Aussie Applique, other quilt designs and artwork by Helen Godden

	Title: "Windy Washday Wednesday" Made for: Challenge entry in the Canberra Quilters Inc. Exhibition 2002 Awarded First Place - "Viewer's Choice" Size: 70 x 50 cm Description: 2002's Challenge subject was "Childhood Memories". This quilt combined the "freedom" of the darning foot and the "freedom" of being 6 years old....."I wonder if Dad ever knew that I used to swing on the washing line." This simple design with its 70's era washing hung out to dry on the borders captured the imagination and funny bone of the viewers and was awarded "Viewer's Choice" for this section of the Exhibition. Many people related to typical Aussie back yard scene with the rotary Hills Hoist being stressed tested by one of the younger family members.
for a detailed view of a part of this large quilt click here. This will launch a temporary new browser window over this one with a detailed view of the quilt above that will auto-close after a few seconds. Scroll for more V	Title: "Corinne's Quilt" Made for: a special 10 year old girlfriend Size:180 x 200 cm Description: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? In this case, the wallhanging in the catalogue "Funky Flowers" inspired the development of this larger quilt. The 6 panels (the top left being "Funky Flowers") were appliqued by machine in blanket stitch.They depict some of Corinne's favourite things and the bottom right panel is a picture of Corinne. A "crazy scrappy" border was pieced, where any width strips are seamed together randomly, and the rotary cutter is then "waved" and curved along them to create crazy borders, which are also appliqued on to the 6 panels and in turn, appliqued to the purple base fabric. The features of each panel were then machine quilted and the remainder of the purple was then covered in hundreds of different icons....simple drawings, almost like absent-minded doodles you create whilst you chat on the phone (or is that just me?), free motion quilted, with the sewing machine as my pencil. During this process, Mum was doing her own thing in the sewing room and just calling out "things" that might appeal to a 10 year old girl and as quickly as she could think of them I was sewing them.........mermaid, shoe, teapot, dolphin, butterfly, violin, sunglasses, giraffe, telephone, music, daffodils, moon and stars, etc etc etc.......the pink quilting is quite a feature up close and was lots of fun to do......give it a try sometime.......it is very liberating, in a sewing kinda way!
	Title: "U toucha da quilt,... we send da boyz around!". Made for: "Please do not touch" signs needed to hang at the Canberra Quilters Inc. Exhibition 2003 Awarded First Place - Judged Size: A4 - 21 x 28 cm Description: Prior to the Canberra Quilters Inc. Exhibition 2003, the members were asked to create A4 sized signs to express to the exhibition viewers to resist the temptation to touch the quilts. The collection were then to be hung around the exhibition instead of the usual computer printed, white paper versions to which viewers do not seem to take much notice. We were asked to make the signs as subtle or bold as we wished, as colourful and varied as we pleased. So I did!
	Title: "Cutting Down The Tall Poppies". Made for: Tiny Treasures/Miniature entry in the Canberra Quilters Inc. exhibition 2003 Awarded Second Place - "Viewer's Choice" Size: 33 x 30 cm Description: Poppies have always been a favourite of mine, in my garden and in my pastel painting, so now they appear in my applique...but the question is, "Are the poppies VERY tall or are the lumberjacks VERY small?" This simple miniature was machine raw edge appliqued on to a graded background fabric which is great to create depth and highlight particular areas of a design. Poppies feature in 2 of our patterns as they are a favourite flower with such lovely colours and long elegant stems.
Applique designs © copyright Helen Godden. All rights reserved. Judged and Awarded First Place and Champion Quilt of the Professional section of Quilts and Patchwork at the Royal Canberra Show Feb 2004	Title: 'Hoo-Hoo's Watching Who?' Made for: Quilt entry in the Canberra Quilters Inc. Exhibition 2003 Also winner of recent major award (see details below photo at left.) Size: 190cm square Description: Among the autumn leaves in a damp corner of the garden, is where you will find the owl watching over the stillness in the moon light. He does have company though with 5 little critters hidden amongst the undergrowth of toadstools, the overgrown pumpkin vine, and the abandoned old boot and once-loved kettle. There is the dragon fly, a slow snail, a caterpillar, spider in her web and a curious mouse looking out from the old boot......so I ask you..."Hoo-Hoo's watching who?" The rich autumn toned border print fabrics inspired the original design for this quilt.The design is all applique; there are no straight lines or seams, not even a rule was used, except for the binding. The wide dark green border has a flurry of machine quilted autumn leaves surrounding the design and the centre panel was all machine blanket stitched and machine quilted. And yes that is Helen in the photo with her 4 year old "future quilter" daughter, Ineka at the exhibition opening, August 2003. This quilt inspired the smaller version "Autumn Owl" design which appears in our catalogue.
The Masai Applique designs © copyright Helen Godden. All rights reserved.	This quilt was inspired by a photo taken by my cousin Judy on her trip to Africa. I used the photo as a basis for a painting for her as a house warming gift. The image still haunted me so now I have translated the image to applique and created the Masai's proud portrait. His face has over 150 individual appliqued pieces and is then free motion machine appliqued leaving a raw edge finish. Extra details are "drawn" in the stiching to enhance the folds of the head dress, his decoartive beads and the softnes of his smooth skin. The surrounding whole cloth was then free motion quilted with images of the animals from his environment. The Cheetahs, Zebras, Elephants and my favourite, the Giraffes. These were free hand machined with lots of detail for their beautiful fur markings. "These were lots of fun to create and I "draw" with the sewing machine as you do with pencil on paper, except in reverse. The paper (fabric) moves under the pencil (needle) rather than the pencil moving over the paper. The finished quilt measures 115 cm x 123 cm and was exhibited at the Canberra Quilters Exhibition, 2004. "The Masai" has also featured in October 2004 edition of "Down Under Quilts" magazine.
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		New! Award-winning quilt, 2004
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