The 1st Gullion!

The tennis has played havoc with my schedule so I've done less than I set out to do! But......
I have partially solved the problem of how to treat each of the small blocks of diced piecing with embroidery stitches and beads.
I think that I can work a number of variations around this theme.

I have used the pre-set embroidery stitch around the shape as it reminded me of the settings used on rings and brooches and the large hand stitches reduce the "spottiness" of the block and give the (loose) impression of a piece of jewellery with the beads.

On another tack: I had to but some stranded cottons, perle cotton and  beads and was stunned by how much a small collection came to - the hidden cost of a quilt.

Contemporary Expressions

I was surprised and delighted to be asked to join "Contemporary Expressions", a small group of textile artists and quilters who exhibit nationally and internationally.
I have put a link to our website in the panel on the right where each of us has a small showcase of work and biography.

Bordered!

The effort is beginning to pay off! I have now managed to construct all the little blocks that make up the border and get them attached. What I now know is that I will need to "block" the quilt once I've stitched into it to get it absolutely square.
I have raided all my threads and beads for adding surface decoration and plan to start that today. I think I will use hand embroidery and beads inside each of the gullions and machine quilting in the background areas in chartreuse yellow green to knock the orange back a little.

Just 13 days to finish everything!

Quilt - more progress

I have tied myself to the studio table and done little else in the last few days! The main body of the quilt is done.

I am now playing with an abstract border made up of more little "Gullions"! Gullions are jewels and with beading added to this little mini quilts I think they will be quite jewel like.
Its taking a great deal of time to create all these little sections from very narrow strips of fabric sewn together, cut into slices and re-stitched in a different order!

Once I've had a chance to look at the possibilities I'll go for it, just need time now for the idea to become familiar or change it!

Nothing is new.........

While away in France I visited the Roman Villa site at Seviac, Montreal in the Gers. An amazing site with wonderfully preserved mosaic pavements from 1st Century AD. I was amazed at the brightness of the colours all these years later. All worked out without the tools we all take for granted.
 Amazing!

But what I was looking at was a collection of stone quilts!

This would make a fabulous appliquéd border, so there is nothing new

Quilt begins to take shape.

A few weeks away accounts for the yawning silence here!
Now I have to knuckle down as I have 2 quilts to finish for festival and the top is still unfinished on one of them!!!
I now have some really small little blocks to make to break up the join lines in the background fabric and lots of border pieces to do, so why and I doing this instead? Displacement activity!!!

I'm going to have coffee, then I'll tie myself to the studio desk!

New work in progress....

I have been sitting on a collection of fabrics since Festival last year. I was very clear about the palette but less sure about the the design. I am now working full stretch on this, which has a title " Gorgeous Gullion". (A Gullion is a jewel) I am creating some strip pieced abstract 'jewels'  which will then be inset into a piece of batik from Ghana.
I'm really exited about this piece now, especially as I have been looking at the stash for months!

Each section will be made separately and then joined to create the whole and I want to include quite a lot of surface decoration once the whole thing is pieced.