inspiration abound

hi ya all,

well have I had the most fantastic 5 days or what!!!

I have been at the Timaru Patchwork/Quilt Symposium, with 4 other Twizel quilt buddies, this was the second such South Island Symposium, run alternate years as an adjunct to the National Quilt symposium, also run bi-annually and next to be held in Queenstown next April (2011).

all these goodie yummy quilts are part of the Hoffman Challenge Quilt Exhibition/competition, this challenge was run by Catlin's Quilts, but is now being organised by Betty Twaddle from Needle'n'threads in Geraldine - no website unfortunately.

This year's challenge was using an orange based foral batik,

and this (above) is the overall winner!! Below is the winner of the symposium challenge with the theme, "From the Alps to the Sea"


This marvellous winning entry is by a local lady (Twizel - well Omarama - 30km's from Twizel, but she teaches at the Twizel area school)

Jane Van Keulen is textile artist from Kaiapoi, just north of Christchurch. Jane's workshop ran on Friday& Saturday and was on layered muslin motifs; this was about layering fabrics, cutting, peeling back and embellishing, embellishing, embellishing..

I have to say that this was initially totally way out of my comfort zone, and I could really have chosen brighter colours, but hey, we go to these things to learn, and learn I did.

so you can see how my work progressed over the 2 days, half of the process was in the decision making & choosing the colours, then the design, and then to begin putting it together... or pull it apart...

bit by bit, piece by piece...

I promise to do a post showing the finished project, which will be a wall hanging in one of the bedrooms here, and I will show you very soon, 'cos I really would like to finish it and start another brighter slightly different version...

This orange one is what Jane is currently working on, just gorgeous. Jane is one very talented lady! Pop on over here and see some of jane's other works.

Sunday and Monday I was in Desiree Simpson's - fibre art books workshop. Desiree is also another lovely talented lady, very different to Jane, and that is what is so wonderful about these workshops, such diversity, Desiree is an accomplished pattern designer/writer, and is very very adept at crazy patchwork also,

so here are my pages so far.....

still quite a bit of work to do, well a lot really, but you know, Rome was NOT built in a day huh!

but again, I will post when the finished work is completed....

which should be some time soon,..... ish (!@#$%^)

Karen Broderson is another wonderful textile artist that does magnificent mixed media fibre books, and she also had some very wonderful work, pop over here and have a look at some of her work, just absolutely stunning. The tutors were all very expert in there respective areas, and the workshops were well attended, and everyone seemed to be having the most marvellous time.

There was just way too too much eye candy, but it was GREAT catching up with friends - old and new, and trying out something new and just a little bit different.

have a fun week!