I am absolutely THRILLED with how my article for Machine Quilting Unlimited’s January/February 2016 issue turned out! I don’t think I’ve been this thrilled since the first time I was published, so thank you editor Kit Robinson and MQU Magazine!

The opening spread on my article about creating Descended From the Stars

Cover of the January/February 2016 Machine Quilting Unlimited (MQU) magazine with the article on the making of Descended From the Stars

In my last article for MQU about The Fourth Layer, Stabilizing the Quilt Sandwich (when doing intense quilting and/or threadwork), published in the  issue, I mused at the end that I might try to use my preferred choice, cotton duck, as the backing (the third layer) instead of as a fourth layer.  When I did just that in my quilt Descended From the Stars, I wrote editor Kit Robinson to share the results, thinking that readers might enjoy a quick update to the article.  Instead, she asked if I would write an article for their “Challenging Quilts” series!  You betcha I would, and now it is just published.

The quilt was made for the current Dinner@8 exhibit Affinity, and you can read the call for entry in the photo above, just to the right of the full-page image (and wow am I thrilled my photography looks so good and accurate on the page!).  At the top right of the right hand page you can read the quote written on the quilt, but I’ll also close this post with the quote which is fitting at this time of year.

The article takes you from the initial seed of an idea, to the call for entry, and through the creation process:  developing the working sketch, ideas abandoned, dyeing fabric (sometimes twice on the same cloth to get it right) and more.   I hope you will enjoy reading it; I certainly enjoyed making it and look forward to having it home.  And maybe entering it into shows or even selling it!  Yes, it would be hard to part with it, but a girl’s gotta make a living.

Squee! On the first page of the Table of Contents!

As soon as I get the pie, cranberries and stuffing made today, I’m going to treat myself to a good sit-down and cuppa tea with this issue.  I always love Margaret’s articles and her posts on FB–she is simply a brilliant quilter.  She can take an already-outstanding client top and make it over-the-moon fantastic.  And I am REALLY looking forward to (and trying out) my friend Lisa Walton’s article on painting on your quilt after doing the quilting.  I wanted to win her donation quilt in the last SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) auction, but missed out to someone with a larger budget than mine.  Good for SAQA, but sad for me.

And here’s that inspiring quote from Mirza Khan, the Religious Studies Director at my old High School, San Domenico:

We have descended from the stars.  We have risen through the forms of thousands of animals.  We have passed through the lives of our ancestors, our grandparents, and our parents.  And now we have been born into the moment of our supreme existence.  We have a life.  What will we do with it? –Mirza Khan (used with permission, and with great thanks)

Welcome back to the light now that solstice is passed (and I’ll get caught up on my Foto Fridays that have been missing since the demise of the old laptop) and on to the peace and joy of the season, and a long winter for making art!

Oh what fun!  Janome teamed up with Michael Miller and asked the folks in their Artists/Teachers loaner program as well as staff and educators to make 100 Blocks in 50 Days for a free online quilt project that debuted this past week.  You can sign up for free daily reminders from Janome so you can download PDFs of all the patterns (or just the ones you want).  I had so much fun,  asked if I could make extra blocks (ended up making six), then made doubles of each so I could have my own set, and as you may have read in my lengthy Skyline S7 review (here), made yet another block that will fit with these projects.  I’m sharing that block below (again) since it was at the end of such a long post.  I’ll have five more blocks which I will share as Janome publishes the links to them.  Some are easy peasy, some involve a lot of fun stuff with thread!

Michael Miller and Janome selected a set range of colors from Moda’s unbelievably silky-soft-delectable-heavenly Cotton Couture solids line.   Each participant got fat quarters in each of the colors.  I am planning to make even more blocks, then quilt them up into a wall hanging to use when teaching decorative stitching.   Or just to be pretty and colorful on the wall!

I was thrilled when my embroidered circles was one of the first two blocks featured!    Here’s a picture and a hotlink for the circles block which has the PDF (from Janome’s website):

Circles block (c) Sarah Ann Smith

The second block I will share with you is an “extra” which came from the Skyline S7 test-drive.  I’m calling it Embroidered Leaves (guess why…duh Sarah!):

Using the built in stitches on the Skyline S7, I made this block.

You can find a PDF by clicking on this link or visiting my Resources page (here or use the link on the menu bar above).  Once on the resources page, scroll down to Tutorials and find Embroidered Leaves in alphabetical order.  There’s lots of other fun free stuff there, so browse around!

Hey, I just got a note that my DVD, Art Quilt Design From Photo to Threadwork is on sale!   Here’s the info:  This is the link to the video: https://www.craftdaily.com/courses/art-quilt-design-from-photo-to-threadwork

my video workshop that takes you from your photo to a finished art quilt

And if you use the code BLOGLOVE, they’ll get 20% off a subscription.

Thanks!

I’m thrilled to share that I have three works on display in Houston–in the juried show, the Dinner@8 Exhibit, and the National Parks exhibit.

In Miniature art quilts, you’ll find my Pink Lilies (if anyone takes a photo of it…of the entire ‘neighborhood’ not just the quilt, please do share!):

In Dinner@8’s Affinity exhibit, is Descended from the Stars, my most recent major piece:

(c)Sarah Ann Smith 2015; quote (c) Mirza Khan, used with permission

And, SOB, I STILL can’t share a photo of my Snowy Owl quilt for Acadia National Park in the National Parks exhibit.  I’m so sorry about that!   The book won’t be out until next spring and even though the exhibit is on display (with no photographs allowed signage) we’ve still been asked to NOT share pictures.  I’m so sorry–but it is 20×20 and mostly white (as befits a snowy owl in winter).   But here is the photo I took on Clarry Hill ridge in Union that was my main reference photo:

I so miss being in Houston…. enjoy it all of you who are there!  I’ll see you next year!

Today is my day on the Dinner@8 blog.  Each year, Jamie and Leslie interview the accepted artists and feature the answers on their blog.  I love reading these interviews, even when they are people I know in real life (as in, in person).   I invite you to visit here for my interview and here for the general blog address.  Tune in every week day now through October 7th!

And just as a reminder and so we have a nice picture, here’s my entry for this year’s Affinity exhibit:

(c)Sarah Ann Smith 2015; quote (c) Mirza Khan, used with permission