2010 has been a bittersweet mixture.
Some truly awful times come to mind, although I'm pleased that they don't stay there for long. Sadly, in learning to let those things go from my thoughts and memories, I've often lost sight of some very good things. In the new year, i hope to learn to hold on to the good bits.
So many potential great experiences await in the next 52 weeks. Some are known already. 2011 is the year I will sing in Carnegie Hall! There are some amazing quilts lurking in my sketchbook. I know I will make some of them, in some form. Other experiencess wait to be invented, and some will sneak up and surprise us.
Stepping up, stepping out, going on
In love with a fictional character - 6th blog of Christmas
How i adore and long for this mystery person... Who perceives and admires me, who values my struggle, who cherishes my gifts and accepts my flaws.
Sometimes I'm sad because this person isn't a part of my life. Other times I rejoice that they are all around and within me.
At the very moment that I mourn something lacking, I can choose to see with different eyes, and discover that the missing element was there all along.
Sometimes I'm sad because this person isn't a part of my life. Other times I rejoice that they are all around and within me.
At the very moment that I mourn something lacking, I can choose to see with different eyes, and discover that the missing element was there all along.
the 5th blog of Christmas - my not-so-wicked step-grandmother
My mother married a man with 6 siblings. Their mother turned 80 today. It's been a long happy day full of food, drink, laughter, short heartfelt speeches, long rambling conversations. It was a wonderful gift to suddenly become part of a large and close extra family.
To cap it all off, tomorrow we put aside our party clothes and go fishing!
To cap it all off, tomorrow we put aside our party clothes and go fishing!
Barefoot...
The 4th blog of Xmas is also day 4 of 17 days of shoelessness, my annual summer holiday practice.
I love shoes. My darling often refers to me as 'Imelda', especially when I have commandeered a greater share of the wardrobe. Most days, my outfit is selected from the foot up. So it seems strange to choose to be shoeless.
Barefoot is about change of style, lack of style, complete relaxation, being natural. It's also about slowing down - the automatic way to help winter-tender feet cope with the textured world. At the same time, I'm resetting my mind to a greater degree of tranquillity.
By the time i wear shoes again, my holiday time will have toughened my soles, and desensitised my soul.
I love shoes. My darling often refers to me as 'Imelda', especially when I have commandeered a greater share of the wardrobe. Most days, my outfit is selected from the foot up. So it seems strange to choose to be shoeless.
Barefoot is about change of style, lack of style, complete relaxation, being natural. It's also about slowing down - the automatic way to help winter-tender feet cope with the textured world. At the same time, I'm resetting my mind to a greater degree of tranquillity.
By the time i wear shoes again, my holiday time will have toughened my soles, and desensitised my soul.
3rd blog of Christmas - hurrying towards peace
Today we drove North for 5 hours to reach my Mum's home on Doubtless Bay. It's beautiful here and of course I have already got salt in my hair, and sand under my toenails.
It's incredible how fast the holiday effect kicks in - energy to do stuff I couldn't usually be bothered with, combined with peacefulness and patience that seems effortless.
It's incredible how fast the holiday effect kicks in - energy to do stuff I couldn't usually be bothered with, combined with peacefulness and patience that seems effortless.
2nd blog of Christmas - honoring Bethli
Yesterday, Christmas Day, Bethli passed away after a long and hard-fought illness.
I did not know her well, but what I did know, personally and professionally, was admirable. She was a person of great energy, intelligence and integrity.
Bethli did not live enough years to express her whole potential, but all the time she had, she made the most of - learning, travelling, working and playing.
I'm grateful to have known her.
I did not know her well, but what I did know, personally and professionally, was admirable. She was a person of great energy, intelligence and integrity.
Bethli did not live enough years to express her whole potential, but all the time she had, she made the most of - learning, travelling, working and playing.
I'm grateful to have known her.
1st blog of Christmas
This Christmas is a scrap quilt.
The background changed several times, and each part of the day brought together partial family groups.
All unified by the common threads of courtesy, generosity and love.
Scrap quilts are always the warmest.
The background changed several times, and each part of the day brought together partial family groups.
All unified by the common threads of courtesy, generosity and love.
Scrap quilts are always the warmest.
Floating cubes comes together...at last
Floating Cubes has had a long slow development. The cube-top fabric came first - bought at a quilt show in Sydney, perhaps 2006. I knew I would use it for some variation of Stack'n'Whack but I didn't want to just make blocks & a border with it.
Then, I read Quilts of Illusion (again) and saw a most amazing variation of the classic Tumbling Blocks pattern. Immediately I knew I would use the interesting blocks from the special print as the "top" of cubes. I made dozens of these, and enjoyed the process of selecting complementary colours from the scraps stash.
Later came the idea to have a "macro-cube" background for all my little cubes to float above.
I'm still playing with the arrangement of the small cubes, but I'm thinking this current arrangement with a large-to-small layout gives a sense of distance that is very pleasing.
There are more photos of the build of this quilt in this Picasa Gallery and at the foot of this page for a while
Next questions - how to attach the little cubes to the ground, and what sort of quilting?
Advice where you least expect it
Today I talked with an art dealer. About making a living from art.
He was very generous with his advice, and set me the following homework:
He was very generous with his advice, and set me the following homework:
- Have my work professionally photographed
- Document each work's title, size, media
- Write my biography in 2-3 paragraphs
- Make a website to show off my work & myself
- Produce a printed booklet of a selection of my work to give to dealers
- Email him when all this is done and he'll critique my efforts
He called this the transition from "crafty" to "fine art", and discussed how this change in level of finish would help me to engage with serious art dealers - and that this was the way to meet the kind of market that could make my work generate an income.
I guess it all comes down to how seriously I take myself and my work, and how much I want to let those finished works out into the world to find a home with someone else.
Quilting to fix my mind _ _ _
I've just noticed a fascinating trend in my quilting.
Over the last three months, i've spent much more time quilting than piecing - many works have been getting to that happy state known as 'finished'
In almost every case, the design qualities of the quilting have been a visual representation of what i *needed* to rebalance my emotional or mental state. When i've been low or sad, my quilting has been bouyant and vigorous. When I've been agitated, the lines have been smooth and simple. When i've been irrational, they have been a calm
reinforcement of the top design.
While making the design decisions, i only thought about what each quilt needed to complete it. I think i've been subconsciously choosing *which* project to work on depending on what kind of work will help my mental state. This really is art as therapy, and is a very happy discovery.
Key lesson: it's probably a very good idea to have a variety of projects to work on at any time, so I'm free to select the one that is what i need at the time
another finish ... with no photo
Finn's African scene quilt is finnished and gifted. I hear his big
sister has taken possession of it already. That sounds like success
to me! Living in hope that my colleague, his Papa, will bring me a
photo of him enjoying it.
sister has taken possession of it already. That sounds like success
to me! Living in hope that my colleague, his Papa, will bring me a
photo of him enjoying it.
When is your wardrobe like a quilt?
i've just had a fabulously successful clothes shopping expedition. The
key difference was treating my body like a quilt composition. All the
same concepts of balance, repetition, scale, proportion and colour
added up to a fun time putting together wonderful outfits.
Surprisingly friendly to the bank balance too!
key difference was treating my body like a quilt composition. All the
same concepts of balance, repetition, scale, proportion and colour
added up to a fun time putting together wonderful outfits.
Surprisingly friendly to the bank balance too!
There might be more posts...
... From stitchsarah on the move. It's the equivalent of hand-piecing, maybe.
....and again!
There's a new baby - Finn McCoy Jordan, born last night. A quilt is needed!
Just when I'm getting on with a bunch of serious art quilts large & small. Still, there's always time for a baby.
Just when I'm getting on with a bunch of serious art quilts large & small. Still, there's always time for a baby.
Thank heaven for little people...
Even though I keep saying "No more baby quilts", they are my great saving and keep me going through periods of thin inspiration and scarce time.
Every baby needs a quilt... they're my favourite way to celebrate others going where I dare not follow. A baby quilt is an opportunity to make something smallish, light-hearted, useful and still original.
So... here's my latest, for Ryan. His dad is an astronomy buff.
It even has back art! fuzzy flannel, so it won't slip off the cot
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