this quilt was created.  Took about three solid days to do, mainly because of interuptions from my own cat (oversees everything) but also due to the close quilting I thought this quilt deserved.   

A special label is now being designed to suit the recipient’s situation, before this quilt goes to its new home in the mountains.   I think the lady who receives this will be over the moon – not only will it keep her warm during the oncoming cool winter conditions it should delight her heart as well.