Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2025 i Quilting Arts Magazine

quilts have always represented more than just warmth for me; they are the embodiment of comfort, utility, and self-expression. My journey into quilted garments began out of necessity during a childhood marked by poverty. Without the luxury of new clothes, I learned to mend, alter, and create my own, a skill that blossomed into a passion for fashion and textiles. Growing up, I found solace in the softness of fabric. While other boys pursued traditional interests, I was drawn to the art of making—textures and colors woven together to create something beautiful and functional. I vividly remember crafting my high school graduation dress from old coconut shells and metal connectors, relying on creativity to express myself when resources were scarce. My interest in fashion, particularly quilted garments, is deeply rooted…

is that an Oscar de la Renta jacket? A Prada? No. It is a Fashion Haus YOU! Embroidery, crewel work, and ribbon appliqué have long graced the frocks of big fashion houses. There is no better way to capture the runway’s hottest fall and winter looks than with repurposing a jacket or coat with yarn couching this year. The options are only as limited as your imagination. Free-motion machine yarn couching is a quilting side quest. The simplest movements create the most amazing shapes! Can you drop your feed dogs and then make short, up-and-back lines? How about a stipple? These movements translate into feathers, fur, or bumpy textured octopus skin. If these simple movements seem doable, then you have all the skills necessary to try this art form with…

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 to the email below and we’ll get back to you within 12 weeks. Visit quiltingdaily.com/quilting-arts-magazine-submission-guidelines for our submissions guidelines and tips for creating a proposal. Questions? Email QAsubmissions@goldenpeakmedia.com.…

Sustainability in quilting and textile work doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We don’t need to overhaul our entire practice overnight or strive for perfection. Instead, we can focus on making thoughtful decisions that align with our values. These choices not only benefit the environment but also lead to a more fulfilling and creative quilting experience. Embracing sustainability can enhance creativity, reduce stress, and bring a deep sense of accomplishment. The textile industry—including quilting—faces significant challenges, such as excessive water and pesticide use in cotton farming, toxic chemicals in dyeing, and rising global textile waste, all contributing to a large environmental footprint. Additionally, the human cost is substantial with many workers, often women, enduring long hours, low wages, and exposure to harmful substances in unregulated conditions. This leads to polluted waterways,…

Our Readers Respond! In the last issue, we created fictional “camps” to see which kind of Quilt Giver our readers are. We created Camp 1—folks who create holiday gifts and such with lots of planning and lead time, delivered at a special event—or Camp 2—folks who work on and then immediately gift their quilts. We invited readers to create a Camp 3 or 4, too. This was a fun prompt and we received many responses from talented and wonderful quilters with very giving hearts! Here’s a small sampling of the responses we received. CAMP 2 Dear QUILTING ARTS, I literally give away 95% of the quilts I make and I love it! It fills my heart with joy while I am making them and giving them away is just frosting…

my first creative love was making clothes. My mom made matching dresses for my sister and me, and I would always squirrel away the scraps to make circle skirts and halter-tops for my Barbies, stuck on with rubber bands and tape. This was the beginning of my fabric foraging journey. Eventually, my mom taught me to use the sewing machine—when I was in fourth grade, I made a granny square skirt with scraps from the sewing basket. Fast forward 50+ years and I’m still playing with bits and scraps from my sewing basket combined with upcycled secondhand clothing to make unique, personal garments. For this project, my jumping-off point was a few orphan quilt blocks. When I prepare for a fabric foraging trip to the secondhand store, I pack items…

THE GRAND NATIONAL FIBRE ART EXHIBITION highlights a stunning display of fiber art from across Canada. A touring exhibition of 37 fiber art pieces, each explores a delightful image or activity. This juried exhibition consists of the works of 37 Canadian professional fiber artists from across the country, each expressing a particular delight that has great meaning to them; resulting in a diverse range of materials, techniques, ideas, concepts, and cheerful thoughts to get us all back on the path to living, having fun, and enjoying the pleasures of post-pandemic life once again. The prompt was: After these past years of cancelled trips, isolation, and life on hold, we are ready for some fun. Every one of us has pleasures in our lives. What delights you? What makes you happy,…

i grew up in a household where my widowed mother and grandmother sewed many of our clothes. It was not only a way to save money but a means of expressing creativity. No surprise that throughout my life I did the same. During my discovery of quilting and wearable art, I became inspired by designers and artists such as Lois Ericson, Koos Van Den Akker, and Issey Miyake. Wearable art is the antithesis of fast fashion, as it fuses artistic and functional aspects of clothing. Using surface design techniques on clothing elevates dressing up as a means of artistic expression. After seeing some incredible art-to-wear in periodicals and at quilt shows, I knew that I had to create one for myself! When I began to sew wearable art, the most…

Once you’ve chosen a quilt, blanket, quilt top, tablecloth, or other vintage textile to work with, it’s time to prepare it for a project. This process is particularly important for quilts, and it starts by spending time with the quilt and getting to know it a little better. Spending time with the quilt before the cutting process not only allows you to make the necessary preparations, but also gives you the opportunity to feel close to the original maker of the quilt. The first thing you’ll want to pay attention to is the condition of the quilt: Does it have areas that need to be mended? Stains that need to be removed? What is the thickness and texture of the quilt? You’ll also get to spend some time examining the…

Bridget O’Flaherty is a textile artist and quilter with over 30 years of experience. Her work, influenced by her heritage and love for nature, specializes in free-motion embroidery and nature-inspired designs. At The Sustainable Quilter, Bridget celebrates textiles and promotes eco-friendly practices, inviting others to create beautiful, sustainable quilts and build a positive future together. bridgetoflaherty.com Mary Schwarzenberger is a fiber and mixed-media artist whose love of texture, layers, and color is apparent in her work. She has been creating wearable art jackets for decades which have been juried into national quilt shows, where they have won awards. The natural world is a recurring theme in her work, especially the ocean. maryschwarzenberger.com Michele Muska is the author of Quilting the New Classics, a columnist on business and the arts, and has…

One day, I was rooting around my closet, looking for a particular white blouse that I wanted to wear at my daughter’s wedding. When I found it, I saw that it had a horrible dark spot on the sleeve. So, I ran to the laundry room and took out the whitening powder I use from time to time for washing and treating a load of bed sheets or towels. While mixing, I got so excited that I spilled the water in which I dissolved the powder onto the dark T-shirt I was wearing. Oh no! My T-shirt started to discolor right away. At first, I was upset but after a couple of minutes, I noticed that the color of the T-shirt changed and got lighter. I ended up with a…

i used to cringe at the word “upcycling”—I pictured something messy and contrived—until I realized I’d been upcycling my whole life, repurposing the things around me to work better and match my style. When I upcycle, I’m taking the worn and old and making it fresh and modern. And I’d love for you to join me. My time in the apparel industry inspired me to upcycle jeans and I love helping the planet, but that’s not the main reason I do it. My art is about transformation and denim is the most transformative fabric. As it’s worn and the indigo chips off of the yarns, it creates depth of values and textures, telling stories through wear patterns. Denim gets better with each life it lives and that’s what makes it…

CLOTH STORIES CAPTURING DOMESTIC LIFE IN TEXTILE ART ALI FERGUSON Author and artist Ali Ferguson has taken inspiration from life, family, and objects that surround and comfort her to create over 65 pages filled with inspiration. In her new book with British publisher Batsford, Ali shares her own “threads of thought” plus examples from other textile artists who make work inspired by home. The chapters are arranged story style and the book is packed with visual ideas and photography that will leave you deeply inspired. Ali has presented a book of projects and ideas that suggest a way of working and “urge you to experiment and follow your own path.” £25.00 • batsfordbooks.com BOJAGI THE ART OF KOREAN TEXTILES YOUNGMIN LEE Needle artist and author Youngmin Lee shares the organic,…

OUR LATEST READER’S CHALLENGE, ‘Slice of Life,’ gives you the freedom to create anything your heart desires in an art quilt. Whether it’s a pet, a food, a friend, a book, or whatever you wish. How would you interpret this theme? Create an art quilt that depicts a slice of your life that is meaningful to you in a vertical 6" × 12" format. This is an opportunity to challenge yourself and show off your art quilting skills. We value your creativity so show us your artwork! Be bold, be brave. Rules 1. Create a 6" × 12" art quilt in portrait orientation based on the theme ‘Slice of Life.’ The quilt should capture your interpretation of the theme using your favorite techniques, materials, subject matter, and colors. Embellishments, if…

i met Marijke van Welzen in September 2023 at the European Patchwork Meeting in Alsace, France. Marijke is a textile artist from the Netherlands who creates wearable art using techniques she developed over the years. Not afraid of experimentation or a challenge, she produces unique art garments that explore a theme or tell a story. Marijke loves teaching the techniques she uses in her garments. She holds a BA in Textile Art-and-Crafts and in English. Now retired, she was a middle school teacher for 40 years. GÜL LAPORTE: Why do you work in fiber? MARIJKE VAN WELZEN: Fiber has always been my medium, it lends itself to infinite possibilities of expression. I love the tactile aspect of fiber art—to feel different textures such as soft, rough, hairy, smooth, etc.—the flexibility,…