Baby Steps

That is my secret. Baby steps.

My friend Piera's patchwork. She lives in Verona.
Notice there are two quilts; the one on the right has the stars in a white fabric,
the one on the left has coloured stars.
The pattern is the same though. Also to note: the pieces cut out
for the stars and tumbling blocks are
all the same shape and size.

I do everything one step at a time.

Piera started this in May...maybe June. Yap 3-4 months ago.

I don't think of how overwhelming the job or project is.

Piera is the accountant for a store
 that she and her husband own.
She has many responsibilities there and
with her family yet finds
a few minutes each day to sit outside her shop
and sew two pieces together
while she admires the view of
the Basilica San Zeno from her chair.

I just start it and put one foot in front of the other and keep going (never looking ahead to discourage myself) and all of a sudden I can say, I did it!

I sometimes join her in the late afternoon.

I just don't understand people who say to me, "I don't have time to make a quilt". Neither do I really.
But if you sew 2 pieces of fabric together and the next time you have a second you sew two more, and two more...It might take you a while but eventually you'll have accomplished it.
(Where to find those minutes? That is for another post!)

When I am in Canada she sends me pictures of that view!

Maybe what they mean to say is "I have no interest in making a quilt."

Hand Stitching Indian Style

I heard all about Dijanne Cevaal's travels to India. I am particularly interested because my husband has been working in Bangalore for the last month and I plan to join him during his contract there and perhaps travel to different areas when he is occupied with meetings and such.

One of the things she did during her residency in Pushkar was to help find use for small pieces of fabric discarded from making clothing.

She designed a patchwork-type purse using pieces of hand-spun, indigo-dyed fabric.

She hand-stitched each small geometric-shaped piece of fabric using stitching inspired by the techniques the local women use.

Aperitivo with Dijanne!

The stitching is called  Sujuni. It is different from the Kantha stitch in that there is a chain stitch used to outline figures and shapes and the straight-line running stitch is used as a filler. To read more about these two forms of Indian traditional embroidery, click here.

Padova for the Day

A few weeks ago I spent the day in Padova with a friend.

The Venetian symbol seen in many places in Padova

We had a day of ART and inspiration.

Book stores, AltreVoci

The smell of fresh lilacs greeting you was fabulous! It is a wonderful shop.

Art galleries,

Mandala...incompiuto
by Maria Rosa Migliorini
46 pieces of ceramic
85 cm in diametre

a ceramic patchwork

live music in the piazza,

Cant find his name!
He is the famous pianist
that plays in odd places in the world,
like on a gondola in Venice
or the top of a mountain.

architecture,

the back of the Duomo

frescos.

ceiling in the Battistero del Duomo
photo taken from a postcard
as there are no photographs allowed inside. 

We stopped in to admire the work of artist, Gesine Arps.

Le api e i santi dicono la stessa cosa
100 cm x 100 cm

Pittrice
120cm x 120cm

There is something about her paintings that reminded me of the work of Hundertwasser.

She had a very interesting sculpture in the midst of her paintings- all about love and peace.

The sculpture was sewn together.

There were several openings in the body of the bird. One of the openings was filled with special thoughts and wishes. I picked the following.

Un tempo è andato, l'altro non è ancora iniziato, 

ciò che conta è il presente. 

Concentrati e vivilo pienamente.

It means: A time has passed, another has not started yet. The thing that counts is the present. Concentrate on that and live it fully.

It is so fun taking a one-hour train ride and being in a new, wonderful place with a friend.

Reminiscing

I was visiting a friend for tea yesterday.

She had me over at her home.

I had forgotten how many quilts I made her! I saw 4. Some were hanging and some were on couches.

Some I made her years ago!...like at least 15!

I had such fun looking at the colours and bits of fabric on the pineapple quilt!

Quilters are often hung up on matching corners and such. Do you know I didn't even look at that...and I have a "trained" eye!

My advice to you is just SEW. Choose the colours you like and GO! It will be beautiful.

A Lesson in Hand Quilting

I am not very good at hand quilting. I am a fast person and hand work slows me! But I do love the look…so I am trying again. I never give up.

You may remember from past posts that I pieced a hexagon quilt (crib size) by hand. I started it 8 years ago as I travelled by train in Italy.

This top stayed rolled up for many months and I am now ready to "be slow" and quilt it by hand- an excellent activity to be done during the Canadian winter.

My friend Gail gave me a refresher lesson. She does not quilt using a frame. Maybe that is another reason I have not taken to the technique. I do find the frame limits my movement.

This is my back fabric choice.
I used two pieces from my stash.
It isn't something one might think of putting together
but I think it really works well. Both fabrics were
 difficult to use in a traditional quilt
so this was a perfect way to use them up.

We had a nice afternoon together sitting in her sun-filled room…sipping red wine and eating crackers and goat cheese spread. That's what quilting should be like -a "together" activity. Thanks Gail.

I Love

I recently attended a celebration of a friend's life well lived.

She was an artist. She loved dance. She loved children.

She had started a diary of things she loved. Some of those things were read at her memorial.

I have decided to start one of those books myself. I have bought it already and I will start filling it out when I am in Europe next month.

I love.

Happy Valentine's Day

India

Friday my friend Diane Shink, (AQS) certified appraiser, teacher and quilter, and I went to Pointe à Caillière in Montreal to see the exhibit Colours of India.

The photography by Suzanne Held was superb!! She captured the colours so well.

The textiles were nice but the way they were displayed.... Look at these two turbans. They are block printed. Don't you think they could have had them pressed before exhibiting them? Shameful for a museum setting.

This embroidered, quilted, cotton-canvas carpet made in the second half of the 18th century shows evidence of not being stored properly. Notice the cross fold lines.

...plus there are other folds in the border

Diane and I were not impressed.

My husband is in India right now. I hope he can find me a nice piece of fabric.

Traditional Textiles

My daughter's friend, Caroline, is in Panama right now. She sent this picture of the molas from the Guna indigenous people.

It is done using reverse applique.

More Purple Painting

Wednesday is my painting day. I paint and prepare fabric for future use. This panel is to add to the piece I am working on right now. (click here to view it)

more purple painting
 I make up a small pot of paint every time and only make enough
 to cover the piece of cotton I have in front of me.
It speaks to my concern to over consume.
The purple colour I mix up is always slightly different

My friend dropped by and life stopped for half an hour. We sat and had tea and made a fire.

Sometimes that is bliss!

Oltre il Tessuto

From August 8 to 15, 2011, artist Maria Teresa Sansotta and I were invited to exhibit our work in Gangi, Sicily. The show was entitled "Oltre il Tessuto".

entrance to Palazzo Bongiorno with our poster

The exhibit was mounted in the 18th century Palazzo Bongiorno situated in the main piazza of the town.

Attending the opening, were the mayor, alderman, many journalists as well as people from Italy.

My friend and artist, Maria Teresa Sansotta (white dress)
with prominent figures of Gangi.
In the background her famous piece, Ti Amo,
incorporating coloured condoms.

The show was held during their famous week of festivities, La Sagra della Spiga.

decorations made with wheat hang above the narrow road

There were in all 1500 visitors at our exhibit, all very interested in our art expression.

two of my pieces

two of my pieces

Maria Teresa's piece

Maria Teresa explains her piece, Don't Touch my Plume

people inspect Maria Teresa's piece as she explains

Maria Teresa's piece on the left, Oltre Mare,
my piece, Blue Depression, on the right

Maria Teresa's two pieces

hand appliqued pieces from Maria Teresa

Maria Teresa explains my inspiration for my two pieces.

 I am glad we remembered to put out a book for comments. Those are always fun to read!