Vertical Quilting Curve

Below is the opening line of a critique by famous feminist Germain Greer in The Guardian regarding a quilt exhibition of Edrica Huws works.

Making pictures from strips of cloth isn’t art at all - but it mocks art’s pretentions to the core

Now, I do have to admit that not all quilters are artists nor do all quilters aspire to be such. For example, the Gees Bend quilters did not set out to make art but were discovered to be artists of objects they deemed only utilitarian and such can be said of the Amish who do not believe in ornamental objects for the mere goal of an ornament. But does creating something that is visually pleasing and creatively stimulating not art?

According to Germain Greer who is responsible for this critique, quilts cannot be considered art because they are constructed with “strips of cloth” that do not stand the test of time. That fabric fades and dissolves as time goes by. She goes on to say “women have frittered their lives away stitching things for which there is no demand ever since vicarious leisure was invented.” I don’t know about you but the term “frittered” just makes me steam a little. I think she sounds a little jealous. But I am only reading into that. I would hope that as a feminist she would allow someone to be free to do what makes them happy and if “painting” with fabric instead of oils is the artists medium then she should be praising the women who break barriers pressing into the art world instead of demoralizing them for their talents. The great thing about the world is it is diverse and allows opportunities aplenty for everyone.

Here is a You Tube video of some of the Edrica Huws exhibit:

quilting, Edrica Huws, Germain Greer, Gees Bend Quilts, quilts, art quilts, Amish quilts

I found this great story online about passing a quilted heirloom down at the Christian Science Monitor: A grandmother’s love lives on – through a quilt. I do have to warn you, though, if those old AT&T commercials used to make you shed tears you should probably grab a box of tissues when you read this.

Personally, I have a quilt that my mother made that I had on my bed as a child and I hope to give it to my daughter someday. I’m not as brave as the woman is in this story giving it to a 3 year old. Mine is worn but may not be able to be repaired to the point of having it on an active 6 year olds bed. I would really just like to reproduce the quilt. Of course that is easier said than done.

Question of the day: Do you have any family quilts you received or plan on handing down?

quilting, quilted heirlooms, quilts, vintage quilts

I love going over to Flickr and searching the groups for quilting and crafting related themes. You can view what other creative people are doing and you can also join in on a swap or challenge. I’ve linked to a few of the groups you may find interesting:

English paper piecing/foundation piecing caught my attention since I am working on a Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt. I may have to join this group.

Doll Quilt Swap is the group for you if you like to make these little quilts and would like to exchange them or just to get some ideas. There are some cute little quilts here.

Quilted Barns is a young site where you can see and post photos of barns that have been decorated with quilt motifs on them. So, if you are out traveling and see a barn painted with a quilt design make sure you stop and take a photo to share with everyone.

Fabric Addicts Anonymous will let you admit your addiction but in no way encourages you to get rid of it. In fact, the more fabric you have the better and if you want you can take part in swaps so you can get more!

Use what you have is if you feel you have too much and need to stop purchasing all those supplies and actually use them. Vow to not buy supplies for a month and just “use what you have” then post pictures of what you make.

Quilted Teacup is just for fun and the only rule is that the item you make and post is about tea in some way.

Hope you enjoy these sites and if there are other interests besides quilting just go to flickr and search the groups. Warning: it can be addictive to see what is out there especially when you find others who love the same things you do. Oh, and of course you can have your own photo page. Here is mine although it is a variety of crafts and I haven’t uploaded many of my quilting projects yet.

Flickr, English paper piecing, doll quilts, quilted barns, fabric, quilting groups

After seeing an impressive quilt at a recent quilt show made by a 10 year old I was curious about teaching kids to quilt. I have a 6 year old who is very artistic but hasn’t shown much interest in my needlework pursuits yet. She doesn’t quite have the patience to sit still and learn a method that takes a lot of concentration even though she says she wants to learn. She is more interested in drawing and painting.

I did some searching to see what I could find to teach kids to quilt. Most sites said 8 years old is the age that you would start to teach to kids. Some of the projects included incorporating kids artwork into quilts either by them drawing/painting directly on the fabric or using a transfer method. I think my daughter would love to have her artwork made into a quilt and this would be a great way to preserve her early art experiences.

Here are some of the sites I found regarding kids and quilting:

HGTV.com had 2 articles - Leaf Quilting for Kids and Kids’ Quilting

The most extensive site I found was Quilting With Children by Heidi Craft. Here the site is broken down by age group including Kindergartners.

Also, Maria Peagler, on her blog, talks about teaching a couple of girls to make doll quilts and tips on teaching youngsters to use the sewing machine.

quilting, kids quilting, quilt education

If you haven’t checked out Etsy.com yet you should definitely get over there especially if you like supporting crafters. Etsy is a growing community of artisans and crafters trying to either make a living or earn a little extra cash from their hobbies. You can find original paintings, prints, photographs, one of kind clothing and even supplies.

Some of the quilting shops on Etsy I found with some nice pieces were:

On This Nose!: This shop has quilts, one of a kind pictorial quilt blocks and quilt blocks.

Quilts by Daria: Wall hangings and quilts both traditional and contemporary.

Pat Winter Gatherings: Hand-dyed ribbons, crazy quilt kits and original hand-crafted items.

Mark K. Hopkins Quilts: Wall hangings and full sized quilts and even a cute patchwork bear.

You can find fabrics, books and even items with quilt motifs such as jewelry and home decor. It is quite addictive to browse the shops and you will soon find favorites. One of mine is of a young artists who has a more Tim Burton and Edward Gorey quality and loves Alice in Wonderland. Her etsy store is theblackapple and she also has a hip blog about her art and life, Inside a Black Apple.

So, if you are looking for a unique gift or want to window shop some great items just click on over to Etsy. It’s like having your own personal gallery on your computer screen.

Etsy, quilting

Although CHA didn’t have that much quilt stuff, I did get a couple of publishers lists of what quilt books are brand new or will be released the rest of this year. I also saw a couple of cool gadgets. For a non-quilt related article, you can view my CHA update I did for Craft Critique. I’m saving what little I found related to quilting to discuss here.

But, I am still recovering from CHA and also trying to finish my Harry Potter book. How I wish I was a kid again where all I did was read and could stay up all night doing it. I’m so jealous of those who were able to finish it in the first 24 hours. I saw a few people taking breaks at CHA to sneak in some reading time.

Question of the Day: I wonder how many blogs mentioned Harry Potter over the weekend? I know that on some of the crochet lists I’ve been a member of, it was always mentioned every time Mrs. Weasly was seen knitting or wearing some form of knit/crochet clothing.

After attending the Batavia Quilt and Textile Show, I stopped by the local quilt shop, Prairie Shop Quilts. This shop is full of gorgeous fabrics and they have something for everyone. Unfortunately I’m one of those people who loves almost everything because I can see projects in almost every piece of fabric.

The selection covered feedsack/thirties print fabric, Asian influenced prints, plenty of novelty prints and one of my favorites - batiks. As you can see I chose 5 fat quarters of the gorgeous batik fabric to add to my collection for doing the grandmother’s flower garden.

A couple of more things I enjoyed about this shop was the long list of classes that are offered and the long arm machine rental. A few classes that caught my eye were Flower Pounding (using real flowers to color your fabric), Hand Piecing - Mariner’s Compass (one of my favorite patterns), and Dog Gone Fun - Needle Felt Dogs (the sample, which was very tiny, was the cutest darn thing). The long arm machine rental is very intriguing. I haven’t heard of a shop doing this although I haven’t really investigated the availability. You can get a look at the machine on the store’s website tour.

If you are in the area I would recommend stopping by. You are sure to find something you are looking for or at least something that is looking for you.

quilting, quilt shop, quilts, batiks, quilt classes

While surfing the Internet I found an article about sewing rooms on a Maine newspaper website. “Sewing Room Making Quiet Comeback” makes the argument that builders need to start putting the sewing room back into houses when planning them. The author also discusses what many of us sewers/quilters/crafters have already been doing. Her observations of the creative spaces of various women sounds very familiar.

We creative types will find almost anywhere to put a sewing machine, design wall and hordes of supplies. I grew up in a very small house with a creative mother who grew up during the depression. The house was not equipped with a sewing room. My mom set up her machine in her bedroom, basket of yarn in the living room and her cutting table was the kitchen table (we didn’t have a dining room). When I had a house, I had an extra bedroom that was my sewing/craft room. Now, I live in a condo and I use what is supposed to be the dining room (we eat in the kitchen like I did when I was a kid).

I have only met one woman that designed a house with a sewing room which was the size of many garages. She had kitchen-type cabinets, a huge cutting and sewing table in the middle of the room which had more storage under it, and a custom pressing surface. It is one of my dreams to have such a place. What about you? Do you have such a place or do you use the multiple spare corners of wherever you can get?

quilting, sewing room, sewing space

Oh, how I wished I lived near Sisters, Oregon. They are famous for their annual quilt show which is like no other. In its 32nd year it is held entirely outdoors. The quilts are hung on the sides and porches of the town’s buildings, clothes lines, and even draped over sculptures. Even if you can’t go you can take a peek at past shows on their gallery page. But, if you’re in the area or are able to up and take a trip it would be a most wonderful adventure.

Me, on the other hand, will hopefully make it to at least one quilt show this weekend. The first one is the Batavia Quilt and Textile Show in Batavia, IL held July 13-15. This year Lois Jarvis’ Ground Zero quilt will be on display which has pictures of about 700 of those who died in the September 11 attacks. That will probably be very emotional to view. View information about the show in an article from the Repbulican, Batavia’s newspaper.

Another show, about an hour away from me, is the 20th Annual ByronFest Quilt Show at the Byron Museum of History also held July 13-15. As you might guess it is part of the ByronFest, an annual family festival. Sounds like a great road trip depending on what we can fit in this weekend. After last weeks vacation I’m not sure we will be up for a lot of action but then again after a full week of work we might want to get away.

Question of the Day: Do you know of any quilt shows near you and are you going to attend?

quilting, quilt show, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

I have finished 4 more blocks to go with the very first one I made. I am really enjoying doing the English paper piecing technique and the fabrics I’ve chosen are making the blocks quite exciting and full or movement. I am working with mostly batiks but also throwing in some other abstract prints as well as a few solids. I think my next challenge is to add some more colors like some greens and yellows and probably some purples.

Question of the Day: What do you think?

quilting, English paper piecing, grandmother’s flower garden, quilt, batiks