Subversive Fiber Art by Women on Off the Wall Friday

Wonderland, Miriam Schapiro, 1983

 Over the years, I've written posts ranting about how nobody gets what we really do.  I'm mean sure people might understand what a quilt is.  What they don't get is the blood, sweat and tears that goes into a quilt.  Okay, so that's a little dramatic...but really have you met me?  Realistically though, it's that extra "something" that makes quilt making much more than a simple craft.  It's definitely an art form no matter if you do

detail, The Bitter Nest, Part II

traditional or modern or art or a mixture of all three.  

And that's what was celebrated at the Renwick Museum's exhibit, Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women.  This was the final stop in our recent visit to Washington DC art museums. Looking back at the experience, I spent my whole time investigating how each woman made her pieces, wondering what her creative process was like.  I looked at the mark of the hand that was on display and marveled at the artists' choice of textures.  

What I didn't do was really look into the backstory of each piece.  For me, it's normally one or the other.  I can look at a piece as a form of independent art or I can see what the piece is trying to express to me.  Normally, I can't do both in one sitting or at least not on the first visit.  I figured that there would be plenty of the story of each piece on-line, so on my visit, I focused on the art by itself.  

The Bitter Nest, Part II: The Harlem Renaissance Party,
Faith Ringgold, 1988

And I wasn't disappointed.  I only recognized a few of the names I saw.  Most pieces were more than 30 years old, only proving that fiber art has always been around. (Which by the way the world seem to discover when the Gee Band quilts made such a splash)   The one that left me in awe was I finally got to see a quilt by Faith Ringgold in person.  Her quilt, The Bitter Nest, Part II: The Harlem Renaissance Party tells the story of an imaginary family.  The story is depicted through the figures in the center, while written in words around the edge.  Another thing checked off my  life's bucket list....see a Faith Ringgold quilt in person.  

The exhibit wasn't just about the art pieces themselves, but the stories that went behind them  To that end they held an open house where the artists and visitors got to mingle.  Gosh, I would have loved to been at that. Please click here though to see the pictures, because it will show you how amazing the exhibit looked in person.  They also produced a 10 episode podcast, Backstitch to feature each artist talking about her pieces in her own words.  Plus they even have a lecture on YouTube, that I haven't gotten a chance to watch.    So I was proven right - there was plenty of information about each piece online for a deeper dive into the meanings of the art.  

Besides the pieces themselves, the highlight of the exhibit was a small room that featured a peak into the work product of the artists.  When I'm doing an art quilt, I tend to have all sorts of "research" before I create.  Apparently, I'm not alone.  Not often is the viewer treated with peak behind the curtain.  Lia Cook was kind enough to show us her thought process. 

The piece I liked the most was Carolyn Mazloomi, Family Embraces (1997).  When I saw it, I said, "OMGosh!  It's hand quilted."  A voice behind me, countered "Oh it can't be.  Nothing that modern would be."  Luckily my back was to the woman because I literally rolled my eyes.  Seriously, the stereotypes of our art will never cease.  Anyways, I digress.  I thought Mazloomi's use of line in such a strong graphic statement really masterful.  And yes, the hand quilting was amazing too.  

The Family Embraces, Carolyn Mazloomi, 1997

Needless to say, it was a fitting end to our visit to DC.  The Renwick never ceases to disappoint.  I just wish it was bigger.  

And that leads me to say...

What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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On My Mind, Nancy Crow on Off the Wall Friday

You wouldn't think that living outside of Erie, Pennsylvania would be a center of culture. And it kinda isn't.  But it kinda is.  Really, we're within an hour or two of Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.  Plus 3 hrs out of Toronto. As well as 2.5 hrs out of central Ohio.  Yes, you read that right ....central Ohio.   Central Ohio, for you not in the know, is a hot bed of quilting.  Not only is there a plethora of quilt stores, quilt groups, retreat spots but also there is The Dairy Barn Art Center (home to Quilt National) and the Crow Timber Frame Barn.  The latter is the brain child of Nancy Crow.  

Nancy Crow
(photo credit Schweinwurth Art Center)

If there was a mother of the art quilt movement, I would nominate Nancy Crow.  Born in 1943, she pioneered her way through Ohio State achieving an MFA in Weaving and Ceramics.  Moving into fiber and quilting, she developed what we now know as improvisational piecing to take quilting from folk
craft right into accepted art.  (Well mostly accepted.  There are still some die hard haters who insist it's still craft, but if anybody is an accepted artist, it's Nancy).  She's won multiple awards including the Living Treasure Award from the University of North Carolina.  Her work is part of the permanent collection of many museums including The Renwick Gallery/Smithsonian Institute.  (As an aside, if you haven't put the Renwick on your bucket list, stop reading this and do it.  It doesn't get as much press as the National Gallery but it houses the work of most talented artisans in our country)

I say all of this in a way of an introduction, because I took a drive to Kent University in Kent, Ohio.  (Yes THAT Kent University).  Besides its tragic past, it also houses the Kent State University Muesum with it's renowned collection of fashion, costume, and accessories.  At the core, is the collection of Shannon Rogers and Jerry Silverman who donated over 4000 pieces.  

On exhibit this weekend was a timeline history of fashion, a stunning collection of Katherine Hepburn Clothes, and Nancy Crow's On My Mind showcase.  To say it was a textile junkies dream is an understatement.  

There are four series of works that are included: CONSTRUCTIONS, RIFFS, DRAWINGS, and MONOPRINTS.  Although I've seen Nancy's work many times, it was a treat to see all 40 pieces displayed to perfection. Nancy hasn't been just an artist for the last 50 years, she's also been teaching.  Her classes have spring boarded many quilters into the world of art.  I myself have watched her classes and roomed with her students.  I also lucky enough to sit and listen to a lecture that finally explained to me the idea of composition and depth.  

This exhibit runs through December 15, 2024, and I encourage you to take the drive to Kent to see. it.  The campus is lovely, and they even have a nice museum store (we also went into the bookstore which was cool too). 

(my favorite piece)

Under Things that I Like....

Did anybody hear about the Monet water lilies painting that sold for 65 million dollars at Sotherby's this week?  If you want to watch the 17 min auction you can see it here (although spoiler alert...it's a quiet affair).  How often do you get to see a Monet come up for auction?

It does make one wonder who bought it.....

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All About the Quilts On Off the Wall Friday

A Fantasy Garden, Christine Weise/Shelley Cassatta

You know when you go to a Sewing & Quilting Expo, you are overwhelmed by the amount of things to buy and classes to take.  Well at least that was how it was for me during the recent Cleveland Expo.  It was a lot!  But tucked in the back of the Expo were rows of black curtains, filled with the most gorgeous quilts!  SAQA had shared a few exhibitions and there were also some from the North Texas Quilt Festival.  The exhibit was so stunning, I ended up going through it 3 times during the day.  I thought I would share some of the highlights!

Crumbling, Janet Windsor

This piece was so stunning in person.  The texture that Janet brought to life was amazing. It was crazy! Here is a detail

Detail, Crumbling, Janet Windsor

Tiger's Eye, Heather Pregger

I love this piece because #1 it's by Heather Pregger and I love her work (she's so good at the whole improve piecing thing). #2  It's a terrific study in value.  #3  She achieves amazing movement with all straight lines.

The Language of Trees, Victoria Findley Wolfe

Symmetry, rhythm and movement is the story of this piece.  Plus - Victoria Findley Wolfe - enough said!

Sea Glass, Nancy Goodman

I found the composition of this piece brilliant - it's circular emphasis with a lot of rhythm thrown in to add interest.  Also, that palette is HOT - yellow, green, teal, orange with a great use of neutrals - brown and black.

Nice Ice #1, Caryl Fallert-Gentry

Yep, you read that right. This was made by Caryl Fallert-Gentry.  Obviously it's a huge departure from her other series.  Techniques she used were photographed digitally painted, thread painted and machine quilted.  Another great use of brown as a neutral.

There were so many more.  It truly was a feast for the eyes!!

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Designing a Calendar Cow on Off the Wall Friday

 I was looking back at previous posts (and when I say "back" I mean wayyyyyy back) and I realized that

I hadn't shown how I designed the Calendar Cow blocks.  So I thought it was a good idea to, since so many times I hear from people who see my work, "I wish I could draw."  I always smile and answer, "Me, too!"

So here is how to design a representational block when you can't draw but you know how to use a laptop, pencil and tracing paper.

1.  Come up with an Idea.  Since these blocks are in series, it makes it pretty easy.  The next month up is June and with that June Brides.  I mean what cow doesn't want to have a June wedding?  So then I started brainstorming the things I wanted in it - I came up with a Cow (duh!) - a veil - an old-fashioned church.

2.  Steal the Elements.  It's amazing how many places have royalty-free photos now online.  Today I used Unsplashed.  I chose this amazing cow photo done by Luke Stackpoole who graciously put his work up to be downloaded freely.

After looking at many, many church photos I chose one by Michelle Tresemer because it was simple and it looked like someplace a cow could have an old-fashioned wedding.

As for the viel, I thought I would work out the composition and figure that out at the end.

3.  Composition of the Block.  So now I'm being brave here and showing you my pathetic line drawing.  But truly that's all you need to get your basic composition down...a pathetic line drawing!  I normally use this step to work out what scale I want the elements.  Also, this is where I get a better idea of the main lines in the composition.  Since this is part of a series, I'm using the previous blocks as a guide.  Notice....big cow in the foreground and the church in the background with the horizon shown.  This block though will have a stone fence rather than a wooden one.  I love stone fences.  

4.  Edit the photos.  I edit the photos using a black and white high contrast filter.  I print them out in a nice workable size.  They don't need to be the exact size just something big enough to trace.   I  trace the photo with tracing paper because at this stage I can add lines and take lines away that I don't find pleasing using the original photo to help guide me.  I am never super careful with the lines.  Once the pattern is to my liking, I trace it onto overhead projector film sheets.  (I use expo  vis a vis markers ... I know my 10 years of teaching is showing but they are washable and won't rub off)

5.  Create the pattern.  Now I drag out the WW II overhead projector I bought on eBay 25 years ago for 20 bucks.  I mean do they even still make these?  I draw out the 16" block and then using the overhead projector, I then move my cow and church to a scale and location I like.  The line sketch from Step 3 gives me an idea of where, but I also trust my eye,  As you can see here, once I got the pictures up on the block, I really liked the idea of the church scaled larger, bringing forward.  Plus you gotta keep in mind this is part of a series, and this layout will look great next to July Cow and his 4th of July Barn.

With the final pattern trace, I can go back and put in a few details.  They will be the veil, the horizon line and hopefully the stone fence.  But it's getting late and I've learned never to make design decisions when you're tired.  

I know it might seem like a lot, but it really isn't.  It took me about 3 hrs.  It does help that I have all the supplies I like to use right at my fingertips.  The nice thing about this method is that its super versatile and cheap and low tech.  I know I'm still using the same box of 100 overhead projector sheets I bought back in the late 90's.

Now all I have to do is finish up the details on that pattern, choose the fabric, and sew it up!

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A Return of the Calendar Cows on Off the Wall Friday

January, July, February, October, April, May Cows 

 

This week my husband and I got optimistic and started Spring Cleaning our spare bedroom.  This room, aka, Tessa's second bedroom has ended up storing all the odds and ends we're not quite sure what to do with.  (are we the only ones with rooms like this?) Of course, it got worse when Tessa moved out since her odds and ends are now in there too.  Included in this menagerie of stuff, are my UFOs.  A while back I did actually weed this group down to pieces I  wanted to finish but still, there is a nice pile of them....since...ya know...I'm the squirrel of quilters.  Like who wants to finish anything when there are so many great pieces to start?

Included in the pile was my husband's favorite project, the Calendar Cows.  I started this project wayyyyyy back in 2009, when my then 11-year-old was obsessed with cows.  The idea behind the project is that each block would have a monthly themed cow all designed by me.  At the time, it was the first time I had tried to design anything figuratively that complex by myself.  Each block felt like a little triumph.  Somewhere along the way, I lost steam at "August". (You can read the story behind it on that post!)  It was all designed but not sewn.  And there it sat.  For 14 years. (Yeah, I have no idea where the time goes, truly!)

August

tiny zigzags

At my husband's encouragement, the calendar cows came out into the studio.  He's right ... the project is pretty cool.  Plus now I have a better idea of what I'm doing.  For August, it's vacation cow with her cool shades and beach bungalows. In 2010, I was using a rough edge applique technique taught by Joan Colvin where she would design her piece and put pins in them, then stitch them all down with a little zig-zag stitch.  I like the technique but the pins are a pain and my old machine couldn't adjust the 

zig-zag down to where I want it.

Jump ahead 14 years, and I now can use little dots of glue baste and a proper size zig zag compliments of my Janome Horizon.  Also, a new addition is the Deco Bob for thread which makes the stitches basically disappear.  I did get some time to sew today and it's already looking great.  It's taking a while to get back into the hang of slowing down and stitching perfectly along the edge but I find that relaxing for sure!

The Thread disappears

Of course, I got to record all of this in my journal.  It's nice to have a record for this project as well as any other future rough edge applique pieces.  Plus I want to do a palette study on this piece.  When I started, I was just kinda winging it, and now I know that having a set palette will make the whole piece stronger!

my art sketchbook, ya gotta start some place!

It's weird to be this excited over a 15-year-old project but there ya go... the life of a quilter!

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Last Day of Mosaics on Off the Wall Friday

 

By Gretchen VanNostrand

Contrary to how last week's post read, I really did have a good time on my creative vacation.  I try to do at least one week a year to recharge my batteries and this week surely did.  It wasn't that the piece really lead me to new ideas, but more the people that surrounded me were a pleasure.

One of which was Gretchen VanNostrand of West Virginia.  Gretchen has been quilting for about 20 years, but she specializes in fabric bags and organizers.  So she walked into the class never really having tried anything like this technique before. But let me tell ya, you'd never had known it!  She started with a picture of her beloved Fluffy...a lifelong friend.

Then she proceeded to work diligently from 8 am to 5 pm every day of class.  So many times, I had to stop myself from just chatting with her because I didn't want to break her flow.  Here it is finished... Amazing Right?!?

Fluffy, Gretchen VanNostrand

After my wasteful first couple of days, this is where I finished. Next, I want to do her shirt, hair, and back.  Luckily I have this technique down so I really don't find it daunting.    I'm traveling this week so I haven't quite gotten back to my studio yet.  Truth be known, I haven't unpacked my studio yet.  I'm lucky I got my clothes washed.  BUT SOON.  This is a piece that is not going to linger on my design board.

WIP Sunflowers

Something about the sunflowers I find interesting.  Also, I love that finally, I've gotten my Janome Horizon to successfully machine applique with monofilament thread.  If anybody is wondering, I used the "Automatic" Tension, a 70/10 needle, and decoBob in the bobbin.  WOW!  Made a huge difference.  I really can see myself trying to do a fully machine applique piece soon based on organic shapes rather than 2-1/2" squares.  (Yes I have a passion for sunflowers - here is my first silk painted piece from a few years ago)

As always, I recommend you take a creative vacation!  John C. Campbell just released their upcoming classes.  Or track down Timna Tarr - 'cause she's great!  Or there still are quilt conferences going on throughout the country - Empty Spools, QSDS, and of course my beloved QBL.  JUST DO IT!!

Since I'm traveling, I'll keep this short this week!

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First & Last Quilt on Off the Wall Friday

Elizabeth Barton's Solo Show at the Georgia Botanical Gardens, Athens, GA

Okay, a show of hands, who out there had a subscription to Quilter's Newsletter Magazine?  I must have started mine around 1992 and kept it through hmmmm at least 2010.  Honestly, without that magazine, I don't know where I would be as a quilter.  Really, those were pre-internet days when this was my one and only pipeline to the national quilting scene. Besides all the great articles,  I  even managed to do two of their Block of the Month patterns in consecutive years which taught me a ton.  

 Plus I got to meet Bonnie Leman at Quilting by the Lake one year.  I was so young and she was in one of my first classes.  I said, "Bonnie Leman? Oh, just like the editor of Quilter's Newsletter."  She said, "I was the editor of Quilter's Newsletter".  So here the little old lady quietly sitting behind me all week was THE- Bonnie - Leman.  She thought it funny I was so impressed.  I thought it funny that she didn't realize how the magazine she had started in  1969 had changed the lives of so many quilters.

One of my favorite columns in the magazine was the First Quilt....Last Quilt.  It's where nationally known quilters would show one of the first quilts they made and then show their latest creations. I loved seeing how far the quilters had come over the years.  But it was more than that.  Seeing where they started and where they ended up, gave me hope that maybe one day I too, could be that good.  Every time I would read the column I would end up saying "WoW".   It was the first clue, that these were just regular ladies who with patience and persistence and a whole lot of hard work had perfected their art. 

Sadly, QNM was shuttered in 2016.  BUT...I was thinking....wouldn't it be fun to revive my favorite column.  With that, I put the word out to some of my favorite quilters and asked for their first and last quilts.  Happily, I have gotten back a few replies!  

So this week, I thought we would start with Elizabeth Barton.  You can find her very readable blog here and her website here.  She shares some of her earliest pieces....

First

Elizabeth writes, "My first fiber piece" never had a name! Or if it did I don't remember!!  I made it by appliqueing silk and wool and other fabrics onto a piece of jute - they were sort of like grouped buildings!  I hadn't heard about piecing - yet...I think that was done about 1967"

Strange Beauty, Elizabeth Barton

"I cut the red waves free hand...it took me 4 attempts to get it right...I had to dye 4 lots of red and blue fabric!!!!  the image is based on the Hamilton Steel Mill in Hamilton Ontario

The Middle

.Where the Bongo Trees Grow, Elizabeth Barton,  60" by 60"

"It is part of a series of 10 quilts called "Idea of a City" and is inspired by Durham - UK.  On top of a hill that the River Weir winds around is a castle and a cathedral...magical mystical places....As I was making it I was thinking about magical castles...in magical lands...that the Owl and the Pussy Cat might have sailed to!!!"

(Note from Nina....yes...you read that right...Elizabeth did a series of 10 - 60" by 60" Cityscapes ...let that sink in a minute)

Last

This is a section of Elizabeth's spring show at the Georgia Botanical Gardens in Athens, GA.  It featured the pairing of her watercolor landscapes with abstract shibori dyed art quilts.  Gorgeous right?

A big thank you goes out to Elizabeth for sharing her work and hopefully inspiring some new quilters!  

In the upcoming weeks I will be sharing other artists' "First & Last" (including my own since I  just  found it  this week!)  If anybody would like to be included in this column please just email me.  Remember you never know who you are going to inspire!!

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Praise Hands - a Rerun on Off the Wall Friday

 Since I started working full-time back in 2012, Thursday nights have always been my blog night.  This mostly works out well, unless an emergency pops up like today.  So I thought I would steal an idea from my favorite blog, Ask A Manager, and rerun a post that was hidden in the archives.  Since back in 2009 hardly anybody was reading, I thought what the heck!  

Praise Hands for Sacred Threads 2009

"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God, the Father, for everything." Eph 5:19,20


I have a habit of emailing quilters if their work really strikes me. This is how I got to know a new friend, Lisa Ellis last summer. I loved a lily quilt that she made and posted. Looking over her body of work I could see many similarities with mine. We both like to use Christian themes, women in motion, and organic lines. She suggested that I enter the Sacred Threads Quilt Show. I put it on my list of things to do since I had seen articles on how amazing the show was. That said, life happens and the deadline for the show snuck up on me. So a week before they were due, I started designing. I had 3 or 4 designs drawn out and chose the one that I thought was the strongest. I had gotten inspiration from an online photo - which I blew up and cropped (twice). Then I drew in my own elements adding value with pencil.

I picked a pallet of primary colors (adding a bit of the complementary for accent). I pieced the background using fabrics not only from my stash but also from my scrap bags. Ever since I color-sorted my scraps, they are far more useful. With the background safely done, I created a pattern for the praise ribbons that would rise from the hands. I imagine them to gradate in different values of yellow, orange, and red. Still, I was a little stumped on how to do that until I decided to paper piece them right onto the pattern. I machine rough-edged the praise elements onto the background - which created a nice hard element of line - then added a ton of machine quilting. I don't think I ever added so much free-motion thread work before in a piece.
I sewed every free moment I had that week. It took just over 40 hours to make the quilt but I was really happy with the final result since it was what I had seen in my mind's eye. Lisa is Sacred Threads Web Master and she cleverly had set up an online entry system which is wonderful. I got my entry in with only 4 hours to spare. I was thrilled! The only thing that topped that excitement was when I received the envelope 10 weeks later saying that it was accepted - my first national show.

Reading this I think - Wow! - where does the time go!!  Obviously, I hadn't created my writing style yet but you get the gist.  

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Musings on Mosaics on Off the Wall Friday

 

The moment when you realize you've let things get too complicated

So today I took the afternoon off to sew.  It isn't a great time to take off since all of a sudden, the country has decided it's actually summer and they want to buy, buy, buy their summer clothes.  It's been kinda crazy at work and with summer here, crazy on the social front.  All of that adds up to no time to sew.  So I did it. I took the afternoon off to finally finish up Tessa's Mosaic.

I've been three weeks trying to get what amounted to 5 hrs worth of work done on this piece.  In the past, I've hmmm'd and hawww'd over a piece, procrastinating till I feel in the mood to do it.  This was different though.  I knew what needed to get done.  I even had an idea of how to do it.  I still couldn't get myself to sit and get it done.  Why?

Timna Tarr had the answer. (Another reason to surround yourself with women smarter than yourself!)   I was very emotionally invested in this piece.  Not only was it based on my Princess (and the wonderful time we had doing her senior photo shoot) but also it was the first piece I've done since having a creative block (aka Menopause..gasp!)  Add in there the fact that it's my first mosaic and my first portrait  and it had me kinda frozen in fear of failure.  

After 30 years of quilting, you'd think that screwing up a piece wouldn't matter much.  It's not like it's the first time I've failed.  Nor the first time I've made a dog. Or the first time a piece was so bad I didn't have the heart to finish.  But...this piece means a lot!  

So that's why finally,  I took an afternoon off and worked in my 82-degree studio to get the top done.  I won't say it wasn't a struggle.  First I had to finalize a way to pattern out Tessa's face.  YES - I did track down her roommate who has a copy of photoshop to use the poster filter on it.

Then made the pattern  itself

Get the blocks sewn...who knew so much work could go into 9 little blocks?

Finally, get the top put all together... correct the twisted block my husband pointed out, and tweak up the edges I wanted to smooth.  I decided not to smooth too many but just enough so it wasn't distracting to the viewer.  A good press and it's ready for Off the Wall Friday.  

Now that it's done, it makes me think what was all the fuss about?!?  It's really that it comes back to the fact that no matter how well a technician you are as a quilter/artist, you still need to stay mentally strong.  Honestly, that isn't a bad distinction between craft and art.  Craft you can do technically well and succeed,  but for art, it has to be technically well, original, and a piece of you.  That piece is the part of yourself that wasn't too scared to show your vulnerability. It's the part of yourself that was afraid to fail. 

Next step is a nice mental break of cleaning up my studio which looks like oranges, greens and beiges threw a big party.  Then layer it and start stitching.  Hopefully, since I've been pondering the stitching line that will go smoother!

So that's my angst of the week...

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