Printing again

I'm working on a challenge for my guild and wanted an orange peel/frangipani image.   

I drew the pattern on paper then transferred it to an Ezycarve block.  These blocks are great value - both sides can be used and they are easy to cut. 

double print

printed both sides

The ezycarve block did start out blue, just a bit stained with the paint (or maybe not enough washing!).  I used Setacolor fabric paint with a drop of Golden Retarder with each print run, this certainly helped the paint from drying too quickly and also slightly changed the consistency of the paint.  I have discovered (!) that using a cheap sponge roller rather than a brayer helps this type of paint spread evenly. 

I haven't been able to find these ezycarve blocks here in NZ, this one was purchased in Australia.

Wordless Wednesday

Sunny Sunday

Yesterday (Sunday) was a just a lovely sunny Wellington day. 

Our garden is looking very Spring-like with lots of colour and ... weeds.

playing with Diptic app

Oceania Blog Hop - catchup

Been a bit sluggish with posting this week, so catching up ...

 

 
21 August             Felicity Clarke                 bearlytherecreations.blogspot.com
24 August             Susan Mathews              susanmathews.info/blog/
27 August             Jenny Bowker                 jennybowker.com/postcards
29 August             Sally Westcott                sallydunn.blogspot.com

For the complete Oceania Collection Blog Hop timetable.     

I really like this piece from Susan especially her technique. I took a lino-printing class with her at the Wellington Symposium in 2009, she is such a wonderful teacher.  

SAQA Oceania Blog hop - for this week

15 August             Linda Stokes                   linda-stokes.blogspot.com
17 August             Robyn McGrath               SAQA Oceania blog

19 August             Kate Oszko                     koszko.blogspot.com

For the complete Oceania Collection Blog Hop timetable.   

Wordless Wednesday

Home Again

'Chained' has arrived home.  This was my entry into Aotearoa Quilters 'Connections' exhibition.  

For the past 12 months or so it has travelled around New Zealand.

It also appeared in NZ Quilter magazine (see post here).

The quilts were all 60cm wide by 120cm high.  The chains were coloured with paint sticks and had an extra layer of boofy polyester batting. The quilting pattern also helped the chains to 'pop' from the surface. 

 

After Paint sticks had been applied.

Quilting in progress, to help keep the quilting horizontal, I marked lines at regular intervals.  I probably used a Frixon pen.

Gwen Marston quilted

I've now quilted and bound my two little quilts from the Gwen Marston class (see here).

This one has a small amount of quilting and a narrow binding.  It is a double binding and stitched at less than 1/4" with more folded to the back - if that makes sense. 

With the second one I decided not to quilt it and just bind it.  It does have a few feature (!) tucks and bulges. Hopefully I'll be able to remember the piecing techniques. 

Printing

I spent Sunday at Solander Gallery doing a Relief Printing Workshop with Vincent Drane.  I first visited the gallery in June (see here).

We used Japanese Vinyl instead of the usual lino.  The vinyl is soo much easier to carve into and seems to give better detail.  My hand never ached which is what usually happens when I use the lino.

I'd brought along a pencil sketch that I'd traced from one of my photos - the pump house at Zealandia.  

We were able to use a range of papers, using either the press or hand printing with a baren.  It was interesting to see the different results and appearance.   The best result with the baren was on super light weight Japanese paper.  

SAQA Oceania Blog Hop - this week

 
 
7 August               Maggie Gilbert                 mgquilts.blogspot.com
  9 August               Susie Cujes                     SAQA Oceania blog 
13 August             Linda Robertus                lindarobertus.blogspot.com

For the complete Oceania Collection Blog Hop timetable.  

Txting

Earlier in the year my quilt "Caveman Txts" was selected for SAQA's "Text Messages" Exhibition.

This week I've been preparing to ship it off to the US.  The first showing is at International Quilt Festival in Houston from 31 October until 4 November.  I wish I could travel as much as my quilts do!


A wee glimpse ...
 










 
The fabric is rusted (using equal amounts of water and vinegar), the various images have been lino printed or painted.  Having a farmer FIL with an almost endless supply of rusty objects has been very useful. 

Red 12x12 Exhibited

Continuing with more Symposium items, the Taupo Museum also had the Aotearoa Quilters RED 12x12 Exhibition.  There are ~130 entries.


 
Posters on the Museum door advertising Gwen Marston's exhibition and the Red Challenge.

The poster even featured one of my entries!!

 Mine is the one in the top centre.

Two of mine here on the right (84 & 85)

Zigzag (86), one on the left.  This has sold and found a home in Adelaide, thank you Jeanne.

Best of Show by Sonya Prchal

As quilts sold they were removed and the others shuffled around.  These pictures were taken on the Sunday.  

For a full listing and the quiltmakers names click here.  Any unsold quilts will be displayed at the Hamilton Craft and Quilt Fair in September.