Pam Holland Designs and Productions

illustrating on the Ipad.

How lucky am I.

My friend Kaye ordered a Sensu brush for herself and one for me!!!!!

Lotus

I created this image on my ipad last night.

It has wonderful applications. I could create a quilt from this image...

This is a sketch of the packets of sugar in a bowl at the restaurant yesterday, nothing fancy, quick and fun.

This is a rough sketch auditioning fabric design for the Alphabet book.

The brush gives me more flexibility...and I can illustrate just as if I was putting paint to paper. (well almost)

 

Back to Quilting. A new method for me.

Back to quilting.

I suppose its a bit of a risk quilting a special quilt in a new format, however, I had to take the plunge sometime and after a few hiccups I'm growing in confidence with the Sweet 16.

I changed to a smaller needle yesterday, a size 14 instead if the 16 that comes with the machine and it makes a huge difference, but I will purchase some 12's in the USA for finer work.

I usually begin in the center and quilt outwards to avoid stretching and I began to quilt this project the same way, but after completing quarter of the quilt, holding my breath I decided to quilt 'all the green' jumping from one area to another.

So far, its working just fine, but time will tell.

Its exciting, and I'm still a little nervous about working this way, its so different.

I'm using 50 weight thread and its working wonderfully.

This is raw edge applique. So I'm appliqueing and quilting at the same time stitching right on the edge of the fabric.

The Cherry wood fabric is so forgiving and heals the  instant you stitch.

The Batik needs a little steam to heal the needle holes.

I want this quilt to look like a painting. I don't want to see the edges of the applique. I need it all to flow so your eye rolls over the image like an oil painting.

So far so good.

 

Quilts on canvas.

I've  managed to finish 12 things on the 'To do list' Its taken two days of travel and co-ordination.... but I achieved it... I've got a heck of a headache, but its done.

One of the things was to have prints made of some of my photos and quilts.

I mean B-iiii-g prints on canvas. This one is a medium size.

I don't have the Irish Woman any more but I had taken a good photo of it so I wondered what it would look like on canvas.

Well, it took the assistant an hour and the prints were finished. I am thrilled with the results. The color is exactly the same as the original, the canvas is quite heavy and that gives the image depth.

I left my shoes in the picture so you could see how big it is.

Every stitch is visible, except the image is now 4 times the size of the original. I'm not too sure if I will have it stretched or framed.

I also had one done of Lily, it was beautiful 16" X 24" and I took it to Matt at the Office. He loved it.

So the sky is the limit really... I can keep images of my quilts on canvas.

I could sell the images.!!!!

 

"You haven't written your blog for a few days"

Last night, a voice from depths of the home office says.

"You haven't written your blog for a few days"

OK, I know Keith... but I've been busy and to be honest I had nothing to say ........really!!!!!

We had a long weekend for Australia Day and there was little creative work done other than photography and a little quilting.

This image is a reflection of friends and myself in a sculpture at an exhibition at Brighton Beach.

The exhibition is annual and runs for 10 days each year. I love it... and as we drove down to the beach from the hills on Sunday we looked in despair as a huge rain cloud descended on the event.

It was a little difficult to photograph the exhibition because despite the fact that its high summer, the weather was cold and miserable. (I don't do cold and wet)

We are experiencing the fall out from the huge storms and tornadoes that hit the top part of Australia earlier in the week.

So a wonderful lunch at the BEST Greek restaurant fixed the problem.

 

But now I'm back at work and I have been stressing for the past week (and making myself ill) because I am behind with my projects.

The reason is that I always set unrealistic goals and then get bogged down in the process.

But School went back yesterday and today and sadly I won't have the little people around as much, but it will free up the work process.

Its our day - Australia day.

So here we are, its  Australia day.

The long shadows indicated that it was still early morning.

The temperature rose quickly as the sun came up and and the sky was pearl blue.

Babies in strollers, grandmothers in wide brimmed hats sat on white plastic chairs. The stiff chair legs a stark contrast to the softness and green of the freshly mown grass.

The smell of eggs, bacon and sausages danced with aroma of coffee and music filled the air.

what are you saying Grandpa?

Friends met, embraced with a kiss and a slap on the back.

Smiles, friendly discussion under a fringe of grey green eucalypti, white shedding tree trunks and sun.

The very epitome of the semi rural environment in which we live.

It's Australia Day. How lucky we are.

This is a video I made for Australia Day Last year...

 

A day of excitement and Drama

I really haven't had too much time to get to the sewing machine this week. Probably only 5 or 6 hours or so.

'Business' and Grandies have been the recipients of my time.

We had a major event in our small town of Aldgate yesterday as the "Tour Down Under" bike race speed past six times.

Its a huge event and with a front row seat through our business it was a family affair too.

Even baby Jaya came and slept in the trailer of the 4X4.

The town was decorated in orange and blue, and thousands  of people lined the winding streets through the Adelaide Hills, its one of the best bike races in the world and our city does it well.

I was rather taken with the orange draped trees.

I've filmed it almost each year its been in our town. Actually its hard to photograph. but I managed a few interesting shots.

The weather was hot, over 100 degrees and you have to admire the riders for their physical strength and tenacity.

People were there from all over the world to rub shoulders with the locals, the music played, children were given lots of presents and give a ways and the town added entertainment in the small park opposite our office.

 

The restaurant next door cooked a huge paela.

 

I was standing in the middle of the event on a small island as the riders rushed past. Suddenly there was sickening noise as one of the riders clipped the curb and crashed into a walkway safety barrier. His helmet was crushed and he remained unconscious for a short  time. I was fearing the worst.

I'm unable to find who the rider is, but he's an American competitor.

It was a spectacular event, the excitement and drama added to a wonderful day.

But at the end of it all, it was time for a cool off with Pizza and a swim.

Delightful. Delightful but I couldn't work last night.

 

I had a day in the shed with 2 of my little grandies... they love to 'craft'

This is Tilly's second project I've filmed. Indulgent... you betcha, but she loves doing it... and its all her own work. As you can see she loves to explain what she's doing.

This has been a passion of Tilly's since she was about one when she had her own roll of sticky tape.

Lily does the same... but we can't film her painting because she has to do it in the nude.!!!!!

We intended to make a pillow slip too. We chose the fabric, cut it out but it was a bit hard with a 2 year old near the machine. So that will be another project.

We will master the machine on a pillow case, then comes her first quilt.

So here her instructional video.

 

 

Mum Rachael is going to use it in class for her students. They will make these projects for Mothers Day.

Tilly and Lily Craft day.

 

We have a lot  to do, Tilly has some questions to answer about her last project. So she will do a review on camera....

We're going to make handy dandy fabric  jars from the book Granny Chic by Dottie Angel and Ted and Agnes.

Its a super book for kids and grannies alike....

We may make some pillow cases, and Lily will help us make Mango and Banana ice cream and maybe she will do a little painting.

On the other hand

The computer is frustrating at times... I'm working on an update to my blog and it takes ages.

The shop for the book is almost ready on the web page, but I still have a bit more to do to calculate the postage. Then we are ready to go. Grrrrr.

Today will be a break from the hard work.

Feet on the ground.

Holidays are over... the time for some serious planning and work is ahead.

I'll be traveling to the Caribbean with Craftsy in a few weeks. 

May in Ireland with Noriko Endo as my tour buddy.  Our tour was wonderful last year, participants will attend the quilt show in Galway, and yes, both of us will be teaching. Then an amazing tour through beautiful Ireland, the scenery will take your breath away.

Our Fundraiser in Alamogordo New Mexico.

Thelma and Louise, New Mexico. (still being organized)

New Zealand Taupo Symposium

India (private research)

Russia

Dubai

I'm excited to be teaching in Abruzzo Italy in October this year... I think the class is almost full, we have a truly international class with students attending from all over the word, but you can join me in 2014.

Can you imagine, a week in a Medieval city, photographing and creating textile images.... sigh!!!

 

 

Finished the quilt top.

I got a few hours of work done before the Grandies arrived today.

It was ice creams, picking tomatoes and playing with 'aminals' as he calls them in the tent. Then more cousins arrived to join in the fun.

I finished the quilt top this morning even though I was still suffering from standing incorrectly yesterday when I was illustrating...

I can't sit and draw, I have to stand and I rest my arm on the desk in a stupid way.... duh.

I found  a few body parts missing so I had to add them in a less than salubrious way.

I've not really decided how I will applique this piece.

I wanted to see how it looked when the top was finished. Initially I was going to sketch sew in black thread. That would add to the 'art genre' of the quilt, but I think it might take away from the ambiance... (if a quilt can have ambiance)

Sketch sew is sewing in black or grey thread as if you are drawing with a pencil. You catch the edge of the applique down with the thread and often there is more than one row of stitching.

I could do an invisible applique stitch.

My method is to create a small, open zig zag stitch... 1.4 SW X 1.4 SL with smoke mono filament.

On the other hand I could stitch a straight stitch in the same color thread as the applique and stitch right on the edge.

I think this method is less intrusive on the image and becomes part of the quilting... I always applique and quilt at the same time.

Any way, I will pick up the open foot for the machine tomorrow so I should get some quilting done over the weekend.