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

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

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

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

Waverley Art Quilters

 Last week, the Waverley Art Quilters had their final meeting for the year. We showed each other our latest challenge and everyone brought a plate to share. 

One of the artists we studied this year was American Collage artist Rex Ray. He's always been a favourite of mine and I've had his book for many years.

Rex Ray Book

I was trying to do my Rex Ray inspired piece quickly before I went away to Europe. I decided to use spot fabric to sort of cheat a little and make it a quick little quilt. The photo of it is below.

 I was so disappointed, I didn't like it at all. I realised that the spot fabric was too even and perfect. There was no getting around it, I had to cut the work myself and sew around the shapes.

Here is my finished Rex Ray piece, I actually really like it. It is so different to my usual work and I love the colours.

Stepping Stones

Our final challenge for the year was Desert-scape.

I had some hand dyed fabrics left over from the class with Gloria Loughman, so I used them. 

Uluru by Linda Steele

Last week, I was guest speaker at Mornington Peninsula Patchworkers. A lady named Anne came up to me afterwards and said that she loved one of my little A3 Art Quilter quilts. It was the one from earlier this year, inspired by printmaker, Angie Lewin.

She asked if it was for sale? I was so shocked that she bought it that I asked if I could have a photo of her with the quilt.

Anne with my quilt.

Now I have had two sales in two weeks. Maybe, I'll start to mention that I sell my quilts when I do guest speaker talks.

Speaking of talks, I am the guest speaker on Saturday for the Victorian Quilters Gathering. I'd love to meet you there, if you can manage to come. Of course, it is in Victoria Australia!

I'll have to remember to wear my pearls!

Bye for now,

Linda

AQIPP 2023

 Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of judging AQIPP 2023. AQIPP stands for Australian Quilts in Public Places and it is a competition and exhibition of art quilts. The theme this year was Unfolding- Something concealed, something revealed.

The other judges were Sue de Vanny and John Timmins from Brother International.

AQIPP 2023 Judges

We enjoyed the day, looking at and discussing the quilts. The hard part was deciding on the prizes, there were so many lovely quilts and ideas for the theme.

As well as the theme, we took workmanship into consideration as it was difficult to choose between some of them.

First prize went to Jacie Malseed for her quilt, Unfolding Shibori. It was so elegant, the photo does not do it justice.

Unfolding Shibori by Jacie Malseed

Second prize went to a South Australian lady, Lynne Casson with her quilt, Zoo Motion Illusion.

Zoo Motion Illusion by Lynne Casson

Here is a detail photo of the quilt.

Zoo Motion Illusion detail

It took ages for us decide on the Best use of Colour prize, we finally chose Pond by Marina Holland.

Pond by Marina Holland

We chose two Highly Commended prizes.

Nocturne- Iron Range by Heather Bingham

Scatter by Dianne Firth

The Curators Prize went to Julie Langford for her quilt, Inside Out.

Inside Out by Julie Langford

The Opening Night was held later that day, so we enjoyed seeing the prizes given out and I did a short speech on behalf of the Judges.

Apart from 2 of the prizes who went to quilters from interstate, all the winners were there. The best part was that they were already coming to the opening, so they were not told that they had won a prize. They were all so surprised and overcome, it was lovely.

AQIPP is held at the Box Hill Town Hall, Whitehorse Road, Box Hill. Victoria.

Opening hours are 10-4pm, Tuesday to Saturday. 

The gallery is a lovely, very professional gallery and the exhibition is open until December 21st. It's well worth a visit. The gallery told us that they have more visitors to AQIPP than any other exhibition.

Bye for now,

Linda

Autumn Song Sold

 My quilt Autumn Song was on display at The Houston Quilt Festival last week. It had been selected to tour with the SAQA Global exhibition called RED.

I was enjoying seeing the various Houston posts on Facebook and saw pictures of the Red exhibition. They are not my photos so I don't think I can share them here.

I received a wonderful email during the week to say that someone had bought my quilt!

It was such a thrill and an honour that someone decided that they wanted my quilt. I also sold my quilt called Grief at Houston in 2021. I remember being thrilled then but never expected to sell another one.

Grief by Linda Steele

So, I won't see both those quilts again. They take a long time to make but I have made so many quilts over the years, I am happy to let some go.

Here is a photo of the full Autumn Song.

Autumn Song by Linda Steele

Autumn Song was one of the first fully improv quilts that I made. I am glad that somebody else liked it too.

Bye for now,

Linda

SAQA Red in Houston

 The big international quilt show in Houston begins this week. I have been lucky enough to go twice although my quilts have been there quite a few times. I didn't enter the judged show this year but I do have a quilt on display in the SAQA (Studio Art Quilts Associates) exhibition.

The exhibition is called Red and I was delighted to find that my quilt was on the cover of the catalogue.

SAQA Red Catalogue

The pages are quite glossy, so it didn't photograph very well.

Here is my spread inside the book.

Here is a photo of the actual quilt.

Autumn Song

Here are a couple of detail photos.

I made this improv quilt in 2022. I just started cutting and piecing with no pattern or plan, but halfway through making the quilt, I was reminded of Autumn and so that idea stuck.

The other exciting thing that happened recently was that my husband and I went to the Paul McCartney Concert.

I bought the tickets as a treat for my husband because he was a big fan of the Beatles when we met in the 1970's. It was a fantastic concert. There was no support act and no interval and Paul sang and played multiple instruments for 3 hours. You could tell how much he loves singing and performing.

I could have easily sat through the concert again, it was so good. We stayed the night in the city, a short walk from the stadium, so we didn't have to deal with the traffic after the concert. It was like a mini holiday.

Bye for now,

Linda