Drawing and Collage in Lockdown

Seeing as we are still in lockdown, I treated myself to an on-line purchase, some Tim Holtz fabrics.

I have decided to work a bit more on collage as I love the layered look that you get with paint but it is harder to achieve with fabric. So, I thought I would make myself another sketchbook and do some more on paper first. I find the sketchbooks that you buy with the spiral binding annoying when trying to draw, if you are using both sides of the paper.

I used some large watercolour paper folded in half and made a cover with some really heavy interfacing. I went looking for some fabric to fuse onto the cover and decided to use some of my new Tim Holtz fabric.

Usually, people hand sew the pages into the book, but I did it with a large stitch on the sewing machine. I've done it that way before and had no trouble.

So, now I have a lovely new sketchbook to use.

I have also been doing some mono-printing with some eucalyptus leaves, I think they were too big and I don't know if I'll ever use them. In fact, I am much happier with my sun-printing results.

I might see what one or two look like with some stitching on them.

I have also been trying to draw everyday, just a little pen drawing in the concertina sketchbook I made.

That is a benefit of staying at home all the time, you get to play around with this and that.

I've also been quilting my latest improv quilt that I finally finished piecing together.

I have been busy and luckily we are locked down because I haven't done my art quilters homework. That's on my to-do list along with lots of other stuff.

Bye for now,

Linda

Wonder of Eyes

 Last week the curator of the Wonder of Eyes quilt swap Brenda Gael Smith organised a fun Zoom event to distribute the quilts. 

This exhibition was supposed to be displayed at the Australasian Quilt Convention last year, but of course that was cancelled. Sadly, this year's event will probably not take place after being postponed twice, so it was time to distribute the quilts.

Brenda is very clever with all things computer and she arranged a wheel with photos of all the quilts on the outside. Whenever the wheel stopped the next entrant on her list got the quilt. Only once did a person get her own quilt and the wheel had to spin again.

 

It was fun to watch and good to see some familiar quilting faces again even though it was only on-line.

My Peacock quilt went to Cindy who lives in the USA.

I won a quilt named Reflection by Catherine McDonald from New Zealand.

Reflection by Catherine McDonald

On the back she wrote, 'Sometimes reflecting back on events your memory is blurred regarding details. I have tried to show the reflection in the eyes being a bit blurred rather than crisp'.

The other news is that 2 of my grandchildren had their birthdays, Jack turned 5 and Anna turned 3. Just like last year we are in lockdown and their parties were cancelled. We bought a little bike for Anna and left it at their door. Apparently, she absolutely loves it. We bought some Lego and a transformer toy for Jack but I didn't get a photo of them, but he was just as thrilled. Hopefully, they can have a party next year!!

Bye for now,

Linda

Exhibition news

 There is not much happening exhibition wise in Australia, here in Melbourne we are currently in our 6th lockdown, where there are only 4 reasons to leave within 5k of your home. Everyone is getting pretty sick of it.

However, exhibitions overseas are starting to open up.

There is a travelling exhibition curated by Brenda Gael Smith called Open Borders, they are travel inspired quilts from Australian artists. We cannot travel but our quilts can!

There was a lovely advertisement featuring my quilt, Magical Coral Reef.

The exhibition will travel with the Mancuso shows this year.

The World Quilt Show is currently an on-line exhibition and that is on at the moment.

The quilts will be on show in person at

The Pennsylvania National Quilt Exhibition 16th - 19th September

Pacific International Quilt Festival 14th -17th October

Quilt and Sewing Festival of New Jersey 17th - 20th November

There is also going to be a Portrait exhibition at the same shows and my quilt was selected to be in that too. This exhibition was curated by Phyllis Cullen, I did a on-line portrait class with Phyllis and we continue to meet monthly via zoom for a critique session, which really helps to keep everyone motivated. 

My quilt of my grandson Jack climbing a tree will be in that exhibition.

Jack 

Another exhibition called the Wonder of Eyes was supposed to be on show all over Australia in 2020, then all shows got postponed to 2021. Unfortunately, now most of the shows have been cancelled this year as well. The little quilts are going to be returned to us. I did a peacock and there was a lovely post on Instagram showing some of the postcards and my peacock was in the front.

We are still wondering if the Australasian Quilt Convention will go ahead in December and our Victorian Quilt Show in November, but it is starting to seem unlikely.

Bye for now,

Linda

Digital Cloth Magazine

 I am one of the artists featured in the on-line magazine called The Digital Cloth issue 8. It is a great art textile magazine produced by Australian textile artist Caroline Sharkey. 

The Digital Cloth issue 8

I was very honoured to be included because there are always so many wonderful artists featured. I speak mostly about my Coral Reef series of quilts. The magazines are jammed packed with lots of photos and articles by various artists from countries around the world and not very expensive either.  A great value e-magazine.

I have done a couple of other articles for different groups lately. One is coming out this month for my local quilting group, Waverley Patchworkers monthly newsletter. I also did an article for our Oceania SAQA group about my studio. It's not really a studio, I took over the rumpus room when my children grew up. I really love being in that room though. 

Before I took over the rumpus room, I used to use my larger than normal laundry, now I use that area for dyeing and  preparations for sun printing.

Wet studio

The funny thing is, I took some photos and was disappointed at how messy my room looks when I am in the middle of creating a quilt. So I had to tidy up and take the photos again!

Here is where I do my designing at one end of our old table tennis table. I use the table tennis table for basting my quilts.

Design area

I have two sewing machines set up all the time and I work from one to the other.

Sewing machine area

I have one wall of cupboards for all my fabrics. Here is a photo of one of the double cupboards.

I sort my fabrics by type and colour.

That's a sneak peak into where I spend my days. I am really busy trying to get a quilt done for AQIPP (Australian Quilts in Public Places). It is a juried exhibition that is on every 2 years and entries are due next month! The theme this time is Where in the World. I didn't have an idea of what to do for ages and in the end I thought of two ideas. I only have time to make one though.

Bye for now,

Linda