Week in Review 2016 - 05/06

Seasonal Palette, an all SAQA Exhibition at Taiwan International Quilt Expo.
Photo by Betty Busby

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Deconstructed Sunrise is included
in My Corner of the World. This
all SAQA exhibition opens at the
Stratford Perth Museum in Stratford,
Ontario on May 21, 2016.

I have heard from several of my art quilt peers who have work in the Taiwan International Quilt Exhibition. Some are even fortunate enough to attend. This morning Betty Busby sent SAQA's Exhibition Committee a photo she took of SAQA's exhibition Seasonal Palette. This exhibit opened at IQF in 2012 and still has one more contracted venue after Taiwan at the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. No, I don't have work in this exhibition. I did enter, just wasn't juried in, sigh. However, I am fortunate enough to be in two of SAQA's exhibitions that open in 2016. The first is My Corner of the World, that along with its companion exhibition My Corner of the World - Canada opens at the Stratford Perth Museum in Stratford, Ontario on May 21, 2016. Both exhibitions have the same theme. The first was open to all SAQA members (over 3,400 from around the world) and the latter was open only to Canadian members. I also had a piece selected for SAQA's exhibition Tranquility, that will open at IQF - Houston in October 2016. 

I am one of SAQA's many, many volunteers that make the organization the powerhouse that it is. In February of 2015 I took on the role of SAQA Exhibition Committee Chair. This has me managing a committee of 17 incredible volunteers, staff and Board members who are the backbone of SAQA exhibitions. A question we get asked is why should I enter a SAQA exhibition if it means that if I am accepted my work will be unavailable to me for 2, 3 even 4 years? My response, "For a $40 entry fee your work could tour the world and you don't have to handle any of the travel arrangements or paperwork. What a bargain! What a CV builder." 

Adoration is one of 26 art quilts selected for SAQA's
exhibition, Tranquility. It opens at IQF - Houston
in October 2016.

Why do I take on this responsibility, which frankly is a major time drain, time that I could be spending in my studio? It is because I feel so grateful to everyone that has come before me and will come after me that have done the hard work while I reap the benefits. This is my way of paying it forward.

This week the Exhibition Committee required more of my time than some other weeks. I did a bit of this and a bit of that, just not as much as I might have wished to do. I made progress, as you can see:

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Attach the label - Done!

2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction - Done!

I continued to free motion quilt the water section of the piece. I had hoped to finish the quilting phase this week. It just wasn't meant to be.

3) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

There is nothing like having a large quilt requiring quilting to keep my free motion quilting muscle memory trained.

4) Do some surface design work - Done!

If you follow my blog than you know, Lola, my studio
cat. This is an example of what happens when I start
with a photo and run it through multiple iPad apps, that
simplify, morph, change the palette and allow for text.

Technically this was a break week during my Art on the iPad class. However, we were encourage to develop a comfort level with the two apps introduced last week, by spending an hour a day playing. I didn't manage to work on the iPad daily, but I did have fun metamorphosizing doodles and photos to a point where they became a brand new image.

5) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open - Done!

Sometimes my opinion is solicited about a new direction or project that SAQA Exhibitions might want to explore. It is so easy to see why these ideas may not work (finances, sell to the membership and more). I have to remind myself to stay open and not close down an idea just because the pitfalls are obvious. Instead I have learned to stay open to the possibilities and work collaboratively to overcome the hurdles. Such was the case this week. A new concept has been raised. I agreed to consider it. I didn't reject it outright, tempting as it was. What will happen? Who knows? At least I remained open.

I am ready to put the pedal to metal on my George and finish up the free motion quilting on Sunrise Abstraction. I am eager to get to the finishing stage, when the quilt is blocked and trimmed and faced. This is when the piece comes alive for me. Hopefully, my impatience will drive me into the studio so that I can attend to the following next week:

1) Work on Sunrise Abstraction

2) Free motion quilting practice

3) Do some surface design work


4) 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.

Week in Review 2016 - 04/29

Isn't this fun? I discovered
a collection of apps that
create all kinds of surreal
effects. 

I just have the bottom
6" and top 3" of Sunrise
Abstraction left to quilt.

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Serene - that is precisely how I felt yesterday while quilting Sunrise Abstraction. How I wish I could wave a magic wand and tap into serenity at will. It is so easy to get caught up in the demands of daily life. The to do list is invariably longer than the done list. It feels like such a luxury to sit down and spend hours free motion quilting. What made yesterday different? It may have been because the motif is second nature for me to quilt. It certainly helped that I had zero thread issues. It didn't hurt that this was the second week of no traveling. It always takes me a while to get back in the groove. When I do - serenity...

I wasn't so mellow that I got nothing accomplished. Here is how the week went:

Close-up of the free motion quilting done this week
on Sunrise Abstraction. This is what had me
feeling so serene.

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time. - I printed the label, finally!

2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction - Done!

I managed to quilt around 60% of the quilt in just two studio days. I have approximately one more studio day to go and the quilting will be done.

3) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

Remember last week's
daffodil images. Here
is the same photo, but this
time manipulated through
Drawing Pad.

My work on Sunrise Abstraction is doing double duty here.

4) Do some surface design work - Done!


Lesson 3 of Art on the iPad had me exploring several more apps. This week the apps focused on drawing. 

5) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open - Done!

I never did learn how to do cartwheels or headstands as a child. I'm not sure why these were so difficult for me. I do hate the blood rush when I am upside down. This past Tuesday there was only me and one other student in Yoga. She is 36 to my one week from turning 63. She wanted to work on headstands using the wall for support. I just wanted to cry or least do my own thing when the teacher went with this suggestion. Instead I tried. I didn't manage a full headstand but I did, very briefly, get two feet on the wall above my waist with my head resting between my forearms on my mat. 

Another drawing app experiment. This was super
easy and fun to do.

I'm looking forward to next week. I love all aspects of quilting. Still there is something exciting about squaring up a quilt. This is when the piece truly comes alive for me. I should be at that point with Sunrise Abstraction next week. So, that is one thing I'll be working on. Here is the rest of the plan:


1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Attach the label 

2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction

3) Free motion quilting practice

4) Do some surface design work


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.

Week in Review 2016 - 04/22

Spring finally came to
Appleton, WI, my home
town. Maybe that is why
I've been a tad distracted.

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques

I've returned to working on Sunrise
Abstraction. 

So many apps, so little time. The second week of Art on the iPad has me making art, or at least starting with a photo and manipulating it through various apps to transform it. I feel like one of my grandsons (ages 5, 7 and 8) let loose in a children's museum. They are at an age when they dash from station to station, pressing buttons, twirling handles, competing with themselves and each other to see who can get their whirligig made from a cone shaped paper cup to fly the highest in an air current. I'm dashing from app to app with that same gleeful "what does this button do?" attitude. Focus, what is that? I'm too busy having fun. 

I came up with and
tested a free motion quilting motif
to use in the water section of
Sunrise Abstraction.

I didn't spend 100% of my week playing with apps, as you can see:

When I look at the lake in front of our home, if there
is any wind, it is broken up by choppy water. It makes
sense to use echoing undulating lines with densely
filled "pods". It nicely replicates wakes and eddies.

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time. - I didn't get to this, BUT I do have a second label to print so I'm betting this will be off my list next week.


2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction - Done!

3) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

4) Do some surface design work - Done! 


That is what all that app play was about. I'm counting it as surface design work, since the ultimate goal is to create fabric and/or blueprints for future work.

Recognize the daffodil from up above?
This is the same photo after it has
been run through the chalk scribble
feature in Imaengine, one of the
apps I've been playing with this week.

5) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open - Done!

One of the apps that was recommended in class just wasn't impressing me as something I could use to create fabric. Sure it was fun to go from photo of an image to a watercolor like painting of it, but so what. I tried to keep an open mind. Finally, one of the other students used it to create a background splashed/wash type effect. Now that is more my style. I see another app in my future. :) Good thing I stayed open.

I'm sure there will be more app play next week. I hope to pry myself away sufficiently to attend to the other items on my list, as well. 

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time.

2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction

3) Free motion quilting practice

4) Do some surface design work


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.

Week in Review 2016 - 04/15

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Get comfortable! Those two words could be my mantra. I was definitely thinking comfort as I selected my outfit this morning. Having achieved so many of the right of passage milestones, with Medicare just two years in my future, I have zero qualms about donning elastic waist pants, shoes that don't pinch or give me vertigo, and layers of sweaters, sweatshirts and down vests for warmth. I still make an effort to choose items that are color coordinated. I even sneak in bright colors, especially on gloomy days. However, my primary mission is comfort. When I am comfortable, I can face the day's challenges.

If you haven't played with the Photo Booth
app on your iPhone or iPad you may want
to give it a whirl. It allows you to take
a photo (in my case a selfie) in a variety
of modes. This one is Thermal Camera. 

It is the same way I approach working on my art. There are many ways I get comfortable in my studio. It is one of the reasons I practice free motion quilting. Even before I sit down to free motion quilt, I will first doodle the design on paper. Why? Because that invariably teaches me how to navigate through the tricky transitions and direction changes so that I when I stitch the design I don't hesitate. 

My studio is set up for comfort, too. The chairs at my two sewing machines are set at just the right height. I have one of the cushy gel mats I can move around the room, so that if I am cutting, ironing or doing surface design work for a significant amount of standing time, I don't have an uncomfortable surface to stand on. 

For me, organization is key to staying comfortable. I tend to be hyper-organized. My threads are organized by type, color and value. The same goes for my paints and fabrics. I have all my Bernina's feet at the front of the cabinet drawer in line by number, so that I can easily access and exchange feet without ever getting up. 

Why get comfortable? It is simple. When I am comfortable I can focus on both the fun of creativity and inevitable problem solving. It is easier to tackle the "big" issues when the buzzing mosquito of discomfort isn't distracting me.

This is my first week back after traveling and most of it was spent catching up with everything non-studio related. I did manage to spend a little time in the studio. I also began taking Art on the iPad on Monday. A little work here and there means I have a few things to share:

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time. - Still on hold.


2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction - Done!

Feeling Groovy is an original free motion
quilting motif that I developed during a
doodling session.

I don't have pictorial proof, but I did begin machine quilting Sunrise Abstraction. I did an area that I felt couldn't be done via continuous line stitching to achieve the look I was after. This means I have approximately 40 sets of threads to bury. I actually don't mind doing this. However, work with long dangling threads distracts from the actual quilting. I'll share what I did this week, next week after the threads are buried in the quilt.

3) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

I had fun spending an hour or so doodling. Nothing I tried looked right. Then I stumbled on this particular design, which is an amalgam on several of Tracy's (Whirls 'n Swirls) patterns with a frilly addition of my own. I've named the design, Feeling Groovy. I'm not sure when I would use it, but it does fill a space nicely.

A quick scribble done with my finger
on the iPad using the app Crayon. My
goal was simply to learn how the app
functioned, including how to save an
image for future use and sharing.

4) Do some surface design work - Done!


I am counting my work in Art on the iPad as my surface design work. Step one has been learning how to make my way around the iPad and online class interface. I did download one free app called Crayon. My scribble isn't much to look at now. I understand from more advanced students, that scribbles like mine are perfect for running through multiple apps and coming up with some surprising and stunning fabrics. 

5) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open. - Done!

In fact this is what lead to my focus on comfort. It is so easy to shut down when facing having to potentially disappoint or reprimand someone. It can be so much easier to let things slide than to speak up. Sometimes it is necessary to be uncomfortable first in order to get to a point of comfort.

Now that I have nearly caught up from my travels I am looking forward to learning a few more art apps and studio work next week. One way to be sure I am comfortable with the work ahead, is to know what my plans are. Now you do too. :)

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time.


2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction

3) Free motion quilting practice

4) Do some surface design work


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.

Week in Review 2016 - 03/25

The back is pieced for
Sunrise Abstraction.

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Teachers, especially quilting teachers, have been on my mind this week. One of the reasons for this is following the SAQA forum discussion that has resulted from a teacher seeking advice on how to handle travel, especially air travel, when she needs to bring a trunk show, handouts, merchandise for sale, and projection equipment. She received excellent advice. What I appreciated as much as the advice were the behind the scene stories. No matter the trials the teachers endured, they were unanimous as to why they put up with the inconvenience and hardships - the students.

I did my share of teaching quilting a decade ago. I am in agreement, I taught because I enjoyed the excitement of watching those eureka moments when a student would suddenly "get it." 

This is the front side of Sunrise Abstraction
the way it looked last week. 

Technology has been changing the world for show teachers teach and how students can learn. There are many fabulous teachers who teach online, especially through Craftsy. If you hunt around there are other online platforms that provide classes and you can scroll through the offerings and select a course that fits your schedule, budget and precisely what you want to learn next. I've just signed up for Art on an iPad, taught by Susie Monday. It begins on April 11th. I chose this class for several reasons, but the primary one is that the art is focused on designing and printing fabric. This is something I have wanted to try my hand at for a while. There is still room if you want to join in the fun. Just like Craftsy classes you will have access to this course as long as it stays online should you need to refer back to it. 

I've mentioned Leah Day frequently on my blog. She is a Craftsy teacher. She also has over 450 free motion designs that she demos in individual videos linked to her site. I thought I had pretty much learned all there is to know about free motion quilting, but today I picked up a new tip from Leah that I have never seen before, if your thread is breaking and the usual tension, cleaning, new needle, de-spooling, etc. aren't working, it could be the direction you are quilting. Machines are designed to stitch forward and handle side to side stitching (think satin stitch and zigzag). They may not be designed to stitch in reverse for more than a few stitches. So, if you are quilting a long line of stitches and the thread is breaking, you may want to shift the position of the quilt so that you are stitching forward and see if that won't fix the problem.

I opted to stitch out this feather variation
to practice my free motion quilting this week.

I've been in teacher, or more precisely lecturer mode for much of this week. I will be part of three person panel presentation at the SAQA Conference in Philadelphia next week. Our topic is "Exhibitions: Expanding in Multiple Dimensions." I've been reviewing and tweaking slides as well practicing, practicing and practicing what I am going to say. This took me out of the studio, but as you can see I did manage to spend a few hours, just not my typical 20 hours or so in the studio this week.

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time. - Still on hold.


2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction - Done!

I had fun going through my stash hunting down the best backing fabric for Sunrise Abstraction. I had several fabrics that could be used for a whole cloth back. I could have dyed a piece to match, but I decided to use what I have on hand. 

3) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

I turned to Tracy of Whirls 'n Swirls again for inspiration for a free motion quilting design to practice with. I thought this two side feather motif looked fun. Unlike most feather designs this doesn't require a stem.

4) Do some surface design work - Done, sort of


I spent a few hours doing the technological prep class for Art on an iPad. Since I am a true neophyte when it comes to using my iPad for anything more than email, streaming my favorite radio station and doing FaceTime with my grandchildren, I felt this "bonus" lesson was an absolute necessity. This way when the class starts I can focus on creating the art and not how to navigate my iPad. At least that is my plan.

5) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open - Done

I am very fortunate to have someone to help me create the Power Point slides necessary to provide visuals for the SAQA Conference presentation. It is a huge undertaking, especially hunting down the facts and images that were required. I was ready to start practicing, but I didn't have the final presentation to practice with. So, I didn't practice. In other words I found an excuse to shut down. However, after realizing what I was doing, it occurred to me that I could at least practice the portion of the presentation that  was complete. That is precisely what I did. Paradigm shift - it wasn't waiting for the work to get done that was impeding my ability to practice, it was me thinking that having a completed presentation was a necessity to do so. Now the Power Point presentation is set and so am I.

I won't be writing my posts for several weeks, since I will be away from my studio. When I return here is what I plan on tackling:

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time.


2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction

3) Free motion quilting practice

4) Do some surface design work


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.

Week in Review 2016 - 03/18

Tip, Thoughts and Techniques:

Sunrise Abstraction

Each Friday as I prepare to sit down and write my post various ideas for how to begin, what to focus on, or points to make drift through my stream of conscientiousness. Eventually I have a plan. 99% of the time when I settle in front of the computer with the ideas still swirling in my head what come out has little to do with what I thought I would write about. So, is the case for today.

I had thought I would write about the natural arch of making a piece of art; how I go from "you're a genius, Gwyned" to "not so bad" and then where I was yesterday with Sunrise Abstraction, "this has been a waste of my time. why do I even bother?" What I discovered, as I prepared the photos is I do know why I bother and Sunrise Abstraction isn't as horrendous as it had first seemed. 

Feeling the Love is my free motion quilting practice
this week. The pattern comes from Whirls 'n Swirls.

How did I get out of my funk? Two ways. One, I journal first thing in the morning. This is a great way to catch the muse's whisperings. I found myself brainstorming various ways I might quilt Sunrise Abstraction. This gave me a fresh start. In other words it brought me back to place of "genius" so I could feel excited about the piece again. Two, Just because one piece isn't coming together doesn't mean I have made zero advancement in my art. I'm very pleased by how something as simple as stamping my dye painted fabric brought new depth and light to the piece.

This is the right side of the swamp fabric that I created
by painting PFD Kona cotton. The dye does seep
to the back, but not as saturated as on the front.

Seems I have managed to stay OPEN (this year's word) once again. I have stayed open to seeing Sunrise Abstraction in a new way. I have stayed open to trying a new surface design technique (more later) and to modifying a fabric I had already created. Not a bad week after all.

Here is the work that I managed last week:

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time. - Still on hold

2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction - Done! 


I continued to working on piecing, adding a few more strips to the water, creating the sky and then assembling the three sections (sky, sunrise, and water) together. 

3) Free motion quilting practice - Done!

I chose another Whirls 'n Swirls design to practice with. I've decided to call it Feeling the Love. I am not sure what Tracy calls it. I'm so pleased that Tracy has decided to come up with another year of free motion quiltings motifs to practice with. She has her own twist on FMQ with barbs, hooks and ways to maneuver around the canvas that I am ever so slowly beginning to grasp and make part of my muscle memory.
4 Do some surface design work - Done!

If it looks as if the fabric is in reverse now, that is
because it is. I opted to stamp the backside. I liked
the way there were several thin streaks where the dye
didn't permeate and also the navy blue was ever
so slightly less harsh juxtaposed against the yellow.
By stamping the navy with a mid-value green that
has a glimmer of a tint to it, the result is a more of a
realistic landscape. My husband, who photographed
the piece last night declared it "eerie." 

What a difference layering of surface designs can make. I learned this in 2014 when I spent the year doing all of LifeBook 2014's mixed media assignments. Now I am applying what I learned to do on watercolor paper to fabric. 

I knew the value differential on my swamp fabric was too much of a leap. So, when I was selecting a fabric to try out my new moldable foam stamps on I grabbed the swamp fabric. I selected a pea, leaning towards chartreuse green acrylic paint, mixed it with textile medium and started stamping. I noticed several things. One, the stamps were not flat, they were convex after being molded, so getting a clear image wasn't working. Two, the paint was transparent, so the navy blue and paint created a secondary color except where there were paint globules. Even though the effect I achieved wasn't what I expected, I really, really liked how it came out. I've named the piece Bayou and am thinking it will make an excellent small (12" x 12") whole cloth quilt. I might even wrap it around stretcher bars since the fabric is close to 15" x 15".

5) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open - Done!

The trick will be to maintain my forward momentum as I approach next week's work which is likely to be:

1)  Finish Reflection #2  - Create and attach the label either when needed or when I have a second label to print at the same time.

2) Work on Sunrise Abstraction

3) Free motion quilting practice

4 Do some surface design work

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.

Tutorial - How to Seam Two End to End Strips - The No Pins or Notches Method

For years I have struggled to seam two end to end strips together at any angle so that when I opened the seam I could guarantee that I would have one continuous strip versus one strip higher than the other. Recently I stumbled upon a way to do this that is so simple I am surprised I haven't seen it anywhere else. 

Two strips end to end before seaming them together.

Place one strip on top of the other with both right sides up.

Note how the two ends are even on the left side.
You could line up the fabric on the right side. It is the same principle.

Place a straight edge or ruler at any, yes that is ANY angle
that you want the seam to be. You waste the least amount of
fabric if the ruler/cut begins either at the lower or upper
corner. Once again this is your preference as to which
direction (climbing up a mountain or climbing down a mountain)
you want to achieve.

Cut alongside the ruler. You can save the trim for snippets or
even for joining later if you choose.

Now rotate the top fabric 180 degrees. This gives you a sneak
peek of how the fabrics will look seamed together.

It doesn't matter which of the two fabrics you mark. Personally,
I  select the fabric I can see the marking on. Turn that
fabric upside down so that the wrong side is facing up. Line up
the ruler at the 1/4" mark. This is the seam line.

You can mark the whole seam line or just a dash where the seam
starts and ends as I have done. However, if you don't mark the full
seam line you do need a 1/4" foot or guide on your sewing machine
to ensure an accurate seam.

Here is the magic. Lay the strips together, right side to right
side so that the cut edges line up, BUT don't forget to slide
them to create "ears" at each end. You know you have positioned
everything correctly if the seam line mark is exactly at the two notches
where the top fabric meets the lower fabric.

Use a 1/4" seam to sew the two fabrics together.

I always press my seams open. This produces a flatter
quilt and makes free motion quilting easier.

Turn the fabric over so that the right side is up.
Press one more time for good measure. Then admire your work!