Seven Threads Studios

Art in the Islands Retreat cancelled for 2009

2009-02-10T09:54:00.003-05:00

It is with sincere regret that Seven Threads Studios has had to cancel the Art in the Islands Fibre Art Retreat for 2009. A minimum number of registrants was required to run the retreat and this year the registration fell short of our target. We hope to plan a retreat for 2010.

A Show in Almonte Not to Miss

2008-08-06T17:38:00.010-04:00

''The Fall Fair'' P.Susan Clow Ottawa, ON www.artevolves.com The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum Almonte , ON 613-256-3754 Aug. 7th - Oct. 26th, 2008

Here's Looking at Ewe, 24'' x 24'' P. Susan Clow

Kit here...

Let me start by saying that Susan started this year as one of our 'seven threads'. Back in April she quietly pulled away from the fray as she had 'work work work... to do '. She needed space and time, we understood. We have missed her these past few months, but...

the result? A solo show at the Textile Museum in Almonte.

Bravo Susan!!

We are so proud!

On August 7 (tomorrow!) the show opens at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte Ontario. You've gotta go check this out.

Susan produces unique and whimsical works that combine the wonderful skills she developed as a medical illustrator with a lifelong love of sewing textiles. An added bonus is her sporadic injection of humour in this work.

See y'all there!

''Material Matters Exibit'' at Columbus Museum of Art

2008-07-09T10:52:00.012-04:00

Material Matters Catalogue

Kit here,

A little bit of shameless promotion...
I have a piece in this exhibit that is currently on at the Museum of Art in Columbus Ohio, till August 31, 2008.

I just visited the site . Not only does it feature many of the pieces but also links up several U-tube videos of artists included in the exhibit at work on their piece at on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/columbusmuseum.

More pictures to come, but first, here is an image of my piece in this show:

River's Edge 4

A visit with the Limestone Guild, Kingston

2008-06-05T07:08:00.004-04:00

Last night Kit and I visited the Limestone Quilters Guild in Kingston for their year end dinner. We had the opportunity to share our power point presentation about the evolution of Seven Threads Studios. It was a delightful way to reminisce about the accomplishments of the Seven Threads from our early days, as quilters car-pooling to Ottawa guild meetings, to today.

The final details are being confirmed for the 2009 Retreat and we will be posting these here on the blog and the updated website in the next few weeks. If you wish to be on the list to receive notice of posting please send us a note. There was great interest in the retreat at last night's meeting in Kingston.

On a different note. . .

It felt great to get back to work on Seven Threads this week. This roller coaster I have been on is finally slowing down a bit and I have time to post. The spring quilt shows are over, work in the new shop is proceeding and the new stock is now arriving. My new shop staff have been wonderful in keeping things running while I have been away at shows.

I am looking forward to spending the summer setting up my home studio in the space recently vacated by the shop move and will keep you posted about the progress. I am in the market for studio furniture right now--any suggestions from readers?

Jenn

Honorary Threads at work and play...

2008-05-27T17:21:00.008-04:00

...at the Glen House Resort this past April.

Kit here.

I have just received a CD from Julie Tessier loaded with fantastic picks. Thanks Julie!
I recall that we had quite a number of photographers during our Show & Tell; both Julie and Mara Harrison took pictures and sent them to me. I am sooo grateful to both as few of mine were usable... I had camera battery issues, enough said.

I am busy busy resizing these for this blog and will be posting them over the next few weeks as I work through the pile. I thought that I would start with Saturday night's Show & Tell...

Time to focus on my work

2008-05-24T21:59:00.002-04:00

I have had a great time with the Seven Threads for the last few years, but find I need to focus on my solo career for a while. My family and home take up alot of my time at this stage of my life. I cannot make the commitment that is required for a group endeavor and do it justice, so I am simplifying my life by withdrawing from the Seven Threads Studios.
I will be busy creating art and you can check out my soon to be updated
website at www.artevolves.com
Thank-you for reading my blog. I enjoyed sharing with you and may start one up later in the summer. Susan

Moving on

2008-05-23T09:47:00.003-04:00

As our group is growing and developing different interests and are moving in different directions, I am taking this opportunity to wish everyone a fond farewell. I will continue to post to my blog

http://wendovanessen.blogspot.com/

Cheers,

Wendo

Art in the Islands Retreat 2008

2008-05-11T21:41:00.004-04:00

Kit here,
Click on the image above, to see a close up of each picture in the collage.
I have just finished processing some 96 pictures of our retreat at the Glenn House. This is a collage of some of them. Not very satisfying I know. I have been trying to upload the 96 pictures to an 'invitation only' website via Picassa. Picassa is a lot of fun but very frustrating to work with. It is currently uploading and re-organizing every single file I have ever owned on my hard drive. Less would do frankly - - as all I wanted were the 96 photos.
n the interim I offer up the collage. Pictures to come soon, hopefully with captions! Stay tuned...

More pics from the retreat

2008-04-26T17:58:00.008-04:00

One of the best times for me at the retreat was being able to help a couple of free motion virgins. I love it when the light goes on and they realize that it can be done. This is the most gratifying for me as a teacher.

Below you will find samples from Pat's demo.

Don't you just love those shiva sticks.

This will be my last blog on this site as I am moving on to other things.

I would like to share what I learn, and give tuttorrials on what I discover on my personal blog catharinablog.blogspot .com . Presently I am playing with painting and stamping on fabric,bobbin work and making holes for washers in your work.

Come and see what I am up to there.

Batteries

2008-04-25T08:48:00.002-04:00

Last weekend's retreat was a great get away and the weather was just spectacular too! One of the lesson's I learned, was check your batteries for your camera before you go on a trip. I took, what I thought was an extra set of charged up lithium batteries, those long life ones for cameras, but they did not work when I needed them to. I had to rely on others for photos and did not get some of the images I would have liked to have had.
My batteries were rechargable and have a shelf life, so I will have to see if they actually work. If not, the rechargable ones can be taken to places for recycling. W5 had an entire show about that several months ago. One town collected tons, and I mean tons, of batteries that would just end up in land fill sites if we don't recycle and they have harmful heavy metals which could be collected and used again. Every bit helps. Susan

After the retreat

2008-04-24T08:44:00.010-04:00

Now that we have recovered from all of the artistic stimulation and we have time to think about all the fun we had, we can have a look at what we did.There was lots of play with colour.

We had lots of fun with felting. From playing with a felting machine ( I do need another machine) to making a new pet( dragon) for your sewing room, everyone stretched their limits.

It was fab!!!

More pics to come.

journals

2008-04-13T10:21:00.008-04:00

I just love a pretty book to journal in and thought that a little piece of art for the cover would do nicely.

Sorting through my hand painted bits of fabric each piece took me in another direction. What fun!

Some fabrics were a bit too small but worked when one side was cut off rearranged and some interesting designs just happened.

Add to that ribbons,sequins trapped under netting and some hand beading and fabulous they are.

Colour in Action

2008-04-10T09:32:00.003-04:00

Kit here...
This is a fresh batch of fabric that I am dyeing for our retreat next week.
What you see here are 9 dye pots of a 12 dye pot colour wheel with 1 metre of fabric in each pot. Six of these pots ( the white ones) were given to me by Mara Harrison last year. I wish I had 12 of these as they are a perfect size. They are also lightweight and stackable - perfect for Low water immersion dyeing. I know that Mara is coming to the retreat...maybe she will bring me six more:-)

So here is the jumble that comes out of the dryer, nicely ironed I might add and as you can see I have already cut into some of it. Here I have sorted some of these into colour combos using little swatches. I have started collecting colour swatches of hand dyed fabric as this helps me keep the whole mess organized and easier to repeat if I want to. I find the plastic sleeves for these at the dollar store -five sheets for a dollar - Sports cards, collectors album refills..
For years I have enjoyed the serendipity of surprises/accidents when working with colour but now I want more for my efforts - therefore swatches.

This combo below shows seven tone chord that provides three sets of complementary colours. So how come all these colours seem to work together?

Here is another seven tone chord. Tropical fruit comes to mind - yumm...

Art in the Islands Retreat -- we are almost there!

2008-04-09T19:57:00.007-04:00

Two Fridays from now and we begin the 7 threads second ART IN THE ISLANDS RETREAT!!
Kit here...
As you can see I am building up a little excitement over in this corner...

Of all the activities we Threads engage in ... and believe me we are a pretty busy group, this is by far the most exciting event - - we get to spend a weekend talking and work shopping all things fibre-art in a beautiful resort on the St Lawrence river with 48 other fibre enthusiasts! Heaven...

I have been busy the last couple of days dyeing and assembling colourful fabric bundles for our merchant mall. This bunch reminds me of some of the colours I saw when walking through the depths of a sub-tropical forest on Saturna Island BC, when I visited last November. Lots of deeps shades with glimpses of intensely rich colours.
So, I have named this bundle Deep Saturna - how poetic!

I am really looking forward to this event and finally meeting the registrants I have been communicating with these last few months.

New York, almost spring

2008-04-05T11:29:00.004-04:00

Just got back from a trip to New York and it was just what I needed. There is so much to see and the weather was great. A walk through Central Park revealed these wonderful sculptures of children's stories, such as the Three Bears. It was great to have no snow anywhere.
One of the highlights for me was to see five paintings by Vermeer. There are only 27 in existence that we know of. (Don't quote me on that number) I did not see one of them in Boston years ago, as it had been stolen the year before. Two of these paintings are shown here, photographed from a book I have. His paintings are not very big. Young Woman with a Water Pitcher is 16" X 18" and my favorite, Allegory of Faith is 45" X 35". To see original paintings is a privilege and I was able to just stand in front of them, for as long as my time would allow, with no one around. Often people do not know which paintings are the amazing ones, unless they have studied art or the gallery tells them. The colours, brush strokes and composition are right there in front of you, having been painted approximately 340 years ago. I could have spent all my time in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but there were so many things to see in the city I had to limit my time. Oh well, something to go back for in the future. Susan

Visit to Renfrew and other things

2008-04-05T08:02:00.003-04:00

This is not my work. Bernie a member of the Renfrew Guild stitched up this daisy, isn't it fabulous.
Despite the freezing rain, we had a lovely two days sewing our brains out. I do love to teach what I have discovered and pass it on to others.
My little Jem sewing machine is a treat. It behaves just like my big one and I was able to show everyone some bobbin work as well, even though I hadn't spent much time with this little "baby".
You can see more student work at www.catharinablog.blogspot.com
I am continuing to work on the retreat and it is really coming together. The participants are in for lots of fun and some surprises. Now to sew up a few more samples and I will be ready to go. Oh and I need some new clothes as well, as I am on the high end of my size of the month issues.
I have a lovely Lois Erikson kimono pattern and will definitely make one of those. I am planning to piece in some circles a la Lily Lam.
Thanks to Wendo fo mentioning our teaching at St.Lawrence College this summer. I will jot down more details later.
I am looking outside and the snow is going !!!!!
Talk more soon.

Tsukineko Ink trials

2008-04-04T14:35:00.007-04:00

Kit here...
Jennifer asked me to try out these textile inks. She is carrying three set of these in her shop and given that they are relatively new technology for fibre art, I thought that I would give them a try from my end. That said, there's lots of talk on the web about these.

I suspect that these are not true inks but really a very fine grade of acrylic based paint - - much like pebeo's transparent seta color -- they are so fine that they don't change the hand of the fabric. The give-away is that these 'inks' set with a little heat from your iron, like all textile paints.

In short, I found the the colours to be intense, they mix well and behave a lot like ink!
All colours are transparent except for the white. On the down side, used alone the colours tend to bleed, even when using the colouring 'stixs' that come with the set. This can be a positive as with the blue gradations (see below), or if you are trying for a watercolour effect. Otherwise some sort of binder or resist is needed.

A quick search on the web brings up all sorts of solutions for this: everything from shaving cream to soy milk.

I have found that the easiest to use is Aloe Vera clear gel (emphasis on clear). Easiest for me because I was able to find it locally at our friendly Walmart store (smile). I have used the gel in two ways. One was to mix it with a colour 1:4 parts, any more gel than this and the colour begins to lighten -- that can be OK too.

But my preferred method is to stretch the fabric - - in this case a piece of 10 mm silk on a frame and paint the gel directly onto the fabric using a foam sponge. Let this surface dry to a damp state and then begin painting. Nice crisp lines result with a lot of control, whether you use the 'stix' that come with the set or a watercolour brush.

Here is a close up of this study. If you click on the 3rd image you can still see some bleeding where I have bushed one colour over another colour that is still wet. The little white dots are made with the white ink, added in at the end to show how well they cover up the underlying shades. BTW, the white can be mixed in with any of the colours to create opaque tints. Once the design is finished, I will iron this piece to set (as with any textile paint) and I will wash it in warm water with a little dish detergent or woolite to remove the aloe gel.

This is a high quality product that can be fun to use on all sorts of fabrics.

St. Lawrence College summer school

2008-04-04T09:21:00.003-04:00

Hi all,

Even though we still seem to be in the grip of winter..that snow is slowly slowly melting away. I hope that the predicted rain we get this weekend will finally end winter. I've noticed a few curls of tulip leaves pushing their way up...it's only a matter of time.

To further banish winter from our hearts, I just received my St. Lawrence Summer School of the Arts brochure and I'm pleased to announce that Cathy and I will be teaching in the same week...July 7-11, 2008. I'll be taking participants step by step through the process of needle felting a pet portrait and Cathy will be teaching the fundamentals of creating your own quilt.

Check us out at the link below!

http://www.stlawrencecollege.ca/parttime/SummerArtsSchedule.htm

I look forward to the long hot days of summer!!

Cheers,

Wendo

Bob Adams at work -- catch this if you can...

2008-04-03T18:56:00.004-04:00

Kit here...
This link below is circulating on the net. It shows Bob Adams, a retired US high school teacher demonstrating how he makes quilts today. He uses an interesting combination of discharged fabric (he removes the original fabric colour) and heavy heavy thread work.
check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWY1t8V-SNQ

I met Bob at a QSDS junket back in 2005. As I recall he was not quite retired yet...or maybe he was about to retire. In any case it is inspirational to see Bob's new career take off. Way to go!

A fun week

2008-03-29T07:10:00.003-04:00

First ,I bought a new small 12 pound machine,a Janome Jem Platinum 760 for classes from
Sew Crafty in Perth. After having some back issues and taking my heavier machine to class with difficulty I splurged and have added Matilda to my sewing machine family.This little baby can do everything my other machine can do without the obvious large hole for large quilts. It will be perfect for classes and doing demos.New equipment is always fun.
I am off to Refrew to teach tommorrow and she will be christened.
I also had a lovely time with Lily Lam from Montreal and we learned how to piece circles without pins. Now I can tackle my large Klimpt inspired piece. I will be making lots of circles inside circles. Will keep you posted.
We Seven Threads are busy preparing for the Art in the Islands Retreat. Can't wait as it promises to be an exciting event with lots of free goodies for the participants.There will be lots of sharing and the weekend inspires new work for me.
Because I have spent quite a few days on the couch with my sore back I have also discovered knitting again. Check out this company Berroco, the patterns are funky and off the wall. I love them.
As promised I have been posting on my personal blog this week. You can check it out at www.catharinablog.blogspot.com
Have a great weekend all, it promises to be a nice one.Finally I see a few tulips peeking up in my garden beside the snow.

A visit from Lily Lam

2008-03-28T11:53:00.004-04:00

Kit here...
Jennifer, Pat and I caught up with Lily Lam for dins at the Brockberry and a follow up visit to my studio Wednesday evening.
Lily was in these regions at the invite of the Lanark County Quilters Guild in Perth Ontario. Details of Lily's workshop and a group picture can be seen on her blog here. I had previously met Lily on the occasion of her fibre art show in Montreal this past January. I saw then her exquisite and precise work.

So back at the studio, Lily pulls out of a tiny little bag, about the size of a 1 gal ziploc ...her new creation. As I recall, this fabric mobile literally popped out of this small enclosure.

Here, Lily discusses construction details with Jennifer

We had to see this piece in action so I did some climbing to get it up high and watch it spin. Given that there was no wind in the studio at that time it turned very slowly and gracefully.
This is a great example of Lily's curves in action - literally.
I now want to learn how to make these exquisitely precise curves....

As we watch it turn and admire the ingenuity I notice that my studio needs a clean up ...oh well, later.

I love that way it looks with light shining through as it turns.

Lily plans to attend our Retreat in April and I hope she brings this piece for all to see.

Looking Forward

2008-03-25T11:16:00.003-04:00

Hi all,
I'm back from Cuba all tanned and happy. It always amazes me how quickly you can get from one climate to another. It's only been a few days and the beach is now soooo far away.

In looking ahead there is a bunch of fun stuff happening in my life and I will be travelling and teaching a bit. Here is what I'm up to.

1.Three Daisies workshop for the Renfrew Quilter's Guild, Renfrew- March 31st and April 1st

2.Art in the Islands Retreat with Seven Threads Studios, Glen House Resort, Gananoque- April18,19, and 20

3. Country Lanes Studio Tour, in my studio in Perth, may 17,18 and 19. There will be guest artists here as well, Wendo being one of them.

4.Lecture on "MY PROCESS" for the Out of the Box Group in Ottawa- May 19th at 7:30

5.Three Daisies workshop at Salon 2008, Montreal, Quebec- May 23

6." Tampered With Show" at Paper Images Gallery, Picton from June 1-16th

7. "Passages Show" with Seven Threads Studios at the Brittannia Gallery in Ottawa from June 4-29th

8. From Pic to Quilt class at the Country Quilter in Richmond-June 6,13, ans 20

9. Design class at the St. Lawrence College Summer School of the Arts from July 7-11

10.Every Wed. I have a group of students who are always willing to push their limits. Each one works on their own projects and my job is to teach them enough so that they will not need me anymore.

This will keep me out of mischief for awhile.

Another new venture is my personal blog. I really want to share what I learn and keep everyone up to date with what I am doing.I will be posting a couple of times a week and this time make it work.Check me out at www.Catharinablog.blogspot.com

finishing samples

2008-03-23T16:06:00.005-04:00

I have been working on some of the samples for the retreat and had to figure out what to do. I have quilted on one of the single pear samples, with quilting that refects the fabric in the background and leaves the actual pear unquilted, for contrast. When I select my fabrics, I think about the pattern as well as the colour. I like to work with the pattern and not add a new one on top. In the photo you can see the random zigzag meandering I have used for the bottom portion and meandered the upper portion, following the subtle changes in the colours of the batik fabric. Both of these have been sewn with variagated thread, as the batiks have so many colours. The variagated threads blend better than solid coloured thread.
To mount one of my pieces, I wrapped it around a painter's canvas that is on a flat board, rather than a stetched canvas. I turned under the two vertical sides first and then the two horizontal sides. I hand stitched, the join on the back and the ends, so that it looks neat and tidy. I will sew on rings at the back and join them with a wire for hanging.
Presentation is important and sometimes takes alot of time, that is what makes your art look professional, Susan

Balloonwear

2008-03-21T11:20:00.000-04:00

Check out these amazing balloon dresses!

http://www.secondose.com/twisted-balloons-fashion/

Cheers,
Wendo

fluidity in art

2008-03-20T17:54:00.004-04:00

I've been enamoured with the art of motion for my whole adult life and now that I'm not literally making 'moving pictures' in animation I strive for movement and motion in my fibre art.

I met Olga Roehl at the CDAA conference in Ottawa last year. She's an incredible artist from Germany who came over and stole the show with her fabulous dolls. I've attached her website to show her watercolours of characters in motion...her dolls become incredibly detailed works of art but it's her 'pictures' that excite my desire to create motion in my work as well.

http://www.olga-roehl.de/pictures.htm

It's hard to believe but she's never heard of Cirque de Soleil...

Happy Easter everyone!

Wendo

CBS Sunday Morning video: Quilts for Sale

2008-03-19T11:13:00.002-04:00

Kit here...
I was cleaning out my neglected Quiltart site this morning and came across this post about a broadcast on CBS last Sunday morning about the Houston show this year . Karey Bresenheim (AQS Houston) is quoted as saying that quilting is not a billion dollar business -- it is a 10 billion dollar business! That is so funny given that a lot of people still think that quilts are made from scraps.

I have copied the CBS link below. Try to catch the video before it disappears off the net.

CBS Sunday Morning Video -
Quilts for Sale
Quilting has been an American tradition for centuries,

URL
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3942008n
[CBS Sunday Morning Webpage says ]
Copy the link above to share this video.

MoMA Color Chart Exhibit - online

2008-03-18T11:54:00.000-04:00

Kit Here,
This is too good to pass up...

I was directed to this exhibition online and have been busy with it for 2 hours now! It's a MoMA exhibit called Color Chart and you can follow the timeline of how color has been organized by different artists for practically a century.

Make sure and click on the sound where it shows up- you hear the explanations in the artist's own words. Also play around on the site because every little dot is a link to more information and more art!

http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2008/colorchart/

Civilizations new to me

2008-03-14T15:06:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I made a point of going to the Museum of Civilization in Hull, QC to see two shows. The first was quite spectacular, called, "Secret Riches, Ancient Peru Unearthed." It was all about a recent find of the Sican people around 1000 years ago. The exhibit has alot of interesting designs, gold artwork, pottery and more. Well worth the trip, especially as I do not know when I will, if ever, make it to Peru.
The second exhibit, also well worth it was about Daphne Odjig, the mother of Aboriginal art. Her work has great graphics and by seeing a large show like this, you can see how she developed her art and ideas. That is something I am trying to do, when I can focus.
We should always be open to learning new things and seeing exhibits can really get the creative juices flowing. Susan
Check out www.civilization.ca

What's on my floor...

2008-03-11T11:53:00.003-04:00

Kit here --

Many many colour wheels. These are colour intensity studies done with opaque fabric paint on black cotton cloth. They are drying under the supervision of my trusty lab assistant.

Lolabelle waits patiently for more wheels to arrive as I am also making a 2nd set with transparent fabric paint on white cloth.

She thinks that I am having an attack of OC. Far from the truth!

Here are the two sets moved off the floor. I have fused the wheels together in a fan-fold arrangement so they can all be viewed at the same time and shades can be compared. The two sets fold up neatly into cloth books - for reference.

I am about to embark on a third set - this time, colour value studies.

This whole process is positively addictive.

Finished Dress

2008-03-09T19:14:00.005-04:00

My dress is finished and I love it. It needed to be comfortable so I oversized it a bit. The neckline is lovely and the little bit of a cap sleeve is great for the arms.
The curved seaming also hints at a waist, great for us plus sized beauties.

To the left you will see the pleated pocket detail, very chic and very artsy.

Below you will find the pattern that I used. You can bet on the fact that I will make several more in different fabrics.

The view from my studio window

2008-03-08T11:09:00.003-05:00

This view from my studio window is becoming all too familiar.The snow comes and the snow goes and the snow comes one more time. The little piece above was given to me by Kit and helps to inspire my work. These little funky vases were a real find at the dollar store for $1 each.They look like little sculptures, another source of inspiration. Then the glass water drop is a present from my friend Dani who brought it back for me from the West Coast. These fun things distract me from the snow.

Now for the fun surprise, Terry booked us a last minute trip toVaradera, Cuba and we leave on Thursday. This should get rid of the nasty cold that we both have.

Of course I need a new dress, and I went diving into my stash of unfinished things. I found a lovely navy linen and a bunch of large daisies that had been intended for a quilt that was not to be.

They will be free motioned on using Totally Stable by Sulky. It irons to the back beautifully and then tears away when the stitching is done.

I do love those raw edges, so the rule of thumb is,
go around each shape three times.
On the first pass try to hit all of the edges.
On the second pass hit all the spots that you missed the first time around.
On the third pass even it out.
Of course if it is too dull and boring, I throw in some complimentary colours to spice things up.Orange will do nicely in this case, with some fuschia as well.

This is the plan. I will take another pic when finished you can see how it turns out. It is an interesting new Burda pattern and I will take a pic of it as well.

The flowers provide a lovely point of interest and I love the fact that they are over sized. Big is beautifull!

The outfit should look great with a pair of large white hoop earings and my brown wedgies. I put brown on the flowers so I could wear the shoes with this dress. Silly girl!!!!!!!!!!!

Focus and Tidy

2008-03-07T09:53:00.007-05:00

I have been spending part of the week reading a book "It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh. You may have seen him on Oprah. He's the guy who takes a house and gives people back their lives, by helping them to "find the floor" etc.
My place has some tidy rooms and some not so tidy, but a reality check once in a while is good thing. Must be the spring cleaning bug. If only we would get spring in Ottawa. The book is actually a quick read and has some good points. I now have four big bags to give to Goodwill and a bag to throw out. This allows me to focus on what is important: my art, family and friends. Yes, I have a messy studio still, but I will get to that mess by setting aside tidy time each day/week. I have always said, I do not need a cleaning lady but a tidy lady and I guess I am it.
Speaking of focus. Now that I have done a series of pear pictures, to use at my demo at our retreat, I have seen pictures of pears in lots of places. It helps that I have been clearing out magazines and looking through them first.
We can see all sorts of things, if we actually look and don't just let our minds veg. One prime example is to observe the landscape around you as you drive, walk or run. Don't take your eyes off the road for long, while driving, but by conciously looking, you will see colours, shapes and lots more. You may end up with inspiration overload and then you will have to tidy your mind, to focus on what to create. Its not just my home that gets messy, but my ideas, and I have to weed some out or write them down in a book for the future. Time to use some of those ideas and not just leave them in my mind. Susan

My new website

2008-03-06T19:15:00.002-05:00

Hi all,

Check out my new website. I worked on it for a week solid then had to get my expert friend to upload it and pick apart the glitches but I'm pleased...I hope you are too!

http://www.fibreartbywendo.com/

Good Habits to Adopt

2008-03-03T10:33:00.006-05:00

Kit here,

I am back from San Antonio and I am still in catch-up mode.
There is so much on my agenda lately... its cutting into my blogging time !!

For instance:

Art in the Islands Retreat 18 - 20April 08 (#1 on my list!)
LCQG Trunk show in Perth, 22 April 08
Britannia Gallery Group Show in Ottawa ON 1- 30 June 08
Kingston Fibre Guild Annual Dinner Talk in Kingston, June 08
Columbus Museum of Art Exhibition opening, 19 June 08
Haliburton Summer School of the Arts - week-long workshop, 30 June 08

Yikes! and I'm probably forgetting stuff...but just writing it out here is helpful though.
Oh right, I forgot that I should expect some interim assignments from San Antonio in the next two weeks, but only due mid-summer.

So, my friend Andree (who lives in BC) sent me this link from the Globe and Mail on-line today. She wants to make sure that I keep busy ....
I read it and know what? It is very tempting to try out -- like all good habits. This one though is geared to the artist in all of us. Have a read. Tempting eh?

Speaking of Spring

2008-03-01T22:46:00.004-05:00

I was going to write "To Frame Or Not To Frame, That Is The Question? and decided to use this piece of mine as an example. This spring tulip has been stretched on a frame; however, I find people want to touch it even though it is a piece of art. Fabric does that to people. Unfortunately the fabrics will not look good for long with finger grease/sweat/marks and I don't like to have to point this out all the time, so I am planning to go the route of framing with glass. That has problems because of glare and cost but sometimes you just have to look after your art. If someone purchases the piece and does not want the glass they can reframe without it. This tulip reminds me of days to come. Soon, please! If you are a skier this is a great year, but I am getting tired of using my, now expert, skills with the snowblower. Susan

Working on the Retreat

2008-03-01T09:51:00.002-05:00

Working on my demo for the retreat brings up this pic from the past. The fabric was hand painted, the tree was stamped, and then it was enhanced with bobbin work using Wonderfill Razzle.

In playing with all of the possibilties, I immediately want to do some more of this technique in my work.

You sure get an instant bang for your buck so to speak. The thicker threads make an impressive statement and you have to use less of it to make it work.

Now back to rolling 400 lengths of threads and ribbons onto card for the kits.

Have a good week everyone.

Dreaming of somewhere else

2008-02-28T19:38:00.003-05:00

I've been going through some old photographs, looking for inspiration...best part is I get stuck in the moment I took these images and have a great remembrance day dream.... I was in San Francisco Easter of 1997 or 98.. and seeing these pix of the Japanese gardens now has me yearning for spring!!! Don't get me wrong...I LOVE winter...I'm just a little tired of the snow shoveling (we've had ALOT of snow)I think I'll have to do a felted piece with cherry blossoms in it..that'll keep me going til the real thing happens here!

'Til next time...

Wendo

More snow,more winter

2008-02-23T09:47:00.003-05:00

I have been working on my retreat demo this week and am very excited about presenting it to our delegates. My technique is bobbin work and I am always playing with new things to put in the bobbin.

The rest of my week has been this and that. I actually did not have much time to work in my studio which makes me sad. We want to do the work but we also want to sell it ( extra fabric money always comes in handy). Not coming from a business background,it has taken me awhile to realize that you do have to spend time marketing yourself. Next week looks more promising.

When will winter end?

2008-02-22T17:14:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning to cold temperatures and more snow and was grateful that I could get out to fitness class later. At my class there was some wonderful upbeat music. I focused on the music and used my imagination to pretend I was having a class on some beach in Cube or Hawaii. The pale wood floor could have been the sand. The things we have to do here in Ottawa, while our friends are in warmer climates for reading week!
As an artist, imagination is the greatest gift we have and we have to remember to use it to its fullest.
As a fibre artists, we have all of the rich textures and colours of the materials we use, to go with our imagination and that can take us anywhere we want to go. I have just pulled out some silk, beads and cotton for a piece I am working on. These are too often used in cloths that just end up in closets but we can put them on our walls to look at anytime. Spring is just around the corner (I tell myself) and we can certainly use those luscious fabrics to get the juices flowing like maple syrup.
I am into creating mode and trying hard not to let other things get in the way.
The days are getting longer and spring is on its way, Susan

Look at the discharge piece now

2008-02-19T15:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I used the same thermofax motif, but this time with some black textile paint.

I usually shy away from textile paint as it can easily rubberize the fabric. So I used Seta colour thinned way down with extender and water.

Once the colours were out there was really no stopping. ...red, then blue and even some yellow. Not bad, I am somewhat pleased with this piece. If only it were not so small, only 28'' x 20''.

No room left for stretching it. I don't really want to quilt it as there is too much going on already. Next time, 28'' x 40'' at a minimum.

Snow days

2008-02-16T08:52:00.009-05:00

I love these snow days as I don't get out of my pajamas until 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
My creative juices have been flowing and it really works when you can spend two whole weeks in your studio working by yourself day in and day out.
While working on one piece, my head is moving forward to the next series.
On the left is a little teaser.I am trying to create a sculptural effect by using sheers and trapping it in strips.

More to come as the ideas develop further.

More small leaves using my hand painted fabric and silk. They are 9 inch x 9 inches and a fun way to experiment with technique and colour.
On the long weekend in May I am part of the Country Lanes Studio Tour and need to have some small pieces ready to sell.

In this F +M piece I used copper foiling on the washers from the hardware store. I bought the kit from Jennifer at Picket Fence Fabrics and it's a great way to start without investing a lot of money in supplies.It all comes in one kit.

Love the orange and the grey together ,very hip and modern.Below more unusual orange and grey.

A retro print, metal suspended and lovely orange fabric, and of course that roller ball fabric. A while back I bought a tin filled with this fabric and thgought that it was an extravagent purchase at the time. But it has resulted in lots of inspiration that has taken me to many places.

Love those snowy days when I don't have to get out of my pajamas .

The art of doing nothing...continued?

2008-02-13T10:50:00.002-05:00

This is very cool 'performance' art that I want to share with you. Only in the big city!!

http://www.gadling.com/2008/02/01/best-prank-ever-stopping-time-at-grand-central-station/

What's on my Wall

2008-02-12T20:30:00.000-05:00

Kit here ... this is what I've been up to--

Black and white studies and a couple of small machine-felted studies.

No wool roving this time. Instead bits of polyester silky-like lining fabric in many colours - it felts great!
And...what's on my table
This is a piece of black viscose rayon with a motif discharged on it using thiox.

I know that bleach is so frequently used for discharging -- removing colour from cloth -- but nothing, I mean nothing can compare to thiox, IMHO.... all traces of black are GONE.

Here is the mix I used:
1 tsp thiox (Pro Chem) + 1 tsp soda ash (yes, the swimming pool stuff) with ½ cup of sodium alginate (thickener from Pro Chem) - gently stirred in a plastic picnic bowl and ready for action.

This is a Thermofax screen I made earlier in San Antonio with a little discharge paste ready for squeegeeing onto a length of black viscose rayon cloth from RG&S.

Voila! A crisp clean transfer of the motif yielding total removal of colour -- with the help of a little heat. N.B. I used a hot iron with a respirator mask.

Gorgeous! I am off to San Antonio this Saturday to learn a lot more about all this stuff.

Local Fibre Artists Show In Kingston

2008-02-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

If you are registered for the Art in the Islands Fibre Art Retreat, April 18 - 20, plan to add a side trip to your weekend getaway. You wont want to miss The Kingston Fibre Artists 2008 Exhibition "Mythical Images" at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, (Foyer, 2nd Floor) . and even if you aren't attending the retreat you can take a day trip to Kingston during the month of April as the shows runs April 2 - 29 (during regular library hours). This talented group of artists always inspire and amaze!

A Pair of Pears

2008-02-11T13:52:00.001-05:00

I have been busy getting samples done for the retreat and thought I would do a variation on a pair of pears called "Pears in Love". Can a Bartlett find true happiness with a Bosc? Its still in the beginning stage.
When I work on a piece of artwork, I usually start with a picture. The better the image, the better the work. That is why I will be sharing with participants, skills I use as a Medical Artist and a Fine Artist. Sometimes you want to do more than collage type of artwork and my demo is designed to help.
The April retreat is going to be great, especially after this long winter. I remember taking a break last year, just sitting out on the deck,in the afternoon sun, watching the herons fly by. That sounds good to me, as I look at my thermometer today, showing -20C.
In the meantime, I am busy creating away and using my new design wall. I took Kit's advice and went to Home Depot. I bought 3 panels of white styrofoam, 8'X 2'. I had to cut 3" off one end before put them up against my wall. They are held in place by boxes that I store some of my fabric in. I just put up my fabric bits, held with flower head pins. It seems to work for me and maybe it would work for you. Susan

A productive week

2008-02-08T22:55:00.000-05:00

My latest piece finished and ready for our exhibit at Brittania.It is amazing what a trip to the hardware store with your husband will inspire.

They all started with sketches made in my book on the train on the way to Windsor to visit my son.When you have 8 hours to sit your mind does a lot of wandering.

Then a second sketch so that a pattern can be made for the piecing. Each time I want to add something a little bit different, challenge myself a little bit more, and take it in a new direction.

The colour is worked out as well , just a bit of it anyway.

Fabrics and threads are chosen and often pared down.

This one is not quite done as yet.

Another series in the works is a bunch of cows.

Mom and #133 have been put together with hand painted fabric.

1/2 a metre did the trick.

She needed to be warmed up a bit, and there had to be some contrast between mother and calf.

I actually took the pic below with my digital camera and then took liberties with the design in order to get what I wanted.

The next step is to apply some detail with pencil crayonand then do some stitching.

The whole thing has been worked out in my head ,so now it only has to be done.

Another class and Dianne Morrow finished this little bear this week. She used a very subtle shade of brown sequin for the eyes and they really sparkle. Great Job!

A visit from some of my Lanark Guild friends resulted in these design exercises. Helga,Dee and I played with this concept and it took us to the next place. There are possibilities in the shapes.

It was very liberating to cut up paper without worrying about what you were doing to a piece of fabric.

Play with paper and scissors,it will take you places where you have not gone before( just like Star Trek).

The art of doing nothing

2008-02-07T20:08:00.000-05:00

Hello all from snowy Prescott,
It's been a wonderful totally lax day of watching snow falling. I decided to do absolutely nothing today (it's my birthday!) It was a good day to ponder the year ahead of me...I find doing nothing is good for creativity. All kinds of possibilities present themselves when one is watching snow fall. The art of doing nothing has been so often ignored...
I found a lovely little book called just that...The Art of Doing Nothing by Veronique Vienne with stunning photographs by Erica Lennard. It very simply talks of ways to make time for yourself. This book ..."gives us permission to celebrate idleness in all its mesmerizing forms."
Without guilt, we get to just sit and savour the moment. It's pretty tough to completely ignore that order that must be filled, or that laundry that really needs doing...but it's SO worth it when you find you can just relax and breath...even if it's for a few minutes.
I did feel some guilt later this afternoon and, reaching for my bag o' fibre...I was thwarted! My little princess is my excuse for not getting back to work...and that's just fine with me!

cheers,

Wendo

Good news from the OCC

2008-02-06T17:25:00.000-05:00

Kit here,
Just received a surprise check from the Ontario Crafts Council.
It seems that my quilt 'Wild' sold. Hot dog!

Back in November I submitted 'Wild' as part of Ontario Craft 07, a biennial juried exhibition of works by members of the OCC. I've been a member for ages. I was delighted that they decided to reinstate this exhibit as it provides an excellent Canadian opportunity to show fine craft. Fine craft is the classification for what it is I do/make/produce...

This show was juried by Sandra Ainsley and David Kaye, two gallery owners based in Toronto and Lisa Pai of Lafreniere & Pai Gallery in Ottawa. Two hundred works were submitted and sixty-nine were selected in the media of ceramics, glass, wood, jewelry, metal, textiles and mixed media. The show ran from November 15 to December 31 at the new OCC Gallery at 900 Queen street West.

Here is one last shot of Wild - 128cm x 123 cm

Visit with Lily Lam in Montreal

2008-02-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

On Sunday Kit and I spent the day with Lily Lam in Montreal. Lily is a very talented fibre artist with a delightful studio which we had fun exploring while waiting for a quilt frame to be delivered. We then visited Lily's Exhibit at Victoria Hall in Westmount. I had seen Lily demonstrate the technique she used to create this beautiful circular motif when I was in Montreal in November.

I was inspired to cut up some of my Black Pimatex and experiment after seeing this discharged piece. This picture does not do the piece justice. Lily had used copper metallic thread which made the piece glow.

Lily's curved piecing was exquisite.

The pieces were beautiful hanging in Victoria Hall. Take time to visit Lily's Public Gallery

for more images of her work and the vernissage.

After lunch, Kit, Lily and I spent the afternoon at the Cuban Art Exhibit

Montreal is such a lovely city--very inspiring. Thanks Lily!

Waiting for the mail

2008-02-03T07:35:00.001-05:00

This week it has been fun wating for the mail.Some time ago Nellie Holmes asked if she could do an article on me. I said sure, wondering if it would really happen. This week my copy of the American Quilter came and lo and behold my article is on page 74.

It is beautifully written and set up. I love how the graphic designer set up my work on the page.I have even recieved some emails from around the USA asking questions about my work.

This is pretty amazing!

I am also continuig to work on my bobbin demo for the retreat in the spring. There will be some really fun surprises and I can't wait to share them.

Have a fun week!

2008-01-31T09:42:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

After searching high and low I found my camera in the chaos that is my van so I can share these pictures that Cathy took of me teaching the Little Dragon class to the Lanark County Quilt Guild. We had a lot of fun! Thank you everyone for making me feel at home and big thanks to Cathy for letting me stay, feeding me and inspiring me.
These little guys turned out so well!! Congratulations, ladies, for a job well done!
I was extremely fortunate to have been able to teach some of the ladies before I did a trunk show later that day. I was SO nervous!!! I've never been good at standing up in public, but I was standing on a very high stage (I wonder why it's so high) and speaking into a microphone I was wearing on my head. I'm sorry to say my voice shook the entire time! Luckily I was able to focus on the women I knew from the class earlier. I have no idea what I said or if I could be understood!

Thank you everyone, for your kindness and your patience!

Cheers,

Wendo

a single sheet of paper

2008-01-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

I've been away doing workshops and a trunk show and a wholesale show. I've got lots of pix and news to share but my camera is in the van...somewhere safe! Right now, though, I thought I'd share these images. Fascinating!!
Cheers,
Wendo

Entries for an art contest at the Hirshhorn Modern Art Gallery in Washington DC.

The rule was that the artist could use only one sheet of paper

Art in the Islands Retreat 2008

2008-01-29T09:54:00.002-05:00

Kit here...a cold wet dark damp day today, with freezing rain I might add ... no need to rush out anywhere -- a perfect studio day.

Yesterday we Threads met at Cathy's in Perth to plan for our upcoming Retreat this April. We each brought demo material and placed it on a large table. We put these demos through a 'dry run' process to see how well they worked together. Conclusion? Oh...we shall have fun this year!

I will let the other threads fill you in on what they are planning, but I will be focusing on how to really put colour to work in our projects.

It's one thing to know about primary and secondary colours and their basic colour harmonies, but then how do you make all these variables come together in a composition?

That is what we will explore as we cut up and assemble lots of pre-fused, hand-dyed fabric into several colour studies using a couple of simple motifs.

For our colour exercises we will be using fabric bits that I have dyed throughout the year. Below is a bouquet of fat eights in rainbow colours looking glorious all bundled up together. I am gearing up for a series of one day workshops next summer called Dyeing Series for Quilters. These will be offered in Brockville. More to come about these in future blogs.

I love to contemplate colour when the weather outside is so frightful!

BTW, I just caught sight to two white swans floating together in the water...yes, in the St Lawrence river. Threy don't look in distress but I reported them to the Ministry of Natural Resources. They tell me that it is not uncommon, if the swans are not in distress to let them be. OK....but I am still keeping a watch out for them. Maybe they would like some bread crumbs...

Fusibles

2008-01-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Working in a series can be quite liberating. While working on one piece using a simple motif, numerous alternatives were presenting themselves on how the motif, in this case fish, could be used. Rather than choosing just one layout and colourway and stopping there, I started drafting, cutting, fusing (yes, I fuse sometimes!) and layering and came up with a number of interesting pieces.

Fusing was a exploration in itself. I have often referred to anything fused as lick-and-stick, or cut-and-paste. These products speed up the process of construction, if you know which product to use.

All of these products are available at Picket Fence Fabrics.

Start with a good teflon sheet when using your iron with these products. As an inexpensive alternative, use parchment paper found in the baking section of your grocery store.

1. The powder bonding agent by BoNash can be used to hold down small pieces until you sew them in place. A little of this product goes a long way. Great for landscapes, snippets technique.

2. Misty Fuse in black or white, is excellent for fine silk or sheers. Unusual textures can be accomplished with this product.

3. Wonder Under is great for general fusing of appliqué pieces. It is inexpensive compared to other products.

4. Steam-a-Seam is thicker and gummed up my needle but probably works better on pieces that you will be buttonhole stitching by hand or machine along the edges, not stitching in definition with threadon the piece itself.

5. Peltex, a great two-sided fusible product is used for postcards, boxes, book covers and anything you want some stiffness. Use this instead of batting.

6. A water-based glue stick (kids use these in school) is inexpensive and provides a temporary hold for appliqué pieces.

7. Glue Pens are used to hold down finer details.

8. Glue Baste provides a temporary bond where pins would be awkward such as Celtic appliqué, stems, letters.

9. Spray baste products are great for adhering a quilt backing, batting, top together but the airborne particles can pose a health issue for some.

Machines

2008-01-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

It has been one of those weeks where you intend to start a new piece but just didn't quite get there ,so I have nothing to show you.
Instead I have been working on our retreat demo and got to thinking about sewing machines.
I have a Bernina 1630 which was my pride and joy for a very long time. During this period in my sewing carreer I thought that the more money you paid for a machine the better it was and the better my product would be.
There ia also a 20 year old White serger in my collection which still works exteremely well to this day.
A few years ago I bought a Janome 6500 which serves what I do very well.
Then for sentimantal reasons I bought an old Singer handcrank that doesn't work. I learned to sew on one of these machines as a child and love to just look at it.My Mom sold hers to some dealer who talked her into buying a new electric Kenmore.

My students always ask which machine is the best and I have come to the conclusion that it is not what kind of machine you have that counts, It's how well you know yours.

On an afternoon when you have a couple of hours take out your manual and some scrap fabric and work through the book page by page,trying everything.
During this excersize you will become one with your machine.That is what counts.

Have a great week!

Finishing your art

2008-01-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

If you want to be taken seriously as an artist you should consider how you finish your piece, to be as important as the piece itself. It has to look professional and a good finish will help. That is not to say it has to be framed but if you want to do, that don't wait until its done. Get some ideas before hand and a great place is the art shop. I went to Wallacks Art Store in Ottawa yesterday and looked at matts, frames and canvasses. One great way to show your fibre art is to srtetch it on a canvas, as Cathy has shown me. This time though, instead of a finished edge, you can actually buy a frame to put the canvas in. It is deep enough to cover all of the edges. It does not hold glass, just the finished canvas and often that is what you want for fibre art. I hope this gives you some ideas and a trip to the art shop is always interesting. Susan

Purplepatch pieces

2008-01-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

Hi all:

It has been awhile since I messaged here. Whew! Things have been crazy!

This week I finished 16 fabric bowls - the later I stayed up the wonkier they got. Here are a few photos. These are for hostess gifts for the next month while on my travels.

The edges trimmed off got me a flower.

A little oriental touch here.

The more you cut out the more shapely they get and the more fun!

I love this one and it is a great colour too!

While I am travelling with son an family for the next month I am going to try to send Wendo some shots to keep you updated on my whereabouts. Supposed to get a new camera in Singapore so I hope this works!

Take care, and keep stitchin'.

Pat

My visit to Perth

2008-01-24T12:06:00.000-05:00

This little guy was made by Cathy at the little dragon workshop for the Lanark County Quilt Guild. The group was very hospitable and I felt right at home. After the trunk show I had to take off to Peterborough and the on to Toronto . More pics to come showing the dargons made by the whole group .

Calls for Entry...heads up!

2008-01-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

Kit Here,
This comes from the OCC Newsflash (shh...don't tell anybody!)

Bend, Fold, Manipulate
Deadline: March 14

Bend, Fold, Manipulate is a Fibre Artist Exhibition that will be held at the ACA Gallery in May 2008. Curated by Gallery Artist, Mary Kroetsch, the art selected will interpret the definition of the show title, uniquely suggesting the steps in a plan for building a hopeful globally shared future. ACA Gallery believes that art should not be separated from other cultural values, social justice, caring for others and for our beautiful planet. To support this belief, portions of commission collected from sales is contributed to special grass roots projects. For a full Curatorial Statement and additional details, contact Mary Kroetsch at talisman-beadworks@sympatico.ca

Connections: Small Tapestry International 2009

Digital entry deadline: November 30, 2008.
American Tapestry Alliance juried small tapestry exhibit (maximum size 100 sq.in./625 sq.cm.) Juror: Jane Sauer; Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM. Artists are encouraged to push the idea of connections with concepts, techniques, other artists, the viewer or other areas of artistic investigation. Prospectus may be downloaded at www.americantapestryalliance.com , or send a SASE to ATA Connections, 1050 Gunnison Ave., Grand Junction, CO 81501.

Composting Good and Evil: Redesign for Sanctimonious Sinners

Deadline: February 10th, 2008
What would happen if we tossed our smug habits into a heap?
What if we composted our shameless sins, our saintly intentions and our fertile imaginations and pledged to use the resulting fecund glory to redesign and nurture the world? Imagine the change that could grow from a pile of temptation, convenience, guilt, hope and inspiration! Join this collaborative effort to transform your compost of good and evil into art for an earthshaking exhibition. Using any of the following words as a guide, show us a piece of your (recycled) mind and (reprogrammed) heart. Reflect, reform, reconsider, resolve, relate, revise, rework, renew, repair, repurpose, reconnect, review, regret, renounce, reproach, react, rethink, reuse, reduce and recycle. Ethical Metalsmiths (what??) will feature the exhibition on its Web site beginning March 15, 2008 for an extended period of time. The exhibition will premiere on the campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, on Friday, March 7, 2008, during the Society of North American Goldsmiths annual conference. Digital images will be viewed on an outdoor, billboard-size, high resolution LED display. You can work small or big, but we must have a high quality digital image. Submissions that are consistent with the theme and purpose and meet the image requirements will be included. The use of recycled and repurposed materials is encouraged, but not mandatory. ?Email mail@EthicalMetalsmiths.org or visit www.EthicalMetalsmiths.org. Darn metalsmiths...should be fiber!!

Filberg Festival

Call for Entry Deadline: February 3
The 2008 Filberg Festival information letter and Jury application form for artists and makers of fine craft are now available online at www.filbergfestival.com The selection of participants changes from year to year, and new applicants are encouraged to apply. Up to 140 artisans from all across Canada are invited to attend each summer (August 1 - 4, 2008). To encourage national participation, travel bursaries are available to artisans traveling from Eastern or Northern Canada. More information: 250-334-9242 or email info@filbergfestival.com

Gladstone Hotel, Hard Twist

Call for Entry Deadline: 31 May 2008
The Gladstone Hotel invites artists working in fibre-related media to submit proposals for installations and wall-hung works for the Gladstone's third annual juried show of textile-based art. Hard Twist calls for work that approaches fibre with twist in mind.
The show will run from Thursday November 7, 2008 to Sunday January 4, 2009 on the third and fourth floors of the hotel.
More information: Chris Mitchell at 416-531-4635 ext 7105 or chrism@gladstonehotel.com

Gladstone Hotel, pieceWORK: A Show And Sale Of Textile And Fibre Arts

Call for Entry Deadline: June 1, 2008
The Gladstone Hotel is renting second floor exhibition studio spaces to individual or groups of artists interested in showing and selling textile and fibre based work during the opening weekend of Hard Twist, the hotel's third annual juried textile exhibition. We're looking for a diverse group of artists who can produce high quality multiples or short run production work specifically in fibre based mediums. pieceWORK: A Show And Sale Of Textile And Fibre Arts runs Nov. 7-9th, 2008.
More information: Chris Mitchell at 416-531-4635 ext 7105 or chrism@gladstonehotel.com

One of a Kind Show Vancouver

Call For Presentation Proposal Early Bird application deadline: February 1, 5pm (Pacific Time)
The show takes place November 20-23, 2008, BC Place Stadium, Vancouver. Show organizers are looking for unique, fresh, creative and exciting work for the brand new One of a Kind Show Vancouver in 2008! If you are a fabulously talented artist, artisan or designer, and you'd like to sell your work to a bustling crowd of holiday shoppers - in an exciting new location - apply now! Visit www.oneofakindvancouver.com to download an application and find all relevant details.

Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft

Call for Entry Deadline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Where do Canadian and American craft artists sell to retailers specializing in high-quality handmade creations? At the biannual Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft, the largest wholesale trade show of its kind, February 15-18, 2008, and August 2-4, 2008. Buyers and artists: see www.americancraft.com/BMAC/index.html for information.

.

Michelle Forsyth

2008-01-23T15:48:00.000-05:00

Kit here,

This site features the work of a wonderful Canadian artist -- look at what she does with little bits of coloured paper, felt, casein, and pins...wow!

http://www.michelleforsyth.com/images_frame.html

I love what she does and how she selects themes. This site
also includes a statement by her about each series .
It is definitely worth the read.

The amazing Theo Jensen

2008-01-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

Kit here,

This artist is giving a talk tonight in Montreal. Oh, to live in the big city!!!

He's an amazing engineer/artist. He was in a recent (somewhat pretentious IMHO) BMW ad but it showcases his kinetic sculptures beautifully. Have a peek.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jUsCQoDCXoY

Finishing Touches

2008-01-21T07:26:00.000-05:00

Without a serger to finish the seams on this unlined jacket I used a Hong Kong finish, using a fabric that coordinates with the matching blouse. The jacket will look great inside and out--a trick I learned from my grandmother, who used this technique even on doll clothes.

My creative soul

2008-01-19T13:14:00.000-05:00

In working this week I realize that my creative soul is somewhat schizophrenic.
The ideas in my head take me in so many directions that I sometimes don't know which road to walk down. There are times when I walk down one road way too long and there are other times that I get lost in the woods.
Just when I think that I have it all figured out ,I meet someone, I read a book, I take a class ,I find a magazine or I have a meeting with the Threads and I am off in another direction once again.
This week while working with the wood stove blazing , I realized that I don't have to choose. Do what makes me happy. I am retired after all!!!! Ha! Ha!

Back to the work.

My Sav'n Earth piece is continueing to develop and I have the top finished. All the lovely silks have been ironed on and I have started to sew the edges in many interesting ways.My threads have come out and it is so enjoyable to sit there and sew all day with a nice pot of tea beside you.

Looking at it from a distance it seemed to lack a focal point and then I see it ,it is the earth herself that is the most important.
How appropriate.
The pale blue circle is quite strong even though all of the folliage has been applied on top.

The second piece that was finished after a bunch of evenings of handwork is "The Farmer and His Wife".

A happy fun piece with tons of stitching and quilting.

A little detail.

This pair lives in the country with an organic garden ( the worm) and a wind generator.

teaching kids

2008-01-18T08:22:00.000-05:00

Hi all, I've had the good fortune to teach in a school in Ottawa all this week. It's a wonderful program put together by parents of the students called "Art at Lunch". It's controlled mayhem for 45 minutes each day as I teach kids how to wet felt. I have a large crew of volunteer parents and grade sixers without whom I would not be able to get through this in the short time allowed. Thank you everyone!!Yesterday I had lunch at The Pantry. It's my favourite restaurant in Ottawa, I think. Located in the Glebe Community Centre it's a place I've been eating at for the past 26 years (!) The soup is homemade, the sandwiches are simply delicious and the atmosphere makes you feel warm and cozy. Large pots of tea and the best apple crumble! I highly recommend it for lunch.

cheers,

Wendo

The Year of the Rat

2008-01-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

Canada Post puts out a set of stamps each year for the Chinese New Year and this year the rat is great. Check it out. I think it almost looks as if it could be a piece of fibre art. I find there are some great stamps out there and they are like mini pieces of art. They often have artist's work on stamps.
Why just send the usual stamps when you can enhance your letters with artwork, unless its a bill, and even then you might brighten up someone's day with with a splash of colour and design. You pay the same price for great stamps as you do for ordinary ones! E-mail is wonderful but take the time to send someone a letter by snail mail once in a while. Susan

Bull Kelp study

2008-01-15T18:36:00.001-05:00

Last November I had the opportunity to visit Saturna, one of Canada's beautiful gulf islands off the coast of BC. While beach coming (that's what people do in BC) I came across this most amazing entity, at first I thought it was a dead creature washed ashore - but it is only a plant washed ashore .
At the time I blogged about it here.

I have since spent a lot of time getting to know the Bull Kelp that is unique to the pacific west coast. Among biologists it is known as Nereocystis luetkeana. What look like long elegant leaves are blades and what looks like a root ball is really a bladder filled was gas that lifts the blades up from the bottom of the ocean to reach sunlight. The long pole like tube that extends from the bladder is called a stipe. It is attached to a net like extension that wraps itself around a rock on the ocean floor. These plants grow in abundance off shore and get washed up during storms.

So here is the first of a lot of bull kelp motifs that I will be exploring this new year. This one was done using a felting machine and different coloured cloths on a canvas ground. I am now ready to do some hand stitching.

BINDING TIP--Plan Ahead

2008-01-14T07:23:00.000-05:00

How many times have you got to the binding stage of your project and found you don't have enough to bind the quilt? And the shop you bought the fabric from has usually sold out of the fabric by the time you get around to binding your quilt!

For Traditional Quilts I like to have a binding that matches the final border or blends well with the quilt. For a folded binding, cut selvedge to selvedge, I usually buy a half metre extra of the border fabric, or a fabric that is used in the body of the quilt, and find that is usually enough to bind most quilts.

When starting the construction of the quilt top, I cut the binding strips and sew them together end to end on a 45 degree angle. This spreads the bulk of the seam over a larger area along the edge of your quilt and you won't get a "bump", which tends to wear more quickly.

I press the binding and then store the binding in a plastic sandwich bag pinned to the work in progress. When I get to the binding stage I don't have to search for a piece of fabric large enough to bind the piece. It's ready to go.

If I am really organized I will also cut and prep a sleeve for the quilt and sometimes even the label too. This allows for a quick finish of the quilt and I don't have to search for an appropriate fabric.

Visit to National Gallery

2008-01-13T10:44:00.000-05:00

I had a a great day yesterday with some friends, visiting the National Art Gallery in Ottawa. There are no special exhibits there at the moment; however, we looked at the Canadian collection and the piece by Ron Mueck - A Girl. This is a huge lifelike baby. We wanted to make a big quilt to cover her at night because she was such a lifelike newborn and she looked cold. We are all mums and felt sorry for her lying there on a cold white platform.
I always like to go into the group of seven area and see the small room that shows commissioned pieces for a cottage. These pieces were painted in 1914-15 by Tom Thompson, Lisgar and MacDonald and are exhibited the way they would have been in the actual cottage. I spent time, in my youth, on canoe trips and at a few cottages in Northern Ontario and can relate to the images. Isn't that one of the aspects of what art is all about, the viewer relating to the image and/or interacting with it mentally.
As an artist it is important to see other artwork. It helps me to understand some of my own artwork and that the way I think, is similar to the way that other artists think.
It's back to creating today, refreshed from my "holiday at the art gallery". Susan (see www.national.gallery.ca)

More on Work in Progress

2008-01-12T12:39:00.000-05:00

I am trying to finish this piece by the end of January but have hit some problems that need to be solved.

I used a drawing to make my freezer templates for all of the piecing which turned out very well even if I say so myself.

The circle is actually a circle. There was a time when I would have "Wonder Undered" it on.

Then I spent a whole day painting fabric for leaves and after they were heat set ,I did use Wonder Under to attach them to the background.

Standing back and taking a good look YUK!!!!!! it just didn't work. Now what.

Time to dig through my stash. It is too cold to go out and shop and heaven knows I do have a large stash.

It was a good thing that I took a class on hand dyeing silk with Kit Vincent at Picket Fence Fabrics a while ago. I think that it was a year or so.I found a bunch and laid them on my table.All those lovely greens,oranges, fuschias and browns worked together very well. Some sheers hit the pile as well as one piece piece of hand painted fabric.

Some of the leaves have been put on and they really seem to compliment the copper of the tree of life.

My layers are working again.

The sheers haven't made it for sure as yet, they seem to be too wishy washy.

This part of the project is always the most difficult for me. All of the layers have to work, and sometimes my technical abilities do not match what is in my head.Once the top has been completed to my satisfaction, the stitching and embellishing is the fun and easy part.

The finished piece needs to say what I want it to say , usually on more than one level, so it is worth it to change your mind forget about some of the work that has been done and go in a new direction.

I must admit that my art skills far outweigh my writing skills but I wanted to share with you the process of my art. There are times when you need to let it rest and trust the process. Often after I have been the most discouraged a "Eureka" moment will present itself.

Enough rambling for today.

Hot hot wool for freezing cold weather

2008-01-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

Kit here,

These days, I find that the best way to chase away those winter blues is to surround myself in gorgeous colour - be it fabric of any cloth OR even better...WOOL...preferably of the hand spun or hand dyed variety.

I can only blame this on my two girls, home for the holidays with two major topics of conversation: wool & facebook.

I can understand facebook - pundits say that it will change the face of the internet - no puns intended here ... but what's with today's generation and wool??

Of course these kids are not interested in taking on major projects like a huge sweater as was the great knitting project of my day. They prefer to knit things like bikinis, hand warmers, dog coats, and jewelry. Oh, and socks, what's with knitted socks??

So, while in travel mode this past November, I made a couple of 'research visits' to as many wool emporiums as I could squeeze in. Among these, I checked out Joybelee Farm in the Frazer Valley, BC., Wool 'n Things in Ottawa, and Rose Haven Farm Store in Picton, Ontario.
And to my delight... the face of wool fibre has changed for the better.

Wool shops now stock fibre of so many kinds, man-made, spun, unspun, partially spun, variegated, hand-dyed or machine dyed with natural AND/OR synthetic dyes. Needless to say, this research very quickly turned into an unbridled shopping spree on my part.

This is a swatch Noro Kureon hand-dyed yarn from Japan. These squares were knit from one ball of this wool. I love the gentle progression of colour this wool provides when combined with modular knitting.

Below are more swatches of this same wool. Left and centre are samples of Noro Kureon and to the right is Noro Spring Garden - Spring Garden is a 55/45% wool/silk mix - yumm.

Granted, some of this stuff is pretty pricey, so I limit myself to small samplings (one or two balls) of each kind - the more varied, the merrier - and have them displayed attractively in a large basket by the fireplace. In addition, I have no problem interspersing these with more wool stowaways 'of uncertain origin' from unmentionable department stores as they add even more colour and glitz to my collection.

Given that I feel no urgency to make anything practical with this wool, there is no need to buy a palette's worth of the stuff. A favourite pass time is to rearrange these balls of wool in this basket. I love the way the colours and textures behave when placed next to each other. I find that by looking at this collection of colour and texture for a long enough time, ideas come to me.

Below is a small Blue collection with a swatch under way to the right. These balls are from an unmentionable department store and are of uncertain pedigree - but together they look great! I have found that knitting free form (no patterns) and using several different fibres of differing gauges really really takes the boredom out of knitting. It is not unlike downhill skiing.

You have to pay attention to what is happening to your piece as you knit as there are delightful surprises along the way. It is great to watch the colours and textures intermingle as you progress - not boring at all. This little swatch below is beginning to look like a tea cozy. It needs more eyelash yarn and a couple of rows of beads.

Happy New Year everybody and stay warm this winter!

RATS!

2008-01-10T17:22:00.000-05:00

Hey All,

Happy New Year!! I'm finally back home and ready to face 2008....and not a second too soon! I had a fabulous New year's week spent up at the cottage...sitting around a big bonfire and lighting firecrackers to usher in the New year. The weather was perfect with SO much snow but lovely just below freezing temperatures...I remember one year our champagne actually froze in our glasses...that was COLD...

It was a bit frightening to go out on to the lake this year...a good foot of snow lay on top but another 6 inches of slush underneath that...I didn't venture out too far! Of course there were always snowmobilers out racing each other...even on the warmest days.

I'm up for the rat challenge! I caught this little guy right under my desk!

Only kidding....he's a needlefelted critter about to be mounted on a little plaque.

I never make New years resolutions but this year I am committed to spending more time with my further away friends...I never seem to have the time to take a day or even a phone call and all I seem to do is workworkwork. I had a condition placed on me this year for going to the cottage for new years. I wasn't allowed to bring ANY fibre..nothing...nadda..And after that initial WHATDOIDOWITHMYSELF...I really relaxed!!! Life's just too short and my priorities are changing. I like it.

Cheers,

Wendo

Storing Works in Progress

2008-01-07T23:04:00.000-05:00

I always have a number of projects on the go. Storage boxes are a great way to collect materials, thread, pattern drafts, etc., if the project is in the planning and raw materials stage. But what about partly finished tops, or those in quilting or embellishing stage? I find that if I fold these projects back into plastic storage boxes they are quickly forgotten.

A design wall on which to leave works in progress would be ideal but right now I don't have that luxury. My solution is to store the unfinished project on pant hangers. All the bits that have been carefully chosen for the project, thread, specialty needles, etc can be stored in a clear bag, looped over the hanger.

I find the clip type pant hangers hold the work snugly. Clothing or sportswear retailers often receive product from the manufacturers on inexpensive or branded hangers. The shop will then transfer product to uniform store hangers. The original hanger is usually discarded, recycled or given away if asked for.

A clothing rack on wheels, keeps the projects close by and visible for when I feel inclined to continue work on them.

Pant hangers are also a great way to store finished fibre works in an unused closet. This prevents permanent fold marks and creases, keeps the work from fading, and allows the air to circulate around the piece.

Great Portraits in Clay, Mohwald

2008-01-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!
I just got back from a trip to Toronto and had a great time visiting three museums. The highlight had to be an exhibit at the Gardiner Museum, a ceramics museum.
Until Jan 20th there is an exhibit of clay portraits by Gertraud Mohwald. The portraits she did out of clay are just wonderful. To do the portraits and torsos she used shards of clay that are already glazed and added her own clay and glazes. The pieces each seemed to have a personality. The show is in a large uncluttered room and was peaceful and interesting. If you get the chance to go, I think it is well worth seeing. I do not see exhibits like this very often where I would love to own every piece. It was just what I needed to inspire me, in these grey days of the new year. Susan

Say goodby to Rizo Ratzo

2008-01-07T15:03:00.001-05:00

As much as I am attached to my little New Year's Rat, the time has come for these pine needles to disappear as they can be a fire hazard.

With the help of Photoshop here is a view of his left side, before he goes the way of all pine needle rats.

Oh, oh - the vacuum is on...rats!

oooooh... nooooooo.........

and now, all we have left is a ghost of his former self.

RIP

Stuff for 2008 and the challenge

2008-01-07T09:18:00.001-05:00

Hi all,

Having finished most of my pieces in progress I feel compelled to start about 6 more.It is great to rotate what you are working on so your mind can think about the next step in the process. On the wall in my studio will see two of them in the beginning stages.

Paint is now playing an integral role in my work and the fabric for the cow piece was hand painted.

The tree in the larger piece( I didn't mean for it to get this big, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow) was painted on using a freezer paper stencil that I designed. What fun.

Today I'm going to paint all of the leaves for this piece.Then I will start another one.

Leaf sketches ready to be painted.

Here is my rat for Jen's challenge. Haven't decided yet how to put him in fibre.

I hope some of you will join in.

Year of the RAT - you're on!

2008-01-05T19:32:00.000-05:00

Isn't he/she cute? This rat almost made itself from the pine needles of a Christmas wreath I made two weeks ago. These needles are everywhere and rather than vacuuming (bo-oring) I made a rat, much more fun...inspired of course from Jennifer's fine rat in the previous post.

So here is a challenge to anyone out there - make a new year's rat out of anything lying around - wrapping ribbon or other.

Now how do I to preserve this thing?

Year of the Rat

2008-01-05T13:40:00.000-05:00

According to the Chinese Calendar 2008 is the Year of the Rat. My son has been studying Mandarin at University and has applied to volunteer at the Beijing Olympics so I designed this small piece to remind me of what this year might bring. I have been adding quilting and embellishments to it and will finish it in time for the Chinese New Year in February.

Kit dared me post this work in progress, so here it is. This is part of a album project I have started work on for 2008. The challenge will be to create a small piece (15" square) each month as a record of a family or current event.

Now, I am throwing down the gauntlet. I invite readers to create their own 2008 album. Challenge yourself with new techniques, tight deadlines, new colours, anything. And Kit, let's see your rat. . .

The Last Knit

2008-01-04T09:03:00.001-05:00

Kit here -
This is a very creative video - I just love it. I recently took up knitting; at first swatches, then scarves, and more recently an enormous cardigan for my daughter over the holidays. Couldn't resist as there are so many wonderful yarns to chose from. When I came across this video it was as if it was out of a dream.

Reflection

2008-01-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

I am a little late posting as a big gremlin ( Troy) changed the Google settings on my computer when he was visiting and it took me a few days and help from Kit to figure out why I couldn't post. Just another part of our holiday adventures.
Today we are alone again and it is a good day to reflect back on the past year.

First I am so grateful to be a part of Seven Threads Studios.
Who knew that we could setup and write on our own blog on a regular basis .
Who knew that we could have our own group show at the Brittania Gallery.
Who knew that we could set up a wonderful retreat.
Many thanks to each of you for your input into my work. Without our lively discussions and advice I would not have grown artisitically as much as I have.

I also have to say thanks to the many students that I have taught this year. Below is a small sampling of what was accomplised in classes at Pickett Fence Fabrics and in my studio at home.

The Dragonfly project by Christina.

The Options project by Mara.

Another Options project by Beth

Maureen's finished Polar Bears from the Pet Portrait class at Jennifer's.

The Red Barn by Sue .

I have learned from all of you as well.

Happy New Year and may you have many days of Happy Sewing and Creating!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T15:54:00.000-05:00

It is Monday so Jenn here. The last day of 2007. I have had time to reflect on this past year in the last few days . What a busy year as far as years go!

The best part of this past year has been the time I spent with friends, especially the Threads--Kit, Cathy, Susan, Pat and Wendo. You have all been so supportive, inspiring, generous, fun, funny, motherly, sisterly, patient, impatient, dedicated, enthusiastic, creative, bossy and generally, just the best kindred spirits I could spend my precious free time with. So thanks to all of you for another great year of thread and fibre and conversation and lunch and work days and discussions about art and life -- generally all that is right with the world! See you in the new year.

To our readers I hope you will take a minute to think about who and what is important in your life and let someone know.

May the new year being prosperity and happiness, with lots of time for old friends and new, and lots of time to create.

Guidelines for the Care of Textiles

2007-12-29T12:59:00.000-05:00

Guidelines for the Care of Textiles

Kit here..
I came across this great site published by The Textile Museum (State side). It is full of practical information on the care of textiles, how best to hang them, how to protect them from the sun and other nuisances. Interestingly, conservators prefer a Velcro hanging system to the tried and true casings that we sew to the backs of our quilts....hmm.

The site describes in detail how the Velcro system works. I would love to know what you think of this approach.

Festive Magazine

2007-12-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

I just received my copy of "A Needle Pulling Thread" magazine. This Festive 2007 issue, has an article written by the Ottawa Valley Quilters Guild, about the guild and the pattern for my "All Wrapped Up for Christmas" cushion. The magazine did a great job with the photography and layout. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy can contact me through my website www.artevolves.com
When I was asked to do a pattern in June, I thought of our long winters and our animals and this design came to mind. Hope you like it, Susan

Inspiration

2007-12-22T08:26:00.000-05:00

We have just come back from a vacation in St.Maarten where the colours are wonderful. Below
you will see my view from the deck chair and beside it the small piece that the view inspired.I love the variety of intense blue that you can see.

To continue with the theme these two small ones just had to be made.

I wish everyone a lovely Christmas with friends and family and happy sewing if there are gifts to finish.
Cathy

My most favourite colour

2007-12-20T16:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm a true Canadian...I love all the seasons...I think autumn is my favourite but I have a special place in my heart for a good winter storm....and we had a VERY good winter storm last weekend. I know, I know...winter storms are only good when you don't have to travel and no loved ones are travelling...winter storms are just so wonderful to watch from inside a cozy warm house.

My most favourite colour is that cool blue of shadows on snow. Add a little bit of straw coloured grasses or deep dark mahogany stems and all is right in my wintery landscape.

This year is the first in many years that the snowbanks are high enough to make snow forts in...I'm almost tempted...almost....but I'll just sit right here with my cuppa hot chocolate and enjoy from my warm place.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wendo

Thank-you Laurel Burch

2007-12-17T20:39:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a hostess gift to take to a party last night and found two ornaments I had bought several years ago and never given away. They were Laurel Burch cats made of cloisonne (enamelwork on metal). Laurel Burch was a lovely lady, from what I have read about her, in a book I bought about five or six years ago. I have used her fabrics a number of times and just love her designs. It was sad news to hear of her passing away in October. I am going to keep those two cats now and will be reminded of her when I look at them. It is a tribute to her that we now think of those types of designs and say "that's a Laurel Burch". It's what artists try to do. Put their individual style into their art.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year, Susan

Fibre Art Show @ OCC in January

2007-12-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

Kit here,

Exhibit news from the Ontario Crafts Council in Toronto

Congratulations go to Wendy Feldberg, Karen Goetzinger and Carmella Karijo Rother, fibreart pals from the Out of the Box group in Ottawa !!!

Upcoming Exhibitions at the OCC Gallery

January 3 - 28th
Unclothing and Uncovering: Revealing Art in Textiles

Passionate about fibre as an art medium invested with cultural meaning, Wendy Feldberg, Karen Goetzinger and Carmella Karijo Rother invite the viewer to release textiles from any ties to wearability, functionality and disposability. The artists’ focus is on the physical, psychological and spiritual connections which they enjoy with their materials and so figure prominently in their artistic expression. For artists whose media embrace needle, thread and fabric, and often enough paint and print, making marks with stitch is an enticing activity akin to the literate and physical delights of writing or painting. Cutting back layers of fibre, arranging them together or stitching through them allows the artists to make community of disparate fragments while referencing women as healers. The complex layering possibilities in fabrics are enduring metaphors through which the artists may reveal or conceal feelings and ideas about transience or impermanence in life.

Wendy Feldberg’s art stitchings connect the fugitive nature of fibre with memory’s ephemeral character. Her impressionistic stitched canvases refer to personal stories retold or uncovered; journeys retraced; landscapes revisited; snatches of sound recalled as shapes and colours. Wendy stitches dimensional, layered and tactile surfaces on fibre using the technique of free machine embroidery. Layered lines of thread, fragments of fibre, digital prints and skin-like layers of dye, ink or paint, reveal to her the expressive possibilities of her media. Reaching beyond nostalgia, she invests past journeys with present meaning.

Karen Goetzinger’s work celebrates the paradox of limitless possibilities within a limiting world. Revealing her passion for old Japanese textiles, Karen employs a simplified kimono shape as a canvas on which she intuitively assign positions to fragments of vintage kimonos. The kimono-canvas field displays colourful compositions, simultaneously in harmony and contrast, creating tensions while allowing impressions of tranquility and accord. The resulting textile unfolds the artist’s dual perspective on traditional beauty: a celebration of order and of pleasing unpredictability. The kimono-canvas embodies the spirit of a protective garment that shields the viewer with an experience of peaceful enjoyment and grace.

Carmella Karijo Rother’s art radiates colour and movement in her exploration of simple shapes as building blocks for complex pieces. Each work is constructed with Dupioni silk, a luxurious fabric with subtle textures and reflective qualities. Carmella favours cutting shapes free-hand, carefully layering them in relation to each other, and stitching the entire surface with parallel, undulating lines. Her improvisational and abstract pieces explore balances between concepts such as order and chaos, absorbtion and reflection, darkness and light. The resulting undefined imagery invites the viewer to connect with their own memories and emotions.

OCC Gallery

990 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M6J 1H1
Telephone (416) 925-4222
Fax (416) 925-4223
info@craft.on.ca

Hours
Tuesday to Friday 11:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday 11:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm - 5:00pm

To Chicago and back

2007-12-16T15:59:00.000-05:00

I'm back from the One of a Kind Show and Sale in Chicago. I made it there safely through all the winter storms but my goods didn't make it til the evening before the show started. I was thrilled to be able to wander around Chicago guilt free for the first couple days I was there!
Below is an interior courtyard of Macy's on State St. This lovely building with it's fabulous art nouveau accents reminds me of the huge department stores in Europe...the KaDeVe store in Berlin in particular. It was truly an experience wandering the floors of this flagship store. I had the good fortune to be in the store at the same time as a large group of tiny ballerina's...it was quite a chuckle to see mobs of them descending on the toy department.Wednesday came around too quickly and it was time to get my booth set up. It's amazing just how long it takes to get everything just right!

My rose garden scarves were a huge hit. They just drew people in with their exuberant colours.
All those "stuffed toy" animal heads were sold before the show even opened! Fortunately for me, the buyers were artists around me and let me keep them to take orders throughout the weekend. I'm putting the finishing touches to a hippo, an elephant, 6 mice and a zebra to be sent off today.

It seems I made the drive back in the only window of time that there was no snowstorms. I got home, threw up the Christmas decorations and am now enjoying the lead up to a fabulous holiday season! Have a wonderful peace filled Christmas everyone!

Cheers,

Wendo

Christmas Ornaments

2007-12-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

We are all swamped with things to do at this time of year, but it is important to make time for yourself.
Creating, for me, is making time for myself. So I decided to make a few pinecone ornaments. I took a class last year and made one. Yes, just the one! I was shown how, years ago, when I made folded fabric Christmas balls and just never got around to making the pinecone. When I pulled out my box of pinecone supplies I could not find the sheet of instructions. Nothing is more frustrating than looking for things. Fortunately I had kept my sample and could figure out what to do using that. LESSON #1: Do not give away your samples from the classes you paid good money for. If you do, make sure you have made another one for yourself. I have found the lessons learned from each class are easier to remember if I have the visual piece to look at, plus the intructions. LESSON #2: When you have taken a class, go home and finish the piece if possible. If you put it away you may never bring it out again and a half finished piece is often alot of money on the shelf. (not always as you can just use it as reference, as I do with my Goldwork samples).
I now have the bug to make alot of these pinecones and just fill a bowl with them. I make them while I watch TV and I don't get up for food during the looooong commercials. The stores are so busy sometimes it is quicker to make something than shop.
Its hard to believe we are already half way through December. Susan

Purplepatch Pieces

2007-12-06T16:22:00.000-05:00

Hi All - I am home again! Suffering from severe baby withdrawal though.

While away I did do a lot more than cuddle the new arrival. I did a whole collection of home decorator items for the happy parents using the fabric that was the centrepiece of their wedding decorations. We are talking curtains, decorator pillows, small decorator quilt, table runner, napkins AND more decorator pillows for the master bedroom. Of course I did a bunch of things for babies new room, fitted sheets, pillows, burp pads, etc etc. Just had to show I wasn't sitting doing nothing eh!

Here is a photo of one of two quilt tops that I put together for myself. I know, it is very simple but I just couldn't bear to cut the beautiful fabric into any smaller pieces. I wanted to keep the focus on the fabric so added the light contrasting dividers. One of my customers had done this design with her quilt so I just made a few changes to accommodate my fabrics. It finished HUGE!!!! Now to get it quilted.

I made the mistake of showing this to my two offspring and they both fell in love with it. Soooo, last night I cut out one for each of them. Like I said the squares are big - 9.5" each. With a little luck and some serious time management planning I hope to get them done for Christmas - which year I am not sure. :)

I just had to show you this shot. My little grandson, aged 4+ and my new grand daughter aged 3 weeks today! He is very much in love with the new arrival (his cousin).

Three generations!

Take care ladies, happy shopping!

Pat

Black & White Challenge

2007-12-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

Kit here -
Yes, have been talked into another challenge.
Normally I am not keen on these as they can be a distraction from what I am otherwise working on. However in this instance, it is just what the doctor ordered.
I have been in a creative funk since my trip out West, and these instructions have helped me get back into my creative zone. Ah! never say never to whatever....
We have been supplied with 8 small swatches of black and white fabric. The piece must be no larger than 120'' in perimeter - that's manageable.

We must work in black & white only with the optional addition of one colour only.

What I like about this is that I am encouraged to design something without considering colour. Normally I start with colour, in fact I start with a specific coloured fabric...
This has forced me out of my 'normal' design comfort zone...with some pretty interesting results. I remember doing B&W exercises in school but haven't used that approach in a long time.

These are a couple of snippets of the piece I have under way.

I should have this quilt ready for our meeting in February.

Art from Winsor

2007-12-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

Hi all,
I'm sitting here this morning with my head reeling from all of the visual imagery that I saw at the Detroit Institute of Art.
Brugel's "The Wedding",Van Gogh's self portrait, a Mark Rothko, a Rembrant, and the list goes on and on. A new artist who is from this area ,Julie Mehretu had a solo exhibit which really blew me away.Her canvases are very large and she uses acrylics and inks to make her art. Her use of line is amazing evoking powerful emotion.Yes I bought her book.
Traveling by train is also great thinking time, I have planned three more new pieces, I will have the winter to complete them.
Reading 'The Stitch Journeys"Book has also led me to this quote from Picasso

" Art washes away from the soul the dust of every day life. "

shipping my wares

2007-11-30T17:02:00.000-05:00

Hi there, I'm in mayhem and madness mode trying to organise my shipment to the Chicago One of a Kind Show and Sale. After a disastrous attempt ( and subsequent failure) to bring my goods myself last year, I'm shipping with the company that is also shipping those artists at the Toronto One of a Kind who will be participating in the Chicago show. I just found out, however, that I can't take a single thing with me when I drive across the border...it all has to be shipped...aka my booth set up, my mannequins...everything I assumed I could take across in my van. Lots of shuffling going on....
As I was inventorying for customs, my broker asked me what the heck 'woolie animal heads' are....I told him...and you see below...he didn't get it (not having a visual) and he advised me to rename them "woolie stuffed toys" as he didn't want the US customs to even imagine anything taxidermic!....(the odd looking grey thing in the front is an incomplete hippo..she hasn't got her ears yet....)This renaming also covers my "study in Marble # 1". HA. Talk about taking something down to the lowest common denominator! The description is apt...she IS woolie and she IS stuffed...sort of. I depart for Toronto to catch the end of the One of a Kind show on Sunday...I've got my pallet and my shrink wrap (we have to do all our own packaging) I did a dry run today to see if all my stuff would fit on one pallet (it does)...but as I was doing this we had a freak winter blizzard/white out/squall. It was lovely, lasted an hour, and now it's turning bitter cold for tonight. I rushed the last bits and managed to load my van with all and sundry. Now I have to find the lists and check em all and make sure I didn't forget anything. I have tomorrow to catch my breath. Phew! So I won't be chatting next week...I'll see everyone mid December!
Cheers,
Wendo

WAS a pin cushion, now IS a needle cushion

2007-11-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

Kit here....Ok, I finally took the time to do this.

I got this idea from Cathy last summer when I was over at her place for a machine thread troubleshooting session. I picked up so much good stuff while there, this is one tip I just had to share with you.

I tracked down one of the many useless tomato pin cushions floating around my studio and put it to good use with the help of a sharpie and my ever growing collection of machine needles. Notice the purple ball-head pin to the lower left? It indicates that the needle that is currently in my sewing machine is a #9 universal.

This tomato now has a place of honour next to my sewing machine.

Gee, I wonder if I have enough #14 jeans needles...?

Finishing Up

2007-11-24T10:41:00.000-05:00

It's been a great week at home finishing up things that have been waiting.Snowstorms keep me cozy at home with a fire in the stove and me at the sewing machine.
I am going to Windsor next week to visit my son and spend a couple of days wandering through the Detriot Institute of Art.It has been under renovation for several years and has just re-opened.I can't wait to be in the presence of all that great work, very inspirational.

Now to the pic, of course I need a new coat to wear to the gallery,and it can't be my usual bright crazy stuff, I need something that is chic. I had bought this fabric from Jennifer at

Picket Fence Fabrics and now found a reason to use it. It is a cotton that is woven in such a way that when you wash it and dry it in the dryer it looks quilted all over. It is a lovely weight , easy to sew and very comfortable.

Now that I'm in my brown phase it will go with the new things that I have bought.

On the collar I couched on some wonderful yarns and also added some bobbin work in Dazzle from Wonderfil. It is a combination rayon and metalic thread which has great impact on the fabric.

My second project this week is to finish The Farmer and His Wife. A fun, funky, folk art quilt,the quilting and finishing has been a lot of fun.It's hard to imagine but even after spending two days quilting I am only half done.
Will post a pic when it is completed.

Lettering on artwork

2007-11-23T19:45:00.000-05:00

I have finished my artwork called "The Mustard Seed". It was a present to my church from our Minister when she retired and she wanted an inscription on it. I decided that I would embroider the words. To make a colour of thread that would work best I used three different threads. Two were DMC and the third was a variagated thread. I combined one ply from each and it gave me the effect that I wanted. It worked well as it shows up on the batik but does not stand out too much and ruin the overall design.
I tried transferring the letters, that I had hand written on tracing paper; however, that did not work on the quilted piece. In the end I just lightly copied it by hand. Next time I might trace it before quilting.
The transfer paper is useful for fabric. It is available at art, craft or quilt stores. The one I have is called SUPER CHACOPAPER, by Loew Cornell and it is a water erasable fabric transfer paper. Just be careful around water as it will disappear, just like water soluable thread.
It is amazing all the products out there, Susan

2007-11-22T16:36:00.000-05:00

While I was at the Moose show last weekend, a lady came up and asked me to create a scarf covered in my rose brooches. I usually display my brooches on a jacket and she really wanted to have the whole thing. This is what I came up with and I loved it so much that I've started to create more scarves....I found the most fabulous fabric to make the scarves out of...a cashmere/wool blend that drapes beautifully yet has enough body to hold the roses I've placed on it....
It comes in a range of sumptuous colours and I've reduced the number of roses so that they sort of cascade rather then overwhelm.
I really like the effect of the roses...I call this series "Rose Garden"
Until next time,
Wendo

Pat's new grandbaby!

2007-11-21T14:06:00.000-05:00

Pat's away taking care of her new grandbaby and family. We look forward to hearing more when she gets back in a couple weeks.

Welcome to you, Sydney from all the Threads!

I'm Back!!

2007-11-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

Kit here...

Jennifer tells me that she is teaching our journal cover workshop this Thursday, November 22 using Avalon Film washaway stabilizer. I taught this very same workshop last week in Abbottford BC. It was a real success! This film is the best thing since 'needle and thread':-)
I know you will all have a lot of fun!

Procrastination

2007-11-17T20:47:00.000-05:00

Charles Dickens once wrote "Procrastination is the thief of time." This piece of artwork of mine called "The Mustard Seed", is what I have in mind when I think of this saying. I have finally finished it and I am determined not to let another creation get the better of me again. Sometimes you just have to get on with it and not try to be a perfectionist. It is better to finish something, as best you can, rather than over work or worry about it.
I did learn somethings by doing this piece, as I used techniques that I had not used before. I had wanted to do something different than my usual quilting for this piece, but in the end the quilting that fit best, was simple small meandering and geometric lines. I did not want the background to stand out. It seems to work.
Now I can get on with my new creations and I can't wait to see how they turn out. I have ideas in mind when I start, but as I work with the image and materials, the final result is a surprise.
We all need nice surprises in our life and art is one of the best. Susan

From Pic to Fibre Art

2007-11-16T16:08:00.000-05:00

Here we are at Picket Fence Fabrics on our third day with our pet portrait projects.It was the first time that I taught my process,how I get from a photo to a finished piece. With Jennifer's kind hospitality a lot of work was accomplished.The students learned to make their own pattern,free motion embroider the texture,and how to use pencil crayons to get just th right colour where you wanted it to be.They even learned a few of my secrets.

This is one of Maureen's bears, her choice of colour really suits her subject. She has planned an interesting background and can't wait to see the finished piece. In the pic above you an see her original picture which started the process.

Well done.

Lois made her beloved cat Sophie. We had real difficulty with the eyes and after a cuople of tries we ended up making them on white fabric with pencil crayons.The soft blue background really compliments Sophie's colouring.Great job.

Dianne started with a large photo of her dog.She spent a lot of time making an intricate pattern and the result is very effective.How can you but not love that face. She has statrted some stitching in the bottom of the piece and she was able to enhance the fur.A special surprise for her husband this is an amazing piece.

Thanks also to Rita ( I hope she is feeling better soon ) and Liz for an enjoyable teaching experience for me. I love to teach technique so that my students have the freedom and confidence to make any subject that they choose when they get home.