I still get a rush when I see those two words. “Dear Artist.” They introduced the acceptance letter for three of my art quilts into the Georgia Marble Festival Fine Art show Oct. 1-7. Yipee!
This is a special show for me as it’s local, in an Appalachian community rich with local talent. And so far I’m the only art quilter in the exhibit’s history who’s entered. The first year I exhibited one of my pieces the committee was delighted to have a new art form for their show. This was the first fine art exhibit I ever entered, and was I nervous.
The best part of the entire show is the Artist’s Reception, where I get to meet the other artists and see their work. I’m always in awe of other people’s art: I want to ask them a million overly-intrusive questions, like “How did you you do that? How long did that take? How did you make your piece so large?”
It’s truly one of those evenings you never forget. The last time I went I was so intimidated by everyone else’s art I wanted to leave early before they announced the awards. My husband refused. We had a babysitter after all, so we were going to enjoy this evening.
So when they announced the awards, I wasn’t listening. Instead, I was looking around at the art and the people, until my husband jabbed me with his elbow and said, “You won.” Third place in the 2-D division. Wow.
I didn’t enter anything last year, but have three this year. I’ll go and enjoy the entire event, and not worry about winning awards. That’s a bonus, but I’m not getting trapped into creating work to win awards. Ultimately I create what I love, and if others love it too, I’ve made a wonderful connection.
Share This
Ever notice those quilters who consistently produce amazing work? Original, colorful, creative, and well-executed? I’ve met lots of quilters over the years, both professional and amateur, and these are the habits of outstanding quilters:
- Master the Basics. Learn and practice how to cut accurately, piece consistently, baste extensively, and quilt beautifully. No amount of creativity can overcome a poor job in these areas. Take the time to do them well. If you don’t know how, take a class and practice.
- Take Care of Your Body. Quilting is tough on the body. Get new eyeglasses every 1-2 years; don’t overdo quilting in one session; mix up both hand and machine quilting so you don’t strain your hands and shoulders. Take care with that rotary cutter (no slicing off your thumbnail, oops did that already). Use tools that make the process easier: my favorites are Grid Grip, Kwik-Clip, and Quilting Discs.
- Take Care of Your Machine. Your machine is an investment. Learn how to use it properly. Yes, actually read the manual and take the classes your dealer offers. Get your machine serviced annually - it’s penny-wise and pound-foolish to put it off. Don’t pull on your quilt as it’s going through or you’ll ruin the motor. Let the machine do the work!
- Learn and Delight in Your Style. Take the time to understand what you truly love and dislike in a quilt. You can learn more about your style from looking at quilts in magazines, books, and those of others rather than looking at your own (all you’ll see are the imperfections in your own stuff). What do all the quilts you like have in common? There’s a key to your style. Do own multiple books by the same quilting author? There’s another clue. What parts of the quilting process do you love? Hate? Can you do it those parts differently?
- Learn Something New. Keep up on new techniques by taking a class, even outside of the quilting world. My color choices improved phenomenally after taking watercolor classes. You bring an entirely new perspective to your quilting after seeing the process through someone else’s eyes.
- Keep Improving. Challenge your quilting repertoire by trying something new or improving upon what you already know. You’ll challenge your brain, your body, and develop a new set of skills that will enable you to create differently.
- Go on a Quilting Adventure. Travel to a quilting conference, class, or show. Going somewhere new forces you to focus more keenly. Find a conference or show that interests you and try it. I traveled with a friend one year to the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX. The conference was too large for me, and my senses were on overload by the end of the week. There were actually too many beautiful quilts for me to take in. I did take classes and learned new skills I never could have at home. I also learned smaller conferences are better for me, and have traveled to those ever since.
- Don’t Hand Over Your Creativity. Not to pattern companies, not to designers, not to your quilting teacher. Make your own creative decisions and make your own mistakes. You’ll appreciate your successes more, learn more from your own failures, and build your creative muscles in the process. You don’t necessarily have to design your own quilt, but make every decision in the quilting process a creative one. Is this the way I want to do it?
- Get Involved in a Guild or Bee. Quilters are generous, funny, and creative people. Make connections with them and you’ll enjoy not only their quilts, but their support and ideas as well.
- Kick the Perfectionist Habit. Aim for Fun. Gwen Marston showed much wisdom when she said, “You don’t have to suffer to make a beautiful quilt.” If it’s not fun, I don’t do it. Life is too short not to enjoy my life, including my work and hobbies. I don’t enjoy intricately-pieced quilts. I feel like I’m in a factory when I make them, so I do it another way. Learn how to make the quilts you love in a way you enjoy. It really does feel great.
These habits will enable you to become a better quilter - even an outstanding one. Practice them slowly until you do them automatically. What will be your first habit to try? Mine will be to join the local guild. I belonged to one in my old community, but I’ve put off joining another. Silly me. How much I’ve missed by doing so.
Share This
On our recent vacation to Jekyll, I found a tiny beach next to the fishing pier that had a huge piece of driftwood. The colors in the driftwood ranged from soft grey to yellow-brown, and the grain patterns were intricate and varied. They actually reminded me of the sky texture in Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Here are some photos for you of the driftwood:
What do you think?
Share This
Here’s a great opportunity for an artist date if you live anywhere near Georgia. Mark your calendars for Sept. 14-16, for the East Cobb Quilt Guild show in Marietta (NW of Atlanta). This is one of Georgia’s biggest guilds, and major talent comes out of it, including Eileen Sullivan, Little Quilts, Marti Michell, and others. Several national quilting magazines visit the show to get quilts to showcase on their pages. I’ll be going with my friend Karen, visiting from out of town.
Yes, I’m a member, but I don’t have a quilt in the show. Too busy during the summer and the deadline slipped past, somewhere in the blur of a family reunion, building a new home, my older son’s solo airplane trip, teaching, writing, and life as a wife and mom. Yes, I’m blessed. And no, my quilts aren’t in the show. This time.
Click on the flyer to see the show information full-sized or visit the show website. See you there!
Share This
To register for my workshops, check out my Schedule page on my website. It lists my latest workshops, dates, locations, and where to call to register. Let’s make some quilts!
Share This
Ever wanted to make an art quilt but don’t consider yourself an “art” quilter? Then my newest class is for you. “Easy Art Quilts” will show you how to make a quilt with design principles used by the great masters to create timeless works of art. Sound complicated? It’s not. All strip piecing, no matching seams, and almost no math! I must warn you, though: making this quilt is addictive. You won’t be able to stop. Great for that fall quilt you’ve been wanting to make.
Join me at the Sharptop Arts Association on Tuesdays, Oct. 16 and 23rd, from 10a.m. to 1p.m. and let’s make an Easy Art Quilt together!
Share This
Published at August 21, 2007
in Quilting.
We’re back from vacation and it’s sooo good to be home. We visited Jekyll Island, one of Georgia’s coastal communities. It’s historical, primitive, and has miles of bike paths.
And we even did some quilting on the road. Here’s my youngest tying his quilt in the RV, and I finished some hand quilted fans. Ahem . . . yes, for those of you who know me, I actually hand quilted. I’m not doing the freehand fans like Tonya, yet anyway, but who knows?
Share This
Published at August 13, 2007
in Quilting.
I know, I said I was taking a break from blogging for a week, but I just had to share this goodie with you. Tonya over at Lazy Gal Quilting is a big fan of Joe Cunningham, a hand-quilting guru who does much of it without marking. He wrote an article for Threads that’s filled with examples and even instructions for a homemade frame.
Tonya’s an American living in France - is that a dream or what? She does freehand fans that are beautifully casual. My favorites of hers are her American quilts.
Now you see why I just had to share this with you. Now I’ll go back to taking a break. Really. I am.
Share This
Published at August 10, 2007
in Quilting.
Only a few weeks before school starts, and August temperatures are startling us back into searing summer days. Today after the kids and I left the pool, my car thermometer read 103F! Our power went out yesterday and I was sure it was a brown out. I can’t imagine life without air conditioning and don’t want to.
I’ll be taking a blogging vacation next week to spend some family time before school starts. Enjoy the last days of summer!
Share This
My first Artist Date for August was to continue working on the 4-Patch Stacked Posie blocks. I matched each of the incomplete block sets to the remaining fabric I had, seeing if I could get one more square for each. For most of them, I could.
I transformed this piece of fabric:
to this:
Artist Dates are a way for me to try a new technique, and once in a while I’ll try someone else’s patterns. I followed the instructions on how to cut these blocks, but the pattern calls for sashing and borders that give it the “checkerboard” look. I’ll skip that and do my own thing.
So I watched Damages as I pinned and cut. The show was way too dark for me. I like some nasty characters in my shows, but Glenn Close and Ted Danson seem to have no redeeming qualities and are 2-dimensional in the show. Mean as snakes, and that’s it.
Share This
Published at August 5, 2007
in Quilting.
My mom got a new Bernina and all I got was this lousy box! He loves the box and he’s delighted, and I love my new Bernina 220.
This will be my travel and teaching machine, so I wanted something light and basic. The 220 met my requirements, which were:
- needle down
- variable stitch width and length
- walking foot made for this specific machine
I bought it from Atlanta Sewing Center (Kennesaw), my third machine from this dealer. I worked with a delightful woman - Wanda - who used to own a quilt store in Hiram. If you’re in the market for a new machine, I highly recommend Wanda. She was a pleasure to deal with and knew her machines - especially if you’re a quilter.
Share This
Published at August 1, 2007
in Blog.
Maybe it’s not quite that exciting. But - I’ve added the option of subscribing to my blog via e-mail! All you need to do is click the button in the sidebar at left. You’ll receive my latest postings, photos and all. You can even comment on the post, email it to friends, and rate it. It’s a great way to get a treat in your mailbox - the next best thing to a fat quarter sent from a friend.
Share This
Recent Comments