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It is Halloween - whether we like it or not!

31/10/2016

Whether you like what Halloween has become or not, it is difficult to escape it. I could turn off my lights, and sit quietly in the dark, and pretend not to be in. I have thought about it, but rather than be grumpy about it I long ago decided to join in - and besides - it gives me the chance to be creative and carve a pumpkin too.

Tonight I will answer my front door very many times and be greeted by all kinds of unusually dressed visitors. If the past few years are anything to go by, the average age of the visitors will be about 7 or 8 years old and they will be very polite as they take a sweet from my bucket.

Here is my pumpkin, all hollowed out all ready to carve, but not wanting to simply waste what has taken months to grow, I also make sure I roast the seeds and turn beautiful orange pumpkin flesh into a hearty soup.

First, the seeds

Lightly oiled and seasoned and ready to go in the oven

10 minutes later @ 150 degrees celcius

This has to be one of the simplest things you will ever do, and the results are absolutely delicious.
Start by cleaning off all the stringy bits of pumpkin from the seeds. I put mine in a sieve, run them under the tap and let the stringy bits float upwards. Then you just skim off the orange stuff and dry the seeds.

Next, put them in a dish and sprinkle over a teaspoon of olive or rapeseed oil, a little salt and pepper and a few herbs. I sometimes use thyme, sage, rosemary and/or fennel seeds. Just use flavours you like.

Pop them onto a tray and pop them in the oven at 150 degrees celcius (300F or gas mark 2) for 10 minutes of so. When they start to turn golden and a few begin to pop, take them out and let them cool. That's it! The hardest thing is not eating them all straight away!

Try not to eat them all at once!

Next, the soup

Pumpkin and lentil soup

This time I used the recipe I found on the BBC Good food website. You can find it by clicking here.

I had enough pumpkin flesh from the inside of my pumpkin to make double the amount in this recipe.

I added a generous handful of thyme and a bayleaf to the pan, then blended it all once it was cooked to make a smooth and hearty soup.

It made a lot, so I now have some in the freezer too!

And now for the pumpkin carving!

I decided to try out a calavera design, perhaps more commonly known by the English phrase 'sugar skull'

And why not carve a lino block too?

As I used my lino carving tools to help carve the pumpkin I thought I would carry on and carve another printing block with a similar design. Just for fun!

They look quite funky (if a bit scary), don't you think? Now all I need to do is decide what to do with them!

Thanks for reading

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Turmoil & Tranquility

21/10/2016

There are a number of exciting exhibitions opening over the next few weeks in which I am pleased to be participating.

The first is part of The International Quilt Festival in Houston, USA which opens on 3rd November (preview night Nov 2nd).
If you are lucky enough to be visiting - I hope you have a great time! If like me, you aren't, then here is the website where more information can be found. https://www.quilts.com/festival-info.html

My quilt 'Echoes of Demons' is included as part of the complimentary exhibitions named 'Turmoil & Tranquility' which will be going on tour after IQS to Quilt Festival Chicago and then will be coming to the Festival of Quilts next year. As I won't be going to the US to see the exhibitions I am really looking forward to seeing the quilts there.

'Echoes of Demons' will hang in the 'Turmoil' exhibition, which features work that depicts chaos, discord, imbalance and tumult. Artists were requested to explore the meaning of turmoil in their own lives. The works selected represent turmoil through color, line, and composition. It will be hung in the exterior space created by paneled walls, with Tranquility in the interior space. This environment will mirror the chaos depicted in these works.

The artists participating in 'Turmoil' are:
Margaret Abramshe, Holly S. Altman, Karen M. Balos, Diane Born, Sandra L. Branjord, Betty Busby, Carol Capozzoli, Linda Colsh, Vicki Conley, Linda Engstrom, Sandy Gregg, Betty A. Hahn, Jim Hay, Patricia Kennedy-Zafred, Jill Kerttula, Judy F. Kirpich, Jeanne Marklin, Kathy Nida, Claire Passmore, Martha E. Ressler, Deborah L. Runnels, Mary C. Ruzich and Maggie Vanderweit.

I am very proud to be exhibiting with such fabulous artists. To view the artworks on the SAQA website, please click here

Kate Lydon was the juror for both exhibitions. She is the Director of Exhibitions at the Society for Contemporary Craft (SCC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and oversees the installation of exhibitions mounted at SCC’s main Strip District gallery and at the One Mellon satellite gallery in downtown Pittsburgh.

Gallery Walks at Quilt Festival Houston:

Friday, 11/4 @ 12:00 Turmoil Gallery Walk with Sarah Entsminger
Friday 11/4 @ 2:00 Tranquility Gallery Walk with Lisa Ellis
Saturday 11/5 @ 11:00 Tranquility Gallery Walk with Lisa Ellis
Saturday 11/5 @ 3:00 Turmoil Gallery Walk with Sarah Entsminger

The next exhibition is a little closer to home and will be at the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts Show at Birmingham NEC from 3rd to 6th November. The gallery space at the exhibition is quite limited, so a small selection of work from the very successful exhibition 'Unfolding Stories 2' by the artists of Contemporary Quilters West will be shown. My quilt 'Am I Beautiful Now?' will be there.

Work by the following artists will be displayed:
Alicia Merrett, Angela Knapp, Carla Mines, Christine Seager, Claire Passmore, Colin Brandi, Dot Carter, Eileen Waycott, Kay Swancutt, Jane Brooks, Judy Stephens, k3n, Liz Hewitt, Mandi Bainbridge, Stephanie Crawford, Wendy Weller

I will be at the exhibition on Sunday 6th November, and look forward to meeting all those who will be there.

The final exhibition is the West Country Quilt and Textile Show at the University of the West of England (UWE) from 11th to 13th of November. It is a relatively new show on the circuit and is going from strength to strength. A group I belong to has a huge gallery at this show and there will be an extensive collection of work from new and existing members of Contemporary Quilters West. Almost all of the work from the exhibition 'Unfolding stories 2' (hung earlier this year at Rook Lane, Frome) will be on display, along with a large selection on new work from existing and new members of the group. It promises to be an excellent gallery.

There will also be the first chance to see the work created in response to a 'Chinese Whispers' challenge.

3 of my quilts from the 'in This skin' series will be on display in this gallery.

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Work by the following artists will be displayed:
Alicia Merrett, Angela Knapp, Carla Mines, Christine Seager, Claire Passmore, Colin Brandi, Dot Carter, Eileen Waycott, Kay Swancutt, Jane Brooks, Judy Stephens, k3n, Lisa de Boer, Liz Hewitt, Mandi Bainbridge, Maria Harryman, Michelle Cook, Stephanie Crawford, Wendy Weller

My quilt 'Big Sister' will also be on show in the open competition - I wonder what people will make of her!

If you are attending any of the exhibitions I have mentioned i would love to see you on the stands - please do pop in and say hello!

Thanks for reading.

Surface Design - printing workshop at Midsomer Quilting

4/10/2016

As promised, here are a selection of photographs from the print workshop on Sunday. It was a fabulous day and everyone worked really carefully to design unique print blocks from different materials. A few people also made some stencils and masks to develop their ideas further. All in all some great fabrics were created. If only we had had more time! (Is there ever enough??)

Now everyone at the workshop has learned a few more surface design techniques and more ways to manipulate paint and ink I hope they will have time to develop their ideas further. Already two people have e mailed me more photos of what they have made since the weekend!!

It is Halloween - whether we like it or not!

Turmoil & Tranquility﻿

Surface Design - printing workshop at Midsomer Quilting

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