Pohutukawa Taonga

I completed my piece in time to exhibit at the Sydney Quilt Show last week.  This is the artist statement:

Pohutukawa Taonga: Gracing the New Zealand coast, pohutukawa flowers and their spectacular blossom are a national taonga (treasure). The stamped Maori words, reminiscent of sheep bale stencils, denote other treasures of my kiwi upbringing: love, family, food, respect, belonging and well-being. (Monoprints, shibori, stamping, beading and hand stitching.)

This piece was different for me both technically and in terms of process.  I tend to work more improvisationally at the design wall rather than planning the design ahead of time.  Also, my preferred MO is freeform piecing so a wholecloth with a shibori panel presented new challenges - there's no "undo" button when you are monoprinting!

As you can see from my work in progress post, I originally monoprinted on white cloth (twice!) but painting to colour in the background didn't seem viable so I did a third monoprint on some of Lisa's turquoise dyed cloth.  Then the bubblewrap printed sea looked all wrong so I did a shibori strip using a bucket as my "pole".

I may still use my preliminary monoprint pieces.  Here's a smaller piece that I have donated to the annual SAQA Benefit Auction.

While I'm at it, I'd like to put in a plug for an exhibition that I'm curating - Beneath the Southern Sky. Entries close on 25 January 2012 so you have plenty of time to work on your piece after you've completed your TT contribution:

Lisa's Monthly Meters!

Working under stress and pressure - an altered book to distract me from the nasty spot my Sweet Pea and I are in and the Monthly Meter that Lisa sent to me!  A marriage made in heaven!

I think the Black Bird might just end up the star of the quilt!

Ta Lisa!

hugz

Sally

Test Quilt

I finally managed to get out of my "frozen" state and have  created something!  This little quilt is roughly 18" x 24'.  I have been worried about my idea of using the fountain that Lisa has in her backyard.  This is my first attempt.  I've learnt a few things not to do and a few things that will work. 

Techniques - soy wax batik, lino printed, rubber stamped, hand painted, hand embroidered and beaded.  Oh, and I used white acrylic paint and a foam roller to soften the background after it was heavily quilted.

I'd love some feed back!

Basting the monster

 

I spent sunday with Nic basting the monster. The original plan of basting on the machine went seriously awry when all the hexagons started separating and falling off. It was a nightmare and Nic (who had a hangover and a pretty sore foot after dropping a speaker on it) was getting a bit (read very) frustrated.

We decided that it wasn't going to work so regrettably decided to take it inside and baste it the old fashioned way - by stitching.

After about another hour of putting the bloody hexagons back into place Nic asked a really good question? Is this stuff (Steam a Seam Lite) like vlisofix and bonds permanently when ironed ? DUH!!!! We looked it up on the internet and guess what - IT DOES!

So after some testing with small pieces we realised that it was going to work. Two more hours later it was in a fit state to be returned to the longarm.

Tulle in place and Nic basted it in less than an hour. Success at last.
It was a long day for both of us but I slept well knowing that it might still work.
Now it is up to me and my bernina - bit of a false start but it is now underway and next time I will read the instructions.

Attic Blues

Here is my first quilt which as you now know is not going in the exhibition but I am pretty pleased with it. Hope it all stays together for the quilting.
I think I have changed the settings so you can be notified if there are comments.

Spectacular Bloom in Progress

I've done some monoprinting:

I've photoshopped auditioned some leaves and words (but of course, alphabet stamps don't come in this scale - rats):

And then I did some more monoprinting and bubble-wrapped some water:

My original plan was to paint wash in the white background but now I'm thinking I should have monoprinted onto coloured fabric.  Lisa, I don't suppose you have a 50in length of light turquoise/aqua fabric?

Spectacular Blossom - Statement of Intent

Since our get together in December, I have been mulling over TT ideas but, now I have to submit my Sydney Quilt Show entry form,it's time to FOCUS. So here is the concept design accompanying my entry form - monoprinted pohutukawa blooms with stamps kiwi words and a textured sea that might even incorporate some paua beads if I can avoid it looking too naff. No doubt the design will change considerably but, it's a start...

By the way, I tried out some monoprinting in the BrownSageBlue Twelve by Twelve challenge although I ultimately selected a pieced work for my official contribution.

Here are some practice monoprints on paper: