Material Obsession

This is how it starts....

This is how it starts in Thinking Outside the Square.  Get all the elements of the quilt up on the wall and examine the possibilities.  We work with shapes and how they are affected by color and placement. Kate is working on half square triangles and we are all a marvel at how many ways there are to put them together.  Kate has already used a pretty combination of Amy Butler solids and the latest Kaffe fabrics to make a lot of stars.  Now the fun begins...

After much review of the design wall this started to settle.  The sashing stripe works perfectly to tie in all the variety of colors in the stars and to differentiate them from each other.  It's stronger than a lot of blocks but the more Kate got up on the wall the more we loved it!

Yummy.  The little cornerstones have small fussy cut flowers in them from one of the fabrics which adds a nice detail.  Jackie is making the most delightful little birds to go on her quilt for her grandaughter.  

Hooot, HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!

The owls are only tiny which makes them that much more fascintating... particularly when they will be next to the gorgeous pink birds.

Judy finished her Kaleidoscope quilt.  As you can see, this old favorite block has been set using clever points of interest with the stripe sashing (notice a theme developing here!!!) and then using the remaining triangles in the border.  The repeat of the shape adds a lot of interest.  How great does it look!  Like the rolling stone, Judy gathers no moss and having finished this quilt she grabbed some more bits and pieces to forge a new quilt.  It started like this...

The soft pastels look as though they blew in the window on the first breeze of spring!  Ah, take a deep breath and feel the earth waking up!  Throw in that "stripe" sashing...and look for additional fabrics...

We might call this backwards inspiration.  Usually we start with a fabric that sets the palette but sometimes luck prevails and the perfect fabric(s) jump out that work perfectly to tie all the variety together.  These are new colors.  Soft grey works like licking a spoonful of gelato as it tingles with the other colors.  I look at this combination in Judy's quilt and love it,  Then  wonder why I never saw it before.  I guess that is working outside the comfort zone and loving it.  Keep working...

That fabric was simply too beautiful to stay on the border and soon it was a medallion.  The softness of these colors draw in the eye and hold it, I can hardly look away.  However, I have to as there was more action in the class.  Lindy has put together her DinoZag.

Brandon Mably gave us some fantastic graphic prints to play with and a pattern like this really suits them.  Throw in some large graphic florals and some Valorie Wells and it looks terrific.  Lindy needed it a bit wider so we examined border possibilities and ended up here...

Repeating the diagonal lines and bringing in yet another fab Brandon fabric worked really well.  On to quilting and...hmmm...a new project? 

Working in a group like this has a lot of benefits.  It's fun and interesting to hear the variety of suggestions and to play around with the fabrics, shapes and blocks gathering confidence as we go.  It is most fun when the right combination hits the wall and the whole room erupts in confirming claps, ohhhs and ahhs.  It's great energy.  It's a bit like kids deciding on rules for a new game.  

That was only Tuesday morning.  There's heaps more to show you but we are having a special event this weekend at the shop.  A group of lovely gals from the Brisbane area, Canberra and Melbourne are here doing a Brigitte Giblin workshop.  I'll fill you in on that later but suffice to say that  Brigitte never disappoints when she pulls her quilts out of the bag.  Here was the room when we finally turned the lights out last night...

I can't tell you how frustrating it is to have to go into back into the shop today when I could be home finishing the pile of laundry, tidying up the house, going to the grocery store and generally fulfilling the Sunday routine.  I can't tell you how frustrating it is...because it isn't!  Can't wait to get back there today!  I could try to fool myself that John can't tell but I actually think he gets it too well.  Enjoy yourselves. kathy

growing

Growth.  Is it ever more evident than when spring approaches and everything just starts to get out of control?  Living in Australia goes against my nature as the growth gets cut back.  The season is long and there is so much sun that things get out of control.  These trees were twice the size Sunday morning and now they are all trimmed back.  In a few short days there will be branches sprouting out all over and another pile of discarded growth will need to be dealt with sooner than I can imagine.  

Yesterday at yoga we did a lot of inversions.  Hand stands, forearm stands and head stands.  At the end, my head literally felt heavy with blood supply and energy.  I was almost giddy.  Then Cameron suggested we do a bird pose into a head stand.  Not to bore you but that meant a move that I could only imagine as a face plant and I was moaning that I couldn't do it.  However, in the second attempt I grew past my fear, put my head in position and up my legs went.  The result, a huge thrill.  I had learned something new and it felt WONDERFUL, nothing short of wonderful and I felt like a kid again!

Learning new things can be in some ways reserved for youth as we rest on our laurels and practice what we already know.  Kids are learning all the time, stretching boundaries and trying new things without fear or hesitation.  Life is exciting as they add skill onto skill changing who they are and what they know daily.  

We, as quilters are lucky to have a world that offers us the possibility of growth and learning every day too.  We are presented with choices and opportunities to grow all the time. On this note,  I have been watching with interest the blog for the Sue Ross BOM.  (http://suerossbom.blogspot.com)  I have listened as they examine, question, stumble and then succeed.  At first I was concerned that, oh maybe something wasn't right, but then I recognized it for what it is...growth.  Congratulations to all of you that questioned, made your own choices and to those of you that researched technique on the internet.  I love the community growing out there as you all compare notes and have a go. I will say that the beauty of Sue Ross is the transformation of chaos into gorgeous order.  Have fun on the ride!

Then the weekend of watching the garden grow turned to Monday morning and Moira came back from Russia.  Undaunted by jet lag from world travel she threw the results of the Brenda Smith workshop up on the wall.  This is the mid process of something wonderful as the rivers and overhead scenery of the Kimberly region appeared before our eyes.  Visualization!  When the blocks were trimmed up they took on a life of their own!!!

From airplane windows to music study...

Amanda's son is a musician...all the notes and strings come together here in perfect harmony.

Susan is suffering at the moment.  Her lucky daughter has just returned to Bowling Green University in Ohio on a swimming scholarship after the too short summer break.  Lucky daughter, lonely mom!  This quilt is for a fund raiser at the school...

Hmm.  bit blurry photo...

Susan used lots of clean brights and the tumbler template to bring this quilt to life.  It's a great shape to play with complimented by some random borders from her stash which give the quilt a bit of whimsy. If you see Susan, give her a hug!

This is Noah's self portrait as seen in the St Aloysius Art Show on Friday night.  It was a fascinating show of a variety of art influences and mediums.  It was fascinating to go and see the boys work and the boys who made each piece.  For me, a nice change from the rugby sidelines!!!!  

These superb figures won the top prize.  Made by Luke Fussel for his HSC art project, they were nothing short of amazing, called Tribal Anthropomorphology.  Cleverly conceived and constructed they drew a lot of attention as the  maker stood by deservedly basking in the praise.  I have a bit of envy for these young artists just starting their journey with their eyes and minds open to everything.  Their vision is fresh, their thoughts are strong...their drive to make beautiful.  I guess the message is to turn inward to the energy of our own youth and use it  through all the seasons of growth.  Ding.  Times up. kathy

OH yooooooo hoooooooo!

It is in the house!!!! Come and get it! I am having a quilt romance right this moment! Welcome  Kim McLean with one of her whimsically divine quit tops into the talented group of Rowan designers.  My eyes are pulling my fingers away for now! See you when the last page is turned.  kathy

Hunting

It isn't easy to slip away from the shop but the lure was strong to see what was going on out at the Stitches and Craft Show.  We arrived and meandered through beads and paper stalls but were seemingly drawn up to the light of the third floor.  What was happening you ask, well a gathering of designers in a forest of creativity.  The nature of the beast has changed slightly to include lots of passionate women, and a few men, making things...opening up the world of possibilities for all of us by the light of their vision.  My all time favorite...

Cloth is a special find.  The concept is so strong and gorgeous and all about organic shapes and fabrications.  We had a good browse and grabbed a few bits with new challenges developing in heads.  One has to wonder how bags of little bitty scraps of fabrics could be so enticing when someone looking at them has so many bags of them stored at home.  However, the heart still pounds as  a little bit of something new makes all the old stuff look different so we spent a while drooling over bags and then picked a few out.

There are so many gorgeous ideas growing here and the Cloth ladies were so friendly.  Of course I have a narrow focus on quilts but the lampshades, handbags, pillows and hanging drops of cloth all called out to be caught up in the game.  Go say hi then come show us what you picked out...darn, I now see something in this photo I need to go back for...

So many of the designers are young women having a go at creative endeavors while staying home with the kids.  This is something to be considered.  It's such a time of reflection and development and for some, a huge change in the direction of life.  I know for myself when I abruptly moved to a new country and left work and had kids....it was mind blowing. Without the security blanket of all people, things and career that were familiar I found myself completely without identity.   It was a time that opened up my life to making new things from baby clothes to home ware items..to a new me.  We silk screened, sewed, painted and crafted our way through the toddler years showing our kids how to make as we went along.  It was wonderful now to see such an industry developing as an outlet for this redirected energy.

 I ramble here after briefly talking to one such mother.  We asked about her stall and she quietly stated that she didn't have much stock because she was a "stay at home mom with two little kids".  I overheard the statement and was stunned by the memories of what that time was like.  The time and no time all at once!

Obviously, Mon Alissa has creative talent overflowing and there she sat, doodling in her stall surrounded by gorgeous things.

So this morning, timeless despite my "grown" up kids, I reviewed my stack of stuff gathered on the hunt through the designer woods.  Organic is the trend for sure in design and fabrication.  Gorgeous colors of shadows and sunsets, bursting spring buds and a hint of folk art.  First purchase of the day, the heavenly tulip panel from Prints Charming.

oops, there were two piles...so much to think about.  So  many clever people creating a home grown feel to our busy world.  Congratulations to all the efforts of all the hardworking hands out there.  Aren't we lucky to see and make! kathy

pass it on...

This came today and I have to pass it on to all of you. 

  It's a don't miss opportunity to get that bit of fabric to start something new and interesting.  We went field tripping last week and stopped in to see what was new at Cloth.  We buzzed the whole way home t very excited about the variety of textures, graphics and organic inspiration to be found.  

A few years back now I  did a series of quilts using remnant offcuts from Cloth and very much enjoyed the experience.  My mind wandered as I sewed over images of dry earth, squiggling tracks, random sticks, dried roses silk screened onto hemp and linens.  It was a mind opening journey of an experience that has stayed with me as I watched Cloth grow. More recently I used some of the last scraps of remnants and made my wagga for the Hunters Hill Wagga Challenge.   This booth will be a hot spot at the Stitches and Craft Show for sure.  

The smell of something happening grew when I saw this post at Prints Charming this morning!  How FABULOUS is this Prints Charming panel sniffed out by our husband and wife quilting team of American visitors!  How Charming can Tulips BE!

It looks like they'll be bringing some fun ideas as well.  It's great to look sideways for inspiration.  A bit of a panel + some texture+ a new perspective = inspiration for quilts that speak to us about us.  Imagine packing a piece of Australian art up and taking it home from either one of these shops!

I have a feeling the Stitches and Craft Show will have some hot items this year and I am looking forward to going one day this week.  It'll be nice to be a visitor and not and exhibitor too!! I think I have just recovered from the Quilt and Craft Fair last June!

So mark your calendars and head out to Rosehill later this week.  We can compare finds next week!  Enjoy the talent. k

Monday ALREADY!

Some moments just make me stop in my tracks and this was one.  Is it possible that one full year has gone since Oscar last ran down these stairs and onto the field to play rugby for his high school?!  Where has that year gone I wondered as my mind flicked through the moment grabs of the year for him and the rest of our family.  Minute by minute it passes.  He seems so far from this now despite it being such a big part of all our lives for those years.  This time, I loved watching the game without the fear of him coming off in bits and pieces...despite the fact that he was on the sidelines with a broken thumb from last weeks gave for North's!

There was a huge crowd for the game and in the end lots of happy faces as the last game of the season ended up a win.  Those boys can now run off the field and hit the books for the end of the HSC year.

Another sport, athletics, will mean Saturdays take on yet another flavor for the next few weeks and then, can we believe it, cricket season will be upon us.  I must get all my applique and hand piecing in order for those long days under the trees!

While I was cheering on the sidelines the shop was a buzz with Sue Ross's class.  Here is Stephanie's work in progress.  She was lamenting not having had a lot of time between classes to get things progressing.  Ah, that familiar tune I thought.  Do we ever have enough time to relax into these projects and bring them to life immediately before our eyes???  This is looking lovely and full of promise, if not finished.

Marg is doing the same block but in completely different colors that have an almost airy feeling to them. It is always interesting to see how different the same block can look.  These seemingly random combinations come together with maximum impact and really deliver in the end, a gorgeous, individual quilt top.   Thanks to Kate for taking the photos for me...

Here's little beauty from Sheena.  Interrupted lines and random seams are the flavor of the inspirational moment.  The tri-color palette, orange, purple and green is my favorite.  We also LOVE the neutral linen as a filler. 

That's it for me this morning.  It's MONDAY ALREADY. I did get a bit of sewing in yesterday... the nice 

kind where I was able to meander through a concept.  Time flew by...not a year but an entire day that all too quickly ended in the Sunday ironing routine...be it a minute, a day or a year the time just seems to evaporate.  I often wonder why it doesn't go faster on the treadmill where minutes seem to drag one after the other. When I want them to drag they are gone before I realize it. Faster or slow I guess we just have to enjoy the minute.  kathy

Anything (everything) goes...

Heads down, hard at work!!! The Little Women of Winnona quilt is coming to life!  The strong red, white and blue color story really works in this pattern.  Lee is putting it all together with great care and great results...just thought you might like to see the progress.

Lee isn't the only one working hard.  Elaine is learning curved hand piecing using the acrylic templates.  It is a sure fire way to make us feel as though we are all thumbs...or at least I do.  It takes me a few minutes every time of hand piecing to relax into the rhythm of it.  It's fine once I get going but going slow is hard for me, until I try it.

On the other side of the room Rosalind is making fun progress with her dolly quilt as well.  You can see she is using the parts department from the Collaborative Quilting book, one of our favorites. LIke hand piecing, this too takes some getting used to the patterning.  Trying new blocks and putting them all together looks easy.  Then when you sit down to get started it can appear to be somewhat overwhelming, until you start mixing the colors and listening to your eyes.  We had a bit of a chat about working through the insecurities...I know you all know what we were talking about.  That moment in quilt construction when we think, "Hmmmmm, am I or am I not on the right track?"  When Rosalin got this up on the wall she was able to see it coming together, make subtle changes in placement and a few fabric additions.  It is full of fun and growing into a neighborhood full of fun for Slade, who loves it!

Francis has got her Liberty Fields nearly together.  It is simply gorgeous.  I should have taken a close up of the tiny ric rac she stitched on for stems.  All she needs now are the side set triangles and the outer borders.  So purty!

That was the morning session yesterday.   The afternoon brought in another group for a cacklefest.  We checked out the progress on Cheryl's tree of life, African style. That leopard is hanging out perfectly and totally at ease in that tree.   

These are the in progress quilts from the first Brenda Smith class.  Talk about CUT LOOSE...it's anything goes these days.  I am slightly overwhelmed at the possibilities available these days.  From applique and  hand piecing to wonky curves and skinny lines...it is all amazing. 

Quilting decisions are the easy part of life.  Picking kitchen finishes...that is hard work.  My husband likes clean sleek lines and I like a bit of an ecclectic mix in rustic land...any tips, please feel free to pass them on or perhaps just send me some boxing gloves! I am sure we can work this out, eventually.  Deep breath...go forth. kathy

Stashbusting full speed

Fractured, the ultimate Stash Management pattern.  We had two new stash busters yesterday and both embarked on a fractured mission to use a pile of fabrics.  Her is the first finished block.  Along the way we discussed opportunities to play with the design...

Our Carolyn came up with this little beauty.  Imagine how much stash this would use! However Carolyn complained that it didn't make a dent.  NOT a Dent! in the stash.  Maybe she should make a matching set.  It has life and dimension and looks like fun.

I often wonder what it is that starts a project from an idea into an action.  Sometimes for me it is just cleaning up the in progress mess so that the space is clear to see new things.  I did that on Sunday.  Time spread out before me (along with a sense of guilt that I could have done a bit more housework.)  I stood and stared at the piles of projects on the desk and walls and in a mad rush of energy moved my sewing room around.  It is now so tidy and the space so useable that I am immobilized by not wanting to recreate the chaos.  Go figure.  For Carolyn in this case I think this pattern yelled out MAKE ME, and don't we love when that happens!

Yes, dear friends, Rachael is making progress here. These squares have been coming together for an, ahem, long time.  However, it is not a race and it is a big quilt and it has a lot of small bits and Rachael is obviously happy so lets give her a clap for keeping all those squares sewn together in such a manner that the next step is so easy.  She swears I taught her this method but in actual fact I think she made it up.  The squares are chain stitched together in rows.  Then the rows are sewn together to make one in such a way that they are still connected.  It's a great method for a slow moving project as the continuity is maintained between sessions.

Kim bought a package of soft colored fabrics a while back.  She has jazzed them up with a few new ones and made this for a back.  YES, I tell you, a back.  I am thinking, really?  Looks too good but here is the front.

Dinozag goes on the front and is rather subdued so it is a nice compliment to have a pieced backing to flip back once it is on the bed.  It is a very resourceful way to get a good back happening and in the end really, it's a two sided quilt.  Kim is getting Kim Bradley to machine quilt it which is good too as with so many seams on the back the hand quilting could be challenging.  Anyway, done and off to be quilted now!

Kim also did this cot quilt for friends.  She purchased the hot rod car panel from Prints Charming and then built around it with odd bits of colorful fabrics from her stash.  Very cute!  These snappy colors would make any baby happy.  It is yet another example of how adding a bit to the stash makes something new.

Liesle brought this in for show and tell last night.  It is so big that I couldn't get a photo of the entire quilt but it is just more of the this gorgeous Kaffe Fassett palette to enjoy done in Drunkard's Path blocks set to make moons shapes.  Ohhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh, ooooooohhhhhhhhh....yep.  Very nice.

Liesle has also brought this in to get quilted using the perle 8 cottons.  Imagine the stash that these two quilts came from!  The shot cottons look beautiful in this wonky log cabin pattern and the quilting lines will be wonky as well.  

I will be teaching six classes in these first three days of this week.  The only bad bit about that is all day and night I am thinking, "I want to make THAT, and THAT and THAT myself."  There are just too many ideas out there that look fun at the moment.  Don't you agree. If I suddenly disappear from the shop one day soon you'll know where to find me...and I won't be wasting time cleaning up!  LIving vicariously....kathy

Short Weekend

New toys are always fun and this book, Intuititve Color and Design by Jean Wells is so shiny I can hardly stop looking at it or thinking about it or reading it...and not just looking at the pictures!  It is so wonderful that I don't want to share...but I will anyway.  Jean has put together color theory, practical instruction and inspirational interpretation here in an easy to digest manner.  It's beginning was somewhere in Gee's Bend, went via Ruth McDowell and Nancy Crow and ended up in Jean's capable hands.  It was the staff purchase of the week!  We will soon be offering classes with this as the text book so let me know if you are interested.

It must have been fun book week as the new Piece O'Cake book came in as well.  It seems that everyone is going wonky like our pals Gwen and Freddy, who have done it again with panache..  Never tried working intuitively?  Well have a read and leaf through any of these books and I am sure you will be on the cut and sew path to new things asap.  This new direction doesn't mean put away the traditional, not in the slightest.  But rather, widen our horizons to include techniques that allow us to discover what is inside...ourselves.  

Yesterday I escaped the sport routine.  After three coffees and a nap I was raring to go in the sewing room.  I started on my treasure project at the  moment.  I feel as though I should wear gloves when I work with it as I am so in love with the fabric.  It's coming along, slowly and steadily and making me happy.  However I couldn't help but notice the diversity of projects happening at the moment.  I would work on this bird, then leaf through the book, then cut something for some other project, then look longingly at this...

We got in the Amy Butler Barcelona skirt pattern and this is my third skirt this month which is the apron version. (I am hoping that the intrigue of the gorgeous apron is distracting your eyes from the baskets of unfinished, unloved projects behind it!)  It looks great on the dummy, just wondering when she'll be done with it.  

This project got a bit of action recently as well. My friend Kathy Ford ran into Rosalie Dace at Quitlers on the Lake and I heard Rosalie was suggesting I send her the finished photo.  Ironically, I had been working on it the day they met after a few months of box life!!! Oh the coincidence of life.   All the new influences have turned the direction a bit and I am really enjoying it as an imaginary path to the past.  I have used curved piecing to make the background and will be machine quilting the fused applique when I get it all placed.  .

This weekend is just too short.  You know the feeling.  So many gorgeous things swimming around in the mind.  It is possible to sit and stare, make a move, change direction and then go back to the first thing and stare again.  However, it's time for a hearty run by the river with my friend Michele.  She is a bit of a power  house and keeps me going when my brain says stop.  We all need a friend like her!  The routine is to then hit the grocery store, clean up the house a bit and then dive into one or all of the above projects!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I NEED A LONGER WEEKEND! enjoy. kathy

From little things...big things grow

All systems GO!!!!!!!!!!  These little beauties are on their way out the door to locations around the globe.  Postmen everywhere are wiping little bitty beads of sweat off their brows as they can finally deliver the goods.  One lucky gal picked hers up in the shop on Tuesday and then emailed yesterday to suggest that since she was half way through the first block, it should be two weekly blocks a month!  That's a great suggestion I agreed, and then deleted her email.  We are but tiny and the need to feed is great!  However, never fear, if you have missed out or you are loving this program there will be more, MORE I tell you...MORE!  

The Dolly Quilts are going out this week too.  What is giving me happy shivers at the moment is how many people are getting creative with this concept.  Like this bag from the Ode to Susan McCord dolly...

Or this  week particularly I got to see several of the previous dolly patterns made BIG...like this one:

Mini Fractured grows up:

Joy's daughter saw the tiny version of Minifractured and requested the large one so Joy got busy in February and here it is now!  As you can see, she also turned her Rose Foundation quilt from last month into a cushion...and then dressed to match it which is more often than not the case!  Imagine a crazy person in the back ground jumping up and down here as this is just what I love to see...Taking the concept and running with it. Photos to come of more of these images including a dog jacket.  If I could only keep up with everyone!

Ann, our quiet achiever turned the Tanglewood pattern into this...

The Liberty is beautifully set off by the white fabric.  Ann was using the table to baste this quilt and we couldn't keep our hands off it.  Just lovely.

Dinozag is another popular result of Dolly Quilts this year.  We were talking about the mini version and I practically ran home to make this one.  Great pattern for boys, or anyone and a great pattern opportunity to use up stash fabrics or to feature a new range.

While it is still chilly you may want to consider making one of these little beauties:

We recently go a refill on the flannel and there are a couple kits for Wendy's Splat available and the same with my Harperville.

Both of these quilts are quick and easy to make.  The flannel is often talked about in the shop as being so touchable!  

I am off.  The coffee kicked in, the last boy is out of the shower and it's time to make this day happen as I am now overloading with ideas of things I want to do today.  Hope you are enjoying growing projects all the time.  As my yoga teacher often says, we are the lucky ones to be practicing what we love!!! Oh yeah...let's go grow! kathy