Symposium Challenges Revealed

We are back in the wintery north after 10 days in Central Otago - where the weather was divine, most days having beautiful blue skies and only a little rain during one lunchtime break.
I can now post photos of my competition entries - these were for the ANZAC challenge - I didn't win anything and being totally unbiased, reckon that they were just as good as the 2 winners! They all just fit within the 1m x 600mm size restrictions.
The first one is In Flanders' Fields, the poppies are made from fabric inked cotton batting which are hand stitched onto the quilted background. The centres are buttons and beads with stitched stamens. This is a very vibrant quilt!

In Flanders' Fields

This quilt is called The Nation's Most Gallant Sons and has printed onto handitowels each of New Zealand's Victoria Cross winners. Willy Apiata, who is our only surviving winner, has been worked in fabric and the quilting lines of his face are like a Maori tattoo.

The Nation's Most Gallant Sons

Last Post

Last Post I made really quickly - it is thin strips of fabric stitched on top of a piece that varies in colour from dark through to light - I wanted it to look like the dawn - the threads of fabric were to convey how cold it can be, and eerie with the Last Post being played as the flag is lowered. The bugler is intentionally small in comparison - he is not the focal point because often you just hear the music not see the player.
Finally, there is Lest We Forget. This one took me ages to complete and I almost didn't have it finished enough in time for photographing. It represents the war memorials you will find in every city and town throughout New Zealand - in some places the Roll of Honour list most of the men from the district - how incredibly sad that brothers and cousins were placed in the same unit and as a consequence whole lines of families were destroyed.

Lest We Forget