Urban Wagga

Urban Wagga 

22”w x 40”L [56 cm x 101.5cm]

The “making do” Australian utilitarian quilts called “waggas” inspired the making of this modern, urban wagga. Using rusted cotton from my stash, I rubbed textured surfaces around my home and in the neighbourhood. An old quilt was repurposed as the base onto which I stitched sections using red thread and a machine utility stitch. The embroidered pieces came from a doily bought at my local thrift store.

 Materials; cotton, silk, dye, oil paint stick, rusty objects, old quilt reused, threads

Techniques; rust dyed, rubbed, indigo dyed, embroidery, machine applique, machine pieced, machine quilted

Rainbow Dance

This challenge, although it seemed easy at the beginning, has given me a lot of trouble.  I started (quite late, due to having too many exhibitions this autumn, among other things) on one design I was quite keen on, but as time passed and the work progressed I was getting more and more unhappy with it.  Therefore I slowed down and kept reflecting on it – but getting nowhere.  Eventually I realised that some of the elements of that design would fit better with the next challenge, 3-D.  So I decided to scrap the design, save the suitable elements to use in the 3-D challenge, and think again.

So here is finally the piece for Challenge 4.  It’s my interpretation of the technique of strip-piecing, which was widely used in traditional quilts in Wales and the North of England – they were often called ‘strippy’ - but my piecing is much more elaborate.  It’s built with a ‘double stripes’ method: from top to bottom I have followed an expanded version of the colours of the rainbow, interspersed with black strips.  The completed curved striped piece was then cut into five vertical curved stripes, again interspersed with black strips, stitched, and fitted into a black background. The curves reference the wave quality of light. As it looks like a dance is taking place, I added black and white stripes all around the quilt, to reference piano keys. I completed it with quilting and metallic thread stitching, and gave it slightly curved edges.

It relates to my theme of Magic and Science as it is about the spectrum of colours that form white light. The well known experiment of splitting white light with a prism is clear proof of that.

The quilt is 40" high by 25" wide.

Australian Waggas

Australian patchwork tradition came with the first fleet convicts from England but mainly in the form of 2 layered coverlets. The Aboriginal use of possum skins and the making of cloaks from these is noted in the book above, The Gentle Arts -200 years of Australian Women's Domestic & Decorative Arts by Jennifer Isaacs 1987.

What sparks my interest and attention is the Bush Quilt or Wagga often made from scraps or suiting samples and stuffed with used clothing for warmth. Made during the late 19th and early 20th century they were used by men who worked the land or families as a utilitarian quilt. Dr Annette Gero in her book above, The Fabric of Society- Australia's Quilt Heritage from Convict Times to 1960 has a chapter on the wagga.

A wonderful photo of the maker and the Rabbiter's wagga

The innards of a wagga- old jumpers/cardigans.

Drawing inspiration from this tradition and technique I have used an older quilt as the base on which to build my design.

New material on the left and the original quilt on the right. This will be totally covered.

Design auditioning. Thanks Misik for the opportunity to look at the wagga tradition.

 



 

 

Traditional Techniques

The UK is a country full of traditional techniques in quilting. Here are some that come to mind.

1. English paper piecing, where the fabric is stabilised with paper templates - the most obvious pattern is hexagons. A hand-stitching technique.

  

2. Wholecloth quilts have the quilting design traced or printed on plain fabric, and then it is stitched by hand of by machine.  The designs are usually very intricate.

3. Strippy quilts. They are simply made with strips of material, often also intricately quilted afterwards.  Traditional ones may come from either Wales or the North Country.

  

I don’t think I can bring myself to work with any of the first two techniques.  But the third really appeals to me, so I will go with strips.  Not likely to look like the traditional strippy quilts, though!