Quilting book review

One of my favourite authors and artists is Sandra Meech. 



http://www.sandrameech.com/

She came to NZ last year but I was unable to go and I was seriously disappointed.  I have read 2 of her books many times and still get so much out of them.  Her books are hands on and workshop based.  They have challenged me to think outside the square and to push myself further with my art.

She has written 4 books, 3 of which are available for purchase.  Her 4th book, design to stitch is due out in 5 months.

Be inspired today!

The nicest time of the day for me is dawn and dusk.  I love watching the sun rise and set.  It is what I call the gentle time of the day,  the light is soft and dusty.  It is the time of the day for thinking,  planning, contemplation and reflection.  It is the time of the day I feel the closest to God and his love. 

It is a great time of the day to take photographs too.  I captured these photos last week at dusk.



The last few months have been so hectic that my blog has been somewhat sketchy.  This last week we have spent on holiday at Waihi beach on the east coast of New Zealand.  One of the most beautiful spots in the whole of the country maybe the whole of the world.    After a very wet start to our summer we were very blessed to have a week of sunshine.  (well mostly sunshine)   I even had a couple of swims in the ocean even though it was exceptionally cold for this time of the year.  

My daughter chose to go to a waterlily garden for her birthday.  It was lovely.  These are some of the photos I captured of flowers displayed.  I love flowers.  There is just something about them that draws me to them.

I wonder if it is their delicate beauty and there perfect form.....

Or they way the are so symmetrical.......

Or they way the droplets of water rest on the petals......

Maybe it is that they draw the viewer to come in closer to see their intricate details......

The colour.....

And their form.......

Whatever it is I am constantly fascinated by them.



Crafting with kids

We have had heaps of fun with the children creating different creatures with pompoms and pipe cleaners.  I am amazed how creative they can be and how they can think so differently from me.

Snake

A scary headband

A rattle snake with working tail (bell)

Top hat with buttons

Bandit

Mouse

Butterfly



I am struggling to download photos at the moment.  I'm hoping I can sort the problem soon.  It is hard to write a blog about the wonderful creations my children have made in the holidays without photos!!!!


Meanwhile.........I am really enjoying Leah Day's new videos on machine quilting. Even though I am a fairly experienced machine quilter going back to basics has been fantastic.  Over the years I have picked up some bad habits.  These videos are a great way to learn or re-learn how to quilt. 



http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

She is truly inspiring with her work and her heartfelt blogs. Go on over and read her blogs, they are fantastic and very helpful.  Go leah!!!!

Sketchbook challenge

This months theme doodles is so much easier than last months.  I really could not get my head around trash at Christmas time.  I love to doodle.  I think it takes me back to scribbling patterns as a young child and then next to the phone as a teenager and in church in those teenage "boring moments".  Doodling in like a holiday for my brain.  My pencil just moves to where it wants to go.  I find it very relaxing and an escape from  the realities of life.



I decided to draw to music for my first page this year.  I chose to listen to Brooke Frazer.  Look her up on you tube if you would like to hear her music.  She is a NZ artist. I love her music.  Is is clean,  original and a lot of her music is very inspiring.  The first piece of music I listened too is called Betty and I felt to draw an exploration of I am who I am through who has gone before me.  I am am part of my ancestors as my children and grandchildren will be part of me. 

I see so much of my parents in me and some of my grandparents in me.  I am still unique but lives of others intertwine through me.

I am glad that I carry part of my family in my genes and in my make up.  I am proud of my roots.

My ancestors have helped create parts of me.  They have past on to me there idiosyncrasies,  some of there attitudes, and their values.



I have my fathers passion for music and love of puns,  my mothers love of fabric and hand work and her voice,  my Grandmothers tenacity and humour, my Nana's skills with the needle,  my Grandfathers skill of writing. 

I am who I am because of these amazing people before me.

This page was done in ink pen and watercolours.



Happy new year

Happy new year to you all.  I hope your Christmas and new year was safe and pleasant.  We had lovely celebrations and a nice time as a family.   All my children are well now and are really enjoying the holidays, time at home and as a family. 

The new year finds me reflecting on the past year and looking towards the new one. The year behind has been a challenging but fulfilling.  I have achieved my goal of sketching each day (mostly)  The last month of sketching didn't really happen but family commitments were just a little more of a priority through those weeks. 

My first page of the year



But I still drew almost every day of this year.  I have really improved on my drawing.  The biggest change for me has been the speed in which I can draw now.  I am so much faster and far more accurate.  It has been an exciting journey for me. 

One of my later pages of the year



I am going to continue to draw this year each day but rather than finish a page a day I am going to try to do a page a week with a little work done on it each day.  I


I made another goal to quilt more and enter more competitions.  I  made deadlines on 8 different competitions and exhibitions this year. I spent a lot of time on surface techniques.  I have loved the explorations and exciting results of my experimentation's.  I have really improve in my painting this year.  It has been scary to try new techniques and subjects but the practice has really paid off for me. 

One of my paper quilts this year

A personal quilt remembering the sacrifices of my ancestor in war.



This year I really want to improve in my quilting so I am going to spend some time a week quilting.  I hope to have a few samples made by the end of the year to use as a reference point.  I also want to get more accurate in my free motion quilting and more creative with the needle.

I want to spend more time studying other artists.  I am hoping that this will help me be more critical of my own work and to implement new ideas into my work.

I am so excited about trying new things this year.  What are you all doing to improve you art this year?  Leave a comment and let us know.