Art Quilts by Kathy York

2012-02-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

A Year Ago Today
I am celebrating the recovery of my accident today. Last year on this day, I was in surgery to repair the tendon that ripped on my thumb from my bicycle fall. Now, a year later, I am recovered probably as much as I will be. A little stiff, a little slow, and I drop a lot, but it doesn't keep me from working! Still loving my colors, batik, and quilting!

Yellow Windows
21" x 21"
From here to there. Picking out fabrics. The top one is an extra that I batiked without a plan for it. The bottom is a commercial print from Malka Dubrowsky. Looks good, yes?

Ever wonder what happened to the holes I cut out from this quilt? See High Rise.

I saved them, in a box, collecting dust and cat hair, the saving was intentional, the dust and cat hair was not. lol!! Then I pulled them out, dusted them off and fused them onto this piece, to give it a little color. Then arranged and auditioned the borders, two of mine balanced with two of Malkas.

Sequence, sequence, sequence....first quilt; then satin stitch.

Next, I added some hand stitching. I love this part. I had originally planned to stitch all the squares the same, but then changed my mind. I like this more random confluence better.

Here's a close up of some of the hand stitching.

Last, a photo of the texture. It is just so luscious!

And, not a finished project yet. Can't decide to make this into wall art, or a giant pillow??

2012-02-04T18:41:00.000-08:00

Quilting Arts Magazine and our Artist Village

Our Artist Village is published in this month's Quilting Arts Magazine! I am so excited! The article looks fantastic with closeups of some of the houses. It is accompanied by an article I wrote about how I constructed my house. It is a fabulous issue and has a special about another exhibit that I participated in (though my quilt was not selected for this issue). The quilts chosen were awesome! And the one by Susan Brubaker Knapp is gracing the cover. A special honor for her, especially when you read the story about her quilt. Judy Perez also wrote an interesting article about DeColourant. And the Twelve by Twelves also make an appearance! It is a fantastic issue! An honor to be a part of it!

2012-02-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

New Pillows and How Scary is This??

Okay, the first two photos, NOT scary. I had a few experiments with some batik, and thought it would be lovely to see some of Malka Dubrawsky's new fabric line, A Stitch in Color, and see if they look good together. We use a similar style and color palette, so I was hoping.....YES!! It looks fabulous together! I look forward to these two projects....and wishing I had access to more of her line to play with. The store I went to, only had a few of hers...but it looks good, yes? (Mine is on the right side, Malka's is on the left).

Update: I just ordered MORE of Malka's fabric at Marmalade Fabrics, as there was a link on Malka's blog. Yeah! I can't wait until they arrive!
This is the scary part. I love, love, love the quilt top. But it is really, really, really big. And, my machine has not been feeling well lately. It's been sewing with big birds' nests on the back. And if you don't know what that is, you are lucky. And if you do know what that is, I am sorry that you know! lol! Suffice to say, it's not pretty. And everything I did to "fix" the problem, did absolutely nothing. For two days!! Frustrating!! Meanwhile, I want to start sewing this big, mammoth, gigantic quilt but now I am scared. And it is physically difficult to move around in interesting patterns under the machine...and, I don't want to mess it up!! Twenty seconds of courage and the first stitch later...it is going okay.

2012-01-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

Morning Commute with Sweet Jane
24" x 60"

I was inspired to create this quilt by my morning drive with my daughter to school. She is a transfer student, and it's a bit of a drive for us. At first, we used to go on the highway. Then I discovered the "back route" on a particularly heavy traffic morning, and since then, it has become the preferred route. It is not a quick route, but it is scenic and calm. A perfect start to our mornings together, and one of my favorite shared times with her.

So as the image crept into my mind, I didn't know how to represent it. So many choices! Then I saw this blog post by Deidre Adams, Evolution of a Commission (be sure to look at all 6 parts!). I love her work! It is so viscerally appealing. I wanted to give her process a try to see what would happen. I was a bit nervous to start. I didn't want my work to look too much like hers if I used her techniques (Ha! not to worry!!). It turns out that my voice over-rides the process. My way of thinking and expressing is just much more....concrete maybe? or discrete, in terms of obvious objects....

Let's start with the car. I drew it on Photoshop first. Eventually, I painted some fabric with white paint. Then I traced my image from the Photoshop print out with a Sharpie pen. Then I put more white paint on top of that. It sandwiched the Sharpie ink between layers of paint, and then the line I made was also less obvious, and acted more as a guide for subsequent painting. And, then I painted it, and used it as a block in the construction of the quilt top.

I chose fabrics that were already the color palette I was aiming for. The next step was sandwiching the quilt layers, and then massive machine quilting. I really thought I could quilt it in a day, but it took 3 long days to quilt.

quilting as seen from the back

The next step was the scary one....covering the entire quilt with white paint. I wanted to keep the white paint a little transparent so that the background fabrics would show through a bit (okay, I got carried away with painting all the layers, and almost all of the lovely background fabric disappeared....not what I anticipated...).

So, I added several layers of white acrylic paint. It was harder to apply than I thought it would be, and eventually, I just started pouring it on the quilt top. Did I mention that I was nervous about this step?
I was still working out the design, as it needed the deer. I decided to screen print them, directly onto the quilted surface. Okay, that didn't work either. Plan B....Print the deer separately on some cloth.

These were later cut apart, and fused to the quilt surface. It was nice because I got to move them around a bit before deciding their placements. Then I painted over them. Here is another process shot with a few details. I love the way the paint makes the surface texture just pop!

The last step was adding the words. On the way to school we typically count the deer. If it is a low deer count morning, we will practice spelling, or math. I had wanted to incorporate this in the quilt, but I didn't quite know how to. My experience of screen printing on the quilted surface didn't go so well, so I was a bit nervous about trying to write on it. I gathered my wits and a white Sharpie pen. It worked beautifully!

I added letters with dots between them to indicate the spelling. And the words I chose were real spelling words, but also words signifcant and representative of my daughter and her experience at school. This is a meaningful quilt for me because my daughter is finishing up her last year at this school. Next year she will be closer, and will take the bus to school. I will miss our morning drives together! but it already has me thinking...what new rituals will replace this one to celebrate our time together?

2012-01-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

Urban Daisy
92" x 92"

Is this a modern quilt? I'm not good at categories, but I can say that I love the way this one came out. This quilt was made from the leftovers of my batik test from fabric testing. It is so warm and cheerful and bright and BIG! It lights up my room! I look forward to quilting it, but for now, I am taking it down to work on a few other, smaller projects. My goal for this one is to have it quilted in time to enter IQA's new exhibit The Modern Quilt Guild Showcase.

Now, back to work....

2012-01-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

Calculating Costs

In my last post I talked about my fabric swatch tests, the dye test and the batik test. Today I want to talk about cost comparison. Ultimately, I will want to choose the fabric that works best for my needs, but if I can choose the least expensive, I will.
Each of my fabric samples had different widths. This is important because if you buy a yard of fabric that is 108" wide compared to 42" wide, you will get 3 times more fabric with the first one per yard purchased. Is it 3 times more expensive? Or is it cheaper?? Good question! To be able to compare the prices I calculate the price per square foot. See the following for an example:

The taxes are usually paid for local purchases. The shipping costs are for the on-line orders. It could make a difference in your decision. I like buying local, and I like the immediacy of it's availability....assuming someone local has what I want. Another factor to check... sometimes when you buy 10 yards or more, you will get a better price. And sometimes, if you buy 100 yards, the price gets even better! Perhaps you could consider going in with a few friends?

Caveat...Shrinkage....I did not measure shrinkage in my testing or my calculations. It is usually a small factor, from 1 - 10%. It might be a good idea to check it for any new fabric samples before ordering a big batch. Measure the fabric swatch before washing and after. Get a ratio of the two measurements and compare across all your samples.

Now, since I have already calculated the prices for my samples, I will share them with you. They do not include shipping, taxes, or shrinkage. (Sorry, wish I knew how to format this into a table...)

Kaufman pimatex (not PFD) = $0.75/square foot
Testfabrics, 419W = $0.41/square foot
JoAnns Legacy Muslin = $0.37/square foot
Dharma MCCB Cotton Broadcloth, 59" = $0.59/square foot
Dharma CCL Cotton Lawn = $0.49/square foot
Dharma SWCB60 Cotton Broadcloth = $0.39/square foot
Dharma PTC45 Pimatex PFD = $0.60/square foot

So which was my favorite?
Well, the JoAnns was the least expensive, did well in the dye test but failed the batik test. I will definitely buy some and use for the backs of my quilts, especially since the width is so awesome! 108" !!! NO more piecing the backs!
Next in terms of price is Dharmas Sandwashed Cotton Broadcloth. Good price, but the red dyes were not as intense and bold as several others on the list, so I'll say no to this one.
Next is Testfabrics, 419W. It did super on the dye test and the batik test. The price is really good....and a little secret, if you ask for seconds, the price is half of what I showed here. This is a no-brainer. It WINS hands down over all the others. If it was as wide as Jo-Anns, I'd buy it for all my needs!! Also, as a side note, the Testfabrics is sold per meter....not per yard. It adds an extra step in the calculations, but basically a meter is slightly bigger than a yard.

Last, as mentioned previously, I did a batik test on all the samples. I had another agenda for this test because I wanted a large batiked flower for another quilt (I am not showing that yet, sorry!). However, I assumed that drawing a big flower with the tjanting tool would be a drippy mess and I was not expecting much success. I took 26 big squares representing multiple samples of my test fabrics. Surprisingly, they all looked really good. It wasn't as hard as I thought, or my skills are better than my confidence. So....I have enough for both the original project and a new one, that I am calling Urban Daisy. It is 25 daisies, and is king sized. I tore each sample to fit on my batik frame, slightly larger than a fat quarter. After dyeing all of them, batiking the daisy, bleach discharging, and overdyeing, each was trimmed to 19" x 19". I am happy that the testing gave me the knowledge about which fabric I want to buy, and more so, that the leftovers gave me a new bright quilt. Here is a closeup. Yummy and warm!

2012-01-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

Testing Fabric Samples

I like to order white fabric in large quantities, like 50 yards or more at a time. When I start dyeing fabric or batiking, it seems to disappear faster than my ideas... Unfortunately, my supplier is having quality control issues, and I needed to find a new supplier. So I set up a test for the following fabrics:

Kaufman white cotton pimatex, 44" wide from my local quilt store (not PFD)
Testfabrics, 58" wide cotton broadcloth, 419W
Jo Anns Legacy bleached cotton muslin, 108" wide
Dharma: merc. combed cotton broadcloth, 59" wide
Dharma combed cotton lawn, 57.5" wide
Dharma sandwashed cotton broadcloth, 60" wide
Dharma PFD (prepared for dyeing) pimatex cotton 45" wide

And since all the fabrics look basically the same before dyeing, I had to devise a system to keep track of them. You could just write on the fabric with a permanent marker....but I decided to use color coded safety pins with beads. I put a sample pin with a colored bead (or two!) on a small piece of the original, stapled it into my book, and then put it on all the little 5" squares that I used in the test.

I wanted to dye samples and see which one took dyes the best. They also had to perform a batik test. This consists of batiking the dyed fabric, bleach discharging, overdyeing, and then boiling out the wax. Some commercial cottons cling to wax, horribly, and I did not want to order a big bolt of something that did not easily release the wax. I tried 5 different colors of dye, pink, two red samples, and two orange samples.

You will notice that one of the columns of samples towards the middle that all the squares dyed fairly lightly compared to the others. So, it does matter which fabric you start with! Also, I noticed that some of the samples did well with some of the colors, but not with the reds! Very interesting! That could get complicated pretty quickly, trying to maximize dye color with each type of fabric, so I decided to just pick the one that dyed the most colors the brightest, and there were two clear winners, the muslin from Jo-Anns and the broadcloth from Testfabrics. Although the others were also close enough that I would consider them as well. Only one fabric failed the test and I would not choose it, Kaufman's pimatex from my local quilt store.

Next, the batik test. I also wanted to note that these tests were done on a fat quarter size of fabric. And because most of the fabrics passed the test, I now have quite a nice stash that will become a new quilt. BONUS!! All the fabrics passed the batik test except two. The cotton lawn, which I loved because it dyed very bright colors and had such a nice light hand to it. The wax clung to it as it was drawn out of the boiling water and was a bit difficult to rinse out in cold water. The muslin from Jo-Anns also failed, it was exactly the type I hoped to avoid, the wax seemed to migrate into every fiber on the sample and not come out. Very frustrating!

Which fabric will I ultimately buy? It also depends on cost, which I will talk about on my next post. I can say that regardless of the fact that the muslin from Jo-Anns failed the batik test, it does come in such a lovely width, 108"! Wow! And it takes dye very nicely! It would be perfect for the back of quilts, or possibly large whole cloth quilts (as long as I avoid trying to put wax on it!!).

2011-12-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

Urban Dwellers
12" x 12"

I love this little quilt! I have made a small series, some with the little people, 1BdrmApt, Full House, No Vacancy, and 9 Houses. I hoped that they would sell in Houston, and they DID! In fact one sold before Houston, so I made another to take it's place. Then those 3 sold the opening night of the Houston Quilt Show. I was jaw-dropping-shocked-happy-elated!

I thought I might make a few more, hoping to sell them during the holiday season. I only got this one made. The other three are still sitting in a pile. I have been distracted a few big art pieces I am working on....ah hem....back to our story. It sold before I got to post about it! WOW EEEE! To a dear friend who came to visit.

While watching An American in Paris this week, Gene Kelly, playing an artist, talks about how hard it is for an artist to part with his works. I wholeheartedly agree. It is hard to pour so much of yourself, so many hours into a work and then let it go. It is entirely comforting and rewarding when the piece goes to a good home, as I now know that mine has gone. Peace and blessings!

Close up Urban Dwellers, inhabitants climbing up to the roof

Close up of Urban Dwellers, showing the people tucked inside the pockets

2011-12-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

How Cairns Saved My Life
and our new group project

Many years ago, I was climbing in Yosemite Valley. Ambitiously I had selected Royal Arches as my route of choice. For many reasons it was simply the most perfect climb in the valley. First, it was a number of levels beneath my skill level. This means that I did not have to worry (constantly) about falling. It was a long route, 16 pitches, which means that I would have to carry a lot of gear, food and water. Being heavier is not a goal in rockclimbing! (lol!) For more information about the route, you can click here. You can see things like the fact that the route is 1400 feet of climbing, and it shows which way to go and where to start, all vital information. The photo below shows my crude sketch (in red) on top of my photo of the valley, it is to the left of the actual rock formation known as Royal Arches.

And, while the route may look a bit intimidating, the climbing is fairly easy, even with the extra weight of gear, and though the guide book says it's about 2-3 hours of climbing, that was not my experience. It took about 8 hours to climb up. There are huge pine trees all the way up the route. Many of the belay stations were under the trees. I had a view of Half Dome...all day long! ....as I belayed my then-husband. I am embarrassed to admit that I wanted to lead this route merely because I did not want to carry up our shoes for the hike down, and he happily agreed to let me give it a go! Now, the crux of the story....getting down.

The guide book says to be very careful. DO NOT ATTEMPT AFTER DARK. People HAVE fallen to their death attempting to get off this route. We did not know when we started that if we had carried up two ropes, instead of just one, we could have quickly and safely rappelled to the valley floor. We were left with the walk-off route which was not obvious. We got lost multiple times, and it is not a place where you want to get lost. And because we took so long climbing it, it was getting late. And then I saw fresh bear scat and totally panicked. The woods were filled with mosquitoes. The exposed rocky descent was, well, exposed, and crumbly gravel...and we were up 1400 feet. Not that it would make much difference if you fell. After the first 50 feet of falling, it is sort of moot.... However, I didn't want to fall. I wanted to LIVE! And, someone, some very-nice-and-considerate-person (or persons) who came before us, left cairns to show the way. This is the point of the story. We are not alone. We mentor those who come after us. Show them the way. Teach, teach your children. Be kind to others. Learn from your history.

We have recently had an old member of our art quilt bee return to us, Susan Lewis Storey. When she suggested a group quilt, cairns, I knew that it was right for me. And in a way, a wonderful metaphor, because as in my last post I mentioned that art is a lonely business, as a group we support each other. We teach each other new tricks and old tricks. And so we move into our next group adventure!

Sherri McCauley brought a bag of polished stones for us to play with while we visited. These slippery little rocks were difficult to stack. See the Nilla Wafer box in the background for scale!

2011-12-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Our group blog

Last week I spent some time updating our group blog, Austin Art Bee. It has had few posts and little traffic, so I am trying to remedy that here by giving it a little attention. If you haven't already noticed, there is a link on my sidebar....
Since I first began making art quilts in 2003 (the first year I participated in the Journal Quilt Project), I joined the Austin Art Quilt Bee. A lovely group of women! We work collaboratively on group projects. It has been a labor of love from the beginning. I still remember meeting at Frances Holliday Alford's house for the first time. I had been invited to participate on a group quilt that was already in full swing. The project was called Leaves, and I was supposed to use neutral colors with green....well that's about all I remember at this point. I was also given options of sizes of blocks to make. I made a few blocks, quilted them, and brought them to the meeting. Sherri McCauley, Yoshiko Kawasaki, Mandi Ballard, Niki Vick, Betty Colburn and Frances were all gathered in Frances' huge sewing studio. Multiple conversations always going as we attempted to trim and put the blocks together. Many things going right, a few things going wrong. It was hard to make everyone's work look good in a cohesive quilt. We argued, discussed, and took breaks. One by one people started leaving because...well, the day was drawing to a close, and we had to return to our other lives. I wasn't there, but I heard that at some point Yoshiko took rotary cutter in hand, and started chopping up everyone's blocks into 4" wide panels. Then they rearranged what was left, and it completely came together! It was beautiful. It was successful in that it looked cohesive. It had the group voice. And it also maintained the individual's voice. It is extraordinarily difficult to juggle the balance of the two, and this time the results were stunning!

I remember thinking how shocked I was that day that Yoshiko did that. Now, I think how brave she was. She knew intuitively what needed to be done, and she did it. And she changed the way we each looked at our own work, and ironically by working mostly alone, she brought our work together. Amazing!

And as the years have passed and we have put together quite a body of work at this point, I look back on all the times we have had together. How the group members have changed slowly over time, and how we have each changed. I value the way the group process has helped me with my own individual work, and also how it kept me from starving to death of isolation. Because being an artist requires listening to yourself and expressing it. It is hard to do that in a group. I find that I need to be alone. But being alone for too long is not good either. The safety of the group and our projects together gives me the safety to be alone and create my own work. It is all linked together, and I am so grateful for the day that Frances invited me to join in. She has been a role model to me to invite others to join in.

And so I would like to invite you to stop in to see our group blog. It was started when I wanted to share images with the group on those occasions when we couldn't all be in the same room. And now, all the group members are contributors to our group blog. The blog has 3 pages at the top, Blog, Gallery, and Credits and Awards. The Blog will be a place to discuss our projects, and inspirations. The Gallery is page of images of our work. And the Credits and Awards shows the names of participants for each project along with awards, venues, and publications of each quilt.

Thanks for stopping by!
Kathy

2011-12-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

Dedicated Spaces
I probably don't talk enough about how important it is to have a dedicated space to do art. I am so very lucky to have an entire bedroom converted into my studio. It is great to be able to just walk IN and have everything I need in easy access, and organized enough to find what I am looking for. It is also great to be able to walk OUT of my studio, and leave the mess just as it is.

Last week I received my copy of Inside the Creative Studio by Cate Prato. I am so happy to be included in this book! It is awesome! The eye candy alone is fabulous! If you are considering re-organizing your space, check out this book. It will unfortunately, probably leave you wanting more....more space, regardless if you work in a tiny space or a big one! I love getting a glimpse into other artists' studios. The creative process is fascinating to me.
Of course, my biggest concern after having some dedicated space, whether its just a table top or an entire room, is the color that surrounds me. It sets the mood to let the creative spirit unfurl. And this is what you will see in my little section in this book...my blues, and my purples, and it has spread throughout the house!

Enjoy!

2011-11-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

Put a PIN in it.

I have been home from Houston for about a week now. I already have enough projects to work on, really I do! However, instead of diving into the project I've been working on, I took a bit of a diversion, cleared my design wall, and started playing with blocks. I love my design wall. It is made from foam core boards that are 4 feet by 8 feet, covered in polar fleece fabric. And my fabric sticks pretty well when just thrown up. It allows me lots of freedom to play with design, until I find what I like.

On this particular day my heart was desiring something big. I covered the entire wall with little blocks, about 1000 of them. Which is fine, but I am not planning to work on this project yet, and now it is on my wall!! Every time I open the studio door, or close it, or move too quickly, the wind gusts blow off the little fabric blocks. So, I spent the next day putting pins in all the blocks. I really thought I would have to buy more pins, but somehow I had over 1000 pins! Now it can safely wait until I have time to actually make the quilt. And I have demonstrated the literal interpretation of "put a pin in it!" :)

2011-11-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Honorable Mention!

I am happy to announce that my quilt, High Rise, won an Honorable Mention this year in Houston! Even more delighted to actually see the show and how many outstanding quilts that were in my category. I have no doubt that the judges had a tough time picking winners for this category!

I am also really proud of all the attention our Artists' Village (and here) has received. IQA (or was it Quilts, Inc.?) went above and beyond to make the display an awesome one! They built an entire stage to set it on and draped it with black fabric. The lighting was perfect! And the height of the stage was just right to see all the details of the houses. I absolutely LOVED it! And I enjoyed seeing the project connect with so many people. A labor of love!

Artists' Village with Kathy York, Sherri McCauley, and Barb Forrister

Artists Village with Kathy York, Sherri McCauley, Jamie Fingal, and Leslie Jenison

It's hard to believe that I spent four fabulous days in Houston and still did not see all the quilts. The ones I saw were simply fabulous and too many to list, but of course, I have to mention the Twelveby12 exhibit. I got to meet a few of the artists, which was a blast. After following their work (take a peek at their blog and see the group photo that I wish I had taken!), it was great to see the pieces in person. Such an inspiring project! I love the way it enriched each of their lives and their work and also how it connected them as a group. Even better, is how it has gone practically viral and other Twelveby12 groups are springing up. Yes, I bought the book. Can't wait to read it!

I made the small mistake of depending on my iphone for photos. And while it takes relatively good photos, it does not have a flash, and it needed one! Next year, I will take my camera!! duh! Meanwhile, it seems like there would be plenty of time to see everything, but no. And not for the obvious reason....eh, that I spent too much time shopping the vendors. The main reason for me was that I kept running into people that I only see in person at the quilt show. I HAVE to stop and visit. It is the most wonderful use of time and I wouldn't trade it for a minute. Maybe I should just plan to spend even more time in Houston if I want to see all the quilts in all the exhibits??

Jamie Fingal, Rachel Parris, Frances Alford, Judy Perez, Kathy York, and Leslie Jenison

Frances Alford ,Sherri McCauley

Behind this glass wall is Spencers, our meet up spot for dinner

Kathy York, and Frances Alford

Jamie Fingal, Judy Perez

Rachel Parris, and Sherri McCauley

Jamie Fingal and the Girls

Jane LaFazio

One of my favorite activities at the show this year was doing Open Studios for Quilting Arts Magazine. I met so many wonderful people there and had a great time demonstrating the simple techniques I used to make the 3D buildings seen on several of my quilts. The funniest story I can share with you .....I had a hard time setting up my demonstration. Though my hands are almost fully recovered, I have lost flexibility and a lot of strength. The Bernina sewing machine, so graciously donated for use by Bernina, was still in the box. I started having a minor panic attack when I couldn't get it out of the box. Pokey Bolton happened to be standing on the other side of the curtain and heard that 'special tone' in my voice and came bounding through the curtain like Wonder Woman! And poof, in a flash, the machine was quickly extricated from it's box. My jaw hanging open and eyes popping out, she disappeared just as quickly before I could even say, "Thank you!".

Jamie Fingal, Kathy York ,and Rachel Parris in front of Blue Towers at the Space Between exhibit

I was lucky to have so many quilts in the show this year, especially considering that I lost half the year at least half the year in recovery. I had my quilt, Blue Towers, in The Space Between exhibit, curated by Dinner @8 Artists (i.e., Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison). I had already bought the book and was looking forward to seeing the quilts in person. The photos are always so awesome, but they never do the quilts justice. Seeing them in person is such a richer and fuller experience. I got to meet the cover artist, Susan Brubaker Knapp, and hear her story in person. Very touching! The quilts were simply amazing. I could stand in front of them for hours!

I had two entries in Tactile Architecture, Central Park and the Artists' Village. I had two entries in the Judged Show, High Rise and a group quilt, Artists Garden. I had five quilts in the book, Lone Stars III, two of mine, A Few of My Favorite Things and Little Cities, and three group quilts, Cosmic Curves, I Sing the Flower Eclectic, and Group Conversations. Three of these were at the Houston Quilt Show in the Lone Stars III exhibit, and two are at the new Texas Quilt Museum. The exhibit in Houston of the quilts in the book was phenomenal! The layout of the exhibit had traditional quilts and art quilts interspersed. I thought the effect was wonderful!

I was also given a minor presence in Libby Lehman's Lecture (though I unfortunately did not get to see it), and in Stitched which showed on Saturday morning. And if that is not enough, by complete surprise I found that my winning quilt High Rise is featured in the gallery section of On the Quilt Scene! It looks beautiful! Thanks Quilting Arts!!!!

Two other events definitely worthy of mention were the Alliance For American Quilts Save Our Stories and the event for the quilters in the book Lone Stars III. Karey Bresenhan and Nancy O'Bryant Puentes hosted a wonderful event with fabulous food, drinks, and an interesting introduction to her book. We signed each others' books and then went down to view the exhibit. These two events are interconnected this year because quilters who were in the book were invited to share their stories through a recorded oral interview. I was asked to bring a touchstone object, which I selected my quilt, Fifty, Female, and Fearless. The interview lasted about 45 minutes and will be available after it is transcribed. It is such an honor to be a part of this project and to be a part of history! I am in awe of both the project and the number of volunteers who contribute their time to this worthy project!

And last, I had three small quilts, 9" x 12", at the SAQA booth for sale. These did not get to be viewed for long though. One sold before it got to hang on the wall. The next two sold quickly on Opening Night. I was beside myself with excitement that the quilts sold and it has motivated me to make some more that I will offer for sale on my blog.

1BdrmApt

Full House

Nine Houses

You might have to wait to see these though because, sadly I always catch a cold in Houston, and this trip was no different. Fortunately, I made it through three days healthy, and got the cold on my last day. Now, I am trying to rest....which is really hard after Houston because all the creative juices get flowing! like just looking at the exit stairs to the Parking Garage for the George Brown Convention Center.

And, to end on a good note, I leave you with these two photos of my cats. The first is before I leave on a trip, the second is when I return. I suspect that they are happy I spent my first day back with a cold and in bed all day...part of the reattachment process. :)

Cats before my trip..."if we just stay on top of her suitcase, she won't be able to pack it!"

Cats after my trip....

Thanks for stopping by!

2011-10-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts 1986-2011

by Karey Patterson Bresenhan and Nancy O'Bryant Puentes

I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it's a good one! I can't wait to get my copy! The quilt on the cover is stunning!! You can read a lovely review on Virginia Spiegel's Blog, here. I have two individual quilts included and a number of group quilts. My two quilts, Little Cities and A Few of My Favorite Things, arrived in Houston this last August. Quilts, Inc. is having an exhibit with as many of the quilts from the book as they could arrange for the Houston International Quilt Show.

Karey Bresenhen's enthusiasm and support for quilters is widely known, so it should come as no surprise that she has a starring role in the development and opening of the new Texas Quilt Museum in La Grange, TX. The opening of the museum is timed perfectly with the Houston Quilt Show and will have part of the Lone Stars III exhibit will be there. I am so pleased and honored that Little Cities will be at the Texas Quilt Museum. From the museum's website, "A not-for-profit entity, the Museum will operate under the aegis of The Quilt Institute. It will be housed in two historic 1890s buildings, which will provide a fine showcase for both antique and contemporary quilt art with their high ceilings, brick walls, and original hardwood floors."

The group quilts are: Cosmic Curves, Group Conversations, and I Sing the Flower Eclectic. I am a bit sketchy on the details about which quilts are going where....And, I am a bit behind on my record keeping for photos of the other two. I'll need to research that a bit. Suffice to say, I am pleased as punch to be a part of this historic undertaking and celebration of quilting!

2011-10-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Good bye Clothworks

It is with great sadness that I tell you that I will no longer be designing fabrics for Clothworks. It has been a fabulous experience for me and I love dearly all the people at Clothworks! Like two friends who's paths diverge, and so it is with us. I like to think that there will be new opportunities for me. I have been creating lots of new designs, but I am not ready to market them yet. And I don't know why. I mention this now because Quilt Market in Houston is coming up soon, and I will not be going for the first time in a long time. I will miss the excitement and the friends I always see there.

Meanwhile, my kids are both in school now, and as I say goodbye to homeschooling, I say hello to time in my studio. I have been richly rewarded. My enthusiasm for creating my art quilts is in full swing. I wake up each day excited about what I will work on for the day. Yesterday, it was dyeing....as in, see my blue arms where the gloves leaked?? Today it was a fun filled morning with our art quilt bee, catching up and dreaming of new projects.

And a little tribute to my long ago launched fabric collection, Urban Landscapes.....here are some new pincushions (see above), designed and built just like the buildings on my 3D quilts like Central Park, and Little Fish in a Big City. I will be showing how to make these at Quilting Arts Open Studios at the International Quilt Festival in Houston.

And...who can forget this image? It was the number one all time occurring hit on my blog. Thanks for stopping by!

2011-10-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

Full House
9" x 12"
Yeah, my fourth in the series! I love these little house quilts, especially the little worry dolls tucked in the circular pockets (they are held in place with stitching too!). Three of them will be on sale at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year at the SAQA booth. I will be volunteering at SAQA on Thursday, Nov 3, from noon to 2 pm. Come by and see me, or come by and see my quilts.


Before the tenants moved in!

2011-10-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Houston Quilt Show

I invite you to come and see me at Open Studios in front of the Make It University/Quilting Arts booth at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. I will be at Open Studios on Thursday, Nov 3, 2:50 to 4:50 demonstrating how I made the buildings on my 3D quilt, Central Park. Central Park is in the Tactile Architecture exhibit this year and I am really thrilled that it got in! I will also show how to use this technique to make a wonderful pin cushion! See ya soon!

2011-10-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

One More Day for Giveaway!

I am delighted to have two postcards included in a postcard set by C and T Publishing, called The Art of Quilts Postcard Collection-Architecture. As a promotion, they are doing a giveaway on their blog until 6:00 pm tomorrow (Sunday). Sorry for the late notice, I just found out.

The two postcards of mine are: Long Legged Bird with a Tale to Tell...

and Little Fish in a Big City...

And, if you want to buy a set directly, you can get one here.

2011-10-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Nine Houses
9" x 12"

Building on a theme, I am busy creating some smaller works. I am hoping to sell these little gems at the Houston quilt show. There is a special opportunity for Texas-SAQA members to exhibit and sell their small works, I am hoping to send in the maximum of 3. You may recognize the fabrics I have been working with? See this post!

I am completely dazzled by the simple shapes and colors of this little quilt. It is mesmerizing to me! And what is not so obvious from this flat photo, is the texture of the little quilt. Each black circle is a little hole in the house block. The hand-stitched circles literally stand apart from the black background creating a small amount of real depth. I just love it! And the embroidery floss is such a nice complement to the heavy machine quilting. It adds a certain texture and warmth to the pieces....a theme you will see repeated in many of my quilts as I work with these original batiked blocks.

p.s. Thanks for stopping by! I am struggling with a good name for this little quilt, maybe something more interesting than Little Houses? If you have a suggestion, please drop me a comment. I will definitely consider it!

2011-09-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

No Vacancy
9" x 12"
This one is made like High Rise. I originally made High Rise to accommodate these little worry dolls. It was the intention of having the cut out holes forming the little pockets inside. However, when I finished it, I liked it just the way it was. So, I made this little mini-quilt to try out the idea of putting the people inside. I LOVE it!! Too cute!

Embellished with satin stitch, hand embroidery, and made from my original batiks, don't you love the crackle lines on this detail shot?

2011-09-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

1bdrmAPT
9" x 12"
This next little quilt is all about happy color! Playing with my new batik stash, I arranged these blocks on batting and backing and then machine quilted them.

Next step...cut out the circles and whipstitch with embroidery floss. Then decorate some more with satin stitch, and cut the blocks out.

Add to this quilted underlayer....

And you get this wonderful, fun, cheerful little quilt!
(I also faced the edges and turned them under, and added a hanging tube on the back.)

2011-09-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Bridge
29" x 45"
Yeah, I have finally finished this little art quilt that I started the summer of 2010! It has been patiently waiting it's turn to be completed, and 4 more are waiting in line. I sincerely hope that you will like it too! This quilt is inspired by recent events and some not so recent events. It is simply amazing to me what can be accomplished when we work together.

This quilt was made with what I call artist created fabrics. The blocks are made from dyed fabric which is batiked, then bleach discharged, and eventually overdyed. I like using lots of combinations of colors with a mostly bright palette. The blocks were fused in place and then machine quilted. I used a lot of hand embroidery in both the flowers and the stitching around the apartment blocks. The thread is all six strands of embroidery floss and requires a rather large needle to pull through the entire quilt sandwich, a bit physically taxing, but totally worth the effect. Enjoy!

2011-09-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

Permutations and Combinations
I have been homeschooling my son these past 2 years. We are learning algebra together and got to Chapter 11: permutations and combinations. These have to do with the total number of possible combinations of lots of options. Imagine how appealing this is and overwhelming! Combinations allow for any set of choices from each set of options. In permutations, the order of making choices is significant. For example, if you have 4 choices of paint for a room. One is the background color, and the other 3 will be used to stencil on top of the background color. Not all options are available because you can't choose to stencil the same color as the background color (it won't show up!). This makes it a permutation and is calculated differently.

Stacks of overdyed batik shapes

Well, I picked 13 colors, and dyed them in 3 different values, light, medium, and dark. Then I picked 3 different designs to either stamp out or draw with batik, in each color. Up to now, there are 13 colors times 3 color values times 3 designs. You can see how the numbers are starting to build up. My goal? To overdye each possible combination in ALL the other possible color choices. This step is a permutation, (which I could probably calculate now). Well, except that my artistic side kicks in and I reject some of the possibilities for rather idiosyncratic reasons. Regardless, I thought the end result would be both interesting, but also very fun to play with making a number of new quilts. And as overwhelming as the entire project seems, each step was rather independent and I was able work in rather small increments of time.

A fat quarter of batiked fabric, the dark flowers are the wax.

The process involves bleach discharging all the fabric. None of the discharged fabric goes all the way back to white, each is all discharged to very slight and pale as possible color. Overdyeing is a transparent process. It makes a difference what the underlying color looks like. I took all the samples, cut each individual apart with a rotary cutter. Then I reshuffled the samples into stacks of colors that I planned the overdye.


Stacks of fat quarters waiting to be cut into individual pieces

Stacks of all the shapes, in all the colorways, waited to be resorted for overdyeing.

Stacks of shapes in their new color piles awaiting the dyebath.

The fun part is the actual overdyeing. Lots of unexpected and new colors pop up. Last step is the boiling out of the wax. It is hot and exhausting, but rewarding. Dyeing is not always about getting what you thought you wanted. I have been dyeing for years and I still get unexpected results. This time, many of my colors did not go as dark or bold as I thought I was making. And it's too late once you boil out the wax to overdye again. There are so many variables that sometimes you just have to let go and accept what the dye does. I didn't get what I was expecting, but what I got is simply beautiful and it all goes so well together. I can see that I will be having lots of fun playing with all these samples!


One stack of shapes after it's red dyebath and after having the wax boiled out.

2011-09-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

Working Big
Here is a glimpse of a new project I have been working on. The cat gives a sense of scale doesn't it?
It is king sized, bright and bold, fun and energetic, fresh and just lovely!! Brings a smile to my face every time I see it. Can't wait to start quilting it, so many ideas! However, it is 4th in line, other projects are awaiting my attention.
Isn't it funny how cats know instinctively what you would prefer that they Not jump on?
This precious Pumpkin did no harm, so he got a free get out of jail card and a kiss on his noggin.


Gift for Pumpkin

2011-08-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Texas Monthly!!

Hats off to Karey Bresenhan and Nancy O'Bryant Puentes for some fabulous publicity for their new book, Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986-2011 in Texas Monthly. The article is an eight page spread called, Common Threads, in the September issue. I was a bit surprised to find that my quilt, Little Cities, was published as part of the article on the book, p. 151. I am quite pleased, to say the least! The article talks about the book and shows a preview of 10 quilts, so I am very happy to be included in this selection!!

I will say also that this is not my first time to be in Texas Monthly. Only the first time, my name did not get in. I only mention this because of the irony that connects the two stories. In the Feb, 1992 issue, I was photographed taking part in a rockclimbing competition at Hueco Tanks Texas State Park. I had skipped out of my day job with the excuse of "being sick", and spent the day driving the 12 hours to El Paso, TX with a friend. The next day we got up early and climbed all day. Neither of us placed very high in the competition, but we were both happy to be there climbing such exquisite rock and great company of the other climbers. Fantastic party that night, and then a 12 hour drive home on Sunday. What are the odds, that on the one day you skip out of work, your photo is published in a high profile magazine??? Either I wasn't recognized at work, or I was forgiven. But the picture was great!! Check out those crazy tights!

And how is this related to the first half of my story?? Well, I was fortunate enough to have 2 quilts chosen to be in Lone Stars III, the other is my quilt called, A Few of My Favorite Things, a quilt about my love for rockclimbing!

2011-08-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Twinkle Quilt Completed!
I am so happy to finish my daughter's quilt for her before school started. Whew! Just in time! The binding is on and the quilt is now on her bed. I had a great time making it for her. She loves it and is looking forward to when it is cooler and she can use it! Austin is still blazing hot setting new heat records every day.

Full view of Twinkle Quilt

Close up of the itajame of this cute animal print she loved!

Back side of Twinkle Quilt showing the quilting motif


Close up of a Twinkle Quilt showing some of the dye combinations and quilting.

You can see more about the process of making this quilt and itajame here and here.

2011-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

SAQA Gallery
This month my quilt, Doors Across Austin, will be featured in the SAQA Gallery exhibit called This Land is Your Land. I am proud that my quilt was chosen for this on-line exhibit! And as we all struggle with so many things in our lives, this quilt is dedicated to my son and his life (and ours) with autism.

detail of Doors Across Austin

2011-07-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Making Lemonade

I intentionally cut these blocks too large because I didn't know how much the edges would unravel during the process of itajame. They didn't actually unravel much at all, so I had to trim each block. I thought I wasted a lot of fabric doing this, but as it turned out, I made lemonade from my lemons!

Blocks before trimming

Bucket of trimmings from the scraps

I pieced the scraps together. (Yes, labor intensive!)

Added the pieced section to fabric to create a pillowcase to go with her quilt!

Repeating the process. These are the trimmings from the pieced section of the pillowcase. I have fused the back side of this odd assemblage, and will trim off the excess fusible with an exacto knife and scissors.

Making a small art quilt, to go with the pillowcase, to go with the quilt for her lovely walls. All that's left to do is the quilting, that, and adding the flying cats across the top! Stay tuned!

2011-07-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Artists' Garden
52" x 52"

Today's post is to announce that our group quilt, Artist's Garden, has been accepted into Quilts: A World of Beauty, IQA, Houston! We are all so thrilled to have our work going to Houston! It is such an honor to be juried into this prestigious show. And we are also very proud of this quilt. It is an uplifting experience to be a part of a collaborative project that comes together to produce something beautiful!

Connie Hudson dreamed up this project last fall. She took photos of flowers from a trip to Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia and sent them to each of the artists to interpret in their own way. The individual flower blocks come together to make a beautiful garden and the black garden trellis represents the way our group supports each other. But what is most interesting is how uncanny it felt to be asked to participate in this group quilt and then receive the photo of the flower that Connie picked individually for each of us. It was as if she saw our souls in that garden and knew the perfect flower for each of us.

After making my block, which you may remember from my earlier post, here, I was thrilled to see the other wonderful blocks made by each artist, a number of which are in 3D! Clockwise from upper left: Connie Hudson, Cindy Potter Henneke, Annie Smith, Sherri McCauley, Suzan Engler, Barb Forrister, Kathy York, Frances Holliday Alford; center: Leslie Jenison

2011-07-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

High Rise
50" x 33"

Oh, just so HAPPY to announce that my quilt, High Rise, has been accepted to IQA in Houston this fall!!

This quilt was a bit of a challenge for me, and no, not because of my bike wreck. It was mostly completed before that. It was a challenge because I tried some new techniques and because I did not plan the layout of the blocks. I tried to loosen up a bit and just try a random pulling of the blocks and laying them in order. I think I only rearranged about 4 blocks which is an amazing feat for me! Wow, I think I got really lucky because it just looks so great to me! I have had this up on my studio wall since last summer and have just enjoyed having it around so much. It is bright, and pretty, and peppy. I loved all the hand stitching too, it gives it such a great texture and warmth.
And a detail shot for you!

And for my followers you may remember my little tease, a photo of the back of this quilt, here?

And, I just got an email this morning that Interweave is offering a free downloadable book called Essential Embroidery Stitches which is featuring an article I wrote for Quilting Arts about satin stitch along with a number of other quilt artists and their stitching techniques. So, if you want to read more about it, you can follow the link, here!

2011-07-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

Popular Quilt Published Again
So exciting! Or should I say Sew exciting!! My quilt, Little Cities, was selected as the Last Stitch for Quilt. I am delighted! It was a bit of a nice surprise because this quilt was made in 2003. It is nice to know that it is still generating some interest. I will be announcing another publication for Little Cities in the months to come as it will be included in a wonderful new book by Karey Bresenhan (I am waiting for the cover image).

2011-06-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Doing the Work
Working in my studio can mean long hours, bent over the floor, the sewing machine, or the cutting table. As I am engrossed in my work, I forget to eat sometimes, or take breaks. It doesn't take too long before my body reminds me that I need to move or stretch or get out for a walk. Here is a view of my favorite walk. It is a 2 mile round trip from my house. It is a hilly walk, and should take me about 30 minutes, but it always takes longer. I get to this spot, to turn around and I linger. The view is just so incredible, I have to stop and take it in.

And now, a contrast, the view in my studio. It all starts here, you can't get anywhere if you don't do the work. And for me this picture sums it up. It all starts with a stack of fabric and gets transformed into an amazing work that I can feel proud of. And while these photos may seem unrelated they are integral to each other. I have to get out and enjoy nature and drink in life, and in so doing life gets wrapped back into my work, an expression of some inspiration, or experience. Walking clears my head and nourishes my body, the art feeds my soul.

2011-06-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

On our way!
Both of my entries were accepted to Tactile Architecture debuting in Houston, TX at the International Quilt Festival! and they are, drum roll please.......Central Park and our group project Artists' Village!!

I am so happy for several reasons. One is that I had made another 3D quilt called Little Fish in a Big City. It is in Quilt National '09 which is still touring. One of the venues for the collection that my quilt was traveling in was for Houston this year. Something happened. I don't know what, but it is no longer slated to come to Houston. I am so disappointed, I really wanted this quilt to be seen in Houston. So, it is especially wonderful, that the sequel, Central Park, is going to Houston! And, even better, the theme of this quilt...the dense population of downtown areas and the need for green space is replicated at the George Brown Convention Center, located in downtown Houston around a lovely, lovely park! Perfect!

The second reason is that since inviting 16 artists to make our artists' village I have been on pins and needles worried about finding a venue for it. Tactile Architecture seemed the perfect venue and was my first choice. But our village was an unusual entry, because it is large, 3D and is a collaborative project. But I like LARGE, and I love 3D (it is art that looks different as you move around and view it from different angles), and I crave and am hugely rewarded by collaborative projects. This is just PERFECT!

2011-06-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Twinkle quilt cont.
It was supposed to be a twin size, but it has grown. This is it so far, just the layout of the blocks, and not quite all of them because they drape down onto the floor! How big is it? Just a few inches in both dimensions LARGER than the twin sized batting I bought. Hmmm.....Options? I thought of removing a row off the top and one along the side....easy enough to do, and it would give me extra blocks to make a pillow sham. This is tempting, because it would fit her bed, and the batting. I also thought of buying a bigger batting and leaving it as is. After all, she is going to be a TALL girl (and I'm not kidding here!), and it would be nice to be able to wrap her whole grown up self up in this delicious quilt made by her momma! What are the odds that what she likes at 10 years old, she will like at 20 years old??

And while this photo is not particularly bad, once again it fails hugely to convey the feeling you get standing in front of this beauty. Is it like that with all fiber, or all art? Do you get a different feeling standing in front of the Mona Lisa, so close as to see the brush strokes, than you do looking at an image of it in a book or on the web?

2011-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Very Interesting!

Our tale begins when all these blocks were first clamped and soaked in bleach discharge solution. This left the centers of the blocks very pale. Then after thorough rinsing and drying, I used the same plastic templates clamped to these blocks and dyed them ALL in the same dyebath, which I thought was fairly dilute. Although it may not be entirely obvious in the first photo, hopefully you can see in the second one that I got a lot of variations of value in the dye. I think these commercial fabrics all accept dye differently. Some will soak up the dye in a rich and intense flavor. Others are rather off-put by being soaked in dye and avoid it at all costs....thus turning a lovely pale and relaxing shade. Regardless, I LOVE it all! I am especially fond of scrappy looking quilts. The more shades the better! And the fact that I got it all without trying!! Serendipity!

2011-05-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Blue Towers
36" x 48"

Blue Towers

You may remember my earlier post here regarding this wonderful quilt and it's acceptance into The Space Between, curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison. The exhibit will debut at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach July 28-31, 2011 and is sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers.
Well....today is my day for an artist interview on their blog Dinner at Eight Artists. Check it out!

And, I thought it would be the perfect day to reveal my quilt. Be sure to click on the photos if you would like to see a larger picture! I always love to share the story behind my work, the inspiration that set my creative juices in motion. However, I thought it would be interesting to hear your thoughts this time. What does this image evoke for you? What story does it tell for you? Leave your comments! I will post the story behind this one next week.

close up of the quilting in the sky

detail of the window

And, for inquiring minds, some info about it's construction. All the fabrics were hand made specifically for this quilt. I dyed two pieces of dark blue fabric for the background in two different shades. I always like to do that, then I get a choice of which one looks better with my design, and I have extra fabric for the backing. You have seen this window motif before, here in Building UP, and here in my fabric line, Urban Landscapes.

What you are looking at below: The blue fabric was stamped with the window block motif: a small wooden block with the center carved out and a separate stamp for the cross in the center. The blue is then bleach discharged. Without boiling out any wax yet, I dye paint the inside of the windows, some with red, some with green. Then after the dye has dried, I paint over the green and red windows with wax to protect them from the next round of dyeing. This set was then dyed turquoise, and eventually the wax is boiled out in a giant pot.

The long panels are fused and cut to their respective shapes, fused to the background, layered with batting and fabric backing, and then intensely machine quilted. The last step was to add the hand stitching with embroidery floss. The binding was machine satin stitched first and then whip stitched with black embroidery floss. The floss adds such a nice texture that once I get started, it is hard to quit! I absolutely love this quilt, which is a problem when it is time to ship it. I like finishing work early enough that I get to enjoy it for a while before I have to send it away where it will greet the world with fresh enthusiasm! Bon Voyage!

2011-05-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

Growing up in a Hot House
My house is a reflection of daily life with kids and menopause. The inside of the house is soft and cozy, with kid photos and upholstered bolsters for lounging, and ephemera attached to the walls with mod podge. The chimney is the conduit to provide a path for getting the excess heat out of the house. It falls droopy on the scorched roof and at times flies through the air in the light up neon tubing and flashing (like a hot flash!). My dream is that the structure of our family, like this house, is strong enough to protect the cherished ones, to support them with love and understanding, and to withstand all that comes our way.

Construction of my house...
I cut out shapes for the sides and the roof. I fused white fabric to cover the front, and some deconstructed screen printed fabric on the insides of the front and back panels. Then I fused the hand-dyed colored squares to the outside. I quilted heavily and satin stitched the flowers on the sides. Next I carefully cut with an exacto knife to make an opening for the window in the back and the door on the front. I also crafted a chimney for the inside and knotched a hole in the roof panel.
I seamed together some lava panels for the roof with batting between the layers. Then I turned the pieces right side out, and heavily quilted those as well. I fused the chimney in place with red organza and glued photos and other treasures to the inside with mod podge. I also fused a red organza panel to the back side to represent the chimney and added the text "menopause, hot flash!. I stuffed the chimney with the power supply and driver for the neon cables and cut a notch on the outside back wall for the switch, so that it can be turned on from the outside. Last step was joining all the pieces by hand using a whip stitch. A labor of love.

Last but not least, my vision is that my house doesn't stand alone, but in a community of people, wonderful supportive people. Here is my house in the village. You can see the list of participating artists and links to their websites here.

2011-05-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Sneak Peeks
Or I could have titled this....How to keep your sanity while working on a project like this. Last year, as I was working on Central Park, I spent part of my time dyeing new fabrics for quilt tops. I made more fabric than I knew what to do with. So, as I got tired of stuffing buildings, or sewing French knots, I would refresh my creative spirit with an afternoon of fusing and cutting new shapes and composing new quilt tops. Ahhh!!! the joy of composition!! I had 6 new quilt tops ready to be quilted. I planned to quilt them last fall, as soon as I finished Central Park, but I got delayed by life. Then this spring, I got delayed again with my bicycle accident. They are in various stages of completion, but a few are nearly done!

Til then, I will share with you a few sneak peaks. The first one is the back of my new quilt, High Rise. I am at the stage of putting the hanging sleeve (seen on the left corner). The second is a detail of my quilt, Community Garden. It doesn't show much of the quilt, but at least you can see some fun colors. And, you might notice these colorful cottons were fused onto silk! I can't believe I am starting to expand my repertoire to include something besides my all time favorite cotton. But, silk is so pretty, and shiny, and interesting!! Enjoy!

2011-05-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Pretty Patchwork

This is a pretty little quilt that my daughter started a few years ago. It turns out that she doesn't really like sewing, or maybe, she just doesn't like it at this point in her life. It has been sitting on a shelf for quite a while and I thought it might be nice to finish it up for her. She was in perfect agreement! And...as an added bonus, it was something easy enough to do while I am trying to get my strength back. I can't even begin to tell you how great it feels to start working again, and this sense of accomplishment for finishing a small project. The quilting was hard to do, (by machine), but my darling daughter does not require perfection from me, so it worked great for both of us!
And, here is the back. The center is made from a piece of fabric my daughter batiked and dyed. I cut it up and rearranged it (with her permission). It think it makes a lovely center, and it is framed by at least two of my fabrics from Urban Landscapes.

Part two....I always wonder what my cats are up to while I am working away in my studio. Here they are right outside the door....just waiting for me to show up. They are seriously cute!!

2011-05-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

Urban Landscapes Itajame
Step one: clamping on the circles and removing color with bleach discharge.
I really like the way they look. The pale backgrounds in contrast with the bright circles, and especially with the contrast of the leaves on the trees.
Step two: adding color back in. I will select some of these and clamp the circles back on and overdye.
I am making a twinkle quilt (be sure to scroll down just a little) ala, Malka Dubrawsky.
Ever read the back of shampoo bottles? Rinse, repeat? I will be doing a lot of that in the next few weeks. Mostly happy that this is something I can do, perhaps even therapeutic, in more than one way!

2011-05-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Artist Village Project
Join us for a tour of our village!! We will be having a blog tour to show you the fiber art houses made by all the participating artists in our village. See the schedule below.

This project began last summer. I was inspired by Judy Perez and the 3D houses she had made. I thought it would be an interesting project to see how different artists would interpret the challenge to make a 3D house. And as I thought about the inspiration and support I have received from others, it seemed the perfect fit to make a collaborative project and build a village. It reminded me of the old adage..."it takes a village to raise a child".
Each participant was asked to make a 3D fiber art house or houses using any techniques, but to include quilting in some aspect of their house. I asked participants to attempt to make a house that would fold flat for shipping, but slightly less than half of the houses fold flat. What can I say? Art doesn't conform well to rules. I personally was not able to make mine flat...it just didn't turn out that way! Please join us for a close up tour of the houses. Be prepared to be amazed and inspired by this wonderful collection of visual treats!
Kathy
p.s. Not all of our artists are bloggers. For the indicated artists below, the link will take you to their website to see their work!

Susan Else (website) May 2

Frances Holiday Alford May 3

Pamela Allen (website) May 4

Frieda Anderson May 5

Lisa Call May 6

J ane Davila May 9

Naomi Adams May 10

Jamie Fingal May 11

Barb Forrister May 12

Vickie Hallmark May 13

Connie Hudson May 16

Leslie Jenison May 17

Sherri McCauley May 18

Judy Perez May 19

Melanie Testa May 20

Laura Wasilowski May 23

Kathy York May 24

2011-04-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Blue Towers
36" x 48"
(picture coming soon!)

Dinner at Eight Artists is happy to announce that my quilt, Blue Towers, has been accepted into the special exhibit "The Space Between." The exhibit will debut at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach July 28-31, 2011 and is sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers.

I am so excited to be a part of this exhibit! And in such esteemed company! You can see the list here. This is my third year to participate in Dinner at Eight Artists exhibits and I am always awed and amazed by the works in the exhibits! I can't wait to see it! Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison are the curators and they are posting interviews of the artists participating daily! Check it out at Dinner at Eight Artists blog.

2011-03-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Cute Purse!

My friend Susan Tennison just made this fabulous purse and posted on Facebook. I asked her if she minded if I put it on my blog to share with you. She was delighted! It is made from a purse pattern in M'liss Rae Hawley's book 101 Fabulous Fat-Quarter Bags. I just love the way Susan used my Urban Landscapes fabrics to make this. I am told there are interesting Urban Landscapes fabrics on the inside too, so I might sneak down to the Quilt Store to see it. It is on display there. You can see more of Urban Landscapes here.

Now for the rest of you....if anyone else has an image to share featuring my fabrics....I would love to post it!

2011-03-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Stitched!

See me in Stitched, the movie! It is a documentary by Jena Moreno about competitive quilt making. I can't wait!

The main characters: Caryl Bryer Fallert (below), Randall Cook, and Hollis Chatelain,

International Quilt Festival
Duke Energy Convention Center
525 Elm Street
Cincinnati, OH
World Premiere
4/8 Friday 5:30 pm

American Quilter's Society Show
Paducah-McCracken County Convention Center
415 Park Street
Eisenhower Room
Kentucky Premiere 4/26 Tuesday 4 pm
4/27 Wednesday 6 pm
4/29 Friday 6 pm
4/30 Saturday 4 pm

Maiden Alley Cinema
112 Maiden Alley in Downton Paducah
(Off Broadway, Between 2nd & Water Streets)
Theatrical Premiere 4/28 Thursday 7 pm
4/29 Friday 5:30 pm & 9 pm
4/30 Saturday 4 pm, 7 pm & 9 pm
5/1 Sunday 4 pm & 7 pm

2011-03-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Full House
7" x 7 1/2"

I made this tiny quilt last fall as a bit of a diversion. Just didn't realize that I hadn't posted it yet, or is it possible I have already posted it and just forgot about it?
Anyway, the green layer was quilted separately, then I cut out the holes and handstitched them to keep from fraying, and also to add some more lovely color. Then I quilted a background (the orange layer). Next, I zig-zagged the edges of the green layer on top of the orange layer. It makes a pocket to stuff the little worry dolls inside. They look happy and I had fun, so decided to share with you!

2011-03-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

First Place!! What a nice surprise!

Doors Across Austin has won a first place at Dallas Quilt Celebration!! This news is especially meaningful because this quilt holds such a special place in my heart. Read more about it here. Thank you Dallas!

2011-03-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

the Waiting is the hardest part....
still waiting to have a new quilt to post. I have a new series that I am working on, but it is not ready to show yet. And, I am also waiting to get my cast off....just counting the days...and staying hopeful about returning to the studio soon. Meanwhile....

I am thrilled that my quilt Central Park is on display in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is part of a number of concurrent art quilt exhibits known as Volusia: Wrapped in Fiber. My quilt is at the Rose Room Gallery, Peabody Auditorium, 600 Auditorium Avenue. It will be there from March 10 - April 27, 2011. What can I say? I wish I were there! I would love to see all the other fiber arts in this exhibit! And, Pamela Allen, one of my all time favorites will be there and giving a lecture next weekend.

2011-02-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

New cast

Well, well, I got a new cast for my right thumb. The fluorescent orange was so pristine and clean, that I enjoyed it for almost two full days before it needed some 'decorating'. I just can't help myself. I sketched some shapes and my son cut them for me. Then I glued them into place. LOVE IT! I am just concerned that my left hand might start getting jealous....my hand batiks just look so lovely and cheerful! And my splint is so blah...

Major accomplishment today, with the help of 3 assistants (much thanks!!), I managed to get some work shipped to two different venues. It feels nice that even though I am unable to do much in terms of creating art, I can still advocate for my completed pieces.

2011-02-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

With a little help from my kids,
they squirted the paint for me and washed my brushes after.

I feel like i have turned a corner with my recovery, all from painting some silly dots. never knew i could do so much with one thumb!
Thank you ALL for your support and positive comments. i have been sliding into some really mopey places, and you have lifted me up. it is easy to feel pretty useless without my hands, and you have reminded me, repeatedly, that i will heal. sorry that i have not responded to each and everyone of you. every part of this healing adventure is just so exhausting. but, i wanted you to know that i appreciate your comments, and they are helping.

2011-02-12T18:54:00.000-08:00

GRATITUDES
i am grateful my brain is intact, thanks in some small measure to my bike helmet.
i am grateful i can walk.
i am extremely grateful for modern medine and my hand surgeon.
i am extremely grateful for the two women driving by who saw me take this nasty tumble and whisked me to the er.
i am extremely grateful to my mother who arrived minutes later and has taken such good care of me and my children. i am so blessed to have her so close and able to help.
i am grateful for my two children who are buffering my hardships with their sweet hearts and willingness to help out.
and all my good friends who have stepped up to help and send me kind words, warm wishes for a speedy recovery, and love. thank you!

this is a photo of after the surgery. i tore a ligament on my right thumb. this one will take the longest to heal and makes me grieve the most. before surgery i put a note to my doctor on the other thumb, just to make sure. thankfully he smiled when he saw it. it is my only working finger at the moment as i type this with one thumb. my left hand had two dislocated fingers, lots of road rash, three fractures and bone chips. my left elbow took some road rash abuse and i have a lot of bruising. this is what happened when i went too fast and didn't make the turn. the bike has not one scratch. doesn't seem fair.

meanwhile, i would like to apologize to the quilt guild of west houston for having to cancel/postpone my lecture/workshop next week. you can trust me that i will do my best not to let THIS happen again!

2011-02-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

A Quilting Tip for You
This is one of my very favorite tips that I have ever learned. I have consistently earned poor scores by quilting judges about being able to see my starts and stops of my quilting. My usual technique is to sew in place for about 4 stitches, then zoom along and finish the same way. Then I trim the thread ends close to the quilt. It is fast, and easy. But apparently it is also visible to the discerning eye of the quilt judge, and they DON'T like it!
And, though it is a little extra effort, it is not hard to do. I wouldn't recommend it for everything you make, but if you have something that you are entering into a quilt venue, you might want to consider it.

2011-01-28T16:52:00.000-08:00

Volusia Wrapped in Fiber
I am so excited to announce that my art quilt, Central Park, will be going to this SAQA exhibit!! And look at this cool promo! It looks so awesome! I am beside myself, one very clever design genius put my quilt and this card together, THANK YOU!

This exhibit is unusual in that it was encouraging out of the box entries. Three dimensional fiber works were actually encouraged, so I knew I had to try. It is a small group of exhibits timed simultaneously in Volusia, Florida. I just know it's going to be fabulous! In the news today, you can read about it here. Mary McBride and Judy Gilmer are the curators.

2011-01-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

This is a Quilt: 1,2,3,4
7 1/4" x 7 1/4" x 4"

I have submitted this quilt for SAQA's traveling trunk show. Members can check out the trunk of small quilts and use them to teach about art quilts. I remember last fall when I saw one of these trunk shows at the Austin Area Quilt Guild. It is a fascinating collection of small art quilts, I loved it! SAQA defines an art quilt as "a contemporary artwork exploring and expressing aesthetic concerns common to the whole range of visual arts: painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design, assemblage and sculpture, which retains, through materials or technique, a clear relationship to the folk art quilt from which it descends." This definition is purposely broad to accommodate the wondrous and exciting art quilts SAQA members are creating.

2011-01-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

Corridor of Art
My quilt will be hanging at an exhibit of quilts at the Corridor of Art!!

Red Legged Bird with a Tale to Tell detail view

Starting Monday, January 10, 2011, the Austin Area Quilt Guild (www.aaqg.org) will exhibit quilts made by its members in the Corridor of Art. More than 40 quilts will be on display through Friday, March 4th. The quilt exhibit will include a full range of quilting styles from traditional to folk art, contemporary to fine art. Travis County’s recently acquired office building @ 700 Lavaca Street is the site of a quilt exhibit that will hang in the building’s Corridor of Art. The Corridor of Art is a venue in the lower level walkway that connects 700 Lavaca to the building’s parking garage. The Corridor of Art hosts several exhibits by local artists every year. AAQG members and the general public are invited to the opening reception for the exhibit on Friday, January 14th, from 5pm – 8pm.

2011-01-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

Leaves

Leaves seem to be a recurring theme in my life this week. My trees are the kind that like to hang on forever. In fact, it is January, and there is still one reluctant tree who is still dropping on our freshly raked and bagged lawn. And so it appears in my art. You can see it here on my new blog for my Sketchbook Project. And now I am making quilted leaves for a group project. These photos are taken on my new REALLY BLUE couch cover.
It will come as no surprise that I am more fond of the green and blue leaves than the brown ones!

2011-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

Fresh Start to a New Year
"I have been anticipating the beginning of this project since I heard about it. I have always wanted to sketch more and make a sketchbook, but my participation has been sketchy (ha, ha, please forgive the pun!)..."

This is how my new blog starts. It is called Kathy York Sketchbook Project. You can find it here (or see the link in my sidebar). You can find more info about the Sketchbook Project here, or click on the badge in my sidebar. My participation is strictly voluntary, but it looks like so much fun to me! And though I am less interested in the prizes that they are giving away, the real gift for me is learning to draw better, and a commitment to making art every day and feed my soul.

For my fiber art fans, please do not worry. I am still making fiber art, art quilts, etc., but the pace has slowed down significantly with the new day job of homeschooling my son.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Urban Landscape Donation for Operation Kid Comfort

When Ann Flaherty asked me for some of my fabric, I felt really honored to be asked. I had no idea that Clothworks would send 6 bolts! So generous!! I feel so happy! It has arrived at Operation Kid Comfort and will soon be made into quilts for children of deployed service men and women.

Comfort. Create. Unite. Operation Kid Comfort provides FREE photo-transfer quilts to children of deployed service men and women. Find out more here.

2010-12-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

Artist Village Project- Sneak Peek

I have been inspired by so many people. And I have been supported by many great friends. I couldn't do it alone, be an artist that is. With this in mind, I came up with a collaborative project to include a number of old friends and some new friends. We are taking 3D to new extremes! And while I am not ready to show the entire project yet, I wanted to give you a sneak peak of my part.

This is the inside of my front door and one of the side walls. I am blessed with a daughter who is constantly leaving me notes. This time she sent the note with a gift wrapped in plain newsprint and tape. Inside? A 3 of hearts on her kitty card. Too cute for words. It warms my heart! Sweet, sweet, sweet.

More later when we get the village assembled, and hopefully, a blog tour!

2010-11-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

It's Not too Late

To start making gifts for the holiday season. These were made by a friend of mine. She used the pattern from my article on drawstring bags (or cleaning up cable clutter) in Quilting Arts Gifts magazine. And she used my fabric, Urban Landscapes, as she is proud of my accomplishments and is obviously super supportive! THANK YOU!!! I borrowed them to take a photo on my back deck. Yes, my picnic table is really aqua blue! I just think they look so cute with the ribbons. I hadn't thought of ribbons for the drawstring, but I love the look. Very cute!

2010-11-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

Interview with Lindsey Murray at Quilting Arts

Today, I am being interviewed on Lindsey Murray's blog at Quilting Arts Magazine. I met her in Houston this year and was instantly enchanted by her poise and confidence, and so young! She was full of questions about my fabric designing, and so I happy indulged! Read more here.

It is nearly Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for. I am happy at this point in my life to be doing something that I love so much and holds so much meaning for me. And I am so thankful for everyone at Quilting Arts for helping me along my path. Thanks!

2010-11-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

Rejection Abounds
Sometimes, in my exuberance over my successes that I share with you, it may appear that it is ALL success. I can assure you that is not the case. So today, I share my latest rejection. But first, a metaphor.
My favorite motto in rockclimbing....if you're not falling, then you aren't pushing yourself hard enough. Of course we had ropes to catch us when we fell, so it was safe. But falling is such a deep psychological fear, that even on a rope, you really don't want to fall and it's scary, illogically scary. And if you never try anything harder, never take the risk, you really don't get any stronger or better as a climber. And that's okay too. But for me, I had goals, I always strive to push myself, that's just how I am. To overcome the fear, I would routinely get on climbs that I knew I couldn't do. I would fall a LOT. It helped me learn on a physical level to trust my climbing partner. It helped me learn to push myself. And I got better, good balance, strong body, smart choices.

Planned Obsolescence - 2009

This has paid off well as it translates to my new art quilt world. I take a lot of risks. I know I can't draw, but I push myself to draw and I learn. I have pictures in my head that need expressing. I enter lots and lots of venues. I risk rejection from the juries who decide which pieces will get in and which ones won't. I risk rejection from the judges who pick winners. I risk rejection from my audience who may not like what I have to say, or the way that I say it in my work. Why?? Because if you don't ask, the answer is already no. Asking, or entering, gets an opportunity for yes.

It would appear that my audience simply does not want to see a piece about a brand new bright and pretty neighborhood built on a trash heap of obsolescent appliances. REALLY? Who would of thought?? :) It is either the theme or the execution of my techniques. And it was my first attempt at a large batik etching, so possibly (no, definitely), I need more experience with the technique! The piece is intentionally uncomfortable for the viewer. I think some art is just like that. Maybe I could have chosen different colors? Maybe not. I thought it would be perfect for the Beyond Comfort exhibit by SAQA, but they didn't think so. I got the rejection yesterday. It was the 5th rejection for this art quilt!

And the theme of overconsumption is not one that most people really want to look at. Or what happens to all the junk we buy and then get rid of because it is built so poorly that it breaks quickly....all to drive the economy, make a fast buck. And, I have no problem with stimulating the economy, but I think we need to do it smarter, and look at the long range consequences of our actions. I am not sure if all that came through in this little piece. A big message for such a little piece. All I know is that I had to make it. In this I experienced a huge amount of success, regardless of it's failures with a larger audience. I can't even call the most recent rejection a setback, because I plod onwards for the next piece that needs to be made.

Do I like rejection? No. Does it hurt my feelings? Yes. What to do? Feel my feelings, then get over it, and "Climb on"!

2010-11-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Blog Giveaway Winner

It is Friday and I finally get to announce that Jan E is the winner of my blog giveaway! She will receive a free copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, vol. 2. I used a random number generator, and her number came up. Yeah Jan!

Don't forget to email me your address Jan!

2010-11-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

Flower Box
I am so thrilled to announce that my block made it into Quiltmakers' 100 Blocks issue! It will hit the newstands on Nov. 16. This week they are having a blog tour of the designers in the magazine, and I am happy to be participating in that as well. And to thank you for stopping by, I will host a small Giveaway! Leave a comment on my blog by Friday, and I will randomly select a winner to get a free issue of the magazine! And, be sure and checkout Quiltmaker's website, they are having giveaways as well, and I have sent a small little gift for that as well!!

I used my fabric, Urban Landscapes, to create this fun applique block! See below for several setting ideas. I can't decide which one I like the best, on point, or just straight up. I think the red border is my favorite though, what do you think?

Flower Box Block

Blocks on point, blue border

Blocks on point, red border

Blocks with a red and yellow border

2010-11-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

Central Park
56" x 53"
or How I Spent My Summer Vacation!

I am posting about my newest creation today! Another 3D quilt, which is funny because after the last one, I didn't think I would make another one! It was a labor of love though. I felt really inspired to create this piece because of the feelings I get of being rejuvenated from hiking in a park. Nature does it for me every time! Balance, grounded, happy. And I get the same feelings when I stand in front of this piece. I am immersed in greens and blues. It is an evocative piece for me, which I am quite confident is not fully expressed through a tiny photo on a website. I am still hoping to find a venue where it can be experienced in person and I can hopefully pass on the inspiration to you.

full view of Central Park

3D view of Central Park


wholecloth background fabric, shibori tied before dyeing

I must also admit some frustration with my posting. I now have 3 computers at home, and none of the monitors show the color the same. So, there is no way for me to have any idea of how your monitor is displaying the color. And not dismissing the importance of design and construction, for me the biggest part is about the color. So, I apologize if the greens look funky to you. In real life these color are a rich blend of comfort and harmony.

And as you scroll down through the photos, you will get an idea of how the quilt was constructed. I actually started this piece last spring and worked through the summer. This was my entry for Quilt National, but it was sadly not selected. I can tell you that just by having a deadline as a goal really helped me to complete this quilt. The logistics were overwhelming from time to time, with over 5000 French knots to sew on 500 buildings to make and hand applique on. The quilting of the background also took an unexpectedly long time, about a month. It was hard to quilt around all those circles, lots of starts and stops, and threads to bury or clip. In retrospect, I wish I had quilted it first before adding the circles for the trees.

blue fabric from buildings made from commercial cottons batiked in stripes, bleach discharged and then overdyed turquoise, navy, periwinkle, and cobalt blue

machine piecing the buildings into their 3D shapes

piles of buildings, will there ever be enough???

stuffing the buildings with cubes of ethafoam

hand dyed silk organza which was cut into circles for the trees

Park layout before quilting and before embroidery of the gardens

selecting threads for the gardens

French knots in the gardens, there are over 5000 French knots. Click on picture to see a closeup

Closeup of quilting lines by the baseball fields

2010-11-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

New Tote for Quilt Festival
I can't help myself! I just loved this cover on Quilting Arts Magazine so much!! So much, that I ripped it off the magazine, layered it many times with Mod Podge, and then glued it to a foundation to make the front of this tote bag. I was inspired by Beach Garden Quilts and what they do with Mod Podge and fabric to make floor mats. It worked! And the cover is my quilt, and it is a quilt about me and now it's me on my own tote!! lol! Too much?

And also, how wonderful my Urban Landscapes fabric look made up in this tote. On the back side I used the 9 dot in a block pattern to make a spacious outer pocket. I am also getting better with the zippers. I put a small zippered pocket inside, and I have learned the magic of magnetic button thingies for a closure. It is almost the size of a shopping tote, and I am hoping it will come in handy at the quilt show.

And, since I am getting some experience with tote bags now, it was kind of fun to change up the pattern a bit! I love the shape and the double straps!!

2010-11-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

Urban Landscape Doll
Yesterday, I got this wonderful note from Nancy Roberts, who just happened to be the winner of my fabric giveaway on my blog. She sent me photos of what she did with some of the fabric, and it is just wonderful!

Hi Kathy-...I won the fat quarters and fabric bag on your blog last August and told you I'd show you when I used some of the fabric in a project. Well I chose one of the fat quarters and made the dress for this donation doll to be given to children in Haitian orphanages and medical clinics. And her twin brother has a shirt made from selvages. I've published them on my blog if you get a chance to take a look. The Urban Landscape fabric is perfect for her little dress! Many thanks. Best regards, Nancy Roberts

I think she is right. The dress is super cute, and the selvages look wonderful too! You can visit her blog here.

Meanwhile, stay tuned, I have a lot of blog entries to post this next week. First, I wanted to show off my new tote bag for the Houston Quilt Festival. It is my first foray into mixed media and involves a certain magazine cover....

I also am planning to show my entry for Quilt National, that is sadly not going to the show. This happens to all of us, more frequently than you might expect, but onward is the slogan around here. And, I am also part of a blog tour for Quiltmaker's 100 blocks. They have published my block using Urban Landscapes fabric and the magazine will be available November 17. I will also have a giveaway on my blog for one of the magazines! And it would not be entirely unreasonable to expect a post about the Houston International Quilt Festival, since I am headed there for the weekend and looking forward to the spectacular quilt viewing, shopping, and hanging out with friends!!

2010-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

Quilt Market Report
Well, I am back from Quilt Market in Houston. I only got to stay for one day, but it was a fantastic day! I had lunch with Candice Hoffman, President of Clothworks. I hung out at the Clothworks booth for a while, visiting with everyone and watching the sale reps do their thing. It is an amazing process watching the sales reps juggle complicated schedules and still maintain their cool while showing the new lines. I had assumed it would be harried and rushed, but instead they make it look so effortless and relaxed. Kudos!

Lunch with Candice Hoffman

Hanging out with Joyce Cronkhite and Brandi Frey.

Across from the Clothworks booth, was Beach Garden Quilts. I got to meet Lynette and Laura (see photo at the bottom of post). They have made some really cool stuff with my fabric, Urban Landscapes, that I wanted to share with you. Right behind my head is an adorable little bag (perfect for a child!). Under my feet, a highchair mat. Wish I had one of these when my kids were small! So wonderful, and so useful! And I personally love the fabric they chose! They also made some cool dog leashes, makes me want a dog again! lol! Check out their website, lots of neato patterns.

Beach Garden Quilts made this super adorable highchair playmate! Recognize the fabric (Urban Landscapes)!

Beach Garden Quilts made up this cute quilt from Urban Landscapes. Love it!

There were a few other booths that I liked. Sorry I didn't get a picture to share, darn it! Kinkame had the cutest display. Yoko had cut up tiny shirt patterns from each fabric and hung them from a laundry line. The effect was charming!

I probably should have spent more time at the other booths at Market, but to be honest, it was a little overwhelming! And, the quilts were calling me. I spent the entire afternoon looking at quilt exhibits. It was so quiet I could hear the traffic on the highway behind the Brown Convention Center. There were only a handful of us looking at quilts. It was almost eery the way the security outnumbered the viewers! Especially since I know how different it will look when the crowds descend upon the show in full force next week! I enjoyed the quiet, but partly because I knew I will be back next weekend for festival! To summarize, the quilts are spectacular! It's a good show this year, many, many great exhibits. I will try to blog about those next week. If you get a chance to go, then go! You will be amazed!

Here we are at the Clothworks cocktail party before I had to leave to go home. Fabulous group! Fabulous times!

This group know how to party! Miryam, Brandi, Lynette, me, Laura, and Joyce.

2010-10-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

Batik Flower

This little flower is for a group quilt. It is about 16" square. I made it from a whole cloth, inspired by a photo of a flower. More on the group quilt later when we get all the pieces assembled. As for now, it was just an experiment that I had no idea if it would work or not. It started as a dark pink fabric. I batiked the stamens and then bleached. Then I batiked the petals. Next step, bleach again. Last, I carefully dyed the area outside of the flowers green. More wax to protect the green section; by now the entire piece is covered with a solid layer of wax. Then I etched the little white scratch marks and bleached just that area. And I etched the long marks between the outer petals and inner petals and dyed those fuschia. Finally happy with it, I boiled out the wax.

Next was the quilting, which I am afraid that I got a little carried away with. After completing the quilting, I added the satin stitch along the stamens. I liked that a lot! To finish? Hand stitching with Laura Wasilowski's hand-dyed threads (here). If you haven't used her thread before, you should try it. I love the way it feels, and handles, and it's pretty too! Lots of colorways to choose from!

2010-10-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Double Exposure for Building UP!

Yeehaw! I just got my Award Winning Quilts 2011 Calendar featuring quilts from the International Quilt Association. My quilt, Building UP, is featured for the month of March. Happy am I, as March is my birthday month! Very nice!

And, on the same day my Fall IQA Journal arrived. When I joined IQA years ago, I had always hoped to have a quilt in the journal. It is a nice and very validating feeling to see it now. This issue is featuring small abstract art quilts and Building UP won 1st place in that category last year. The colors of the print copy of my quilt are perfect, just perfect! It looks good and has a nice interview about the quilt. I love it!

2010-10-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

Big tote

I haven't had much time to work lately, but this last week I played with the batik. I made this flower from a whole cloth. I actually made two, to try out different ideas, but you will have to wait until I quilt the second one before I post it. Meanwhile, I cut this one in half to use for both sides of the tote bag, for a friend in need. It was a special request, one that I was happy to make, especially if it makes her life easier!
I love the way the whole cloth design of the flower goes with my fabrics. It was a bit surprising, and lovely!

2010-10-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Quilts=Art=Quilts

I am thrilled to announce that my quilt, Building UP, will be at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn, NY for Quilts=Art=Quilts!
The exhibit runs: October 31, 2010 - January 9, 2011.

It is my first time at this venue, and I am honored to be in the esteemed company of so many wonderful artists!

2010-10-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Batik Etching
I have been meaning to blog about this for quite a while, but hadn't gotten to it yet. So, here it is. How I made Fifty, and Female, and Fearless.

It started from a photograph, that I enlarged and simplified into a sketch. Then I taped it to a sliding glass door, and put my yellow fabric on top of the drawing, and sketched with a pencil the outline of the figure. The dark lines are shadows from a tree. That gave me some idea of how much surface area to cover with wax.

Then downstairs in the batik studio (some people call it a garage), I put the yellow fabric on a discarded glass door, and began covering it with hot wax applied with a wide paint brush. The real trick is getting the wax to cover the fabric completely, but also in a very uniform layer (okay that part is IMPOSSIBLE), but it is the goal. If your brush strokes overlap, the wax is thicker there, and creates problems later.
Then I placed the wax covered cloth on top of the drawing (which is made darker with a black sharpie marker), and painstakingly carve in ALL the lines. It is not too hard to do the straight lines, but carving the curves in wax is difficult. I have tried many different tools for the carving. It needs to be a sharp tool, but you have to be careful not to cut the fabric. Examples include: a screwdriver, a seam ripper, toothpick, bamboo skewer, clay carving tools, and dental tools. It will make your hand cramp, so it is essential to do small portions at a time and take lots of breaks.

Then, when I finished the carving, I mixed up some soda ash in some black dye and water, and brushed it on, letting it soak into the cracks that I carved. After batching 8 to 24 hours, you can rinse in cold water to get rid of excess dye, and then boil out the wax. Then I usually wash in hot water with a cycle of Synthrapol, and another with Retayne.

Next is the blue background which was made with batik also. I painted stripes of wax, then bleach discharged the fabric, and the overdyed the samples in different colors of blue.

I made the central figure a reverse applique, which means I cut the background to fit around the figure. Next they are fused, cut to shape, and then ironed on. Last step is the quilting. I quilted everything except for the letters in the figure, and along all the lines in the background. This last part seemed a bit excessive, but there you are, the process of an art quilter, driven by the relentless muse.

Here's a photo of the quilting. You can see the problem I referred to earlier where the white arrow is pointing. This is showing a place where the black etched line went through a thicker section of wax. When you carve the thicker wax, it cracks around your etched line. The dye seeps in and makes a wider, less defined line.

For more on batik etching, you can see my first attempt here, and another quilt, here.

2010-09-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Quilting Arts Cover Girl!
If you haven't seen this on FB yet....My quilt, Fifty, Female, and Fearless is on the cover of Quilting Arts. Fantastic!! And since it is a self portrait....I guess I really am on the cover!! Too cool for words!

This quilt is part of an exhibit called Beneath the Surface curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison and you will be able to see it at the Houston Quilt Festival in November. And, if you are interested, the book, Beneath the Surface is available at Blurb.com. It has photos of all the quilts in the exhibit and interviews with the artists.

2010-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

SAQA auction starts today!

SAQA stands for Studio Art Quilt Associates and it's primary mission is to promote art quilts. In this regard, they have many exhibits at wonderful venues, and it all costs money. The annual fundraiser is in the form of an auction. Be sure and read "How the Auction Works". On the first day, the quilts are $750, and the first bidder wins the quilt. Each day the value of the quilt goes down. Each week for three weeks a new group of quilts will be offered. My quilt is in the first group and it starts at 2:00 Eastern time today.

Read more about this quilt here.

2010-09-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Urban Landscapes
leggings for the trees

I love taking geometric and regular shapes and turning them into an organic shape. It's unexpected and wonderful! Maybe that's why I wrapped my trees in Urban Landscape. Or maybe to announce to my neighbors my new fabric line (as many stopped while I was working to comment!). Maybe I have been inspired by Christo? There is plethora of tree art in Austin that also resides in my subconscious. Maybe all of the above? I'm not sure, but I knew I wanted to try this idea before I cut into my stash.....well except for those curtains I made for my daughter (see previous post). This just looks so stinking cool!! And don't you wish you could put some on your trees? Or....all over the trees in a downtown area??? That would look super cool!

If you are in the neighborhood, drive by, this isn't staying up long, probably not even overnight, but at least we will have the photos to look at! If you want to buy some of these lovely bright happy fabrics, you might want to hurry. I think my mom is trying to buy it ALL! lol!

2010-08-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

Urban Landscapes Simple Curtains

So, I finally made time to sew some curtains for my daughter. We repainted her room last spring in this lovely combination of pink and orange. The fat boy bean bag chair is a perfect bright spot! The ceiling fan is pink against a lovely and smooth white ceiling (gone is the popcorn texture and pale blue paint from her infant days).

The curtains were incredibly easy to make. I found these snap together white rings at Fanny's Fabrics in Austin. They snap apart. Then you trace a circle and cut the fabric slightly larger. Last, set one piece of the ring on top, the other on the bottom and then snap the two pieces together. No grommet tools required. I LOVE the simplicity. I lined the curtains in a plain white fabric and used crinoline in the top to stabilize the edge. It works great! Easy to slide open and closed. Heck, even the cat likes it! And, sweet adorable daughter is wearing the happy contented smile that warms my heart!

2010-08-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

What you can do with Urban Landscapes?

Well, you've seen a number of my projects, so today I am going to show you what a few other people have done. This lovely photo of floating squares is just awesome! I LOVE it!!! It was made by Sheri over at the Quilt Store in Austin, TX. I love the way she floated the cool colors on top of the warm ones and then alternated it. It is going to be a table runner.

Aside: if you haven't been to the Quilt Store in a while, you owe yourself a visit. The fabrics are luscious and inspiring. It will make you want to sew even if you don't know how!!

Also, Nancy has received my gift bag stuffed with fat quarters and has blogged about it here. She promises to make something with it soon, so we will be checking back with her. She has a cool blog, so maybe you will want to pop over and visit anyway!

And...we have Clothworks. Joyce has made this cool Messenger bag! It was inspired by the circles from my quilt, Urban Circles. It is wonderful though. I just LOVE the pattern.

And now that I have finished my extremely time intensive project for Quilt National, I am free to sew on other projects again! Hurray! I love finishing a big project! And, next up, curtains for my daughter's room with Urban Landscapes. She has been waiting a while and now is getting rather excited!

2010-08-23T13:48:00.001-07:00

Another Giveaway!
Some Urban Landscapes fabric for you! This one is by Clothworks, so you will have to go to their blog (here) and leave a comment. Brandi is posting the winner on Monday, so you will have to hurry!

I LOVE these little zipper pouches, and especially the color combos! Nice job Brandi!

2010-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Winner!
I am happy to announce that the winner of my blog giveaway is Nancy! Just in case there was more than one Nancy, she left comment number 47 on my blog, and I have sent her an email already! This was really fun, and I hope to do this again in the future.
And the timing is good too because Quilting Arts has Gifts on preorder now (see more here). The instructions for making this little bag are inside, along with many other fabulous projects! I can't wait to get my copy!!!

2010-08-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

In the news!

My quilt, Fifty, Fearless, and Fabulous....no, wait, Fifty, Female, and Fearless, oh yes, that's it, has been featured in a video (along with a number of other wonderful quilts) at equilter.com. This quilt was in the exhibit Beneath the Surface, at IQA Long Beach, CA, curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison.
See the video here.

And while this could get a little boring over time, photos of my fabric in every store that carries them....this one is special because my friend, Jamie Fingal, had a solo show there. Congrats Jamie! Looks wonderful! Anyway, here is a photo of Urban Landscapes lined up with their other wonderful fabrics at Fabric of Vision in Ashland, Oregon.

Meanwhile, stay tuned. I will announce the winner of the fabric giveaway on Friday!

2010-08-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Blog Giveaway!

To celebrate the arrival of Urban Landscapes, I am giving away a short stack of fat quarters! And, to sweeten the pot, I have made a Bunch of these little drawstring bags. Sorry most of them have designated homes already, but I saved one just for you! I will pack it with the fat quarter short stack and send it to you. Leave me a comment, and I will randomly select a winner in two weeks.

The fabric was donated by Clothworks. Look for instructions on how to make these little bags in the upcoming issue of Quilting Arts Gifts (this link goes to last year's issue, the new issue should be out in September). You may remember my post about cleaning cable clutter from this link.

2010-07-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Free Pattern at Clothworks

Oh, it's just so cute! Clothworks made up a quilt from the pattern I designed for them. I LOVE IT! It is so happy and cheerful, and perfect for some little kid's bed! Just saw this on their blog and had to share it with you.

You can get free instructions (here) for this quilt on the Clothworks website.

Keep checking back with me, I will have a small giveaway soon!

2010-07-18T08:59:00.001-07:00

Going to the Show!

I am super proud to announce that my quilt, Doors Across Austin, has been juried into A World of Beauty, IQA in Houston. Click on the name of the quilt if you would like to read more about it. This is the same quilt that won Best of Show at ARTQUILTStransitions. It traveled to a number of venues, but I think this will be it's biggest one! It just adds so much meaning to my work when it gets to be seen and connect with others!

Also juried in was our group quilt, Rainbow Pixel Project, made by the Austin Art Bee (Kathy York, Connie Hudson, Sherri McCauley, Barb Forrister, Frances Holliday Alford, and Leslie Jenison). Whoo-hoo!!!!!!

2010-07-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

Dyeing to Learn Batik
a class from Malka Dubrawsky

My all time favorite teacher who forever has altered my life for the better is offering her wonderful class Dyeing to Learn Batik, on Sunday, July 25. I highly recommend it! You can read more about her class here at her Etsy shop. But be careful, chances are if you go to her Etsy shop, you will want to buy some of her fabulous fabric bundles and pillows and such. They are too yummy for words! Here's a pile of them, looking really wonderful together! Or check out her blog, here.

2010-07-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

Summer
It's been a fast summer. I am working on a new piece for my entry to Quilt National. So, I am busy, but can't show any pictures yet.
Meanwhile, my fabric line is on the shelves, and I've been to see it! What's next?
Well, International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA is coming up soon, July 23 to 25. I have a new piece debuting there called, Fifty and Female and Fearless (it's the same one on the post below!) And I wanted to share with you that all the quilts in this exhibit are available in a book called, Beneath the Surface, from Blurb. This is so awesome! And, so reasonably priced that I was surprised, only $15.95.
If you go to the quilt show in Long Beach, you will also be able to see my quilts, Duck and Cover (at the SAQA exhibit, Sense of Humor), and Red Legged Bird with a Tale to Tell (at Tactile Architecture). Also showing are my two winning quilts from IQA's World of Beauty, Building UP (1st place, small abstract), and Falling through the Cracks (3rd place, embellished).

Meanwhile, I will show you a few photos of the fabric I have dyed for my new quilt, but sadly, it doesn't portray at all what I am doing with them. Sorry.

2010-07-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

Beneath the Surface

My postcards have arrived and I would love to share them with you. If you want one, drop me a comment, and email me your address, I will send one to you! Offer expires when I run out of postcards!

Details: International Quilt Festival in Long Beach
July 22-25, 2010

Also showing at International Quilt Festival in Houston
Nov 4-7, 2010

Isn't it cool how they used the image of my quilt, Fifty and Female and Fearless, on the front!!

2010-07-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Quilt Store

Many years ago I took my first quilting class at The Quilt Store. I had finished my first quilt by then and had just completed a baby quilt. I was having trouble with the backs, they just weren't large enough. So I took a beginning class to learn more about construction. I just wanted an answer for that question about the backs, but I learned so much more. Things like....you are supposed to bury your knots inside the quilt sandwich. Really? I didn't know that. My first quilt was all hand quilted, double bed size, with all the knots on the back. A technique called Stab and Jab, which is pitifully slow. That might explain why that first quilt took 20 years to make!

Anyway, after the first class, I took another on machine quilting, and then a third on applique techniques. I usually take classes when I am stumped with a question. I had started a Christmas banner project and it was all applique. The instructions were vague and I got caught up with way too many layers to be able to sew through. Susan Tennison set me straight on that. She taught me 10 different ways to applique, and now I know that which technique depends on the type of project you have. I could go on and on with stories about classes and what I've learned, but let's flash forward a bit.

On my most recent visit to The Quilt Store, (yes, even more years later), my love for quilting and fabric design has resulted in my own fabric line. I couldn't wait to see it actually on the shelves! My expectation was to have to look for each bolt of fabric in it's own color section. I think that is one thing that I have LOVED about The Quilt Store so much; it is the way Laurie Evans organizes the fabrics into bays of color. Walk into the green bay, it involks a stronge emotion, the same as the blue bay, and the yellow and orange bay, etc. The colors speak most loudly when they are grouped together and when they surround you, you can hear them clearly. This is how I pick color palettes. Oops, sorry, I digress.

What I found was my fabric line on it's own shelf, right by the front door. I was so happy and I feel so honored to have my own shelf. And it was truly pleasing to see how well my fabrics fit in with the whimsical theme of that section. PERFECTION!!

2010-06-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

Quilting Arts In Stitch emag

I am excited to announce that I have an article in the premier edition of the new sewing sensation, an emag from Quilting Arts called In Stitch. You can download it and have immediate access to the cool articles. Not only that, but they also feature slide shows and videos! The videos are awesome and show artists hard at work, demonstrating and teaching their techniques. It's really cool! My video is on the satin stitch and I have a short interview.
They have two editions, one for PC's and one for Mac's. If you click on the links it will take you to the appropriate edition for you! Be sure to scroll down once you hit the link. You will be able to see what my page looks like!

2010-06-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

Urban Landscapes arrives: Cat gets first peak!
At last Urban Landscapes arrives! So much hard work, so beautiful! I was crying when I opened the box. Feeling a bit silly didn't stop the tears either.

My first time through this process, I am in awe of how beautiful and vibrant the colors are and how wonderful the fabric FEELS!!

So if your local quilt store doesn't have any yet, do not despair! It will be arriving shortly.
And if your local quilt store hasn't purchased Urban Landscapes, it's not too late. Ask them to get this fabulous line at Clothworks!

If you live in Austin, you can find Urban Landscapes at two local shops of which I know have purchased the line: The Quilt Stor e and Honey Bee's.
And if you are in Lakeway, you can find it at the Cotton Cupboard.
Have fun shopping! Have more fun sewing!

And I have news I can't wait to share, but I will have to, so keep checking back!

2010-06-16T11:22:00.001-07:00

Opening tomorrow!
Quilt National (collection C) will be at the National Quilt Museum located at 215 Jefferson Street in historic downtown Paducah, Kentucky.
6/17/10 - 8/10/10

Stop by and see my quilt, Little Fish in a Big City.

2010-06-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

Coloring Outside the Blocks: Artists Do Lunch
77.5" x 51"
Leslie Jenison, Frances Holliday Alford, Sherri McCauley, Barb Forrister, Connie Hudson, Kathy York

On a roll! Our art quilt bee has made two quilts to enter into Houston IQA this year! This one is the result of what happens when you ask artists over for lunch, which is exactly what Frances Holliday Alford did! After lunch she brought out the fabric markers, and told us to play on the tablecloth. So, we all sat around, mindlessly drawing and playing.
Then, each time we got together we would draw or paint on a different section. Eventually, Frances tore up the tablecloth into six pieces, gave each of us a piece. The instructions were to finishing painting and then quilt your section. In about a month, we met again and joined our sections, then cut them apart and then joined them again. Last, we quilted some sections of black and white and then the border was overlapped with the edges of the quilt to create the curvy boundary, which were then joined together. It looks super fabulous! And really, really fun!
You can see more details on Leslie's blog, here.

2010-06-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Pixel Project
60.5" x 39"

by Kathy York, Connie Hudson, Sherri McCauley, Leslie Jenison, Frances Holiday Alford, and Barb Forrister

Well, here's the full view of our entry for Houston this year. It went together so easily, and we had fun making it. When asked about techniques on the entry form, I just wanted to list, "everything". Obviously, it is impossible for it to have EVERY technique, but it sure felt like it!
We tried something new with the joining of the quilted blocks that I wanted to tell you about. We usually trim the quilted blocks, butt the edges together, zig-zag with invisible thread. Then we turn it over and fuse fabric strips over the joined edges, flip the quilt back over and satin stitch over the invisible zig-zag.
This time, after joining all the pieces with invisible thread, we decided that the satin stitch would be distracting because our blocks were so small (just 2" x 2"). We liked the way that the invisible thread looked, but were concerned about the overall strength of the piece. So, Leslie dyed a gorgeous piece of red organza (which I have not taken a photo of yet, sorry!!), and we fused the entire thing to the back. The photo below is what the back looked like before the organza. I thought that looked pretty awesome too!
After fusing the organza, we went back and zig-zagged all the seams through all the layers for reinforcement. Then we decided to add some satin stitching lines, keeping them consistent with the overall work but not overwhelming the work that was all ready there. It was hard to decide what these lines would be, but we eventually settled on these somewhat concentric lines. The thread was chosen to be similar to the background to keep the effect subtle, and some hand stitching with embroidery floss was added to both soften and emphasize our new lines. The work is just incredible! It is rich with the individual artist's voices and the group process sings!
Last, this was an easy group project that has so many possibilities! I am curious to see if we will try it again and get a totally different quilt.....or if any of you will give it a try! Be sure to let me know!

2010-05-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Soy Wax Batik

Why? Why did I take this workshop? I love what I am doing with parafin. The batik is fun, I get the results I am looking for and it's working for me. But soy wax? It is a weird beast. It does act as a resist, but it is also water soluble. You can wash it out with hot water. This is easy compared to boiling regular wax out over the hot steaming stove. I don't have much experience with soy wax though, so I could use a primer. And then, Jane Dunnewold was teaching it. I said YES before I even found out if I could go. I didn't know what to expect, but I was going with friends, I just love Jane's work and the books I have gotten from her. They have taught me so much about surface design and are so inspiring.

I was completely unprepared for the joy that was about to come my way. Jane is on the cutting edge of a completely new way of making batik. She has been experimenting for over a year and a half to come up with this new technique. She puts the dye right in the wax!! Then you can stamp or brush on many different colors in one pass, and then dye the background. It is an incredibly important and significant difference than the batik of olde. And she has formulated a recipe to make dye crayons with the soy wax too. So, you can color with them (see the bird below), and you can use them to do rubbings for texture. I am in awe!

Jane Dunnewold and Lisa Kerpoe (both of our teachers!)

These are the trays of soy wax on the hot plate with dye in them.

This is one of the two cats that live in Art Cloth Studios. Very cute!

This is an inspiring piece, lots of wonderful colors! Sorry I can't remember who made this one. Quick someone email me with the appropriate reference!

This one is also wonderful. It was made by Lisa Kerpoe. Actually I spent a lot of time browsing all the fantastic samples that Jane and Lisa had out for us. I got so caught up I forgot to take pictures of them.

This is a double layer done by Sherri McCauley. There is a silk piece underneath, and a sheer piece on top. These look marvelous together!

This is another sample from Sherri showing the textures from rubbings with the soy dye crayons. They are processed with steam and the colors really come alive!

This is one of my favorites by Leslie Jenison. I love the combination of colors she used in this rubbing! Very pretty!

This is a sample of mine. It is cotton and I thought I had ruined it. The low water immersion dye bath dissolved a lot of my soy wax and I thought I lost a lot of detail.

Upon processing, a lot of the colors were still there. It is my favorite piece that I did during the 3 day workshop. I never would have picked the muddy neutral background color. It just happened by accident, and I LOVE the way it turned out!

This is another of my favorites. In addition to using the crayons to capture texture with rubbings, you can also just color with them. I sat on the floor and felt like a little kid again. Pure bliss!

Jane and me. Fun class! I would highly recommend Jane as a teacher. She shares a ton of information, is very patient with students' questions, and offers a lot of inspiration and expertise! Thanks Jane!

2010-05-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Quilt Market

Well, Quilt Market is this weekend in Minneapolis and I won't be there. Clothworks will be very busy trying to sell my new fabric line, Urban Landscapes. I have sent my quilt, Urban Circles, for display, but am feeling a bit sad that I won't get to see it there. Not to worry, I will be busy learning new batik techniques with Jane Dunnewold, and I couldn't be happier!

Meanwhile, I have been dreaming up ideas of what to do with my fabric. These are some sample projects made with practice runs of the fabric before the real stuff is printed. Apparently, the colors are off just a bit but can be corrected with Photoshop, but my skills are not advanced to that point yet. These projects will be available to shops that order Urban Landscapes. Cool!

The first is a ruffle skirt and pocket T-shirt. The skirt has 3 tiers and an elastic waist, super comfy and easy to adjust for growing kids! The T-shirt is from Target. I shortened the hem and then fussy cut the pocket and stitched it on. Then I appliqued the hearts and hand stitched the stems.

The next project are two pillows for my couch. I love the way they look. Pretty, simple, and graphic. And the backs have a slightly wavy edge around the big buttons. So if you want a change, you can just flip the pillows over, effectively making them two-sided.

Here's a close up of the hand stitching on the red one.

Here's the quilting of the blue one. After stitching the pillow, this side is now hidden inside the pillow case, but I just love looking at the quilting lines, so I had to share!

This is my tote bag made from some of the Urban Landscapes fabric. You may have seen this tote bag in Quilting Arts Gifts magazine last fall?
Now here it is with my new fabrics, and a slight improvement. My original bag had a simple open pocket. I have altered this to have a zippered pocket so that my credit card won't fall out again!

Here are some closeups for you. I love this project because you can use it to practice your machine quilting skills on a small sample. This is the side of the tote bag. I typically use one quilting motif on one side of the bag, and then a different motif on the other.

How to make a zippered pocket? I didn't know either until I tried, but this is what I came up with. First, cut the pocket and turn under a seam allowance along the place where you will sew in the zipper. Then stitch the zipper in place, like in the photo. And trim off the long end of the zipper, flush with the pocket

Then turn under the edges of the pocket, pin to the lining of the tote bag, and stitch in place. It is easier if you open the zipper half way to do the ends. And, though simple, it's very functional, and looks pretty good too. And, though probably not everyone's taste, I love the contrasting colors!!

2010-05-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

Green

I made this fabric for a specific quilt I have in mind. Okay, the quilt hasn't gotten very far yet...what with painting the house, and repainting my daughter's room (and scraping the popcorn off her ceiling, bleh!). But, in my spare moments, I decided to try this quick experiment.

I pleated the fabric with the iron, in a skewed pattern, and then rolled it up, secured with a tie, and then dyed it. It's lovely and well, very green!

2010-05-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Pixel Project
by Kathy York, Connie Hudson, Sherri McCauley, Leslie Jenison, Frances Holiday Alford, and Barb Forrister

This is a sneak peak at our group quilt for this year. It has truly been so much fun! The guidelines were simple, 2 inch blocks, in rainbow colors. Any color could be used in each block as long as the entire block "reads" as a color. When we finished, we had over 600 blocks to put together!! Each one is it's own unique little art quilt. It is awesome!

At this stage, it is just barely constructed. It still needs some work to finish it up. I'll post the entire picture when it's finished. Wait til you see the back!!

Ask us what techniques we used? You are likely to hear everything. And we had blocks left over, so there will be two auction quilts for this year, one for IQA, and one for the Austin Quilt Guild! Hurray!

2010-04-23T07:31:00.001-07:00

1,2,3,4
7" x 7"

About this time last year, I was making plans to attend the opening of the Quilt National '09 exhibit. It was my first time to both attend a Quilt National exhibit at the Dairy Barn, and my first time to have a quilt in the collection. Absolutely thrilling adventure!

This year, I am busy making plans for my entry to Quilt National '11. I still have enough time because the entries are not due until September. However, it has been a strange year for making art quilts. It seems like I have had less time for art this year. I am not sure if that is true or not, or if it just feels true. I have been spending a lot of time providing support for my new fabric line, Urban Landscapes. And my children have needed a larger chunk of my time. And so, I have tried to give them more, but it is still difficult to balance everyone's needs. Really?? Yes.

Meanwhile, I have had some of these left over fabrics from my Quilt National '09 entry, Little Fish in a Big City. It was fun to sit down and play with them. And it was quick, so very satisfying to finish a small project. I still want to wrap the canvas in some fabric though, so I will have to repost when I finish that part. I am also working on two group quilts, but will post when they are finished.

If you get a chance, you can see my quilt, Little Fish in a Big City this summer in Paducah, KY. It will be at the National Quilt Museum June 17, 2010 to August 10, 2010 along with many other wonderful quilts from Quilt National '09.

Oh, this little quilt is called, 1, 2, 3, 4. I was thinking about families, and numbers, and how the number of members change as different groups are together and then apart.

2010-04-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

Urban Circles
49" x 49"

It is done, but is this really quilted? Technically, quilting is any stitching that hold the layers together (the top, the batting, and the back). I didn't use a normal quilting stitch for this quilt though, I used satin stitch, see close up photo below. I like the way the white lines form a grid and go with the white satin stitch around the circles. It just looks more complete or whole to me. I asked my friend, Connie, if anyone would think I was trying to hide poor piecing skills with the satin stitch. She thought I was nuts. "No one in their right minds would ever satin stitch an entire quilt to hide their piecing skills" she exclaimed. Okay....so I set about with satin stitching all the seams. It looks pretty and crisp, and I admit, I do LOVE it! Wondering how much thread I used?? Almost three 500 m spools of white on the top thread....and that's only counting the quilting lines, not the appliqued circles. It took a total of 6 hours to quilt this way, but I had to borrow Connie's Bernina. My wonderful and faithful Pfaff is just too slow.

2010-03-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Cheery O's
12" x 12"

This is my little piece that was in the Feb/Mar issue of Quilting Arts. I have since added borders. A group of friends had a small quilt exhibit at the Dallas Quilt Show a few weeks ago. My piece was one of the ones included, and I was so happy that it has now sold!

I wanted to try satin stitch free motion quilting, so I just started quilting in circles. Then I just kept changing threads and making more and more circles. With increasing time behind the wheel, I slowly got better, which was fulfilling and fun. Slowly, the beautiful colors started to sing. Then I added the hand embroidery and french knots and it turned completely fun! The borders were quilted separately, trimmed to size and then added last. So on this tiny little quilt, I used satin stitch to create the central design, structurally add the borders, and finish the edge of the quilt! Ta da!

2010-03-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Fifty and Female and Fearless
36" x 48"

I am thrilled to announce that my quilt has been juried into the invitational Beneath the Surface exhibit curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison and Dinner at Eight Artists. This is my second year to participate. Last year the exhibit was Edges and opened at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach and then traveled to Houston. I believe this year's venues are the same. We are extremely fortunate to have two sponsors, Moore's Sewing Centers and Brother International.

The quilt is 100% batik. I batiked the yellow central figure first on a yellow whole cloth. Then I etched the design lines and dyed it. Next I made a big stash of blue fabrics by batiking thin lines on commercial blue and turquoise fabrics, bleach discharge, and overdyeing. Each sample was then trimmed and fused into place, in a reverse applique style covering everything except the yellow figure. Lots of machine quilting, everything but the letters are heavily quilted every 1/4 inch.
The title comes from the book Silent Passages, which has come in very handy as I enter a new decade and face new challenges. What inner resources will I need to make the passage?