Sunday, May 29, 2011

First Jakarta quilting exploration!

Yep - you read right. I went to my first quilty event since moving here in January and it was very exciting!!!!!! Mind you, it was with a little bit of trepidation that we hopped into the taxi, as one never knows if you are actually going to end up where you actually want to be when you give a taxi driver your destination!!!
However, after a couple of stops to ask directions, we got to the display of Agape Quilts & Crafts, a group based in Bandung.
They had the cutest selection of toys, mostly baby related, but so precisely made and finished. I loved the gorgeous Balinese bed these were displayed on.
And hanging behind these lovely softies was an original design which depicted the different regions of Indonesia. All the applique was hand done and absolutely exquisite - not a stitch to be seen! There were several colourways of this same design and one of the ladies I was with was very tempted.
In the room were piles, and I do mean piles, of quilts in single, double and queen size - all machine pieced but ALL hand quilted. OH MY WORD the hand quilting was just out of this world as far as being so precise. No using a busy backing fabric to cover up any mistakes or wonky stitches! This wasn't a quilt exhibition, but more of an opportunity for these ladies to sell their quilts - I think it is an organisation that teaches low income women the skills and then provides them with an outlet for their goods to be sold.
This was a very cool wallhanging made in traditional Javanese batiks and the tall houses were very groovy (as you can see Barbara was very tempted). It was a shame that there weren't as many quilts or other items as I had hoped there would be made in batik. It seems sad that the American patchwork fabrics were the favoured ones rather than their own beautiful cotton batiks. However there were a few quilts made in Bali batiks - you know, the bright ones commercially produced.
A little bit of a closer look - sorry it's a bit blurred, but I don't think the peeps really like me taking photos! Unfortunately you can't see the richness of the traditional batiks....these ones had a lovely goldness to them, and even I could have bought this one which is saying something as I am not really a lover of the browns range.
I did come away with a wee momento.....
...this lovely Bali batik star mat, which I have hung in my bedroom. The folding and sewing is again really precise, and the greens and orange work really well with the green theme of my Jakarta room.
All in all it was a treat to have my first dose of quilting for such a long break and I did get a little longing to hit a machine when I got home but had to be happy to just fondle some fabric instead.
But the good news is that the machine from school is back from being serviced so I am hoping to get that this week and have a bit of a play with it - YAY!
CIao,

2 comments:

  1. Hooray, how exciting. How wonderful to see your passion through new cultural perspectives!! xx

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  2. What an amazing creation, the quilt you are creating we could not make use of it. Just can see it...
    www.alacraft.com.au

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