Pokey

It's a wrap! Just returned from QA TV Series 6 TV taping

Pokey — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:57:00 GMT

Above: Diane Nunez's dimensional fabric flowers

Five days, 39 segments, and 13 episodes later, Season Six of Quilting Arts TV is born. A number of very talented guests joined me this season:

Jane Dunnewold was back to dazzle us with two surface design/ resist techniques and to tape her hour-long QA Workshop DVD.

Even goddesses like Jane need a little touch up now and then.

In the green room from left to right: Julie Fei Fan Balzer, Jane Dunnewold, Jane's friend Mary, and Karen Fricke.

Karen Fricke who has written a number of articles for Quilting Arts and Quilting Arts GIFTS, taped an in-depth and tip-filled segment on machine thread sketching.

The ever-smiling and bubbly Jeanne Delpit of Bernina gives me a pep talk before I begin taping all of my opens (which I usually tape one after the other, making for a lot of wardrobe changes in just a couple of hours).

Here are some of the behind-the-scenes folks we have to thank for making QA TV happen. The folks in the control room from left to right: Alan Perry (sound), producer Kathie Stull, and Mike Murphy (director).

I love how the tables are turned. Here sits managing editor Helen Gregory getting all dolled up in the make-up room. Helen made her QA TV debut this season, taping three segments with me. We have a good friendship and I think our camaraderie came off well on camera.

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer taped a couple of very colorful, mixed-media segments.

Art quilter Liz Berg joined me to show how to create abstract quilts from photographs, and to also act as a design expert for one of our "Save My UFO!" segments.

I'm gloved, smocked, and ready to tape my deconstructed screen printing technique. I adore this process (thank you Kerr Grabowski!) and was excited to share this with the PBS audience.

Above Liz Kettle and I get ready to tape her technique on free-form machine and hand embroidery using water-soluble stabilizers.

And here's Terry Grant, maker of those fabulous fabric birds that don the cover of International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene. Terry did a terrific job, even taping three separate segments with us.

Lindsey Mason showed us how to make stitched and embellished slippers. They are so adorable (and easy). Now I know what to make my mom for Mother's Day!

The shots below require some explaining. Kathy Mack (who has been our Quilting Arts GIFTS cover girl twice and is the designer of the Winslow Market Tote on the cover of International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene) kicks off this season with the very first segment of the first episode. Understandably, I wanted to make sure we felt relaxed and exuded a lot of positive energy. How did we achieve this? By doing the "Elaine" dance from "Sienfeld," of course.

Don't we look happy now?

Save My UFO!

In this new segment to QA TV, we share unfinished artworks from viewers/readers that need a little design help to complete. Thanks to Sherry Soreo and Larissa Davis for putting together this moving graphic:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

We only taped three "Save My UFO" segments this time, but we're thinking of having it be a part of every episode, so keep those UFOs coming!

Above: Luana and her daughter Sophie Ruben of eQuilter.com with Helen. Seven-year-old Sophie set a record for QA TV by being our youngest QA TV guest ever!

Sophie's suitcase did double -duty as a booster seat for her foot pedal so she could sew on set.

Her segment was so hilarious, I promise you will enjoy it. (Everyone in the green room laughed so hard, their chuckles could be heard on set through the sound-proof walls.)

And Luana of course also taped a segment, this time on helpful tips on how to incorporate large-scale prints in quilts.

And you'd think there's just two of us on set in this picture, but no. Andrea Bishop of Electric Quilt is expecting!

I have a number of other pictures that wouldn't fit on this blog so I've posted them in this photo gallery so be sure to take a peek.

I'd like to thank all of our sponsors for Season 6, including Bernina, Havel's Sewing, Electric Quilt, Kaliedoscope, eQuilter, Coates & Clark, Sulky, The Warm Company, J.T. Trading, Prim Dritz, Rowenta, Cedar Canyon Textiles, Windham Fabrics, Alexander Henry, and Simplicity Creative Group.

Heartfelt thanks to all our guests and the TV crew including a special thanks to Kathie Stull for making this season's taping run so smoothly. Season 6 of QA TV will be available on PBS in late June.

A Quilt Editor's Nightmare!

Pokey — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:28:00 GMT

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, and when that happens, I can’t sleep. So last night I took a Tylenol PM and had a dream that was rather Tim Burton-ish.

In my dream, I volunteered at a major quilt show to help hang quilts. (And this was not an established quilt event company, this was something from the dream world). The quilts were to be hung in multiple halls, and I was assigned to a hall that looked like a barn: dark wood walls, low lighting, faint odor of hay, and a little drafty. I knew the people who worked at the event company, and after they greeted me kindly, I donned my white gloves and said, “Put me to work!” They all snickered and the volunteer coordinator looked at me slyly and said, “Here, Pokey, why don’t you take this one and hang it over there,” pointing to a far, dimly lit corner.

The box that had the quilt in it was rather heavy and unwieldy, and when I opened it, it really was a nightmare: a box within a box, within another box, within yet another box, taped within an inch of its life, and packaged in a sea of peanuts. Plus, there was a cooler in the box, filled with dry ice, a carton of milk, a jar of chocolate sauce, and a bottle of Kahlua. In addition there were three carefully wrapped hand-blown glass sconces with instructions that said, “Be careful! These glass sconces are hand-blown by the quilt artist and are the embellishments for the quilt.”

The quilt itself consisted of four bright orange quilted panels that were stitched onto an organza and cellophane base, which was shaped into ruffles and pleats, then burned at the edges to seal.

The instructions for hanging the quilt read:
1. Puff up, shape, and press the ruffles and pleats if necessary, being careful not to scorch the plastic and organza base.
2. Dip the rims of the hand-blown glass sconces in the chocolate sauce, then fill with the ingredients for White Russians.
3. Shape the cellophane in a fashion that is reminiscent of waves in the ocean, being careful not to crease the cellophane wrapping.
4. Press the organza in case it creased in places during shipping, but be careful not to burn or melt the quilt.
5. Carefully shape the handmade wire brackets that are to hold the hand-blown glass sconces, then gently place the sconces filled with White Russians into the wire brackets.
6. Don’t spill chocolate sauce onto the quilt.

A little frustrated and overwhelmed with the challenge ahead of me, a fellow volunteer offered to help me out with this task. As we were working I stepped out for a minute to make a phone call, and when I came back, the fellow volunteer gleefully pronounced that she was finished and we could go back to our housing. I looked quickly over my shoulder, noticed that the quilt didn’t look quite right but it didn’t really register what was wrong until we got back to our bunker. (Yes, you read that correctly: at this event, we didn’t stay at a hotel, we all slept in a bunker.)

I sat on my cot and it finally registered what this fellow volunteer had done to this quilt. Instead of following the quilter’s instructions, she splattered the quilt with the chocolate sauce, burned areas of the quilt with a lighter, scrunched up the cellophane and punched it in place with a staple gun. And if one looked closely, buried underneath all of that scrunched up and stapled cellophane was a twenty dollar bill, which after some thinking, I realized was the $20 return fee for the quilt.

I then thankfully woke up.

Needless to say, I think I’m going brave another sleepless night and do what I usually do around 2:00 a.m.: watch “Lock Up” on MSNBC. At least that’s a little less nightmare-ish.

Announcing the "Save My UFO" contenders for this next Quilting Arts TV taping

Pokey — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:45:00 GMT

Thanks to everyone who took the leap and posted a picture of an uncompleted art quilt in our Save My UFO gallery! For this brand new segment for Quilting Arts TV, we thought to bring about 10 quilts, and cover the gamut in terms of art & design challenges.

If your quilt-in-progress was not chosen for this next taping, we still may be able to bring it to the following taping this summer. We hope that everyone will continue to post their UFOs and that people will offer comments, advice, and words of encouragement. Let's get these UFOs completed and tout our successes!

The following artists should send their UFOs soon so that they arrive in our office no later than Wednesday, February 24.

"Color Gone Wild" by Skb2000

Winter Woods by Maggie in SC

"The Blue Girl" by Chris 68

"Heron" by Page 52

"River's Bend" by Peggy H

"African Flow" by ngdb4

"Memories of Drumheller" by Jody Johnson

"Hundertwasser Wannabe" by Cay Denise

"Ash in Autumn" by Suzanne Riggio

"Crosses" by Deeheit

"Petros of Mykonos" by Cheryl Moncrief

Please ship to:

Quilting Arts

Attn: SAVE MY UFO

23 Gleasondale Rd

Stow, MA

01775

Phone: 978-897-7750

We will be shipping your quilts back to you around March 15. And sorry, they're not coming home completed; that's your job! ;-)

Season 6 of Quilting Arts TV will begin airing end of June so stay tuned to see the advice given by some of our guest artists.

Again, thanks for participating, everybody, and keep those UFOs comin'...

Introducing "Save My UFO!" to QA TV

Pokey — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:02:00 GMT

Want your quilt-in-progress featured on Quilting Arts TV?

Do you have an unfinished art quilt (otherwise known as a UFO for UnFinished Object) that’s got you stumped on how to complete? Have you stuffed it in the back of a dresser drawer in the desperate hope that if left in the dark long enough, it’ll magically transform into something akin to a fine wine?

I’m here to help you. We are introducing a new segment to Quilting Arts TV:

“Save my UFO!”

Here’s your chance to have your unfinished art quilt featured on Quilting Arts TV—and to get advice from the pros on how turn your UFO into a masterpiece!

How to participate:

1. Upload a picture (gif or jpeg) of your UFO in the "Save my UFO!" Photo Gallery by February 16. **Note: You must be logged in on the site to see the upload option. If you are not signed in, you will not see the upload option appear on your screen.** Here is the direct link to the “Save My UFO!” Gallery:

http://quiltingarts.com/media/g/savemyufo/default.aspx

2. Share your story behind your quilt, what you had intended, and where you think you may have gone awry. We’ll select a few quilts for this next Quilting Arts TV taping (March 1-5, 2010).This series begins airing the end of June.

3. I will notify the artists that their UFOs were selected right here on my blog on Wednesday, February 17. Please note that if your quilt is selected it must be shipped to us and arrive in our office no later than Wednesday, February 24.

If we don’t select yours, don’t worry; we plan to bring more UFOs to successive filmings, plus have well respected quilt artists give you advice for your quilt right here in the Quilting Arts forums. And, by watching this new segment on Quilting Arts TV, we hope you’ll be inspired and encouraged to tackle your own UFOs.

We hope you’ll hurry up and post your UFO!

My Tote for ToteTuesday (Fiberart for a Cause)

Pokey — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:13:00 GMT

In September 2006, I got a little personal on my blog and shared that my father had just lost his battle against lung cancer in my Bye Dad post. In rereading that entry, Virginia Spiegel at that time had raised $53,000 for the American Cancer Society with Fiberart for a Cause...and today she is closer to $200,000! This number is just astonishing to me, and speaks to her tenacity and the vast generosity of fiber artists from around the globe. Virginia recently announced her latest fundraising endeavor, ToteTuesday.

Here's what Virginia has to say:

It's the opening of ToteTuesday, Fiberart For A Cause's ONLY big fundraiser
in 2010. Our goal is $5000.

I have upgraded the list of more than 40 sponsored totes with more photos,
details, and links:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/archives/4265

Each week in February and March, five to seven totes will come up for bid.

Stop by each Tuesday at 11a.m. CST to see if your favorite tote is available
that week. Then bid or be a champion supporter of the ACS and place a Go For
The Gold bid that secures the tote for you immediately.

ToteTuesday will be held on my blog. Information on how to bid is here:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/archives/4374

I knew ToteTuesday was something I wanted to participate in, and so I made a tote I've called "Getting Graphic."

Using Kathy Mack’s “Winslow Market” tote pattern as published in International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene, I combined some of my hand-dyed and screened fabrics with commercial fabrics with whimsical designs.

I've stuffed it with a number of things:

-A copy of our special issue: International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene
-A copy of our super-sized special Winter issue of Cloth Paper Scissors STUDIOS
-Quilting Arts (Feb/March issue)
-Cloth Paper Scissors (Jan/Feb issue)
-QA TV Series 500 (13 Episodes)
-“Texture Transformation: Stitch, Alter, Recycle” with Natalya Aikens --QA Workshop DVD
-“Gelatin Monoprinting” with Rayna Gillman—QA Workshop DVD
-A fat bundle of my hand-dyed/ screened fabrics

My tote will be available this Tuesday, February 2, at 11:00 AM CST via Virginia's blog. If you're in the market for a tote and want to help the American Cancer Society, I hope you may be interested in bidding!

Editor's QA picks for January!

Pokey — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:13:00 GMT

We're introducing a new feature to the Quilting Arts Community...

Every month I will be cruising the site, noting what people are posting in the galleries and forums, and essentially looking to see how you--our cherished members--are utilizing our community. I will feature some of notable finds the last week of each month. Some of my picks might be helpful, some insightful or inspiring, and others downright humorous. I'll compile them into a single blog post, and award my #1 find something extra special. What's the featured offering this month?

How about a copy of Lyric Kinard's book!

My picks for January 2010:

6. Newbie Jumps Right In

Ranchquilter is brand new to the Quilting Arts community, and right away she shared a few of her pieces including this quilt. I am intrigued by her approach for this piece.

She writes,"This is one of my first art quilts done in the spring of 2009. I started with several photos of our longhorns, placed background fabric on a backing, stitched through a black and white photo of the longhorn, tore off the photo, then started placing fabric. I then thread sketched the details. Finally, I added batting and a backing and machine quilted, then put on a binding. After looking at it for some time, I added some shadows with markers. It is 8.5"x11"."

5. Sharing of an Ingenious Tip: Thrifty Stencil Material

Bhberman shared in the Photo Galleries a great use for those Avery Note Tabs you get at the office supply store.

BHBerman writes, "You may already know about this product but it is new to me. I received a sample of the AVERY NOTE TABS and realized the sturdy stiff repositionable plastic note tabs would make perfect stencil material. I cut this spiral stencil and applied it to this quilt with silver paint. You can wash it and reuse it and it doesn't lose its tacky back. I store them by sticking them to the side of my bookshelf. This one has been used many times and just washed. The quilt page (9x11) is a solvent transfer of the crow , a la Lyric's Surface Design DVD, then darkened with fabric paint, covered with a dryer sheet printed with a scan of three feathers. I hand carved stamps, thanks you Lyric- from Speedy Carve and used pearl paint. The dryer sheet idea came from Natalya Aiken's DVD, Texture Transformation: Stich, Alter, Recycle. I LOVE the look of these printed dryer sheets. A tip from me: Buy the precut FLAT freezer sheets she recommends and avoid the printer jam headache."

4. Sage Stitching Advice in the Forums

Over in the forums, there are some veddy interesting discussions taking place. One such discussion was introduced by our beloved Quilting Arts assistant editor, Pippa Eccles. Fresh from Harvard University and settling into the professional realm of editing quilt publications, Pippa's been interested in improving her quilting skills...and wondered if a glass of wine before sitting at the sewing machine might smooth out her free-motion stitching

She got a number of impressive responses, but I was mightily amazed by the depth (and length) of CKQuilter's reply. Have a look in the original thread for her full response, but to highlight a few of her points, CKQuilter suggests:

* Remember to breathe. I find beginners often hold their breath until reaching the end of a line of quilting - and if you can learn to continue breathing at a normal rate while sewing, your stitches will look better (and you won't be as blue).

* After you are getting happier with the stitches on a straight line, you will want to start trying curves. An easy way to start with something that is familiar to you, is to write your name. you don't have to dot i's, or cross t's yet. just practice your name. Don't make the letters too small. Make them round. You can write it on the fabric first, but it is better if you just go for it.If your stitches are too long, your curves will not be round. Try and move your hands smoothly and at as consistent a speed as possible.

*When sewing a curve - try not to stop and adjust your hands while on the curve - it breaks the smoothness of the curved line.

*If you want a sharp point - that is when you want to stitch up to the point - hesitate (or stop and reposition your hands), and then resume sewing - this makes a sharp point. If you try and keep moving around the point, you will blunt it.

*If you still have problems, remember to try and analyze what is wrong - change something and try again. reanalyze. It will teach you what to watch for.

3. Beautiful & Inspiring Work (#1) goes to...Butterfly! Inspired by Maria Elkins' "Making Faces" workshop, Butterfly created these quilt colorful quilt portraits. I am delighted with Butterfly's work and that she has been sharing so much of her art with us!

(Go have a look at Butterfly's photo gallery by clicking on the image below.)

2. Beautiful & Inspiring Work (#2)

My second pick in the photo galleries goes to Arlee. I am a fan of Arlee's work, and love her intricate stitching and the ethereal, ghostly effect in this piece.

Her accompanying poem:

a ghost had sat, wherever ghosts sit,
in the dark and fust and silence, and silently
embroidered old letters
words
looked like they had run in the rain ---------
and patched and beaded holes, burnt and torn and worn,
she he? pulled laces from old trousseaus and
unstrung beads
unravelled threads with no form left, a whisper of the silk,

a memory of shine still in the twilight

sussuration of bone needle and tiny mouseclick stitch

"Ghost Writing" 18"w x 16"l, compost dyed cotton with appliqued vintage laces. Hand and machine embroidery, reverse applique, beading, faced holes (pink for display background only)

#1. Humorous Cure for the Winter Blues

And the #1 pick for the month of January goes to someone who struck my funny bone. Since I have such a tough time with winter, I cleave to all things humorous. Feeling a little blue on a blustery, dark, and cold evening a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon this clip in the video galleries. It's a little bit ridiculous...and we are so thankful to.... drum roll... artl8dy for sharing it with us!

Meet Artl8dy and her frog puppet, "Poly Esther," showing us some fabric ATCs traded at a recent quilt show:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Artl8dy, I will be contacting you to award you your grand prize.

Until next month, I hope everyone continues to share your insights, artwork, and thoughts on all things art quilting. We wouldn't be a community without you, and we hope that you are enjoying your time here!

Sewing Our Wild Quilts: Our Inner Animal Challenge Finalists

Pokey — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:15:00 GMT

Our latest Reader Challenge "Let Out Your Inner Animal" left our editorial team, quite frankly, a little curious about our Quilting Arts audience. Seems many of you feel rather repressed by your status as homo sapiens, and if it were up to you, you'd be howling at the moon, channeling your inner tiger, rising to the commanding height of a giraffe, or proving to everyone that you are, indeed, the Queen Bee.

Kidding aside, we thoroughly enjoyed all of the entries that came in and will be posting all of the photos of your submissions in our Challenge Gallery the first week of April.

This decision to narrow the lot down to the following handful of artists to consider for print in Quilting Arts Magazine and travel to selected quilt shows was no easy feat. We truly are honored that so many people entered, and we hope that this humorous challenge helped to stave off the winter blues.

The following artists should send us their actual quilt entry, adhering to the challenge particulars. Please understand that we will not be able to publish all of the following artists, as we are constrained by page count; plus we need to see these quilts in person to better determine how they will appear in print. Having said that, we plan for all of the following quilts to travel with us at selected shows in 2010.

Congratulations to the following artists:

Clayton, Sue

Conley, Vicki

Cotter-Lemus, Kimberly

Hankins, Sandra

Hicks, Nancy

Hilbert, Jane

Hinkemeyer, Lisa

Mackay, Deborah

Manning, Sandi

McCall, Jeanelle

McCullough, Debby

Murphy, Roxanne

Pierson, Leilani

Pottmeyer, Terry

Schmold, Carol

Sharp, Linda

Watkins, Cindy

Weaver, Cami

Wisheropp, Lori

Zepf, Vivien

Thanks for playing along, everybody!

Hope and Help for Haiti: What’s a Quilter to Do?

Pokey — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:08:00 GMT

I’ve gotten email from a number of people asking if I know of a reputable organization that is coordinating quilt distribution to Haiti, and to be honest, at this time, I do not. As quilters, by nature, we want to use our skills to help, but at this stage things are so desperate and chaotic, so many people in need of rescue, food, water, and medical attention, it’s tough to think of anything else.

I am certain that over time, there will be a need for quilts to comfort those who have endured such incredible, mind-boggling, inconsolable loss. But right now, the people of Haiti need our help in more immediate, life-sustaining ways.

As soon as I am aware of massive efforts and outlets for quilts, I will share this information on my blog. But in the meantime, CNN has a page of reputable charities to send funds.

Our hearts and thoughts go to the people of Haiti, to those who have lost their lives, to those still clinging to life and in need of rescue, and to the rescuers who are working so persistently and tirelessly to finding them.

Here’s to Hope…

Help! Quilt Design for my "Inner Animal" Quilt

Pokey — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:18:00 GMT

The deadline for Our Inner Animal Reader Challenge is coming up fast (January 22), and I thought it would be fun for me to play along, too, perhaps put my entry on my letter from the editor page and in our community.

My inner animal is the cutest amphibian God created: the frog. I have had a love affair with frogs my whole life, and I’ve even been told that when I’m getting jiggy with it on the dance floor, I look like a dancing tree frog. (Nice commentary, huh?)

I recently mosied on over to an online source for stock photography, purchased an image of a tree frog, and now I’m playing with it in Photoshop to inspire a quilt design. Here are the versions I came up with:

There’s...

Batik Frog!

Fabric Transfer Frog!

Stained Glass Frog!

Discharged Frog!

Hand-Dyed/ Applique Frog!

Heavily Free-motion Quilted Frog!

Deconstructed Screen-printed Frog!

And drum roll...

Thread-sketched Frog on Acid!

So what do you think? Which style should I try? (And I hope you are planning on submitting a quilt to this challenge, too!)

Meet Virginia Spiegel, the Extraordinary Artist Behind ToteTuesday and FFAC!

Pokey — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:11:00 GMT

What's not to love about Virginia Spiegel? She's an exceptional fiber artist, has raised nearly $200,000 for the American Cancer Society with Fiber Arts for a Cause (FFAC), and heck...we share the same birthday (October 2nd in case you wanted to mark your calendars)!

Recently, Virginia decided to launch ToteTuesday, her latest efforts to raise money for ACS. I thought it might be fun to learn more about the person and artist behind such an amazingly successful charitable endeavor.

How long have you been a fiber artist?

About ten years.

I know you have a doctorate, my friend. What is your degree in and how has it played a role in your work?

It is in Planning and Policy in Higher Education. It was a personal goal and something needed in my work at a university. I would say my M.S. In Counseling and my undergrad degree in English and Teaching have had a greater effect in that I am very curious about human nature, how we choose to express ourselves, and the power of the word. Plus if you have ever taught high school, you know everything you need to know about how to be successful in any venture.

I also worked as a graphic designer for five years. I couldn’t find a position at a university when we moved one time, so I started volunteering in a hospital’s media department and worked my way up to a paid position. I took university coursework in photography, design, typography, etc. at the same time. Those courses have been a great help to me as a fiber artist. Plus it was pre-computer design and I developed a love for wax which has come in handy.

You do a lot of surface design work. Are all of your fabrics in your artworks hand-dyed and screened? What is your favorite surface design process and with whom have you studied?

Yes, all my fabric is “made” by me. I generally only dye the fabric for the backs of my artworks. The rest of my fabric is white cotton fabric that is painted, stamped and/or screen printed. I love screen printing. It is not only choosing photos and manipulating them to make interesting screens, but also the building up of layers of interest on the fabric. It reminds me of a geological process.

I learned the painting of fabric basics from Natasha Kempers-Cullen. But I have really developed my own way of doing things over time; I estimate that I have painted almost 1000 yards of fabric. I have taken about three other week-long courses, most importantly from Erika Carter and Joan Schulze. But that’s it. I prefer to discover what I want to do and how I want to do it by working.

You have taken 14 wilderness trips with your sister, and I'm amazed and awed by your camping and canoeing skills. (Camping to me is staying in a three-star hotel!) Tell me a little bit more about your trips.

Above: Nancy (left), Virginia (right)

My sister, Nancy, and I go each Spring and Fall for 10 days. We like the northern part of the Boundary Waters, which is almost on the Canadian border – less people, more moose.

We like to make loops – alternating camping and moving days. That way we just kill ourselves on the travel days (and laugh, eat like crazy, see wildlife, and generally have a great time) and appreciate the camping days. The travel days are pretty much up with the sun, paddle, portage, repeat. The camping days are spent doing NOTHING! Ok, journals and photography and haiku writing and general sister goofiness. But otherwise we just sit and look at the water in silence. For two women who are uber-busy the rest of the year, it is a necessity.

We sometimes do big journeys where we travel every day, but it’s a different mindset. You go out in the boat no matter what, your boots never dry, and if you are stuck at the backside of the loop in a big storm, oh, oh. Then it’s rationing food and TP time! The big trips are always the most challenging and the ones that give us our best stories and memories.

I am addicted to the Boundary Waters because it is a challenge. You have to carry everything you need, there are no signs, no one checks on you, cell phones do not work.

So it is up to us to know where we are, navigate the lakes and find the portages, haul a canoe (our 43 lb. Kevlar canoe, Beauty II, goes over the portages over Nancy’s head) and three 50 lb. packs over the rock and mud portages, pay attention to the weather and try to figure out whether it is safe to go out, sit out storms in a tiny tent, discuss portage priority with a bull moose, etc. Water comes from the lakes and we treat it with a UV Steripen. We wear the same shirt and shorts/pants for the whole time. The biting bugs in the Spring are legion. You have to be either in pretty good shape or be prepared to suffer. It takes a fair amount of problem-solving and just adapting to challenges (such as your stove and Steri-pen both dying at the beginning of the same trip).

You either love it or hate it. We love it because you have to both be in the moment, totally aware of your surroundings, AND have a brain empty of anything else.

Do you and your sister check in with Mom? She must be worried about her two precious daughters becoming bear meat! And what's your favorite insect repellant?

Our Mom does worry, but she knows our motto is “Safety First.” We are 5'2" and 5'6", but we have a system and stick to it so that we are very efficient on the portages and lakes. Plus Mom taught us to do what we want and she would be disappointed if we didn’t follow our dreams. She is happy that we found something we enjoy together as sisters as we really didn’t know each other that well before we started going to the Boundary Waters.

Insect repellant. DEET gives me a headache, so I use some organic stuff that kind of works. It’s pretty much cover up and tough it out. Fall is heaven. It can be cold (even snow) in September, but no bugs.

When you are on these trips, what art supplies do you bring? I take it you don't pack your Bernina and a generator.

We each have a journal and two Uni-ball Vision pens, which are waterproof and write upside down (good for when you are stuck in your sleeping bag in bad weather). Also our cameras. 150 lbs. seems like a lot, but tent, sleeping bags, propane - - it all adds up. So even a few ounces makes a difference. We gave watercolor pencils the boot after one trip.

How do these trips play a role in your Boundary Waters series?

Total inspiration. It is not just the “physical-ness” of the Boundary Waters landscape (water, rock, tree, sky), but even more what these things evoke for me: peace, freedom, an respect for Nature in all its power, a recognition of my own fleeting time on Earth.

"Boundary Waters 44" • 13x12.25" mounted to a custom-made 18x18" stretched canvas. White cotton fabric, acrylic paint, artist’s photos inkjet printed on silk organza, ink, colored pencil, graphite, and rayon thread. Collaged, colored, lettered and stitched.

How long have you been doing Fibeart for a Cause (FFAC) and what started it all for you?

Since 2005. I started raising funds to support my sister who volunteered to be the chair of her community’s Relay For Life. Our Dad is a colon cancer survivor.

How do you balance making art with running FFAC?

It’s hard as I am definitely an artist who needs a lot of uninterrupted time to think and work. But I have retired all the big fundraisers. I figure as long as my sister can devote so much time to being a Relay Chair, I can take the time to run a little fundraiser now and then.

What was your initial monetary goal for FFAC?

I hoped to raise $90.

Were you surprised at the goals you've accomplished? What factors do you think led to such incredible success?

Well, more than $190,000 still surprises me, but I hope to go over $200,000 before I stop. Fiber artists and their patrons are the key to success. We all want to help, we all want to “do good,” we all want to promote fiber arts. Of course, FFAC would have never taken flight without Karey Bresenhan, our honorary chairperson. She donated a huge area at the International Quilt Festivals for the Postcard Project and we raised over $120,00 at three Festivals, $30 at a time. Obviously that was a lot of donated fiberart postcards and a lot of generous patrons.

Tell me more about ToteTuesday. What are your goals for this particular FFAC endeavor?

As always, in addition to raising funds for the ACS, I want to promote fiber art and artists. There is so much good art, so much good information, so much creativity out there. ToteTuesday offers fiber art/supplies/information in themed groupings that are unique, beautiful, and inspiring in a re-usable Relay For Life or custom-made tote. Plus, who doesn’t need a little cheering up in February and March?

Well, Virginia, thank you for your time! And I have a little surprise for you and for those reading this blog: I was able to dig up the segment you taped for Quilting Arts TV at the International Quilt Festival/ Chicago in 2008. Hope everyone enjoys this segment, and I'll post pictures of my own tote I'm donating for ToteTuesday very soon!

(Please visit the site to view this media)

A Magazine Cover to Combat Seasonal Affective Disorder!

Pokey — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:55:00 GMT

Have the frigid temps, icy roads, and price hikes in produce got you down? Let's see if we can cheer you up with a sneak peek at the February/ March 2010 cover of Quilting Arts...

This cover features a detailed shot of Kathy York's "Falling Through the Cracks," a quilt we all adored when we saw it in Houston this past fall. For me, there's a lot to love about this quilt. The eye-popping colors that are like defibrillators for an art-starved soul; the bright and shiny buttons that look like candy; and Kathy's whimsical machine stitching, including Kathy's use of the satin stitch (which is what she shows us how to master in her article).

There are a lot of great things in this February/ March issue, including the introduction of Susan Brubaker Knapp's machine stitching column, Pippa's artist profile of surface design artist Astrid Hilger Bennett, tips for creating figures in fabric with Leni Wiener, a sampling of the Masters' quilts, and much more. (Check out this link to see the full table of contents.) This issue hits the newsstands on February 2, but is currently on its way to subscribers.

As editors, it's our hope during this cold and blustery winter that you wont need a dose of light therapy to combat S.A.D. if you keep this issue close by.

Hope you enjoy!

Pokey

Starting off a Monday right! Winner announced...

Pokey — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:56:00 GMT

Are you feeling like a winner this Monday morning? Well, if you go by the handle "Sewingcyclist" congratulations! You, lucky person, not only won some fabrics hand-dyed and screened by Yours Truly, but a big ole' fat stack of Moda Fats! Congratulations to you!

These fabrics are actually remnants from fabrics I have created for my ToteTuesday, the latest fundraiser that Virginia Spiegel is spearheading. My tote's theme is "Getting Graphic" and the tote is constructed from fabrics that are bright and bold. I'm filling my tote with all kinds of Quilting Arts goodies, and yes, lotsa' fabrics. (I can't help myself!) My tote will be auctioned off in February and I'll provide more details when I have them.

In the meantime, if you didn't win, I'm doing another giveaway later this week that incorporates an online challenge. I'm going to be giving away 10 sets of hand-dyed fabric, but there's a twist: You have to do something with it and I'll post your work on my blog and the photo galleries for all to see. Hope you'll want to participate!

Giveaway: Ringing in 2010 with Some Color & Texture

Pokey — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:23:00 GMT

I hope everyone was able to enjoy some time to themselves over the holidays! Since I was at our Interweave headquarters just before the break, I went skiing in Colorado for a couple of days. (This was to make The Husband happy.)

Then when we came home to Massachusetts, I played in my studio for five glorious days. (This was to keep ME happy!)

Inspired by Screen Printing: Layering Textiles with Colour, Texture & Imagery, I played with deconstructed screen printing, printing with glue, flour paste, and freezer paper resists; fiddled with soy wax batik; and wearing proper protective gear, did a little bleach discharge.

(freezer paper resist)

I stamped, foiled, stenciled, you name it, and now I have a little fat stash of about 10 yards of colorful fabric to prove it.

I even started a small quilted project (detail below) using some of these fabrics for an upcoming Quilting Arts article...

To ring in the new year, I'd love to give some of this fabric away.

And just in case you prefer commercial fabrics, I'll throw in a very fat stash of dee-lish Moda Fabrics!

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me what your ARTful resolution is for the new year. I will leave the responses open through this Friday (January 8) at 4:00 EST, then randomly select a winner and post the winning name on my blog.

In the meantime, I'd also like to share with you that Bernina has a new website they've launched called We All Sew. If you are wanting to sew or quilt some projects as part of your New Year's artful resolution, check out their Sew To Serve section.

Happy New Year!

New Addition to the Cloth Paper Scissors Team!

Pokey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:35:00 GMT

As we put forth more publications, videos and other fun offerings, it’s become more important than ever to invite talented and creative people to join our crew. It’s with great pleasure to announce that Jenn Mason is joining our Cloth Paper Scissors editorial team as Editor! We have great confidence that Jenn will make Cloth Paper Scissors an even more colorful, fun, and cutting edge publication.

Immersed in the collage and mixed-media world, Jenn is an accomplished artist, has authored several arts and crafts books, has written articles for magazines (including Cloth Paper Scissors), filmed her own CPS hour-long Workshop DVD this past fall, and overall is very committed to the arts. Furthermore, Cloth Paper Scissors will have its own online community in early 2010 (similar to our Quilting Arts community here), and that's where you can connect with Jenn, read her blog, and share your mixed-media work with her in the photo galleries. Jenn can also be reached via email at jmason@interweave.com.

Cate Prato (formerly our features editor for Cloth Paper Scissors) has been doing a fantastic job as Editor of Studios, and drum roll…will be putting together four super-sized issues of Studios next year. She will also be managing many online initiatives. (What can I say? We like to stay busy around here!)

Barbara Delaney will continue to be Assistant Editor for Cloth Paper Scissors and will also be helping Cate with Studios. Helen Gregory will continue to be Managing Editor for Cloth Paper Scissors and our Quilting Arts family of publications.

We have more exciting stuff for 2010 that I'll be announcing soon. In the meantime, please help me welcome Jenn to our team!

Stitched Holiday Fabric Cards

Pokey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:22:00 GMT

Over the Thanksgiving Day holiday, I knew I needed to do something with my bin of fabric runts. You know what I'm referring to: those fabrics you made that didn't dye or screen successfully, but you just can't bear to throw them out. I decided with a little holiday love, my fabric runts might make for some festive fabric cards.

Materials

Fabric scraps

Freezer paper

Sharpie(R) pen

Fabric and paper scissors

Iron

Fusible web or temporary adhesive spray (such as 505)

Sewing machine with free-motion capabilities

Threads (I like to lay on the glitz for these cards so I used metallic.)

PVA Glue (such as Sobo)

Buttons

White Cards (I used watercolor.)

1. To make your freezer paper tree stencil, fold your sheet of freezer paper in half and with your Sharpie (and on the paper side), draw the side of a tree along the fold. Cut along the fold and spread open.

2. Adhere your sheet of fabric to felt or low loft batting using fusible web or temporary adhesive spray.

3. Iron the freezer paper stencil to your fabric and trace the stencil with your pen. Repeat until your sheet of fabric is full of marked trees.

4. Free-motion stitch each tree and cut them out.

5. Mark on the card where you would like to place the button, then take the card to your sewing machine, and free-motion swirls.

6. Glue your button and the tree to the card. At this point you could stitch garland on your tree using a zigzag effect as I've done in the example below.

7. Insert a family photo, seal the envelope, and drop your cards into the mail. Cheers!