SAQA 2014 auction

Every year SAQA holds a benefit auction where members can donate a 12x12" quilt.  
While this year's auction doesn't start until September, the quilts can be viewed on SAQA's website (see here).  My 12x12" quilt 'Kikorangi Kowhaiwhai' appears on page 2a.

Kikorangi Kowhaiwhai

Back here I posted about how it was made and at that stage it didn't have a name.  So thanks to Ms Lottie for suggesting the name, Kikorangi is Maori for blue and Kowhaiwhai are the Maori curved patterns.









When I've completed a project I usually keep the stencils.  One advantage with using freezer paper stencils is that they can be reused.  Cutting them with a craft knife means that both images can remain intact. 

I've been able to use the opposite image to create two blocks for a friendship quilt that some friends are putting together. 

I didn't have any of the sunprinted fabric left so needed to whip some up - starting late in the afternoon wasn't the cleverest of ideas - now that we're in Autumn/Winter the sun is not so warm.  The effect of the salt was more subtle as I'd needed to let the fabric dry inside.

It'll be interesting to see how my painted blocks fit with more traditional pieced blocks.  It should be a great quilt as the quilter putting the blocks together is going to hand quilt it.  

sunprinting with salt

freezer paper stencilling with paintsticks

stencils removed

Wordless Wednesday

SAQA Trunk Show

Earlier in the year I sent off my entry 'Orange Blocks' to SAQA's 25th Anniversary Trunk Show.

Orange Blocks

The quilts are only 7" by 10" and have been mounted onto a black backing board. There are about 400 quilts divided into 8 trunks, my entry appears in Trunk D.

Each trunk then travels to various regions worldwide for a couple of years. 


 



 
An earlier trunk show was shown last year at the Taupo Symposium and also at Aotearoa Quilter's 2013 exhibition.  The quilts were still small but different dimension.


The trunk shows provide an opportunity to see art work by well known international artists (and unknowns!)  that you probably wouldn't see unless you travelled to major shows in the US.

Wordless Wednesday

Spring Fling - finished

A few days ago I posted here about my mini quilt using Sew Wonderful's Quick Curve ruler and their Spring Fling tutorial.  

It is now finished - I mostly followed the quilting as shown in the tutorial.

completed

a closer look

The quilt is ~28 inches square and will be given to the Neonatal Unit at Wellington Hospital.  I don't get too hung up about where it ends up, some quilts are used within the unit, some  given to parents to take home with others sold for fundraising.

This is the first one I've completed this year, I find this size really good for trying techniques, practicing my quilting and using up fabric.  They are also quick and easily finished pieces to do between (or during) larger projects.

Ayrlies Garden

On our recent visit to Auckland I visited Ayrlies Garden.  Beverley McConnell and her late husband began developing the garden 50 years ago. 

While the kids enjoyed Rainbows End (a theme park), with their cousin, we enjoyed the tranquility of the garden.  

Wandering around the garden there were places to stop and enjoy the plantings as well as the waterfalls, ponds and the glimpses across the harbour to Rangitoto Island.

Some pics ...

Wordless Wednesday

Worth Reading

I follow Linda and Laura Kemshall's blogs as well as subscribing to their DesignMattersTV.  They are also part of a group called 'Through our Hands' and have just produced a free online magazine - 'Through our Hands the Magazine'.  

I've had a quick look, it has great photos and articles by Alicia Merrett, Jeanne Williamson, Annabel Rainbow, Sue Benner, Elizabeth Barton and others, and even a bread recipe from Linda.  

Hopefully they'll produce more issues.

The big city

The recent school holidays saw us spending a week in Auckland.  Our timing was perfect the weather was great - warm, mostly sunny and not much rain.  Also many Aucklanders were on holiday elsewhere so traffic was a breeze. 

At times it did feel like we were the little city kids in the big city.  Wellington really is a small city, in land and population size, compared to Auckland.

Some out and about pictures ...

Sky Tower

The Cloud

Mt Eden crater

Mt Eden and cityscape

Highwic House

Rangitoto Island from Cheltenham Beach

For a few days before ANZAC Day (April 25) rarely seen images from WWI were projected on to the Auckland War Memorial Museum with a soundtrack.  The images had been used to create a 23 minute movie, Illuminate 2014: Duty and Adventure, by film maker Gaylene Preston.  The sound and images of the soldiers marching was quite haunting.  See here for a video.

Auckland War Memorial Museum

The other sides of the museum were also lit up in red.

Spring Fling

'Spring Fling' is the name of a block by Jenny Pedigo of Sew Kind of Wonderful.  Some time ago I purchased her ruler when I was keen to try and master curves.  My first block was a complete failure and I threw it out.  (this wasn't due to the ruler!! more like operator error!!!)

I've continued to follow her blog and the other day had another go, this time with her new tutorial - Spring Fling.  

The block went together quite quickly and easily - even cutting the curves and sewing them was fine.  Only once did I need to unpick one curve because when I came to trim it - it was more like a parallelogram than a square!

What I did notice (and this may have been one of the reasons for my early failure) is that the ruler and patterns are for right-handers.  I'm left handed and sometimes I found I was holding the ruler quite awkwardly.  The next time I use the ruler I'll put the pattern/pictures upside down - hopefully then it will be easier.

As I didn't have any of the orange/white fabric left and hardly any of the checked decided that this could be a Neonate quilt.  Added a couple of borders to get it upto the required 27" size.  Now to quilt it ...

Jenny has a giveaway on her blog for her new book Contemporary Curved Quilts, see here.

Wordless Wednesday

Researching

A site that I've recently become aware of is www.textileartist.org.

How they describe themselves  ... 

'TextileArtist.org is a place for textile artists and art enthusiasts to be inspired, learn from the best, promote their work and communicate with like-minded creatives.'

While I like the interviews of textile artists that use an interesting range of materials and techniques, they also have articles on topics such as using Pinterest and 'finding an audience for your art'.

Be prepared to spend awhile ...