Contemporary Quilts = Sloppy Quilts?

Today I picked up a book at Barnes from the discount area about contemporary quilts. While the designs were interesting I was again reminded of how many people seem to think because a quilt is "art" that it's okay to ignore the basic principles of good quilting.

I don't mean to be mean, I really don't. I understand that there is a learning curve. That's not what I'm referring to. I'm talking about the people that you know have been doing this for quite awhile, and still seem to have no desire to do things properly.

Quilting has been around a long time, and I think it's only right that we respect the traditional quilters of the past as well as today. Our fore-mothers would greatly appreciate it if we would learn how to execute the basics properly.

What am I talking about? Here are some examples:

• Saggy front due to not having enough quilting
• A very non-square quilt when you know it wasn't intentional - they just didn't care enough to square up the piece properly
• Poor quality binding - uneven thickness, poorly stitched on
• Unevenly quilted - densely quilted in a few areas then essentially ignored everywhere else
• Hanging threads - Both the non clipped threads from starts and stops, but I've also noticed areas that were "unstitched" but they didn't bother to pick out the little lashes left over

I don't mean to be a quilt snob, I really don't. But I do take it a bit personally, and find it embarrassing when I see art quilts where it's obvious the person didn't really give a damn at all. Fiber artists often have strained relationships with the traditional quilting world and in traditional shows, and I am put off by people who seem hell bent on perpetuating the idea that art quilts are just "slapped together". We are working very hard to earn respect as fine artists using a medium not readily accepted in the art world yet - please don't make it harder!

Just slow down and put some effort into it! If you are hanging a piece in a show, that piece is a representation of yourself. Don't you want to show your best "self" to all those people coming to the quilt shows? All it takes is a couple of classes on the basics; binding, quilting and tension!

My Top 11 Fiber/Quilt Art Blogs

I am diligently working on a free holiday pattern that I think a lot of you will like - can you believe it? I went traditional on this one! So look for that within the next week or so - want to give you plenty of time to get it done for Thanksgiving, the start of the 2010 holiday season.

But today I want to share with you the top 11 blogs I read often. Eleven? you say, well yes. I was going to go with ten, but I couldn't cut it down, so I went with 11 - a nod to Spinal Tap for those of you that "get it"! Here they are in no particular order!

 Virginia A. Spiegel

 Fiber Reflections

 Quilting is a Fine Art

 Janet's Fiber Artistry News

 Sue Bleiweiss

 Pokey Bolton 

Fiber Art Calls for Entry

 There's my top 11 - what blogs do YOU read? 

Say Cheese and Macro-roni!

Between the blog and getting images together for my portfolio I have been doing a lot of camera work lately. There is an option on most digital cameras that are an incredibly useful tool to quilters and fiber artists, and I'm not sure how many of you are aware of it and how to use it! It's the Macro option!

How many times have you tried to take a good close up pictures of the quilting details of your pieces, only to get a blurry unfocused image? The macro option clears up those images and opens up a whoe new world to you!

You can clearly see the difference in these shots. The left side images are taken with the normal option selected, the right side images are the same objects but with the macro option selected on my camera.

 So how do we accomplish this? I made a short little video that should help you out!

Now, the cool thing is, that once you learn this you have another design tool literally at your fingertips!

There are two reasons that I use my macro, 1. Detail shots and 2. Inspirational shots to use in my pieces. Let's take a look at samples from the latter - can't you just imagine these in a quilt/fiber art piece?

Foiled Again!

Sometimes a piece needs a little extra shine on it, and a good way to do that is with foils! So here are a few ways to use them!
Things you will need:

Ironing board, iron, foils, stitch witchery, wonder under, parchment paper

Stitch Witchery - Applied To Foil:

In this method, I simply fuse the stitch witchery to NON shiny side of the foil (shiny side up, with the fusible underneath):

Then I can cut the foil into whatever shape I need, here I cut out a heart. Place foil, fusible side down, cover with parchment and iron.

Once cooled a bit, slowly peel the foil away from the fabric.

Wonder Under - Applied To Foil

Just like the stitch witchery method, but we have a paper backing to peel off after ironing the foil to it. Then cut out shape, iron to fabric, then peel the foil back slower.

Fusible To Fabric First:

In this method, I cut my fusible out the shape that I want, then place it down on the fabric. (**note** For the Wonder Under you must peel the paper backing away from the fusible webbing.) In the image below, the left side is Wonder Under, the right is stitch witchery.

Lay the foil over the fusible piece, shiny side up. Cover with parchment paper and iron. When cool enough to touch, slowly peel the foil back.

Now get out those foils from that class you took years ago, and have fun playing!

That's Show Business!

Well, I was supposed to be on Creative Mojo with Mark Lipinski to discuss the Guild/No Guild topic. However, the segment ran long, and I didn't get to be on. Word has it I got a shout out from Mark, and an apology and will be getting a goodie in the mail. C'est la vie! Maybe I'll be on the show someday!

Cookiemonster, if you're out there - you and Viking made the wait hilarious!

Back to the studio life as I finished listening to the rest of the show!

Creative Mojo with Mark Lipinski!

I just got word this afternoon that I will be on Creative Mojo with Mark Lipinski this Wednesday! The show starts at 3pm EST, so pop in to TOGINET Radio to hear the live show with Mark! Just click "Live On Air Click to Listen" to hear the show at 3pm EST (2-4 CST, 1-3 MST, 12-2 PST)!

I am SO incredibly excited to be able to experience this and hope you'll listen and support Mark's radio show - he sure does a lot for our community! I admit I am nervous to be on the show, and I am not sure what to expect. Given that it's Mark though, it's sure to be fun, sassy and great!

Also, be sure and click the BOM on the top menu bar here to get the third part of the BOM Mystery set! I plan on starting mine soon and I'll share it as soon as I do.

Stephanie Forsyth

Success!

As I mentioned before, I hosted a retreat this weekend in my home/studio. I was experimenting with a "style" of retreat, and I think it was a success!

We were very fortunate that a local group was having their quilt show this weekend, so Friday we took a road trip and headed there! This was probably one of my favorite pieces I saw there:

Of course shopping filled some of our time, I found the most delightful stencil at Blick Art:

 At Millend I was able to get some dupioni silks I've been wanted - at 50% off!

A stop at at The Sampler garnered me the green batiks I need. I was shocked to realize I had only teal grees and chartreuse greens in my stash - and a current project is demanding green-greens!

It doesn't hurt that we are starting to hit our peak leaf time here in Minnesota, and everything screams Autumn! right now:

My late nights were filled with crawling into bed exhausted but still wired with inspiration, so I would sketch until I simply could not sit up anymore:

In the end, two (almost three) Quilts of Valor tops were assembled, a table top finished and ready for quilting, multiple pattern designs were created, a new technique (still in the planning/video/print stages) was put together, new tools were experimented wiht, ideas came up and were written down and everyone went away from the weekend with new experiences and buzzing with inspiration, ideas and new goals!

 

One of the things I was very excited about was sharing information about portfolios. As a graphic designer, a portfolio was a given. As a fiber artist however, I had been lax about keeping one. So a big focus was on portfolios; construction, content, purpose and using them. This also entailed a half day devoted to photography of pieces for use in a portfolio.

I have had many people inquire about future retreats at The Fiber Nation, and I would me more than happy to host them! I am currently still working out the details that I will post in the near future. Until then, should you be interested you can email me at thefibernation@gmail.com with any questions or requests for retreats you may have. The studio/home is located in Eden Prairie, MN and is within 10 miles of the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. Accommodations are available for up to 6-8 people.