Material Obsession

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

 

Look UP!

Sometime in a movie someone said people never look up any more.  I guess that is because we don't all live in Paris.  Shortly after arriving it came to me that the word magnificent should only be applied to here.  Never in my dreams did I imagine the scope of beauty to be found.  For instance, where else would you find a bridge filled to overflowing with the locks of lovers?

 Upon rounding the corner and looking up at the grand scale of Notre Dame I found it hard not to cry so breath taking was the view.

 

 

From a distance the beauty is overwhelming but up close the detail is very human.  These stone people captured my attention.  I looked up and see them looking down in all manners of frozen occupations and beyond them were busy angels beckoning attention as well.    They have a candid nature that connects us to them despite the ages that separates us.  Regardless of their stone makeup they have a  reassuring quality about them that speaks of faith.

Not all the things we saw were stately...there were moments of humour, colour and unexpected delights.

 

Many times I wondered  and tried to imagine just how so many sculptures could be built.  How?  How did they get so many made and in so many very high places?  Did it take a lifetime or did they have a secret way to mass produce them?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some details revealed themselves over time like these chairs.  The cafes and bistros that fill the streets each have their own chair patterns. 

 

The age of structures...coming from such young countries as the USA and Australia  made it fascinating to note that these buildings have stood for centuries.  That the doors have opened thousands of times, that millions of feet have crossed the stones...

But the humanity remains.  The reverence and focus on the almighty concepts was everywhere. 

We were typical tourists.  We walked until my pride gave way and I put on my runners to save my toes the agony.  It was hard as the streets were full of fashionable people.  Young and old alike looked smart.  What I loved the most were the women of age growing old gracefully.  It was reasurring to feel age respected rather than tossed aside for the undeniable beauty of youth.

 

On the last day we visited Sacre Coeur and took in the 30 kilometer view.  Magnifique!

And then...and then...we arrived in Nantes where a room with a different view awaited us!  I stood still in shock upon entering my "maison" which is where I will be for the next four days...

Today the show starts and what a show it will be. Quiltmania appears to have scoured the earth for interesting talents to gather together in both the booths and the display areas.
Pink booths fill the hall and they are full of treasures for the likes of me!  Not only did we find people unpacking antique quilts, fabrics and kits ... we also found these stacks of boxes!

 

Brigitte is right next door making the space feel like home.  We shared an exciting moment in time when our books arrived and like excited children on Christmas morning we leafed through the pages of the long awaited book.

So, if you are in the neighborhood look us up and say Bonjour!  k

 

 

  

Kaffe's Utopian Home

I watched a woman in the airport walking along in stockings and high heel shoes after a 12 hour flight and thought I would NEVER have been able to wear stockings on a plane.

Then I saw this dress and was reminded that there might be worse things to wear!  The evidence of changing fashions fills the museums and the streets.

We are surrounded by the evidence of many decorative ages of man.  I had to wonder when we stopped focusing on creating long lasting depictions of the efforts of man in exchange for the sleek, long lines of modern buildings.  These ornate structures enhance every corners and engage each glance in a moment worthy of time.

Look up or around and the eye gets stuck in wonder.  I was particularly taken with this structure in the V&A. How? How did it get there?

Not all modern spaces have lost the art of art.  We stayed at Kaffe's gallery of a house which beckons long glances from the moment one approaches the front door and then in every corner.  It was with a wonderfully strange awareness that I entered this home after pouring over images from within for over a decade.  As the pages of books came to life before me I was suddenly a bit awe struck.  It's true.  He is  living colour.
From front door to back mosaics fill the spaces.

The glisten like shattered fallen rainbows or sit quietly in unexpected places. Having recently renovated my own home I can very much appreciate the effort that goes into seeing then making.  Our home is still and may always be a work in progress but here we found the distinct evidence of creative energy like an archeological site, out bathroom walls were littered with proud china bits.  Where would one start with a project like this?  I am wondering but at the same time making a mental note of my colourful dinner set.  I love it but there are many chips of time and perhaps the next home should be a mosaic structure.

I think too perhaps all my bowls should be filled with intricately beaded beautiful things...

I ran up these stairs many times but not once without noticing the wonderful patterns and colours.  There were patterns and beauty on every surface.

Spot the target?  The round rug on the perfectly composed tiles and a room filled with objects d'art...

 

It made me wonder just a bit...why not fill every space with beautiful things to look at?  And what about a pottery sink? 

More patterns underfoot...

patterns over chairs...

And here is my favourite corner filled with inviting cushions and watched over by a loving collection of Budah bellies!  When we arrived in London I looked up and first saw these creatures in the window and knew we had arrived...a glance further up to the next level and there was Kaffe in the window waving. 

More Budahs...and that gorgeous turban footstool!

If there is one thing that captures beauty in a moment it is tapestry.  The delicate nature of the this was an eye magnet.

 Here is another favourite corner.  Bits of wall paper...today and yesterday combined in a work in progress or deprogressing...a painting and the promise of more beauty to come captured in time.
 

Ok.  So now I imagine your minds as full of ideas.  I felt on many occassions as though my tiny little brain was bursting out of its shell.  The input could never equal the output before my eyes.  Kaffe and Brandon were most generous hosts...if not only to be welcomed into mecca but also with the chat, food and wonderful company. 

 

 

As per usual, time to fly.  We are now in day two in glorious Paris...John chomping at the bit to wear away what is left of my pour aching feet!  more later and as always...thank you more please to the wonders of each day!  k

 

 

 

when two eyes aren't enough

I have never been one naturally drawn to travel.  The routine of life entertains me enough so that when I do have to go on a trip it takes a lot of mental adjustments so that I can get into the right frame of mind to see...to see everything before me in the fresh perspective found only when completely transformed to somewhere new.  John and I are now in London after a long trip on two planes. 

One airport blends into another until Japan.  It was a long layover and I wasn't particularly looking forward to the hanging out however I was surprised to find myself fascinated by how aware I was of being in another country.  The languages around me changed from English to Japanese, German, French and others I couldn't recognize.   The hours literally flew by filled with a bit of wandering around and hexagons.  How easy it is to be entertained when as a quilter we can travel with a bag of sit and sew goodies!

Eventually after many movies and nearly 30 hours of travel we landed in London where bridges fall and people are off to see the Queen.

Blessed with early morning blue skies and a good nights sleep we hit the road to walk off the sitting hours.

As is typical grey turns to colour as the details of the world appeared before us.  After a short time I felt as though I had walking whip lash.

 

We found a spot of familiar decorative landscape in the language of the young and restless.

Try Fail Try until you TRYUMPH!  I hear that and live it.

 

This is my favourite photo of the day.  The palette is so now and then, here and there, grey but full of colour.  It looks to me as breath feels.

When we arrived and looked up this was the view.  A tree not unlike the trees of Australia.  Branches bursting from the trunk in plink like shapes against the clouds.  These trees release the of restraint and growth combined in a shape.

 

 

Another reminder of home, hey Gai, we found your long lost wharf!

Then we headed inside at the Tate Museum.  Full of large open spaces and modern art.

From slick texture to old...or maybe ageless.  I suddenly realised that there were structures before my eyes that were older than anything I had ever stood before in my life. 

From stone work to food...everywhere was something to look at and devour as a visual feast.

Trussed tomatoes so beautiful I can smell them from here.

Deep, richly coloured decorative and edible obects in perfect shapes...
It helped as we powered through the streets to have the visual stimulation assisted by our tour guide.  Kaffe, with the widest stride imaginable, toured us through his favourite corners.

We ended up here, at Zandra Rhodes Fashion and Textiles Museum.  The show was Designing Woman and the textiles were just what I love!

Designing Women...my favourite them as a designing woman. This space which will in March 2013 host a show of Kaffe's work from his colourful life.  As we walked through it was fun to imaging the space filled with his works and to hear how he pictured it coming together.

Ok...time to hit the road for day two in our excellent adventure.  My feet have rested, my mind has dumped images that plagued me through the night and now we can start again in a new direction.  I can't believe I resist travel when in such a short time the mind has gone so far!!!!

If you live in my neighborhood let me know how things are going as our boys have rejected our requests to be friends on facebook...afraid perhaps we will get a party invitation to our own house...ugh. happy trails and tales to you....k

 

Big Post

Big news...due to popular demand we have moved the Sue Spargo workshops to a larger location in the Uniting Church at Baronia Park...yes, across the street from our old shop!   If you missed out on round one we now have places for Friday, Saturday and Sunday or all of them if you like in Sue's world famous embellishing workshops.  We are now receiving all kinds of wool at the shop in preparation for her arrival in 10, 11, 12 August.   Plenty of time to get a project started!  

If there is anyone that inspires the phrase, "so much to do, so little time," it's Sue.  Make one of the leaf collection, bird or flower kits or embellish your own designs OR one from one of her books.  For more information contact us by email or phone.  If you are out of town we have found reasonable accommodation for several people AND the Hunters Hill Quilt show is on that weekend as well so it's a double whammy quilters delight weekend in Hunters Hill!

Insert commercial break:  If you, like me, fell in love with this pink fabric used to make Almost Pretty and featured on the cover of Quitlers Companion this month I have one kit left ($190)!  The pattern is in the magazine.

As my mom always says on Easter Sunday, "He is risen."  Whatever your religious persuasions are or aren't it is a time to stop and reflect on the good within and hope for hope.  I relish the somber feeling of Good Friday and enjoy a quiet day peacefully thinking each year.  This year was no different as I paused to try to dig deep and bring the qualities of a good life to the surface.

Another reason to pause is a brain full to bursting with ideas, plans and images of creative expression.  Last week was a doozy!  We started with Out of Line and the theme was Faces. Generally before we move to the new topic we review with a bit of show and tell from the last topic which in this case was the Cityscape.  Suzanne borrowed some inspiration from the crevices of her colourful brain.  These buildings are from her sketch diary.  They are painted onto fabric and about to be appliqued onto the curved background.  I should have snapped off a photo of the tiny sketch so you could see how she brought it all to life.

One of the things I love about this class is the diversity of the members. In this photo we go from Suzanne's imaginary planet to Moira's inner city graffiti wall and then to the plaid city by Marina and many bases were covered.  It is an example of the word interpretation.  Everyone is different, sees different things, experiences different things and produces different things without serious regard for right or wrong.

 We moved onto faces.  It is always a tentative moment.  Where to start?  We have a few exercises and review some images, artwork and concepts before gathering supplies and getting started.  I appreciate that for many this is intimidating work.  It reminds me of an old sorority sister rush week activity where we got blind folded and asked to trust our sisters before stepping off a ledge.  Of course the step is small and the sisters were there to catch us but the memory of that moment in the dark before the leap of faith stayed with me.  In some ways this class is the same.  We can do it, we are supported and yet there is a bit of tension that must be worked through before the plunge.  Excitment, thrill, wonder...

 

 

 Supplies were gathered and ideas were formed by the end of the day. It is a step away from the literal and a step toward the unknown.  We won't be meeting for a few months due to travel etc so I am sure there will be some great things to face when we reunite!

The next day was Stash to Treasure which is a class I am also loving as we troll through the traditional patterns looking for places to stop and explore.  Anne chose the Log Cabin as you may remember and has really, and I mean REALLY, made progress.

 Clourful lightning streaks sewn in perfect order!  It speaks of dedicated time to a project despite little kids and a busy schedule. There was at least one, maybe two more rows to go up but it looks fantastic!

Our other Anne also made some progress with this scrappy quilt.  Using her stash and a simple block Anne got this done working colourful steps.  We talked about that navy stripe and how it really works to bring the pattern to life.

A few years back Meegan did Brigitte's Tesselation pattern and that is also now a finished top.  This is a great way to work the stash with lots of opportunity for delightful fussy cutting.  Pieced over papers it is a nice take a long package.

The fussy cutting for bigger shapes creates intereting challenges.

Meegan also revived a half done stash project with these tulips.  A familiar pattern by now these tulips are always a joy to regard.  Since we last met she finished the applique and the stems.

This is also an exciting process as we approach construction challenges and conquer them with pen and paper...

  Some things we do in class and some things we just talk about it and do it later.  Suzy used the Creative Grid half square strip ruler and hit her stash with a vengence to make a medalion of half square triangles.

 

But she also finished all these blocks of shot cotton squares so we went on a search for a border.

First thing she picked is one of my favourite fabrics this year.  Feathers!  Big, bold, colourful, graphic feathers. 

But then we got out our other favourite which is eye catching with the simplicity of the blocks.  It works almost in the opposite direction of what we expect...expecting the unexpected is a thrill.

Marie changed direction completely and started a medalion quilt that linked together lots of different fabrics in her stash which is really gratifying.

Soon to be surrounded by flying geese and other block borders she is off to a great start.  Stars are next.

Not to be out done, the "beginners" are starting to fly out of the nest with their blocks as well.  They are selecting fabrics and working blocks, each in their own way, but all with great success.  I just get so excited when I see all their work up on the wall!

Lets give them a hand for excellence in class!  Just like the blocks on the wall, each quilter is made of the same material but different.  There is a collective joy when we look inside and see each other!

Enjoy your holiday weekend.  I'll soon be checking in while on the road with updates from my excellent adventure! k

 

 

Easter Hours

  Just up and about to hit the road this morning so I'll be brief.

 

                                    

 

                                             Material Obsession Easter Holiday Hours

 

                                            Friday 6th April Closed

                                            Saturday 7th April Open

                                        Sunday & Monday 8 & 9 Closed

 

Chris Jurd has been teaching with us this term and the results are "fan"tastic.  I wasn't around on the day so was pleased to see the results...

 

 

Foundation piecing is one of those skills we must consider acquiring so I am sure we'll have more classes with Chris as everyone had such a great time learning this process.

Susan has made Growing Up Green in neutrals. 

How divine!  Simple, inviting...just right for the modern man.

Enjoy your holidays and if you are in Sydney we welcome you to visit the shop on Saturday for some Easter Specials!  Otherwise, enjoy your family and holiday time! k