A very big commission....

Taking over the reigns of the South African Quilters' Guild seemed fine as I had Jenny Whitehead as sounding board back in Port Elizabeth - but she and her husband John were tragically killed in a car accident in August 2002.....   I was immediately thrown into the deep end and had to learn to swim very quickly.....    

First of all I had to get myself organized into cyberspace as the Committee members were all scattered around the country and most of the work was done via email.   My time as SAQG President was very rewarding and I really enjoyed the work entrusted to me.    I also made wonderful friends....

On the quilting side, I still had a few consignment quilts in stock at Wezandla Crafts.   One of the owners phoned me one day in August 2002 with the news that she sold a wallhanging but the client wanted 14 more.....    She gave the client my phone number to deal with me directly...    Very soon the phone call came and I had to sit down.....

The lady on the other side of the phone was the wife of one of the co-owners of Kariega Game Reserve at Kenton-on-Sea, between Alexandria and Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape.    The chalets at the Reserve were due for an interior upgrade and she decided to use wallhangings in the lounges of the lodges instead of prints of paintings.    I was gobsmacked as she chose my quilts to decorate the walls of this prestigious Game Reserve.....

When doing commissions, I always need to see the place where a piece will hang as part of my mental orientation, so I invited a friend to join me on a site inspection of the lodges at Kariega.    The surprize was on me when we walked into a lodge during our visit as she had the wallhanging there which she bought at Wezandla - I was quite perplexed as it somehow looked different....    She calmly told me that it was a bit too brown to her liking, so she painted some of the sections an old gold colour, luckily with fabric paint...!   I must admit, she had a very steady hand as there was no smudging on any of the black stitching (she told me that she had an art background), so I relaxed and started smiling....!   She paid good money for the quilt, so it was hers to overpaint if she wanted to.....

Rose gave me diagrams which she wanted me to interpret as she had very specific ideas.   The quilts had to be 125cm x 90cm, I was given a colour range of black, cream, orange, rust, browns, old gold and olive green and later on I twisted her arm to add some blues as well.      I could relate to her knowing exactly what she wanted, so I decided to accept the commission.....   

The quilt sold at Wezandla which changed colour in some places!

Diagram for designs received from the client.

I organized my life at  home (I had 14 wallhangings to make) and started work on the first quilt on the 5th September 2002.....   ......   I designed each quilt full scale on paper using her small diagrams as reference.    The motifs were fused onto the background and I estimate that I used about 60metres of applique paper which is 90cm wide.    Every section of the wallhangings were satin stitched with black thread, I used about 2 500m of thread per quilt and machine quilted in the ditch.   I added more quilting on bigger sections to avoid puffing. 

The first four quilts were delivered a month later!    By the end of December, I had delivered 6 quilts and 6 of the smaller ones of the ladies.....    Phase 1 of the project took me 9 months to complete.....    I was exhausted!   

The Kariega Project

Phase 1 - 14 geometric wallhangings made in 2002/2003

One of the 15 screenprinted cushion panels changed into small wallhangings.

Rose also gave me 15 screenprinted panels which she bought somewhere which I had to change into small wallhangings - each lodge had to get a geometric wallhanging as well as one of the smaller ones of the Xhosa ladies.

I added black borders and shashiko quilted geometric designs with cream thread and added buttons similar to the traditional clothing of the Xhosa ladies in the Eastern Cape.

When Rose and I initially discussed the project, she mentioned that the wallhangings would be phase 1 of the upgrade of the interiors.   I had to keep record of the colour samples and designs of the wallhangings - it would be used for Phase 2 which would be for new curtains as she had this wonderful idea.....

I started work on Phase 2 in September 2004 and finished in March 2006.    The interior walls, ceilings and floors of the lodges were of pine, the furniture cane and the curtain rods and fire places all in black.   Very dramatic.    On the walls of the living rooms were the wallhangings which I made with the black borders......!    Rose chose cream fabric for the curtains to hang from the black rods, adding to the dramatic look.....   I suggested that she stitch black braid in parallel lines at the bottom of the curtains, again complementing the traditional clothing of the Xhosa ladies....     My job was to make long quilted panels repeating the border designs of the wallhangings -  the panels were buttoned onto the curtains with big black buttons !    I had to make 60 of these panels, 4 per lodge!     Luckily, Rose stitched the buttons onto the panels.....   

Interior of a lodge at Kariega Game Reserve with 02/02 mounted to the wall to the right in the picture with the matching quilted panels buttoned to the cream curtains towards the back.

Photo from http://www.kariega.co.za/

The overall look was absolutely stunning and I was very pleased to be part of such a wonderful upgrade.     It still gives me a thrill if people tell me that they saw my quilts at Kariega....

A very big chair....

It was amazing how one opportunity would lead to another, almost prepare me for the next chapter in my life.    I was nearing the end of my project of all the prize winners for the South African Quilters' Guild and would attend my  last SAQG Committee meeting during the Festival in Cape Town......

Brush Rags handpainted fabric slowly took off and Yolande Bowman of Pied Piper, our local quilt shop offered to sell the fat quarters at the 2002 National Quilt Festival in Cape Town at their stall.    My workshop Realistic Landscapes was accepted for the festival programme and it was time to make another major quilt ......
As I have explained before, I had this need to revisit themes of previous quilts as my technical skills improved...!     I constantly thought of ways of improving......    Always challenging myself....     I still like to incorporate some ideas/techniques of the workshop which I will teach at a festival in my quilt entries and then treat my students with a viewing of the quilt to explain how I made it..... 

The theme for the festival in Cape Town was Down to Earth and I decided to have another attempt at proteas.   The area is the natural habitat of a large section of the species and I had the idea of combining it with landscapes!   Quite ambitious....    Carefully planning the layout on paper, I started off with the designs.   The focal point would be the large central block of the frontal view of the Table Mountain with 4 smaller blocks at the corners - each depicting different sections of  the mountain range.      I chose Lion's Head, Hout Bay, Cape Point and Kirstenbosch and filled the panels in between the smaller landscaped blocks with proteas and fynbos.   

Cutting and preparing this quilt for stitching took a long time as every piece of mountain, flower and leaf had to be handpainted to create shading and depth.   Detail such as the crevices on the mountain slopes and the lines for all the individual petals on the flowers had to be meticulously transferred to the right side of the motifs, spending many hours at the light box.    I painted the sky sections for the 5 landscape blocks and it was with great trepidation that I started stitching the mountains.....    In a way I felt confident because of the Amphitheatre quilt which I made in 1999, but this quilt was so much more intricate.   I finished the thread painting of the mountain section of the first block with great excitement - I used artistic freedom and chose not to include any buildings in the blocks.......   I made lots of needlelace in different shades of green which I used for the bushes and trees....

I randomly arranged the proteas in the designated panels and started satin stitching it.    I stitched the flowers and leaves during the day and hand embroidered the insides of the flowers in the evenings while watching television.  I used a variety of embroidery yarns for a realistic effect and tried to finish two flowers each night.....

Making Cape Peninsula - Floral Kingdom took me 4 1/2 months of intense work.    I stitched all the blocks to a solid piece of background fabric as I did previously with Avian Grace, again avoiding joining border sections, it just worked so well.    I chose narrow triangular borders to separate the different sections and to add some colour on the grey background.   I used the colours in the floral panels for the small triangles and satin stitched around it in a dark grey thread.

The quilt was machine quilted with invisible thread with numerous proteas quilted into the border section.   This quilt remains one of my favourites.....



Cape Peninsula - Floral Kingdom 2002
2nd Prize Innovative Small Category at 2002 National Quilt Festival in Cape Town

Part of an exhibition of South African quilts at the 9th European Patchwork Meeting in

Val d'Argent in France in 2003.

The day before the 2002 Festival started, I attended the Committee meeting of the South African Quilters' Guild to hand in my project and finish my term of office.   Instead, I walked out of the meeting as the 6th President of the SAQG - a huge honour to be elected to this prestigious position.....!     Back home it was a proud moment for our Guild as I was the second member to serve in this capacity with Jenny Whitehead being the President from 1994 - 1996.



Past SAQG Presidents from left to right: 
Jenny Whitehead, Rosalie Dace, Hazelmay Duncan, Carolyn Kode, me and Paul Schutte
at the 2002 National Quilt Festival in Cape Town

In the process I learnt so much about people and of myself....   It was a wonderful challenge to be so involved in the administration of the governing body of quilting in South Africa....  

Luckily it was not all paperwork and I also had time for interesting projects and more opportunities....









Showtime...

We organized a fashion show of the P E Technicon (now part of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University) fashion design students for my last meeting as Chairlady in 2000!   It was a blast and a very special way to end a wonderful time on the Dias Quilters' Guild Committee.    Observing the carefree way of the students made me slightly envious - they made creativity look so easy.....  We were bowled over by the exhuberance of youth with their high voltage energy - it was so refreshing to be exposed to their artistic flair and obvious passion for design.    I think quite a few of us felt very much stuck in our creative moulds that day and admired the talented students who so freely showcased their creations, not caring to be different and pushing boundaries in the process.     I just loved the buzz backstage, it was quite electric.  

During this time, I was always painting little pieces of fabric to give away as presents.    A friend felt that I should paint fabric to sell as it looked completely different to other fabrics available...    I gave it some thought and decided to take the plunge and Brush Rags handpainted fabrics was born in 2001......    Initially I painted on calico but eventually I was not happy with the quality of the cloth anymore and I switched to 100% percale cotton.    It is a labour intensive process as the fabric gets washed and cut into fat quarters before painting, then gently washed by hand to get rid of all loose bits of paint and salt.    Each piece of fabric is ironed 3 times - ironing is very important with fabric paint as it sets the paint.    As I work alone, quality control is part of the entire process and rejects land in my scrap bag.  Wet painted pieces must lie flat to dry and cannot be moved while wet as it smudges easily - so it is easier to only paint fat quarters.     I love painting fabric, but I chose to keep a balance between quilting and painting as I feel I am a quilter and quilt teacher first and secondly I make fabric.....     Pied Piper, the local quilt shop in Port Elizabeth kindly sells my fabric at the National Quilt Festivals, otherwise I sell at the monthly Dias Quilters's Guild meetings and from home.

Samples of brush rags handpainted fabric

As often in the past, a telephone call brought a new opportunity....     I was asked by the Dutch Reformed Church in Summerstrand, PE to oversee the making of costumes for a show of Rut(h).   A shoestring budget was allocated for the show, a few volunteers to help me sew and some fabric donations.....!   Some of the fabric donations were old curtaining and sheets, just a few threads away from being threadbare....!   As it was a Biblical theme, the costumes had to fit the era, but I decided to give it a slight South African flavour....   I made the costumes for the two lead actors, Ruth and Boaz.   Ruth's costume had some appliqued detail around the neckline, sash and headgear.   Boaz had a cloak with lots of detail on the back ........    I made little pouches for the male cast members for the battery packs of the microphones to wear like a belt which looked like a leather pouch worn many years ago...   The ladies had a contraption which they wore on their backs hidden underneath their dresses....

Boaz - detail from back of cloak



Being involved in something completely different to what I normally do, was great fun.    The cast members were great and we used rehearsals for fitting sessions.    We made loose fitting tunic style dresses for the female cast with matching sashes.    For the male cast, we made a very easy kaftan style tunic with a sash to give it some shape.   For another scene, we made loose fitting pants, almost fitting like nappies.    We were quite hysterical when the guys fitted the pants the first time - but somehow it looked the part.    We used the linings of the old curtains and old sheets for the pants....    I decided to do duty backstage during the 3 shows should there be any mishaps with the costumes - something made me take my old little Bernina 807 and some sewing equipment, just in case.....     During one scene of the the play, the younger men was involved in a fight and had a wonderful time on stage, but the threadbare pants could not take the punch....   I ended up in the dressing room of the guys, sitting on my butt fixing the torn pants with magic applique and scraps with the guys changing around me telling all sorts of jokes.    The show had to go on and there was no other place close to a plugpoint for me to sit and sew....   The oldest cast member, a retired Reverend of the same congregation kept order and took care of me.   

I was fortunate to be in the audience at the final show, I was immensely proud to be part of such a wonderful production which really added value to my life.....     It was also a thrill to see my name  printed on the programme.....
  

Not always serious....

Towards the end of my 2 year term of office as the Chairlady of the Dias Quilters' Guild, our Guild had a joint challenge with the Port Elizabeth Embroiderers Guild in 2000 - the theme was "A Childs' Book of Wonder".   I felt obliged to participate although I was still exhausted after finishing Avian Grace.....

The theme of the challenge immediately took me back in time growing up with my friend, Trish Rush (nee Corbett) in Knysna.     We became friends at the tender age of 4 and we still share a strong bond 53 years later.   Initially we battled with conversation as we spoke different languages at home - she spoke English and I Afrikaans, but somehow we intuitively understood one another while playing.....     Because of Tishie, I was exposed to English books from a very young age as her mom took us to the library on Saturday mornings.    The English kids had a much bigger and better selection of books to choose from than us who read in Afrikaans.     I always paged through her books looking at all the lovely pictures and I just loved the Noddy books by Enid Blyton!   The Noddy books were the first English books which I learnt to read, before we started reading English at school.   So, I thought that using Noddy as theme for my challenge entry would be very apt and be a reminder of a wonderful childhood and very special friend.....


Childhood Pallies - Trish Rush and me in Port Elizabeth in 2007

As I normally do loads of research for the realistic themed quilts, this project was different as I only needed to get my hands on some Noddy books....!   I promptly paid the local library a visit and was delighted to find Noddy waiting patiently for me on the shelves.   The amazing thing was that I could immediately recall the delight meeting Noddy the first time, the feeling was the same as so many years before....!
I used this little book to sketch a design to make a small quilt, basically all machine appliqued and quilted.    I had great fun making a small floor rug as well as a quilt for the little bed.    For Noddy's unkept hair, I used the needlelace technique to make a wig which worked very well.  I used fabric paint to add some depth and shading.
  


Good Morning Sunshine 2000 - 2nd Prize A Childs' Book of Wonder 
Joint Challenge Dias Quilters's Guild and Port Elizabeth Embroiderers Guild

 Creating "Good Morning Sunshine" was great fun and a wonderful trip down memory lane..... Going further with my playful mood, I painted a label to sew onto the back of the quilt......

Label for Good Morning Sunshine - 2000

Making this quilt was the perfect therapy after finishing the intense work on Avian Grace.    It learnt me a great lesson as well - although life and our work is serious, we do need to nurture the play instinct to create balance in our lives.   It often is the small, insignificant things in life which gives us so much pleasure....  

My friend Wendy Singer and I decided to spend a day sewing waistcoats in 2000 for special creative time together as they were leaving South Africa to live in the UK.   At the time I was toying with the idea of  using scraps to make new fabric and our sewing session would be the ideal day for the experiment!  The idea was choosing a shape and cutting free hand - no precision cutting!    I chose a triangle as motif and cut lots of fairly small, irregular shaped triangles and randomly pinned it to the background fabric (one piece of the waistcoat front), the triangles overlapping one another with little bits of the background exposed.   I did not want to use applique paper to fuse the triangles down as it would give a very flat effect, my idea was to create a bit of texture.      I was careful to distribute the colour evenly accross the piece.  I cut the waistcoat front pieces bigger as I was afraid that all the stitching would shrink the pieces, which proved to be a wise decision.   I started off with ordinary sewing thread in a matching colour to the background fabric to secure the triangles to the background mainly to get rid of the pins and finished with various shades of rayon and metallic threads.  I stitched in a triangular motion to complement the shape of the triangles.    It really was mindless stitching, but most interesting as the triangles started to float on the background.     I finished it off by couching thick cotton and perle yarns also in a triangular motion which added to the texture. 

I finished the waiscoat off by fusing facings onto the right side and couching some of the same cotton and perle yarns onto the raw edge.   I  covered the facing space with free motion stitching, repeating the triangle theme using the same rayon and metallic threads used before.  

It created wonderful texture and opened many other possibilities for using tiny scraps.   



Waistcoat made from scraps - triangles pinned to background 2000

 I experimented with another waiscoat using rectangular shapes, but instead fused the bits to the background.   The result was smooth, neat and so much easier to stitch, but I preferred the more textured look although all the pins were quite tricky to navigate....

Waistcoat made from scraps - pieces fused to background 2001

Next time - Showtime........!