On the Road: Art Quilts Exhibition, Morris Museum

Yesterday, I combined a date night with an art exploration date.  Ron went with me to the Art Quilts:  Contemporary Expressions from the Collection of John M. Walsh III exhibit at the Morris Museum in Morristown, NJ.  It was my third trip to the museum related to this show; once we arrived late, and we able to see the exhibit, albeit quickly, thanks to the generosity of an employee; once, I went with my friend Karen to hear Carol Schepps, one of quiltmakers, talk about her art quilt journey, and this time, to photograph the quilts. 

John ("Jack") Walsh is head of Waltron, a NJ-based, international water treatment company, and many of the pieces in this exhibit (close to 40 quilts) have some kind of aquatic imagery.  He has been collecting art quilts since the 1990s, and his curator is Penny McMorris.  Ms. McMorris is, I've read, responsible for coining the term art quilt.    In speaking with a museum employee, I learned Mr. Walsh displays the quilts in his home and business, and has a room set aside for their storage.   

What I loved about the collection was its diversity.  You will recognize many of the artists in the collection:  Velda Newman, Michael James,  BJ Adams, Lucky Shie, Nancy Crow, Jan Myers Newbury; but there are also artists to whom you will be introduced, such as Joy Saville, Kay Kahn, and  Tim Harding.  Ron's comment on one of the pieces was that he didn't think it was a quilt, which I thought was the point of the show.

During the exhibit, the museum hosted artist Carol Schepps, who spoke about her journey as an art quilter.  Carol's quilt Color Squares is featured in the show.  She was a fun and free spirit, who came to art quilts after a career in clothing design.  Her quilts are organic and spontaneous, and she showed us what she is doing now in mixed media.  Her work is frequently displayed at the
 Snyderman Galleries in Philadelphia


Note to my NYC friends:  if you love art quilts, this is worth crossing the river.  The rest of you, having no  fear of crossing rivers, should make the journey as well.  The show runs through April 25.  If you can't make it, continue reading, and you'll find links to photos from the exhibit, and Carol's lecture.  Of course, as you already know, a picture of a quilt can only take you so far.  The show was reviewed by the NYT. 

The museum has a breathtaking glass collection, and an inspiring exhibit of architectural photographs, just  a few feet from the quilts.  There is also a fun exhibit, Snoopy Soars with NASA.  To Ron's chagrin, complete with eye-rolling,  I made myself child size and stuck my head in the space suit. We both enjoyed the exhibit, despite Ron's initial protest that the date "would be fun for one of us."  The museum is free on Thursday evenings, and open until 8 PM on that night.


The photo album for the  Art Quilts exhibit is here.
The photo album from Carol Schepps' lecture is here.
 

On the Road: Long Island Quilters Society Show

It's show season; over the next few weeks I'll be on the road quite often visiting as many wonderful shows as I can get to.  The second show of the season was a trip to Garden City for the Long Island Quilter's Society Show.  It was a wonderful weekend for a quilt show in the NY area, as the weather was in full spring mode; warm and sunny, a great relief after last weekend's nor'easter.

The quilt with the lanterns is the 2010 Opportunity Quilt, Asian Lanterns.  She is a beauty, and the show's theme, Asian Inspired was visible throughout the show.  One of the things I enjoyed about the show was seeing different versions of the same pattern.  In this way, the viewer is inspired to be adventurous in selecting different colors, different patterns, or perhaps just different values when making a quilt.  As a side note, I had an interesting email exchange with Carol Miller of Quilt University on this very subject, but that's another post.  

Back to the quilt show:  I loved an area that they had created in tribute to their late members.  It was lovingly assembled, tasteful without being morbid.  I saw some of the usual suspects in the vendor market, but quite a few that I had not encountered before.  One of the members directed me to Deb Tucker's booth, and I hope to lure her to NJ for a summer retreat. 

The white glove volunteers were friendly, and perceptive; they were consistently able to point out special features of the quilts in their area.  
I'm active in several area guilds, and I normally run into other members when I'm at a show.  This show was no different, and I wanted to share photos of some of the members I met with their work, and the stories they shared with me about their quilts.

My friend Karen and I had been admiring this quilt for some time when I heard my name called.  My name isn't common, so I know it's always someone who knows me for somewhere, but I didn't recognize the woman calling me.  I made sure she was calling me by pointing to myself and then headed over to her table, where she introduced herself as Joyce, the guild President.  I also met another Empire Quilter member, Arlaine (she is the one who identified me to the others) and Pat, whose quilt I was just admiring.  Before I decided to take photos with each quilter standing in front of their quilt, I photographed Joyce (left), Pat (center) and Arlaine (right) in front of Pat's quilt, Hi-Lily Hi-Lily Hi-Low.  The tiger lily fabric reminded Pat, and her daughter, of flowers used in Pat's wedding bouquet.  Pat is also celebrating an impressive anniversary this year, and this quilt ties into that celebration.  Take it from me, this quilt yells HAPPY!  It certainly made me smile.

 Joyce, the guild president, showed me her Forever Double Wedding Ring.  A double wedding ring quilt pattern is challenging enough, but the icing on the cake is that Joyce hand quilted this piece.  I took a close-up shot of the quilting, too.  A link to the entire album of photos from the show appears at the end of this post.   Joyce told me it took her ten years to finish it.  To her, I offer the analogy:  do you know what they call the person at the very bottom of his class in med school?  Doctor.  Your quilt is finished, and that's the most beautiful word of all to any quilter.

Arlaine's piece, Kaleidoscope Stars, has the things I love about kaleidoscope patterns; they move and flow effortlessly,  guiding your eyes seamlessly over the entire quilt, as if they were one interlocking block.  These quilts are challenging to piece, and while your color  and pattern selection may be forgiven on other projects, they are crucial to the effect of kaleidoscopes. The stars do shine in this quilt;  my photo does not do it justice.


I'd like to thank these three women for taking the time to say hello, letting me drag them over to their quilts for a photo,  and congratulations on a wonderful show.  To see my album from the show, click here.

Quilt Fest of NJ

On Friday, I went to the Quilt Fest of NJ.  Based on a wonderful experience at the Pennsylvania National show last September, I was hoping to see a more robust show than in recent years, with lots of quilts and vendors.  I was surprised at the small number on both counts. Each year, I wonder if and how the organizers will be able to sustain this show next year, and this year is no different.  The photo featured is Best in Show, done by the talented Anna Faustino.  To view my pictures from the show, click here.

 What I liked about the show:
Great vendors, with lots of variety.  I enjoyed the quilts I saw, but there simply weren't enough of them, and I'd seen many of the quilts on view at other shows.

What I didn't enjoy:
The vendors who were there were interesting, but there were fewer than I expected.  Small number of quilts (53), limited listings (many quilts had a name and title card, but no listing in program.  Several quilts were on display at previous shows.

The Un-Guild

On Saturday I had a wonderful outing with the most un-guild guild I've ever been a part of  offline.  It was the first meeting of the NYC Metro chapter of The Modern Quilt Guild.

If you've been to a guild meeting, you know the usual setup:  a speaker, show and tell, block of the month, etc.. Guilds have a useful purpose, but that purpose is geared toward socializing, and if you're a new member that can be intimidating.  The sewing takes place before and after the meeting.  Often people are surprised that there is no sewing at most guild meetings.  The guild offers an introduction to talented quilters, and can offer help on a particular technique or skill.  The operative word is can.  Many people find guilds off- putting and unfriendly.  Let me say this has not been my experience, but I am an extremely extroverted person.  That said, for me the best part of a guild meeting is getting to know people individually, and sewing with them.  Most guilds are too large to offer these opportunities equally to everyone.

This brings me to what I have dubbed the "un-guild".  The Modern Quilt Guild is a national guild with local chapters, including one in the NYC area.  A group of about 15 of us met in midtown Manhattan, at the home of one of the chapter co-founders, Victoria.  We introduced ourselves, had show and tell, and discussed our vision of the guild.  The size of the group allowed us to ask questions about each other and our work.  It was a wonderful experience, complete with good food, talented people, and sewing.   Victoria, our host, had a bunch of charity quilts that needed binding, and while we talked and ate, many of the members worked on that task.  It was an auspicious beginning.  I'm looking forward to the next un-guild meeting!

Book Review: The Awe-Manac

The Awe-Manac by Jill Badonsky is exactly what its tagline says it is:  a daily dose of wonder.  It's one part almanac, one part journal, one part coach, one part muse.  It sparks your creativity on many levels by providing food for creative thought throughout your day.  Each day starts with you naming the day, (i.e., Kick that Cold Day) and completing the sentence:  Today I get to ________.  What a cool way to set a goal. 

From there you'll find any variety of celebrations, quotes, and observances.  You may be asked to write an ode to peanut butter, or doodle a bird, or take a walk.  Every day is an adventure, waiting to be experienced, just like real life.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a different way to jumpstart their creativity.  The exercises are quick, and Jill's sense of humor is infectious.  You're sure to start your day with a smile, and a bit of awe, indeed.

Great SCOT! (Something Completely Off Topic!)

The scheduled and unscheduled merriment of the holidays obviously took a bigger toll on my body than I thought.  For almost a week, I was knocked flat with a head and chest cold.  I try to stay away from antibiotics unless I have a fever, because on the rare occasion when I am sick, it is most often my body saying:  KNUCKLEHEAD--slow your roll! No matter how I try to pace myself, it seems that my tasks, meetings, deadlines and such all seem to pile up into a few CRAZY busy days.  During that time, I don't eat properly, burn the candle at both ends, and run my body down.  Most times, I get away with it, but a couple of times a year, my body defends itself,  and in no uncertain terms.

Most OTC (over the counter) drugs treat symptoms I don't have, and I hate that.  Would I take a pain reliever if I didn't have a headache?  No.  Why would I use something containing a pain reliever and fever reducer if I only have a cough or nasal congestion? I wanted to share two recipes that help me get through most colds; to this I might add whatever single product (i.e., a nasal decongestant or specific cough syrup) needed.  Important note:  these recipes are designed to make you sweat; after using them, keep yourself warm.   Bundle up, head to toe, in bed or the sofa!

Toddy for the Body
Hot water
Lemon Juice
Freshly grated ginger (important!)
Honey
Cayenne Pepper  (important!)
Optional:  shot of bourbon, rum or whisky

Combine lemon juice, honey, grated ginger; add shot if desired.  Pour hot water over mixture; add more lemon or honey to taste.  Sprinkle cayenne pepper over top and stir.

Garlic Soup (adapted from Bon Appetit)
2 tablespoons butter
15 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
2 tablespoon flour
2 cups chicken stock
cayenne pepper (as much as you can stand!)
salt

Melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and saute until mixture is just golden, about 2 minutes.  Add stock and bring to boil, stirring constantly.    Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes.  Season with cayenne and salt.

Creative Women's Collective

I attended my first meetup (I promise I'll submit another post extolling the brilliance of Meetup.com) with the Creative Women's Collective.  The meeting was held in Glen Ridge, NJ, at the studio of one of the members, and I got to meet ten like-minded, creative spirits.

The CWC is focused on the mission of networking with other people who create and sell handcrafted products.  Creating your art is often a solitary activity; working craft shows on your own gets tired pretty quickly.  The CWC offers not only a support network for selling, but also the collective (pun intended) intellectual and creative capacity of the other group members. Last night, we discussed venues and sales opportunities, but we also discussed the business of owning businesses like ours, sharing successes and pitfalls.

This was the first meeting of the year, and the topic of discussion was how many shows to participate in and which ones were worthwhile.  The group is fun and open, with everyone's input sought and respected .  An upcoming meeting will talk about accounting.  If you're interested in joining the group, visit Meetup.com and use the search feature at the top right hand of the page; enter Creative Women's Collective.  Alternately, you can certainly search for craft seller meetups in your area, or start your own meetup; get on out there!

Tip of the Week (Catch up 3) - Homemade Liquid Starch

It might not seem like a big deal, but the starch you use for quilting and appliqué can make a difference.  Liquid starch will leave a crisper finish than spray starch--highly desirable when doing appliqué, and makes your pieces stick together better when you're sewing, which means less shifting and less pinning.

Nearly all fabric is treated with sizing.  That's why it feels so wonderfully crisp in the store.  There is a difference between sizing and starch.  Starch is edible.  If you want to iron your fabric and store it, you should use sizing, which does not attract insects.  Liquid starch is hard to find, but easy to make.  You can make it from corn starch, or if you find a bottle of liquid starch, you can dilute it; it will last a long time.

Homemade Starch
1 pint cool water
1 tablespoon corn starch (preferably organic)

Dissolve the corn starch into water and put into a spray bottle.  You can use other starches as well,  (i.e., potato starch).  Regardless of what type of starch you use, make sure you shake it continuously for a couple of minutes before you use it to redissolve the starch.  You can make smaller amounts by reducing the proportion.  For extended storage, keep the starch in the refrigerator, but allow it to come to room temperature before use.  If you can find liquid starch such as Linit or Sta Flo, mix equal portions of liquid starch and water.  The liquid starch solution does not require refrigeration.

Two cups of liquid starch will treat three yards of fabric.

Tip of the Week (Catch up 2) - January 12- The Right Stuff for Appliqué

When doing appliqué, I've found that the tools make all the difference.  Here are some favorites:

Roxanne's Glue Baste-It

Roxanne's glue is not better than anyone else's but she is light years ahead of everyone with her dispenser, a syringe that gives you pinpoint (or more specifically, "needle"point accuracy.  I have been using this since I started quilting, and thank my first quilting teacher, Alison, for saving me years of trial and error.  It will wash out with soap and water, but will hold securely until you remove it.

Jeana Kimball's Foxglove Cottage Straw Needles Size 10

Needles are a very personal thing.  Many people recommend sharps or betweens for appliqué, but I find that I prefer straw needles, and of the straw needles I've tried, I preferJeana Kimball's needles.  They glide through several layers of fabric, and make needleturn easier for me.  They are, to quote Goldilocks," not too big, and not too small, just right." 

John James Gold'n Glide Appliqué Needles Size 10

I like this brand, size and type needle for the same reasons I love Jeana Kimball's.  The slight difference between this needle and Jeana Kimball's is that her manufacturing process means you have to pull the eye through the fabric, and his goes through the fabric without stopping at the eye.  I love them both.

Wonderfil Invisafil & YLI Silk Thread

For nearly invisible stitches, I use Invisafil® thread.  It is the finest (fine being a thread weight thing, not a quality thing, though the quality is wonderful too!) thread on the market, and your stitches will disappear.  They sell wonderful mini packs, so you can buy several colors at once. The slim spool means you can carry a few colors in a small pouch. I use this thread with a combination of YLI silk thread, which also sinks into your fabric.  Wonderfil is less expensive and has a wider variety of colors, important because you have to match the color of your appliqué piece (not the background).

Bobbinsaver
I've mentioned this item before as a great way to store bobbins.  It looks like a silicon donut, and I keep bobbins of Invisafil and silk thread in a Bobbinsaver in my appliqué organizer.  That keeps it portable, and ready to go when I'm ready to appliqué!

Tip of the Week (Catch up 1) - January 12

Since I owe you all quite a few tips, I'll be posting a few tips this week. As they are fresh in my mind, here is the first of a few appliqué tips:

Used fabric softener sheets are an amazing tool for appliqué, especially when you have curves and points.  The shrubbery  along the sides of my appliqué block pictured in my previous post, Have you ever seen a quilter cry? were done using this method.  Trace the applique form on the wrong side of your fabric; you might need to reverse your tracing.  With the fabric right side to the dryer, stitch around your tracing with using a 1/8" seam.  Cut a small slit in the fabric sheet and turn it inside out.  Iron the piece.  The sheets are extremely light;  you may choose to trim them close to the seam.  Position the appliqué on your block, then sew by machine or hand.

Have you ever seen a quilter cry?

Happy New Year! I love all forms of fiber art, but I am drawn to some more than others.  That said, my personal feeling is that if you limit yourself to the things you are comfortable with, you will not grow as an artist,  and you will be doomed to repeat 1,001 versions of the same piece.

Case in point:  last summer, I agreed to submit an applique block for the 2011 Empire Quilters Guild raffle quilt.  The quilt, Subway Series, is based on mosaics from various subway stations in NYC.  The quilt is the brainchild of an incredibly talented quilter and applique artist named Mary Cargill.  She opened up her home and stash to participants, and from what I've seen, the quilt will be a masterpiece.    I enjoy applique, but I have NEVER done an entire block of hand applique; it was always a single component, such as a flower, or  heart.  Nevertheless, I felt I ought to try, and with Mary's support, I gathered the fabrics for my block.  Fortunately, I have a large collection of fabric that was bought for portrait and landscape quilts.  The sky and mountains are batiks; the water, a fabric reversed; the tile roof, stone house, and windows were fabrics from my collection, as is the wood for the dock (to the right of the house). I painted another batik to give the impression of grouted tiles both surrounding the block and on the brick of the reflecting pool.  It took me many, many hours to complete the block; I changed the reflecting pool (in front of the house) and the roof shape and windows several times, often cutting out something I had just sewn.

Now for the crying part.  Happily I sent off my blocks.  Not wanting to spend a fortune to send it, but wanting to keep track of it, I took it to USPS and paid for delivery confirmation.  I am in the minority of people (based on comments I hear, even within my own household) who thinks the Postal Service does an incredible job for the price they charge.  We do not pay very much for our postage...if you think I'm kidding, send a postcard from abroad and convert the price to USD!  I am happy to see our postman, even though I don't often enjoy the bills he brings.  Imagine my surprise when nearly a month later Mary called to say she hadn't gotten my block, and the delivery confirmation had not been posted!  I spent most of the holiday dreading the thought of having to recreate this block.  Each day I checked to see if the delivery had been confirmed.  When yet another week had passed, and the delivery still had not been confirmed by either Mary or USPS,  I began to gather the fabrics again, with very little enthusiasm for the task, and on the verge of tears.

The story does have a happy ending; the post office did return the block as undeliverable, and simply for this reason:  the address was correct, but the last digit of the zip code was wrong, a 6 instead of a 5.  Had someone even bothered to look at my HANDWRITTEN LABEL, they would have seen that the address was correct.  Argggggggh...of all the !@#$%; stupid things. Holidays are a horrible time for the mail system, and that was USPS' reason why the package seemed to be returned to me via Pony Express; since it was not delivered, they could not update the status to delivered, and they don't have a status called  CRAZY POSTAL LIMBO. Not willing to trust my block through the postal service again, I brought it to NY, and was happy to see it included in the quilt top last Saturday.

Incorporating ubuntu...or How I Spent My Weekend

Desmond Tutu is one of my favorite people in the world.  Tiny in stature, but oversized in courage and heart, he still travels worldwide on his personal mission of social justice.  One of the recurring concepts in Rev. Tutu's talks is that of ubuntu, which means, I am because we all are.   Quite simply, it's a reminder that we are all connected in so many ways....six (or less) degrees of separation.  I think that is why the social networking sites are so popular; spending time with your computer used to be very isolating.  Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace bring us back to an essential necessity--to connect with other people, rediscovering ubuntu.  Meetup takes it one step further by bringing people with like interests together, face to face, the way people used to get together. 

This was an exceptionally busy weekend for me.  I am in the midst of preparing for three upcoming sales, a beading class I am teaching at Nubian Heritage Quilters, plus the demands of the new studio, Inspired ACTS.  These days times is more valuable than money.

On Saturday, I headed to an annual gathering of friends at the home of the sister of one of my closest friends.  This is the 20th such gathering, and we have come together over the years to talk about a wide variety of  things...sometimes it was a book, sometimes it was a topic---breast cancer, men, financial management.  It was, and continues to be, a bonding experience.  The hostess calls it Girl Talk, and I named one of my quilts after it.  A few years ago, my friend asked me to bring my quilts so others could see them.  The first time I did it, I sold a couple, and have brought them and sold a few ever since.   While it is not the purpose of the gathering, in essence it is, because it is about supporting and listening to each other.  I am thankful for both opportunities...the opportunity to join the circle of these loving, cherished women again, and the chance to share my art with them.  I am because we all are.

On Sunday, I headed to church, and reconnected with a former intern who will most certainly make an phenomenal priest very soon. Her sermons were magic, and I made some suggestions about how she could use post-its to accentuate the annotated bible she is allowed to bring for her priest license (my words, not hers!) exam.   She and I shared a moment last year where we saw exactly the same thing on someone's jewelry.  We didn't understand that the pin should read Obama 08.  I won't say what we saw....LOL!

I headed into NYC to attend the Empire Quilters Guild meeting.  Normally we meet on the second Saturday, but sometimes our meeting room at FIT is not available.  Our speaker was a friend of mine, the talented Sherry Shine, who displayed her amazing portrait quilts, shared her artistic journey, and explains her artistic process. EQG is not a traditional quilt guild by any means; they have a very broad definition of a quilt.  I would venture to say, however, that many of them had not seen work like Sherry's, which almost always features beautiful black women.  During her talk, Sherry also explained how a workshop with Rayna Gillman expanded her creative horizons, freeing her to use everyday items to create the backgrounds for her artwork.  I am because we all are.

I had to leave the guild meeting a little early to head uptown and support a fellow member of Quilters of Color Network of NY,  Edward Bostick. Ed has two very different quilting styles.  One style features traditional piecing methods, but with a stunning array of colors; the other style incorporates portraits of famous African Americans. In the pictorials,  Ed incorporates the artwork of Vincent Melbourne then adds colorful piecing elements.  Most of his quilts feature lovely quilting by Janice Jamison...more ubuntu!

My final stop was a lovely visit with my mother, who is in a long convalescent stay in Riverdale (NYC).  We talked and about my art and life, and she admired a piece I was embroidering.  It was one of the best visits in recent memory.  Throughout these connections all weekend, I was repeatedly thankful for each and every one of them; they enrich me personally, professionally, all parts of my whole.  I am because we all are, indeed, Rev.Tutu.

Weekly Tip: Taming Thread

I don't do lots of hand sewing, but when I do, I do a little bit of prep work to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible.  To make quilting thread tangle less and go through your fabric like butter, cut thread (many different colors, or a single color) to 18" lengths.  Place it on a piece of waxed paper, fold the waxed paper over the thread, then place the folded waxed paper between two pieces of parchment, or in a brown paper bag.  Iron with a warm iron.  To store up to ten threaded needles, untangled, and ready to sew, get yourself a Clover Dome Threaded Needle Case.  

Open House Event

The Inspired ACTS studio open house  in Harlem was a wonderful event yesterday.  We got a chance to share our space with fellow artists, friends and family.  The studio is a teaching studio, and based on the response, our hope of nuturing and sharing creativity will soon be realized.

I got a jump on my creativity efforts by building the table, design wall, and ironing surfaces in the studio.  Teresa, Chandra and I worked on the studio banner.  With our artwork and samples hung, the studio oozed with positive creative energy.  Our guests completed the picture.  I have a few pictures in my Picasa album.  I was busy with my hosting duties...explaining classes, tours of Workspace Harlem, etc.

Our schedule for November and December are done, as is our class descriptions.  If you'd like a copy, or would like to be on our e-mailing list, click here.  Put Class Info or Mailing List in the subject matter, and we'll take it from there.

The studio is open! The studio is open!

Folks who know me know that they can come to me and ask me how to do something, and if I know it, I'll be happy to tell, show, or teach them; if I don't know, I'll direct them to someone who likely does.  I've gained a lot of knowledge by asking, or traveling to shows and attending classes.  Everyone I've met has been generous with the knowledge, and it has helped me grow artistically.

Now it's my turn.  I am a part of a studio, Inspired ACTS, and I plan to use the studio to share the fiber arts and crafts I've learned over the years.  There'll be dyeing, surface design, traditional and art quilt techniques, wearables, accessories....who knows what else?  I'm learning new things every day!

The studio is located in Workspace Harlem, at 2340 Fifth Avenue between 141 and 142 Streets.  It's easily accessible by train or bus, and free parking is plentiful (by NYC standards).  The studio has ginormous windows providing natural light, plus great overhead lighting.  Our studio was once a science lab, and we have sinks in the room.  We have a large table, design wall, and ironing tables (you can't see the ironing tables from this angle).  On the design wall is a banner created by the three studio mates which will greet you as you enter the studio.  We're finalizing the class schedule, so please visit the site, and sign up for our email updates.

Weekly Tip: Tilting your Machine

I promise to post a photo over the weekend, but I think you'll get the gist of this tip without it.  Last week, at a workshop, one of the attendees chose to stand and sew because she could not see the top of her machine too well while sitting down.  You could purchase one of those tilt tables, which are great, but pricey, or you can use this trick that will cost you less than five dollars:  buy a couple of doorstops, and slide them under the back of the machine.   This will tilt your machine, and give you a better view of what you are sewing.

Studio Open House...You're Invited

On Saturday, October 31, Inspired ACTS will host an open house.  This artists' studio, housed in Workspace Harlem,  2340 Fifth Avenue between 141 and 142 Streets, is home to me, Teresa Vega, and Chandra Travis.  We are excited about our opening, and are looking forward to sharing our talents with other creative souls.  Our mission, as our name suggests, is to inspire our students to act creatively.  ACT also comprises our first initials--clever, aren't we?  We believe everyone, including us, can be more creative when in creative place, with other creative people.

At our open house, you'll get to see our studio, pictured above, and see some of the classes we'll be teaching.  In addition to classes, we'll be opening our studio space for people who need a place to get messy, such as Art Quilt and Dyeing playdates.  (Yes, adults need playdates too!)

What will we be teaching?  Surface Design, Hand Dyeing, Needlefelting, Fabric Collage, Altered Lace, Collographs, Adinkra & Taino Applique Quilt, Photo Transfer, Batik, Indigo, Discharging, Silkscreening, T-Shirt Quilts, Memory Quilts.  There will be some traditional quilting classes as well.  Classes have various skill levels.

Come join us on Halloween.  We'll have treats, no tricks!  Because of building security, you must RSVP, which you can do by clicking here, sending your name and email address.  We look forward to seeing all of our friends and fellow artists!

Weekly Tip: Channelling Einstein

A few years ago, I had the chance to attend the Einstein exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History.  I already knew Einstein was smart...a genius...but I also have come to believe he would make a helluva quilter.  He had a sense of playfulness and simplicity that would work marvelously in the fiber arts.

One of the things I learned is that Einstein did not use his substantial brainpower on just anything.  For instance, if you see photos of Einstein, you will notice that he is wearing virtually the same outfit.  Apparently, he bought several of the same item...the same jacket, shirt, shoes, socks...and simply rotated them.  He didn't want to have to think about something as ordinary as clothes.  I have to say this works a lot better if you are a man (even if you're not a genius)  in the early 20th century.

I have taken several of my tasks and "Einsteined" them.  In this I rarely have to think about these tasks, and it makes it easier for me to get them done.  Here is one that I use for sleeves. I will post other "Einstein tips" in coming weeks.

I sleeve all of my art quilts, and many of my bed quilts, specifically the ones still in my possession.  This is simply because I don't know which ones will be submitted for an upcoming show.  Yet, this is not the Einstein portion of this task.  Einstein helped with the process of making the sleeves.  What I do is take long lengths (perhaps 5 yards) of muslin, cut them to a 9" width, fold them in half, and sew a seam on the long end.  I then roll them around tubes, pin and rubber band them.  I cut the lengths I need, and I have ready to go sleeves that need only be attached to the top of the quilt, and turn the short edges in 1/4" and hem their short edges.  I then do not have to worry about what fabric I use for the sleeve.  I use the muslin no matter what fabrics are used on the rest of the quilt.  If I'm feeling extra creative, I can stamp or put Paintstik rubbings on the sleeve, but since it's not a part of the quilt that is likely to win or lose points for me during judging, I save my meek brainpower for other aspects of my quilting process.

On Being Flexible

Have you ever been in this situation?  You're with a group of people doing an activity, and something unplanned, and inconvenient happens.  How you do respond?

As the Program co-chair for Garden State Quilters, one of the responsibilities I share with Becky Dieckmann (my co-chair) is attending the workshops as the host.  The workshop was in my church's beautiful parish hall when all of a sudden, the irons blew the circuit. I'll tell you what I did as host in a minute, but my question to you is would you:

a) complain about not being able to work in a suitable space, but stay;
b) ask for your money back and go home;
c) stay and do what you can do until the lights come back on;
d) find a comfy chair and nap.

As the host, I tried to (unsuccessfully) find a circuit box with a tripped switch, then called someone to help.  I am happy, proud, impressed as hell to say the other ten people and the instructor chose (c).  While they could have done any of the other things, and justifiably so, they did what I would have done had I been on the other side.  There is a proverb, which is believe is Jewish in origin:  It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.  I have always loved this saying, but did not know I would understand it literally.

Many thanks are also due to the instructor, Didi Salvatierra, who was able to direct us to non-electrical tasks while we waited for the lights.  Everyone present possessed two important life skills which are necessary, but cannot be taught: flexibility, and a sense of humor.

Weekly tip: The Most Important Tool

Of all the tools in your studio, be it a kitchen corner, dining room table or studio, the most important one is YOU. Without it, that full-featured machine, the most wonderful gadget, the most perfect fabric is nothing.

Today's tip is one that will keep your most important tool from becoming overworked.  Use a minute timer wherever you sew and set it to 1 hour.   At the end of the hour, stand up, walk to the other side of the room, and do a minimum of these five "stretches".  (I'll post some more exercises later, but these are the basics).

1. Neck roll.  While standing, keeping your shoulders down, try to touch your right ear to your right shoulder, then look up, try to touch your left ear to your left shoulder, then drop your chin to your chest.  Repeat three times, then reverse directions.
   
2. Shoulder shrug.  Now is the time to bring those shoulders up toward your ears, then let them drop.  Do this ten times.
   
3. Wrist flex.  Put your right hand directly in front of you as if you are singing the Supremes' Stop! In the Name of Love.  I know you know the song, and the movement, too!  Use your left hand to gently flex the fingers back, until you feel the stretch in your wrist, and hold it for a few (that's three, people!) seconds.  Switch hands, and repeat the stretch with your left hand out and your right hand flexing your fingers.  Repeat three times for each hand.
   
4. Back flex.  This reminds me of the chant of young girls  (We must, we must, we must increase the bust!)  LOL!    With both arms extended in front of you, hands closed (as if you are rowing) keep hands at chest level and slowly pull your hands back (as if you are pulling the oars back).    When your hands are back, hold the stretch for a few seconds, then return to the extended position.  Repeat five times.
   
5. Eye Stretch.  While sewing, your eye muscles have been locked in a very near-sighted position.  To relax them, you need to focus on something in the distance.  This one requires a little preparation.  Either print an eye chart, or an inspiring quote and tape it in a place where you can look at it from across the room.  You may need to close your eyes (several times for me) to refocus, but keep trying until you can see the text.  If you have a window, focus on something outside in the distance.

Take care of your most important tool.  Maintenance is always cheaper, and less painful than repair.