Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020/January 2021 i Quilting Arts Magazine

“This issue of QUILTING ARTS provides a bit of comfort with the theme of ‘Shimmer and Shine, ’ in hopes that it brings light and joy at the end of a heavy year.” IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN—TIME TO REVISIT 2020 AND PLAN FOR ’21. TIME TO REFLECT, RESOLVE, AND RE-SET. It’s been a while since I replaced the oft-discarded New Year’s resolution for a new practice—namely, setting artistic goals and choosing a ‘word of the year’ to guide my creativity. With that in mind, looking back over the past 12 months and evaluating my progress has been interesting: I’ve explored new piecing techniques, experimented with paint, and been an absolute beginner in an online drawing class. But it is clear the 2020 word I embraced—Uncomfortable—was prophetic in more…

Julie B. Booth is a surface design artist, teacher, and author of Fabric Printing at Home. She has written articles for Quilting Arts Magazine and appeared on “Quilting Arts TV.” Julie teaches numerous classes in hand stitching as an expressive art form, including telling stories and sharing memories in cloth and creating appliquéd and stitched works with a healing message. threadbornblog.com Cheryl Sleboda is a full-time, award-winning art quilter who has been featured in magazines and on “Quilting Arts TV” and “It’s Sew Easy.” Cheryl created the Quilting Arts Workshop™ video, “Heirloom Sewing Techniques for Today’s Quilter.” She started a new business focused on cosplay and costuming called Sew Much Cosplay. Cheryl also teaches and speaks to guilds and groups nationally. muppin.com For Beth Schillig fabrics, threads, and sewing machines…

Lorraine uses many specialty fibers in her work—some that create a muted background like felted tussah silk and merino wool, and others that cry out to be the stars of the show. Here’s a quick explanation of the ‘bits and bobs’ she used to create the snow in “Yet a Warm Heart” and other quilts with a wintery theme. Angelina Fiber: Angelina is a versatile polyester fiber that adds an iridescent shine to the lace. A little goes a long way! Angelina can be mixed with wool for felting or spinning, bonded to itself with heat, and sprinkled as in the application Lorraine uses. Banana Silk Fiber: This white fiber is shiny and strong, often used in spinning and textiles. It is made from banana trees after the fruit has…

For most of us, setting up your machine for free-motion quilting is as easy as dropping the feed dogs and installing a freemotion presser foot. But take the time to follow these simple additional steps before working with silk thread and you’ll get better results. • If you have a straight stitch needle plate, use it. The small hole prevents the fabric from going down into the bobbin area. • Replace the machine needle. I use size a 70/10 or 80/12 Microtex needle when quilting with silk. • Set your stitch length to 10–12 stitches per inch. A shorter stitch length ensures smoother curves. • Make a sample using the same fabric and batting. Test your stitching on the sample before working on your quilt. • Adjust your tension. Loosen…

Tyvek is a synthetic material that is lightweight, durable, water resistant, and versatile. It comes in many forms: Tyvek is used in the construction industry as a moisture barrier that is wrapped around houses, sewn into jumpsuits as protective equipment for painting, and most commonly found in heavy-duty mailing envelopes. Lauretta chooses the specific substrate based on availability (recycled mailing envelopes are readily available) or on the texture she wants to achieve. The envelopes are stiffer and more durable; fabric from the painting jumpsuits is more supple and soft.…

the expression “every cloud has a silver lining” is about being optimistic and always looking for hidden goodness or comfort. But sometimes, that silver lining really is silver! We tested our readers’ mettle to use metallic, glittery, or shiny elements in new and artful ways to create an 8" x 10" art quilt inspired by ‘a silver lining’ and they responded. From extreme embellishment to metallic thread, bicycle parts to recycled packaging, their quilts literally shine! We are pleased to share this gallery of our readers’ work. We hope you enjoy the following pages of original art. “Eyes On My Favorite Things” FRANCES HOLLIDAY ALFORD GRAFTON, VERMONT “I used a large collection of silver-colored charms, jeweled items, and beads to depict some of the things that nurture me even in…

Identify the Block: Is it that your financials are not done yet? Is the need to reply to emails getting in your head before you can start your next quilt? Take time to write out what’s bothering you so you can break through those problems first. Work Small or in a Series: Sometimes doing a smaller project will open an avenue to something larger later. For example, my own small quilt series from 2007–2011—which was started as a way to bust through burnout—included many works of dimensional fabric folding that became the foundation of a portion of my business in 2015. Take Notes: Keeping your business ideas for new projects written down and accessible means you can refer to them later when you aren’t feeling as creative. Some of us…

Fabric has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mom sewed my clothes when I was a kid; she said she had to, I was too tall and thin for commercial garments! I learned to sew from her, designing and sewing my costumes for Halloween, school themed-dances (luau or sock hop anyone?) and even my high school prom dress. While I had a vague interest in fashion design, it was my husband who pushed me toward my theater profession. He said he didn’t know anything about fashion design, but his college had a costume design program and maybe I should give that a try. I loved theater so that idea excited me. I had been highly active with my high school theater program…

i take a lot of photos for inspiration and as imagery in my fiber work. I especially like to find ways to use photos that go beyond just printing them out on a piece of white fabric. One of my favorite supplies for this is TAP—Transfer Artist Paper—an iron-on transfer product that consists of a polymer coating on a backing sheet that you run through an inkjet printer. The polymer is transparent, providing many options for creating layered works where the artist controls how transparent the images appear. This unique product has many benefits for mixed-media artwork. Because the polymer coating is clear, light-colored inks appear transparent and darker inkjet colors are translucent. The transparency also allows artists to apply multiple layers of transfers on a single piece of art.…

We are so inspired by the stitching and handwork we’ve featured in the last few issues and hope you are, too. Let’s open our creative minds to a very different type of challenge project: make a pincushion. Yes, a real pincushion! For this challenge, there are few rules or restrictions. We want you to experiment with 3-D, incorporate handwork, and use unique fibers. Make a ‘working’ pincushion that is a functional size (i.e., something you could set next to your sewing machine or use while doing handwork); incorporates different substrates, materials, and/or embellishments; contains visible handwork (e.g., embroidery, sashiko, etc.); and does not exceed a height of 4". Go crazy! Surprise us! And remember, pincushions don’t all have to look like tomatoes. We’ll be looking for creativity and originality, ingenious…

The new fabric—two lights, three mediums, and two darks as the instructions specified—sat folded in the backseat while I drove past the white-peaked Cascade Mountains of Central Oregon to my first quilting class. The sunrays over the fields that morning displayed the same golden light as the view outside the hospital window the morning my father passed away—a month before at 8:06 a.m. It seemed that all the movement in the world just stopped then, held in that early morning winter light. Growing up in Sisters, my family would sometimes stroll the streets of the annual outdoor quilt show in the summer. As a teenager, my father surprised us by purchasing a fly-fishing quilt hanging in front of the fly-fishing shop. It stayed in the house with us through the…

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as I explore new pathways and techniques in textile ‘illustration’ and manipulation, I discover more ways to bring each story to life. Blending different elements and fiber to imply climate, for example, creates more drama. Angelina fibers, used in moderation, provide a shimmering effect for water, sky, and highlights. Sheer organza can be used in diverse ways, such as added in layers to create a painterly effect, twisted to allow the folds to become dimensional, or used as a base to embroider over using water-soluble stabilizers. I often use sheers that have metallics woven into them—it’s a great way to call attention to specific areas such as a waterfall or a sparkling wave crashing upon the beach. I also love to twist them and billow them when creating stormy skies.…

As with any product, be sure to read all directions before you start a project. Below are some tips that will help make your sheer TAP transfers a success. Let the transferred image cool before pulling off the TAP backing paper to reduce distortion. Make small samples or studies when trying out new techniques before committing to making a full-size piece. Analyze your images thoughtfully and, to quote Tim Gunn, “edit wisely.” For me that usually means cropping to create a visually focused and interesting image. Never place an iron directly on a transferred image—always use silicone release paper or parchment paper to protect the already transferred image.…

basic hand stitches have so much potential. One of the benefits of working by hand is the tactile nature of holding the needle and working slowly as you add layers of stitches and patterns. Handwork allows for multiple ways to mark your work with thread, many of which are being explored in this series. This second installment explores the use of pattern and rhythm in stitching. Pattern can be defined as the repetition of visual elements (line, color, shape, etc.) but it can also describe the underlying structure that organizes a work of art or design. Take a minute to look at the nature around you and start to recognize patterns. Common shapes and patterns include mosaics/cellular structures, spirals, meanders, branching/circulation, waves, symmetry, spheres, lattices, polyhedra, and fractals. They will…

• Practice painting on a scrap of fabric with each tool. • Some metallic paints have difficulty sticking to fabric. If this happens give the tool a slight turn as you lift it straight up. • Clean the tools after every color with a baby wipe. • If you need a larger circle than the 1" dotting tool, paint it with a brush. • Detail the dots with the fine metal-tipped tool. These little dots add motion, movement, and character to the mandala. • Grouping 3 or more graduatedsize dots is known as ‘walking the dot.’…