Motivation

colour - that's what we need

outside it is grey and dark with ever persistent rain

we managed a couple of very short walks along the beach

and Poole Quay which, at best, could be described

as invigorating

I've gone into hibernation mode

over the festive season I did make a scrap quilt using

fabric dyed in the indigo vat on a warm summer's day

it felt good to be stitching

a photo later when there is more light

contemplating another little quilt 

driving into my box of coloured scraps

if I can gather the energy

any rescue remedies out there for winter blues?!!!

shades of

the remains of Saturday's indigo vat

it didn't rain

could have been warmer

still a garden of blue at the end of the day

today the vat has revived itself

it's hot, hot, out there

so I can give this a couple more dips

it doesn't look too exciting does it?!!!

I bought about ten pieces of Khadi cloth from a small shop in Wagwam

to the surprise of everyone    why would I want so many dusters?

Khadi cloth is hand spun cotton which is then hand woven

the cloth is really chunky and gorgeous, and yes it took the dye well

I only brought a couple of pieces home with me, the rest are in a

cupboard at Samshu's house, waiting their fate either as dusters or.......

found in my Chinese steamer, dried acanthus flowers

finished    my therapy quilt,  Dentil

Dentil n. architecture

one of a series of rectangular blocks projecting like teeth 

from a moulding or beneath a cornice 

Ha, ha.   The dentist is my new 'best friend'  

in between appointments hand stitching was very comforting, and now it's done

one or two appointments to go

I feel another quilt coming on

Progress

the kurta quilt is making (slow) progress, but that's 

fine with me.  it's keeping me warm as I stitch

a completed area, machine quilted

centre block hand quilted 

the flowers have tiny shisha in the middle

the little applique squares have

blanket stitch around the edges

Another cold day

I think it will be a hand stitch afternoon

the kurta quilt ready for quilting

blast from the past

My son recently sent me this picture of a quilt I gave to one of his university friends,

many years ago.     

The quilt itself was made around 1990 (!) I was still learning!    The 12" blocks, from 

my memory, were machine pieced and quilted in the ditch.   The fabric from America.

The colours mustard yellow, deep red and dark blue, all with small patterns.  Typical of

it's time.    How they have faded!

The quilt is being used to sit on during a picnic in a London Park.

Look at the wear and tear.   It is good to know that it has been

loved and used.  Far better than languishing in a cupboard.

I can feel a replacement quilt coming on.  Perhaps a bit more

contemporary?    Having said that I remember being pretty

pleased with the patchwork element, and all those points

joining up nicely.    Shortly after making this quilt  I took 

City and Guilds Patchwork Quilting, Part 1 and 2.   

I learnt how to do things properly, then threw

  the rule book out of the window.

The Circle quilt is finished.   The deadline was yesterday, and I made it.  I'll post a 
picture early next week.  As ever, it is the stitching of the binding and label that 
takes time, plus losing the odd thread or two.  I enjoyed the process in a strange
sort of way, and I might just follow on the circle theme,  listening to Indian
music along the way.


It will form part of a display of quilts by Infinity, on the theme of Kandinsky, at the Brockenhurst Textile Fiesta, held in Brockenhurst in the centre of the New Forest,
Hampshire over this weekend.


So, today I find that the publicity blurb has me down as 'quiting', minus a 't', and not quilting'.   That's not good.   Spent most of the morning trying to understand why this 
should happen.  The organisers were very apologetic, which is nice, and are trying to 
make amends.    Still so many unanswered questions.


Tomorrow, whilst I would rather relax after a hectic few weeks, will find me as a 
trader, fighting my corner and convincing all that I am definitely not quitting.  


In the meantime, I'm gathering all my Indian goodies for my sales table.   Dyeing up a 
new batch of threads etc.


The good news is that already I have a commission for two smaller versions of the 
Circle.  I'm happy about that, since I really didn't want to do it in the first place!


End of rant.   That feels better.  If you have got to the end of the post, thank you!

A Parson's Egg Week

(good in parts)

It started off well.  Delivering a quilt to be included in Make 52.  An exhibition at 

Walford Mill opening on Saturday, which will be very interesting indeed.

Caroline Parrott, Education Officer at the Mill, embarked on a huge undertaking

to create a piece of art or craft once a week for a whole year.  She chose a  maker/artist

for each week, working along side them, where possible.  

I was Maker 42 - the answer to life according to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Coffee and a catch up with my friend Hilary later in the afternoon.

I was hoping to get down to some fabric dyeing, of the Procion variety,  still too cold

for indigo.  Alas, I was struck down with a 'flu bug, I hardly had the energy to stitch

my Circles quilt.   The next day was spent mostly in bed!

Feeling better on Thursday I exercised my brain with Blogsy!    

All is lovely in the garden though.   Proper April showers, unlike this time last year 

when we had 'summer'.   Real downpours, hail, thunder and lightening.  So much

for the drought restriction orders.

the woodland garden is awash with wood garlic, bluebells and primroses

we can hear the beans growing in the veg plot

tulips feeling a bit soggy after another deluge

According to the stats on my website there has been lots of 'hits'.   If you

have, thanks for visiting!  Little parcels have been posted, and

right now there is one in it's way to the States.

I had great plans this week to add more content, but life took over.

I have included some note books in the Bazaar

here's a few

limited stock until I go shopping in November.

Perhaps next week into the dye pots.  An indigo vat 

would be very nice!  Hey ho, summer is surely

just around the corner.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Summer Saturday workshops start this weekend.   

New chairs needed - tick.  They are wood and fold

flat for storage, perfect.   Cushions needed.

We were once a quilt

Keith was more than a little surprised when he found

me chopping up a quilt.   It was made last century

and has spent most of it's life on a shelf.   Now it is

reborn into four cushions.  I like them very much.

From the stash

First attempts at deconstructed screen printing.

Lots of lessons learnt.  Thickened dyes on cotton

fabric result in paler colours.   Over dyed, not

good.  Over dyed again, better.  Thermofax

screen prints - black and gold.  Result - ok'sh.

detail

So, this fabric has found it's time (and there's more!).

Although it is cotton it proved too difficult to quilt.

To many processes I guess, and two layers of

textile paint didn't help.   Nice cushions though.

From the tailor's floor

Looking through old travel journals I found the one relating to our first 

and only trip to Kerala.  That was fourteen years ago.  Definitely

 time for a return visit.

First stop then was to the tailor's shop for some hand made shirts.

We had to go down the road to the fabric shop.  What a choice.

When Keith returned to pick up the goodies I requested that

he asked the tailor for off cuts, and he did, despite a few 

grumbles as he set off.  The tailor probably thought we we

mad, but I did end up with a bag of scraps.

I made this laptop quilt with every last little bit

of fabric.   Over the years it has been used as

a comforter on cold nights, or just 'because'.

Here's the back, it is tie quilted, which makes it

a very soft little quilt.   The backing fabric is

Madras cotton, a very fine muslin.  I had quite

forgotten about Madras cotton, must add

to my shopping list.   

So, cupboards closed, workroom shut down.

Time to pack.   Next post should

be from India.

So very 20th century

I found this in the magic cupboard.  
Tiny hexagons, roughly 1"/2.5 cm 
across.  I guess I dates to the early 
1980's and is made up with sample patchwork fabric squares.  The papers
and tacking are still in place.


Interestingly I can see I started a second row of blue, and the beginning of another motif.  Why did I stop?  Maybe I found out about cutting boards, quilters rulers and rotary cutters.  Who will ever know?

Another little treasure.  
A miniature Log Cabin Quilt.


Around the same date.   The blocks 
are about 2"/5cm square, with five
dark and light 'logs'.


And it is wadded and tie quilted.  At least this one is finished.

A tale of two quilts

In 1986 Nic was still at University.  In the normal way of things I took over his room.  During vacations I had to make a hasty retreat, well not so hasty, boxes of bits everywhere.  In one box I found a pile of dyed fabric, experiments.   I had just started 'playing' and at that time not many dyeing books were available.  So I had fun.  Such pale colours - I had a lot to learn.   I pieced them all, free cutting, with a vague Log Cabin pattern.   

I love old Welsh quilts - filled with carded sheep's wool; the utilitarian quilts of India, stitched together randomly, and quilted to hold the layers together.   So this quilt has, possibly, Warm and Natural wadding, and a plain cotton backing.   It's quilted from the back with big stitches.  The back could be a whole cloth quilt.   

I love this quilt, it's randomness, the texture - over the years it is now getting that old 'lumpy' worn look.   I called it Indian Comforter - Winter (and it does!)  There is also a Summer Comforter, Thermofax wadding, much lighter. also hand stitched.  The colours on this one were really bright. No more pale colours for me.   This quilt was sold and is living in a cottage somewhere in Dorset.  

A detail of the quilting, seen only as points of colour

So now we come to 2009.  I have my own room, what a joy to settle at last with my 'stuff'.   I still continue to experiment with dyeing, moving on to screen printing, and the beloved Indigo vats.   Trips to India inspire, and I sometimes get to 'play' with master craftsmen, or at least watch the process of their craft.   I actually take dyeing workshops now, and I guess I am so lucky doing what I want to do, passing on knowledge and learning from students.   Never going to be rich, but as long as I have enough money to continue with my work, and then some over to travel to India I am as happy as happy can be!

The old shirts (pillow cases, kurtas, or anything white laying unattended) quilt completed.  Dyed, waxed, overdyed;  free cut and pieced;  Soft and Elegant wadding this time, and machine quilted with simple (not so) straight lines.   My dyeing skills have improved!   

These two quilts gave/give me such pleasure.   Just going for it, having fun and not sticking to any rules!   I can piece precisely if I want to, I am a Virgo after all - yeh, I might have broken out, and machine quilt pretty well too. It's good to know how to break the rules sometimes

I'm going to call this one Blue Moon, as this is the evening of such a moon.   It will be part of Raw Talent, the family exhibition - see link bar.   Guess this is only going to happen once in a Blue Moon.  

A Good New Year to you all.