Weekending

How busy the days are in December! The most hectic month in a jewellers calendar, and a Mothers too I would argue. Between an influx of orders, school craft days, a looming seventh birthday, preparations for Christmas, and a holiday by the beach, it's a time for breathing deep when the to-do list threatens to overwhelm, A time to ensure there are scheduled time outs to enjoy life as a family and not get lost in the hustle and bustle of break up parties, school assemblies and swimming lesson blocks. And so was our adventure last weekend, as we explored the GOMA markets, APT and the museum. Amidst the visual feast. we were all taken by the carpet of flame tree flowers between the galleries, and they way their colours popped against the green of the grass.

I hope you are enjoying the season of celebrations, and finding time to explore and discover as well too! xx

Weekending

Rainy, City days

Library Cafe

Yardage Design

Bravo Juliet Designs

Each to Own

Pareidolia Ceramics

Avril Bowrie

Pinky & Maurice

Jennifer Orland

Queensland Art Gallery

California Design Exhibition

Saturday was one of those child free days that seem to happen oh so rarely for this stay at home Mama, but is so completely necessary. While my darling husband kept the children amused with rainy day activities, I headed in to the City to meet up with friends for a cuppa, visit the GOMA design market and explore the California Design Exhibition. The market goers weren't discouraged by Saturday's deluge and the market holders sold their gorgeous wares beneath a marquee, despite the puddles beneath their feet. I secured a few more Christmas presents and mentally added several more to my personal shopping list, while chatting with the wonderful stall holders. The California Design exhibition was a joy to wander through, gathering inspiration and gazing in appreciation at the beauty and skill on show. It was made doubly lovely by bumping in to Jennie and her family, then sharing lunch with my twin sister and her husband.

All in all a wonderful day and a fantastic start to what was a special weekend.
I do believe I shall need to schedule another such day soon...

* Sorry about the quality of some of the photos. Due to the rainy weather I left my big camera at home and relied on my phone camera - which didn't always like the lighting conditions.

'Quilts 1700 - 1945' Queensland Art Gallery

Queensland Art Gallery's current exhibition, Quilts 1700 - 1945, will appeal to a wider audience that you would first imagine. There is the beautiful history and legacy of such craft, which will lure those with a historical leaning. There is the handmade element, the workmanship and detail, which will appeal to crafters, artisans and makers of any medium. Then there is the element of design - pattern, colour, texture, motifs - which have a universal appeal. Each quilt a practical work of beauty.

As I stopped before each magnificent quilt on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum, I couldn't help but think that those quilts were like the blogs off their day. A visual expression of ones creative self. A way to document, engage and reflect. An investment of time and patience. The beautiful, hand worked quilts, coverlets and even pincushions reflected the individual makers aesthetic and environment. Coverlet with Sundial for instance, portrays appliqued domestic items and flowers from the makers life. Maps figure in each corner, reflecting her interest in geography. Other quilts included textile panels which celebrated military victories and royal occasions, "revealing an engagement with the world beyond the confines of the domestic domain." While a more recent paper pieced hexagon quilt took three years to create using fabric recycled from old shirts, dresses and black out curtains, in the aftermath of World War II.

"Recycling materials bore witness to a wife's practicality. The paper templates used in patchwork during this period were cut from receipts, shopping lists and ledger books. Patchwork and quilt making also provided an opportunity for women to showcase her skills to family and friends." - from the gallery wall

Any plain fabric and wadding can make a simple, practical quilt. But is takes the makers hand and heart to create a quilt of beauty and meaning. The collecting, designing, cutting, rearranging, stitching, all an art in themselves. Quilts are like blogs. They both fulfill a human need to document and share. Different platforms for a similar need.

The exhibition really resonated with me. I found it to be a rewarding, well curated and enjoyable experience. If you are in Brisbane it's certainly worth a visit.