Examining the Creative Journey

I am starting this blog with something a little different. One of our readers (great idea Jodie Broughton!) has requested a series of interviews with our members and their projects so this week our in depth focus is with the gorgeous Ros Olle and her amazing Kaffe Fassett quilt.

The completed quilt top before quilting.

When I asked Ros to describe her quilt, she said, "It's big!"

And indeed it is!  This quilt was Ros'  first quilt she attempted alone.  Ros' previous experience of quilting had been in The Room's making of "Eli's Quilt".  For those who don't know, Tennille's son Eli passed away from Cot Death in September 2010. Feeling helpless in the face of such tragedy, our community made a quilt in Eli's memory, with the hope that it would go a small way with wrapping Tennille and her family in warmth and love.

"Eli's Quilt"

Ros was involved in that project from beginning to end. She appliqued and quilted and bound.

Ros then decided she was ready to begin her own project and spied Kaffe Fassett's "Bounce" quilt from his "Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts" book I had borrowed from my sister.

And don't let the "Simple" in the title of the book fool you.... there is nothing simple about this quilt!  There are over 1500 small pieces to be cut and pieced; there are circles to be appliqued and it is a Queen Sized Quilt - in short, it is an ambitious project for any quilter, let alone someone attempting their first solo quilt!

When I asked Ros what made her choose such an ambitious project for her first quilt, she laughed and replied, "Because that's the sort of girl I am!"

Ros was also fascinated by how the snowball blocks of the border formed an optical illusion of circles.

The corners are cut off and the tiny triangles are added to each block to give this quilt its distinctive pattern.

Ros has used a beautiful mixture of patterned fabric in her quilt - a mixture of florals, zig-zags, plains and spots to create a quilt that is uniquely colourful and vibrant.  I asked Ros how she selected what fabrics to use and she admitted the process was purely instinctive. "I basically picked any fabric that I liked and hoped it would work out."

Ros has completed several smaller quilts between working on her Kaffe Fassett creation and says her knowledge about fabric has grown and changed during that time.  Ros says she sometimes feels the colours in this quilt clash and if she was choosing the fabrics again she would choose a bit differently.  "I am more aware now of contrast," she says.  "I knew nothing about lights and darks when I started this quilt and I think I am better at picking fabric now."

Hmmm.... maybe.... but I, for one, love the fabrics Ros has chosen in this quilt.  For me the fabrics have a joyful feel... the feeling of discovery and beginnings of passion.... the quilt reflects the starting point of Ros' creative journey.... the instinctive process when a new world opens and you grab it with both hands and possess it in a way that is uniquely yours.....

The quilting process has taken a long time.  Ros secured the blocks with in-the-ditch quilting and is now using free motion quilting to accentuate the 'circles' with a beautiful varigated thread.

When I asked Ros if there was anything else she would do differently she said she wouldn't start with such a massive quilt.  Ros has since completed less complicated quilts and loves the feeling of achievement that comes from completing a creative project.

I think Ros' first quilt is perfect!  It is ambitious and reflects the world of possibility that comes from the discovery of creativity.  It shows that anything is possible with courage, tenacity and desire.  It demonstrates a steep learning curve and a willingness to open yourself up to the realisation that you can learn and achieve anything you put your mind to. Ros' quilt reflects her journey in a way that is uniquely Ros, and I wouldn't change a thing!

So eighteen months down the creative track Ros continues to quilt and she is rounding the curve to the home stretch.... a few (relatively speaking) more blocks to quilt and then the binding to be chosen and sewn.... and I personally cannot wait to see how this beautiful quilt looks when it adorns Ros' bed to bring years of beauty and warmth!

So last night, while Ros continued to quilt, the rest of us soldiered on with various projects.....

Dorothy, having once again abandoned her hexagon project, knitted a gorgeous scarf and Robyn continued to experiment with the pieces for her checkerboard projects....

Tennille discovered bias binding and completed her mini-quilt.  The back and the front are equally beautiful so Tennille is making it into a dream-catcher for one of her children's birthday....

And Yours Truly completed the back for a very special boy's 6th birthday quilt (the fact that his birthday was last Tuesday remains a moot point!)....

Have a great week everyone and any suggestions about what you would like to see on this blog are always gratefully received!
xxxx

Beginnings and Endings

There is a sad note on which to start this blog. Tennille's friend, Bastien passed away on Thursday night. Our thoughts and prayers go to all his family and friends at this time. May they find comfort in each other.

It's hard to find the right way to continue with this blog when you start with such sad news. But we keep going, don't we? Life goes on and we continue to quilt and create and celebrate life and friends and love...

And we had a celebration last night! Dot finished binding her Zig-Zag quilt!  Da Daaahhhh......

AND Candece finished binding her first quilt, for her daughter Piper....

Have a look at Can's gorgeous quilting....

Can is a natural quilter. She is a graphic designer professionally and quilting is a natural extension of her creative nature. She is not afraid to try new techniques or experiment with different ideas...

I spent many hours over summer hand-piecing some blocks.... apparently they can also be done by machine.....

Hmmmm....

Jen continued on with her rag-rug (it is definitely getting bigger)...

Ros continued to quilt her Kaffe Fassett masterpiece....

and Robyn knitted and sewed checker pieces for her kits....

Tennille embarked on her first-ever free motion sewing project with this gorgeous mini-quilt...

and Yours Truly, having completed the top of Xave's birthday quilt yesterday morning...

began constructing the back... I just found out his birthday is on Tuesday, not 10 days away as was in my head calender, so it may be a little late...
Have a great week everyone.
xxxx

A Special Quilt

Today we had an extraordinary session of The Room.... It was to hand-sew the binding on a very special quilt.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that Tennille was making a quilt for a friend of hers who has terminal cancer. Tennille's friend, Bastien, celebrated his 16th birthday on Saturday night. On Monday night, his organs began to fail. Bastien's family and friends are now holding a 24 hour vigil by his bedside.
Tennille has been working all hours to get Bastien's quilt finished on time, hence an extraordinary session to help her with the final touches. Tennille's sister is flying to Sydney tomorrow to see Bastien, and now this beautiful quilt will be able to go with her.

And this quilt is beautiful.... It is Tennille's first fully pieced and quilted person sized quilt.  She has honoured Bastien's Aboriginal heritage in her fabric selection and in her quilting colours.... Her quilting is straight and true and the quilt lies flat...

But what makes this quilt truly special is the love that has gone into each and every stitch. This quilt won't be used over a period of years, it is made to say, "I love you. I care. I will miss you. I wish you comfort" for the time Bastien has left.

I don't know Bastien but I know Tennille. To me this quilt signifies as much about the maker as it does about the recipient. Tennille is young and she has known so much grief. Tennille lost her little boy, Eli to cot death 18 months ago...

But Tennille doesn't curl herself up in a corner and ask, "Why me?" Tennille gives a home to children who aren't hers; she organises Cot Death Awareness and dance classes for Donald's youth; she does fund-raising for Cot Death; for The Room; for Kinder.... Tennille is constantly thinking of ways to make life better for other people.  Tennille told me once that she felt blessed because she was able to have that time with Eli; she focusses on what she was given instead of what she has lost. Tennille has so much compassion for the suffering and losses of others, and bears her own with a grace that is extraordinary to be around.

I pray this quilt makes it to Sydney on time. I hope this quilt is able to provide warmth to Bastien; and that he is able to draw some comfort from the strength and love of its maker ....
Godspeed.

Happy Easter!

You will have to forgive the brevity of this post but in 3 hours we are going camping and I have so much to pack it is ridiculous! We are heading to Hattah with Jen, Can and Ros and their families and while we always have a wonderful time, gee camping is a lot of work! It seems to take a day to get ready and a week to unpack when we get home... I am still not 100% from this flu so at this point a holiday in a nice bed with room service seems slightly more appealing...
However, my lack of motivation may also have something to do with tiredness... We had an alternative night at the Room last night because we will be away on Friday... Cancel? Not likely! And while I had good intentions it would be an early one, somehow time slipped away and it was midnight...

Besides we had to announce the winner of the "Guess how many eggs" Competition that we had running at the local Op Shop...

And the winner is....

Congratulations Chris Sellick with the closest guess of 86... (The correct number was 87)

The Room was a bevy of industry last night as projects moved along... Dot finished putting the binding on her Zig Zag Quilt. It only needs to be hand sewn on now and it is done....

Ros finished stitching in the ditch in Edie's quilt ...

Isn't it gorgeous! She is now going to shadow quilt the darks and stipple the lights....

Ros made some beautiful coasters during the week.  These are the ones she made for Tennille...

and the ones she gave Jen are equally beautiful.  What a great idea!

Tennille began a Very Special Quilt last night. A friend of hers has been diagnosed with terminal leukemia. He is 16.

Robyn knitted (not sure what - this woman is a bevy of industry)...

And Andrew's monster is getting scarier by the week!

Our newest member, Karen is making a library bag for her son and it is beautiful! I love seeing people discover how much fun quilting is and Karen is creative and precise... I suspect she is a born quilter!...

When Can wasn't counting eggs, she was continuing to hand sew the binding onto Piper's quilt. Can's mum, Sandy was a special visitor last night....

You know, as I have been quickly typing this while constructing a "To Do" list in my head, I have been pondering camping, and why the hell do we do it... go on a 'holiday' where you have to work three times as hard just to do basics like cooking and washing....
And then my four year old woke up and came out... The first thing he asked? "No more sleeps, Mum? We go camping today?"  When I said yes, he jumped up and down, "Yaaaayyyyy!" and promptly went to wake his father with the announcement of "No more sleeps" (also translated into "No more sleep for you Dad") "WE GO CAMPING TODAY"...
And seeing that sheer joy and excitement on my son's face, suddenly camping feels like campfires, stars, torch tiggy and marshmallows... and I guess that is why we do it....
Happy Easter everyone!

Something Special

This week I had the week off work.  I lost my voice and teaching History to classes of hormone ridden teenagers without volume is just not feasible.  The doctor told me to rest... which is all well and good... but I have a three year old and a four year old...

Rest?
On Wednesdays I have two life-saving women who come to my house and look after my children while I work. My dilemma? If I am in the house, even with alternative supervising adults, my children have the uncanny ability to track me down and want to join me... ("Having a sleep, Mum? Me too!" "Reading a book? Let me turn the pages for you." "Watching a movie, Mum? Let me put on something we can both enjoy.") Even shutting the door doesn't help... one child can reach the handle and the other can move a stool to reach the handle...

This Wednesday, with no voice, instructions to rest and childcare already organised The Room came into its own....

When we first conceptualised The Room, we wanted it to be 'a space' for women. The idea was that the  space would have no set purpose but would be available and flexible to fit the needs of the women who used it.  Can and Ros meet at The Room on Thursdays for some quiet creative time, Jen uses The Room to study, and Dot sometimes goes there to quilt but Wednesday was the first time I have utilised The Room during the week...And I realised we had achieved our goal of a flexible space in spades...

My Wednesday at The Room was quiet and calm. I had a couch, a sewing machine, a tv and a stereo.  There was a kitchen if I wanted a cuppa, heat a meal or even cook something...

Or I could wander across the road for a coffee and piece of cake (Woods St Cafe on the right), or browse in the "First Look Op Shop" ( old bank building on the left - also known amongst women as the "Donald Department Store"), I could borrow a book at the Hub, the local library across the road, or even, should the mood take me, nick into the pub next door for a quick drink and a $10 lunch....

The House in which The Room is situated is shared by other groups... The National Australia Bank donated the building to Donald Friends and Neighbours when it shut its doors.  The front bank is now home to the Donald branch of the Bendigo Community Bank and the residence at the back is home to The Room, the local Art group run by the talented Jan Bird...

the Toy Library...

and the Community Garden, under the guidance of Kerri Punton, is currently transforming the backyard into a creative wonderland...

Donald Playgroup is soon to take up residence in the back shed of the garden....

So, I spent Wednesday sewing pillowcases for my children out of fabric the ever wonderful, Dot sourced for me at the Op Shop. I met my husband at the pub for a $10 lunch, I browsed in the Op Shop and bought a new top for $3 and I had New York cheesecake and a cappuccino for afternoon tea, and for a sick day, they don't come much better...

You know there are a lot of things that this small town of Donald does not have... but I am starting to appreciate what we DO have, is something quite special....

And Friday nights are always special!  Remember the skirts Can and Ros made last week for their daughters?  Well Can, appliqued a matching top to complete the gorgeous outfit this week...

And Ros, completed her quilt top for her daughter, Edie...

and resumed quilting her own quilt...

"Whatcha doing, Ros?"

Ros is quilting the blocks with a free motion swirl... only 3000 more to go!

Yours Truly has plans for making insulating curtains to keep the warmth in our lounge-room this Winter... My grand plan was a Jelly Roll of Robert Kaufman's Elementals should be enough... of course it wasn't even enough to complete one of the two curtains needed so now I need to track down another one AND some co-ordinating fabric before I can continue...

As next week is Good Friday we will be having our Friday session on Wednesday night next week... so have a great weekend and the next post should be on Thursday.
Have a great one!