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Quilts, 2016Journal Quilts & Further into Felt
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Journal Quilts for 2016
The size is 8" x 10”, portrait format, and each must have a small area of the secondary colours: purple, green and orange.
My theme is A Closer Look and I’ll be zooming in to explore colour and texture from a variety of inspirational sources. |
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Underwater 100 x 40 cm
Climate Change is the great challenge of our time, time running out.
Global communications share dramatic weather patterns and extreme temperatures.
Life Underwater is less visible, but we know that the delicate balance of the reef is threatened.
The composition of Underwater is inspired by photos by Rebecca Weeks, at the Centre for Coral Reef studies at James Cook University, Queensland. The intense colours and textures of the reef drive my passion for exploring textile surfaces. The natural properties of wool and silk offer many exciting discoveries. The process is both physical and contemplative.
Hand painted silk habotai and gauze. Manipulated surfaces worked with wool- felted lamination and machine quilting using a wool viscose wadding prior to washing to shrink. Wool and silk waddings. Hand quilting. Applique of cobweb felt stiffened with acrylic wax.
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January
Peacock feather
I used watercolour and oil paintsticks to work successive studies to get a closer look at my feather.
Tea dyed polyester, wool- laminated mesh, habotai silk and silk wadding, densely stitched with metallic threads and couched silk. |
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Water’s Edge
100 x 60 cm
On the edge, the shoreline. A mesmerising place with subtle and sometimes dramatic changes.
I could watch all day. It’s a powerful but sometimes gentle reminder of the rhythm of life, each tide bringing or returning natural wonders: here shells formed from who knows how many years of the water’s action.
From early exploration to mature reflection and day dreaming, the waters’ edge pulls you in.
Materials used:
Painted silks, laminated with merino wool.
Silk wadding and crinkle silk backing.
Wool/ viscose threads, machine and hand quilted.
Embellished with found shells, the Whitsunday Islands, and glass beads
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February
Peacock Feather; a closer look
Another angle for the design, I explored layering and bias cut edges for a feathery edge.
Cotton, polyester satin, cotton wadding, laminated wool. |
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March
Crocus
I used a digital microscope to get a closer look at a crocus picked from the garden. What fun! The close up view suggested contrasting textures; felted merino wool for the petals, densely stitched dyed silk for the stamens. Embellished with glass beads. |
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April
Bluebell
Zooming in, more close up studies with the digital microscope. Felted wool and silk fibres; densely machine quilted onto wool-viscose felt. |
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May
Ferns
Surface design with print and bonded applique, enhanced with machine quilting. |
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June
Leaf
A Closer look, exploring the finer structure of leaves.
Inspired by photographer Darran Leal at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum. Wool painting, machine quilting
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July
Edelwiess
I found a postcard stamped at an Alpine hut that dated back to the 70s.
Loved the composition and the soft texture of the flowers and of course the memories of finding these amazing plants above the snowline. Further research found the same striking composition on google images!
Wool fibre applique and machine quilting. |
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August
Alpine Meadow
My Alpine trips always had to be in school holidays, so the flowers were past their best. Inspiration from a post card, stamped from a refuge in the Italian Dolomites, back in the 70s. I had two attempts at painting on silk, one habotai, one gauze. Each were disappointing, but layered togethered, they worked well, giving an impressionist feel. |
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September
Cornflowers I
A favourite flower from childhood, I made drawing studies of the petals and some print blocks with miracle sponge. The printed fabric was collaged with other silks and laminated with wool, then hand quilted. |
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October
Cornflowers II
Recycled sari fabric suggested ‘Cornflowers’ and this gave me the inspiration to play with composition. I am using the labels for the required orange accent colour. |
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November
Sun Orchid
Brilliant blue flowers growing wild in Western Australia; one of numerous species. Layered and quilted silk and wet felted wool fibres. Raw edge finished with couched linen thread. |
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December
Wildflowers
The wild flowers of Western Australia are prolific; glorious colours set off stunning coastlines, a delight to walk. Blue flowers stencilled on silk with oil paint sticks; further layers of colours added with brush strokes using screen inks. |
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Rainy Day, Cape Naturaliste (30 x 42 cm)
I have tried to create the colours and textures of the coastal seascape in this area of Western Australia. The background is of felted merino wool fibres; the magic is how these ‘grab’ the vertical silk strands and transform them from smooth strands to dynamic curves in the felting process. Layered with silk noil, machine and hand quilted, embellished with shells. |
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Pouring Down
A painting by
indigenous Australian artist Rosella Namok |
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