We’re both members of SAQA and earlier this year we each submitted a quilt into the Europe and the Middle East members’ call for entry for the Wide Horizons VI exhibition . The way this works is each quilter submits two images, a whole quilt image and a close-up image, for consideration by a jury panel. Then you sit, wait and act as if you don't mind one way or another! In our case we’ve both been (and still are!) very busy running the studio, sorting next year’s programme out and getting ready for Thread and Festival of Quilts, so this part at least was quite easy.
It was a delightful surprise therefore, in the midst of a very busy day, to receive an email announcing that my quilt Do you remember the cherries? had been one of the ones selected. And it was a double delight to find that Terry has also received an email saying her quilt Black across the sun had been selected as well. In total over 80 quilts had been submitted with 27 making the final selection. Just 8 quilts come from the UK and two of those are from the InStitches Studio!
The Wide Horizons VI exhibition will be at various quilt shows through out Europe during 2018/19 but at the moment we don't have the UK dates so we thought we’d give you a sneak preview of our entries, first up this week is my quilt Do you remember the cherries?
It was a delightful surprise therefore, in the midst of a very busy day, to receive an email announcing that my quilt Do you remember the cherries? had been one of the ones selected. And it was a double delight to find that Terry has also received an email saying her quilt Black across the sun had been selected as well. In total over 80 quilts had been submitted with 27 making the final selection. Just 8 quilts come from the UK and two of those are from the InStitches Studio!
The Wide Horizons VI exhibition will be at various quilt shows through out Europe during 2018/19 but at the moment we don't have the UK dates so we thought we’d give you a sneak preview of our entries, first up this week is my quilt Do you remember the cherries?
Measuring 84cm x 103 cm, this quilt included foundation piecing and free motion quilting. Unusually for me, I have used a selection of commercial fabrics for the log cabin background. They’d been in my stash for years and had originally belonged to my friend Anna, and while this quilt isn’t about her, she’s part of my life story and I think she’d have been thrilled to know I’ve finally got around to sewing with them. At the centre of each log cabin and in the bottom right hand binding are hand painted squares - at the end of a painting session I used up all the leftover fabric paint on scrap fabric, because you never know when it may come in handy! I didn’t continue the log cabin below the shelf, using instead a commercial black cotton sateen which I then free motion quilted with the quilt’s story; you’ll have to wait to see the quilt to read the whole text, but at the end of this blog post you can read the catalogue entry.
The wooden shelf and cherries are all hand painted cotton poplin; I like using textile screen printing inks because they are a more fluid textile paint and being translucent I can layer up different shades of colour.
The wooden shelf and cherries are all hand painted cotton poplin; I like using textile screen printing inks because they are a more fluid textile paint and being translucent I can layer up different shades of colour.
When I’m sewing my art quilts I’m constantly pinning them up on the design wall to see what they are saying and as you may know, sometimes quilts just demand to be made; this quilt knew it’s own mind and how it was to be. I also had in the back of my mind a postcard, sent to me many years ago from another friend, by the Japanese artist Tomoi Yokoi. I didn’t want to copy her artwork, but using the dark background appealed to me and put me in mind of the Flemish still life artists such as Caravaggio and Bruegel and the female Dutch still life painters, Rachel Ruysch and Clara Peeters. The food is central to the compositions but the accompanying textiles and china all have important roles too. With my bowl (incidentally this one I bought on a trip to Warsaw and it holds many fond memories, not just of cherries) constructed it was time to audition fabrics, I like to use my Ipad for this aspect of the design process: pin, click, view. Easy!
Once I’d selected my fabric drape - a piece of wax resist hand dyed cotton sateen, I pinned and tucked it into place before removing it and snipping (very carefully) the excess bulk away. I wanted to incorporate text into the pale areas so I used a piece of removable paper stabiliser behind the fabric as I free motion embroidered the words. It was then machine appliquéd into place before the bowl was finally positioned and stitched down.
The final step for my still life collages is to add extra dimensional detail using Derwent Inktense pastels and in this case, a quick touch of gilding paste for that just picked look!
Artist’s Statement:
Alison had bought them on her way home from work: you didn’t have much appetite by then
and she thought cherries would tempt you.
Our clever girl, she knew you so well, after all she has your sweet tooth.
Plump, sweet and ripe, the juice ran down your chin
And as we carefully wiped it away we saw the delight and happiness in your eyes.
Two summers after you went away I planted a cherry tree for you
And last summer I was able to fill a huge bowl full.
Plump and juicy, each one I ate reminded me of you.
Until next week, when Terry will tell you all about her quilt, Black across the sun, enjoy the weekend,
Hazel & Terry
The final step for my still life collages is to add extra dimensional detail using Derwent Inktense pastels and in this case, a quick touch of gilding paste for that just picked look!
Artist’s Statement:
Alison had bought them on her way home from work: you didn’t have much appetite by then
and she thought cherries would tempt you.
Our clever girl, she knew you so well, after all she has your sweet tooth.
Plump, sweet and ripe, the juice ran down your chin
And as we carefully wiped it away we saw the delight and happiness in your eyes.
Two summers after you went away I planted a cherry tree for you
And last summer I was able to fill a huge bowl full.
Plump and juicy, each one I ate reminded me of you.
Until next week, when Terry will tell you all about her quilt, Black across the sun, enjoy the weekend,
Hazel & Terry
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