Innholdsfortegnelse for October - November 2018 i Quilting Arts Magazine

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR FOR SO MANY REASONS. My kitchen garden is nearly done providing its bounty, so there is time to pursue activities other than weeding, canning, and harvesting. The colorful splendor of maples and oaks in autumn is at its peak. Spiced cider is the preferred refreshment at every family gathering (plus doughnuts, if I’m being perfectly honest). The air is crisp and clear, yet still filled with occasional birdsong. Each of the five senses is satisfied as colors, smells, sounds, tastes, and textures all mingle and remind me of my favorite place to be: home. Yes, I’m a homebody and prefer my own backyard to venturing out more often than not. Although I love to travel and experience foreign cultures, the very thought of being…

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand. Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”—NEIL ARMSTRONG These iconic words, spoken as the world watched, resonated strongly as we gazed upon the amazing entries for this Reader Challenge. In the April/May issue we asked you to create quilts with the theme “3-2-1-Blastoff!” to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station. Many of our fearless readers, brought back to their memories of other space expeditions, explored the vastness of the universe. We are pleased to present this gallery of original art and hope you enjoy our readers’ work! “Windows to Infinity” CAROL ROZICH WEBER HOPEWELL JUNCTION, NEW YORK “The International Space Station…

has this ever happened to you? You walk into your studio, turn on the light, look around, and are struck with the overwhelming feeling of, “I’m never going to have another creative idea again.” Well, you’re not the only one! It happens to every artist at some point. I’ve been a full-time artist for many years and trust me when I say that it will pass and your motivation will return. It may take a few days or maybe even a few weeks, but I promise you that this feeling will pass. Artist’s block comes in many forms and the first step for dealing with yours is not to panic. The second step is to figure out what’s causing it so you can kick it to the curb and get…

Dear QUILTING ARTS staff, I so enjoyed this past edition of QUILTING ARTS and have tried the process described by Sue Bleiweiss, “Faux Metal Fabric.” I loved this technique and constructed a journal cover for my granddaughter’s 21st birthday with my finished fabric. Her response was, “I love, love, love it!” Thank you for all your wonderful issues, and a new challenge for this 77-year-old art quilter! Sincerely, Phyllis Fitzgerald • St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada When did you begin to consider yourself an art quilter, and why? We asked you, our creative readers, this question on social media. Here are few responses: When I sold an art quilt for a whole lot more than people were willing to pay for a bed quilt! I continue because of Quilting…

there are many types of printmaking but I have a deep love for relief printmaking—in particular, linocuts and woodcuts. I enjoy all of the steps in the process, time consuming as they can be: designing, carving, inking, and printing. If you have ever used a rubber stamp then you have done a very simple form of relief printing. Now is the time to design your own image to create unique pieces of art. Your image can be a geometric or floral design to create pattern or it can be a complete image in and of itself. I do both depending upon what I want. I have used my printing plates on clothing as well as on fabric to incorporate into art quilts. If you are new to printmaking or feel…

sometimes, after working all the way through the creative process with a finished art quilt pinned up on my design wall, I am completely satisfied, pleased—even thrilled—with the results. Ta-da! What an extraordinary feeling! Of course, not every quilt turns out this way. For me, success is achieved most often when I fully integrate my head, heart, and hands into a piece of work. This means I’ve explored the ideas in my head. I’ve chosen elements I love with all my heart. I’ve used techniques that my hands have mastered. Much of my creative process is framed around maximizing everything going on in my head, heart, and hands. Part of this process involves incorporating personal symbols into my art quilt collages. Personal symbols help ground my designs and elevate the…

“I look forward to the breaks in my obsessive quilting work habits. When I work, I work a lot. If art expresses life, then I need time off to live life and have something to express. I have trust that it is part of the creative cycle, working hard and then not. I don't try to force the issue, I just wait. So far, the creativity comes forward when it is ready to, not necessarily when I have a deadline or a show I want to enter. PS: I often piece quilt tops from my stash while I am waiting …” —Kathy York “After I finish a big quilt, I pull out my knitting. I really like how it engages a different part of my brain—following patterns and flowing into…

as a mixed-media artist, I often create designs in the form of mandalas on fabric with paint and circular stencils. I also love working with the fabric I create, and was looking for ways I could translate my ideas into quilted mandalas. For this project, I used my fabric scraps and handmade cords, choosing colors that are bright, cheery, and complement one another. The results are a beautiful array of decorative fiber art. My patchwork mandalas are heavily quilted with random straight and zigzag stitches, making them very easy and relaxing to create. They can be displayed individually on a table, framed, or clustered on a wall. DIRECTIONS Create the patchwork mandala 1. Using a compass, draw a 12" circle onto stabilizer. Cut on the line. Repeat with the fusible…

Sue Bleiweiss is an award-winning fiber artist recognized for her whimsical imagery and bold, saturated quilts. In her new book MODERN ART QUILTS: DESIGN, FUSE & QUILT-AS-YOU-GO, she demonstrates how to create dynamic modern art quilts with no piecing required. Sue lives in Massachusetts. suebleiweiss.com Deborah Boschert is an artist who layers fabric, paint, and stitching. Her work incorporates personal symbols including her latest obsessions: ladders and bowls. She mixes commercial prints with original surface-designed fabrics. She is the author of ART QUILT COLLAGE: A CREATIVE JOURNEY IN FABRIC, PAINT & STITCH. deborahsstudio.com Jane Dunnewold teaches and lectures internationally, and has mounted numerous one-person exhibitions, including “Inspired by the Masters.” She is a recipient of the Quilt Japan Prize, and Gold Prize at the Taegu (Korea) International Textile Exhibition. Jane…

in the 1960s and 1970s, a core group of trailblazing artists developed quilts as an art form. Their exhibitions, publications, and studio workshops helped to create a groundswell of enthusiasm for contemporary quilt art. This article explores the very beginnings of the Art Quilt Movement leading up to the first Quilt National in 1979. As you view these studio quilts created decades ago, note how they differ from many of the works exhibited today. Among other differences, earlier art quilts tended to be larger, referencing the bed quilts from which they descended. While the imagery may look contemporary, the quilting usually does not fill the surface as is common today. Most of the fabrics were commercially manufactured, rather than being artist dyed or embellished with surface design. The Whitney Exhibition…

from the telling of your traumatic trip to the a store to the description of a 500-page novel, everybody loves a good story. Bringing a story to life with pictures makes the story even more engaging. So why not illustrate personal stories in a very personal way, with hand embroidery? For me, narrative embroidery—or storytelling with needle and thread—is both a joy and a challenge. I enjoy the thrill of inspiration when I come across a captivating phrase, idiom, or story. And I agonize over the challenge of how to illustrate that same phrase, idiom, or story in fabric and thread. Through stitchery I can confess that I am not very good at gardening, hence my small embroidery “Arm Chair Gardener.” My political opinions are best expressed by using an…

I have always loved living where there are four distinct seasons. Of them, fall is my favorite. I’m attracted to the cool temperatures and the clear blue sky, but most of all I love the changing leaves. Raking and jumping in piles of fallen leaves was a popular childhood pastime. As I grew older, I traded in that activity for walking in the woods, collecting colorful leaves in a shoebox. Unfortunately, the season and those collected leaves don’t last long, and I miss having leaves around all year. By creating my own printed and stitched leaves, I can preserve the beauty of the season. DIRECTIONS Gather & print 1. Gather leaves to print. Look for leaves that have a simple outline, strong vein structure, and are pliable. A sturdy leaf…

elisabeth Nacenta de la Croix lives in Geneva, Switzerland, speaks four languages fluently, and is one of the leading art quilters in Europe. I met her some years ago at a show in France and was immediately captivated by her sense of color, her interpretation of nature, and the way she expresses and articulates her feelings through her geometric designs. Not surprisingly, her sense of humor, energy, and the way she connects with people make her quite popular and appreciated by her fellow artists around the world. She loves to experiment with new techniques and express herself in different ways. Elisabeth is frequently invited to exhibit at shows around the world; she is an award-winning artist, and has been recognized by the Japan Handicraft Instructors’ Association which gave her the…

I HAVE DISCOVERED SOMETHING ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP with other quilters. I need your approval. I start out just fine on my own. When I get a vision for an art quilt I just go for it, adding and subtracting from that original design as I happily chug along. I don’t doubt my color choices and I love picking out which fabrics might work best. I totally enjoy the act of creating and rarely wrestle with any self-doubt. When it is finished, I can hardly wait to show my quilting friends. I am a part of a fantastic guild. I have never heard anyone make an unkind or thoughtless remark about one of my quilts. That may speak more about the quality of their character than the quality of my work!…