Sunday, July 26, 2009

certifiably tea bag mad!!

Well, here it is, this is what I was saving tea bags for. Yesterday I did a class with South African Griet Lombard. She has now made NZ her home and lucky for us she lives in Levin, only 30 mins from Palmerston North. She is an international quilt tutor and has won many prizes with her quilts. She is a very talented woman. (there was an article in issue 67 of the NZ Quilter mag if you want to know more about her. www.nzquilter.com)
This is a friendship quilt she made after shifting to NZ, and is all about migration and the friends she was missing from her home country.
The background is made of used teabags, (great for those of us who like to re-purpose! lol) The background alone was quite nice, I could have just stippled that and I would have been happy!
Anyway, before we knew it, it was time to stop for lunch break. A time to browse the shelves of the Cloth Shop while being nourished at the same time. This pic below is the work room, you can get a peak of the shop thru the door.
Katherine's hubby makes all the lunches for us girls doing classes, and he always, without fail, brings us a lovely lunch. Yesterday we had yummy bread rolls, and kiwi fruit and grapes with dried apricots and macadameia nuts and coconut ice!
Back to getting my girls made/created/developed! Some of them are already taking on personalities. (mind you I did think for a while they looked like robots lol)
I like this girl below, I think she looks very intelligent, don't you think? I might have to put glasses on her and perhaps some long flowing locks.
Here is Griet going over the processes for making the faces. Each face is individually hand stitched, and here is the point which it slapped me in the face and said WAKE UP! I have 14 of the little people to hand embroider!!!!! This is going to be another of those "plodding along slowly" projects! (to add to the others LOL!)
Anyway, this is my first person almost finished. I am not very good at drawing and I feel this is drawing, so I am probably going to butcher their personalities at this stage. I think this little lady has boggly eyes and very large lips, so she has either just had botox or her dress is too tight!! LOL.
All in the name of fun. (or perhaps madness!)
Carole :)

8 comments:

Joy said...

What a fun class!! I love your first lady ... she definitely has character :o)!!
Hugs,
Joy :o)

Jen xo said...

hmmm, maybe someone was spiking her coffee!!
great class, what a fntastic idea....jenxo

Kiwifruit-Shiree said...

Oh Carole, what a fun looking class, you must have had a great day indeed!
I love the expression on your lady's face - awesome!

Dotti said...

This is a fabulous idea Carole. Oftentimes we guildmembers contribute blocks for a quilt for departing members. Wouldn't it be fun to do a quilt full of little "self portrait" quilty girls!!?!!

Deb said...

Carole, I am totally confused, how did you use the teabags? My age is taking its toll and I'm not seeing clearly-lol. Love your ladies and what a fun class it looks but I do need clearer explanations

Anonymous said...

I love the use of the teabags. Glad you had a great class. By the way, was that a plate of pink/white coconut slice in one of the photos? I haven't eaten that since I was a child, my favourite sweet from the church/school fetes.... Jenni S.

~*~Magpie's Nest said...

what a lot of fun!

Unknown said...

I think your "friends" will be awesome if they all have personalities like your boggly eyed, botoxed girl! Yes, and do explain how the teabags were used!