Sunshine Coast Guild Trunk Show

What a great group of quilters my sister and I met on the Sunshine Coast. I had only been to the area once before so it was fun to explore this beautiful area of the BC coast. Click here for more information about their guild. http://www.scquiltersguild.com/ It is my understanding there are several satellite quilting groups that meet along the sunshine coastal communities and once a month, Sept through to May, the quilters meet together as a large group. For the May meeting I was asked to provide a trunk show and lecture. Also I was given three tables to sell my hand (dye) painted fabrics prior to and after the meeting. I look forward to seeing what will be made with all those fabrics.

One of the highlights of being there was being able to enjoy the 'show and tell' where the members described and showed the quilts they had completed. All were unique and several were made for certain people so the quilt was specifically designed for the receiver. What a great way to provide the direction of a project.  

The creativity and design problem-solving of the group was shown several times when members made quilts and wall hangings from left-over pieced blocks or orphan fabrics from other projects. It made me wonder if the results weren't even more exciting than the original quilt.

Each quilter at the 'trunk show' receive a 2 1/2" piece of hand painted fabric attached to my business card with a small clothespin (for the significance click here Clothesline Series). Note below 5 things I came up with using a 2 1/2" square. What are your ideas?  

Quilters shopping for some of my hand painted fabrics prior to the meeting.

82 members attended the Sunshine Coast Guild Meeting on May 31, 2014 where I gave a trunk show and talk about the importance of 'design elements' in quilting.

Add 'Stitch Witchery' to the 2 1/2" hand painted square, cut out shapes, iron onto card stock, add free motion stitching to create a card.

Add 'Stitch Witchery' to the back of the 2 1/2" square, cut out shapes, add to muslin fabric, free motion stitch details for a quilt label. Write on details with a permanent Pigma type pen and press to set the ink.

2 1/2" square of hand painted fabric stitched to
 watercolour paper for a gift card.

Key Chain padded, sewn and embellished using a 2 1/2" hand painted fabric square.



Faux stamp for an envelope created out of an hand painted fabric.






10 Mug Rugs Find New Homes

Today is an exciting day!!! I am off for my first day hike in over a year during which time I have be rehabbing an injury. I look forward to the beautiful views and surely there will be wildflowers. I wanted to get a quick post in to you before a heading out but I best put in my camera and sketchbook so I can share what I saw with you next time.

Here are five of the mug rugs that found new homes! Rather than for coffee and a treat some are going to be for wine and appetizers! Note that even though the two gates are similar as well as the three hummingbirds, I have retained originality with each mug rug by varying the pieced work as well.



With this first hummingbird mug rug, there is only a small bit of red in the pieced work and the throat of the calliope so the red really stands out. In the quilted piece below the red strip in the pieced work is larger and the binding is red as well as having red in the bird and the feeder. Don't you thing the complementary green of the bird becomes more noticable?

In the last mug rug a lot of neutral colour was used along with the harmonious blue, green and yellow squares making that the colour theme throughout with a little complementary red zing of the hummingbird's throat. Fun to play around with colour.



Mineral Series of Fat Quarters - Hand (dye) Painted Textile

New 'Mineral Series' fat quarters are all ready! They will be showcased at the Sechelt Quilters Guild, Sat, May 31,  2014. Each one is individually painted so there is a wide variety of colours and designs. I am personally in love with the one below with the lime green accents.

June 1 and 2 they will be available for sale at Carola's Quilt Shop in Gibson, B.C.  I do commissioned work so if you see something you like on my blog or website Eileen's website feel free to contact me by email at egidman@kootenay.com 

'Mineral Series'
Hand (dye) Painted Cotton by me, Eileen Gidman
Washable

'Mineral Series'
Hand (dye) Painted Cotton by me, Eileen Gidman
Washable

This 'Turquoise and Honey Gold' fat quarter (below), from my Mineral Series is sold and the buyer is going to frame it under glass.  They do make nice art pieces but are also as easily cut and sewn into quilted pieces.

SOLD: 'Mineral Series'
Hand (dye) Painted Cotton by me, Eileen Gidman
Washable

'Mineral Series'
Hand (dye) Painted Cotton by me, Eileen Gidman
Washable

Trunk Show and Sale and Workshop In Gibsons BC and Sechelt BC

Pretty excited about an upcoming trip to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia for a Trunk Show and Sale and then a 2 day workshop that I giving. As you can see from the photos, packing is taking place for all three events.



Soda Soaked Fabric Drying for Upcoming Painting with Dyes Workshop
by me, Eileen Gidman



Hand Painted Squares
by Eileen Gidman

Hand Painted Fat Quarters and Panels on Cotton Fabric
by Eileen Gidman

For the Trunk Show

Workshop Packing
Including 14 meters of Soda Soaked Cotton Fabric

Coasters? Small Placemats? No these are Quilted Mug Rugs



Stitched from my Sketchbook Drawing



This Spring's Daffodils

Fish from this Winter's Course of Oriental Painting

Wild Grasses from my Sketchbook

 Personalized little quilted works of art. Making a mug rug for someone in particular allows me to go through my selection of hand painted fabrics and choose something meaningful. Then it is so much fun deciding what commercial fabrics to go put with the painted fabric piece. Next is deciding how to piece the fabrics together. The choices are endless but I find I am more attracted to the free form piecing methods. I am sure traditional piecing would be great too.

To start with I was making the binding from a 2 1/2" folded strip but have since changed to a 2 1/4" fold strip which is adequate when sewing the binding on completely by machine.

This Winter's Watercolours

I can't tell you how satisfying it is to see your art work framed and then how relieving it is to have your art work safely delivered to where it is being displayed. The following  six watercolour paintings represent my winter's work for 'Your Art's Desire' gallery in Kaslo, BC.  Be sure to stop in this summer if you are in the Kaslo area. 

Kaslo Series: 'Campground Street'

Clothesline Series: 'Kaslo Campground'

Kaslo Series: 'Snowcaps and Blossoms'

'Gramma's Bedroom'

'Wren of the Forest'

'Bluebird Box'

Newest Painting in the Clothesline Series



Clothesline Series: 'Kaslo Campground'
watercolour by Eileen Gidman
currently available at 'Your Arts Desire', Kaslo, BC

The promotion of energy conservation as well as renewable energy usage is important to me. My goal with this watercolour Clothesline Series, that I have been doing over several years, is to draw attention to the everyday ways of saving energy. Not only can we hang our clothes to dry whenever possible but there are many small ways of saving energy. Click here for some home energy savings tips from Fortis BC Fortis BC's energy saving tips. 

Not only can we dry our clothes whenever practical but we can turn off lights as we leaving rooms and when purchasing new appliances we can look to the energy savings ones. About 20% of our energy usage goes to heating water. That is food for thought isn't it. I know my fabric dyeing requires a hot water wash but the rest of my clothes washing can be done in cold water.

Last summer when in Kaslo, BC for the Langham Gallery opening of the Portrait Project (Link for the Portrait Project), it was fortunate we drove through the Kaslo campground as there was this perfectly lovely motorcycle camp set up. With the cozy look to the camp and the casual clothesline, I knew instantly I had the idea for my next clothesline series. The watercolour painting is available now at 'Your Arts Desire' gallery in Kaslo, BC or I can provided details if you email me at egidman@kootenay.com

Even though the other paintings in the series are sold you can click here to view them.  Clothesline Series in Watercolour