Notes from the Basement

Sometimes Art Needs Some History

2011-10-05T11:00:00.000-04:00

While I may be searching for the light switch regarding art quilts, I find that the history of quilts is also illuminating. A couple weeks ago I attended the American Quilt Study Group seminar in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. There, my friend and colleague Barbara Schaffer and I presented a study center on "The Characteristics of New Jersey Quilts", based on our previous book, New Jersey Quilts: Contributions to an American Tradition. We also led a round table luncheon discussion on Florence Peto, the subject of the recently published A Passion for Quilts, which I co-authored with Barbara, Rita Erickson, and Natalie Hart.

The first night was an "ice breaker" where lots of quilts were exhibited, including two of mine: The Presidents Medallion and Mannahawkin Album.

One of my favorites was a Hexagon/Mosaic quilt belonging to the Burlington County Historical Society. Talk about fussy cutting!

There were vendors with lots of wonderful things (including a quilt that came home with me), a silent auction, and a live auction. The paper presentations ranged from WPA projects to tivaevae from the Cook Islands; all well researched and well presented. And there was lots of networking.

A Passion for Quilts flew off the shelves.

If you want to learn more about AQSG, check out their website http://www.americanquiltstudygroup.org/. To see more pictures from the seminar, have a look at Barbara Schaffer's blog http://www.barbaradschaffer.blogspot.com/ and at Barbara Brackman's blog http://www.barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/.

If you'd like to know more about The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey, go to http://www.newjerseyquilts.org/ where you can also order a copy of A Passion for Quilts.

A Passion for Quilts

2011-09-20T15:23:00.001-04:00

For those of you wondering what I have been up to all summer (and for many years before), I am very excited to announce that The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey has just published A Passion for Quilts: The Story of Florence Peto, which I wrote with co-authors Barbara Schaffer, Natalie Hart, and Rita Erickson. The four of us previously co-authored New Jersey Quilts: Contributions to an American Tradition, published in 1992, and once again teamed up to continue our quilt research to learn more about Florence Peto (1881-1970).

Florence Peto was a quilt collector, quilt historian, and quiltmaker. The quilts she collected and those she made were of such high quality that they became significant parts of museum collections. Florence's enthusiasm for life, thirst for knowledge, and love of quilts led her on a path she might not have expected as a young woman at the end of the nineteenth century. Through books, magazines, lectures, and exhibits, she shared the stories she found in quilts and created a legacy that endures from the twentieth century into the twenty-first century.

The book is 174 pages with more than 150 illustrations, including family photos and previously unpublished quilts. In addition, we are very lucky to have a foreword by Virginia Avery and contributions by Cuesta Benberry, Bets Ramsey, and Merikay Waldvogel.

If you'd like to order a copy, send a check payable to The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey in the amount of $32.95 plus $5.00 for shipping and handling to: The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey, P.O. Box 341, Livingston, NJ 07039. Or you can go to the website http://www.newjerseyquilts.org/.

Pieces of History

2011-07-30T13:44:00.000-04:00

I recently visited our local historical society to see the quilt collection. I had seen the quilts before, but this time shared the visit with a quilt-loving friend. Here's a quick look.

This is a wonderful broderie perse/applique with lots of fascinating blocks. Many signatures and a date of 1844.

Here's a close-up of the gorgeous Prussian blue setting strips.

I loved the simplicity of this design. As is often the case, it's the fabric that transforms the simple design.

The copperplate fabric of this quilt is called "Fortune of War" because of a tavern sign. It also features a two-story building with a British flag hanging from the window. Tricky to get a good photo.

This vibrant feathered star was made in the 1840s.

And here's a close-up.

Rising Sun quilt with broderie perse.

Detail of Rising Sun.

I also have an interest in mourning pictures. Here is a pretty spectacular one.

And here's a closer look.

Hope you enjoyed the brief tour.

Rachel

Old Fashioned Tweets

2011-06-21T12:28:00.001-04:00

This post has been delayed more than I would like because I've been working on a book! But more about that another time.

Earlier in the spring--if we actually had a spring here in NJ, and that's questionable--I was admiring my newish hedge of skip laurels in bloom.

I noticed a nest on one of our fence posts. Not a great spot, thought I, so I tried my best to keep an eye on it. First it was empty.

Then there were two eggs.

The next day there were three.

And the next day there were four.

Things were getting crowded. But then several days later, mother robin had done her job of protecting, and four little hatchlings appeared.

They grew.

And grew.

Until they were ready to leave the nest. (What is interesting about the following picture is that the baby robin had been sitting on the back stoop next to my gormless shih-tzu for at least 10 minutes. I was inside, so the time is approximate. The robin seemed frozen, and the dog completely clueless, although he does like to stargaze, even in the daytime. Too bad I couldn't get that picture!)

And now the nest is empty.

Another robin has now built a nest on top of the floodlight fixture over the garage doors. More tweets soon to come.

Rachel

A Red (and White) Letter Day

2011-03-29T12:18:00.000-04:00

On Saturday I spent a lot of time looking at quilts. First, I went to the American Folk Art Museum, Lincoln Square Branch, to participate in a quilt demonstration along with several other guilds in the metropolitan area. I was officially part of a somewhat unofficial though long-standing group lately christened the Montclair Late Night Quilters. We were the only group from NJ. Represent!

It was great not only to see some very starry quilts from the museum's collection, but also to meet and talk with other quilters and see what they're up to. (I still have hopes to get to the Masterworks exhibit at the main museum.)

Then I headed over to the Park Avenue Armory to see the wondrous exhibit of red and white quilts. Along the way, I had a chance to see the flower sculptures along Park Ave.

Then into the Armory, which in itself is a fantastic building. The exhibit was, indeed, a "veritable wonderland" of infinite variety. Six hundred and fifty red and white quilts displayed in a manner so unique it took your breath away. The quilts glowed.

Most of the quilts were pieced or appliqued. Interestingly, I counted about three in which the red was not a solid color. And there were also some quirky ones, including one of my favorites, an embroidered top, which I need to do some looking into (I didn't use either the iPad or iPhone app). For the moment I am referring to it as the "Smith Brothers" quilt due to all the men with beards. Although given all the exotic animals included, it could almost be a reference to an exploration, with maybe a Livingstone or Stanley pictured.

A close-up shows some interesting period dress.

If you have any opportunity today or tomorrow to see this exhibit, go, go, go! This was a wonderful gift to New York City from Joanna S. Rose in celebration of her eightieth birthday. Thank you Mrs. Rose!

--Rachel

Spring?

2011-03-23T11:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday in NJ, a cardinal took an afternoon bath:

No way that's happening today:

Sigh,

Rachel

Two Snows Ago

2011-01-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's been one of those winters here in New Jersey: record setting. I have lost track of how many snowfalls we've had since Boxing Day, but at some point, things were starting to melt.

And even though these icicles were the result of over-taxed gutters, there was hope that the snow would soon disappear.

Alas, that was not the case. More snow came, and more is to come. Sigh. I know what Shelley wrote still holds, "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" but he's not doing the shovelling.

New Fiber Revolution Exhibit

2011-01-04T18:50:00.000-05:00

Here is your invitation to Fiber Revolution's latest exhibit.

My piece Celestial Navigation I is in it.

Maybe I'll see you there?

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

--Rachel

Back to Botswana

2010-11-05T12:08:00.000-04:00

I am delighted to once again be part of a Fiber Revolution exhibit in Botswana. My piece, Celestial Navigation IV: Kalahari, is third row down, first on left.

If You're In St. Petersburg. . .

2010-07-05T11:19:00.000-04:00

Russia, that is, not Florida. I have a piece in this Fiber Revolution exhibit in Gatchina, Russia, near St. Petersburg. Let me know if you get there! Unfortunately my art travels more than I do.

Back from Hibernation

2010-04-27T13:03:00.000-04:00

Oh, it's been a long winter. In my last post (four months ago! sorry readers), there was a photo of the house across the street with three small pear trees between us just as we were getting our first snow.

Here it was during one of the big snows this winter. The house is behind the big pine tree on the left.

Here it is now: the big pine tree fell over in a storm and now I can see the houses's front door.

Luckily for us, other than a lot of snow, we didn't lose any trees, although my arbor vitae hedge was damaged and is being replaced, but that's a story for another time.

The snow confused the dog, although it doesn't take much to do that.

The cat was happy to be inside, although she is as scary as ever.

As part of welcoming spring, last week I went with my friend Rayna Gillman to the Morris Museum to see Art Quilts: Contemporary Expressions from the Collection of John M. Walsh III.

At the train station, we met up with Benedict Caneill, Shirley Levine, Melanie Testa, and Patricia Gaignat (l to r) and they all managed to fit in the back of Rayna's car.

As we walked through the exhibit, we saw some old friends and made some new ones. And then we heard what sounded like a group tour. It turned out to be Jack Walsh giving a private talk to a cousin and some friends. After greeting us warmly, we joined his group and were delighted to hear his "stories behind the quilts". Rayna and I had seen some of the quilts several years ago at his house, but hadn't heard all the stories. And there are several new additions which are as fabulous as his previously collected pieces. Plus, by being near the close of the exhibit, we were able to see a couple quilts that hadn't arrived before the opening.

On the way out--continuing to dodge large crowds of boisterous school children--we stopped in the gift shop. I wanted to check out the display of Fiber Revolution's Art Concentrated pieces. Here they are: mine is on the left, second shelf from the top. You really can't see much, but it was a nice display.

After the exhibit, the six of us had a delicious lunch at an Indian restaurant. Yum, but no pictures.

So that's a quick snapshot of the last four months. I want to thank all of you who have continued to check this blog for updated postings. I promise to post more often in the future. And if you want to read more of my writing before the next post (you gluttons for punishment), check out the April/May issue of Fiberarts. My article "History in the Making" is about the wonderfully creative work of Diane Savona that is on exhibit at the Hermitage Museum in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey.

Thanks for reading,

Rachel

Snow and Inspiration

2009-12-10T10:58:00.000-05:00

We had our first snow last week.

Luckily we missed major accumulation, and because of the cold temps, some interesting results were left behind.

And there were a few leaves still to fall.

I have not been able to make any progress with one of my Celestial Navigation pieces, so I decided to put together a kit I bought recently. I am a sucker for kits when I go to quilt shows, but have a bad record of finishing them. I thought maybe cutting and sewing might get the juices flowing. Well, let's just say it's been a long time since I made a piece this large: it's 75 by 75 inches, and that's without borders. I had to lay it out on my living room floor which meant moving furniture and bending over way too much. I've pieced the first five rows--just five to go--and I've realized my patience for precision piecing ain't what it used to be. Plus I'm bored with the fabrics I didn't choose. All in all, an eye-opening project.

Pearly Gates

2009-10-16T11:06:00.003-04:00

Been having a little home improvement done around the place. Here's our new fence that goes all around our corner property. I think the neighbors are even happier than we are. The old fence lasted 15 years, which is pretty good for wood, most recently held together by paint, green mold, and chicken wire at the bottom to keep the little dog in because he discovered in the last couple years that he could squeeze through the spaces between the pickets. He's foiled now because the spaces are smaller!

How long does it take to chose the right shade of green? The answer is that there's never enough time. I chose one, it's still not perfect, but it'll do, even though I have to see it every morning. It's for the master bath, which is small. Happily the shade of blue in our dining room that I've lived with and loved for many years worked well for the hall bath.

As the days get colder my gorgeous impatiens are losing their kick. They were spectacular this year, partly due to all the rain we had but also due to the fertilizer I forgot I added to the pots. I will miss them. Now looking forward to getting some mums, though I already have some pumpkins that the critters are munching.

And now it is raining, raining, raining. And will continue through the weekend. But no snow here.

Monotypes and Monoprints

2009-10-14T12:22:00.000-04:00

Last week I was lucky enough to spend some time with Rayna at her studio. We worked with Akua color paints using her table top press to print on paper and fabric. (I tried to remember the difference between a monotype and monoprint. I do know--now--but don't ask me.) The colors we used were red, yellow, and black. We got tired of them by the end of the day, but were so busy figuring out how much paint to use, how to apply it best, what difference the paper made, what fabric worked, etc., etc., that we'll have to save color play for next time.

We started out with leaves. And did a lot of experimentation.

Then I made a collagraph plate using masking tape, duct tape, cut paper, bark, fabric scraps, and thread:

And here it is after being used and its printed image on paper:

We were both amazed how the subtle elements in the materials you use--for example, teeny pinhole stripes on the duct tape--show up in the print. And I kept forgetting that the image gets reversed.

Vacation

2009-08-26T11:27:00.011-04:00

For 41 years I have been coming to this same wonderful lake in the northwoods of Michigan. It has always been a time of rest and renewal. There are friends and family to visit with and beauty everywhere. I hope you enjoy these pictures.

Wind rising.

Sometimes the dog gets in the picture.

Sunset light on cedars.

Sunset light on docks.

Sunset through trees.

Moon rise.

To, Too, Two

2009-06-16T12:11:00.006-04:00

So, what have I been up TO? Well, it's certainly been TOO long since my last post. More than TWO months. The weather here has been depressingly rainly lately, although everything looks very green, including some things--like my white picket fence--that shouldn't. In April I managed to work outside and discharge a number of pieces. More on those when I make more progress. I also soda-ashed a number of fabrics for continuing work. When it's a sunny day, the front bushes make an excellent drying rack.

I also concluded an eight-week workshop at the Newark Museum. Here are some of the results. More work needed.

This is a close-up of one piece I've been working on. It started out as four small pieces, which I sewed together and am now trying to make into a whole. It's looking better, but still needs more work.

I'm lagging behind on the quilting of the Celestial Navigation series: one down, two to go. Crit group is coming up in about a week: nothing like a deadline to spur progress.

Hope the weather is good where you are.

Annual Pilgrimage

2009-04-03T13:00:00.007-04:00

I'm back from my annual trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where for two days I enjoy food, friends, and fabric. The weather was on the damp side, but nothing can deter us from hitting our annual high points, including lunch at Glassmyers in Lititz where we go for sustenance in the form of BLTs before the fabric hunt.

Nothing fancy, but awfully tasty and a once-a-year treat.

Then it was on to various locations in search of that "must-have" fabric. After visiting Zook's, I was surprised to find this fellow staring at me.

One of my purchases was backing for a small oak leaf and reel quilt. Every now and then I feel the need to work on something more traditional, and I think this is the next project. I completed the applique blocks a while ago--well, a long while ago--and I think it's time they got put together before they become a forlorn little pile in an antiques shop.

Also enjoyed seeing the quilt exhibits at QHL. Always neat to see the work of people I know only online. And also great to see award-winning work created by people I know in "real life."

As fun as this annual trip is, it's also a time for me to quietly pay respects to the part of the family that arrived in the Lancaster area almost three hundred years ago and built a homestead that still stands.

Back to the Studio

2009-03-12T10:38:00.004-04:00

Well, not exactly my studio, but back to Newark Museum's Arts Workshop and an eight-week class with Judy Langille. Someday I'll get my basement studio organized for dyeing, but that will be a long time coming I'm afraid. In the meantime, the space and company is great at Newark, and I'm getting back into some previously started pieces after a too-long hiatus. I forgot to take photos of befores and afters, but I did snap this photo after adding three colors. It's still batching, so I'm not sure the colors will be as strong as I'd like, but as I don't like the piece at all yet, there's more work to be done anyway.

Sometimes It's the Little Things

2009-03-10T11:00:00.006-04:00

On Sunday, I had a chance to exercise the knee at the Somerset, NJ, quilt show. (The knee survived, but is still a bit stiff. More physical therapy today.) The Somerset show has become a sort of harbinger of spring for me: it falls between the one in Willamsburg, which I never get to, and Lancaster, which I've been going to for ages. I always like to see the ribbon winners from Williamsburg, especially when they are by friends, like Gloria Hansen who won a blue ribbon for Blushing Triangles #4. There were also some interesting special exhibits, including an exhibit of an every-AKC-breed dog quilt by Linda Hibbert. (Need I say I still have the patterns and the black and white fabrics to make blocks for an English Springer Spaniel and a Shih Tzu?)

I was overwhelmed by fabric and gadgets. But so happy with the things I bought: a small hoop, a piece of beeswax, and a fat quarter of a fabric that called to me. Plus I treated myself to a beautiful scarf from Usha at Heirloom Batik.

It's Still February

2009-02-16T12:26:00.007-05:00

How can such a short month seem so long? Between the snow and physical therapy, I'd like it to end now, please. However, Mr. Cardinal has appeared several times, a hopeful sign. And, as you can see, the snow has melted. For now.

Meanwhile, I have been working on a couple of pieces with the SDA members' show in mind. This first one falls a bit short of the size requirement of 18" x 18" and I'm not sure I want to add more fabric on the sides, which it would need.

So, I've started working on another contender that is just about large enough to start with. I'm about 2/3 finished with the embroidery, and then I have to figure out what to do next, i.e., should I sandwich and quilt it or should I edge it and call it done? A sleeve has to be put on the back, and I don't like the idea of sewing one directly to the front. This quandary is coming up more and more as I seem to be making more "art cloth" rather than "quilts." Of course, time is of the essence, but so is the presentation. Decisions, decisions. Any thoughts?

Well Lit

2009-01-29T14:50:00.007-05:00

Today the exhibit New Year = New Yearnings at the Watchung Arts Center in Watchung, New Jersey, is coming down. My work was included with that of 11 other New Jersey fiber artists including Rayna Gillman, Diane Savona, Judy Langille, Joanie San Chirico, Hollie Heller, and Joan Dreyer. (These are the ones who have websites.) Luckily I managed to get to the opening earlier this month to see everyone and savor the art (and the good food).

One of the most important things about any exhibit is the lighting. We were all pleased with the space and the lighting at the WAC. As you can see from this photo, my piece Imperial Palace was well lit and closely scrutinized.

Last week I was able to go to a gala performance of Elisa Monte Dance at the Joyce Theater in NYC. It has been so long since I've been into the city, let alone for a fascinating performance and lively reception afterward. At the reception, I sat next to the lighting director and it was interesting to talk with someone who was so knowledgeable about lighting. This is not a great photo--I used my phone--but, yes, that's the Empire State Building in the background. I would say it's pretty well lit. I had a good time and even though I had my first martini in months, I did not get well lit myself. And the service was so sneaky that my glass was cleared from the table before I could get to the olives--the best part.

I hope you noticed that I have managed to post twice in the same month--just barely. The knee is finally making progress. Now if it would just stop snowing/sleeting/raining every few days I could start to make my way around town more often.

Although I haven't done much fiber art work lately, I have updated my website, so please take a look.

There's Nothing Like a Good Damask

2009-01-13T12:41:00.007-05:00

For those of you who subscribe to the zen of ironing, you will understand that I have had quite a meditative morning. I started out at the ironing board with the fabrics my daughter used to wrap her Christmas presents. And I got to keep everyone's wrapping. Yes, that's actual sheen on the fabric, not the flash. I think most of these are from Mali as she spent some time there as a vacation from her Peace Corps post in The Gambia.

This was what was wrapped in one of the fabrics: more fabric! Could I be happier? It's a wise daughter who knows her mother. Isn't it spectacular? The color is really more of a deep brown, which shows better in the detail below.

Here is a close-up. On one selvedge it says, "Guaranteed Real Wax Damask Dadawa"; on the other, "Veritable Wax Bazinrich Dadawa."

Ironing those fabrics and seeing the word "damask" reminded me that it was about time to iron all the cloth napkins awaiting attention. I won't tell you for how long they've been waiting, but they had at least been washed and were clean. As I sorted through them--to bleach, starch and iron--a few more fell by the wayside into the ragbag. I am always sad when they "graduate" because the damask designs are so lovely, and I get a bit nostalgic about the meals they accompanied. I realized that while the napkins I bought nearly forty years ago have all graduated, some of the really old ones are still going strong. One of my favorites has the most wonderful monogram (see above) and is a heavy damask.

I only get as far as ironing my damask napkins, but if you want to see the remarkable things one artist does with them and with other household objects, please take a look at and enjoy my friend Diane Savona's work.

Now, to more ironing . . .er, meditation.

She Made Me Do It!

2008-12-19T12:45:00.006-05:00

You're probably wondering, "Why is there a picture of an Olfa mat? I've seen one before." Well, this is one I haven't seen completely since I don't know when. The material and fabric had migrated onto the mat from the rest of my "work table" (a ping-pong table) and only a small portion was visible and usable. I finally decided to square up a project or two and needed space. As I hobbled around the basement, one thing led to another, and I managed to throw out, reorganize, and thus uncover the whole mat plus a smaller one.

In the grand scheme of things, i.e., my studio, this is a drop in the bucket. When I told my friend Rayna, who is a much more regular blogger than I am, what I had done, she said, "But you have to blog!" As you know, I usually allow at least a month or so to pass between postings, but "She Made Me Do It"!

Cleaning up my whole studio space is a New Year's resolution I've managed to avoid for many years, but maybe it's time. Maybe not, because this minor clean-up proved, once again, my trust in what A.A. Milne said, "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." Although I think there is order to my disorder, I, indeed, found this piece which I had totally forgotten about, and it turns out to be the second in a series within a series. I have marked it and am happily embroidering it as I rest my weary knee. Just the thing!

After the Fall

2008-11-24T11:15:00.007-05:00

Ah, the irony! Just as I began to increase my walking, on the day after I last posted, I failed to pay enough attention to the notoriously uneven sidewalks of my town. Down I went. A long story short: my left knee is on the mend. Nothing was broken, but general repairs included two hospital stays. Ugh. I am SO over this and want to get back to fun. The flowers pictured above were sent to me by my art group Studio Six, and they were just gorgeous.

This is one of three pieces in my series I'm calling Celestial Navigation. (Ignore the background bits.) Unfortunately I didn't get around to basting any of them before I fell, so the only handwork I had ready while I was incapacitated was hexagons. Don't ask. If I ever make enough hexagons to put together into something, I've already titled it Hexagony.

This is a detail of the above piece. I hope to move forward on this and the other two in the not-too-distant future. I've also been tagged and plan to address that in the next couple weeks, now that I can get to the third floor computer.

In the meantime, I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

Walking Around the Neighborhood

2008-10-18T11:11:00.009-04:00

Maybe because it's the time of year and the days are (finally) getting colder, that I remember all the new year's resolutions I didn't keep. So I've been doing more walking--with the little dog--around the neighborhood lately. They aren't very long walks at this point and at least the dog starts panting before I do. As the leaves begin to turn and fall, I revel in the intensity of the strong afternoon sun as it highlights the gorgeous colors that surround me. I love the crunch of the leaves as we walk through them, although the dog's coat and his nearness to the ground seem to vacuum them up.

This is my favorite little uphill part of the walk. I've been watching the top of this tree gradually change color from one little tip of red.

And here was a surprise at the bottom of one of the larger trees along the way. I thought it was incredible when I first saw it, but always forgot to take my camera along. It was beautiful at first and I was regretting I had no picture then, but it has gotten even more beautiful as it deteriorates and leaves begin to cover it.

On a quilt-related note, some of you may remember the red blob piece from this blog way back in November 2007. It is now finished and entitled Orbit. I didn't post it sooner as it was one of my entries into Quilt National. As I didn't get in, I can now share it with you. I have to apologize for the color, however. For some reason the post to the blog makes it more brown than it actually is; it really has a brighter, slightly redder tone.

Here's a detail. I'm still in love with the embroidery stitch I've been using and seem to be stitching circles on everything lately. I have three more pieces in the Navigation series to baste and quilt, but it's the basting part that I really dislike. Even listening to the music shuffle on my iPod isn't much help getting through it. Here's hoping I move forward.

I Got It Done!

2008-09-05T11:40:00.006-04:00

I hope you haven't been holding your breath since my last posting. It's been way too long for that!

I did make the deadline and here is the result. It's called Navigation and is part of a Fiber Revolution exhibit to be shown first at the South African Quilt Festival http://www.quiltjoburg.co.za/festival2008/content/main/home.asp and then in Gabarone, Botswana.

In this detail shot you can see the embroidery. It's an almost whole cloth quilt: I've been trying hard to work with whole cloth composition, but can't seem to resist adding those little squares, even though there are only three on this piece.

Fiber Revolution http://www.fiberrevolution.com/ is an online group of East Coast-ish SAQA members I belong to.

This postcard shows the work that will be exhibited in Africa.

We're pretty excited about this. I'm happy that my work--if not myself--will be on the same continent as my daughter who is into her second year in the Peace Corps in The Gambia.

As others have said before, my quilts travel more than I do!

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

2008-07-10T10:05:00.009-04:00

Whether it's digital or film, sometimes the images just stay in the camera too long! In May, over Memorial Day weekend, we went up to Rochester, New York, to see my youngest--of three--graduate from RIT. While there we visited a wonderful state park built by the Civilian Conservation Corps on the shore of Lake Erie. It was a beautiful but slightly chilly and windy day.

There were great rocks along the shore. There were only a couple like this. I just love the texture, but have no idea what kind of rock it is.

So here we are, one glad to have finished and one glad to have paid the last tuition installment. The other one--my husband--is taking this shot. He's glad, too.

The weather in general has been pretty variable in late spring and summer. In June this large branch came down in the nighttime. Of course the irony is that we had just had the tree trimmed so that it wouldn't bring down the power lines in bad weather. But--you guessed it--not only did it fill half the backyard and crush some of the fence and some of my clematis, it also ripped out the power and phone lines. We weren't the only ones to have trouble and, compared to other residents, damage was minor. The clematis is no worse for wear and the branch just caught the edge of our roof. Being without power in hot weather isn't fun, but we managed. I even sat on the front porch and embroidered.

This is a piece I have been working on for a few months. It started with a grid and blobs, then I screened in the circles. It really should be rotated once counter clockwise for its true orientation, but this is how I had to work on it on the space available. So tilt your head to the right and look at it.

Then I just screened in some darker blue. Don't forget to tilt your head. (Sorry about that. I didn't plan ahead by rotating the image before I uploaded to Blogger.)

And here is part of it now. You can see that the circles and the blue washed out to be lighter. Then I screened in the reddish circles, but only three. I added small squares of commercial fabric in the reddish circles, so it won't be whole cloth unfortunately. I have been working hard on the concept and execution of whole cloth and it has been a challenge. I have also embroidered golden lines from circle to circle. Now I just have to baste it and quilt it. The question is: can I get it done in three weeks for a deadline? Stay tuned.

A Little Shibori

2008-05-22T09:29:00.008-04:00

In early April, I went to the Breaking New Ground Symposium co-sponsored by the Surface Design Association and Studio Art Quilts Associates. I saw new friends and old, went to the opening of the Elements exhibition, attended several thought-provoking sessions, went on a tour of galleries and Philadelphia University, and was lucky enough to take a shibori class with Jan Myers-Newbury.

This is a sink in the Wayne Art Center's restroom. Just love the grid!

This is some of the silk-screen storage in a workroom at Philadelphia University. If only I had that much space!

Here I am stirring the dye buckets in the shibori class.

These are my first results. I am so happy!

Three days of dyeing and this is a sample of my results. (Except for the tan and blue piece in the middle, which is by Judy Langille and is not shibori.) I learned a lot in this class. Jan is a great teacher: in addition to the shibori, I learned to NOT use paper towels to clean up. And I'm also reusing the plastic for batching.

Yes, I Have Been Busy

2008-04-29T09:41:00.005-04:00

Yes, I have been busy, but I can't believe it's almost two months since my last blog. Yikes! Daffodils have come and gone, the clematis has been chopped back again, and the azaleas are starting to pop.

This little gazebo is on the property of the Smoketown Motor Lodge where I stayed for my annual visit to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the Quilters Heritage Celebration at the end of March. My friends and I ate at all our usual favorite spots and bought fabric at all our favorite shops. Saw some incredible quilts and caught up on the latest merchandising. Our trip always ends too soon!

This is a shot of my four pieces in the Studio Six exhibit at the Mikail Zakin Gallery in Demarest, New Jersey. The exhibit space was light and airy, and all the work looked great. Thanks to all who came to visit!

This is a little closer view of three pieces: the one on the left, "Why She Cried," has sold! I'm very excited, but still experiencing some separation anxiety.

Of course there's more to blog about, including the Breaking New Ground SDA/SAQA conference in Wayne, Pennsylvania, but I'll save that for next time. Stay tuned for some shibori, too.

Studio Six Show

2008-03-10T14:05:00.006-04:00

My critique group, Studio Six, is having a show at the Mikhail Zakin Gallery in Demarest, NJ, with an opening this coming Saturday from 2 to 4 pm. I'd love to see you! It's about 20 minutes east from Exit 168 of the Garden State Parkway. If you're in the neighborhood on Saturday, or any other time, please stop by. It should be a great show.

Visit tasoc.org for directions or further information.
To see works by the following artists, visit their websites:
Rachel Cochran: http://www.fiberrevolution.com/
Rayna Gillman: http://www.studio78.net/
Joanie San Chirico: http://www.joaniesanchirico.com/
Diane Savona: http://www.dianesavona.com/
Joan Dreyer: http://www.joandreyer.com/

It Finally Snowed

2008-02-23T12:01:00.008-05:00

I knew we were due for a big snowfall at some point, and on Friday it finally came. All day. I think we got about 5 inches or so. But like all the other snowfalls, it ended with sleet/rain to give it that nice dangerous glaze of ice.

So now the dog can walk on it, as he's not fond of walking in it, as you can see. But the trees certainly do look beautiful.

On Monday I was able to do some dyeing. Here is a piece from last summer that needed more oomph, so I used freezer paper circles as a resist and then screen printed.

It was looking pretty good when I took the freezer paper off, and then, of course, I had to wash it.

Here it is after washing. (Once again, ignore the background. You know my design wall is treacherous.) This is pretty true to color and still seems a bit light to me, so now I'm trying out small squares that I might fuse on, although I am really trying to work "whole cloth." I'm planning to embroider some large circles--maybe orange--but I'm not sure that will be enough. Maybe I should screen on some dark circles when I have workshop space in a couple weeks.

Here is a detail. What do you think? Does it need more color? Let me know.

It also needs a name. Hmmm. . .some pieces are easier than others.

A Good Dog

2008-01-28T10:21:00.001-05:00

Our experiences make us what we are and, I believe, what our art is. One of my most difficult experiences was the decision I made six weeks ago concerning my beautiful English Springer Spaniel Missy. Just before Christmas she was diagnosed with cancer and within three weeks it was significantly worse. She was fourteen years old and had given and received much love and joy. She loved swimming in this Michigan lake where we go every summer, and she always insisted on having her own beach chair.

A couple of years ago I made this small wall hanging, which shows Missy with her "brother" Justin, the Shih-Tzu, who does not like swimming in the lake. He was with her at the end, and we all miss her.

Has It Been Two Months?

2008-01-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been more than two months since I last posted. My friends tell me they are sick and tired of looking at those pumpkins. So let's see if there's another image I can burn into their brains .

I found this tea just before the holidays. Despite the smiling snowman, the name described exactly how I was feeling: snappish. Too much to do, etc., etc. However, the holidays turned out just fine, I mellowed, and now I'm worried that I only have two boxes of this tea left until next Christmas because I really like it out of all the ginger ones I've tried.

As to what I've been up to besides decking the halls, etc., I hope you remember my "red blob" piece from previous posts. (Yes, you can go back and check if you don't.) I finally beat those blobs into submission and they have metamorphosed into pomegranates (I think). Here it is, ready for basting. Now I am in the quilting stage and am quite pleased with how things are going.

And here's a close-up that shows the many layers of dyeing and printing, and the embroidery.

I'm still waiting for a snow day, but I'd better be careful what I ask for. We haven't had that much snow yet. Who knows what February will bring?

More Than Frost Is On The Pumpkin

2007-11-19T10:04:00.001-05:00

Much to my surprise, I woke up to accumulating snow this morning. Driving around town, this was one of the sights I saw.

But not all the leaves are off the trees yet.

Although my maple lost all its golden glow about a week ago, and now makes a stark contrast to the white snow.

Last week I did some more work on the red blob piece. This is the result after discharging, i.e., barely any change.

So I decided to put in some additional elements. It is still batching, and I hope to wash it out today. But now I must go out into the snowish weather and search for a Thanksgiving turkey.

It All Starts with White Fabric, Part II

2007-11-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

Three pieces of fabric in process, most recently screened with the same image and color, then washed:

This one started with using up left over dye.

This one is the orange that won't die, but will dye.

Don't know what to say about this one as I can't remember how it started, although there seems to be some of that orange in it.

Who knows what will happen next? I certainly don't. Hope you stay tuned for further installments.

It All Starts with White Fabric, Part I

2007-11-13T11:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is how it starts, and I never know how it's going to turn out. But I've been doing more work lately, so I'm going to post lots of pictures so you can see how it's going.

This is the one piece I've been focusing on. I've been working on it in a once-a-week class on whole cloth composition. The class is challenging me to think and work in a way that is different from how I usually work. I screened the whole piece using torn freezer paper as a resist for the red shapes. For once the red dye really took. I free-handed the black curve with a black Sharpie marker.

But the background color wasn't right, so I decided to discharge it. The freezer paper got a little burned and was difficult to remove. Some of it lasted through four hot water washings!

Then it looked like this. Lighter background, but still not right. That Sharpie marker seems to stay no matter what you do.

Then I screened in some chartreuse.

And it came out like this. (My back door makes for an interesting design wall.)

Then I decided to discharge a different shape and got this. I used freezer paper again to keep the red shapes from being discharged.

But the color was still bothering me, so I screened purple over all of it. It's interesting to note that--in terms of true color--sometimes the photos look better than the fabric and vice versa.

And this is where it is now. (Please ignore the background, it's all part of my archeological design wall.) I think the piece is much more interesting than what shows up every time I take a photo. On the whole, the piece is more complex than the photos indicate, and now I'm also concerned about how well it might ultimately photograph, assuming I continue to the finish with it. I can't believe how those red blobs jump out in the photos, but are much more subdued in reality. I think I'm going to have to do something to them, but I'm not sure what. Suggestions welcome.

For more quick views of other pieces in process, see Part II.

Can It Be Fall Already?

2007-10-04T10:27:00.000-04:00

More time has passed than I thought since my last posting. I wonder what I've been up to. . . . At some point there was a vacation in Michigan where I was part of a small exhibit at the AuSable River Center in Roscommon. This is my piece Sunrise Poppies above the fireplace.

From April to September my arbor (formerly the children's swingset) of clematis returned to its yearly beauty. I deliberately chose a clematis that blooms in late summer/early autumn into a cloud of little white flowers. Below you can see the before when the clematis was chopped back in April and the after in September just as the buds were starting to pop. Other things in the garden have grown, but I am sad to say I have managed to kill my favorite and only tradescantia (spiderwort), I think because it became overshadowed by a bush I never thought would get so big. Am I the first person ever to kill a spiderwort? I am so sad because it was given to me by a wonderful friend.

So much for gardening. What about fiber? Luckily, earlier this week I spent the better part of a day dyeing fabric. I experimented with two new fabrics (for me). Both are linen/silk blends, but one has more linen and one more silk. The one with more linen is a little stiff, and the one with more silk is gauzy. This is the deconstructed screen I unintentionally made .
Here are results: on the left is the linen/silk; on the right is the silk/linen. This is just after screening and before washing. Now that I have washed them, I can see that the silk blends hold onto the dye much better than all cotton.

Here is another piece of linen/silk after several screenings:

Then I covered it with a purple/brown and it looked like the picture below. Even after washing, it remained dark enough that I had forgotten about the two rectangles in the middle. Good thing I took a picture.
I managed to work on the beginnings of several other pieces, too. One time I put a piece of the gauzy fabric on top of the other and pushed the dye through. Unfortunately, I just kept forgetting to take pictures. I'm looking forward to working on them some more, especially with discharge paste. But that will be for the next entry.

Art Quilts Lowell

2007-08-10T09:46:00.000-04:00

This was not the view from my hotel window in Lowell--I overlooked the parking lot. But it didn't matter too much because I spent most of my time out and about with old and new friends enjoying their company and enjoying all that Lowell had to offer as part of their Quilt Festival. There were some wonderful quilts on display at the New England Quilt Museum that have been documented by the New Hampshire Quilt Project. The "Images" quilt show was held at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Of course I enjoyed checking out all the vendors.

Perhaps the biggest reason for my visit to Lowell was to see my work Noontime Gate (16 3/4" x 19 3/4") at the Brush Gallery, where I am fortunate to have it included in the exhibit "Art Quilts Lowell 2007." It looked great under the gallery lights, which made the silk shimmer and the beads really sparkle. I brought the silk back from Vietnam a couple years ago. This piece refers to the Ngo Mon Gate, which is the principal entrance to the Imperial Enclosure in the Citadel in Hue.

Here it is in situ, and you can see that the opening was very well attended.

Around town, Lowell's ARTventure Public Art Program provided artwork in response to various historic locations. There were dresses along the canal in the Lucy Larcom Park that honored the history of the mill girls.
And there was this over-sized dress specifically honoring Lucy Larcom, the most well-known mill girl. Words from Larcom's writings are printed on the apron.

The Revolving Museum is housed in the Light and Gas Company headquarters built in 1859. There were matzoh walls in the kitchen (check out Rayna's blog for photos), but I was particularly taken, er, frightened, by these gnomes that surprised me after I went into a dimly lit room behind two sets of big curtains.

Of course spending time with friends meant discovering new menus. The favorite spot for breakfast was the Owl Diner where I ate in one meal what could sustain me for the whole day.

But there was always dinner to consider, and it was fabulous, too. This is an appetizer from Riccardo's, a wonderful Italian restaurant. (The local French restaurant was great, too.) It's not just salad, but fried olives stuffed with Asiago cheese with a little balsamic vinegar dressing. Yummmmm.

Despite the heat, and it was HOT, I had a great time in Lowell. Old friends, new friends, art, quilts, food. We laughed, we cried. I'm so lucky.

New Fabric, Part II

2007-07-20T11:28:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for being so patient--well, not all of you were--to wait for Part II. Some of the fabric you will see in Part II has already made its way into a new series I'm tentatively calling Cosmos.

All the pieces remind me of photos I've seen of cosmic explosions that have been in magazines like National Geographic. But that's not where they started. I think they started with good fabric gone bad-- redyed, discharged, redyed, discharged--that eventually got better.

Here I am working on two small pieces, getting ready to discharge them.

Here's the one on the left, above, with discharge on it.

And here's that piece after discharge, with embroidery.

Here's another piece before discharge.

And here it is after discharge. Not sure where this is going.

This is the piece that started it all and will be the first in the Cosmos series.

Another time I'll show you how the little piece on the right in the first picture is evolving.

Stay tuned.

New Fabric, Part I

2007-07-03T11:07:00.001-04:00

It was such a beautiful day this past Saturday, I grabbed the opportunity to discharge some fabrics I had recently dyed.

On the left is the blue-ish and red-ish fabric I had dyed and then discharged. On the right, I've added various colors. This all started in March and April.

On the left, in June, I screened on several colors and shapes. On the right is what it looked like after washing and ready for more discharge.

On the left is after discharging and on the right is after washing.

And this is what the whole piece looks like now. (The sun is shining on some of it.) Don't know what I'm going to do with it yet, but I think it's done. This is one of the largest pieces of fabric I've worked on.

I generally prefer to work with smaller pieces of fabric (more of those in Part II), but no matter what the size, you never know what you are going to get, and for me that is a big part of the fun. It took me a while to let go and enjoy whatever resulted. I learned that, after all, if you don't like it, you can always go back and do more. Thanks, Rayna.

For example, I made this fabric with all the leftover dye. When I screened a grid with discharge paste, I just put it in the sun. The grid turned purple. Of course I really loved it and so when I washed the fabric, the purple was gone. I may have to go back in with purple dye.

Stay tuned for New Fabric, Part II.

What Flower Are You?

2007-06-18T14:04:00.001-04:00

These are Bleeding Hearts from my garden. If you're interested, you might want to try out my new link on the right to the What Flower Are You Quiz. I'm not sure how accurate it is. Turns out I'm a snapdragon. I'd love to know what you are.

On the Road, Part II

2007-06-12T13:16:00.000-04:00

This is my daughter. Can you tell she hates it when I take her picture at times like this?Yesterday we took her to D.C. for what the Peace Corps calls "staging". This is preparation for her assignment to The Gambia in West Africa. She's at the start of many lectures and innoculations. Tomorrow she's off to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, for the beginning of about three months in-country training. She will be an education volunteer if she successfully completes this training. To make this fiber art/fabric related, I am hoping she sends home some wonderful fabric from The Gambia. They batik, tie-dye, and also beat some fabric with wooden sticks until it shines.

The round trip from NJ to DC took 9 1/2 hours: 1 1/2 hours longer than usual. (There was a terrible accident on the NJ Turnpike.) As we neared home, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. A little while later as we got even closer, another rainbow appeared. A sign of things to come, I hope: one rainbow for each of the next two years.

Your assignment: can you find The Gambia on a map? Do you know why "The" is part of its official name?

On the Road, Part I

2007-06-12T12:35:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite pictures from being in Kansas City for the Surface Design Association's Conference at the beginning of the month. I don't know what this sculpture (?) is doing on someone's back porch, but I sure was surprised to see it.

I also liked this sign at the Kansas City airport. Luckily for me the weather was just glorious for the most part. I even got a little sunburned despite the fact that I was hardly outside because of all the interesting lectures (including New Materials Interacting with Temperature and Light, Cultural Identity Through Fabric and Thread, The Art Quilt Paradox: Studio Art Quilts and Contemporary Quilting Today, Extra/ordinary: Craft Culture and Contemporary Art), demonstrations, First Friday studio openings, and the Fashion Show.

My favorite picture would be from the members' show which included the piece I mentioned in an earlier post, Irony. This is a better shot than those I took at the show. Just ignore the background. Of course this was taken in my basement "studio". I hope the glimpse of its horror isn't too much for you. This is a detail shot I think I posted in March, but now you can see how the whole piece turned out. The best part is that Irony is one of the 100 chosen to travel. Not sure where it's going yet, but I'll be sure to post when I know.

The coolest thing was how they were displayed. Most of the work was hung on wheels of spokes suspended from the ceiling. You can sorta get the idea from the above picture. Mine was just on the wall, center right above.

That's the Kansas City Road Report. Stay tuned for On the Road, Part II.

Titles

2007-05-24T14:27:00.000-04:00

I knew there was a lot of bird activity in the backyard yew hedge, but was never quite sure what was going on. The other day I happened to glance into the hedge as I was walking through an archway, and noticed a bunch of sticks. When I looked closer, there were at least four little beaks peeking up. I think they're robins as I've seen an adult robin hanging around. I can't believe how close the nest is to the gate that I always have to bang about three times to close properly. I'm sorry I never noticed the nest before, as I missed the egg stage, but I guess mama bird chose a good place after all.

It's easy to call that picture Little Birds, but lately I'm having trouble titling my work. This is the result of my quilt guild's annual challenge, to be unveiled at our annual Strawberry Supper in June. The challenge was to choose (blindly) one or two crayons from a bag, and then make a quilt using those colors and adding more if you like. It could be expanded so that if you got the color Mac and Cheese, for example, you could make a citrus quilt because it reminded you of fruit colors, or you could make a quilt the color of the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Box, or you could make a comforting quilt because Mac and Cheese was a comfort food. It was pretty open.

My first pick was Bluebell, which I thought was pretty tame, so I drew again and got Neon Carrot. I challenged myself to use only these two colors, with some variation. I also challenged myself to make a "Gee's Bend type" quilt, so I used only scraps from previous projects that I keep in a container next to my sewing machine. If your work tends to be somewhat neat--but never perfect--like mine, it is a challenge to do things a bit more loosely. The size of the strips and bits I had dictated the size of the blocks. With the border, the finished piece measures about 22" x 23".

On the back I used a vintage apron I had worn to death (you can see signs of use) but couldn't part with and an orange fabric (with carrots on it!) I used in a quilt for my daughter. Piecing that old apron into a usable amount was tricky. I then free hand quilted it without marking any lines. You may disagree as to whether the Gee's Bend quilts are art or not (I'm not going there), but those quilts were not just plopped together for utility's sake: choice and planning went into the mix.

Because this piece is small, it went pretty fast once I put my mind to it. Now, what to call it. Any ideas?

The Calla Lilies Are in Bloom Again

2007-05-11T09:48:00.000-04:00

"The calla lilies are in bloom again. Such a strange flower--suitable to any occasion." Katharine Hepburn in Stage Door (1937). While there are no calla lilies in my garden, the azaleas are finally out and I'm posting a picture in celebration of what would have been Hepburn's 100th birthday on May 12. I think I've been watching too many of the movies TCM has been running this month in Hepburn's honor. I like to watch old movies when I'm quilting, but never seem to get enough stitching done. Wonder why?

Despite too many old movies, I did manage to finish the sample for my church's service auction this weekend. I'm offering a small wall hanging or pillow with a photo of anyone's pet--furry or not. Here are my two dogs on summer vacation in Michigan.

Now to go check the TV listings, lol.

Spring and a Local Field Trip

2007-04-30T11:54:00.000-04:00

In the last week, Spring has finally arrived. This local scarecrow is always in seasonal fashion.

The bleeding hearts in my garden are out and thriving, and the clematis is making a great comeback. (I'll post the before and after pictures later.)

One of the highlights of my weekend was a local concert with Judy Collins and Nanci Griffith. I have made it to several Judy Collins concerts over the years, er, decades, and she is certainly looking better than I am!

The other highlight of my weekend was a visit to the Franklin Street Studios' open studios, especially that of Rayna Gillman, on the left in this picture. Not the best shot, but I hope you get an idea of her wonderful work.

Now off to do a little more work of my own.

Another Field Trip

2007-04-23T11:01:00.000-04:00

This flower is not from my garden, and I'm sorry the photo is a bit on the yellow side. Would you believe this beautiful rhododendron is made of glass? It's from the botanical galleries of the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Father and son glass artists Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka made (I think, in the 1850s-1890s) more than 4,400 botanically correct models of plants and their various parts. Not only did they make the glass--using several methods--they came up with just the right kind of paint.

This was only part of my weekend in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My husband was attending a conference on international development at the JFK School. I was museum-ing. We were both visiting my daughter and her boyfriend (who were also attending the conference) who live in Allston, across the river from Cambridge.

I also went to the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, the Fogg Museum, and the Sackler Museum. I don't need to say that there was more wonderful art and information than I can possibly mention, or fully absorb. The Fogg and Sackler don't allow photography in the galleries, so the only shot I took is the one above of going upstairs into the courtyard balcony.

After art and cultural anthropology overload, I walked around Cambridge, enjoying the good weather and various activities around Harvard Square including street musicians and shopping. I had hoped to visit the Longfellow House, but it was closed. I found this out after a half-mile walk to get there. This was where George Washington was headquartered 1775-1776. I know this because I just finished reading "1776" by David McCullough. I was disappointed I couldn't go in.

Although I didn't have time to do any fabric shopping, I did go to a shop called The Museum of Useful Things were I found this little treasure, "Witch, the Automatic Needle Threader." I haven't tried it yet (it could be my own little Salem witch trial, get it?), but will be sure to let you know when I do. I then rested my weary feet, which are still weary, outside the Dean's Office at the Kennedy School and did a bit of embroidery on one of the pieces I recently dyed. Not sure the embroidery is improving it yet. I'll let you know that, too.

Annual Field Trip

2007-04-13T11:39:00.000-04:00

This is Glassmyer's in Lititz, Pennsylvania. We stop here for lunch on our way to the Quilt Heritage Celebration show at Lancaster. Glassmyer's is open only for breakfast and lunch, so we have to restrain ourselves from stopping to buy fabric before lunch. Not so easy, as we pass a great place called Weaver's on the way. After lunch at this simple, little, old-fashioned luncheonette, we head back to Weaver's for unrestrained fabric buying.

Several friends and I have been making this trip for many years. We have our favorite stops for both fabric and food. It's only two days, but a great time is had by all.

At the show, I saw several quilts by Quilt Art list members, including Sue Reno and Gloria Hansen. I also had a chance to have a quick conversation with Michelle Verbeeck who has a special exhibit at the show. (Yes, Virginia, there are nudes in Lancaster!)

Now, I'm back home recovering from sensory overload. I'm busily catching up on laundry so I can get to the fabric that has been "batching" for too long since I dyed it on Monday. Can hardly wait to see how it turns out.

After Going Down the Stairs

2007-04-07T20:47:00.000-04:00

I know you have been imagining the wildest stuff about my basement and, sorry to say, it is all true. The following is not for the faint of heart.

This is a piece of fabric I've been doing some embroidery on, but haven't been happy with the results. So, when I went Down the Stairs to iron my Easter dress, I started digging through piles because I really didn't want to iron either the dress or the summer pants that have been waiting to be ironed, well, since summer.

Once you go Down the Stairs, you see this:

And you don't know which way to turn. Nothing new, I assure you. (Notice the well-placed piece of exercise equipment hiding under stuff.)

So I dug around for hidden treasure and came up with several other pieces of black fabric that had discharged to an extremely light goldish color. (The actual color is not as rich as in the following picture.) I thought they might work well together. Then I started ironing and fusing. No, not my Easter dress. That was well out of the way, although the summer pants were dangerously close at hand.

I won't show you my ironing board where I was working. Yet. I think you need some time to recover. But you should know that no summer pants were harmed in the making of this piece.

Down These Stairs

2007-04-03T11:22:00.000-04:00

Down these stairs is my studio. I call it that because that is where I work. It is in "slight" disarray: it may not be neat, but I know where everything is--mostly. When I am working on a piece, I work in what I call an archeological style: I dig through layers to find the treasure. Sometimes I find other treasures along the way. One friend calls it, "stirring the pot." Or, as A.A. Milne said, "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."

Stay tuned for my next posting to see the whole thing. Until then, let your imagination go wild.

Discharging Black Fabric

2007-03-30T15:31:00.000-04:00

This is me, again. Somehow the first photo vanished. And I am still learning how to manage this blog.

This is a close-up of my piece Irony. Get it? Ha, ha.

There has been discussion on the Quilt Art list lately of the results you can get when you discharge black fabric. It is amazing how many variations there are depending on the fabric and the method of discharge. This is the result I got using discharge paste on a Michael Miller black. But it doesn't work with every MM black. I've tried other manufacturers and haven't been able to get this same color. Even using the same MM fabric, the intensity of the teal/turquoise changes and seems to be influenced by temperature and humidity. It's always a surprise to me.

The embroidered red square is one of several on the piece, and there are embroidered teal lines, too. I used to do a lot of embroidery, and now I'm hooked again, but using it in an entirely different way.

Check out Rayna's blog at www.studio78notes.blogspot.com for a close-up of another discharged piece of mine.

My First Posting

2007-03-26T09:24:00.000-04:00

A very basic blog.