Pushkar...

 The heat here has built up to intense here and some days it is hard to keep moving...I was recently in Australia and came home expecting to make another small quilt referencing that experience but between workshop catch ups and I don't know what- nothing came to mind.

 Last week we were re-cycling offcuts, packing and cleaning for the next round in the workshop [seems to happen like that most days, actually] when I got a real itch to play with some of the sari borders I am packing.....and then all of a sudden the juices started to flow. I really did just want to climb out from under the pile and cram them onto something, dive into their sparkly lusciousness.
I  appreciate the size of the format, I am used to working very large, this is so intimate and attainable. The size feels like a journal page to me, which is great because I have wanted to explore ideas of story cloths for sometime and here is a chance.
If I had to name this piece I am tippy back and forth between "Not drowning, waving" and "Hopefully". Reading from bottom to top you might get what I am hoping for.

Two birds

I didn't think I'd get this done before setting off to Kenya but here we are Voyage number 2.  I have to say I am very proud of having achieved this as it's been a very,very busy couple of months here and I was sure I wasn't going to be able to come up with the goods.  I did struggle to come up with an idea - but then the light went on!  I had someone come to see me - to see and buy some of my Shwe-shwe skirt panels.  Looking at them and at the same time thinking of samples that I wanted to make for an upcoming workshop the idea started to form.  I've cut out 'broderie perse' style designs from a skirt panel and applied them to a lovely batik from Ghana.  One of Gillian's favourite methods!!! Once again I've managed to add a little bit of hand stitching (this bit's not finished!) Two Birds - well it had to  be called that didn't it! Phew - did it!
Magie

Hi guys - just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and kicking here - if a little slow with April's piece!
I had to wait until I could get a day off while visiting Laura to start on it - and it may well be when I get to Gretchen's that I finish it!  So - not long now... The other pieces that are already up all look great.  I've been lucky enough to see Laura's Egoli in the flesh - it is a lovely piece - you don't really see the gold properly in the picture.
More soon...
Magie

TALEK TANGENT

The inspiration for my second Voyager quilt came from a photograph taken in Talek, a town near our camp in the Masai Mara. Talek is a dirty, dusty place teeming with people, donkeys, cows and goats. There are many small shops, bars and lodging houses. This colourful, strip pieced building caught my eye- a quilt!

As I finished piecing the building it looked rather flat. Very unlike me, I decided to let it take me off on a tangent- hence the floating squares. I added more depth with a 'trapunto' effect on the door and windows. Masai bead discs added balance to the squares.

Spring in the Galilee



Spring in the Galilee - detail

When spring comes, everything starts to bloom in the Galilee. The valley is filled with various shades of green. The fresh air and the quiet surrounding of the flourishing region invite everyone to visit. The statue of dancing lovers provides a nice ornament to the beauty of arousing nature. These are the lovely memories I have from my visit to the northern part of Israel.

Shoshi

Desert Moon

Desert Moon - Detail

Desert Moon - Detail

Desert Moon

This little piece has been worked and re-worked for two months!  I started with a sketch that I found in one of my sketch books.  I liked the design, so I transferred the design to freezer paper, cut out my shapes and put the piece together.  Once it was assembled, I didn't like it.  The colors were all wrong and the design didn't seem to translate well in fabric.  I left the moon and the two background fabrics in place and began digging through my fabric stash.  One of my favorite things to do when I create a piece is to see if I can make the colors "float".  I love the orange moon (one of my moon photographs printed on organza and laid over a piece of orange printed fabric); and I absolutely love the way the blue/purple and turquoise fabrics "float" over that orange moon!  The fabric on the bottom third of the piece is a piece of silk that I hand printed using a method that I learned from Betty Busby.  After I got the quilt assembled, it seemed to lack "life"--even with the great color scheme.  I've never incorporated my sewing machine's decorative stitches into one of my quilts, so I figured, what the heck, I'll give it a try.  What fun!!  I also did some couching and some hand stitching.  All of a sudden the piece came to life and a really like it.  I added a few Swarovski crystals for a bit of sparkle.  I titled the piece "Desert Moon".  For all of its desolation, there is a magical energy to the Sonoran Desert and it is especially beautiful and mysterious at night. 

I must tell you all that I am having so much fun doing the projects for this blog.  I love seeing all of your work and reading your descriptions and comments.  You are all so talented and we are all influenced by so many different things.  It's a fabulous learning experience.   I really look forward to the time when everyone posts pictures of their pieces.   Keep up the good work!

Frances Murphy
April 29, 2012

Jurassic Fern

Jurassic Fern

This is the fifth piece I have made in the last couple of months using this fern type shape.

I made the background from mostly hand dyed fabric, some of mine and some of Linda Kemshall's and a little commercial black and white which I curve pieced together.

Having drawn the five ferns in pencil on drawing paper to have an idea of placement,I free machine quilted them onto the pieced material backed with cotton wadding. I then painted the ferns with silver fabric paint. Adding more fmq in swirls and a zigzaggy sort of pattern, I highlighted some triangles with silver foil. Lastly I embroidered in seed stitch with a grey and a browny thread.

I used the pillow case method to add the backing as I knew the piece did not want a binding.

I have just had a two week exhibition, my first, here near Uzès and I took my sewing machine every day so that I could show visitors what I was doing. The background for Jurassic was assembled whilst there. Embroidery and quilting tends to be very traditional in this part of France, so I was amazed at the hugely positive response I received from people who had never seen anything contemporary before! I may even have made a some converts. I sold quite a few pieces and in all it was an amazing experience for me.