Alcatraz Doors

Large, imposing doors conjure up images of secure, dank prisons or dungeons.  While working on my piece I kept thinking of the few infamous prisons I had heard of.  The Bastille doors in Paris would have been much bigger than my final effort, so I named it Alcatraz doors as they were the right size, and of course, equally well known.

  

      

Old teabags became the walls and bricks of the building.  The first ‘door’ was rejected as it was too small but I then used it for the label, at the back.  Purple organza and netting scraps were used to bring depth, the shadows.  I kept jotting down ideas on my ‘design paper’ as I went along, using some and rejecting others. Found 2 circular washers for the door handles. Applied Oil Pastels on the doors to give them an aged look. Couldn’t resist embroidering some grasses and leaves as they definitely start growing on these old walls.

The hardest part was finding the picture of a door I felt I could recreate in fabric.

  

                      

 

 Many years ago I made this wall hanging of a Zanzibari door for an exhibition in Cape Town, where it was bought and sent to England as a present.

Enjoy,

Allison.

    

 

Door Numbers

 Goodness, how many things can go wrong with one piece? 

• I lost track of time and left myself with just a few days to make the piece
• My paints, unused for some time, are drying out so the overprinting didn't work as planned
• I carefully reversed my numbers on the bondaweb when I didn't need to
• And last, but not least, my main machine decided to abandon all pretense of maintaining an even tension!

But I still enjoyed making this piece and it makes me smile - whether that's the colour palette or the memories or a bit of both I don't know but I like it!

• It was good to start and finish something in a short space of time
• I didn't mind that my patchwork pieces weren't flattened with paint as intended. I'd already decided that I want to get back to my patchwork roots this year!
• I bonded organza to the right side of the numbers so that I could still use them
• I'm fortunate to have a second lightweight machine for classes which has far fewer functions and doesn't have a wonderful free motion foot, but does an amazing job with the foot removed! 
• And last not but least I re-discovered how much I enjoy scribble quilting.
  
  
  
  
  

As for the piece itself the numbers represent, with the exception of a year in hall, all the doors I've ever lived behind. The size of the numbers represent time spent at each address from less than six months in a disastrous college lodging house to 45 years in our previous home. The colours were just a personal response to the grey skies we've been living under recently, though today there isn't a cloud in the sky  and I had my morning coffee outside in the sun!

Door hinge

I have a large collection of photographs of doors taken in many countries over several years. When I went through these I noticed that I had a tendancy to focus on old doors with elaborate hinges. Not only do these hinges allow the door to move, in many cases they also hold the planks of wood together. I took one of my favourite doors, and enlarged the hinge section (actually, in this case, a section of iron work purely there to hold the door together) before tracing the design using Illustrator.

My first attempt used a centrally positioned image, sewn then painted with Tsukineko inks.

I was dissatidfied on many levels, artistic and technically, so I went back to the drawing board. Here's my final version, using the image off-centre and fused applique for the hinge. I'm pleased with the result - finally!

Jinnie's Door

   I have finally been able to get down the stairs, and get to the sewing machine. I have quilted my quilt, but it now needs an application of paint and 'rust' for my experimental decaying doors and iron bars. I hope to post it in the next few days.

What's behind the green door?

Like Phillida, my first thought was the wonderful carved doors on Zanzibar, then this song popped into my head and that was it.  Definitely showing my age.

I found the interesting looking door and liked the idea of creating the 3D effect but my first thoughts were so complicated I nearly gave up.  So I have kept it very simple and almost poster-like.  

  

   

Raw edge applique, printed image of record cover slightly adjusted.  Satin stitch edging.  Record separate with stitched 'grooves'.    Fun, thanks Linda F.   

Hilary

Design for a door

 I decided to do a design for a door so went back to Art Deco and used one aspect of  a shape and the rest of it is my own.  It just evolved as I went along.  Appliqued and quilted.  I did enjoy doing it and had fun.

Hobbiton

When Patricia visited us a couple of years ago we went to Hobbiton together and enjoyed our tour and a meal at the Green Dragon Inn. The doors to the Hobbit holes there are undecorated so I decided to add decoration to mine.. Rosemary

Doors - February 2021

 Hi everyone

I thought I would try just a piece of a door - so here it is. I think I'm going to call it Knock Knock!

Years ago I made a day visit to Manda island and saw lots of really old heavy doors, some of which you could peep through into fascinating inner courtyards. I thought heavy old iron door furniture was fascinating so decided to focus on that. The pattern is a simplified version of an old piece of wrought iron which I carved in lino and then printed onto heavy interfacing. This piece has a total of 4 layers - 2 for the dark front section and 2 for the paler back section. I cut out all the voids on the darker print and have stitched it on with spacers so it hovers over the background. By rotating the front print it makes for an interesting contrast to the rear. 

The moveable 'knocker' part was the biggest challenge. I have been exploring curved folds for a while and making extreme curves allows fabric to fold over on itself; this is the result - the origins are in god old Bauhaus again. I think it makes the perfect 'knocker'! Prints made with water soluble printing ink, knocker coloured with acrylic paint, gold flake and fabric medium. 

Hope you like it!

I also have some news that is good and bad at the same time. I have agreed to taken on a new role at SAQA which is going to demand a lot of time, which in turn means I have to stop doing so much. I have absolutely loved being part of this group, everyone is so creative and supportive and I have had great fun with the challenges, both making my own and seeing the incredible things everyone else creates. So sadly this is going to be my last piece - kind of fitting being a door!!!! Of course I will still look in every month and admire your work. 

Thanks for having me as a member. I have loved it and I hope you will welcome Momo who is going to take my place. Have fun Momo, I hope you love trying out new ideas as much as I have. Everyone in this group is so friendly and supportive I'm sure you will fit right in in no time. 

Love

Claire

x

Unhinged

“Unhinged “ is my idea of an old Medieval/Tudor door, with the old hinges falling of due to age. It only exist in my head. As so often, my inspiration came from the fabric.

Unhinged

This has been a dream challenge, I have always been attached to old doors. Thank you, Linda.

So these pictures of old doors are just a reference.

It helps me to use black and white, so I do not get distracted by the colours.

 

Old Doors by Ole Henriksen

This was my starting point

Materials used:

Hand printet cotton sateen (made in ca. 2014), mulberry bark, unspun wool and silk. Cotton and silk thread. Mother of pearl buttons (back to front).

Note: Due to lack of time the quilt and the starting point was photographed using my iPad, proper photos will be taken later.

A Door in Brittany

 Every since I remembered this picture I have been anticipating someone's reaction to it - with glee.  

Coincidentally I had already printed this on fabric a long time ago when I was experimenting with various methods.  And luckily I found it again! The frame around it was also a bit serendipitous.  I had been racking my brain to come up with something and then I remembered that I had done a large square in a class, learning a weaving technique - about 10 years ago!  So I cut it up and thought it did perfectly for this.  

I'm looking forward to seeing all your doors.  

ZANZIBAR INSPIRATION

The wooden carved and very elaborate in some cases doors of Zanzibar fascinated me during our stay in Tanzania so it was a no brainer that I would go down this route.  

     

I decided to focus on the various patterns that you see on the doors and create a tryptich of them.

      

Dyed fabric (over dyed many times before I got it right) ,designs free motion stitched, inktense blocks used to highlight the designs.  The gold buttons were an after thought as the piece appeared very flat and needed a lift.   Very large brass cone shaped are used on the doors.   I am not sure whether my buttons will remain.   Getting used to them but I might have a light bulb moment and try something else. 

      

 

KNOCK KNOCK!

I visited my best friend in Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE in 2013. She took me to check-out the local abandoned pearling village - Al Jazirat Al Hamrah. It was amazing! We took a photo with a door standing as a solitary reminder to the dwelling it once gave entry to.

Sue is an extremely funny woman and on a visit to another friend of mine many years earlier, had her young son in stitches with knock knock jokes* - a night none of us have forgotten. So, I couldn't resist combining the humour and the door memories with a bit of drawing, applique, free motion quilting, sequins and beads. It makes me smile every time I look at it. (I see the colour is quite different depending on whether I look at it on my phone or laptop. It is quite vibrant but may show as a bit flat.)

* His favourite was 'Knock knock!', 'Who's there?', 'Artichoke', 'Artichoke who', 'Artichoke YOU'! 

Here is an article and photos of the abandoned pearling village if you are interested.

https://thetravelhack.com/uae/al-jazirat-al-hamra-the-ghost-town-of-ras-al-khaimah/

THE NEXT CHALLENGE

 FENCES AND WALLS

Constructions designed to do one or more of the following

Protect, restrict, divide, enclose, surround

Architects design walls and fences. However, not all walls and fences are designed by architects so I am hoping that my choice of topic does not stray too far from the overriding theme of architecture. (I won't be offended if you ask me to rethink the challenge.)

Over the years, I have been treated to up-close-and-slow views of all manner of fences and walls as I have walked through suburbia, across the north of Spain, along the wonderful SE QLD and Northern NSW coastline, and along segments of the Larapinta Trail in Central Australia.

It seems there are few places untouched by fences and walls of some kind – even in the desert it is possible to come across remnants of fences, and indeed the beginnings of a wall (which, thankfully, will remain unfinished)! Even the coast has fences and walls to, for example, to control erosion.

I am very interested to see what type of fence or wall you choose to translate and whether it is a literal piece or perhaps metaphorical!

A bit of fun

 I am looking forward to the big reveal day.  The only thing I can say now is:  Is this what she is looking at?

And the next challenge will be set by .......

The draw has been made, and Amanda is the lucky winner! Looking forward to seeing what you choose!

News, news and more news

First, the business side:  Linda F can you please draw a name 'out of the hat' for the next challenge, publish it soon so the person has time to set our next challenge.

        Names left:  Allison, Amanda, Patricia, Phillida, Mai-Britt, Hilary and Momo.

Who, you ask, is Momo?  Well, the sad news is that Claire is stepping down because of her new role on the executive of SAQA.  Congrats Claire, I know you will champion the quilters 'in the rest of the world'.  I am really sad to loose you because you brought a refreshing perspective to the group.  I hope you will stay in touch and keep a beady eye on us.

The really, really good news is that Momo is joining us.  Claire met her when teaching in Japan recently.  It is so exciting to have a quilter from Japan in the group.  Momo will introduce herself shortly when all the connections are set up.

I have joined the group who have finished their doors - quite a number I understand.  Jinnie, hope you are well and truly on the mend now but don't overdo it!

Mai-Britt it is so, so good to have you active in the group again - we missed you.  Welcome back.

The down side to finishing early is that I have to wait so much longer for reveal day - I'm used to taking it to the wire and almost instantaneously revealing.

Best wishes everyone, hope you are all safe and well and being careful,

Hilary

Try, try and try again

I'm not sure this is going well. One problem is having too many photos of doors for inspiration. Attempt 1 involved one of my favourite doors; our own front door. That got rejected as too similar to previous work. Attempt 2 involved taking several doors and combining them into a single image; too bitty so rejected. Attempt 3 got a lot further; this time an enlargement of a single part of the door. Rejected three-quarters of the way through the sewing; too many little problems cropping up with the attempts at remedying them making the whole thing worse, plus it was too static. So glad I started on this challenge earlier than ususal. Attempt 4 involves the same image as attempt 3, but hopefully without all the errors/problems. I have my fingers crossed this one makes it across the finish line! I hope everyone else is amnaging better than me. In the meantime, here's the image of our front door, just for fun.

Looking for inspiration?

Hi everyone

Not sure how everyone is getting on with the latest inspiration. I noticed Terri Shinn regularly put the most fabulous photos of doors on her Facebook time line. Have a look. 

https://www.facebook.com/TerriShinn

Nearly finished mine, got sore fingers though! 

Here is a peep. 

Keep well, 

Claire