Qld Quilt Show

It was a thrill to get a phone call 10 days ago inviting me to the presentation morning as I'd won a prize. What a long wait that was and I was full of excitement like a kid waiting for their birthday or christmas.

I really love this quilt, the sky and hills were made up from little bits of fabric I dip in the dyes to check the colours are what I want. I've been saving them a log time and waiting for a project to use them in.

This is the second house themes quilt I've made, the first one was put on the cover of the 2006 Down Under Quilts calendar my first big win and this one got 2nd place in the Art Category at the show.

I think I've got a series happening. Will there be a 3rd?

Playing

Had a good day yesterday experimenting with fabric, paper, and paint with the company of my friend Ann.

We watched the Quilting Arts TV DVD and then tried the paper embellishing. Our glue didn't work well and when the paper dried it started to lift off. We used spray glue then to reattach the paper and once layered and stitched everything will, hopefully, stay where it belongs.

I enjoyed playing with this but as with lots of things I'm not sure if I want to do it again. I'm sure I could have reproduced something very similar using dyed fabric, or commercial fabric without making a lot of mess not to mention the extra time involved in setting up and finding everything we needed. Now I can say I've tried that and maybe one day I'll want to try it again. Did enjoy painting over everything, it was a little like playing with dye.

Ann's piece on the left and mine on the right.

Travelling Quilt

I was fortunate to have a quilt selected to tour in the 'My Place' exhibition. This exhibition has 30 quilters each from Australia, New Zealand and Sth Africa and the quilts will be touring for some time.

There is a website where you can see more of the quilts in the exhibition, make yourself a coffee and enjoy.

These photos of my front door and some gum trees in the front paddock helped me design my piece.

How long has it been

Its been ages since I blogged and I'm hoping I remember how its done.

I've just got back from holidaying with hubby and have seen some wonderful country travelling from Brisbane to Innamincka and back.

I have a piece of my work going into the Down Under Quilts magazines 2009 Calender. A couple of years ago I had my entry chosen for the front cover, this time I'm going to be one of the months - don't know which one yet.

I also have a piece going into the 'My Place' exhibition which is being organized in Australia by Dijanne Cevaal. There are 30 quilts each from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making up the exhibit which will be touring for 2 years.

A Couple of Challenges

This is my January Journal for the online group ANZartquilters. the chosen theme was 'Seasons' and I chose to do Autumn.


I layered a sheer fabric over a blue print that had leaves on it then free motion stitched tree branches and then added some tiny leaves and stitched them down randomly travelling over the piece.


The leaves under the sheer fabric were then free motion stitched to quilt the background.


The 2nd piece is my interpretation of a postcard that a friend brought home from Tuscany.


I wanted to be abstract in my interpretation and not do a copy of the postcard. I picked some of the main colours and shapes from the postcard to work with and just had fun free motion quilting all the pieces.

Bag Kits for Sale

The complete kit for the bag is now on sale for $30 dollars, reduced from $40.

Playing with Paint

I'm not a painter but have had some fun this last week learning a little more about paint and its applicaion.

This has been an interesting journey. Such a big change from the beginning of the painting to the finish, or almost finished. I think I might need a couple of small flowers in the lower left.

What Fun
I had to give out a gift along with others in my Art Quilt group. What to give is always a problem for me, others seemed to know instantly what they were going to have for their parcels. While I was dyeing with a friend I suddenly thought it might be fun to play with dye and some scraps of wadding.
I also dyed string, yes string, and tied the wadding up with coloured string pieces. Everyone seemed happy with their gift (as I was with theirs) some even thought I'd been felting.

Dyed Wadding really looks lovely and I'm looking forward to playing with it some more.
I made a small bag with one of the pieces and added lots of lovely threads and some of the dyed string to decorate.

Allyson's Dyeing Day

My friend had a day playing with dyes and fixed a white skirt that had picked up some colour from something else (?) in the wash.
I'm waiting for a picture of her wearing the skirt, it looked really lovely.

What I've been working on

The orange dyed fabric has free motion quilting vase and flowers. Trying to do some whole cloth work just to see what happens. I think I need different threads so the stitching stands out more without me having to overstitch too much.

The stitchery has been going to quilting group with me for some time and is finally finished. Now to add a binding or turn it into a cushion, I'm leaning towards the cushion at the moment.

Tried my hand at painting with dyes, I'm not a painter but I'm quite happy with the way this turned out. Good fun doing free motion stitching to highlight.

Some of my favourite photos from our trip


I haven't done a lot of work since I've been home, I think I've caught the travelling bug big time and would like to head off again.














I love the colours in the water picture, so true


of Australian landscape. A place to stop for a quiet cuppa in the middle of nowhere.


A beautiful sunset.













Doors on a tin building at Sunrise.


What could be better than 2 brolgas?







Driving down the road and finding a whole flock. sight to behold I can tell you.

Playing with Photos

Original, First Play, Second Play,

Its interesting playing with photo programs its like your seeing something through different eyes

Good Morning

The things you see on early morning walks.

Owl Collection
I have a thing for Owls and I have a new cupboard to keep them in. This is a collection thats been over 20yrs in the making and makes it easier for friends to get me presents. I've had a few brought back from overseas holidays and there are several that my grandchildren collected from happy meals at MacDonalds.

I also have a new Owl (isn't he cute) made for me as a birthday present by a lovely friend.
She found this in a magazine and I can tell you it was a big effort for her as she's new to the patchwork thing.





The Puppy
Someone needs to tell this Puppy that he's no longer a small puppy that fits on a knee. I dont think he wants to know mind, happy where he is on my sons knee.

Some Machine Applique

This piece is a larger version of the centre of my 'Florade' pattern which can be seen here. http://www.rosdye.com.au/Florade.htm

I usually use a dyed background in my work but this time wanted to see the dyed fabrics on a white background.

Painting on Fabric

After a recent workshop there was some leftover dye that was made up for painting on fabric so I had a little play.

No plan, just using up colours and being very free with large brushes. The fabric was dry and hanging on a plastic covered wall.

This was an enjoyable exercise, I'm quilting this now.

Mother Sun Shines Down

Help save the

planet. The sun
may be shining

and smiling but I'm sure there is a lot of concern out there for the state of our planet.

Lets look after it and keep the sun shining.

This piece is in the early stages.

The background is another example of playing with dye and making a background. The fabric was wet, lying on plastic, the dyes applied using paintbrushes and blobbing to do the clouds. The marks on the fabric are caused when airbubbles stop dye reaching
some parts of the fabric. I like the way the die ran up into the sky and looks like dead trees

Painting on Fabric with Fabric Paint

This piece was done using paints and small brushes.

It reminds me of a sunset I saw recently over a dam.

The paints travel well on the fabric and you don't need to use a lot of paint to get a good effect.

This was done on dry fabric and ironed to set.

At the Museum Again


Its nice when you can encourage your friends to play along with you.
I sent a friend this link http://www.dumpr.net/museumr.php to look at and she played and put one of her quilts in the gallery.
This quilt of hers is one of my favourites.

See mine below

Landscape in the making
I'm trying to use some fabric scraps that I've been saving for a long time. There's a lot of them and they are little pieces that I've dipped in dye to check colours, some were collected after workshops too.
I dont normally plan what I do, just roll up the sleeves and get to it, that way of working is proving difficult this time. It could be because I'm limited with fabric choices or I'm going about this all wrong. May also be a learning curve as one of my friends has suggested.

I didn't like the first layout so pulled all the pieces off and started again.
Now I've added more colour in the sky and a second row of hills and some acccent strips to outline the tops of the hills and I've free motion stitched the sky and hills because I felt they were done.

Next - I've added a road or a river, (we'll have to wait to see how that pans out) and I'm not sure if I like whats happening now.

I've tried to add some paddocks, (remember I'm limited by fabic colours), I really didn't like the paddocks, too much of a slope or too big or too colourful - then I got a headache and put it away.
Let me know what you think, please join me on this journey.

A nice surprise

I've framed this picture to show it off more. It was sent to me by Jennie Vaughan who made it from my pattern published in Country Craft and Decorating magazine earlier this year.
Its always nice to get pictures from people who've made up something of mine from a pattern or magazine article.
Thought this deserved sharing.