Innholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2015 i Quilting Arts Magazine

EVERY TIME WE SEND AN ISSUE OFF TO OUR PRINTER, I HEAVE A HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF. Another beautiful issue—another captivating cover. From the outside, it might look easy. We have fabulous artwork from around the world, talented columnists who contribute thoughtful articles, and gifted photographers whose work graces every page. But pulling it all together is challenging and takes hundreds of hours of writing, editing, designing, and more. One of the most interesting stages of bringing the magazine from an idea to reality is working on the cover. The process begins as soon as the artwork starts arriving in the office. Along with our talented Art Director, the editorial team chooses three or four quilts to be photographed specifically with the cover in mind. We write short lines of…

Susan Brubaker Knapp is the host of “Quilting Arts TV” and a studio fiber artist, author, and teacher. Susan lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two daughters. She teaches internationally. bluemoonriver.com Jane Dávila is a fiber artist, media mixer, and collector of found objects. She is the author of Surface Design Essentials, and the co-author of Art Quilt Workbook and Art Quilts At Play. She has appeared on “Quilting Arts TV” and has a Quilting Arts Workshop™ video, “Mixed-Media One-Page Book.” Jane lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut, with her husband Carlos, an oil painter and sculptor. janedavila.com Jane Dunnewold is a professional artist and teacher. She is the author of Complex Cloth: A Comprehensive Guide To Surface Design and Art Cloth: A Guide To Surface Design For Fabric,…

Sometimes an artist’s quilt just takes your breath away. After seeing Melissa Sobotka’s quilt unveiled at the International Quilt Festival, Houston in 2013, it was clear that this was one of those special pieces. When “Chihuly’s Gondola” was announced as the winner of the Best of Show award accompanied by a $10,000 prize purse, the reaction in the room was audible. A curtain pulled away to reveal an art quilt that truly glowed with the beauty of reflecting light and exquisite craftsmanship. Colors blended, textures receded, and the heavily quilted masterpiece stunned the audience. Truly, this spectacular quilt received the attention and prize it deserved. After that first viewing, I had the opportunity to talk with Melissa about her roundabout introduction to art quilting and her amazing journey to earning…

• 100% cotton batting, ½ yd. or 18" × 24" (I use Quilters Dream Cotton® Select or Request.) • Silk organza, ¼ yd. or large scrap• Golden Artist Color® Acrylic Paints (I used green, blue, and yellow in fluid acrylic or heavy body.) • Paint palette or plastic plate• 2"–3" wide chip brush• Latex gloves• Rubber stamps for pattern stamping on leaves• Ink pad, chocolate brown (I used Versacraft™.)• Chenille or yarn for couched tree, 2 shades of brown• Hand-dyed perle cotton for couching and embroidery stitches (I used perle cotton in sizes #3, #5, and #12.)• Glass beads in 2 colors (I used orange rondelles for the persimmons and a contrasting color around the tree panel.)• Beading thread in taupe or gray (I used The Beadsmith® Silimide.)• Beading and…

Create the transfer image 1. Photocopy an image from your sketchbook onto plain paper. Check the print and adjust the color saturation or size of the image as desired. Using “darken” or “resize,” make adjustments on the printer settings. Use the “photo” setting for the finest printing detail. 2. Load a sheet of transfer paper into the printer’s paper tray. Print the image and cut out close to the edge of the design. Set the image aside while you prepare the background fabric. Note: Remember, if your design includes text or a directional image, create a mirror image before printing onto the transfer paper. Prepare the supplies 1. Cover your work surface with plastic sheeting. Place the monoprinting surface on a portion of the plastic, leaving some plastic work surface…

PIGMENTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION CREATING WITH ALCOHOL INKS Cathy Taylor Schiffer Publishing, 2015 136 pp., Paperback with spiral binding • $24.99 Alcohol inks are one of the newer media around and artists of all sorts are playing and experimenting with them. Cathy Taylor has written this thoughtful and powerful book explaining alcohol inks and all their uses. Long the material of crafters and fine artists, fiber artists are jumping in as well and Cathy’s book is an excellent guide to the vast potential of alcohol inks. She advocates working with the inks on all sorts of surfaces and loves their unpredictability and intense color. Although much of the book focuses on Cathy’s and other artists’ experiments with alcohol ink on paper— which are fascinating!—the chapter on Fabric Effects will intrigue…

Every fabric discharges differently, so it is important to test each fabric with different discharge agents before starting the project to be sure they work. • Choose a commercial or hand-dyed fabric you’d like to use in your project.• Dab a bit of each product onto a scrap of the fabric and wait 5 minutes.• Rinse the fabric with water. If you are not satisfied with the degree of color removal, test another scrap at 10 or 15 minutes. Make a note of the time that gives your specific fabric the result you desire.• If you want to keep your samples for a long time, consider treating them with Bleach-Stop or antichlor, following the manufacturer’s directions.…

Dear QUILTING ARTS, I just received my magazine today (February/March 2015) and in the “Artist Q&A with Luke Haynes,” I noticed the wall hanging on page 29 titled “Elk Head.” Well, I’m very sorry to tell you but that is a “Buck Head” (deer) not an elk. They are different animals. I’m a hunter and a quilter so I do kinda know what I’m saying. Thank you for a wonderful and fun magazine! Celita Strouse via email Dear Celita, Thanks for the clarification. We'll let Luke know! The Editorial Team DEAR QUILTING ARTS, I noticed that in Jane LaFazio’s article (“Inspired to Stitch,” February/March 2015) she says that people eat the leaves of pokeweed as salad. This information is, I’m pretty sure, dangerously incorrect. Pokeweed is toxic unless it is…

when we think of machine stitching that fills the negative or empty spaces of a quilt, our first thought is often of stipple quilting. Stipple quilting is fast, easy to do, looks good, and can be stitched in a large or small scale, depending on the space available and the desired effect. But there are filer stitches beyond the trusty stipple. An area being filled with patterns of stitching could include organic or geometric shapes (or a combination of both)—bubbles, pebbles, swirls, feather or leaf shapes, flowers, or concentric circles, squares, or triangles. Filler stitching adds drama when a pronounced design, contrasting color, and prominent, thick thread are used or acts as a background player to support the main action in a piece with subtle texture and pattern, and matching…

Autumn is a particularly beautiful season, as the leaves in many parts of the world change color and nature prepares for colder days to come. Whatever colors surround you in fall, our challenge is for you to create an art quilt inspired by autumn leaves. As an added twist, we encourage you to use at least one technique you have learned from any issue of Quilting Arts. Share your quilt with us and we’ll publish a sampling of readers’ artwork in the October/November issue. Here’s how to enter • Create an art quilt based on the theme “Autumn Leaves.” The entire quilt, oriented horizontally or vertically, must measure 8" × 10" including the binding. Embellishments must not protrude more than ½" from the quilt.• The quilt may be made with…

• Transfer paper (I used Jacquard® Transfer Paper.)• Sketchbook art, your own photo, or a copyright-free image• Printer• Plastic sheeting• Freezer paper• Monoprinting surface such as Plexiglas® or a Gelli Arts™ plate• Acrylic fabric paint• Brayer• White cotton PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabric• Spray bottle with water• Small travel size spray bottle or paintbrush• Prepared liquid dye (I used Rit® Dye.)• Paintbrush• Paper towels• Complementary fabric, large scraps or fat eighths• Backing, fat quarter• Batting, fat quarter or large scrap Optional • Acrylic varnish• Small sponge brush• Stencil or stamp• Dauber or cosmetic sponge…

• Fabric for center, fat quarter• Fusible fleece, 1 yd. (I used Pellon® 987F.)• Midweight stabilizer, 1 yd. (I used Pellon® 40.)• Pressing cloth• 12wt and 28wt cotton threads (I used Aurifil™.)• 40wt polyester thread for the bobbin• Topstitch sewing machine needle, size 110/16• Sewing machine with free-motion capabilities• Border fabric, ¼ yd.• Backing and binding fabric, ⅝ yd.• Hand embroidery needles Optional • Parchment paper did you know? With thread, the larger the weight number, the finer the thread. So, 28wt thread is finer than 12wt thread. With sewing machine needles, the opposite is true. So, a 100/16 needle is thicker than an 80/12 needle. So, sew!…

Recently on Facebook, we asked for strategies and tips on how to make the most of attending quilt shows. Here is a selection of their comments: Do your best to keep all of your comments positive and kind—the quilter or someone very dear is often within hearing distance. Val Poitier Drink lots of water. Wear comfortable shoes that you’ve worn before and can take the long haul. Eat a healthy lunch and then go look at the amazing quilts. Rest. Go back and buy more supplies, because the quilts have given you some great inspiration. Jamie Fingal Engage others looking at quilts. It’s an easy way to start a conversation and a great way to meet new people. Deborah Massie Boschert When the doors open, head to the vendors in…

Makes a 10-page book; the outside pages will be the front and back cover Finished page size 10" × 8" • Transfer paper (I used TAP Transfer Artist Paper™.)• Photos scanned into a computer (Use your own or copyright-free images.)• Quotes or text scanned or typed into your computer• White cotton or muslin, fat quarter or ½ yd. depending on the size and quantity of the items you wish to transfer• Lightweight fusible web, 20" × 2 yds. (I used Mistyfuse®.)• Midweight fabric for book pages, 6 pieces each 10" × 16" (Fabric pieces should measure twice as long and the same height as the finished page.) Suggested fabrics: denim, linen, home décor, ticking• Assortment of fabric for page collages in a variety of color, scale, texture, and pattern• Scissors…

• Influence the color of the fabric you are stitching on by using a complementary or contrasting thread color.• Add shadows to motifs and subjects with filler stitches.• Create a sense of depth or perspective by varying the scale of the filler stitch shapes from large in the foreground to smaller in the background.• Use dense tightly stitched patterns to cause a motif or subject to “pop” out from the background.• Reinforce the story your quilt is telling by stitching shapes that relate to the subject of the quilt (for example, stitch feathers on a bird quilt).• Choose a filler stitch shape in contrast to the design of the quilt (for example, stitch curvy, organic shapes on a geometric, linear quilt).• Confine filler stitching to specific areas or shapes on…

1. Evaluate Not surprisingly, the first thing I suggest is to go into the studio and take inventory of what’s on hand. Yes, it is a daunting task, but these strategies may help jumpstart the process: Vow to fill at least one bag with items you no longer need and give it to a friend, a charity, or offer it online. Do this every week, indefinitely—or until everything you want to release is gone. 2. Organize Whatever that means to you, just do it. If pretty new containers will help, okay, but don’t go that route just to avoid the actual organizing. Consider trying on my studio rules for size—Rule #1: When something comes in, something goes out, and Rule #2: Use what’s here. Or write your own rules because…

i love persimmon trees with their vibrant yellow-orange fruit and their quirky, gnarly, twisting branches. This painted batting technique made the perfect background for my hand-stitched persimmon tree. I stumbled upon this method for creating textural fabric while brainstorming new ideas for a mixed-media retreat. I have worked with fabrics, paper, cardboard, even napkins, but never cotton batting as background material for quilts. Not only is it inexpensive, it gives the same impression as pricier felted wool. And, with all the texture used on this quilt, a normal binding would not do—it needed to be as funky and chunky as the quilt itself.…

STUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATES’ REDIRECTING THE ORDINARY is about turning things around, upside down, inside out, and backwards. Or how even just a minuscule course correction can charge up the humdrum, turn the common into the uncommon, and make the expected unexpected. We live in an environment we take for granted. We often miss the essential and forget that we can make the routine so much more vibrant and interesting. These selected artists have interpreted the object or phenomenon in cloth to bring attention and significance to the ordinary. This exhibit was juried by Alicia Merrett and curated by Gül Laporte. “Housefly Redefined” (opposite page) 44" × 30½" JUDY ROSS AVON, CONNECTICUT “I was thinking of something that I see frequently and that is something I prefer not to see:…

Finished quilt 13" × 13" • Fusible web, 1½ yds. (I used Mistyfuse®.)• 6 coordinating fabrics, each 14" × 6" or large scraps (See Fabric Selection Tips.)• Teflon® pressing sheet• Iron and ironing surface• Rotary cutting supplies• Batting or felt, 15" × 15"• Inspiration photo, your own or a copyright-free image, between 4" × 6" and 8" × 10"• Pencil and paper• Blank muslin quilt sandwich, 10" × 10"• Sewing machine with free-motion capability• Size 90/14 embroidery needle for your sewing machine Optional • Fluid acrylic or textile paint • Acrylic paintbrush fabric selection tips • Choose fabrics without strong patterns as you want a blended background, not a checkerboard. Stick with similar values and colors. • If the fabric strips are not long enough, overlap the ends about ¼"…

what is transfer paper? Transfer paper is specially treated paper that allows you to place any image onto fabric using a hot iron. Images may be scanned or photocopied (with an inkjet printer), painted, stamped, or drawn on transfer paper. Transferred images are crisp and colorfast, and made to be washable and crack resistant on fabric. In fact, many brands of transfer paper can transfer images to surfaces other than fabric, like paper, wood, glass, metal and—well, use your imagination and experiment! Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for best success. i use my sketchbook to record life forms and shapes I find delightful. When I lose myself in the process and am fully in the moment, the pleasure I get from looking at my subject matter comes through clearly in my…

A 21 ABM International 9 American Quilter’s Society 95 Artistic Artifacts 27 Aurifil USA Inc. B 47 Bead Fest Philadelphia C2 Bernina USA C 39 Colonial Needle 95 Colour Streams 39 Country Heritage Tours 93 Craft Daily 27 Craftoptics E 33 eQuilter.com 95 Esterita Austin G 5 Grace Company 9 Group Seminars at Sea H C4 Handi Quilter 39 Hudson River Valley I 86 Interweave Books/ 2015 Crafters Market 73 Interweave Books/ Mollie Makes Patchwork 62 Interweave Books/ Paper Pieced Home 85 Interweave Books/ Quilters Mixology 84 Interweave Books/ Quilting Revival 4 Interweave e-Book/ Dye Your Own Fabric 79 Interweave e-Book/ Surface Design Sampler 45, Interweave Free Offer/ 95 Finishing With Flair C3 InterweaveStore.com J 21 Jacquard Products 7 Jennifer Day Design 7 John C. Campbell Folk School K 53…

MISSION PERMISSION Once upon a time, in a land of my own perception, a royal decree invited artists to attend a fancy ball. Outside the palace, I stood in awe as artists arrived—formally educated in the finest of arts, crowned with artistic achievements, and adorned in colorful prize ribbons. Until recently, I thought permission was a special gift that belonged only to them. I could dabble and play, but they created Art and were Artists. Wanting to dance in this world of art but feeling lost, I asked for permission, but permission didn’t appear. Instead my fairy godmother materialized as the Permission Princess. Seeing I wasn’t dressed for the ball, she waved her silver wand transforming plain fabric into a beautiful “permission slip.” Trying it on for size, I gazed…