Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2020 i Quilting Arts Magazine

HERE’S AN UNDERSTATEMENT: WE ARE LIVING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES. Times when the healing power of art, the necessary purpose of creativity, and the act of making are helping an entire community navigate a worldwide crisis. As I write this note (from my home office, after the first few weeks of social distancing necessitated by the spread of the coronavirus), I am looking forward to a time when I can look back at 2020 and reflect on how art and making not only kept me busy but helped me comprehend the surreal events around me. For the past few years, I’ve hosted a gathering of art quilting friends in June at my home for a party of sorts—one that is full of laughter, joy, lots of good food, and a healthy…

As we age, our memories become more significant but sometimes more unreliable. This seemingly inescapable fact has provided me with inspiration for many of my quilts and embroideries. Recent work has been inspired by my fascination with moths and though the connection might seem obscure, it does exist! Largely unseen and secretive, most people are completely unaware of the colorful moths flying in their gardens at night. I’ve used these elusive creatures as symbols of the fleeting thoughts and ideas that come to us in dreams but are often forgotten in the light of day. Their fragility represents transient thoughts and fading memories. My moths are symbolic of loss and failing faculties, but they have beauty nonetheless. I made my first moth-inspired quilt in 2012 and called it “Remembering.” The…

Art quilters frequently use unconventional materials in their work. From found fabric to hand-dyed burlap, many materials you wouldn’t normally expect to see used in a quilt have become more common. In the past year alone, QUILTING ARTS contributors have expanded the breadth of materials they use to include such varied substrates as art paper, tulle, gauze, and even cheesecloth. When it comes to embellishments, the sky’s the limit: as long as it can be attached to the surface of a quilt wiTh either glue or thread, it’s been done. But playing cards? Why not? That’s a game changer. Up your game by finding fresh ways to create pattern and texture with the colorful graphics from cards. They are a fresh and fun source of color and texture, as well…

This project is broken down into five steps: creating quilted fabric feathers, painting real goose feathers, deconstructing the paintbrush, decorating the wooden handle, and then reassembling the final brush. I was inspired by Birgit Koopsen, who paints real goose feathers using a gelatin printing plate and some easy printing and stamping techniques. I combined several different mixed-media and quilting techniques to create a beautiful bouquet of feathers and transform a wooden paintbrush into a delightful work of art. DIRECTIONS Stitched ‘feathers’ 1. From the white/tone-on-tone fabric, cut 6–8 (8" x 10") pieces. Layer pairs with craft felt in between to make a quilt sandwich. Baste. Make 3–4. 2. Using a water-erasable fabric marker, draw feather shapes on the quilt sandwich, leaving a 1" margin between each one. Fit 2–4 feathers…

this latest series of art quilts chose me, instead of me racking my brain to come up with an idea. I see so much inspiration in the faces of women who come from the same era I did. These are women I know from the fabric art groups I belong to, from my volunteer work, and friends I’ve had for many years. They enrich my days. What we have in common is we’ve lived life. We have loved, lost, given, learned—and these qualities shine through. Wisdom, humor, and affection are woven into expressions like threads through fabric. Society used to see us as “invisible” but that’s changing. Even traditional women’s crafts like hand stitching are more recently seen as valuable and collectable. I’m creating a series of quilts honoring the…

I wouldn’t exactly say I’m an impatient artist. It’s just, when time to create becomes available, I seize it like an enthusiastic toddler going after an ice cream cone. This has shaped the way I choose the materials and techniques I work with. I could take the time to dye my own fabric. I could take the time to mix my own dyes and printing paste. But will I? Most of the time the answer is no. That takes an amount of forethought and planning that often doesn’t complement my schedule. Early on in my fabric printing career, I sought alternatives that work for me. The two main players are commercial solid fabric and textile paint. I often feel like textile paint gets a bad reputation. It conjures images of…

• Most people organize their scraps by color, but think about separating them out by motif (such as prints with typography, numbers, flowers, etc.), value, texture, or type of fabric (chenille, screened prints, lace, and so on). • Fold larger scraps and stack in containers such as shoe boxes (cardboard or plastic) or wire bins. But consider tossing 4" or smaller scraps together in a see-through bin like a laundry basket. Sorting through them can help you discover unexpected color and pattern combinations. • Avoid housing long strips of fabric or trim together with small scraps, as they’re apt to tangle. • Sandwich a heavy layer of your tiniest scraps between a larger cut of cotton fabric and a sheet of water-soluble stabilizer. Secure the edges and free-motion stitch swirls…

What are we looking for? • Artists with inspiring portfolios of work to be featured in our In The Spotlight, Artist Profile, Open Studio, and Q&A articles. Show us your work and tell us your story. • Unique techniques, new ways to use existing tools and supplies, and ideas we’ve never featured before. • Projects and techniques featuring mixed-media, collage, and fabric book art. How to submit • Write a brief description of your idea and email it to qasubmissions@goldenpeakmedia.com. Your submission should give us an overview of what you are proposing to write with enough detail and supporting information for us to carefully consider your idea. • Attach up to three low-resolution jpg photos of your art or process to your email, and don’t forget to include your name,…

who doesn’t love butterflies? They are elegant and beautiful and a marvelous example of transformation—from modest beginning to a luscious winged creature. But we appreciate all insects, even if some are more lovely to look at than others. One cannot overlook their importance to our ecosystem, whether pollinating plants to feed our nations, building complex colonies with engineering skills second to none, or as needed food sources for other animals. We appreciate their vital role in our environment. We challenged readers to make a 10" x 10" art quilt that explored, celebrated, and interpreted the humble insect and its place in our world. We are pleased to share this gallery of our readers’ work. We hope you enjoy the following pages of original art. “Pretty Pollinator” JOANNA ELLIS • PARMA,…

Quilters often think creative ideas are spontaneous and as rare and unpredictable as a strike of lightning. While it might seem impossible to schedule creativity, think of it as setting up a lightning rod on the top of a hill in late spring in tornado alley—right place, right time, and the odds are suddenly in your favor. So how do you figure out which elements are crucial for attracting creativity? A recent episode of the podcast HIDDEN BRAIN featured an interview with computer scientist Cal Newport. He noted that people worry that, “Having structure in your schedule means you’re not going to be able to do unstructured thinking. Well, what I’ve found is actually quite the opposite. Being able to protect my time—and to have long periods of undistracted time—allows…

Margarita Korioth is a fiber artist and quilt instructor living in Tennessee. She likes to work with a combination of paper and fabric or fabric alone. Her recent work emphasizes surface design such as dyeing, stamping, and silk screening, with a focus on lettering on fabric. margascrafts.blogspot.com Libby Williamson is a mixed-media fiber artist, quilter, surface designer, and dabbler of most art forms. She uses her sewing machine as a drawing tool-with free-motion stitching as her main design element to enhance her hand-painted fabrics and papers. Libby teaches from her studio in Orange, California, online, and at destination retreats. libbywilliamson.com Heidi Parkes loves hand piecing and hand quilting, along with the affordability and mobility of the artform. Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she frequents The Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber…

PROFab: These textile paints are available from PRO™ Chemical and Dye. They come in both transparent and opaque varieties and have excellent pigment saturation. They are my go to paints in the studio. Blick Water-based Acrylic Fabric Screen Printing Ink: These are nice paints for screen printing. I also use them for other printing applications as well such as monoprinting. They come in quart size containers and while the colors are somewhat limited, they are easily mixed and a good value at such a large size. PermasetR These are my absolute favorites for opaque paint. They have some colors with the label Supercover, and it does just what it says. These paints stay true to their color no matter what color they are being printed over. Pēbēo Setacolor: These come…

NEW DIRECTIONS: EXPLORING ART QUILTS WITH SAQA SAQA (STUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATES, INC.) As always, the artists associated with the renowned international art quilting organization, SAQA, provide dozens of recent quilts for inspiration for all who enjoy the art of quilting. Th is book, containing more than 300 photos, 16 artist profiles, and 10 galleries of art from Juried Artist Members, is filled with new material. SAQA presents a fabulous look at four of their recent juried exhibitions, including work from various locales: France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As a showcase for international art quilt excellence, you won’t want to miss this colorful and informative book. $ 22.99 • Schiffer PRISCILLA BIANCHI: GUATEMALA ART QUILTS PRISCILLA BIANCHI From the heart and hands of one of the…

viewpoints 9 is an international collaborative project composed of nine quilt artists from five countries, now in its ninth year. Since their founding, Viewpoints 9 artists have traveled together on a creative journey, challenging and inspiring one another to try new techniques, explore new materials, and consider new subject matter in their artwork. Their most recent body of work, “Living Planet,” is their fifth series and premiered at International Quilt Festival, Houston, and The European Patchwork Meeting in France. The “Living Planet” series consists of nine broad themes about life on Earth, including Energy, Ocean, Geology, and others. The final prompt in the series, Wind, was proposed by South Korean member, Misik Kim, who challenged her fellow artists to ‘feel the wind.’ I like standing in the wind.The sound of…

Despite never using quilt patterns, I felt inspired to write my own instructions for this quilt because I love the concept of Instruction Art and enjoy following rules. Often when I make art, I create a set of criteria to follow, and then attempt to see how sneaky I can be in finding variation within those guidelines. Once you read through this ‘pattern,’ you’ll understand just how freeing and fun following rules can be. The instructions are written as a scavenger hunt, harkening back to childhood birthday parties and treasure maps. Part of the process will be to learn a bit about yourself and document your findings on your quilt; thus, the bolded words like Birth and Orbit that introduce each of the elements in the instructions. Each quilt will…