Mapping Evolution at the West Country Quilt Show

My joint exhibition Mapping Evolution with Alicia Merrett will be at the West Country Quilt and Textile Show next week from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th November at UWE in Bristol. Follow the link for more details. Hope to see you there. k3n x

View from a Northumbrian Shepherd's Hut

Hi all, I finished this a little while ago but only just got round to buying a canvas to mount it on. It measures 12" wide by 32" high and is inspired by a photo I took from the doorway of the shepherd's hut at the Wild Northumbrian campsite where we stayed on holiday in August. The setting was idyllic and this view greeted us every morning.

Cosmic Jigsaw Quilts at Midsomer Quilting

I had a fantastic workshop today at Midsomer Quilting teaching part two of my new Cosmic Jigsaw Quilts workshop which is based on my Evolution series currently being exhibited at the Arts Centre in Ilminster (until 31st October). In part one a month ago, students created their design from an inspiration photo then drafted templates and foundation blocks and began work with all sorts of fabric collage and stitching techniques. Some suggested by me and some their own ideas. They continued to work on their pieces at home and today finished embellishments and joined their pieces together and mounted them on artists canvases. Here are some photos of their work, the colours haven't come out very vividly but I hope you will agree that their work is fabulous. Many of them were fairly new to art quilting and agreed that this technique gave them a structure which formed a good basis to get creative. I will be teaching the two part workshop again at Midsomer Quilting in January and February and at Barrington Patchwork in February and March. Alternatively, if you are a member of a quilt group, you can book me to come along to your own venue to teach this. Please contact me for further details.

Stitch a Rainbow

I taught this workshop at Pauline's Patchwork in Dorchester last week and had a message from one of the participants, Sue Wild that she had blogged about her quilt which you can see here
It's so great to get feedback from students and to see the finished piece - thanks Sue, I especially love the 'bling'! xx

Mapping Evolution Exhibition with Alicia Merrett

Mapping Evolution is an exhibition of contemporary art quilts by Alicia Merrett and k3n, two  award-winning Somerset artists who express and explore big ideas through fabric and stitch. Both artists have international reputations and their highly accomplished work is characterised by bold colour and inventive approaches to traditional quilting techniques. k3n’s quilts explore seven different aspects of  evolution including Cosmic, Stellar and Planetary  Evolution, as well as the Origins of the Universe.  Alicia will be showing quilts inspired by maps and aerial views, as well as quilts that reflect her longstanding interest in cosmology and quantum physics, magic and alchemy.

October 5th to 31st 2015

Ilminster Arts Centre at the Meeting House
East Street, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 0AN

Open: Mon - Fri  9 .30 - 4.30 - Sat 9.30 - 2.30  T: 01460 54973

For further information see the Arts Centre website

Students work

Hello all, some people who had done workshops with me at Midsomer Quilting visited my exhibition and brought their finished pieces to show me (technically one was discussed and followed later by email!) and here they are - one hanging from Rainbow Rain and two landscapes from a workshop I did at MQ with Wells Quilters. Apologies for the quality of 1 and 3 - taken with my phone!  k3n x

Exhibition at Midsomer Quilting

Hello everyone,

An exhibition of my latest series of quilts 'Evolution - a brief history of the Universe from the Big Bang to the present' opens at Midsomer Quilting this Friday 24th July and is open daily until Monday 3rd August from 10am to 4pm (opens at 10.30am on Sundays).

Do please come along if you can, I will be there for at least part of everyday, if it's important to you that you see me (!) please contact me beforehand to check I'll be there when you visit.

Here is how to find MQ. Look forward to seeing you! k3n x

Cosmic Evolution III - Supernova

Moonraker Landscapes

Hi everyone, I recently received the following photos of finished Fabric Collage Landscapes from participants in a workshop I ran over in Devizes a while ago. Aren't they fab? I love it when I receive pix of finished quilts, it's very rewarding that people have been inspired to go on with the techniques they've learnt. So if you've done a workshop with me and have a finished quilt to show for it, please send me a photo! Cheers all k3n x

Jan's Quilt

Jean's Quilt

Maureen's Quilt

Bag making workshop at Ilminster Arts Centre

Hello everyone, I have just arranged to teach a workshop in bag making at the Arts Centre in Ilminster on Thursday 25th June from 10am to 4pm, details and picture below. Book soon as two places were filled while I was in the Arts Centre showing the samples this morning! Please contact them directly on 01460 55783 or email info@themeetinghouse.org.uk

Bag making workshop

Come along and make a handbag or shoulder bag. Suitable for complete beginners to bag making.  Learn simple techniques to make the gusset, handles and customised inner pockets. No complex zip installation- just a simple, optional button and loop closure. Examples shown take a half metre each of outer and lining fabric – or choose two ‘outer’ fabrics and make it reversible. Includes detailed workshop notes to take home so you can make more! Sewing machine required. £30 per person.

Get Weaving workshop at Barrington Patchwork

Hello everyone,

Last Friday I ran a new workshop at Barrington Patchwork called 'Get Weaving' which is a fused technique creating a woven piece for quilting and embellishment or it could form the background for applique etc. It was great fun and I'll definitely be doing it again soon!

Here's a pic of Pat's finished piece, decorated with fussy cut applique butterflies and some of her machine's fancy stitches. k3n x

The back

The woven and embellished front