Summer Sketch: Kowhai

Another project from the past couple of years, which hasn't yet been shared...this was my first attempt at the Aotearoa Quilters' Paint Chip Challenge for the 2022 NZ Quilt Symposium.

Entrants were each sent two paint chips to use as inspiration for the colour choices for a 12"square art quilt.

These were my two colours, and one day while walking the dog I noticed the colours of the flowers and seed-pods on a kowhai tree in a neighbour's garden. I really love the shape of the seed pods and the drop-petal shape of the flowers.

Here are photos of my design and make process - it was a good project for some thread-sketching.

I was pretty happy with my creation...until I re-read the rules and realised the piece had to have ONLY the two colours we were sent...therefore, no green!

So I went in search of a different inspiration and you can see what I came up with at this link.

Little Blue Christmas

 

This is my art quilt entry for the 2023 Bernina NZ Colour Challenge, currently touring Bernina stores around NZ. Quilts had to be 12" square.

The challenge was 'Favourite Colour' and mine has always been blue.  I looked in my stash and found a small set of fat quarters with this blue and white Christmas theme.

I took elements of the different fat quarters to create a collage scene of houses and trees; then I machine appliqued and hand-stitched over top, with some metallic threads and beads for added sparkle.

The photos are not the best as I took them indoors at night; I only finished this a couple of days before entries were due to be handed in, so had no time to take nice photos outside in the daylight.

Sharing with quilting friends and fan(atics) on Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday linky, with Michelle's (Bolt to Beauty) Beauties Pageant and with Wendy's Peacock Party - hello everyone!

Roxburgh: Autumn - Aotearoa Quilters Paint Chip Challenge art quilt

  Have been updating my 'maker's journal' with craft projects and cross-referencing with photos and blog posts - and have found a few projects from the past year or two that haven't been shared, so will get them here on record! 

This is my entry for the 2022 NZ Quilt Symposium 'Resene World of Colour Paint Chip Challenge' - a 12" square block that had to be predominantly based on the colours of two paint chips that were sent to each person who registered to enter.

This was my second attempt after I re-read the rules and realised my first attempt was probably too heavy on a third colour.

When driving to Clyde in Central Otago at Easter, I saw the amazing golds of the poplar trees on the hills surrounding Roxburgh and knew that was what I wanted to try and replicate.

Paint chip: Dixie Chick - I grabbed my yellow/gold fabrics,
and tea-dyed a couple of pieces to get different tones.

Paint chip: Half Oilskin - I grabbed out some beige/brown fabrics.

My sketch of the scene
(I hadn't had time to stop to take a photo as we drove past).

I ripped strips of the brown fabrics and crumpled them up in my hands,
before arranging them on a square of batting.

Then I 'sketched' overtop with my sewing machine,
using different colours of brown thread.

Next, I roughly cut out different sizes of poplar trees
and arranged them on the background.

I added tiny pieces of other yellows/golds...

Then I used tiny stippling stitches to sketch the leaf textures onto the trees.

Some close-up shots:

I think I did a pretty good job of using the two colours!

Here is the quilt on display at Symposium in October, along with some shots of the other entries (everyone had different paint chips):

And here it is, all beautifully framed up by the wonderful Alana at 'Framed on Windsor' in Invercargill...I might enter it in an arts awards if something suitable comes along.