A bit more from Festival of Quilts
25 August 2014
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.
Festival of Quilts - Setting Up
7 August 2014
It's August, so here in Blighty that means it's FOQ time.
But before getting onto that, let me assure you, dear Reader, that I did manage to tie all those tiny ribbons round all those little wedding favours, deliver them to the caterers (who were very happy) and they went off to the wedding. Not a wedding I knew - this was a purely commercial venture. Apparently the Bride was very happy too.
The idea with the folder is that visitors can read the artists statement (on the left) then examine the sample closely, including the back of the little quilts.
Having created a pile of 44 mini quilt samples my next challenge was how to bind them - and golly was that a challenge. I won;t bore you with everything I considered, but in the end went for 3 (but I should have used 4) ring binders suitably (I hope) decorated in keeping.
Yep - that's good old Gesso and Fresco Finish paints using a hand cut stencil you might have seen before. On reflection I should also have varnished the folders but by the time I had worked out how to do this, well there wasn't time.
If I do this again, then next time I will make proper 'books' using one of my binding techniques, but this time I did not know quite what the issues were.
The chain? Well, and can you believe it, but we have to 'attach' them to the tables on the stand so they don't go walkabout!
Any way, Wednesday 6th July dawned, the folders were loaded into the car and off to Birmingham I went.
Set up is a military operation! First of all just unloading! You are given a time limited pass (which is based on how much you have to unload) and you drive round to the back of the halls and then take a chance with all the white vans which the traders use. Then, you battle your way through armies of men doing things (still erecting some of the exhibition shells), you try not to trip over any judges with clipboards (the exhibition quilts were hung ready for judging already - that must have been done on the Tuesday) and you find your stand!
Christine and her Worker (husband Nick) were already there when I arrived. The key to the day is the preparation and Christine had plans of all the walls so that Nick and I just had to knuckle down and hang the batons he had already made. This involved a lot of use of a spirit level and a lot of measuring and screwing. To hang this one gallery pretty much took 4 of us, because Ruth who had also helped by arranging the stewarding rota for the stand, was also there.
The final touch are the two tables with table clothes that are much too big so have to be pinned up. These tables hold the sample books.
We hung 44 quilts, but we also had space (the organisers gave Christine a slightly bigger shell than had been booked) to hang the samples of the quilts there were not selected. That is the 'patchwork' on the left hand side on the back wall.
Quilts are hung on the inside walls and on the outside walls.
Its a lovely space, and if you are going, in Hall 9 near the tea rooms.
Just look at the perfection you can achieve with a spirit level.
One down point, my own quilt, which I had sent to Christine to help her with the planning, had not traveled too well. The spacer batons I used had made the quilt curl. You can see it in this picture here. Not good!
So, not only is the effect rather disappointing, but it hangs too short!
I gave it a good tug and used blu tack to straighten it, but I think I will have to rethink that if I use batons again, but you live and learn. Though it has to be said, I am more of an embroiderer! It was really noticeable when looking at the other 'quilts'.
I am back at FOQ on Saturday and Sunday. I will be doing stewarding rota, so if you are there be sure to pop by to say hello. K14, Hall 9 near the cafes.
Oh, and a bit of a post script! Spotted Kaffe Fassett there with his partner - he's much taller than I expected - and the whole thing looks much better presented this year. Hall 9 is being used for some of the exhibition quilts and is much better than last year. If you are going, enjoy!!
But before getting onto that, let me assure you, dear Reader, that I did manage to tie all those tiny ribbons round all those little wedding favours, deliver them to the caterers (who were very happy) and they went off to the wedding. Not a wedding I knew - this was a purely commercial venture. Apparently the Bride was very happy too.
Actually, using the flower rag paper must have made them look very pretty indeed, set out on the table in the Marquee - the reception was in the Bride's garden.
Thinking about it, my first commercial commission as a professional artist! A new life?
Anyways- back to FoQ!
You may remember that the theme this year for the Contemporary Quilters Gallery was 'Dislocation'. I blogged about my own piece (which was selected - yay!) in June here.
I had also volunteered to help Christine Seager (a force of Quilting Nature). Compared to her incredible input, my activity was very small - do the "samples folders" and turn up on Set Up Day to, well, set up!
First of all the sample folders.
It was a privilege to hold all the samples and sew them onto pelmet vilene to bind into a book.
I used invisible thread so that the stitching would not distract from the actual samples. I think you can see from the example below that this did not distract from the sample too much.
The idea with the folder is that visitors can read the artists statement (on the left) then examine the sample closely, including the back of the little quilts.
Having created a pile of 44 mini quilt samples my next challenge was how to bind them - and golly was that a challenge. I won;t bore you with everything I considered, but in the end went for 3 (but I should have used 4) ring binders suitably (I hope) decorated in keeping.
Yep - that's good old Gesso and Fresco Finish paints using a hand cut stencil you might have seen before. On reflection I should also have varnished the folders but by the time I had worked out how to do this, well there wasn't time.
If I do this again, then next time I will make proper 'books' using one of my binding techniques, but this time I did not know quite what the issues were.
The chain? Well, and can you believe it, but we have to 'attach' them to the tables on the stand so they don't go walkabout!
Any way, Wednesday 6th July dawned, the folders were loaded into the car and off to Birmingham I went.
Set up is a military operation! First of all just unloading! You are given a time limited pass (which is based on how much you have to unload) and you drive round to the back of the halls and then take a chance with all the white vans which the traders use. Then, you battle your way through armies of men doing things (still erecting some of the exhibition shells), you try not to trip over any judges with clipboards (the exhibition quilts were hung ready for judging already - that must have been done on the Tuesday) and you find your stand!
Christine and her Worker (husband Nick) were already there when I arrived. The key to the day is the preparation and Christine had plans of all the walls so that Nick and I just had to knuckle down and hang the batons he had already made. This involved a lot of use of a spirit level and a lot of measuring and screwing. To hang this one gallery pretty much took 4 of us, because Ruth who had also helped by arranging the stewarding rota for the stand, was also there.
The final touch are the two tables with table clothes that are much too big so have to be pinned up. These tables hold the sample books.
We hung 44 quilts, but we also had space (the organisers gave Christine a slightly bigger shell than had been booked) to hang the samples of the quilts there were not selected. That is the 'patchwork' on the left hand side on the back wall.
Quilts are hung on the inside walls and on the outside walls.
Its a lovely space, and if you are going, in Hall 9 near the tea rooms.
Just look at the perfection you can achieve with a spirit level.
One down point, my own quilt, which I had sent to Christine to help her with the planning, had not traveled too well. The spacer batons I used had made the quilt curl. You can see it in this picture here. Not good!
So, not only is the effect rather disappointing, but it hangs too short!
I gave it a good tug and used blu tack to straighten it, but I think I will have to rethink that if I use batons again, but you live and learn. Though it has to be said, I am more of an embroiderer! It was really noticeable when looking at the other 'quilts'.
I am back at FOQ on Saturday and Sunday. I will be doing stewarding rota, so if you are there be sure to pop by to say hello. K14, Hall 9 near the cafes.
Oh, and a bit of a post script! Spotted Kaffe Fassett there with his partner - he's much taller than I expected - and the whole thing looks much better presented this year. Hall 9 is being used for some of the exhibition quilts and is much better than last year. If you are going, enjoy!!
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