I love the quilt on the cover of this book!

I love the quilt on this cover so much. The colours are just so striking and the beading looks great.

I got this book a few weeks ago and I've enjoyed reading it. The first section covers the basics, so its a good book for beginners.

The next section covers projects. It covers projects from beginners to more advanced including the quilt from the front cover. I like coming up with my own ideas so I don't like just doing projects and creating a replica of the project piece. Although I am tempted with that cover quilt design. Anyway, I'm finding lots of interesting ideas and beading ideas that I can use to inspire my own creations.

The last section is a gallery of some amazing beaded quilts by various artists and has lots of great eye candy. One of the artists is Susan Sorrell. I have done a few of Susan's online Joggles classes. Her classes are wonderful and her art quilts amazing. I'll have to look up some of the other artists up on the internet and see more of there work.

In the book I think there are a few too many projects with just basic beading and although some of the projects are more advanced I would have liked to see a really heavily beaded quilt with detailed instructions on doing the beading. Apart from that its a great book and any how I just love it for its cover.

August TIF Challenge - Abit more

A little bit more done today. Rosette chain around the outside of the orange paisley design and blanket stitch around the outside of the pink one.

Update on August TIF Challenge

I managed to do some more of my challenge piece this weekend. In this photo I have used some paisley designs as a pattern so I could get my outside shape. The designs on these look great, but I'm going to come up with my own design for the inside. It's a chance for me to explore some new embroidery stitches or do some known ones in a different way. Once I do the Shisha mirrors, I'll be filling in the rest of the paisley shape with embroidery.



In my last post I mentioned that I was going to do some paisley designs as a different interpretation of the ying/yang symbol. I know you are probably thinking that this doesn't look exactly like the ying/yang symbol, but the ying/yang symbol is expressing perfect balance. With this piece I'm not trying to do that. I'm trying to express the image of their being a balance in managing to juggle endless priorities and being able to do 10 things at once and even though the balance may not be perfection - maybe it doesn't have to be and it is still okay.

I'll keep you updated on my progress....shisha mirrors should arrive this week, so I should have more to show next weekend.

August TIF Challenge

I've skipped the July TIF Challenge for the moment but I know what I want to do. Hopefully I'll finish August quickly and go back to do July.

The August TIF challenge is about balance. Initially lots of thoughts went through my mind such as juggling, a see saw, tightrope walker, the ying and yang symbol, etc.

I decided that I wanted to do some Shisha embroidery (using those little indian mirrors) which I haven't done before. This lead me to think of using a paisley design as a different version of the ying/yang symbol. I wanted to express balance emerging out of a busy life with competing priorities.

The picture above is my August piece so far. I used a bottom layer of black cotton fabric. On top of that I have a layer of blue and purple wool fibres and difference pieces of wool yarn. On top of that the third layer is blue netting. I did free motion embroidery over the top of this. I then did creton, herringbone and chain embroidery using different shades of blue. I will probably do more background blue embroidery once the main images are done.

I'm ready to start the paisley designs. I haven't been able to buy any Shisha mirrors locally so I had to order some online. I'm waiting very patiently for them to arrive. I'm going to do the paisley designs in bright colours. I should be able to do the embroidery for the outlines of the designs while I'm waiting for the mirrors. I'm thinking that I might also include some beads in the background and on the designs. I'll have to see as I go along.

I like how the background has a painted look to it.

June TIF Challenge Finished

"Endless Possibilities"

The June TIF Challenge was about stories that our stash tells and stories that are waiting to be told. The art quilt I created is called "Endless Possibilities".

My background is made up of little pieces of material from my stash which represents the materials used to create my stories or art quilts. Once my ideas are formed in my head, my hands transform the ideas into reality. The flower represents an idea emerging, blossoming, transforming and releasing its beauty.

I free motion stitched the background pieces down. I used hand embroidery on the hand and flower. I used beads to emphasise the flower and define the edges.

It feels so much more personal using my own handprint on a quilt. I really like how this turned out and enjoyed making it.

Now onto the July TIF. I've also been working on some ideas for the August TIF.

BUSY! BUSY! BUSY!

The school holidays and working are keeping me busy at the moment. I'm nearly finished my June TIF, will post a photo later in the week.

Update on June TIF and initial thoughts for July TIF

My June TIF is coming along. I didn't have to redo the top of my piece. Once I ironed it the small pieces of fabric stayed together okay. I put a piece of Romeo (water soluable stabiliser) on top, pinned around the edges and then took to it with the sewing machine. I love how the background turned out. I also changed my idea for my main focus. Hopefully will have it finished by next week and will show you then.

Well the July TIF is "The Half Way Mark". At this stage I think I will focus on Half. I haven't done any abstract art quilts before so I'm thinking of using shapes halved to form an abstract design. I'll have to do some sketching and see what I come up with.

June TIF Challenge

What not to do!! I spent time laying out all these pieces on some black backing fabric, then when I went to iron it all, realised that I should have fused them on. I will have to redo this before I free motion stitch it. Anyway these are leftover pieces of fabric from projects I have done using the materials in my stash. I was thinking of sticking to one colour for the background, but I couldn't help myself and went with all colours. Using such a colourful background is going to make it quite challenging coming up with the rest of the piece. It will be interesting to see how this one turns out.

April TIF Finished and Initial thoughts for June TIF Challenge

April TIF Challenge finished - Change - "Go with the flow of Life"

For the April TIF I used a background that I had made using a silk material backing, covered in threads and then a top layer of green chiffon. I then free motion stitched all over and then burnt away some parts. Then I did lots of layers of green embroidery over the top using cross stitch and chain stitch. Then I added flowers. The concept on change is often a hard thing to accept and go along with, so my theme of Going with the flow of Life is to remind me of the natural cycles of life and to sometimes just let go and go with the flow. Sometimes the heartache and struggles are just from holding on so fiercly and not just accepting and going with the flow. It's easy to say as some times change can knock you flying. This is a happy piece to show that change is not necessarily bad it is a transformation to something different.

June TIF Challenge - I've got to get a move along with this. I have some days off this week so hoping to spend some time getting this done. The concept for this month is Stories that are and stories that are possible. The first thing that came into mind was a picture of a person with hair made from all different materials and fibres, with some pictures forming out of these. Representing ideas going from the materials to solid ideas.

I'm thinking that I will do the background as lots of small pieces of material from my stash, freemotion stitched together onto the background. Then I think I will do a self portrait picture. But I'm still thinking, so it might end up as something completely different. I'll keep you posted.

Week 3 Organic Dimensions Background Class Finished

Yeah - I finished week 3 of my background. I was on a roll and did both weeks 2 and 3 today. This isn't a great photo, the colours look all dull and washed out, but you get the idea anyway. I'll have to have a think about my main focal point and what wording to put on there. I would like to use a polynesian or tropical theme, I'll have to do some thinking.

Week 2 Paulette Insall's Organic Dimensions Background Class

I'm running behind with these lessons, but I finished Week 2 today and hoping to get Week 3 finished today too. Its a great class and its been great seeing it all on video. The people in the class have been doing some really great work. I better go and try to get some more done.

May TIF Challenge

I didn't do the May TIF challenge due to being ill for alot of the month, but I thought I would briefly comment on the concept. It was about what you call yourself in relation to your creative work.

I don't really have a need to call myself anything. I like the freedom of being able to dabble where ever my creative urges take me. I am in the exploring stages with my work. Maybe someday I will be a Textile artist or Art Quilter, depending on where my creativity takes me.

I don't like some of the snobbery that can go along with being called an Artist and if you don't have a degree or masters in fine art you are a nobody. I think that some of the best artists can be self taught, where they rely on their creative intuition and don't overthink their work.

Also I don't like the names Maker or Crafts person, I think they belittle the art that the person is creating.

Anyway, just a few of my ideas, I'm not sure what piece I would have developed this into. Maybe something to explore in the future.

Now onto June's TIF Challenge!!

I've been a bad blogger!!!

I wasn't too well in May so I haven't been blogging for a while. But I'm feeling alot better now. With yesterday being the first day of winter, I've been dosing up on the vitamin C and getting the winter woollys on to ward off the dreaded flu. I don't wont to get it again for awhile.

Last week I received Quilting Arts in the mail - the first one of my subscription. I really love the cover this issue. The art quilt is by Frances Holliday Alford. I love the colours and the painted look that it has.

I'm expecting a parcel from Quilting Arts any day now. I bought the Quilting Arts TV DVD and also a couple of books. I'll show you when they arrive.

I've started Paulette Insall's class but I've only completed week 1. Our internet speed slows down towards the end of the month if we have downloaded our maximum allowance, so I haven't been able to download the video for week 2 yet. Week 3's video is out tomorrow. We get our full internet speed back on 4th of the month. So I'll be looking forward to looking at these two videos on Wednesday.

This is my progress so far. Its interesting to see how everyones work is progressing it changes so much from one week to the next. It will be interesting to see how it ends up.

Time has slipped away!!

Well I didn't realise that it had been so long since I had blogged. I've been abit sick with a bad chesty cough. At times its been abit like asthma. I think its going now, but I wont talk too soon. So unfortunately I haven't been doing much of anything.

I've done abit more of my April TIF but don't want to show it until it is finished. I've started to think about the May TIF but I'm finding it a hard one. I'll have to get a move on and blog my initial ideas.

Next Monday I start an online class with Paulette Insall called Organic Dimensions Background class. It's a painting collage class, so I'm really looking forward to exploring this other creative avenue. I haven't done alot of painting, so I'm looking forward to learning lots.

Will post about May TIF soon.

New Joggles Classes

The new Joggles classes have been listed on the website. I've signed up for the Textile Art with Pizzazz class with Debbie Babin. Debbie has been teaching on Quilt University and also had an article in Quilting Arts No. 29. I'm looking forward to her class which starts in July. I am very tempted to take more classes but I've learnt my lesson from taking 3 lessons that overlapped last term. I didn't get to participate fully in them, and even though I have the lessons to go on with, I'll miss not having the class and teacher contact.

TIF Challenge Update - I'm about halfway through. I don't think I will have this one finished before the end of the month but I'll try to have it finished next week. I'm working the rest of this week, going away on the weekend to Brisbane to see James Blunt (I can't wait) and then I have time off next week to concentrate on finishing it off.

April TIF Challenge - Change

So, I should have been abit further along with the challenge this month, but sometimes life gets in the way. I have been thinking alot about what I will do and I've come up with an idea.

First abit about the thoughts I have been having about Change and how we react to it.

I think change can be exciting and refreshing if it is something that has been planned or if it involves changes that we consider positive such as a promotion, new job in a field that we love, moving house, etc.

Change can get more difficult if it involves things such as divorce, death of loved ones, having to sell your house or business due to financial reasons, etc.

Maybe the difficulty that comes with change is the attitude that we have towards it. If we are clinging onto the past for dear life, this can only bring pain, grief and trauma into our life. All things in our life may happen for a reason and if we could see things in a broader perspective we may be able to understand more why things have happened the way they do. In order to move on in our life and to learn lessons we sometimes have to leave good things behind. We need to be able to end the chapters in our life and be able to open the next door and jump right in. Even if you try to have this positive perspective I still think that there is a period of adjustment. And maybe sometimes this adjustment may mean crawling under our bed covers and blocking the world out for the day.

I'm in my early 40's and am starting to experience aging. Its interesting to think about how differently we all react to aging. Some people fall apart, some cling desperately to their youth and some embrace it. It is a time maybe to confront issues from our past, look back and review our life, what are the things we haven't done, what about the dreams we had - did we go out into the world and accomplish them, what do we still want to accomplish in our lives. I don't see it as a downward spiral. I'm all for older people going out and climbing mountains, jumping out of aeroplanes, travelling the world, riding motorbikes or whatever it is that makes them feel complete.

When Sharon spoke about this challenge she mentioned about the attitude people have about the cup being half empty or half full. I think this attitude can have a big influence on how we react to change. I also thought of the saying "Going with the Flow". Which lead me to think about nature and the natural cycles. I then thought that this month I would focus on my garden once again and do a piece that would represent the flow of change in nature and remind me to embrace change and "Go with the Flow of Life".

So I'm going to either use this burnt green thread background that I already made or experiment making some other burnt backgrounds. Then I'm going to embroider flowers all over it to make a lush vibrant garden.

I better get cracking!!!

Quilt Fair and Small Quilt Class

I thought I would show a progress photo of my "Tree Of Life" quilt I am doing for the Small Quilt class with Jane LaFazio. Jane's website is http://www.plainjanestudio.com/

I had a great time at the Quilt Fair. The quilt displays were great. I particularly liked two quilts by Helen Godden. They were painted and then stitched. She does some really amazing work. One was a large painted Cockatoo and the other one was of a boy sitting on his bed reading a story and all around the bed was an imaginary world of jungle and dinosaurs. It was very detailed and great to see up close. Helen's website is http://www.helengodden.com/

I ended up buying some beads to make some necklaces, which I hadn't planned on. I really enjoyed hearing Prudence Mapstone talk about Freeform knitting and crocheting and I bought her book "Freeform". I also got a Jenny King pattern for a crocheted poncho and black yarn to make it. Now, it's the first time I've used a large crochet hook, so it might take me abit to get the tension right. The pattern isn't hard though. Also Wendy Bailye had a great stall there with lots of amazing examples of her felting work. I would love to do one of her felting classes sometime. She's located north of Brisbane at Yugar. Her website is http://www.heartandsoulaustralia.com/

Gold Coast Craft and Quilt Fair

I can't wait till tomorrow. I'm spending the day at the Craft and Quilt Fair up at the Gold Coast. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Husqvarna Viking International Quilt Competition display. There's also the Best of Australia Quilts display and A World of Quilts by members of the Gold Coast Quilters Inc with a theme of World Travel. There will be lots of beautiful work to drool over. I'll be keeping my eye out for some beads, buttons and fabrics to buy, I'll have to try to control myself.

The April TIF is about Change. I haven't come up with any ideas yet, I have some days at home next week so I'll spend some time on it then. It's also the last week of the Small Art Quilt class I'm doing. This weeks class is creating a self portrait quilt. It looks like alot of fun, so I can't wait to get started on it. Also its the 5th week of The Fertile Earth class and this weeks theme is Shells, Rocks and Stones. I'm enjoying both of these classes so much that I don't want them to end.

A few posts ago I mentioned that I got some new things.

I got some more wool - I can't help myself, I love the colours and textures.

These batiks are beautiful. They were perfect to use as the background for a Tree of Life quilt that I'm doing for the Small Quilt Class.

I also have started collecting interesting buttons of all shapes, colours and sizes as well as beads. I've had some new additions of these but haven't taken a photo of them.

A can't help myself with books, I love them. These are a few I have got recently.

This book was abit different to what I expected as its all in black and white, but its a great reference book. I'm abit limited in my stitch knowledge so this is a great one to extend my stitch knowledge and to see how to take the stitches beyond their normal look.

I love this book. Each time I go back to it I find new things.

This is a bad photo but the book is great. The quilt on the front cover is really striking, I love the colour combination. Susan Sorrell has some art quilts in this book as well.

Another bad photo, but I had to also add these two books that I recently got out from the library. Both of these are very inspiring and well worth having. I think I will have to get my own copy of Stitch Magic sometime - I don't think I will be able to keep getting it out from the library.

March TIF Finished - "Remember to Stop and Smell the Flowers"

Hope you had a wonderful Easter. I finished my March TIF challenge as you can see above. I've called it "Remember to stop and smell the flowers".

I love observing the small details in the garden and how things grow and change from day to day. Time often feels like it is flying away and I sometimes don't make the time to go out into the garden. This is a reminder to go outside and not to let the small details going on in the garden pass me by.

I have made the flower oversized to emphasise its beauty and to create the impression of being enveloped in its perfume. Also a walk in the garden wouldn't be the same without the company of my beautiful cat "Jazzie".

I used a knitted sari silk background that I showed in a previous post. I had to put some batting and a cotton backing onto the back to make it abit more rigid so it would lie flat when hanging up.

I've Been Playing!!

Yesterday I played around with some things that I have been wanting to try.

On this one, I started out with a piece of green silk material, I thought some of this would be showing through, but not much did. Next time I would use something plainer. Then I piled on small pieces of green fabric, lots of embroidery thread offcuts and various fibres. I then finished it off by laying a piece of cold water soluble Romeo on top. I then did lots of machine stitching all over it. The romeo stuck abit when sewing so I did the sewing on the material side with the romeo on the bottom and this worked well. I did lots of stitching making sure that it all overlapped. Then I swirled it around in cold water and the romeo dissolved really easily. This was the first time I have used romeo and I think its great and easy to use. I think this is a really great way to make a luscious background.

For this one I used the same silk fabric, embroidery threads and fibres and topped it off with a piece of green organza. I pinned it all around the edges and then did lots of machine stitching all over it like the first one. I then took it outside, wearing a mask thing over my nose and mouth, I used my embossing heat tool to burn holes in the organza so the other layers and fibres showed through. The material on the edges burnt away easily but the organza in the stitched area didn't burn as easily. When I've read about this technique I think they use a different heat tool, not sure if it might be a soldering iron. The heat tool I used is like a mini hairdryer so you don't have as much control over the areas that will burn. But it was a good experiment and I quite like the 2 pieces I came up with. I would like to use these in some garden pieces but haven't thought any further than that yet.

Sick of Being Sick!!!!

I'm just feeling sad and sorry for myself as I've only been sick since yesterday. I've just got a cold, runny nose, sore throat and sore head. My husband has had it all week and then wanted to share it with me. Anyway I'm supposed to work today, but had to have the day off. Which isn't good when your job is casual - no work no pay. I'm supposed to work Sunday and Monday too, so hoping that I'm quite abit better by tomorrow. It's definately not good to be sneezing on customers!!!

No more work at the moment to show. I did get some goodies in the mail this week from Joggles and should be getting some things from The Thread Studio this week, so when I'm feeling better I'll show some photos.

Off to blow my nose, get a hot drink and head for bed.

Small Quilt Class - Week 1 finished

I've finished week 1 of the Small Quilt Class that I'm doing on Joggles.

March TIF Challenge

March is starting to run away so I better get onto the March TIF Challenge. This month it is:

"Do you ever notice the little things, the small moments, the details in life? This months challenge is to do just that, pay attention to the tiny details. Sometimes the small things become emblematic for something larger. That is it! I am going to keep it brief."


The colour scheme is:

I like this colour scheme but I don't know if I will do it or not, I'll be using some of the colours.

The very first thing that came to mind when I read this challenge was the saying, making the time to stop to smell the roses. Then my thoughts went to my own garden. I really enjoy, especially in Spring and Summer, exploring my garden. Taking the time to walk around and notice the subtle changes, the leaves that have grown, the buds that have opened, watching the ladybugs and bees, taking in the smells, the colours, feeling the breeze on my face and inhaling all the beautiful fragrances, watching fruits and vegetables developing, seeing the Willie Wagtails (small black birds that wiggle their tails) jump around the lawn, seeing the butterflies fluttering around the flowers, picking herbs, fruits and vegetables to use in my cooking. This summer we have had so much rain that I haven't done this as much as I would have liked. Also I know that when I get busy, I miss out on seeing these small details.

I was going to do an upclose look at some of the details from my garden but instead I decided to do a piece called "Making the time to smell the flowers". This is a reminder to me to take the time to be in the 'NOW' and experience the little details in life. Sometimes we have to remember to look at the world through our inner child's eyes and experience the excitement and wonder of our beautiful world.

The Small Art Quilt Online Class with Jane LaFazio

I can hear you saying "Not another class". Yes, I just couldn't help myself. I did Jane's Mini Quilt Class last year and I couldn't help enrolling in this next class of her's. It's a shame that the classes I wanted to do were all on at the same time. But I'm not going to stress about it, I'm going to enjoy reading the class notes, starting the projects, interacting with the group and will get the projects done as I can. I'm then going to have a break from classes so I can catch up on doing all these wonderful projects. (Although I am hanging out to do Sharon's Personal Library of Stitches class - hoping it might be later in the year).

Anyway, this class of Jane's is very inspirational. I've started on week 1 which is Fabric Collage. It involves weaving fabric and using it as a background or cutting it to use for the main subjects. It also involves using a repetative subject. I'm using hearts. I've woven a background of purple fabrics that I need to sew (in the photo some of the fabrics look redish). I will probably play around with the hearts abit before I finish and add some embellishments. Its a really fun class. Lesson 2 looks like lots of fun too. I better get cracking!!!!

Fertile Earth Embroidery Class

This week I started the Fertile Earth Embroidery class that Susan Sorrell is running through Joggles. It's a new class that Susan is running and I couldn't help enrolling even though I'm currently enrolled in another 2 online classes. I have to admit I'm a Susan Sorrell-aholic.

Anyway this class looks excellent. Week 1 focusses on fruits and vegetables. I decided to do kiwi fruit. I think I will be using the above photo to base my embroidery on but following are some of the other effects from photoshop.

Photo Transfer

I had a comment on my last post from Sharon Baggon, saying how well my photo transfer turned out. Its probably because it isn't a photo transfer on the finished quilt. Here is a picture of how one of the transfers turned out. It didn't turn out very well at all and it didn't scan very well either.

For the transfer I enlarged and printed the photo out onto matt photo paper. I cut the car out and applied gel medium to the fabric surface I was using and the photo side of the paper. I then stuck them together. I then used a paddle pop stick to smooth down the paper and wiped away any excess gel medium from the edges. This was when the fun began!!! After leaving it for awhile I then rubbed the back of the paper with a paddle pop stick to help the transfer to happen. This took me many attempts as alot of them ripped through. Then when I finally got some to the stage of lifting the edge and peeling it back, I would think it was going really well and then a bit of the picture would pull off. It was very frustrating. I think if the quality of the photo had of been better I would have got an image that I could have used. Anyway, atleast I know how to do it now and I'll be able to use it again.

I played with the idea of using one of the photo transfers as it went with the idea of fading memories, but it made the quilt look very drab. So instead I used fotoflexer to colour the car red and then I printed it out from the computer onto a sheet of canvas. I then cut the car out and fused it onto the quilt. Not the same as doing a photo transfer, but at least I got it to look the way I wanted it to.

Feb TIF Challenge Finished!!!!!

Yeah, I'm finished!!!!!!! I'm happy that I managed to finish it in time. So here it is.

This was one of the things that I was old enough to remember, my red peddle car. The coloured parts are the bits that are remembered and the black and white represents the things that don't stand out in this memory. The car is oversized as it is the main focus of the memory and also remembering it through a childs eyes it seemed huge. The tree is a tree of life and it represents the paths I could take in life and being at a time when all my life was in front of me. I was embarking on the journey of life, not knowing that it would lead me to where I am today.

I tried many times to get the photo of me in the car to transfer well onto fabric. They all turned out very faded so in the end I printed onto canvas and fused this onto the piece. I machine stitched on all the pieces and did some hand embroidery swirls on the grassed area.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the next challenge will be.

An update on my January TIF. I've done lots of stitching, I'm up to the grassed area. I should be finished soon - I'll wait till I'm finished to show a photo.

February TIF Challenge

Stay tuned........ I will be finished today (well at least before the stroke of 12 tonight)!!!!!!!!!

Monoprinting Class and Feb TIF Update

I've started the online monoprinting class with Susan Sorrell on Joggles. I haven't had my supplies so I've been playing with acrylic paint and textile medium. The first week was sunprinting and glue batik. I didn't have the right paint for the sunprinting so I experimented with the glue batik.

For this first one I didn't water the paint down enough so it didn't go through the fabric. But I love the colours but it has a strange feel to it - not sure how this would sew. I'll have to try it and find out.

I watered the paint right down for this one and then mixed it with the textile medium and this soaked throught the fabric. In this one I varied the amount of glue used which made some lines more subtle.

This is the piece of fabric that was underneath while I was putting the paint on. It could be used like this or I could add stamping or other monoprinting.

These are my supplies of textile paints that arrived yesterday. I'll be able to play more now.

TIF update - I'm still slowly progressing on the Feb TIF. I've cut out my tree and working out my fabrics to use. I've run out of printer inks so have to get those so I can print out my photo and play around with the transfer techniques. Will have something to show by next week.

Happy Valentines Day!

Today I was looking through my supplies and found these wools that I had. I love the colours and textures.

I also found this Silk Thread that I got from the Thread Studio last year which I hadn't used.

So today I knitted this with the Silk Thread while I was watching the movie "The Girl With The Pearl Earring". I'm going to use it as a background. The colours are gorgeous. The movie was okay - not as good as I thought it would have been. It was on TV so it didn't help having commercials which took away from the mood abit.

On the subject of movies I went and saw "PS I love you" with my best friend, and yes we took the tissues with us. It was great. I'm looking forward to seeing "Atonement" which has just come out.