Cosmic Jigsaw Quilts at Midsomer Quilting

Hello everyone, I had a fabulous day yesterday teaching part 2 of my Cosmic Jigsaw Quilts workshop at Midsomer Quilting - here is a selection of the fabulous work the students produced. It's so rewarding to teach a two part workshop (we have a month's break between the sessions to allow for homework). Students can take on a more complex piece than a one day workshop allows and also, I get to see (nearly!) finished results. k3n x

On the Edge change of plan

It just goes to show that it is worth a) making a sample and b) putting something on the wall and leaving it for a while if you're unsure! When I made the first sample for On the Edge and wrote that I had to resort to bondaweb applique for some of the pieces, I wasn't really happy with this option. I really want to construct the piece using the jigsaw quilt as you go technique that I love. Also, I wasn't really loving the blue/green colouring if the previous piece and felt in general the design was too much of a copy of Stolzl's design rather than just inspired by. So I have studied the work of other women weavers such as Anni Albers and Sophie Taebur-Arp and tried to come up with my own design incorporating elements of their work so that my piece is more personal. I had in mind a more primary-with-black-and-white feel for the piece. So I did another sketch, making sure that this time I could construct in a modular fashion, giving me the manageable sized blocks to work on that I like. Whilst I completely agree with using the right techniques for the integrity of the piece, it is also fundamentally important to me that I actually enjoy making it!

Here are the sketches. I have made the 8" sample square and am in the process of adding hand stitching so I will post a photo when that is done. What do you think? Do you agree that it's an improvement? k3n x

On the Edge - update

Hi all, for this challenge you have to submit a 20cm sample (which is a great idea and I think all juried competitions should do this - much fairer than judging just from a photo - we're quilters NOT photographers! I have even read some competitions recommending professional photoshoots to increase your chance of being selected, which I think is outrageous but anyway, end of rant, back to my CQ Challenge piece...) Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to make the little sample first to try out techniques, fabric combos etc so here it is. I am quite pleased with it, especially with the kind of 'weave' effect of the hand stitching on the darker grey sections, referencing obviously the fact that Stolzl was a weaver. I just did lines of staggered running stitch one way then vertical stitching in the gaps. I used an 8wt perle grey variegated thread. Anyway, I have drafted an actual size template and now have to work out how to split the design into sections for ease of working. I work fabric collage directly onto wadding, some sections are pieced conventionally and for some pieces I resorted to bondaweb applique if the set in seam scenarios got too scary! x

CQ Challenge 2016 - On the Edge

Hello everyone, I have just begun working on a new quilt for this year's CQ Challenge, run by the Contemporary Quilt Group of the Quilter's Guild. You can read more about the challenge and see quilts from previous years here I have been lucky enough to have my quilt selected for the past two years so feel I have to set my standards high! The theme is open to lots of interpretations and initially, I was planning on doing a piece exploring the use of line as part of my current abstract series 'The Overuse of Metaphor'. After all, lines always mark the edge don't they? But I have also been looking recently at the work of Gunta Stolzl who was a weaver and the only female Bauhaus Master. She took over and revolutionised the Weaving Section of the Bauhaus which was rather dismissively referred to as 'the Women's Section', combining artistic flair with technical skill and knowledge of her materials to produce beautiful woven pieces as both stand alone pieces of art and as functional, decorative pieces for commercial production. To me, she epitomises that dreadful prejudice that textile art is somehow inferior to other art media as it is associated with the female/domestic/functional. Therefore textile art is marginalised, 'on the edge' of the genuine art world. See what I did there?!

Here is my first draft, inspired by one of Stolzl's sketches. I will draft a full size drawing and might tweak the colour palette as I go. I am not yet fixed in my choice of techniques but there will be some fabric collage, possibly some improv piecing, bubbles if I can find a place for them and needless to say, lots of stitch by both hand and machine. I will try to be good and post progress photos as I go along but don't hold me to that as sometimes, life gets in the way! k3n x

Beer retreat landscapes update

Here is a photo showing the end of the week's progress and a second photo showing one completely finished! k3n x