Blog Hop - Susan Mathews

Hop over to Susan Mathews at susanmathews.info to learn more about her donation to the SAQA Benefit Auction. Banksia is one of the pieces up for auction at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, 28 October - 3 November 2013.

 
 Other blog stops:

• 19 August             Kate Oszko                    koszko.blogspot.com 
•  21 August             Felicity Clarke                bearlytherecreations.blogspot.com 
• 27 August             Jenny Bowker                 jennybowker.com/postcards 
•  29 August             Sally Westcott                sallydunn.blogspot.com

View the complete Oceania Collection Blog Hop timetable and the Oceania Collection online gallery.

Blog Hop - Felicity Clarke

Join Felicity Clarke at bearlytherecreations.blogspot.com to learn more about her donation to the SAQA Benefit Auction - Journey On #2:

 
Other blog stops:

• 17 August             Robyn McGrath              SAQA Oceania blog
• 19 August             Kate Oszko                    koszko.blogspot.com
• 24 August             Susan Mathews               susanmathews.info
• 27 August             Jenny Bowker                 jennybowker.com/postcards

View the complete Oceania Collection Blog Hop timetable and the Oceania Collection online gallery.

Blog Hop - Kate Oszko

Today Kate Oszko shares background to her quilt at koszko.blogspot.com  Don't forget the SAQA Benefit Auction starts on 9 September 2013:


Other blog stops:

• 15 August             Linda Stokes                   linda-stokes.blogspot.com
• 17 August             Robyn McGrath              SAQA Oceania blog
• 21 August             Felicity Clarke                 bearlytherecreations.blogspot.com
• 24 August             Susan Mathews               susanmathews.info

View the complete Oceania Collection Blog Hop timetable and the Oceania Collection online gallery.

Blog Hop - Robyn McGrath

Welcome to Robyn McGrath who takes us on a tour of the creation of her Oceania Collection quilt for the SAQA Auction which starts on 9 September 2013.


In Waters Cool and Clean” - Fat belly Seahorse, Sydney Harbour is the title of my 12” x 12” quilt for the SAQA Auction.

I chose my subject because a native Aussie fit with the Oceania Group contributions and because my scuba diving son phoned to tell of his excitement in seeing one of these creatures and shared his delight that Sydney was clean enough for them to inhabit.

I decided to colour my white background fabric using an ice dyeing  technique because the serendipitous results are often inspiring. So, soda soaked fabric was folded, scrunched and placed on wire racks and covered with small ice cubes.

Fibre reactive dye was sprinkled on the ice and covered with plastic and sheeting for 24 hours.

The results were a surprise because I used a rack with a small grid and here and there grid marks appeared on the cloth. I decided to use one of the pieces with the grid marks as it worked for the large stem of kelp.

To add my message about cool clean water I made a freezer paper stencil and used decolourant to lighten the words in several places on the background.

The kelp fronds were cut from organza, and  the impression of cellular structure was made with paintstick rubbings over mesh. These were applied  and heat cut to shape with a stencil cutter. The ferny seaweed was also added with paintstick rubbings over small woodblock stamps.

The seahorses were cut from different silks, appliquéd and decorated with programmed and free motion stitching The foreground seahorse  was machine trapuntoed for extra impact. The quilting was dictated by the pictured items and the ice dyed background. Here's the finished work!

For more inspiration see the following posts from other Oceania members:  
13 August             Linda Robertus                lindarobertus.blogspot.com
15 August             Linda Stokes                   linda-stokes.blogspot.com
19 August             Kate Oszko                    koszko.blogspot.com
21 August             Felicity Clarke                 bearlytherecreations.blogspot.com

Blog Hop - Linda Stokes

Hop over to visit Linda Stokes of Western Australia at www.linda-stokes.blogspot.com to learn more about her donation work for the SAQA Benefit Auction 2013 that commences on 9 September 2013:
Other blog stops:

• 9 August               Susie Cujes                     SAQA Oceania blog
• 13 August             Linda Robertus                lindarobertus.blogspot.com
• 17 August             Robyn McGrath               SAQA Oceania blog
• 19 August             Kate Oszko                    koszko.blogspot.com

 View the complete Oceania Collection Blog Hop timetable and the Oceania Collection online gallery.

Blog Hop - Linda Robertus

Join Linda Robertus at lindarobertus.blogspot.com to learn more about her donation to the SAQA Benefit Auction - Black & White #3:


Other blog stops:

• 7 August               Maggie Gilbert                 mgquilts.blogspot.com
• 9 August               Susie Cujes                     SAQA Oceania blog
• 15 August             Linda Stokes                   linda-stokes.blogspot.com
• 17 August             Robyn McGrath              SAQA Oceania blog

View the complete Oceania Collection Blog Hop timetable and the Oceania Collection online gallery.

Blog Hop - Susie Cujes

Today it's over to Susie Cujes to give us insight into the creation of "Colours of the Outback".   This quilt is part of the Oceania Collection of quilts for the SAQA Benefit Auction, starting 9 September 2013.

         

With this piece I wanted to draw on my experience of my childhood when I lived with my Aunty and Uncle for 6 months in Broken Hill in 1956. We often went out into the bush camping and I don't think I will ever forget the smell and the colours of the landscape. From the dry river beds to the red soil and multi coloured rocks. I will never forget how vast the sky was and what a beautiful clear blue it was.

So after my sketch

I collected all the fabrics that related to those memories,

and used my embellishing machine to not only depict those colours but also create the texture of that dry magnificent country. 

By placing all the fibres horizontally it gives a sense of the vastness that I felt as a small child. All fibres are either cotton, wool and silk, I made a backing from black commercial felt and the middle is made from rust dyed cotton.

My finished piece!

Here are some other posts to enjoy:

5 August               Alison Schwabe               alisonschwabe.com/weblog
7 August               Maggie Gilbert                 mgquilts.blogspot.com

13 August             Linda Robertus                lindarobertus.blogspot.com
15 August             Linda Stokes                   linda-stokes.blogspot.com