Last Chance

The 2018-19 Art Quilts Maine tour opens at the final venue on Tuesday, April 2, with a meet and greet scheduled for Thursday, April 4 from 3:00 to 5:00.  The location is the Farmington Public Library. The collection of 21 quilts is on display until the end of May, returning to the makers in June. If you haven’t had an opportunity to see this year’s exhibit, make a point of stopping in Farmington soon!

This season’s challenges included the ‘Batik Challenge’, wherein each participant received several pieces of the same group of batik fabrics–and created a wide variety of quilts in response. The second challenge was ‘On (or off) the Beaten Path’, which produced 14 pieces depicting paths both real and implied. New pieces are in the making for the 2019-2020 tour which debuts at Maine Quilts in July! 

Advertisements

Winter Challenge

Art Quilts Maine issues a winter challenge each December, with the finished product revealed at the February meeting. One year it was masks, another year quilted portraits. This year each member was handed pieces of three fabrics. Everyone got the same three fabrics, but not necessarily in the same proportion. No one got more than about 10″ x 15″ of any one color. The fabrics were White, with a pale gray print, Red and a light mottled Blue. Results were revealed at Saturday’s meeting! Finished pieces included a toy room scene, an exuberantly pieced sun, multi-colored triangles set in an irregularly shaped quilt, a piece based on a child’s drawing, and a tropical bird. Here’s mine. I had fun extending the quilting for each segment out into the border, and adding the braid I found that was the perfect length to set off the moon’s face. 

The title, “Dark Side of the Moon” comes from the back side–see?

The collection will be on display this summer at Maine Quilts and join the Art Quilts Maine traveling show next fall.

Page 20 in Process

I started work on a new piece. It needs to be completed by June, when Art Quilts Maine members reveal their challenge pieces for the year. This year’s challenge is titled Page 20. The premise is to flip to page 20 of any (non-quilting) magazine and find inspiration there. Could be an image, a word, article, anything on that page. I’ll show you my Page 20 and finished piece in June, after the Art Quilters get to see it. Until then, thought you might enjoy a sneak peak of the process–which like many processes, is pretty messy! Who knows what will come out of all that fabric? I hope I do! 

 

At the Library

Art Quilts Maine’s Challenge Tour is at the Portland Public Library until January 3. The quilts look at home above the bookshelves filled with stories for children. The librarians who helped hang the quilts were amazing–The library was actually closed that morning because the heat was not working, so it was cold! We did joke that we could just wrap up in some of the quilts! Hopefully you will get to the library (on a warmer day) to see them in person, but until you do, here is a preview:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Fiber Art on Exhibit

I managed to finish Village Square, one of two new pieces, tonight– just in time to deliver to Kimball St Studios in Lewiston tomorrow. Art Quilts Maine’s annual travel show opens at Kimball St Studios on Friday, October 26. Pieces by a dozen artists will be on display. Many of the art quilts are in response to one of two challenges last year.

First is “On (or Off) the Beaten Path” which elicited a range of responses, many to do with pathways we have traveled. Mine is “Hope Endures” depicting a refugee child, walking the ‘beaten path’ toward hope–the pathway littered with names and dates of refugee crises throughout history.

Second is the “Batik Challenge.” Participants were required to use a portion of these 10 fabrics in their finished piece. If you have a chance to see the show (in Lewiston or at one of our other venues this year,) see if you can find these fabrics in each quilt!

The challenge pieces move on to the Portland Public Library after Thanksgiving, then to the Yarmouth Historical Society January through March, and end the year at the Farmington Public Library April and May.  At Kimball St Studios and the Yarmouth Historical Society, additional artwork joins the challenge quilts, so try to get to one of those venues for a larger exhibit! Here’s a peak at the front of Village Square. It’s made of log cabin blocks–really!

And don’t forget Maine Fiber Arts in Topsham’s member’s show, Fiber Collective is still up–Open House tomorrow. The work is on exhibit through November 13. Get out and enjoy!

Baker’s Dozen Improv

Lisa came to my Baker’s Dozen Improv class, so named because we turn 13 fabrics into a stack of improvisationally pieced blocks, with some structure. The ne

at thing about this technique is no matter how many projects you make, or watch others make, each is unique. They are abstract, and can be as scrappy or planned as desired. Here is one created with a collection of scraps:

Lisa originally laid her blocks out in a square set (see below). When she got it done though, she decided to cut it in half and turn it into a long table runner. Notice how her sashing is obscured in the finished project. Nicely done.

Aunti’s Apparel

My niece came to me this summer with clothing she found packed in a suitcase in her grandmother’s closet. She wanted me to remake the clothing so she could wear it. Her grandmother was my aunt, an amazing seamstress. Aunti made all her own clothing, usually without a pattern, based on photos she saw in fashion spreads. As I deconstructed and reconstructed the items, I was entranced to see Aunti’s hand stitching and piecing. It was evident she made do when I found bits of selvage or pieced scraps pressed into service. As there was no spare fabric I bought and integrated new fabrics into the items. As I worked I could feel Aunti looking over my shoulder, approving or disapproving my choices–and I quickly re-did any I felt she disapproved! I added purple inserts to this floral blouse and skirt. Note the floral applique enhancing the back panel!

A sparkly, twirly red skirt!