"The Coffee Break"

"The Coffee Break" is my curator's piece for the upcoming special exhibition, "Rituals", which debuts at the International Quilt Festival, Long Beach, in July 2012.  After honing down which ritual theme I wanted to work with for this exhibition, I started and stopped several times.  I even changed the cloth on the coffee cups at the very last minute (see last image).

This ritual has to do with a long-running email conversation with my friend and teaching partner, Jamie Fingal.  When I see "coffee break" in the subject line, I know to get my cuppa and put my feet up, because it will be a long conversation in print.  We discuss business items, personal issues...you name it.

The coffee break has been a long-running habit which is often more of a lifeline.

I took quite a number of our email exchanges, printed them on paper, then cut them into small rectangular strips.  The strips were laminated onto polyester sheer with matte medium.  This was subsequently fused with Mistyfuse, cut into "vapor-like" shapes and fused to the surface of the quilt, along with the interior of each cup.

I wanted the quilt to have a mirror-image effect, so the background shapes and the coffee cup are inverted at the top.  The vapor was appliqued onto the surface, then more vapor was added by free-motion thread-painting.  The background shapes, though rather abstract, are created to reference portals, doorways, windows.  

Creating this piece was a joy.  I hope you like it, too.

Finished size:  60 inches long by 24 inches wide.

emails, cut into small rectangular pieces

after laminating to polyester sheer

looking at cast shadows.....

Here is my original cup (which I adore!). 

I changed it because I felt these got "lost" on the surface of the quilt.

I'm still sad about them....

...but they just didn't work as well as the black and white ones.

Also, the vapor looks too "vine-like" here.  

Picky, picky, picky.

Vidcast with Bonnie McCaffery

I was honored to have the opportunity to do a vidcast with the wonderful Bonnie McCaffery last fall at the International Quilt Festival in Houston.  Please click on the link below.

Vidcast with Bonnie McCaffery

Another Bit of E-Book news!

I am very pleased to announce that I have an article included in the new Interweave e-book, "Text On Quilts".  Please stop by the Interweave Store and check it out!

The San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild retreat (recap)

Cake, or not, this was the theme of the weekend for the group of SAMQG members who traveled to the Deep Woods retreat center in Smithville TX for the second annual retreat.  With quilt makers and scrapbookers in mind, the Deep Woods facility was ideal for our retreat:  a large building with great lighting, plenty of design wall and table space, a dining room with commercial kitchen directly off the work-area, and 6 bedrooms, each with a full bath, in separate hallways off the opposite side of the work area from the dining room.  Each room had 4 twin beds, which were very comfortable (I'm embarrassed to admit I was concerned about this:  I'm such a baby!).

The retreat center owners provided a lovely lunch and dinner.  There was a bit of confusion about breakfast, but no worries:  we had enough "stuff" of our own to deal with it.  I believe we will bring some breakfast items the next time we come.

One of the first things we did was make our beds.  We were encouraged to bring a quilt for our bed:  it could be one we made, or one that had some special meaning to us.  Most had quilts that had a wonderful story attached to it.  I loved the quilts people brought that their mother made when they left for college, old quilts that had been acquired by another family member (provenance unknown, but still beloved), and quilts that had been made for another loved one.  We voted on our favorite which was not an easy task.  By overwhelming majority, Erica Mitchell won for the beautiful quilt she made, but had not yet given, her grandmother.  Equally gorgeous on both sides, the quilt is something special!

The group gathers in one of the bedrooms to hear the story of each quilt.

Erica Mitchell's beautiful quilt, made for her grandmother.

My design wall with 2 projects residing side-by-side.

I can't overstate how happy I am with my new SewEzi table.

I placed it at a right-angle to the work table, giving me extra room for my supplies.

My position to the table was perfect, from an ergonomic standpoint.

This has become critical to me since I am struggling with chronic tendonitis and ulnar neuropathy,

all a result of repetitive motion.  Stretch, people!!

I'm adding another little tidbit:  I always carry a Dyna Disc when I go to places with long sitting/sewing

sessions.  What is it?  I discovered this little gem many years ago from a fiber-artist friend.

I bought one to carry along to the many (and I mean MANY) softball games I attended with my daughters.  Bleachers are hard, full of splinters, and this little thing really made a difference.

The other added bonus:  it raises my height a couple inches which helps with the positioning at the sewing table.  Check it out:

Here is the link.

Another shot of a portion of the large work room.

Eeek! You SCARED Me!

A set of pincushions at Kathy York's house set me off.

Pincushion on the right sneaked up on Scardey-cat Pincushion on the left,

causing an eye-popping, hair-raising reaction.

It seems I cannot help myself....

SewEzi Table

My friend Charlotte had a SewEzi table at an annual workshop we both attend.  I was pretty impressed with it, and decided that, since I am struggling so much with tendonitis in both arms from, well, a variety of art-related insults (read multiple activities that have vigorous repetitive motion) this table makes a lot of sense.  One thing I am always bothered by in workshops with my sewing machine is that the machine sits high up on the table, which requires me to lift up my arms at an angle that is not good for the tendonitis.
This table can be positioned at a right angle to a typical workshop work table, so it enables me to have even more room.
Plus, it has custom inserts for the surface:  one comes with the cost of the table and more can be ordered.  I even ordered a solid insert so the table can double as a lightbox!

The tables comes with an impressive travel bag, which protects the table and allows the rolling wheels to remain exposed

Here is my Bernina 440QE seated in the table.

The table comes with one clear insert and straightforward instructions as to how to assemble the 

machine base (onto which the wheels are attached) in order to have it flush with the surface for your particular machine.  Brilliant!

here is the insert

See the skate wheels on the edge of the machine base?  Love.

the table underside, prior to folding up the legs

folded legs, ready to roll!

The cover has two pockets:  one for the clear insert, and I think I'll use the other for storage of an extension cord.

I'm preparing to go to the 2nd annual San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild retreat this weekend.  I'm taking the table with me (along with a truckload of other important stuff LOL) and I'll take some photos of my set-up while there.  I'm excited

Yummy Color!

I just love having a lot of dyed cloth hanging around.  I see it as a semi-blank slate:  something that can be used as-is or layered with more printing, batik, and more.  How about you?