THE STATE WE'RE IN - CONT.

I feel that we are no further forward.  Have we got a group or not?  I suggest a roll call of everyone who is still reading.  Answer the simple question - are you in or not?  I suggest 7 April as a cut-off date for this.

If we have enough people still interested I suggest that the current blog is shut down & strongly recommend a Yahoo group in its place.  I said this before because it is flexible & easy to use.  It is also much easier for anyone interested to join.  All we need is someone to volunteer to set it up.  I understand that it is simple to do but I cannot organise it as I am running a couple of groups already in addition to my work.

Any volunteers & please can we have a roll call so the position is clearer?

No longer drowning, just waving!

I will put my hand up as a member who has not fulfilled my committment to the group since I joined last year. However, I am keen for the group to continue, perhaps restructured, but certainly revitalised and refreshed. To demonstrate my committment, I would like to post a photo of my contribution to the latest challenge: Reflections... but for some reason I can't load the photo, so I am putting the link to my blog instead, where hopefully you will be able to see it. http://contextilequilting,blogspot.com.au I don't know if a change in format will revitalise the group, but it certainly can only help to present our work in an up-to-date way that reflects our enthusiasm for textile art. Life became very busy for me last year, and I have two unfinished challenge pieces - once I felt the group had moved on, I guess I sort of lost interest. But I find the concept of "the group" very nebulous, and I wasn't quite sure who else was potentially posting or viewing. I am keen to continue, to engage with the creative community in this quite personalised way, and to be pushed in my artistic endeavours. Kathryn p.s. if someone has a hint as to why I can't post the photo, please let me know!

THE STATE WE'RE IN

I was wondering what was happening to the group as well.  No-one knows whose in & whose out. People seemed to be leaving withough saying so & it appears to me that the ship is rudderless & without a captain.  Who is in charge?

MY OBSERVATIONS
1)  I have found from the start that the blog is organised in a confusing & unnecessarily complex way.  There is no e-mail contact given so what do prospective members do if they are interested in joining?  The profiles are unnecessary in this form (mine was never put on the site properly anyway).  The Challenge Gallery does not exist (at least, the pictures are crossed out on my computer).

2)  I think the idea of getting each member in turn to set a Challenge was a good one but thw timescale was too short to  finish new piece on a regular basis  Three months or so per Challenge would have been better & work in progress should be acceptable.  I take a long time to formulate my ideas & design my work before even starting to make it in fabric.

3)  I believe that if if we are to stay in play then the whole project has to be reformed & that a Yahoo group is the easiest to set up & manage - inded, I don't know why this wasn't the format from the start  We could talk to each other through it & others could join by application.  I don't think that I have the skills to do this but if someone else were to take it on they would have my full support.

4)  Perhaps we could start with a 'roll call' of whose in?

Over now to whoever else is paying attention!

Jenny

Hello..?!

Hello, is anybody out there?! I'm just wondering who is still participating? I'm really sorry so many members left the group, even if I understand your reasons.
So, can we do a new start? As far as I know it's Jenny, Luitgard and me who are still members of the group. Maybe Frauke is going to join us again? Some new members waiting? Some "silent" members, only waiting for a new challenge?
I would like to continue this challenge, to stay in contact with you all and although to meet new people.
And I would like to hear what you think about it. 
Btw, there have been the first signs of spring in my garden  lately

RULES OF SYMMETRY

I apologise for not explaining these in the course of my post for 'Reflections'.  I am afraid that I did not give thought to whether members were acquainted with these so I shall try to put matters right.

Very briefly, these rules form the basis of all pattern repeats & apparently the building blocks for crystallography & some of Escher's work as well.  They include arrangements such as mirror, flip, drop, half-drop, glide etc.  I can point you to some books which should help.  The best one for quilters is probably Ruth McDowell's 'Symmetry' as she uses a hand symbol to illustrate the various orientations.  Also useful is Jinny Beyer's 'Discovering Tessellations' & Peter Phillips's 'Handbook of Regular Patterns'.  An Internet search will reveal 'Wallpaper Groups' on a Clark University site.  These amount to the same thing but are a bit complicated if you are unfamiliar with the principles.

I hope this helps.  If you still cannot find anything e-mail me.

Is there going to be a new challenge soon?