GJB Quilts

Last week

2012-01-14T14:47:00.006-06:00

I started the week with the squares of yellow, then went on to work on quilting another quilt. I kept my eyes on this quilt, trying to decide what would come next, and how far I should go, and how it should end. By Thursday I was ready to come back to it. I liked ending it with blue. I think I am done! At least I am done with little pieces of fabric, and look forward to starting something with bigger shapes. This quilt is about 5-1/2 feet square.

A New Year

2012-01-05T09:58:00.003-06:00

Everyone seems to be posting about accomplishments and goals for the new year, so I thought I would join in on that. Especially since as I began making a list, I realized how the things I had done last year affected me and my work.

Just before last year began, I moved my studio space upstairs, to a spare bedroom. Even though the space was not really bigger, it allowed me to have a big design wall, and a better work space. It really changed my quilts, and allowed me to make bigger ones.

At the beginning of the year I made a book online of my best quilts. I found it was good for me to choose what I wanted to be in the book; I had to decide what I thought was best, and what quilts were not. Now I have a record of my quilts and plan to do that again this year.

I attended Quilt National this year, and getting into that show and going to the opening was almost unreal. Again, making a decision on what work I wanted to enter in the show, and then have it get in was really a validation of what I have been doing. I will definitely try again in the future, because I found it pushed me to really think about what I am doing.

I began a process of creating a new logo, and postcards, which I handed out at the One of a Kind Show this December. One of my sons and his family gave me a bag with my new logo as a Christmas present! Next I would like to get new business cards, and possibly a web site.

There were shows I didn't get into, and shows I did, but with quilts I was not expecting would get in. That gave me a lot to think about in terms of shows: what are they looking for, are there trends going on that I am not a part of? I think you can't get too caught up in getting into shows. It makes you feel good, but in reality you have to be yourself and do what you are passionate about, and find ways to get your work seen by other people.

This quilt is something I have been working on over Christmas, when I was interrupted by Christmas preparations, and company. I could do a few blocks at a time, and make strips. It is not finished, this is just the top. But it reminds me I want to learn more about color, and be able to dye more and more wonderful colors!

What a Show!

2011-12-05T18:31:00.003-06:00

I had a wonderful experience at the One of a Kind Show in Chicago! It was Thursday - Sunday last week-a group of 600 artists. The show is advertised as a way to buy unique gifts, and talk to the artists themselves. I had never done a show before, and really enjoyed the time I spent at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. There were so many people there, and I got a lot of positive comments from people who stopped to see my booth. It was also fun to talk to other artists whose booths were near mine and hear about their experiences selling their art. I had postcards made to hand out, and most of them are gone! Now I am going to let it all sink in; the comments, thinking about what sold and what didn't, comments from other artists-and decide what the next step will be. It was fun to sell some of my ColorForm quilts!

How to Work?

2011-11-04T11:08:00.002-05:00

Last week was frustrating; any time I had at the design wall seemed to be a matter of putting up fabric and taking it down. I must have handled most of my fabric, changed my mind, and went from small to big to small again. Finally last night I decided I needed to stop and think-what am I trying to do, and how do I usually do it? When I make a small quilt I am working from scraps of fabric, and often the shapes appeals to me, as well as the color. When I am working big, I start with the color, then need to make it a certain shape. After I find I like a certain design, I refine the shapes and lines. But can I do that bigger? I will have to try again! It is so hard to see what I am doing because I can't stand back from the design wall very far. This quilt is about 30 x 37, and I want to try bigger now.

New Work

2011-10-28T12:06:00.002-05:00

Where have I been in the last month? I have been working on 2 larger quilts, but haven't finished them yet. I am enjoying the fall weather, especially since the trees in our yard haven't dropped many leaves yet. I had a fantastic trip last week up to the north shore of Lake Superior, where the peak fall color is mostly over, but is beautiful none the less. I forgot I hadn't posted a picture of my latest ColorForm quilt, which is #15 and is 17 x 25. I am planning on putting it in the Illinois Artisan booth at the One of a Kind Show in Chicago. I am looking forward to having a booth at this show-booth #3121, so if you are in the area Dec. 1-4, stop by!

ColorForm 14

2011-09-28T21:04:00.003-05:00

This new ColorForm quilt is 21 x 29. I am going to have to make several more of these smaller quilts before the show I will be in at the end of the year. Several have sold already. Unfortunately, I found one had some orange fabric that had bled onto the white fabric; it was so disappointing! It looked like it was an older piece of fabric, that was not put through enough wash cycles.

I have also bought long cardboard tubes to store each quilt, and can be used when they are sold. I have written the name of the quilt at the end of the tube, and made a long bag out of fabric to put each quilt in. The tubes were not expensive, but shipping was almost as much as the tubes cost! But I think it will be a good way to store quilts individually, rather than layering several on one tube, which makes it hard to find what you are looking for.

new ideas

2011-08-28T14:12:00.003-05:00

These are some of the things I have been working on at the same time as the quilts: the pillows are 14" x 14" and 12"x 16". The quilt squares are 5" and are mounted on a stretched canvas. These will be in the One of a Kind Show in December. I am trying to come with a few things that are affordable!

ColorForm 13

2011-08-28T14:08:00.002-05:00

I have to remind myself not to make 3 quilts, and then try to do all the quilting, binding, and sleeves all at once! Sometimes I think it makes sense to continue designing, and not lose the momentum. But I do get tired of all the hand stitching. This quilt measures 18 x 23.

BIG

2011-08-24T11:35:00.002-05:00

Let me start out saying this is a bad photo, I know. I didn't pay attention to the fact that there was some sunlight when I took it. So I will have to try again when there is no sun, and it is not raining. This quilt is 101" x 64". It was interesting working this big where you are not making blocks, and putting them together. You have to change the way you think. Sometimes I would put something on the wall and the size was all wrong. So I am happy to say I accomplished something-I can make a quilt that is big!

ColorForm 12

2011-08-23T07:49:00.002-05:00

A little less symmetrical, this quilt is about 18".

ColorForm 11

2011-08-21T21:16:00.003-05:00

This quilt is about 20 x 23. After being gone so much lately, I made this quilt as a way to get back into working! I love the colors, and plan on making a few more of these, but would like to come up with some different ideas. I bought some gray felt, and I think these quilts look better with the gray background.I wanted to try something new this year besides just entering quilt shows, so I entered and got into the One of a Kind Show, at the Merchandise Mart, in Chicago. It is a show of unique hand made art, that has wonderful things in it. I am excited about being in it December 1-4, but need to make sure I have enough work to try to sell there! It is supposed to be a place where you can buy unique holiday gifts, and it is fun to go and see all the wonderful art.

My big quilt is 101 x 64! It is finished, but I don't know where to put it to take a picture. I might have to resort to hanging it on the clothesline!

New Quilts

2011-08-06T21:39:00.003-05:00

ColorForm 9 and 10 were made this summer. I decided to try something new with the machine quilting. The white background has stitching that is farther apart, the stitching on the colors is close together, and sometimes horizontal or vertical. I was happy this was easy to do, and I like the way it looks!

As a challenge this summer, I am finishing a quilt that is 5feet x 9 feet! Hard to machine quilt, hard to judge sizes for the shapes, and just plain hard to see! It went off my design wall. Now how am I going to take a picture of it?

2011-07-17T19:35:00.003-05:00

I have been home so little this summer, I have neglected a few things! At the end of May I went to Quilt National, where my quilt, Lost & Found: Blue was shown. It is such a long process: you are notified in October if you get in or not, then send your quilt to be photographed, then you get it back. Then in May you send it back for the show which begins Memorial Day weekend. I had been to QN in 2009, so I knew it was exciting just to go and see all the quilts, but to go and be a part of it, was unreal. It is so interesting to see the quilts up close, and see all the work and techniques that are used. Photos never do them justice. Some quilts were huge, and I began to see what a great idea it would be to make some quilts that make a big impact. Friday evening there is a banquet where the awards are handed out, and there is a slide show.

I think you always need a little time to settle in again, and get back to work. That is the hard part; which direction to go? I think it is good too, to take a little time away, although that is hard! But you do get new experiences which make for more ideas in the future. I am enjoying doing some fabric dyeing, when I have a chance.

ColorForm 7 & 8

2011-05-17T08:38:00.003-05:00

The top quilt is ColorForm 8, which is 21" x 24" W. I finished the next quilt last week; it is 16"H x 20"W. I am enjoying these small quilts, working to make something simple that makes a statement using few colors and shapes. It has been a process that is helping me heal, after the loss of my mother in April.

ColorForm 6

2011-05-02T14:44:00.002-05:00

My goal with this quilt was to use yellow-as you can see, I didn't! Well, the next one I had better success with yellow. Obviously it is not one of my favorite colors. This is a smaller quilt - 17" H x 21" W.

ColorForm 4 & 5

2011-04-17T17:47:00.004-05:00

I like being able to use more of my small fabric pieces, but have not really noticed a dent in my piles! But making smaller quilts has helped me figure out color combinations better. I have added some stripes, and who knows what will come next?

ColorForm 3

2011-04-17T17:43:00.003-05:00

I finished up 3 more of these smaller quilts; this one is 15"H x 22-3/4"W.

Small Quilts

2011-04-12T08:27:00.003-05:00

I have started working on a group of small quilts. I have tried smaller quilts off and on, but never felt I had translated what I do into a small work. But with these, I am finding it a good way to work with color combinations, and I can quickly move on to a new idea. At the same time, I have a larger quilt on my design wall that has been more difficult, and I can keep an eye on that and move shapes around, and think about it. At the same time I take pictures, and I have been trying to keep up with putting photos each day of what I am doing in my sketchbook, so I can see the progression of my work.

Structure 11

2011-03-28T18:38:00.003-05:00

25" H x 41" W

I finished this top a couple of weeks ago, but finally had time to machine quilt it over the weekend. One of my sons took 3 of my smaller quilts to hang in his apartment, including Structure 10. I was thrilled he liked them; it is nice to have them hanging up and having others enjoy them.

Structure 10

2011-03-21T14:23:00.003-05:00

This is a smaller quilt: 20" x 36". Sometimes when I am working on a quilt, trying to make it all work,I have a moment when I try something in a moment of desperation. And it works! That is what happened here, with the striped fabric. That is what I find difficult when working in a series: I might only have that ah-ha! moment with the first quilt, then it becomes harder to find that feeling of discovery.

I have one more quilt to do the machine quilting on, but now I am going to start the quilting on a bed quilt I am making as a gift. It is hard working on something so big!

More Structures

2011-03-17T09:40:00.003-05:00

I almost forgot I had finished this quilt, but need to put a label on it; this is #8 in the series, and is 36"H x 32" W. The top quilt is #9, and is about the same size. As I was sewing the facing on this morning I was thinking about machine quilting: why do people do it the way they do? When I first went to a workshop I was told I did not do enough quilting. I was shown another quilter's 1/4 inch apart perfect machine quilting as an example of what to do. Since then I have tried many things, but I think it all boils down to what you like to do, and what looks good to you when you are done. For now,I like sewing close together; it flattens the quilt, and does not make your eye focus on each shape. It is not a distraction. But I have not read many thoughts on quilting, and why a person does it a certain way.

Recently I have subscribed to a blog called textures shapes and colors, by Leslie Avon Miller, who does contemporary collage paintings. She has some wonderful abstract paintings on her blog, and recently showed a video about a Philadelphia artist, Mary Nomecos, who described her painting process. She was asked how she selects certain colors in her paintings, and said it was intuitive, and she has several paintings she is working on at the same time. She spends a lot of time looking at them, really seeing them, to decide what will be next. I find too, that it takes a lot of looking: I take pictures as I go along, as another way of seeing what I am doing. I also see a lot more after the quilts are done! It is really hard to "see" what is going on in your work as you are doing it, and often you need to let it sit for awhile, and come back to it.

small works

2011-03-10T10:40:00.004-06:00

I recently decided to make some small quilts, and try some different things: here are two of them. One is 24 x 18, the other 24 x 26, so they are a good size for trying different designs and quilting. I would like to do more with machine quilting and doing more minimal lines. I had trouble with the curved lines and the fabric getting more puffy than I would like. But with a small quilt, you can go on to something else, and try again!

Structure 5

2011-03-09T08:37:00.004-06:00

I have a few quilts in a pile in different stages of being done. One I have to wait for more thread to be sent so I can finish the quilting, another has the quilting done, but not the facing, another, just the top is done! I have experimented a little with the quilting on some. I really do like sewing close together, which really flattens out the fabric like a canvas. This quilt is 28" x 33" W. I have decided to try a suggestion from another blogger, and write about each quilt after it is done. It helped me see the T-shapes in this quilt-the challenge was in sewing it together after I had it up on my design wall. I like a good sewing challenge!

Structure 4

2011-02-22T18:29:00.002-06:00

This quilt is smaller than the last few: 36"H x 40"W, so finishing it went a lot faster. I also decided to shorten the name of this series, even though Structure is commonly used! I keep trying to add too many shapes and colors, and then I am not happy with it. when I subtract what I don't need, and find something interesting to focus on, it works for me.

New Work

2011-02-07T11:49:00.001-06:00

I worked for 2 weeks, I made several quilts, some small, some larger, but I didn't like any of them. I folded them and put them away. I kept thinking about what I was trying to do with this series, which is to go back to a basic shape, to make the focus straightforward, and show the beauty of a few colors. In this quilt I used a gray and white as a background. Something unusual catches your eye, but there is sense of harmony.

Anatomy of a Structure:II

2011-01-18T13:10:00.003-06:00

I sometimes wonder how I get to the end result? Art is really a process: trying different fabric shapes and colors, and making decisions: what helps me in what I am trying to say in this quilt? I know the process, but never know what the end result will be. I don't have a picture in my mind of the final quilt, but work on each step, one at a time. I like the 'solidness' of this quilt, its sparseness, I think it makes a big statement-it is 45"H x 75" wide! And it took a whole week to quilt. Now I am ready for #3, three shapes have been on my design wall for a week.

New Work

2011-01-10T10:40:00.002-06:00

This quilt is big: 38" H x 57" W, and yet to be named. I found myself loving the way the long, thin quilting lines look on a quilt, yet on a quilt this size it takes a long time to do! It became the perfect thing to do during the busyness of Christmas and New Years. To me they look like pencil lines: not perfect, done by hand. This quilt came from wanting to use big shapes, and since there are fewer colors each shape becomes important. It feels like the ships at Lake Superior! massive, structural. I just finished another one, so I had better think of a name soon!

Organized Space, organized mind!

2010-12-03T09:00:00.004-06:00

I have made another quilt in my square series, but found myself constantly being distracted by other shapes. I tried other quilts, but nothing worked out the way I wanted, so I am going to keep that shape in the back of my mind for the future. I am finding it so interesting to work with squares, and simple quilts. I can see myself sticking with this series, and staying away from other distractions for awhile. I was never able to stick with one series at a time, but now I see how I can work in a series, and just concentrate on that one idea. Going off into another idea seems to result in a less focused effort.

I have made changes to my studio space, and have moved the futon out to another room. I had space to put in a separate cutting table, and I love having a table that is taller and bigger, and I can cover it with cutting mats. I bought plastic containers for all my scraps, and have a separate one for each color: how organized!

Black & White

2010-10-29T09:21:00.002-05:00

After making 2 quilt tops, I finally felt I had found a good direction to go, but felt frustrated with color. So I decided to go to black and white. What a relief not to have to think about color, but just design. I made 2 black and white quilt tops in the last few days, and am ready to continue, until I run out of fabric! Maybe then I will be ready to tackle color contrasts. I could see I was beginning to use too many medium color fabrics. When I look at my fabric choices, I see I have darks, lights, and brights but I seem to not be using them!

I have also been using my sketchbook to try out ideas, and to help me find ways to start the black and white quilts. In this one, I divided the top into 3 parts, and worked in one section at a time, then put them together. I had to go back and change some of the sections, but dividing the quilt into parts is a good way to work in a quilt that is not going to be made into blocks.

2010-10-23T13:02:00.002-05:00

This is what I have been working on the last few days. I have spent a couple of weeks sending our youngest son off to a first job, feeling happy for him, and a little strange as he leaves home for the final time!
I spent at least a week trying to figure out something: putting fabric up on the design wall, later taking it down, trying to make something work. I made one quilt top that I was OK with, and went on to something else. This one is not sewn together, but the T shape has been interesting to work with, and something I will continue with. I spent a lot of time dyeing fabric, but when I start designing, I never seem to have enough colors.

I have quilts in several shows and locations, including Quilt National! I entered 3 quilts for the first time, and got in. That quilt has been sent off to be photographed for the book that goes with the show, which begins May 28th. Starting November 1st, I will have several quilts exhibited at the Prospect Heights Library, in their lobby. I have a quilt in the show Quilts=Art=Quilts, at the Schweinfurth Gallery, in Auburn, NY which begins October 31st.

What's New

2010-09-22T10:23:00.002-05:00

I started another quilt in this series with the idea of using fewer colors. I ended up adding a few colors, and taking some out. Then I needed to figure out a design. In the meantime, I made a pillow with 2 of the leftover blocks. So that led, of course, to using that layout in the quilt.

I really love these squares, but I am going to go on to work on something else and come back to this. There is a lot more that can be done with squares!

I just found out one of my City quilts was accepted into the quilt show: Quilts=Art=Quilts, at the Schweinburth Gallery in Auburn NY, starting November 1st. This is a series I had struggled with, but have always loved, and it is gratifying to have others like it too.

On my design wall...

2010-09-01T11:42:00.002-05:00

This is what I have been working on this week: 2 series of quilts. The second, is back to a design I remember enjoying. I liked making the little squares, putting them together and then putting them into a bigger design. I was going to try to do something different than before, but I found myself putting the small squares into bigger squares to make blocks, and even thinking about borders! Agh! So I have a plan for the next one, and that will be to join the small blocks into rows, and maybe that will help me avoid squaring things up too much. I love all the colors! I started with a bag of scraps I was about the throw out and now I have used up quite a bit of my little scraps.

The other quilt was the result of wanting to work with big shapes and combine curves and straight lines. I finally got it to work in a way I like. It reminds me of bowls. I have a collection of pottery bowls, and wooden boxes too. I want to continue this too, and will keep using this bowl shape.

I have spent a little time dyeing this week-my fabric bins are almost full, but now I see I need more off-whites, and golds of all shapes.

I have a Plan!

2010-08-25T15:14:00.003-05:00

I have recovered the small futon in my studio with some fabric I found at IKEA. It was hard to resist since it has my favorite color: orange! I recovered 2 pillows also, but need to find more fabric in solid colors.I am finding it to be the perfect place to work on my laptop, and write ideas in my sketchbook.

I have been trying different ideas, trying to come up with a plan and today I think I have something that will work. I am going to do 2 series, one in a method I used to do. I know squares and log cabin type quilts are done over and over, but I love squares, and want to see what more I can do with them. The second series I am going to do is to challenge myself to use shapes that are not square! I want to use large pieces, that are curved. And a by product of that is the machine quilting: what can I do that is different?

New Studio Space

2010-08-17T18:59:00.002-05:00

I have just about finished the move to a new studio space. I decided to paint the walls white, and use accessories and fabric to brighten it up. The room is small, and it was hard at the end to figure out where to put things. The hardest job was going through all my quilts from the past 3 years and reorganizing them on rolls, and labeling. It is hard to look through work you have done, and feeling there are just some things you don't like at all! But it has been 3 years of learning what I want to say, and I feel now I am working slower and more thoughtful--and have a nice room to do it in! I plan to have something to show at the end of the week. One thing that has worked out well, is that I have a nice big design wall to work on, but have to work on the lighting situation more.

Back Again!

2010-08-11T12:45:00.003-05:00

I guess I needed a break! There was a lot going on for me last spring, and I felt confused as to what quilts I should be showing on my blog. I always feel like fall is the beginning of the year, and although I don't have anyone going back to school this fall, I am ready to have time to get a lot of Art done. I was accepted into the Illinois Artisans Program, so I have 2 quilts in the shop at the Southern Illinois Art & Artisan Shop. In the early summer I made a few small quilts as I decided which ones I should send.

Last week I realized we have an extra room, just sitting there empty, except for the occasional guest. So I am taking it over, and moving my art from a corner of the laundry room, to a new space! I have been excited thinking over where everything will go, and trying to figure out where to put the things that are in there now. I can't wait to get started, although since I plan to paint, I know it will be a lot of work. It is a small room, but at least I will have a door I can shut, and a (small) space of my own-finally!

Does anyone have an opinion on paint color? I suppose it should be white...

City: Spring

2010-03-22T14:14:00.002-05:00

Since my last post I have made several quilts that I decided to abandon before finishing, feeling that they just did not say what I wanted to say, or they used an old technique I was not happy with. When that happens I find it is best to just admit it and move on! I then begin again, first finding a focus, a group of colors. I have made a few in this series since then, but will just show this one. Taking a picture and seeing it on my computer really helps me see it a little more objectively.

I also am getting ready for a show in April at the Raue Performing Arts Center in Crystal Lake, IL. I have started choosing which quilts will be in this exhibit: I have to show at least half of the six quilts I submitted. I was able to find room for 2 new quilts, and several that are small.

In May I will be taking an independent study class from Nancy Crow, so I want to bring some quilts along I can show there. I would like to be courageous and get some specific feedback from her! I think that is what I need right now. I am enjoying this series I have started, and feel quite obsessed with what I am doing. I hope that is a good sign!

I also have a show of some of my quilts at the Elmwood Park Library. I may have scheduled too much at once, but I think if I am organized, it will work. Luckily when I visited the library I found I do not need many quilts. It will be a busy spring!

Fiber TwentyTen

2010-03-22T14:07:00.002-05:00

This quilt was chosen for the show Fiber TwentyTen, in St. Charles,MO. The show runs from April 2 - May 14, 2010 with the reception on Friday April 16.

Finished QAWM

2010-02-22T11:14:00.003-06:00

I used up some of the strips to make a border, and the quilt is about 60x70. I used the rest of the strips to make the binding. I did the best I could without many light colors! I do have some more fabric left in my stash to try something else.

What was Left and Street after Street

2010-02-22T10:49:00.004-06:00

This quilt was made in January, but I just realized I forgot to put up a picture of it. As I look at it, I remember the roundabout way it came to be. I had originally laid background pieces up on the design wall, in different shades of gold/bronze shades. But as you can see, nothing came of that! I did make a block using some of the shades, adding just a few other colors, and black and white. I like the colors against the golds, and the yellow and black. I went back to a method of sewing strips together, then cutting them up and reconfiguring them.

What was Left, the top quilt, came after thinking I was going to work in 4 colors, using 3 shades of each. That became frustrating, and I gave up, and decided to do what felt right! I put up a few pieces of fabric, in large pieces, which just felt good to me. I may have gone to far, as this is quite stark, but to me it has reminded me of the way I want to work right now. I feel a need to show shapes and colors in big sizes and make them relate through the lines that join them.

QAWM finished

2010-02-09T14:04:00.002-06:00

I couldn't get the whole quilt in the photo. It is about 55" x 65". Last week I changed the layout of the quilt each time I walked past my design wall. Friday I settled on a vertical orientation. I cut some of the half pieces in half too. I feel I had such limitations on value, that making blocks seemed to be too busy. And even this seems pretty wild! But that is what happens when you are using up what you have. I may try to add some type of border, and I need a backing fabric. It has been fun seeing what everyone has come up with.

QAWM

2010-02-02T14:14:00.002-06:00

I have made about 14 blocks for my project, and see that I don't have any really light fabric, so I will go along with what I have. The plan is to cut the blocks in half, and this is the first layout I came up with. I am only using a few different colors of hand-dyed fabric. I can see that I will have to move things around more if I use this layout.

In Search of Sun

2010-02-01T10:06:00.002-06:00

In this quilt I challenged myself to use yellow. Maybe it was an unconscious reaction to the lack of sun in Chicago (7 days of no sun!), but it was a realization that I want to learn to work with other colors. It started out lighter, but needing a contrast, I used a beautiful dark blue I had recently dyed.

I am taking part in Melody's quilt project. (Fibermania) As I went through my small stash of fabric I realized that if I used all the greens and purples/reds, I would clear out half a drawer, and have used up a lot of fabric that had just been sitting around. I am adding light greens and shades of purple from my hand-dyed fabric. It has been such a good feeling to clear out that fabric. But as I read Mel's start to her quilt, I am reminded that every quilt seems to have the same set of ups and downs until the end! At first you are excited about your idea, then you run into frustration, then you solve that and feel good, and so it goes. I have found that if I just go along with it, things work out somehow, and frustration leads to some type of solution.
I have not used many fabrics lately that are not hand-dyed, but I found I have a lot of Kaffe Fassett and batik. I will post later pictures of the beginning of my quilt.

Running Late for the Train

2010-01-29T09:09:00.002-06:00

Remembering something from Nancy Crow's workshops, I took pictures of the process of making this quilt. I am glad I came up with a design I liked, because this quilt has come a long way. I can see now as I looked back over the stages I went through, I needed a focus. I started with the horizontal blue and white, since I tend to start with vertical pieces, then try to add horizontal later. The red log cabin block seems to grab my eye as I look at it.
I have decided to come up with more creative names too. Since art quilters are encouraged to work in a series, the names tend to become numbers. I related that to music where a composer will use the name, sonata No. 1 in G. But I began to forget which quilt is which when I used names like that, so I have started to use names that come to me as I am working on a quilt. Yesterday I looked through a book of poems and found phrases that I liked that might be used as a name for a quilt.

first quilt of 2010

2010-01-19T13:27:00.002-06:00

I started this quilt in December, but finished it recently. I used a cross hatch typed of quilting, and now feel I am not liking how that looks, at least on my quilts. After spending last week dyeing fabric, reorganizing fabric, going through quilting magazines, I feel ready for the new year! I started a quilt this week, and am quilting it now, but it reminds me of how I am thinking more about how I machine quilt. I have read what others think, and respect what they say, but want to come up with my own theory for myself. Also, I think lately I have stuck with the same colors! So finally the sun is out and it makes you look at the world a little differently.

2010-01-08T09:46:00.002-06:00

I was so involved with how to get my quilts hung, that I wasn't prepared for the feeling of seeing a group of them all displayed together! I have 7 quilts in the gallery at the Wellness Center at Northwest Community Hospital, Arlingon Heights, IL. It was hard to hang them using the system set up for other kinds of art work, but I did get it to work, and then I realized I had not seen any of my quilts all together like this before.

Leftovers

2010-01-07T11:59:00.002-06:00

I know this is a terrible photo, but I don't have a good place to take a picture! So I will show you anyway, with apologies.

I have spent the week getting pictures of all my quilts off the computer and putting them in a book with names and dimensions so I have a way to see them all. I have a couple of gallery shows coming up in the spring, and I thought this would help me figure out what quilt to put where. I am sure there is a more high tech way of doing this, but this works for me. And I like having something to hold and page through. I have one more quilt to take a picture of, and one more to finish. I also hung 7 quilts at the Wellness Center at the Northwest Community Hospital (Arlington Heights, IL) as part of a gallery program I am in. They will be on display until April 4th. I will post a picture of that too.

2009-11-28T15:29:00.002-06:00

I just finished this quilt, and am still trying to figure out what to think of it! I started with large rectangle-shaped pieces, but then found the 2 dark blue curved pieces. I made other curved pieces, and love how they combine and form other shapes. I plan to do more like this; I can see that there is a new world out there of all kinds of shapes. I am reminded of a quote by Georgia O'Keefe: " I found I could say things with color and shape that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for." I think this is on the wall at the Georgia O'Keefe museum in New Mexico.

2009-11-14T12:16:00.002-06:00

I feel excited and honored to have been selected to be in the quilt show, Form Not Function, Quilt Art at the Carnegie, beginning January 8, 2010. My quilt Dividing Spaces I was selected. I can't wait to see all the quilts that will be there! This is my first quilt show, so I am very happy!

2009-11-09T10:42:00.002-06:00

I am really excited by the direction I am headed with this quilt! I was inspired by a quick weekend trip to New York. After rushing through the Guggenheim and part of the Metropolitan I began to think more about quilts as art, and how they could look. I love to look at abstract and modern art, and the ways color and shapes are used. An exhibit of Kandinsky was showing at the Guggenheim, and I want to look more at his work. I plan on exploring shapes and colors in new ways.

2009-10-21T12:54:00.002-05:00

These are my most recent quilts. Although I like the use of color and line, I am bothered by the fact that they are not what I had in mind. I began with a drawing, and had some idea in mind of what I was striving for, but the end result was quite different. At first I thought, oh well, that is what happens, but as I was doing the hand sewing I realized that it bothered me. I got to the end and didn't like the way it was going, and couldn't come up with a solution that worked with the original thought. I cut, and moved things around until it became something I liked, but I had lost track of my goal.
So my new way of doing things is going to be to start with a written goal; something I can refer to as I work. I want it to be very specific. I may not have a drawing in mind, but I would like to have an idea I am working on.

How do you begin a project?

2009-10-09T13:00:00.002-05:00

This is my latest quilt called Colorplay/pink. I am hoping it is the last of quilts with little pieces. I keep trying to work in bigger shapes, but end up small. But at least I tried a new color: pink! yes it is crooked, it came out that way.

I have a change in my schedule with work, so I am going to be able to work on my quilts more. I am looking forward to really getting into the process, and not have to have my ideas pile up in my head and in my sketchbook before I am able to do something about them.

No Rules!

2009-09-11T20:30:00.002-05:00

I put up a sign this week so I could see it as I sewed quilting lines on a triangle quilt. I was thinking that when you make traditional quilts, there are a lot of rules, but with art quilts, there are not...or are there? I think sometimes I have a rule I am following but I am not aware of it. It may have to do with colors I am using, or how I am sewing pieces together, or the size of the shapes. I feel I am following fewer rules, but at times the subconscious rules get in the way. I want to have in mind what I am trying to do; start with no rules and decide what guidelines I am using.

I am experimenting with curves after seeing some wonderful quilts. After trying a few things I think lots of curves are not for me, or maybe I just need more time to work with them. I do like the curves on the quilting lines. This is opening up a whole new thought process for me now; the edges of the quilt are squared, but do all the sewing lines need to be that way too?

2009-09-03T16:26:00.002-05:00

I decided to go back to the familiar, and that is what this quilt seems to be. After trying new things; I am not sure of what I have done, and I am not ready to show them yet! I don't feel sure if they are in a direction I want to be going. So, bright colors, strips sewn, cut and re-sewn in columns are a familiar way to go. But I have done something new in the quilting; wavy lines that sometimes cross over each other.

Now I have been working on triangles, sewn together and cut up and re-sewn in new ways. I like the way it is turning out!

2009-08-22T13:34:00.002-05:00

I feel like I haven't done much this summer in terms of quilting, but these are pictures of what I have done. We are back from all our vacations as school starts next week.

Each day I go for a walk on a path along a prairie restoration area, and 3 of my quilts are inspired by the colors in different lighting that I have seen when I walk. The green quilt is more subdued, but it is the first one I did, and is a more literal view than the others. Sometimes when the sun is bright, and there have been many flowers in the grasses you realize how many colors there really are on the prairie. On our vacation in Wisconsin we walked along a marsh, and there was a big open are of grasses and prairie flowers that were beautiful.The last quilt is maybe the first in another series as I try to use basic shapes that are larger and fewer colors. Now I am looking forward to seeing where these lead me.

music

2009-07-19T16:24:00.002-05:00

I have been gone a lot this summer, which is nice but now it seems hard to find my groove. I have cleaned, put away, done laundry and finally decided it was time to get started on a quilt project. I am trying a second quilt in an idea I had for prairie grass. The first used subdued colors, but now, after seeing the grass in the early morning bright sun, I am using brighter colors. Once I am not so frustrated, I will post a photo.

Sometimes I listen to music as I sew. Other times it is too distracting. But when I got home I turned on the CD player and have been listening again to Edgar Meyer, a string bass player who has some CD's with YoYo Ma, as well as Joshua Bell. I am listening to his solo CD, where he has written all the music, and is playing all the instruments himself. He uses some interesting meter changes, other times it only sounds like the music is in an odd meter. It is wonderful to hear his lyrical pieces on the piano, and it is amazing to think he is playing it all himself. He shows how beautiful a string bass sounds!

Sharing a Sketchbook

2009-07-01T15:09:00.002-05:00

My sister and I have sketchbooks that we share. Of course, I have a sketchbook I keep for myself, but it is interesting to share one with another artist. She is a watercolor artist, and we find we share the same joys and sorrows in our art! I write something in my sketchbook about what I am working on, then mail it to her. She writes something, often reacting to what I have written and sends it back. We started this several months ago, and have really gotten a lot out of the process. We write about what inspires us, what frustrates us. Of course our entries include things cut out of magazines we think the other person can relate to, pictures of something we are working on, something we remember from the past that relates to the present.

My main problem is that I need to have it sitting out so I see it, then I remember to write in it! I am finding it interesting to look at what I have written as I get better as an artist, and it is fun to hear what someone else thinks. Is there someone you can share a sketchbook with?

2009-06-05T09:31:00.002-05:00

I have been making some small quilts this year as I work on quilts for the book Robin and I are working on. My goal is to make a large quilt using few shapes, colors, and few but significant quilting lines. As I work on any quilt now, I am realizing it is easier to make a quilt using many colors and shapes, but using fewer makes it harder. Doing these small quilt studies gives me a lot to think about!

I had a wonderful time at the SAQA Symposium, and learned a lot at the workshops. It was so nice to meet Robin; she is just as nice in person as she is on her blog! We were both inspired at Quilt National. It is so amazing to see the quilts in person. You come home with a feeling of inspiration. I am trying now to get back on track with what I was doing before I went to Ohio. I have started a quilt inspired by prairie grass, and I want to continue in a series with this. Maybe I can post a picture of this soon.

2009-04-12T17:50:00.002-05:00

This quilt is one I recently finished. Sometimes it is funny what inspires you when you start a project. This time I was at my yoga class and someone in the class was wearing a sweater with horizontal stripes of many different colors. It did not make an impression on me until she took it off and threw it on the floor and the stripes were going different directions. Two of the colors were red and tan and that got me thinking...and starting a new quilt! Now I am finishing piecing a quilt, and wondering what I will start next. Nothing has come to me yet but I know something will inspire me to start something new.

2009-03-26T12:46:00.003-05:00

I made this quilt recently as a practice for a bigger quilt. I chose a few colors to start, then added as I sewed. I love the colors, and was happy to find another way to use a log cabin block. At first I tried another more curved quilting line, which really detracted from the lines of the quilt. I had to take it all out and stuck with the uneven grid pattern I have been using recently. I really feel I am finding my color palette!

2009-03-12T13:52:00.002-05:00

I really need to dye more fabric, so I tried Melody's method for the first time. I really like the way the fabric turned out, and it was so easy to do! The color was fairly even, like I wanted it. I don't know if there is an advantage to using more water and adding soda ash later. Does anyone know? I hope to do more tomorrow. When I first started making art quilts, I was sure dyeing my own fabric was not something I was going to like. But I am addicted to it now!

2009-03-11T15:54:00.002-05:00

I am feeling a little behind, having been sick for 2 weeks. So I am posting a photo of my pile of quilts that will be in the book Robin and I are planning. I hope you can see enough so that you are interested in the challenges we have come up with to create our book. Now I am working on a quilt that is based on the log cabin. It is amazing all the ideas that can come from that simple block. Add to that the hand cut line, and ideas seem endless. I am so glad to be feeling better, and can't wait to get back to new projects. Today I sold 2 more quilts, and that makes me feel humble. But I am running low on fabric!

2009-02-20T12:12:00.003-06:00

Here is my latest little quilt. I am finding I have not many bits and pieces left over from the quilts I am making for the book. I feel the fabric I sew together is part of the creative process, it is a good feeling to use some of the leftovers from bigger projects. Sometimes, though, fabric I have sewn together just turns out to be something that was not a good idea from the beginning! This little quilt took awhile to figure out and in the end just needed to be turned, so the blue is horizontal.

While looking for something I found a book I was using to write quotes about creativity. Here is one by Twyla Tharp:

"The routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightening bolt of inspiration, maybe more. And the routine is available to everyone."

Creativity

2009-02-13T12:40:00.003-06:00

After coming back from doing errands, I was thinking about two people I had seen whose clothing had caught my eye. A cashier at the bookstore was wearing a royal blue scarf that did not quite match her top, but looked perfect. I remember seeing her before, and she always has on some kind of scarf that is beautiful. A mother buying fabric with her daughter, was wearing a long skirt she must have made out of corduroy pants that were cut to be the front and back of the skirt, with panels of strip-pieced fabric running along the sides. As a person who tends to throw on a pair of jeans and get busy, I often wish I would look more creative in my everyday clothes! I really admire people who can put on something a little different and look completely at ease with what they are wearing. I'd like to be a little creative on the outside, as well as on the inside.

Frustration

2009-02-03T08:15:00.002-06:00

At the beginning of the week I always feel frustrated in my quilting project. Especially when I am at a point where I am working through an idea. The first part of the week I am busy with music: I am giving cello lessons and playing in 2 orchestras. So working on art consists of looking at the fabric as I pass by my sewing table, and trying to work through ideas during the day. Sometimes I can stop and sew 2 pieces together, but most of the time I can't let myself get started! But I have to remind myself that this does usually work to my advantage: sometimes I need to step back and rethink what I am doing. I have found too, that I sometimes make a "rule" for myself that I don't realize I have made. Like "I want to use light fabrics, this time", or "I have to use this red", or the size of the pieces have to be a certain size. Then that can become a restriction, and keep me from moving forward.

Today I am trying to be less frustrated, and let the colors and shapes I have chosen play in my head throughout the day. Soon I will be able to get down to work and put them together in fabric.

Now, off to yoga!

2009-02-01T16:26:00.003-06:00

A nice Sunday coming to a close. We spent some time cross country skiing, something we started this winter, but hadn't done for many years. Of course, in Chicago we don't always have enough snow. But after awhile, it all comes back to you and it was so nice to be outside getting some exercise! But now it is nice coming inside to have some hot tea, and start making our Super Bowl dinner.

I am working on quilts for a book project with Robin, and have almost completed 3 quilts. I must admit it has not always been easy doing these. It reminds me of working on assignments for Nancy Crow workshops. Sometimes I think we get used to working on a project that comes from an inspiration, which is hard enough. But working on an assignment you have given yourself is harder to make it look spontaneous. I have solved that, I think, by doing little quilts as I go along. Here is my latest one: I want to explore the idea of using blocks of color.

New Photos

2009-01-13T19:10:00.001-06:00

I have added photos of my quilts from 2008. I may retake photos of them later, but here they are for now!

2009-01-03T19:34:00.003-06:00

The process of creating a quilt begins with color; I dye my own fabric using 100% cotton fabric and fiber reactive dye. The design itself begins with an idea, inspired from shapes and lines observed in everyday life. I choose a combination of colors, and start cutting and sewing. The composition often changes as I work with colors and shapes on a design wall, cutting freely with a rotary cutter, and sewing by machine. The intent is a new way of looking at things, and reinterpreting old patterns.

I have worked for years as a classically-trained musician but I enjoy the improvisational and accidental in art. My wall quilts reflect my love of hand-dyed colors, repetition of patterns and lines, but include unexpected surprises. I appreciate the discipline necessary in playing cello and making quilts, and enjoy finding new ways to interpret traditional patterns. The colors of a quilt, and the sewing lines that join them, have a rhythm of their own. Like the notes in music, they become the voice of the artist.