Art Quilt Challenges by Donna Hussain

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Connie Horne.

Recently a group of my quilting friends in Sacramento, California (USA) decided to form Pins and Needles, a new quilt circle that would focus on making art quilts. Most of us had mastered traditional quilting skills, but now wanted to learn about basic art and design principles such as balance, perspective and scale, concepts that painters, sculptors, and photographers apply to their work. We also wanted to use materials such as beads, stamps, mirrors, paints, and a wide range of embellishment techniques but were reluctant to experiment on our own. Group support has helped our members venture into new avenues of creativity.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Donna Hussain.

This past year we studied one chapter a month of The Quilting Arts Book by Patricia Bolton and made small samples of the techniques described in each assigned chapter. Circle members also participated in two major quilt projects: the making of monochromatic quilts and sewing two panoramic quilts of the Sacramento skyline.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Helen Burke.

Making monochromatic quilts was an exercise in value. One of our members collected paint chips from a paint store and put them in a paper bag. With eyes closed each member of our circle drew one of the paint chips from the bag. The color of the paint chip determined the color of the 9x15 inch quilt each member was required to make.  Only light and dark fabrics of the paint chip’s color could be used. The quilt design was up to the individual.  After three months all of the participants brought their monochromatic quilts to our monthly meeting.  We were thrilled with the results.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Kim Brownell.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by BJ Bailey.

For the second major group project our art quilt circle decided to make a panoramic slice quilt, chosing a photo of Sacramento’s skyline taken by Evan Wisheropp (the son of one of our quilters)  to be the image we would reproduce in fabric.

Donna Hussain's working copy of the skyline.

A committee of three set the guidelines and rules for the project. Since ten quilters wanted to participate in the project, the committee decided that we should make two identical panorama quilts, five slices each.  After deciding what each of the finished quilts should measure (70 x 220 inches) the committee printed two enlargements of Evans’ photo that size.

Each paper enlargement was then cut into five vertical segments (14 x 44 inches). After outlining the basic shapes on the patterns with felt pen the committee randomly distributed the slice patterns to the quilters. We quilters were advised to pay attention to the horizontal lines on the patterns so that the slices would match up when joined together.

Each quilter also received a 4x6 inch color photo of the panoramic scene to help in the selection of fabric colors for her slice. Since we planned to hang the five slices of each quilt from a single sleeve we were told to omit a traditional quilt binding.  To cover the edges of my quilt I added ¼ inch to the pattern specifications for the quilt top (but not to the batting or back fabric), then folded the ¼ inch excess to the back of the quilt and secured it with a hem.

Sacramento Skyline I, Quilters left to right:
Lori Wisheropp, Denise Schmidt, Helen Burke, Judith Imel, Sunni Hamilton

The committee requested that the quilters work independently, not showing their quilts to others during their construction. We were given five months for the completion of the slice panels. As you can see from the pictures that accompany this article the panoramic quilts turned out to be spectacular.

Sacramento Skyline II:  Quilters left to right:

Connie Horne, Jan Soules, BJ Bailey, Donna Hussain, Kari Bauer

At our December meeting of Pins and Needles we will be choosing an art quilt book for the coming year that has exercises to help us refine our artistic skills. In addition we will be collecting suggestions for one or two group projects for 2012.

______

Note:  The images and drawings on the skyline are copyrighted and used with permission here.   Several people were involved in the process and are available if you would like to commission a similar pattern for your own photo:

Step 1: photoshot in the Yolo Causeway. Photographer; Evan Wisheropp 

Step 2: Photo manipulation: Lori Wisheropp and Sandra Torguson

Step 3. Cartoon sketch; Sandra Torguson

Step 4: Combining sketch and ghosted photo image and full size print output pattern: Lori Wisheropp

Step 5: Distribution with full size pattern and small photo for reference.

Contact Lori Wisheropp for more information.

California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles. 

The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha. 

Art Quilt Challenges by Donna Hussain

TAFA Market Focus: Rose Hughes

"Riding the Thermals", by Rose Hughes, 45"x45", $3,500

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and an exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors in the next two weeks.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

Rose Hughes

Visit Rose's TAFA Member Profile

When I first saw Rose's quilts on her website, my eyes popped out.  I shoved them back in and studied her compositions, choices of color, and fell in love.   RavenSpeak Quilts are about the fecundity of nature, the freedom of hills and sky, the beauty of sunsets, trees, and life.  Roundness, calling you in for comfort and a hug, her work invites me to a walk outside, to slow down and let the air move around me.

Rose will have one quilt in our TAFA Market exhibit, "Riding the Thermals", pictured above.  She describes it:

"This design was originally created for a Quilting Arts article showing the effects you get when discharging silk and velveteen and then using crayons and paint for surface design. This second version was completed and traveled as part of the special art quilt exhibit Noble Elements."

It happens to be one of my favorites and I can't wait to see it in real life.

The Raven shows up often as a symbol in Rose's quilts.  She explains it in her Artist's Statement:

"Inspiration for my quiltart is drawn from my love of the ever-changing hills that make up our landscape, and from the ravens that mirror and mock this region's boisterous, and sometimes-crazy human residents. Watching ravens, I see how they live and weave their lives among us. Keeping an eye on us, laughing at us, they point to a layer of life that often goes unnoticed. 

Poet Mary Oliver refers to these rowdy creatures as “an advertisement for the more than ordinary life.” By allowing myself to experiment with materials, techniques, and color my works are attempts to express our always wondrous, always changing landscape. 

In my work I use the idea of layers to transform fabric. I began by creating a layer of strong structural shapes that are important for their initial impact on the senses, and the suggestion they give of the landscape. 

Like a raven, stealing and hoarding the ‘shiny objects', I embellish the areas of the base quilt canvas. I use handspun yarns to create strong lines to highlight each shape, and I add whimsy, texture, and sparkle by using a variety of glass beads and magical, shiny found objects. These embellishments used in combination with hand painted, hand dyed fabrics, imported silks and selected textural layers bring each original piece to life."

Here is another example of Rose's quilts:

"Desert Tango", Art Quilt by Rose Hughes

I absolutely love her sense of color!  And, apparently other people do, too, as Rose has a busy schedule of workshops, teaching others around the United States how to see in a new way and how to translate that vision into fabric.

Rose has taken time from that full life to help out with our TAFA Team Blog, where TAFA members who have Etsy shops showcase their work.  She does this even though she has closed her Etsy shop!  Pretty generous in my book...

If you would like to purchase "Riding the Thermals" and are not coming to Paducah, you can do so via Pay Pal.  Just email me and I will give you the details.  We will ship to you after the show.  Meanwhile, explore Rose's website and take a look at her schedule of workshops.  Who knows?  Maybe she can help you see the world in a new, colorful way!

TAFA Market Focus: Rose Hughes

TAFA Members Talk: Carol Larson

TAFA Member: Carol Larson

Last February I launched an organization called TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List.  We are now at over 150 members and each new member who joins brings an interesting story.  When Carol joined, her Tall Girl Series caught my eye, and as a tall person myself  (I'm 5'11"), I asked her about it.  I was horrified to hear that her parents had her surgically shortened when she was a teenager so that she would "fit in" better.  

Me and Adelia, 1975

I know very well what it feels like to stick out and tower over everyone else.  I grew up in Brazil as a missionary kid and although our city was incredibly diverse, I was still very tall compared to the locals, especially for a girl.  My best friend was Japanese.  We met when I was 6 and she was 9 years old.  We were the same height and weight.  She stopped growing and I kept going and going and going.  I grew quickly and was almost my full height at the age of 12.  I have always had joint problems and as I am aging, the problems have become worse.  

Carol's story is important to me in many ways.  Most significantly, it is a testimony to the healing power of art.  As I have expanded my creative community through the internet, I have found that many of us deal with all kinds of physical ailments and that having a creative outlet not only heals, but in many cases, also allows us to work at home and earn an income that might be difficult in a traditional work environment.  

Secondly, it is an example to me of how our society enables horrible mutilations in the name of "beauty".  We look down on "primitive" groups who practice tattooing, scarification, tooth chipping, and most abhorrent, female genital circumcision.  Yet, our "evolved" modern society endorses all kinds of mutilation in order to look younger, more sexy, and to fit in.  I heard once that Dolly Parton, Cher, and Elizabeth Taylor, all short women, had their bottom ribs removed in order to have a better hour glass figure.  I don't know if that is true, but do know that it is a practice in the movie industry.  The worst example of this is Sarah Burge who has had over 100 surgeries to look like Barbie, the doll.  On the other hand, I have several friends who have had breast cancer, had their breasts removed and are now going through breast reconstruction surgeries.  Each person needs to decide for themselves what they need in order to come to peace with their unique burdens.  Carol, however, wasn't allowed to make that choice.  Her parents did it for her and then forced her into silence.  She has now found her voice. 

***

Carol: A Tall Girl

Carol Larson

When I was 17 years old and 78” tall I was surgically shortened with the intention of giving me a normal life. I was also forbidden by my father from talking about it.  Fast forward four decades and I was living in daily pain in a broken body with anger and sorrow oozing from my pores. With my family maintaining the secret, I began to speak by writing.

From my stories I created thermofax screens and screen-printed the words to cloth. I felt compelled to do more so I began a four-year healing process which became the Tall Girl Series: A Body of Work: 23 narrative quilts, a self-published book, a PowerPoint lecture and a traveling exhibit. www.live2dye.com/tallgirl.html

The Tall Girl Series: A Body of Work made its debut February 2010 at Rogue Community College’s Wiseman Gallery in Grants Pass, Oregon with a future exhibit June 13-July 8, 2011 at the Park National Bank Gallery at University of Cincinnati Clermont College in Batavia, OH.  I spend a fair amount of my time marketing this exhibit as it carries a very powerful social message about self-esteem and body image, a subject still so relevant today.

"In My Wildest Dreams", Art Quilt by Carol Larson

Included in this series are: In My Wildest Dreams (53” x 31”) which illustrates my frustration with my loss of mobility; that I can no longer dance, run or ski.

"On a Scale of 1-10", Art Quilt by Carol Larson

On a Scale of 1-10 (43” x 61”) addresses how often the pain is off the medical industry’s scale of pain measurement.  In this detail shot from Medical Research (70” x 33”) the viewer sees the scrutiny & humiliation I endured as a ‘case study’ for aspiring medical students.

"Medical Research", Art Quilt by Carol Larson

Completing the Tall Girl Series: A Body of Work allowed me to heal these old wounds to my body and my heart, to take my story public and to receive acknowledgment that indeed this was a barbaric solution to what was really a parental obsession.  The series also allowed me acceptance of the long-term debilitation brought by these surgeries and living in daily pain. 

Being a great believer in holistic medicine I now rely primarily on acupuncture, acupressure and movement for pain management; although I am not ruling out medical marijuana brownies in my elder years!  Today my focus is on challenges and obstacles; as stamina, agility and comfort are my primary concerns in life. The more present I am in my body the less often I am injured.

Currents Series, Art Qults by Carol Larson

Completion of the series also freed up my creativity to design new and exciting work. In my everyday work I dye, paint and stitch art quilts with a variety of vintage textiles.   The Currents series deals with my obsession for the curvy line and new work, Upheaval, represents the chaos brought on by Alzheimer’s which now affects my father.

"Upheaval"  Art Quilt by Carol Larson

Visit Carol's Member Profile on TAFA for more information on her work and web links.

Click: Carol Larson 

 Do leave comments for Carol both here and on TAFA.  We welcome you!

TAFA Members Talk: Carol Larson

TAFA Members Talk: Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo

"Nomad Girls", by Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo

As part of a series I am running on Fiber Focus about TAFA members, Leslie responded by sharing a bit about the places she has lived and how that has affected her work.  As fiber artists, we are all part of a larger community, an international one that has thousands of years of history where we can add our particular vision and voice.  But, as individuals, we help shape our immediate communities whether we work alone or participate in a larger group.  Leslie has immersed herself into Tibetan textile traditions and apprenticed herself to T. G. Dorjee Wangdu where she participated in embroidering thangkas for His Holiness The Dalai Lama and other notables.  She is one of the few Westerners who has had such an honor. 

Now, hear from Leslie:

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo

For the past 20 years, I've been living primarily out of the country and traveling back and forth for events and to visit family. I LOVED living in Dharamsala, India, where I met and learned the precious tradition of Tibetan appliqué. There, I was immersed in communities of Tibetans, of dharma students, of artists, of adventurers. I felt very supported and very much at home. But nothing lasts forever, and life shifted in unexpected ways. 

"I once lived here... My beloved mountains in Dharamsala, India"  

I spent my 40s living in Milan, Italy. Milan was "closer" to California, more accessible to the airport, and less pleasant to hang out in. So, I traveled back and forth to California more frequently.

"and then I lived here... You pick!" (Milan, Italy)

Living on two continents and traveling back and forth frequently may sound exciting. And it's true -- life doesn't get boring. But it doesn't get connected either. Milan was a hard place to connect anyway, and connection was made even harder by taking off every few months. I met some wonderful fiber artists in Lugano, Switzerland, and participated with QuiltItalia a little. But I found that I couldn't be continuous in my activities, couldn't establish routines to make my work flow more smoothly, and couldn't take on an organizational role in any groups because I'd always be leaving too soon to take responsibility for follow-through.

A glimpse of my studio (now, back in California).

I love where I'm living now and am so fortunate to have a light and spacious area in which to work. The weather is cool and the ocean is near. It's a good place. And I'm on a path to connect with community here. I don't know whether there are relevant fiber arts groups, but I've found a wonderful Buddhist study group, some amazing entrepreneurial networkers, and will soon start an internship at an ethnographic art museum in LA. It's good to feel that I'm here for the long haul and can count on deepening my involvement in these (and other) activities.

"And this is just a block away!"

A word about physically near community:

In recent years, it has become easier and easier to connect with people and with like-minded groups online. My life has been bountifully enriched by such connections. I love email and Facebook and Twitter. I love that I can teach online through my Stitching Buddhas Virtual Apprentice Program. I love that I can stay connected in an inspiring way with people through my Threads of Awakening Weekly Wake-Ups.

Lotus, by Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo

But maybe because I'm a tactile person... Silk isn't silk unless you touch it. The light only shines off it in a certain way if you're standing near it. And the energy of physical presence with people is different than what travels through cyberspace... So community in my physical vicinity is important to me, whether that be through an arts group or a book group or a hiking group or a volunteer group. I'd love eventually to live in an artists' live-work community. One of the things I miss from my days in Dharamsala is the simple pleasure of having someone stop by for tea during the day. I'd stitch while we talked. It was wonderful! I'd love to live in a small arts community where that's possible again. But for now, I'm really happy where I am and am enjoying the process of connecting day by day.

Visit Leslie's Member Profile on TAFA for more samples of her work  and to find her places where she is on the web.  Leslie has a website, blog, and is on facebook and other places.  So, come and show her your support and leave a comment if you like her work!

Visit other articles about TAFA and its members on this blog.

TAFA Members Talk: Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo

TAFA Members Talk: Patty Benson of Papaver Vert

Felt Podlets by Papaver Vert

Patty Benson of Papaver Vert creates gorgeous objects through crocheting and wet felting.  Her web presence consistently showcases her work through beautiful photography and careful presentations of her work.  Patty lives in Alameda, California, and as part of our series, "TAFA Members Talk", she describes her artist community there.  

Visit Patty's full member profile on TAFA for links to her website, Etsy shop, blog, and other links on the web.

Do you have a good support group? 

In regards to a support group for fiber art, not really. But I have a great support group in regards to other artists in different mediums - fashion, ceramics. All who have small business so I'm constantly picking their brains about business, marketing etc.

What do you long for?  

It would be great to know more fiber artists but I don't think it's extremely necessary since my other artist friends are a wealth on information. But it would still be nice to ask specific questions to those fiber people who know a lot more than me!

What excites you about where you live?

The bay area is so beautiful. You can go from urban to lush and green in minutes. I love walking all over my town, Alameda. I can visit the library, my local produce store, bookstore and get a coffee without getting in a car. There are a lot of artists in my area too and great fairs and shows.

Patty Benson's studio.

How do you market yourself?

Doing shows, facebook, blog, newsletter and e-mailing stores that I would like to be in.

 
What are your long term goals as an artist?

To be a true artisan in my medium. I want to really hone my craft and discover new ways of creating using wool and yarn. Eventually it would be a dream of mine to create installations and have my pieces in a gallery -  either in 3D form or hanging on a wall.

Papaver Vert's booth at the Renegade Craft Show
San Francisco, 2010

.

TAFA Members Talk: Patty Benson of Papaver Vert

Pictorial Log: Quilt-On-The-Go by Donna Hussain

Wedding Quilt by Donna Hussain, 120”x130”

My daughter recently married and asked me to make a quilt for her as my wedding present.  How could I refuse her request?

Over a period of several months I sent the newlyweds sample pictures of quilts that I thought might appeal to them.  Their final choice was a quilt design that I found in a Keepsake Quilter newsletter (www.keepsakequilter.com). The pattern has large-scale patchwork blocks that are easy to sew. However I decided to add side extensions to the floor and a pillow tuck of my own design to the queen-size quilt. With these additions the quilt grew quite large.

To sew the quilt on my home sewing machine I chose the method of quilting-on-the-go. That is to say I would first join and machine quilt the center blocks of the pattern, then add rows of patchwork blocks to encircle the center. In this quilting method each added section, usually one or two rows of patchwork blocks, is machine quilted before adding additional sections to the quilt top.  For detailed stitching directions read How To Machine-Quilt A Large Bed Quilt On A Home Sewing Machine, an article I wrote earlier for this blog.

 Pieced quilt center ready for quilting

The major problem in sewing a large quilt is handling the bulk of the fabric and batting. I do not have a quilting studio or a long arm quilting machine.  My quilting hobby occupies half of the master bedroom that I share with my husband.  The surface for my domestic sewing machine, cutting boards, and sewing supplies is a door purchased from Home Depot that sits on table legs.  The only way I can machine quilt a large quilt is to quilt-on-the-go.

My work space

Unfortunately, I lack a large design wall, so I built the quilt design by laying out sewn patchwork blocks on the bedroom floor.  My ironing board, bed, dresser, and sewing table all helped support the quilt bulk during various phases of construction as you will see in the pictures.

Two rows added to one end of quilt center, ready for quilting.

Joined rows ready for machine quilting

 

Marking the machine quilting pattern

Machine quilting

Edge blocks ready for quilting

 

 

Close-up of machine quilting pattern

After completing the quilt center I added a narrow brown and blue frame to the center design. The squiggly free motion quilting pattern that I chose for the blue stripe required movement of the fabric (changes of stitching direction) while sewing, a flexibility that was possible when quilting the blocks along the edges of the quilt. 

 Fabric frame of quilt center

 

 

 

Machine quilting the blue stripe

Next, I added one of the sides to the bedspread.  I cleared my dresser for workspace when smoothing out the wrinkles as I bundled the back, batting, and patchwork together. Note that the bulk of the quilt center is lying on the floor.

Bundling the patchwork side blocks with batting and back.

 

 

 

Preparing a side for quilting

 

 

 

Quilting the side

 

 

 

Checking the look of the attached side

Once the two sides of the quilt were attached and quilted I worked on the section for the foot of the bed.  This addition has the same pattern as the sides but needed additional blocks at both ends so that the section would extend the full width of the quilt.

Preparing the end section for quilting

 

 

 

End section quilted

The final hurdle before completing the quilt was to add the pillow tuck. My choice of design was blue and green stripes because stripes would be easy to quilt. Believe it or not, the pillow tuck caused me more problems than any other part of the project because I failed to get the back smoothed and stretched adequately before machine quilting.  The result?  Back puckers. Correcting my carelessness caused me many hours of “reverse sewing” and stress.

Last week I presented the wedding quilt pucker free and complete with binding to my daughter and son-in-law who are celebrating their first anniversary. Their appreciation is reward for all the time and effort I spent making their wedding quilt.




California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles.

The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha.

Pictorial Log: Quilt-On-The-Go by Donna Hussain