Dragons spotted

just a few dragons I saw at the Festival of Quilts.


The Kiss of Gaudi by Isabel Munoz

Fabric I didn’t quite have the money for.

White Dragon by Lena Meszaros
Took me a while to work out why it was awkwardly positioned.
Can you see what this dragon is doing?

And then finally a cow!

Mad Cow by Teresa Summerfield.

Sew Powerful helping to keep girls in education

one of the things occupying my time while at Festival of Quilts was to help at the Sew Powerful stand. This company has been involved in supporting ladies in Zambia to get their  children into school.
They taught and employed mothers to sew school uniforms. But after a time they learned that girls stay out of school when they are on their period. This means that they have lost so much schooling that they cannot pass their exams. So the project expanded to having the mothers sew reusable sanitary materials.
Soon they discovered that the families of the Ngombe slum where the project started, didn’t have soap! It was too expensive. After purchasing soaps from the market, eventually the project expanded to training more of the mothers to make soap, also being paid.
This part of Sew Powerful’s project is what impressed me the most. That mothers are being given the means to earn money that can mean the difference of their children being fed or not.
when I heard Sew Powerful  were to have a stand at the Festival of Quilts, of course I offered to help.

I met Jason and Cinnamon from Sew Powerful, Sandy Simms UK rep, and also Ginny who has been making purses with her sewing group. (I forgot to get a photo!) I gave a big pile of fabric to Ginny for a sewing day she was organising for the 3rd of  August. UK made purses can be sent to Sandy Simms.

Part of the project to keep the girls in education is to have people who quilt or sew to make cross body bags/purses. Then they are collected and with the help of World Vision are taken to Zambia to be filled with the items (including 2 pair of pants) and given to girls in their health class. The whole project has grown to include providing the kit to girls in other schools in the Lusaka area.
Last year 6,000 purses were sent. This year they hope to send at least twice that amount.

If you are interested, you can find out more on their website. 

But is it Safe? At Festival of Quilts

I was excited to see that my work in the Art category had been hung on one of the white walls, rather than the black drapes.

And even more excited to see I had a Judges Choice!

And then at the SAQA dinner, I met another member. We talked of family things. Then she asked about my work. I showed a photo of one of the Ramshackle pieces. And then discovered she was the judge who selected my quilt as her favourite!

This photo thanks to Roz Rossiter. 

Yes, and of course, I have forgotten her name! Oh, yes. It is on the email Roz sent. Jenny Hall. 

Thank you Jenny for this support. 

I like Thankful Thursday

I posted the other day that the cataract op was not Tuesday, but the very extensive testing and assessing was. So, having thought about it, although I am still seeing blurry, I am glad to know that they will be properly prepared for doing it right when it does happen.

I like things that have a bit of a funny side to them. I took this photo at the Festival of Quilts. The Quilt Police do exist!

One of the policemen at the NEC was invited to come see the Fly Me to the Moon exhibition. Susanne Jones' husband Todd had been chatting with him and got him interested in the project to commemorate the moon landings. Funny how many people immediately thought of the Quilt Police!

I recently read this book by Jenny Colgan. Somehow I thought I was looking on the shelves for crime fiction, but they had morphed into adult fiction. So, it was a lovely story and the character begins to believe in herself.


I have just read the next one, which, having become fond of the characters in the first one, does cause you to go through a little angst with them. But still, I think I like this format and will look for some of the others about a character starting up a business...especially a food business!


Speaking of baking...
 This photo shows how difficult it is to get a quick photo without being caught at it! Very blurry. Even to my eye!
As I write this, The Thoughtful Man is baking a gluten free and etc free cake! Coconut and Raspberry. Now there is a combination that should be interesting. We will have it tonight when friends come round...including one who is also trying to be gluten free.

I am trying to get back into making work. Most of the summer was too hot. Also, there was the Festival of Quilts and then trying to do things so I wasn't worrying about cataract surgery.

Presently, I have been spending time discovering things on my new phone.
I was already 'following' some artists on Instagram by saving the link on my computer and checking it like I would a blog. Now with a clever phone, I am able to follow properly and also post some of my own. My Instagram found here. I like that it is a lot quicker than downloading from my phone, then editing and sorting the size and then putting them on Blogger.

I can still do blogger by getting those photos and adding others here. I can say more here. But also, I can keep the blog a little more personal and the Instagram a little more professional. It seems there are more responses, too. Plus, I have found loads of art that interests me and I don't have to keep going back to a blog to check what I missed.
sandysnowden5 Yes, somehow I didn't catch that they added the 5. I could have done my middle initial or something. Still, SandySnowden5? at least it isn't something like sandysnowden138!

To see more likes from others, check out LeeAnna's blog.

home from FOQ

Starting to get a little back to normal after my return from Festival of Quilts. I was so weary yesterday, I needed much more rest than I expected.

One of the first galleries I visited (besides SAQA where I was working) was unFOLD: The Button Box.

I just had to take a photo of the stitches on this piece. I love the layering of stitch over stitch. Apologies, I forgot the artist.

I have a lot of other photos, but they are in my phone. Amazing how you suddenly find the phone to be easier to use to take photos! I hope to get them off and post some.

I haven't caught up on the daily bead project, but hopefully tomorrow.

I like Thankful Thursday

A few things I like!

Last week was our wedding anniversary. We went to the cinema to see Incredibles 2. I think there were about 10 people altogether watching it!

from Wikimedia

We enjoy kids films as much as anything.

The week before was my birthday as well. I have a clever phone now, so I have been busy trying to learn that. 📱

I haven't done anything too ambitious yet. But I did get the app for my favourite radio station.

As it is Thursday, I am currently at the Festival of Quilts. (I set this to post while I am there) I will find out today who the winner was in the Fine Arts Quilts Masters. (Nervous!)

 But I am very happy just to be shortlisted.
I love coming to the Festival of Quilts (Birmingham, UK) I catch up with a lot of friends I have made over the years.

I made up a pumpkin pie in my head in the early part of the week. Maple flavour!
I have been making some dietary changes in hopes they will help me not to continue to spiral down in my health. So, I made this with some of the 'good for me' ingredients the Thoughtful Man has brought home for me.

I already had the pie crust frozen, so I wanted to use that up. But I will just eat the pumpkiny bit, not the crust. I have written down what I did to make this so I can make it again! If I do, I will probably use a glass dish and bake it in a bain marie. Or something.

If you want to see more of the Likes from other people - check out LeeAnna's Blog.

I like Thankful Thursday

...Even if I ran out of time to tell you til the end of the day!

I like skirt hangers. I use them for (skirts, yes) hang a sheet onto my cupboard doors for a design wall.

or since I picked these up at Sainsburys the other day, I use them for hanging fabrics on the cupboard to see how they play together for an upcoming project.

I like that I found fabrics at Lady Sew and Sew's July sale for my upcoming project.

It took me a long while looking through bolts trying to find 4 that work and that also were within my budget. But in the end, all four were £5 a metre.

Plus that left enough money for another summer dress. Also £5 a metre! and just enough on the end of the bolt for doing a simple summer dress! Lets hope I can sew it before it stops being summer.

I like finding the sequel to a Douglass Adams book with Dirk Gently as detective. I found it at the hospital bookshop.

I enjoyed Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency when I read it some years ago. I wished there were more (I already read the Hitchhiker series ages ago.) So, then I discovered this was the sequel. i might actually re-read the first one before starting on this.

Last month when we were on holiday, I discovered I like Rooibos tea. (now called 'infusion') a nice hot drink from South Africa.

There was some in the cupboard at the bungalow. I had tasted it before, but wasn't bowled over. I tried it with honey and wow! So, I bought some for home. I have been drinking it hot or left to be cold all through this hot summer. Lovely!

and I like getting a text from my friend to say there was an article about me in the local paper!
Really?

Small and succinct, but there it is! I think it was sent out by the organisers of Festival of Quilts, which is very nice. Almost like a proper gallery taking on your publicity.

Check out more likes from the others taking part...links on LeeAnna's blog.

Thankful on Friday instead.

Lots going on right now. It might seem odd, but some days it is a bit too much to add to coping levels for the day by turning on the computer.

Anyway, I like that the new physio I have been referred to, who is meant to help me with leg pain and mobility, looks to be prepared to really help and not just want me to 'manage the pain'.

and that going to hospital means I could pick up some more books in the bookshop and going to the library means even more!

I like I have had some time to work on some clothes for me. One I cut out is an eyelet lace, which will have white underlining.

I love the thatched cottage we stayed in when we were in Dorset on holiday the other week.

Our bit is on the right. The left side is where the owner of our self-catering cottage lived.

The whole street had houses with climbing roses up and over the door.

I really liked that it was amazingly sunny and warm enough to read at any number of spots in the garden there.

and that there were signs which said I should be there.

I love that Dorset has a Dragon drinking water.

I like castle ruins and finding out the story about them.

Corfe Castle ruins

The wheels worked really well, but I didn't go up to the castle. Normally that would be one of the first things I would do. But, this time I decided to listen to reports from the Thoughtful Man and his dog.

hot and tired

This was at a cafe in a little courtyard. Every time we walked past the entrance on our way here or there, Holly decided we should go down there. Even though there was no real reward for her. We did eat there 3 days and saw the model village there on one day. We called it Holly's dinner place.

More holiday photos on another day.

Also, during these past few weeks...
 I very much like that my Fly Me to the Moon piece 'Moonlight Groovin' has been used in publicity for that gallery by the organisers of the Festival of Quilts.

and that my Ramshackle Suburbs will be part of the Fine Art Quilts Masters.

and that it is still a bit of a secret because they only used the detail photo for the publicity. People have to go to the gallery to actually see the whole of it...unless they follow my blog. But still, a little photo on a blog and standing in front of a piece nearly 2metres by 1.10 metres, two very different experiences.

Check out more likes from the others taking part...links on LeeAnna's blog.

Exciting news!

Last week I received a letter from the lovely people who run Festival of Quilts to say my entry was accepted for the Fine Arts Quilt Masters section!!!!!

This means it will be shown in a separate area from the other competition. There are 23 who have been shortlisted. On the first day of the show, at the Awards Ceremony, a winner will be announced.

In the past, names of those who have had work accepted include some of the very top European and International quilters. I am overwhelmed to join them. This year also, they will be producing a catalogue of the Artwork. So, that gives a way for visitors to take their memories (and my name!) back home with them.

It is a prestigious honour to be accepted. I was never sure I had anything good enough! But this year, the piece I entered into the 7th European Triennial was not excepted. So, I decided to enter this. You don't 'lose' if you don't get in, you just select ahead of time which category of the regular competition you want to enter instead, like Art Quilts or Pictorial or whatever, and no one need to be the wiser.

The blurb from the Festival of Quilts website says:
An international juried competition, the Fine Art Quilt Masters Gallery celebrates
the finest examples of art quilts with work that has powerful artistic expression
with abstract and figurative elements.

I asked if I had to keep it under wraps, but I was told "Shout it from the rooftops! " So, I am.

Ramshackle Suburbs
My 'Ramshackled' series explores neighbourhood. In this work, differences in housing are revealed through 'accessories' (trees and plants, building extensions, window type, etc) for each home. 

Housing choices can be personal, voluntary or due to restrictions: income, social or political. With each structure there are certain freedoms and certain limitations.

Here is a detail photo.

I thought I might try lightly striped fabric for the background this time. I really like the look. And so they must have, as well!
Also, this involved me being brave enough to make something 'large'. It is around 200cm by 110cm, (2metres by the width of the fabric.) You might remember me showing the back at different stages while I worked on it. Not the easiest to do!
Now I need to put a sleeve on it and find a box big enough.

Actually, it is slightly scary to imagine it all!

a few interesting pieces from 2017 Festival of Quilts - 6

Okay, I meant to be done on these Festival of Quilts photos, but I had another look and decided to show more.
This set contains some quilts with boxes and some optical illusions.

Little Boxes - Elizabeth Melville

Interconnected - kathleen Moore

Loved the translucent effect...

which I also saw in this piece from the Matter of Time Gallery

Sue Reid - And the Wheels Go Round

Don't Box Me In - Trudi Wood

White January - Lisbet Borggreen

Loved the used of small print for this

Box on Box on Box - JillJohnson

a few interesting pieces from 2017 Festival of Quilts - 5

Okay, I didn't manage to post this, though I had the photos ready to sort. I wanted to post it Friday.

I have been working pretty full on for some pieces which are to be in a book...which I am not to tell you about until I am allowed! So, trying to keep this going as well as keeping going on the project is not the easiest!
And after this one, I will be focusing on my entry for 7th European Triennial, which is also not to be shown until the show (if it gets in!)

But anyway...

A few more things of interest from the 3D and Wearable Art category called Quilts Creations.

Sisters by Jennie Callomon

I am not really a doll person. But I loved the use of fabrics for this pair.

This piece was truly a 'jewel' as stated in the title.
Hungarian Jewel - by the Hungarian Patchwork Guild.

The technique is Boutis and the motifs are of old ceramic tiles from the Transylvania area.
detail
This brochure from a previous exhibition shows how it looks when lit up.

This was an interesting gown...especially as it was displayed next to my piece Willows by the Watercourses with the dangling willow leaves.
Willows by the Watercourses

All Tied Up by Mary Ornish

   

and finally some different views of the brilliant Deck Chairs by the Tanglewood Textiles group.
no. 1-3

A Closer look at the second one and facing no.3

no.4+5 and a detail of no.5

a few close-ups of what was under and behind the chairs!

All of it made by this brilliant group who have won awards for humorous group quilts in the past.