Why would needleworkers attend quilt shows
Debra
but if I had known there would be so much embroidery to see at a quilt
show I would have gone to one a long time ago.
I was surprised at how many quilts there were and the various levels
of expertise shown by them. There were baby quilts, pet quilts, wall
hangings, table runners, placemats, pillows, Christmas tree ornaments,
and various pieces of clothing. There were animals, pastoral scenes,
still lifes, and for lack of better words--Art.
There were quilts that were pieced, and appliqued, and embroidered in
various ways. One quilt had ribbon embroidery tree leaves, appliqued
people and animals, brass charms, buttons, beads, and feathers. It
was grand. Some had trapunto and other forms of raised work. Someone
had even made a sort of "copy" of part of a painting that was printed
on the inside leaf of a childrens Western book in applique. There was
a giant frog on a lily pad wall hanging, a crazy quilt vest with some
lovely stitching, a full size quilt with cross stitched lattice and
flowers covering the whole thing that must have taken ages to stitch.
I was so awed by the amount of work done on three double bed size
cross stitched quilts that I forgot to even look at the quilting
stitches. Same thing happened when I got near ones with lots of
surface embroidery.
There was a small (less than a meter square) French whitework piece
that was quilted without batting and the stitching lines were as
little as 1/8th an inch apart. It was exquisite. Unfortunately I
have forgotten the name of the technique.
There was one exceptional quilt that was about double bed size, it was
a vase of flowers on a black background. I saw it first up close and
thought it was very nice, great use of tone on tone black fabric for
the background and interesting raised work flowers. Later I saw it
from across the room and it took my breath away. I actually said "Oh
my God." and my mouth hung open. I must have said it louder than I
thought because a white haired lady with white gloves and a smile on
stepped towards me and said "That's the effect it was meant to have."
So folks, if you need a little inspiration for your needlework and
there is a quilt show nearby, go and see what is happening in the
quilting world. You will see a lot more than you would expect and you
will leave the show with a huge list of ideas for your own favorite
form of needlework.
Debra in VA
lula
quilting techniques to needlework and vice versa. Check out the threads
on Beyond "ordinary" Embroidery and Matilda Mallstomper where we're
havng a discussion on designing and the application of using
needlework, quilt and any other techniques to create needlework "art".
If you ever get a chance, visit a Quilt Market show, they have a
consumer show right after the trade show......this the biggest and best
known quilt conference & market in the USA showing the best prizewinners
of various quilt challenges.
The spring show moves from city to city but the fall show is always held
in Houston, TX.
---
Lula
http://www.woolydream.com
Needlework Adventures
JoyceG in WA
many other hobbies. When I go to our local quilt guild meetings, many of us
are doing some form of hand work, whether it's red/blue work, hand applique,
knitting, crochet, embroidery, penny rugs, rug hooking ---- you name it! I
think you will find that there are many of us out here that cross boundaries
between the many different handcrafts. I certainly see many of the same names
on the different newsgroups that I read!
-JoyceG in WA
Debra observed:
Dianne Lewandowski
Lots of embroidery, especially ribbon embroidery. Lots of applied trims
of all types. It's *very* big. A little too "much" for my personal
tastes, but have seen some that were stunners.
The French quilting is probably boutis. Gorgeous stuff, and I
understand quite easy to do.
Funny you should write about this because a retail friend went to a
trade show, and quite a few went to her booth and remarked, "Oh, we're
into quilting. We don't embroider." I thought that too funny.
Dianne
anne
> but if I had known there would be so much embroidery to see at a quilt
> show I would have gone to one a long time ago.
I love the way quilt patterns use so many colors and patterns.
I like browsing in a small, almost hole in the wall store that specializes in
fabric and other quilting supplies. If the shop owner ever gets her act
together and offers the "you can't sew but you can quilt" class, I'm going to
be first in line to enroll.
--
another Anne, add ingers to frugalf to reply
Janet M. Davies
Crazy Patchwork quilting that has been around forever. I think it is
the quilting people just thinking outside the square and bringing the
fabric to life that step further than just appliqué and piecing. It is
great to see. I always add beads and surface stitching to my quilting.
I like the textured look it gives. :)
Design a stitching good day,
Janet
http://www.jmddesigns.co.nz
http://www.masterstitch.co.uk
Get the JMD Newsletter:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jmdnewsletter/
Debra
wrote:
>Excellent post Debra......a few of us have noted this and adapting
>quilting techniques to needlework and vice versa. Check out the threads
>on Beyond "ordinary" Embroidery and Matilda Mallstomper where we're
>havng a discussion on designing and the application of using
>needlework, quilt and any other techniques to create needlework "art".
>
>If you ever get a chance, visit a Quilt Market show, they have a
>consumer show right after the trade show......this the biggest and best
>known quilt conference & market in the USA showing the best prizewinners
>of various quilt challenges.
>The spring show moves from city to city but the fall show is always held
>in Houston, TX.
>---
>Lula
>http://www.woolydream.com
>Needlework Adventures
I did read most of Beyond Ordinary but I never downloaded the Matilda
Mallstomper thread because it sounded so much like a "shop til you
drop" stitching pattern name and I dislike malls and shopping. I'm
downloading all headers so I can get to the ones I deleted.
Debra in VA
Marie Lewis
>
> There was a small (less than a meter square) French whitework piece
> that was quilted without batting and the stitching lines were as
> little as 1/8th an inch apart. It was exquisite. Unfortunately I
> have forgotten the name of the technique.
Boutis.
I do this and it is very slow but very easy to do.
It looks a million dollars.
Marie
Nadia Abbasi
This sounds very interesting to me - I did a search but all I came up
with was sites in French. Is there a resource in English that might
provide more detail? I have been looking at possibly taking up white
work. Is it similar to this?
Nadia
Debra
<dia...@heritageshoppe.com> wrote:
>Love these posts. Part of what you were seeing is called Crazy Patch.
>Lots of embroidery, especially ribbon embroidery. Lots of applied trims
>of all types. It's *very* big. A little too "much" for my personal
>tastes, but have seen some that were stunners.
I expect you would have found most of them to your liking as most only
had one type of embroidery added very tastefully purely for effect.
The few that went over the top were definitely scenes of the type that
in another time would have been woven or stitched into large
tapestries. The really cool one could be best described as a day in a
small town, complete with a small orchard, a farm with a few animals,
a stream with two boys fishing, man on horseback on a dirt road, a
church, general store, post office, school with playground, and a few
houses, with mountains in the far background.
>The French quilting is probably boutis. Gorgeous stuff, and I
>understand quite easy to do.
Yes, that's the term that was used. I knew if I saw the word again
I'd recognize it.
>Funny you should write about this because a retail friend went to a
>trade show, and quite a few went to her booth and remarked, "Oh, we're
>into quilting. We don't embroider." I thought that too funny.
>
>Dianne
Well there are still people who only do pieced quilts quilted with
traditional stitching patterns, but few of those quilts can be called
plain as new quilt block patterns are so interesting. DH was
interested in the two that were made of tiny blocks that seemed to
fade from one color to the next, one was shades of blue and the other
was autumn colors. I think he liked them because they reminded him of
computer pictures. Personally it boggles my mind that anyone would
make a full size quilt top out of one inch squares and have all the
little corners meet perfectly, especially the blue one with the shades
that were so close in value.
Of course even the quilting patterns have come a long way and the
stitching lines can be anything from the traditional arches, braids,
and feathers, to flowers and fruit, to leaves and trees, to insects
and animals, and anything else that can be drawn with a few lines.
I've seen whole cloth quilts that had traditional stylized stitching
patterns and others that had wildlife scenes. Both kinds are
beautiful. The women who made them would never call quilting stitches
embroidery, even if that is what you would call them. Or were you
just laughing because so many quilters embellish their quilts with
stitches that are labeled embroidery? To me if a quilt is held
together with a stitch pattern that is more than a utilitarian over
all grid or stitch in the ditch, then the quilting stitch is being
used as embroidery. Utilitarian quilting is sewing three layers
together because that is all it does, pattern quilting is embroidery
because it adds beauty to the whole. The term Embroidery does not
refer to any specific number of fabric layers. I think it only means
thread(s) stitched through or onto fabric(s) to form a pleasing
pattern.
Debra in VA
Debra
Look for the book Shadow Quilting with Marjorie Puckett. The name is
misleading, it's more embroidery than quilting. It is even done with
DMC floss. It shows the basics you need to know to design your own
projects and has several projects, including templates, for you to do
if you don't want to design your own. Trying this out will give you a
reason to purchase some of the quilt fabric you yearn to have.
Debra in VA
Debra
Yep, that's the word. And yes it does look like a million bucks.
Very elegant.
Debra in VA
Debra
wrote:
>I am a quilter, needleworker, knitter, gardener and all-around crafter, among
>many other hobbies. When I go to our local quilt guild meetings, many of us
>are doing some form of hand work, whether it's red/blue work, hand applique,
>knitting, crochet, embroidery, penny rugs, rug hooking ---- you name it! I
>think you will find that there are many of us out here that cross boundaries
>between the many different handcrafts. I certainly see many of the same names
>on the different newsgroups that I read!
>
>-JoyceG in WA
Unfortunately most of the people I know only do one thing. I do many
because they are all intertwined in my mind.
Debra in VA
Debra
wrote:
>Embellishing quilts has become very popular beyond the traditional
>Crazy Patchwork quilting that has been around forever. I think it is
>the quilting people just thinking outside the square and bringing the
>fabric to life that step further than just appliqu? and piecing. It is
>great to see. I always add beads and surface stitching to my quilting.
>I like the textured look it gives. :)
>
>Design a stitching good day,
>Janet
I hope your beaded ones are hanging rather than on a bed. I know in
my house the beads wouldn't be on them long if they were used on a
bed. I like laying on the bed to read and my cats sleep on the bed
all day. One of the cats is stupid and would eat the beads right off
of it.
Debra in VA
Marjorie Holme
needlework even if it's not necessarily embroidery. Marjorie
Marjorie Holme
selecting color in particular. But also for getting images onto fabric,
changing fabrics, embellishing fabrics, stitching efficiently, oh, just
all sorts of fun stuff. Marjorie
BDS2pds
I decided I don't love quilting. I did a really intricate one for son for last
Christmas , one for granddaughter and one with the French Redoute' spoken about
here for daughter. I really do not enjoy piecing. To me, it is very boring. I
will do it again I am sure some day when I want the object but surprised to
find I did not enjoy it. The Tumbling blocks art quilt was very challenging so
it was at least good that way but it was not intellectually challenging as I
had hoped.
Dianne Lewandowski
> I expect you would have found most of them to your liking as most only
> had one type of embroidery added very tastefully purely for effect.
> The few that went over the top were definitely scenes of the type that
> in another time would have been woven or stitched into large
> tapestries. The really cool one could be best described as a day in a
> small town, complete with a small orchard, a farm with a few animals,
> a stream with two boys fishing, man on horseback on a dirt road, a
> church, general store, post office, school with playground, and a few
> houses, with mountains in the far background.
This is far different than what I was picturing. Thanks for taking the
time to explain further.
> Of course even the quilting patterns have come a long way and the
> stitching lines can be anything from the traditional arches, braids,
> and feathers, to flowers and fruit, to leaves and trees, to insects
> and animals, and anything else that can be drawn with a few lines.
> I've seen whole cloth quilts that had traditional stylized stitching
> patterns and others that had wildlife scenes. Both kinds are
> beautiful. The women who made them would never call quilting stitches
> embroidery, even if that is what you would call them.
That's not what I mean by "embroidering". That's quilting. :-)
>Or were you
> just laughing because so many quilters embellish their quilts with
> stitches that are labeled embroidery?
Yes. Also laughing at the fact that a few years before, these same
people were "into" embroidery. How trendy can you get?
>To me if a quilt is held
> together with a stitch pattern that is more than a utilitarian over
> all grid or stitch in the ditch, then the quilting stitch is being
> used as embroidery.
Hmmmm. Interesting interpretation. I would still call it quilting.
But then, what do *I* know?
>Utilitarian quilting is sewing three layers
> together because that is all it does, pattern quilting is embroidery
> because it adds beauty to the whole. The term Embroidery does not
> refer to any specific number of fabric layers. I think it only means
> thread(s) stitched through or onto fabric(s) to form a pleasing
> pattern.
According to everything I've ever been able to get my hands on:
embroidery means embellishing with specialty threads. Quilting is it's
own class, which may - or may not - include embroidery.
Boutis is a form of quilting, as is shadow (or Italian) quilting.
Patchwork is a form of quilting. Crazy patch is a newer term for
quilting in unequal shapes and embellished in some fashion (lace,
buttons, beads, embroidery stitches,etc.). Usually, crazy patch uses
velvet, silk, taffeta, as opposed to more utilitarian grounds.
One of the most beautiful baby quilts I ever saw was shadow work
embroidered blocks then pieced in a quilt.
Dianne
>
> Debra in VA
Marjorie Holme
about it recently. I thought it was in PieceWork but couldn't find it in
the index; it may have been in Threads. Change google to find only
pages in English (in advanced search) and you'll come up with a bunch.
Marjorie
Dianne Lewandowski
And if you go to google for the search, click on "translate page".
There are several sites with nice translations and graphics to help you
understand this.
It is *very* beautiful. Yes, it is a form of whitework.
Dianne
BDS2pds
>>I do this and it is very slow but very easy to do.
>>It looks a million dollars.
>>
It is easy but I agree slow. I learned it when we lived on the French border.
They use it more as a utilitarian use there for blankers.
lula
noting how much "art needlework" techniques was being used as
embellishment along with the overall mixed media collage effect all this
represented.
It was astounding to see some of these quilts and the techniques used.
Basically, art quilting is a form of collage art......and this what
attracted me........I still don't have any interest in making a real
quilt, but I love the idea of crazy quilting......to adapt those
techniques to my artwork.
The other thrill was discovering machine quilting techniques and boy,
that is a whole creative world in itself! Such wonderful details &
effects could be made with machine quilting over water soluable
stabilizers to create lacy, organic looking textured pieces....... the
finished machine stitchery was put in water to dissolve the underlying
stabilizer leaving whatever machine stitched shape was made ready to use
for embellishments in so many decorative ways.
One of which are the creation of botanical touches that were used to
create a glorious organic look and feel of a tropical rain forest theme
with petals, leaves of all sizes and shapes and so on.
Crazy quilting is technically not quilting since most of these are not
quilted layers as I've discovered from reading various books about this
subject.
CQ was more a decorative technique to assemble patches of cloth and then
to literally go "crazy" embroidering and embellishing........these were
mainly showpieces to give and use decoratively.......of course some of
these crazy quilts were quilts in that a batting sandwich was made with
the crazy quilt top and these probably had less decorative attachments
applied as well as being made of more mundane fabrics such as wools.
We have a great deal of artistic freedom these days to do as we please
as it's more acceptable to be "different".
We're the lucky ones to be allowed to do as we please and the overall
attitudes encourage artistic license.
In some way, the crazy stitchers of the past probably felt the same way
and how exciting that must have been in that day and age with its more
repressive social pressures to conform to be the first to stitch a crazy
quilt in their "sewing circles".
What's wonderful about all these needlework and quilt techniques
filtering down through the ages and from various cultures is how we are
interpretating these techniques to suit our own needs to create textile
arts and in turn pass our versions of the needlearts to inspire future
stitchers.
---
Lula
http://www.woolydream.com
Needlework Adventures
MaryPulver
for Chicago and an International Quilt Festival at the Rosemont Convention
Center near the airport. I don't want to take up quilting, not right now while
I still trying to learn other needlework techniques, but I love seeing how
beautiful they are, and this thread has given me some ideas of what to look
for. Thanks to all of you.
Mary Monica
aka Monica Ferris
There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, nobody knows what
they are. -Somerset Maugham
Cheryl Isaak
"MaryPulver" <maryp...@aol.com> wrote:
My personal take on this thread has been
Why wouldn't a needleworker go to a quilt show?
Cheryl
Debra
<dia...@heritageshoppe.com> wrote:
>Debra wrote:
>
>> I expect you would have found most of them to your liking as most only
>> had one type of embroidery added very tastefully purely for effect.
>> The few that went over the top were definitely scenes of the type that
>> in another time would have been woven or stitched into large
>> tapestries. The really cool one could be best described as a day in a
>> small town, complete with a small orchard, a farm with a few animals,
>> a stream with two boys fishing, man on horseback on a dirt road, a
>> church, general store, post office, school with playground, and a few
>> houses, with mountains in the far background.
>
>This is far different than what I was picturing. Thanks for taking the
>time to explain further.
You're welcome. I thought we were talking about different forms but I
wasn't sure.
>
>> Of course even the quilting patterns have come a long way and the
>> stitching lines can be anything from the traditional arches, braids,
>> and feathers, to flowers and fruit, to leaves and trees, to insects
>> and animals, and anything else that can be drawn with a few lines.
>> I've seen whole cloth quilts that had traditional stylized stitching
>> patterns and others that had wildlife scenes. Both kinds are
>> beautiful. The women who made them would never call quilting stitches
>> embroidery, even if that is what you would call them.
>
>That's not what I mean by "embroidering". That's quilting. :-)
>
> >Or were you
>> just laughing because so many quilters embellish their quilts with
>> stitches that are labeled embroidery?
>
>Yes. Also laughing at the fact that a few years before, these same
>people were "into" embroidery. How trendy can you get?
I see, they were the type that I refer to as "the yuppie of the craft
world". Trendy is all they ever do.
>>To me if a quilt is held
>> together with a stitch pattern that is more than a utilitarian over
>> all grid or stitch in the ditch, then the quilting stitch is being
>> used as embroidery.
>
>Hmmmm. Interesting interpretation. I would still call it quilting.
>But then, what do *I* know?
You know a lot more than me on a lot of subjects. I merely look at
things from a different perspective than yours. You found it an
interesting interpretation, so I take it that I made you think a
little. I like that because your posts often make me think. Good to
see I can have the same effect on you.
> >Utilitarian quilting is sewing three layers
>> together because that is all it does, pattern quilting is embroidery
>> because it adds beauty to the whole. The term Embroidery does not
>> refer to any specific number of fabric layers. I think it only means
>> thread(s) stitched through or onto fabric(s) to form a pleasing
>> pattern.
>
>According to everything I've ever been able to get my hands on:
>embroidery means embellishing with specialty threads. Quilting is it's
>own class, which may - or may not - include embroidery.
I'll tell you why I think the way I do about specialty threads and
maybe you will understand, even if you don't agree with my view.
I expect everything written about embroidery does state spaciality
threads were used. The written word rarely mentions things that are
so common that "everyone knows". Unfortunately that does leave big
gaps later when something that is common knowledge becomes uncommon
knowledge. Although it is great to be able to use spaciality threads
there have always been people who could not get them, either for lack
of money or availability. Those who can't get special thread and
fabrics usually don't let that stop them from doing embroidery and
other needlework to beautify their homes. In the same "use what you
have" vein, stitchery who have lots of floss on hand often use that
floss to repair something around the house when they don't have the
correct color of sewing thread handy. What is the difference between
that and using sewing thread instead of floss to embroider something
when you haven't any floss? After all, a lazy daisy stitch will look
pretty much the same if one uses multiple strands of cotton floss or
multiple strands of cotton sewing thread. To me, embroidery is not
defined by the grounds and threads as much as by the creativity used
to stitch something pretty rather than merely utilitarian. So
specific grounds and threads, and sometimes certain stitches, usually
only specify the type of embroidery to me.
I hope that helped you understand me a little more. I know I see
things differently than you do, but that's what makes this news group
interesting.
Dianne Lewandowski
> I expect everything written about embroidery does state spaciality
> threads were used. The written word rarely mentions things that are
> so common that "everyone knows". Unfortunately that does leave big
> gaps later when something that is common knowledge becomes uncommon
> knowledge.
Actually, we have a lot of actual pieces of fabric with embroidery going
back to early Egyptian time . . . so to come up with an "answer" for a
definition doesn't necessarily rely on written word. :-)
> Although it is great to be able to use spaciality threads
> there have always been people who could not get them, either for lack
> of money or availability.
Agreed. And I used a very poor choice of words. Embroidery is putting
something on top of an already woven cloth. Now, technically, you could
embroider on paper (I've done it), but the results won't last very long.
Embroidery is also accomplished on bristol board since at least the
1800's.
Embroidery is simply embellishing. Quilting is putting more than one
piece of cloth together, in layers. You quilt to hold the layers. You
can ALSO add embroidery as an embellishment.
You can shadow quilt (Italian quilting), or make a regular piecework
quilt and put shadow embroidery in the blocks. That's two different things.
Boutis is a form of quilting (layers), as is trapunto (again layers of
cloth sewed together).
>Those who can't get special thread and
> fabrics usually don't let that stop them from doing embroidery and
> other needlework to beautify their homes. In the same "use what you
> have" vein, stitchery who have lots of floss on hand often use that
> floss to repair something around the house when they don't have the
> correct color of sewing thread handy. What is the difference between
> that and using sewing thread instead of floss to embroider something
> when you haven't any floss?
Absolutely none. I use machine thread often to add touches to
embroidery or when embroidering in miniature - such as a doll's dress.
Again, you are "adding" an embellishment on top of a previously already
made something or other. It would be serviceable without the
embroidery. But a three layers of fiber/fabric wouldn't be very
serviceable unless you quilted it. :-)
You can embroider with butcher's string. You can die it and make pretty
colors. Or with candle wick. There are some new yarns on the market
that would be great to use in embroidery. So, when you're done
knitting, you'll have another use for that leftover fiber. We
embroiderers simply have to look again at the yarn aisle!! <huge grin>
>After all, a lazy daisy stitch will look
> pretty much the same if one uses multiple strands of cotton floss or
> multiple strands of cotton sewing thread.
Actually, in my very personal opinion, it will look a lot better with
just one strand of whatever you have on hand. :-)
>To me, embroidery is not
> defined by the grounds and threads as much as by the creativity used
> to stitch something pretty rather than merely utilitarian. So
> specific grounds and threads, and sometimes certain stitches, usually
> only specify the type of embroidery to me.
I absolutely said the wrong thing. Mea Culpa. Forgive me. You are
absolutely correct. It has everything to do with embellishing and
nothing whatsoever to do with what you use to embellish. My gray cells
short-circuited when I answered you. Pure and simple.
> I hope that helped you understand me a little more. I know I see
> things differently than you do, but that's what makes this news group
> interesting.
Nope. We see them the same. But if I remember, you said quilting was
embroidery? It doesn't matter. That's what I *thought* you said, and I
went and dove in without thinking about what I was saying.
Thanks for a fun conversation!
Dianne
Janet M. Davies
> I hope your beaded ones are hanging rather than on a bed. > Debra in VA
Yes, would be painfull on the bed. :)
Design a stitching good day,
Janet
Mirjam Bruck-Cohen
existing structure , usually a woven foundation fabric, although
embroidery has been done on other media such as parchment or bark .
quote from "Textiles 5000 years" edited by Jennifer Harris, Harry N.
Abrams, inc 1993. page 31 ,,,,, my aded remark embroidery was also
done on leather .
mirjam
Marjorie Holme
Chicago quilt festival! (I got to meet our Mary Monica there, too, and
got her autograph on her latest along with a very funny story about
driving in Chicago.) They had these diaries last year and it's the one
item that really stayed in my memory all year. This year there were not
quite so many but they are wonderful
Each artist made a quilted cloth diary page each month for eight months.
There were short commentaries posted nearby which gave the quilter's
aims, ideas, or thoughts. The pages were about 8-1/2" x 11" and were
just wonderful in their variety. Some people catalogued events in their
lives, some worked through a design concept, some used a design element
and explored it in a different way each month, some explored a new
material or technique. All were primarily machine stitched but they were
pieced, patched, appliqued and collaged with every material and fiber
imaginable!
I think this is such a wonderful exercise! Of course, with me doing that
one quilt each month would be all I would accomplish, but if done with a
like-minded group it could be so much fun! Marjorie
lula
I picked up a brand new book from Borders tonight........Artists
Journals & Sketchbooks by Lynne Perrella, pub by Quarry Books 2004.
You've seen Lynne's exceptional work in Somerset Studio and other
collage art publications.
I had to buy this book on the spot and have spent a good part of the
evening "drooling" over the fantastically creative contents of this
book.........for only $22.00, the ideas in this book are worth a million
$$ for all the great ideas looking through this volume has inspired in
me.
Plus, there are explanations and pointers in the book on how and what
about the techniques some of the collage and art pieces were
created.....this isn't a pattern book of which I'm glad because anyone
doing this type of art work needs to keep it spontaneous and original to
themselves.
Of interest since there were questions on the topic.....there's a
section about transferring pictures to fabric among much useful info.
Anyway, this is the coincidence.......you mention about the diary
quilts.....could this be the same one illustrated in this book?
There's an entry in the book titled: Flight of the Art Angels by Susan
Shie & Jame Acord......it's a colorful piece created by writing &
drawing directly on fabric with Rub-a-dub laundry markers......all work
is spontaneous and has to be as this is a "personal diary" not a
practice sheet for something else.
All is then embroidered over with pearl cottons and floss, french knots
and etc......lots of embellishments to enhance the text &
artwork......they used shisha mirrors, beads, charms, sequins, buttons
and so on.......
What I loved best was the ending comment of the article: "the artists'
encouraging admonition-Play and be happy"
Wow, I can imagine how impressive these diary entries must have looked
up close as the piece illustrated in the book was quite amazing!
Susan Shie is a textile artist I'd like to emulate, her work inspires
me.
I love her stitched, embroidered pictures, either standing on their own
or used as part of mixed media collage.
Her work is so original, so much fun, so colorful and so everything
creative that I want to do!
This is just so exciting.........too bad I can't just drop all my work
and go play with all these ideas!!!
---
Lula
http://www.woolydream.com
Needlework Adventures
Marjorie Holme
it! I love the inspiration I get from books and magazines and
conversations like the recent ones on rctn!
The diary quilts I saw are called the "journal quilt project." I googled
that today and found examples of several of the diaries and the origin
of the project. Apparently the concept was developed in the QuiltArt
group (www.quiltart.com), an e-mail group of serious art quilters, and
Karey Bresenhan, Director of the International Quilt Festival. This is a
really interesting group...but I don't think quilting is my path right
now no matter how tempting. Marjorie
lula
Yes, I feel the same as you about not wanting to make a quilt
particularly, but we'll be using many "quilting" techniques to create
our art needlework collages.
By the time I make my first mixed media needlework collage, I'll have
learned more about stitching techniques from various needlework
disciplines than just doing ordinary "embroidery".
But, like you, sometimes I do feel a great temptation to make a quilt as
such.......could be the piles of fabrics and fat quarters I've collected
and still collecting. Can't stop buying pretty colors and interesting
prints!
Another vice.......buying fabrics........
Hmmm, makes me wonder what that group of serious art quilters would
think about our plans? Would our projects with the many quilting
techniques qualify us to be as serious an art "quilter"?
On second thought, maybe I'm answering my own query.......I'm not going
to add batting to make a quilt sandwich.......but as these are serious
art quilters, are they making their embroidered and embellished diary or
other pieces to be quilted with batting and backing afterwards or only
creating tops such as crazy quilters are known for.......only tops were
stitched for mainly decorative purposes.
Guess the definition depends on what perspective we're looking
from.......in our case, we started out as stitchers, not quilters.
The most important thing is creating our ideas into tangible pieces, not
thinking how we might be classified or labeled........but I know someone
is going to say, I thought you did needlework and vice versa!
Speaking of inspiring books......the following are books I'm currently
using for inspiration and techniques, several are my "bibles" of
inspiration, I never get tired of.
To start: any books by Gail Harker.....she's an amazing machine
embroiderer......here are two books.....
Fairy Tale Quilts & embroidery, pub in 1992 - this is the book that
first opened my eyes to the world of creative art embroidery beyond
typical needlework.....the book that inspired my continuing quest to be
more creative......
Creative Machine Embroidery - 2003 released in paperback......loads of
techniques & ideas to use
A Complete Guide to Creative Embroidery - Designs-Textures-Stitches
by Jan Beaney & Jean Littlejohn - pub 1991
The Fabric Stamping Handbook - Jean Ray Laury -pub 2002
Quilted Memories - Celebrations of Life - Mary Lou Weidman - pub 2001
This is a most inspiring book in many ways, full of ideas and
encouragement.....I bought my original copy last year for list price and
last night, found the hardcover book in Borders for only $2.99!!! If you
can get a copy, do so especially at this price!!
Then there are several (3) excellent crazy quilt books by J Marsha
Michler full of ideas and techniques
Crazy Patchwork - Janet Haigh - pub 1998
Publications by Somerset Studio......The Art Doll and True Colors, two
volumes that I can't get enough of!!! These books have inspired and
changing my art towards more creative goals...........I also subscribe
to Art Doll Quarterly another set of publications that's inspiring me to
be a better artist.
There are many more similar books in my library but these are currently
stacked in my studio and looked at daily.
---
Lula
http://www.woolydream.com
Needlework Adventures
BDS2pds
quilts are fine. I have done the darling quilt that is a doll house and you
produce the dolls to fit into the scenes-- actually fits into the high chair
etc. -
I just was surprised to find out I do not enjoy the tiny 1 inch piecing.
Quilting is big here with the guild and those ladies do nothing else usually so
I am a foreigner in that regard. I do all sorts of arts with the intricate
needlework, art quilting as they call it , and knitting. Design is design in
that regard and whether I am designing a home, doing interior decor, drawing,
stitching, knitting, or quilting ~~ It is all the same to me--all design work.
The same rules apply to all.
Tia Mary-remove nekoluvr to reply
>....... I just was surprised to find out I do not enjoy the tiny 1 inch
piecing.
>Quilting is big here with the guild and those ladies do nothing else usually
>so
>I am a foreigner in that regard. .......
It's the same for me. I don't mind stitching on 40 count gauze but I HATE
doing that tiny piecing on quilts! I have done ceramics and have brushes with
ONE tiny little hair so that I can get fine detail done on faces and such but I
don't even like to piece 2" pieces of fabric for quilts!
I love to work small in miniature on loads of stuff. Just not when it comes
to anything that has to be done on the sewing machine. The smallest I am happy
to work on is something like a baby"s christening gown. Go firgure! I don't
like to sew doll clothes and I don't even really like to sew baby stuff -- just
the christening gowns.
If a quilt block has anything smaller than a 2" cut piece, I'll pass it by.
Now, I don't mind it if the tiny pieces are part of a paper pieced pattern --
just not a regular type block. Most of the quilts I make are either 8" whole
cloth blocks (made of specialty fabric prints like airplanes, cows, etc. for
the person who collects such things) or traditional blocks made with pieces at
least 2" in one direction. I like rail fence and log cabin blocks especially.
I still don't know why I will work really small in most of my other crafty,
artrsy endeavours but not when sewing. I appreciate those lovely small piece
blocks, I just don't want to have to do them :-)! CiaoMeow >^;;^<
.
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!