Spotlight on Dianne

The WA branch of The Room continues to grow... and the talent they have is amazing.  Here is an introduction to the work of Dianne Betts, an experiences and talented quilter whose work always makes you look twice...

The second member of AROOOWA branch is Dianne.  She has been quilting now for 17 ½ (or so) years.  She is also the mother of the other AROOOWA branch member.  While the crafting gene has been passed down to her daughter, Dianne’s love is quilting!  She has made a lot of quilts!! Some are made exactly as the patterns and materials come, while others the colours maybe changed or even the patterns slightly altered.

Many have been kept, but more have been made as special gifts for friends and family.  Until recently Dianne lived in Warracknabeal, Victoria and her Materials, Patterns and Block Of the Months (B.O.M) are from Quilters Harvest also in Warracknabeal.  Some of Dianne’s past crafting creative loves have been knitting, smocking and clothes making.

Jimmys Quilts – Jimmy’s Quilt is for one of Dianne’s newest great nephews.  It is a mixed bag of squares.  Some square patterns that have been used before, and some, like the truck and tractor are newly made up.

This Goes with That by Sue Daly (W.I.P.)

This Goes with That’ is a pattern designed to use up left over scraps.  It is a great quilt where the quilter can stretch their imagination in designing the blocks and colour mixing.  These are just a few of the pieces yet to be attached (a W.I.P – Work In  Progress).

Creators Garden

Sunny Days Leanne Beasley – This quilt is used on the single bed in one of the bedrooms.

Sampler Of Love and Life-Rickety Stiches – This quilt (done in 2006) is used on Dianne’s bed.

Just to show that Dianne’s quilts aren’t hidden away, or are only to look at, here is one quilting piece that sits on the drawers next to Dianne’s seat containing all her sewing/appliqué/quilting bits and bobs that she does in the evening’s in front of the t.v.  Thankfully the grandkids know not to touch these things anymore! The quilt is North, South, East and West.

(** A Quilters Harvest sells more than just material.  They also sell scrapbooking/card supplies, gifts and other odds and ends.  It is a wonderful shop to visit for anyone in the area. I also used to by scrap/card supplies there anytime I visited Warracknabeal and cart them back to Perth – Jodi)

(We have done our best to recognise all the quilt designers and patterns, but as Dianne quilts so many quilts, the names and designers of older pieces are sometimes forgotten or mislaid)

How Far we Have Come

Almost two years ago five of us decided to start "The Room".  There was myself, Jenny, Candece, Ros and Tennille.... and during that time we have gone from this....

Our original Room at St Mary's.  The space was fabulous but there were a few incidentals like no power, no running water (except for the deluge that came through the roof when it rained)

to this....

Open Day at our new premises

And premises aside, we have grown from the original five to a regular Friday night crowd of 10; we are now open two days; to say nothing of a regular  readership in cyberspace (Thank you!)

Last night though, it happened that there was just the original Five at The Room and it occurred to me how far we have come....

It was a late night and it was a good night.  There is an easy friendship amongst us that as grown alongside this shared passion.  These women are my "Village".  I don't have family living near me and these girls provide support and joy to my life on a daily basis.  They are the ones who pick up the pieces when I am stretched too far; they are the ones who put the kettle on and listen whilst our combined tribes of children create chaos around us; they share my laughter, my tears, my frustrations and downright confusion of the stuff life throws at us; they bring perspective and inspire my creativity and I am grateful every day for them....

If life is a journey, then I can think of no better companions with which to travel with...

Candece finished a quilt top for her niece, Lily.  This is a girl who had never touched a sewing machine before the Room, and look at what she is creating....

Candece's quilt for Lily

Can also brought along her finished button-purse and it is so cute! Perfect for adding to a key chain with some emergency coins in it...

Button purse - it is about the size of a 20 cent piece!

Ros is another one who only came to sewing through The Room and she has now almost completed her third quilt.  This one is for her daughter, Edie, who turns three in 3 weeks....

Edie's Quilt

Ros is stipple quilting the white and it really accentuates the pattern....

Close up of quilting

Jen's rug continues to slowly grow... Jen's patience is legendary and this rug is going to be absolutely gorgeous once it is finished.

Tennille has been playing with charm squares and I see the beginnings of another beautiful quilt emerging....

The vibrant colours highlight the pattern beautifully!

Yours Truly finished the Quilt Top of my experimentation with old tablecloths and I was quite pleased with the result....

"Summer Tea-party" (just experimenting with names now)

The picture is not that great as we were running out of room to lay out our quilts last night.... Definitely decided that a Design Wall is next on our agenda!

Have a fantastic weekend.
xxxx

A Visitor and lots of talking....

Life sometimes has a way of impeding on everything... even The Room....

Does life get busier or does it seem that way?  Last night at the Room we were there, and quietly plodding away on our various projects but the actual making dissolved into chatting, and sometimes that is exactly what is needed....

We had a surprise guest from Western Australia....

Jodi moved from Donald a few years ago and she and her family came back for a surprise visit during the week.  Jodi makes cards and we call her the President of our Western Australian branch... she is definitely with us in spirit!

Can was making the cutest, smallest coin purse ever!  It was made from fabric covered buttons joined with a zip. I will hopefully have completed photos for you next week.

Robyn showed us a beautiful baby blanket she has been working on....

and Tennille began experimenting with blocks for her next project....

Yours Truly began fiddling with the piles of blocks I have constructed out of fabric and old tablecloths...

And during the week, Ros' Kaffe Fassett quilt was completed and found it's was to its final resting place - on Ros' bed... Da Daaa.....

What an extraordinary effort for a first Quilt!! Well done, Ros!

Have a great weekend.
xxxx

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.

Morel Quilts and Monsters

Welcome back after a break for the school holidays! I hope yours was safe and relaxing and creatively inspired!
Mine was... I went to Melbourne and stayed with my sister for a few days. Catherine is a quilter and her work is stunning! While I was there she was putting together her "Morel Quilt". Have a look....

Catherine's choice of colour, contrast and texture is just beautiful... Every time I see what she is working on I am in awe of her skills. Her fussy cutting techniques are inspirational... AND most of these blocks are done by hand.... sigh....

I am hoping she will come and do a class for us one day because I learn something from her just looking at her works of art... and the more I learn about quilting, the more I realised it is truly an Art...

Less of a work of Art and more a playmat for grubby little boys is the quilt I completed while camping in Hattah. I had some help with the trimming...

but finally the binding was on and the quilt was ready to roadtest wash-ability and play-ability in the black Hattah sand....

It passed!
We were back at The Room last night and projects continue to evolve and grow. Check out Jenny's gorgeous rag-rug...

and Dot's binding on her zig-zag quilt....

Andrew finished his Monster...

Andrew is almost legally blind. He was explaining to me last night that he uses contrasting threads in his work because that is the only way he can see what he is doing... What a fantastic creation this monster is!

Yours Truly finished the blocks for a special boy's 6th birthday quilt...

but Tennille's quilt stole the show last night...

Tennille has been making her 3rd quilt for her friend's 16th birthday. Her friend has leukemia and the work, love and care that has gone in to this quilt is amazing.
This is the finished quilt top...

and Tennille is now doing some beautiful quilting that is just bringing the whole quilt to life...

She is using alternating black, yellow and red threads in her quilting to honour her friend's Aboriginal heritage....

This quilt is truly beautiful from its conception to every step of its making...
Have a great week.
xxx