Ankie King @ the Queensland Quilters Quilt Show



This weekend is the Queensland Quilters' Quilt Show in Brisbane - what I wouldn't give to be there. Ankie King's exhibition of "The Lady Dyed the Blues" is worth the trip into South Brisbane just to see her Indigo dyeing techniques expressed in the form of quilts, kites and jackets. Congratulations Ankie!

More from Nested

Some more from our  "Nested" exhibition - including Nestination USA (left, left)  woven from fabric trimmings of Sue Dennis' Destination USA exhibition quilts. Once woven, the centre piece was stitched then moulded, leaving the ends untrimmed - they point to other destinations.  Cuerda (left, bottom) was created from cords made from the thread bag and other offcuts, free motion zig zagged in variegated thread then formed into the nest.  Petal (left, top) is layered nests one of hand dyed silk pieces by Ankie King nested in a base created entirely from thread.  Air (below) is made from Perle cotton thread and has not been cut. The first nest is joined to the second nest and remains connected to their point of origin.  reflection (below, top) is layered mulberry silk that was hand dyed then stitched and moulded before being hand beaded. Similarly hand dyed mulberry silk was stitched then moulded into a nest before being hand beaded to create Translucence.

What do you miss?

After the WMBM and some really, really special friends and relatives (you know who you are) I really, really miss my Bernina. After work this evening I toddled off towards my temporary new home and happened to remember the Cairns Sewing Centre is just ... a few miles up the road. Yes it's true. I stood outside the window of the closed shop ... trying to peer through the glass into the darkness ... and knew at long last what it was to be a dog outside a butcher shop. I did ever so slightly paw at the glass ... but couldn't see much inside. Still, I returned home  unit-ward feeling like I'd had a little fix.

The closest I've got to working with fabric and stitching textiles these past two weeks is a collage  ... incorporating some indigo dyed cheesecloth (like when was THAT dream ever going to eventuate ... after the Camembert's turned out so hard the dog would not even chase them as Frisbees ... another post for another day) ... yes some indigo dyed cheesecloth and themed around blue ... magazines, postcards and the like. As there are still  no scissors allowed on domestic flights, I have taken to tearing ... accompanied by my Mum's glue stick, what more could a goddess want?  (P.S. Mum... I'll replace the glue stick next visit xxx)

Lying on concrete

Ankie, Sue and me - all on the concrete floor in the name of "Nested". Here we are, on the rained out opening night in front of the Wedding nest (also below, created by Sue) and Rio Grand del Norte I and II. Can't wait to show you Ankie's exquisite pieces seen suspended in the background. All pics are thanks to Kerri Jessep from Jessep Photography who photographed the entire exhibition and artist portraits on the night. I'll post more from the Exhibition over the next few posts.

Home is where the soul rests



Me (left) and Ankie (right) "bumping in" at the Art Factory Gallery

It's been a big few weeks firstly in Cairns, then Adelaide , a return to Cairns via Brisbane and now back in Tarome. Life's a wonderful blur sometimes! In the midst of the storms in Brisbane on Thursday night, a little island emerged in South Brisbane, filled with nests and family, as the rain induced moat swelled around the entrance. We had such a hoot - copious conversation, champagne and friends. Thank you Ankie and Sue! Nested is open today, Sunday and Wednesday 10 am - 4pm with all proceeds going to the Royal Flying Doctor Service - a small thank you for getting Dad into Hospital earlier this month.

Nested opens Thursday 13th @ Art Factory Gallery

It is so hard to believe that "Nested" opens on Thursday 13th (I think that's four more sleeps) at the Art Factory Gallery, South Brisbane. Ankie, Sue and I have agreed that all proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service who airlifted some very precious parents to Adelaide from Ceduna, South Australia as they made their way home to Brisbane from Western Australia. An unforgettable trip as it turned out. Quite an unforgettable 50th birthday for me, too. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and wishes over the last fortnight - they have been greatly appreciated by the entire family. Sue's ceramic hand-pinched clam shells are exquisite, as are Ankie's textile nests. My favourite piece, The Wedding Nest, by Sue has to be seen in the cloth. Everyone is welcome to attend the opening of "Nested" on Thursday night from 6pm.  The Gallery hours will be Saturday 15th, Sunday 16th and Wednesday 18th from 10am - 4pm. Other times by arrangement. Hope to be able to catch up with some of you there.

Nested: An Exhibition by Ankie King, Sue George and Ali George

Art Factory Gallery,  84 Merivale Street, South Brisbane

Nestination USA was woven from trimmings and offcuts
sourced from Sue Dennis' exhibition "Destination USA".

Reflection is made from hand dyed silk,
machine stitched and hand beaded

Retreats, Birthdays and Appendicitis on the Nullabor

This is a pic from our last retreat @ The Outlook Boonah. Which is where I am meant to be this weekend. So about far left of pic, I should have been sitting and working on a whole bunch of precious stuff that I've been looking forward to for months, including a birthday party last night. For me. Sue M and Co organised the whole thing - and here I am in Adelaide instead. I hope they had a marvellous time last evening.  Such is life and a small note to self about galavanting across the Nullabor Plain (as one is quite entitled to do) and succumbing to appendicitis. So here we all are in Adelaide (Mum, Little Sister, Little Niece and me) taking up residence near the Royal Adelaide Hospital and looking after the precious stuff.  Dad.  While he makes a slow but positive recovery from surgery, we're here. And that  is about the best birthday present a goddess could wish for .....