Found - a great textile art blog

While surfing around the net (as one does when one has nothing else to do!!) I came across this fabulous blog - In Good Company - they are a group of 4 textile artists who are very generous with their knowledge.  They have subscribers who each month are given a small package of 'play material' with instructions on how to use this material, some samples of what can be achieved etc.  All the information and 'eye-candy' is posted on their blog for others like myself (and you) to enjoy.  I have also put a link in the right-hand column so I can keep up to date with what they are doing.  Fabulous stuff.

The posting on gelatine printing is something I just have to do.......... just got to go and buy some gelatine.

A Sewing Room pic

This is my Thimble collection.  The 'shelving' is an old printer's tray I picked up in a garage sale many years ago.  Still in original condition, and the only thing I have done is to rub a little oil into it.  You can see that some of the dividers are missing.  A great display for small things like thimbles and bits and pieces like my father's old Cribbage board and some old silk threads.

Valentine's Day soon

Valentine's Day is nearly upon us. Do you have a special someone to share it with? Me - afraid not.

But I am in a group called StitchinFingers (link on right hand side of blog) which is having a Valentine's Day swap of Artist Postcards.

We are making two - one for our 'known' swap partner and for our 'secret' swap partner. My secret one came today - Isn't it gorgeous. Not too secret either - Gina signed it!!!!

The following one came from my 'known' swap partner -

Leslie in the UK with a beautiful ribbon embroided rose.

I think it is now OK to put up a pic of the two I sent away - they should be arriving at their destinations very soon.

Leslie in the UK and my secret one to Kathy in the USA.

I made the hearts from Angelina Fibres and silk paper which I made myself in a workshop last year.

 

Lancaster & Amish

While on tour last year to the USA we stayed in Lancaster for 4 days. One day the group went to the Lancaster Meseum which has the 'Esprit' collection of Amish quilts from the area. This collection has toured the world (including coming here to Australia) and is very unique.

At the museum there was also a collection of Indian Woolen wallhangings - the colours were stunning.

Unfortunately the photos of the Amish quilts are not very good for posting here as the quilts were all under glass the the resolution is not very good.

Of course you can't go to Lancaster without visiting Intercourse and Bird-In-Hand.

Beautiful countryside, so green, especially for us Ozzies who are still in drought conditions and for most of the country our grass is growing 'brown'.

 

I'm back

I'm back in blogland - wow, what a busy last couple of months. Christmas. New Year. Stinking hot weather. We have had days of 35/40C (95/104F) and even some up to 45C (110F). That's hot, but here in my part of Australia that is summer.

You know the drill - when you live by yourself and have now retired everyone thinks you have 'time on your hands'. That was 2009 and end of a decade. The year 2010, the start of the next decade, is my year - for me; for saying no some of the time; to enjoy my retirement more doing what I want; for finishing some (at least I didn't say all!!) projects that have been sitting around for a long time; etc etc. I'm not brave enough to put up a list of these, plus a list of what I want to do, ie start to do. I feel if I do this it will be so overwhelming I might crawl in a hole and hide!! Just looking at my tubs is enough.

On this subject of finishing projects - I did make a New Year's resolution, which I should be able to keep - I'm not going to start a new project until I finish an old one (regardless of the size of the unfinished one, it could just be a bookmark rather than a full quilt) but hopefully it will keep me on track then I wont feel guilty about starting some else!!!

One the major things I wanted to do is sort out my sewing room - I know everyone wants to do this and how many times do we do it? But is for real, cull, sort, list, put back.....(did I say put back!!,) put back what? what I have culled - no, hopefully I can be strong and only put back what I really want to keep.

I can now say, it is done.

A good thing that is already happening is a few of my friends are now starting blogs. One in particular is Frances Leate, up in Cairns, (northern Aust). Frances designs quilts and with her husband Peter, they run the 'Cairns Craft Centre' a quilt/sewing/embroidery etc shop. You can see Frances' blog here. She has had designs in APQ and there is one hers in the next issue that is due out soon.


I have now sorted my photos of my trip to Houston last year and will put some more up over the next week or so with notes of what we did.


Another thing I've done since Christmas is get some pics of my early projects, quilts, needlework etc and will gradually put them up here also for you to see. So check back every week or so and see what I have been doing in the past.


That's all for now, folks! Will get those photos up soon. I think I'm now a bit more organised.


Till next time,

More freebies for Christmas

Don't you love giveaways? I do. Here is another one for you to look at - Judi at Green Fairy Quilting has a Moda Jelly Roll and a Layer Cake up for grabs. Just leave a message on her blog and you're in the running.
Actually I'd rather you didn't - then there is less people in the draw and I might have a better chance! But read her blog anyway - it is great with lots of patterns and eye candy.

Christmas is not far away

I'm a follower of Where Women Create on Facebook and Jo's blog. If, like me you like to check out what other women are creating and how they fit into their lives. Check out Jo Packham's sites as there is heaps of information and inspiration. Presently she has a competition going for the '12 Days of Christmas' and all you have to do is visit her blog and leave a message on any particular day or all 12 days if you wish. You can get to the particular link by clicking on the 'Christmas is coming' logo you see in the right-hand column on this page.

I Won some fabric from Beth Ferrier

How exciting is this - I just received an email from Beth Ferrier of Applewood Farm fame who told me I had won a parcel of fat quarters from her!!! My comment on her blog was picked out.
I am so excited just had to write here and let you all know.

Will get back to updating notes from my trip very shortly. When the parcel arrives (probably about 14 or so days from the US) will post a pic of what I won. Yippee. As if I didn;'t have enough fabric, but this is special.....

If you have a chance go and visit her blog and her website - both are great places to visit.

From NY to Lancaster

We left New York on Tuesday morning and travelled by coach through the most beautiful, green and lush countryside on our way to Lancaster and the Amish and Mennomite communities.

It was very strange leaving such a vibrant, busy city and only a couple of hours later to find ourselves in an entirely different environment.

Our first stop was Burkholders, just outside of Lancaster and of course we helped their economy! Here are some of us (Rosemary in front) lining up to pay for our purchases.

Burkholders is quite a large shop with a huge class room and a large display of quilts on the walls and around all areas of the shop and one wall complete with gadgets etc.

We stayed at the Marriott, a fairly new hotel in Lancaster city for 4 nights and travelled by coach during the day to various Amish communities - Intercourse (passing by Virgintown/Maidenville!!!) and Bird-In-Hand.

While in Lancaster we visited one of Lancaster's museums which has a large collection of quilts and also on display was a collection of Native Indian woven wool wallhangings. The colours in this collection were beautiful, strong reds and browns. This is just a small number.

Unfortunately the antique quilts were all encased in glass and when taking photos they show a lot of reflection and wont post very well.

So if you want to see what I took you will just have visit me!!!!!!

New York - Part 2 (b)

It had been arranged for us to visit an exhibition of quilts held in the Williams Club. This was partly organised in conjunction with The City Quilter which we had previously visited.

The quilts were all made by quilters living and/or working in the New York area and were displayed in various rooms of the club. Vary diverse works.

Quite a few versions of Dear Jane as you can see here. Some quite contemporary ones, large and small. It was quite exciting to see our first exhibition on our trip and the standard of work by 'every day quilters' not just the professional ones or award winning quilts. For me, I thought they were all deserving of an award - much different to my standard!!!!

After 4 days in New York, seeing the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, and a couple of us even did an underground rail trip (Yvonne and myself tried our best to get back from Staten Island via train - caught the wrong one - ended up going through the Bronx area, but eventually got back) Sorry Yvonne, it was a long walk from Times Square back to the hotel!!!!! We then boarded the coach and headed to Lancaster - Amish country.

Stay turned for more.......