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Showing posts with label Quilts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quilts. Show all posts
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Friday, November 13, 2009
Hey that's me!
Minute 1:30. I was taking a Dear Jane class as part of the Made in New York Quilt Exhibition and the woman on the left is showing me a technique. I look way too serious! Enjoy the quilts!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
... Or How I Learned to Love the Embassy Mail Pouch System
My quilting buds from South Jersey (rules!) and I did a block exchange this Summer. Center pieces were prepared, distributed and we all used the same pattern to complete the block. (Good choice Zehdreh!)
These are my centers, made using paper piecing and mostly shwee shwee fabric from a local store. Baskets are a big deal in Botswana so that is why I choose the pattern. I pieced the block rather than use a single fabric because I was a gazillion miles from my exchange partners and didn't know any better!
These are everybody else's completed blocks which I (eventually) got mailed back to them.
What a great color exercise that was! I only had the fabrics I brought with me (can't really use the local stuff as isn't 100% cotton except for the shwee shwee) and it was important to take the color preferences and personalities of the recipients into account. I hope I was close. It will be interesting to see what everyone's completed quilt tops will look like.
Mailing back the blocks and the subsequent signature labels (don't ask) was really tricky because we are greatly limited in the size and weight that can be shipped via the embassy back to the United States of America. So to explain the delay I included the following list.
1. I couldn't find stamps - this really was a factor as you can't buy them here!
2. I missed the embassy "mail plane" as it only comes on Tuesdays.
3. I couldn't find the blocks/signature labels.
4. I got distra... Look! Butterflies!
5. I was in South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and/or Ethiopia.
6. The dog ate my homework ... make that "envelope"
7. Dry Mouth = couldn't seal the envelope.
8. Dingoes stole my pens = couldn't address the envelope.
9. I knew there was something I needed to Finnish but thought it referred to the language.
10. I was working on a time machine so I could go into the past and mail it to you before you even mailed them to me, thus creating a paradox and possibly a tear in the time-space continuum because, as you now see, I am actually and evil scientist out to rule the world. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!
The best laid planes of mice, men, and quilters in Africa often get waylaid. This is after they go awry but before they go out the window. All the blocks arrived in Jersey (still rules!) safely.
These are my centers, made using paper piecing and mostly shwee shwee fabric from a local store. Baskets are a big deal in Botswana so that is why I choose the pattern. I pieced the block rather than use a single fabric because I was a gazillion miles from my exchange partners and didn't know any better!
These are everybody else's completed blocks which I (eventually) got mailed back to them.
What a great color exercise that was! I only had the fabrics I brought with me (can't really use the local stuff as isn't 100% cotton except for the shwee shwee) and it was important to take the color preferences and personalities of the recipients into account. I hope I was close. It will be interesting to see what everyone's completed quilt tops will look like.Mailing back the blocks and the subsequent signature labels (don't ask) was really tricky because we are greatly limited in the size and weight that can be shipped via the embassy back to the United States of America. So to explain the delay I included the following list.
1. I couldn't find stamps - this really was a factor as you can't buy them here!
2. I missed the embassy "mail plane" as it only comes on Tuesdays.
3. I couldn't find the blocks/signature labels.
4. I got distra... Look! Butterflies!
5. I was in South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and/or Ethiopia.
6. The dog ate my homework ... make that "envelope"
7. Dry Mouth = couldn't seal the envelope.
8. Dingoes stole my pens = couldn't address the envelope.
9. I knew there was something I needed to Finnish but thought it referred to the language.
10. I was working on a time machine so I could go into the past and mail it to you before you even mailed them to me, thus creating a paradox and possibly a tear in the time-space continuum because, as you now see, I am actually and evil scientist out to rule the world. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!
The best laid planes of mice, men, and quilters in Africa often get waylaid. This is after they go awry but before they go out the window. All the blocks arrived in Jersey (still rules!) safely.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Don't Mess with a Quilter
Ohmygodisitonly4am?
I can’t sleep. Crummy for me. Worse for Lance because this means I will probably be such a delight in a few hours. Good for you though because, since I can’t sleep because I have travel stories running through my head I might as well share them. Like this one I’m calling, “Don’t mess with a quilter" and takes place during our Nambia trip.
So for three of the four days we were in the capital city of Windhoek, Lance had meetings at the embassy, leaving me to my own devices. I researched and prioritized and on day one hit all the fabric stores I could find! First was formerly De Gama, now Jackson textiles.
What was really exciting about this place is the “Lollipop Line” of Shwe shwee they have on order.
Nothing in stock yet but the owner showed off the samples and they are going to be so much fun! We can only get red , blue, brown and the very very rare purple in Botswana. Here’s hoping the brighter colors make their way East.
Another surprise was a limited line of 100% fabric printed in South Africa specifically for quilters. As fabric imported from American designers are so prohibitively expensive, it’s great to see the SA fabric industry targeting the quilters.
Down a busy street and through three other fabric stores. Most was standard home decor or formal wear polyester fabrics. Nothing that really said “Africa!” Several of the stores had modest selections of large pattern, wax displacement, West African batik but high prices and our upcoming trip to Cameroon kept me from being too tempted. Again, many of the stores "cotton" sections were dominated by fabric produced in China. 
This at least is the origin story grumbled by other shoppers looking for traditional fabrics. It doesn't tend to be anything spectacular from a design perspective, is really thin and hard to work with. But you work with what you've got so I've been playing with some I picked up in Gabs.
A few hours were spent wondering through the very touristy but kinda fun craft market. Local fund raising projects were there as well as a few local artists. I didn’t take a lot of pictures because my phone was low on juice and I needed to save it for calling the cab home and in case Lance tried to reach me. We were saving the camera (sans charger) for the dunes later in the trip.
So I’m in a “Local Craft Store” seeing stuff that is gorgeous and totally overpriced which I know because I’ve seen it all along a dozen roadsides in four other countries by now. Wood carvings, decorated ostrich eggs, beaded animals galore. At this point it takes a lot to impress me but then these caught my eye and I got excited!
The photos don't do them justice. Very simple and familiar techniques: Hawaiian looking applique, sashiko-like top stitching and crazy quilt piecing. Fan-tas-tic true cotton fabrics! I'm hyped and eager to find out which country they came from. One of the clerks tells me she doesn’t know as her boss orders them.
A few minutes later another clerk tells me, “Local woman.”
Me: No seriously, where do they come from?
Her: Local woman. She makes them in her home.
Me: What?
Her: She makes them and sells them to us.
Me: Right.
And I walk out.
Having just been to a good sample of stores where the "local women" get their supplies and not seeing ANYTHING (!!!!!) like the fabrics used in those quilts I was positive this clerk was totally lying to me.
Screw that. Screw you. I’m outta here.
The next day I found myself in the market's satellite store and asked the clerk there if she knew where the quilts came from. She honestly answered that she didn’t know. Closer inspection revealed a “Made in India” tag sew onto one of the seams. Oh my G. Turns out hardly anything in that store is really made in Namibia! India, China (again with China), Zimbabwe ...
Caveat Emptor I suppose. The clerk in the satellite store commented that many of her peers will tell shoppers that items are by Namibians because they believe it will increase the odds of a sale. Street sellers are always saying that that their items are crafted by their aunts or fathers “back home” so that seems to lend credence. I think this is an international scam as Lance and I purchase a very very leaky cup and saucer while in Korea, made by the shop owner’s father who ironically seemed to be making identical cups for all the other shops on the street as well.
Like I said. Lance and I are increasingly hard to impress. They were really nice looking quilts though. : )
I can’t sleep. Crummy for me. Worse for Lance because this means I will probably be such a delight in a few hours. Good for you though because, since I can’t sleep because I have travel stories running through my head I might as well share them. Like this one I’m calling, “Don’t mess with a quilter" and takes place during our Nambia trip.
So for three of the four days we were in the capital city of Windhoek, Lance had meetings at the embassy, leaving me to my own devices. I researched and prioritized and on day one hit all the fabric stores I could find! First was formerly De Gama, now Jackson textiles.
What was really exciting about this place is the “Lollipop Line” of Shwe shwee they have on order.
Nothing in stock yet but the owner showed off the samples and they are going to be so much fun! We can only get red , blue, brown and the very very rare purple in Botswana. Here’s hoping the brighter colors make their way East.
Another surprise was a limited line of 100% fabric printed in South Africa specifically for quilters. As fabric imported from American designers are so prohibitively expensive, it’s great to see the SA fabric industry targeting the quilters.
Down a busy street and through three other fabric stores. Most was standard home decor or formal wear polyester fabrics. Nothing that really said “Africa!” Several of the stores had modest selections of large pattern, wax displacement, West African batik but high prices and our upcoming trip to Cameroon kept me from being too tempted. Again, many of the stores "cotton" sections were dominated by fabric produced in China. 
This at least is the origin story grumbled by other shoppers looking for traditional fabrics. It doesn't tend to be anything spectacular from a design perspective, is really thin and hard to work with. But you work with what you've got so I've been playing with some I picked up in Gabs.
A few hours were spent wondering through the very touristy but kinda fun craft market. Local fund raising projects were there as well as a few local artists. I didn’t take a lot of pictures because my phone was low on juice and I needed to save it for calling the cab home and in case Lance tried to reach me. We were saving the camera (sans charger) for the dunes later in the trip.So I’m in a “Local Craft Store” seeing stuff that is gorgeous and totally overpriced which I know because I’ve seen it all along a dozen roadsides in four other countries by now. Wood carvings, decorated ostrich eggs, beaded animals galore. At this point it takes a lot to impress me but then these caught my eye and I got excited!
The photos don't do them justice. Very simple and familiar techniques: Hawaiian looking applique, sashiko-like top stitching and crazy quilt piecing. Fan-tas-tic true cotton fabrics! I'm hyped and eager to find out which country they came from. One of the clerks tells me she doesn’t know as her boss orders them.A few minutes later another clerk tells me, “Local woman.”
Me: No seriously, where do they come from?
Her: Local woman. She makes them in her home.
Me: What?
Her: She makes them and sells them to us.
Me: Right.
And I walk out.
Having just been to a good sample of stores where the "local women" get their supplies and not seeing ANYTHING (!!!!!) like the fabrics used in those quilts I was positive this clerk was totally lying to me.
Screw that. Screw you. I’m outta here.
The next day I found myself in the market's satellite store and asked the clerk there if she knew where the quilts came from. She honestly answered that she didn’t know. Closer inspection revealed a “Made in India” tag sew onto one of the seams. Oh my G. Turns out hardly anything in that store is really made in Namibia! India, China (again with China), Zimbabwe ...
Caveat Emptor I suppose. The clerk in the satellite store commented that many of her peers will tell shoppers that items are by Namibians because they believe it will increase the odds of a sale. Street sellers are always saying that that their items are crafted by their aunts or fathers “back home” so that seems to lend credence. I think this is an international scam as Lance and I purchase a very very leaky cup and saucer while in Korea, made by the shop owner’s father who ironically seemed to be making identical cups for all the other shops on the street as well.
Like I said. Lance and I are increasingly hard to impress. They were really nice looking quilts though. : )
Monday, March 9, 2009
Who watches the Watchmen? We did on Sunday afternoon.
Hey All,
First and foremost, the service for Daniel was great. People told jokes, a guy played Jimmy Hendricks on guitar and, of course, there was a quilt or two hanging around. Now this is not as good as the "greatest memorial service ever" which had quilters, motorcycle dudes in leather and a pan flutist. That was really something! Wish it wouldn't have been necessary of course but darnit, if you gotta have one of these things its nice to go eclectic and really reflect the person's tastes.
As such, Lance and I have decided that if we ever need of a memorial service then someone needs to come dressed as a superhero. I'll let you guys work the details out amongst yourselves. Just let us know when you come to a consensus.
Speaking of superheros. Lance and I and nine of our closest friends saw Watchmen this weekend!
The movie that everyone said would never happen, happened in a big and beautiful way.
Note: if you have not read the comic book (or graphic novel... whatever) and don't particularly like dark movies, skip it. If you did read Watchmen at some point... then I'm preaching to the choir and what do you mean you've only seen it twice since it opened on Friday???
But if you didn't read it and think that "Superhero Movies" have gotten a little ridiculous in the past few years, (Spiderman III, Superman and Xmen III, I'm looking at you) see this movie for a good wake up. That's what the original comic was meant to be, a frank look at what the world would be like if were really were people who dressed up in costume and did heroic things. People are saved by people who need saving sort of thing. To steal a line one of the characters, "Why are so few of us left active, happy and without personality disorders?"
Oh, and it was a possibly crazy Englishman's 1980s response to the cold war and game theory gone arry. : ) Here is a link to the first page:
http://www.scottdstrader.com/blog/ether_archives/000249.html
So that was Sunday afternoon. That morning and that evening in to the weeee hours of Monday, I worked on a new quilt class to be taught Monday morning. HAND PIECING, omg. The class went fine but I think I'll stick to machine piecing for my personal stuff.
Lance has discovered that colleges are a little more flexible with their deadlines if you don't need financial aid. As such he has been filling out applications and writing personal statements for Ohio University, Indiana University, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. All look like they would be in good quilting locations so I'm game for whatever. Lance has already been accepted to the Navel Post Graduate School in Monterey... which would be wonderful... but he is interested in a civilian education so will probably go somewhere else. Maybe. Who knows! More info as it comes in.
Speaking of quilting, I need to get to work before the sun goes down. Colors change color in crappy embassy housing light.
: )
Kristin
First and foremost, the service for Daniel was great. People told jokes, a guy played Jimmy Hendricks on guitar and, of course, there was a quilt or two hanging around. Now this is not as good as the "greatest memorial service ever" which had quilters, motorcycle dudes in leather and a pan flutist. That was really something! Wish it wouldn't have been necessary of course but darnit, if you gotta have one of these things its nice to go eclectic and really reflect the person's tastes.
As such, Lance and I have decided that if we ever need of a memorial service then someone needs to come dressed as a superhero. I'll let you guys work the details out amongst yourselves. Just let us know when you come to a consensus.
Speaking of superheros. Lance and I and nine of our closest friends saw Watchmen this weekend!
The movie that everyone said would never happen, happened in a big and beautiful way. Note: if you have not read the comic book (or graphic novel... whatever) and don't particularly like dark movies, skip it. If you did read Watchmen at some point... then I'm preaching to the choir and what do you mean you've only seen it twice since it opened on Friday???
But if you didn't read it and think that "Superhero Movies" have gotten a little ridiculous in the past few years, (Spiderman III, Superman and Xmen III, I'm looking at you) see this movie for a good wake up. That's what the original comic was meant to be, a frank look at what the world would be like if were really were people who dressed up in costume and did heroic things. People are saved by people who need saving sort of thing. To steal a line one of the characters, "Why are so few of us left active, happy and without personality disorders?"
Oh, and it was a possibly crazy Englishman's 1980s response to the cold war and game theory gone arry. : ) Here is a link to the first page:
http://www.scottdstrader.com/blog/ether_archives/000249.htmlSo that was Sunday afternoon. That morning and that evening in to the weeee hours of Monday, I worked on a new quilt class to be taught Monday morning. HAND PIECING, omg. The class went fine but I think I'll stick to machine piecing for my personal stuff.
Lance has discovered that colleges are a little more flexible with their deadlines if you don't need financial aid. As such he has been filling out applications and writing personal statements for Ohio University, Indiana University, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. All look like they would be in good quilting locations so I'm game for whatever. Lance has already been accepted to the Navel Post Graduate School in Monterey... which would be wonderful... but he is interested in a civilian education so will probably go somewhere else. Maybe. Who knows! More info as it comes in.
Speaking of quilting, I need to get to work before the sun goes down. Colors change color in crappy embassy housing light.
: )
Kristin
Monday, December 15, 2008
Yeah, yeah. But what about the FABRIC?
So today I got to do my big time, fill the suitcase, no plan, no worries, modest budget fabric shopping. And oh my goodness. The fabric here is amazing. And so so so so so cheap! And it's COTTON! Excuse me while I go do the happy dance and scare some locals.
You see, in beautiful Botswana, Shweeshwee is the only game in town if you want something that is 100% cotton. Everything else is poly mix and is more suited for suits or window treatments than quilts. So you can imagine my thrill at seeing things like this.
Prices vary depending on if you buy it from some guy on the street (always a guy, usually with friends who sing backup on "oh no rich tourist, your offer is too low" or a shop in the heart of a tourist area... 
or in a place a little more geared towards the locals. On average it worked out to be 2 or 3 dollars a meter. Not bad.
All over Mozambique, women wear them as wrap skirts or "capulanas" over their slacks or skirts. They also work well as babies slings across the back or to hold whatever else needs to be carried. They also work well as towels at the beach and ground covers everywhere else.
Capulanas can be bought but more customarily given as gifts to commemorate a special event or relationship. When a woman gets married she takes with her a bunch of capulanas that tell her story. I was told that the fabric patterns are regional and different patterns are appropriate for formal or day to day wear. Thighs are covered as they are offensive and it is believed that only prostitutes show their knees. (So glad I did not do the touristy thing and wear shorts!) Married women wear headscarves and bundle an additional capulana to make carrying things on the head more stable.
Men use to wear capulanas as well but have switched to western style clothing. According to one article I read, they may still wear capulanas in post-battle cleansing rituals which are taken off and burned on the spot or allowed to drift down river releasing them of whatever impurity of past actions they want to be rid of. (Note: Google is awesome.)
Blurry photos of beautiful fabrics and the stores that sell them.
Fabric is printed with the usual flora and fauna but also can have photos of politicians or social issues. Note the AIDS fabric hung in the upper right corner.
So I bought some. Actually I bought some, cut the pieces in half then sold the non-kept half to a Gaborone quilt store.
Much of this fabric will probably be turned into grocery bags like this one I made for a friend for Christmas. And yes, that is lined, top stitched and has a flat bottom thank you very much. 
Okay, admittedly that pear concerns me greatly. The stuff of nightmares. Who knows?!? Maybe that is what some artist in India's idea of a pear leaf looks like. (Rumor has it that is where the capulanas fabric is printed.) Regardless, easy and useful Christmas gift made from cheep materials that doesn't look like crap... fantastic!
You see, in beautiful Botswana, Shweeshwee is the only game in town if you want something that is 100% cotton. Everything else is poly mix and is more suited for suits or window treatments than quilts. So you can imagine my thrill at seeing things like this.
Prices vary depending on if you buy it from some guy on the street (always a guy, usually with friends who sing backup on "oh no rich tourist, your offer is too low" or a shop in the heart of a tourist area... 
or in a place a little more geared towards the locals. On average it worked out to be 2 or 3 dollars a meter. Not bad.All over Mozambique, women wear them as wrap skirts or "capulanas" over their slacks or skirts. They also work well as babies slings across the back or to hold whatever else needs to be carried. They also work well as towels at the beach and ground covers everywhere else.
Capulanas can be bought but more customarily given as gifts to commemorate a special event or relationship. When a woman gets married she takes with her a bunch of capulanas that tell her story. I was told that the fabric patterns are regional and different patterns are appropriate for formal or day to day wear. Thighs are covered as they are offensive and it is believed that only prostitutes show their knees. (So glad I did not do the touristy thing and wear shorts!) Married women wear headscarves and bundle an additional capulana to make carrying things on the head more stable. Men use to wear capulanas as well but have switched to western style clothing. According to one article I read, they may still wear capulanas in post-battle cleansing rituals which are taken off and burned on the spot or allowed to drift down river releasing them of whatever impurity of past actions they want to be rid of. (Note: Google is awesome.)
Blurry photos of beautiful fabrics and the stores that sell them.
Fabric is printed with the usual flora and fauna but also can have photos of politicians or social issues. Note the AIDS fabric hung in the upper right corner.
So I bought some. Actually I bought some, cut the pieces in half then sold the non-kept half to a Gaborone quilt store.
Much of this fabric will probably be turned into grocery bags like this one I made for a friend for Christmas. And yes, that is lined, top stitched and has a flat bottom thank you very much. 
Okay, admittedly that pear concerns me greatly. The stuff of nightmares. Who knows?!? Maybe that is what some artist in India's idea of a pear leaf looks like. (Rumor has it that is where the capulanas fabric is printed.) Regardless, easy and useful Christmas gift made from cheep materials that doesn't look like crap... fantastic!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Let's Do The Time Warp Again...
So, assuming I haven't lost you all with my highly edited but still opinionated mini rants, Ready! Set! Go! now rewards you with the lost entries of South Africa.
Has sort of an Allan Quartermain feel to it doesn't it?
OK, lets all hop in our blog powered time machines and go back to a simpler time. A time when lunch often consisted of dry cereal and soda. A time when we had to watch out for monkeys/donkeys/cattle/chickens/roosters/goats walking in the middle of the road.
A time roughly a month and a half ago.
Most of this was written while on the road, late a night in hotel rooms with no internet. (see how much I love you? say you'll forgive me for the last week's posts.)
So now we travel back.... back... back.... to Johannesburg, South Africa.
_______________________________
OK, I can go back to Botswana... I'VE BEEN TO A SOUTH AFRICAN QUILT SHOW!!!!!
Happy dance! Happy dance!
Oh and we went to a military history museum where we learned tons and Lance got his "History Guy" thing on. See, here's a picture:
BUT THEN WE WENT TO A QUILT SHOW!!!!
South African quilters got it going on. The theme was "Shosholoza" which is a Zulu word meaning to "go forward" or "make way for the next man." Many of the quilts had a we are on the right track or South African pride feeling to them. As you can see below. I'll be posting all the pictures I took here:
Here is a link to the whole album if you would like to take your time... I had just over 2 hours to do the whole show which is why some of the photos are a wee bit blurry and off center.
Much to my dismay you were not allowed to take pictures of the Tri-Nations quilts (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia) or Japanese quilts. I was actually given stern talking to by one of the ladies doing white glove duty for "accidentally" taking a photo in the Tri-Nations area. A word to the non quilting community: don't tick us off... we deal with rotary cutters on a daily basis.
Notable things at the show:
1) A Dear Jane display by one of the local guilds. Wow! Gorgeous! And what a great way to take advantage of all the different German Prints or ShweShwe as it was originally called by the locals.
2) I learned a little more back story about the ShweShwe: The name comes from the sound the new fabric would make as you walked.
Shwe.
Shwe.
Shwe.
Like corduroy.
When European settlers and missionaries came to what would become South Africa they were taken aback by the ... ahem... limited clothing worn by the women. Specifically they seemed to only be modest about the bottom half of their bodies. Telegrams were sent back to England asking for affordable cloth thus you have the introduction of ShweShwe to Africa.
3) Japanese quilts are breathtaking. I am in awe. I am humbled. I am motivated to get sewing!
4) I was on the lookout for a uniquely South African take on quilting. I'm looking for a perspective that is as unique as say Japanese quilts compared to Amish or Gees Bend or traditional stars and squares. Definitely they draw from a much warmer pallet which makes sense given the landscape. I hope my photos give you a sense of this.
5) One thing is certain, South African quilters take a great deal of pride in simply in the their existence. It was hard to take up quilting in the 1980s when there wasn't much fabric coming into the country. As pretty much everyone I spoke with pointed out, they have done a lot with a few hundred quilters whereas the US has thousands and easier access to resources. My feathers ruffled a little bit at that (not that it's false) but I really enjoyed their work and thrill at South Africa's desire to grow as a quilting community.
5) My favorite quilt. Photos don't do this one justice. Real pattern paper is layered with fabric, lace and buttons to for the girls. It's called "Some Are Born Old." Sad inspiration. Amazing quilt.
Now you can't end on that somber of a note so I present to you two very happy vendors. 
Why are they happy? Because I have just spent a lotta rand on their hand dyed fabric. It was the only thing in the whole vendors area that wasn't imported and therefore really expensive. Actually it was pretty darn cheep. With currency conversion and all it ended up being a little over $1.25 a fat quarter. Oh yeah. I did some shopping here. He is actually a former chemist (very handy knowledge when you are creating dyes) and she is a former social worker. She had some really interesting stories and perspectives on what has worked and what hasn't when it comes to aid programs. Lance took mental notes. I took home two bags of fabric.
Has sort of an Allan Quartermain feel to it doesn't it?
OK, lets all hop in our blog powered time machines and go back to a simpler time. A time when lunch often consisted of dry cereal and soda. A time when we had to watch out for monkeys/donkeys/cattle/chickens/roosters/goats walking in the middle of the road.
A time roughly a month and a half ago.
Most of this was written while on the road, late a night in hotel rooms with no internet. (see how much I love you? say you'll forgive me for the last week's posts.)
So now we travel back.... back... back.... to Johannesburg, South Africa.
_______________________________
OK, I can go back to Botswana... I'VE BEEN TO A SOUTH AFRICAN QUILT SHOW!!!!!
Happy dance! Happy dance!
Oh and we went to a military history museum where we learned tons and Lance got his "History Guy" thing on. See, here's a picture:
BUT THEN WE WENT TO A QUILT SHOW!!!!
South African quilters got it going on. The theme was "Shosholoza" which is a Zulu word meaning to "go forward" or "make way for the next man." Many of the quilts had a we are on the right track or South African pride feeling to them. As you can see below. I'll be posting all the pictures I took here:
Here is a link to the whole album if you would like to take your time... I had just over 2 hours to do the whole show which is why some of the photos are a wee bit blurry and off center.
 |
| South Africa Quilt Show 2008 |
Much to my dismay you were not allowed to take pictures of the Tri-Nations quilts (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia) or Japanese quilts. I was actually given stern talking to by one of the ladies doing white glove duty for "accidentally" taking a photo in the Tri-Nations area. A word to the non quilting community: don't tick us off... we deal with rotary cutters on a daily basis.
Notable things at the show:
1) A Dear Jane display by one of the local guilds. Wow! Gorgeous! And what a great way to take advantage of all the different German Prints or ShweShwe as it was originally called by the locals.
2) I learned a little more back story about the ShweShwe: The name comes from the sound the new fabric would make as you walked.Shwe.
Shwe.
Shwe.
Like corduroy.
When European settlers and missionaries came to what would become South Africa they were taken aback by the ... ahem... limited clothing worn by the women. Specifically they seemed to only be modest about the bottom half of their bodies. Telegrams were sent back to England asking for affordable cloth thus you have the introduction of ShweShwe to Africa.
3) Japanese quilts are breathtaking. I am in awe. I am humbled. I am motivated to get sewing!
4) I was on the lookout for a uniquely South African take on quilting. I'm looking for a perspective that is as unique as say Japanese quilts compared to Amish or Gees Bend or traditional stars and squares. Definitely they draw from a much warmer pallet which makes sense given the landscape. I hope my photos give you a sense of this.
5) One thing is certain, South African quilters take a great deal of pride in simply in the their existence. It was hard to take up quilting in the 1980s when there wasn't much fabric coming into the country. As pretty much everyone I spoke with pointed out, they have done a lot with a few hundred quilters whereas the US has thousands and easier access to resources. My feathers ruffled a little bit at that (not that it's false) but I really enjoyed their work and thrill at South Africa's desire to grow as a quilting community.
5) My favorite quilt. Photos don't do this one justice. Real pattern paper is layered with fabric, lace and buttons to for the girls. It's called "Some Are Born Old." Sad inspiration. Amazing quilt.
Now you can't end on that somber of a note so I present to you two very happy vendors. 
Why are they happy? Because I have just spent a lotta rand on their hand dyed fabric. It was the only thing in the whole vendors area that wasn't imported and therefore really expensive. Actually it was pretty darn cheep. With currency conversion and all it ended up being a little over $1.25 a fat quarter. Oh yeah. I did some shopping here. He is actually a former chemist (very handy knowledge when you are creating dyes) and she is a former social worker. She had some really interesting stories and perspectives on what has worked and what hasn't when it comes to aid programs. Lance took mental notes. I took home two bags of fabric. Monday, September 29, 2008
home again home again
And we are back in Gabs. We are tired, we are hungry, we smell funny and are at the embassy frantically trying to work out some details before the fiscal year ends in .... basically 45 minutes.
YIKES!
YIKES!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Lance and Kristin represent American and don't bring up comics once!
Tuesday morning and after another quick walk around Sun City (as none of my night photos turned out very nice - must read the camera manual) and we were off to the South African economic capital of Pretoria. This is a very large city with traffic that would make a Dallas driver say, "Dang." Thank goodness for the Garmen gps unit. It, like the ice maker and dish washing machine, might have saved the marriage.
Our first stop was the obligatory/educational/depressing as hell Apartheid Museum. Which just happens to be across the street from an amusement park and you go in at the same gate. How weird is that and do you suppose people ever go to the wrong place on accident? "Hey this doesn't look like a farris wheel to me..."
What can I say about the museum? I can only speak for myself but was very moved by what a scary place Johannesburg and Pretoria must have been, for everyone involved frankly, in the 80s and 90s. America, we didn't have a clue. At least high school Lance and Kristin didn't have a clue. The country today is a miracle. There are still very significant issues of course. I won't get into the specifics because this ain't that kinda blog. Nothing more controversial than advocating machine sewn quilt bindings for this place. (I've just alienated half the quilt readers with that one.... come back!... I'll be blogging about a quilt show next!) Suffice to say that I am hopeful about the future of South Africa and look forward to learning more.
Nuff about that. Heavy. Heavy. Heavy.
So that night we stayed with a wonderful couple: Greg and Reagan (Hi Guys!) their three cool kids and two dogs. No we didn't steal either of their dogs and yes, we were tempted. Lance and I originally met them on our safari weekend. Much to our surprise they invited us to stay in their guest room and much to our delight they fed us! America, what we have been calling a BBQ all these years is called a "Brai" over hear in Sub-Sahara and it is all good. We asked them a million questions and tried to present ourselves as good representations of "American Adults" (will our parents please stop laughing now). The next moring it was breakfast and travel hints and we were on our way again.
Our first stop was the obligatory/educational/depressing as hell Apartheid Museum. Which just happens to be across the street from an amusement park and you go in at the same gate. How weird is that and do you suppose people ever go to the wrong place on accident? "Hey this doesn't look like a farris wheel to me..."
What can I say about the museum? I can only speak for myself but was very moved by what a scary place Johannesburg and Pretoria must have been, for everyone involved frankly, in the 80s and 90s. America, we didn't have a clue. At least high school Lance and Kristin didn't have a clue. The country today is a miracle. There are still very significant issues of course. I won't get into the specifics because this ain't that kinda blog. Nothing more controversial than advocating machine sewn quilt bindings for this place. (I've just alienated half the quilt readers with that one.... come back!... I'll be blogging about a quilt show next!) Suffice to say that I am hopeful about the future of South Africa and look forward to learning more.
Nuff about that. Heavy. Heavy. Heavy.
So that night we stayed with a wonderful couple: Greg and Reagan (Hi Guys!) their three cool kids and two dogs. No we didn't steal either of their dogs and yes, we were tempted. Lance and I originally met them on our safari weekend. Much to our surprise they invited us to stay in their guest room and much to our delight they fed us! America, what we have been calling a BBQ all these years is called a "Brai" over hear in Sub-Sahara and it is all good. We asked them a million questions and tried to present ourselves as good representations of "American Adults" (will our parents please stop laughing now). The next moring it was breakfast and travel hints and we were on our way again.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
No, it's not a hotpad.
It's finally finished! A miracle in our lifetime. See what not having internet or television forces you to do? Next thing you know I'll be reading or something.
Roughly 7x9 inches. For the record this was done without pattern after I saw one on Sally Collin's website and said the infamous, "Gee that doesn't look too hard."
Many lessons learned. I'm using Sally's pattern for the next one. Shhhh. Don't tell Theresa I'm planning one for her as a wedding present. ; )
Monday, August 18, 2008
German Prints
This weekend Kim took me to a local fabric shop. It definitely had a clothing slant with poly blends and dress fabrics. A nice selection of linen which I may take advantage of. But what I was really there for was the wall o' German Prints.
So German Prints!
(Lance just asked me to say how wonderful he is - we are eating lunch at a local cafe. It's Mefliam Monday so we needed something substantial in our stomachs.)
So German Prints!
The brand is called Three Cats and I found this write up on a South African Quilt Guild website:
"An Indigo dyed cotton fabric was brought to South Africa by German settler women in the mid-19th century and traders began importing this fabric from Europe. Xhosa women gradually also started using this fabric for clothing.
A German factory developed a cheaper synthetic indigo dye in the 1890s and the fabric was manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Hungary. When this manufacturer emigrated to England in the 1930's the fabric was then made in England under the 'Three Cats' trade name.
In 1982 Da Gama Textiles first started production of German Print in SA, in the Eastern Cape, under the 'Three Leopards' logo, which is the African version of the 'Three Cats.' The recipe for the dye is a closely guarded secret and it is a synthetic, unlike the original indigo dyes. There are many different designs printed on these fabrics, which are usually blue but may also be printed in maroon and brown. The Xhosa ladies still wear these dresses."
And Botswana women do as well. These ladies were nice enough to let me take their photo in a local grocery store. The woman in blue said she doesn't smile for photos which is too bad because she has a beautiful smile. The dresses make liberal use of satin stitch with white thread to create designs. Not a lot of women wear them but they are always a joy to see.
So here is what I bought. 
Most of them were very small prints with the exception of the ones with the HUGE (10 inches easy) smiling picture of Nelsen Mandela. I am not making this up. Pic to follow. They worked out to be a little under $6 per meter. Not cheep but not much is here in Gabs. It smelled soooooo strongly of wax which I initially misattributed to it just being new fabric but under closer examination I believe it is made by batik process. ("DUH" all those in the know say but I was pretty surprised.) I'm so accustomed to thinking of batik as primarily the swirly tie-dye looking stuff in the states but I forget its a process more than an effect. I really need to do some research on how fabric is printed in general. All things are possible once we get steady internet access.
So I washed the fabrics, they shrunk by about 10% and got to work. As we will be spending a ton of time on the road, I'm going to use them for a Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern I can do in the car. I packed a batik jelly roll (the tie-dye kind) and have some yellow and orange that will be perfect for the centers. Pics to follow. : )
Friday, August 15, 2008
A little something for the QUILTERS!
Oh my gosh Kristin, you’ve been in Botswana for a month now. Where the heck is the quilting stuff??? Well, I’m so glad you asked. Sorry it has taken me so long. My sewing machine is still en route so I’ve been reluctant to really start exploring lest I just cry for the lack of a machine. But my new and soon to be good quilting friend, Laurie, loaned me her Bernina! I feel like Sweeney Todd, “My arm is now complete!” That is without the murders or the musical numbers. Okay, I might actually break into song if a block turns out particularly good.
Next these are some huge panels hung in the Mondior Hotel in Gabs. They are made of a burlap material and was part of the whole “Africa Chic” thing they had going at the hotel.
So here are some “quilty” photos I’ve taken so far. First from the flight from the east coast proving inspiration is everywhere in quilting.
Next these are some huge panels hung in the Mondior Hotel in Gabs. They are made of a burlap material and was part of the whole “Africa Chic” thing they had going at the hotel.
What I thought was so interesting is they are hung seam side out! I double checked the placement of the sleeve and they were hung correctly. . It really worked well with the rougher texture of the burlap.
Here is a close up of the stitching – anyone know what stitch this is?
Lastly for now, a shot of the floor mosaic at the local convention center. See, quit potential all over the place.
More to follow after I go to a local fabric store tomorrow. I've seen hints of a wonderful cornflower blue and cherry red print called "German Fabric" We shall see and you know I'll take pictures. BFN. : )
Saturday, August 2, 2008
On the move!
Hey folks. Lance and I are moving out of the hotel and into temporary housing. It will be very nice to have all the nice housey things (washer/dryer/more then 15 feet between us) but we will not have internet. We'll do what we can when we can but if we don't post/email/im don't think we are dead in a ditch. Most of the bodies are dumped behind bushes here anyway.
Just kidding. : )
Quick note before I sign off: Last night Lance and I went kayaking with a friend from the embassy in the local water reserve. Nebraska people, think Big Mac with hills. It was beautiful!!! And we didn't flip which was much more challenging than I expected. Kayaks are not canoes that's all I'm sayin.
So, love to all and I'll update when I can. We move into perm housing in a few weeks!
K
Just kidding. : )
Quick note before I sign off: Last night Lance and I went kayaking with a friend from the embassy in the local water reserve. Nebraska people, think Big Mac with hills. It was beautiful!!! And we didn't flip which was much more challenging than I expected. Kayaks are not canoes that's all I'm sayin.
So, love to all and I'll update when I can. We move into perm housing in a few weeks!
K
Sunday, July 20, 2008
We will now pause for a little geek out.
Yes ,we are in Africa and yes, we are having amazing experiences ... but I'm still really excited about this...
and over the moon about this...
and over the moon about this...
Monday, March 10, 2008
It's a post op post!
Well the operation went very well. I was talking on the phone and typing an email only a few hours after getting home. I don't remember too much of what I said so ... if we spoke that afternoon - um - I take it back, your cooking is wonderful really, and I've never even been to the Watergate hotel so it wasn't me. : )
A little more drama than I expected in the operating room though. Turns out I had a pretty severe case of endometiosis. Very long story very short, this explains why I haven't been getting pregnant. The next step is to go on hormones for the next 6 months (creating a mini menopause) the try to get pregnant again. If I get pregnant, wahoo! If not, another operation to check things out, 6 more months of menopause hormones then in vitro fertilization. If by any chance some future child of mine is reading this blog, SEE THE @&$! WORK I PUT IN TO BRING YOU INTO THIS WORLD? Now go clean your room. And no cheating using the robot maid thingy.
It's funny. When we first started trying to get pregnant I was only sort of interested in having a baby. More doing it out of obligation due to my age. 2 years later I am really really really really really really ready to have a baby thank you very much. All for the best I suppose.
So now it's time to refocus and move towards moving. The packers come on Wednesday and I still need to separate the Africa bound and consumables shipment from the permanent storage stuff. Thankfully I've finished the exchange blocks for my New Jersey quilting friends (HI GUYS!!!!!!! I miss you!!!) and they should arrive in time for their spring retreat. Here is a picture of all 12 beautiful (and more importantly, finished) blocks. Back to packing!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Workshop day
Today I had a workshop with totally awesome quilter, Rose Hughs. http://www.rosehughes.com/
And I would be happy to tell you all about the shapes exercise and the ravens and the freezer paper .... but I have a really big tension headache and can't take any #&$@ Motrin due to the surgery on Friday.
Drinking though is not a problem. Wahoo! So Lance if your reading this, the frozen strawberry margarita mix is all mine dude.
In the meanwhile, look at the pretty bubble thing I made in class.
And I would be happy to tell you all about the shapes exercise and the ravens and the freezer paper .... but I have a really big tension headache and can't take any #&$@ Motrin due to the surgery on Friday.
Drinking though is not a problem. Wahoo! So Lance if your reading this, the frozen strawberry margarita mix is all mine dude.
In the meanwhile, look at the pretty bubble thing I made in class.
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