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Archive for the ‘art quilting’ Category

From Sarah’s Bookshelf

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Towards the end of the editing process for ThreadWork Unraveled, my editor said “OK Sarah:  we have two empty pages and three things we could use:  the Index, Resources and the Annotated Bibliography.  Which would you like in the book?”  I chose the Index instantly, since any good reference book MUST have one.  The resources list was shorter, and I really wanted to keep the full bibliography intact.  So I suggested that we add a note at the start of the Resources page that if folks wanted, they could visit here (my blog) to download a FREE annotated bibliography:  From Sarah’s Bookshelf .

The categories include:

  • Art Quilting
  • Breaking Out and Stretching Yourself
  • Color
  • Decorative Stitch and Free-motion Embroidery
  • Drawing, Design Inspiration and Creativity
  • Hawaiian Applique
  • Machine Applique
  • Machine Quilting and Design
  • Miscellaneous Cool Stuff
  • Painting and Dyeing Fabric

You can click on the link to download the entire PDF, but when you print it (it is 14 pages long), you can select just one section to print if you only want, for example, Painting and Dyeing Fabric books.  Also, if I decide to update a section (I’ll probably be adding Melanie Testa’s Inspired to Quilt book soon to the latter category), you only need to check to see if a section has been updated and re-print that one, not the whole thing.

If you have any favorite books that aren’t on my list, DO share the information by leaving a comment.  I LOVE books (can’t you tell?).

Bloggers’ Quilt Festival–Be Inspired No. 1

Friday, October 9th, 2009

This year I’m not only participating in the Bloggers Fall 2009 online quilt festival,

but I’m a sponsor!  What fun!  I thought about which quilt to share, and I decided on Be Inspired No. 1, because it is the only major quilt I’ve made this past year!    The quilt is part of a planned 6 large and 1 small panels for the local Middle School; we are working on fundraising to pay for the remaining 5+1 panels.  They’ll have more people who inspire middle school students, from around the world and throughout history (going back to the cave painters!).

SASmithBeInspiredNo1x475Grn

And here’s a detail photo:

SmithBeInspiredNo1Detx475

I blogged a lot about this quilt and the process of making it; if you type “Be Inspired” into the search box at left, there are probably too many posts you can browse!

Also, check Park City Girl‘s blog for information on how you can win a prize from one of the sponsors.  My donation is a copy of my new book, ThreadWork Unraveled (click on the links in the sidebar, at left, or visit my Store page through the link above for more information about the book).   For tidbits about the book as I worked on it, you can click on the My book category or the ThreadWork Unraveled category.

You can order ThreadWork Unraveled now!

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

Cover95My book is now available for order, with shipping to begin about October 26.  It’s all about thread, how to use it, how to make it work with you not against you, and having a whole ton of fun with lots of color!

Click here to order and
click here for more information.

Quilting Arts Online Studio Tour–Sarah’s place

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

Quilting Arts is having an online studio tour today (visit there to get the links to all the other studios…way cool, Cate!), so I thought I’d share some of what I like best about my studio.

1.  It is at home and my family is close by!

2.  My thread stash (hence the title of my book:  Threadwork Unraveled!) :

2009.10.blog.Studio005
3.  The design wall, fabric storage and table!  I’d love to have full-height walls, but I don’t, so this will suffice.  I used 2″ thick rigid foam insulation covered with a flannel sheet for the design wall.  The storage is based on Carol Taylor’s and is custom made but oh-so-worth-it.  The work table is an old Ikea table that served as our kitchen and dining table for 20+ years.  When the boys got big enough to kick each other under the table, we got a bigger dining table and I got this for my studio.  I built a platform with 5/8″ plywood and tall casters/wheels.  The height is a perfect work surface, I ‘ve made storage underneath, and the table has good history/karma!

2009.10.blog.Studio002

4.  My big, flat cabinet/surface for my sewing machine.  Since I got the big room (the one over the garage), I also got to host the guest bed, a gorgeous antique my late Father-in-law bought in New York City nearly 50 years ago; the bed dates to 1780!  I used to store my quilts on it, but the boys wanted to come in and flop on the bed…so…..

2009.10.blog.Studio004

5.  I finally re-vamped my quilt storage.  Small pieces are in the plastic boxes, protected with a buffering layer of cloth.  Large quilts are rolled (blogpost about that here and here) and tucked into boxes under the bed:

2009.10.blog.Studio003

6.  When I got fed up with not having ANY closets, I “made” one out of one of the narrow window bays.  At last, all the painting supplies are in one place, journaling in another, mixed media (ditto), shipping , etc.  Batting and shipping boxes are behind the antique Hoosier (1930s era kitchen cabinet):

2009.10.blog.Studio001

So that’s it, my favorite bits.  But best of all,

7.  it’s home!

Chunk and Jigsaw Fusible Applique, Houston 2009

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Hi all!   In just one week (GASP, Shriek!) I leave for Houston to help launch my book AND teach AND have a ball at Festival.  My Wednesday class on thread is (hoooray and thanks to those who signed up) FULL!  But I still have spaces in my other classes.  I’ll blog about each of them separately in hopes that a more extensive description might encourage a few more folks to join the fun.2009.10.blog.chunkJigsaw014
Chunk and Jigsaw Fusible Applique is really a fabric postcards class that sneaks in a few art quilting techniques such as stencilling with textile paint, rubbings with Shiva Painsticks, stamping, using Angelina, and creative edge finishes.  Also I’m debuting what will become my next pattern:  Little Brown Bird.  Students can use the bird on a postcard OR make a larger piece.  My LBB quilts (the wholecloth and the in-progress fused applique seen here) are about 16 x 20 inches:

LBB Fused 16x20, in progress

LBB Fused 16x20, in progress

I’ll start the day with my technique that I call chunk and Jigsaw which uses up all those leftover bits to create a “stash” of pre-fused fabric.  Then when you want to dash off a quick thank you postcard to someone, it’s easy peasy…just pull out the pre-fused stash and start collaging!

LBB Postcard w/poptart edges

LBB Postcard w/poptart edges

Here are some other samples of postcards I’ve done that may get you inspired to give it a try:

Hannah's Flower

Hannah's Flower

Trees on Point

Trees on Point

Kathy Daniels' birches card framed and Sarah's Mt. Fuji in a shadow box

Kathy Daniels' birches card framed and Sarah's Mt. Fuji in a shadow box

Umbrella Abstracted, mounted onto batik on stretcher bars

Umbrella Abstracted, mounted onto batik on stretcher bars

Loons in Maine notebook cover

Loons in Maine notebook cover

Hope you can make it to the class!  Just head to the second floor of the convention center to the education desk to sign up.  Cheers, Sarah