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Tuesday 5 March 2024

Quiltcon and Ocean Dance 2

 Last week the Modern Quilt Guild Exhibition was on in America, it's called Quiltcon. I wasn't there but I made a quilt for the fabric challenge and it got accepted.

Challenge Fabrics


I loved the fabrics so I signed up to do the challenge. Unfortunately, I didn't get a prize but I saw the prize winners on Facebook and they were amazing. The winners were actually what I would call a Modern Quilt and mine was more of a contemporary quilt, so I was surprised when it was accepted.

Ocean Dance 2

I actually took some progress photos, it's good to see where I started and where it ended up.

beginning the quilt

Making progress

I sometimes wonder how I manage to sew it all together! Here I am doing the quilting.

Quilting Ocean Dance 2

Here is a detail photo.

Ocean Dance 2 detail

Here is a link to the Winners 2024

I have a lot of fabric left over, so I think I will make another smaller quilt for an Ozquilt Network exhibition that is coming up using the same theme. Time is the problem, I had better get sewing.

Bye for now,

Linda

Tuesday 27 February 2024

Memories of France

 The Waverley Art Quilters were supposed to meet this month for the first time in 2024. Unfortunately, there was a big summer storm which took out a lot of people's power. I had to cancel the meeting at the last meeting because the venue had no power. I emailed everyone and messaged as many as I could but unfortunately four people turned up anyway. It seems that not everyone checks their emails regularly.

Our Christmas holiday challenge was called Memories of France. I had bought the challenge fabric at the European Patchwork Meeting in France last year. The fabric is called Eclectic Elements by Tim Holtz. We all had a different colour accent strip to use, mine was Olive Green.

Challenge Fabric


This year I have decided to work in a 12" x 12" square format for a change. I wasn't happy with my first attempt, it was too brown, busy and dark.

Memories of France 1

I had printed photos of a door and some windows and flowers from my photos of France, so there were plenty of memories but it didn't remind me of France.

I stared at it for a month or two until I finally decided to try again. This time I simplified the design and used pink instead of brown.

Memories of France 2

I like the second one much better. It is light and pretty and reminds me much more of my time in France last year.

A member of my sewing group has moved down to the beach and we decided that we would all drive down and spend the day with her during the holidays. They have Magpies, Kookaburras and Parrots visiting all the time, they seem so tame. I loved having the opportunity to take some close up photos.





I've always loved birds, maybe I will make some quilts inspired by these photos!

Bye for now,

Linda

Thursday 15 February 2024

Of Land and Sea Opening Event

 My favourite month is January, the busy festivities of Christmas are over and there are no commitments or meetings to go to. I feel so free to do what ever I want which is mainly sewing and catching up with family.

February started with a bang with the opening of my Of Land and Sea exhibition last Saturday. The exhibition is in conjunction with Michael Hammer, who does nature based art that ventures into the surreal.

Here we are before the visitors started arriving. You can see an example of Michael's work in the background.

Michael Hammer and I at the opening

I had my Coral Reef series on display.

Me at the opening

The afternoon went really well and we had between 35 and 40 people come to the event. I asked my son to take photos of the visitors but the photos were mainly action shots that weren't very flattering to people.

My friend Clare, who I met in Morocco in 2022 and went to Europe with last year came and we took a photo together.

Clare and I

I had made a new work for the exhibition and here is my grandson looking at it.


Jack liked the idea of an exhibition so much, he has decided to have an exhibition of his Lego at home later this year and he is planning an entrance fee! At first he thought $40 but I said that maybe $5 would be a better price.

My new work is called Snapshots of the Reef.

Snapshots of the Reef

It is double sided but I only took a photo of the front when I was planning the hanging arrangement.

Planning Snapshots of the Reef

When I get them back, I'll have to take a photo of the second side.

I love this photo of some visitors getting close and personal with my work.

Visitors

We served Sparkling wine and orange juice, sandwiches, cheese platters and scones. There was a lot of food left over as usual, but it's is hard to know how much to serve.

Here is a photo of us with some friends after everyone had gone home.

After the Event

The opening went really well, it was a lovely, warm afternoon and everyone made the effort to come. We had some short speeches that went well. I got a bit emotional when I thanked my husband for his continued support! Silly me.

The exhibition is being held at the Warburton Arts Centre, 3409 Warburton Hwy, Warburton. Victoria. Australia.

It is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12 midday until March 25th 2024. Entrance is free!



Friday 22 December 2023

Merry Christmas 2023

 As I look back on the year, I realise that it has been busy. I have had lots of fun and successes as well as catching the flu and Covid.

I thought my concert going days were over but I went to see Ed Sheeran and Paul McCartney.

Ed Sheeran

Paul McCartney

My European Holiday was the major event as I went to Zurich, France, Germany and Denmark for the first time which included the wonderful European Patchwork Meeting and the Rhine River Cruise.

Morning Tea in France

I also stayed at Create in Harcourt for a friends 70th birthday in April.


I got 2 quilts accepted into the Australian Quilt Show and Life Goes On won Best Abstract Quilt and Best machine Quilting.

Life Goes On

My Sailing quilt won 2nd prize in the Innovative/Contemporary section at Victorian Quilters Showcase.

Sailing



I won the top prize in the Ozquilt Network's Art Quilt Australia 2023 with Moroccan Magic. That was completely unexpected, it was something that I never thought I could win.

Moroccan Magic

I was accepted into Golden Textures with Citrus Zing. I am smiling in this photo but I have just recovered from the flu and was lucky to have been well enough to go.

Citrus Zing

I sold two quilts, an Art Quilt when I was guest speaker at Mornington Peninsula and Autumn Song at Houston International Festival.
Autumn Song

I also Judged AQIPP (Australian Quilts in Public Places)
AQIPP judges 2023

I thought it was my last year as Convenor of Victorian Quilters Showcase but the person who came forward to take over my job resigned a couple of months later. So it looks as if I still have that job, I'll have to do a lot of delegating because I also became President of the Ozquilt Network.

 Ozquilt Network is Australia's premier Art Quilt group and we have members in New Zealand and overseas as well as Australians. 

I have an exhibition in February and March next year of my Coral Reef quilts, so I'll enjoy the break of the Christmas holidays before I am back into being busy again.



Merry Christmas everyone and thank you to those who read my blog and take the time to comment.





Bye for now,
See you next year!
Linda

Tuesday 12 December 2023

Create Whimsy and Good News

 I did an interview with Lynn Woll for her online website Create Whimsy. I think that she did a lovely job compiling all the different styles of work that I have created over the years.

Here is a link to the article about Linda Steele

I also have some more good news. I made an improv quilt for the Quilt Con fabric challenge using the required six Artisan Solids.

Fabric Challenge

I have never participated in a fabric challenge before but I loved those fabrics that reminded me of an under the sea type of quilt.

I didn't expect my quilt to be accepted because it was more improv than modern but I wanted to make it anyway.

Well, I received an email saying that my quilt was accepted and I have posted it off to Quilt Con. I think Quilt Con will be held in February. Unfortunately, I won't be able to be there and see it hanging.

Here is a photo that I took when I first started it.


Here is a detail of the finished quilt as I am not sure if you are allowed to post photos of the entire quilt.

Ocean Dance 2 detail

It's the first time that I have been in Quilt Con!

Bye for now,
Linda

Tuesday 5 December 2023

SAQA Art Quilt Quarterly

 My quilt called Autumn Song which recently sold at the Houston International Quilt Show was featured in the SAQA publication called Art Quilt Quarterly, issue 33.

Art Quilt Quarterly issue 33

There are 40 quilts in the RED exhibition so it was an honour to be featured.



Here is a better photo of my quilt.

Autumn Song by Linda Steele

I have recently found out that the RED exhibition is coming to Australia next year and so I will be able to see my quilt at the Australasian Quilt Convention (AQC) again before it goes to its new owner.

Speaking of exhibitions, I went to see the Archibald Prize exhibition at the Mornington Gallery recently. It is Australia's premier portrait prize and the amazing thing is that a textile piece won first prize! What a massive step for textiles. Julia Gutman won with her work called Head in the sky, feet on the ground. There was no controversy about her winning either. There was trouble a few years ago when a charcoal drawing won and people complained that charcoal wasn't painting. Times have changed!

It was quite wide and there were a lot of people looking at it so I had to take the photo on a angle.

Head in the sky, feet on the ground by Julia Gutman

Here are a couple of detail photos.




Bye for now,

Linda


Tuesday 28 November 2023

Lions Club Donation

 The Lions Club of Quilters, Victoria is trying to raise money to buy and protect Australian Quilts for the future. 

They are having an International Challenge as a way of raising some money and spreading the word. Another thing I did before I went to Europe was to make a challenge quilt for them.

I made a Coral Reef quilt, it was relatively small, 40cm x 40 cm which is just under 16 inches square.

The Coral Reef

The Exhibition of the quilts will be travelling around the world in 2024 and 2025. The exhibition will be called Our World-Coming Together.

Here are a couple of detail photos of my little quilt.




The people involved have been working hard on the project, hopefully they will receive the support that they need.

I thought I was finished making my coral reef quilts because I am really enjoying making my improv contemporary pieced quilts but the challenge for the European Patchwork Meeting in France next year is called Ocean.

The size is quite large, 80cm wide and 120 cm long ( 31" wide x 47" high) . I have a few projects on my list do to as well as having an exhibition of my work early next year, so I will have to see if I can get one done. I suppose I could try making all the components on a bigger scale! That might be quicker and will be different too!

Bye for now,
Linda