Semper Tedium

Semper Tedium:

The Slow Art of Quiltmaking

Sponsored by Kaleidoscopes & Quilts

The International Quilt Festival and Quilt Market has many special exhibits on display for the duration of the show (held annually in Houston, Texas in late October - early November).  There are classic quilts, dolls, art quilts, a huge number and variety of many quilt and quilt-related collections.  This exhibit, Semper Tedium, from this year's Quilt Festival caught my eye on the last afternoon of the last day of Quilt Festival... and ...

I love it!

Let's begin with the title of the exhibit: Semper Tedium.  Could that mean Always Tedious or Forever Laborious?  Quilts do take a bit of time to create (from the start of an idea to the completed binding and label).   I will have my two in-house Latin experts work on the correct translation.  Meanwhile, take a close look at these first two quilts.  Can you identify from what are they made?  Is it classic cotton, batting and thread of a traditional quilt?  or is it something new and innovative (can you guess? ... hint: think ties ... but not neckties!)

Blind Stitching, Twist Tie Quilt #5

by Amy Orr

of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

 detail of Blind Stitching

"Amy Orr makes art from a palette of post-consumer materials including religious mementos, credit cards, twist ties, chicken bones, shattered auto glass, plastic parts and currency.  She uses these elements to create patterns; building elaborately pieced and patterned surfaces.  Orr's work pays homage to women's work, using cultural ephemera in place of fabric scraps.  Orr is fascinated by the ordinary, drawn to particular artifacts for their abundance, color and inherent content."

Techniques:  Pieced, stitched, appliqued, tied

Design Source:  This quilt was inspired by a historic Log Cabin quilt from the 1800s, made of dark silk ribbons with colorful edging.

 Double Vision, Twist Tie Quilt #6

by Amy Orr

of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

 detail of Double Vision

"This quilt was influenced by an eye chart.  As the pattern moves from top to bottom, the pattern breaks down.  During the time that I made Blind Stitching  and Double Vision, I was going through Graves' disease which seriously affected my vision.  Surprisingly, I found that I could stitch by feel and even thread a quilting needle."

Techniques:  Pieced, stitched, appliqued, tied

Design source:  An eye chart

Now for something a bit different, yet hanging side-by-side in the same exhibit are these two kaleidoscope quilts by the expert kaleidoscope quilter, Paula Nadelstern.  Yet look closely for the twists she presents to her renowned kaleidoscope patterns....

 Kaleidoscopic XXXI:  The Other Side of the Circle

by Paula Nadelstern

of Bronx, New York, USA

 detail of The Other Side of the Circle

"A kaleidoscope functions like a circle.  Structurally, it may be a geometric shape but to uncover its artistic soul, you have to think of it a a radial design.  When you work in a series, the questions you ask get more complex while the answers get simpler.  This time I wondered, how can I use the same structure to make the eye travel in straight lines before it discovers the circles?  A year later, I'd created an inversion of my usual vision because the circle became a negative space rather than the foreground."

Design source:  Kaleidoscopes
Techniques:  Machine pieced, hand quilted


This was the quilt that drew my eye first to this exhibit and specifically to these four quilts.  Is it no surprise?  It is the most colorful of the bunch!

 Kaleidoscopic XXXIII: Shards

by Paula Nadelstern

of Bronx, New York, USA

detail of Shards

"The object case of a kaleidoscope may contain whole elements or small fragments of larger objects.  Frequently these objects are colored glass in saturated jewel tones that, because of their transparency, allow light to pass through, resulting in the characteristic sharp brilliance of reflected kaleidoscopic imagery.  In this quilt, the idea of fragments is interpreted literally.  The kaleidoscopes are 'broken' into pieces and 'cemented' back together with irregularly stitched silver-gray fabric.  The broken shards required the creation of entire triangular wedges that were then deconstructed and reassembled into shattered mandalas.  The labor-intensive process required eighteen months to complete."

Design source:  Kaleidoscopes
Techniques:  Machine pieced, hand and machine quilted


Makes you wonder just what will they use next to make a quilt?  What will you use???

Owls

I love participating in Kate North's "Another Little Quilt Swap" so much so that this year, for the first time, I made TWO quilts to swap.  Well, in truthfulness, I made three quilts to swap, but the first second one I made, my husband claimed to hang in his office.  That was "Waves" (seen here).  The next second quilt I made to trade was "Tumbling" (which is featured here).  But what about the first quilt that I made for this quilt trade?

The very first quilt that I made for this Seventh "Another Little Quilt Swap" hosted by Kate North is featured in this post and appears below.  I used a tapestry owl which I had made a year ago (to decorate my Preschool Toddler class bulletin board) and stitched it to a fun background that my friend Liz Broussard had given me after she had over-dyed and painted the original fabric which came with the printed design.  (Did she tell me it had been a curtain or a pillowcase?  I can't recall now.)  Basically my cute little owl is made entirely of materials I had on hand - an eco-friendly owl!

Here she is, my little "Owlie".  While I was stitching Owlie together, I read on the ALQS7 website that another participant had turned her 12" square quilt into a pillow (click here to see quilt #12).  I thought that was a great idea, so I did the same.  My little owl quilt became a plump little owl pillow.

During all this planning and sewing of my little plump owl, a funny thing happened - I grew attached to my wide-eyed little bird.  I couldn't give it away!  Fortunately, I happen to have a few more of these little owls (formerly on my Toddler Bulletin board), and another piece of over-dyed and painted fabric from Liz, so I made a second owl.

This second owl quilt is named "Who, whoo ..." and it is also finished as a little pillow.  She was featured here on ALQS#7, and was listed as the anonymous "Quilt No. 33"

Two little Owls quilt/pillows -- one to trade and the other one to keep ...

For the curious, here is the back of one.  The multiple owls on this fabric make me smile. 

Soon I will post the photos of the two quilts that I have received in this fun "Another Little Quilt Swap #7."  I am already getting excited for Kate North's next little quilt swap!  She says it may happen later this spring.  One need only watch her ALQS blog for the sign-up announcement.  Chances are I will announce it here, too, just as soon as I learn of it.

IQA: Art - Naturescapes

Four more quilts from the 2012 Internations Quilt Association's judged show in Houston last month.  This time I am featuring four quilts from the Naturescapes category of the Art Quilts. 

This first quilt is by my friend, Connie Fahrion.  She has used a bit of her "thread trash" technique in this quilt that was inspired by a day spent at the Houston Zoo, hence the title.

Zoo Inspirations: Fencework

by Connie Fahrion of Nederland, TX, USA

 a detail of Connie's quilt

Connie was inspired by the imaginative interpretation and use of zoo fencework, artfully crafted to enhance each environment, while offering protection and camouflage where necessary.  "My thread-trash fence was inspired by camouflage netting used to disguise military tanks exposed on the field."

Techniques include:  raw-edge pieced and appliqued, embellished with thread trash, machine quilted

An original design based on her own photograph using commercial cotton.

This next quilt, by Eileen Williams, won Third Place in the Art-Naturescapes category.

 Cry Me a River

by Eileen Williams of Cedar Point, North Carolina, USA

"This quilt was born from a desire to use the tree fabric with the black background.  It evolved into a quilt that told the story of the outpouring of human emotion."

Techniques include:  Machine piecing, machine applique, inking, painting, free-motion machine-quilting.

An original design using batik and commercial cottons, velvet, sheers, wool batting, Superior cotton and Sulky rayon threads.

This quilt, by Robin M. Haller, won Second Place in the Art-Naturescapes category.

 The Leprechaun's Tree

by Robin M. Haller of Carbondale, Illinois, USA

"Glints of color from the setting sun on a tree in Ireland inspired thoughts of leprechauns and pots of gold."

Techniques: machine piecing, fused applique, free-motion machine quilting

Original design inspired by a photograph Robin took while in Ireland.  Quilt uses cottons, silks and a variety of threads.

One more favorite quilt of mine from this Naturescapes category, by Mary Williams, is actually three quilts.

 Patterns in Nature Triptych - Stripes

by Mary Williams of Summertown, South Australia, Australia

"Nature, especially leaves, has always been a favorite subject of mine.  The Phormium, or New Zealand Flax, is a great example of stripes in nature, and the variation of color within a single plant is amazing.  Batik fabrics and many different threads created the color and texture of these striped leaves."

Techniques:  Fused applique, machine embellished with various thicknesses of thread, bobbin work, programmed machine stitches.

An original design using cotton fabrics, Pellon batting, cotton, rayon, polyester and metallic threads.

To see other award winning quilts from this show, click http://www.quilts.org/winners.html

IQA: Whimsical

One of my favorite categories of the annual International Quilt Association's juried show is Whimsical.  They are always delightful and make me smile.  Here are a few of my favorites from this year's IQA show.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do....


The colors in this one first attracted my attention, then the wavy log cabin block.  Then I saw the villages within each cabin and more little houses surrounding the entire piece.  Karen Eckmeier has a great eye for color and for fun.  I love her own admission which I found on her website: My art is happy and upbeat, concentrating on the positive  and whimsical side of life. Yes, indeed it is!

Around the Block

by Karen Eckmeier

of Kent, Connecticut

Below is a close-up of the lower corner

Karen's words:  "As quilters, we have 'been around the block' when it comes to making quilts!  I thought it would be fun to substitute the central square of the Log Cabin design with a village so that it would be like walking around the block of several different towns."

Techniques:  Fabric collaged under tulle, layered, topstitching, machine quilting.

Materials:  Commercial and hand-painted cottons, tulle

Design Source:  Log Cabin Barn Raising

Winner of an Honorable Mention in Art-Whimsical

Cheryl Costley's piece tickles me too.  Why is it that the healthier way to eat is also a bit more time-consuming?  Don't you love her eggplant, cauliflower, and other veggies?  I am also drawn to the chef's face and curly hair!  I think to myself -- this looks like fun!  On her website, Cheryl says: Creating art is what I love to do, and my favorite medium is fiber. Textiles and fiber can be manipulated, painted, dyed, stamped, cut, stitched, woven, glued and much more. The possibilities continue to challenge and surprise me.

 Cleaning the Veggies

by Cheryl Costley

of Bonita Springs, Florida

Cheryl's words:   "Since adding more vegetables to my family's diet, it seems like all I do is clean the veggies."

Techniques:  Primitive hand stitching for applique and quilting, machine quilting.

Materials:  Painted and hand-dyed fabric by the artist, commercial fabric, assorted threads.

An original design by Cheryl Costley

I adore the wonky-whimsy of the houses in Susan Bleiweiss's award-winning quilt.  If you look at her website, you'll see that she's been having lots of fun with these happy, crazy little homes in many different settings. 

Tutti Frutti Village

by Susan Bleiweiss

of Upton, Massachusetts

Susan's words:  "This quilt was inspired by a digital sketch I did on my iPad using a very simple sketching application.  I used only my hand-dyed sand-washed cotton (yes, even the black is hand-dyed!).

Techniques:  Fused, raw-edge applique with machine stitching; machine quilting.

An original design by Susan Bleiweiss

Winner of an Honorable Mention in Art-Whimsical


I recognized Susan's name right away, too, because the one online course I have taken was one she taught: Journal Making.  I made three journals with the course and still have plans to finish the last few lessons (it was only 5 lessons long, but life does have a way of jumping in and interfering with my 'druthers' at times.) Click here to see my post on this class, if you're curious.

Sue has also authored a book, which I happened across in a local bookstore earlier this fall.  I bought it right away (the only copy!). 

Look for The Sketchbook Challenge in your local bookstore (or online too - Sue has it available on her website - click here for a direct link).  There is a blog dedicated to the challenge of the sketchbook as well, titled (can you guess?) The Sketchbook Challenge and found at http://sketchbookchallenge.blogspot.com/

Last day to join!

Apologies for running a little behind, but I thought I'd try --
Today is the DEADLINE for signing up for the new year of the Bead Journal Project (also known as BJP)!

The Sixth year of Bead Journaling is about to commence!

I'm proud to say I have been a member since Robin Atkins began this internet bead community.  I was a true beginner beader back in 2007 when the first bead journal project was formed.  Now I am a true procrastinator beader (meaning I am running a year or more behind...) but I love love love seeing everyone's talented work in this amazing group, led by a true master of all things bead-y, Robin Atkins.  I will catch up one day -- or perhaps I will just jump in fresh this January...

If you're interested, click here to start the "I want to join too" process.  Remember the deadline to sign-up is today.

Or if you need more information about this group and some of our 'official guidelines', then please click here.

Click here for images of beadwork from the previous years.

Hollis Chatelain

Now that the Quilt Festival has been gone for several weeks, and the natural quilt nirvana that I reach while soaking up the quilts in person begins to wan ... it is time to share some of my favorites from this year's juried IQA show.

Many of you may be familiar with Hollis Chatelain's work.  It is outstanding!  She continues to create amazing pieces.  This is a detail view of her award winning "Silk" - full view follows below...

 Silk

by Hollis Chatelain

of Hillsborough, North Carolina

Hollis' words:  "A good friend of mine has always had a love affair with silk.  She traveled to Thailand to learn how to spin and weave.  The base of this quilt is created from Thai silk she brought back.  The women depicted are some of the experts she learned from on this trip."

Techniques:  Machine pieced and quilted

Materials:  Silk fabrics, wool/polyester batting, polyester threads

An original design by Hollis Chatelain

This beautiful quilt is the proud winner of The Superior Threads Master Award for Thread Artistry, sponsored by Superior Threads.  (it comes with a lovely cash prize too!) This is not the first award-winning quilt by Hollis, nor will it be the last, I am sure. 

Congratulations to Hollis and Thank you for sharing your fantastic skills with us, the humble quilting public!

Wrapping up another Festival

It happens every year .... the quilters leave town and the George R. Brown Convention Center is in need of a good cleaning!

When that final closing announcement is made, everyone exits the building.  Then the taking down of the quilts from displays everywhere commences.  The Festival quilts are secured and moved to Quilts, Inc. headquarters where they will be wrapped, packed and returned home.

The red carpets get rolled up even as workers scramble to get all the quilts down.  Is it a race to see who can finish first?

I love the peek from the upstairs windows.  All the Shoppers are gone and the Venders are busily packing their unsold wares.  See the many boxes and empty walls?  The samples are down.  Boxes are out from under tables, filled and moved to trucks parked outside.  It doesn't take long ... soon the place is deserted again.

Yes, Festival closed several weeks ago and I am only now coming off of my Quilt Nirvana High.  I am thankful to live in Houston where this wonderful Festival of Quilts takes place every fall.

I plan to share some of my favorite quilts from this year's show in the next few weeks .... I never can get them posted up during Festival -- but then I'm too busy AT Festival enjoying them!  Festival never lasts long enough for me!!!  Of that, I am positive.