Ed Sheeran Concert

 I have been out and about this year. Earlier this month my daughter and I went to the Ed Sheeran concert. It was a huge arena concert at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). There were 110,000 people there, his biggest ever crowd, his second biggest crowd was the night before with 107,000 people. He's very popular in Australia.

It was a lovely night, seeing as it was an outdoor concert, I don't know what would've happened if it rained! The stage was a rotating circle in the middle of the oval, apparently this was especially developed for him.

Great music, great crowd and the sound was really good, so we could hear all the words.

The concert finished with some fireworks.

I thought my concert going days were over, but I am really glad I made the effort to go.

Bye for now,

Linda

Landscape

 We are exploring various 'Scapes' in the Waverley Art Quilters this year. We started off a bit easier using Landscapes.

I wanted to try and abstract a landscape rather than a realistic depiction. I had no access to my fabrics because they had all been packed up to make way for my new carpet. I love playing around with paper so that was what I decided to use.

I have been doing a lot of paper collages this year so my papers were still handy. 

I had been using some lettering in my collages so I had some already printed out and I printed out a photo of a tree in winter.

On a large A3 piece of paper I cut and pasted some of the lettering. My photo is me trying to make a composition with the lettering and some black and white papers. The lettering really had nothing to do with the landscape but I thought it would be a good way to make it more abstract.

I got so involved that I didn't take anymore progress photos. So this is what it looked like in the end.

Landscape Collage

 I couldn't help myself, I had to add some coloured papers in the composition. I suppose one of the advantages of our group and working small is finding out what you really like!

Well, that really didn't take long to make so I decided to make another one, especially as I was a bit disappointed with my first one.

I printed out another tree and added some of my collage papers, but to abstract it, I sliced the papers into narrow strips. The photo below is what I started with but the tree looked too stark on the white paper.

I found a pale blue paper that I had painted and put it in the paper tray of my printer and printed it out. I got that hint from a collage artist, Rebecca Chapman in the Collage Makers Summit that was held earlier this year..

As long as the paper is clean and flat, the printer doesn't mind at all.

Here is my finished collage, this one is only 10 inches square.

Landscape Collage 2

I like using the papers, no batting and quilting to worry about and nice and flat to store. However, my carpet has been installed and I can get to my fabrics now. It took quite a few days to put everything back again.

I love my new carpet, everything looks so clean and organised. I must take a photo of my improved sewing room, it's working well so far.

But I am off to grandparents day at Kinder with my granddaughter Anna, she is very excited.

Bye for now,

Linda

Exhibition Success

 I've had good news in the last week. Firstly, my quilt First Day Fears was accepted for an 

Oz Quilt Network  Online exhibition. The theme was Memories of Childhood. I used a photo that I took of my grandson Jack on his first day of school last year. Oz Quilt Network is a group for Australian Art Quilters.

First Day Fears by Linda Steele

All the entries were so different, you can see them all Here

My improv pieced quilt called Autumn Song was accepted into the SAQA exhibition called Red.

Autumn Song by Linda Steele

Apparently there were 500 entries from all over the world and they only chose 40. I cannot believe how lucky I was. It will be away travelling around the USA for a while, starting in Houston later this year.

Here are a couple of detail photos.

I was thrilled to be chosen because I had entered it into another exhibition and it wasn't accepted. When you are not accepted it knocks your confidence a bit, so it's even more exciting when you do get selected.

Bye for now,

Linda

SAQA Spotlight Auction

 I belong to the International Art Quilt group called SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates), it's divided into regions and I am in the Oceania region, which covers Australia and New Zealand.

There is a conference next month in Toronto and they have asked members of all groups to make a small work that measures  6" x 8".  They will be framed and on display at the conference and people buy them and it raises money for SAQA to help with ongoing costs.

The even gave us a little cut out so our tiny quilts would be the correct measurement. Here am I testing the measurements when I started to plan my donation.

It didn't take me long to make and I think it looks better in person than in the photo.

SAQA donation

Oh well, at least I made one, I hope someone buys it.

As part of my preparation for my new carpet, I have been cleaning and clearing out my 30 years of accumulated stuff.

I donated 16 of my quilts to the recent flood victims. They are lovely quilts that have never been used but I don't need them. They are quilts that I have made from patterns over the years when I was learning. I have still kept all of the quilts that I have designed.

Donated Quilts

I am trying to be quite ruthless as I sort through my things. I have donated and given away many of my traditional quilt books. I still can't part with my arty ones though.

Bye for now,

Linda

Moroccan Challenge

 The Waverley Art Quilters met last month for the first time in 2023. Everyone was very happy and enthusiastic to be back. They like the program that I have made for this year too.

Everyone received some fabric, braid and thread in a brown paper bag.

When I was in Marrakech last year, I took a photo of a beautiful pot and I used it as my inspiration.

Pot in Marrakech

I would have made the pot in that beautiful blue colour but because I had to incorporate that dark pink thread, I made a pink pot.

Morocco Challenge

 I put that curtain on the side, so I could include that beautiful blue colour and I could have a more interesting negative space.

It was interesting that only half the group actually did the challenge, but I also understand that. Sometimes you just need a break from working and enjoy the lovely summer holidays.

I had a really busy summer break because we have ordered new carpet for the lounge, dining, study, passage and my sewing room. So we decided to paint the rooms before the new carpet arrived. Moving furniture, tidying up and getting rid of things that I don't need anymore has taken ages. In fact, we are still working on it and the carpet gets installed in two weeks. Yikes! It has taken much longer that we thought it would.

Unfortunately, because my sewing room has been packed up, it is very hard to find things.  It will take time to set up the rooms again but it will be so good to get back to normal.

Bye for now,

Linda

Merry Christmas

 I have been busy getting ready for Christmas although the family are having Christmas lunch at my daughter Bec's house. So it's not quite as much work for me.

I'm trying to remember what else I have been up to. I drove to Kyabram to help pack up the One Step Further exhibition and brought home my quilt, Time Flies with it's Highly Commended ribbon.

I've finished my quilt about Jack's first day of school.

In my spare time I am still playing around with drawing and painting. Here are a couple of pages from my sketchbook.

I am playing around with acrylic and watercolour. The photos above are done in acrylic and the ones below are with watercolour.

I still feel like such a beginner but for some reason I really love doing it. I still don't feel as if I have found what I really like to paint. Maybe I'll try some birds next. I did try a portrait but it is not finished.

Our Waverley Art Quilters Challenge this year is called the Moroccan Challenge. I used some silk thread, braid and silk fabric that I bought in Morocco for everyone to play with.

I've actually started mine and that silk thread is horrible to sew with, it catches on everything. You need to file your nails carefully before you start. The group won't thank me for that!

2022 has been a good year but has held plenty of challenges as well. The family are gathering for Christmas and that's wonderful.

My three young grandchildren are, 4,6 and 8 now and are very excited.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Linda

Morocco part 2

 This time last month I was in Morocco, enjoying the beautiful warm weather and exotic sights and sounds.

I left my last blog post talking about our time in the Sahara Desert. After that it was a long drive in the coach to Fes, the oldest city in Morocco.  Luckily, we travelled in a luxury coach and we were able to have two seats each. We drove through the new city of Fes first and although it seemed huge, I didn't notice any building higher than 10 stories.

The streets were so narrow near our accommodation that the bus had to drop us off and we walked to the Riad. From the outside, it didn't seem much but when we went through the door, it was magnificent. This was the dining room where we ate the first night and had our breakfast.

Everywhere we turned seemed to be a picture postcard.

We had a busy day where we drove past one of the King's Palaces (He stayed their during Covid) on the way to a pottery manufacturing place.

We saw how they made and decorated all the pottery by hand.

I particularly loved the water fountains, they actually have them around the town and people use them.

We had a guided tour around the Medina, which is the old market that consists of over 9,200 alleyways and has been operating for over 1,000 years. Luckily, we had a guide or we could have got very lost. Everything you could imagine was for sale, meat, fruit, clothing and home décor. 

There are lots of different date stands, they even have a date festival every year.

We went to the old tannery where they hand-make the leather, we were given some mint leaves to hold on our nose if the smell became too much, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We were taken to one of the leather shops afterwards, I purchased a new wallet because mine was falling apart. Some people had a leather jacket made especially for them.

Leather Shop

We went to a weaving shop where we saw them weaving and then they showed us how to tie a turban. We each had a different colour depending on what we were wearing.

Me in my turban

Next, we visited a shop that made hand embroidered tablecloths and napkins, the work was exquisite, the back just as neat as the front. They said that they use DMC threads because they are so colour fast and reliable.

We also went to a thread and embellishment shop that was lined with silk threads. Here am I in front of one wall.

Here is a close up of the thread, it is actually wound onto bamboo sticks.

I bought some thread and braid to use as a holiday challenge for the Waverley Art Quilters Group. I think the thread might be hard to use though, you wouldn't want to have rough hands or rough finger nails. I suppose we'll find out when we do the challenge. I went to a few fabric shops but we could only see polyester fabrics, I don't know what they use it for because I didn't see anyone wearing it!

On the way to our next city we went to Volubilis to see the ancient Roman Ruins. I think they were discovered in the 1950's and all the statues and marble has been taken to the museums. They are trying to restore what is left.

Volubilis

We had a guide take us around, I still find it amazing how advanced the Romans were.

Here is one of the floor mosaics that they have uncovered. The man in the centre is Hercules.

Roman Floor

Our next place was the famous blue city of Chefchaouen, which was founded in 1471. I loved visiting this city, blue was always my favourite colour growing up and I think it may be again.

It was another beautiful day and so we went for a walk and took some photos overlooking the town.

Of course our accommodation was gorgeous as usual.

Before dinner on our last night there, we gathered for some afternoon tea and photos. We all brought our door project that we had been working on during our trip.

We were getting towards the end of our holiday and the reality was being felt by us all.

Our last day was spent in the capital city of Rabat, a much more modern town but it still retained the attention to detail that Morocco is famous for.

Doorway in Rabat

Below is a photo of the foyer in the Riad that we were staying in.

The market was a short walk away from our accommodation but it had a much more modern look and there were many more people in Western style clothes and much more English was spoken and not as much bartering for goods.

Rabat market

I had a photo taken with a women dressed up as a water seller. In the olden days they used to wear these outfits and sell water to people, but not these days.

Water seller

Before our final dinner of the trip, we went upstairs to look at the view because Rabat is on the ocean and took some photos of each other.

Me in Rabat

We walked down to the water that night because our dinner was on a moored boat.

Rabat at night.

Our boat restaurant

What an incredible holiday. The next day we drove to Casablanca airport for our long flight home. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone.

If you ever get a chance to go to Morocco, I would definitely recommend it. I don't think it would've been as good if I hadn't been on the tour though. We had a chance to meet local people and have some unique experiences. 

Our tour was run by Rita from Amazigh Cultural Tours. Some of the others in the group had been on tours before and they said that this organisation was superior, every step was set out perfectly. We were lucky to have such a great group on the trip as well, everyone got on so well.

Anyway, it's back to the real world now. In Morocco, I felt as if I was in some sort of bubble and had gone back in time or I was on a film set, it was so different to my life in Australia.

People keep asking me if I am going to design any work based on Morocco and I really don't know, it was a sensory overload. I'll just have to see if the ideas start coming.

Bye for now,

Linda