Material Obsession

Translating Abstract Art into Quilts

Its that time of year when we turn our eyes to the new season in the shop.  It is also a time to reflect on the holidays and the gifts they bring.  I have enjoyed the opportunity to wake when I want and movie slowly through the favorite spaces I call home. 

My first activity is to always clean my studio space.  The tidying up process always reveals the secret stashes of ideas and materials I have gathered and buried.  The fresh, open spaces of a tidy work space allay the confusion of creative ideas.  So: Lesson #1 is always make space to see clearly

I found that I needed to work aimlessly.  Throughout the year time is spent on the demanding issues of responsible life.  "I have to do" this before that is a daily thinking ritual.  Making space mentally to move freely helps a lot to feeling creative. It literally took 10 days to stop feeling pressure to tick things off my list.  Abandoning the list completely for a short time opened up my brain.   So: Lesson #2 is make time to hear yourself think. 

At the end of a day, when you look back at what happened it is important to accept what was humanly possible to achieve.  My yoga instructor the other day mentioned that, "Non acceptance = suffering."  I nearly fell off my mat with that thought in mind.  It makes so much sense.  So:  Lesson #3 is to accept what is for what is and try not to want to change it...just for happiness.  This is a hard one but I'll try.

 

 I also learned a few things while sewing in my studio.  Last year we had a class taught by Bob James called Quilts as Art. I did the class...or maybe just audited the class because I was traveling so much.  He threatened to organize an exhibition of quilts made by the people in the classes and then miraculously did organize a show.  It was a bit of a shock when at the start of the holidays he announced that our projects would hang at the Hazelhurst Regional Art Gallery near Wollongong in February and our quilts were due Feb 1!  Sheer panic ensued as challenges are challenging and I was looking to rest from challenges.

 

The challenge was to recreate one of Rolina Van Vliet's paintings with textiles considering the principles of art that we had studied with Bob.  He selected one of her paintings for each of us.  Mine was a study of lines from nature and I'll admit most likely one of the easier projects. 

The first step was to consider what was in the painting.  Immediately I selected fabric to substitute for the colours of the paint.  My discipline is allowing for the challenge presented by print fabrics so I allowed for that in my selection. 

Using print adds an element of surprise.  What I liked is that the print softens the lines where the fabrics meet and the variation in color with the prints allows for flashes of light among the shadows.  Where solids are easily understood and do exactly what you want them to do without question, print makes you think just a bit harder to achieve a specific result. 

The focus of this particular painting was the line.  I wanted long vertical lines that were interrupted by the shadows. To achieve the feeling of lines I ripped the fabrics into strips.  Ripping seemed to soften the lines but add the challenge of raw edges.  I started at the back and then layered the strips.  Then used long vertical lines to hold the strips in place while quilting.
I enjoyed this project.  It was fun to have an objective for thinking through the questions of creating.  I tried a new technique for me which was to do a facing finish.  It was so much fun and I love the neat turned over edges of the quilt which worked perfectly for this style of quilt.  I even made the label by printing the painting photo onto fabric which for me is a big effort! 

So, lesson #4:  Challenges are good things.  They keep the mind active and give us fun projects to work on.  I learned a lot doing this project. 

Check out this project and others at the exhibition:

The Rolina Project Exhibition – Translating Abstract Art into Quilts
Inspired by the work of abstract artist Rolina Van Vliet
Hazelhurst Broadhurst Gallery
782 the Kingsway Gymea
Ph 85365700
February 10-22, 2017 Opening of exhibition Feb 11 at 2pm with special guest Lorena Uriate
Gallery hours 10am – 5pm daily. 11-21 February 2017 and have a look at the exhibition. 

Enjoy...k

Lists

Lists aren't just for Santa Clause.  We all need them to function.  I have been avoiding all lists except for the one I keep going for my vote in the JJJ Hottest 100 or 2016.  I keep making that one, loosing it and starting it again but at least now I am remembering the songs I want to acknowledge when I start the new list!

For the last few weeks I have let all work related lists rest and am only now allowing myself to start writing them again.  Dentist, vet, Dr...new line introduction, challenge quilt, articles for this and that and finish the projects I started over the holidays all play important roles now. It feels good to have control of my energy again.

We've just posted a list of some of my USA teaching dates for 2017.  I'll be posting more information soon but if you are a fan and you live on the east coast...I'm on my way!  I'll be at Quilting by the Lake in July for starters. If you have never been to this event have a look.  I'll be teaching from Mixing Quilt Elements

The first two days will be Into the Woods
This is a fun imaginary walk in the woods.  I have enjoyed teaching this workshop in several places as it always brings out the inner child in us.  Finding the characters and bringing them to life among the trees is always joyful. 

The next three days will be Modern Wedge with a focus on Love Birds.  This is also a fun workshop where the imagination rules.  Use my pattern or create your own applique for the big blocks.  We will explore the wedges, applique and hexagons with this project.

The shop opens today with summer hours from 10-3.  We are there equally for the browsers and purpose driven.  Need to see what is available?  Need a needle?  Need a pretty space or just want any of those things and the doors are open. 

 

If you haven't  had a look at our  classroom schedule  you can find it on our website. Although many of the classes filled in December there are a few spots scattered throughout.  If there is one thing I can say about our classes is that they are jam packed with good instruction, happy teachers and creativity.  We live to get you started as well as finished with your projects.  We added a new class with Wendy Williams on Thursdays and the new beginner class with Megan Manwarring on Saturdays. 

What's New you ask?  Well we are jumping up and down to be the first to offer classes with Rachael Daisy  She is a bright spot on the horizon and we are sure her classses are going to be a hit.  Her clever use of fabric, techniques and well, just plain happiness is a magnet to me and the team as well. 

Prize winning quilts are only a bonus...the ideas, the depth of talent and the charming personality round out the picture.  Join us if you can to take your quilts on a trip to happy land. We have a few spots in Rachael's Tuesday class.

I am also returning to teaching in the shop this year.  I'll be there on the second Sunday of the month.  The theme is about working with shapes but the real idea is working with fabric.  You can make any quilt from any of my books or design your own. 

 

I have missed the blog over the last year.  Instagram is a fun quick way to stay in touch but I really like to share more details so my new year resolution is to stay more in touch and maybe even get some videos up!  Tick...that's one thing off the list...on to the rest!

Enjoy!  k

Promises

New Years Day...my favourite of all the year for the clean slate of new promises that rises within me.  I've been sitting and staring down the driveway and just realized we haven't left the house for three days.  Its been enough to move slowly through the spaces of our home enjoying the simple things...cricket, sewing, a new puzzle, a movie and a book.  These simple things bring breath and space back to my mind.  Every year its the same, we slam into summer and the holiday season with such force that it seems relaxation will never arrive.  But it has.

My promise for the new year is to myself.  Being in my studio for the past few days has reminded me that my spirit belongs to the process of making.  The rest will happen but letting the creative energy move from my heart to my hands is an energizing life force.  It starts with a state of total confusion.  In an attempt to find order I usually rearrange everything in my studio and make clean spaces.  That lasts for about 5 minutes.
The next step is to do a pull of all the fabrics I have been aching to use and to see how they look together.  This was my promise of joy for the holidays!  In it are a few peaks at my next range which appropriately for this time of year is called Celebrate!  I am loving how it sits in with my favorite designers from Kaffe and Brandon to Natalie Barnes from Beyond the Reef Patterns.

Once I have the stack I stare at the majestic mix of textures, scales, values and colors.  How will these prints be best used?  How can each print take on a space of its own?  How do they balance and enforce each other??? That all remains to be seen at this point but the mere fact that they are stacked makes me fingers itch.

During the hectic movement of the year the sound of inspiration gets muddled to a dull roar.  While I wait to be able to hear my ideas formulate it helps to slip into the meditative state of quilting.  The rhythm of the random stitches releases my mind from the plans that so often over rule my creative voice.  Doubt, insecurity, fear all speak louder and the result is that it becomes so much easier to focus on the LIST of things to do as it has a start, a middle and an end.  The creative motivation takes time to be heard and understood.  It isn't magic.  It takes consideration.  But when the stars align with time and space it is perfect living.

I found this needlepoint in my clean up.  It was originally an opp shop find covered with a bouquet of roses.  I had just designed my Wandering Mind range and drew the bird image from the fabric collection over the roses.  Then Kaffe came to town.  He picked it up and started the background filler design which makes it beautiful.  I did curse those small squares a few times but in the end the repetitive pattern makes the image so beautiful! Its been a few years in the making but finishing it was easy.  I am enjoying just looking at it for now

 

Luckily, just after closing on our last day of business a package arrived of  The Outback Wife by Gertrude Made

This collection is a game changer and will be arriving in shop soon.  I was thinking of the country roads that intersect the outback properties of the outback and just started cutting.  The spirit of this range is deep and meaningful.  We'll be mixing it with other linens and making packs as soon as it arrives so stay tuned!

So when I have a stack of fabrics that I am keen to mix together I always look for a template or shape.  This year I am teaching a new class called taking shape that is all about focusing on the shapes we can make so that our minds are free to really work the fabric.  These are four blocks that I am making with a fun new template that we just got in stock.  Fat Robin Mariner's Compass templates have fantastic instructions that make these blocks fun and easy to put together.

And one for the road...Courthouse Steps inspired by an antique quilt in Unconventional & Unexpected by Roderick Kiracofe.  This was a dream...Just loved the flow of piecing it and am now working on borders.

So,  goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017.  Lets hope the road to the future is filled with creative juices blended to perfection.  I have to say I hated the fireworks that reminded me of bombs and guns.  Wouldn't it be nice to ring in the new year with gentle wishes for kindness and peace! 

Take care, listen to your spirit and enjoy the processes that make life worth living!