The Chakra commission quilt that I have been working on for far too long is finally finished! I laid it out on my bed so I could remove the lint from it and I just had to take some photos and a short video too!
The sun was shining in and really highlighting the beautiful texture of the machine quilting. It also brought out all the subtle changes in colour of the hand dyed fabrics.
Sunlight showing off the machine quilting texture
The machine stitching has made the quilt, perfect for snuggling under. It has enough quilting to soften the lap sized quilt but not too much to make it stiff.
It has been an honour to have been asked to reinterpret my Modern Chakra Quilt into a functional quilt. It’s been fun to create it using all of my hand dyed fabrics.
I’ve spent some time not working on my Venetian Mosaic project. I just needed to do a little sewing that didn’t require concentration, was simple and mindless.
Pulling out my scrap boxes, yes boxes, and pulling out a project I began a few years ago. I strip pieced on a foundation of paper ripped from an old telephone directory I’ve had around for a while.
Piecing tip: old telephone directories make a great foundation to stitch through. (Just make certain they have aged so the ink doesn’t transfer to your fabric when pressing!)
It was an opportunity to use up the many scraps that I’ve accumulated. They never seem to decrease!
Anne and I participated in Quilts at the Creek this past weekend. So many beautiful quilts, new, old, modern and traditional. I took a few photos in between selling hand dyed fabrics, scarves, presenting a trunk show and visiting with friends old and new!
I had every intention of getting out into the show and taking photos of the beautiful quilts old and new on display. The reality is I didn’t even take these. I sent my son out to take some and he managed to take 2! They were so blurry, I can’t use them!! LOL!
Our great aprons made by Anne blended perfectly with the fabrics and threads we were selling!
Atmosophere by Doris Lovadina-Lee
Luckily, the 3 quilts I entered were close to the vendor’s pavilion and so I did run out and he took a couple of me and my quilts. Just a tiny bit less blurry.
Transitions by Doris Lovadina-Lee
Traces by Doris Lovadina-Lee
Visitor’s at Quilts at the Creek 2019
The original title of this post was: Quilts at the Creek 2019 – last show! So happy to announce that this is not true. Seems that (TRCA) The Toronto Region Conservation Authority that manages Black Creek Pioneer Village know a great thing and they will be taking over from Valerie Prideaux. So contact Black Creek and let them know what you love and what you would change about the Quilt Festival. They are looking for suggestions and volunteers too. Here is to another fantastic quilt show in 2020!
Quilts and Health is a newly published book exploring the connection between textiles and health.
The authors are:
Marsha MacDowell, professor of art at Michigan State University Museum
Clare Luz assistant professor, Department of Family Medicine at Michigan State University
Beth Donaldson, Digital Humanities Project Asset Coordinator at Michigan State University.
These three authors have written a scholarly book that is beautifully illustrated with hundreds of quilts as well as the stories behind them. Through their research they discovered that they could not name a disease that could not be connected to a quilt. Quilts are given as to comfort and memorialize those suffering from so many diseases. The AIDS Memorial quilt is an iconic example.
I am thrilled that my quilt: Radiant Light is included in this book.
My quilt appears in chapter three: Individual Experiences of Health and Well-being Through Quiltmaking. Radiant Light is the third in a series of chakra quilts. The first was made for my sister-in-law who was diagnosed with cancer. The second quilt was made as a commission for someone who had seen my first one and had survived this disease. I have since made a fourth quilt: The Vibrant Path.
Excited to see my name and Sandy’s name in the index!
Radiant Light is an original design. The background is pieced as are the leaves. The outline of the woman and the chakras are appliqued. The quilt was beautifully long-arm quilted by Sandy Lindal of Scrappy Gal Quilt Co.
Artist Statement submitted to the Sacred Threads Exhibition:
This quilt embodies the divine life force in women. Chakra centers correspond to seven centers of energy in the human body. These spiraling wheels of vibrational energy channel power into and out of the body. When this vital energy flows easily, we remain in physical, spiritual and emotional alignment. The portrayal of the chakras superimposed on a female figure honours this divine/vital/transformative power. This quilt is a reminder to us all to be nurturing of ourselves, to be present in the moment, and to be in tune with the creative life force within us.
Radiant Light was accepted and displayed at the Sacred Threads Exhibition 2013. It was purchased by a health professional and is currently on display in their offices. I can’t think of a better location for Radiant Light.
I happily delivered a modern memory quilt commissioned as a Christmas gift. Mom had carefully stored a selection of baby clothes that she wanted me to incorporate into a lap sized quilt for her daughter.
I separated the baby clothing into pastels and bright colours. It became obvious seeing the clothing that the quilt was going to be double sided.
I cut the largest size squares or rectangle possible out of the clothing.
Since most of the clothing was made out of stretchy knits, each piece was interfaced to stabilize it.
Pastel side of the quilt with embroidered collar, yoke and appliques, carefully cut out and positioned.
Bright side with a note to myself pinned to the onesie, not to iron on top of it!
A flannelette baby blanket was put aside to make the binding.
Mom’s side of the quilt featuring pinks and pastels.
Detail of a beautiful embroidery.
Dad’s side of the quilt featuring a Toronto Maple Leaf onesie, christmas hat and brights.
The idea for this quilt really came together after hearing the story behind the very diverse selection of baby clothes. When the baby was brought home from the hospital, they realized that most of the clothing was too large. So, the new mom asked the dad to go out shopping for some smaller sizes. You can see from clearly which ones were purchased by the dad! I am happy to have been able to make this memory quilt.
With just a fat quarter of fabric and a baby girl arriving, I pulled some fabrics from my stash to make a modern, fun baby quilt in a circus theme.
I had purchased only a fat quarter of this circus themed fabric which is an Anna Griffin for Windham Fabrics design. This baby quilt was the perfect opportunity to use it.
I was able to fussy cut individual animals from the piece to create floating boxes around the central medallion.
I wanted the individual squares to pop out, so I heavily free-motion quilted in the negative space.
My husband selected the floral print for the backing.
I am looking forward to giving this completed modern circus baby quilt to the beautiful little girl it was made for.
On Thursday afternoon the 3 members of the Quilts on the Wall, Helen, Catherine and I arrived at the S. Walter Stewart Public Library to hang our art quilts. Helping us was Ann – hanger extraordinaire!
We laid out our pieces and chose our location in the Auditorium. This room has a large window into the children`s department and is open to everyone during regular library hours.
This is the first time ever that Catherine has had any of her quilts on display! It was exciting to see our pieces go up on the wall.
Despite our diverse designs, techniques and style, the show looks great.
In all we created 20 new pieces of art based on the theme: Connections. Glimpses of some of the pieces are shown. But, you will have to come to the S. Walter Stewart Public Library during the month of June in order to see all of the pieces.
Our online art quilters’ group finally met in person for our Crossing Borders show this past weekend. Only one of our group, Marjolein Burbank from The Netherlands was unable to make the trip.
Jeanne Simpson curated our show and did a fantastic job displaying our work in her space: Studio 350.
Marcia DeCamp, Anne Anderson, Anne McAllister, Helen Garland, Doris Lovadina-Lee, Clare Clovis, Jeanne Simpson
Here we are before the studio was opened for First Friday, a monthly arts event held at various venues in Rochester, NY.
Entrance to Jeanne Simpson’s studio at The Hungerford
The door to Studio 350 and a glimpse into the show.
Each artist had their six art quilts arranged together along with one larger art piece.
Anne Anderson:
Anne Anderson: Crossing Borders (top) and Crumbling Support (bottom)
Helen Garland:
Helen Garland: Beautiful Chaos, Crossing Borders (Top row); Roots, Reflections (Middle row); Crumbling Support, Life Cycle (Bottom row) and The Brook Marsh
Jeanne Simpson:
Jeanne Simpson: Urban Scrawl, Beautiful Chaos, Reflection (Top row, left to right), Life Cycle, Roots (Bottom row)
Marjolein Burbank:
Marjolein Burbank: Reflections, Crossing Borders (Top row); Life Cycle, Beautiful Chaos (Middle row); Crumbling support (Bottom row), Roots (on pedestal) and The Dress
Clare Clovis: Waiting for Birth, Drought and Other Things in My Garden (Top row); Learning How, The Me I See In You (Middle row); Apple Crumble, Tea and Elephants (Bottom row)
Clare Clovis’s Inner Sanctum
Marcia DeCamp:
Marcia DeCamp: Life Cycles, Border Fences, Raining Chaos (top row, left to right) Crumbling Support, Reflections at the Lake, Layers of Roots (Bottom row)
Anne McAllister:
Anne McAllister: Life Cycle, A Window on My World (Top row); Crumbling Support, Crossing Borders (Middle row); Beautiful Chaos, 43A (Bottom row)
Guests enjoying a glass of champagne while perusing the show.
I’ve been spending a little time doing some hand work. I was inspired to go back to a project I started 2 years ago after reading: Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art by Claire Wellesley-Smith.
Slow Stitch discusses how the Slow Movement, originally the Slow Food Movement started by Carlo Petrini in Italy, relates to textiles. Examples of Claire’s work and those of :
are included in this beautifully photographed book. There is a lot of inspiration and also a few ideas for starting your own slow stitching projects.
Slow stitch art quilt
The piece I am working on shown above started with an embroidery I began when I was a member of the Canadian Embroiderers’ Guild Guelph. I made a few small pieces incorporating all the fun techniques we were taught. But, the samples languished in a cupboard until my mother suggested that I incorporate them into my quilting.
This embroidered and beaded quilt really is a slow project! I see that I blogged about this project first in December 2014 and then in 2015!
Island Sands
The piece I am currently working is a companion piece to Island Sands which was completed a few years ago.
Island Sands detail
I especially like the texture created on the silk noile – ripples left behind in the sand when the tide goes out.
Slow stitch supplies
I’ve collected up the threads, fabrics, and beads I may use and placed them all together in a plastic box. Hopefully this will keep me organized and on track to finally finish this very slow but satisfying stitching.
I was invited to participate in an online art quilter’s group. Crossing Borders began with eight artists from Canada, the US and The Netherlands. Our goal was to share and learn from each other in a creative and non-threatening manner.
Artwork to be revealed every 2 months on the last day of the month
Post photograph and any explanation on private Facebook page
Comment on each others work
The Themes:
Crossing Borders
Reflections
Roots
Beautiful Chaos
Life Cycle
Crumbling Support
The Show
Now, after one year, we are ready to show our completed artwork. Jeanne Simpson has organized a show in her studio space at The Hungerford, Rochester New York on April 7-8 2017. I hope those of you close by will attend the opening reception on Friday April 7th from 6-9. Seven of us will be in attendance. We would love to speak to you and show you our artwork.
