It's almost a whole year since I last wrote on this blog- mainly because I have been too busy with my business to make any art at all.Pieces were started and became UFOs,unlike the more traditional quilts which had to be developed as patterns for classes and for the website.
If you want to see the traditional quilts, they are under "Patterns" on
Amafu Hand Dyed Fabrics
New collections and Colour Families had to be developed and we did a very big quilt show in Johannesburg, which required some very careful planning.We will be attending this show again in September 2013, which will be at the Emperor's Palace in Johannesburg.
Here is the link:
IQC AFRICA
I have played around with a few things this year, but mostly small pieces. I took another look at what I learned from my workshop from Nancy Crow, improved my long arm quilting ( and added a camera and screen to the long arm), made some Luscious Little Layerings for the KwaZulu Natal Quilters Guild fundraising venture.
Here is the link to that as well:
Luscious Little Layerings
Hopefully, 2013 will give me more time to get into the studio to do my own thing, rather than work related quilts.
I make non-traditional quilts-mostly small pieces for my own enjoyment and sometimes to sell.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
T-o-o-o HOT to Quilt!
"Topsy" has come off the frame as its simply too-o-o hot and humid to quilt and I am currently ( like the last two weeks) sitting in my air-conditioned office trying to make out that I am working! Also, Sheeren, my assistant and quilter wouldn't be too happy if I kept her away from customer's quilts.
I am preparing for two trips to Gauteng- one to Pretoria( Jacaranda QG) via Secunda and the other to Johannesburg(GRG) via Bethlehem and Potchefstroom.Both are at least 5 days long as we will be visiting our wholesale customers along the way.
So "Topsy " will have to wait until I come back and it gets cooler anyway.Can't wait- for the cold to return!
I have been a little bit more active apart from sitting cogitating in front of my computer screen and have painted up the pages in my new drawing book. White pages intimidate me and I can't draw but coloured pages become a invitation. My favourites are light sandy colours, sometimes blues and I have also painted over the colours just to make the backgrounds a little more interesting. Ever tried painting up the pages in your drawing book? It makes life so much easier.
This drawing still has a bit more to be added to it and I might add some more colour.I like working in black and coloured inks and was lucky to pick up a set of some rather nice Windsor and Newton inks in the U.k. the last time I was there.What was shocking though was that I paid something like 1/3 of the price I would pay for the same thing here.I suspect that it has something to do with the very small amount of product imported to S.A.
I am preparing for two trips to Gauteng- one to Pretoria( Jacaranda QG) via Secunda and the other to Johannesburg(GRG) via Bethlehem and Potchefstroom.Both are at least 5 days long as we will be visiting our wholesale customers along the way.
So "Topsy " will have to wait until I come back and it gets cooler anyway.Can't wait- for the cold to return!
I have been a little bit more active apart from sitting cogitating in front of my computer screen and have painted up the pages in my new drawing book. White pages intimidate me and I can't draw but coloured pages become a invitation. My favourites are light sandy colours, sometimes blues and I have also painted over the colours just to make the backgrounds a little more interesting. Ever tried painting up the pages in your drawing book? It makes life so much easier.
This drawing still has a bit more to be added to it and I might add some more colour.I like working in black and coloured inks and was lucky to pick up a set of some rather nice Windsor and Newton inks in the U.k. the last time I was there.What was shocking though was that I paid something like 1/3 of the price I would pay for the same thing here.I suspect that it has something to do with the very small amount of product imported to S.A.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Quilting "Topsy"
The fun of quilting "Topsy" has begun and I have done, I think the first 10th at the top of the quilt.
Lots of colour changes and I am really trying hard to sew in the thread ends as I go along.
It's s-o-o-o hot here in Durban at the moment that I am only quilting for a couple of hours early in the morning. I have given up trying to quit at night as the studio has heated up during the day and, even with the fans running full tilt, I can't concentrate.
Here is the first photo:
Lots of colour changes and I am really trying hard to sew in the thread ends as I go along.
It's s-o-o-o hot here in Durban at the moment that I am only quilting for a couple of hours early in the morning. I have given up trying to quit at night as the studio has heated up during the day and, even with the fans running full tilt, I can't concentrate.
Here is the first photo:
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Immediate Challenge 2012
My immediate challenge is how to quilt my "Topsy " quilt.- it still doesn't have a name but I can live with that.
I have found the backing- a glorious moody piece of dark blue with orange highlights and that is now sitting on the long arm. The top is currently pinned to the design wall for lining up and trimming. Its really important to make sure that the quilt is square before it goes onto the frame as it can be very easy to distort if one isn't meticulous.The last thing I need is a skew quilt! Oh, and before anyone wants to know what there is a great big gap at the bottom right hand corner, it has been filled. I just didn't have a new photo handy.
I have marked in some of the quilting lines but I suspect that there will be a bit of " quilting by the seat of my pants"!
So-o-o-o its time I stopped procrastinating and just got on with it.
I'll up date with photos as I go along.
I have found the backing- a glorious moody piece of dark blue with orange highlights and that is now sitting on the long arm. The top is currently pinned to the design wall for lining up and trimming. Its really important to make sure that the quilt is square before it goes onto the frame as it can be very easy to distort if one isn't meticulous.The last thing I need is a skew quilt! Oh, and before anyone wants to know what there is a great big gap at the bottom right hand corner, it has been filled. I just didn't have a new photo handy.
I have marked in some of the quilting lines but I suspect that there will be a bit of " quilting by the seat of my pants"!
So-o-o-o its time I stopped procrastinating and just got on with it.
I'll up date with photos as I go along.
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