Linda Teddlie Minton

The Space Between ... in Quilting Arts Magazine

2012-01-24T17:13:00.001-06:00

I finally received my February/March 2012 (Issue #55) of Quilting Arts Magazine. (I swear, someone at the Post Office reads my copies before I get them!) I've been looking forward to it because there is an article smack-dab in the middle of the magazine on The Space Between ... the most recent invitational exhibit curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison.

The exhibit, of 40 quilts by 40 artists, debuted at the International Quilt Festival/Long Beach, and was also featured at the International Quilt Festival/Houston this past October. Five of those artists are featured in this month's Quilting Arts ... Susan Brubaker Knapp (that's a detail of her quilt "Hope is the Thing" on the magazine cover), Linda Teddlie Minton ("The Antechamber"), Susan Fletcher King ("Schooling Through the Jellies"), Jayne Larson ("Breathing Space"), and Sherry Kleinman ("The Family Tree").

What an honor to be included in the exhibit, and then to have the opportunity of being seen in Quilting Arts Magazine! Thank you, Jamie, Leslie, and QA!

The Art in Fiber, 2012

2012-01-24T11:24:00.000-06:00

If you are anywhere near Round Top, Texas (near LaGrange, between Austin, Houston, and San Antonio), please come to the opening of The Art in Fiber, 2012 at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery.

I'm so honored to be participating in this invitational exhibit, with such wonderful fiber artists. If you can't make it to the opening on Feb.4, please do try to make it by the gallery before the exhibit comes down on March 4. I've sneak-peeked some of the incredible work that will be there, and you won't be disappointed!

And speaking of sneak peaks, here's a tiny portion of one of my entries:

"Look Into My Eyes" - detail

I hope to see you there!

Farewell, little Baby

2012-01-24T10:59:00.000-06:00

Baby Cat, in better days

I had to bid farewell to my sweet little Baby, 14 years old, yesterday. She had been getting thinner and thinner, and had finally gone into kidney failure. She spent most of the last month in my lap every time I would sit down, and slept curled up under my arm every night.

Rest in Peace, my sweet Baby.

The pain of losing our beloved animal family members is the price we pay for all the joy they give us in life. Baby's big sister Mariah left us in May of this year, and Bouncer is now an "only cat". He has been wandering the house, loudly calling for his lost sister, and trailing after me like a little dog.

Bouncer (aka "the meatloaf"), is now an Only Cat.

I will miss Baby and Mariah, but take comfort in the knowledge that they led a cozy, comfortable, pampered existence in my care. Bouncer is so robust and healthy, I hope he lives happily with me for many more years.

A weird post for a weird book

2012-01-09T11:20:00.000-06:00

While browsing around on Goodreads.com (my favorite place to get recommendations for what to read next), I came across this one ... Blueprints Of The Afterlife by Ryan Boudinot. In scanning the reviews, I found a review by the author (who, naturally, thinks it's great!) in which he offers a very cool giveaway ... of a signed manuscript page from the book.

Well, I love quirky, I love science fiction and dystopia, and I love innovative promotional ideas, so naturally I had to give it a go. Ryan, here's my entry for your giveaway ... great idea! (Although it's not required for the giveaway, I'm intrigued by the concept of the book, and so have ordered a copy ... can't wait to read it.) Thanks, Ryan!

Aaaack!

2011-12-07T10:09:00.001-06:00

Oh, holy cow! Ricë Freeman-Zachary (Notes from the Voodoo Cafe), one of my all-time favorite artist/bloggers, has posted about an outrageous thing that happened to her and her husband in the West Texas town of Midland, where they have lived all their adult lives.

I don't usually post directly about another blogger's post, but this one is important. Ricë is such a creative writer that all her blog posts are incredibly interesting (she writes professionally for several big-name art and fiber-art magazines). When she posts a "rant", we all run to read it ... don't miss this one.

It will most likely make you see red. It is not fiber-art related. If you don't like to read "rants", please take the opportunity to read her other posts, which ARE fiber and art related, and which are always intelligent, informative, and often very funny. You won't want to miss her fabulous writing.

Iced Coffee and Hoarding ... a Rant.

2011-12-05T11:18:00.001-06:00

I was so happy to find this wonderful iced coffee mix at The Dreaded Walmart. It's quick and easy, it's delicious, and it's zero-fat and low calorie! When you mix it with milk, as the directions state, the resulting iced coffee is 110 calories. But I discovered that I liked it even better when mixed with plain water ... for a cleaner taste and a grand total of 20 calories per 8-oz. glass!

It comes in other flavors too ... French Vanilla is my favorite.

Now, why am I creating a whole big blog-post about an iced coffee mix? Because it's NO LONGER AVAILABLE at Walmart or anywhere else!

Oh, there are other iced coffee mixes, all right ... Maxwell House, for instance, at a higher price, higher calorie-and carb-count, and less flavor. Why Walmart would discontinue carrying the superior product, when every time I went to buy it, it was nearly sold out, is not really a mystery. I have accosted the food manager at my local store, and the answer is always the same ... "we don't control purchasing, the orders come from on-high".

In other words, it doesn't matter that the product was more popular in this particular store ... someone at the head office took an average count from some anonymous numbers, and picked Maxwell House as the winner. Why there can't be a choice for customers is something I'm getting used to in San Antonio, Texas, the home of "you live here now, you don't have a lot of choices ... get used to it".

For instance, HEB several years ago ran all the other grocery stores out of town (Randall's, Krogers, Safeway) by severely undercutting their prices; then once they folded, raised their prices right back up again. There are literally no other supermarket choices in San Antonio (the ONE and only thing I hate about this town!)

So, back to the North Sea Iced Coffee Mix (which I discovered, by the way, was formerly known as Frappe' Creme Iced Coffee Drink Mix). I looked and searched and combed the internet for more sources of this wonderful product. I finally tracked down the parent company (not easy) ... Sturm Foods ... and begged to be able to buy directly (in bulk) from them. No such luck. I received a very nice response to my request, which stated that Walmart is no longer carrying their product, and that it is currently no longer being carried in any other store. And that they can't sell to individuals.

I guess I wouldn't be so bent out of shape about this if it didn't seem to be the norm instead of the exception. Favorite lipstick color? Not made anymore. Best diet soda? Discontinued. The only hand cream that works on my super-dry skin? No longer available.

My paternal grandfather ("Papaw") was what some might call a hoarder. You would never have known it, because he was very neat and tidy, and everything was stacked neatly behind cabinet doors. But when he found a product he liked, he bought mass quantities of it, because he never wanted to run out. He blamed his hoarding on The Great Depression. I blame mine on The Dreaded Walmart.

Misty Fuse

2011-11-28T19:13:00.001-06:00

I've talked about Misty Fuse (paperless fusible web) before, and how much I love it. In fact, LOVE isn't a strong enough word ... I LURVE it with a fiery passion usually reserved for purveyors of castile soaps.

(By the way, I DO also love my Dr. Bronner's Hemp-Almond Pure-Castile Soap, but that's another story. Also, if you have really great eyesight or else a super-power magnifying glass, be sure to read the very tiny print on the bottle, for an education and/or a scary/incomprehensible rant, depending on your viewpoint.)

Iris Karp of Misty Fuse
(This picture is actually from 2009. I forgot to take a
picture of her this year, so I borrowed this one from
Susan Brubaker Knapp. Thanks, Susan!)

Annnnyway, to get back to the subject of this post, I LURVE my Misty Fuse, and while at Quilt Festival in Houston a few weeks ago, I made a bee-line for the Misty Fuse booth, and ran into Misty Fuse Genius, Iris Karp. (Iris and Misty Fuse have a Facebook page, too.) We had our yearly hug and quick chat, and I made off with my purchase ... at long last, I had decided I needed a BOLT of the wunnerful stuff. I've been buying it by the package for years (ever since I discovered it), and finally made the plunge. "OMG," as the kids say, why did I wait so long? It is so much easier to access, straight off the bolt!

The packages are great, but the bolt is even better!

Someone suggested using a paper-towel dispenser for the roll ... either the horizontal kind mounted on the wall, or the kind that stands upright on the counter. Great idea! I'm also thinking I will make a little quilted "cozy" to slip over it, just for fun.

If you've never tried it, just buy a small package at your local quilt shop, or on-line. Instructions come with the package, and I'll bet you'll fall in love with it too. (No affiliation, etc., I just love this stuff, and it's one of my favorite purchases from Quilt Festival this year.) Have fun fusing!

Thankful

2011-11-23T16:13:00.001-06:00

Baby

I've been thinking today about all the things I'm thankful for ... of course, family and friends are first on my list. But I'm also supremely grateful for the love and companionship of all the animals and pets who have passed through my life. My first dog was Frisky; parakeets were Tick, Tock, Amy, and Abby; the rabbit was Hopalong Cassidy (of course); our beloved neighborhood dog Lady innocently killed Hopalong when he escaped, and proudly brought the body to her mistress expecting praise; there was a nameless little green turtle who escaped his bowl, but who we discovered months later alive (he had been hibernating); Snapper the box turtle was our neighborhood mascot; and numerous goldfish were given solemn burial ceremonies at the toilet.

Pfeiffer was the family dachshund who came to us as a Christmas gift when I was 10 or 11 years old. He was probably a "bargain" because his little tail had a crook at the end. He loved us with a passion and couldn't bear to be separated from us. He was also as stubborn as a mule (a dachshund trait) and there are many funny family stories about him. When my parents moved to Guatemala on business, he went with them, and contracted a disease that paralyzed his hind-quarters. He had a little two-wheeled cart for a while, and he could go running around that way. He eventually had to be put to sleep when they returned to the States. I still miss him.

Buddy and Peaches were my two Siamese cats who loved me for 22 years. Later, Siamese litter-mates Bouncer, Baby, and Mariah came into my life. Now, only Bouncer and Baby are left, and they are getting old and fragile. What will I do when they're gone? I don't know if I will want the care and heartache of a pet again, but I do know that I will be forever grateful for the love, joy, and companionship that they have given me over the years. I'm not sure I even know how to live without a pet in my life. And I'm guessing I probably won't even try.

Don't forget your smallest friends this Thanksgiving. And have a wonderful holiday.

The Winner of "From Felt to Fabric" is Announced

2011-11-21T12:08:00.001-06:00

With the helping hand of my Faithful Little Nugget, FiFi the Wonder Assistant, we have once again used our scientifically proven method of dumping teeny tiny little slips of numbered paper into the cat's food dish (don't get all excited, it's just DRY food, gosh!), and stirring them up very well with a wooden spoon. FiFi then donned her disposable surgical gloves and drew the winning number.

... drumroll, please ... Contestant #6, "Laura". Congratulations! Will you please email me at linda.t.minton@gmail.com with your true identity and mailing address. If I don't hear from you within 48 hours, another drawing will be held.

Thank you all so much for entering ... I hope to have another drawing soon, so stay tuned!

"Room" - book review

2011-11-19T12:15:00.001-06:00

Available at Amazon.com

I had bought this book some time ago, and forgotten what it was about, so I started it without any pre-expectations. Oh my gosh. It is one of the most riveting books I've ever experienced. Written in the voice of a five-year-old boy who has been raised by his captive mother in total isolation, it is both harrowing and sweet, if it's possible to be both at the same time. I totally fell in love with the little boy, and empathized with his mother. I had a few issues with the coy way the author treated some aspects of the story, but they are minor. An excellent read, and highly recommended.

Resizing an Image

2011-11-19T09:58:00.001-06:00

Gloria Hansen (my hero!) has posted an excellent video on her blog, explaining very clearly how to re-size your image to a specific size. This is often a difficult and confusing issue for artists when it is required for on-line submissions to exhibits and shows.

Go to Gloria's blog for the video.

Be sure to leave a "thanks" for Gloria ... she is an incredibly generous author, as well as an award-winning fiber artist.

From Felt to Fabric - book giveaway!

2011-11-18T17:39:00.001-06:00

Since I am not a felter, I thought I would provide the publisher's description of the book:

"Acclaimed fiber artist Catherine O'Leary introduces her distinctive, painterly approach to nuno felting with trademark techniques that make the craft easier to master, more creative, and more personal. Her exciting innovation, nuno pre-felts, integrates commercially printed fabric into the process and then uses these patterned pieces as design elements to create artful wearables and accessories. O'Leary explores principles of art and composition, like shape, color, and texture, and offers aspiring feltmakers inspirational projects plus a gallery of works illustrating the wide-ranging possibilities of her method."

All that is just to say that this looks like an easy, vibrant method of creating art-to-wear without the technical process being too complicated. The instructions look clear and easy to follow, and there are tons of gorgeous pictures for illustration and inspiration.

As I said, I'm not a felter, so I'm giving this brand-new book away. If you'd like a chance at winning it, just leave me a Comment below, and I'll have a drawing on Monday. Good luck!

Quilt Festival 2011, Part 4 ... some quilts and friends

2011-11-17T10:30:00.000-06:00

First, some quilts made by some very dear friends of mine ... in the category of Texas Guilds' Award Winning Traditional Quilts, 2011:

Total Eclipse, by Sharon Dixon

1950's Santa Quilt, by Barbara Wafer; quilted by Barb Knoblock

Flowers in My Cabin, by Shirley Chriss; quilted by Linda Teddlie Minton

Flowers in My Cabin, detail

Flowers in My Cabin, quilting detail

Standing Strong, by Sharon Dixon

*********************************

One night several of us walked to an unfamiliar restaurant several blocks from the hotel for dinner. It was cold and windy (unusual for Houston!) but we had a wonderful time.

Maggie Winfield and me ... our yearly snuggle.

Best buds Sharon Dixon and Jody Gantz having a giggle ... before or after margaritas?

A tiny glimpse of the huge Food Court at the GRB Convention Center.

***************************
In yesterday's post, I showed a picture of "Alice's Odyssey", a group challenge quilt made by 16 members of the Beyond the Borders art-quilt group in Katy, Texas. Here are some of the members, gathered at different times in front of the exhibit.

Exhibit placard -- it was a single-quilt exhibit!

Connie Fahrion, Hannah Mallon, Sara Norris, Elaine Connelly, Cathy Winter

Sitting: Nancy B. Dickey, Linda Teddlie Minton, Ann Schaefer, Cathy Winter
Standing: Cheryl Johnson, Jo Sweet

and here's the quilt again, so you don't have to flip back to look for it:

Alice's Odyssey
Each puzzle piece was created by a different artist, based on a chosen
theme from Alice in Wonderland and conformed to a specific puzzle shape
in order to fit in with the others. The edges were satin stitched, and the
individual pieces were painstakingly assembled onto a quilted background by
Nancy Dickey.

***********************************
On Friday night, Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison gathered all of the participants they could, of the "Space Between" exhibit sponsored by their Dinner at Eight Artists group. We had dinner at Spencer's Steakhouse in the Hilton Americas Hotel ... a fabulous (and fabulously expensive!) restaurant worthy of our exalted presence. We even had the Chef's Table, along with appropriately superb service. Here are just a few of the more sedate (?) moments of the evening.

Karen Rips and Rachel Parris

Susan Brubaker Knapp & Leslie Tucker Jenison

Frances Holliday Alford & Gerrie Congdon

Barb Forrester and Susan Fletcher King

Jamie Fingal and me

Susan Fletcher King and Judy Coates Perez
(don't hate her for wearing a fur coat ... I think that's Barb's hair on Susan's shoulder!)

The Adorable Deb Boschert and the Inimitable Jamie Fingal debate wine choices.

Judy and her daughter Indigo Perez. Indigo is a fine artist in her own right,
and always a welcome addition to our table.

Leslie starts us off with the D@8 tradition of "spoonology" ... a fine old art.

Susan B.K. shows us how it's done.

Terry Grant gets it right the first time!

Barb carries it off with aplomb.

Jane LaFazio sets up her spoon

Susan F.K. looks like she's been doing it all her life.

Step 1: Frances misunderstands the concept.

Step 2: Frances reinterprets the concept.

Step 3: Frances shows us how easy it really is.

The end of a long but lovely day.

Art Quilts, part 3 ... from Quilt Festival 2011

2011-11-16T10:51:00.001-06:00

Here are the last of the art-quilt pictures from Quilt Festival ... at least the ones I was able to salvage. Some were so poorly lit or badly focused that I couldn't publish them here. And I'd give anything to be able to show you some of the gorgeous ones from the "No Photos Allowed" exhibits, but my mama raised a Good Girl, so I kept my little camera safely shuttered in those aisles.

Please enjoy these images, and remember that you can click on them to get an even larger view. It's never as good as seeing them in person, but I hope they have given you at least an idea of the beauty, inspiration, and joy I find every year at Festival.

Alice's Odyssey, by 16 members of Beyond the Borders

Bee, by Nancy Dickey

Doorkeepers, by Rita Summers

Flaming Mandalas I, by Anne Lullie

It's Risky Being a Beer Drinking Mantis! by Carol Fletcher

Making Her Exit, by Pamela Allen

Solo Act, by Peg Collins

The Antechamber, by Linda Teddlie Minton
(Yes, I know it's in the "No Photography" section, but it's my quilt, so I was allowed.)
This was part of Dinner at Eight's special exhibit, "The Space Between", curated by
Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison

The Hen Party, by Beth Porter Johnson

The Hen Party, detail

Winter Blooms, by Barbara Persing

Winter Blooms, detail

Woodland Secrets, by Frieda Anderson

Yellow Billed Hornbill, by Barbara McKie

Yellow Billed Hornbill, detail

Artist Village placard, with names of artists who participated.
Can you tell who made each of these houses?
Some are easy to identify, some are not so easy.
Honestly, I feel like I "know" which ones are which, but
since I don't have confirmation, I'll just leave it to you to guess.

Well, that's all the art-quilt pictures, but tomorrow I'll post some more pictures from Quilt Festival, including some traditional quilts and some people pictures. Enjoy!

More Fabulous Art Quilts from QF 2011

2011-11-15T10:13:00.001-06:00

To quote the Sex in the City theme song ... "How do you like it ... more, More, MORE!"

Windswept, by Maria Elkins

A Fine Pastry, by Connie Fahrion

A Very Stingy Tooth Fairy, by Pamela Allen

AHHHHHH, Life is a Holiday, by Linda Hibbard

Autumn Melody, by Nancy Dickey

Beneath the Canopy, by Susan Fletcher King

Birth Certificate, by Maya Chaimovich

Bugs and Other Living Things, by Pamela G. Allen

Butterfly Garden, by Ellen Anne Eddy

Central Park, by Kathy York

Central Park again (side view ... some pieces needed multiple views!)

Kathy York's "Central Park" just had to have a detail shot of her little "buildings".

Dixie Dingo Dreaming, by Susan E. Carlson

Eco-Mission, by Margarita Korioth

Embrace 1, by Maria Elkins

Embrace, by Paulette Landers

Generosity, by Judy Momenzadeh

Good Onya Sonya Onya Bike! by Helen C. Godden

Hippo Love, by Janet Fogg

Kiss, by Jo Dixey

Life's Force, by Lucia Chan

Long Day's Journey, by Pamela Morris

Maximum Cat Nap, by Susan Brubaker Knapp

Mayapples, by Terry Kramzar

O Happy Day, by Timna Tarr

Of Cabbages and Kings, by Norma Schlager

Population Explosion, by Laura Fogg

Spontaneous Combustion, by Pat Krouth

The Big Loser, by Pamela G. Allen

The Hues of Amber, by Karlyn Bue Lohrenz

Time, by Sue de Vanny

Twitter, by Margarita Korioth

Via Apia My Way, by Maxine L. Oliver

Still more images to come ... maybe tomorrow. Ohmigosh, I'm getting artistically inspired all over again.

Quilt Festival 2011 - pictures at last!

2011-11-14T16:37:00.001-06:00

Here are the first of the pictures I took at IQA Houston International Quilt Festival last week. Still haven't processed all of them, but I thought I'd go ahead and post the ones that I've cropped and titled with the artist's names.

Here, for your viewing pleasure ... and please, people, respect the artist's work and do not copy. If you'd like to link to my blog, where the images are properly attributed to the artists, please free to do so. I was careful to take pictures only in the exhibit areas where pictures were allowed, but if you are one of the artists shown here and you do not want your image shared, just let me know and I will take it down immediately. For all others ... thank you so much for sharing your fabulous work ... and I only wish I could have taken pictures of all the incredible quilts I saw.

Another Form II, by Peggy Brown

Artichokes in Bloom, by Andre Brokenshire

Caught in the Act, by Barbara McKie

Crested Barbet, by Barbara McKie

Dance, Panels 1 & 5, by Randall Cook

Fractured Self, by Randall Cook

Grafitti Series - Nail Heads II, by Lura Schwarz Smith

Heartbreak, by Judy Momenzadeh

Jamestown, by Diane Rusin Doran

Lucy, by Judy Greenwood

Maynard, by David Taylor

Memories of Gombe, by Mary Pal

My Kind of Dragon, by Patt Blair

Oh Deer, Look What's Become of Me, by Judy Coates Perez

Out in the Garden, by Leslie Hall

Red Sky at Night, by Jill Robinson

Reflections, by Carol Swinden

Refracted Lily, by Gloria Hansen

Solace, by Mary Pal

Springtime in the City, by Cynthia St. Charles

The Desert's Glory, by Lois Podolny

Utah Textures #3, Canyon Wall, by Maxine Shall Burkholder

Woman Waiting I, by Pamela Allen

I'll try to get more pictures up in the next day or two. Please let me know if you enjoyed the first part of the "quilt show" here, and check back!

It's time for a Maggie Update!

2011-10-22T19:19:00.000-05:00

My sweet and funny friend Maggie Winfield has been at it again. Traveling, writing postcards, sewing ca-razy outfits that she looks absolutely adorable in, having grandbabies (well, not actually HAVING them, but definitely supervising their haute couture), and generally living the Good Life. Here are some of the fun things she has been doing.

An outfit made from men's ties ... OMG!

She's got more guts than I do, to tackle such a job!

Her decorated chambray dress and overdyed straw hat ... I LOVE it!

Newest grandbaby "GiGi" - a hospital picture,
so it's not the sharpest resolution, but it shows off her fantastic
Nichole Miller outfit presented to her by her Nana.

Baby GiGi's Christening gown and cap, made by
her Nana Maggie from pieces of two family wedding gowns.

And saving the best for last ...
Maggie and GiGi,
two Lovely Ladies.

Book review: PUSH Stitchery

2011-10-13T17:28:00.001-05:00

PUSH Stitchery can be purchased at Amazon.com

I just received this little book of stitchwork by 30different artists who are “exploring the boundaries of stitched art”. It first caught my eye because of the unusualcover … the arrow shape ends with a die-cut hole in the cover which reveals oneof the stitcheries contained in the book. It’s a tantalizing taste of what lies within.

Jamie Chalmers (“Mr. X” of the U.K.) has curated this bookwith an eye towards showcasing the cutting edge of stitchery and where it is going,blurring the line between craft and art. As a stitcher himself (and author of the blog, Mr. X Stitch, Mr. Chalmers seems tohave the ability to seek out some of the most innovative stitchers I’ve seen ina while. (As an art quilter myself, Itry to keep up with what’s new and exciting, but I had never heard of some ofthese artists before … and they are well-worth hearing about.

Each artist is givena generous 5 or 6 pages to showcase his or her work. Although most have chosen fabric as theirmedium of choice, there are some unexpected and exciting alternative mediums tosee, too … such as Clyde Olliver’s work in stone, and Severija Incirauskaité-Kriauneviciené’s work in found metals.

Cayce Zavagla uses crewel embroidery to create masterlyimages that rival oil-painted portraits. The detailing is incredible, and I want to reach out and touchthem. Rosie James works in stitcheddrawings, and her sketches in thread are vibrant and exciting.

There are artists who work in collage, illustration, vintagelinens, photography, reclaimed fabrics, paper, mixed media, old textbook images,and found objects.

Alicia Ross uses a combination of the computerization ofsewing with pop art to create extremely unusual works that are impossible todescribe. She states that her work “examinescontradicting female roles and the simultaneous attraction and repulsion totheir objectification.” This is notmerely a lofty-sounding artist’s statement, it truly deserves furtherinvestigation.

Of course, not every artist’s work is to my taste, nor willit be to yours. But I find that I learnsomething even from those whose work I dislike at first. Upon second or third examination, I can see “wherethey are going”, and even tag along for a while.

William Schaff’s work in this book focuses on some bizarrereligious imagery that may shock some. Aya Kakeda’s embroidery appears to be childlike and innocent at first,but can turn out to be dark and violent upon closer inspection.

There is some beautiful and sweet embroidery, some complexstitchery, some figural and some abstract artwork, and vibrant color alongside starkblack-and-white imagery. There is evenan installation artist included, Louise Riley.

One artist that I am familiar with is Jimmy McBride (USA),who “works for an intergalactic shipping company”, and whose “views out mywindow provide amazing inspirations for the quilts that I make.”

There’s no room to name all the artists and all their works …needless to say, I can wholeheartedly recommend this little (about 7”x9” with 176 pages)book. The photography is excellent, theartists’ interviews are concise and clearly written, and I’m glad to have addedthis one to my library. (I received thisbook from the publisher (www.larkcrafts.com)for the purpose of an independent review.) As always, I could wish for a larger size, but there is something to besaid for a smaller book, too, as it’s easier to tote around in my bag and share with friends.

More fiber-art birthday cards!

2011-09-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

You may remember that my friend Liz Broussard sent me an early birthday card, in the form of a fiber-art postcard. Well, I'm finally getting around to posting some more birthday fiber-art postcards, from more friends (members of my beloved FiberVoices group). Since my studio is still in a jumble, a couple of them are from last year, but they are all absolute treasures to me.

"Blowing in the Wind", painted and stitched canvas,
by Connie Marie Fahrion

"Art of Friends" (our first round postcard)
by Cheryl Johnson

Mola Butterfly (multiple cut-away layers)
by Nancy B. Dickey

"Pine" (inked and stitched, with personal signature chop)
by Susan Fletcher King

Surprise! Not a postcard this time. Mary Ann Littlejohn made these little soft folded-and-stitched
boxes for holding sewing notions or snipped thread ends. We all started calling them
"Connie Catchers", since we will probably use them to save threads for Connie's signature
"thread trash" art-quilt creations.

Lunatic Fringe

2011-09-01T19:26:00.000-05:00

I've been officially inducted into Ellen Anne Eddy's Notes from the Lunatic Fringe! Ellen, well-known author, fiber artist, and teacher, wrote one of my all-time favorite books on machine threadwork, Thread Magic: The Enchanted World of Ellen Anne Eddy.

From her fabulous, meticulous threadwork, who would have surmised that she also has such a wonderful sense of humor? Please go to her blog and see my mini-guest-appearance ... what fun! Thank you, Ellen.

#1 of 52 Journal Quilts - The Forgotten

2011-08-25T18:20:00.000-05:00

Jeanette Thompson of the QuiltArt list has started a challenge to create a weekly journal quilt. She's doing it in honor of her birthday, and wants to make an artwork each week to remember this special year. Since my birthday is near hers (in timing, if not in age) I decided to play along, as I've always wanted to challenge myself in this way. (I do best with deadlines, even self-imposed ones!)

I decided that my weekly journal quilts will be 8x10" (in either portrait or landscape orientation), because it's such a convenient size. I haven't decided on a theme yet, and may not. I want to be as free as possible to do whatever strikes me at the moment, but may decide later to create temporary (monthly or quarterly) themes. Here's my first one, a raw-edged improvisational piece, entitled "The Forgotten". It's not a religious theme, but more a humanistic one.

"The Forgotten", 10x8

Soul Collage

2011-08-25T17:13:00.002-05:00

My dear friend Patricia Daugherty is an artist and member of a loosely-formed group of "girls" (all of whom are well over the age of consent, thank you very much!) who have been together for years for the sole purpose of sharing artworks, techniques, challenges, and fun. We have slowly dwindled in number, due to natural attrition. I'm very sad to be so far away from them now, but manage to still see them occasionally.

Patricia and the others have recently been exploring Soul Collage, and I begged her to send me some images to share with you. Oh my gosh. These are very typical of Patricia ... visually striking, yet thoughtfully and carefully laid out, with her unique artistic eye for balance, scale, and even humor. I absolutely love these! Thank you so much for sharing them, Patricia.

Wild Woman, by Patricia Daugherty

Happy Child, by Patricia Daugherty

More blogs where you can win THE book!

2011-08-18T15:45:00.000-05:00

Check out these two blogs in the next day or two, for more chances to win "Masters: Art Quilts, Vol. 2".

8/19: Cheryl Sleboda: blog.muppin.com (sorry, don't know why this URL doesn't appear "live", but just copy-and-paste, and it should take you there.)

8/22: Terri Stegmiller: http://stegart.blogspot.com

Have fun!

And the winner of the Masters: Art Quilts Vol.2 book is ...

2011-08-18T01:07:00.065-05:00

Oh, noooo, you're not going to find out in the first line of the post! First I have to say how surprised and excited I was to get so many wonderful Comments ... some begging and pleading, some intellectual, some pretty hysterical ... this has been so much fun, I'm definitely going to have to do this again.

Well, after much to-ing and fro-ing, frantic hair-pulling, and indecision (OMG, I couldn't make up my mind! So many great Comments!), I finally chickened out and the final winner has been decided by the Hand of Fate (with the helping hand of my Faithful Little Nugget, FiFi the Wonder Assistant). We very scientifically put slips of paper with the numbers of each Commenter into a hat (well, actually it was the cat's food dish, but don't worry, it was relatively clean), and FiFi then drew the winning number.

Which was ... #2 YARNGODDESS! Please send me your name and address privately, Yarngoddess, and I will see that you receive your book directly from Sterling Publishing.

And now ... MORE GREAT NEWS, which was even a surprise to me. Sterling actually sent me MORE copies of the book to give away, so FiFi very kindly consented to draw again.. #16 KEVIN B and #43 GAIL MYR, step right up and claim your prizes! I will mail these books to you myself, so please email me with your mailing information.

(If I don't hear from you within 3 days, I just assume you've already gone out and bought your own copy, and I'll then have to pick another name!)

Well, this was too much fun. Thank you all for joining in the excitement ... if you didn't win this time, maybe next time! Stay tuned ...

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

2011-08-15T19:15:00.001-05:00

UPDATE, 8-18-11: My giveaway drawing has now closed, with THREE winners! Thank you all for participating. If you didn't win here, you still have a chance at one of the next bloggers on the blog-hop for this beautiful book ... here are the next bloggers on the hop ...

8/19: Cheryl Sleboda: blog.muppin.com
8/22: Terri Stegmiller: http://stegart.blogspot.com
8/23: Stephanie Forsyth: thefibernation.blogspot.com
8/24: Janice Paine Dawes: http://thedistoriatedquilter.com/
8/25 Karen Stiehl Osborn: http://stiehlosborn.blogspot.com
8/26: Kathy Loomis: artwithaneedle.blogspot.com
8/29: Diane Lochala http://dianedoodles.blogspot.com
8/30: Sue Bleiweiss: http://www.suebleiweiss.com/blog
8/31: Gerrie Congdon: gericondesigns.com/weblog
9/1: Marilyn Wall: http://www.marilynhwall.blogspot.com
9/2: Laura Wasilowski: http://artfabrik.blogspot.com
9/6: Sherryl Buchler: http://skb2000.blogspot.com
9/7: Cheryl Lynch: http://www.CherylLynchQuilts.blogspot.com
9/8 Deborah Boschert: http://DeborahsJournal.blogspot.com
9/9: Brenda Gael Smith: http://serendipitypatchwork.com.au/

Good luck, and have FUN!
-------------------------------------------
8-15-11
I feel so lucky to have received this gorgeous book for review from Sterling Publishing (via Lark Crafts), and want to share the wealth. Please see my review in my previous post of August 2, and if you would like to receive a copy, just leave me a scintillating, exciting, amusing, pathetic, intellectual, or downright begging Comment, and maybe you will get lucky!

The Giveaway will be held at the end of the day, Wednesday, August 18. Please be sure that your Comment is not "Anonymous", so that I can reach you to let you know that you won, or else be sure to check back here on August 19. I will be traveling on the 19-20th, but will be checking the blog and emails. If you win, your copy will be shipped to you directly from Sterling Publishing. Good luck! I can promise that you will LOVE this book!

A Prayer for Owen Meany

2011-08-10T22:52:00.000-05:00

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had avoided this book when it first became popular quite a few years ago. The title was off-putting to me, as I didn't really want to read a book (especially a long book!) based on religion. However, I love several of John Irving's other books (The World According to Garp, The Hotel New Hampsire, The Ciderhouse Rules, etc.) and when I started listening to books on tape I decided that I could finally give it a chance.

It's a good thing I was listening to it during a long driving trip, because the first quarter of the book didn't really grab me. But since I couldn't really put the book down and pick up another one, I was committed to hearing it through. Wow, am I glad I did! The characters in this book never ceased to surprise me, and I literally fell in love with the title character. The narrator ... Owen's lifelong friend, John Wheelwright ... at first seems a little stiff and self-righteous, but as the story unfolds, you begin to understand him too. As in most of Irving's books, comedy and tragedy seem to always go hand-in-hand.

Since I listened to the book instead of reading it, I don't know how a hard-copy book-reader would have felt about Owen's distinctive voice, which is one of the most unusual and important things (along with his diminutive size) about him. In the audio book, the reader created an "Owen voice" that at first was irritating to me, but ultimately became very endearing. I would highly recommend listing to the audio book for this reason alone.

One my favorite Owen quotes: "Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!"

I wish Owen Meany were a real person, and I wish I knew him.

View all my reviews

books, Books, and more BOOKS, ARRGGHHH!

2011-08-07T19:15:00.001-05:00

I'm finally getting up my nerve to thin out my desperately groaning bookshelves, which I painstakingly (and expensively) hauled from Houston to San Antonio when I moved a year and a half ago. I couldn't bear to let any of them go at the time, and yet have not had time to look at any of them since.

Right now I'm going through my beading books ... soooo many gorgeous books that have never even been opened or read, but that I just HAD to have at the time! Many were also gifts from family and friends. These are truly beautiful books, and so I've taken the step of opening a store at ebay's half.com. It's pretty easy (if a bit time-consuming) to post the books, and they even have suggestions for sales prices. I'm selling these mostly brand-new books at ridiculously low prices, but at least they will be out of my house and I will (hopefully) make a few pennies. These are just a few I'm showing here ... I think I've listed about 25 or 30 so far.

I've put a link (the picture of the stack of books) over in the left column, or you can just click here to get directly to my store on half.com. You are welcome to browse any time, and be sure to check back ... I'll be posting more books soon ... quilting and art books as well.

Thread Education by Superior Uncle Bob

2011-08-05T14:36:00.001-05:00

Superior Threads puts out a marvelous monthly newsletter (aka, "Wise Words from Mother Superior", aka, Bob Purcell, the Thread Professor and self-certified Threadologist, aka "Uncle Bob"). No, he's not really my uncle, but he gives out such wise, wild and woolly advice that he just feels like somebody's comfy/funny uncle. I'm reproducing below this month's Education portion of the newsletter. Used with permission from Bob Purcell, www.superiorthreads.com. Copyright © 2011 Superior Threads, All Rights Reserved.

EDUCATION: Common and not-so-common Questions Here are some questions (and our answers) asked recently in quilting blogs:

Q. Are all invisible monofilament threads the same?
A. No. Most invisible monofilament thread is nylon and nylon is not a good fiber choice for thread. It has very low heat tolerance (400 F compared to polyester’s 480 F). Nylon goes brittle over time and yellows. That is why very few threads are made of nylon. If you like invisible monofilament thread, choose a polyester type such as MonoPoly.
Caution: Watch out for a brand of invisible monofilament thread that is labeled as “polyamide.” That is the chemical name for nylon. It is not polyester.

Q. Does Superior have any threads made of nylon?
A. Yes. Charlotte’s Fusible Web. It is a fusible thread, meaning it melts at low temperature. This thread is wonderful for fusible applique. No more stiff webbing between the layers. Seven easy-to-follow video demonstrations are available on our website.

Q. How do I know what needle to use for quilting, sewing, embroidering, and piecing?
A. We listen to the professionals -- those who do and those who teach. The majority tell us they use the Topstitch style needle for nearly all applications including piecing (#80/12 needle), embroidery (#90/14), quilting (needle size depends on the thread size), general sewing construction/crafting (usually #80/12). The only exception is when sewing on knit fabrics and they use a ball point needle.
Top secret revealed: The bestselling brand of home machine needles puts the exact same needle in the Topstitch and Metallic needle package. It's the same needle. One needle, two packages = double the sales. Save your money. You do not need to buy both. This explains why we no longer sell metallic needles. The Topstitch style is the needle preferred by the professionals.

Q. What determines if a thread is for hand quilting?
A. Strength. Hand quilting puts a lot of repeat stress on thread so it requires a strong thread. Traditional hand quilting thread is coated or glazed with wax or starch which makes the thread rather stiff, slick, and strong. Our hand quilting thread is Treasure, a coated cotton. Some high quality non-coated threads such as King Tut are also perfectly fine for hand quilting.
Caution: Do not use a coated or glazed thread in a machine. The coating will rub off and gum up the machine.

Q. What’s the difference between a piecing thread and quilting thread?
A. Size. When piecing, we want the thread to be fine enough to make a flat, smooth seam. A medium or heavy thread will not do this. Choose a fine (#50) thread for piecing. MasterPiece was created as the ideal piecing thread.

Q. Is it OK to piece with polyester?
A. Yes, if you are careful when ironing the seam. A high-heat iron can melt polyester, so turn the iron temperature down to low or medium. We prefer to play it safe and piece with cotton (MasterPiece) so we can iron the seam on high heat with no risk of melting the thread.

Q. What thread should I use for quilting?
A. There are many choices. Polyester, cotton, metallic, variegated. Please refer to our Thread Selection Guide. And, it is perfectly fine to use polyester thread in your quilt. It will not tear the fabric. That is the biggest myth in the quilting world. Here is a good article on this topic.

Q. What is filament polyester?
A. Most polyester threads are made of multiple filaments (continuous strands) of polyester twisted together. If there is only one single strand, it is a monofilament thread. Most polyester threads have many polyester filaments twisted together. A 3-ply polyester thread has three strands twisted together, but each of those three strands are made up of many micro-strands twisted together. A top quality 3-ply multi-filament polyester thread may have as many as 144 strands (48+48+48) twisted together. A low quality polyester thread may have only 18 strands (6+6+6). The labels do not state the number of micro-strands. If you have wondered why you absolutely love a particular polyester thread, it is probably due to the high number of micro-strands.

Q. My dealer told me that using prewound bobbins will void the warranty. Really?
A. Your dealer is wrong. No sewing machine company makes such a claim. In fact, most sewing machine companies sell prewound bobbins.

(Comment inserted by me: The following is MY favorite Question AND Answer!)

Q. Is it true that Superior is the only brand I should use because other brands cause global warming, the swine flu, and other problems?
A. Thank you. This is my favorite question.

I would highly recommend signing up for this newsletter right away ... it is so useful and entertaining ... I've posted only a small portion of this valuable resource. Don't miss Bob's Superior Joke of the Month, either! There's a big sign-up button right on the front page of the Superior website.

Quilt Festival at Long Beach, 2011

2011-08-04T17:41:00.001-05:00

Memory Seeds by Barb Pozek from the Celebrate Spring! 2011 Special Exhibit

Wow, I just watched the Virtual Tour at the official website of Quilt Festival at Long Beach ... well worth the 10 short minutes. Pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy. Be sure to check out all the Special Exhibit pictures, too.

Masters: Art Quilts Vol. 2

2011-08-02T18:43:00.001-05:00

I was excited to receive my copy of Masters: Art Quilts, Volume 2 in yesterday’s mail, and couldn’twait to review it for you here.

Curated by Martha Sielman, this second volume of “majorworks by leading artists” has been eagerly anticipated by those of us in theart quilt field, as well as those who collect and appreciate fiber art as FineArt.

Ms. Sielman is well-known as the Executive Director ofStudio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), and has earned her stripes as aprofessional artist, author, lecturer, juror, and arts administrator, with toomany professional credits to name here. Suffice it to say that she has created another masterpiece with thisbook.

By limiting the number of artists to 40 (in this 412-pagebook), Ms. Sielman has been able to showcase a fairly wide range of eachartist’s work, along with a satisfying, but not overwhelming, amount ofinformation about each artist and his or her working philosophy and/ortechniques. Each artwork is named anddated, with the size, materials, and techniques also indicated. (One of my pet peeves about some other booksis not being able to tell how large or small an artwork is, so this is a bigplus for me.)

The artists showcased here are pulled from a trulyinternational base, and the quilts reflect the most sophisticated kind of artwork of any genre. For instance, Emily Richardson’s quilts ofsilk organza and acrylic paints could easily be mistaken for abstract oilpaintings.

Genevieve Attinger’s graceful portraits and nudes could bestraight out of an old master’s studio, with the addition of her delicatestitches. Pamela Fitzsimons’ highlytextured Australian landscape pieces are painstakingly created by hand, fromdyeing to stitching.

For a refreshing take on land- and seascapes, take a look atthe collaborations of Gayle Fraas and Duncan Slade. They combine realistic landscapes withunusual framing elements that make you stop and look again … and again.

Linda MacDonald enjoys inserting humor into some of herenvironmentally sensitive message quilts. Although some see her graphic images as similar to comic-book art, theyalways remind me of delicate wood-block cuts.

In addition to Ms. Sielman’s introductions to each artist,there are short quotations by the artists scattered throughout eachsection. One of my favorites is by LauraWasilowski: “Fabric scraps are likestarter dough. The possibilities areendless.”

This book is large enough to allow for good-sized images anda few detail shots, without being an oversized “coffee-table” book. I do wish there had been room for more (andlarger) detail shots, but then the book would have had to be much bigger andheavier! The paper is very high quality,and the photography is superb. Highlyrecommended as a gift or for yourself. Although I often give books away, I’m keeping this one!

Disclaimer: Ireceived this book for the purpose of writing an independent review.

Pictures are back!

2011-08-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

In VinoVeritas, 2008 (SOLD)
24x36"
Found medical book pages, inks, ceramic cabochon, glass cab, beads, stitching.

Finally ... I found the time to figure out what happened to all my pictures which had disappeared for the past two years of blog postings. Thank goodness they are all (or at least mostly) back now, and I didn't even have to re-insert them individually like I was afraid of.

Since I don't like to post anything without a picture, I thought I'd just insert "In Vino Veritas" above, since it was one of the few images on my laptop. Now maybe I can get back to posting again!

A birthday postcard

2011-07-18T16:15:00.000-05:00

My friend Liz Broussard sent me a beautiful fiber-art birthday card ... thank you, Miz Liz, I love it!

"Garden Clippings", 4x6"

The Antechamber revealed

2011-07-15T19:47:00.004-05:00

It's here! The book (catalog) for Dinner at Eight's current exhibit, "The Space Between", is now available for ordering at Blurb.com. Here's the direct link ... you can even preview all the pages. (Thank you again, Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison, for curating this beautiful show, and thanks to Loris Bogue for creating the book!)

Now that the catalog is published, I can show my entry, "The Antechamber":

The Antechamber, 36" x 48"

The Antechamber is an entryway, a waiting room … the space between. The space between city and country, stress and tranquility, sophistication and simplicity. I want to step through this antechamber into that other world.

Materials: printable silk fabric sheets; silk dyes; cotton, rayon, and metallic threads; iridescent medium; Tsukineko inks.

Techniques: digital altering, silk painting, machine quilting, hand-painting with inks.

I hope you get to see this exhibit in person, opening at the International Quilt Festival, July 29-31, in Long Beach, California. If not, treat yourself to the catalog for some wonderful fiber art.

Book Review: Quilt National 2011

2011-06-29T15:47:00.001-05:00

This beautiful hardback book presents, in striking color photographyand detailed-yet-concise descriptions by the artists themselves, the 86 worksof fiber art that were accepted for the 2011 exhibition at The Dairy Barn ArtsCenter in Athens, Ohio.

Quilt National is possibly the most prestigious juried art-quiltexhibit in the U.S., and has been called “the premier international showcasefor contemporary quilts” by The WallStreet Journal. As a fiber artistmyself, I know that it takes tremendous talent, imagination, and determinationto ultimately have a piece accepted by Quilt National. Many fine artists try for years and yearsbefore finally (if ever) having work shown there.

Some previous editions of the Quilt National book have nothad, in my opinion, the excellent quality of photography that this 2011 editiondisplays. Each image is large, clear,and, as far as I can tell, color-correct. Many of the pages also have detail shots, so that the reader can see acloser view of the piecing, painting, stitching and other minutia of theseworks of art. It is especially excitingto be able to see the fine quilted details. The artists’ statements are all well-written and interesting, adding yetanother layer of personal enjoyment to the images.

I received this book in consideration for writing anindependent review, but having now reviewed it, I can honestly say that I wouldhave bought it anyway. Definitely a keeperfor your library, this book can be ordered directly from Lark Crafts or through Amazon.com.

P.S. Deb Boschert has posted a unique review of this book on her blog. If you are interested in unusual, if unofficial, statistics about Quilt National entries, take a look ... it's quite fascinating!

Grrrrrr ...

2011-06-14T07:42:00.017-05:00

Apologies to all who have written asking about my blog pictures ... for some reason most of them for the past two years have disappeared from the blog. I'm working on figuring it out, but haven't had much luck yet. I'm posting a picture here, just to see if it "takes".

Section from "Speaking in Color"

A little tribute to Mariah

2011-05-27T22:22:00.004-05:00

Not to get maudlin, but I miss my little Mariah-cat more than I can say. Sweet Meg reminded me on my Facebook page of the tiny little artquilt I had made years ago, in a workshop at QSDS with Susan Shie. It was all about Mariah, and I thought I'd post it here. (Thanks, Meg, for reminding me of this little piece!)

Mariah Needs Her Mama
3-1/2" square

Just in case you don't want to twist your head (or your computer) upside down to read the stitched text, here's what it says:

Mariah needs her Mama
She purrs even while she's biting me - ouch!
No bouncing!
Sandpaper tongue
Sweet sharp kisses
Only crunchy food, please!
Velvet fur and tuna breath, Yum

There is a little shisha mirror, and she's wearing a collar tag that says "Be good".

I'm so glad I made this, back in the days when Mariah was young and lively. Thank you, Susan, for the wonderful class and this little memento that I probably never would have made otherwise.

If Mariah (and her Uncle Buddy and Aunt Peaches) aren't allowed into Heaven, then I'm not going either!

Printers and Another Rant

2011-05-18T18:57:00.001-05:00

I came so close to buying the absolute wrong printer for my needs today. (Cue violins)

Wait, let me back up. My trusty (Hah!) HP Photosmart Plus printer died an unnatural death earlier this week, just months after the 1-year warranty expired. I had a hard time forcing myself to do all the research all over again, to find the best printer (for a decent price) on the market for printing on fabric.

I really wanted to try one of the new Kodak printers, and sent out cries for help on the internet for those who might have used it for printing on fabric ... to no avail. To be honest, I didn't try really too hard, just hoped someone might have already made all the mistakes before I did.

"Luckily", I ran into the Kodak sales rep at an Office Max, and he was such a terrific salesman that I very nearly bought the thing on the spot. However, I had promised myself that I would do my "due diligence" and try out everything possible first.

Snake oil salesman

But, oh boy, it sounded so great ... cheaper (pigment-based) ink cartridges, interchangeable among all Kodak printers, cool new features, it was even cute, and had a relatively small footprint. And Kodak is famous for printing PICTURES! Plus, they were going to give me a cool little $99 video camera as a bonus, THIS WEEK ONLY! How could I go wrong? OHHH, I wanted that little baby! (The very smart salesman "didn't know" how it would work on fabric, "but it must be good, because we're famous for printing pictures!")

Kodak 3250

Then, on top of that, the salesman slipped me an ad for a $50 credit at Best Buy this week, if I traded in any other old printer, broken or not, for any Kodak printer. Hot Diggity! Combined with a $25 gift certificate generously donated by my brother, this little dude would only cost me about $25!

But still, determined to do my research ... I came home and looked for customer reviews ... which were mostly bad. Among other issues, "fantastic prints on photo paper, crappy prints on plain paper". This did not bode well for printing on fabric.

So today, armed with my stack of beloved-but-costly Printed Treasures and Jacquard Silk Sheets, I trekked down to the nearest Best Buy and tried out a lot of pigment-based-ink printers, including the Kodak.

On both floor models of the Kodak (operated by the Best Buy techie), the sheets jammed without exception, and what partial images I could make out were absolutely awful. The Kodak printer prints beautifully on photo paper, but not even marginally well on fabric.

Oh, and I discovered that although yes, the Kodak ink cartridges are less expensive that Epson's and HP's ... they are also much smaller and contain less ink. So any perceived savings is probably just that ... perceived. It's one of those things that's hard to quantify, especially since ALL the manufacturers are so cagey, not to say secretive, about revealing exactly how much ink their cartridges contain.

I finally ended up with another HP Photosmart Plus, since it even uses the same inks as my dearly departed printer.

HP Photosmart Plus

And as long as I'm sort of ranting about manufacturers and big-box stores, not a single printer had a brochure available for the customer. They "must be all out of them." And I had to practically demand that the techie-kid break open some new ink cartridges so that I could test the HP printers. Not a single one of the "demo" printers had enough ink in them to print a single picture. When I asked "what is the customer supposed to do, just buy it on faith?", the kid just shrugged. I had to threaten to go to a manager before he would take the trouble to ask for permission to do it. (Evidently, the marketing reps for each manufacturer are supposed to come by occasionally and replenish the inks in their printers. The kid said that the HP guy hadn't been there this week, so I was just out of luck.) As the kid was opening all those little ink cartridge boxes, he even took the trouble to admonish me that these inks were "very expensive", and that the store would have to swallow the cost. I just stared at him, open-mouthed. I couldn't even think of a snappy comeback.

Techie-Kid

I'm just getting really, really tired of having to demand simple customer service. The kid who "helped" me was more interested in playing on his iPhone than he was in assisting me. Not to mention, I had to track him down and drag him away from his computer in the first place. I swear to goodness, I'm nice most of the time! Why do these people seem to be on a mission to force me to be a crabby old lady?

To quote Paul Lynde in a Bye Bye Birdie song, "What's the matter with kids today?" Modified to add, "What's the matter with Business today?"

AAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!

R.I.P. Mariah

2011-05-11T07:12:00.001-05:00

My beautiful, loving little cat Mariah, 14 years old, had to be put to sleep this past weekend. Her brother/best friend is still roaming the house calling for her, both of us broken-hearted.

Mariah loved boxes.

Mariah and her brother, sunning on their bench.

Funny haiku

2011-04-26T09:45:00.000-05:00

I'm sooo tempted by this merchandise, especially with this haiku by The Selfish Seamstress:

Sew something for you?
It's not that I don't have time,
I just don't want to.

On Color

2011-04-25T08:11:00.002-05:00

No, not an academic treatise on color, just a little haiku that popped into my head this morning.

Yellow, green, blue, red

Quinacridone Burnt Orange?

Colors on my mind.

Poetry Month

2011-04-22T22:26:00.000-05:00

Oh, where have I been for the first two-thirds of this month? I just now realized that it is Poetry Month, and I don't have a thing to ~~wear~~ write!

Hmmm ... well, at least a little haiku for fiber artists ...

Nodding at my desk.

Fiber art comes easily,

Poetry is hard.

The Space Between - Interview

2011-04-22T21:32:00.001-05:00

I was so thrilled to be juried into the invitational exhibit "The Space Between", co-curated by Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal. And today was my "day in the sun", when I was the featured artist on their Dinner at Eight Artists blog. Please take a look, then be sure to read about the other artists too ... we are all just fascinating! ;^)

Sharon's winning quilts

2011-04-10T09:33:00.001-05:00

My friend Sharon Dixon is a ribbon winner AGAIN ...

1st place

2nd place

Well deserved, Sharon ... gorgeous quilts!

Maggie, Oh Maggie

2011-04-10T08:25:00.000-05:00

My friend Maggie Winfield just sent me a couple of pictures that I just have to share. She's dyed her hair a ... sort of ... magenta?

Of course, she looks adorable as always, and even shared some pictures of a couple of her latest creations.

Check out the cute little top she made from a recycled dress she got from Goodwill. I love the little "fascinator" hat ... and don't forget the shoes ... Lordy, how could we forget the shoes?

And she's been drawing & stitching faces lately ... here's one she's put on the back of a jacket.

I love to trail around with Maggie when she's out on the town. Admiring glances follow her everywhere, and I get to bask in the reflected glow. She's giggly and fun too, as you might guess, and you're never bored when you're around Maggie!

The Space Between

2011-04-07T18:02:00.004-05:00

I was thrilled to learn this past weekend that my 36x48" art quilt, "The Antechamber" had been juried into the Dinner at Eight Artists' new exhibit, The Space Between. Here's a little sneak preview, just to whet your appetite.

The Antechamber (detail)

The curators, Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison, invited a number of fiber artists to submit their work for the exhibit. It will first be viewed at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago, sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers, followed by the IQF in Houston, once a sponsor is found.

My entry for last year, "The Key", is still traveling with their Beneath the Surface exhibit. It started out in Chicago and Houston, sponsored by Mistyfuse, and will next be seen at the IQF in Cincinnati.

The Key

If you have a few minutes, give yourself a little mini-break and go to the Dinner at Eight Artists blog to read some of the Artist's Profiles that are starting to be posted for this year's exhibit. Today's profile is by Judy Coates Perez, yesterday's was by Susan Brubaker Knapp, and the first one was by ... drumroll, please ... Yvonne Porcella. These are all fascinating artists, and I'm inspired by each of them. Go ahead, indulge yourself, for just a few minutes! You'll be glad you did.

Rant Success: (Or at least a step in the right direction)

2011-04-05T08:59:00.002-05:00

After having written a scathing letter (see my original Rant here) to David Green, owner and CEO of Hobby Lobby, I received an emailed response from a regional manager. My two major issues were lack of management visibility/accessibility, and the insulting practice of confiscating backpacks at the front of the store before allowing the customer in to shop.

(Sorry, the above-pictured backpack is no longer available.)

Although I failed in my attempt to reach Mr. Green personally, I will say that my complaints were readily received, and I've recently received another letter from the regional manager, assuring me that both issues have been addressed at a regional meeting:

"We had a yearend meeting with San Antonio mgrs Friday laying out the great customer service guidelines we expect. At all times every hobby lobby has a member of mgt and should of been available upon request. Proper scheduling was discussed to make sure we have employees available for our customers.
We appreciate you letting us know about the backpack issue and the store has been directed not to be asking anyone to leave backpacks at front."

It's kind of nice to know that sometimes you can make a bit of a difference, just by speaking up. I'm feeling rather proud of myself this morning.

Is this kid ready to pick yet?

2011-04-04T19:13:00.000-05:00

My sister just found an old Polaroid picture of her son that our Dad had altered, years ago. I knew he was artistic, but he was doing mixed-media collage before I ever heard of it. He had taken a cut-out photo of the kid, glued it onto a picture of his garden, and tied him on a bean pole with a piece of twine! Just had to share this ...

What do you think? Is he ripe for pickin'?

Some photoshopped fun

2011-03-30T23:24:00.002-05:00

Just for fun ... hours and HOURS of fun ... some old black-and-white photos I have prettified with some "hand-tinting" techniques in Photoshop Elements. These are some pictures from my parents' stash ... I don't think they are family; probably children of friends, back in the '40's and '50's.

Original photograph, ca 1940's.
I could have removed the crinkled fold-marks,
but decided that I like them in this case.

Colorized in Photoshop Elements -- "hand-tinted" look.

with my "crinkled paper" texture added.

Original photo, probably from the 1940's.

"Hand-tinted" look, via Photoshop Elements.

with "Golden" texture (by Kim Klassen) added.

New Grace machine quilting frame

2011-03-30T22:07:00.001-05:00

Many of you know that when I moved from Houston to San Antonio last year I had to sell my beloved "Piglet", the A1 longarm quilting machine. I really thought I'd "get over it" after a while, but I found myself missing the longarming experience more and more.

After months and months of researching on-line (and not wanting to wait until the next Houston Quilt Festival to try some mid-arm arrangements) I finally took the plunge and bought the Grace Start-Right frame, to use with my Juki TL-98E sewing machine, which has a 9" harp (or "throat", as it's sometimes called).

Not only was I concerned about which frame was the best for me, but also which dealer to buy from. After much sturm und drang, I finally settled on Kathy Quilts, on-line. There are no local dealers for the Grace frame in San Antonio, and this one seemed to have the best service.

back view of Juki on Grace frame.

I called and spoke to Lynn, co-owner of Kathy Quilts, and he answered all my questions to my satisfaction, so I placed the order through their on-line ordering page. In very short order, stuff started arriving on my doorstep!

Sharon to the rescue!

Now, who among us can boast the kind of friend who will travel 3 hours from Houston to San Antonio, just to help you set up your new quilting frame? Me, that's who! My dear friend Sharon Dixon made the drive last week, and we spent a whole hilarious day setting up the frame. Of course, then we had to reward ourselves with Mexican food and wine that night, and a whole day of just goofing off the next.

How about a little review of the Grace Start-Right frame? First of all, I purchased the 5' long frame ("crib size"), because I really don't quilt bed quilts anymore (I have my buddy Sharon to do that for me!), plus I don't have the space for the queen-sized frame, which is the only other size the Start-Right frame comes in.

I wanted this model over the other Grace machine quilting frames, because it is steel instead of wood or aluminum. It also came with a Power/Speed Control, which works quite well with my Juki.

Tongue firmly clamped between teeth, I started quilting.

A couple of things ... some of the table parts arrived bent, and so were hard to put together with the supplied nuts and bolts. It's kind of amazing to me how this can have happened, because the steel is impossible to bend with bare hands and a hammer. Nevertheless, with some elbow grease and some ingenuity, we finally got it done.

The back "table" part of the setup is evidently being manufactured in a different place than their original, so it was actually defective in some aspects. Nevertheless, once again we were able to overcome these little obstacles and get everything together and working properly.

The only other drawback ... actually the major one ... is that the Power/Speed Control does not have a "needle up/down" capability, which I consider to be of supreme importance when longarming. (I keep using that phrase ... longarming ... because this is essentially a "short" longarm setup. The machine head moves over the quilt sandwich, instead of moving the quilt underneath a stationary machine head.)

Now for the good points. This thing is made like a tank, and is not going anywhere! Once it is set up, it's still light-weight enough to shift around a bit if I want to, but it is extremely stable, with no bounce. Each foot has a leveler on it which is very easy to use with a small hand-held wrench. My machine is perfectly balanced on the frame, which I never seemed able to quite achieve with my longarm!

And the movement of the machine on the frame is truly incredible. It is as smooth and floaty over the quilt top as my A1 ever was ... and that's saying a lot. The wheels are set up differently on the tracks, which seems to make a big difference ... take a look at the website if you're curious.

All set up and actually quilting (well, "scribbling" is more like it.)
(Note: I ultimately moved the Power/Speed Control to the right handle.)

I did not want or need the "extras", such as the Sure Stitch Regulator, Quilt CAD program, or laser lights for following pantographs, so I basically got the "bare bones" unit, saving quite a bit of money in the process.

And here's the BEST part of all: my dealer, Kathy Quilts, was extremely responsive to all my questions and concerns (even my complaints) AFTER the sale, as well as before. These days, that seems to be almost unheard of. Lynn was especially concerned about the issues I had with the back half of the table being properly fitted. He forwarded my detailed letter directly to the Grace Company, so hopefully they will be making corrections right away.

If you decide the Grace frame (of any size) is for you, I can't recommend Kathy Quilts highly enough. Their main goal and focus seems to be customer service, and that goes a long way with me. Check out their videos on their website and on YouTube. (WARNING! Turn your volume way down before starting the videos, then you can turn it back up ... there seems to be a big discrepancy in volume from the intro to the body of the video.)

This is a commercial picture of the Grace Start-Right frame,
lifted directly from the Kathy Quilts website.

And ... holy cow! ... I just looked at their list of 6 videos on YouTube, and see that Lynn wasn't kidding when he said he would make a new video of how to install the lamp on the frame. I had asked him about it, and he said he would go ahead and get one going. (This was just a few days ago!) Looking at their videos made a huge difference to Sharon and me in getting set up.

I'm looking forward to quilting more, now that I have my "longarming" experience back in my grasp. (I don't do big, looping designs anyway ... all my freehand quilting tends to be tiny and detailed, so this is perfect for me. Plus, I have the option of upgrading my machine to a deeper harp, one of these days!)

An old-fashioned Proposal

2011-03-18T21:03:00.003-05:00

In going through more of the photographs and paperwork from my Mom & Dad's house (they've moved into a lovely new retirement community, but had to downsize considerably), I made this beautiful discovery today. It's the letter written by my grandfather to his prospective mother-in-law in 1917, asking for my grandmother's hand in marriage.

I was so touched by the old-fashioned sensibility of asking for a daughter's hand in marriage ... but upon closer inspection, it is clear that he is stating their intention to be married ... that same month ... and is basically just going through the formality of asking for her mother's consent. His sentiments are obviously sincere and sweet, though, and I feel so lucky to have found this treasure. I don't even think my mother remembered having it; at least I never heard her mention it, and I know I had never seen it before.

I even love the discolored and deteriorated condition of the pages! Thank goodness for scanners and Photoshop, which allow us to preserve such ephemera even as they are slowly disintegrating. I would urge anyone who has such treasures in their own family to do it now ... preserve copies in whatever way you can ... these precious memories won't last forever.

Gyotaku fish printing

2011-03-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

While at a FiberVoices meeting last week, my friend Susan gave us a little impromptu workshop on Gyotaku fish printing. Here is the result of my first (and, so far, only) fish print. He's not perfect (he seems to have a double-chin), but I love him anyway. Thank you, Susan!

Gyotaku fish print, enhanced with hand-painting.

No, we didn't use real fish! You can buy rubber fish (cast from real fish) and other critters from Dick Blick Art Supply, as well as other places, I'm sure.

P-shoppin' with Cindy

2011-03-13T14:35:00.001-05:00

... Photoshoppin', that is. Cynthia (Cindy) Powell, of Digital Montage Studio, offers not only live-on-line workshops, but also downloadable versions of her earlier workshops. Just yesterday I purchased her Workshop #4, and played with it most of the afternoon.

Here's the first piece I've created from this workshop, which includes stamping, painting, and many, many layers in Photoshop:

This involves a "stamp" made from a public-domain Erte drawing, with
a VanGogh background, imported images, and specialty brushes.

I had so much fun with this, and can't wait to get "back to the drawing board" for some more.

Rant: Is a Bone Folder really worth all of this?

2011-03-09T16:04:00.000-06:00

OK, we all know what a bone folder looks like, right? A very common little tool for creasing or folding paper ... used by bookbinders, scrap-bookers, and many other paper artists.

All I wanted was a little old bone folder. So, I stopped by my local Hobby Lobby, thinking I would just run in, grab one quickly, pay for it, and run back out. HAH! I should have known better ... Hobby Lobby is not known for having the best (or in fact, any) customer service.

First of all, of course, there was no bone folder to be found in either the art or the craft section. After looking and looking, then vainly searching for an employee ... any employee ... on the entire sales floor of this giant store ... I finally trudged up to the front of the store near the cash registers.

There, lounging around the area, were six ... count 'em, SIX ... Hobby Lobby employees, with nary a customer to be seen in the area, laughing and talking and having a wonderful time. I actually had to interrupt them in order to ask for assistance. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Excuse me, do any of you know where the bone folders would be?

Them: (Blank looks. Confused silence.)

Me: You know, a bone folder, used for bookbinding, paper folding ... etc. etc. etc.

One of Them, who was later discovered to be the Front-of-Store Manager: Ohhhh, that flat thing that people use for flattening paper?

Me: Yes, that's the one.

Front Manager: Well, I don't know if we have any.

Me (After a Long Meaningful Pause): Well, can you find out if you have any?

FM: She (pointing) will go with you and show you where they are.

She: I don't know where they are.

FM: Yes you do. They're probably with that scrap-booking stuff.

She: OK, I'll look, but I'm not guaranteeing I can find it.

Me: (sighing and following She, with little hope.)

Well, as you can probably guess, there was no bone folder to be found. Upon returning to the cashier's station with the rest of my purchases (yes, I have no will power when it comes to art supplies), I began asking where the Store Manager was.

Front Manager: I don't know, I don't think he's here.

Me: When will he be here?

FM: I don't know, they usually don't come in until the afternoon.

Me: What is his name?

FM (looking shifty-eyed): I don't know, they keep changing all the time.

Me: Can you tell me why you have 6 employees up here at the front ... with no customers to be waited on ... and none in the rest of the store to assist customers?

FM (smiling nastily): I don't know, I'm only the front-of-store manager. Why didn't you just come up to the front here and I could have sent someone back to help you?

Me (incredulously): Are you kidding me?

Now, I fully recognize that this little Front-of-Store Manager didn't have any real authority, and that she was just following the rules set down by Upper Management. Nevertheless, I was trying to get her to understand that I would like my complaints passed up to the next level. She chose to take the offensive tack, however, by blaming me for not trekking up to the front in order to track down an employee for assistance all the way on the other side of the store.

About this time, one of the Very Valuable Up-Front Employees (the one who stands slack-jawed at the front door to "greet" customers) chose this moment to roll her eyes expressively to one of her co-workers. Unfortunately, I caught her doing it, and promptly called her on it to the Manager ... who looked me straight in the eye and said, "she wan't doing it about you, she was doing it about someone else." Yeah. Right.

As our conversation was getting louder and louder (the woman was actually arguing with me), an older gentleman walked up behind me and asked for the return of his backpack. When the woman very condescendingly assured him that it was "tucked away, safe and sound", he asked, very politely, why he even needed to surrender it when he came into the store. When she explained that it was to prevent shoplifting, he (again, very politely) asked if his backpack was any bigger than his wife's shoulder purse.

At this point, I was already so mad that I told the manager and everybody else within a half-block's hearing distance that it was an INSULT to their customers to automatically assume that they were thieves, depending on the type and size bag they bring into the store.

Whereupon, the gentleman and I grandly (and I'm sure, hilariously) stomped out of the store together, swearing never to return.

I'll seriously not be going back to Hobby Lobby ... I'll happily drive a little further and give my business to Michael's.

I'm also writing a letter to CEO David Green ... it all comes from the top down, of course, and this Ostentatiously Christian Business has decided it's OK to blatantly insult its customers by assuming that they are shoplifters.

Not to mention never having enough (or any) employees on the sales floor to assist customers. Ever.

Can you tell I'm royally P.O.'d?

OK, I'm going to go bind my quilt now. Maybe sitting nice and quiet in my Big Comfy Chair and hand-stitching the binding will lower my blood pressure. Wish me luck.

Crown Royal, anyone?

2011-03-07T12:03:00.000-06:00

My friend Sharon Dixon, of Katy T-Shirt Quilts, has done what I had always thought was impossible ... she actually made a beautiful Crown Royal quilt!

Crown Royal Quilt, double-bed size

People have been trying to make quilts from the pretty little Crown Royal liquor bags for many years, and I had never seen one that was very nice. For one thing, the bags are not manufactured with the intent that they be used as anything other than marketing tools to sell the liquor, and therefore are not what we would call "quilt-shop quality" fabric. For another, people who have tried to make quilts from them generally just try to sew them all together to make a quilt top ... not usually a pretty sight.

Sharon, however, has used her quilt-making skills to actually create a lovely quilt top that happens to incorporate the Crown Royal bags without overwhelming the design of the quilt. She first purchases two different fabrics to match or harmonize with the bags, then stabilizes the bag fabric before piecing them into her quilt-top design. She quilts with an overall design on her longarm quilting machine, and hand-binds the quilt for a beautiful finish.

detail of Crown Royal quilt

What do you think? Isn't this the prettiest Crown Royal quilt you can imagine? She made this first one to order, and will also make custom sizes if you visit her Etsy shop. I just had to brag on her here, as I think this one is very unique. Now I wish I'd saved all my Grandpa's old Crown Royal bags!

Photoshoppin'

2011-02-26T18:52:00.000-06:00

I've been taking another on-line class with Cynthia (Cindy) Powell, and learned so much from it. Here are a couple of images that I played with, to create some Photoshopped collages:

"I Remember Mama"
This was for playing with Layers and drop-shadows.

"Musical Baby"
This was a quickie, done just for learning a different method of creating a shadow.

"Mystery Girl"
This was my most complex collage in the class, made up of
two different faces, changing colors, adding layers and brushes, and
creating a complex background. It's my favorite, of course!

If you think you might be interested, check it out. (No affiliation, just a happy student.) Called "Collaged Illusions", it is supposed to be for beginners, but even having been self-taught in Photoshop Elements and used it for years, I couldn't believe how much I learned from it.

Now I can't wait to find time to play with what I've learned so far!

A Valentine

2011-02-20T09:27:00.000-06:00

Look what I received from Maggie Hunt ... an adorable collaged Valentine that I won in her blog giveaway. Thank you, Maggie, I love it!

ONE page from the ONE fundraiser

2011-02-16T08:29:00.000-06:00

Just to give you a little taste, I've selected some of my favorites (in no particular order) from the ONE Cause, ONE Wednesday, ONE Hundred Collages fundraiser.

Be sure to be there with your finger on the SEND key, at 10:00 a.m. CST -- that's THIS morning ... to place your bid to win one of the 100 collages by one of these artists. (Bidding instructions are on Virginia Spiegel's ONE page, via the link above.) Remember ... 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE, as your donation will go directly to the American Cancer Society.

Here's what you've been waiting for ... your TEASER for some of the collages that will be available. Bid quick, or you may miss your favorite!

Bluebird - Judy Coates Perez

Escarabajo 2 - Jane Davila

Brazen - Lyric Kinard

Cottonwood Leaves 1 - Cynthia St. Charles

Peace - Karen Stiehl Osborn

Movin' On 2 - Wen Redmond

Passage - Laura Cater-Woods

Picasso Revisited - Pamela Allen

Remembering You - Jane Dunnewold

St. Pete Lace 8 - Natalya Aikins

Renewal 1 - Jeanelle McCall

Sentry III - Laura Beehler

Silence - Leslie Tucker Jenison

Still Waters 5 - BJ Parady

Traveling Companions - Linda Teddlie Minton

Sweet Tea House - Jamie Fingal

Three Birds - Gloria Hansen

Float Down - Virginia Spiegel

To Be a Fly on the Wall - Pokey Bolton

Yellow Circles 2 - Liz Berg

Written in Stone 10 - Jette Clover

Ice Cube Dyeing

2011-02-14T16:36:00.000-06:00

Carol Tackett, of the QuiltArt list, has been experimenting with something new ... ice cube dyeing. Here are some of her results, along with her comments:

These are the results of ICE CUBE dyeing. I used ice cube trays and froze the dyes that were very concentrated with urea.

I put a wet soda soaked piece of fabric on a dye table, placed the ice cubes randomly around on top of the fabric, then place another piece of wet soda soak fabric over the top.

I used a hammer to break the cubes up just slightly, covered with plastic and allowed to sit and "batch". It was quite cold outside, in the high 40's and the table is in the shade. I left it all day. These are the results.

The heavier dyed side is the bottom piece of fabric and the lighter piece with more white areas was the top fabric.

I need to do more experimenting but this is the first attempt.

Thanks, Carol, for sharing these results with us ... verrrrry interrrresting!

All 5 fiber/mixed-media collages

2011-02-14T08:17:00.000-06:00

I thought it might be helpful to show, in one place, all 5 of my fiber / mixed-media collages that will be included in Virginia Spiegel's ONE fundraiser for the American Cancer Society (ONE Cause, ONE Wednesday, ONE Hundred Collages).

Traveling Companions

Heat Source

In Search Of

The Reach

The Wanderer

Please go to Virginia's blog posting for "Tips and Techniques" on bidding for your favorite artwork. And remember that the opening bid amounts are only minimums ... since this is a 100% tax-deductible fundraiser, higher amounts are certainly accepted and encouraged. Here's a brief summary of how it will work:

On Wednesday, February 16, ONE Hundred Collages will be offered with a minimum donation for each collage of:

$160 for two hours (10 a.m. – Noon CST)
$80 for two hours (Noon – 2:00 p.m. CST)
$40 for two hours (2:00 – 4:00 p.m. CST)

Have fun!

Heat Source

2011-02-09T09:57:00.000-06:00

We're getting close! Virginia Spiegel's ONE fundraiser for the American Cancer Society (ONE Cause, ONE Wednesday, ONE Hundred Collages) is happening next week!

Here is my fifth piece going up for grabs on Wednesday, February 16 ...

Heat Source

Heat Source, and the other four pieces (seen in earlier posts) are a part of my Journey Series, exploring new ideas, techniques, and personal philosophies. Although these 5 pieces were created in a concentrated frenzy of creativity, I am also continuing the series in different formats. There is much left to explore!

All 5 pieces are mounted on 8"x10" 140-lb. watercolor paper, titled and signed, and ready for framing if desired.

I think we have all been touched by cancer in our selves, our families, or our friends, and Virginia has done a tremendous job in raising so much for research and treatment through the ACS. I don't donate money to many causes, and can't afford to donate my artwork at all ... except through Virginia and her efforts. In recent years, Karen Stiehl Osborn has also been working tirelessly with her for the Cause.

I want to thank both Virginia and Karen, from the bottom of my heart. Through them, I've not only been able to make a meaningful contribution to a cause near and dear to my heart, but have also been able to start and nourish a small collection of artwork by my favorite fiber artists.

To quote from Virginia's own website for the ONE Fundraiser:

One Hundred Collages – Created for this event by an all-star team of artists: Natalya Aikens, Pamela Allen, Laura Ann Beehler, Liz Berg, Pokey Bolton, Laura Cater-Woods, Jette Clover, Jane Davila, Jane Dunnewold, Jamie Fingal, Gloria Hansen, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Lyric Kinard, Jeanelle McCall, Linda Teddlie Minton, Karen Stiehl Osborn, BJ Parady, Judy Perez, Wen Redmond, Cynthia St. Charles, Virginia A. Spiegel.

Please join us for an exciting event of art viewing and collecting, on Wednesday, February 16. Don't miss it!

Sharon Dixon, Guest Quilter

2011-02-04T18:28:00.001-06:00

Sharon's on the right, and that's me on the left ... 2009.
(We simply must take a more recent shot.)
Thanks, Cathy, for sending me this picture!

My very dear friend Sharon Dixon has agreed to appear as my Guest Quilter today. She is a wonderful machine quilter, with a business in longarm quilting for quilt-top makers, as well as creating one-of-a-kind t-shirt quilts for her customers, called Katy T-Shirt Quilts . She uses a special soft interfacing so that her t-shirt quilts come out nice and soft ... "real" quilts, not stiff and icky like some I've seen. She has also now opened a new Etsy store to sell her own pieced quilts. She has many customers from across the world.

Sharon's funky new layout design for t-shirt quilts

Interview with Sharon Dixon:

Sharon, how did you get involved in quilting, and how long have you been quilting as a business?

I can thank my mother for my quilting career. She taught me a love of fabric and quilting at a young age. After making my first quilt at age nine, I pieced and hand-quilted several quilts through the years. Then when I discovered rotary cutters and rulers around 1989, I became a prolific piecer. Since there was no time to get the quilts hand-quilted, I had to explore other options. My husband Tommy sold a tractor he refurbished and gave me the money to buy my first quilting machine. By 1996, I was quilting for others. I hadn't really planned to start a business. It just evolved from a part-time hobby to a full-time business.

The simplest t-shirt layout.

Do you still piece quilts? How do you manage your time in order to be both creative and a successful businesswoman?

I'm usually so busy piecing T-shirt quilts or other special order quilts for customers that I don't find much time to piece or quilt my own. But I try to sneak in one of my own every so often. Time management is my biggest challenge. It's so easy when one is self-employed at home to get distracted and not use time wisely. But I try to work all morning and then take a two-hour break in the afternoon to rest and re-energize before working until about 8:00 or so at night. It helps a lot that I love what I do. And I have to admit that I don't follow a rigid schedule every day of the week. Having flexibility to spend time with my grandkids and quilting friends is important to me. I would be remiss if I didn't credit my husband Tommy with a great deal of my success because he does so much to help me which allows me time to concentrate on my quilting business..

A very cool pieced layout for t-shirts.

What awards/ribbons have you won, and what publications have you appeared in?

I've won several ribbons in the West Houston Quilter's Guild quilt shows, but the one I was most excited about was the Judge's Choice ribbon. I've been fortunate to have quilts that I quilted for Bonnie Blue Quilts appear in McCall's Quilting Magazine and on the cover of Quilt Mania, a French quilting magazine that is published in several languages. Cynthia Regone's book Colorful Quilts, A Journey Through Fabric featured several quilts that I quilted for her. And four quilts that I quilted were published in Simple Strategies for Block Swap Quilts by Lynn Roddy Brown. I have been told that Lynn is releasing another book in August that will have my quilting in it, and another Bonnie Blue quilt will be appearing in a magazine this spring.

A t-shirt quilt made for the AWTY International School auction.

What advice do you have for customers who have never taken their quilt-tops to a longarm quilter to be finished?

The most important advice would be to find a reputable longarm quilter. One does not instantly become a professional machine quilter when she purchases her first quilting machine. It takes practice to develop longarm skills as well as customer service skills.

Texas Aggie t-shirt quilt

What would you do with a year free to do what you wanted with no responsibilities or financial concerns?

I would spend more time with my grandkids and maybe take each of them on a special trip. I would also do some traveling with my husband and quilting friends. But most of the year would probably be spent piecing and quilting my own quilts!

One of Sharon's own pieced quilts ... gorgeous!

Thank you, Sharon, for being my guest today ...

Detail of the quilt shown above.

Please visit both Sharon's Etsy Store and her Katy T-Shirt Quilts website, for contact information and to find out about having your own t-shirt quilt made. I sleep under one of mine every night, and have others as lap quilts and guest quilts. The best use of old-and-treasured t-shirts EVAH!

In Search Of

2011-01-25T08:15:00.000-06:00

Here's the 4th from my "Journey" series, which will be available during the one-day ONE (One Cause, One Wednesday, One Hundred Collages) fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, created and sponsored by Virginia Spiegel. I wish you could see the textural quality of these five mixed-media collages, I'm afraid my photos don't do them justice. Each one comes to you signed and mounted on 8x10" heavy-quality watercolor paper, ready for framing if desired.

In Search Of

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 16 ...

the ONE day you can ~~grab~~ collect your favorite collages

by your favorite fiber artists!

(I think you will be able to take a preview peek

on Tuesday the 15th.)

Digital Montage Studio

2011-01-23T09:55:00.002-06:00

I've signed up for another short Photoshop workshop with Cynthia Powell, called "Collaged Illusions". Even though it's for beginners and I've been using Photoshop Elements for several years, I find that I always learn something invaluable in Cindy's workshops, and they are always lots of fun.

Having been self-taught in Photoshop, I often find that I have leaped ahead into some more advanced techniques, while having bypassed some of the basics. It's such a relief to find easier, faster ways to do some of the things that I've been unnecessarily struggling with.

The link to her Studio is here, and in my sidebar. It starts Feb. 15 ... come join me! (No affiliation, just a happy student.)

The Wanderer

2011-01-17T11:34:00.001-06:00

Another in my series of five mixed media fiber-art collages for Virginia Spiegel's ONE (One Cause, One Wednesday, One Hundred Collages) fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. All 5 of these fiber-art collages are very textural, consisting of stitched canvas, rusted silk, paints and inks.

The Wanderer

Don't forget to mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 16 ...

the ONE day to collect your favorite collages by your favorite fiber artists,

and contribute to a most worthy cause at the same time!

The Reach

2011-01-10T08:37:00.002-06:00

Here's the second in my series of five mixed media fiber-art collages I'm donating to Virginia Spiegel's ONE (One Cause, One Wednesday, One Hundred Collages) fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. I will be posting an image of another one each week leading up to the event..

The Reach

This event takes place ONE day only: Wednesday, February 16th!

Please mark your calendars and join us for the excitement.

100% of the funds raised will be donated to the ACS.

ONE Fundraiser ... I'm the featured artist today.

2011-01-09T10:22:00.001-06:00

Virginia Spiegel, famous for her very successful Fiberart For A Cause fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society, has featured me today on her blog. I like the fact that she has titled my feature, "A Fearless Journey".

Here is the article, as taken directly from Virginia's blog. Thank you, Virginia! Another image of each of the 4 remaining collages will be featured each week on my blog, until the ONE day, Wednesday, February 16, 2011.

Linda Teddlie Minton: A Fearless Journey

Linda Teddlie Minton is known throughout internet-land for her compassion, kindness, and upbeat attitude. If you share some good news, you can bet that Linda will send you a little note of congratulations and encouragement. In her art, Linda is fearless is trying new materials and techniques. She is always going forward, but always keeping to her aesthetic of texture and earthy colors. Linda’s blog reflects her wide-ranging artistic interests and her extensive networking with other artists.

1. Why are you participating in the ONE fundraiser for the American Cancer Society?

I’ve been inspired by Virginia’s fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society from the beginning, and have gained a great deal of personal satisfaction in participating over the years. My husband, Jim, died of colon cancer in 1999, and this is my way of honoring his inner strength, deep humanity, humor, and determination.

In Search Of by Linda Teddlie Minton. This artwork will be available during the ONE fundraiser on February 16.

2. Tell us about your collages for ONE.I’d been wanting to expand my exploration of the theme, Journey, and this was the perfect opportunity. I love mixed media, and yet had not been taking the time to delve into it in a meaningful way until now. These five Journey collages incorporate many techniques and materials that I have picked up over the years, such as using stitched canvas as a base, and being fearless in working with unusual materials such as black gesso, tea bags, coffee grounds, hand-painted and rusted papers and silks, plus various types of paints, inks, and powders.

The title of each Journey collage reflects a portion of my own life’s journey … The Reach, Heat Source, Traveling Companions, The Wanderer, and In Search Of. I hope that they will inspire others in their own Journeys, artistic or otherwise.

Digital work-in-progress by Linda Teddlie Minton

3. What are you working on in the studio now?My Houston-based fiber arts group, FiberVoices, has several challenges and group projects going forward this year, and I am concentrating on them at the moment. Then I also have two more early-2011 deadlines to be met … one of which I haven’t even started yet! (Deadlines are my friends … without them I don’t know if I’d ever get anything finished!)

My current passion is for digital collage and manipulation, using Photoshop Elements. I often use my resulting digital artwork as the basis for my fiber art. It’s an exciting Journey for me, and one which I intend to pursue further.

4. Do you collect art? If so, how do you know a piece is right for your collection?When I have the financial means, I do collect art … passionately! I know when a piece speaks directly to my heart and have learned not to hesitate, if I can possibly afford it. The only way I can explain it is that “it grabs me”! Too many times, I’ve had to walk away from a work of art that I felt very connected to … only to still regret, years later, that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity when it existed.

5. What advice do you have for artists who are seeking their unique voice or direction in their own artwork?Although inspiration from other artists’ work is exciting, I’m only just now learning that I need to step back from the huge crush of information available to us about “how-to-do-it”, new products, and “innovative” techniques. I find that I sometimes am overwhelmed by conflicting advice and sales-motivated “new” techniques and products. I’m learning to somewhat close myself off from all the “noise” and concentrate on my own ideas for the work.

6. What would you do with a year free to do what you wanted with no responsibilities or financial concerns?I’d probably take a sabbatical into nature … no telephone, television or internet, and only taking a small amount of supplies and making do with what I had or could devise for using in my artwork. It would be so exciting for me to be totally alone and free to concentrate on nothing but art!

Patty-Cake Cats

2010-12-31T13:32:00.000-06:00

Best Voice-Over Cat Video EVER!

(be sure to listen carefully to the voice-over ... these guys were so clever!)

Traveling Companions

2010-12-30T20:22:00.002-06:00

From my "Journey" series, here is the first of 5 collages I'm donating to Virginia Spiegel's ONE (One Cause, One Wednesday, One Hundred Collages) fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. I'm very honored to have been invited to participate in this Fiberart for a Cause event.

Traveling Companions

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 16 ... the ONE day you can ~~grab~~ collect your favorite collages by your favorite fiber artists!

New Blog Title

2010-12-30T08:57:00.000-06:00

Don't be surprised when you see a new title here ... I've been thinking about changing it from FiberReflections to my own name for some time, and finally got around to it, after reading some of the pros and cons on the SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) list. The whole idea of a blog is for people to be able to find you, and even though I loved my FiberReflections name, I thought it was time to get a little more professional with it.

Stay tuned for some sneak peeks at some of my collage work for the One Cause fundraiser.

ONE Cause

2010-12-29T10:59:00.002-06:00

Deadlines ... what would we do without them? I just finished sending in images of my 5 fiber art collages for the One Cause, One Wednesday, One Hundred Collages fundraiser, created and organized by Virginia Spiegel and Karen Stiehl Osborn. This was an Invitational to 20 hand-picked artists, and the deadline is January 1. I was so relieved to get my collages finished, photographed, and entered, with even a few days to spare!

The goal is to raise $8,000 in one day to add to the $205,000 already donated to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 16, 2011 ... in fact, you should probably start checking it out a day early.

There will be a direct link from Virginia's page to all the collages at least one day prior to Wednesday, February 16 for a preview and all the details about how to acquire your favorite collage(s). Collages will be featured periodically on her blog and Facebook Fan Page prior to February 16.

Don't forget ... you can do some fabulous art-collecting, tax-free! All donations for artwork will be made directly to the American Cancer Society online through FFAC here on Wednesday, February 16 and donors will receive an immediate receipt from the ACS.

Be there, or be square, as we used to say ... most of us have had people in our lives who have been touched by cancer, and this is a tremendous way to honor a either survivor (even yourself!) or someone you love who has died from this disease. Plus ... ART!

"Under the Dome" by Stephen King - a review.

2010-12-23T21:48:00.000-06:00

Under the Dome by Stephen King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I just finished "Under the Dome" tonight. I'm struggling with what rating to give it ... between 3 and 4 stars, as I was quite disappointed that it did not move me like "The Stand" did.

A lot of Stephen King's writing has either gone downhill, or has just stagnated. I had quit reading him when he moved from innovative horror to gore-for-gore's-sake, but had high hopes for "Dome". It is much improved (i.e., less gory) over his work in the last few years, but still very dated-sounding in his supposedly "hip" references.

I guess all this can be considered nitpicking, since I must admit that I was tied to the book for the last third of it, wanting to find out WHAT or WHO created the Dome. I was slightly disappointed at the ending, but I got some enjoyable hours (and I do mean HOURS) of reading out of it.

Somewhat Recommended, IF you can commit yourself to a 1,072 pages (in paperback format), as well as trying to keep track of dozens and dozens of characters with similar-sounding names. Also, the denouement at the end was sort of wimpy and anticlimactic, in my opinion. After all that you go through to get to the end, you sort of want something more amazing or exciting than ... what it was (no spoilers here!)

View all my reviews

Guest Artist

2010-12-20T13:19:00.000-06:00

Peaceful Pond, by Carol Poplaski

Carol is a "former lurker" on the QuiltArt list, and I had told her I would post a picture of this artwork, as she didn't have a blog set up. Since then, she has set one up, at http://carolpoplaski.blogspot.com/. She describes the above piece: "the reed leaves are trapuntoed, the cattails are unique threads, the water lilies are folded origami and the border is beaded to give it a subtle shimmer in the light, like water gets". Thanks for sharing this, Carol!

Happy ... ???

2010-12-15T12:15:00.001-06:00

I always want to wish my friends a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, or Happy Hanukkah ... but how to do it all at once, or if you're not sure of what to wish? I found this phrase a couple of years ago, and appreciated its combination of genuine good wishes and humorous take on political correctness. So I created my own Holiday cards in Photoshop this year ...

Happy HanuKwanzaMas to All!