Week in Review 2016 - 11/11

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

I am very fortunate to have a husband who
supports my quilting efforts with actions.
This morning, before he headed off to work,
the two of us squared up and trimmed
Siren's Song. 

What does an artist do when the unimaginable happens? I refer to our president elect, being Donald Trump. No matter whether you voted for or against him, if you reside in the US or routed for or against him if you don't, the outcome grabbed you in the gut. Toni Morrison's wisdom can direct us, she said, "This is the time artists go to work." This is precisely what I did on November 9th, I continued to make art.

Detail of Siren's Song before trimming.

If you have no words - make art. If quilt art is your medium and you want that art seen there is a call for entry I recommend. The deadline to enter Textile Posters: Communication and Commentary  is January 31, 2017. This call does require a very specific size, 48" high x 32" wide, it should pay homage to the poster genre, and you must be a member of SAQA to enter.  The accepted work will be premiere at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, in November 2017. There it will be seen by 50,000 IQF attendees. After Houston the exhibit will travel for several more years. 

In a spirit of disclosure, I am SAQA's Chair of the Exhibition Committee. The committee works hard to bring a variety of exhibition opportunities to our members, who currently number 3,400 from around the globe. Over the years SAQA's exhibitions have started to include more tightly themed exhibits, often looking at current global and social issues. Since we start working on theme for an exhibition as much as 2.5 years before it is seen at its opening venue, I feel that the fates were in our favor, providing a very timely opportunity.

Detail of Siren's Song after trimming.

All entries are blind juried. Textile Posters will be juried by Joseph Lupo, a print maker and university teacher with a focus on posters. He is not a SAQA member. Because SAQA's exhibits are juried blind even the members of the Exhibition Committee may enter. My chances are as good as anyone else of getting an acceptance. So, am I working on my poster quilt? Actually, I started it yesterday. Just playing around with the background. The idea is something I have been tossing around in my head and actually tested a bit in my Art on the iPad class. However, as you can see, my focus has remained on finishing Siren's Song first. 

1)  Continue quilting Siren's Song - Done!

Not only did I continue quilting Siren's Song, I finished quilting Siren's Song. Yeah! 

I finished filling in the yellow segment with
scroll stitch and moved on to outlining
several other segments. 

2) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

Siren's Song has allowed me to multi-task for many weeks now. :)

3) Do some surface design work - Done!

I've made good progress with my hand stitching. I can comfortably stitch 4 different stitches. In other words I don't have to keep checking my cheat sheet to figure out where to stick the needle next or even how to turn a corner, start the next thread or finish the last one.
4) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open. 

Boy, was I tempted to shut down when I woke up to the news on November 9th. Instead, I treated the day like any other day. It began with my husband and I taking our usual 5K morning walk. This gave us the opportunity to share our fears and hopes in the aftermath of the election. Then it was on to the routine of the day. When times are unsettling having a plan and/or routine can provide a way to stay open and keep moving.

What will I be moving on to next week? The usual array of ongoing projects and new projects.

1)  Face Siren's Song

2) Free motion quilting practice

3) Do some surface design work

4) Settle on a design for my next piece
5) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open.

I am now linking up to two blogs on Fridays. The first is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays and the second is Free Motion Mavericks.