Dance III
5″ x 7″ 3/4″
| $85.00 |
tutorial: doodle to thermofax ready image – digital editing
I love doodling in my sketchbook. This sketchbook is definitely not a work of art – it’s my WORK place. Most of what’s in there is an ugly mess and I don’t care. But some of the doodles have potential as thermofax screens.
This one for instance.
Picture taken with iPhone while doodle was still in sketchbook.
Now if I wanted to turn this into a great screen it would need some work. I need a stark black and white digital image so that I can print it out on my laser printer that uses the right carbon based toner that will burn through the emulsion on the fabric mesh when I run it through my thermofax machine.
See how the page is shadowed at one corner and brighter at another corner? That’s not going to work.
It is also hard to keep the image from key-stoning when you take a photo with your phone or camera. See how the image is distorted in the upper left corner? It leans in and isn’t square? The sketch itself isn’t that way – just the photo.
How to fix that?
SCAN YOUR IMAGE
Scan of doodle cut out of sketchbook so it will lay flat.
You can see the difference in this image where the lighting is perfectly even and the photo is square. When you scan your image please pay attention to the following.
RESOLUTION: scan at 300 dpi because you are concerned with print quality – not screen quality. 72 is standard for an image that you look at on your screen but is not high enough for a clear crisp print.
FILE TYPE: JPG will be the easiest to work with in a digital editing project. If your piece needs no cropping and is already in black and white a PDF might do as well.
COMPRESSION: when you scan your image, then save it, make sure that you do not compress the file further. At some point when you go to save you will see a quality slider similar to the one below. Make sure you drag the slider all the way to 12 – which is the maximum quality.
Now – make a copy or duplicate of your image and lets get busy. You always do that right? That way if you make a mess of things (I often do) you can start back with your original file.
CONVERT IMAGE TO BLACK AND WHITE
No shades of grey. No creme paper. No shadows. When the thermofax machine burns through the emulsion coating the fabric screen the grey areas of the screen may or may not burn all the way through. The best way to have a clean image for your print is to have a clearly black and white image to send to me. If you are starting with a lower quality photo such as the first one in this post, I’ll show you how to clean it up.
These instructions will work with pretty much any digital editing program. I’ve used Photoshop Elements, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and Gimp as well as a few others. If you can’t find the tools I mention in exactly the same place just open your program and type the tool name in the HELP box at the top. Most of the programs will give you an arrow pointing to where that tool is located.
BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST
Find wherever your programs Brightness/Contrast controls are hiding and give it a click. Up will pop a window with two sliders.
Play around with the sliders until you can see that the image is as bright white and dark black as you can get it without losing parts of your image.
LEVELS
I also often play around with Levels instead of brightness/contrast. This is the most complex of the three methods but it isn’t a big deal. Remember that control+Z is your best friend. It is the UNDO button.
There are three sliders in the levels window to play with. I’m certainly not a photoshop expert so I’m not sure I can explain to you why these work or how – but they do. First I mess with the slider on the right under that funky mountain graph looking thingy. It usually makes the white background whiter as I move it to the left. Next I work with the middle slider. This one is more fiddly – I move it back and forth until I’m happy with how black my blacks are. Sometimes I mess with the far left slider but not often.
Again – just play around as see what you get.
THRESHOLD
The last and sometimes quickest tool to use is the Threshold filter. It’s also the tool that is hidden in different places in every digital editing program so you might need to type it into the Help bar to find it.
It’s quick and easy but it isn’t always the best at keeping all the details you want. Let me show you.
There is only one slider to play with and you get ALL black and white immediately. You need to slide the little pointy button back and forth though. I really didn’t want all that shadowing on the upper right to show up.
So slide that slidy slider around and see what happens. In this case – moving it around too far got rid of the shadows but lost some of the lighter circles in a different part of the doodle. Again – play until you are happy with what you have.
Here is a middling image that doesn’t have any messy bits and has enough of the circles intact to make me happy. What do you think?
VOILA!!!
Now you have a stark black and white image.
Remember – there is no rule saying that you can’t try all three in conjunction. Sometimes I boost the Brightness/Contrast then go straight to the Threshold filter.
Now – it might be the case that you see some messy flecks and dots that are bugging you. Anything on that page (I recommend you print out your image so you can see what you are going to get in the finished screen) is going to show up.
We can fix that.
Hunt around for your eraser tool. Remember that HELP box up at the top of your control menu can find it for you.
You will need to size your eraser, and decide the “hardness” of the tool.
I needed my eraser to be small enough not to erase any of my circles so it was set quite small on this file. Remember that if you accidentally erase something you wanted to keep you can click control (or command) Z – or Edit/Undo to, well, undo what you just did.
Hardness controls whether the edges of your eraser are hard or a little fuzzy. With a black and white image I like a hard edge.
Click and slide and work your image until you’ve erased all the flecks and specks and you like what you’ve got.
Good?
GOOD!
I strongly recommend you also check out my tutorial on SIZING so that when you send your image to me to be made into a thermofax screen you get exactly what you want.
HAPPY PRINTING!
tutorial: sizing images for thermofax screens
If you are unsure of how to size your image so that I can make a thermofax screen for you – here are some instructions. First the simple list. Then detailed instructions with pictures.
- SCAN your image (if you are working from a sketch.)
- CROP your image so there is no extra white space.
- SIZE your image so that it prints exactly the size you want.
- PRINT your image at 100% to test it out.
- NAME your image with your name, image name, the size YOU want the image printed at.
- SEND me your image via email after you have placed your order.
Now for detailed instructions.
With pictures and everything!
SCAN YOUR IMAGE
There are many ways to create imagery for thermofax screens – one of my favorite is simply doodling. This is an image from my sketchbook. In order to make this into a screen I first need to digitize it.
Scan of doodle cut out of sketchbook so it will lay flat.
You can see the difference in this image where the lighting is perfectly even and the photo is square. When you scan your image please pay attention to the following.
RESOLUTION: scan at 300 dpi because you are concerned with print quality – not screen quality. 72 is standard for an image that you look at on your screen but is not high enough for a clear crisp print.
FILE TYPE: JPG will be the easiest to work with in a digital editing project. If your piece needs no cropping and is already in black and white a PDF might do as well.
COMPRESSION: when you scan your image, then save it, make sure that you do not compress the file further. At some point when you go to save you will see a quality slider similar to the one below. Make sure you drag the slider all the way to 12 – which is the maximum quality.
If you don’t have a scanner you can work with a photo taken with whatever camera you have. In this case I took a photo with my iPhone.
It is very difficult to get even lighting. It is also hard to keep the image from keystoning, see how the image is distorted as it is in the upper left corner you see here. See THIS TUTORIAL for working with the image to make it thermofax-ready. This image is NOT ready because it is not a stark black and white.
Once you get it stark black and white like this…
… you might need to further edit it. Say you drew your doodle on a 4″ x 6″ page but you actually want a 6″ x 8″ image? You will need to size it. These instructions will work with pretty much any digital editing program. I’ve used Photoshop Elements, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and Gimp as well as a few others. If you can’t find the tools I mention in exactly the same place just open your program and type the tool name in the HELP box at the top. Most of the programs will give you an arrow pointing to where that tool is located.
now….
CROP YOUR IMAGE
See all that extra space around the image? In order for you to get exactly the size you want it will help you to get rid of all the extra. Look for the CROP tool… It usually looks like that little square I’ve pointed to on the left.
The crop tool will probably open a box over your image that you can then pull or drag along each corner to get rid of all the extra white.
Sometimes you just click and drag over the part of the image you want to keep then you can move the sides around to tuck them in all snug up against your image.
Sometimes the box will only stay square, or only keep the original ratio of the image file. In that case there should be a bar somewhere up at the top of the window that will let you change the preset ratio to “free”. Or in this case to W x H.
next…
SIZE YOUR IMAGE
With the extra cropped away you can size your image to exactly the size you would it to print. Find your program’s Image Size tool.
When you open the Image Size window you will see what width, height, and resolution your current image is. Make sure the number you are looking at is inches – not pixels or percent, or something else. There is a pull-down menu next to the number so you can change to inches if that is not what you see.
Notice that because I am using a photo from my iPhone rather than a scan my resolution is 72. That is how many tiny little squares of light the computer crams into an inch of the image you are seeing. Great for on-screen but if I am going to print this I want to change my number to 300 pixels per inch. 
Now you can change the width and height to whichever size you prefer, so long as it fits within the guidelines for a small, medium, or large thermofax screen.
Small: max image size 3″ x 4″
Medium: max image size 4″ x 7″
Large: max image size 7″ x 9.5″
You can make your image smaller than 7″ x 9.5″ if you want it smaller on a large screen. You just can’t make it bigger than the maximum image size for each screen you order.
Why? Because even though the screen fabric you get for each size will be larger than the maximum image size you’ve got to leave enough blank space around the image on the screen so you can tape the edges or fit the mesh into a plastic frame.
next…
PRINT YOUR IMAGE
It’s always a good idea to print out your image to make sure it looks like you want it to. Make sure that however you print it – your print setting say your print size is 100%!
You might have to hunt – but make sure you are printing at 100%. In photoshop you have to scroll down quite a way to find the print scale.
Take a look at the printout. What you see in this printout (if it black and white with no gray) is what you are going to get on your screen. Is it fuzzy? Is it pixelated? Are there black splotches and specks? They will all show up on your screen.
You can learn how to clean up your image in THIS TUTORIAL.
Now that your image is exactly the right size and as clean as you can get it (unless of course you want it speckled and splotched – I’ve seen lovely messy screens that work quite well!)
NAME YOUR FILE
Label your file with your name, a description, and the exact size you want the image (not including the white area around it) to print at. It should be the same numbers you put into the image resize box up there!
example: Kinard_dotgrid_6.9×9.jpg
finally…
SEND YOUR FILES
Go to my CUSTOM THERMOFAX SCREEN page and order the size and number of custom screens you want me to make for you then send me an email with your images attached.
Good?
Any questions? Feel free to ask. If anything is unclear please let me know and I can try to tweak this tutorial for you.
Book Review and Giveaway: Art Quilt Collage
I introduced you to Deborah Boschert yesterday.
Now I’d like to introduce you to her first book.
Art Quilt Collage
I saw this and had to giggle because I know exactly what she’s feeling…. CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S HERE!!
Writing a book is a ton of work. You write and organize and write and make artwork for months.
Then all kinds of things happen with the editors. Then things get quiet. Then – IT ARRIVES! Look at how tight her fingers are on that book – you just know she is standing still for the picture just bursting like a puppy dog ready to jump all over the place!!!!
And this book is a sweet thing of beauty. There are all the usual art quilt chapters on supplies, construction techniques, and finishing. But i also has intriguing chapters on personal symbols, inspiration, and my favorite:
Deborah and I had a little chat about my favorite chapter in her book that you can watch here.
You can order her book on Amazon here
Or if you really love the artist – Deborah has signed copies available in her Etsy shop. As a thank you for buying the book directly from her, she is giving away pieces of original surface designed fabrics with the first 50 sales. Here’s the etsy link. (And did you know – when you order from Amazon the author gets pennies. If you have the option ALWAYS buy directly from the artist.)
I will also be giving away a copy of the book on Sept 30th!
In order to enter the giveaway contest you need to leave a comment here on this blog. Make sure I have a way to contact you! I’ll pull a name from a hat on the morning of the 30th.
Tell me:
In order to enter the giveaway contest you need to leave a comment here on this blog. Make sure I have a way to contact you! I’ll pull a name from a hat on the morning of the 30th.
Tell me:
What is your most difficult issue with design?
You can learn about other chapters of the book and enter a comment for a chance to win a copy of Deborah’s book on each of these blogs until September 30th.
Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric, Paint and Stitch
Book Release Blog Hop with Video Chats!
September 19: C&T Publishing and Editor Lynn Koolish
September 20: Teri Lucas, Generation Q Magazine
September 21: Susan Brubaker Knapp
September 22: Sue Bleiweiss
September 23: Lyric Kinard
September 26: Lori Kennedy
September 27: Maria Shell
September 28: Jane LaFazio
September 29: Judy Coates Perez
September 30: Melanie Testa
Artist Spotlight: Deborah Boschert
I’d like to introduce you to a friend and favorite artist of mine.
Deborah Boschert is a mixed media/quilt artist from Texas who is one of those people that you can’t help but like. She is sweet – in the REAL sort of way where you just know that she thinks and feels things deeply and cares about people. I love following her real life adventures on Facebook.
Waning Crescent Meditation by Deborah Boschert
60 x 24 inches
I also love the way she layers commercial and hand printed cloth, machine and hand stitching. Her color combinations are usually quiet with just enough spark and contrast to draw me in. There is something peaceful and intriguing about her work and you can tell there is a personal symbolism being used.
Green Bowl by Deborah Boschert
40 x 40 inches
This sweet little piece is part of my own personal collection.
Horizon Embraced by Deborah Boshchert8 x 8 inches
You can read more about Deborah at her website.
And stay tuned! On the 23rd I’ll introduce you to her new book and have a copy to give away!
Copyright Free Photos: The New York Public Library
I’ve posted articles before about sources for Copyright Free photos and thought I’d share the most recent rabbit hole I’ve disappeared into.
The New York Public Library Digital Collections
Another amazing resource full of photos, manuscripts, books, maps…. be still my beating heart. And here is a wonderful feature… on the home page there is a magic little search box with another magic little click box beneath it. See that??? You can narrow down your search to public domain materials with one click.
I am a super softie for historic photos – especially those capturing traditional dress of the cultures of the world. Textiles, clothes, real people from parts of the world. Your ancestors. My ancestors. I love being reminded that America is an entire nation of immigrants. When we are honest about it Native Americans are the only people on this continent who didn’t arrive from somewhere else (in the last 550 years or so) looking for something better.
Pay close attention to the green box here. See that bar along the bottom? It says “free to use without restriction.” Magic words my friends.
These pieces are all from a collection titled Portrais of Immigrants at Ellis Island, New York.
Guadeloupe Woman by Augustus Sherman
Russian Cossacks by Augustus Sherman
Scottish Boys by Augustus Sherman
Dutch Children by Augustus Sherman
Join me in at the international quilt festival!
Registration is open for Houston!
The International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX is what I call the biggest slumber party in the world! Want to come play with me?
Thu Nov 3
2-5 pm
471 Mixed Media Forum
Photos + Foil = Fun!
2-5 pm
471 Mixed Media Forum
Photos + Foil = Fun!
Fri Nov 4
9-noon
541 Surface Design Sampler
Fri Nov 4
2-5pm
577 Creative Collaborative Collage
Sat Nov 5
10-noon
740 Saturday Sampler
Beautiful Beaded Blooms
Sat Nov 5
2-5pm
765 Bead It Like You Mean It
Click HERE to register now.
save the dates! some very special opportunities to study with me
There are only a few spots left for
The newest adventure from Pokey bolton, the creator of Quilting Arts Magazine and TV. Spaces are filling fast – one of my classes is full but there is still space available in Abstract-A-Licious (a fabulous class that teaches easy design skills that help you to come up with your own unique abstract designs). Space is also available in Creative Collaborative Collage, a fast paced event where merriment and mayhem ensue with a little learning thrown in for good measure.
Save the Date
Join me for a very special 5 day class!
Five days of delving deeply into paint and learning some serious design skills along the way. A luxurious amount of time! You deserve this!
Five days of delving deeply into paint and learning some serious design skills along the way. A luxurious amount of time! You deserve this!
travels: marjorie park, greenwood colorado
In Marjorie Park, the same sculpture park as the Alice in Wonderland sculptures I enjoyed some quiet time inside of Weidenblume, a sculptural arbor made of living willows.
In 2010 it was created by German atelier Sanfte Strukturen led by Marcel Kalberer. Five years on it looks a little different. Look for the metal birds roosting…
And a couple other sculptures I found interesting…
Winged Lion of St. Mark: maker unknown. “This winged lion holding a scroll symbolizes the Venetian Republic’s power on land and sea. In religious iconography, the lion is commonly composed next to St. Mark the Evangelist, and remains an evangelical symbol. St. Mark is the patron saint of Venice and his emblem is the winged lion, equipped with a sword and a scroll, which reads “Pax Tibi Marce Evangelista Meus (Peace to You Oh Mark My Evangelist). This reproduction is inspired by the original (15th century), which sits on top of the clock tower in the Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy.”
Departure
by George Lundeen
Artist and date unknown. “A chimera is a beast with a lion’s head and body, a second head of a goat, and serpent’s tail. This horrific monster is present in mythological imagery dating back before Christ. This Etruscan Chimera is a replica of a 16th Century sculpture located in Florence, Italy. Chimera is focused, ready to pounce, its beautiful silhouette contrasting its strong musculature details. Its mane, horns, claws, and sharp teeth are finely crafted, and the whole presence enforces its intent to frighten away evil forces.”
I just look at the poor fellow and think he’s sayinging, “SUCH a pain in the neck!!!”
LOVE IT!!!!new work: sisters – bubbling up (or help me find a better title!)
This piece was begun and set aside almost 10 years ago but it was time to take it out and put it together. It sprang from a trip where laughter bubbled continually and effortlessly.
Back then I had far fewer “natural highlights” in my hair. This past summer the entire family was together again. Again there was much laughter – but after ten years there were far more burdens than there were then. I want to remember that carefree time. These are some of the people in this world that I love and admire the most. Everyone in my family lives very far away from each other. We miss each other a lot.
Life is still good. There is still laughter and love.
(Bubbles is a terrible title.
Help me figure out a better one!)
an ode to summer
Summer is winding down. The kids have gone back to school and we’ve actually had a few days that weren’t unbearably hot and humid here in NC. I’m loving and appreciating what a wonderful summer it was. Preserving memories.
Spending a week surrounded by ALL the people I love most in the world.
Seeing wide open skies and fields full of ripening crops.
Driving and ATV for the first time.
Cherries. Cherries. Cherries. Cherries. Cherries.
Cherries don’t grown in NC so I made batch after batch of compote while we were in ID.
Being surrounded my memories of childhood.
My siblings and I wrote a book full of memories of growing up Montgomery.
A gift for my parents 50th anniversary.
(Check out Storyworth if you want to do the same thing.)
More time with family – driving across OR with my sisters family.
A full weekend watching Drum and Bugle Corp Competitions.
This was spotted somewhere in Oregon, the competitions were in Pennsylvania.
The instruments on the barn are not Bugles. It’s OK.
Turning off the TV to find peace.
And finally back home. There is beauty here too.
for your inspiration: alice’s adventures in wonderland
On my recent jaunt through the Denver, Colorado area I spent most of my time in Centennial in a rather business-centric part of town. I had an hour or two to roam and perused Yelp, TripAdvisor, and RoadTrippers to see what was close by and discovered the Madden Museum of Art. Unfortunately as soon as I got into my car my week’s worth of sleepless nights caught up with me and I found myself at the hotel instead for a blissful nap.
Once awake I made my way to the museum but phone calls interrupted and time was short and in walking by I discovered a small outdoor sculpture park full of delightful sculptures by Harry Marinsky celebrating Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
“”There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know.”
“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”
(Why do I so strongly identify with this quote as a woman/mother/business owner?)
You are old, Father William, the young man said,
And your hair has become very white:
And yet you incessantly stand on your head –
Do you think at your age that is right?
In my youth, Father William replied to his son,
I feared it might injure the brain;
But, now that I’m perfectly sure I have none,
Why I do it again and again.
filming for The Quilt Show in denver, co
Last week I hopped a plane and several hours later walked into a gorgeous big beautiful sky and MY mountains over there in the distance. Denver isn’t quite the same as growing up in the Salt Lake Valley with the Rocky Mountains right there in your back yard. Denver feels like it is in Kansas and the mountains are waaaaaay over there. But they are beautiful all the same. And the dry air compared to the steamy sauna that passes for summer here in NC can’t be beat.
I had the serious honor (well – one can never be too serious when Alex and Ricky are in the room!) of being invited back to The Quilt Show; this time to their studio rather than out on location. For those of you who missed it the first time I filmed in Charleston and Asheville. I’ll stick in a links list at the bottom of this post… I had too much fun revisiting those travels and you might enjoy them as well.
This was my first time on set with a “LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE!!!” That was a hoot. Yes the audience is there – and it is alive and breathing. But they have to hold still and breathe quietly while actual filming is happening. And there are a bank of huge cameras between what is going on set and the people watching – so they actually only see what you are doing on the big screen TV’s that are on either side. I like to ham it up and play with people so I did a lot of pretending that I could see them.
It was funny that after the filming is all done, they turn the cameras around and film the audience having different responses to what happened previously on set. They would be directed to belly laugh or nod or chuckle or simply “look really attentively” at – something – usually something silly in Justin’s hand, like a marker.
What was just as fascinating to me was sitting in the control room for a few segments – watching various people do invisible jobs that make the show look great. There are sound and lighting engineers with ranks and ranks of buttons. A Camera engineer who watches the action and tries to keep up with which shot will best show what is going on. I’m told I move a little to quickly on camera and I tried, really I did, to slow down. Shelley, the producer watches closely to make sure everything makes sense and flows and a note taker writes as fast as she can so that they can shoot all the right pick-ups and put them in all the right places. It’s really cool to see what is going on behind the scenes to make those things all work out seamlessly as you watch the screen.
For those of you who wish to further procrastinate whatever it is you really should be doing right now….
Charleston, SC – The Angel Oak
Charleston, SC – Architecture
The Quilt Show – Magnolia Plantation History
The Quilt Show – behind the scenes at the Magnolia Plantation and Pt 2
The Quilt Show – on location at Magnolia Plantation
The Quilt Show – prep time and the art of slogging
travel: greece – the water in katakolo
Spring of 2015 was one of the most amazing times of my life. My daughter Avia and I traveled in Paris and Greece. I managed to blog about part of our time in Paris (you can peruse those photos here – lots of museums, lots of food, lots of cathedrals!) Then life got crazy again and hasn’t stopped. Today I’m practicing the ultimate in procrastination and avoidance of a serious deadline and am reminiscing about our time in Greece.
It’s a billion degrees hot with humidity like a steam room here in North Carolina. I’m taking a morning to remember the glorious azure waters of the southern mainland of Greece… the cool crispness of the water and the dry heat of the air. Enjoy this little video while I get back to work.
We visited before the Syrian Refugee crisis took over. I wonder what it was like the rest of the summer. And I wonder where all of those people who have suffered so much are now. The Greek people have the biggest hearts. Even suffering their own economic straights they welcomed those who have and continue to suffer beyond belief. I love them.
I looked up some current facts through MercyCorps if you are interested…
for your inspiration: the america on wheels museum
Our family took a little trip a few weeks ago up to Allentown, PA to attend a two day Drum and Bugle Corps competition. Just because we are die hard band geeks. We also spent a morning at the America on Wheels Museum.
I had no idea electric cars were made this far back!
The restoration room, with works in progress, held visual treasures for a texture junkie like me.
Um. Why did this design never really catch on?
Luxury – and it was as big as my minivan.
For reference – little guy comes to my shoulders – as does the hood on this beast.
Huge. I mean, HUGE! And sleek. And gorgeous.
The detailing on the oldest autos – simply beautiful. I want to paint amazing things on my minivan.
Viva la difference! (or – what is an art quilt?)
I was recently asked what makes a quilt ART.
Some people have made all kinds of quilts that they didn’t think were art (think Gee’s Bend) but then someone puts them on a museum wall and the art world goes crazy. Some people put their heart and soul into creating a thing of beauty but because it is utilitarian they say it can’t be art.
Lucy Mingo, 1979
In 1971 The Whitney museum hung Abstract Design in American Quilts and broke their previous attendance record. These weren’t new quilts. They were simply in a new setting. Does this mean that these quilts weren’t art before they hung on a museum wall? Is it the location that turns an object into art?
Maker Unknown, Circa 1900 – 1920
Who, exactly, has the right to say a thing is or isn’t art? How many artists have been rejected by the establishment during their lifetimes only to be revered years after they are gone by that same establishment. Sure – a museum curator might have advanced degrees – but this is ART people. It is meant to speak to your heart. It is an individual thing, meaning that you have as much say as any PhD.
While there is much contemporary art that I truly love, sometimes I scratch my head and wonder if the “famous artist” who has sold a museum some thing that has almost no craftsmanship to it, is gleefully laughing all the way to the bank at the stunt he pulled. Or maybe he actually does deeply believe the artspeak on the statement. Who am I to judge?
So my answer is:
I think that quilts are art.
Period.
But hey, I don’t think mine is the only valid answer out there. Your answer is just as valid as mine. My opinion doesn’t negate yours and your differing opinion doesn’t mean my opinion is wrong.
Quilts are art? They might be follow a pattern like a paint by number or Bob Ross copy. They might be completely unique and come entirely from the mind and imagination of the maker. The world is a very big pond to swim in and there should be room for all the kinds of fish who want to be there. Art is what you want it to be and that means different things to different people. That’s a very good thing. The world would be a very boring place to live in if we all liked the same things!
vive la différence!
Hey – I just had an idea. Wouldn’t it be a cool contemporary art installation to gather the results of a particular Bob Ross episode and completely cover all four walls of a gallery? I’d play a looped recording of his voice saying “happy little trees” over and over and over. My grandma used to paint along with Bob Ross. It made her happy. I LOVED seeing her happy so I love Bob Ross too.
International Quilt Study Center article on Abstract Design in American Quilts
You can order the Catalog of the Abstract Design exhibit here:
to dye for: opening reception at visions art museum
Tah Dah!
It really happened!
My work was in a real, live museum. A lovely, tiny, well respected museum that showcases textile arts. I have five works (four new one older) included along with four other amazing artists in this exhibit. I admire all of them and their work.
Here is the first thing you see as you walk to the reception desk and peek in the door to the exhibit.
Then this. The artists were invited to come early and take pictures before the reception officially started. Because of that “no taking pictures” thing right there on the sign, I suppose.
Turn to the right and you see the rest of my works. It’s wonderful to see them all hanging together.
Here is a view – backed out just a bit. Sue Cavanaugh’s beautiful shibori forms captivated me.
Ann Johnston’s work, as always, was richly layered and textured and yet elegantly simple. Did I tell you hers was the second book I bought when I chose to do this thing with cloth and art. What I wouldn’t have given to see her there as well. Through the door on the end was Jane’s exhibit. Please go HERE for a video walk through of her work, with Jane herself.
I have a confession. I know it’s irrational but I spent the weeks leading up to the opening reception of the To Dye For exhibit with my stomach in knots. No reason. Just that the last two solo show exhibits I’ve had just happened to fall on those miraculous and rare days in NC when it snowed. Nobody (except for artists who are super excited to have work in a show) ventures out of their house when it snows in NC. No snow tires, no road learning equipment, southern drivers with no experience on the road – really it IS smarter to stay inside when the roads get slick. So nobody came. Except for my husband. I had to take this picture of the entryway of the museum – just to prove to myself that people actually came.
I know they didn’t come just to see me. One of my all-time favorite artists, Jane Dunewold had a solo show concurrent with this exhibit and she was there. Her book, Complex Cloth was my first purchase when I decided I wanted to make art from cloth. She is one of the kindest, most generous spirits I have encountered. It meant the world to me to be able to tell her so and her kind words (about me to another attendee) brought me to tears. I love her.
And I’m so very grateful to my good friend Jamie Fingal for spending the day with me. I didn’t tell her, but I was relieved knowing at least one person would for sure be at the opening and say something nice about my work. Jeannie Palmer Moore also had some amazingly fantastic works in the exhibit. It was so much fun to see her again!
The no-nonsense side of my head was telling me the whole time how silly the anxiety was, and how it didn’t matter if anyone stopped to take a look at my art or not. The success was in the making of the work. The actually finishing it and the putting it out there. 98% of the time that is the only voice I ever hear and I really don’t worry about things. Getting in to shows or not, winning awards or not, they don’t really phase me much at all. But an opening reception? Whew. What a ride!
lyric’s lyricisms: imposter syndrome
This is a repost from last month’s newsletter. Tomorrow I’m putting up a post about the opening reception at the Visions Art Museum.
It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.
Denis Waitley
Every once in a while I get this horrible feeling. The one that says… “someone’s going to find out that I don’t belong here, that I’m really not good enough for this”. According to psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, “it’s a feeling of phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable, or creative despite evidence of high achievement.” Highly accomplished people such as Maya Angelou and Seth Godin have voiced these insecurities in spite of their obvious talent. I guess I’m in great company.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
C.S. Lewis
It’s healthy to be humble. Nobody likes a narcissist. But imposter syndrome can lead to paralyzing fear.
How do you overcome this fear?
Recognize it and realize that pretty much everyone has felt this way at some point.
Remember all the things you DID do to get to where you are. You have been doing the work, right? You said yes or no as needed. You are risking, striving, trying.
Focus on doing your best. It won’t be perfect and you will never know or do or be everything. Never. But you can do your best. And you should.
Stop comparing yourself to other people. Envy is unhealthy and most of the time, uninformed. You have no idea of what it took for that person to get where they are. Everyone has their own private trials and struggles and failures. It is what makes us who we are.
Fake it until you make it! Kyle Eschenroeder said, “Sometimes faking it doesn’t make you a fraud. If you smile your body will be more generous with happy chemicals and actually make you happier. Neuroplasticity means that you can shape your brain by pretending.”
Imposter syndrome can be a friend if you are willing to learn from it. Sit down and welcome it in. Fake it until you make it. Just keep doing the work!
I truly believe in a philosophy of abundance. There is enough goodness, love, recognition, and beauty for everyone. All I need to do is think of one of my very favorite people. When someone she knows accomplishes something she is so exuberantly happy for them – not a single touch of jealousy. I want to be like her. A rising tide lifts all ships, right?
Think about the following quote.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Marianne Williamson
Have you ever felt Imposter Syndrome?
Send me a note and tell me about it!
And a little stitching on the side. 
On the road.sewing with children
She is older than she looks, but not by much.
She has had her own sewing machine (an old Elna TSP) for about a year and a half. I taught her to sew with very small projects like pillows but didn’t put a huge amount of time into it. She has a very three dimensional mind and is always sculpting or creating something with paper which means what she really wants to sew are creatures.
A one legged Enderman (from Minecraft) and an Octopus.
She got frustrated with it before she got to the last leg and decided she liked it as is.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to teaching children to sew. The first is what I call old-school. Teach the child how to do it right – carefully following each step of a pattern and unpicking when things go wrong. I have heard story after story after story from women who were taught this way, gave it up in frustration, and finally returned to their love of sewing years later. Most still struggle with feeling inadequate every time they make a mistake.
I don’t subscribe to that school. I showed her the basics then let her play around, never commenting when something was a mess. She loved it. She would experiment with construction techniques and show me her creations. Every once in a while she would get frustrated and I’d tell her a way that might be easier. Sometimes I tell her that on the next one she makes she might like doing it ‘this way’ instead.
One day she decided to make slippers. She would shape cloth to her foot and sew it – then trim and sew and trim and sew and trim and sew. I made a few suggestions which she took well. She ended up making about six pair, tweaking her construction each time. Experimenting. None of them are what I call really well designed but she will never hear me say that. I think they are wonderful – and she still wears the pair where she used fleece on the top, made a quilted footbed, and added an ankle tie to keep it on. You see, I don’t think it’s about the outcome at this stage. I think it’s about learning to love something and being willing to play with the process.
These bears are pretty much the first time she has followed a pattern and she did it on her own. She only asked a couple of questions and I only showed her a couple of things. She didn’t know what a dart was or to use stabilizer behind the cloth on the eyes. Don’t worry – she has added eyes to the little bear since this picture was taken. Can you see the progression from her first to her second bear? In real life it’s pretty impressive.
You know I have five children right? That means I know this method won’t work with everyone. I have five opposites among my offspring. I didn’t know that was even possible.
The first two didn’t want to listen to anything I had to say so I signed them up for a children’s sewing class taught by my friend instead of trying to teach them myself. They made wonky log cabin quilts – no precise measuring – no way to get it wrong. One child has gone on to sew lots and lots of stuff and now creates the most amazing costumes! The other, who has had extreme perfectionist tendencies since toddlerhood, sews very well but I don’t think she has ever finished a project. She will get to the very last seam and give it up because it’s not perfect and she knows she will never wear the thing. Ah well. She is now putting those tendencies to very good use while studying graphic design.
I’d love to hear your experiences with teaching children to sew. Leave a comment and tell me all about it!
gearing up for a rare bear
I’ve been invited to participate in a wonderful event to help raise funds for research into cures for rare childhood diseases. I’m honored. and excited. Auctions of these Rare Bears will occur in person and online during the International Quilt Festival in Houston this November.
Ideas are churning and I think this bear might be pretty special.
I’ve had helper this morning and we are gearing up to get to work.
I think she is going to make one too.
You can read more about this wonderful organization here.
mill wheels VII: order and chaos
Mill Wheels VII: order & chaos
by Lyric Montgomery Kinard
40″ x 40″
dyed, printed, painted stitched
This work has been accepted into
Dinner@8’s show
PATTERNS
which will premier at the International Quilt Festival in Houston Texas this fall.
Mill Wheel – the series
The following works were shown at
July 16 – October 2, 2016
Opening Reception: July 16, 5-7pm
2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92106
Mill Wheels: stone, water, time
19″ x 41″
2003
Mill Wheels III: grid
40″ x 40″
2016
Mill Wheels II: old and new
22″ x 46″
2016
Mill Wheels IV: progress
21″ x 41.25″
2016
Mill Wheels V: rise
27″ x 39″
2016
Other works in this series:
Progress
98″ x 54″
2010
(still my favorite of the bunch but it is HUGE so it was too big for the museum show)
Remains of the Day
23″ x 32″
2016
work in progress: remains…
More leftovers from the Mill Wheel series.
(hmmmm – maybe I’ll post those all together in a future post)
But it’s the last week of school so instead of working much in the studio I’m driving to and from schools, keeping a restless teenager out of trouble. Getting ready for trips. Wondering as always what I’m going to do with these kids all summer?
new work: remains of the day
You’ve seen bits and pieces of this coming together over that past week if you followed my posts on Facebook. I’ve been working in a series, getting a number of quilts ready to show in the “To Dye For” exhibit at the Visions Art Museum in San Diego, CA. Then I was inspired by some leftover bits and used those for another quilt. And so on and so on and so on!
Remains of the Day
by Lyric Montgomery Kinard
23 x 33
As the wanted, the desired, are chosen and whittled away, what is left becomes beautiful and rises. The remains are here, singing.
EXHIBITION HISTORY
2017 Road to California: First Place (Art Abstract)
2016, Asheville NC Quilt Show: First Place (Art Abstract)
How’s that for a poetic, ethereal (nonsensical, self-absorbed, ridiculous) artist statement. Seriously. I hate writing artist statements. And creating titles. Since the quilts that began the series and instigated this piece were all made with the same batch of fabric I could get away with a series name and numbers. Mill Wheels I – V. Easy. Sounds all artsy right? Even though this is the same fabrics I think I’ve moved beyond the idea of Mill Wheels.
This design began with the circle I had cut away from under a wheel shaped appliqué. (You can see that piece here.) So a new name. “Leftovers” didn’t sound enticing so “Remains” it is. Took a few days to realize that might be Macabre so I added in a poetic bit.
The improvisational design process involved simply moving pieces around on the wall until I liked what I was seeing then sewing them together. Then unsewing when I change my mind. With this piece it also involved being done with the quilt, facing, sleeve and all, and then deciding it needed beads. Well – the quilt decided it needed beads – I argued for quite a while but obviously lost the argument.
I’m glad I lost the argument. It’s a good sign that your embellishments are an integral part of the design if you lay them out, take a look (or a photo) then take them away and you really notice something is missing.
for your inspiration: asheville, NC
Downtown Asheville, NC is full of wondrous architectural gems. The people are interesting. The food is pretty amazing (this trip took me to Duck Taco and Zambra’s Tapas, both highly recommended. I also wandered into Desicrant, a “lifestyle boutique” that held some interesting treasures.
Take a closer look at the bookshelf.
w.a.n.t.
An interactive sculpture detailing the history of transport in Asheville. You don’t notice at first that the sounds coming through the nearby bushes are the sounds of a canoe on a stream. Sounds move with the wheel through horses, trains, and propellor airplanes. Lovely.
artquilts: voices through June 2nd, 2016
A few of my favorites from the current exhibit
Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC
open through July 2, 2016
A show of innovative quilts from The Professional Art Quilters Alliance-South (PAQA-South)
Just Fly by Jill Kerttula
Cover Cover by Gwen Brink
A Love Letter by Cathy Hedberg
Improv by Judi Bastion
Voices in my Head by Jill Kerttula
(which I admit is my very favorite in the show! The way she has used a photo on cloth and the stitching that is perfectly integrated and integral to the design. Faces are HARD to stitch.)
Upper left piece by Lynn Harrill
Direction and Haiku by Lyric Kinard
artist spotlight: dona barnett
On my second afternoon of wandering through Asheville’s River Arts District I wandered through another old industrial building converted into a multitude of artists studios. In the main entry a collection of artist works were hung on the walls and one caught my eye. It featured a crow. Have you read Gifts of the Crow by Marzluff and Angell? It’s as much science as literature and tells about how truly intelligent these avians are. There is a crow family that nests somewhere near my house that I love to caw back and forth with. Oh – and I also just happened to be listening to a young adult novel by Tamora Pierce called Trickster’s Choice that features crows as well. She is one of my favorite authors and this set is the fourth series set in the same fictional land. All of them feature young women who choose unconventional paths against the odds.
Anyway – back to the art. Around the corner more crows caught my eye. This time the layered texture and imagery stopped me short and drew me in. So did the label… I love printmaking and artists who use this art form but wasn’t sure what a collograph was.
I wandered some more and in a tiny back corner by the window I was delighted to find Dona at work, carving out a block for a new logo. Flying Rhino Studios. I love it. An ungainly, very much NOT aerodynamic, prehistoric, tough-as-nails creature with wings. In flight. What a lovely metaphor for us – don’t pay attention to what others say you can or cannot achieve. Flight is available to anyone.
I think I might have just developed a new love for these creatures. Rhinoceroses. (Yup – I looked it up.)
Isn’t he sweet? I also asked about collographs. Dona showed me a few of her collograph plates and explained the process. Things are adhered to a plate (grasses, rope, whatever you choose to make your texture with) and then sealed so they are waterproof. Ink is applied but then wiped off before printing with it so that it’s mostly outlines that are printed. There is something extraordinarily beautiful to me about Dona’s layers of texture and pattern. There is a juxtaposition of organic chaos and controlled drawing and pattern. It speaks to me.
The layered transparency of her imagery has a balance of order vs. chaos. It is a quiet kind of almost control.
We also ended up talking for a while. Life. Children. Sorrows. Joys. The artwork, the discussion of its creation, making a deep personal connection with another soul – I feel enriched for the experience.
If you are in Asheville, NC I encourage you to treat yourself to time spent wandering the River Arts district. Absorb the art. Take time to stop and chat with the working artists. Tell them why you like their art and ask them questions. Dona is at 375 Depot St. in Trackside Studios… near the back and with a window.
If you can’t make it there take some time to peruse Dona Barnette’s website and enjoy her artwork. Tell her Lyric said hello!
a quick tip: hand appliqué with scotch tape
I’ve been doing more hand appliqué this past week and tried something out that you might already know. It worked for me so I thought I’d share it.
I had a piece up on my design wall with everything in place. Right next to me I spied my much-loved and silly frog shaped tape dispenser. Rather than fuss with finding my appliqué pins (they are wonderful pins, short and without big heads to get your thread all looped up in) I used scotch tape to hold my shape in place.
It worked wonderfully well and left no residue since I worked on it immediately. I would peel off a piece as soon as I stitched up next to it and just move it over or take it off. I’ll show you more of the work in progress in a couple days.
travels: asheville, nc – the river arts district
I had the great pleasure of spending a few days playing with the fine ladies at the Asheville Quilt Guild this past week. That is always fun. Always. But to do so in a town like Asheville, NC, a haven of Art Deco architectural treasures nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a hotbed of excellent independent restaurants, and a hotbed for those who take craft seriously as an art form. I love Asheville.
The River Arts District, once an area filled with dilapidated warehouses, is fast becoming an amazing collection of galleries and spaces for artists and I spent several days exploring and, most especially, meeting some talented and friendly people who bring beauty into the world. I didn’t stop to think that most of the galleries are closed on Mondays – but there was still art on the walls and I did meet several really interesting artists doing interesting things.
Jen Toledo is a delightful young woman whose whimsical watery world is playful, graphic, and full of tentacles at the moment. 
Anna Toth runs the Asheville School for the Apparel Arts and does some beautiful shibori work for her custom made, one of a kind, art to wear.
If I lived in Asheville or nearby I would sign up immediately for her pattern making and design classes – just to brush up on my drafting skills and to work in such a bright and beautiful space.
Sandra Bottinelli focuses mostly on animals but throws in a colorful landscape now and then. Her cloud portraits were amazing. I love her bright colors but mostly her sense of humor. I couldn’t resist purchasing a print titled “Love”. The originals were almost 8′ tall. Who can resist a pair of pink and purple ostriches? Apparently not me.
tutorial: hand applique
I thought you might like to take a peek at how I stitch hand appliqué.
This finished piece will show at
To Dye For
at the
July 16 – October 2, 2016
Opening Reception: July 16, 5-7pm
2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92106
mill wheels work in progress: making decisions
Sometimes I have a general idea of where I want my art to go, sometimes not. In the case of Mill Wheels the idea was general but very much NOT exact. This is where one of my favorite tools comes in handy.
Design Wall + Digital Camera = Choices!
Stick your pieces on the wall and then move stuff around and take a picture of each iteration. Look at them together and what do you have? A good idea of which design ideas will not work, and which will.
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I knew I wanted three wheels up on the wall but not exactly where. You can see I haven’t pulled the freezer paper templates off the wheel on the right yet. Scroll down the the previous post to read about how I use them.
As soon as I saw them up I realized I wanted just a little bit more structure in the background. I quickly cut up and pieced the background cloth back together. Subtle, I know, but I like the geometry of the squares that you can barely see against the circles. Now – where to place the wheels.
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Can you see how looking at all of the options together gives you a pretty good idea of what might work and what doesn’t? I like the center option but sort of fell in love with the option on the right with the wheel hanging off the edge. That could pose some challenges.
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I tried adding a bit to one side and thought of adding the purple along the bottom too, but found I was missing that overhang. Adding a narrower strip worked for me. On the right you can see the artwork quilted. After thinking it over I used a sort of pillow-case facing to achieve the overhang I was going for.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think of the final piece!
If by some lucky chance you are going to be in San Diego between July and October stop by the Visions Art Museum and see it in person.
Mill Wheels work in progress: piecing the easy way
Nothing like a deadline to help you get the job done!!! At least that is how it works for me. Last month I had to finish several quilts for….
To Dye For
at the
July 16 – October 2, 2016
Opening Reception: July 16, 5-7pm
2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92106
(Picture me now doing the happy dance around and around in circles!!!! I’m in a museum!)
I haven’t pieced a quilt for ages but I knew exactly what I wanted to do and thought I’d share a bit of the creation process for a couple of these quilts with you. I’m working on a series exploring the imagery of Mill Wheels. I love them. 
For this piece I first am required to make a big fat mess. Oh, wait. No. First I have to clean up a BIG fat mess so I can even come close to seeing the top of my work table. It’s a huge old Oak drafting table that I rescued from the college art department’s junk heap and restored. It has a smooth drawing surface that is covered by a giant cutting mat that is usually covered by a print cloth and is always covered by a BIG fat mess. 
Step one – dig through and find the fabric I want, dye some more, do some simple strip piecing. I could cut each pattern piece and sew things together the normal way, but that sounded very much like work. Anything where I have to be precise takes too much brain power for me. I like easy.
Step two – draft my circle on freezer paper. Layer it and cut out a billion wedges. I sketch in just enough of the lines on each piece so that I can get the direction of line mostly right. Iron the shiny plastic coated side of the freezer paper to the strips, matching the direction of line. Then I cut out each wedge – stick a pin in the corners of each piece so the freezer paper matches exactly, and sew. 
This way I don’t have to be careful about seam allowances or do anything other than follow the edge of the paper. On some of the wheels I ironed there freezer paper to the top and some of the wheels to the back of each piece. It didn’t really matter so long as I was consistent with each wheel.
Step three – once my whole wheel was complete I ironed the inside and outside edges over the edge of the freezer paper and had a nice clean edge.
Step 4 – I realized my piecing wasn’t super great, even with the freezer paper templates. My circle was just a bit wonky. That wouldn’t happen to someone who paid close attention to details but that someone isn’t me.
Step 5 – I went back and used the ruler to mark from the center to the inner and outer diameter of the circle and trimmed my wheel back into shape. There you have it. a lovely interpretation of a mill wheel.
Now isn’t that a pretty thing!?!? Keep your eyes open for a peek into the rest of the design process on this piece. I love how it turned out. Hope you love it too!
how it’s made – thermofax screens
Thought you all might be interested in seeing how thermofax screens are made. Enjoy!
You can check out my ready made thermofax screens here in my shop!
my shibori happy place
It’s been a long time since I’ve taken time to play with Shibori dye techniques. I had a deadline last month that I knew I wanted to create some cloth for. I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to manipulate and play with pattern and cloth.
A good part of a day was spent folding, clamping, sewing, wrapping, twisting, and scrunching cloth then mixing up a couple of dye baths. I didn’t have a bucket close at hand that was deep enough for the pole I wrapped – so experimentation was in order.
The dye sits for several hours and I swish it or pour it up over the wrap every once in a while then it’s time to rinse and unwrap. The kidlets were in the house and probably thought I was a little crazy with the way I kept jumping up and down and squealing as I opened up each piece. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE it’s like magic!!!
I suppose with great care and after years of working with the technique you can control your pattern outcome. I love to see what happens with just playing around.
Poker chips were clamped between layers of folded cloth. I love circles. Can you tell?
This is the piece that wasn’t submerged in the dye bath the whole time and it’s kind of cool how I got a gradation from grey to darker black. I might try to do that on purpose one of these days.
This bit is close to something we are more familiar with in american tie-dye. I love the spiderweb of radiating lines.
This was one of my favorite pieces out of the batch. You’ll see more of it soon. Can you just see me doing the happy happy happy shibori dance?
If you want to read a little more about the Japanese art of Shibori you can do that
HERE
a peek through my sketchbook
I thought I’d give you a little peek at my most recent sketchbook. If you’ve been following me here you know I’ve went off on a bit of a tangent. I got a little obsessed with drafting celtic knots. It’s a lovely way for me to meditate and I can do it wherever I am instead of needing to be in my studio.
You can view my quick video tutorial for drafting celtic knots
HERE
You can purchase the result of that tangent – a real live coloring book!!!
the consequences of failure
You fail only if you stop.
Ray Bradbury
You made a mess. You had something in mind, you tried something new, and it didn’t work out the way you planned. It might have gone slightly off track or it might be a full head-on collision of a derailment.
There are failures in life that can bring severe and devastating consequences but when we are talking about making art, taking chances, making running leaps of faith, it is almost ALWAYS better to try than to let fear stop you from making an effort.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Athletes like Michael Jordan miss far more shots than they land – but because they reach and risk and take those shots – at times they succeed.
They fail, and they alone, who have not striven.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich
Fear keeps us from trying. We let an endless stream of excuses run through our heads and paralyze us into inaction. We forget that creating is a process. Every process has bits that are frustrating, ugly, difficult. Don’t let that stop you.
Stop and think for a minute of what the actual consequences are of making a piece of art you think is ugly, imperfect, or that does not live up to the ideal you had in your mind?
What if instead of giving up to turned around and took a good hard look at what you did? What if you analyzed what happened and figured out a new way to proceed. What if you learned something vital and necessary that you didn’t know you needed to know – because something went awry?
Write down the consequences of failure.
Write down the consequences of not trying.
Exhibition Announcement: artquilts voices
If you are in the Wake County, NC area, please join me tonight at the opening reception for:
A show of innovative quilts from The Professional Art Quilters Alliance-South (PAQA-South)
April 27 – July 2, 2016
Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC
April 27, 2016: Exhibit opens at Page-Walker Arts & History Center
April 29, 2016: Artist reception at Page-Walker Arts & History Center
July 2, 2016: Exhibit closes at Page-Walker Arts & History Center
tips to help quilt teachers enjoy their travel
You would laugh to hear us quilt teachers when we get together behind the scenes. We have our friendliest and most smiling faces on when we are in front of our students. Behind closed doors we let it all hang out and I’ll let you in on a little secret: we are actually pretty nice there too! We LOVE our jobs!
If we kvetch about anything it’s usually about the travel and the schlepping. We schlepp SO MUCH STUFF. I teach surface design, which isn’t within the traditional quilter’s usual milieu so I like to bring EVERYTHING for my students to play with during class. My students spend their time playing instead of worrying that they got the wrong weird art supply. That’s fine. Some of us quitl teachers kvetch about airports, but you know what? I love them.
I find airports relaxing. It might have something to do with the fact that my children aren’t there. Nobody is saying, “mom, I need this” every three minutes. The house phone doesn’t ring, I’m off the hook for housework (Hah! Like I ever do that anyway) and dinner prep and kid schlepping.
Sitting in an airport is a perfect time to read a book. I don’t have time to sit down at home. No reading (and it just about kills me) and no TV. Just no time. Airports are filled to the brim with time. This last trip I started a book on Francis Perkins. She was an amazing woman. Spectacularly amazing. Usually I read something sic-fi or fantasy just to give my brain a fluffy rest.
I play games. Not on my device but in my head. I love moving walkways. I like to wait until there is quite a gap between me and the person in front of me before getting on so that I can hop on, take really long strides, and pretend I have speed walking super powers.
I don’t mind showing up early and waiting because there is something genetically hard wired into my DNA that makes me totally stress out about being late. I also like longer layovers so I can walk and wander a bit and take a look through the terminal. The Charlotte, NC airport is one of my favorite. Anywhere there is a window there is also a plant and a rocking chair. In the main concourse there is also live music.
Sometimes there are hilarious things to see to. No comment here.
Get a window seat. Look out. It’s absolutely amazing. I’m continually amazed at the beauty of clouds. Anyone know how this phenomenon happens? I’ve seen the clouds line up in rows on several occasions now. 
Sudoku is good, but I play “pictures” on my devices. I have numerous apps that will filter your photos and let you do cool things with them. I’m a visual person. It’s what I love.
I sketch too. Or make lists. Or write articles. All of these happen in whatever sketchbook I happen to have with me at the time. This celtic knot feels like Seuss met a Klingon.
And always, I remember how lucky I am to do what I get to do. I play with fabric. I play with paint and foil and beads and make funky pretty wonderful stuff. I play with QUILTERS! They are the nicest people I know and I get to travel around the land and spend time with them.
I LOVE MY JOB!!!
top 10 packing tips for quilt teachers
I love teaching and I love quilting and I love people and I love travel. So basically the life of a traveling quilt teacher is a dream come true for me. Even if it’s not for you, you might be interested in the hilarious rigamarole that quilt teachers go through when getting ready to head off on their next adventure.
Tips for the Traveling Quilt Teacher
1. Play Tetris, or practice puzzling. You need to fit an inordinate amount of supplies into a infinitely finite space. It isn’t easy. Most of the time you strategically ship boxes ahead.
2. Buy really, really good luggage. It is an investment in your business. I only buy luggage with lifetime guarantee and repair service (Briggs & Riley, Victorinox). I’ve used that repair service. The luggage hasn’t been damaged by the airline – mostly corner stitching has come undone because I stuff them as full as possible. With heavy stuff. Every. Single. Trip. My rolling briefcase that carries my AV equipment (projector, iPad, cables, tripod, video camera) is built like a tank but will fit under the seat of even the littlest puddle-jumper.
3. Spinner carry-on’s are wonderful. You don’t have to lug the thing down the aisle of the airplane. But they aren’t quite so nice on a long carpeted hotel corridor. Pick your poison.
4. You need a luggage scale. Leave yourself half a pound of extra weight in case your scale is off. Put something that weighs a pound and will fit into your carry-on right on top so you can reach in and grab it if you end up overweight at the check-in counter.
5. Make lists. Check them off. Check them again. The minute you don’t look at your packing list you will forget something. Even if you’ve been teaching that same class for years. Ask me about the time I showed up for a paint class without the paint.
6. Give yourself two days to pack… so you have time to remember anything you’ve forgotten. Or run out of. Or added to your supply list at the last minute and you are sure that half your students will not have read the email you sent out last week. And – if there are supplies you can get a local person to pick up for you, you might save some luggage room as well. It never hurts to ask.
7. When attaching a smaller bag to a larger one, hang it low. When you tip it the center of gravity is way down low. Your wrists will thank you profusely. That little guy has a latch to hook it onto the top of the big suitcase but it is HEAVY when I tip it. When it is down low I can balance and pull it with almost no effort.
8. A second bag is far cheaper than one overweight bag. But they rarely weigh your carry-on. I pack my books in my carry on. It is ALWAYS over 50 lbs. I fly Southwest when it goes where I want to go to save the guilds the cost of two suitcases both ways.
9. Exercise. Lift weights. Or get help. Smile nice and ask a stranger to heave that carry-on into the overhead bin. Or, better yet, volunteer to check your bag at the gate when they say they won’t have enough space in the overhead bins. I ask and they often check my bag straight through to the final destination so I don’t have to haul it around during my layover.
10. Learn to travel light on the personal needs (clothes/shoes/toiletries) because you will need every ounce for your supplies. Wear something really comfortable during the flight. Your feet will thank you!
tutorial: satin stitched edges for art quilts
I have lots of little abstract tops floating around from my Abstract-A-Licious class and recently was able to layer and stitch a few of them up. They make great “to-go” embroidery projects when I’m at a meeting or waiting at one of my kids classes.
When I work small (under 18″ or so) I leave my back layer off as I do all of my stitching. Yes, that means top and batting only while I do my machine and hand stitching. Then I fuse a backing on to cover up all the mess and trim everything nice and straight …. if it’s the kind of piece that wants to be nice and straight.
Next up is a very important little bit if you want to satin-stitch or even just zig-zag your edges as a finish. A little triangle of fusible craft stabilizer gets ironed to each corner. If you are a person who thinks ahead – you add this little triangle of craft stabilizer to the back of the quilt-let BEFORE you fuse the back on – so it hides between the layers. As you can see, I’m not a person who things ahead.
Next up – choose your thread color – it will become an integral part of the design. I thought red would tie this little piece together without overwhelming anything. You can always pull out and double (or quadruple) up the thread and and lay it out on your quilt before actually choosing which color to use. Audition it. See what works. Take a picture of each option and look at the thumbnails all together if you can’t choose.
Now start in the middle of an edge. A few short straight stitches then a good wide zig-zag, although not your widest. I set the needle to just barely miss the right edge and head on down towards a corner.
When you get to the corner, stop the needle on the right, leaving it down. Carefully lift the presser foot and swing the quilt-let down without moving it away from the needle.
Now slowly make the next couple of zig-zags on top of the stitching that is already there. Carry on in the same manner all the way around. You can see in the photos here that I’m already on the second layer. My first layer of zig-zag seems to just hold the edges and everything together.
On the second go-round I shorten my stitch length to satin stitch closeness – but widen out my zig-zag so that it is just wider than my first go-round.
When you have gone all the way around a second time, end with a couple of very short straight stitches and back stitch just one or two stitches. I cut my thread then flip over the piece and give a good hard yank on the back thread to pop the front thread through just a bit. I trim the thread right there at the fabric and it leaves no fuzzy little tail on the front.
And – there you go. Enjoy!
creative wisdom: time management
I was introduced to a guild last week and my hostess said, “you can tell she is very organized and gets a lot done.” I always have to use every once of self control I have not to burst out in raucous guffaws – or at least refrain from rolling my eyes. I am busy past my eyeballs – up to the very top tip of my spiky hair busy. ALL. THE. TIME. So every time I get one things done, three more things fall by the wayside. Undone. Ignored. Behind schedule.
Lately that thing is the blog. Oh – and a haircut – if you scroll down to the next post you can see the too long hair and the spikes.
It’s just that time of my life. Teenagers who aren’t quite responsible enough to keep their driving privileges. Younger kids who want to do stuff every once in a while too. Heavy responsibility at church (which I know I could say no to, but won’t. Because the 10-30 hours every week I spend doing that stuff is more important than anything else and is making the world a better place. Right here where I can see it.) Teaching takes up far, far more time than just the days I’m out of town playing with the students.
So my magic time management advice?
……………………..
wait for it………………
…………………………………………
Cue the maniacal laughter.
I DON’T HAVE ANY ADVICE.
I write everything down and look at one day at a time. I look on my list and see what deadline is whooshing towards me at lightning speed and try my best to keep up. I’m seriously in favor of cloning technology – I need two or three.
I do have advice for staying somewhat sane in the midst of that kind of schedule though.
Breathe. Stop for a moment and appreciate that all the things you are running around for are good things. Look up and around and out. Life could be so much worse and truly, I am one lucky girl. Life is beautiful.
a question for you!
Do you ever wander around the house close to dinner time wondering what on earth you are going to eat – or feed you family? I do. Too often. When I’m not overwhelmed with other demands on my time I can be really good at menu planning and it makes life much easier. I love to cook – it’s just that coming up with the idea can be a pain when you don’t have time.
So help me with some “menu planning.” I’m sure you’ve noticed (or probably haven’t) that I haven’t blogged much lately. There are things in life that are making overwhelming demands on my time right now. When I do have an idea I can throw out a blog post pretty quickly but my ideas usually come when I’m not at the computer and I forget them before I write them down. Ahhh – if I only had a brain!
WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO WRITE ABOUT?
WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO TEACH HERE?
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR ME?
(about anything – really.)
It would be a great help to me if you would let me know what you are interested in.
creative wisdom: fear of failure
There is no failure. Only feedback.
Robert G. Allen
I’d like to share part of an article I read recently called “Forgetting those things which are Behind” by Kenneth L. Higbee.
A newspaper editor, speaking to a college graduating class, asked, “How many of you have ever sawed wood? Let’s see your hands.”
Many hands went up.
Then he asked, “How many of you have ever sawed sawdust?”
No hands went up.
“Of course, you can’t saw sawdust!” he exclaimed. “It’s already sawed! And it’s the same with the past. When you start worrying about things that are over and done with, you’re merely trying to saw sawdust.”
Too many people make themselves miserable by dwelling needlessly on their past failures and mistakes. They lie awake at night agonizing over the mistakes they have made and what they should have done. Almost everyone occasionally does thoughtless, impulsive things that bring unpleasant consequences. Almost everyone occasionally misses golden opportunities through apathy or oversight. Almost everyone may be occasionally selfish or unkind.
We cannot help feeling despair over such occasions, but we should not feel as if we ought to be exiled from the human race simply because of them. In fact, mistakes are not only an acceptable part of life, but they may even be beneficial. The intelligent use of our mistakes helps us learn and grow; past failures may be guideposts to future successes. But our failures and mistakes can be constructive only if we analyze them, gain what profit we can from them, and then forget them.
A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he gives up.
Anonymous
This story can be applied to so many things in our lives, but especially to our art making. So many of the students I teach are held back by their fear of making a mistake. They look back on the work they have made and see only the errors. They equate their worth as an artist with those mistakes.
All artists make mistakes. Good artists accept mistakes as part of the process, learn from them and continue to progress. Over the next several months I’d like to talk about embracing failure as a vital part of every artist’s process.
Think about your attitude towards failure.
What about the possibility of making mistakes holds you back?
I’d love to hear your comments and ideas and we can discuss them in upcoming posts.
Coloring Books
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30 designs to color
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10 variations on a theme
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10 variations on a theme
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10 variations on a theme
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| 10 variations on a theme digital download – print at home 4.99 available on Etsy read more on this blog post |
10 variations on a theme digital download – print at home 4.99 available on Etsy read more on this blog post |
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for your inspiration: from the air
I reserve window seats as often as I can. There is something unbelievably beautiful about seeing the land from the air. On a recent trip to Omaha, Nebraska, the air itself was beautiful.
In a land that is full of rows and rows of cornfields during the growing season, the sky was seeded with row upon row of clouds.
Layers of soft floating blankets, clear blue, then line upon line of puffs. Weather fascinates me. If I had time I would go back to school and get a meteorology degree. And a fine arts degree, and an archeology and anthropology degree….. you get the idea.
It’s never too late to learn new things. The Omaha Quilters Guild was full of wonderful ladies who weren’t afraid to play and learn new things! Stamp carving, stenciling, screen printing, foiling, photo transfer! Art school for quilters!
how it’s made video: heart nouveau celtic knot
Thought you might enjoy seeking the process of knot making. Be warned – it’s a bit messy. I never know exactly where I’m going to end up when I start drafting a celtic knot. It might end up simple or complex. Sometimes it doesn’t work at all. A LOT of erasing happens. That is all simply part of the process. If you’ve ever been in a class with me you’ve heard me say “you’ve got to make a lot of bad art to get to the good stuff!”
The collection of designs derived from this knot is available as a downloadable set of coloring pages
celtic knots and kaleidoscopes to color: variations on a theme
It’s here!
30 designs to color!
Breathe deeply and smile as you get ready for some meditative coloring. Three intricate celtic knots are transformed into beautiful kaleidoscopic mandalas and patterns. Find your own personal zen-happy place as you bring each work to colorful life.
Available for purchase on Amazon.com
heart nouveau
Just in time for Valentines Day!
| Heart Nouveau Thermofax Screen |
Large = 7″ x 6.5″, Medium = 4.5″ x 4″, Small = 2.6″ x 3″
| Size | Image_Only | Image+Frame | Print_Ready |
| Small max image size 3×4 |
$5.00 | $6.00 | $10.00 |
| Medium max image size 4×7 |
$7.00 | $9.00 | $15.00 |
| Large max image size 7×9.5 |
$9.00 | $13.00 | $18.00 |
READ THE THERMO F.A.Q.’S HERE!
Coloring Pages: scherzo
10 celtic knots, kaleidoscopes, and patterns to color
$4.99
PDF file
available for instant download
PURCHASE HERE
I have found that holding each page on a clipboard as I color is saving my neck. Do you do that “hunch over and crane your neck” thing when you are coloring too? If I hold the clipboard higher and on an angle on my lap, on a pillow or on my crossed legs, that my spine stays in alignment and I can see the fine details without killing my body.
This Variation on a Theme collection begins with a lovingly hand drafted celtic knot. The knot is then digitized and manipulated into exquisitely beautiful kaleidoscopic mandalas and tiled patterns for you to print and color.
Coloring Pages: rondo
10 celtic knots, kaleidoscopes, and patterns to color
$4.99
available for instant download
PURCHASE HERE
I love the depth of shading you can play with when using colored pencils. I usually color in each space then go back in when the whole design is filled in and choose where to darken the colors.
I am so happy that these are immediately available to download. I find it much easier to just print and go. I keep the designs on a clipboard or in a folder which I find much easier to manage than a bound book…. although stay tuned – a book is on it’s way for those that prefer that format.
This Variation on a Theme collection begins with a lovingly hand drafted celtic knot. The knot is then digitized and manipulated into exquisitely beautiful kaleidoscopic mandalas and tiled patterns for you to print and color.
Coloring Pages: sea shanties
10 celtic knots, kaleidoscopes, and patterns to color
$4.99
available for instant download
PURCHASE HERE
This Variation on a Theme collection begins with another lovingly hand drafted celtic knot. The knot is then digitized and manipulated into exquisitely beautiful kaleidoscopic mandalas and tiled patterns for you to print and color. You should see my kids and I geeking out as I cut and chop and digitally stitch together these mandalas for you.
Here is a peek at the designs you will receive in the PDF file. I’m thinking of trying out some watercolor paper just to play around and see what happens!
And… the offer stands through Valentine’s day. The Heart Nouveau collection is on sale for only $1.99. And…. anyone that leaves a review on my Etsy shop and sends me a note will get a coupon for $4.25 towards anything in the shop. That means you can snap up your next favorite coloring page collection for about .75 cents!
Coloring Pages: knot deco
10 celtic knots, kaleidoscopes, and patterns to color
$4.99
available for instant download
This Variation on a Theme collection begins with a lovingly hand drafted celtic knot. The knot is then digitized and manipulated into exquisitely beautiful kaleidoscopic mandalas and tiled patterns for you to print and color.
And here is an idea… I’m really trying to get my rankings up on my ETSY shop. I really need ratings in order to do so. If you buy any of my coloring page collection then leave a review on ETSY, I will send you a $4.99 coupon so that you can choose another collection for free! Please share this with any and all of your friends who love to color, I’d really appreciate it!
Valentine’s special – Downloadable Coloring Pages
Well I did it. I bit the bullet, invested in some serious professional software (the Adobe Creative Cloud) as well as a subscription to Lynda.com, and completely remade all of the coloring pages I’ve been working on for weeks. Finally, TA -DA!!!! I’m ready to share them with you!
10 designs available as an instant PDF download
This lovely little collection of 10 is available for instant download
HERE
Because it’s Valentine’s month, I’m offering it for $1.99 through the 14th.
(The price will go up quite a bit after then)
So breathe deeply, relax, smile, and pull out your sharpest colored pencils for this batch!
The best part is that you don’t have to go anywhere, or wait forever. You can just click the order button, wait for the payment to go through (it might take a minute or two) then download and print off your designs.
a little gift – coloring pages for you
We are “snowed in” here in North Carolina. I have to laugh because there has been barely a coating of ice and snow – nothing compared to the feet and feet of snow that are north of us. Still, the lack of snow tires and clearing equipment, not to mention the inexperience of many southern drivers with icy roads, it’s better to stay home and enjoy it.
Enjoy it I have!
Thank heaven that we kept power. A little explanation of that can be found at the bottom of the post. I spent some lovely days and late into the night playing with the celtic knots I’ve been drafting.
What do you think? Got a hankering for coloring? I’ve created four PDF downloads, each with ten kaleidoscopes and tiled patterns made from one celtic knot. Heart Nouveau is ready to go but the other three are desperate for a clever name. Anyone got ideas?
Would you like to try them out? I’ve made a sample page for you to download from each set. Happy coloring!!!
Click HERE to download the Heart Nouveau PDF sample
Click HERE to download the Pointy Knot PDF sample
Click HERE to download the Loopy Knot sample
Click HERE to download the Deco Knot PDF sample
A little explanation about the southern landscape and ice and power: even with so little snow and ice thousands of people in our area lost power. A large part of the beautiful green that is the south is made up of Southern White Pine. It grows 6′ per year – very soft wood. It looses all it’s lower branches as it grows so it is very top heavy. Bad combination with ice as these 80′ trees tend to fall on everything – especially power lines.
original
Snapseed
Paper Camera 1
Paper Camera 2
Maku Hanga
Waterloguetutorial: valentine’s day origami heart garland
If you missed the tutorial on how to fold these sweet little origami hearts, just scroll down. The post should be right next to this one.
Here is a short video showing how I strung the hearts together to make a garland. I’ve used pearl cotton embroidery thread but you can use whatever decorative cord you wish.
I had extra painted pages so I thought I’d package them up for you.
I have just a few packs. 5 sheets each – just shy of 4″ x 8″each. Red on one side and white on the other. I threw in some pearle cotton and a needle so you don’t even have to hunt around to find something to string your hearts onto.
| $12.00 plus $1.50 shipping (US only) |
tutorial: valentine’s day origami heart
I thought I’d share a sweet and very doable project with you for Valentines day. This easily folded (I promise!) origami heart has a lovely little flower in its center.
I have a collection of sheet music that I use for collage and origami projects. These pages were painted red on one side and white on the back.
Here is a quick (under 5 minutes) video of folding the hearts.
Tomorrow I will post a short video of how I strung them together.
I had extra painted pages so I thought I’d package them up for you.
I have just a few packs. 5 sheets each – just shy of 4″ x 8″each. Red on one side and white on the other. I threw in some pearle cotton and a needle so you don’t even have to hunt around to find something to string your hearts onto.
| $12.00 plus $1.50 shipping (US only) |
work in progress: screen printing mill wheels
The days I get to spend in the studio are few and far between… but they make me happy.
A morning spent on photoshop turns a photo into a screen for printing.
(You can see my tutorial for doing that here)
An afternoon spent going back and forth between discharge printing and (ack!) accounting while I waited for the stuff to dry so that I could print the in-between prints on the grid.
I enjoy seeing the potential as each piece emerges – these are just two bits of the yardage I worked on.
work in progress
The days I get to spend in the studio are few and far between… but they make me happy.
A morning spent on photoshop turns a photo into a screen for printing.
(You can see my tutorial for doing that here)
An afternoon spent going back and forth between discharge printing and (ack!) accounting while I waited for the stuff to dry so that I could print the in-between prints on the grid.
