Continue reading »]]> As a home sewer, I frequently threw away the remnants. Then I became a quilter and saved the dressmaking left-overs, throwing away only those pieces that I thought were too small to do anything with. Then I became a fiber artist, and now my closets are doomed. There is NO SCRAP TOO SMALL for a fiber artist! You can ALWAYS find an art quilt or soft sculture or something that needs just that extra scrap.

As a beautiful case in point, my crafty friend Liz supplies photos of her efficient use of fabric selveges. To a dressmaker, the selveges are necessary evils; the thicker fabric at the edge of the bolt is useful during manufacturing but doesn’t look the same or shrink at the same rate at the main fabric, so must be removed. Liz knotted selvege lengths from various fabrics and knitted it into a throw rug. The first picture shows the pile of scraps, the second is the ball (a little bigger than a basket ball) made from the joined ends, the third is the multi-colored throw rug. The colors blend together beautifully in the finished product.

Continue reading »]]> “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” made a big splash when it came out decades ago, but the title made me think it was some sort of feel-good manual where any exercises would include a chorus of Kumbaya. Boy, was I wrong! It is a prescriptive and concrete guide to the physical activity of translating observation of surroundings into realistic representations, so useful that it’s in its 4th edition.  The author Betty Edwards does not claim that accurate drawing makes you an artist and she actually points out that there are many artists who cannot draw; the two are not necessarily related.  However, the ability to sketch your visions and ideas is a useful skill, no matter what your working media normally is.  If you aren’t confident in your drawing abilities, I recommend at least reading the intro and first chapter while standing in the bookstore.  Better yet, buy it, read it, do it!

Continue reading »]]> Yes, like we fabric stashers need one, I found another source of fabric that I’d like to share. The best part is that it’s cheap and you’re actually doing good deeds; supporting a charity and reducing the landfill. Goodwill’s last chance for merchandise sales occur at the Blue Hanger, on Burleson near Montopolis. Goods are sold by the pound- $1.40. Pictured is my haul from one shopping trip; several yards of unused upholstry fabric, a long curtain, a sarong, and an evening jacket, all useful for fabric arts.
Take a trip there, but beware! It’s like Filene’s Bargain Basement when they wheel the fresh carts out: a shark tank feeding frenzy for garage sale items. Insider tip; do NOT approach the new bins until the official ‘Go’ signal is given or you will be chastized! (And no pictures either, which I found out the hard way.) They cycle the carts of merchandize all…day… long… til 9 pm! You might want to wear soft garden gloves if you go through the housewares. http://www.austingoodwill.org/shop/locations/outlet.html

Continue reading »]]> I had read about Craftsy in the Wall Street Journal- an on-line class vendor that was doing very well financially by creating low-cost classes directed at home craftspeople- mostly women. When I went to Quiltcon, the modern quilt show in Austin this February, the Craftsy people had a booth and were giving out free classes. Can’t get better than that! I signed up.

Logging in for the first time, I discovered that in addition to the classes you pay for, Craftsy offers ‘mini-classes’ for free. I decided to start with a mini-class, largely because I was afraid of a big time commitment for something I wasn’t sure of. I found “Know Your Wool” with Deborah Robson and enrolled by putting it in my cart. I didnt look too hard at the description (what can you expect for free) but I figured it for a maybe 15 or 20 minute single lecture.

Ha! There are 6 classes of about 15 minutes each. The introduction portion talks about the differences between wools, the next is a visit to a wool market where you see sheep and fleece, there’s a discussion on sourcing wools- finding breed-specific yarns, then a class on swatching and a finally class on using the wools. There’s quite a bit of meat in this free class, in easy 15 minute chunks! I found this free class to be amazingly worthwhile.

So I still have my free full-length class to try. I was browsing the website and discovered that there’s now a free Quiltcon class. Fast work; the convention was only two weeks ago. Eight lectures recorded live at the convention. Go to www.craftsy.com, use the search feature and search for Quiltcon. Check out the fun for free, then consider signing up for a class. Oh, hey- they’re looking for lecturers and they pay pretty well. Think about that, too.

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Entry for Art Bra Austin, a breast cancer survivor benefit

AFA members have an email circle to pass interesting fiber art news and inspiration, which is how I found out about Art Bra Austin, a benefit for breast cancer survivors. Since I’m also a belly dancer, I apply fiber arts skills to costume decoration – lots of pretty bras and belts. Art Bra Austin was a match made in heaven for me – I was thrilled to have all the stars aligned so perfectly for a charity event. Also, I wanted to contribute a piece in honor of my survivor friends Jody and Elicia and especially Lynn, who has been through it twice and is a generous supporter of all who are facing that fight.

I was initially worried that I wouldn’t get my entry done on time; I had given myself a month. However, the joy of being able to apply some pretty unusual skills for charity carried me through and I finished within 3 weeks. The actual event is May 18th – an art bra fashion show and auction – see http://artbraaustin.org. Here’s the artist’s statement for my submission:

I wanted my bra to be beautiful because every woman should feel beautiful, dignified because the medical process strips so much dignity, and significant because this cause is significant to all women. So, a sunrise; an every day occurrance with wonderful beauty, majestic dignity and eternal significance. The choice of crushed velvets in graded colors was deliberate, the glittery gauzy lace was a happy accident; I had never seen such fabric before but knew that its elegance would be perfect. The fabrics are hand sewn to the base bra and I had originally intended to glitz it up with beads and sequins and sparklies but after applying the lace, I felt it was done. (Well, there’s still a little bling in the crystals on the night side of the bra.) May its new owner wear this bra with joy and confidence and party at a some future mardi gras until the sun comes up.

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It’s finally here! We have been waiting for a long time for this great event! “Fast Forward,” AFA’s Winter 2013 exhibit, opens on February 6, 2013, at the gallery at Tokyo Electron. Join us!

Juror, Mary Mikel Stump (Gallery Director/Curator with the School of Art & Design at Texas State University), has selected 25 pieces from the 71 pieces entered.

Artists selected by the juror are (alphabetical by last name):

Andrea Brokenshire

Lynne Brotman

Marie Carmel

Jean Dahlgren

Pam Farley

Sue Foss

Dianne Hegebarth

Janis Hooker

Mary Macaulay

Sherri McCauley

Anita Mester

Susie Monday

Janice Pomeroy

Ruthie Powers

Diane Sandlin

Oscar Silva

Victoria Simmons

Doerte Weber

Cynthia Wilcox

Georgia Zwartjes

In addition to the pieces that have been juried into the show, Outrageous Red, our non-juried members’ wall, will include 27 clipboards embellished with a variety of gorgeous fiber art techniques.

Public Reception:

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 6pm

Show Duration:

Through Thursday, February 28, 2013

Where:

Tokyo Electron
2400 Grove Blvd., Austin, TX

Continue reading »]]>  Zig Zigler said “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Fair enough! It also is a fine way to explain why being part of the Austin Fiber Artists’ group is a great idea. Being exposed to a wide range of creative talents motivates me, even if their style of fiber arts differs from mine.

Motivation or inspiration can find you where you least expect it. I visited Hearst Castle over the holidays and discovered there were 16th century tapestries on the walls. Yes, the workshops that produced the tapestries for the prominent and wealthy knew they were creating fine art, but did they ever imagine that the works would be treasured centuries later and studied so extensively?  That idea intrigues and comforts me when I think of the work we put in some of our pieces. Here’s to hoping that all the beautiful jewels that I saw at the recent Quilt exhibition will be treasured in future centuries as well!

Continue reading »]]> On November 10, 2012, eight dance groups wove magic through a fiber art landscape in Stacy Park. Colorful fabric tubes came to life. The colors were stunning against the green of the park and blue of the sky. One dancer was high in a tree balancing apples on a branch. Another group moved athletically between ropes strung amongst the trees as a young man drummed. In the creek, another group, wearing gorgeous wedding gowns, danced a sad “deserted bride” number. A young dancer stamped a dance routine in the water flowing under the bridge, with her companion singing Indian chants. Felted wool rocks graced their area.

As the audience moved from one group to the next, they passed installations of burlap painted with fiber leaves and Troll faces, a felted bird, purple painted bamboo sticks, many colorful blue and yellow banners, and origami paper cranes. The wind was just right for the banners to blow wonderfully free in the breeze.

People would stop and look closely at the fiber art as they made their way along the trail. There were young families with kids in strollers. Joggers and dog walkers stopped by. Some people moved along to all eight performances and some just tasted a little and jogged or walked on. Cameras were busy at work.

This was a truly visual experience and can be enjoyed through the photos and the video montage, Singing & Dancing With The Tree Spirits has been made public by Terry Dubose.

Collaborating with the Austin dance community was a new experience for AFA and hopefully not the last. AFA learned about outdoor dance performances and the dancers and audience members, learned about fiber art.

This collaborative event was conceived by Karin Carlson, a local dancer/choreographer. Lead dancers included Yvonne Keyrouz, Rosalyn Nasky, Annelize Machado, Toni Bravo, Ambray Gonzales and Lucy Dubose. (Visit “Terry Dubose” at YouTube) Troupes included: Talk/Sing/Walk/Dance Group, the Diverse Space Dance Theatre, the Nicole Roerick Collective, and the Thel Dance Theatre.

Many of the pieces were started at the AFA October Recharge Zone and all made from found or donated materials. AFA members later completed the pieces with Mary Macaulay’s artistic direction.

Stacy Park, an Austin treasure, follows Blunn Creek through the Travis Heights neighborhood, ending in Lady Bird Lake.

Continue reading »]]> One of the benefits of joining the AFA is to be exposed to new forms of fiber art. Some media and techniques have their own built-in barriers, so it’s nice to have enthusiastic experienced companions on your voyage of discovery. I was curious about felting, but would never have done it had AFA not made it so easy to try. I was happy with my first encounter and now have a good appreciation about what it takes to do different types of felting.

I enrolled in the full day felting workshop that AFA coordinated with a local felting business. We received materials and instructions and made use of their comfortable and spacious workshop to make a purse. I enjoyed the wide selection of felt colors to choose from, and decided to make a good-sized shoulder bag in burgandy, green, and black. What I learned is that it’s harder than you might think and WAY more physical (I got sweaty!)- that bigger sized handbag turned out to be appreciably more work than the smaller clutches that others made. But I managed to complete the bag and took home the materials to do the rope handles at home. Those handles took another two or three hours, and convinced me that I am not up for replicating the felted wool coat that I admire on line. Still, I like a craft that has real practical application as well as lovely decorative potential, and will consider felting again. Slippers would make an ideal sized project that would be welcomed as gifts (my motto: never take up a craft that none of your friends admire, or your house will be awash in it.)

A few months later we had the opportunity to try needle felting. The project leader brought in adorable felted owls that were much admired and copied. However, I’m a cat person, so, learning the lesson from before, set out to make a SMALL cat. This turned out to also be a mistake- too small is too small and fiddly. Still it was fun to watch the fibers in action as they twisted and shrank and went from puff ball to solid body. Once again there were physical dangers: you can stab yourself with a felting needle faster than you can say ‘careful with that OW’! While felt figures are fun and make nice children’s gifts, in the I will look to needle felting as a method to embellish felt items.

So, in spite of my determination not to take up a new hobby, I came home with wool roving, felting needles, and other supplies that baffled my husband. The needles made him cautious about the smart remarks, however, so I consider them a good investment already.

Continue reading »]]> It’s been almost a decade since I’ve made it to the Austin quilt show, largely because my favorite arts festival friend Milli moved to New Mexico. (Art is better appreciated when you can ooh and ahh with a like-minded buddy!) However, joining the AFA has refocused my attention on the fiber arts world and besides, the Palmer center is right across from work. I knew it would be a good show when I passed my just-leaving friend Elicia and got the big news that her hand quilted ‘Broken Star’, in progress when I met her in ’97, was FINALLY FINISHED and hanging inside. Then I saw several AFA members and felt right at home, so I prepared to enjoy the show.

Here’s an understatement: It was a big exhibit. The partitions were set up to maximize display area but it made navigating the show more challenging. I used the ‘follow one wall around til done, then move on’ method but got confused a few times all the same. I also realized rather late in the game that scrutanizing closely quilt to quilt means you’re not standing back and taking in the overall effect. Looking around, there were quilts I thought I had missed until I got closer and recognized the details I had seen before. I hope the hangers identified the quilts that needed to be viewed from a distance and put them where there were lines of sight for them. Certainly the miniatures could be tucked into cozy corners to save the ends for the big ones, but I don’t know if this was done.

My first big surprise: quilting may honor generations-old traditions, but there have been noticeable changes in quilting since the last time I went to a show. I found the colors to be brighter, widely (and wildly) varying, and following more contemporary fashions than before. Work was more precise- better techniques are more widely used. I feel that quilters are more more confident in their own tastes and creative abilities and are designing for themselves instead of recreating history or following a well-known designer, but at the same time are better informed and more accurate when doing the historicals. In other words, I think we’ve grown. However, I could have done without the avalanche of pinks and purples, and I hadn’t realized how much we’re hostages to the whims of the fabric companies.

There were a few standout quilts that I will remember long after leaving the show. I found the pumpkin colored ‘Fiesta’ quilt, that was largely plain fabric except for the aztec-inspired design, to be fresh and livable- it’s gotta look great in someone’s bedroom. I found the art quilt entitled “Gone”- a fluttering mother bird watching her nest fall and eggs drop out- to be VERY disturbing. It was beautiful, well done, and won awards, but I could not live with that quilt on my wall. The quilter’s writeup said it was inspired by noticing the nest that she had watched a bird build was gone after a storm, and maybe she was commemorating the bird’s effort in the only way it be lasting, but still, I could not have done that quilt myself without crying the whole time. Finally, there was “Jason’s Garden”, with flowers and bugs of all sorts done with crazy-pieced appliques that had so much detailed embroidery and interesting beads and findings, that I could have looked at it for hours. One of my childhood friends’ mother had a finely preserved Victorian crazy quilt that remains clear in my memory decades later- this quilt will replace that one as my standard for amazing one-off detailing. And this quilt too commemorated a loss- her nephew Jason had been murdered- but I felt the commemoration honored the positive spirit that was left behind. Jason’s Garden got my Favorite Quilt vote.

I enjoyed reading the write-ups while looking at the quilts. So many people have senses of humor about their work! Many quilts have interesting stories behind them. I was also encouraged by how long some were in the making. I have an unfinished Grandmother’s Flower Garden that my great-grandmother started probably in the 30s and my mother worked on maybe in the 90s. I didnt know it had been passed along. If I mean WHEN I finish it, I’ll enter it into a quilt show, just to get it’s story out (it’s not particularly noteworthy otherwise).

If I had stuck to looking at quilts, I might have seen them all. However, I got distracted by the auctions and bid on a half dozen items, since I’d be there to pick them up. At the end, people were buzzing around the bidding table like bees, and I ended up winning only one of my bids- a BIG basket of fat quarters. It’s not that I don’t have enough fabric, it’s just that what I have is not varied enough- that’s what I told my husband when he asked what the heck I needed more fabric for. However, the best part of the show was standing in the middle of the room, looking round and round and knowing how many thousands of hours that were spent with passion and skill and resulted in such beauty.