Being knocked off my feet
25 August 2014
So there I was, dear reader, wandering around the Festival of Quilts, feasting my eyes and generally having a great time.
And then I came upon one gallery that literally knocked me off my feet - Gabi Mett and Judith Mundwiler: Short Stories; Between the Lines.
Judith is Swiss and Gabi is German (I love how FOQ is so international) and as I entered their gallery space I literally gave a little gasp of breath. It was one of those moments. The photos do not do any of the work justice.
I don't know much about Gabi or Judith. They share a website here - it is in German but Google will translate for you (though I fear it does loose a bit in the translation). However, it seems to be a new website and is lacking pictures etc. They do, however, promise an English version - it seems that they had a very good response from FoQ.
While that is in production I can share with you the work that I photographed.
First up, two panels with small hangings.
You may recall that I am always seeking solutions for displaying work. I am not really a quilter - I would class myself more as an embroiderer, so I was intrigued by this simple yet effective way to 'curate' a series of smaller hangings together. That alone set my mind racing.
Then there was this.
And this.
A lot of use of papers, yes stitched together, but still paper so you can probably see why my heart had skipped a beat.
My apologies to Gabi and Judith - i am not sure which work was undertaken by who. Remiss of me, but because I was so mesmerised by the whole gallery I did not get my professional act into gear to record everything properly.
So I will leave you with these images and wander off around the web to explore the work of these two ladies elsewhere.
Celebrities at FoQ - Susan Shie
Much as I love the exhibition quilts at FOQ I have to say it is the galleries that do it for me.
And this year was no exception.
I did not photograph them all - some did not allow photos, and some, well I was just photo'd out - but one stunning gallery that caught my eye was Susan Shie. You can read more about her here.
Now if you google as much as I do, dip into American publications like Cloth Paper Scissors (like I do) and generally fritter away time on the web, then it is likely that you will have come across Susan Shie. She ranks as a bit of a quilting celebrity.
Her style might not be to everyone's taste, but I love the whimsy and the colour.
These three were just some of the quilts on show in her gallery at FoQ.
She was at FoQ in 2010 (how did I miss that?) and in this video generously shares some of her techniques.
A bit more from Festival of Quilts
August is slipping away already, yet it seems that there is still so much to digest from Festival of Quilts this year.
I did gallop round the exhibition quilts and there were many beautiful quilts, but for whatever reason this little selection caught my eye.
This first quilt caught my eye simply because the stone work was so realistic.
This could be a photo of a flint wall.
This caught my eye because of the subject matter and the powerful colour.
I particularly liked the painted leaves and olives on this next quilt.
These were not winning quilts - to the best of my knowledge they were not 'judges choices' either. But they caught my eye.
I did gallop round the exhibition quilts and there were many beautiful quilts, but for whatever reason this little selection caught my eye.
This first quilt caught my eye simply because the stone work was so realistic.
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| Kay Lockie - Lest we Forget |
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| Detail from Lest we Forget |
This caught my eye because of the subject matter and the powerful colour.
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| Detail from Casting the Iron Bridge by Linda Turner |
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| Linda Turner - Casting the Iron Bridge |
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| Ethelda Ellis - Forest |
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| Detail of 'Forest' |
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| Sandra Morris - Shoreline |
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| Detail from 'Shoreline' |
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| Detail from 'Shoreline' |
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| Jo Coombes - Calabrian Courtyard |
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| Detail from Calabrian Courtyard |
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| Yvonne Brown - Bristol Tryptich |
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| Anne Tuck - Gate |
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| Detail from 'Gate' |
More web wanderings
16 August 2014
As you might know, if you pop by from time to time, I do like a good browse around YouTube.
There's always lots to find, especially if you open your mind to mixed media.
On this first one Seth Apter, who has a blog called http://thealteredpage.blogspot.co.uk/ shares a few techniques for low tech page decoration.
I've used textured wallpaper before. It does make a fab print block.
And here's another low tech idea - again one I've used before. Using polystyrene as a printing block.
This little video is by a lady called Sherrill Kahn, who I must say is new to me.
FoQ Hightlights - Quilt Creations
13 August 2014
Possibly the most eccentric (even the most bonkers?) section of the FOQ competition displays is the category called 'Quilt Creations' - and I'm always drawn to it first. What does that say about me?
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| Faux taxidermy by Judith Anderson |
And opposite? A lampshade? Yes- but what a lampshade and what a coat below.
And over there is a garden bench - again with a book explaining the story.
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| Diaghilev Comes to the Party by Sally Hutson |
Complete with an explanatory story, which I sat on the floor to read.
Ok, even the story asks the question. Is it quilting? Frankly, does it matter when this is so joyful? A bench, full of family history reincarnated at the NEC.
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| Take a Break by Ulrike Tillmanns |
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| Naiad by Claire Crouchley |
And more garments - this one with a darling little bag.
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| Citrinesque by Kathy Knapp |
And finally, the winner from this category - a rather bonkers clock. But overwhelmingly eccentric and beautiful.
Thanks to Linda Kemshall for the photograph (you can see her blog here) - there was always too much of a crowd around when I tried to photograph it.
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| Clock by Kate Crossley |
There were other lovely entries to this category - how to choose which to share? Difficult but these stick in my memory.
Festival of Quilts 2014 - Contemporary Quilt Gallery
10 August 2014
So, dear Reader, we set up!
And I was exhausted afterwards!
But, a day with my Mum (clearing out the garden shed) and a day in my studio (finishing 2 pieces of work that have been hanging around for ever + working more on that little book that I mentioned here) and I was ready to do my 'stint' on the CQ Gallery.
79 quilts were entered but only 44 made 'the cut' - you can see all of them here.
I am honoured to have been selected as one of the 44, though I am not sure I would have necessarily selected the same as the judges who apparently did the selection. Controversial, so I will leave it at that.
That said, the gallery was lovely and the quilts admired.
When we were hanging the quilts, this one by Sally Hutson caught my eye.
Of course, I had seen and even handled the sample, but the effect of the whole quilt did not come through in just the sample. Here is the description mounted next to the quilt.
But I then had the joy of spending several more hours in the company of all of these quilts.
And I never tired of looking at any of them.
Below, details from 'Primordial Soup with Euglena by Veronica Coad.
Detail from 'Steamed Up' by Judy Fairless.
And a detail from 'The Wrong Place' by Anne Louise Williams ( a lady close to my heart as she also uses paper! This one was brown paper on scrim.)
And, finally, just a small point. You might have spotted in the photo above, that 'Abscission III' didn't travel too well!
When I got to the show I was somewhat alarmed to see that the quilt had 'creased' along the spacer batons.
By the end of day 4 these creases had not dropped out.
So, I need to rethink this! I have all the quilts safe in my keeping because they are going on their travels and it is more convenient to send them on their way from me, so I will have time to take this apart and think again! I need much smaller rods I think. And flatter!
Ah well! You learn as you go along.
And I was exhausted afterwards!
But, a day with my Mum (clearing out the garden shed) and a day in my studio (finishing 2 pieces of work that have been hanging around for ever + working more on that little book that I mentioned here) and I was ready to do my 'stint' on the CQ Gallery.
79 quilts were entered but only 44 made 'the cut' - you can see all of them here.
I am honoured to have been selected as one of the 44, though I am not sure I would have necessarily selected the same as the judges who apparently did the selection. Controversial, so I will leave it at that.
That said, the gallery was lovely and the quilts admired.
When we were hanging the quilts, this one by Sally Hutson caught my eye.
Of course, I had seen and even handled the sample, but the effect of the whole quilt did not come through in just the sample. Here is the description mounted next to the quilt.
But I then had the joy of spending several more hours in the company of all of these quilts.
And I never tired of looking at any of them.
Below, details from 'Primordial Soup with Euglena by Veronica Coad.
Detail from 'Steamed Up' by Judy Fairless.
And a detail from 'The Wrong Place' by Anne Louise Williams ( a lady close to my heart as she also uses paper! This one was brown paper on scrim.)
And, finally, just a small point. You might have spotted in the photo above, that 'Abscission III' didn't travel too well!
When I got to the show I was somewhat alarmed to see that the quilt had 'creased' along the spacer batons.
By the end of day 4 these creases had not dropped out.
So, I need to rethink this! I have all the quilts safe in my keeping because they are going on their travels and it is more convenient to send them on their way from me, so I will have time to take this apart and think again! I need much smaller rods I think. And flatter!
Ah well! You learn as you go along.
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