“Pi” Circle Quilt and Connections

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Well there is a pleasant bi product of having your art and design in the commercial marketplace–people who you used to know might see it and look you up!

My next door neighbor from childhood, Jeanne Gorton, contacted me after seeing my fabric through Andover Fabrics.  What fun!!  She has been a “hard core quilter for the last twenty years and is obsessed with fabric, fabric design and modern quilting design”.  She belongs to the Genesee Valley Quilt Club which was founded in 1936!!

I sent her some Licorice Fizz to play with and LOVE what she came up with.  This quilt was shown at the Genesee Valley Quilt Club’s “Magical Threads–Inspired Stitches” Biennial Quilt show in June at the RIT field house. There were 400 members involved in the show and 600 quilts on display. It was a three day show organized totally by volunteers. Yay Rochesterians! If you can make it through the winters, you can do anything.

She also sent me some photos of a couple of her other quilts.  Love love. Take a look at Jeanne’s great quilts…

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“Pi” Quilt Designed by Jeanne Gorton

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“Pi” quilt top designed by Jeanne Gorton

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Quilt by Jeanne Gorton

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baby quilt by Jeanne Gorton

Sew Sundays are back!

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Whew!  That was an intense push before and after Surtex. I think I can now have at least a half day off and start these sewing projects that are accumulating.  Now I have three quilts I want to make and one I have to bind. (And a beach bag!)

One of the quilts is inspired by a new design collection I debuted at Surtex called pop-rocks.  It will be made of all solids but will use the sugar pop colors from the collection and will incorporate some of the motifs.  Still trying to figure out whether I am going to use a grey, a blue or a milk chocolate color as the main solid, and part of me is thinking about using all of them to mellow out all the sugar pop colors. I had planned on starting to cut this yesterday, but another thing came up so this will have to wait until next week!  But in my mind’s eye I have a variety of cool compositions in mind..IMG_9547The big distraction was an idea to use some precut strips of fabric as part of some quilts.  These strips came from someone special who is no longer with us, and the project I will keep somewhat secret until we get closer, but I KNOW y’all like to sort thru fabrics. And I had fun untying those bundles and sorting all the strips to see what there is and come up with ideas of how to use them in quilts. Mind you these are at least ten years old…maybe 20. Have a gander…IMG_9543

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IMG_9544Anybody recognize any of them? Its going to be interesting!

And then the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild started meeting at a store called A verb For Keeping Warm, which is a very cool shop.  I found some to die for stacks of organic indigo dyed fabric, and therefore there will be a project using these as the main.  I dug out all my Japanese blue and white fabrics but not sure if they go, so this one shall require some pondering… and shopping, and think I will go all organic on this one. Why not!IMG_9546

 

Stay tuned!

Off to Surtex

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Well its been pedal to the metal the last several weeks getting ready for Surtex. But ready I am. Everything is packed and we leave in the AM.  I am lucky enough to not only have Jack traveling with me and helping out, but two designer friends are also going to help out a bit at the booth to learn the ropes for themselves.

Who are they? Kim Andersson is one of them, and her recent work can be seen on The Printed Bolt where she is doing great in their design competition having won 2 of the three challenges so far. Caitley Symons of Caitley Symons Designs is the other.  I met Caitley at Quilt Market and we have kept in touch. She has been designing and printing her own textiles (gorgeous!–check them out!) Both of these designers are talented with a great aesthetic and a great attitude and I look forward to Surtex’ing with them!

I have had to abandon the sewing projects in the last month, but look forward to some projects I have outlined for the summer. In the meantime, I was surprised to find a new design book I didn’t own and I love it!  Its 20th Century Pattern Design by Leslie Jackson.  Here I’ll show you the table of contents. I love the way it is curated and organized by decade. IMG_9451

 

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AND I can’t wait to get back and do some designs with leaves, as its been gorgeous walking around here this time of year with all the new leaves coming out and that amazing spring green. A few of my favorite shots below–not for the photography but for the potential for motifs.

See y’all after Surtex, and that will also be after Quilt Market which I am looking forward to catching up on the goings-on since I can’t be there!  I bet Andover’s booth is going to be great this year, what with the new logo and look at all.

 

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Improvisational quilting with Sherri Lynn Wood

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As part of the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild‘s show, Stitch Modern, they had a number of special events. One was a panel discussion on fabric design which I got to participate in which I enjoyed thoroughly, particularly meeting the other designers and sharing notes.  But I have to say the highlight of the whole show, AFTER seeing all the great quilts, was the talk I went to by Sherri Lynn Wood.

As you may know, I am now dipping my hand into quilting, just for the fun and art of it, and I really connect with many of the modern quilts I am seeing out there, and I really like the improvisational quilting style in particular.  I don’t really want to make quilts that look like someone else’s or follow a specific tradition or direction.  In my work, I design all the time for the commercial market, so when I sew I want to sew what I want to sew. Period. So hearing Sherri Lynn Woods speak about the improvisational process was just what I needed to really dig into the improv quilt I had started and make it happen. And I did finish it shortly after.  ….Ahem…. except the binding, but I will post when it is all finished.

Another very cool thing that Sherri talked about was Passage Quilts.   She works with people ” through collaboration, consultation and commission to make improvised quilts from the clothing and materials from everyday life”.  Love this concept. Hits me right in that spot. And she showed us one she made for her mother, Linda Susan Wood (1943-2003) which she describes as a “passage, bereavement, memorial quilt made from my mother’s casual clothes, Sunday dresses, bathing suit, robes and the dress she wore to my wedding”

Sherri is SUCH a good speaker, highly recommend if you get a chance. With a long resume of exhibitions, artist residencies and workshops, and with masters in both fine art and theology, she has a lot to share. Here are a few shots of the quilts she shared that day, but you might want to check out her site, daintytime.net for more!

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Linda Susan Wood (1943-2003) Passage Quilt by Sherri Lynn Wood, 2006, 73″ W X 75″ L

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Color Study 305 by Sherri Lynn Wood, 2008

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RGB Modern by Sherri Lynn Wood

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detail of RGB Modern by Sherri Lynn Wood

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Negative Space by Sherri Lynn Wood 2012

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Modern Improv Wool Log Cabin, By Sherri Lynn Wood, 2011, 90″x84″

Handmade Hostess-Yay!

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Very excited to receive Kelly Lee-Creel and Rebecca Soder’s book, Handmade Hostess, from Amazon. I met Kelly a couple years ago at Quilt Market and have tremedous respect for her originality and vision.  Kelly is behind Everkelly and the Storybook Lane fabric collection through Andover fabrics.   She is a product designer, fabric designer, sewing pattern designer, and now…book author too!

What is so cool about this book is that there are not only patterns to sew things with, there are also recipes and craft projects. And it is all organized by seasonal events and themes. There are a zillion things in here you’ve never seen before. I’m just so proud of her. If you like unique projects, check it out!

And the Book Tour is on!

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Handmade Hostess by Kelly-Lee Creel and Rebecca Soder

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Handmade Hostess by Kelly-Lee Creel and Rebecca Soder

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Handmade Hostess by Kelly-Lee Creel and Rebecca Soder

Projects from Japan!

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Wow, what fun!  I just got some photos from my Japanese teachers (and friends and mentors) Hara Sensei and Nakano Sensei using Tokyo Rococo in some projects.  I have such fond memories of our times together in Tokyo.  I met them in Japanese class, but there were so many outings and field trips and lunches and it goes on and on. I will forever be grateful for their mentorship in my journey studying the Japanese arts, and most of all I cherish their friendship and generosity.  What fun to see these projects!

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And here they are! Not from this year but this time of year on a cherry blossom outing.

Sneak peak at my first quilt top…no laughing!

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Well, back after a little blogcation–I take those a lot!  What’s been happening….

Well, the Stitch Modern show of the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild had a textile design panel discussion that I was lucky to be on as I got to meet some great and talented designers: Ellen Heck of Cathy Heck Studios, Jennifer Moore of Monaluna, Patty Fried, and Sandy Klop of American Jane.  It was fun, moderated by quilter and The Printed Bolt fabric design finalist Kim Andersson.

I also attended the lecture on Improv Quilting by Sherri Lynn Wood (more on that later) which was fantastic and gave me the courage I needed to dive into a project I had been meaning to start for awhile.

The quilt top is done. I just need to add one more strip to the left side so that I can attempt to square it off before I pin it to the backing and batting and figure out how I am going to quilt it!  Pretty excited as this is my first quilt. I have been dying to do something with these silks for years, and so this is kind of a big test case. I learn by my mistakes so might as well dive right in and make them! Its a little wonky–actually wish it was more so so it looks more wonky deliberate, not wonky wrong.  But time to play and finish it and move on.  I was so glad to do this improvisational style.  I need a name for it. Any ideas?

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the original drawing for the quilt against the fabric leftovers

AND I have been collecting fabrics for my next quilt which is actually going to be used as a bedspread in a particular spot. I’ve decided to use all cottons and straight lines with this one.  Its inspired by some of the designs in my latest design collection which has a working title of “divine” which I will probably be changing. But in the meantime here is a pic of some of the fabrics. It is going to be mostly either the grey or blue background with the “pretty” colors doing most of the talking and supplying the movement.  The more and more this design is going around in my head, I think I’m going to plan in out in Illustrator first, and do it up semi proper in blocks.   IMG_9179OK, so that is the latest from my Sew Sunday, the only day I take a 100% break from my art and design biz and sew JUST FOR FUN!