Quilts in France!
Here are my art quilts in France. So far not a very exciting exhibit, but on April 15 the  Quilt Expo en Beaujolais opens and they'll be properly displayed. Its good to be one of Les Artistes!

On display in France will be Prairie Breeze (above). My favorite part in making this piece was the assemblage of the hill collages from bias cut strips fused to background fabrics. The overlapping farm fields remind me of the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin. And as distant as Wisconsin and France may be, they have one thing in common.....why cheese of course!

Blue Ladder at the Yeiser
Once upon a time, when I was a young girl living on a farm, we had an apple orchard. The apple varieties ranged from Macintosh to Johathan to the intriguing "Prairie Spy". Who was the Praire Spy and why was an apple named for him? The imagination whirls!
Inspired by this mystery spy, I made a Blue Ladder (above) featuring my father's apple orchard. Blue Ladder will be on exhibit at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, KY April 3 - May 2, 2010. If you're attending the AQS show, in Paducah, please stop in and see it.

Opera Singers
Yesterday I gave a presentation at the acoustically wonderful Newberry Opera House in Newberry, SC. Here you see the kind members of the Quilters of South Carolina giving me a warm welcome that left me smiling. Their beautiful voices filled the Opera House with the lyrics to the Chicago School of Fusing Fight Song. Thank you Quilters of South Carolina!

Quilters of South Carolina
The friendly quilters of South Carolina have charmed me completely! This week-long schedule of 6 classes and 4 lectures could run a girl ragged. But not to fear, I am well cared for and inspired by the beautiful art quilts they are making. Here we have a fuser in action preparing the background for her quilt. She is an intrepid artist attending the Quilters of South Carolina Symposium and earning her graduation badge from the Chicago School of Fusing.

 

Press On!

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Lazy Daisy Stitch

Thread-u-cation Thursday - Lazy Daisy
The Lazy Daisy Stitch is the sweetest member of the looped embroidery stitch family. Arrange this gentle stitch around a French Knot and viola! you have a flower. Or scatter the petals randomly across the fabric surface and build a texture of curvy lines and soft edges.

Here's how I make my Lazy Daisy Stitches: With the thread exiting the fabric at A, insert the needle right next to A at point B. Take a short stitch (about 1/4") and exit the fabric at C. Trap the thread under the needle and draw the needle and thread through the fabric creating a loop.

 Insert the needle at point D on the other side of the thread loop from point C. Draw the needle and thread to the back of the fabric creating a loop or petal of the daisy.

If you place Lazy Daisy Stitches on a tree top, they look like leaves and add great texture to the fabric surface. The Lazy Daisy Stitch is a pleasant, old fashioned stitch giving comfort and warmth like grandma's cookies....without the calories.

Pretty Planet
The view from an airplane window always captures my imagination. And this week, as I fly from coast to coast, I'll have plenty of time to enjoy the view. Watching the geography of the central plains evolve into the Rocky Mountains, I set down on the edge of the Pacific Ocean in California. Soon I sling-shot east across the country to teach for a week in the warmth of South Carolina.

As I fly, I daydream about the cities, farms, rivers, and people below. Who lives a the end of those meandering roads? Is that a lake or a plateau? What a pretty planet!

Fabric Dyeing Sources
People often ask about the fabric used in my art work. Do I make it? Yes, every little yard is dyed with Procion MX fiber reactive dyes. It's good for cotton, linen, viscous rayon, and silk. Sources for the dye powder are Pro Chemical and Dye (MA) and Dharma Trading (CA). Both have excellent support systems with advice for new dyers and us old dyers too.

The fabric used for the Artfabrik site is called 400M and is available from Test Fabric in West Pittiston, PA. It is prepared for dyeing and I've never had a bad batch in the 20 years I've been ordering it. For those of you who would like a good book on basic dyeing, try Ann Johnston's Color By Accident. Her book leads you through the process and gives you good results. Happy dyeing!

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Sheaf Stitch

Thread-u-cation Thursday - Sheaf Stitch
These little bundles of yellow thread, created by the Sheaf Stitch, remind me of a cinched waistline or the childhood game of pick of sticks. But for a little landscape quilt, they are perfect for sheaves of wheat gathered in the fields ready for harvest.

Here's how I make my Sheaf Stitches: Make 3 vertical stitches measuring about 1/4" long and spaced about 1/16" apart. Bring the needle up to the surface of the fabric at Point A (which is the center of the middle stitch). Slip the needle and thread under the left vertical stitch. Insert the needle tip under the right vertical stitch and jab it back down at Point A. Pull the thread gently to form a cinched group of threads.


If you line them up, the Sheaf Stitches act as an orderly band of decorative motif racing across the fabric surface. These concentrated deposits of thread are bundles of joy!

Little Bird on the Prairie
The quilt tops for the Little Bird on the Prairie series came fast and furious. But the hand stitching is a drawn out affair. Creating the quilt is an odd mix of quickly constructing the designs and then slowly and thoughtfully adding embroidery stitches. Do I use orange or yellow thread for the tail? Shall I put feather stitches on the...feathers? So many decisions to make!
Here we have a nesting bird reproaching me for not adding any stitches. She shall have to remain patient.

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Cross Stitch

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Cross Stitch
One of the best embroidery stitches for decorating fabric shapes is the Cross Stitch. A rhythmic line up of these stitches (like that above) embellishes the fabric surface and carries the view's eye around the art work. Randomly scattered and clustered together, the Cross Stitch builds texture on fabric like a mat of sticks on the forest floor. Its like adding another motif to the surface design of the fabric.

Here's how I make my Cross Stitches : First make a straight stitch in any direction from A to B. Then cross over that stitch at a right angle by bringing the thread up at C and returning at point D. As you repeat these directions, it may be helpful to think of the stitch as a letter X.

Whether you line them up like tin soldiers or scatter them around like jacks on the playground, Cross Stitches make fun patterns and texture on the fabric.

Come Cruise with Me
Sometimes I think Spring will never come! But as I look out my back window, I see little spots of grass bravely peeking out of the snow. Can the crocuses be far behind?
I am so happy that around this time next year I will be teaching on a cruise with Group Seminars at Sea. Come join me and be toastie! Here I am imagining myself thawing out on a wonderfully warm Caribbean beach.

Illinois Artisans Program
For years I've been a member of the Illinois Artisans Program. The state-wide membership includes potters, painters, sculptures, and the odd fiber artist or two. The program also hosts retail shops that carry my art work. I recently dropped off three pieces with Lillian who manages the Chicago Artisan Shop. ( See Housing Department #22 above.) This delightful little shop is full of wonderful art work. You'll find it on the second floor of the Thompson building right across the street from City Hall, the heart of Chicago politics. No comment.

The downstate  Southern Illinois Artisan Shop in Rend Lake, IL always presents a quilt show of artisan members in April concurrent with the AQS show in Paducah, Ky. No drive to Paducah is complete without visiting this beautifully designed shop. And if you glance up during your visit, you may see one of my quilts on the wall like this one, Land O'Leo.

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Blanket Stitch

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Blanket Stitch
The Blanket Stitch (or Buttonhole Stitch) always gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling. It tucks in around a fabric edge holding it safe and neatly outlining the shape. But it can also act as a decorative stitch across the surface of fabric creating rows of UUUU or MMMM depending upon orientation.

Here's how I make my Blanket Stitches: With the thread on top at A, place the tip of the needle about 1/4" up and to the right of point A. Insert the needle at B and exit at C, about 1/4" to the right of A. Trap the thread coming out of A under the needle tip and draw the needle and thread slowly through the fabric.

Point C is now Point A. Repeat the directions aboveforming a row or following the edge of a shape. Different effects are achieved by varying the spacing between points A and C or the length of the B/C stitch. Here's an example of the Blanket Stitch as an outtie rather than an innie. UUUUMMMMUUUUMMM Enjoy!

Travel to MAQF
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival was great fun! My students created beautiful work in the 3 classes I taught: Tiny Homes, Stitch After Fusing (like the quilt above) and Bad Dog, Cute Cat. It's always wonderful to see what they come up with; they are a talented group! Here's a review you might enjoy of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival by Meryl Ann Butler that features lots of photos from the show.

My next few weeks will be spent preparing for a whirlwind tour of South Carolina. (See luggage above.) There are 4 groups to visit, 6 workshops to give, and 3 lectures to present. I'm most looking forward to meeting new friends and discovering old ones who live in the area. Hope I can see you there!