What better pairing than a great exhibit  (of which I am proud to be a part) AND an opportunity to help “Kickstart” a great new chapter in the Why Quilts Matter series.

I’ve blogged before about my quilt, Strength and Calm, which has been juried in to the Rituals exhibit that will debut this summer at International Quilt Festival Long Beach then travel on to the mega-kahuna-mecca of quilts, International Quilt Festival in Houston (where I will also be teaching again! would love to see/meet some of you in my classes!).  Well curators Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal have been running a fun and fascinating glimpse into the lives and personalities of the artists who have made the quilts in this year’s exhibit.  Today is my turn!  So to read more about it, go here.  Thanks to Moore‘s Sewing and Havel (as in those wonderful scissors) for sponsoring the exhibits!

Speaking of sponsoring, I was starting to read some old QuiltArt digests, and discovered that Shelley Zegart has launched a new project, a companion guide to the WONDERFUL DVD series, Why Quilts Matter (click here to read lots more about the series).  I’m thrilled to say I’ve just made a donation to her fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.  You can click on the widget (the doohickie to the left) in the sidebar of my blog or go here to help support this effort and read more about it.

and ends tomorrow!  So move quickly if you’d like to participate!

Four Ways to Win with Foto/Fiber 2012

A quick reminder that Foto/Fiber 2012, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, TODAY, February 15, at 10 a.m. Central.  I am honored to be part of this event and hope you will support our efforts.  Prizes are donated by many artists and will be sent directly when someone makes a set donation to the ACS.

There are 4 ways to win with this fundraiser – one of which is that 100% of the funds are donated directly to the American Cancer Society through
Fiberart For A Cause. The other three are detailed here today.

For full information go to Virginia Spiegel’s website page dedicated to this fundraiser here.  Over the past few years, Virginia’s efforts to raise cancer research funds have surpassed US $215,000….that’s all because of one woman helped by a whole lot of women and men.  She called it FFAC:  FiberArt For A Cause.  I know that every one of us has been touched by cancer in some way, and I’m proud to help.  Here’s to Daddy, Charlie, Linda W. and to my many friends who have had cancer of some sort and survived.  Even hubby Paul had a skin cancer on his face… Daddy had lots of them, they are fairly benign most of the time, but that’s what too much sun on too pale skin does…. even if you can’t afford to participate in the event by donating today, DO go take a look and pass the word to your friends! Thanks, Sarah

Hi all!   Welcome to those of you who have surfed in from Virginia Spiegel’s blogpost which featured my studio.  And for my regular readers, please do go visit Virginia’s blog…. here’s what it is all about:  Over the past several years, Virginia has singlehandedly—with help from a whole BUNCH of people–raised over $200,000 to benefit the American Cancer Society.  It began with FFAC–Fiberart For A Cause challenge–fabric postcards at $30 each donated by many, many, many talented art quilters.  After a respite, Virginia has launched the Foto/Fiber fundraiser for this year.  Learn more about it here and for how it works and to participate click here.  You can also click on the button in the left sidebar to visit this cause.

Welcome to my studio...this is what I see when I walk through the door.

Long-time readers may recall from my previous participation that I have a very special place in my heart for this cancer research fundraiser project:  my father was diagnosed with throat cancer (having smoked cigars for 65 years) at age 82; his treatment was successful and he lived another 14 years.  My half-brother Charlie, a many-packs-a-day cigarette smoker, died of cancer of a whole lot of organs due to his smoking, and my dear friend Linda Wauchope died of liver cancer–if good attitude could save you, she would be with us here today!  I miss them all, and it is a privelege to be able to remember them and do something to help support research to cure the many nefarious varieties of cancer.

One of my gifties for Foto/Fiber is the postcard (fitting, don’t you think, considering it all began with postcards) seen (a detail anyway) on Virginia’s blog.  Another part is about a yard’s worth of my hand-dyed fabrics–a decidedly eclectic (odd?) assortment:

Hand-dyed cottons are the other part of my "bonus" donation

This was “in the beginning” for this studio:

This is what it looked like in the beginning. I don't have anything against brown walls, but in a basement room with one tiny window and two bare bulbs???? This was what my studio looked like before we began the work!

Most of last year’s teaching income went to fixing up the studio just right and some goodies for the house…like a new sofa and replacing the “vintage” (ahem) mattress!  I’m happy to say I no longer wake up with aching bones.

One of the best parts of my studio is mobile…he follows me where I go and often sleeps by my feet.  The painted cement floor, however, is too cold in winter so Pigwidgeon is on a mission to squash the new loveseat cushions.  How can I get upset with someone SO CUTE?

The pug who acts like a cat and sleeps on the back of the sofa. Oh how I love the dog-beast! Here he's wondering WHY I am snapping pictures when it is oh-so-hard to keep the eyes above half-mast.

Sometimes, however, a dog needs to move. In this case, about 22 inches to the next cushion over!

I blogged about the transformation of the space as it happened.  You can see those posts here:

• First mention of the studio here with two pictures (one of them is the one above).
• Then the transformation begins here.
• More work, including painting the cement floor here.
• More on the floor and small progress here.
• A bulletin board/display wall here.
• Adding the really LONG closet here.

If you are thinking about working on your studio and have any questions, just leave a comment!

Thanks so much for visiting.  I hope you’ll visit Foto/Fiber and make a donation on February 15 and 16!  One more time, here’s the link to how Foto/Fiber works!

Hi everyone!  Just wanted to bring to your attention the Art from the Heart site, which was created by three ladies, two of whom I know thanks to the wonders of the internet (Anne H-L and Linda M)  in response to the shootings in Tucson.  I’m submitting this piece:

Earth and Turquoise--I think of this as the creator's hands releasing the world into existence, cradling and caring for our planet

Here’s the prospectus information:

Art From the HeART: Healing Hatred in America

An Online Exhibit to Counter Hatred in the United States

In Memory of: Lives lost and changed forever at 10:11 AM on January 8, 2011 in Tucson, Arizona.

Who: Any artist who wishes to express his/herself about the growing problem of hatred, hate speech, discrimination, prejudice, and political vitriol in the United States. Any artist who wishes to express his/herself about the need for peace and nonviolence from our neighborhoods to the planet.

What: an online exhibit, complete with process descriptions, of art designed to bring attention to the growing problems of hatred and violence in the United States, as well as the need for peace and nonviolence on the planet.

When: starting as soon as possible and continuing until such time as violence and hatred are no longer problems within the United States.

Organizers: Linda Moran, digital and fiber artist, Tucson, AZ; S. L. Drury, digital and fiber artist, Sedona, AZ; Anne Huskey-Lockard, mixed media artist, Peru, Indiana.

Art: 8 by 10 inches to 9 by 12 inches work of art depicting some abstract or realistic image of the growing problem of hatred in the United States or the personal reaction to events caused by hatred and discrimination in this country.  (Note from Sarah:  apparently size is just suggested; they are accepting my piece even though it is considerably larger…the quilt is about 23×24 inches plus stick and stones and feathers and dangly bits.) These works of art can be paper, fiber of any kind, oil, photography, weaving, water color, mixed media or digital images. The purpose of every piece MUST BE to shine a light on the growing issue of hatred in America and/or promote a message of peace and nonviolence. Work that is larger or smaller than the indicated sizes will certainly be considered but may not fit the online needs. At this time sculpture or other three-dimensional objects will not be considered.

Submissions: jpgs (one full image and one or two close-ups) at 72 – 100 dpi shall be sent to submissions@artfromtheheart.org along with a written description of why this image addresses the issue. Additional consideration given to personal stories behind the art. Please include media type, materials used, and size of work in description.

Jurying: once the jpg of artwork is submitted, along with the written description/essay of the work, artists will be notified of their acceptance within two weeks. Artists retain all rights to their images. Artists will be allowed a link to their personal blogs or websites, but this is not a venue for marketing or selling work. With acceptance of their piece/s, artists commit to spreading a peaceful, nonviolent message.

Hi all! I’d like to invite you to visit the page for the FiberArt For a Cause fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society. This may be the final one ever for the FFAC, and I’m pleased to have been part of the FFAC efforts for several years. This year, I’ve made two donations. You can see both here, along with the other MANY generous donations by many quilt artists. (Click photo to see it larger.)

For the Tote bag part of Tote Tuesday: I have donated a copy of my Threadwork Unraveled book, the January 2010 issue of Machine Quilting Unlimited with my last design series article, some of my hand-dyed fabric, a pair of my funky hand-dyed socks, and a spool of Rainbows variegated thread from Superior Threads.

I also made and donated an 11×17 inch quilt made from one of the lino-cuts I made recently. You can see details in the post below! Thanks for taking a look, and for popping over to the FFAC Tote Tuesday page to take a look.