Tag: Other Artists

2009 FOTY Possibility?

Jen posted this picture of a quilt she is working on to her blog, The Quilted Jewel (http://aquiltingjewel.blogspot.com/).I have been mulling over the 2009 FOTY block, and talking with TFQ about it. I still have not come to a decision. The block in this picture may be what the doctor ordered.

I like the movement and the 4patch, which is a block I was thinking of working with. I also like the way it fits together and is a real block not just pieces like FOTY 2008. I am not sure what is going on with the sashing and will have to have a closer look at it. I think I would have to have a background fabric if I decided to do this design.

TFQ and I are thinking about doing the same block to see what we come up with, which is still in process. I am excited about that possibility as well as I have been feeling like I need to work with someone on something. I don’t feel bad about collecting ideas regardless of what we decide to do.

A Quilting Jewel
A Quilting Jewel

Clipped from aquiltingjewel.blogspot.com

SFMOMA and the 1000 Journals Project

I have been slack about posting my various holiday adventures, but, with this post, will try and redeem myself. One of the great things I did on my break over the holidays was go to the SFMOMA with friend Julie. My goal was to see the actual journals from the 1000 journals project in person. Julie has posted a great set of narrated photos about our adventures.

The 1000 Journals project has, for some reason, captured my imagination. Faithful readers will know that I have posted about it, gone to see the film and have been trying to get my hot little hands on one of the journals. The film depicted a lot of back and forth with the SFMOMA about this exhibit because Someguy wanted to allow people to add to the journals. A great idea, but the curators aren’t used to allowing people to touch the art. I was really happy that they finally were able to work everything out.

They ended up putting the project in the Koret Education Center. There are people there to watch you, somewhat, working on the journals, so it probably made them feel ok about touching.

Stupidly I didn’t plan ahead and bring an art kit like I had planned, so I rummaged through my purse to see what I had:

  • an old temporary drivers’ license
  • breast health center “how to get your results” sheet
  • pink pen
  • Golden Gate Ferry schedule from 1997

With the pencils, glue sticks, pens, etc that the SFMOMA provided my theme turned into bureaucracy. I was able to make a page with which I was pretty satisfied. As Julie said, it was hard to make art standing up. Not very comfy. Other viewers of the exhibit also have a different sense of personal space than I do, so I had to glare at some people who were just too close, and ask them to step back.

I was disappointed to see that some contributors had basically defaced the books with a message of anger and hate of their own. If I had had colored paper, I would have glued it over those messages, which, I guess, is defacing the books as well, in a way. There was a lot of 13 year old boy potty humor as well. Sad to think that people aren’t enlightened enough to think up something that they would be proud to have endure through the ages. Perhaps I am just being a snob because what they wrote doesn’t fit my idea of ‘good’.

I had fun. I found that I actually can do a visual journaling piece. It made me think that, perhaps, I have too many options at home.

I am happy that I got to spend the day with Julie (no children/young adults=freedom) and that I got see and write in the journals. I feel like I made a contribution. The journal I wrote in was number 754.

Random Blog Ring Bullseye

Ellen Guerrant
Ellen Guerrant

I barely know what a blog ring is, but today I clicked on the random link from the Pink Chalk Studio blog and ended up on the Occasional Threads blog. I saw this bullseye there and thought I would share. The writer loves the colors, which are not my thing (no turquoise, what was she thinking???) 😉 , but I really like that little black strip separating some of the pieces. This also looks like the Wonky Circles quilt.

Bright and Cheerful Prints From Melody Johnson

I just use the fabulous prints that I can buy. As a result, I sometimes get a complex because I don’t dye my own fabric. Melody Johnson has always made quilts that I admire, so I was thrilled to see some new quilts on her blog made with actual commercial prints! WOW! They are very bright and cheerful as well.

  blog it

Prairie Point Tutorial from Melody Johnson

You never know when you might need to know how to make a prairie point. Her recent blog posts are full of color, too. Just what we need in the midst of grey January. Here is a post on making prairie points.

Prairie Points Two Ways

 
 
 
3. Fold down one edge………………………………..4. Fold down the other edge. Prairie Point made.
 
  blog it

Stephanie Metz Upcoming Sculpture Exhibit

Stephanie Metz is having an upcoming exhibit of her felted wool scuplpture. I prefer her Figurative Studies of women over her animal work, but it is very interesting to see in person. Email her directly for more information.

From: Stephanie Metz [mailto:stephaniegmetz@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 10:03 PM
To: Stephanie Metz
Subject: Stephanie Metz Upcoming Sculpture Exhibit

I am very pleased to have my new felted wool sculpture Super Suckler included in the upcoming exhibit Natural Blunders. Come say hello at the opening reception on January 24th, or check out images of the work at www.stephaniemetz.com.

Thanks,

Stephanie Metz

 

The de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University presents

Natural Blunders

January 24 – March 20, 2009

Like artists throughout history, those in the Natural Blunders exhibition use nature as a departure point for compelling and resonant works of art. Uniquely, the Natural Blunders artists address the historically antagonistic relationship between humans and nature, highlighting the recent trends toward cloning and aggressive breeding techniques. In this exhibition, you will see a broad range of responses toward the environmentfrom veneration to more critical responses toward our traditionally Western adversarial relationship to nature. Ultimately, the works in Natural Blunders can be viewed as an artistic rebellion against what is essentially a world out of balance.

Curator Karen Kienzle

Opening Reception

Saturday, January 24, 2009, 6:008:00 P.M., free

Featured Artists:

Alastair Bolton, Cheryl Coon, Lauren Davies, Susan Felter, David Hevel, Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor, Misako Inaoka, Ernest Jolly, Michael McConnell, Stephanie Metz, Paul Paiement, Jane Rosen, John Slepian, Kathryn Spence, Tara Tucker, Sarah Wagner, Gail Wight

Also on view:

Futurefarmers: Nearby Nature and Flora and Fauna from the de Saisset Museums Permanent Collection curated by the SCU Biology Department

de Saisset Museum

Santa Clara University

500 El Camino Real

Santa Clara, CA 95053-0550

408.554.4528

www.scu.edu/desaisset

FREE ADMISSION

TuesdaySunday, 11:00 AM 4:00 PM

Closed Mondays

Please note: if you would like to be removed from my mailing list, please reply to this email to that effect.  You are on my personal email list, which is not shared, sold, or viewed by anyone else.

stephaniegmetz@yahoo.com 

Hop, Skip & Jump by Denyse Schmidt Project

I decided to work on the Hop Skip and Jump pattern by Denyse Schmidt (Denyse Schmidt Quilts book) as my next project right now. I rarely sew from patterns, but this one seemed like a good one to use with the blues that I had weeded out from my new fabrics. I had thought of modifying the pattern so that there were no curved pieces, but I didn’t. I am not afraid of curved piecing (note Flowering Snowballs/Cross Blocks), but each of the 16 pieces required for each block must be cut out separately. It is an arduous task, but I am into it now and will just continue on.

One problem I already had was with the copy place. The pattern directs the maker to enlarge the pattern by 400%. I have terrible problems with office equipment, copiers in particular, so I went to an office shop and they offered to do it for me. The girl couldn’t get the entire pattern on an 11″x17″ sheet of paper. She asked me at one point if it would be a problem to have the top of the pieces cut off. Finally, I told her she could reduce the size slightly and that seemed to work. It doesn’t bother me to have slightly smaller blocks. I can make a few more with no problem.

For once I have cut all the blue pieces for 6 blocks before I have sewed any of them together. I haven’t decided on the background yet, so I haven’t cut background pieces. I thought I had just bought a white on white that I would use, but I can’t find it so either it was my imagination, it is hiding from me or it isn’t washed yet.

This is my favorite. The background is a very cheerful dot print where the dots are irregular and a variety of different colors. I am all about cheerful, you know. 😉

The above is my second favorite. I don’t have enough of this particular black on white print, so I would have to use a variety of different black on white prints with the same weight/ratio of black to white. I wouldn’t want it to be too overly black.

I really wanted a very calm looking quilt, thus all the blues. This background is one of the P&B New Basics from 2000. I recently bought a yard of it and have at least a fat quarter somewhere else. The problem is that it is very close to some of the value of the other fabrics so the pieces blend together. I think they blend together a little too much.

There are a couple of factors for the background: one is that it has to have the look that I want. Another is that I have to have enough of the chosen fabric to use as a background. The bottom line is that I want this to be a quick quilt. I don’t want to spend weeks on picking the background. I also, however, don’t want to hate it when I am halfway through the sewing. I am happy to hear what you think.

Candy Cane Nine-patch Quilt


Nine-patch Quilt
Originally uploaded by knitknat

KnitKnat has put together a wonderful quilt in this ninepatch that doesn’t look like a ninepatch. S/he does not call it Candy Cane. In honor of the Season and because it reminds me of the nice blend of pink and red that make up candy canes, I have decided to think of it as a candy cane quilt.

One of the elements that is so attractive about this quilt is her use of fabrics. In a limited color palette, an artist can end up with a boring mix of fabrics. In this case, KnitKnat has chosen very well and the eye moves around the quilt because of the different sizes and shapes of the motifs.

The crowing glory is the little circle/flowerette centered in the setting stones. All around a quilt I wish I had made.

New Star Block from Flickr


New Star Block
Originally uploaded by kirbyloulou

I saw this block about 2 weeks ago and have not been able to get it out of my mind. With the many, many blocks in the DS pool, I wasn’t able to find it again either. I was really glad to come across it today. Love the pointy corners.

Polka Dotted Happiness


Mary-Jeanine kindly allowed me to post her quilt, Polka Dotted Happiness, here at Artquiltmaker. Isn’t that the perfect description of polka dots? I will use this as an incentive to get back to the Pineapple.

Mary-Jeanine is the person that sent me a Christmas bag. I wrote about her bag a few days ago. Mary-Jeanine is also the owner/creator of the Florida Quilt Network website. It is a service she provides to Florida quilters and anyone visiting Florida. She lists all the Florida quilt events, shops and guilds. Quiltmakers can subscribe to her monthly newsletter for free.

Thanks, Mary-Jeanine!

OT: Comics

Birthdays at our house are, hopefully, followed by thank you notes. The Child has an end of November birthday, which means that thank you notes need to get taken care of in a timely manner or else Christmas gifts start arriving with their requisite thank you note requirements.

The Child is a budding cartoonist and this one is based on an experience he had this summer with his grandfather, who is an avid fisherman.


Grandpa (on the left): I got a fish!
The Child (on the right): Me, too!

Grandpa (on the left): I got a bigger one!
The Child (on the right): Me, too!

Note X eye and tongue hanging out.