Quilt Study Group 2016: February Talk by Kerry Easton

German made Edwardian Sewing basket

On Saturday the 13th of February 2016, Kerry Easton will give a talk and display of needlework implements for the Quilt Study Group of NSW. Kerry is a member of The Needlework Tool Collectors Society of Australia and has a wonderful collection of the needlework tools that we all take for granted and are of special interest to quilters.  

Please bring along any examples of your historic needlework implements to show and share with us.

Avery Butterfly Needle Case

The talk will start at 2pm and will be held in the Meeting Room at The Glover Cottages, 124 Kent Street, Millers Point in Sydney. Entry is $5 for members of the Quilters' Guild of NSW, $10 for other guests. Afternoon tea is provided.

Whispered Threads 2015 Exhibiton

Whispered Threads 2015 is on exhibition at Sutherland Library in south Sydney until 7 February 2016.  It is a Chinese Whispers challenge undertaken last year by Quilt NSW members: Christine Kondratenko, Sandra Lyons, Deborah Louie, Robyn Eves, Robert James,Heather Middleton, Gail Sadleir and Denise Sargo. A second series is under way.

As Robyn Eves explains:

Whispered Threads arose out of a desire to try a Chinese Whispers style quilt challenge, a version of which I had seen exhibited in the UK in 2014. 

As I understood it, it starts with an image/photo (or object) shown only to Whisperer (textile artist) 1 who makes a quilt in response to it. That quilt is passed on to Whisperer 2 who makes a quilt in response to it. That quilt is passed on to Whisperer 3 and so on. The quilts were restored to their owners after they had served their purpose and then finally collected for photographing and exhibition (in camera). 

Each Whisperer was given 5 weeks to complete his or her quilt.
No one saw any quilt except the one immediately before their own and the quilts were revealed at the same time to the whole group for a private first viewing. 

It has been a most interesting experience and there has been much discussion about the challenges, and possible changes that we would like to see in Whispered Threads 2016.

Talking about Colour: Cathy Jack Coupland

Colour, a solo exhibition by Quilt NSW member Cathy Jack Coupland continues at Timeless Textiles Gallery, 90 Hunter St, Newcastle East NSW until 14 February 2016. Here's a video with Cathy talking about Colour.

Australian Embroidery

Australian Embroidery

15 - 31 January 2016

Government House Sydney

Macquarie St

Featuring items from the Embroiderers' Guild NSW's collection, highlighting Australiana and Australian embroiderers and textile artists.

The exhibition includes traditional and contemporary pieces in techniques such as whitework (as seen below), quilting, surface stitchery, machine embroidery and pulled and drawn work.

Tours are scheduled on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, every half hour from 10.30 am to 3pm. Further information www.governor.nsw.gov.au. Special extended viewing on Australia Day.

Colour: Cathy Jack Coupland

an exhibition with the theme 'Colour Me Australia'

Timeless Textiles Gallery Newcastle

(90 Hunter St)

21.1.16  till 14.2 16

Opening night 6pm - 8pm Thursday 21st Jan. 2016 by Mary Brown.

'Waratah'

Sydney based textile artist Cathy Jack Coupland demonstrates her mastery of colour in her first solo exhibition at Timeless Textiles Gallery in Newcastle.

The works in the Colour: Cathy Jack Coupland exhibition range from bold use of bright, solid colours to the subtlest interweaving of contrasting-coloured threads.

'Kookaburra'

Cathy’s works are entirely covered with thousands upon thousands of stitches.  These beautiful works are all free-machine-embroidered, a technique also referred to as ‘thread painting’.   The resulting surface shimmers and undulates with a life all their own.

“I am thrilled to hold my first solo exhibition at Timeless Textiles in Newcastle.  I want to show how important colour is to me and to my work.  It’s an amazing subject to study and research and it can have a huge impact on our senses and emotions.  It is inspiring and pleasurable for me and I hope, all who view it.”