Friday 22 March 2013

photography this week


Photography this week

Death and decay: Leaves


In the Southern Hemisphere we have quietly been slipping into Autumn.  Leaves are beginning to fall off trees,  flowers are dying and trees are taking off their summer coats and making ready for the winter.  We have had a very bad drought.  The whole of the north island has been affected.  It is the driest summer for 30 years.  Yesterday we had our first rains in weeks.  I took these photos in between showers while the sun was just peeking through the clouds.


















Tuesday 19 March 2013

Journal covers

I spend a lot of time sketching and drawing designs.  I love putting my ideas down onto paper and seeing them come alive.  The greatest thing about my journal is I can save all my ideas and not have them swimming around in my head. 


 I quote I heard a lot in my childhood was 
'a goal not written down is just a wish'


I feel the same way with ideas in my head for my art work.  Ideas not drawn down will never become anything they will only ever be a idea that will never grow into anything for anyone else to see.  For dream to become a reality we need to do something with them.  



Our dreams are really important,  they are part of our make up and make us unique and special.  When we dream we say I can think of new possibilities,  I can create and I am.   


I recently did a 5 day course with Hollis Chatelain.  She is the most amazing and generous woman and an incredible teacher.  She believes any thing is possible and we can all can create beautiful works of art.  


She has faith in dreams.  I appreciated her comments about giving ourselves permission to dream, to think and to act upon our dreams.  If we do this dreams become a reality.



These photos are of a collection of journal covers I have just made with sample and experimental fabric I created.  They hold some of my dreams and one day I hope to see some of them in my completed art work. :)

Thursday 14 March 2013

Wednesday 13 March 2013

What to do with quilts with a mind of their own


I had a quilt that I had made a while ago that I just couldn't get to sit flat.  I tried a new way of constructing a quilt but it just wouldn't flatten out.  We have all had these quilts that take on a life of their own and no matter what you do it just won't work. I had put a lot of time and effort into this piece of work and did not want to just throw it out.  


I had done a lot of dying and stitching and I really loved the effect of all the blocking.  



So I decided to chop it all up.  It took a lot of courage but I am so pleased I did.


I have made 6 journal covers with the different sections of the quilt. 


Close up of the small journal



I also made dust covers for all my sewing machines. I just edged them with a satin stitch and put a piece of narrow elastic on each end to keep it into place.


I still have lots of wee scraps of quilted fabric left that I am going to stitch together and the consider the possibilities....... 

What I have learned


  • That when a quilt doesn't sit flat there are still many possibilities.
  • That there is always a way to make something work
  • Something beautiful can be created from something that seemed to be a failure
  • There is no such thing as a failure
  • You learn the most when something doesn't turn out the way you planned
  • You may start with a plan A and then move onto a Plan B or C but it doesn't make it wrong just a different path
I challenge you to take a quilt that hasn't worked and try to make something else from it.  You will amazed at the possibilities.







Sunday 10 March 2013

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