Textile Art & Fine Craft
It is not uncommon in artistic circles to use prompts to get creative juices flowing. Quilting bees issue monthly challenges to innovate familiar blocks. Writers share a verb and see what words appear on the page. Mica and Noah Scalin lead 30 day Creative Sprints on the internet and results are shared online by many … Continue reading A Blue Tangle
Custom work filled many summer days at the studio this year. Completed projects are now delivered. Before I completely shift into next season's work, my hands and mind are revisiting techniques and tools: a bit like a family reunion. Grandma Alice showed me how to tie quilts when I was a teenager. My fingers readily … Continue reading Joy of Making: Knots
One of my best creative companions is my husband Ned. He understands the studio schedule. He totes things here and there. He asks the piercing questions, such as "Is this the best use of your time?" His help and perspective keep art flowing from the studio. When Ned retired several years ago, he began art classes … Continue reading Who Encourages Whom
This composition is based on the petition from The Lord's Prayer, save us from the time of trial. As a child I was taught, save us from temptation. Having lived through a life altering trial, I prefer the more contemporary version. I selected the image for this week as Christians near the observance of Holy … Continue reading Temptation Or Trial
My fabric career spans decades, serving clients from Hawaii to Puerto Rico. I have worked on the dining table, in a spacious bedroom, down in the basement, and from the kitchen counter. Soon I will practice in a studio made just for me! Originally a two-part wooden door opened to the work bench / potting shed of … Continue reading Create A Space For Creating
I use different scissors for different tasks in the studio just as I use a variety of knives in the kitchen. Practice informs me which tool works best for a particular task. Experimentation increases the scope of usefulness for each tool I own. Recently, I have begun to regard my screen images as tools. This set … Continue reading Hone: Knowing And Maintaining A Tool
Three 12" square studies, part of my exploration of compostion within a square. Each of these pieces include the technique of a tulle overlay. The tulle assists with construction and creates a muted tone. The close ups show that the tulle is not always the final layer. The grid stitching in the first selection and the … Continue reading A Veiled Technique: Tulle Overlay
The conversion of garage to art studio began this week. I tiptoed upstairs to see the progress during lunch. The framing confirms that I like my plans; it assures me that the end results will work. The craftsmanship also informs me about my own work. I have been complimented over my years of custom sewing, … Continue reading Origins Of A Crisp Finish
I led my first dyeing workshop this month. 10 good women braved a cold night to gather in a pottery studio to put their hands and minds to dyeing silk scarves. After I demonstrated three fold and tie patterns, each participant received a scarf to manipulate and then color. Here are their results. I discovered … Continue reading 3 Patterns, 7 Colors, and 10 Women
Solo work does not need to be lonely. I gathered my staff of wee folk this week to reminisce over the past and to dream of the future. Then we made a to do list. The minions got right in to their tasks. The Barbies went shopping. The old gal and the Santa are working … Continue reading Staff Meeting