More contemporary thoughts

I went along to patchwork today for a break from Microbiology at work. I took along my latest blocks I have been working on to do some more planning for our contemporary workshop. I asked our resident artist ( now quilter) about contemporary and modern definitions. She reckons that contemporary is more abstract and agreed that my latest blocks were in the contemporary area. I am still getting no responses as to how long is something modern for?

Now I have to keep making a few more to blend them all together. Looks like I still like my narrow strips of colour. I found the idea in an old block collection in a QNM . I narrowed the middle strip so that the 3 pieces were no longer the same size. I have even managed to make 1 mirror image block by accident when I did not think it was possible to do that with such a simple block. I really love the luminosity of my hand dyed fabrics. It was amazing that 3 of us currently share the same favourite block. ( The middle red one).

What is a Contemporary Quilt?

I have been asked to conduct a workshop on contemporary piecing in Jan 2009. I have been mulling over what exactly is their idea of a contemporary quilt. Contemporary the word itself to me means something that is modern and current in todays trends. When does contemporary become something of the past. For instance what was contemporary in 1990 may not be considered contemporary now in 2008. So what do we call the quilts made in 1990 now?

I have taught this group hand dyeing fabric and at present using these types of fabric in quilts gives a very different look to using prints. Bold colours also give a nice bright look to quilts. The free motion quilting style currently preferred by some long armers also gives a different look.

I still dont think that this style of quilting should be called contemporary.

I am thinking of teaching them how to use their traditional blocks in a different manner through their fabrics of course.

Improvisational piecing where they cut loose with their cutters and forget their rulers is also on the agenda. Watch out for the fingers. A slightly blunt blade is helpful.

There is so much scope to " contemporary piecing" where do you actually start?

This is a quilt made during the drought that some of the group wanted to make. To me is suffices their contemporary quilt concept in that it is of a simple design, the fabrics have been constructed by hand , is designed for a wall not a bed ( not really designed for washing too much) and is quilted by machine to have the quilting as a design feature not just to hold the layers together. Am I fulfilling their idea of a contemporary quilt?

More Rain for North Queensland

We have been fortunate to not receive the amounts of rain that other parts of Qld have received. My niece survived the floods at Emerald a few weeks ago. My brother and his family live in Mackay but were lucky to not be flooded in the DELUGE that happened over the weekend. The rain gauge would have been useless that night so luckily my sister in law left the wheelie bin out to be the real rain gauge. It was half full of water. They have never seen so much water fall out of the sky in such a short time. I don't think many Aussies have seen that type of rain before.
Mt Perry could do with some more rain but not quite now. We have 2 tractors still bogged in the pasture waiting for a dry spell so we can drive them out.
Today is tidying up the sewing table day and then maybe some new sewing might eventuate. I have been finishing off the binding on my queen sized log cabin quilt for the farmhouse at Proston.
I have been asked to teach "contemporary piecing" for Yeppoon CWA workshops next year. Is there really a definition of what is contemporary piecing ? I feel this needs a lot of research. Fusing, cutting random strips without a ruler, curved piecing, convergence quilts, using hand dyed fabrics is it contemporary enough. I have already taught them a workshop using my connector technique. I think I might go down the strips and curving them path with this one. Sounds like a challenge doesn't it? More reading and research to be done.

Rain and More Rain and Procrastination.

We have had to wait a bit longer than some other areas but Mt Perry is now receiving some rain at last. Makes the quilter want to stay indoors and make more quilts.

Like some other people I know procrastination seems to be rife amongst us. One colleague is blogging about it lately and it seems to be spreading to me. Seems to me like we always question ourselves as to where are we going with our quiltmaking. Do we want to be a well known quilter and receiving recognition for our work? What do we wish to do with our completed projects? I keep telling my children their pets of the future will have colourful blankets to cover with their fleas and hair? Are our quilts and projects destined to be heirlooms or do we want them to be loved and used and fall apart in a few years. I have been asking myself this lately, I enjoyed teaching my classes at Yeppoon and the students must have enjoyed themselves as well as I have been invited back next year. Do I wish to continue juggling between quilting activities and my work and home life? I think I can enjoy all 3 but how come the focus can be on all 3 activiites at once when sometimes you wish the quiet time in one area matches a busy time in another?

I also have to fund my activities through a part time job and have found out that this is changing to a 0.5FTE ( and increase of 0.3FTE) and will involve more late shifts and night shifts. My life is changing as a result so my social quilting will probably cease. I think I will rely more on the internet for learning and developing as a quilter.

I have tried a new technique yesterday and it is amazing how much you can learn from 1 nine inch block. Mind you I currently have about four unfinished items to work on.

Here is a photo of my first major finished item to show you I can beat the procrastination hurdle.

I made this quilt whilst pregnant with Belinda 16 years ago.

I completed it after she was born. It is machine shadow appliqued and all hand quilted. I still wonder at how I finished it for a show deadline with 3 children under 6 years. Lately it takes me 6 monthes to make a quilt top.

Has it Been That Long

Unfortunately it has been over a month since I last found some minutes to devote to this.
Wow what a busy time I have had. Christmas and New Year seems like months ago instead of weeks. I had the good fortune of teaching a hand dyeing fabric workshop and free motion quilting your dyed fabric workshop for the QCWA Piecemakers group. I originally attended a Piecemakers Teachers Workshop in 1999 and thoroughly enjoyed myself meeting ladies from far flung parts of Queensland. This worshop was held at Cool Waters Holiday Village Yepoon.
I honestly don't know what the owners thought of the multitude of colours in their waste water that day but the ladies who went home and washed their fabric thought it was all marvellous.
They all learnt a lot the next day about free motion quilting. I'm sure some of them have already purchased a teflon slider for their machine. One lady suggested using a teflon pressing mat but it does not have the stickiness underneath to hold it in place. She reckons there is a market there in Australia for an entrepreneur.
Either side of the workshop I had to fill in for a work colleague so he could have some much needed Rec Leave. I'm not used to full time work so it was a bit tiring.
Now school has started again , the routines are slowly returning and patchwork is on again this Friday for me. The only sewing I have done is made a school skirt . The eldest daughter has now officially left home ( 80ks up the road ) at her first teaching position so there have been some changes in the house. Mind you the time for housework still never seems to happen but that is the motto of Bundaberg Quilters. Sadly I am not volunteering for Publicity Officer for them again as my work roster is changing and meabns I will be unable to attend Sat meetings or Tuesday meetings. I still will enjoy my time spent in Mt Perry though when we go sewing in the Hall. Have you visited our Mt Perry Quilters blog lately?

Christmas Greetings

My best Christmas Wishes to you all, my sister made this for me and wisely gave it to me before Christmas so I have had it hanging on my wall. She loves patchwork but does not enjoy quilting. She hands all her quilts to a domestic machine long armer to quilt. I still prefer the "hassles " of quilting as I like to see the quilt come alive by my work.
Plus she does not have the spare time at this stage in her life to do her quilting. Most of her patchwork creations end up being given away to her family. Thank you dear sister for carrying on the traditions.

Free Motion Quilting

After a week at the beach for some much needed rest, the body feels a bit rejuvenated and now back to work. While I was away my purchases arrived from Sharon Schamber's website. A quilting colleague won a trip to Houston with her quilt in the Spotlight competition and gave us an entralling talk at the last Bundaberg Quilters meeting mentioning the magic bobbin washers recommended by Sharon Schamber.
I ordered some and a free motion slider teflon sheet plus a DVD and pattern on free motion couture feathers. Unfortunately I have to do some real work at the day job before I will get much chance to play with these.
The Mt Perry girls had great fun learning more about free motion quilting on Fri Nov 30. 2007.
I think we will go further with this in 2008.
Will keep you informed as to my progress with these new aids.