Commuting can be fun

Driving to work in Ipswich I travel the Cunningham Highway and pass a paddock that, over the past year or so, has turned into a shallow lake. In recent years it has been a dry, barren place and now hosts black swans, pelicans and a multitude of water birds. Let's hope the water table stays high. Autumn is a time of clear skies and still mornings - perfect for picture taking.



Studio Blog Hop continues ... with Dale Rollerson

(c) Dale Rollerson

Dale Rollerson's studio is on view today, as part of the SAQA Oceania groups Studio Blog Hop. Dale will be well known to many of you through The Thread Studio. We're featuring a different studio space and artist every second day throughout May - tomorrow it will be time to join Averil Stuart-Head and I can't wait to see more of the Oceania group's creative spaces. Hoping that you too enjoy the ongoing tour.



Wooden printing blocks

 Found these in the bargain bin at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Beautiful hand carved printing blocks from India - which will be put to good use. The large peacock is about 13cm in length, while the three smaller pieces are 3-4cm across. So glad they made it home safely and can't wait to use them.

More from the Ipswich Quilt Show



Jane Rundle's "Party Dress" (c) Jane Rundle

It truly is wall to pew to wall quilts at St Paul's church, Brisbane Street Ipswich this weekend. The Ipswich Quilt Show is underway and there is so much to see that one has the impression of being in the TARDIS. The Queensland Quilter's Challenge quilts are on show - June Rundle's quilt (left) was awarded third place and it really feels like there is a party going on. Jan McPike's dragon is also exquisite - beautifully created and stitched. It's worth the trip just to see the Challenge entries. The church is filled with a really impressive mix of traditional and contemporary quilts - and other attendees include the Spinners and Weavers group and demonstrations of traditional tatting and lace making. If that's not enough, there are local crafts for sale and refreshments available throughout the weekend. The show runs today until 3pm and again tomorrow from 12 noon to 3pm with entry to the Quilt Show a gold coin donation. Did I mention the beautiful raffle quilt .... just $2 a ticket.



Jane McPike's "Chinese New Year 2012 (c) Jan McPike

Studio Blog Hop Schedule for May - SAQA style

This is not a studio - at least not any more. It was the sole and soul place where I worked for most of the last seven months and the space worked perfectly - if accompanied by a disciplined approach to "tidy".  It really does not matter how big or small or where your place to be creative is located - so long as you have a space. This month the SAQA Oceania members are participating in a Studio Blog Hop - every other day in May. We've had two great "reveals" already this month - Mel Forrest and Sue Dennis with Lisa Walton's studio on view from today. The schedule is listed below - simply click on the artist. SAQA is an incredible organisation supporting artists who create art quilts - so if you would like to know more about SAQA please don't hesitate to get in contact with me or Lisa Walton - or anyone of our Oceania group. Enjoy the tour!

Mel  Forrest (1st  May)

Sue  Dennis (3rd  May)

Lisa  Walton (5th  May)

Linda  Robertus (7th  May)

Dale  Rollerson (9th  May)

Averil  Stuart-Head (11th  May) 

Beth Miller (13th  May) 

Sally  Westcott (15th  May)

Ali  George (17th  May)

Pam  Holland (19th  May)

Felicity  Clake (21st  May)

Brenda Gael Smith (23rd  May)
Alison  Lawrence (25th  May) 
Jenny  Bowker (27th  May)
Sue  Domeney (29th  May)

Ipswich Quilt Show ... a taster

Working in the heart of Ipswich means I am beside the beautiful St. Paul's Church which this weekend holds the Ipswich Quilt Show and the Queensland Quilters Challenge for 2012. Many beautiful quilts and congratulations to some of the 2QAQ members Jan McPike, Jane Rundle, Helen Kidd and Rosemary McCall for creating such beautiful challenge entries. So creative and such clever use of this year's challenge fabric.  How do I know? My fat quarter is sitting on the cutting table ... maybe next year....
The show runs Saturday 10am - 3pm and Sunday 12 noon - 3pm. St Paul's is located at the top of the Mall in Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Gold coin donation for entry.

Back on the air ... and the SAQA Benefit Auction

After outsmarting myself with rebuilding the website - which is now in disarray but thankfully not hacked ... I have got the blog back. It was really interesting to experience such a sense of grief about losing it and wanting to hang on to the remnants (even if they weren't functioning properly or satisfactorily). I found myself willing to cut my losses just to have a connection to the "old" blog. Grief and then relief. Just like not wanting to let go of other loved ones I guess. Anyway - the blog is back.   This is a small piece (12 x 12) I'm currently working on for the SAQA benefit auction  - which happens each year to raise funds for ... SAQA. I used hand dyed indigo fabric and have stitched leaf shapes originally stamped from a lino cut block then painted with red and gold acrylic paint, stitched in copper thread and then restitched onto the Indigo background. I'd already machine quilted the background piece - trying to create a sense of slow movement across the water, then the leaves almost floating over the top of the surface. It is very much a work in progress .....