Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2022 i Quilting Arts Magazine

IT LOOKS LIKE I’VE REACHED another milestone—after 10 years of editing QUILTING ARTS, it is time to de-stash some of the overflowing “stuff” in my workspace. Clearing out the piles of paper and fiber clutter eventually led me to rearrange my magazine storage. (I’m a throwback of sorts—I have kept every print issue of QUILTING ARTS from day one, despite also downloading the digital copies.) There is something soothing about knowing each title is in its place and easy to find. As I re-shelved the issues in numerical order on a single shelf, it reminded me of conversations I’ve had with my friend Ben. Ben is an archeologist, always finding ‘gold’ (mostly figurative, not literal) in the most unusual places. He’s worked in Ireland, Egypt, and New England; in his own…

Beginning a quilt is a long, creative process, from the inception of an idea to the very last stitch. Where do ideas originate? How do you work through that process? What steps do you think about as you prepare a new project? Where do you start? WHILE A PATTERN is a very specific set of instructions and improvisational work implies the absence of almost any plan, I believe a process falls somewhere in between. In my process, I draw from an idea or vision and turn it into a step-by-step procedure for creating a quilt; often in a series. My two quilts—“Paint” and “Greige”—are the beginning of a quilt series I am currently working on. The process starts with an idea—maybe that’s a story I’ve created in my mind or…

in a previous installment of this series, I shared my technique of making fabric collages as bases for adding more layers. An additional technique to add an image to a fabric collage is by creating an acrylic skin. I CAN’T REMEMBER the first time I made an acrylic skin, but I know it was years ago—close to 15, probably. The technique I used was different from what I am showing here today; the previous work started with a photocopy covered with layers of matte medium. You had to let each layer dry and there was soaking and peeling of paper involved. The skin was more like a type of transfer, as you ended up with the image of what you had on paper. (figure 1) The pieces titled “This is my…

in the traditional quilt world, Half-square Triangles (HRTs) refer to simple quilt block units made from two right-angle triangles. Each triangle occupies half of the square’s space and they are sewn together along the diagonal. HRTs are one of the most popular block units in quilting because they can be arranged in many different ways. From the simple to the complex, HSTs are the foundation of many unique quilts. I love this block so much, I decided to put my own mixed-media spin on it with paint! By combining piecing and painting—and throwing in a mask or two—the block is transformed. What appears to be a complex pieced block is actually quite simple. The result is magical. Think of the possibilities this technique could inspire! By diving into your stash…

color is amazing. Who doesn’t love it? It’s the most personal and the most emotional of all of the elements of art. There is nothing like the heart-pull of certain colors and their combinations that can reel you in like a fish on a line. You might love soothing pastels, country autumns, or saturated jewel tones. Those color combinations just speak to your soul. Your color preferences are built through a lifetime of experience that is entirely unique to you alone. What we don’t often realize is that a color’s value plays a huge role in how colors affect us. Value is the addition or subtraction of light to a color. High values are pastels or tints, low values are dark or shades. Learning to understand value and how it…

In the fall of 2019, my cousin Dee shared the news of her cancer diagnosis. She delivered the news resolutely in her quiet, practical style. At one point, she expressed regret and sorrow that she would be “putting me through this again.” There was, in fact, a certain déjà vu for both of us. Years earlier my sister Karen had battled breast cancer. She and Dee had always been close. Karen was a foil to both Dee and me—outgoing, fun, and spontaneous. We were the introverts; friendly but reserved. After a while I began noticing Karen going out of her way to bring Dee and me together. “I see what you’re doing,” I told her. “Don’t think for a second that you can be replaced.” Her wry smile told me…

every home studio space has its own personality, and Nanette Zeller’s is no exception. Some studios fill enormous spaces and are central to the living area, but not Nanette’s. It is a sanctuary, tucked away from the main part of the house, filled with light, and decorated with inspiration from nature. Nanette’s workspace may be a reclaimed bedroom but she’s made it her own creative retreat. VIVIKA: Artists workplaces are always fascinating to their adoring fans. Tell us about your studio. Is it in your home? Do you share your space? What inspires you about the space? NANETTE: What I call my ‘studio/office’ is a bedroom on the second floor of my house that measures 11' × 15½'. We bought this home 15 years ago specifically with the intent for…

AT PLAY IN THE GARDEN OF STITCH PAULA KOVARIK Like artist and author Paula Kovarik says in her introduction, “welcome to my collection of thoughts, insights, and exercises”—and you will feel welcome in these pages. She shares her thoughts on how to be a practicing artist by opening up about her own self and experiences. Her artistic mind is open and curious, seeking connection, always evolving. And she is an encouraging teacher. Paula’s free-motion stitching lessons are so much more than basic; they are not complicated but are very inspiring and can be challenging, in good ways. Her sense of adventure is infectious as she tackles the ‘what if,’ the ‘what next.’ Readers seeking guidance on their artist path will enjoy Paula’s fresh and kind voice. As she says, “Process…

RANDOM THOUGHTS MARCIA DERSE FOR WINDHAM FABRICS Marcia Derse always surprises and delights us with her fabric designs. Her most recent collection, Random Thoughts (shown here), is a nod to a “quiet year (of) solo beach walks, rainy days, playing toddler board games, and watching a wildflower maze garden grow” and how they influenced her to interpret them in color, pattern, and shape. This 33-piece collection also includes two feature prints—Postcards: Front and Postcards: Back—plus Marcia has designed new colors for two other partner collections, Line and Palette; all available this spring to mix and match. The fabric is OEKO-TEX® certified. windhamfabrics.com SASHIKO THREAD BOX SET BROOKLYN HABERDASHERY We just love the delicious variety of supplies and tools from this shop—it’s often so difficult to limit the size of our…

irecently moved to a new home and found I had a problem: an empty space in my kitchen and no art to put there. Fabric art is a natural choice for this spot because it is flat and won’t interfere with the kitchen cabinets and I can take it down and wash it when I need to. I wanted my art quilt to have a kitchen garden theme, so I spent some time with my sketchbook and came up with six or seven images that I liked. I then dug out my block carving materials and designed some fruit and veggie stamps. The bold graphic nature of a black block print is a natural to pair with fabric dye pastel sticks, allowing me to add color exactly where I wanted…

Now that you’ve experienced our latest issue, isn’t it time for you to become part of QUILTING ARTS? What do you want to read—how about writing it yourself! Share your inspiring work, unique techniques, and new ideas with us and our readers. If you are teaching, blogging about, or exhibiting your art quilts, we want to hear from you! To submit, send us a short summary of your idea along with three images and we’ll get back to you within 12 weeks. Visit QuiltingDaily.com/submission-guidelines-quilting-daily for our submissions guidelines. Questions? Email QAsubmissions@goldenpeakmedia.com. artwork by Dianna Tootle-Ludden…

Ana Buzzalino is a fiber and mixed-media artist, surface designer, teacher, and lecturer. Her love of layers and texture combine in her original work. She achieves results using a combination of monoprinting, hand-painting, free-motion stitching, and hand-stitching among other techniques. Her work has won numerous awards at national and international shows. Ana is currently teaching online from her studio in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. anabuzzalino.com Carolyn Ducey is curator of collections at the International Quilt Museum, a position she has held since 1998. Carolyn oversees acquisition and management of the IQM collection of more than 8,500 quilts. She is co-editor of American Quilts in the Industrial Age 1760–1870 and co-author of What’s in a Name: Inscribed Quilts. internationalquiltmuseum.org Jessica Farthing is a freelance writer living on the Georgia coast. In addition…

in today’s fractured, divisive world, connections—both intentional and accidental—are more important than ever. We are bound by love, rituals, family, and faith. We are also connected to our past, our community—near and far—and to nature. To be connected is to find commonalities with others. Full of poignant imagery, unique perspectives, and vibrant color, the selection of artwork displayed on the following pages communicates many of the ways fiber artists explore how we all are connected. A Touch of Healing RIVKA HAMDANI • 29½" × 32" ASHDOD, ISRAEL Connecting to people by talking, explaining, demonstrating, teaching, understanding, experimenting, cajoling, and most of all, touching not only the hands, but hopefully also the hearts of thousands of my patients over 40 years, is the essence of my career as an occupational therapist.…