Through our Hands issue 4

The fourth issue of the free online magazine 'Through our Hands' is now available.  The magazine is put together by Laura Kemshall, Annabel Rainbow and Linda Kemshall and as with the earlier issues features interesting articles and heaps of eye candy.

http://issuu.com/laurakemshall/docs/throughourhandsmagazinefeb2015?e=3297033/11588949 

One of the articles is by Wellington local Clare Smith on her 'vertical performance dyeing'.  I went to her exhibition in 2012 and spent quite awhile watching the changes to the 'quilt' as the dye flowed down.

One of my favourites, from her exhibition, featured Zealandia's lower lake and valve tower.

Click here to read the previous issues.

Wordless Wednesday

Oceania Postcard

Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) annual exhibition is on in Portland in a couple of months.  The Oceania SAQA group, mainly Australians and New Zealanders, are creating postcards to display at the conference.

My postcard ...

A linoprint offcut from a previous project, with some hand and machine stitching.

Wordless Wednesday

Mini success

Each February Sawmillers Quiltery, in Te Marua (~40 minutes north of Wellington), host the Stonestead Outdoor Quilt show.  Which I have yet to get to!  

For the show last year I started an entry for their challenge, a table runner.  I got as far as piecing the top that needed to feature a sawtooth block - the block that appears in all their logos.  

 
The challenge for this year was a neonates quilt for Hutt hospital.  The dimensions were 17" by 29" and again had to feature the sawtooth block.  Before Christmas I made one block, had my plan drawn up ... and not a lot happened.  A week or so before the due date put a bit of effort in to complete the quilt. 

A week before the show I delivered the quilt and my daughter's hockey quilt for the youth section.

Neonates quilt

'Hockey Rules'

 






The show was on Sunday 8th February and due to the kids various activities we weren't able to make it - so maybe next year.

It was worth the effort we both won prizes!

 







What I also discovered is that Sawmillers are stocking Aurifil 50wt and hopefully soon will have 40wt and even better they will post it out.

Aurifil in Wellington!

Purples, Living Colour and more

As well as the Symposium exhibitions there were a number of other exhibitions at various Palmerston North venues.

Aotearoa Quilters had their silent auction at the Symposium venue. My quilt 'Out My Window II' was purchased by one of my quilting friends.

'Out my Window II

'

'Increasingly Modern'

Aotearoa Quilters also had their Purple 12x12 challenge at the Square Edge Gallery, as well as the 'Growth' Challenge.  Nice to see my quilt 'Increasingly Modern' again - its been touring New Zealand. 

selection of Purple 12x12s,
my three are on the bottom 2nd - 4th from the left

At Te Manawa was the 'Living Colour' Exhibition.  My two favourites, mainly because I enjoy the Monarch butterfly and Irises:

'Consider the Flowers of the Field',
Christine Dowell

'Yum Yum', Kay D Haerland

Also at Te Manawa was an exhibition of Canadian quilts by Fibre Art Network. 

'Tallheo Cannery', Terry Phillips

'Greens Point Lighthouse', Leslie Forbes

'Canadian Hats', Janet Bednarczyk

Taylor Jenson Fine Arts had a very vibrant and fun exhibition of 40 quilts by Caohagan Islanders.  To read about Caohagan quilts click here.  Unfortunately I didn't take any photos.  A small selection of the quilts will be shown at Minerva Gallery, in Wellington, from Thursday 19th February.

Finally, I missed out on seeing Merrilyn George's exhibition 'Set Apart' on Suzanne Aubert - I just ran out of time.

Wordless Wednesday

Symposium Tutors

At the recent Symposium (previous posts here, here and here) the tutors had their own exhibition.  A few pieces ...

Sue Benner (US) 'Cellular Structure V'

Melissa Burdon (NZ) 'The Black Smith'

 

Mary Pal (CA) 'Horse of a Different Colour'

Betty Busby (US) 'Coral Sea'

 

Rosalie Dace (SA) 'Grounded II'

Gloria Loughman (AU) 'Butterfly House'

Wordless Wednesday

Symposium Exhibition part 2

This is a second post (see here for the first) showing some of my favourite quilts from  Symposium's 'Growing the Passion' Exhibition.  

'Touch the Stars', Griet Lombard
winner in 'Inspired Fibres' and selected
for New Zealand Quilter Suitcase Exhibition
97cm x 97cm

"Touch the Stars', closeup

'Persian Dream', Ansa Breytenbach
Professional First Prize
in 'Yesterday, Today Tomorrow'
229 cm x 229 cm

closeup, beads in the
cross hatching intersections

I enjoy viewing Anna William's quilts, especially her use of the bias strips.

'Mandala', Anna Williams
in Professional 'Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow '
132cm x 132cm

closeup

 

'Lest We Forget', Fay McGregor
in Amateur 'Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow'
180cm x 225cm

This quilt used a whole woolen blanket - the type that has been (and still is) in many NZ homes.  

side view showing backing fabric

The poppies were knitted.  The blanket is a darker grey than the photo shows.










 I spent a morning doing a white glove duty - so got to peek at the backs of quilts.  Also doing a duty first thing I got to take photos easily - with few people.

This quilt is quite transparent, it would be interesting to see it hang from the top and not against a wall.  I tried in the closeup photo to show the light from behind.  

closeup

'Cray's Anatomy, Alison Laurence
in Amateur 'Inspired Fibres'
56cm x 120cm

untitled, Ruth Corbet
First in '3D Flora and Foliage'

These flowers were felted and beautiful.  They were also very soft (with a white glove on!) yet held their shape.














 The raffle quilt was stunning, unfortunately it didn't come home with me.   

Raffle quilt

closeup

I'm not sure who pieced it, it was quilted by Paula Shailer one of the exhibition organisers.









   Finally the Best in Show. 

'Is it Art?', Melanie Martin
Best of Show
Amateur 'Alive with Colour' category
149cm x 235cm

To listen to an interview with Melanie by Charlotte Scott, click here. 

My rather eclectic taste in quilts - an interesting excercise in seeing what quilts have caught my attention and others that haven't! There may be another post - there are still photos of quilts that I liked!

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Category descriptions: 
* 3D Flora and Foliage - let your imagination grow wild and create up to 5 three dimensional flowers or foliage
 
* Inspired Fibres - without freedom, there is no creation in thread and fibre play.  Innovative use of fibres and threads but must bear some resemblance to a quilt.


* Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow - has yesterday influenced you today or how do you see it being tomorrow? What comes to mind when you think of the past, present and future? What traditions from yesterday do you carry on today?

* Alive with Colour - what better way to feel alive than with colour.