Mail Art & a quilt shop

Mail Art

The Introduction to Art on Coursera is fun so far.  Mail art speaks to this quilters heart, we’ve been sending postcards and making artist trading cards for ages.

I’m titling the mail art “Treasured Memories”

Part of the fun of any project is figuring out what will work and working with what I have on hand.  After reading the guidelines I decided to make a party invitation.  I like all the background work of the party, making the invitation, planning the food and decorations, giving thought to what the party is about.  Then I’m done.  Y’all can party, let me start cleaning up. Okay it’s not quite like that I do enjoy my friends.

side note: I’m going to need more lutradur, just sayin’.

To give the envelope some body without using quilt batting I fused fabric to lutradur with Mistyfuse.  Around the edge of the card and the envelope I used Wonderfil 50 wt cotton thread to do a zigzag stitch all the way around.  (Love the BERNINA 780 for this!)  Keeping with the “what I have on hand” theme I used bits and pieces to decorate the back of the envelope, evoking memories of letter writing marathons I’d have with a few friends in my early teens.  This was our only way to chat with each other as we lived in different states.

When we first started letter writing I was a novice.  It took a little while to get the hang of answering, writing back took more than a simple, “yes” or “no” to her questions.  I can imagine the perplexed look as she read my pithy missives.

Once the pieces were stitched together I used a gel pen to address the envelope and make the “place stamp here” in the upper right hand corner.

If you were to take the invitation out of the envelope this is what you’d see.  The inside is more of the Paula Nadelstern Fabrique-Istan collection that I used in “Name” and “Woman”.

I need to get a slightly better shot of the invitation as it is right now.  The yellow from the inside showing at the bottom is intentional, in the right light the words “Let’s have a party”.  On the inside of the invitation I broke out the Derwent Inktense pencils and played just as I did when I would write letters.  Just a little something to make the paper interesting.

I think one day I’d like to have this party. Make all of the invitations.
Each unique and fitting the person being invited to the celebration.
 

 

 

Mariner’s Compass Quilt Shop

Tilde and Feather Zone are headed for Ohio for the National Quilt Associations Quilt show.  I forgot that Feather Zone needs a regular sleeve again as it had been mounted on fabric for hanging at Quilt Festival in Houston. So this morning I took a quick trip to Mariner’s Compass in Bath.  This shop is 3 blocks from Halcyon Yarn.  I was |   | close and didn’t get there before today.

When I walked in both Amanda Campbell and Deb Boucher (Tea Rose Quilting).  It’s a delightful shop that just became a Brother dealership!  Congratulations!!!  I now have a BadAss Quitlers Society Pin thanks Deb.  We wore them to pose for a photo that one of the customers took for us.

I picked up the purple for the sleeve, stork scissors, a Nancy Drew book panel and a spool of Wonderfil, another good thread to use quilters!

Happy Quilting!

Teri

 

Peek a boo

I picked up this little poster probably 25 years ago when I lived in Americus, GA working at Habitat for Humanity through the church I belonged to at the time.  I put a push pin through the plastic to pin it to the door.  It was my motto for the year. 

I’ve been tidying up and rearranging my sewing room on and off for the last week or so.  I’ve been holding onto scraps of fabric I’ve quilted with the thought that I’d make more tote bags with them.  Nope.  It ain’t gonna happen.  Out that all went.  What I found really fascinating, encouraging really, the machine quilting has really improved in the last 6 years since starting machine quilting.  My method of practicing has changed incorporating fewer prints and more solids and tone on tones.  What I teach hasn’t.  Stitching on border prints, over and through highly details prints (kaleidoscopes), dots, prints to commit the idea of line and shape and understand stitching patch is essential to good machine quilting.

 

 

Or how to make sure the tension is balanced

Yesterday afternoon I started working on my practice piece for an upcoming competition quilt.  The piece told me what I needed to know.  Several photos went off to the piecer of  said quilt and I’m waiting for her feedback.  Since I knew I’d be waiting for a bit I picked up and started stitching on this beauty.  The top is a medium gray from Cherrywood fabrics.  I’ve already stitched out spiraled flying geese and started filling in several areas with quilting.  There are two things here that I want to share with you:

1) I’m using different threads on the top and in the bobbin.  I found this quite helpful when I first started learning how to machine quilt to help me get the tension balanced and really develop an understanding of when to tighten and when to loosen the top tension.

and 2) I play peek a boo.  As I’m stitching I’ll occasionally stop to look at the back of the quilt making sure that I’m not seeing the top thread on the back. 

I play peek a boo even when I’m using the same thread top and bobbin because the tension can still be off meaning that some adjustment is necessary.  Because I prefer balanced tension in all of my quilts I frequently use different thread top and bobbin even on competition quilts.  I get dinged for this frequently in the judges comments however I’d rather know personally that I did a good job balancing my tension rather than hiding a problem.  No I’m not going after the judges or the critiquing process this is simply a statement of personal preference.

I’m off to a quilt show with a friend.

 

Go quilt your world!

Teri

 

 

 

 

A gift, a challenge and me

photo by Alison Faubert/Dominican Sisters of Hope

A Gift

My friend V, who occasionally comments on the blog here is a friend in person.We’ve spent time together, she’s helped me in the quilting class she attended and invited me to a retreat at Mariandale in Ossining, NY.  V came into the shop a while back and shared with me one of the most beautiful things ever.  At the request of the husband of quilter Nancy Murphy who passed away in 2001 from inflammatory breast cancer, this group of quilters led by Sr. Donna Brunell has been working toward finishing many of Nancy’s quilts in preparation for a show of Nancy’s quilts and sale Saturday & Sunday June 8 & 9 and Wednesday June 12.  You can read more about the story here.
If you get a chance this would be a wonderful show to go see.

 

A Challenge

You may, or may not, remember the Architectural Challenge posed by BJ Tatum and I, way back in August.  The goal was to have the quilts entered in Houston this year.  BJ finished hers and has sent the entry off to Houston. I on the other hand have a dream and a creative slump.  BJ has, very generously come up with some new guidelines and dates that are more manageable (for this quilter at least)

Hi everyone.  I know some of you have been making or want to make an architecturally inspired quilt for this challenge.  When Teri Lucas and I first issued the challenge, we had in mind that we would all have them done by now, but I know there are several quilters who have been working on one and haven’t finished.    And I also know that some of the earlier guidelines we suggested didn’t quite fit everyone’s ideas (Such an artistic bunch out there).  So Teri and I have decided to loosen things up.

Here are the new guidelines: 

1.  Make a quilt inspired by architectural elements: buildings, floors, ceilings, or even furniture.

2.  Any size, any shape.

3.  Complete by March 1, 2014 and send us the best picture you can of your quilt along with size information, and an artist’s statement about what inspired you, and a statement about how it was made and what  materials, threads, and embellishments you used.

4.  If you complete it before then and enter it into a show, we’d like to know that too, and any other information that you want to tell us.

We are hoping to pull all of this together in an article complete with photos.

And finally me. I have made a huge dent in tidying up my sewing room.  Letting go of stuff wasn’t as gut wrenching as I thought.  In fact it’s opened up a lot of space in my sewing room so that I can rearrange tables and drawers to maximize space.  I think part of this is a result of long term conversations with a friend refocusing what’s important, what’s not.  This is one of those “need to be reminded” rather than “educated”.  I can not tell you how grateful I am for this friend.  Well I could.  Except I’d gush.  I mean seriously gush.  She’d blush and it wouldn’t be pretty because she’s a humble character.

The Mountain Laurels are blooming!

Happy Quilting!

Teri

PS I haven’t forgotten my announcement. I just have to wait a little longer.

 

 

Sing Your Quilterly Song in a whole cloth quilt!

I have a confession to make: I’m having a love affair with whole cloth quilts.  This passion snuck up on me, quietly whispering, “let’s see what you can do with this cloth”, “what would these threads look like on Radiance”, “did you see that thread?”   Wide open spaces get me all giddy thinking about the possibilities.  Whole cloth quilts have taken over my quilting.  Any cloth will do add bamboo, wool or silk batting, with miles of colorful thread stitched over the surface creating one of a kind designs.  I found it difficult to give into the yearnings to just quilt with so many unfinished quilts on the shelf until Melly Testa asked me the all important question, “what is this obsession with finishing?”  With this new found freedom along came “Twilight in the Bronx” the first in a series of whole cloth quilts named after the New York City.

Whole Cloth Tradition:
Whole cloth quilts have long been a way for quilters to show their quilting prowess.  Whether by hand or machine whole cloth work carries a certain mystique, rich in symbolism and tradition.  The images used reflected the area of origin.  Whole cloth quilting, trapunto, boutis and matelasse have their roots in Italy and France and came to the US through England during the colonial period.  Generally whole cloth quilts were white stitched out on white cotton however many were stitched on colored cloth and were generally tone on tone.  Quilters used cotton, wool or silk depending on availability and the specialness of the occasion.  Whole cloth work even makes an appearance in feminine fashion in the form of petticoats with an opening in the skirt to revealing the detailed work of the petticoat.  I’ve seen amazing examples of these petticoats on display at the Wadsworth Athaneum in Hartford, CT.

Many quilters still embrace traditional whole cloth quilting in white or tone on tone coloration.  These quilts and textiles, whether hand or machine quilted, add to the beauty of the quilting world attesting to the skill and artistry of the quilt maker.  Like pieced quilts whole cloth quilts take thought, preparation and skill to create.

Diane Guaduynski, Karen McTavish and Sue McCarty have all created award winning, beautiful, tradition honoring whole cloth quilts.  Each one of these quilters has created masterpiece whole cloth quilts with Diane earning the title of “Master Quilter” from the National Quilt Association.  Personally I am in awe of their work as quilters and as teachers.   There are many quilters who are approaching whole cloth in a different way, incorporating a wide variety of background fabrics, thread weight, color and batting choices.  Sue McCarty’s Tribute to Tolkein is an amazing example of contemporary whole cloth quilting using mostly metallic thread to create the intricately detailed wedding scene.  Sue Patten comes to mind with her ZenSuedle quilts and classes.  From Sue’s website I create “continuous line, designs and fillers to create your own one of a kind ZenSuedle whole cloth quilt”.

The practical side of the process of whole cloth quilting
Every type and style of quilting has a process, a way of doing things that is needed for a well made quilt.  Learning each skill, from choosing fabrics to binding, takes time to learn and become proficient.  Each quilter over time takes those learned skills and makes them their own, finding which styles, tools and processes work best for the style of quilting they love.  Whole cloth quilting is no different in that regard, the skills focus on design and the quilting.  The next few paragraphs cover practice, inspiration, decisions, and choices for batting, batting thread and binding.  It is important to note that your process may be different and I wholeheartedly give you permission to figure out your style.  “Don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing….sing a song“  Just quilt, quilt your heart out!

There’s no getting around the dreaded “p” word – practice.
When I need to figure out the stitching path of a new to me quilting motif I take pen or pencils to paper and spend time working out the stitching path.  I do this both right and left handed as I machine quilt with both hands.  As I’m practicing other designs, complimentary motifs will crop up; I call this process “mindful practice”.  I have sketchbooks filled with these images that inspire new whole cloth quilts.  When thinking through a whole cloth quilt the designs are focused and intentional. Or not.  Different colors and line thicknesses will help get the idea of what the quilt will look like when it’s finished.  Using pencils with erasers offers the opportunity of changing things up prior to sitting down and stitching.  This type of practice gets the creative juices flowing, like stretching before exercising.

Inspiration and Design
I wish that complete quilting ideas would pop into my head with a clear understanding of motif and color placement.  Ideas develop slowly, like making sour dough bread.  The starter must be maintained and fed several days prior to use so that the old sour is replaced, yeast has time to develop and flavors the new ingredients.  Once the sour is ready for use the next step is to leaven the bread being made from the sour.  The end result is well worth the effort – the aroma filling the house and tasting the bread fresh from the oven!  The design process for a whole cloth quilt (any quilt) is the same way, it takes time to develop from inspiration (sour starter) to finished quilt top (tasting the bread).

Inspiration presents itself in a multitude of ways; a piece of fabric, wrought iron, the moon, traditional piecing patterns, flowers, trees and the list goes on.  When I’m out and about I keep my camera with me to capture images that inspire.  As I take the image I’m mentally trying to think through the stitching process.  I usually have a sketchbook, sharpie pens or color pencils at hand to try out these new to me motifs.  At a quilting retreat an image of a nautilus shell caught my attention, the spiral shape and connections set me wondering how this could be stitched out.  Looking through the sketchbooks this shape became a recurring them in my doodling and has worked into my quilting.

Oh the moon, the beautiful moon with its bright, reflective light.  Infrequently I can see the moon from my office window which faces toward Manhattan.  I needed an idea for a quilt, the next in the “City” series.  I knew I wanted to keep the eight pointed star from “Twilight in the Bronx” but the next part eluded me.  One morning from my office window the moon hung so low in the horizon it appeared to be resting on the tips of the Manhattan skyline.  In a moment I knew what this quilt would look like, its name, “Moon Over Manhattan” and the star would be stitched out in shades of gray with several star points being obscured by the curve of the moon.

Sometimes inspiration comes from a thought or word.  A friend mentioned the word spiral and several ideas popped into my head. From this one word and a set size @play (recently published in Machine Quilting Unlimited) came to be.

Decisions, decisions
With any quilt we all go through a decision making process including: end use of the quilt, size of the finished quilt, cloth and batting.  Knowing that each decision will effect the overall look of the quilt, oh heck, seriously I just wing it.  Size is based on width the cloth; batting whatever I have on hand and thread, a well stocked stash lends itself to greater creativity.

Fabric
This is where the fun begins.  No matter what, I have a blank canvas and unlimited options. While cotton is traditional here in the states there are so many options including satin, silk, silk/cotton blend, lycra, suede (micro fiber).  This is where fat quarters come in handy allowing the opportunity to try a new-to-me fabric without a huge investment.  For the back use a

Batting

center structure for @play

I have cotton, polyester, bamboo, wool and silk on hand so there are plenty of options.  A small piece like this provides a great opportunity to experiment with batting, learning what the batting will do in the quilt, how the loft affects the look of the quilt and which battings provide structure and which provide loft.  An aside about batting: if it comes from a plant (cotton, bamboo, soy)  it’s flat and has a memory; if it comes from an animal (worms, sheep, alpaca) it’s fluffy and doesn’t have a memory.  With polyester all bets are off it can be flat or fluffy because the companies can do anything with the fiber.  The polyester is meant for another quilt, so no poly. Bamboo will provide structure; it has a memory similar to cotton.  Wool will provide structure; has a loft and has no memory.  Silk provides structure, loft and has no memory.  We all know that when cotton is folded and hand pressed the line can be seen, and a quilt with cotton batting that is folded will retain those lines even when it’s hung even for long periods of time.  Neither wool nor silk have memory so when a quilt has been folded for a while and is hung the fold lines will ease out from the weight of the quilt.  For quilts where structure is important  use two layers of battings in the quilt, this is particularly useful in quilts intended for competition as it is more likely that the interlocking of the stitches will remain in the batting rather than showing on the top or back of the quilt.

Needles & Thread
It’s important to pair needles and thread for good, quality stitches.  If the thread is too large for the needle the thread will bounce and skipped stitches will happen.  If the thread is too small for the needle a larger than necessary hole will be left and pin dotting may occur looking as though you’re having a tension problem.  Rule of thumb: when using a heavy thread use a large needle; fine thread use a smaller needle.
Expect to adjust the tension of your machine: machine tension is set to 60 weight polyester used for garment making, this is a fine thread.  Most of the thread used in quilting is much heavier and may require tension adjustments, usually reducing the tension whether on the top or in the bobbin.  Even if a home sewing machine has self adjusting tension it’s important to understand that in the quilting process tension adjustments will be necessary.  If the manufacturers didn’t want us adjusting tension there wouldn’t be any way for the tension to be adjusted on the machine and there is only 1 machine that I’ve ever seen that did not have some way to adjust the tension, and it needed it.

Marking
There are so many good tools available for marking quilt tops.  Always mark the quilt before its basted unless using some kind of paper product or loose chalk powder which allows you to mark as you’re quilting.  As a general personal rule I use chalk pencils however sometimes the markings don’t show or remove too easily with my hot hands, in this case I use some type of washable or heat removable marker.  There may be issues with the ink type marking pens, particularly if the quilt is basted when marking.  Try a variety, do a little bit of research and see what quilters are saying and find what works for you.
What do I mark you may be asking?  You might (not) be surprised to learn, as little as possible.  With each of the quilts mentioned already I marked the underlying structure.  For “Twilight in the Bronx” and “Moon Over Manhattan” that means the star and circle; “@play” I drafted on huge sheets of paper, placed the paper under the fabric and drew in the spirals (not the nautilus) and the flying geese.  That’s it.

Let’s Get Going
Now that the planning is done and the quilt is marked it’s time to stitch your quilt.  This is where the fun begins.  Relax your shoulders, breathe, blink and enjoy the process of creating a small whole cloth quilt that reflects your style and color choices.  Don’t let a small whole cloth quilt fool you they take hours and hours to get quilted.  Slow down and enjoy the process.  If something isn’t working remember that “a seam ripper is a quilters best friend”, take the stitches out.  Take this time to ponder what’s working and what’s not working and make some simple changes.  Being willing to listen to the quilt and make changes as you’re going along will work better than trying to stick to a “set plan”.  When quilting Twilight in the Bronx, Moon Over Manhattan and @play I listed to both internal (my own thought process) and external voices (friends in one of my mini-groups) and made changes for the better on both quilts.
Blocking
With so much stitching it may be necessary to block your quilt.  Blocking is a process where the quilt is wetted, pinned to carpet or covered foam insulation sheets so that the quilt is square (use a measuring tape, ruler and t-pins) and dried.  It’s best to run fans over the surface of the quilt to aid the drying process.  With a small quilt pinning to your design wall or over sized ironing board and letting it dry will work.  There are some great tutorials for this.

Finishing
Once the quilt is blocked it’s time to give consideration to finishing the quilt.  Before making a decision on how to treat the edge of the quilt take a photo to gain some perspective, distance from the quilt.  Does the quilt need the binding to look complete?  If the answer is yes a traditional binding can frame a small quilt beautifully giving the quilt a visual stopping point.  If the answer is no, then “facing”, the binding is pulled to the back of the quilt, is the better option.  Facing will visually extend the lines of the quilt giving as much visual impact as a traditional binding.  Facing is easy and there are a few great tutorials on line.  If you’ve decided this quilt will be hung on a wall this is the point to add a sleeve, remember to give consideration to the depth of the rod this will be hung on and allow for that in cutting and stitching the sleeve.  If this is meant for competition, check the rules of the show for their requirements.

Enjoy
It’s time to just enjoy your finished whole cloth quilt.  That’s right just sit back and enjoy your quilt.  Post photos on your blog or on facebook and let us enjoy your quilt too.

 

Our Textile History

Saturday afternoon my sweetie and I visited the Windham Textile Museum in Willimantic, CT also known as Thread City USA.  The east coast has a rich and vibrant textile history.  Okay some of it is downright ugly but that’s not for this post. Mills were located all over New England where ever the rivers would provide enough power to run the machinery. 

We’d passed this place before and finally stopped to visit.  On the 2nd floor there are several exhibits detailing life during the time the mill was operational.  From mill town to mill town and fashion district to fashion district its much the same.  Workers lived in cramped quarters, purchased goods from the company store and worked long hours.

 

One of the draws to the museum is the room to the left, all of those beautiful antique sewing machines.     I love the look and craftsmanship of these older machines.  They are pretty and inspire quilting design. For great graphics on how sewing machines work check out this link.  These were simple machines that started the journey to the machines that we’re using today.  I like where we’re going with sewing machines today and embracing new technology. Between working in a quilt shop and teaching out in the big wide world I have no fear of losing handwork to machine work.  There will always be quilters, sewists, knitters and crocheters who do work by hand.  There is something comforting in that. When I listen to my machine I get that same relaxed, calming experience as anyone who does handwork. 

This company based in Willimantic had satellites all over the company.  Does this logo below look familiar?  I’m wondering if there are ties and relations to this company.  I’m also wondering if there are any ties between the museum and Windham Textiles (I believe they’re a division of Baum).  If anyone knows the answer to these questions please let me know.

One of the things I loved is the company creed.    It was well worth the read.

 

If you get a chance stop by the museum.  It is well worth the trip.  The top floor of the museum is a library full of textile related books that are well worth perusing.  There are so many quilterly ideas now floating through my head.  Okay that’s not really any kind of surprise.  The other night after mini group a friend and I were continuing a discussion and I said to her that when I attended several recent concerts I can see quilterly possibilities in my minds eye.  During her concert I sketched as I listened. 

The other fun bit in the area is that there is a drive in movie theater about 3 miles from the museum.  How is that for a day trip?!

Go quilt your world!

Teri

 

 

 

 

Machine Quilting Unlimited Whole Cloth Challenge Exhibit

My gratitude to Sherry Reynolds for taking the time to visit the exhibit and take photos for me to use on my blog.  This is a gift for me as I was not able to attend HMQS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My gratitude to Vickie Anderson and Kit Robinson of Machine Quilting Unlimited for inviting me to participate in the wholecloth challenge.

I’m going to be somewhat brutally honest about my own quilt here, it needs to be blocked.  I can see it from here.  I’m passionately in love with this quilt and it’s generating all kinds of ideas in my for new ways to envision this.

Go quilt your world!

Teri

 

Batting UP!

Remember Vinnie Barbarino’s “I’m sooooo confused” (from the tv series Welcome Back Kotter).  That’s how most of us feel when we’re choosing batting.  Soooo confused!  With so many different companies, fibers and lofts of batting what is a quilter to do?!

Bang Head Here feels like an appropriate beginning.   My very simple solution: when you want to try a new-to-you batting and get a feel for how it quilts, drapes, and feels purchase a crib size and quilt it up.

Batting Swap: get together with a group of quilters each quilter purchase a different fiber and loft crib size batting to cut up and share.  Something like this is a great way to try batting.

Is there a comprehensive site that tells us all about quilt batting? Nah, not that I know of. There are so many different types of batting in a variety of fiber that yiyiyi that would be a lot of amazing research.  PS if you find a website like that please share it here.

As I thought about batting this morning I thought of something kinda fun: if it comes from a plant (cotton, bamboo, soy)  it’s flat and has a memory; if it comes from an animal (worms, sheep, alpaca) it’s fluffy and doesn’t have a memory.  With polyester all bets are off it can be flat or fluffy because the companies can do anything with the fiber.

Knowing where it comes from begins to give us a clue about the batting will look like in our quilts and then helps us decide what to use.  With every batting its important to read how far apart it can be stitched.  With some batts it can be fairly far apart and some just can’t.  I know, I know I learn better from experience than I do from reading but reading the packaging will help you avoid some of the troubles I’ve had!

This is 49 Pieces of Chocolat.  Chocolat is the Moda line of charm squares I purchased some time ago.  I decided I’d use wool batting for the very first time EVER.  I learned to love wool batting with this quilt since it’s so easy on the shoulders, it’s light weight, it’s warm and soft.

I did read the packaging: I could quilt up to 5″ apart. Hey that means I can leave up to 5″ of space open, meaning I don’t need to heavily quilt it! Great.  Hey the border is 4″ wide. . . I soon learned that this does not mean that an entire border can be left un-quilted.
When wool gets wet and is dried in a fairly warm or hot dryer it felts.
Yes, dear quilter. Wool felts.  The fibers get all cozy with one another and snuggle up in a most unbecoming way in quilts.
I learned what it means that wool felts with this quilt.
I also learned how to fix it, with lots of fabric softener and t-pins, lots of t-pins.
And I learned how to not have this happen in the first place. Quilt no more than 5″ apart.
The interesting this that I’ve never quilted in that dotted border because I show it to my students so they can see what not to do and that I did the thing not to do and that it can and does turn out alright.

So moral of the story read my blog more frequently to learn what not to do.

Happy Quilting!

 

PS I’ll do a little bit on what batting I choose for competition quilts and why.

 

 

Somethings in life are worth the wait

Here it is. ”Cutting-Edge Art Quilts” by Mary W. Kerr published by Schiffer .  If you’re interested the book can be purchased directly from Mary.  It has that new book smell and sound to it.  You know the one, where ya gotta go get your nose into it.  Sorta like (but not quite) when we were kids and would smell the newly mimeographed paper the teachers would hand out.

Here’s a sneak preview!

I mentioned here that the book was released and shared my part in it.  What I didn’t realize at the time is that this is a hard cover book and it’s beautiful.  I mean really gorgeous.

The book is laid out in six sections: Color Play, Alternative Fibers, Threadwork, Special Techniques, 3-D Design and Embellishments and Art Quilts Inspired by Photographs.

I’m in the “Threadwork” section with Nancy Billings, Jennifer Day, Dusty Farrell, Sarah Ann Smith, Cyndi Souder, Karin Tauber and Mary Vaneecke.  Surprised? I’m not as you know I love to play with thread.  Completing Serendipity for this book sparked my imagination in such a way that now, right now as I write this blog post I’m going to go for it and try and enter something into Houston.

As I peruse the book each quilt maker, each artist brings something to the artistry of quilt making Mary brings that out in “Creative Tips”.  The photos of other quilters works is getting my creative thought process going.

Go quilt  your world!

Teri

 

Dessert First

There is a delightful saying “Life is Short, Eat Dessert First” I believe it’s widely attributed to Jaques Torres who understands chocolate in a most delightful way.

 And my oh my this was dessert.  Brownie Sunday. 

And then there was this. Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch.
 These are brought to you by City Limits Diner in White Plains, NY.  I had not been back since they remodeled.  The remodel flipped the bar and the bakery, used warm cozy colors.  They’ve pared back the menu a bit and the fried chicken was just outstanding!!

And then dessert.  My friend ate almost the whole thing. 

And this is ended a most delightful day.

“A Flowering Mosaic” by Donna Chambers.  I really admire Donna’s quilt making.  She brings an art background to her quilting. 

Mermaid Mariah and Her Circle of Souls.

Donna and I work at the same shop together and were in a mini group so I get to see some of her works in progress.  Donna teaches the mosaic as a class.

The next quilt is Renee‘s quilt of her son.  This quilt is a result of a guild challenge called reverse imagery.  The lens of his sunglasses is a photo of Renee taking a photo of him.  It’s so fun to see quilts from guild challenges.

Renee with Laundry Day

 The final quilt I’m sharing from the show is Renee’s Laundry Day.  It’s a beauty and earned Renee a ribbon.  One of two she received this weekend.

Congratulations to the members of the Northern Star Quilt Guild on their 35th quilt show.  We look forward to sharing more with  you.

Happy quilting!

Teri

 

 

 

gratuitous fabric photo

 

Northern Star Quilt Show Part 1

One of their speakers and teachers this year is Joe Cunningham.  There were spaces in the classroom and if I didn’t have several things at work scheduled today like the Newsletter and giving a demonstration at 11 AM on the BERNINA 710 I would be taking his class.  “Joe the Quilter” was Saturday’s quilterly story-telling about a male quilt maker in England who made quilts back in the late 18th/early 19th century.  And through it Joe sings and shares his quilt stories. 

Up the Stream of Good Intentions

“Up the Stream of Good Intentions” has to be one of my favorites because it’s orange and has purples running through it. Some of the quilting is the shape of salmon swimming. 
 The quilt I’m peeking out from behind is all done on a HandiQuilter, Avante I think.  Working with the folks at HandiQuilter Joe (he was the artist in residence for a week) had the design digitized and from what I’ve seen/heard about digitizing it’s not necessarily and easy feat. 

FANE  had a special exhibit of Kimonos. The kimonos are fun, just fun.

I think my favorite is this sweet pink tutu “Tutu Gone Kimono” by Mary Ann Healy. 

A Tribute to Cheryl
Donna Chambers

Pathways
Renee Fleuranges-Valdes

Reneé and Donna both had several pieces in the show that will be shared over the next few days. 

I have photos of more quilts and some really fun things happening as a result of being at the show. One fun thing that should happen is that I’ll be doing a whole cloth for one of the vendors.  How fun will that be?!

http://www.followthatthread.com/

I just discovered that my laptop has a version of Corel Draw that lets me re-size and crop photos.  This will hopefully prolong the “TerifiCreations” of it all by giving me extra photo/file storage space.  Once I reach maximum storage space here I have several other blogs names in place and I’ll be “moving” to one of those, most likely “Teri Lucas” since it is my name after all. 

Quilt your World!

Teri