Light magic

Sometimes, it's simple things that delight.

The magic of light

refracting through a purple bottle.

All talked out

Wow - what a week of catching up with quilting friends! There may also have been a little shopping. I just can't go to the Sydney Quilt Show without buying something.

If you haven't yet seen the winning quilts, hop over to the photos here. You will find great inspiration, I promise.

Today, though, I visited Australian Quilt Market, a trade show for new fabrics and products in the quilt world, with Kate and Munaiba.

It was held at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, right on Sydney Harbour. I confess I am always overcome by the beauty of our harbour every time I see it. I'm a Sydneysider, born and bred. Love it!

No photos of the fabrics here, but I fell instantly for Collage by Carrie Bloomston. Must. Have. This. Fabric. You can see pics here, but they truly don't show how fabulous the prints are in real life. Drool.

I can show you, though, some of the ways Aurifil threads are packaged. I wanted to immediately snaffle sets of these colours for myself, but I think Jenny Scott would have missed them. My fave? Seascape, of course - beautiful blues.

Now I need some time alone, to process all that I've seen and all the conversations I've had this week. Thanks to everyone who chatted to me - it was lovely to catch up with you all.

One more sleep

until the Sydney Quilt Show!

 
This is a huge show - there are more than 400 quilts on display this year. Shown in conjunction with the Craft & Quilt Fair, the Sydney Quilt Show is a members' show organised by The Quilters' Guild of NSW Inc.

Will I see you there?
 

Playing with pineapples

I am fascinated by the shapes of pineapples. The overall shape of the fruit, the close-up shapes of the parts and the shapes once they are digitally altered.

I have some ideas for some textile pieces, so I tried some pencil sketch alterations of leaves.

I don't make pictorial works, so these shapes will need to be simplified again, abstracted.
 

 
The skin looks luscious here. Not hard and spiky, but with swollen edges.

With a neon effect, the skin has been converted to look like microbes under a telescope.

I'm still playing and wondering how far this will take me...

Weather wise

How does the weather affect you? Yesterday was a chilly, rainy day here and, through my eyes, everything looked very drab. All I wanted to do was stay inside in my cosy house, surrounded by all the comforts of home.
 

Today, though, it's a brilliant Sydney winter's day. Still chilly (only 14 degrees at 1.30pm), but there isn't a cloud in the azure blue sky. I toured my garden, taking snapshots of whatever looked interesting. The photo here is taken looking up into my crepe myrtle tree - what a blaze of colour!

All those leaves will soon fall, creating a colourful mulch on the bed underneath the tree. Covering the earth for the colder months ahead and raising my spirits in the meantime.

Living Colour!

Take advantage of this great opportunity to have your textile art included in the Living Colour! travelling exhibition. Curated by Brenda Gael Smith, the works will premiere at the Australasian Quilt Convention in 2014.

Full conditions of entry and entry form here. Go for it!

In my kitchen

Look - I cooked again!

Baked capsicum and tomatoes stuffed with couscous - easy peasy.

You will need:
A packet of Ainsley Harriott's couscous (I used Moroccan Medley)
A capsicum
Two large tomatoes
Olive oil

Method:
Prepare the couscous according to the instructions on the pack. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade. Cut the capsicum in half lengthwise and remove the centres and the seeds. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and remove the centres and the seeds.

Fill the capsicums and tomatoes with couscous and put them in an oven-proof dish. Pop the tops back on the tomatoes. Drizzle all with olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until soft. Devour with pleasure!