Weekly Art Project

I have decided to take up Brenda Gael Smith's challenge.  I am going to take part in her Weekly Art Project.

I have got off to a flying start - I made this little quilt last weekend for the SAQA Trunk show.

This is just the boost I need to keep my creative juices flowing and to get me back into the blogging habit.

A Small Piece of History

I do hope I can keep this going.

Hugz

SAQA Oceania Blog Hop 2016

Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) runs a annual Benefit Auction.  This auction consists of 12 x 12 quilts made by member from all around the world.  This year 36 members from the Oceania region submitted quilts.  These have been brought together in the Oceania Collection.

In the weeks leading up the start of the Auction (16 September) 16 Oceania members are posting blog entries about how they made their quilts and maybe they will share a lillte of the inspirations that guided them in their choices.  

The Oceania Blog has a full list of all participants in the blog hop!

I do hope you enjoy seeing my process. 

This is my contribution to the 2016 SAQA Auction.  I think it is the 4th time I have contributed.  Sadly, I didn't photograph the process as I made this little 12 x 12 quilt.  I decided that I would make a second to show the process.

The background fabric isn't the same colour but I couldn't find anything closer in my stash.

Firstly, I printed text, in gold all over the fabric, using one of my thermofax screens.   I did this very roughly, just for texture.  The text is a letter written to my Grandmother from her fiance in Egypt, just before he left for Gallopolli during WWI.

I cut the fabric, roughly to size (about 13.5 inches square).

Next came the seed heads in white (another thermofax screen - this is one that I drew).

The next layer was the scary one.  If I botched this I was going to have to start again.   This is a homemade stencil of a pear.  I cut the stencil from  an overhead projector sheet (acrylic).

Phew!  It worked.  Not a smudge in sight!

After the black ink was dry (with a little help from the hair dryer), I repositioned the stencil to just overlap the black.

This didn't smudge either.

Now for my little flying pears.  On the original quilt I printed these pears using my little wooden print block but I have put it away so carefully I couldn't find it so I have had to use another thermofax.  I am not as happy with the result.. The wood block gives a much sharper print.

Now to the sewing machine. I sandwiched the quilt using bamboo wadding.  I want the pear to bulge so I have started quilting by outlining it'

I then stitched the seed head in white and heavily stippled the background used a brown to green variegated thread.  finally I stitched the flying pears in black.

Gold paint applied to the flying pears to give them a little character.

I do get a little nervous when I do this.  I cut a slit in the back of the pear and gently stuffed it with carded merino wool.

I stitched the cut back together with a running stitch.

I painted the pear with fabric paints and shiva stiks (Shiva to give a gentle sheen).

I added a facing (I wont show the photo I took of the facing on the wrong side of the quilt!)  A little unsewing ensured.

The finished quilt.  It isn't quiet the same as the quilt that is in the auction but the process was the same.

The next quilter to post in this blog hop is  Alison Schwabe.



I hop you have enjoyed watching how I worked this little quilt.



Hugz

Sally

Oh dear!  I've been missing in action again.  I really don't have an excuse except that I've been lacking a bit of motivation.  Hopefully my get up and go has returned and I will post a little more often (that really shouldn't be too hard!).

I have been very busy, creating art.  I've been quilting, painting and drawing!  .

Missy the cat and my three Rhode Island Red chooks

The Adorable Norman

I have 5 new members of my family.  Norman came to live with me 2 years ago and Missy arrived about a year ago.  The three girls are new, but are laying lots of big eggs.


Hugz

I have been missing.  I have had my life turn upside down.  I lost the love of my life last year and I have been trying to get back onto an even keel.

There is still beauty in the world (amazingly). The earth didn't stop spinning (I thought it would).

Life continues and now I have a beautiful pussy cat in my life.  Photos later.

 A still grey day in Hobart.  The light is just stunning.  There is a glow in the air.

24 hours later and there is gold in the sky and reflected on the water.

Lowestoft Bay at her stunning best.


I'm back I hope.  There will be quilts and more photos later.  And an introduction to my ginger cat. (for those of you who don't follow me on Facebook).






Hugz

I've been painting!

I watched one of Linda Kemshall's DMTV videos a few weeks ago and it spurred me on to get out my paints (acrylics) and start to create.  It was the prod I needed to get out of my creative fug!

I started to paint with acrylics.  I've played a lot with watercolours! I love them.  Acrylicas are all new to me.  Wow!  How much fun are they?  You make a mistake and you can fix it!



Grey Fantail - acrylic on canvas



Willy Wagtail with babies

 



Blue wren - acrylic on canvas



Blackbird in a wattle

Blogger isn't being nice tonight.  No more captions grrr.

  The last two photos are my first attempt at oils.  I am very happy with that med\ium - a big learning curve coming up but so far I am happy!

The parrot is an Orange Bellied parrot. A native of Tasmania and the most endangered bird in Australia.







Hugz

I blame Facebook!

I have been hijacked by Facebook!  It has seduced me with its instant response.  Its voyeuristic images are so tempting.  It carries me all over the world at the click of the mouse.  Sigh.


I really must get back to here and think more about who I am and what I do.  The instant gratification of Facebook is addictive.  Nowonder the kids of tady are hooked on it.

Turners Beach, Tasmania

Dear Reader,  I once again appologise for having abandoned you for the frivolity of Facbook.


What have I been doing, you ask.  Well, I have been dyeing fabric for two baby quilts for two precious grand babies and sewing siggy blocks (I have had them since 2007).






Hrey Fantail, Acrylic on canvas  12" x 12"

I have been learning how to paint with acrylics, and sewing 1 1/2 inch hexies  to use up the huge pile of scrapes I seem to have accumulated,









Rust Dyeing

I have written several articles for an Australian magazine (Down Under Textiles) and generally keeping busy!

Every chance I get, I photograph the environment around me.

This is Lowesloft Bay, on the banks of the River Derwent, on a very still Spring morning











Hugz

SAQA Oceania Blog Hop - Auction 2013

Oh dear, I've done it again.


 Poor Reader,  you must have just about given up on me completely.

This post is my turn, as part of the SAQA Oceania Group to post a blog about the quilt I have donated to the SAQA Auction.  Here is the link to the Blog Hop pages   oceania collection blog hop


I have been very busy in my absence from the blogosphere.  I have been working hard and looking after my sick hubby as well.  I have spent some time in my studio, but not as much as I would have liked.  I have managed to produce a few pieces and one of those is my donation to the SAQA Auction 2013.

 My little quilt is called Floating and I was inspired by a sample piece I made for my City and Guilds course.  I love the colours of the background and the way the two rectangles "float".

 

I decided to make a "variation on a theme" quilt.

Once I had made that decision I was off and making!


Now I have a cofession to make.  I got so involved in making the quilt I forgot to take photos as I made it!  I was so crabby with myself.  Anyway, I have managed to find a couple of photos of the quilt nearly finished.

The fabrics being auditioned

All my fabrics are hand dyed.  The orange is rust dyed.  Rust dyeing is a technique that I love.  The results are always  a suprise.

The green fabris I also screen printed with the words from the Beatles song "Blackbird"

The small rectangle on the left hand side of the quilt was cut from a piece of fabric that I stamped with soy wax before I dyed it.  I then screen printed that too!.










I machine pieced and appliqued the top and then machine free motion quilted it



A close up of the quilting

I photographed the quilt before I faced it.

And then........ I forgot to take a photo of the finished quilt - grrrrrrr!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the link to the   SAQA Auction Pages.  Pour yourself a coffee or tea, make yourself comfortable enjoy!

Hugz