I have spent the last couple of days making up cushions from last year’s travel projects. I stitched a sashiko panel during a train trip across Canada which I cut up and supplemented and made into 4 cushions. The 5th cushion was made from a boro panel was made during a holiday in Switzerland. When will we get to travel overseas again?
Japanese boro is a technique developed in the 19th and 20th centuries where remnants of used fabric were stitched together to form utilitarian items such as clothing and bedding. This technique has regained popularity as it creates beautiful textured and interesting pieces. When traveling, I always have some hand sewing to accompany me and often it is a piece of boro fabric. I stitch patches of Japanese fabric together by hand to form one piece of fabric which I then make up into something on my return home. I have just made up a couple of bags using the boro fabric that I made up during my Christmas trip to Europe (seems a long time ago now!). One bag is made from cotton patches and the other from silk. The bags are lined and would make a perfect gift.
Boro Bag (cotton) 28cmx23cmx5cm $65 plus P&P
Boro bag (silk) 28cmx28cmx8cm $85 plus P&P
From my very large box of ‘scraps’, I made new fabric in 10 different colour ways. I then used each ‘new’ piece of fabric in another Drunkards Path block quilt. Coloured quilted circles completed the picture. It would make a lovely wall hanging or quilt and if no-one buys it, I might put it in my sewing room!
Circles in Motion 141cmx141cm $300 plus P&P
Becoming a bit fed up with circles, I then decided to make a quilt with squares, albeit from material with circles on it! Again this quilt can be used as a quilt or wall hanging. The black and white quilt has a few touches of colour and, if you look really carefully, you can see that there are a couple of red and yellow lines in the quilting grid.
All Square 129cm x 121cm $220 plus P&P
I have never made a quilt using the traditional ‘Drunkards Path’ block, so I thought I’d have a go. Using my favourite Kaffe Fassett material, I am very pleased with the result.
Bright and Bold (150cm square) $350 + P&P
In this period of isolation, I am making quilts from my stash and trying different things. This quilt is intended to capture the feeling of Australia.
Australiana (152cmx145cm) $350
Lots of time for sewing now! Yesterday, I looked at my batik fabrics and made this simple quilt. At present, it is just the quilted strips which is lovely in itself. But it would lend itself to some sort of appliqué being added. As an example, this has been done ‘electronically’ below with the addition of a kangaroo – but it could be a koala, a piece of coral or a symbol – you choose. The quilt then effectively becomes a background to the object of interest.
Leaping Kangaroo 110x140cm $100 (background quilt only) or $140 (quilt with simple appliqué object) + P&P
Although I haven’t before shown iPad/tablet sleeves on my website, they are a very popular product of mine. I have made one from the left over material from my Code Orange quilt.
iPad/tablet sleeve 275mm x 225mm $39.95 +P&P
Close up of sleeve
The sleeve provides extra protection for your tablet when you leave home and your headset and miscellaneous items can be popped in as well. They make wonderful gifts.
This week, I have had no urgent commissions or competition/challenge pieces to work on. Commissioned quilts are becoming prohibitively expensive now that good material costs between $25-$28 per metre. So I decided to start making quilts using my stash of fabric which was bought when prices were cheaper. Below is the first of such quilts. It is a 100% cotton large lap quilt with a black back. There will be more to follow – so if this one doesn’t appeal, there will be more, very different ones, to follow.
Code Orange 138mm square $295 + P&P
Close up showing the orange quilting
I recently made a very personalised quilt for a client. She used Spoonflower (an online, on demand, independent custom fabric design company) to select fabric which represented her friend’s many interests eg alpacas; cooking; dance etc. She then ordered an 8″ square sample of each chosen fabric which I subsequently made into this quilt. All parties were thrilled with the result!
Personalised Quilt
I was thrilled that my statement piece ‘Road Rage’ got selected for the juried contemporary quilt exhibition stitched and bound exhibition held at the Zig Zag Gallery in Kalamunda. The exhibition opened today.
The piece depicts the anger on the road where cyclists are vulnerable. Injuries and worse occur. White, ‘ghost’ bikes mark where cyclists have been killed. I wonder when attitudes will change
Award winning textile artist, author and tutor
Handmade patchwork quilts for sale - off the peg and made to order
Handmade patchwork quilts for sale - off the peg and made to order
A machine quilters' passion
Textile Art, Dyed Fabric, Applique, Piecework, Embellishment
Quilts to use and love
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