Wrapping your Gifts

I am certain you have spent some time sorting out your fabric stash during your COVID lockdowns.

I hope you didn't throw anything out! You can up-cycle the pieces of fabric you think you won't use in a quilt.

Here is one idea as a wrapping material for a square gift. I used some quilter's cotton but you can use a silk/polyester scarf you never wear! A thin-weight fabric makes better knots. How about a new tea towel? Just fold it up to create a square and proceed.

Start by placing your fabric square, good side facing your table, with points facing North, South, East and West and your box in the centre.

Pick up the East and West points of your fabric and make a double knot. 

Try to keep the "petals" pointing out to the East and West.

Then pick up the North and South fabric points and make a double knot over the other knot leaving the "petals" pointing to the North and South

Doesn't that look great? 

The technique is called Furoshiki. For more ideas check out this link. I've used this to wrap (rectangular) books as well. Looks great

I got these ideas from the Textile Museum's Sustainability Workshops they ran over the last month. They made me remember my work trips to Japan in 1982 and 1984 when I saw Japanese women with their purchases wrapped up so nicely! 

Presents

Do you need any ideas for gifts this season? 

How about a pillow case? It folds up flat, weighs practically nothing making it perfect for mailing. AND it is perfect for any age!!

I've made lots over the years. You can see how it is done by clicking here. Easy for any skill level.

A tip: Use really good quality cotton fabric as this is an item that gets washed lots. I use quilter's cotton from reputable quilt stores.

Another tip: For your first one best stick to non-directional fabric. 

I've made this one for one of my kids...kids! He's in his 30's! Well, technically he is still my kid ;-)

It is to remind him his family members that live all around the world are thinking of him.

Great fabric! Post cards, stamps, fabric with words on it and that perfect highlight band- the air mail stripes.

Try one out!

Press Conference this Morning

The 5th edition of Verona Tessile is on its way!

My quilt is the third one in from the left, f
olded under the person bent over...can't see it very well...

Today, a group of us were at the municipal building for the press conference. I have to say how amazing we are!! The association has 120 members. Everyone did something to help organize. A real team effort.

Here I am! 2nd row, second from the left, wearing sunglasses!!

There will surely be an article in tomorrow's paper.

Preparing before the press conference.
Verona flag in the background.

This evening there will be TV coverage. Rai 3.

A particular of the quilt  that hangs in the municipal building
made
by the members of Ad Maiora.
The design comes from the wrought iron work
of the Scaligere family

For the full schedule of the 4-day Verona Tessile festival, click here.

European Flag and the Verona Flag, a part of the municipal building and the
Venetian walls in the background.

I am very excited that Tuesday the group from Canada, England and Germany start arriving!

Printing Workshop

I took a workshop at ColourVie with Gunnel Hag; Deconstructed Screen Printing.

It was a silkscreen printing workshop using textured items to make designs. Loved it! It is exactly what I focus on when doing my art- repurposing items like plastic and using things that are destined for landfill.

One part of the technique that is important is keeping the fabric wet and moist after it has been printed. Heat is needed to set the dyes...which of course proved difficult for me as today is Day 9 of NO HEAT in the house...a reminder for people: I live in Canada and winters are cold! (anyway they are installing a new boiler today so I will be ok this evening)

I wrapped the printed fabrics in plastic and tried to keep them warm tucked into a pile of quilts.

I will have to give you a report later on after I heat the fabrics and rinse them. It could be that I lose all the colour and nothing sets!

I really hope I won't lose all my work.

The packets are wrapped in plastic, then in a cloth bag
then tucked into the middle of a pile of quilts while I wait for the radiators to get hot.

Baby Quilt

You wouldn't think this small quilt has 52 different fabrics in it.

baby quilt measures 30" x 42"

It is a simple, 9-patch construction, the centre square is the background fabric, here it is the colour Snow from Kona.......

and the alternate blocks are the opposite; the centre square being a fussy cut fabric- for storytelling!

The back fabric is shown below. The binding fabric is striped. I like putting stripes and florals together.

When I visit a quilt store I always look for a striped fabric to add to my stash, usually diagonal stripes which are difficult to find, and purchase a 1/2 m.  I use those for my bindings.

For this quilt, I bought the back fabric only. Everything else was selected from my stash.

My stash is primarily made up of leftover bits from other projects. Once in a while I purchase a fabric for something and realize when I get home that it won't work. That piece then gets put in the stash.

There were some leftover bits from the back fabric in this project. You know, the pieces you cut off after quilting when you square up the finished quilt.

This baby quilt is a gift for a new baby. I started quilting it by machine and decided it needed to be hand quilted.

Hope Lily likes it.

Fabric Markets

The fabric markets I've seen in the past ten days have all been colourful!

Ribbons in Hong Kong

When there is so much choice I often can't buy!

Fabric Market in Ho Chi Minh City

Overwhelming.

Beads at the fabric market in Kowloon.

A fabric stall in Kowloon.

Studio Visit in Umbria

While in Umbria I visited my friend, Virginia Ryan,  in her art studio.

Acrylic paintings by Virginia Ryan fill the studio space.
Exhibit SHIFT, 2013

She is an established multidisciplinary artist. She is also a mother and an author.

She has lived for many years in West Africa and that influence is evident in her art work. Please read on her website "White is a Color" by scrolling 1/5th of the way down.

detail, Les Femmes de Gagne A'la' Rue du Commerce/4
160cm x 180cm
2013
acrylic on canvas

Eight years ago, I saw her multi-entry exhibit at the GCAM (galleria civica d'arte moderna palazzo collicola) in Spoleto. Photography, paintings, collage, sculpture, video and voice.

On this visit, I was particularly interested in her fabric-related work from her SHIFT installation.

fabric dresses as inspiration

She is such a wonderful person full of life and full of great ideas AND a great hostess! I find her inspirational to me as a person and as an artist.

Catalogue cover for SHIFT 

She will be giving us a tour of her studio and a presentation about her work on the Umbria Textile Trip I am organizing for August 2016.

A New Year

The kids have returned to their homes, the house is quiet again. There are still signs around the house of our festivities, like a dining-room table full of dirty crystal glasses waiting to be washed by hand and a fridge full of amazing leftovers, or as I like to call them "highlights of the week".

cluttered design wall!
I have contemporary work up
as well as the traditional 9-patch blocks
for a quilt I am working on.
I should really only have ONE thing up there at a time.

I have decided to redo my studio. A good project to start with. I am no longer inspired when I enter the space. Sometimes I don't even want to go in the room! So it's time.

Where to begin... The important thing is to start, to actually begin.

folded fabrics everywhere!

I am a list maker. I take a job or a goal and break it down into manageable bits. I feel good when I accomplish a task that takes me closer to my goal. The task is sometimes a very small step but nonetheless something that takes me closer to the end.

I will keep my cigar boxes
filled with embroidery floss and threads.

 A make over. The new year is a good time to make such a change.

prize ribbon
for a contemporary work I did in 2009.
I will keep that visible!

May your 2015 be filled with inspiring changes.

Happy New Year.

Liberty Fabric

A friend visited Toronto recently and brought me these lovely Liberty fabrics.

Bought at the beautiful Tudor Liberty Store in London, England.

She purchased them at the Liberty store in London, England- one of her favorite spots.

Beautiful colours and patterns.

What a nice friend!

Wrapped and Unwrapped

I noticed lots of tree wrapping while I drove from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The locals told me they do that to attract attention to a neighbourhood or a fare or a shopping area.

Some of the wraps were knitted.

I noticed tree "unwrapping" in Kruger National Park.

The elephants pull off the bark and eat the sap.

photo by friend Rich Prangley

One of the elephants I saw
(acknowledging us with his fanned-out ears)
on one of the
many game drives I went on.

Driving to Kruger National Park

Table cloths for sale along the road side.

La Petite Échelle

In Tours, there is a lovely quilt shop, La Petite Échelle, owned by Christiane Memain.

Medieval houses in Tours, France.

We have been communicating by email for several years...maybe 6!

Standing in front of the quilt store, La Petite Échelle.

Whenever I am in Tours her shop is closed. But on this trip, I got to meet her, finally!

A warm welcome from Christiane.

 She had time to show me some of her quilts.

Her scrap quilt made using basically two colours,
brown and blue. She brought in many different
browns and blues, some that you may not
 normally put together,
 but that added interest to the quilt. 

An interesting way to design a corner.
Notice the inside border and the outside one.

She added a "directional" image
to help her remember which way is UP.
 Smart!

While we were there, a jewellery designer walked in to purchase some fabric which she incorporates in her pieces.

Christiane's shop is lovely. I miss touching fabric since I have been away from my studio for some time so today was a real treat for me!

Place Plumereau in Vieux Tours

Her shop is close to Place Plumereau. If you are ever in Tours - about 1 hour south of Paris with the TGV (fast train), I hope you stop in and visit her.