Month: October 2008

Dinnerbel’s E1 Aunt Exie’s Phlox


E1 Aunt Exie’s Phlox
Originally uploaded by dinnerbel

One of the things I notice as I go through the DJ blocks people have made is how the white stands out. TFQ and I have discussions about white all the time and how it can really detract from the rest of the block – or not allow a person to see the rest of the block. In the case of the DJ blocks, I think the white, in many of the blocks, really makes you see the design. I think the block patterns are so detailed that they need something to show off the intricate piecing. In the case of this block, the white does the trick.

I am really impressed by he great fabric combinations that the makers are using.

Fissiett’s F-10 Potholder Block


F-10 Potholder
Originally uploaded by fissiett

There are thousands of Dear Jane blocks posted on the two Flickr groups I have found. I think the choice of fabric and artistry of these blocks is amazing. Not to mention the dedication!

This one, initially, caught my attention because of the dots (of course!). After I got over the dots I noticed how what interesting patches the block has. Notice how the rectangles are not quite rectangles? They seem to be trapezoids. As a result, there is a lot of movement in this block.

Picking Fabric

Avoiding work, I was browsing the blogs. I clicked on Pink Chalk Studio and came across this photo of, what looks like, fabric selection during the design phase. I admit, I didn’t read the post…yet. What struck me about this photo is that it is my ideal way of picking fabric. I would like to have the space (physical and brain) to heap up fabrics and look at them kind of jumbled together. This photo of these jumbled together fabrics give me an idea of how they would look in a project.

The problem comes in the actual execution. Sigh. I know that if I take these fabrics out of the closet and jumble them, I will most certainly have to refold and put at least half of them away.

I know I have to do something like this (make visual decisions visually), but I seem to have a brain block. Perhaps I need a studio assistant? HAH! Or just continue to work on cultivating enjoyment of the entire process.

clipped from pinkchalkstudio.com
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Ode to Mother

My mother once told me, when asked how old she was, that she was 29 . I don’t know if she actually was 29 at that time. Ever since then, when asked, I start to tell people she is 29 and then I have to remember that I am older than 29 so she can’t possibly be 29! The 29 effect means that I always have to do the math to figure out how old she is.

Today is her birthday and she is once again, 29. In honor of her birthday, I thought I would show some of the quilts she is working on.


This is a quilt for a friend who took care of the dog when my mom was running back and forth to hospitals and the nursing home earlier this year. The print is a dog print and, as you can see, she is clearly influenced by my dot habit.

This is the back and I think the way she highlighted the Very Hungry Caterpillar motifs is a good use of the Eric Carle fabric.

This quilt also uses pet fabric as the background for the hearts. The hearts are a pack from Keepsake Quilting and are raw edge applique’d to the background. I like way the placement of the hearts creates movement.

My mother is quite prolific and willing to try anything. As a result, she is a great inspiration to me.

Dear Jane by Minka

I have been, as I may have mentioned looking through the Dear Jane blocks various groups of Janiacs have posted on Flickr. The two largest groups are the Dear Janes and Dear Baby Jane (http://www.flickr.com/groups/dearbabyjane/). It is amazing how many blocks these ladies have created.I am in awe of them. I admired one particular member and found her blog. She has some history of her Dear Jane work, a link to which is below.

Trip ‘Round the World — Or Not?

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Weird and Wonderful Wearables

Deirdre sent me a link to these weird and wonderful “wearables”. They are really creative and inventive, but I don’t think that they are truly wearable. I really admire people who think outside of the box in such a way that they can come up with an outfit for a sumo wrestler type. Enjoy the inspiration!

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Another Mosaic to Influence Quiltmaking

Borders have been on my mind lately,especially as I work through my Crazy Test quilt. I think about the value of borders when the self bordering technique does not work.

Here is another Ferry Building mosaic. The thing that struck me about this mosaic was the two different (large) borders. They are distinctly separate, but close enough in value to go together and look like they were planned. I don’t actually like the peachy hue, but it works on this mosaic. I think a couple of aquas or an aqua and turquoise would look great on a watery quilt.

County Fair Quilts

I love going to see quilts at the various county fairs in our state. I have been to a number of them, but I would still, someday, like to say that I have been to all the county fairs in the state. One thing I like about visiting county fairs is that I am reminded of how much creativity is going on nearby.

Not only do I enjoy the quilts, but I also enjoy seeing the tatting, the crochet, the tole painting, etc. I am really inspired by seeing the preserves, artistic cakes and the table setting displays.

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the Los Angeles County Fair. As I have mentioned previously, I dislike the way they display the needlework. They are all behind glass cases and they often have dress dummies placed right in front of the quilts, which makes the work really hard to photograph. Most of the photos I took are more fragments of quilts rather than the entire thing. Enjoy anyway!

Last New Fabrics???


I have to gear down my fabric purchases, but I bought at few at a really nice shop last weekend in the LA area called Loving Stitches. It is within walking distance of my grandmother’s house. Each time I have tried to go there, it has been closed. I was pleased to catch them when they are open and glad to find that it is a really nice shop. They have LOTS of fabric and the people were really friendly.

I was pleased to see that they had a wide variety of fabric for all tastes. They didn’t seem to focus on only one type of fabric.

They also had a great collection of Hawaiian shirt fabrics. I was tempted to buy some for a tote bag, but refrained for now. I want to use up some of the tote bag fabrics I have already purchased.

I’ll look forward to visiting them again.

Diana Leone Quilt Collection Sale

For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area…

Friday October 17th 11-8
Saturday October 18 10 -7
Eddie’s Quilting Bee
480 S. Mathilda Ave
Sunnyvale, 94986
1 888 784 5837
http://www.dianaleone.com
Diana Leone presents her lifetime collection of quilts
350++Quilt,s 100’s of items from her eclectic collections.
Antique Quilts, 1840-1970 Amish, African American, Doll/Baby quilts, Textiles, Many of Diana’s personal items, Blocks, cutters, thimbles, doo-dads & 14k Gold Sewing charm & 3-4 mint Singer Featherweights, Great Prices, collectors & everyone will find a treasure:
View the 1847 chintz, appliques, Canadian Amish, 1700’s Palampore, etc. valued at $7-$12k++ each.
Tickets to own Diana’s quilts, all proceeds gifted to our local Quilt Museum, AQMRA.(not a donation)

All from Diana’s collections! Pre-sale and Meet Diana

Auction of 2 $12,000 quilts from 1847 for Serious buyers/collectors.

This will be the last public sale of Diana’s collection of antique quilts, tops, linens, and Singer Feather Weight sewing machines. Many other items will be for sale including Diana’s newest Painted Art Quilts and Giclees.

Contact Diana at info@dianaleone.com for more information, to preview quilts and art and reserve your purchases.

Bullseye Back (Purple)

I am waiting to get an appointment to deliver my quilts – YES, quilts plural!!! – to my quilter. I have to call her and get a date. Last time I tried she was out of town on all the days that would have been convenient for me. I almost finished a third top last night, so I may wait to add the last two borders, and get the back done before I make the appointment.

Above is the back of the purple Bullseye. I was really pleased with how well this back went together. The whole quilt really went together well, but the back was especially easy. The fabrics I used are much lighter than the front. I wanted to use some fabrics that I owned and liked and had also been around for awhile yet hadn’t yet made it to the front of a quilt.

It is really a thrill to have three quilts (almost) ready to go to the quiltmaker. Sadly, two of them were not on my 2007 UFO list, so that list won’t be much smaller unless I get really busy.

Baby Jane: A7 Dads Plaids


A7 Dads Plaids
Originally uploaded by tailscalifornia

TalisCalifornia has made this very interesting version of the Dear Jane block, Dad’s Plaids. I love the way she has switched the background and the foreground within the block. It really has a nice effect that makes your eye move around the block without making them cross (like certain black and white fabrics would).

The Baby Jane group on Flickr is a testament to hope for the future of quiltmaking. These blocks are not easy to put together and they have really done, and continue to do, a wonderful job. They are moving through all of the Dear Jane blocks and I love seeing the progress.

I ponder doing the blocks along with them! I just don’t want to start another hand project until I make some progress on the Flowering Snowballs and my projects from Pamela Allen’s classes.

Mollie McNeil Collage Artist

Here is an ad for an art exhibit that looks interesting.

From: ACCI GALLERY [mailto:muse@accigallery.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of ACCI GALLERY
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 6:45 PM
To: jaye@calalum.org
Subject: Mollie McNeil Collage Artist

Legacy Log
Mollie McNeil
“Pretending It’s a Love Letter I”
Artist Statement
“Japanese Tea Party”
“Of Gargoyles and Snails”
“Rose”
Join us for the opening of “Resuscitation: Breathing New Life Into the Rejected“, Friday, October 10, 6-8pm.

Along with artists Clayton Bain, Cordelia DeVere, Donna Duguay, Mirto Golino, and Zach Pine, this exhibition features the work of collage artist, Mollie McNeil. Scroll below for a glimpse of Mollie’s complex work.

October 10 – November 9, 2008.

-Lisah Horner, ACCI Gallery Director


Pretending
“Pretending It’s a Love Letter I”

Mollie McNeil
Artist Statement

Combining an eclectic mix of archival and ordinary materials with a careful, architectural style, Mollie McNeil creates narratives and playful juxtapositions in her collage series, “Graphic Dreams.” French etchings, antique book jackets, vintage postcards, and 19th century Italian calligraphy add up to romance in McNeil’s storytelling mind. Contemporary Greek poster scraps, 1960’s paperback covers and sculptures from antiquity all make the same suggestions. In the spirit of Kurt Schwitters and William Dole, McNeil makes harmonious designs from unlikely sources. McNeil draws on her training in graphic design, art history, and literary studies for inspiration. Her artistic process includes scavenging flea markets, antique bookstores and gutters when she travels.



Tea

“Japanese Tea Party”


Gargoyles
“Of Gargoyles and Snails”


Rose

“Rose”
ACCI Gallery
(Arts and Crafts Cooperative, Inc)
1652 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, California 94709
510-843-2527
www.accigallery.com
muse@accigallery.com

HOURS
Monday – Friday 11am – 6pm
Saturday 10am-6pm
Sunday 12 – 5pm


Map

ACCI Gallery | 1652 Shattuck Ave | Berkeley | CA | 94709