Firebird Journal Quilts Published!

I previously entered my work into a journal quilt competition and I knew they were being exhibited in various places for the Spring Quilt Festivals 2011 and Quilts UK 2011.  Ardingly, Edinburgh, Exeter and Malvern. I did not expect to win my first competition or anything but secretly hoped something would come from it. 

Anyway this morning a package arrived with the enclosed magazine 'Fabrications', April/May Issue, and letter informing me that my quilts had been featured in the review alongside the winners!  I was thrilled especially when I saw the quality of the quilts entered.  Most newsagents and Tesco have a copy of this so feel free to nip in and browse to pages 6 to 11!

So although my friends sometimes laugh at my sewing and being a member of the embroidery/quilt guild, as it is seen to be old fashioned, it brings me joy and some rewards although not always in the form of this!

Spring Quilt Festivals Are Under Way!!

The Quilt Festival season has started!  I have seen the adverts in various national quilting and sewing magazines.  Three shows down and two more to go.  It was Ardingly in January, Edinburgh in February and this month has been Chilford.  Next month is Exeter and then onto Malvern for the Quilts UK Festival at the Three Counties Showground.  I have no idea how my quilts have done other than they were accepted to finish off at Malvern, as not all entries go to the end due to space allocation.

I am now working on the next small art quilt which is for The Great Northern Quilt Show in Harrogate in Novermber.  I am entering the themed section which is 'Beside The Sea' this year.  I have drawn up my ideas and selected the fabric.  It is a case of making the pattern now.  Will share images further down the line.

At home I have also been doing some dodgey rusting experiments on fabric.  I have trays of vinegar sodden fabric in rusty metal trays around the house and garden.  So far very limited results so I am continually tweaking.  No pictures yet as the results are poor!

Lastly I attended a workshop at Lanternhouse International last Tuesday with Creative Futures Cumbria's, Hank Williams.  It was for creative practitioners and agents requiring useful coaching skills for when working with teachers in schools.  It was brilliant to see how Hank worked but also a very useful networking session for me.  I met up with people I had worked with in the past before having my son, so it was great to be talking projects rather than baby stuff!

Ski-ing and New Projects

Just back from our annual ski holiday.  This year it was just us three in La Plagne, in the French Alps.  The hotel was the Terra Nova in Plagne Centre. It was different not being a group of friends but still a great holiday.  Alex our son loved it!  It was really hot too, so apres ski in deck chairs was particulary relaxing!  Took lots of photos for possible future projects.  The Bellecote Glacier scenery was just amazing!

Now it is on to new projects for me.  I have finished off all little jobs I have had pending like my friends posh cushions to match her curtains.  So I started doing a bit of a clear out the other day and found the Koolade sachets that I had bought at last year's EG regional conference.  They are an American flavouring you add to water to make pop but they can be used to dye fabric like wool.  They were really cheap and I thought worth a try but had forgotten about them.  Anyway having just bought an old fashioned wool blanket to do some dry felting with, I thought to do an experiment.

It was easy enough to mix it up and put in a bottle.  Once the wool had been soaked for a while in a bucket of water I just squirted the solution on.  Then the fabric was put in a bowl and microwaved for 3 mins.  Once cooled it was thoroughly rinsed and left to dry.  No fuss and no other ingredients. 

The dye is quite bright and you would need several sachets if you wanted to make a solid deep colour.  I was going for a more painterly look.  However, the coloured wool can become a really good basis for some project in the future.   If I was to use it again I would get more sachets and perhaps experiment using resists aswell.



Spring Quilts Festival UK 2011 - Art Journal Quilt Entry

I have finished, sent and had accepted my two A4 art journal quilt entries for the Spring Quilts Festival UK 2011.  I am entering the Art Journal Quilt section.  The theme was 'Fantasy' and two had to be entered no bigger than A4.  It is a competition but will be exhibited at the various venues aswell.  I will get it back sometime in June. 

Going with the theme of  'Fantasy' I chose to do a Firebird and a Firebird Feather.  I felt this would give me freedom to be creative with fabric and texture.  I printed my own text onto sections to add deeper meaning and fantasy.  I used mainly silk but included cotton that I had dyed used procion dye and then embellished with acrylic paint.  Sections were appliqued and then free motion machine stitched. I used sequins and glitter thread to embellish the feathers. I quilted the silk background to the felt wadding using machine stitch too.  The backing is a black linen cotton mix that has a  3" sleeve and label.  A satin bias binding was used to finish it off.

I wanted to convey a deep yearning of love through texture and layers, the layers representing our lives and dreams which are never fully revealed.  The Firebird in many cultures represents deep longing and the wish for something better.  The Firebird Feather is often sought as it is believed an owner of such a feather could have three wishes.

Exhibition Comes Down!

Whilst I was doing my invigilation stints at Artgene I managed to learn a little more about their Design Cafe.  It is really interesting and would love to join them on Sat 11th Dec for their walk, it starts at the cemetery and onto Sandscale Hawes Lousey Point for a meal in one of the black huts!  A few weeks just  before that artist Sophie Mellor will be doing a presentation about how her project in and around Barrow has gone. That is in the cafe itself on Wed 17th November at 7pm.  The concept of the cafe and activities are described in the following link;

Artgene Design Cafe

However,  we took the exhibition down today.  We packed the photographs away carefully in paper with labels.  They may be going onto another venue.  So watch this space for that.  It is always sad when taking down an exhibition or display that you have been involved in, even when not as an artist.  It marks the end of a period of intense activity which usually was extremely interesting and involved bonding moments!  Although there was problems along the way in regards to my prints and narrative, it does not detract from the enjoyment I had from being involved in the project.  I also had the opportunity to meet new people and strengthen old acquaintances.

On with the new projects now and finishing off little textile projects that have been ongoing at home.  I have to finish off scanning my old 35mm slides onto the computer so I can prove I have done stuff in the past!! I have been asked to give a talk at the college to students about work since my degree.  Scanning the slides take ages and I have so many!!  I wish I could afford to send them off to be done by a company somewhere!  Plus they are a bit dusty despite being packed away quite carefully! I have tried blackmailing Nic, my husband, but he is not having it! 

Oh and nearly forgot we are off to Manchester in two weeks for the weekend and to see Linkin Park in concert.  Looking forward to a baby free weekend!  Oops did I just say that! Bad mother!  Although here is a photo taken by Nic of Alex, 2 years old, on a ride on the pier at Blackpool on Sunday.  As you can see he loved it!! The lights were good but the same as ever!!

Scream if you want to go faster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Article in The Northwest Evening Mail!

Well the exhibition made it into the paper but got my name and Alex's name wrong!  The article written was ok but not quite accurate either.  The photographer who took the photo's spent a long time trying to get pictures of my son pointing at the exhibits!  This is Nic's photo of him doing the same. It was still nice though.  At least he had his favourite 'digger' coat on!!  Plus he was with me on the walk for my project!

Exhibition Narrative

As I could not display my narrative for the exhibition I thought I would put it here for people to read. Thanks to Nic for getting photos of collage at the gallery and of the preview evening.

The Old Line

Artistic Statement

Come rain or shine my mother and I would cycle the old line after work. We would start at Buccleuch Dock and cross the causeway at Cavendish Dock onto the line which is now the Westfield Nature Trail and finish at Roa Island. Along the path we would meet many people cycling, walking the dog, fishing or jogging. Over time we would recognise people and say hello and see new faces discovering the line.

This whole area has been given a new lease of life. Now the path is extended at both ends, the walker or cyclist can find themselves amongst an Industrial landscape with deep rural hills and a stunning shoreline. Seasons come and go and show us what nature has to offer. Sea birds feeding in the marsh, berries on the bushes and bees being busy.

I decided to revisit the path on foot with my camera for this project and look again with fresh eyes. I met many interesting people that were willing to be photographed and chat to me. The collage of portrait, landscape and detail are all connected and give an insight into what the path has to offer and the people who enjoy it.

Photographic Collage Narrative

The fisherman was at Cavendish Dock with two friends and had been there from early morning. They fish there often and know the area well. They catch Carp on a regular basis and told me how they use their bait. They caught a few when I was talking to them. At the point when this fish was caught, the traffic on the road to one side and people walking by all came to a standstill waiting to catch the glimpse of the Carp. Only a small one this time, although I am told the dock does contain carp as big as 30lbs.

I met the cyclist by the gas terminal, his new bike set aside he was sat on a bench he had knocked up, eating bright orange Sea Buckthorn berries he had picked along the path. His hands were stained from berries he so obviously enjoyed. They were everywhere along this stretch, bursting open as they were so ripe, with their sweet citrus aroma filling the air around. He told me how he uses the path every day and likes to sit on his bench and look out across the marsh to the sea. He knew a great deal of the history of the ‘old line’.

I was very lucky to meet the boatman and his dog Alfie. I was on the sand by the Roa Island causeway car park photographing an old skeleton boat, when he appeared from his boat. The tide was out and he had his waders on and his little dog in a bag, saving him from sinking into the muddy sand. Alfie, a Jack Russell is a rescue dog and was a little nervous, he explained to me. The man had bought his boat to do up and eventually sail around the Scottish Isles. He told me how much work he had done so far but that it was taking longer than he anticipated. He works on the boat every day.