Piecing Shadows

I just returned from a wonderful week in Tucson - a great respite from our seemingly never ending winter here in the northeast.  We were having lunch at a sandwich place in a typical suburban strip mall, and found out we were looking at the Safeway where Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot, and 8 people died. It was hard to imagine that someone walked up with a gun and started shooting. The parking lot was full of cars, there were people walking all over, in and out of the stores, and 8 people had died there. I can only imagine how surreal it was for everyone. And it made me realize it can happen anywhere.

While in Tucson, we did some exploring of the area. Visited the Desert Museum which had plants, coyotes, javelino's, raptors, lizards, snakes - oh my! Nice place to walk around and learn about the desert and it's flora and fauna. Of course, I was most interested in things that could inspire compositions.

The shadows on the walls made me think about what they would look like if they were pieced, or if the shadows were created by Shibori type marks. I could see doing them in the colors of the photo, or just black and white. Or in very bright colors...As usual, my mind goes in many different directions, and I can imagine all of them. Sewing is so time consuming that choices need to be made, and it is sometimes hard to commit when you know the work will take a month or longer. Meanwhile, other ideas move in and out of the list of things to be done!

New View - SAQA 2011 Auction piece

"New View" c.2011 12" x 12"

The Studio Art Quilt Associates asks its members to donate a small art quilt each year for the annual fundraiser. I actually got mine in early this year, instead of just making the deadline! Progress, not procrastination for a change. My piece is titled "New View" because I thought it seemed like a view from another planet of moons circling the sun. I dyed the fabrics and have become entranced by circles.

This is the second year I have donated a piece to the auction. I bid, on two last year, and was thrilled with the art quilts when they arrived via USPS. They were both more detailed and interesting than I could tell from the photo on the web site. This year's auction will start on Sept. 12.
I hope you will take a look, and start thinking about the small art works you would like to have for your own. Watch this space for more info!

Quilts for Japan

The continuing devastation in Japan leads us all to want to help in whatever way we can. Donations of money are the most helpful right now and there are many organizations that are doing important work. Save the Children is my favorite, and Doctors without Borders a close second.

Being quilters, we all think of all the fabric we have that could be sewn up into quilts to help with warmth, and care. Here are possible sources for contributing quilts to the people in Japan:

1) Mission of Love Foundation
2054 Hemlock Court
Youngstown, Ohio 44515 ~ U.S.A.
Ship quilts any time now to the above address. First shipment to Japan in about 30 days by the U.S. Air Force

2) Dana Jones
Quilter’s Newsletter magazine
741 Corporate Circle, Suite A
Golden, CO 80401
Add your name, address and e-mail inside the package.
A third possibility is to mail quilts directly to the editor of Patchwork Tsushin.
★Naomi Ichikawa suggests that people send quilts after the end of April.
Mail to:

3) Naomi Ichikawa, Editor
Patchwork Tsushin Co., Ltd.,
2-21-2, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo, JAPAN 113-0034
or
4) Patchwork Tsushin Co. Ltd
Tohoku Kanto Earthquake Comfort Quilts
〒113-0033 Tokyo, Bunkyoku, Hongo 5-28-3
Telephone 03-3816-5538

If sending directly to the magazine, please do not state a declared value of more than $100. or a customs tax will have to be paid by the recipient. When shipping, don't put "quilt" on the contents form - it is too tempting to thieves. Instead, "bedding", "used fabric" or "blanket" is safer.
Thanks to Patricia Cummings for the information and addresses!

Let's all keep Japan and the environment in our thoughts and prayers - and do what we can to help.

Hugs and Kisses for babies

I quilted "Hugs and Kisses" and a heart across the bottom border of the quilt. Someday, the babies will be able to read it!

I'm a grandmother now - hard to believe, since I still feel like I'm about 35, but it's a wonderful experience. I've spent the last two weeks making a wall hanging for my new grandbabies - twins!
My daughter in law always signs her emails and cards with XOXOX, so I thought I'd use that theme for the babies quilt. The nursery is painted purple, and knowing that babies like bright colors and black and white, I used a Laurel Burch designed fabric as the centerpiece with bright accents.

I loved that the fabric had a brown woman who looked like she was a princess of the stars, and there were lots of different suns and some moons. They both speak to me of the wonders of the universe, and having twin babies seems to be an amazing event!

Full view of Hugs & Kisses 2011c.

No Indigo to go go

Unfortunately, the Indigo workshop doesn't have enough registrants to make it worthwhile. I'm disappointed, because I love the color of Indigo, and was looking forward to using it in many art quilts.
I've been working on a wall hanging for the nursery of my new twin grandbabies. Will post when it is finished!

Indigo AND Shibori!

Indigo Itajime by Vicki Jensen

The Surface Design Conference -  "Confluence" has so much to offer this year. I'm particularly excited to be assisting at a workshop being taught by Vicki Jensen of Pro-Chem and Dye. The workshop is "The Magic Of Indigo", and it's 5 days of working with Indigo, and learning multiple Shibori techniques. Pole wrap, stitching, resists...the possibilities are endless. It's those endless possibilities that I love about Shibori. You can keep thinking "but what if?" and have so many options, and sometimes, surprises.

The Indigo is a newer type - pre-reduced - so you don't have to have a place to keep a vat going non-stop. Blue and white are my absolute favorite colors! You can also use the indigo over other dyes, and mix the colors to get anything that can be mixed using blue. Vicki has some examples on her blog Vicki Jensen blogspot. Some examples start with a rust colored cloth, and then blue, as well as the traditional blue and white, and dyeing with other primaries. Vicki is an expert on dyes and will be a fabulous instructor.
Check it out and see if you can come learn, and play with us!

Art Heals

The Textile Arts Blog is a great resource for learning about textiles, but today's post also illustrates the healing power of art: http://http://creativityjourney.blogspot.com/2011/02/1200-stitches-per-square-inch-art

A prison inmate, drug addicted and with no resources, takes apart socks, and using the threads, embroiders them into portraits. Finding solace, inspiration and most importantly, hope, he gets through his prison term and embroidery helps with his healing.

Art has been shown to help heal many hurts, as well as to lower stress. Just cutting up construction paper, or the newspaper, and gluing them to a background can feel like you are a world away from the daily stresses - as long as that critical voice we all hear in our heads is told to stay away! When doodling, or coloring with crayons, our brain stops running all the "have to's and should have's" and we get in touch with a different side of ourselves. This "Art" may not be something to share with anyone else, because it's the process of making it that is valuable, not the result. That voice that says "I'm no good at Art", is what stops us from going to that place of release and renewal. Art needs to be made for the making, not for the showing.

Roy Matterson was able to get through years of prison, and still uses art to deal with his demons.