Machine quilting and inspiration Sunday

From Villis bridge, Warrill Creek

Another overcast Sunday ... perfect weather to finish Jen's quilt and post to the UK before winter is over. I started Jen's quilt when she was out to stay with us in August. Enough said.  So on one of the breaks I took this morning ...

Secret garden path

Midget and I went for a wander through the secret garden, ever changing throughout Spring and found some


Dripping with bees

 native bees that are so large they bend the flowers over, and often out of camera shot, when they land. Maybe 2-3 times the size of the "usual" bees. They are meant to be stingless but Midget refused to put it to the test. They drone incessantly during the daylight hours   ... and then the secret garden became Mr McGregor's ...


Little Peter  ... in Mr Willett's garden

 when we found this tiny creature hiding in the mulch. It is so small and still in the leaf litter  - obviously under instruction to stay that way - so we won't be telling Mr McGregor when he gets back this afternoon. Then it was ...


quilted at last ...

 back to the machine to finish the last bit of quilting - and if I'm really good it will have the binding completed and be on its way tomorrow.  Keep a look out for the postie, Jen.

Lolly fabric and fabric lollies



fantail wrapper box

 Yesterday was an all day all work group get together to discuss business planning, budgets and a few other things. Times are tough, budgets are getting tighter and we shared a packet of fantails and minties around the five tables - not sure what everyone thought when I asked for the wrappers back. Absolutely no idea what to do with them of course.
The reward after the long drive home on a Friday evening from Brisbane was made so much better by the arrival of Quilting Arts mag - and a fabulous idea or ten .. so thanks to budget cuts, lolly wrappers and Victoria Gertenbach's ideas for using up scrap fabrics I had a bit of a vision for the waxy papers.
This morning I laid out all the  wrappers, in no particular order in a kind-of-A4 size shape, and used a top and bottom layer of baking paper to protect the iron while they were bonded to vliesofix. The wrappers, which sizzle a bit under pressure, were then bonded to felt and then to tissue paper. The whole new "page" was covered with a fine gold lame and machine quilted. Sliced into 4" strips and cross cut into 4" squares. Tissue paper sides facing, the squares were again bonded together, in pairs, to make six "double sided"  squares. These were then stitched into the box  shape using a silk and stainless steel thread - which gave a bit more "ooomph" to bending the sides and having the box hold its shape.  After reading Victoria's suggestions for left over shot cottons - a slight adaptation and her "boro bobbles" make perfect lollies for the lolly box. I don't think I'll give up my day job but it was an interesting exercise in taking something (lolly wrappers) and experimenting with a way to use them - it's not "re-purposing" as such - but I do enjoy the role reversal of lolly fabric and fabric lollies. (Quilting Arts Magazine, Issue 47,  October/November 2010)

For the fibre artist in all of us



Eppie Archuleta woven cloth

 The trip from Walsenberg and La Veta CO across the Rio Grande is a real treat with some extra special delights for those with and interest in fibre. One of the buildings within the Fort Garland Museum houses  the work of many artists, local and not so local, including that of weaver Eppie Archuleta. Eppie began weaving at the age of six - has received many commendations over the years. She weaves in Rio Grande and Chinayo patterns.






Hairy stuff









It seemed like felting with coir - and it was. This saddle blanket is made from .... hair. All kinds.

A housewife of sorts ...



This wallet like item was called a "housewife" and carried such useful items as needle and thread, maybe a button or two  .. and was made by a wife, girlfriend or other significant female in the life of the soldier. When we got across to Bardstown KY it was amazing to learn that at least 400 women served on the front line of the Civil War - and Bardstown KY has a museum specifically honouring their contribution to the war effort.


Take a left at Fort Garland and head south through the San Luis Valley towards Taos, NM.


Leave the stunning mountain scenery behind and head into the vast, flat and sanity-challenging windy place that is the San Luis Valley. Imagine the wagons .. mile after endless mile ...  the cold and the dry wind ...  and altitude. It was, to us, exquisitely beautiful.


La Lana Wools



There were many opportunities to help lead the US out of the recession / GFC and La Lana Wools in Taos, NM was a great start. Wools, fibre, and all sorts of exquisite things fill the entire shop from top to bottom.  Knitted, felted, woven, spun, raw ... it was all there in every shape, size and weight imaginable.  Very nice.



Taos shops

More shops, including Common Threads with the very "uncommon fabrics" discussed in a different post. Beautiful silks, buttons of distinction ... and a price tag that reflects the uncommonness of each bolt. Value on many levels. Lots of disposable income required. Parity with the AUD and USD would make an Internet experience worth a click or two ... although I'll wait for someone to let me know how good that was given my recent experience.



Big buttes abound



If returning from Taos NM in the general direction of must-stop-and-stay La Veta CO, take a few moments to breathe in the stillness of one of the many buttes (Australians would pronounce it "beaut" not "but" as I mistakenly did on tour)  .. eroded over so many millions of years - beautiful.  It's about 2+ hours between Taos NM and La Veta CO - a local might well do it in less time but there was always the "anxious prediction" of hitting something bigger than the hire car in the evening light - which meant anything larger than a raccoon.

Internet shopping under the affluence of incahol



Double left click ...

 Feng Shui and the sewing room might not seem a likely combination.  In an effort to improve the feng shui karma hygiene of the room I sat down one evening (rather recently) and went shopping ... online. There was a terrific special on storage containers. The minimum order was 5.  Perfect.
Fast forward to late last week, as I saunter into the house after work to greet the WMBM :
Goddess (seeing 2 large boxes and a big roll near back door) What's this?
WMBM: It's for you ... the guy said it's sewing stuff.
Goddess (startled): Oh ... but I didn't order anything, just the vliesofix for Robyn and Meredith.
WMBM: (is silent, and continues julienning carrots)
Goddess (thinking real hard): I think I ordered a couple of pigma pens ... and maybe a couple of containers for my beads and buttons. Hmmm ... (places handbag on box larger than coffee table, rests against second box)
WMBM: (is silent)
Goddess: I'm sure I only ordered ... yes I did ... I ordered 15 different containers for my buttons and beads AND the two pigma pens. (pause, supported by incredulous look on face of Goddess)
Goddess (continues): Can you believe the SIZE of these boxes?
WMBM: (still silent and does not put toe anywhere near the killing fields)
Goddess:  (opens Box #1 with carving knife) Expletive - these are the things I chose but there's so MANY of them ...  I mean, like,  there's SO MANY of them ...
WMBM: (has finished carrots, is pouring wine)
Goddess: (puts knife away) Let me check the invoice note receipt thing - there's GOT to be a mistake.
[And there it was  ... I'd ordered 15 sets of each of the different containers, around 5 tubes and/or 8 containers to a set]
Deluded Goddess: (is silent, reflecting)
WMBM: (offers glass of wine in general direction of Goddess) Well that's what you get online shopping under the influence of alcohol.


WMBM

 And he walked away.  I think he was giggling.  This is exactly why I married him.
PS: It's unbelievable but rummaging about the studio has revealed long forgotten tubs, recycled chocolate boxes and packets of beady and buttony bits and pieces.  More gifts of beads and buttons. Now, what was that website again?

Gutta resist and Jennifer Wurrdaj lino print

Silk scarf "guttad"  with Elebetex Gutta and ready to dye

My friend and mentor Ankie lives close by - about 25 kms / 16 miles away - and never as often as we'd like, we get to spend a day together - dyeing, playing with dyes and silk, and more dyeing. I've just finished drawing a gutta resist on silk scarf - drawing with the gutta that is on a full sized scarf is quite a challenge, time-wise but worth the effort. Ankie lent me one of her frames and we stretched the silk scarf over it before filling one of the drawing tubes with the resist and off I went. I've drawn a design based on an apostrophe - and an apostrophe reversed inside itself - and waited for it to dry - a few hours on a warm, dry day - or  a bit longer in humid weather. The resist dries clear and on our next get-together I'll use different procion dyes (just love the Moroccan red) to "colour it in". Looking forward to that - sometime before Christmas this year.

Also before Christmas (and this year too) is a quilt with special significance for me on a number of levels. Maxine gave me a piece of fabric created by Jennifer Wurrdaj, from the Maningrida area of central Arnhem Land.  Jennifer used a lino tile to print  the design elements and this piece uses up to three colours. When I received the piece of fabric, Jennifer had been to the Melbourne Quilt Show demonstrating how she used the lino block designs. Maxine managed to purchase one of her works. Thanks Maxine xxx
I kept the panel untouched for a long time - waiting for the right way to use it that honours Jennifer's work and culture. I hope to have found a respectful solution.

I chose quite a number of fabrics that, for me, represented the dynamic colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities where I have been privileged to work. The narrow border of black acknowledges the different worlds of textile artist and quilter.  I hope the pieced border of hundreds of 1" squares reflects our similarities and sameness. I am in love with the panel. Quilting has been by both hand and machine. The individual trees  and turtle elements have been hand quilted, as well as half of the outer border. I'll finish the quilting by machine - another way to combine difference and sameness. That's the plan ...

Santa Monica, Singers and Such

A trip to Santa Monica Pier was the final destination before heading back across the pond to Brisbane. I'd even emailed the restaurant at the end of the pier to make a reservation for lunch and, until the moment below which is self explanatory, I couldn't understand why they never responded. The karma wheel moves as mysteriously as the goddess - and thankfully we weren't obliged to dine or have our margaritas - and have that fantastic experience ...dulled. Tip for travellers: If you are intending to travel to SMP and take a taxi from near the airport it will cost you around US$50. If you take the blue bus rapid express  ... it will cost you US$1 (for the under 60s) or $0.50 for the over 60s.  Each way. Go figure. The bus was surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, faster and a much shorter trip. The SMP park is really small - but then you won't find a Dreamworld or Movieworld able to fit on a few planks of timber either - it was such a colourful place in the midst of the grey and misting rain.  Next to no one participating and surrounded by closed shops, takeaway and touristy things - it's a sharp reminder of the absence of disposable income. 

This fine establishment is located at the end of SMP. The dream was to sip margaritas on the edge of the Pacific Ocean - and wake up in the morning on the other side of the pond. It was a good plan. Luckily we didn't wait 'til SMP to try margaritas. Grotty  doesn't begin to describe it ... to be kind, maybe the GFC has impacted far more than I'd previously considered.

Enterprise is everywhere - for USD$5 or so you can have one of this man's birds climb up your fingers and take a treat from your fingers. Birds are rotated regularly and given breaks. A "fistful of dollars" took on new meaning and at least the guy has to look after his birds or the income dries up ...  What did they think of the performing humans?

 Santa Monica Shopping precinct is stunning - a complete opposite of the nearby pier. Fresh, flashy - and for the tourists.  Neil Sedaka was appearing at a book signing after lunch - it was such a pity we ran out of time. And our favourite place was ......

this menswear store - from London no less - where the walls were glass and instead of curtains or anything else - wall to wall, floor to ceiling - sewing machines ... all different brands makes and models but all old, old, old ... we stopped counting at around 900 ..... unbelievable! John Watts eat your heart out.

Dulany Lingo Magic

While we visited Colorado, and La Veta specifically, Judith took us on many visits - for food and for nourishment. Dulany Lingo and her house of five studios was a place of artistic nourishment. A real life artist with a real life. Juggling grandma duty with being astonishingly creative - doing a Masters in Knitting (seriously and serious stuff) and living with challenges - and producing amazing art. It's the first and only time I've swooned at the unwrapping of ... knitting needles. Mind blowing stuff . 

I just loved Dulany's studio and the way she had the various studio areas - so much talent, so many studios, set out within her home. The only non-studio element was the bed and bathroom. One aspect of Dulany's art is her digital photos - where the background is totally removed and beautiful elements remain. Fingers crossed, I get to pick up the framed version of smoke bush leaves that I purchased on the trip in the next few days. Can't wait  to hang in the studio/ my room of hanging beauty.  Like Dulany, it's magic.