Fiber Artist
I’ll be at least one in a thousand — that’s the news from Quarry Books, the publisher releasing 1000 Quilt Inspirations, a new book to be released in the near future. Dr. Sandra Sider, a New York quilt artist and independent curator, will be selecting the winning designs. The Call for Entries states, in part, […]
Not always an easy thing, this ‘getting it right.’ Sometimes it takes days, weeks, even years. I’m just speaking for myself, of course, though the thought of such masters as Beethoven, Mendelssohn, van Gogh — and more — leap to mind when it comes to revisiting earlier works for a bit of tweaking. Some of […]
My calendar said “Continue Sunflower piece” but my time was used for unexpected things — what most of us call “Life.” When I walked back into the studio I knew I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to produce quality thread work. Fortunately, I had supplies for a notebook cover nearby and a very […]
Seven of my pieces have been accepted for the 46th Annual Textile Exhibition at the Olive Hyde Gallery in Fremont, California. I’ve had my work at this gallery in the past, but not with so few artists — six artists have work in this exhibit. My five Sunflower Scrap pieces, Woodwardia Wonder and Oakleaf Hydrangea […]
Blue Prints on Fabric, my source for fabrics treated for creating prints, has a new product. Hand-dyed cotton fabrics — available in medium pink, turquoise blue, bright orange, chartreuse green and medium yellow — are then treated with cyanotype solution. These fabrics provide a new twist on the classic blue and white of the historical […]
The first stage of quilting on Sunflower Scrap VI is done. Here the fabric is still moist from the spritz I gave it to eliminate the blue marking pen guidelines. The moisture makes the fabric appear to be slightly darker than it actually is. I will let the quilt dry on my design wall. If […]
Once I’ve made design decisions and have the large elements marked, I have a sense of accomplishment. Of course, there is accomplishment in getting that far, but actually the work has just begun. So here I am making some progress on quilting the sunflowers and vines. When the large designs have been quilted, I will […]
I so thoroughly enjoyed the series of foot-square sunflower quilts begun in 2012 that you can imagine my delight in learning that the common sunflower is native to California. I’ve launched into a new piece featuring the sunflower but this one will be much larger — I’m envisioning at least 5′ x 2′. I enjoy […]
I’m thrilled to announce that Nature’s Fractal has become part of the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection (TCQC). Del Thomas has collected over 250 art quilts since 1985. In addition to enjoying them in her home, she shares curated groups of her collection and promotes the art quilt through exhibits. It’s wonderful to know that my […]
I attended the opening reception for the Consilience of Art & Science exhibit at the Pence Gallery in Davis on Friday, January 10. Davis is home to a large University of CA campus and a thriving art community, so openings during Art Walk are vibrant and fun. This exhibit is a partnership between the gallery […]
I am happy to announce that Woodwardia Wonder has been accepted for The Consilience of Art & Science, a Pence Gallery and UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Juried Exhibition opening at the Pence Gallery January 10 and running through February 28, 2014. All mediums were considered for this exhibit. (Hover cursor over images for more details.) […]
I went to the Artist Reception at the Arts Guild of Sonoma but there were so many art lovers there that one could not get photographs of the work. A nice problem to have! And I must add that it was raining and parking is limited — even more reason to be impressed by the […]
I had the opportunity to be at the La Conner Museum the day before the closing of Best of the Festival, the exhibit which featured my art quilt Nature’s Fractal. The museum occupies the historic Gaches Mansion which has been lovingly restored and maintained and is quite a treat to walk through. Sybil, the well-informed […]
I’m delighted to share that I’ve been invited by Carol Larson to participate in the 2013 Arts Guild of Sonoma December Invitational. Carol is a member of the Arts Guild of Sonoma and was able to invite one guest artist for this annual exhibit. Oakleaf Hydrangea II will have its first public viewing in a […]
Here are a final few quilts that stood out for me, starting with a hand quilted and embroidered Tree of Life by Betty Alderman. This tribute to the military by veteran Catherine Zeleny was especially touching. The Veteran’s Home depicts the architecture of the building in Yountville, California, and the machine embroidery lists US wars, […]
Thousands gathered in Houston for the 39th annual IQA Festival, most with the goal of seeing all 1300+ quilts, 1000+ vendors and taking in as many of the 380 classes as is practical. My goal was quilts first, selected vendors (I always have a short list) second, then 2 lectures. It’s always fun to find […]
The plane ride to Houston was a bit rocky and I had a 2-hour layover in Albuquerque so I was glad to have Linda Lee Peterson’s latest page turner, The Devil’s Interval as my companion. If you enjoy murder mysteries and smart women with real flaws, this book should make its way to your must-read […]
The annual Pacific International Quilt Festival at the Santa Clara Convention Center was held October 17-20. One of their events this year was to provide a tour of local artist studios. I was honored to be asked to participate this year along with fellow artist Alice Beasley. I thoroughly enjoyed having 45 visitors in my […]
I always feel that having my work accepted for a juried and judged exhibit is reward enough. So I was excited when I learned that my two first-time entries for the La Conner Quilts & Textile Museum exhibit were accepted. A few days ago I received emails informing me that both pieces were award winners! […]
Deadlines can be a good thing. I’m not keen on short-term deadlines or a constant stream of deadlines, but an occasional deadline can spur completion of a project which might otherwise remain on the design wall for a very long time. It is easy for me — one who loves every step in the process […]
I’ve completed the quilting on the center portion of this piece and have begun quilting the border. As often happens to me, I have a plan when I start but as I work, more ideas come to mind. I have learned to listen to the conversation that begins between myself and the work. I’m always […]
There are 421 opportunities for you to add to or begin your art quilt collection when the on-line SAQA 2013 Benefit Auction begins on Monday, September 9th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time and concludes on Sunday, September 29 at 2:00 PM Eastern. SAQA’s Benefit Auction is its largest fundraiser and SAQA’s biggest income source after […]
I completed this quilt top in May and have had it on my design wall while I thought about how to quilt it. Having decided upon a plan, I got down to the business of quilting a few days ago. Unfortunately, a ‘quilting romp’ — as my friend Jenny Lyon would call it […]
I asked for suggestions for naming the quilt I completed last week and received many ideas. I particularly liked the suggestion of Branching Out from my friend Carol Larson. Capturing the obvious (a tree branch) and the allusion to my trying something new with the quilting hit the spot for me. The on-line class I’m […]
The quilting is done and here it is being blocked. The lighting and angle were not ideal for this photograph so it’s difficult to discern the checkerboard of light/dark thread used in the quilting. A detail shot shows the thread change more clearly. But then, I did say I wanted a subtle background. So this […]
While all the sketching has been going on I’ve had an in-progress quilt on my design wall. Very often my projects sit on the wall while I decide on how to proceed with the next step. In this case, the next step was how to quilt the piece. Finally! Inspiration bubbled up to the top. […]
Two of my art quilts have been accepted for this year’s Quilt & Fiber Arts Festival at La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum in La Conner, Washington. This is the first time I’ve entered my work for consideration. The museum attracts an international audience and I’m thrilled to have Nature’s Fractal and Forget Me Not, […]
I’m thrilled to share the news that Mendelssohn has been selected for inclusion in the special exhibit Festival Awareness Project 2013: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs which opens October 31 in Houston and will be on view through November 3. This is the second year of a three-year IQF project intended to throw the spot […]
It doesn’t seem possible, but two months have flown by and the first exhibit for the Northern CA/Northern NV region of SAQA is over. According to Heather Piazza, owner of Creative Framing & Gallery, this exhibit has enjoyed more viewers than any exhibit she’s had in the past 5 years. In the final week of […]
I fussed and dithered and tried like crazy to use a couple of the fabrics I had pulled out for this project but in the end I edited down to just a few that really worked. I have to stop treating my audition fabrics like my dinner plate — I do not have to use […]
