AWOL again and Donations

Hi everyone,
I'm so sorry I've not posted in a whole month. So if anyone is still reading this ... thankyou.
I am going to make a real effort to post at least once a week from now on.

So let me tell you what I am up to;
I have been making a quilt for my daughter, a TARDIS quilt. It's on my quilting frame at the moment, but I will take a photo of it when it's finished.
I finished a quilt for Aussie Hero Quilts

The embroidery on the yellow was done by another lady called Kerry. Those are my son's feet sticking out the bottom :)

We have been evacuated a few times because of the fires (we live in Winmalee). But our house is fine. A few good friends of ours lost their houses so I will be making some quilts for the families. Anna (my daughter) and I have already started one for her friend who lost everything (after just coming home from a major operation).

Anyone who would like to donate a quilt for families who lost their houses in the fires can contact me by email and I will make sure it is hand delivered to them.

November is National Novel writing month which I am participating in this year (the first time since 2009). But I also have some commissions due, so I will be very busy!

I'll write again soon

jennidee

Christmas is just around the corner! And it's challenge time!

And the next Patchwork and stitching issue with my angel doll in it is all Christmas themes;

You can just see my little angel next to the Christmas tree on the left.

I also have a small quilt project in the issue.

 

It has Suffolk puffs (or Yo-yos) as the berries.

And this seems like a perfect time to announce my upcoming challenge!

The Suffolk Puff Challenge.

You will have to make something with Suffolk puff (yo-yos) in it and send in a photo.
There will be a prize for the best entry, the best use of puffs, and a viewers choice. I'll announce the prizes.
The item can be any size.
To enter you do need to be a follower. There is also a small entry fee ... I'd like you to send me 5 Suffolk puffs in different sizes, because I saw this amazing quilt with loads and loads of puffs all over it like flowers and I'd love you to help me make it. I'll see if I can dig up a photo of it. It's in one of my LARGE collection of magazines.

The challenge will end on the 31st of January 2014. That gives you loads of time to make something.
More info soon - but get your thinking caps on, and please spread the work!
Jennidee

Teaser

So here is a teaser of what I am working on for the Australasian quilt challenge. Remember the theme is '10'. Of course I can't show you the entire design as that might breach the conditions of entry. But I can tell you this will be one beautiful quilt if my drawings are anything to go by ... now I just hope I can pull it off!!!!

Sewing Day

I just got back from a sewing day at Folklore in Penrith for Aussie Hero Quilts.
It turned out it was an excellent decision to go.
I was talking to a very lovely lady sitting next to me (who turned out to be Terina) and we were chatting about her daughter Lucy (who was also there sewing). And Lucy had brought in her quilt Soldier On for everyone to view up close.

Imagine my surprise when I realised Lucy was Lucy Carroll whose blog I've been following and Soldier On is the amazing quilt which won best pictorial quilt at the Sydney Quilters Guild show (that I'd been drooling over at the show, and it was the reason I started following her blog). What a small world it is!

Lucy and her mum are both such nice people and her mum lives just a few streets over from we. I hope we can get together for some more quilting soon and Lucy and I can perhaps swap ideas and work on art quilts.

I'm thrilled to actually meet another art quilter. And to meet another quilter who lives so close. It was the reason I went - to meet more quilters, and boy did I hit the jackpot.

And on top of that, Jan-Maree and all the other lovely ladies who I sewed with today were so much fun to be with. I had a wonderful time and will be going back whenever I can (they meet once a month.

So ... a nice story for me today.

Jennidee

People, Place, Nation

Well, my quilt wasn't successful for the People, Place, Nation (National Quilt 2013, Australia) exhibition. But I guess that means I can show it to you now.
I called it Memory of Heroes;

 Detail

And here is what I wrote about it;

People, Place, Nation – Artist statement

One of the most significant meeting places in Canberra is the Australian War Memorial. People of all ages visit throughout the year and gather for special celebrations such as ANZAC day. Inside the memorial the most stirring place for me is the Hall of Memory.  Every time I visit there I am deeply moved. Looking up at the ceiling, the images of the angels have always stirred my blood.

My Quilt, ‘Memory of Heroes’ aims to interpret the emotions bound within this extraordinary monument. I have used the shapes of the blazing sun and the angels and created my own version of them, using softer, curved lines in many places, and patchwork and quilting to represent the mosaics. The small men at the bottom of the major angel always looked like soldiers in a gun salute to me, so I have represented them this way.

I added the legacy flames at the sides of the composition to represent the work of men and women which continues to support the enlisted and their families.

This is my first major art quilt and I have learned much in it’s creation.

 

Oh well, there is always next year, right? Thanks for reading, Jennidee