News

Sue Dennis in Vid Cast #61 'Fabric Opals' with Bonnie McCaffery

During the Remarkable Symposium in New Zealand in April 2011, Sue was interviewed by Bonnie McCaffery for a VidCast. Bonnie enjoyed seeing the opal quilts Sue had for her workshop Opal Fever and they discussed the techniques in the making of these quilts as well as printing from Nature.

Taiwan International Quilt Exhibition 2012

Taiwan quilter Lin Hsin-Chen, organiser of the Taiwan International Quilt Exhibition in 2009 is once again calling for entries for TIQE 2012. The theme is Moving Water and River with an entry deadline of February 29, 2012. A full colour catalogue will be printed and international artists are encouraged to enter.

Destination USA exhibition, 16-31 July 2011 at Gallery 159, Brisbane
Destination Texas exhibition, 29-31 October 2011, International Quilt Market, Houston
Destination Texas exhibition, 2-6 November 2011, International Quilt Festival, Houston

Download Destination USA Article (291 KB pdf) as featured in the Issue 2,102 of Textile Fibre Forum.

During November 2010 I undertook a 3 week artist residency on a farm, near the small Texan township of La Grange, off the Interstate 10, west of Houston. Thanks to the generosity and support of Karey Bresenhan, I was supplied with a large studio, sewing machine, work table and internet access.

As an Australian quilt artist landing in the Texas countryside, many things began to interest me and site specific, plein air designing and dyeing dominated during my residency.

I turned to two surface design techniques I was familiar with: printing and oil paint stick rubbings. However these became bigger explorations than usual, facilitated by a number of factors: the studio design wall was much larger than my home studio, Texas history is legendary and the farm where I wandered to watch deer, squirrels and sunsets, was liberating.

The 'what if' questions also made me fearless. After all, this was a chance to try new things. The residency was a new experience as was the food, smells and sounds, all somewhat unfamiliar. In a chill, brisk wind, I taped fabric to Oak tree trunks and took an impression. I taped more fabric to the door of an old, retired Texas farm truck and rubbed the rusty metal. I collected Cottonwood and Oak leaves, Ball Moss and Cedar sprigs and printed them. I observed sunsets and the rustling of tall grasses in the fading pink, golden light. I watched squirrels scamper through the dry leaves collecting acorns for the coming Winter and knew my residency time was special.

'Destination USA' is the resulting exhibition and opens on July 16-31 at Gallery 159, the Gap, Brisbane. 'Destination Texas' will premier at the International Quilt Festival, Houston USA November 2-6, 2011.

SAQA: A Sense of Direction - Sightlines

As 1 of 14 international art quilters to be invited by Studio Art Quilt Associates to produce new work for the SAQA: A Sense of Direction- Sightlines exhibition, Sue is humbled & honoured to have been selected from 166 requests for consideration. Virginia Spiegel is the exhibition curator. Sightlines will premier in Houston at the International Quilt Festival in November 2011.

Taiwan International Quilt Exhibition 2009

As the only Australian exhibitor invited to the Taiwan International Quilt Exhibition 2009, Sue sent three quilts from her Foliage Series - Contemplation, The Many & the Few & Raining Green. 147 quilts from 9 countries were on display.

Vanuatu Inspirations

Read about Sue’s discovery of the bright tropical “Mother Hubbard” dresses in Vanuatu in Quilters Companion No.34 p90-91 & be inspired to stitch her resulting project Holiday Memories pages 94-95.

Get Creative Teacher Profile

Read Sue's teacher profile from Get Creative magazine: Get Creative Teacher Profile (541 KB pdf)