Material Obsession

Define friend...

I ponder this definition this morning after a visit from my friend Kate. By one definition... a familiar or helpful thing... she lived up to the written standard helping me get through the end of a really manic busy week.    Another listing states • a person who is not an enemy or who is on the same side.  As I think back to the weekend I think there are lots of things that  spelled friend to me... companion, chat master, laugh stimulator, and generally someone that makes us appreciate the little things in life. 

 

 Kate moved from Sydney to Singapore about 3 years ago much to our dismay at Material Obsession.  She was a fun co-worker while living here and now an occassional one.  Anyway, family brought Kate to Australia for a visit and when that was done she stayed with me for a couple of nights tucked under quilts in our living room.  That brings another part of  friendship to mind...one willing to settle for what is on offer be it of a great standard or not. 

Kate came to the shop with me on Friday and for 10 straight hours she helped sort out the shelves, move furniture and generally get the place in a bit of order while we hung quilts from the book around the place.

While we were at it, Kate discovered a range of fabrics she would like to use for Pheasantville..
Pheasantville is a quilt that was based on that gorgeous bird fabric which is no longer available.  This is a common dilemma  What to do?  Find another inspirational fabric to create a new and most interesting  story for the quilt!  That is what Kate did with this new Tradewinds range plus a few sweet complimentary items from the shelves.  Book in hand and the promise of joy stack of fabrics Kate was ready to go forth.

Kate also has three boys at home so I think she gets a bit of a kick out of hanging around with my boys who are older (not wiser!) as a view to what is to come in her life.  The boys in response try to come up with answers to her many questions about their likes and dislikes in life.  It is truthfully hard not to chuckle when knowing her attempts at lengthy conversations are futile!  So we move on to things we do know will be conversational like going over the quilt she is making in our Marg George Fly Away with Me BOM program...

Here is Kate's Fly Away with me quilt as a work in progress.  She chose to do this program on a black with grey spot which creates a completely different looking quilt.  As we wrap up this program it would be interesting to note how many people have kept up with the blocks. While away on my whirlwind trip I did lots of hexagons.  I have often looked over the shoulder of quilters in classes here with lovely tins full of hexagons. While their tins may be colour coded or stacked neatly, mine looks like this...

The song lyrics in my head at this instant are "whatever gets you through the night...it's alright, its alright!" I'll get there in the end in my own chaotic way.  Here is my progress on the bom to date:

A bit of applique and many, many, many more hexagons to go but I'll get there, I'll get there in the end...oh yeah. 

Another friend that has recently occupied my life space is Brigitte Giblin.  We spent the week together in Nantes as mentioned and had a riot.  I am forever grateful to her for menu translations which in some cases were meal savers!  Her new book is arriving in shop today...

Feathering the Nest, Vintage inspired quilts is a composite story of years of quilts made in Brigitte's unique and wonderful colour story.  Brigitte has been a mainstay of the Australian quilting landscape for decades.  No one can deny her fabulous taste steadfastly sitting in traditional applique and hexagons.  This book is a collection of 20 of her quilts.
This book is printed in French as well as English and sets forth a path to peaceful piecing of masterpieces.  If you haven't ever done a class with Brigitte and you would like her to help you with the choices necessary to bring the pages of the book to life in a class we have a few seats in the first Thursday of the month that you can join.  Pop us an email if you are interested in finishing something started long ago or starting your own new quilt to feather your own nest!

So my friends,...• (often as a polite form of address or in ironic reference) an acquaintance or a stranger one comes across : my friends, let me introduce myself) that brings me to the end of the sitting time and to the start of my day.  Enjoy your friends and the promise of joy they bring you in life...k

Making Quilts...the promise of joy...TODAY

....its early in the morning and I am up with a full head.  After 4 years of planning, making quilts, writing, photographing and stealing moments to dream, Making Quilts...the promise of joy is arriving today.   What will you find inside?  Well, I think hard about what quilting means to me every day.  Since the first time I stacked a pile of fabric up for a quilt I have always thought the same thing...what a promise of joy!  What a wonderful sense of anticipation, expectation and engagement we experience as we plan a project.

Inside it you will find 22 patterns.  Each quilt is defined in three ways.  First, fabric choices because lets face it, the original fabrics are generally no longer available.  Second, construction advice for the variety of methods used to achieve the effect.  Third, the story of the quilt...where the inspiration came from in the first place.  I hope that in these pages you find some answers to the questions I get asked most frequently about choices.  In addition to the template sheet in the book we also have designed a series of popular acrylic templates to accompany the patterns and available in store or on our website. 

The other thing about the book I need to mention is the essense of Australia found in the pages.  As an immigrant to this country I am wide eyed about the effect that it has had on my vision.  As I travel the world teaching I become more and more aware of the influence of the light, the vast spaces and the unique environment in which we live....not to mention how lucky we are to be here!  I am proud to say that this book reveals a very personal attachment I have for this country as I celebrate the 22nd anniversary of my arrival here...22 quilt patterns...one for each year of my life in Australia...coincidence? Yes, but a happy one!  Made all the more happy by bringing the images to life with my husband the photographer!

No matter where we go he opens my eyes to what I can see and captures that image.  Making the book with him was rewarding to say the least.

And while I am waffling on I also have to say thanks to Carol Veillon and her team of wonders at Quilt Mania for taking on the book.  It is always a pleasure to work with confident, talented, energetic women and I am proud to be one of her authors!

 
There are many people that go into making a book.  In this case we have translators who I suspect tore their hair out trying to figure out what I was doing.  I was lucky to meet Elizabeth and Sylvia and to thank them for making the patterns come to life in the book!  And it would also be fun for you to imagine Sandy, the graphic designer of the book.  Poor Sandy was new to Quilt Mania and had no idea what she was in for dealing with me so I thank her for her patience and persistence and the beautiful result!

It is with my sincere and heartfelt appreciation that I thank all of you planning to purchase this book.  We have all of your orders in a pile, shipping boxes are arriving this afternoon and soon the books will be winging their way around Australia and the world. I hope you find joy in the pages...k

Searching....

Recognise this fabric?  It is one of my all time fabrics.  The plum background is a nice value for making a strong statement and the soft yellow and blue, greens and magenta colours tie in with other colours to make a nice composite piece.  It was long time a staple in the shop but now, alas, it appears to be all used up.  This sad statement is made even worse given that one of our quilting friends needs 10cm of it.

Anyone have a strip they can spare or swap?

I searched my stash last night in a state of certainty that it would be there.  I started in the colour blocks and then spread to anything and before I knew it, the entire stash was in a state of disarray and my mind was exploding with questions.  How did I get this obscene stash of fabrics?  How could I have so many fabircs that I love but have never used?  Will I ever have enough time to use up all the treasures that time has allowed me to accumulate.

Further to that I was listening this morning to an interview on the radio with a musician from a band called Passion Pit.  He was talking about his latest album release and the process he had to go through to get where he is now...releasing the album.  One of the things he talked about was the single they were about to play.  He said how could one song be singled out to represent an entire album?  I thought about that and compared it to one of my quilts.  What makes my style me and if I look at one single quilt is it representative of me as a whole or only a small part of me? Can I be judged by this single piece of work or do I need to present the entire collection? 

Then he went on to talk about the production of the album.  Between albums he works with other musicians producing their work.  This satisfying work meant that when he sat down to do his own thing his creative space was cluttered with the ideas of many others and he found himself in a state of confusion...sound familiar?   When I sit down to actually make a quilt it takes a while to filter through all the colours, shapes and patterns I have collected both from my own vision and that of those that I admire. 

I was caught up in his confusion and relating to it 100%.  The single that they ended up playing was called Take a Walk.  In an attempt to get his head cleared from the confusion of the studio scene he took a walk to try to remember the sound of his own voice both figuratively and literally.  There is comfort in hearing his story and knowing that all of us that feed spirits with the process of creativity suffer and enjoy the same process.

 

Expectations of how things should end up often interfer with the process of creating.  We need to constantly remember to break away from our expectations and to work through them.  To see what is actually before us rather than only what we thought we would see.  The result of taking a walk and gaining a bit broader perspective is often satisfaction.

Having said all that it reminds me a bit of this rag rug that Wendy brought in yesterday...

Its a swirling dirvish of delightfully intertwined scraps of fabric that have found new life and a useful purpose.  Wendy demonstrated her toe hold process for making these quilts and a few tips...it will be fun to see the Domestic Bliss Workshop take this process on board and hopefully I will too as I have a big whole on the floor in my living room that would be well suited with this colourful rug!  

I am determined to use my fabric.  That doesn't mean I won't add to it or change the look of it with new fabrics.  I feel like I found some old friends last night that I once loved and still do.  My stash is a mess, just like the laundry and the wardrobe which all seem to have the common thread of chaos.  I wonder if that is my voice?   k

 

mixed bag

Where am I?  I woke up on the sofa wondering yesterday.  There is a time of day when my eyelids are so heavy I can hardly hold them open.  Unlike the other days this past week I wasn't driving home from work wondering how I could cope with traffic in such a state of jet lag.  Each red light was a challenge.  I found myself holding my eyes open with my fingers, singing loudly and moving my attention around the outside of the car to stay focused.  Hunger, sleep and alertness are all happeing at weird times.  It made me realise that I arrived home thinking I was invincable and that I would hit the ground running...and not just because I have to but because, well, going at a serious pace is me.  Unlike this dog.

Dogs were everywhere in France.  Restaurants, department stores, trains, hotels, homes and as you can see very much at home resting in the middle of the road.  I yelled for John to stop so I could snap the photo but there was no rush.  This dog didn't move even when we had to squeeze our car around him to pass by where he rested.  It is an image that stays with me.  The assurance that resting in one spot is ok.  No matter how much of the world rushes past it is ok to be confidently stationary.  I am fighting an erge to step out of the race and lie in the road.

Returning home puts one in a place of worlds colliding.  The head is full of stories, the camera images and the heart memories.  However, there is only a small window for these things as life, work and family merge into the conscious state.

One of the family issues is about these guys.  While attending an AFL game in Melbourne while we were away they ended up in an incident not unfamiliar in the newspapers these days.  Oscar and two mates separated from their group and headed out for a burger before returning to their hotel.  In an unfamiliar city they were surrounded by 7 guys taunting them.  Not surprisingly, taunts led to fists and they were overpowered.    Oscar turned to see his good friend on the ground with his head in some blokes hands being smashed into the pavement.  He hit the attacker and ended up with a broken hand, his friend a broken face just as the police arrived and the assailants ran off. As the story revealed itself I was caught in a state of terror and real anger. So now he is unable to work, attend university or play rugby.   In an instant everything changes.  You can simply never stop worrying about your kids...Here they are having moved the furniture out to the verandah to plan future trips abroad so that I can worry from a distance.

What else is happening?

Thinking, planning and assembling materials for Sue Spargo who will be teaching with us in August.  At this point we have piles of ideas in sweet anticipation.  Books, wool and embellishing threads, ribbons and beads are all on the way.  The ideas is that the applique is finished leaving the workshops for embellishing techniques so the mind whirls with ideas...unfinished projects suitable for this time of year are coming out of the woodwork.

I am also preparing for my next trip overseas to New Zealand.  At the end of this month I am teaching 3 classes in Wellington, New Zealand for the Capital Quilters Lower Hutt.  Then visit Minerva books on Wednesday 30th for a book signing session!  Can't wait for that!!!!

The Queen's Birthday weekend I'll be teaching at HANDMADE again in the beautiful space of the Te Papa Museum  It’s the place for people who want to learn the skills and crafts of previous generations but with modern style and flair...  sound good?  This is the second year of a great concept event so if you are in the mood for some handwork sessions check out their website and come along for what is guaranteed to be a weekend of creative inspiration.  The workshops cover a variety of areas from food and garden to quilting, knitting and the rest...http://www.handmade2011.co.nz so hope to see you there.  Classes are filling up so check it out.

That reminded me to show what we did in the workshops at L'Amour du Fils.  Mostly we talk about using fabrics to create impact with colour.  There is a lot of hesitation to mix and match so we work concepts on creating interest while having FUN.

The Sunburst Templates is a great way to work texture, graphics, colour and desing into a dynamic block pattern.  Everyone has bits in their stash that work up to make this block.

Of course, Garden Party works the fabric like nobody's business!  Fun fun fun with so many options for contemporary or traditional work!

Layering, mixing and twisting...this was loads of fun.

 

 

Things are happening in the shop even though I am not casting a watchful eye over everything. Kelly brought this quilt in to show us now that it is finished.  She bagged it which means it has no wadding and is simply backed.  The thing is that these hexagons have a lot of weight in them and in this climate this is a perfect weight.  My elbow aches just looking at all these hexagons.  I did them for 24 hours straight on the plane and have not been able to open the box since returning!  That isn't so much a statement about hexagons as it is about the state of hectic that I am in.  I found the hexagons a great way to while away the time on the plane.  Having said that I admire these quilts when finished as they are real heirlooms!

So, now it is time to get moving into the week.  Monday morning signals the end of naps in the afternoon just because you need them...the end of snacking at whim, loud music, football games and sharing cars as the week looms ahead.  There are so many exciting things coming up that we are planning...New Zealand, The Quilt and Craft Show at Darling Harbor as The NSW Guild celebrates 30 years!!!! and more more more!

That reminds me, have you encouraged someone under 35 to take up quilting this year for the How Does Your Garden Grow competition???? Well, have you?  Quilters Companion and the NSW Quilters Guild and Brother sewing machines have organised a great competition for those under 35's to win great prizes.  Details of the competition are in The Template and in Quilters Companion.  We have sign up sheets in the shop and are happy to help with any part of the process.  If you have started, send us some photos so we can inspire others to get involved!  Is there a better gift to a young person than the gift of quilting for a lifetime????  Well, is there? No. k

 

 

International Connections

Ah the joy of one's own bed!  I smiled as I drifted off last night knowing I would wake up in my bed and make my coffee exactly the way I like it before hitting the day.  My head spins with images of places and people far away as my arms embrace the ones I love here.  Our travel home was a blur that started with an 11 hour stint in the Paris airport, a missed connection in London due to bad weather and a hotel stay. 

The thrills of Heathrow Airport customs are big news as the lines are long and slow.  Upon arrival we waited two hours in line which was ok as we were pumped up for the trip...however, the two hours at 11pm having been unceremoniously bumped off our flight by British Airways was not fun.  Tired and exhausted we searched the hallowed, cavernous halls of Heathrow looking for a human to help us.  No signs...no attendants and not even a help desk in the arrivals area.  It made me wonder a lot about being human.  Where most of my trip is the echo of boots on cobblestones the sound of our echoing footsteps at midnight in the airport created a different kind of reverberation.  More than once I wondered if we would join those sleeping on the benches. 

We did eventually find a British Airways employee who rebooked us for the next day and put us up at the beautiful Sofitel Hotel which was thankfully on site at the airport.  A nice breakfast and we once again faced our 25 hours of travel back to the homeland. We were redirected to Cathay Pacific  which I have to say was a very comfortable airline.  Nice big seats with leg room and a long list of movies to enjoy.  Hexagons and 7 movies entertained me all the way home! 

Hong Kong airport was not on our original route but it was a thrill flying in there.  Just like the pictures, we saw the beautiful city skyline up against the wild mountain landscape.  Quite a thrill and a lovey open area with large window views in all directions.  Lots of surprises on the way home but we got here in the end.
New friends like Petra and the ladies from the Den Haan Wagenmakers crew have been gathered along the way. 
I learned a new appreciation for what it means to be a quilter in France.  Finger worn antique items and fabrics were everywhere.
Shapes, colour and design delighted the eye at every turn in soft and pretty or colour blocks.

The familiar quilts of home blended in beautifully with those of other lands...

Contemporary and traditional directions blended into a landscape of colour fascination.

Teaching quilt concepts is a challenge I accept with vigor but with a translater it was interesting. There is so much about language that we take for granted bu Elizabeth was incredible.  I got so fascinated with her rapid and concise repetition of what I said that I forgot what I was saying but we got past that in a few short sentences and buckled down with the templates and colour concepts.

I don't know how many streets we walked down or how many divine towns we visited.  John likes photos of alleys so we have lots.  I also thank Kate for my wooly poncho that kept me warm everywhere we went!

From the small details of the gardens

 

to the magnificent accomplishments of man this was a trip that filled the heart and mind.

We arrived home to stories about our boys adventures.  Of course there was a party,a hospital incident, a few food situations including on 24 hour starvation day as well as completely empty cupboards and a full to overflowing laundry complete with many mystery items! 

I look forward to re-entering life at full pace now with a much relaxed head and enlivened spirit.  Hopefully I still feel this way at the end of the day! The washer just beeped through the fourth load already this am so I am off.

Thanks for sharing the experience with me and although I rarely replied to comments due to limited time on the computer I appreciate all the heartfelt messages from so many.  It is lovely to be so connected on so many levels...enjoy. k

Patchwork Surprise

Yep, that is snow!  John was practically hyperventialling at the prospects of visiting the snow fields so first thing in the morning we headed from the town up the mountain to go for a long hike.  Even at the end of what looked like a great season of snow this place held the sound of ski boots on concrete and the whirl of the many chair lifts up the mountain.  However, the rain wouldn't stop for us and it was cold so we took a few snaps and gave up.  From here we headed down for a long drive on the motorway.
The motorways are fantastic.  The flow of traffic is smooth at high pace and we covered a lot of ground while munching on fresh bread with garlic and olive tapenades...We finally stopped in Azay le Rideau for a coffee break.  Ok.  Keep in mind the garlic, the coffee, the early start to go hiking...no make up...crusty  bread crumbs in the wrinkles of our clothes...I thought to myself, yikes, I have let myself go here now and really look like a DAG.  When what did we see on the other side of the street but a shop that looked decidedly like home away from home!  Theophile!

We were happily greeted by Nancy Kay as soon as we entered and given a tour of the shop which held many beautiful delights.  There was a class upstairs of women learning their sampler blocks.  Here they are embarking on what we all know will soon become an all encompassing hobby and search for the Holy Grail of colour and design!

Downstairs we met Nancy Kay's daughter and had a good look around. Nestled in the stone and wood were the familiar fabrics of my own shop plus many more with a distinctly French flair. 

Ribbons, buttons and oh so much more...

Although I spent most of the visit rummaging through my bag for a mint after all the garlic and coffee the visit was a highlight of the trip.  Nancy Kay was so unbelievably welcoming that within only a few minutes I felt I had made a life long friend.  And in that is the real promise of joy about patchwork.  We know instantly that we are home even so far away and in that there is happiness.

With promises of staying in touch we got in the car to move on to our B&B for our last nights in France. One of the funniest things in the shop was when I pointed to a beautiful piece of work that Nancy Kay was working on and John said, "that is nice applique and embroidery!"  I had no idea he was learning so much on our trip!   It was also funny that he could appreciate how "caught out there" I felt in my daggy shoes, tossled hair and garlic breath in the presence of such French style and grace!  We laughed all the way down the street.

 

So now we are at our last stop.  As our thoughts of France are now interrupted by thoughts of home we head out for our last day of sight seeing in the Loire Valley filled with bread and coffee.  more later I am sure! k

echo of footsteps

Call it history or fairy tales, this land resounds with footsteps of many on stones that were laid hundreds of years ago.  As we wallk through villages and past farm houses set just a step or two off the road I keep thinking how wonderful old is...built to last and full of the grace of days gone by.  Many a time we have walked through a space and I can feel the thundering steps of millions of people in all kinds of garb moving about the chores of their day and it fills me with a sense of belonging despite being simply a visitor.

I have found a love of new things...like yellow...and opened my eyes wider than ever before to see what lies before me.  From up the top of Chateau Biron the view is spectacular.  You can almost see the enemy approaching to take over the castle...

From up here we could literally see for 30 miles.  A view established purposefully for protection against the mauraders of the age or perhaps a young damsle awaiting a lover.  Looking out...looking up...it is all engaging.
Chateau Biron was home to many.  and huge fireplaces filled with character and holding many secrets and making space for life in strange forbidding spaces.

 

Stone passages, wooden beams, and windows with views everywhere made homes for important people while somewhere, down the winding stone stairs and out of the way the servants cooked the meals and from the likes of it, made the plates it was served on too.

 

 

In one of those dark spaces was a well filled with water that trickled into a sink for cleaning and eating. I wanted to see this place full of life with young and old running through the passages bringing food, stealing kisses or watching the entertainment.  Built for life but not as we know it...no nice bathrooms, no power outlets, no comfy sofas, beds or chairs.  As we approached I anticipated hanging red velvet drapes and huge portraits of Biron himself but alas, the comforts, if there ever were any, have been sold to museums around the world!

There was still much to see.  Pattern and colours were everywhere.  I think John and I are up to 6,000 images so if we invite you over for dinner in the near future you might want to have other plans!  John is the perfect travel companion.  His love of technology and interest in details means each night he plans the travel route for the next day.

Yesterday we stopped mid day at Rocamador...a city literally built into the side of huge cliffs.  How and even why here we'll never know but it was completely amazing to walk these streets and look up to life built on life.

The church here was literally carved into the side of the mountain.  Chairs filled the space and the stain glass windows let in only a small amount of light.  I had the distinct feeling that God might be listening in this sacred space.

Soon we were on our way again.

The colours of the landscape along the side of the road made my fingers simply ache to get back to work before I forget the beauty of nature.  We stopped several times just to capture the colour and then rounded a corner and... VOILA!  Snow capped mountains.  What a change and so now we are heading up to the top to walk on the snow before driving to our next location somewhere in the Loire Valley.  Until we land next...enjoy! k

 

 

pinch me

On Sunday, when the show was all packed up and we had said goodbye to our new friends, of which there were many...we got a car.  Then, as if by surprise, we sat there with a map.  Where too now?  Many people had recommended La Rochelle so we put it into the Tomtom and hit the road.  For me, this was an unbelievable sensation.  The fact that we were heading into the unknown was both frightening and exciting.

For two days we wandered the parks and shores of La Rochelle.  The port side town was full of Parisiens enjoying a holiday weekend so the streets were alive with people.  The food...oh my the food...seafood, steaks, ducks and bread...our next stop should surely be a health farm!  The red wine and coffees keep us going and laughing. 
In the tourist arena we sent into a lighthouse more than a few centuries old.  When it was no longer of good use it became a prison for priates and the walls were filled with their graffitti.  It was interesting to learn that although pirates are the bad guys they have hearts and souls like the rest of us.  Their images were of their homes and families, trades and ships...many with hearts and names of loved ones engraved into the stone walls.

Speaking of loved ones...we have now landed at a countryside bed and breakfast near Villareal called Le Moulin Labique.

One of three builidngs this place has the charm of yesterday and the comforts of today all packed into one beautiful home.   We headed out immediately to walk the countryside for a few hours.  On our walk we saw gorgeous paths through fields as green as green can be and in all its shades from bright yellow green to the bluest fields of green.  MY.  MY. MY.  We didn't even mind the fact that the weather turned from sunny skies to torrential downpour not once but twice as we traversed the land.
Our room...

Say no more!  Simply decorated to perfection with food at a high French standard....suffice to say duck cottage pie and Swiss chocolate for desert...beautiful friendly hosts...heaven on a trip.  Now we are off for le petite dejeuner and another day on our excellent adventure as I continue to pinch myself to see if it is all really real! enjoy!!!! k

 

 

More L'Amore!!!!

Entre!

 

Buried behind this group of people you would find a woman learning to communicate in the language of quilters.  For four days I watched the visitors to ma Maison.
As they turned the corner les yeux (their eyes) POPPED!  In a land where everything is beautifully styled with wonderful taste I was surprised to see the reaction was so positive. A littel French and little English and a lot of FRANGLAIS went down in this area. 

Loani Prior was across the hall with her fanciful tea cozy demo.  Evidence of imagination was everywhere.

What one might consider to be an every day object is now an extraordinary object.

This was also most evident in Gillian Travis's stall where images from her travels around the world bring small details of a variety of cultures to life. 

From socks to flowers textiles are transformed to images of delight.

Right inside the door was a beautiful collection from some of the artists.  Bamboo by Misao Wada sat in perfect compliment to Brigitte's Joesephine Baker quilt and other bits of pieces that welcomed the visitors to the exhibition.

Imagine our joy at finding the selvedge magazine stall replete with many object d'art to ponder from scarves to dolls and everything in between.

 

Our Quiltmania friends were busy at their booth handing over book after book filled with inspirational ideas in quilt and stitching forms.
We made friends with many of the artists over breakfast and dinner in our or near our hotel.  Maggie Bonanomie brings folk art to life in wool.  She and her husband Harold became constant companions in the hotel where we shared the stories of our lives, homes and families over laughs and red wines!

Mary Koval had a fabulous collection of antique quilts, blocks and samples of her fabric lines.  For me, I see her name on collections of fabric and it was a surprise to meet her in person and out of context.

The men in the background of this trip were the colour of our lives. When we left the event and headed out to dinner the laughs resounded through the streets of Nantes.  good food...good friends...good fun!!!

I had an amazing conversation with LInda Konig.  She arrived in my maison and we agreed that our eyes see pattern in a similar way but our colour sense stands in opposite poles.  It was a meeting of the minds that sparked my imagination as I realised we are all the same but our interpretation is so very personal.

Inside and out the visual explosion was beyond compare and my tiny brain is bursting to get home to my studio...but first...a week of traveling around from place to place with no particular place to be!!! k

 

L'Amour du Fils!!!

Voila!

Here I am unbelievably in sneakers in Paris on the way to the train loaded up with new fashions and smiles on the way to L'Amour du fils in Nantes.

Today if I had my John Galt hat on I'd say Carol Veillon from Quilt Mania has plucked the most amazing creative talents from Japan, the UK, the Netherlands and other places as well to create a utopian craft show which is the ultimate invitation to creative quilters.  The invited guests are making my head spin with ideas and inspiration.  My next door neighbor and long time quilting teacher Brigitte Giblin have prepared for the show but neither one of us anticipated the reaction!

I looked up yesterday to see this...Brigitte surrounded by women fascinated by her hexagon techniques.  It was like this all day for both of us as we discussed our fabric choices and patterns with a new and most wonderful audience.

When we do get a chance to travel around the show there are so many things to see, touch, imagine in my hands!  However, more on all the wonderful booths later.  I am planning on doing a camera tour today or tomorrow for all of you.

However, here is Gillian Travis.  Gillian is accompanied by Mr. Travis who has kept us in stitches (the laughter variety) all weekend.  The men of this entourage have all banded together in support of us. 

Gillian is a textile artist from a small village in the Pennines in Yorkshire.  Gillian has travelled the world collecting images and ideas from everywhere and then uses a variety of techniques from print, paint, felt, and machine stitch to tell her stories.  The unique shapes and the collective journey images draw you into the stall where you get swallowed up in her gorgeous personality.

Anyway, at breakfast now and needing to get ready to go.  I have been surprised several times by Australians that enter my booth to say hi!   It takes a second to realise that we are not at a show in Sydney but rather on the other side of the world.  They, like me, are finding the show a fantastic success full of wonder and inspiration.  It is the same world but with the input of the stylish women of Europe the scope is just a bit different. 

 

I will also admit that the language has worn out my tiny brain.  I do ok in the morning but by the afternoon my brain is worn to a veritable frazzle.  I have a bit of language up my sleeve and way more than when we were in Paris but in mid sentence I find I can't find a word and the conversation stops, the hands start to move and eventually we find our way to the communication destination.  The challenge of communicating for a huge talker like myself is grand.  More later....Au revoir! k