Things to do with Gelli Plate Prints - 3 Make Quilts

Having spent the other weekend at the SECC showing people how to use Gelli Plates and making lots more prints in the process, I thought it was time for another in the series of what to do with the prints once you have them.  This time I'm suggesting you make a quilt.

Bamboo Beauty by Gillian Cooper

This was one of my new quilts which was on show for the first time at the SECC as part of the Turning Point display and the background was made entirely from Gelli Plate Prints on fabric.

 I showed you how to Gelli Plate print in this blog post here, using the bamboo as an example.

 I deliberately printed onto dyed fabric as I seem to have something against white at the moment!  I had a big pile of prints on a variety of different fabrics.  

To make things easier for the piecing, I decided to piece them into columns.  Each column was a different width, but it stayed the same width all the way down.  I put the prints on my design wall to decide upon the layout, then pieced them all together.  I had intended to use a variety of fabrics, but in the end, I liked the simplicity of the prints on cotton.

Rather than add the different fabric prints, I added several pieces of sheer with bamboo leaf shapes cut out from it.

This is becoming like a game of spot the difference between the photos!  As the quilt was going in a group show, it had to be a specific size, so I trimmed it to fit.  I felt it needed something else on top.  I had always envisioned black bamboo on the top, but then I discovered my roll of purple and blue silk sari strips and fancied trying those.  I didn't think the colour contrast would be sufficient, but I really liked the strips, so wanted to give it a go.

I was right  - it didn't work!  Also, the shape of the leaves were not quite right, so I redrew it and cut it out of black fabric.  I will eventually Gelli Plate 
print a background for the purple/blue leaf.

I liked it a lot better and spent quite a time considering whether anything else was needed.  I decided to leave it (either less is more or I was worried about spoiling a quilt when I didn't have time to make another!).  All that needed to be added was the black binding.  Originally I was going to bind the edges using the same fabric as the prints, but it needed the black to pull in the leaf.

I now have several prints left over to play with further and lots of bamboo shoots cut out from sheers!

The Stitching and Quilting Show at the SECC, Glasgow

Unsung Muses at the SECC

Today I'm back in the studio after four very busy and fun days at the Stitching, Sewing and Quilting Show at the SECC.  That's a bit of a mouthful, so I'm just going to say 'Show' from now on!  Sorry for the quality of the photos - I just used my phone and it's getting a bit worn now.

Different view of the Unsung Muses

I took my Muses for an outing and they looked great against the black background - it was the first time I've seen them against black and it definitely worked and added something different.  Yesterday was Mothers' Day here in the UK and R bought the kids in to see the Show/me in the afternoon.  I haven't dared ask them about what they thought about the quilts, but their two purchases were cheese and chocolate!

My mad family, who came to visit and who can't stay still!

I had a table set up with info about my work and also about my classes.  I'm going to offer the C&G in Creative Sketchbooks in my studio starting in September, so it was good to be able to tell visitors about that and my other one and two day courses.

Rachel getting ready to gelli plate print

I also took my gelli plate and Markal paintstiks and my friend, Rachel, and I spent the four days demonstrating how wonderful they were.  Amazingly, we kept the mess under control and I now have a fabulous array of prints on paper and fabric to work with.

Some of my prints now waiting to be used

I was selling both the gelli plates and Markals and intended to put an A4 sheet in with each of them so that anyone who purchased them would know what to do when they got home.  I got a bit carried away and ended up writing a 20 page full colour booklet on each technique instead.  I'll be adding them to my website soon.  

The Turning Point exhibition - can you tell which one is mine on these photos?

My two newest pieces were in the Turning Point display, which was lovely (more details on them in a later blog post).

More of the Turning Point Quilts

It was also great to see so many of my students there and to see their work in the competition and on other stands.  In particular, a mega congratulations to Senga Bain for winning the art quilt category with her parrot quilt.  It was magnificent. 

Senga Bain's award winning quilt

So now I'm in the Show aftermath, with all my work/junk back in the Studio and I need to get it all sorted before the next class on Thursday, when I'm running a two day course in Sketchbooking.  

Ellen Griffith

Pamela Docherty

More of the Muses

Starting at the beginning - my next piece

Ink wash drawing of a teasel

A few months ago I was invited to join the exhibiting group, Turning Point.  I was very flattered as I love seeing their work in various locations, such as the Smith in Stirling.  Of course, I accepted, especially as it adds a new challenge for me – making work to a theme and size set by another.  The first piece I need to make is to be inspired by a saying.  

Flowers

We had lots of family fun coming up with inappropriate sayings, but finally I settled on the William Morris quote:

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”

Another flower

I’ve been taking lots of photos of nature recently and I thought this could tie in nicely with a quilt inspired by nature.  This also conveniently links in with the nature course I am running over this year.  So far, I have taken lots of photos, 

Lovely flowers from one of the students, Chrystine

looked at lots of Morris wallpaper on Pinterest, 

My pinterest board

made lots of sketches 

Blind drawing of leaves

and dyed and printed fabric green.

Breakdown printed fabric

 

Initially I was thinking of something directly Morris inspired, but I’m not convinced that this suits me as all my drawings keep going looser and looser. 

I didn’t think it would be a photo realistic quilt either, and that has been confirmed as I’ve gone along – my drawings started from the flowers and have become more imaginary and I use the shapes which appealed the most. 

One of the more recent drawings

So now I’ve done my research and I have a reasonable idea in my head as to how it is going to look.  Having dyed lots of fabric for the background – it was always going to be green! – I just need to get started on the sampling.  

Some of the green fabric dyeing - this shade will not be the dominant colour!

I always tell my students to sample as you will end up with a more interesting work, having worked through any issues in advance, but sometimes I still rush in...  This time I’m going to be good!

I love the dew on the cobwebs in Autumn

Out & About: Turning Point quilt exhibition Stirling

Turning Point: Flight

On Saturday, I spent a very pleasurable afternoon in the company of the Turning Point group of quilt artists at the opening of their new exhibition at the Smith Art Gallery in Stirling. 

Turning Point: Poppies

I had been rather surprised and a bit nervous when they had asked me to say a few words at the opening but I also felt honoured. It turned out that it was surprisingly easy to write what I wanted to say as they are such a lovely, friendly, welcoming group. At my first Loch Lomond Quilt Show, they 'adopted' me as I was on my own and we shared the most hilarious dinner.  Since then, I have loved seeing their collections of work, which have been exhibited up and down the country and abroad.  

Turning Point: Pewter

This latest exhibition featured a number of collections of quilts and for the first time the group had invited three others to join them for ‘Elements’ and ‘Pewter’.  Turning Point's standard format is to work to a theme with a common size of quilt but to leave the interpretation completely open to each artist.  This was especially visible in the 'Elements' group, which had a really bright quilt based on the element Bismuth by Alison Drayson as well as Shona McQuistan's human figure containing the 'elements of me'

Alison Drayson 'Bismuth'

The walls of the Smith Gallery are bright red, which shouldn't have worked with the brightly coloured artwork, but did very well. It was also great to see such a turnout of people along to see the work.  And my own little talk got sandwiched between introductions by lots of local dignitaries so I needn't have worried about it!

Turning Point plus dignitaries

The exhibition is on until the end of April and is well worth a visit if you can make it.  There is also a permanent exhibition about Stirling and a temporary exhibit about the Miners Strike at the Smith, making it a fabulous mix of things to see.

Visitors enjoying the quilts at the Smith Art Gallery

More Poppies by Turning Point

Turning Point: Ten