I don’t like the flavor of vinegar but I know that it adds a needed tartness to a variety of dishes. However I’m starting to like the idea of “vinegar” colors. That is, those colors that are jarring in combination with others, but which also add an interesting bit of “sour.” My interest began several…
In addition to the fabulous work of Lorraine Turner, the Dunedin Fine Arts Center, (in Dunedin, FL) has an abundance of textile art on display. One of the exhibits is the “New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Bowtie.” Although they all include (or reference) the bowtie block, they’re very creative. Another space features the work…
The Dunedin Fine Arts Center, in Dunedin, FL is currently bursting with several EXTRAORDINARY collections of fiber art! For starters, take a look at the work of Lorraine Turner. This is her piece Unbridled Sea Horses. Now, take a look at the ABUNDANCE of texture she’s added with doilies, sheer fabrics, and such. Amazing, right? She…
Wow, I’ve just finished THREE commissions for a major medical facility in Rochester, MN. I can’t tell you how good it feels to finally ship them off! All 3 quilts were to be very similar to this one, Garden Frolic. The first two were meant to hang together, 9″ apart. These are the finished pieces,…
Most of my classes are geared toward somewhat traditional quilters who want to try art quilting, but aren’t quite sure where to start. Floral Improv is a perfect example of this. In it students learn how to make two types of stylized flowers without any patterns. Then, they learn about composition, and construct everything with…
In conjunction with the “Forced to Flee” exhibit, there’s also a presentation of artwork by Tanja Boudal and it’s VERY interesting. The majority of the pieces on display are like those shown here. As I understand it, she finds media pictures showing women in the midst of struggles and prints them on to fabric. She…
Sometimes I dye specialty fabrics: those that are almost a full design and that will be big players in a future design. After a class with Pat Pauly, I’m now designing such fabrics to have larger patterns. (These are harder for me to use, but do wonderful things in a composition, once I get it…
When dying fabric there are two types I want to produce: yardage, and specialty. Yardage has a mostly all over pattern and can easily be cut up and used. Specialty looks almost like a whole cloth design, with thought given to composition and such. These yellow pieces fall firmly into the yardage camp. The top…
While dying fabric I’m learning a lot! Some of it comes from books and some of it I stumble upon. Case in point, trying to mix thickened dye colors directly on the fabric. I had heard that they wouldn’t really mix in this way, but I was feeling lazy and had to give it a…
SAQA’s “Forced to Flee” exhibit is very powerful. It recently opened in Melbourne, FL at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts. As you might imagine, many of the pieces had to do with the refugee crisis, but others showcased the horrors of war, and the power of nature. There are 30+ pieces in the…