Ann's quilt top is finished

Yesterday I finished the quilt top for Ann's quilt, as described in The Amelia Challenge Quilt. In the novella, Ann is inspired by the ceiling of the Bendigo Town Hall, here in Victoria, Australia. The fabric range is 'Etchings' by Moda, and I have used the architectural fabric for the border. Here is a close-up:

DH thinks this is the best colour combination I've ever used in a quilt to date. I'm grateful for his enthusiasm for my work, but I couldn't select just one quilt I've ever made to be my favourite. How about you?

Sad Bilby, Happy Stitcher

Two months ago I was really struggling to do free motion machine embroidery. Today I cracked it! I am so pleased with my little bilby. He is for an art piece for a competition coming up very soon, and I knew he would be the hardest part for me to create. Now I can get on with the easy bit - as a happy stitcher.

Sashing for Ann's quilt

I have begun piecing the grey sashing, which is one inch wide. The last couple of days have been too busy for sewing but I am about to get back to that machine right now. Hopefully the next blog will show you a finished quilt top. Let's see how I go.

Progress on Ann's Quilt

Towards the top of the photo you can see how the blocks are beginning to form. Each 4-patch block is made up of four different fabrics, and these will be divided by grey sashing, yet the fabrics will still form their own square across that sashing. It will become clear when I've added the sashing. Six of the blocks will remain as one fabric, one of each of six different patterns from the Etchings range by Moda, more specifically the architectural drawings and maps. Am happy with the progress.

Ann's Quilt

It's hard to take a good photo of what's on my design wall because of its location in the passage. I had to step inside my daughter's room to take this shot, but at least you can see what I'm up to. This is the beginnings of Ann's quilt, as described in The Amelia Challenge Quilt. The range is Etchings by Moda, which I fell in love with last year and simply had to have. These are the sorts of fabrics my husband loves, so my guess is that he he will claim this quilt when it's finished. Stay tuned for progress posts.

Artwork at Brunswick Street Gallery

It's Time to Watch What we Do I, II and III

These pieces are actually out of order and as they sit are II, Animal Cruelty ; I, Computer Waste ; III, Water Pollution. They are made with clock and watch parts couched onto hand-dyed cotton. Each watch face has a photograph in it depicting the topic. Animal Cruelty is quite confronting. We went to the gallery to see my pieces and how they sit amongst so much other art. Many pieces were unframed works on paper, some showed great talent for drawing, others great ability to paint. I walked around the gallery noting that only one person's work had sold, and wondered why. Was there too much to look at in one place? My thoughts on why my own work didn't sell is because it is statement art and way too confronting for people to want to take home and put on their wall. I can see that if I want to sell art, I'll have to make pieces that people 'like' - perhaps because they're pretty, definitely not works that make people uncomfortable. 

Here is some perspective on how my work looked in situ.

Brunswick Street Gallery 40 x 40 Exhibition

 It's Time to Watch what we do. I

Computer Waste

 

It's Time to Watch what we do. II

Animal Cruelty

It's Time to Watch what we do. III

Water Pollution

This is a series of art pieces I completed recently for the 40 x 40 exhibition at the Brunswick Street Gallery in Fitzroy, Melbourne. The exhibition opens tomorrow.

The pieces are hand sewn on cotton with clock and watch parts couched onto the background. Each watch has in it a picture of how mankind is abusing the world in which we live. 

Computer Waste is made up of many different stitches, symbolising the many things that occupy our minds and our lives, many quite meaningless. We store our thoughts, our opinions and our lives on computers, only to throw them into landfill when they don't serve us quickly enough.

Animal Cruelty has a very twee background of cutsey animals who are nonetheless in a cage, gilded with metallic gold thread. This is juxtaposed by the pictures in the watches of a battery farm chicken with few feathers, pigs in pens so small they cannot even turn around, a rabbit burned by experiments for cosmetics for human vanity, a bear trying to remove the muzzle on his nose that has a chain attached to it, and a rhino with half its face cut off so someone can have its horn. If you'd like to see something that will make you physically ill, type 'kitten abuse' into the search bar and see how some 'humans' get their rocks off.

The final piece is Water Pollution, a mass of watch parts sewn onto a background of chaotic stitching. The watch give one example of millions you can find on the Internet of waterways choked with human refuse. Google the rivers at Denpasar and see what Bali holiday makers contribute to, or check out the river behind the Taj Mahal.

Here are some closeups:

Itty Bitty Books at the Market

My daughter had her first market stall yesterday at the Manningham Fine Design market, Doncaster where she sold her handmade books. Her career is as a bookbinder and she has already studied overseas in Finland this year, with hopes of doing more overseas study next year. Most of the Melbourne bookbinders are not prepared to pass on the 'secrets' of their trade to a young person, so my daughter was unable to obtain an apprenticeship here at home. Crazy, isn't it? The craft will die without passionate young people who want to learn. Anyway, she did very well at the market, exceeding her expectations quite a bit and thereby encouraged to continue. Her little itty bitty books are made with paper offcuts that the manufacturer would otherwise discard, and many of the covers are made using materials that bookbinders consider offcuts and would also throw away. Some covers are made with scrapbooking leftovers - so all in all, environmentally friendly little books made from waste and turned into beautiful art pieces. Her father and I are very proud of her.

New quilt being developed

It never ceases to amaze me how much time passes in between my posts - usually double what I think it is. Another two weeks have passed, and admittedly I've been sick with a bad cold that I still have two weeks on, but boy! does time fly!
Today's photo shows the process of understanding the construction of the quilt I want to make and calculating my fabric requirements. I do not have any 'actual' measurements of the tessellated tile floor I wish to replicate so have begun with a 12" central block. I then got into a bit of difficulty working out how big it would become when I only knew the measurement of the hypotenuse and had to pull out some high school maths skills to figure it out. Even now, I'm not sure I have a handle on it. My theory is, that if I post here regularly with updates on this quilt, I shall actually get it done, because I'll feel accountable. So here goes ...

BESS - my latest art piece

This is my latest piece, also my final piece, for school this year. We finish classes this week. My work is inspired by Queen Elizabeth I of England (reigned 1558-1603). The shape of the piece imitates the strong V shape of the bodice as portrayed in her later portraits. Lace features heavily as the invention of starch in the 16th century allowed the large ruffs to become fashionable and the lace industry flourished. The strip of lace on the left edge is hand crocheted by myself, and the other strips of lace are machine made pieces I've had for 30 years. Along the edge of the lace strips I have sewn beads reminiscent of the pearls that featured so heavily in paintings of Elizabeth, and larger beads nod to the mass of other jewels she wore. Portrait miniatures were very popular in Tudor England - I have used an old fob watch case to create my own miniature with a picture of Elizabeth therein. As we have been learning free motion machine embroidery I have included my attempt at a Tudor Rose using the free motion technique and washaway (not without much difficulty). Finally the string of pearls looped across the piece can be seen in many of Elizabeth's portraits where she is depicted with 'ropes of pearls'. Mine came from broken pearl necklaces that belonged to a maiden great-aunt who hasn't been with us for 27 years. Here is a closeup:

Senini Student Textile Award

Today was the announcement of the winner of the Mary and Lou Senini Student Textile Award at McClelland Gallery. I did not win, sadly, but my work is on display in a wonderful gallery for the next two and a half months for everyone to see, and that makes me rather happy. The experience of entering the award has been quite eye-opening, and as a very new player in the art world, I can only be proud of my achievements that I am being exhibited alongside other artists who have a great deal more experience than I. Here is my work in perspective alongside the other works.

I'd be very interested to know what people think, if they feel inclined to leave a comment.

Wandering in Fitzroy

Yesterday my daughter and I wandered around Fitzroy (an inner city suburb of Melbourne) where all the trendies go and shop, be seen, eat and drink. Amongst the graffiti on a wall I noticed this little door pasted on and had to share it with you. I wonder who lives inside? ><

Then we came across this sign, in fact there were several, posted on trees down the street, offering various positive life elements. My daughter took 'patience' but I didn't ask her why. I'll observe what happens with her over this next week. Perhaps she needs patience to deal with her customers, who provide endless stories of stupidity. 

I notice I didn't share my really big news, which is that I have been selected as a finalist in the Mary and Lou Senini Student Textile Art award at the McClelland Gallery. They are announcing the winner this afternoon, so in a few hours that's where I'll be, hoping for the best outcome. I'll return to my blog tonight to share the result.

Meow Meow

Last Friday night my husband and I, with a dear friend, went to see Meow Meow at the Atheneum Theatre in Melbourne. I haven't been to very many live shows in my life, and I have to say this was FANTASTIC. Hubby and I first saw Meow Meow on Foxtel a couple of months ago and became awestruck by her performance. We looked for a show in Melbourne to initially be disappointed but then this came up and we bought tickets in a flash. I went along knowing that she uses audience participation and was happily sitting closer to the back in the middle of the theatre where she couldn't get to me. However, I was disappointed not to see her face more clearly. So what happened then? WELL! She crowd surfed, and before I knew it she was heading my way and I had to lift her over my head and pass her to the people behind. I not only got to see her close up, I also grabbed her around the rib cage! I got my wish and a whole lot more. It probably seems nothing to Meow Meow, but it was a big adventure for me. Thank you Meow Meow for a fantastic, unforgettable show.

NEW WEB SITE

BIG NEWS. I have a new web site at www.margaretrowe.com.au which I would love you to check out. You can buy all my books online now, using Paypal, and even read a bit about me. As a bonus, I have added a sample chapter for each book so you can read how the story starts. Let me know what you think of the site, or even better, write a review for any or all of the books.
And today's photo - what relevance does it have? None. This is how I spent last weekend - pulling apart old clocks and watches to get all the bits. I wonder what sort of art I'll produce from this lot??

My Own Art Collection

My husband and I have decided to collect art and began with our first piece on our 25 wedding Anniversary back in March this year. Last weekend we went to the Manningham Fine Design Market and purchased two more pieces. The large one is by Daniela Kupina, who has a background in fashion design and the smaller one is by Minka Svarcs, a young woman who has been travelling the world and having wonderful experiences. Daniela works with thick black textas, with a few beautiful sweeping lines to produce each piece. Minka often works with fine pen and there is a lot of detail in her work. 

Hopefully one day soon people will be buying 'my' art for their homes. =)

My art for sale

Yesterday I picked up my framed felt piece from Hall of Frame where Pam always does a terrific job. This is my first piece of felt, which has machine and hand stitching, mostly French knots to represent a field of English heather. I have been inspired by the work of Moy Mackay, whose colours drew me in immediately. I hope to soon make more pieces using the Australian landscape for my inspiration. We have such amazing, strong colour here Down Under.
This piece is for sale at AUD$490.00 plus delivery/postage.

Maitland Patchwork Quilters

Last Friday I had the honour of opening a quilt exhibition hosted by the Maitland Patchwork Quilters Inc. I flew to New South Wales at lunch time, was picked up by their President, Janelle, and taken to the hall where I found myself amid a wonderful display of beautiful quilts made by members of the group. Included was this special display of quilts made according to the rules of the challenges in my first two books from The Australian Challenge Quilt series (above). The ladies had made quilts according to The Maria Challenge Quilt and The Elizabeth Challenge Quilt, and are currently working on The Caroline Challenge Quilt for presentation at the end of the year. I was quite taken aback by this wonderful collection of inspiring ideas and really enjoyed talking with some of the quiltmakers to learn how they approached the challenges. Their work was perfection.

The hall was full of magnificent quilts. I would have been extremely hard pressed to choose a viewer's choice amongst this lot. Many of the quilts are designs by Karen Cunningham and Jenny Rofe, beautiful appliques and subtle colourings. I spent ages going around reading all the labels and enjoying every moment.

Well done to everyone at Maitland Patchwork Quilters Inc.

Reading and Writing

Each time I sit down to blog I cannot believe how much time has passed since my last post. It always feels like only a few days ago, yet I find the weeks are passing as though they were days. Reading and writing seems to be just about all I ever do, in one form or another. I'm either reading emails, blogs, facebook, text messages, snail mail, research material online and in books OR I'm writing my journal, progress notes for school homework, blog, texts, facebook - when does that leave time for actually writing novels? Well at the moment, it doesn't. But I'm happy to report that I have begun research for the fifth book in The Australian Challenge Quilt series.
So what does the above photo have to do with all this? Last night I received an email from a reader (aka stalker) who warned me that I might need to make a cuppa before I sit down and read the attached Word document. I laughed, printed it out and took it to bed to read (it was after 11:00 pm). It was terrific to finish the day with a big smile on my face after reading all the wonderful news from my friend (we'll have to call her my 'ex' stalker). =)
Final news for the day, tomorrow I fly to Maitland, New South Wales to open a quilt show for the Maitland Patchwork Quilters Inc. The members of this group have been doing the Maria and Elizabeth challenges since 2010 and this year they've worked on their Caroline challenges. What a delight to be able to go and see all their quilts. I'm very excited. Will report on my return.

Hunters Hill Quilters

Look where I've been!

I was invited as guest judge by the Hunters Hill Quilters in Sydney. This wonderful group was celebrating their 30th birthday and had decided a year ago to spend this 30th year doing the Maria Challenge, as set out in my first book, The Maria Challenge Quilt. They followed the instructions to the letter, not allowing the use of irons, sewing machines, rotary cutters or rulers, not even pencil and paper. Furthermore, each participant was given the name of a convict who had arrived on the transport ship Maria in 1818. An amazing 38 quilts were presented last Thursday at the celebratory meeting and each woman stood up and told the story of her convict, as though she was the convict herself. Many took on their characters with great flare and much entertainment, and it was wonderful for me to be a part of it all.

I had to choose three winners from all these quilts, a very hard task indeed because they were all so wonderful in their own way, and for varying reasons. The one I chose for first place was done by a woman who took a great deal of peasure from her challenge and approached it with a terrific attitude. This was the winning quilt:

Second place went to a very simple quilt, and that's why I chose it. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get photos of every quilt that day so I don't have an image to show. It was a simple square in a square using mostly plain fabrics and for me it had the real feel of a convict quilt.

Third place went to a lady who is currently very unwell in hospital, and I'm hoping she will be home soon and feeling much better. Her quilt was beautifully done using the pattern known as Jacob's Ladder. I see it as symbolic of what the convicts may have wished for - a ladder to get out of the hole they were in.

It was truly a splendid day. The women in the group make that happen - they have a terrific sense of humour and fun, both good elements to have in any group. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your special day, and again - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Hunters Hill Quilters. 

Here's Iris cutting their cake:

Iris is the President and she treated me like royalty from the minute she picked me up at the airport. I was truly blessed to enjoy such wonderful hospitality. On my return home I was able to open a gift Iris had presented me with just before we left the meeting - a gorgeous hand covered journal. And as I only have a few pages left in my current journal, how timely could it be!

It's sitting on some fabric I bought while in Sydney, with no idea what I'll use it for. =)

Beaconsfield Quilt Show

SATURDAY 8TH OF SEPTEMBER

10am – 4pm

Entry - $5

Beaconsfield Neighbourhood Centre

8 O’Neil Road

Beaconsfield

Mel: 214 B1

Showcasing the amazing talent and wonderfully diverse range of quilts by the

BEACONSFIELD QUILTERS

and members of the Beaconsfield Neighbourhood Centre’s patchwork/quilt groups for a fundraising event to support the

Beaconsfield CFA.

Guest: Margaret Rowe, author of the ‘Quilt Challenge’ series will be signing copies of her books.