So, the goal of the day is to layer and commence quilting that piece you saw in unpieced squares up on my board just late last month, just before I went to Aus. this morning I have done a bit of wonderful net surfing=procrastination, but now it calls- progress report later.

A: when it is a postcard! Let me elaborate – when it is one of the current craze of 4″ x 6″ postcards with a small quilted textile on one side and an address and stamp on the other. These objects go through the mail as part of organised swaps. That they give the makers and recipients a lot of pleasure is in no doubt. I visited one textile artist’s website yesterday to find she described her small works as quilts, ie 4″ x 6″ postcards. She’d done a lot of them and although they were only thumbnails and didn’t enlarge, some were very interesting. What I had difficulty with was her calling the decorated postcards ‘quilts’ .

Quilting is a technique of stitching several layers of fabric together. The word ‘quilt’ commonly suggests bed coverings, but nowadays is taken to include a lot more such as wall quilts, art quilts, throws, lap quilts and more, but quilting can decorate or be used in the construction of many other objects, such as cushions, totebags, vests and more – yet we don’t term these things ‘quilts’. I think the word quilt has certain associations in addition to the technical construction, and that is that the whole object is quilted, and it lies or hangs, on its own, as it is. The minute you add some quilted fabric to a mount, a frame, onto a bag, or apply it as a pocket or a trim, the quilting becomes decoration to the object, and the object itself remains the important thing – a cushion, a totebag, an embroidered panel or picture. Or a postcard. It’s the gradual acceptance of these two words as interchangeable that I am objecting to. Fussy ? sure – among other things I am a retired teacher of english, and admit being inclined to the pedantic… your comments are welcome.

After leaving Perth I flew to Tassie to visit the rels, and then overnighted in Sydney giving me the opportunity to see the Expressive Stitch exhibition out at the Fairfield Gallery and Museum in Smithfield. It´s a bit of a trek out there by train from the city, but well worth the visit. The works on show are by textile artists who studied with Canadian Dorothy Caldwell on her visit to Australia last year. In most cases works begun in the workshop are augmented by very exciting new works influenced by what the workshop held for each individual. As I am planning on going to Fiberswest in Bunbury WA in October to study with her, I found this exhibit to be a tantalising introduction to what lies ahead. In the current issue of Textile Magazine there is a good write-up on most of the exhibitors in the show and some wonderful pics on both the inside and outside covers. For someone like me, with a long history of creative embroidery, this promises to be a feast. I have always believed, and said, that the the straight stitch can be the most expressive of all, and there are plenty of examples of this truth in this show. Do go and see it if you can, it doesn´t close until may 1st. Check travel and opening times with the gallery,
(02) 9609 3993.

One of the reasons for going to Perth at this time was to personally scoop up 6 different quilts that have been independently touring, ie without me, in someone else’s care over the past few months, and amazingly all arrived home on the same morning within an hour of each other from opposite directions. There had also been a couple of quilts at home which I knew I would need/want for my exhibition, and I found several things had forgotten about which put me a little ahead of where I expected to be just now for the show. This gives me more time to give attention to the trnsparent pieces, and to tackle the Tree of Life piece I have promised for a local show – the title doesn´t sound like me I know, and it will be pictorial to a degree, but I had my arm twisted…. Anyway my two suitcases groaned with their loads – quilts are very heavy when all tightly rolled together – as are clothes – and, of course, yes, I managed a bit of shopping while I was there. I did not quite catch what the customs agent said as I staggered through with my load – but the two answers I gave, “solo mis ropas /only my clothes” and ” seis meses /six months” drew only slightly raised eyebrows, a shoulder shrug and a gesture motioning me through….they were apparently technically satisfactory !

I must mention a book I bought and read on my travels – “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini – quite stunning, I just could not put it down. Published in 2003, it is a first novel, and for once the cover blurbs at least matched the impact of the contents…..can’t wait to read more by this author.

I mentioned this wonderful very new house in the coastal town of La Pedrera Uruguay – so elegantly capturing the lines of an ocean going boat, wish it was my holiday home…..

Detail of remnant of Hmong embroidery, reverse applique of mustard green cut back to burgundy, with infill satin stitches of pink and green; minute stitches of grey in the centres of the X’s. The whole piece is approx 18 inches x 3 inches, perhaps a former strap or handle….. thanks Cynthia!