Fresh - GnT

I really struggled with this theme for some reason - inspiration refused to strike. As usual, I was saved by my husband who suggested that there is nothing more fresh on a summer evening than a gin and tonic! It's rather a murky gin, but I was really pleased with the bubbles! Fused fabrics, stitched before and after layering. Cheers everybody!!

Strange being on this side of the Atlantic and being only the second person to post! My life is rather fragmented at the moment ................. ah, there's a thought!!

FRESH - WORK IN PROGRESS

As you know, I am working a series within a series, i.e. all my pieces are based around life within Africa and will ultimately hang together as one piece. How, I have know idea at this point.  Because of this my theme piece for this challenge is 'Graffiti and will become the front label for the whole series.  So, I lied when I said I was finished as it will be a 'work in progress' until I know the final theme.

The background design was created by using a freezer paper template and discharge paste.  The rest is  fused painted fabric and 'graffiti' with more to come.  It was difficult positioning the six themes not knowing what is coming, but at the same time making it look as if it was finished, so I decided to stop at this point for the time being.

Here are the six pinned together to give you an idea of where I am heading.

Ta-da

Spring has sprung, Fresh is done!!
You can probably hear the frenzy in all that.  And Wednesday I'm on a studio tour being run by our guild.  I don't think it's been so spic and span since the last one!

next challenge................

drumroll......................

the next challenge title is ..................




FRAGMENT(S)



go wild....................

Fresh - a late teaser

I've had this photo to post for a couple of weeks but it has fallen down my 'to do' list - so consider it as a late teaser! These are the bits that got away:

Drakensberg Wonders

We have just returned from a week in the Drakensberg Mountains (one of our heritage sites) at a time share and being autumn the colours were amazing so would like to share a couple of pics.

...... and yes we had snow.   We also had frost, rain, and sunshine and a very dedicated fly fisherman (my better half) who only he would consider trying his hand in this weather!!

Hudson Medicenter gets new minigallery

Thanks to the insightfulness of our friend Heather, a minigallery wall of rotating art will be featured in the waiting room of our brand new medical center building. From the picture in the last post you can see that Heather's large new piece that she has just installed beckons from the landing beside the elevators. It fits magically into its new space and can be enjoyed from many levels. I have had the honour of being selected as the first featured artist for the minigallery. This space has been lovingly dedicated by Peter Lombardi to the memory of his wife Rosemary , our good friend and a talented quilt artist. Her family has worked tirelessly this winter in the completion of this modern new facility to benefit our community and a successful opening was held last week. Many thanks to Heather for taking the time and effort necessary to make this space available for artists and the surrounding community.

The Beast

Yesterday I was able to install the large piece I made for my husband's new medical centre. The original plan was to have it hanging in the waiting room, but I miscalculated the height of the ceiling, not realizing how much it would be lowered during construction to accommodate heating ducts, etc. I think Plan B is even better than Plan A. It is visible as people mount and descend the stairs, or as they wait for the elevator on the second floor. It was a real thrill to have two workers assemble scaffolding just to hang this piece, then measure carefully and adjust it. I felt like Christo.

It measures about 90" wide and 90" high. The "quilt" is pinned to a double width of charcoal-gray fibreglass screening, held against the wall with a plexiglass bar, top and bottom. Track lighting will be installed soon to highlight it. One of the interesting things about the space is that the back wall, though it appears to be much lighter than the side walls, is actually painted the same putty colour.


My working title for the piece is "It's All That..." I am open to suggestions. At times, it felt quite alien in my studio, being so big, and I sometimes lost confidence that I was on the right track. But I like the colour palette and colour gradation, the irregularity of the edges, its modernity and ambiguity, and how it seems to suit the building as a whole. As you mount the stairs, it takes on the appearance of a stained-glass rose window. I'm calling it a success! Two and a half months in the making.

My thanks to all of you who supported me with your kind guidance and advice. Virtually all of your ideas found their way into the making of The Beast.

Fresh

I've finally finished (apart from the binding) my 'Fresh' piece. Not sure why, but I found this the hardest one to get inspiration for so far. Maybe it was the additional pressure of the guild show and the Text'Art exhibition all having similar(ish) deadlines. No teasers for the Fresh piece, but here's the work I finished just before. Our youngest daughter, Kat - I'll be interested to see what her reaction is when I show it to her next week while I'm back in the UK.

Celebrating 5

I was invited to make a small quilt to celebrate the 5th birthday of a really good German patchwork magazine.  The editor is an old friend from the days when I was working in the patchwork shop in Frankfurt.  I didn't want to do anything with fizz and pop and it took a while to reach a decision but this is my little 20" square contribution.  The shapes are individual and are attached with beads between them and the black quilted background so that they stand proud and represent various fonts and symbols for 5 from around the world. 

Anyway, it is in the post and winging its way to Germany to join all the others.

Hilary

Text'Art at Galerie Ouest

 These are some photos of our show which opened today.  I've already lost one trying to move them around!  I was trying to put them side by side!  

NEXT PERSON

I have been reminded I need to anounce the next person ...........

PAMELA!