Flower Fabric Postcards

Recently finished some fabric postcards to send over the Tasman and one posted to my Mum.  I used my indigo dyed fabric, hand painted background for flower and free machine embroidery.

Been thinking about a circle quilt or mini quilt with circles using our hand dyes still at the design phase.
take care Rebecca

Fabric Collage 7 and Dyed Fabric

I have been a little sick with sinus and chest infection but I am managing to do some more of my Fabric Collages - here is Number 7.  I had fun using bougainvillea petals sandwich between bonding agent and transparent chiffon.  The fabric I used is hand dyed and the other piece painted with salt used to pattern.  I did the collage in about 35 minutes once I figured out how to capture the petals. It is hot here in Brisbane so that was my inspiration!

Today given the lovely hot sunny weather I dyed some fabric as the base for hand printing layers for Aliquilts Fabric - my favourite colours first shown fluttering in the breeze, with reds and violet fabrics batching tonight.

till next time Rebecca

Library Project - Finished Project

Way back I committed to Adrienne's library project.  Well I finally finished my first selected quilt.

The pattern is from the book "3Times the Charm Book Two".  I used 5 in squares I received in a Charm Square Swap organised by Kelly Elliot (Brisbane).

Very cheery I have a lovely square wooden table on my Alfresco and this will look great for brunch party.

cheers Rebecca

Collage Challenge

I decided to belatedly follow Stephanie Levy's 100 days of Collage challenge.  I decided that I would do predominately fabric collage.  Gwen Marston and Jette Clover ("Small Notes" book) have both undertaken small studies and I was inspired by them.  I decided to make mine 8inches by 10 inches and to take around 30 minutes to 45 minutes on each one.  I don't know that I will make one every day but here are my first two using hand dyed and in some cases hand printed fabric from Aliquilts.
I will show you my first two below and update with some others as I keep going!!!

 This is the first one I made yesterday.  To get me going I used a postage stamp from a friend in New Zealand inspired by Jette's work.

This is today's and I used an old Australian stamp on "Peace" as a focus from my mother's old stamp album.

I am doing the exercise to get my creativity going and to practice.

cheers Rebecca

Random Geese mini quilt

I had fun challenging myself to cut out improvisational flying geese for this little mini quilt.

It measures 21inches by 16inches and it was a stretch to figure out how to position the individual geese!!  I used kona solids.

Have a great day
Rebecca

Fabric Book Covers

I had loads of fun making a couple of fabric book covers for my sketchbooks.  I used hand dyed and

 hand printed fabrics that Ali and I made.  You can find other colours and fabric packs here at art 

fabric(Aliquilts).  I used matching hand dyed thread in the embroidery.

I adapted a pattern I found at Bloom.

take care Rebecca

Lichen Journal Quilt

This is the final journal quilt in the second 8 x8 journal quilt challenge.  The colour chosen was "lichen".  I am having a circle thing going at the moment and decided to use our Aliquilts Hand Printed fabrics in the colours of lichen for the circles.  I hand painted the grey lichen colour for the background.  The circles were fused and I used straight line quilting.

 take care Rebecca

Weekend Retreat

I had a fabulous quilting retreat last weekend out at Boonah.  Managed to finish off the 36 blocks for my small quilt, baste down a Hawaiian appliqué cushion and dye some 14 yards of fabric (with Ali).

cheers Rebecca

Red Quilt

I finished my scrappy Red Quilt.  The centre I made in a Nancy Crow class in New Zealand and the inspiration for the medallion came from a class with Gwen Marston.  It is improvisationally pieced except for the borders.

It is 43 inches square.   It makes me happy cheers Rebecca

Autumn in the Vineyard - journal challenge

The latest challenge topic for our 8 by 8 group was "Autumn in the Vineyard".  I had fun using sun paints to do leaf prints, some of my hand dyes and using some of my deconstructed screen printing fabric.  I did minimal machine quilting (plan to work on my skills in this area) and I added hand stitching using my own hand dyed threads which were procion dyed when I was dyeing some of the fabric I used.

The thermofax prints are from a drawing of a leaf in our front yard.
cheers Rebecca

Fabric Postcards

I am in a postcard swap with some friends in New Zealand - my latest postcards were hand painted and printed and machine embroidered.  The postcard was inspired by my daily walk around the Lake near my house.

take care Rebecca

Open Studio - Aliquilts

Just a reminder for those of you in Brisbane that my friend Ali George is having an Open Studio this weekend(24 and 25 May).  Ali lives in the beautiful Scenic Rim about an hour from Brisbane - her address is Aliquilts Studio 169 Niebling Road, Tarome.  Visitors will be able to participate in mini workshops and a community quilt project.

cheers Rebecca

Dragon Fly - "Seaglass" Colour challenge

The last colour challenge the 8 by 8 Group did was based on the colour depicted by "Seaglass".  I took out my collection of sea glass from Day's Bay in Wellington and inspired made the journal quilt below.  The dragon fly wings were painted with semi transparent paint and I used machine outline and some neocolor 1 crayons for highlights.

cheers Rebecca

Fabric Dyeing

I read today where it is really good for your work amongst other things to blog.  It is a way to look differently at your work and to be more thoughtful.  You build up a relevant visual diary which is both a record and an inspiration.  So I am showing you a photo of what I have been busy doing in the past week - procion dyeing cotton fabric.  I am really doing improvisational dyeing because I think it is important to have some textural elements in the cloth.  I made sure I dyed some light colours too because it is intended that hand printing  be added to the fabric and this will give variety.

take care Rebecca

Rust

I forgot to post this journal quilt "Rust" made a couple of months ago.  It is made with my hand dyed and rusted fabrics and is 12 inches by 15inches.  It is part of the colour series that the eight of us are doing from Upper Hutt New Zealand (well I moved back to Australia later).

The design is based on the letter "H" but improvisationally cut out.  Today I finished "Sea Glass" and I have just posted to New Zealand for the reveal night on 22 April.  Will post a photograph after that night.

cheers Rebecca

Quilters and Patchworkers of New England (Armidale NSW) Exhibition

We travelled down to Armidale in New South Wales for the QPNE Quilt Exhibition.  My Mum and I have been members of the Group for a long time.  I had two quilts in the Exhibition this year.  My Blue and White Quilt adapted from a pattern by Kate Conklin and quilted by Sue B (Wellington).

 My second quilt was "Got Mail" inspired by a quilt made by Ayumi Takahashi of Japan.  It is paper pieced and machine quilted.

The President and Organising Committee did a great job and a large number of people came to view all the quilts over the two days of the Exhibition.  Mum is hand quilting her latest quilt and it will be ready for next year's Exhibition.

take care Rebecca

Stitches & Craft Show, Brisbane

Hi I went to the Stitches & Craft Show in Brisbane yesterday.  The Queensland Quilters Inc Modern Quilting group had a display and I was pleased to see my Colour Circles quilt was hanging at the entry.  It is such a bright quilt that I started in a class in New Zealand with Nancy Crow.  It is free hand(improvisation ally cut) and I had fun choosing the colours.  I also had fun sewing it together!!
I quilted it on my Bernina 440 with organic straight lines.  It is 80 inches by 80 inches.

Took the photo on my iPhone as forgot my camera!

cheers Rebecca

My Bird Journal Quilt

I think my favourite journal quilt I had in the "Pieces of Eight" Exhibition was my "Bird" themed.  It has natural dyed and rusted fabric used in the fabric collage and a machine outline in black of a drawing I did of a parrot in the backyard of my home.

cheers Rebecca

Coal - Journal Quilt

My New Zealand 8 by 8 group had their reveal last night.  This is our second series of Journal Quilts. Our colour subject this time was "Coal" - 15inches by 12inches.  This is my quilt.  I painted the fabric and used salt to get pattern and I also scrunched the fabric up and use sun print fabric paint.  This is my quilt - cannot wait to see a photo of

the other girls quilts.  My design is based roughly on the letter H.
cheers, Rebecca

Work for Completion

I have two jobs to really finish two quilts.  Firstly, I have the binding to attach to the Grey and Lime Quilt just back from Chris Harvey who did the wonderful machine quilting.   I really don't like doing binding but it has to be done!!!

The second quilt "Circles in Colour"I finished a while ago but have yet to make the hanging sleeve and label, oh and I saw a few thread tails to attend to,  I need to have this all done by next week.

have fun, Rebecca

The Library Project : February Report

I have started my first project for The Library Project plan to finish in March.  The Library Project is being organised by Adrienne.  Here is a photo of some of my blocks up on the design wall.

I was late to get my photo taken so missed the photo gallery make sure I am on time next month!! My project is easy but I am having fun playing with the colours.  I really enjoy working with five inch charm squares.

cheers Rebecca

Pieces of Eight Exhibition

It was great to see the Exhibition "Pieces of Eight" with 64 journal quilts by our group of eight quilters held at Expressions Gallery, Upper Hutt, New Zealand.  Some photos of the Exhibition are below:

"Churches"

                                                                 'Bridges"

"Leaves"

take care Rebecca

My Travels

I just returned last night from eight fabulous days in Hawaii followed the next day by four lovely days in Wellington New Zealand.  Totally different climates and scenery but I had a great time at both.  Have photos to post of the quilt exhibition in New Zealand but for today our frangipani tree in our front yard has finally flowered so I am posting a photo for you to enjoy!

cheers Rebecca

Sebastian's Cot Quilt

We were so happy with the safe arrival of a new nephew just after Christmas.  I made a colourful quilt for the wee little boy.

 It is based on charm squares and the pattern came from the book "3 Times the Charm"(Me and My Sister Designs).

take care Rebecca

Journal Quilt -Lines

I was so lucky to go to the European Patchwork Exhibition in Alsace in France in 2012.  I did a workshop with Alicia Merritt (UK) and I was inspired to make this journal quilt based on the subject Lines.  It is also in the Pieces of Eight Exhibition which is being held at Expressions Gallery, Upper Hutt New Zealand.  I used some of my hand dyed fabric in this quilt and really enjoyed making it.

take care Rebecca

The Library Project Quilt Along

Adrienne over at  Chezzetcook Modern Quilts is running a Quilt Along which she has called The Library Project.  The aim is to actually use those great books, patterns and magazines we all collect. Everyone can choose what they want to work on.  I have selected two items (Adrienne does suggest four at least) as I have some other commitments also.  It is a fantastic idea.  So here goes I have selected the following projects:

1.  I participated in a charm square rainbow swap organised by Kelly late last year and thought the quilt on the cover of the book "3 Times the Charm" by Me and My Sister Designs - Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson would be perfect for the squares.

 2.  I have been a big fan of Lucie Summers for a long while and love her new book "Quilt Improv".  I really want to try her Plates Quilt shown in the photos below.  It is based on log cabin and quarter cycles.

Best get to work!!!!  

Rebecca

Journal Quilt - Bridges

Really happy that the Opening of the Pieces of Eight Exhibition at Expressions Upper Hutt (near Wellington) New Zealand went really well on Tuesday night.  So wished I could have been there.  Have been sent some photos of Opening and it looked great.  There are eight of us in the Exhibiition each with 8 journal quilts based on eight different topics.

This is my Bridges quilt it is based on a photo I took in Paris of a bridge across the Seine.  I have printed keys on the side.

have a good day 

Rebecca

Four Square Table Topper

Great day here in Brisbane not too hot ray!  I finished the hand stitching on this Table Topper and have now placed it in the lounge room on a coffee table.  Looks very colourful!!

This is from a pattern by Heather Jones in the latest Modern Patchwork(USA) magazine.

cheers Rebecca

Journal Quilt - Leaves

My Journal Quilt Leaves uses my hand dyes and commercial fabric and photos of leaves transferred via TAP to fabric.

Churches Journal Quilt

This is another journal quilt I made that will be in the Upper Hutt Exhibition.  I printed a sketch I made of old St Paul's Church in Wellington onto silk organza and kinda built the quilt around that - I used thermofax screen printing and some hand embroidery.

Colour Piece work in progress

Today I went to the SW Brisbane Modern Quilt Group of which I am a member and worked on my Colour Piece quilt.  It is a contemporary quilt designed by me and a medallion style with more rows yet to be added!  I had a great afternoon with the Group and saw some lovely quilts being made.

cheers Rebecca

Summer Journal Quilt

This is the second quilt in the Journal Quilt series which will be shown in the "Pieces of Eight" Exhibition at Upper Hutt.  It was inspired by an online workshop with Deborah Boschert.  It is collaged and I used my hand dyes, stencils and prints, thermofax prints  and hand embroidery and sequins.

 cheers Rebecca

Shells

Happy New Year!!

I have just sent journal quilts to New Zealand for an Exhibition at the Expressions Gallery in Upper Hutt.  There are eight of us in our 8 by 8 group and we are exhibiting the first eight quilts we made in 2012/13.  The first quilt we had to make for the 12inches by 15 inches challenge was "Shells".  My quilt used deconstructed screen printing, thermofax printing and TAP transfers of photos of shells in my collection.

cheers
Rebecca