Innholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2017 i Quilting Arts Magazine

Why are you an art quilter? Asking the question “Why?” always brings interesting responses. Depending on how the question is phrased, its social context, and the intent behind the query, the answers are always different. When I asked this question on Facebook back in late January, it was met with a flood of comments. No two were the same—some responders felt compelled to break the rules of traditional quilting by turning the craft upside down. For many, it felt like the natural progression of things to turn to a more contemporary expression of creativity. Others came to art quilting from the “art” side by choosing fabric or fiber as their medium instead of paints and pens. We all know that making an art quilt (or any quilt, for that matter!)…

LITERARY HEATHER GIVANS What’s better than walking into a room filled with books? Opening up folds of fabric filled with books! This collection reflects literary classics such as Moby Dick and The Boxcar Children with recreations of rich cover patterns and piles of books haphazardly stacked. Text graces some prints, and others are scattered with library checkout cards. Each fabric excites exploration and whimsy. windhamfabrics.net ART QUILTS INTERNATIONAL: ABSTRACT & GEOMETRIC BY MARTHA SIELMAN Martha Sielman’s latest book is a stunning collection of work highlighting the depth and breadth of art quilts within the theme of abstracts and geometrics. Featuring in-depth interviews with 29 artists, full and detailed images of hundreds of quilts, and gorgeous galleries sharing the work of 95 additional artists, this book is a must-have for the…

there’s an old adage repeated many times in creative writing classes: Write what you know. This is good advice not only for student writers, but for anyone who is interested in the creative process. It is easy to be distracted by the work of other artists, traditional quilting patterns, and current trends. But if we use our art to thoroughly examine what we know best, the results can be even more stunning. Artist Timna Tarr’s work does just that. Her artistry straddles both the art quilt and modern quilting genres. Her quilts are both introspective as they examine her place in the western Massachusetts landscape of mill towns and post-industrial communities, and outwardly joyous as they celebrate her place in the contemporary quilting world. I had the pleasure of meeting…

2017 is the Year of the Rooster— now that is something to crow about! The Chinese zodiac has a long history and tradition, as does the rooster in traditional American quilting. The rooster and assorted companions show up in traditional blocks such as Hen and Chickens, and in numerous appliqué applications. The rooster is a proud, confident, and noisy animal, strutting around the farmyard. Join along with fellow QUILTING ARTS readers and create an art quilt based on the theme, “Year of the Rooster.” Share your quilt with us and we’ll publish a sampling of reader’s artwork in the October/ November 2017 issue or at quiltingdaily.com. mark your calendar MAY 28: Emailed submissions are due with low-resolution jpeg photos. MAY 31: Names of finalists will be posted on the blog…

viewpoints 9 is an international, invitational, fiber art group now in its fifth year. Based on challenges posed by each of our artists, we share our creative inspirations and interpretations on an online blog. “Constants and Variables,” the theme of the third cycle, challenged members to respond to a physical variable in their work within a personal theme of their choosing. Challenges in this cycle have included neon colors, unconventional materials, using a third dimension, and thread. The challenges provide opportunities to experiment with new techniques, glimpse creative process, and share each other’s perspective. The “Constants and Variables” exhibition is an intimate portrait of the feelings and fascinations of the artists transcending language, distance, and culture. Needle and thread are an integral part of quilt making—whether by hand or machine,…

if someone asked how to make brown, your answer might be, “Just mix two complementary colors—red and green work well.” But that’s not necessarily the case. When you mix red and green, you might get brown ... but you might also get shades of oak leaves in autumn, maple syrup, subtle skin tones, or plums with undertones of green leaves. Complementary colors are those found opposite on the color wheel— red/green, yellow/purple and orange/blue. Grab yourself a color wheel and take a spin, because there are so many other combinations that work. The fact that the two opposites “complete” each other means that they will also neutralize each other when mixed together. And that’s where we can jump into the dye pot and create glorious mixes of those brown-ish neutrals.…

i live on Pender Island, a forested gem on the west coast of Canada. It inspires me—the red trunked arbatus, the ocean’s interaction with the shore, orcas, eagles, and a proliferation of birds and insects all play a part inspiring my artwork. My introduction to using fabric in my art started with traditional quilting, making full-sized Log Cabin bed quilts, and quilting them by stitching in the ditch. What my husband calls my magpie spirit—my love of color and sparkly things— moved my interest into quilting shapes, paper piecing, and free-motion stitching to create depth and texture. The transition to creating portrait and then landscape quilts came naturally as I was inspired to replicate the things I see around me. It was only a few years ago that I looked…

creating different textures for embellishments is one of my favorite things to do. I grew up spending weekends on our family boat, fishing and watching my dad’s scuba bubbles. Later, after becoming a scuba diver myself, the textures and underwater dimensions inspired me to bring them to life with fabric, fiber, and thread. MATERIALS • 1/2 yard batik fabric for background • 1/3 yard medium-weight fusible interfacing • 1/3 yard batting • 1/3 yard stabilizer (I used SulkyR Totally Stable StabilizerR.) • Basting spray • Backing fabric • 1 square of acrylic felt (I used KuninR felt.) • Acrylic ribbon • 10" square of tulle • 10" square of water-soluble stabilizer (I used Sulky Fabri-Solvy StabilizerR.) • Chopstick • Various fibers and yarns • 7" spring hoop • Thread •…

Susan Brubaker Knapp is the host of “Quilting Arts TV.” She is a studio fiber artist, author, and teacher, and has several Quilting Arts Workshop™ videos. Her latest is “52 Free-Motion Quilting Motifs and Fillers.” Susan lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two daughters. She teaches both nationally and internationally. bluemoonriver.com Connie Marie Fahrion works from her home studio in Nederland, Texas. Her focus is on creating original art whether working from her own photos or stream-ofconscious creations. Connie’s collage journey using household fibers started in 2011, when she began working with painted coffee filters and paper towels. fiberspeak.blogspot.com Leslie Tucker Jenison is a contemporary quilt maker and fabric designer from San Antonio, Texas. Her award-winning quilts have been juried into national and international exhibitions. In addition…

some objects just call out for thread sketching, and feathers are some of them. With thread and free-motion stitching, you can render a feather in a way that emphasizes its lovely texture, delicate tendrils, and exquiste contours. Trace my illustration of a feather onto an interesting hand-dyed fabric to get started or draw your own feather. Using very lightweight thread is key to achieving the delicacy of the lines, which makes the feather look so realistic. MATERIALS • Hand-dyed cotton fabric in a dark color • Batting (I used low-loft, 100% cotton.) • Cotton backing fabric • 50wt or 60wt white cotton thread (I used Aurifil™ Cotton Mako 50.) • 30wt-40wt variegated thread to coordinate with the hand-dyed fabric • Chalk pencil • Light box or brightly lit window •…

i love collecting anything vintage, including dolls, furnishings, and tin tiles used in ceiling construction. Many years ago, I found a use for my ever-expanding collection of vintage tin tiles (I own more than 100!) by transferring the embossed designs to fabric. I started by placing wet, plain cotton tightly over the rusty tin tiles and painting the fabric to reflect the unique design of the tile. I was pleasantly surprised—not only was I creating a cool piece of fabric, but it was also one-of-a-kind reproduction of the vintage tile. I have experimented with this transfer process on countless tin tiles in addition to other high-relief architectural pieces such as wrought iron, funky clay pots, and garden stepping stones. Use this technique to customize the project to your needs and…

while working in our local art gallery, I met a man from New York City who owned his own little gallery. He was buying a small art quilt of mine and mentioned that I should make boutonnieres for men because they were a growing trend. After a little Pinterest research, the inspiration started flowing and images accumulated on my board. I developed this technique after experimenting with silk, ribbon, and wool roving. This little wool blossom is my favorite and can be used in many ways—on blazers and jackets, purses and hats. It is so simple and can be made in a jiffy. DIRECTIONS Make the posie 1. Cut the felt into a circle about 3" in diameter. Leave a small tab on one side. (figure 1) Thread the needle,…

when I quilt a self-portrait, I can be anyone I imagine. Maybe I’m blonde. Maybe I’m a cowgirl—or a movie star. My portraits are whimsical and are not meant to be overly realistic. Some quilts also include truisms or proverbs to make the message of the quilt last longer. Part of the fun is searching for fabrics with interesting lines and shapes that give the perception of hair, lips, or eyes. Mary Lou’s guide to getting started • Gather prints for a face, hat, nose, eyes, and lips • Search your stash for garment trim, hat fabric, and other accessories • Sift through your buttons, sequins, beads, and other found objects for embellishment Making the face Over the past 20 years, I have grown to prefer using less traditional colors…

AM GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BECOMING A BEGINNER. If only I could be leaning over your shoulder as you turn the page and read the first sentence of this article. If only! I can almost hear you ask yourself why anyone, anyone, would want to be a beginner again. Stay with me here, as I try to extol the virtue of becoming a beginner. Let’s acknowledge the pain and frustration that is often part of being new to a skill. The unknown is frightening, right? Who doesn’t want to stay in the safe zone? We know that zone—we dwell in it and maybe have become a sort of expert in that arena. It is comfortable—a bit like wearing a favorite old t-shirt and fuzzy slippers. And…