Quilts at the Canberra Show

Last month we went to the Royal Canberra Show. There were many impressive items on display, but I felt the quality of the quilts deserved a post of their own. I love the colours and the shapes; the design and the intricacy.

 

I also know the hours of work that goes into making them, and I like to think that people stitched them while sat around with friends, listening to music or podcasts, or enjoying solitude and a beverage of their choice.

Of course, I have a soft spot for the cats, but in the interests of fairness, I should include the dogs too. And the giraffe is just gorgeous.

The abstraction and the palette chosen are fascinating. Yellow seems a popular choice for happiness as in the sunflowers, but it also lends a confident golden glow in some of the bolder designs.

It's fascinating to see these quilts as a historical record, whether it be of ancient Egyptian culture or the more recent late Queen ELizabeth II. 

Friday Five: Happy Cross-Stitch

Being as my previous post was about some of the most intricate and exceptional tapestries I have ever seen, I feel somewhat inadequate posting this with the latest examples of my own work. I like doing them, however, so I'm going to continue to share. Let's just not compare though, shall we..?

When my parents were visiting my sister, she bought my mother a cross stitch to help her pass the time and give her something relaxing to do. Apparently my mother is not good at this form of relaxation, and she began it, but after a few rows she gave up. My sister gave it to me instead to complete, which I did, and returned it to her to display, as a memory of family dynamics!

A friend saw this image and thought of me -I can't imagine why! She sent it to me and I turned it into a cross stitch pattern. Now, the question is to who do I give it? There are so many possible recipients!

The following designs are Mandala cross stitch patterns from a calendar that a colleague had at work. She printed them off for me and I enjoyed making them. I didn't always have the exact colours that were specified, but I had a stab (as it were) so they may not be quite true to the original pattern, but I like the art anyway. 

Street Poetry

Edinburgh has gone arty for the Festival. Around the base of a soaring giraffe sculpture are words inscribed in circular iron lettering: ‘Giraffes! People who live between earth and skies. Each in his own religious steeple, keeping a lighthouse with his eyes.’

I read out the words with awe. Him Outdoors has seen different words advertising breakfast – unaware of the latent lyricism he says, ‘Coffee and tea – 49p. I’m not right into poetry, me.’