Monday 22 August 2011

More From FoQ 2011

 Textile News-Freedom 'Sometimes Chains are Just Shadows' Margaret Ramsay

Over a week now since my return from Festival of Quilts - time to mull on what has stuck in my mind.
Besides my 'Tunisian Door'  quilt in the competition section , I had 2 small quilts accepted  for the International Small Quilt Challenge 'Textile News - Freedom' organised by Gudrun Heinz. This was displayed on the wall of the cafe (where CQ exhibitions have been in the past ) with quilts grouped roughly by colour. What an absorbing exhibition - so many interpretations of the theme. I introduced myself to Gudrun  - we've been in correspondence as the quilt shown above  will be featured in the Bernina calendar and she explained how all the surfaces in her house had been taken over while choosing which to display! While Ian and I were having coffee on Saturday, I got talking to Bonnie McCaffery who was filming  the show - apart from taking a picture of me and my door quilt, I introduced her to Gudrun. Watch out  for the vidcast , out beginning of September (if don't end up on the cutting room floor! )

My purchases were relatively modest (the Textile News CD was included in the entry fee for the challenge) . I bought wadding  and wrist support from the Cotton Patch, African textiles  from John Gillow, African Fabric Shop and Langa Lapu Fabrics, InkAid from Art Van Go (for printing on colour catchers) . What I was inordinately pleased with was finding another 'comfort thimble'  at Quilt Direct. I bought one years ago which I use constantly but had been unable to remember what it was called and where I'd got it from - I'll keep the packaging this time|!
In trying to give Ian the full flavour of the show in one day, I didn't spend as much time in the gallery spaces as I would have liked - I totally missed Katrina Fiensburg's space and meant to go back to see the 'borro' pieces of Padmaja Krishnan but ran out of time.
However we did spent quite a lot of time looking at 'Textiles of the Islamic World (the book is on my Xmas wish list! ) - apart from having some spectacular pieces, it reminded us of our travels in Syria, Iran and Tunisia (all well represented) . Gillian Cooper's 'Muses' looked lovely, especially with their floaty sea backgrounds - so evocative of the goddess figures in the 'Lost World of Old Europe' we saw at the Ashmolean. It was great to catch up with Barbara  Weeks and  see all her Journal Quilts displayed - made me wish I'd been more systematic in my themes.
 Islamic Textiles

 Diversity in Europe-Finland

SAQA Beyond Comfort. 'Promised Land' Diane Wright

No surprise really that my favourites overall were landscapes!! I loved the sketchiness of 'Promised Land' - more details about its making here.  While I'm not interested in dyeing , it's made me think further of the potential of painting with  the Selectisine  pigments as used by Jo Budd . I feel  a George Weil order coming on.

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