Blue sky days

Last weekend was not quite Colorado, but close enough - clear blue skies stretching from horizon to mountain range and a most glorious Spring day. Over near the studio is a bougainvillea which hosts several wren nests - gorgeously spun with spider web and silk threads which I happily share. They evidence exceptional taste ....  once the newly hatched little people are out and about I'll post a few pics of home decorating al la Fairy Wren. Meanwhile, the vegie patch has been offering up plenty of spinach, zucchini and other fresh greens - perfect for pizzas and roasted vegetables.

 

Laine's quilt

Laine is finally getting a special quilt - for a special sister-in-law. Each of the 25 blocks comprises 64 squares, and these are framed with sashing in coordinating civil war fabrics. I do love traditional quiltmaking and how the practice continues to inform my parallel art quilt journey. 

A selfie in the shower? How ordinary ...

Seriously - there's a call for entry from SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) challenging us to create an art quilt through the process of rethinking the known and ordinary. So where better than the shower ...on retreat? I got to thinking about the ordinariness of taking a shower (if you are a privileged western and probably white person) - the un-thought assumption that a tap turned means pressurised water will fall from the shower head  - I remain struck by the ordinariness of "taking a shower".  Door mats, drain and shower heads make for a rather interesting and not-so-ordinary fabric.

One white tee

Take one white Tee (shirt) and make sure it has been properly washed or scoured. Cut a length of string that is wider than the widest part of the shirt (sleeve to sleeve) and lay it one the tee near the top of the neckline. Fold the top of the tee over the string and roll the tee until a fairly tight roll has been formed.  Carefully pull the two ends of the string together and pull as tight as possible and knot. Place another couple of ties around the roll to secure. Ready to take an indigo bath!

Natures Face Art squares ...the quilt top emerges

Gerhard Hillman creates beautiful pieces of fabric manipulating digital images of the natural world in and around far north Queensland. Natures Face Art is Gerhard's business - from where I acquired a number of patches in 2012. I've often pulled them out of my stash and wondered how they could be incorporated into a quilt without being overwhelmed or swamped by the additional fabrics. Our October retreat was where they were combined with my hand dyed, printed and rubbed fabrics using a log cabin block - and we left the blocks on the design wall overnight while the final configuration was "ummed" and "aghhed". Do I mention having to reverse sew it twice ..... as I unpicked the first line of wrongly placed sashing, a dear friend was heard to say something like "don't you hate it when you re-sew something and you put it back wrong .. again!". Well ... the second time I unpicked it no one said anything. At last there was a last column of sashing to attach ... and now to contemplate how to quilt ... many thanks Gerhard for your beautiful fabrics and photographs.

Room with a view ...

Sometimes all that is required is a room with a view, ready to dye fabric, a bottle of pebbles and a length of strong thread. An meditative afternoon spent in the rhythm of knotting and pinching, twisting and pulling ...  this 44 inch length of fabric has been reduced to about 14 inches square - and now waits for an indigo bath. 

My Father's Shed selected for QRAA

This week I received a phone call to say "My Father's Shed" had been awarded the 2013 Queensland Regional Arts Award in the area of textiles. I've watched how other textile artists conduct themselves when published, or receive awards and have quietly wondered what that would feel like and what would be the appropriate response. Looking back, I wish I had responded with some sense of dignity or managed to be calm, cool and collected. It was not to be - when it came to the crunch, I was found wanting.

Congratulations also to Renton Bishopric for Coal for Breakfast, Jasmine Jean for That Place Inside Me and Christine Turner for Immersed. Seabastian Toast's piece Pig Post received the People's Choice Award. 

Many thanks to TAFTA for, among other joyous things, a scholarship to attend TAFTA's 2014 Contextart FORUM , to Flying Arts Alliance Inc for their generous gift, and to Irene at Scenic Rim Regional Council whose enthusiasm for our arts community is boundless. We never create in isolation - and I've had many reasons this past month to reflect on the blessings of fellow artists, friends and family in my life, especially Ankie. Most of all, Dad - thank you for surviving the move.