along with my exhibition

Apparently (meaning I only have limited details of what this was about), the Cloud Puppy might have got some exposure this week... and may be in the Henley Standard at some point.
Jon from Lady Sew and Sew asked to take him to a meeting in Henley on Monday night where a photographer from the Henley Standard was going to photograph a group of people standing around each holding up a piece of art. He wanted to take something that would stand out a bit more in such a setting.

So, yes! That would be great! But rather unclear, as to the whys and wherefores! Maybe a meeting looking ahead at the Henley Art Trail in the beginning of May? As I am not in that area or county, I am unsure when any such photo will be published so I can get a copy. I should ask Jon.

Who also asked please could I have something in the Henley Art Trail. Motivation for another Fire Creature perhaps?

Also, the Dragon Gown.
Still somehow the dummies might be thin in the waist, but are too busty for it! I still can't get it zipped right up! It worked on my dummy, because I draped it right on the dummy. ??😕
So, this time I have folded in the zip at the top.

It works quite well and since I pinned the edges of the sip with brown-headed pins, the result looks as if it were meant. Well, sort of.

I will have to get a photo of the Heat and the Flame dress because I put a net petticoat underneath. It looks really good with the skirt standing out to show the embellishment.

and so the Net

I have mentioned the net a few times this week. The reason I wanted it was to pin my small pieces to, so it would be easier to hang them for my exhibition.
The idea being that it would blend against the wall.

It took some effort on my table to lay them out in a decent order, but I got them done just a short time after the boiler men left this morning from their finishings off.

Mr Thoughtful came with me to do the climbing. When we got to Lady Sew and Sew, the ladies had a different idea. Rather than hanging them in the front entry room, they wanted them hung within the shop floor so more people would look at them and so they could talk with visitors about the work. It took me a while to see how that could work, having prepared for the original plan. But we soon worked out a system.

So, here are the pieces hung on the net.

Dragons

Tudors

A few pieces I didn't want to leave out.

So, it wasn't what I had in mind, but it works ok. Because you can see through the net, you can pretend it isn't there easier. There is a lot going on behind it, but you can stand close to look at detail.

And then we hung some other work as well. These are just quick photos. All these are hung from dowels which are hung from metal beams.
You can see the backs of work, but there is enough space between the beams that it isn't reading as a surround, which can happen if you hang different sized work back to back.

Captured Butterflies  (not as dark in real life!) next to Dragons

Some of my work with unusual materials included.

Cloud Puppy

Rainforest Dragon and D is for Dragon

in the centre area at one end will be the table with Lady Sew-Forth and leaflets about the exhibition.

And at the other end will be the dragon gown. And I have been asked to also bring the Heat and the Flame to display as well.

I will get better photos on Monday. I didn't get the labels done, and as it is Small Stories,  there has to be some reference to the stories! So, that is the job for the weekend.

Halfway Between - TVCT - 4

More of the photos of our exhibition at the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show.

As I said, I couldn't get good photos of it all, but I hope to get down to the National Needlework Archive to get good photos of the rest.

Delia Salter 'View from the Bridge'.
Deila's work at first looks like abstract marks. You read the title and suddenly you realise you are looking down into swirling water!

She says; 'From a bridge that links one side to another you are halfway between, not quite in one place or in the other. From the solidarity of a bridge to the precariousness of the water, you are halfway between the two conditions.'

Mavis Roles' work 'Seeds of Compromise' at first catches the eye with the lovely flowers. Then you begin to see what is around and you realise you are looking at No Man's Land. You think red=poppies and then you catch the clever statement Mavis makes by choosing to use an Honesty Plant instead.

Very thought provoking.

Sheila Dunscombe - 'Mediaeval Grids' inspired by mediaeval paving tiles and the backward text found on some because they were cut by illiterate workers who didn't know which way letters faced.

Several of the rest are linked to thoughts of the times between night and day.

Frances Self - 'Dusk, Darkness and Dawn' An interesting triptych.
Frances says; 'This piece was inspired by images and experiences dealing with a long stay in hospital with a critical illness. Dusk is the uncertainty of diagnosis. Darkness represents an endless stay in ICU. Dawn is the realisation of a future.'

She shared with us that at times, the view of a tree from her window was the only thing to give her hope. You can't tell from this photo, but the centre black portion has the main part of the tree quilted into it. You can see the branches spreading to either side.

Kate Findlay -'Pink Dawn' - inspired by thoughts about Dawn and Dusk, those rather mysterious states in between day and night. As I mentioned before, this piece has fibre optics included.

Kate says; 'Adding lines of light, which change colour slowly, gives a wonderful atmospheric effect in a room with low-level lighting, and it is very soothing to watch.'

Vivian Grant's work was a similar theme. 'Dawn', inspired by thoughts of a night going through the transitional stages towards daylight, with dawn coming
halfway between night and the expectation of what the day will bring.

While Gill Knight's - 'Sunset into Night', inspired by images from contemporary art from the Middle East, focusses on the other end of the day.

Also on one of the outside walls -
The large piece is one of Kate Findlay's pieces from her Hadron Collider series.

We had thought we would have a much smaller space and that another stand would be joined onto ours. So, when we found we had the outside back wall to fill as well, we called on Kate!
But the space was just right for hanging Ruth Archer's piece 'Between the Two Moons' with Kate's. The two 'spoke to each other' in a visual and thematic sense.

And finally, you may recognise the Cloud Puppy. I actually made him for this Halfway Between Challenge, but when our deadline was postponed, I took the opportunity to submit it to Festival of Quilts last year.

This is the statement I included. 'My piece is halfway between imagination and reality. Inspired by an Oriental creature. To me he looked like a puppy made
of clouds. I thought he would be great depicted playing in the wispy atmosphere of an imaginary planet. This is one of my series of ‘Fire Creatures’, making imaginary beings reality.

To see all the works in person, visit the National Needlework Archive in Newbury (Greenham Common). They are on exhibition from 19th March – 30th April. Check the website for opening times. I think it is only open on weekdays, with the only Saturday opening being the 5th April.

These posts about Halfway Between have been added to Off the Wall Friday at Nina-Marie's. If you have come from there, continue to scroll down and see more of the work in our exhibition.

York - Map no.6 finished and a brag

Binding sewn down on the York Map.

My Mother-in-Law lives in York. So I have enjoyed 26 years of being able to go and wander the streets. So full of history that you could almost touch the atmosphere.

Someone like me walked here 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 500, 1000 and even 2000 and beyond. Amazing.

Map no.7 should be done by the end of today.

*********
Something to brag about.
Luana Rubin and Bonnie McCaffrey included my 'Cloud Puppy' in one of their videos about the Festival of Quilts! This particular video is looking at unique things happening with Art Quilts. So that is cool! You can listen right from the start, or move along to where mine starts around 2:06. Luana talks about the piece above mine first, but it is worth listening to, because the inspiration for it is also Dragons. If you haven't been following, the 'Cloud Puppy' is my attempt to go large with my series of Dragons and Fire Creatures.

Cloud Puppy at FOQ

Here is a photo of the Cloud Puppy at the Festival of Quilts. It got pretty good comments.

Cloud Puppy Finished!

Okay, he is hanging by skirt hooks. But I don't have time to get a photo with a proper background at the moment. but he is done.
And actually the colours are spot on. I hope he catches a lot of eyes at the Festival of Quilts.

Can you imagine him playing around in the dawn on some outerworld?
And I am already working on the last piece. Not as complicated!

Booking the courier for Thursday as they need to arrive by Friday. Yes cutting it way too close.
I never seem to factor in time for those frozen into indecision moments that make things take longer.

I am linking this post to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday.

Cloud Puppy has his binding!

He just needs a hanging sleeve. Photos tomorrow.


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Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their son! May all be in very good health.

Cloud puppy blocking

I got most of the Cloud Puppy stitched on yesterday. Then last night the thread kept breaking. So I left it to today and it worked fine. Must have been too hot.

I don't normally block quilts, but I decided to have a go with this one because the bottom had intense stitching and the top didn't.

I was able to get them both about the same size doing this. Then I trimmed it up. We have people around tomorrow, but I might get the binding done in the evening.

Cloud Puppy - progress

The sky part of the background was a whole lot easier. so that is done.

and the moon/ball thing is attached and edged with an uneven satin stitch I selected from the programmed stitches on my machine.

The colour of this photo is much more bluey purple than it actually is. The real colour is a reddish purple.

The Cloud Puppy has been attached and I will edge stitch him tomorrow.
I think I might actually manage to get this sorted in plenty of time.

Thinking about the binding...

Checking in - Cloud Puppy

The lower portion of the Cloud Puppy (ground, but it isn't really) has been quilted. I have never had such a difficult fabric to stitch. I thought it was the needle and all sorts, but on sections near the top fabric it was like butter when the pattern went onto the top.

 

Background fabrics photo from last week.

The difficult fabric is the bottom one.

I have even put baking parchment over the machine arm and the extension table. With the fabric being difficult to sew, it was doubly difficult to move the quilt around. More friction due to the heat? Anyway, that helped with the free motion part anyway.

I had been wondering why the thread was shredding. When I compared the needle to a fresh one, because I couldn't believe it could be dull, I discovered the tip was worn right down. I usually go a lot longer than that. But in one day I have already gone through 2 needles! Perhaps it was because it was a quilting needle? usually I use embroidery needles but only have 90/14 of those and metallic needles. But this fabric was like punching holes with that size! So, I used a 75/11 Quilting needle from a mixed pack I got with this machine.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll do the top part. I am looking forward to it after this fabric. The fabric itself feels nice. a bit smooth on the top, but not glazed. Glad it is done! but the actual quilting is not exactly my best standard with all that.

Cloud Puppy stitching

I got the stitching done on the actual puppy and on his ball... Or it might be a moon? Anyway, I discovered there was a dragon in it.

So I teased him out a bit.

Tomorrow I shall work on getting the wispy bits attached in the background.

Cloud puppy ready to stitch

As I said the other day, I am back ready to work to get the Cloud Puppy finished.

A couple steps in the process...

and further changes...

After many design ideas and auditioning of ideas, here is the final layout before stitch.

Now to stitch the Cloud Puppy himself first.

This post is linked to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday.

cutting areas

A new friend came round yesterday asking for advice about cutting mats. I have a large one on my cutting table, and then smaller ones in different places.

Because she was coming, I decided I had better do a bit of clearing round and about. Also I needed a bigger clear spot because I am back to working on the Cloud Puppy again.

So, I sorted things on the smaller table, and then realised I could put my A2 size cutting mat on there to show her. I was going to let her borrow it, so I though she might like to have a go.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I reassured her about the one she bought and this one stayed. I started working on the Cloud Puppy and realise the position of this smaller mat was just right!

You may notice the Cloud Puppy's background has changed.

Normally the large one is covered by the piece I am working on and auditioning things for composition and placement. If I need to cut something, I have to shift things to get a little area of the big one to cut on. But with this one here, I can carry on with the auditioning bit but also actually have a place to cut on!

now, what to do with the pile at the other end of the big table. It has scraps from what I have been working on. and so I know just where to look if I need just a bit more of something.

Cloud Puppy - Fire Creature

For now the working title of this piece is Cloud Puppy.

I don't have a real reason other than that is what I thought when I saw it as a line drawing. My Resident Artistic Critique-er (what do you call one who gives a critique? anyway, my son) said it must be the clouds at dawn if it were that colour, so I think it probably is. I will have to wait and see why there is a Cloud Puppy playing around in the dawn. I am sure he is up to something interesting. Most of the stories for these critters come while I am stitching.

But at any rate, the parts of the puzzle are complete and now it is up on the wall having a think before I start stitching. I am thinking of having some of those Asian clouds or arcs built up in the foreground. But not sure if they will be done in fabric or with variagated thread of the colours in the Cloud Puppy. I think he will also be breathing fire or smoke or something, but I am not sure yet.

I haven't connected the hind quarters to the torso or the head to the torso yet, I think I will do the stitching on individual parts first. I think I will mount those parts onto felt - I have some dark green - and then stitch. It helps it with not looking so flat. I have done it before with quilt wadding, but then you have the horrible white line to deal with. So, the felt should help deal with that. The background will be quilted like a quilt and then fire creature mounted onto that and stitched round.

I am linking to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday.

While this piece is having a think, I am trying to catch up on the Maps - which I was meant to do one a month!

fire creature 2/3 done

I am making progress on the fire creature. I have a working name, but will wait to see if it still fits at the end.

I haven't joined the torso and hind quarters, just overlapped for now. The large-ish pink piece on the body and the one on the hindquarters will need some extra stitchwork.

Interestingly enough, most of this has been cut from one piece of fabric! And I haven't even used half of it! The darker purple was from a small fused scrap I dug out of the bag for fabric beads. I wanted to use it in the areas which I thought would be more in shadow.

Most of the mess of paper has been cropped out of the picture. I think if I do things this way again, I will have a receptacle for the paper bits. At the start, I sometimes had to rummage for some bit I needed to check, so I was reluctant to put them straight in the bin.

At one point I thought this looks like something someone else would make. But I am starting to take control again, so it is becoming less of a paint by numbers and more intuitive.

work in progress

I mentioned last week that I was attempting a larger version of one of my fire creatures. Actually, I didn't say it was a fire creature, I just left you to guess. I am using the template version from a cartoon. (Using the term Cartoon defined as "a preparatory drawing for a piece of art".)

This was the background of the creature onto which I am putting colours. (reversed with the fused side up because the freezer paper is on the other side.) The mottled green will act as the lines in a line drawing. Or at least I hope it will.

I don't normally work this way and I am finding it Very tedious. It is very like a jigsaw, but a jigsaw that you have to choose and cut your own pieces and see if they work.

At any rate, I have finished the torso. When the whole piece is done, I will work into it with stitch.

This is stuck to the backing parchment at present, but pinned to the yellow background. The white section on the upper right is where the head will be fused when it has been 'coloured in'.

Now you can see why putting waistbands and hemming skirts is more attractive! I find myself standing to do this which means my legs go numb and I am finding parts of my back are going numb, too. What we do for our art...

I think I though that I have gained a bit of confidence that I can work my normal way in a larger scale. Most of the other fire creatures were journal size or smaller. But the tedium of this is making me itch to just get on with finding one in the fabric and carving it out (so to speak).

I still think it will be beautiful though! Even though at present (due to the colour choice) it rather looks like a lobsterish creature.

I am linking this to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday.

current project

I had to go to town today, so here is a glimpse of the design wall...getting an idea of how it goes together.

The colours I showed yesterday will be placed onto the mottled green fabric. So the green will act as the outline and shadow.

Should give you a big clue where I am heading here!

He will face the other direction as the fused side is up in the photo. There are some other green/shadow bits to do for under the tummy.

Thoughts on things - Comments please?

I have made a few tweaks here and there with colour and added and took away a few more squiggles. I was priviledges to have a bit of encouragement from A Certain Young Man (who was a bit more open to communication today because things are starting to look like he might get a job). He has always had a good eye for colour even when he was small. Something I would be leaning towards, but hadn't worked up the confidence to choose. Or something I was pretty sure wasn't the answer, but was still dithering on tossing. He could see straight away. a simple yes. a simple no. and you knew in your gut (or whereever those feeling live) that he was right.

This time he helped me refine the colour choices and asked questions which helped me vocalise what I meant to do. Thanks!

Same fabrics as yesterday with a few variations in the colour

So I feel like I can proceed with confidence and not keep second guessing myself.

****
Which leads me to talk about something else that has been on my mind.

When we were brainstorming ideas for what might fit into the ambiguous theme of "Halfway Between", I was in the group who decided they were comfortable with using words to develop concepts. Someone came up with a word which really connected with me. I realised I already have a series, way of working that would be perfect and go really well with that concept, so I said (quite excitedly) something to that effect. Another lady said something along the lines of: 'You can't do that. You have done enough of those.'

I was rather deflated. I had actually finally got good enough at the small pieces to feel I could actually do a large one. In effect, the previous ones were studies for something I had been wanting to do for absolute ages. Rather than having overdone the subject, I felt I had only just begun to touch it.

So, this has been weighing heavily on me. I respect the lady's opinion, who seems to be someone who is experienced. 'Seems to be' because I really don't know what she is actually known for and I have only ever really seen one of her pieces. It was Contemporary, but leaning heavily on Traditional. Which basically, I don't do. I never had that personal quilting background or the actual inclination.

It has taken me a while to reflate. (Is that a word?) The alternate view seems to be around every corner, but it took me a while to realise it. SAQA Journal and various other wise textile artists (like Elizabeth Barton) frequently stress the need to work in a series. Develop your voice, etc. So really, I have so much more of this topic to explore it would quench a lot of my creativity to stop where I am. If I am known (or to be known) for those works, what difference is it to the stripes and chunks of plain fabrics of Nancy Crow and her groupies? The small bits sewn in a grid and thin inserted strips of Kathy Loomis? What difference compared to the mark making of Pauline Burbidge? the intense quilting of Sandie Lush or of Ferret. You see it, you know it is their work, and you consider the difference between this one and the previous one.

So, as I said, I think all that has gone before has only been my explorations and now I am ready to do the real thing...things. and so I am! and I am very excited about it! I haven't totally tossed the comment. I did consider it, and am trying to find a way of using it to help me produce work other people wouldn't. To make something in a genre others may have touched, but none have got to this point in touching the subject.
I think I can do it!

Okay... when it comes to it, I don't have to please this lady. She may not even remember she said it. and I may have a crisis of confidence when it is revealed, but this will be from deep inside of me, and I think it will bring joy to a lot of people because it will bring joy to me. and I won't have to try to produce a work that I don't feel I have done enough towards development.

So, any comments? You may have guessed the theme/genre from what I have shown here on the blog. But I think this topic is worth discussing without it being specifically about my subject matter.
How do you deal with comments from people who seem to think you ought to have a different vision/direction? or that you over done something?

Off to do something exciting with my own twist of imagination. ;-p

teaser

on the design wall

Feeling productive today...started initial plans for a new project. Probably for the Stretching Art entry, but I have been developing other ideas which will be along the same theme and should work for the TVCT 'Halfway Between' challenge.

The fabric has been up for a while, but today I made real progress on the design work. I am about ready to start chopping fabric! I did have a lengthy ordeal with PaintShopPro trying to work out how to print something large on several pages so I could stick them together. I did do it, but couldn't work out how to ask it the easy way to do it, so it took a lot of fuss.

I will leave you to guess from the colours what it could possibly be! Finally going big or at least bigger than I normally work.

Small clues coming through the week. I think I want to work on it pretty steadily without a lot of discussion til it is nearly ready. Will take photos!