No time to Blog, must make deadline…..
deadline is close - ack!
Deb H
Archive for the ‘art quilting’ Category
Deadline!
Friday, June 26th, 2009Fabrications – I’m Jazzed!
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
A Time for Change and Growth
Fabrications is an annual Fiber Art Retreat that is the fiber art highlight of my year. This year (2009) is it’s 5th or 6th year (I’ve lost count, but I’m thinking it’s the 6th. I’ve attended 4 so far) and it has grown to a truly fabulous experience. Having spent it’s first 5 years in the Fall in Mid-Michigan, it has had an expansion; from the original two days to a full five
a date change; now the first week of September,
and a location change; Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Quickie Collage
Of all of these changes, I heartily approve! The longer session for the workshops from two (then three) to five days was so needed. Those of us who attend regularly were always feeling like things just ended when we were getting in our stride after the third day. Five will be better, longer strides ;o)
My Wall of Work
Kalamazoo (yes, it has a very funny name) is a wonderful little college town with so many more perks than the small rural communities where we have been in in the past. Yes the scenery was luscious but, we will now have access to several wonderful restaurants, art galleries, fabric shops, bead shops, art stores, coffee houses (Water Street and Fourth Coast are my two favorites there) and other wonderful distractions.
Detail of "Too Many Directions"
We almost need to go two days early and stay and extra two days to take advantage of the extras K’zoo has to offer. There are even going to be some special Fiber Art exhibits just for us!
A Productive Day
As for the class offerings – they are fabulous (as usual). There is a button to the right that you can click on to find out more (it’s worth the diversion), I’m already signed up for Elements of Art with Lyric Kinard.
Art Journal
I am so Jazzed. Just dreaming about the week to come; a posh hotel, most of my meals taken care of, immersion in fiber and art, incredible evenings with like minded fiber artists that totally understand me (the best part)… makes for a wonderful day dream. That will hold me until the end of August.
Portrait of Cathy
The photos are all of past years at Fabrications, as usual click to big-ma-fy. See you there!
Von and Cathy take art seriously
Just so you know, all artists are not the serious Vincent van Gogh types ;o)
Deb H
My Grand Fall Adventure
Thursday, October 9th, 2008The Internet is a joy, if you can get on it. It’s a major irritation if your satellite is acting up! That is the only excuse I have for not posting lately. It’s a wimpy excuse, but it’s mine!
I’m currently out-of-town at Fabrications for 3 days of rapturous fiber art workshop. An additional perk is the free Wi-Fi in the lobby, hence this post. 
Besides, you have to love a Fiber Art Retreat that has a view like this out the classroom window.
I’m taking the class with Fran Skiles. It was a tough decision as Laura Cater-Woods is teaching here, as well a Jeanne Beck. I have taken two classes with Laura and was very tempted to take it again but I decided to jump of the comfort cliff. Fran’s work and techniques are very different from anything I have ever played with before. I’m so far outside of my box, I can’t even find it.
I’m having a total blast. I’m not the only one, here are two of my classmates – Pat S & Linda J. Aren’t they cute?
I have discovered a new tool (anything you use to make art it a tool).
Gesso.
Who knew?
We spent day 1 stitching on cotton duck cloth and then coating it with gesso. White gesso and – ta da, it comes in black too. The next great discovery was Clear Gloss Medium. I know, I know… you are thinking “they’ve been around since dirt was new, where have you been?”
I lead a sheltered life.
Here is one of Day One’s pieces (just started). Do I like it? I don’t know, it’s awfully busy. But it has a lot more layers to go.
The adventure continues…
Deb H
Grapes Revealed!
Friday, September 19th, 2008Italy: a Rough Sketch
Well, the Quilt Show opening in Flint went very well and the quilts were all stunning. I was so pleased to see mine, and a few fibery friends (no photos allowed so you only get to see mine), have quilts hanging on the walls in that very crowded gallery! So many fiber art lovers – very good to see! I don’t know how many quilts – I’ll take a wild guess at about 100? I can’t be too far off… well, yes I can, but I still stand by my wild estimate.
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The smaller photos you can click on to see closer (bigger). The theme for this year’s exhibit was “Ciao, Italy” and my quilt is titled “Italy: a Rough Sketch”. It is primarily a whole cloth quilt of silk noil that I hand painted, machine free-motion quilted/embroidered, added a dab of puff paint for texture, a touch of hand beading and even a Hot Fix crystal or two.
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I’m pleased with my efforts, painting is not something I have done a lot with but it was fun. The free-motion quilting and embroidery is still a skill I’m working to improve but I’m feeling much more confident with it after this. The beading and crystals are just because I had to 
The stringy things are to emphasis the whole “rough sketch” feeling.
Deb H
Not Idle!
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
I’m pleased.
I have just gotten back from the Post Office. I mailed off my finished quilt titled “Italy: a rough sketch”. You saw peeks of it in it’s embryonic stage as the painted silk cloth I was calling grapes. This is my contribution to this year’s MQAI (Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational) traveling exhibition. Every year there is a new theme (last year was The Art of Music and this year it is Adventures in Italy) and this is my second year to be invited to participate. As a courtesy to the curators (thank you Mary Andrews and Marty Calhoun), I will not post a picture of the whole, completed quilt until after the official exhibit opening on September 12th. But because I only have so much self control and I’m so ecstatic to have finished it, here is a small detail shot (click to biggie it). I’ll post more information about the opening as soon as I have it.
So that is why I haven’t posted in two weeks; I’ve been nose to the sewing machine, so to speak. We did have a meeting for my art group last night and we played with fabric and did small “elements” (as in “design elements”) that can grow into larger things. They can become the focal point for small quilts, ATC’s or what ever!
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Here are two small “elements” that I made. I think I had water on my mind. The fact that we were in the middle of a raging and quite impressive thunder, lightening and rain storm may have influenced me!
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And every once in a while, Mother Earth wraps herself in such beauty, I have to record it even though I know a photo can’t possible do her justice. A recent view outside my back door, early in the morning after a vicious storm (we’ve had several lately). After seeing that, how can I not go to my studio and create?
Deb H