Cot Quilt Commission

The cot  quilt is finished and has been handed over, always nerve racking, but it was very well received.
My client had chosen a simple design and a diverse collection of printed fabrics. Using cream and a plain blue helped to create a more homogeneous effect.
This is the basic block

New Walk Museum and Gallery, Leicester

Friday - Thanks to a friend I was introduced to the work of Maggie Scott's large scale textile installations on show at the New Walk Gallery. Her work "explores the tensions and contradictions of Black British identy" Screen printed silk is then Nuno felted to create fabulously muted images but with photographic detail.
3 pieces explore the end of her monther's life through an image made into jigsaw shapes where progressively more of her mother disappears from image 1 to 3. Very powerful, especially as my father is slowly loosing his grip on memory.

 The most disturbing piece was a concertina'd hanging with a white supremacist rally cut through a mixed race wedding scene 10ft tall and 12ft wide it really gave you pause for thought.
By chance, at the same time, they were showing "Suits and Saris" to celebrate and debate the fusion of British and South Asian fashion traditions, pertinent because of the population of Leicester. In "Respectability " different generations were invited to share their feelings about styles of dress. An interesting show that is part of the Dress the World - 3 shows in the East Midlans exploring how global exchanges have shaped fashion in this area. I want to try and get to see "Living in Silk" on at Nottingham Castle Museum until 16th September.
Also worth noting that New Walk Gallery houses the Attenborough collection of Picasso ceramics.

Abstract trials 2

Still working on ways of achieving the very abstract shapes I want to use on my next piece. I've been concentrating on how I attach shapes to a background which will be constructed of large pieces joined in an irregular way. Traditional piecing will not do.
I have looked at a version of reverse appliqué, with machine stitched edges, on a very loosely woven fabric. It works very much better than appliquéing it to the surface.

The stitching is poor, I was in a hurry, but with a better choice of thread and taking time with it, this will do the job I want.
I have some lovely silks which have just the right depth of colour and sheen, but fray really badly, so I've tried the same technique with these as well.

Again the choice of thread could be better, but made when away from the workroom and limited choice of materials. Unhappy about the circle, will look again at home I can do those, probably by trapping a circle under organza.
I found some lovely Stef Frances dyed felt, its far too nice to experiment with but I have have substituted some plain felt for my samples.

This will work well as simple appliqué.
I have also taken the plunge and bought some Oakshotts fabric for the background. Now I need to draw it all out to size and get on with it!

Light relief!

Sometimes you just need to allow yourself to stitch - nothing too complicated, no involved designing, no clever tricks, just stitching!
So......
I've knocked up a set of 3 cushions, using UFO quilt tops or part tops that were going nowhere and simple quilting and I thoroughly  enjoyed the day.

Thus relaxed, I'm off to try and put together a piece for FoQ!! No challenge then!

CQ10 - Not accepted but......

I was not surprised to learn that my CQ10 piece had not been juried into the exhibition as I knew there were many issues with it. The process of doing it, however, taught me a great deal and for that I am grateful.
So, what have I learned?

• Not to start the finished piece until I am certain that I have nailed down all the construction issues.
• That planning out a full size drawing, trial or collage is important to get the balance right.
• To get close to a finished size before cutting out. Start bigger than you plan, you can always cut bits off but you can't add to it!
• Not to be afraid of an asymmetrical finished shape - go for it!
• That I do have an eye for colour.
• That I enjoy a challenge.

 Now I only have to decide what to do with it -
I shall look forward to seeing the exhibition at Festival of Quilts and commiserate with the other unsuccessful entrants!

Abstract trials

My stash of new fabrics has been winking at me from the shelf for a while now. This week I have finally got round to doing a little bit of prep-work. I want to try some very abstract work, largely appliqué but with some piecing using some stunning colours and some metals. Learning some new tricks.
Using some ideas from the Pitt Rivers visit and some doodling here are a couple of initial ideas.

I then started making some small samples to work out how I might put the pieces together. I worked with some samples using sweetie papers to create a metalic effect. I have used bondaweb on the back of this sample to anchor it while stitching, the foils do not lie well if not glued. They are very delicate and tear if you just try to stitch them on as they are, but covering them with organza and then stitching round them knocks back the shine a bit (good thing I think) and safely anchors the paper which then doesn't actually feel like paper.

Next I'll work with some metal shims and experiment with working them into the design.

Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford

What an incredible place! A group of us visited this week, had an excellent, short introduction to the collections, with a chance to handle a small group of textile artefacts and then time to roam, absorb, sketch, photograph and consider the wealth of displays. Unusually the collections are housed by usage - all ceramics together, no matter from which continent or what century, this made it a little easier to consider how best to use my time. I am so glad I went on line before hand, there is just SO much stuff, you need a plan of campaign!

I was very struck by some example of South West USA ceramics from the Hopi, Cochiti and Sanidilfonso and took courage in both hands and sat sketching in front of the cases - scary, with people looking over your shoulder! However, it meant that I chatted to an American Ceramics Professor over on a study tour and to an art school student looking at pottery shapes!! There are motifs and patterns that I can see being adapted into a future piece of work.

 I spent far too much time in this area so will have to go back one day to see what other inspiration I can find!
I also managed to squeeze a couple of hours in which to see my cousin who lives there and share a lovely relaxed time. The older I get the more I realise how important family are, and I'm very lucky to have such a great family to belong to!