Hi all!  I can share that I will be half of the Rising Stars special exhibit in Houston this upcoming International Quilt Market (Oct. 27-30) and International Quilt Festival (November 1-5).

Back and front cover of my soon-to-be-ready book, a companion to the exhibit but a lot more. I’ll post here and on Facebook as soon as it is available…in about 10 days I hope. My extra special thanks to folks on FB for feedback, especially Paula Blanchard for copy editing here, and Susan Fletcher King and Neroli Henderson for greatly appreciated graphic layout advice and help!

Between now and then I will be sharing some of the 24 of my art quilts that are in this exhibit, and in a week or two share the book I have written that includes all 24 works and more (available here and directly on Blurb).  As I said in the Introduction to my book,

It was a good thing I was sitting down when the inquiry popped up on my screen. After years of being in group exhibits and national level quilt shows, I had finally gathered up my courage and applied to do a solo exhibit in the Camden (Maine) Public Library’s Picker Room, the best public art space in the immediate area. I was accepted, made new work, selected my best pieces, and put them on display in September 2016. And I shared on my blog and Facebook. That was when I got a message from someone at Quilts, Inc., the folks who put on International Quilt Market and Festival, inquiring

“What are your plans to travel your very excellent exhibit?”

​I would have fallen down from shock if I hadn’t been sitting.

I was beyond delighted when Quilts Inc. used my little bitty 12″ square portrait of Widgeon on their Special Exhibits page and in the catalog!

Our beloved pug in technicolor!

SaveSave

A blast from the past..almost three years ago at International Quilt Festival Houston, 2014,  I was interviewed by the Save Our Stories project.   I was able to record a little about making the portrait of our son Eli during Cross Country season 2013.  The recording has finally been uploaded to the internet, so I thought I would share.  This quilt will also be in the upcoming Rising Stars exhibit which will feature the work of two artists, me and Karlyn Bue Lorenz.  I hope you enjoy this visit, and even more I hope I will get to see some of you at my exhibit of 24 of my pieces.

Hi folks!   I am in the midst of preparing a book of my work including the 24 pieces that will be in my part of the Rising Stars exhibit this coming fall at International Quilt Market and International Quilt Festival Houston, as well as many of my other best pieces from the past decade and bits about my life and influences.  If you have experience selling books from either Blurb or CreateSpace (an Amazon company) let me know.  I am still undecided which platform to use.  I would dearly love your input, whether you have self-published or as a consumer.

Do I use Blurb? or Createspace? Where would you go to purchase… I’d have a link on my blog etc. to either option so folks who don’t attend Quilt Festival may also purchase a copy.

I feel the quality of the Premium Magazine at Blurb is definitely better than the book I can create through CreateSpace–I have copies of Blurb books, Blurb premium magazine (which you would never know is a “magazine” as it is exceptional quality–a teacher I know uses this for her books and it is excellent), and several books (exhibit catalogs) from CreateSpace.   I really really want top quality over profits on this, but I also would like folks to be able to purchase the book easily online.

With both platforms, I can select an 8 1/2 x 11  portrait format (vertical) so I can include large images with good detail shots.   For print quality, Blurb Premium “Magazine” wins and the cost (unlike Blurb books) is reasonable.  For customer ease and distribution, using Createspace on Amazon is better because Amazon takes a much lower percentage of the sales price is you use their platform.  What to do?

For international customers, absolutely the Amazon/CreateSpace option is better because it can be  on-demand printed from European Amazon sites, thereby reducing postage costs.  For those in the US, I can have it on my site and Amazon-or-Blurb, depending on my final decision. The Blurb “magazine” is better overall print and paper quality, the template software is superb, but even if I can manage to list it on Amazon, I would make almost nothing (less than a dollar probably) per copy to keep it in the affordable range.

Please let me know your thoughts!   Would you buy from Blurb?   Or do you vastly prefer Amazon?  Price would be $25-30 plus any shipping depending on final page count–I’m guesstimating 80 pages, but could be a bit more or a bit less.  My goal is to keep the price under $30.

SaveSave

Hi everyone…a quick pop-in to share that Quilting Arts TV has begun airing.   Check with your local PBS station to find out when it will air in your area.  In Maine, it will be on Maine Public’s Create channel (I think).  If you’re like me and don’t have access to a PBS station (grumble) that airs it, you can download the episodes or series at Interweave, here.  I’ve even got a new badge:

Sarah’s on Quilting Arts TV again, Episodes 2001, 2007 and 2012.

I’ll be talking about my journey from hobbyist to professional in the industry (Episode 2001), how to get crisp corners when facing art quilts (Episode 2007), and  my way of using thermofax screens to blend collaged fabrics prior to quilting (Episode 2012).  I hope you’ll enjoy the journey with me–nothing of mine is earth shattering, but not much in life is.  It’s the little tweaks and changes that make the difference, and I hope my tips and techniques will improve your quilting and life.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Long time no see, eh? Don’t faint–it’s a new blogpost!  It has been crazier busier than usual in my life, which is saying something.  Lots of quilt made, shows entered,  accepted in more than half, taped 3 segments for QA TV in March, went to a dyeing fabric workshop in Massachusetts, son’s wedding came and went (three days ago), it was perfect.  It was a DIY (do it yourself) affair with daughter-in-law and me planning, and me absolutely delightedly doing a LOT of the prep.  I’m so happy it came off without a hitch, was perfect (will try to share pics before too long).   So now I get to SHARE all this good stuff I’ve been doing.  First is that I am on Quilting Arts again, episodes 2001, 2007  and 2012.  The series will air on PBS this fall but you can purchase the series at Interweave now; this link is to the download, but a DVD of the series is also available here.

On the 2001 show, the first of the season, host Susan Brubaker Knapp and I talk about how to get from where you are to being a professional, our own journeys on that path, and things we’ve learned about ourselves and how we each found our own “thing” in the industry.  You can see a recap of episode 2001 here.  Since I’ve known Susan for years, it is so relaxing to be around her, and she is such a professional and skilled at guiding those not used to being on camera all the time.   Thank you so much to Susan, Quilting Arts Editor Vivika Hansen deNegre and all at QA TV for inviting  me to be on again and making the process so wonderful.

On Quilting Arts TV Series 2000, episode 2001 with host Susan Brubaker Knapp

If you go to the page link for Episode 2001 and click on the photo (seen above) you’ll even get a download link to my hints and tips about finding your own path to being a quilting professional.

SaveSave