Alaska Special Delivery

April 30, 2007

A beautifully wrapped package arrived this weekend, and I can’t decide what’s better — the wrapping or the contents. As for the wrapping, I’ve never seen such a creative job, especially the magic cloth on the outside. How do I know it’s magic? It’s covered in magic sparkles, that’s how.

But the contents are really better. Fabric, lots of it. And whoever sent it must have known I’m still working on my pink and blue quilt. Thanks my Alaskan friend, Debra! Don’t get cold feet, check out her beautiful gallery of quilts!

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Bad Bad Pin

April 26, 2007

After reading discussions on the QuiltArt list, I became concerned about throwing old needles and pins into the trash, because people who might sort through trash for recycling could be hurt. At first I tried suggestions to put the bent pins into a jar or container, but soon got tired of taking the lids on and off.

So I put to use this vintage piggy bank that I inherited. I’ve always loved this piggy bank, it brings back happy memories of being in my grandmother’s house — so much that I even portrayed the piggy in my quilt “The Vintage Purse.”

And just in case someone tries to rob my piggy bank, I put labels on the top to warn that there is no money in this bank — just “Danger! Bent pins and broken needles.”

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Quilts to Go

April 22, 2007

Yes, I’ll have the stripey fabric wrap, quilted with a little saucey attitude.

Just kidding, this week I had to wrap up eight quilts, three of them big ones, to ship to Grounds for Sculpture for their Spring/Summer exhibition. I’ve never shipped so many at once, so it seemed a little awkward, until Russ came in and said, “heck that’s nothing like moving big piles of neon for sculpture.” Point taken.

A matter of fact, ease of shipping work to shows was one of the determining factors when I chose this medium. Truthfully, how many artists can put a whole show on a sofa?

So the quilts are there now, and I’m mailing out my stash of invitations to the opening for Saturday, May 12 from 2-6 p.m. The Reminiscence show should be really fun with artists like Susan Glasgow Taylor, Jil Weinstock, Lia Cook, and Leah Poller among others.

In the other building will be an exhibit of Richard Jolley’s glass sculptures. Not to mention the 300 plus outdoor sculptures that populate the beautiful gardens.

If you’re in the area, I may have already sent you one. Or email me with your address, I have a few extras. You have to have one to get into the Grounds on that day.

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Fiberarts International 2007 Review

April 21, 2007

Thanks to Penny for her quick response! She’s posted a description of the opening events in the comments section of my last post, and given us this link to an article about the show, some of the artists, and how it was juried in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It all sounds so exciting, I wish I had been there!

Update: Thanks to Linda for following a link to a series of videos on the contemporarycraft.org website. Artists who have won awards from the Society of Contemporary Craft discuss their work with some nice closeups and demonstrations of the work.

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Fiber and Photography

April 21, 2007

Last weekend Fiberarts International 2007 opened in Pittsburgh, PA, and will eventually travel to the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in North Carolina. My quilt “The Vintage Purse” is part of the exhibit, but I couldn’t attend the opening or next-day fiber forum. I was hoping to find some news about the events on-line, but have seen nothing. If you attended, please let me know how it all went.

For me, this quilt is one of those sweet spots you hit when you’re in the groove. I did the drawing and quilt pretty quickly, all in one week. But a lot of people seem to like it, especially the cute little vintage buttons that act as 3D elements on the dresser drawers, closet, and purse. You can see more closeup details of it on my website here.

Last week a photographer I’ve long admired, Julie Blackmon emailed me that she saw my winter show and “Vintage Purse” inspired her to create a photograph called “Vintage Wallpaper.” I’m dying to see her version, but we haven’t been able to get together yet. I only know Julie through the internet, her work and press, which she gets a lot of because she wins lots of awards and is in important collections. Be sure to check out her website, I guarantee you’ll be enthralled with her work. But you want to know a really crazy thing about her? She only lives one block from me!

Filed Under exhibitions, other artists | 5 Comments

Pin Cushion Genius!

April 16, 2007

I have many wrist-pincushions that I’ve tried over the past few years. One came from discount sewing stores and are uncomfortable and ugly. (although Kayne always wore the same one on Project Runway.) I had great hopes for the one I got from a French sewing company last fall. But alas, it’s very heavy on top and always rolls to the backside of my wrist, and the pins make a strange pattern due to the circular magnetic field.

But none comes close to how great this one that Julian made for me. It’s light, balanced, easy to snap on and off with the top-secret Julian wrist band. And it’s made with wonderful colored fabrics. Thanks Julian!

Filed Under uncategorized | 4 Comments

Different Kind of Drawing

April 14, 2007

I’ve written before about drawing as a process as opposed to drawing as a product in this post about my infinite drawings, and here I sewed a 5′ x 11′ drawing together. There is another kind of drawing I do that is also process, but I can’t help but like the end result.

When I’m getting ready to quilt a face or some detail, I lay some tracing paper over the shape and practice drawing lines, to ready myself to make similar patterns with the sewing machine needle. I do all my quilting improvisationally, so for me, it’s like a dancer practicing the dance to ready for the final performance.

In this case, I wanted the stitch lines to surround and accentuate the beaded eyes that I would later sew on, so it was important to practice for the placement of the yet-to-be-added embellishments. I use colored pastel pencils so it’s more fun.

Filed Under drawings, process | 2 Comments

One Foot Square

April 12, 2007

The sad truth is — yesterday was the first day since January’s ice storm that I laid a hand (or foot) on my sewing machine. This must change!

Today I finished this small quilt, it’s only 12″ square. I’m donating it to Studio Art Quilt Associates for their fund-raising auction at the SAQA conference next month. I’ve never made a donation quilts because I usually find the format too restrictive. But I like working square, and this format is big enough that I can use images I like. Also I’ve been impressed with all that SAQA has accomplished in the past two years I’ve been a member. Under executive director Martha Seilman and the board, they’re accomplishing tons of stuff, so I’d like to contribute. But most important…. I already had all these spare parts laying around!

I call it “Take me to your Dentist!” (as in Take me to your Leader! from old scifi movies) The zipper was the hardest part because my hand-sewing skills are lame. And I’m not sure the eyeballs turned out right. I made them out of Sculpty so they would be off-center and look a little wacky. But Jan has been emailing me links to how to make eyeballs, eyeballs, and more eyeballs, (I actually like the last one the best), so if I get really ambitious… who knows?

Filed Under quilts | 8 Comments

Where Did Spring Go?

April 8, 2007

Well, that nice spring weather is long gone. Last weekend it was 85 and this Easter weekend it’s in the 20-30’s, and awk! Friday it snowed! I guess that’s our wacky weather for you, and I can throw another log on the fire and huddle on the sofa. But what about all the trees that have just sprouted tender new leaves? I want to run outside, hug them, dress them in warm clothes, and tell them that, yes, Spring will be back!

Filed Under drawings | 3 Comments

Eureka!

April 3, 2007

Spring is a great time to visit Eureka Springs. Flowers are bursting out everywhere, so we took the first weekend off since the ice storm and spent some time at Cliff Cottage Inn B&B. We stayed in a turquoise Victorian house that was built around two turns of a century ago, as one of Sears first kit homes — delivered by train in forty boxes for the mayor of Eureka Springs.

Like my home town, Eureka is hilly, so it was a struggle to get our bikes to the top, but wonderful to sail down…past all the quirky little houses built on the edge of nothing, filled with lots of interesting characters, shops, and artist studios.

Then another day in Dogwood Canyon where the red buds and dogwood are just beginning to bloom. It’s highly manicured, with more waterfalls and caves than is natural, but stil a great getaway.

Filed Under journeys | 5 Comments

Alaska Special Delivery

Bad Bad Pin

Quilts to Go

Fiberarts International 2007 Review

Fiber and Photography

Pin Cushion Genius!

Different Kind of Drawing

One Foot Square

Where Did Spring Go?

Eureka!

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