BAYEUX, Blog, MARIGOLD

Exploring Textile Art: My Quilting Projects and Inspirations

Posted by Pam Holland on

Where have I been?

I’m back home in Australia after travelling with my Tour Company, Marigold, Textiles, Arts and Adventures, through Thailand and Vietnam, followed by a tour with my Canadian friends on Kim Caskey Tours in Australia.

Time spent away from the studio frequently leads to items being misplaced. When I return home, I have the job of unpacking, finding a place for it all and locating where I put other things. !!!! Some items are still missing.

With just a few days separating my last three tours, the studio became somewhat chaotic as I re-packed for the Australian trip in such a short time, and things got dumped. Sort of.

Nevertheless, I do like my workspace in order; I’m not one for white-on-white aesthetics. My heart lies in colour and vibrant patterns. Fortunately, I have two studios to put things in. But they are very eclectic and busy to the eye.

A colorful collection of embroidered fabrics stacked on a cardboard box, showcasing vibrant patterns and intricate designs.

I have an incredible collection of beautiful textile art. The recent embroideries I purchased in Uzbekistan are meant for a specific purpose; however, I won’t be able to acquire any more when I head back to India in a few weeks.

Moreover, we had to take down all the artwork from the shack’s walls and bring it home because the family has returned from the USA, and my decorating ideas don’t quite match theirs. Fortunately, I have designated a space for each piece and even created a new art space along with two additional outdoor living areas.

Kantha's in the summer house studio
Rubia fabric in the summer house as well.
My day bed in the main studio
A small dog sitting on an orange patterned rug in front of a glass door, leading into a colorful art studio filled with craft supplies and artwork.

Hand-drawn illustration of a floral arrangement with a long stem and detailed flower head, featuring intricate lines and a blue color scheme.

How many things do you work on at once?

I’ve always got a constant bunch of projects on the go, ensuring boredom doesn’t even get a foot in the door. It’s like a creative smorgasbord of Textile art!

First of all, there is the Bayeux Tapestry to Quilt Project.

I have quite a few ideas, primarily because I frequently come up with new concepts while working on others. Typically, I focus on researching the Bayeux Quilt during my travels. I keep several books on my phone and iPad to ensure my ideas remain vibrant, as I can’t bring physical copies with me.

Folks, I have been working on this since 4th July 2005.

Colorful textile art depicting a group of figures aboard a vibrant, striped boat, with intricate details and patterns.

My Block of the Month is in process

I have completed six rows, and midway through the process, I decided to add embroidery around each appliqué piece. Currently, I am working on the fourth row of embroidery, while the fifth row is prepped for stitching, and the sixth row will follow soon. There’s no need to rush, as my travel schedule is quite packed; I set aside a little time each day for various tasks in the studio whenever I’m at home.

This project has truly been a labour of love, designed on my iPad during my visits to the hairdresser. I create the pattern and spend about an hour each day working on it.

My greatest joy came from having the entire design transformed into an embroidered piece by my friend in India, who is a talented Mochi artist.

A vibrant textile artwork featuring colorful whimsical houses, birds, and plants arranged in flowing patterns, with bold lines and playful details.
A vibrant textile art piece featuring colorful patterns of trees, birds, and whimsical houses arranged in horizontal bands.
Colorful textile artwork featuring whimsical birds, flowers, and houses, with vibrant patterns and embroidery details.
Colorful textile art featuring vibrant birds and flowers, displayed on a textured background.
Close-up of a colorful embroidered textile depicting a whimsical house with a purple roof, green door, and decorative leaves and flowers surrounding it.
Colorful textile art featuring vibrant pink fabric with embroidered birds and flowers on the top half, and a black and white patterned fabric with whimsical house and plant designs on the bottom.

From a Painting to a Quilt.

This concept emerged after I started creating a few paintings at the shack. I initially painted a small piece showcasing all the things I love. Now, I’ve expanded the pattern and am just beginning to explore this further as a rather large quilt. This technique is the polar opposite of the Bayeux Tapestry but similar to the BOM.

A vibrant textile art piece featuring colorful patterns, animals, and floral designs, framed against a bold blue background.
A colorful textile art piece featuring playful illustrations of dogs, birds, and floral patterns.
Colorful textile art featuring three whimsical bird figures with intricate patterns and bright colors against a blue background with clouds.
A colorful textile artwork featuring whimsical birds and a character with glasses against a blue background, complete with fluffy white clouds.
Illustration of a smiling person with grey hair and glasses, surrounded by colorful birds perched on their head, against a light background.
A vibrant, colorful fabric cutout shaped like a stylized bird or creature, with bold patterns featuring pink, red, blue, and yellow elements, placed on a textured background.

Embroidered cheesecloth portrait.

I began this project some time ago, and it’s quite an intriguing concept. It’s akin to painting with dyed cheesecloth and combining hand and machine embroidery. I will provide detailed explanations in upcoming blog posts.

I have completed one, but I am working on another.

A glass bowl filled with a colorful assortment of threads and yarns in various shades, including purple, orange, yellow, and turquoise, displayed on a wooden surface.
Threads
A vibrant embroidered portrait featuring a person's face, showcasing rich colors and intricate details.
A vibrant textile art portrait of a smiling individual, featuring bold colors and intricate stitching patterns.
Close-up of an embroidered textile piece in a hoop, showcasing vibrant colors and intricate stitching.
Close-up of an intricately embroidered textile artwork, showcasing vibrant colors and textures that represent a face.
A vibrant assortment of colorful cheesecloth fabric pieces, featuring shades of pink, blue, yellow, and purple, piled together in a green bag.
Cheesecloth

The “Quaint Quilt Projects”

These little projects, known as slow stitching, are crafted from fabric scraps, often collected during my travels, though I sometimes incorporate my own drawings as well. They can be worn as brooches or presented as delightful quilt gifts. I enjoy giving mine away, and now I need to create more for class samples.

Colorful textile art piece featuring embroidered patterns and vibrant fabric scraps.
A close-up of a vibrant embroidered textile piece featuring a colorful flower design in the center, surrounded by various patterns and textures of fabric.
A close-up of a colorful textile art piece featuring intricate stitching details in various vibrant colors, including orange, green, and pink, with floral patterns and textured fabrics.
A vibrant textile piece featuring bold colors and patterns, including polka dots and stylized animals, showcasing artistic embroidery and patchwork techniques.
Close-up of an embroidered textile art piece featuring a stylized face, showcasing vibrant colors and intricate stitching.
A colorful textile art piece featuring intricate stitching and vibrant fabrics, showcasing patterns and textures with a sewing needle and thread visible.

Goodness, I have so much gorgeous fabric in little boxes and dare I say I bought more at Jen Kingwell’s shop in Victoria and Kathy Doherty’s shop in Sydney.

Visiting Jen and Kathy.

We were truly pampered; Jen prepared a delightful cream sponge, and one of Kathy’s assistants offered a fantastic afternoon tea. How lucky we were! Then again we splurged on fabric and notions.

Three women posing together at a quilting event, surrounded by colorful quilt patterns in the background.
A slice of yellow sponge cake filled with whipped cream, served on a blue plate with a textured surface.
A collection of colorful fabric swatches featuring floral and polka dot patterns, arranged on a vibrant pink background.
A vibrant quilt featuring colorful floral patterns and playful birds, set against a checkered background.
A group of five people engaged in textile art projects around a table covered with materials, surrounded by colorful quilts hanging on the walls.
A vibrant collection of various fabric pieces stacked neatly, showcasing shades of pink and red with intricate patterns.

My daily dose of educational videos.

Last but not least, I watch a daily dose of YouTube videos, and this is one of my favourites. Well, actually, all of the Maiwa videos are great. After doing a hands-on workshop with Indigo in Thailand, I’m anxious to know more about the virtues of Indigo. It’s a fascinating subject.

Web page.

We have a new web page for Marigold, Textile Arts and Adventures, almost finished.

https://www.marigoldtextilesartsandadventures.com.au/: Exploring Textile Art: My Quilting Projects and Inspirations Read more: Exploring Textile Art: My Quilting Projects and Inspirations

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