Bwama Island

I took a photo of Bwama Island, an Island in Lake Bunyoni, Uganda a few years ago with the idea that I would someday make a quilt to remind me of a visit to Bushara Island. I also took 2 classes with Sue Benner, one on abstraction and the other about landscapes. I love the way she uses strips, and decided I would try her method. I love the result, and am anxious to make more using the same technique.



The strips I used are sari silk purchases at the Back Porch quilt store in Pacific Grove, California. They come in a variety of colors and designs and are twisted up into a skein, much like yarn. Obviously my someday is here! This exercise stretched me somewhat, and I am anxious to do more.

This is the full size 12 x 12 picture of Bwama Island challenge quilt. Actually, it is terraced fields given by the local Diocese to women who are able to till the land and feed their families with the produce. I used raw edge strips, laid out to represent the terraces as they rise out of Lake Bunyoni. I have folded some pieces to create abstract plants and thread painting to make the reeds in the lake.

OK Barbara, what's the next challenge theme? Gladys is sitting beside me as I do this because I am technologically challenged, and she promises to have hers posted today as well, and when she does, she'll start nagging!

Island Challenge - Pippa

My piece is called "Choices". When I first heard what the first challenge theme was, I thought about working with a map of Hornby Island. The latter is my "happy place", and I have been thinking about playing with the altitudinal lines for sometime. But then I thought about my commitment to myself to work with Africa-inspired textiles and themes, and wondered about making a landscape quilt, looking out at the island across the way from Bushara Island in Uganda. But I knew that Joan was going to do that, so I asked myself what I would do if I just let myself be free and do whatever I wanted. Well . . . there is this image of a young woman - troubled, thoughtful - that I have had since I was in my teens. It represents a time that was very difficult for me. I screen-printed it onto a variety of grey fabrics, and chose one of them for the focal point in this quilt. I though about the saying "No man is an island", but the truth is that sometimes you can feel very much alone, very much an island, and that's what I wanted to work with. In the end, it is your own choices and your own life that you are responsible for - no-one else's. So the screen-printed girl became an island. Life is happily carrying on all around her, but she is left to make a choice, a decision, on her own.
I so look forward to seeing all the other challenges. Any chance we'll be able to see them all together at some point, Gladys? Sort of like the Twelve by Twelve group? That would be wonderful.

Moon Snail Fever

Today was another dreary overcast day, so I decided to do some laundry. After I loaded the machine I noticed a pile of moon snails in my laundry sink. I had left them there after a walk on the beach an had rinsed them out in the laundry room sink. As I picked them up I was struck by how much colour these shells had compared to the ones we usually find on shore that have been bleached white by the sun. I wondered why I hadn't used these moon snails as my inspiration for our island theme??Especially since walking along the shore and picking up shells is one of my favorite island activities?! Well then the fever struck! I had to make something now!! First I put all my shells into a bowl:

Then I pushed a bunch of buttons in our photo program then I got this:

Then I traced this image onto a mint green mottled batik fabric and coloured it with pencil crayons and quilted it with clear monopoly thread to get this:

Whew the fever has passed!

Crash - By Karrie

 I have some beautiful pictures from a day my hubby and I spent along the beaches in the Tofino and Ucluelet BC area. I love the waves crashing on the rocks. I have never made rocks or surf so here is my attempt. First I pieced layered and quilted the background.

Then I painted Tyvek envelopes and cut out rock shapes then melted them, then added yet more paint. Once I had a pile of rocks I laid them out onto my piece.

 The next issue was the "surf" I had some unspun batts (for spinning yarn) so I spread it out onto the piece and liked the look so I put thin slices of Mistyfuse under the fleece and fused it into place.

Lastly I needed the spray so I used a fan brush and added more paint. I stitched the fleece and rocks down by machine. Then I added a border to allow me to stretch the finished piece onto a 12 x 12 canvas. Its a bit more simplistic looking than I had hoped at the start but I learned several new techniques and I like the overall effect. I have not worked much with paint so this was a stretch for me. It was interesting to me how much difference it made just adding a touch of green/blue paint between the rocks at the bottom of the piece. I'm looking forward to the next challenge and seeing everyone else's work, so far they have been amazing.

Fractal Island by Kathy

fractal  (ˈfræktəl)
— n
1.	a figure or surface generated by successive subdivisions of asimpler polygon or  polyhedron, according to some iterative process

I have been intrigued with fractals for a long time. When looking at fractals, I envision islands, thus my creation Fractal Island.
The main fractal portion is covered in a fine wire mesh.That I embroidered, painted and sewed through.

There is a cluster of seed beads that follow the spiral.   Lastly, trapunto was used to give the piece 3-dimension.

This has been a fun challenge!

Kathy Kerstetter

Kalamazoo, MI

AGATE BEACH by Diane B.

Agate Beach is an islet in the Alberni Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  

I joined this challenge group due to peer pressure from a friend.    I liked the first topic so thought to give it a try. 

My piece is made from silk fusion over a fabric base.  I wanted a dimensional look so did the decorative stitching in three steps.   Through one layer, then two layers and finally through the Timtex backing using  an assortment of variegated threads.  A little tedious but it worked. Beads were added to finish my island.

A fun and challenging project using techniques new to me.   Thanks Gladys.

Island Challenge by Dale

Gladys - I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge and I thank you for asking me to join this group of talented artists.

This was my first ever any kind of challenge.  As frustrating as it was for me to get started on my island (spending the entire month of April in "The Big City" didn't help), I learned a lot about myself and think that I finally heard the voices of my staunchest supporters - my husband, sister, long-time friend, and two new friends - who, without fail, encourage me in my "experiments" and often make me cry.

I even think I may have heard my own voice and that, too, made me cry. This whole exercise brought out a lot of different emotions - something I was not expecting and which surprised me. I think it's a good thing.

When I first sat down in front of my cutting mat - new blade in my rotary cutter and a cat or two to help with the decision-making - to execute my Grand Plan (which was to "create an island that looks exactly like an island"), I sorted, re-sorted, stacked, folded, ironed, cut, Misty-fused, de-cat furred, and sewed 1/4" seams on FIVE (yep - 5) different 12 x 12 pieces - none of which made want to actually go to those islands, let alone put any more time into them.

I finally realized that cutting up and piecing commercial fabric is not what gives me deep satisfaction, although it gives me pleasure.  Seeking inspiration and that deep satisfaction, I rummaged through my "experiments", and finally found my island.

Close-up of lower left corner

Close-up of lower right corner

My island, which was made at least two years ago, is made from muslin, cheesecloth and white glue/water, and was painted with acrylic paints while wet. I added hand-stitching in perle cotton and silk and cotton embroidery floss, beads and a few pieces of a transparent green ribbon. I used several different metallic and rayon threads in my machine to add more texture and colour. My island is appliqued to a pale celery-green raw silk background. The raw edges are satin-stitched.

My Island.

I anxiously await photos of the other members' islands - and the next challenge.