Quilts in the Co-op

On Hornby Island, the Co-op is the hub of the community. It's a wonderful place, where you can find everything from long underwear to specialty dips. And every February they decorate it with quilts from the Hornby Quilters. They're hung from the beams and along the walls, and brighten the whole place admirably - something that's especially appreciated at that time of the year. I can only show you a few of them here, and my photos don't really do them justice, but you'll be able to get the feel of the place, I think. There were quilts hanging made by most of the members of the Hornby Quilters, and a couple of group quilts as well. And amidst it all, Juanita is
carrying on business as usual. This is just a taste of what's to come, as the August outdoor quilt show is the big event. If you happen to be on Hornby the first Sunday in August, do drop by. Eleanora Laffin's home is hung with lines in the orchard, near flower gardens, on the washing line, on the outhouse, and on every other available space. There are even goodies and teas served in the dappled light under the trees. It's an event not to be missed. (The quilts for which there is a close-up, were made by Eleanora Laffin, Marg Bennett, and ????? Help!!! Why can't I remember to write these things down when I take the pics? I never seem to be able to keep the information in my head these days. Is it just me?)

Some of my Hornby Journal Quilts

I have been a proponent of working small ever since I saw the quilts from the Journal Project hanging in Houston. The idea (for those of you who haven't explored this possibility previously) is working in an agreed-upon size (8 1/2" X 11", in this case), and working quickly. It's a great place to try out new techniques, and far less intimidating than beginning a larger piece. It takes less time and it takes less fabric. Sometimes the results are pleasing and sometimes they're just lessons learned. The best of them can become fodder for a larger piece at a later time. Sometimes groups agree on a theme ahead of time. Sometimes an individual will decide on her/his own theme. For these journal quilts (I showed a few made by others on my previous post), the theme, or the guidelines, change each month. The first one was made from samples of upholstery remnants given to the Hornby Quilters. I chose to treat them with fusible web, and then to build a scene of houses and a washing line. The theme for the second one was Valentine's, hence the two little birds in their nest. The theme for the last one was Portals, and
these little African huts I had made some days before for another piece (they didn't look right where I had intended them to go) fit perfectly into this format. The theme for March is Water, and for April, we are to make any small piece in which the shape of the quilt describes what the theme is (any theme we want). That should keep me busy for a little while! One of the interesting things I've discovered in making these over the last year, is that the more I make, the easier it becomes. One of my early ones was a real dud, but I ate "humble pie" and took it as my offering anyway. After all, I had encouraged everyone else to "just do it", and not worry about the results. I could hardly turn around and hide my own pitiful piece.

Journal Quilting on Hornby

Last year, I taught my Journalling Workshop here on Hornby Island. It included a few new techniques, but most importantly, it introduced participants to the practice of working small and working quickly. Well, following the workshop, this incredibly creative group of quilters challenged each other to make one small journal quilt a month. The results are now hung around "Room to Grow" - the building the quilters meet in each Wednesday afternoon. Here are just a few of the results of the challenge, for just three of the topics chosen. The first is Travelling, or Taking a Journey. The second is Sunflowers. The third is Portals. I was invited to take part in the challenge, and have used some of my time here on Hornby to catch up with my entries. With more than a dozen people making quilts, they will make a terrific display at the annual quilt show
held the first Sunday in August. They are yet another example of the amazing creativity of women, who more often than not, greatly underestimate their own gifts.

My Newest African Collage quilt, cont'd

It's sometime since I posted, but I have a good reason. Believe me! After a brief visit in Victoria at the end of January (there's a photo of Nora at the bottom of the post - isn't she great?), I headed over here to Hornby Island for a 6-week "artist's retreat". It's the first time in several years that I haven't gone to Uganda at this time of year, so I decided to use the time to hunker down and "do the work". That is, to play with my fabric. When I last posted, I had just spent a few days on Hornby, and had begun working on a new African collage quilt. I thought you might like to know what became of it. First of all, I added borders to all of the silk-screened prints - 4 different borders in all. Then I began figuring out how to put the whole thing together - decided to work in three columns. I used strips of leftover fabric for fillers and constructed two zebra-stripe and black columns to separate the different sections, and then I just sewed it all together. It still didn't look complete, though, so I constructed a strip of huts for the bottom, which helped to balance the sun on the top left and the stars on the top right. I had a lot of fun doing it,
although I couldn't seem to step away from a symmetrical setting. I've moved on to a couple of new projects, and will show you those once they're a little further along. I'm going to do my best to post once a week - think of it as a weekly report on my retreat. I am without TV and internet service (I can come to this office and use theirs if absolutely necessary). I have a cell phone but no land line. I have music and CBC radio, or just plain quiet if I want it. When I wake up in the morning I can hear the eagles in the nearby nest, and there are lots of beach or forest walks when I need a little exercise. Most of all, I'm away from my usual commitments and obligations, and can sew to my heart's content. Or read or write. Pretty wonderful. I'll let you know if I am as productive in this environment as I hope to be. I anticipate learning a lot about myself as well as progressing in my work. Until next week . . .

My Newest African Collage quilt

Today my daughter Jessie and I head over to Hornby for a couple of days. She works as a masseuse at a spa in Tofino, and has a few days off. Charlie (my yellow lab) and I are happy to accompany her there, where my newest African Collage awaits me. When I get there, I have been known to sew all morning in my nightie and caftan. I'm an early riser, and love to use those hours when I'm most alert and alive, to do my designing and sewing. Some things can wait until later in the day, but not designing. I think I forgot to show you all seven of the silk-screened prints with their borders, so I've included them this time. You will remember that I added half-square triangles to two sides of two of the prints. Now I'll be deciding on borders for the other 5 prints, and then begin to think about what to use as fillers. I've also added a photo of the African fabric binding (double-fold) that I will use on this quilt. It will also be available online on our new website, for $1.50 a metre. It's the perfect way to finish off a quilt which incorporates many different African fabrics. Lastly there's my "hut quilt". I called it my "hut quilt" for so long, that I had a hard time coming up with a proper name for it when it was finished. Somehow the present title - "Home is Where Your Hut Is", just isn't quite right. What do you think about "There's No Place Like Home"? I think I like that better. And it's not too late to change it.

News from Kitambaa Designs - Bundles and Limited Edition Kits

As some of you already know, a new website for Kitambaa Designs has been in the works for some time now. It will also include items for sale from the Bitengye Designers, and it will have a shopping cart! Yahoo! I thought I'd give you a sneak preview of a couple of the new items. First are our bundles - of African Fabrics, of Black and White Fabrics, of Safari-inspired fabrics, and so on. It will make it much easier for you to shop for our fabrics (other fabrics will still be available by the metre). Secondly, Kitambaa will soon be releasing a line of Limited Edition kits - all inspired by Africa. These are the result of realizing that I can't be sure that I can get a fabric I like more than once, so I'm going to design new wall-hangings and quilts that use what I already have on hand. Then when they're
all gone, they're gone, and I'll design something new. The first of the Limited Edition kits is "Home is Where Your Hut Is", and features the hut buttons available through South Africa's Incomparable Buttons. Don't you love the guinea fowl in the foreground! The pattern for this is an original design. The second Limited Edition kit is "Esther's Choice", and it's made entirely from hand-batiked fabrics made by Esther from Accra, Ghana. We met Esther last year on our way home from Uganda, and were so impressed by these fabrics. They're quite a departure for us - much more earthy colours and designs - but we think you'll enjoy them as much as we do. The pattern itself is an adaptation of a pattern by Blue Underground, which is included with the kit.A third kit is in the works, and will feature guinea fowls. All the kits will be for sale as soon as our website goes public, and I'll be sure to announce that as soon as it happens. In the meantime, save up your
sheckels so that you too will be able to order online from us. We can hardly wait! Lastly, for those of you who are also readers, I've chosen my 5 favourite reads from 2011. I love to hear what other people have read and enjoyed, so if you'd like to comment and add your own choices, they would be very welcome.

Happy New Year 2012!

Happy New Year to all of you, wherever you are and whatever you're doing! Now that the January 1st marker is behind us, it's time to start sewing. When I last posted, I was making a list of completed projects from 2012. The pleasant surprise was that there were more than I thought. The next thing I did was to make a list of all my quilting goals for the coming year - everything - an unedited list. There were 39 things on that list. No wonder I sometimes feel overwhelmed! Next I narrowed it down to 9 specific goals for January. A bit easier to deal with, although still over the top for
do-ability. The first item on the list was to make a new African Collage - just because. I love piecing. I love bright colours (especially at this time of year). And I love working intuitively. First I pulled out a North American multi-coloured piece that has a very definite African feel about it. (You can see it in the first photo.) I would like to have bolts of, but with less than a yard left, I decided that now's the time to use it. After all, I could be dead and gone by next year, and then what use would it be. I used that favourite fabric in choosing my other colours - reds and golds, greens and browns, and some black and whites. Next I pulled out 7 of the
silk-screened animals I designed and printed when my South African supply ran out. On a whim, I'd printed them on a lettered fabric, and I am very pleased with how crisp and clear they are. Next I chose borders for each of the prints. Each has an inner green border, and then two other fabrics for the outer borders. Already they have so much more life! Then I began contemplating what other borders to add, and began with trusty half-square triangles on two sides of two of the prints. They're pretty bright, I know, but everyone needs some colour in their life. All of this happened when I was over at my
cabin on Hornby Island for the weekend. And now I'm home in Comox again. I've left everything over there until I return, so I'm going to have to leave you hanging off the edges of your proverbial seats before I can tell you what happens next. But stay tuned, and I'll let you know in a later post . . .