Merry Christmas!

They are dreaming of all the fiber they will be chewing and mauling next year.  It will be.... fabulous.

You Know It's a Party When...

The ladies don their party hats?

The ladies think paper plates are party hats?

Some tried to pretend they didn't enjoy the plates on their head.  Others enjoyed getting a room full of women to put paper plates on their head while they remained hatless (you know who you are).

But this table was filled with sporting women who wore their hats with elan!

What was the best part of the evening?  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.  I will leave mine here since I am writing the post.  I enjoyed meeting Cheryl's mom Louise.  She has a smile that is ever so charming.  It was also nice to see some of our members personalities.  Often we are sitting and listening or talking about projects we are working on, but last night it was more friendly and funny.  A real treat to be surrounded by both funny and talented ladies.

The best news of the evening is that Cheryl said she wants to lead the group for another year!  Apparently she enjoys hard work and stress.

I wish I had a picture of Cheryl with a mean face because I would insert it right here.  

 But I don't have one. 

 Mean face because she is reading that part about leading another year and wants to throttle me.  Nope.  She is giving us 6 months to find another fearless leader.  Luckily there are plenty of talented and well organized ladies to step up and lead.  Consider it and let Cheryl know.

Now for your entertainment... a little video of the post card challenge:

Now how about some Show and Tell!  No I am holding those back for next month.  Sorry.  They were really good too.   😁

But.  There is one last thing...

Next meeting:  Bring in any fabrics you have that you have ever wondered what they are and how to handle them.  We will be getting a nice lesson on all things fabric.

Until then, happy new year, merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and may the new year be full fabric lint and thread from manic. blissful creation!

Inchie, Twinchie, Rinchie, Rolo, ATC, Moo... Oh My!

If you missed December's meeting we were tossing around doing an inchie challenge for January.  Many of us didn't know what they were.  Didn't know our Twinchie from Rinchie!  So Carroll Lee Stolz offered to clear things up.

INCHIE, TWINCHIE, RINCHIE, ROLO, ATC, OR MOO?

Are you familiar with any of these? How about ACEO or Artist Postcards? They are new obsessions for quilters around the world. You may have heard of an Artist Postcard. Maybe you’ve made some, or received some from someone who thinks you are very special. 
 

Have you been surfing Pinterest, EBay or Etsy and wondered what the heck are “Inchies” anyway? Or, you may know what an Inchie is and wonder, “WHY”??? These are small artworks, and they’re not just for painters, paper crafters or woodworkers. Many are being made by those of us who love fabric and thread, too. That means us!

Let me demystify:

INCHIE: It’s a 1” x 1” piece of artwork. First popular with paper crafters, it is becoming popular with fiber artists and quilters as well. As long as it’s an inch squared, you can use any media you like to make it, paper, fabric, wood, metal… the list goes on! A favorite seems to be the collaged Inchie, with a combination of words and images making up the artwork. For quilted Inchies, imagine attaching them together with thread or yarn to display as a piece of fiber art. Trading and collecting these is a fun hobby and doesn’t take much time or materials. It lends favor to using those itty-bitty pieces of “something good for something” we have in a box or baggie somewhere in our sewing rooms—you know; tiny beautiful fabric scraps, ribbon, yarn, lace, selvages, etc. (If you have these, you know who you are!)

TWINCHIE: These are 2" x 2" squares. Like an Inchie, but twice as big! Twinchies are perfect if Inchies are a wee bit too small for you! Other than the larger size, they are exactly like “Inchies”.

RINCHIE: These are 1” circular artwork. The great thing about Rinchies is that they fit into the underside of a bottle cap, so you can turn them into any number of decorative things! If you have a bottle cap, making a template is easy. Once affixed inside the bottle cap, it becomes a tiny framed artwork. Rinchies are cute, collectible, tradeable, sweet little pieces of textural delight.


ROLO: This is artwork produced by altering a Rolodex® card. Typically, the Rolodex card size is 3” x 5”. The cards may be made for the rectangle box-style, or the round Rolodex. For those who have used, or remember what a Rolodex IS, know the cards are sold in office supply stores. One style had two little cut-out notches at the bottom to accommodate a pair of grabbing bars in the base of a special roll-able desktop box. Another style is rectangle, without the cut-outs, and are designed for the rectangle card box. The rectangle cards (without the cut-outs) are transformed into art, what is called a “ROLO”. What a fun, artistic way to keep up your mental artistic dexterity.

ATC: Artist Trading Cards are strictly sized at 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”. That is the size of playing cards (Canasta, anyone?), and baseball trading cards. This precise size is necessary in order to trade them (and that’s really the whole point) so they will fit into the sleeve of a baseball card protector. These protectors always have the same size pocket, but do come in various styles; pages for a 3-ring binder, or individual sleeves, and other choices for display.

ATC’s are self-made works or small series, signed and dated on the reverse by the artist, exchanged and collected by the people who participate in a collaborative performance. Some collections, and individual cards have been shown in art galleries around the world. But, don’t let that scare you. Anybody can make, collect and trade ATC’s.

There are many groups that trade ATC’s. For instance, there are on-line trading groups, magazines, art groups, as well as art and quilt guilds. Friendship groups are a great place for a quilter to start trading. Usually a group’s coordinator will set the parameters of a specific trade challenge. Other than the strict requisite 2.5”x 3.5” size, and requiring a bit of information on the back, anything goes.

As an example, Quilting Arts Magazine (June/July 2017 issue) called for ATC’s, with a subject called “Cup-O-Comfort”. The challenge rules were decided by the magazine editors, and they allowed plenty of time for design, creation and entry. Look for a gallery of results in the December, 2017 issue. (Post Script: Since I originally wrote this article, my first ever ATC was published in the December issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, page 58).

ARTIST POSTCARDS: Did you know you can actually mail an artist postcard? Did you know you can mail a coconut through the USPS if the address and postage is applied to it. It’s true. I have mailed many coconuts from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland!

The Artist Postcards are hand-made works which are mail-able, but with special handling. USPS price to mail a 4” x 6” postcard is currently 34₵. However, Artist Postcards require special handling and will cost more than the average postcard. When mailing them, it is necessary to take them to the clerk at the Post Office desk rather than dropping into a mail slot. Don’t you agree it would be fabulous to send an Artist Postcard to someone special? 

*(Postcards with 3-dimensional elements and embellishments need to be sealed in a clear envelope. For purchasing information, see note below.)

MOO: To be specific, “Moo” is the name of an online company (Moo.com) which produces luxury business cards. Their product is a 1-1/8" x 2-3/4" rectangle. Designed and printed to contain a photo of artwork or other objects on one side and written info on the other, these are now made and traded in the same way as ATC's and Inchies. Many professional artists cut up Moos and collage them into a works of art. Although these cards are no longer necessarily printed JUST by Moo, any brand of these types of cards can be cut and collaged yourself! Moo is a company AND a trading card.

Not much about the Moo really applies to the quilter or fiber artist, except that you might want a superior business card and collect and trade them, too. After all, if you wish to sell your work, you might need fabulous business cards. I asked the question, “Why did a business card company choose the name ‘Moo’”?? The company says, it’s a strong, hearty word, easy to say, easy to remember and it makes a great URL. I agree. 

ACEO: These, also, would appeal most to the professional amongst us. You may run into this acronym in the art world. It is, “Art Cards, Editions And Originals”. This style of making small art is usually reserved for the professional in the art business, and for artists who need their own, unique “business cards” to promote the sale of their work. They are sometimes used as small “gifts” to potential patrons, or as their business card. But you don’t need to be a professional artist to collect these. ACEO cards are sold, collected and traded like baseball and hockey cards. I only mention them here because they might appeal to fiber and quilt artists who sell their work.

Making small art gives you the advantage of making something quick, using scraps and left over items, plus allowing you to practice and explore surface design, painting, inking, stamping, embroidery, hand and machine stitching, collage and designing skills. These small pieces take up very little space on your wall or in a collector’s box or catalog. Creating smalls offer the opportunity to test the waters outside your comfort level. It’s always enriching to try something new and different. They are thrilling to receive from another artist, and are wonderful conversation starters in any gathering of quilters or quilt artists.

Wouldn’t it be fun to be a part of a “small art trading” group? It could be a great activity for quilt guilds, friendship groups, or individuals who want to join an on-line trading group. Look for the calls in art magazines or on-line groups. Think of what a wonderful exhibit an assemblage of these would make in the DQG quilt show next year! Jump in… the fun is waiting!

*Crystal Clear, Self-Sealing Bags, 4-1/8” x 6-1/8” are made by ©Darice, Inc., www.darice.com (Wholesale). Retail purchase can be made at www.amazon.com and www.consumercrafts.com A 50-piece unit costs approximately $2.50 (+ p/h).

When mailing your Artist Postcard in the Crystal Clear bag, the bag should not be sealed until the postmaster has applied postage to the postcard.

AAUW Call for Women Artists Exhibit Entries

 

 Hi ladies,

Cheryl wants you all to know that the AAUW Utah Women Artists Exhibit is scheduled for May and June of 2018 in West Valley City Utah and that they are calling for entries.  Below are the links to all the information you will need.  Entry deadline is Feb. 16, 2018

Some quick facts: 

• You can enter up to 3 pieces at $15/ piece
• All work must be original and created within the last 2 years
• Previous exhibits have yielded over $9k to 15 talented artists
• Categories: Student, Amateur, Mature Amateur (over 50), and Professional 

Links:
AAUW Utah Women Artists Exhibit Website
Artcall Entry Information

If you are curious about previous years' entries, here is their Facebook page with lots of pictures from previous exhibitions.  AAUW Facebook Page

Good luck ladies and I hope to see some of you enter.  If some do enter maybe we can carpool up to the exhibit to support our entrants!

Free Motion Quilt Graffiti

During a break at November's meeting Sherry Sarino and I were discussing our shared interest in Free Motion Quilt Graffiti (aka doodling or zentangle).  I told her I saw an amazing tutorial online and would send it to her, but I thought "why not share with everyone"! So without further ado here are some examples and a great tutorial.  Have fun.  LOVE this.

Karlee Porter "Russian Mosque" these are two different pictures.  I couldn't separate them for some reason.  Apparently they are Siamese twins.


So I had the video saved and darn it all... Karlee removed the video.  I think she is now selling it.  BUT here is a pretty good one:
Video where Karlee discusses how she does the graffiti quilting:
Interview Karlee Discuss Graffiti Quilting

Her website:
Karlee porter
Her tutorials and fast motion graffiti
She has links to her blog, designs,books... if you are interested.

Sherry, I sure hope this is what you were talking about!

If anyone has a good video to share or some insights, feel free to leave a comment below.  Also, if you have something you want to share on the blog, write up your thoughts, give me some links and pics and BINGO  - you can now add "quasi published writer" to your resume AND make your fellow SUFAites really really happy.

November Meeting - including Show and Tell

Good day Fiber Artists!

Thank you for your patience in waiting for this post.  A few of our fellow members and I were blissfully quilting away at our neighborhood's quilting club's retreat in Springdale.  Boy howdy was it pretty while we were there.  One member was not quilting so much as creating a little fiber art.  I suspect she will be bringing her goodies to show and tell pretty soon.

OK down to business.  First, thank you again Charlotte for the great soy milk and pigment presentation.  We all look forward to see what our ladies come up with when trying it out.  Second, don't forget your postcard and dish for potluck for Decembers meeting (Dec. 5).  direct any questions about the postcard to our fearless leader Cheryl.

Now onto the pics (click to enlarge):

I'm gonna start with Maryanne.  She is our newest member.  Welcome lady!  She offered up her flower she made in  class she took where they sort of impromptu flower designed.  No real pattern, they just created.  Nice work!

Sherry Sarino offered a crayon depiction of seashell and...I will call it the "Visine Eyeball".  Haha!  I don't think she will be offended.  I think it was a neat little experiment involving wind, salt and paint.  Looking forward to seeing what she does with it.

I'll get a pic of Sherry next time.  Opted to shoot close of art

 Next up Doris Claude and her Doxidog.  I didn't record the particulars on it because I was too busy looking at it and then trying to ensure it got passed my way.  Ahem.  I am mesmerized by dogs.  Even inanimate ones.  It was beautiful up close so be sure to click to enlarge.  I know she thread stitched and appliqued (check out the back and front leg.  Purple.  Perfect.)  She really captured a lot of personality in her dachshund.

And here is a stained glass quilt by Janey Argyle.  Hard to see in the picture, but it is shimmery.  I think she said she painted glitter on it, but it has the effect of Jacquard metallic paint.  Then she quilted it with what looks like drizzling rain in metalic thread.  She isn't done with this though. She is adding shrubbery to it. 

 

Here we have a splendid Spoonflower transfer of Karen Andrus' granddaughter to which she embellished with acrylics, pastels and intense pencils.

Here Rosemary Hargrove is showing "Seven Wives BnB" which is actually a sneak peak for us!  She is doing January's program for us entitled "More than Cotton" where we will get to know the different fabrics out thereand get to thinking of how we might use them.  So here she did a crazy patch she learned in a Judith Montono seminar.  The embroidery is done by hand with silk ribbon and sever other threads.

Cathie Purdy brought in a sample of some echo dying she did.  I believe it is on Cotton, but wouldn't it be something on a silk scarf?  Very interesting effect that she should consider showing us how to do.  👱

And another anonymous artist.  Just kiddin ya.  It is Nickie Heying's work "Front Porch" up close.  I wanted you to see the picture she used and how she chose to put it to cotton.  IRL the plant stand out.  I think she sulky threaded it.

And here is Barbara Nilsson.  Wish I caught this up close.  She took a whole cloth scene and changed the entire background by fussy cutting removing many background trees and inserted blue sky, plus added a fallen tree, second water fall, flowers and extra foliage. She used Inktense pencils to add shadows and high lights to entire piece. The water falls, trees, bushes, grass etc. were thread painted. In the foreground she used Noriko Endo-esque confetti for flowers and leaves.  She would probably strangle for saying this - but she should teach a class on the Noriko Endo confetti.  I am writing it.  Not SAYING it.

And last but not least we have Cindy Oxley and her Crayon and thread painted landscape.  I think this is her first real go at thread painting.  Well done lady.

Alrighty.  If I did not accurately describe your piece or God forbid - forgot someone, can you shoot me a mail or leave a comment below.  If I wrote you and you didn't get back to me yet - well get on the stick! Shoot me a mail and I will edit the post.

Soy Painting and Watercolor Pigment

Thank you so much Charlotte for presenting to us how she uses how soy and watercolor pigment to create some of her art.  If you missed the meeting ask Charlotte for her handout.  It will be more in depth on some topics than I will cover here.

Is anyone besides me fascinated by what people come up with when creating?  Never would I have thought to process soybeans to use as a binder or medium for pigment to be applied to paper or fabric.  But that is what happens when you wisely ignore convention.  Let loose the imagination ladies!

Let's start with an example of Charlotte's work to whet your creative appetite for soy watercolor painting.

Beautiful example of painting with watercolors using the soy milk as the medium. So impressive in person.  It is titled 'Sunset at Falls Park'  She is pointing to a place on the ridge she had to change the fabric in order to achieve the right shading for the sun.  The tree is done with tulle. It really made it pop.  The quilting done on the water really expressed the wild flow.

So how is it done?  I am going to include some references she made in her presentation at the bottom of this post.  They are primarily linking to Fiber Artist John Marshall who is a pioneer of this method and to Subversive Stitches which covers some things John Marshall does not. If ou can find the quilting arts magazine in which they cover him and this method it is worth trying to find and purchase.  Charlotte says it is quite comprehensive.  I also included a link to a woman - a gross woman - who also uses soy and pigment in her art.  Funny and disgusting.  She is the hit of NYC.

Charlotte basically discussed the two applications for soy milk and fabric.
1)  As A whole fabric pretreat:  Briefly, apply soy milk to the fabric before you paint it, let it cure anywhere from 2 to 30 days flat or hung taughtly  (so it stretches it) on a quasi hammock.  The result is a fabric that really allows pigment to embed into the fabric and keeps it from wicking.
2)  Use soy milk instead of water to thin watercolor pigment that will then be painted onto the fabric.

She really went into #2. which is the method she uses.  She does not pretreat. She does note that if you don't use PDF (which I think means pre-dyed fabric) that you should pre-wash the fabric to get the sizing out of it before you start painting with the soy and pigment.

What she does is she uses the soy milk instead of water and applies the (watercolor) pigment/soy to the fabric.  It really makes the pigment soak into the fabric and fixes it into it.  She keeps water available only to clean the brushes.  So she keeps it out of reach so she doesn't accidentally dip into water instead of milk.

She said she has a separate pallet for the paints she uses with soy.  Why?  It can get funky.
Cindy O. noted that soy milk can turn white fabric slightly yellow.

OK onto more eye candy. I think you can click on the pic to enlarge it for detailed examination.

Soy milk watercolor and thread painting of Oregon Coast

Early work.  Oregon Coast

Horseshoe Bend.   It is totally painted, then thread painted. The bush on the front was created separately and then appliquéd with a sewing machine and clear thread.  To make the bush she used strips of batik which she knotted, bunched up and sewed to a piece of netting she had stretched in an embroidery hoop.

 Be sure to click on this pic to see the quilting.  I didn't take notes on this because I was picture taking but I think she said this is inspired by her sister.  Her sister being the menacing bird getting ready to grab a big hunk of her hair.  Oh wait - I am projecting.  Her sister - I am sure - is a lovebird.

 Another scene from the diverse and beautiful Moab.  I went up to have a look at it during the break.  Very intricate placement of fabric in the trunk on the foreground.  Raw edge appliqued with bits of little pieces of fabric to make that look so good.   Same for the background shrubs and foreground grasses.  Excuse that overly technical description...😏.  A few of us enjoyed talking about how our mountains would look if we attempted those shadows.  Well done Char.  Your work is very appreciated by our group.

Charlotte said that she draws the scene a few times on paper before she puts it down on the cloth.  She uses all sorts of fabric including simple muslin.  In the pic right above there is a piece right under the landscape - it is tulips.  It was done on muslin.  The tulips were inspired from her neighbors tulips that bloomed underneath a tree.  I think I may have been envisioning it and forgot to snap a pic.

Finally here she has sunflowers and demure bird.  Thread painting and some terrific bead work in the flowers.  She had a companion piece to this, but I didn't snap it.

Gigantic thank you Char for sharing your work and methods plus you really kept us all enthralled and had us laughing over the mold (you had to be there) and were very sporting when you gave us a live example of how to apply it to a pre painted piece (which you decided to do on the fly).  It is no small thing to get up in front of us IMO.

If you live in Hurricane Nickie Heying is offering to share some newly purchased soybeans.  She bought them at Natural Grocer off of Green Springs.  2lbs bag for 2.98.
Bob's Red Mill also sells them so you might find them right there in the regular grocery.  You can also try Dixie Nutrition if you live in STG.




Links:

John Marshall's Making & Basics of Soy Milk
Vid Applying Soymilk Sizing to Whole Cloth
Subversive Stitchers' Post on Marshall and his methods
Slightly related but wholly disgusting video. Made me laugh

Group Name Change

Did you miss the meeting?  Bummer.... because we voted to change the name of our group.  Thankfully the vast majority of us agreed on the new name: "Southern Utah Fiber Artists (SUFA)".  Thank you to everyone who submitted ideas.  Some of them were so clever and others really funny and apt, but we oped for a more professional name because as Barbara Nilsson stated in her last minute campaign for SUFA "When we submit our work for show or review (and win) it is best to have a more professional name".  I shouldn't have put quotes around that since I can't remember her exact words, but that was the gist.

About the blog.  If you are just reading this in your mail, consider clicking thru to the blog and reading there.  Why?  Because there are pictures there!

OK, blog post on all the other stuff we did in the meeting and all the fabulous show and tells to come later this week.

And for grins:

Show and Tell for October 2017

You know what struck me during October's Show and Tell?  Not just the wide variety of work, but how many good ideas people have.  Did everyone leave the meeting inspired? 

So what did the ladies bring in for us to see? 

 Barbara kicked things off with her Bodacious Bloomers.  I believe she raw edge appliqued the fussy cut flowers to fabric and then mounted it to a frame.

Here Barbara had a focus fabric which she framed with fabric, ribbons and other things onto washout stabilizer, sewed it down with interesting thread and washed it out, then embellished.

 

Her second piece is a flower and leaf appliqued table runner.  So pretty!

Next up is Patty VanOrt.  She brought in her Christmas tree which was a print which she colored in with crayon. How pretty it turned out.

 Patty also brought in another print she colored in and I think she added a bit of patchwork.  A nice effect.

Now.  I wasn't quick enough to catch Jan Kalian with both of her glasses perched on her nose.  You godda be quick!  She was working on this millifiore.  It is going to be something!  She has a lot of patience.

Melanie Wilson brought in numerous hand copied coloring blocks.  I was wondering if she was wishing Margaret Abramshe had given her presentation about photocopying onto fabric before her family reunion.  She handed them out to the children at the reunion to create their own art.

 Here is what one child came up with.  She is going to take all their work. make a quilt and auction it off to a family member. 

 Nickie Heying brought in her first prize winning piece she entered into the Peach Day Challenge - via the Zion Piecemakers.  There is a lot going on here!  I think I see that she used the selvedges as a background, applique, painting, various quilting methods and a bloom in relief.  Nice work Nickie and congratulations!

Charm Crumrine brought in a photo of her granddaughter that she had transferred to fabric on Spooflower.  How prescient was she to bring this in that evening!  I bet she left with some good ideas for what to do with Regan.  I think she mentioned having her walk on clouds, but don't hold her to that.  Cute idea though!

Darlend Mann brought in a crayon watercolor of Fall leaves.  I think someone asked how permanent the crayons are...

Sue Gilgen offered a definitive answer.   At least 70 years.  Her father drew this in 1947 and colored it with crayons.  Later Sue finished it and quilted it.

Sue also brought in an award winning (first place) quilt she did after a long hiatus from quilting (she was living overseas for a while).  She didn't know if she still had it in her to create beautiful things.  Turns out she still had it. I can't remember the show she entered, but I do recall that she said it was a more traditional leaning group and those traditional ladies chose her quilt as their favorite.  Never box in a quilter, much less a big group of them.

Sharon Friedman brought in a long labor of love she is calling “Metamorphosis” .  She changed up the pattern by making a standout medallion on point for her center.  The quilting and applique on this quilt is gorgeous.  She will be entering this in a show and we all wish her luck!

Caroll Lee Stoltz brought in two watercolor landscapes which she thread painted.

Last but not least Cheryl Styler brought in a work in progress Barbara Olsen inspired bloom.  Starting was the hardest part, but she had a ruthless taskmaster spurring her on.  It is coming together Cheryl!

See ya in November ladies!

The Metaphysical Quilter - Margaret Abramshe

Margaret - a self portrait

Hi ladies,

I know everyone got Margaret's email with the PDF of her presentation (thank you Margaret), but I thought a little recap to memorialize it would be nice.

 First, BIG thank you to Margaret for such an excellent presentation that was so interesting, informative and entertaining.  There was a general sense in the room that we need to broaden our minds about what exactly an art quilt can be.

To refresh your memory, she showed her art's progression and how she found her "voice" in her work.  Currently she is doing some really fascinating work thru manipulating photos, having that image put onto fabric and then really bringing it to life and making it unique through artistic embellishment.

I am going to include a couple pictures and the links she provided for the tools she uses and to her website. 

*Do I need to say I am no photographer?

Spoonflower (commercial fabric printed from your image.) 

Spray Adhesive  (to spray on paper for printing on your home printer)

Definition of an Art Quilt (from SAQA, the organization that defined art quilting)

Margaret's Website (You can read her blog, check out quilts, and find out more about what she does!)

Selections of her work on Pinterest  (why not follow her?)

It was delightful getting to know you through your work Margaret!

Meeting Minutes for October

Hello Ladies,
Hope the week since we met has been a fruitful one in craft and in life.
Until I can sort out linking PDF's from Googledocs to our blog, I am going to simply going to post the meeting minutes.  Hope that's OK.

So without further ado (Thank you Sharon for taking such terrific notes and sending them out not on a PDF):

Fiber Arts Rebels

October 3, 2017 Minutes 

6:00 - Welcome by Cheryl

• Sign-up Sheet for “Teaching Opportunities”.  If you would like to teach a class at our upcoming meetings, please sign up.  This form was passed around during class.
• Pot luck dinner will be in December.
• November meeting will be taught by either Char or Carol Lee.  TBD
• January meeting will be Thread Painting, taught by Sue Gilgen
• Carol Lee Stolz volunteered to by Cheryl Styler’s assistant

6:10 - 7:00  -  Presentation on Art Quilts by Margaret Abramshe (the Metaphysical Quilter)

Margaret shared some of her award-winning quilts, and did a power-point presentation that took us through her creative process.  Her resume is extensive and includes her work being featured in many quilt shows nationally, her teaching background, as well as her authoring a book on the subject of art quilts.  This presentation will be sent out to all via e-mail, but the highlights of the presentation include:

Definition of art quilts:  A creative visual work that is layered and stitched.  (Emphasis:  No batting necessary.)

Reasons for creating:

• Exploring stories starting with a photograph
• Documenting one’s life in an art quilt
• Allowing deeper thinking about life, as well as finding joy

Process:

• Sent to Spoon Flower, who prints your photo on Kona Cotton, or other selected fabric, for a fee of approx. $15. - $20., depending on size
• Use dyes, pencils, acrylics, your choice of mediums, and “paint” then “stitch the heck out of it!”
• Use unstaged, photos, not portraits
• Use Photoshop to “clear your foundations,” add color, etc.

Tips: 

• Thread adds texture, color, value, so don’t be afraid to use it
• Write down tension for every kind of thread you use
• Bottom-line thread by Superior is always used as bobbin thread.
• “Champagne” Bottom-line thread best color to use in bobbin.
• Paper is cotton, can be sewn into quilt
• DIVE IN!  Don’t be afraid to try anything
• Quilting Arts magazine an excellent source of inspiration and examples
• Best way to get a project into a show:  A great photograph (might want it professionally photographed) 

How to Make a Project at Home:  Directions for process will be e-mailed

7:00 - 7:10  Break

7:10 - 7:15  Announcements and Concerns

• Shannan Shaw would like to put information, ideas, etc., on blog, so please sent information to her.  No one has sent anything yet!  If you see something interesting, send it to her.  Also, if you have not received an invite to be on the blog, let her know and she will send it to you and help get you on.  Her e-mail address is deleted from the blog (😇)
• There is a request to change the name of our group.  Sue Gilgen pointed out that a group name should reflect what we do and who we are.  After a brief discussion, Cheryl asked that we e-mail suggested names for the group to her before Oct. 17.
• An embroidery class will be taught by Carol Lee Stolz.

 7:25 - 7:55 - Show and Tell - That is for an upcoming blog post.

7:55 - 8:00:  Closing remarks by Cheryl Styler

• Reminder about Mesquite Contest
• Joe the Quilter.com—please go online, and check out his web site.  We’re considering bringing him to St. George to teach a class.

Looking for Entries Mesquite Fine Arts "Lucky 13" Exhibition

From our member Carroll Lee Stolz:

At the Dixie Quilt Guild meeting last Saturday, I was approached by Doreen Kincaid, quilter and artist from Mesquite, NV. She asked me to invite fiber artists to apply to the Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery for an exhibit to take place beginning November 6, 2017.  The exhibition is called "Lucky Thirteen", and requisites for submission include a small finished size; "Maximum size 13" x 13" x 5" deep, including frame. (Please see the information page for the entire requirements for submission).  There are nice cash awards, too!

In our quest for Fiber Art and Quilted Art to be recognized and exhibited as fine art, it would be wonderful to have members of our club submit to this event. Doreen is encouraging that particular gallery to include "FABRIC" art in their exhibits, and now is our opportunity!

Competition information can be found on line at:MesquiteFineArtsCenter.com,  (We will try to include the PDF below.  If not head on over via the link.

I am sure many of us already have pieces of the small required size. If not, the size allows for quick design and execution. We could maybe even think of finishing the piece you made in our last workshop meeting with the water-soluble crayons!! 

-Carroll Lee S

info and entry form link

ABFAR. In Pictures.

ABFAR.  Art Before Fiber Artist Rebels.

Some ladies brought in some examples of the fiber art they have worked on before joining the group.  What an interesting and varied group we have.  Thank you brave ladies!  It will be fun to see the evolution and progression of one another's art plus it gives the rest of us inspiration for our own work!

OK without further ado...

A mystery artist with her beautiful "Baltimore Harvest" by Pearl Periera she created in applique.
                                                  

Ah it is Cheryl back behind there.  Good to know that face.  She is the lady leading our rabble. Thank you Cheryl!

Next up - our photographer for this post.  Barbara.  My camera gave her some problems, but saved the day and took the pics on her phone.  Thank you my sweet friend.  She brought three pieces.
To the left here we have her self portrait.  I think she captured herself pretty well.  She fancies herself with red hair.  Hey its her piece.  I draw myself thin. So... Anyway back to the art.  It is an applique.  I love that she is sporting a scarf in her art and IRL.  To the right is her Fall scene in applique including raw edge, thread painting and Angelina leaves done in relief. 

Barbara also brought this abstract made by reverse appliqueing. It was a table runner but she cut it down to a wall hanging.

Here we have Judy's (hands) holding up a bevy of children's appliqued quilts depicting a dinosaur with flowers, a puppy and a pig (the pig was distracted by a plate of bacon and ran from the picture frame apparently).  So cute.  She creates these cuties for a business.

On to Charm's (her parents just knew) "Abandoned Irish Cottage".  She took a photo, had it printed to fabric and then embellished it with paint (watercolor and acrylic), thread painting, stab stitching and felted sheep.  She is still working on it as a challenge project for using multiple fiber manipulations on one piece.  Well done!

 

Here we have Cindy's "Sunshine".  Fitting.  A lady who is always the picture of sunshine!  She did it in applique and then slathered it with beads and Swarovski crystals.

Carroll Lee brought in a few pieces.  Up first is a coneflower.  It is done on 4 layers.  Two cotton, 1 batting and then.... hand died dryer sheets.  Yep.  Bounce. That's one of the reasons we are here ladies.  What a fun and interesting technique!  Then she beaded it.

 Here is Carroll Lee's "Midnight Snack".  OK the Robin's snack.  For the record Carroll Lee does not eat worms. It was created in multiple steps of masking and discharging with bleach.  She will be explaining how she does it in an upcoming meeting.  Stay tuned.

 This is a closeup photo of a mexican petunia that lives in her front yard. She sent it into Spoonflower (like Charm did) to be printed on a yard of fabric.  The only thing she knows for sure is there will be some undulating zigzig stitching going on.  But the possibilities are endless... if you have the skills.  

Here we have Ann showing one of her darling purses.  She makes quite a few and all are completely different.  She is going to be selling some of her gems in an upcoming craft sale at Sun River.

 Last but not least we have Cathie and Charlotte.  They took a newfangled (a technical artist like term) crazy quilting class from Judith Baker Monsanto.  These are their works of art in progress from that class.  They had photos laid on silk, water colored over them and then crazy quilted.

Wasn't that an interesting sampling?  So much to learn and appreciate.  I think there is equal passion to teach and to learn in our group.  Lots of new techniques to share and what fun we will have seeing how each of us applies them and maybe some of the more experienced ladies will find inspiration from those of us (coughmecough) for whom this is all new.  What will we come up with?  Ut oh... the pressure's on!

Thank you to those brave ones who brought in their work.