Quilt Market, Part II

Okay, here we are, back inside the Houston Convention Center! Here's some of what I've been doing the past few days:

It's great to connect with old friends. I met Sarah Ann Smith (left) a few years ago through the QuiltArt Yahoo group, and we've been e-mail buddies since then, but this was the first time I'd ever met her face to face. She's here publicizing her new book, Threadwork Unraveled. (I'll be reviewing it and giving away a copy soon!) I met Bonnie McCaffery in 2005 when I took her Painted Faces class, which started me doing art quilts. She is here teaching classes.

Karen McTavish was in the APQS booth demonstrating her amazing long-arm quilting. I only knew Karen as a Facebook friend until I met her on Sunday, but she greeted me with a big hug. It was amazing how many Facebook friends I recognized on the floor, and it was wonderful to meet them all.


On Sunday, I took a great class from Bonnie Sullivan (above), who designs "folk art designs with a bit of whimsy." We created needle holders from wool and Aurifil Lana wool/acrylic thread. She was a wonderful teacher, and it was really nice to do some calm handwork for a few hours before jumping back into the craziness that is Quilt Market.

Donna Morales-Oemig of Aurifil USA (left) at work on her thread holder.


Beth Ferrier was autographing her new book, More! Hand Applique by Machine.


ooooooooh! What I wouldn't give for this huge suitcase of Aurifil threads!

or, even better, a huge cone of each Aurifil color! (hey, a girl can dream!)


This is Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs, one of my favorite design teams! I have made a bunch of Blackbird Designs' creations, and I just love their style, so it was fun to meet Alma and see some of their new quilts and embroideries.


They had some of the projects from their new Halloween book on display.


As usual, their space was exquisitely styled. I loved this quilt with a pomegranate design:

Dian Stanley of Indigo Junction/The Vintage Workshop holds her "Thread Ready Pincushion" design, which has nifty pockets to hold multiple spools of thread, held in place by a cord, around the outside. Way cool.



More to come …

Quilt Market, Part I

Today I autographed copies of my book in C&T Publishing’s booth at Quilt Market in Houston! It was so much fun!


You'll notice that I am not wearing the shirt I painted and wrote about about in the previous post. When I put it on, I noticed that it was a bit low cut, and I started worrying that I might be overexposed if I leaned across the table to talk to someone. So I wore a different pink shirt.

I have been taking lots of photos, but because of computer and internet access issues (and the simple fact that I am exhausted after a long day of meeting and talking and standing on my feet and networking), I am probably going to be posting most of them in a few days, when I have some time between Market and Festival. Stay tuned.

“But … can you wash it?”

“Can you wash it?”

That’s a question I hear a lot when teaching students about textile paints in my surface design class. Usually I don’t really care if I can wash something I’ve painted, because it’s going to hang on the wall, and not go on a bed. But this week, I’ve been painting a shirt, and I’m sure I will eventually need to wash it!

I started out with a black-and-white linen shirt I purchased at a discount store on sale at the end of the season for an amazing $10. I thought it would be fun to paint it pink and green, just like “Pink Petal Party,” the quilt featured in my new book, Appliqué Petal Party. I’m going to be autographing copies this Sunday at Quilt Market in Houston in C&T Publishing’s booth, and thought it would be fun to wear something that tied in with the quilt.

I used Jacquard Textile Color, since I already had it in the hot pink and green I wanted. I mixed the hot pink with some white to make the paler pink. When I was done painting, I started ironing it (Jacquard recommends heat setting for 5-10 minutes with an iron.) Then, realizing I didn’t have time to hang around and hold the iron for 5-10 minutes on each section of the shirt, I put it on the drier on the hottest setting for about 20 minutes. Then I put it in the wash, using regular detergent and cool water. I threw in a dye magnet just in case.

But I shouldn’t have worried. It came out perfect. The color was just as strong as when it went in, and there was absolutely no color on the dye magnet. So now I know how to answer my students who ask, “Can I wash it?” If you use Jacquard Textile Color, the answer is yes. As I experiment with the other textile paints I use, I’ll post my results here.

If you are going to Quilt Market or Festival, come see me (and on Sunday, see my shirt)!

I’ll be autographing copies of Appliqué Petal Party in C&T’s booth on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

I’ll be doing two Open Studios sessions on the floor of Make it University demonstrating wholecloth painting techniques and machine quilting and thread sketching on Friday, Oct. 16 from 12:40 p.m. to 2:40 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Next week, I’m going to try to take lots of photos at Market and Festival to share with you. If I can get a good internet connection at my hotel, I’ll be posting during the week!

ATC swap and Open Studios at International Quilt Festival

In honor of International Quilt Festival’s 35th birthday, Quilting Arts is having an ATC (Artist Trading Card) Extravaganza. You can bring 35 or more ATCs to the ATC wall in Make it University, on the floor of the convention center, during Quilt Festival, and trade them with other artists. There is no limit to the number you can swap, and you can trade them anytime during show hours.

Just what are ATCs? They are small works of art (about the size of baseball cards, 2-1/2" x 3-1/2") designed to be traded, rather than sold for money.

I made 36 like these, which each feature my Indian Corn design and a small embossed polymer clay embellishment and a bead. I’m going to save one and swap the other 35 next week. How fun! After Festival, I’ll post photos of the ones I bring home.



Check out all the fun Make it University sessions here. I’ll be there doing two Open Studios sessions demonstrating wholecloth painting techniques and machine quilting and thread sketching. Please come by and say hello!

Oct. 16 from 12:40 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.
Oct. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Open Studio

My studio is featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors’ Studios magazine, but here are some photos they didn’t have space to include. Because the theme of the publication is “open studios,” Quilting Arts is also hosting a virtual studios tour this week. For more information on the Open Studios event, click here.


Here’s my machine and cabinet. I adore having my machine set down into my cabinet; I don’t think it is possible to quilt well for a long time without a level sewing surface.


My quilt “Harbinger’s Hope” hangs in the hall outside the studio. I like the green walls, but it is rather dark (the hallway is 8 feet wide and 40 feet long; it runs nearly the length of the house and is a bit cavernous), and I’m thinking about painting the hall butter yellow this winter. The fire hydrant painting is by Diane Overcash. I found the chest of drawers out for the trash at a neighbor’s house, dragged it home and refinished it. (I’ve been reclaiming castoffs like this for a long time. My kids groan with embarrassment when I slow the car down for a closer look.)


I use old jars and spice containers to hold my beads on the windowsill. I love how the light comes through them.


Old stuff and nostalgic-looking new stuff on top of a bookcase.


More of the same, plus a little quilt made years ago of Susan Branch fabrics.


Buttons and threads in old and new jars.


I can’t pass up old sewing stuff. I found these spools and clothespins on the curb, too.


The green pincushion is my design.


My kids’ finger puppets, no longer played with but way too cute to give away, sit atop paint brushes.

Peek inside my studio!

My studio is featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors’ Studio magazine!

There’s lots to love about this issue:

• a feature about a converted factory that is now an artists’ enclave in Pennsylvania
• tips on hosting an Open Studios event
• photos of more than 20 artists’ studios to inspire your own space
• fun projects, tips, tricks, and storage solutions

Find your copy at a local newsstand, or order one at the Interweave online store. The price is $7.99.

Because the theme of the publication is “open studios,” Quilting Arts is also hosting a virtual studios tour this week. Want to show off your studio, too? You can get more information about how to participate by clicking here. On Oct. 3, I’ll be posting some photos of my studio that the magazine didn’t include. And you’ll be able to go on a virtual tour of other great studios.

Remember…

My Quilting Arts Workshop DVD

My Quilting Arts Workshop DVD is now available for pre-order through Quilting Arts/Interweave. It is called “Master Machine Quilting: Free-Motion Stitching and Thread Sketching with Susan Brubaker Knapp.” The price is $19.95.

Here’s the blurb on the back:

“Susan teaches you the basics of free-motion machine stitching, including thread work to enhance the surface and quilting to hold the layers together beautifully. Find out what materials you’ll need and how to get started. Beginners and intermediates – and those who have been too terrified to try until now – will find inspiration and answers, as well as lots of tips, techniques and practical information to improve their machine stitching. Stitchers of all levels will benefit from Susan’s thorough approach – from her careful consideration of materials and preparation (including advice on how to chill out), to the differentiation between thread sketching and machine quilting. Learn the benefits and purpose for each of these methods, and find plenty of inspiration through Susan’s artful examples.”

Hosta, and the SAQA Visioning Project

Hosta (2009) 7-1/4" x 9-3/4"
Cotton fabric, acrylic paint, cotton and rayon thread, cotton batting.

A few weeks ago, I made the decision to join Studio Art Quilt Associates’ “Visioning Project.” The idea behind the project, led by SAQA president Lisa Chipetine, is that you can reach your goal if you envision it, plan it and execute it step by step, with the help of other supportive artists in the group. Each participants’ first step is to refine a clearly stated goal to be achieved in 12 months.

After much thought, I settled on this goal: To work in a series and produce at least eight pieces in a unified body of work for a solo show.

With everything else I have going on in my life, this is an ambitious goal for me. But it is an important one. For several years, I’ve wanted to work in a series, to find my “distinctive voice” and to pump up my production and my commitment to my art. I think the Visioning Project will help me do that.

One of the first things I have to do was to decide on the subject matter and a technique I want to use for the entire series. Toward that aim, I made the small piece above (“Hosta”) yesterday. It is just a study, but it helps me resolve some of the issues in my head that I need to move forward on the series.

Here is the photo on which the piece is based:

It is of close-up shot of a hosta I keep in a pot on my back steps. The leaves are starting to show signs of disease and decay, and the normal decline brought on by fall. I thought the pattern created, combined with the lines of the veins of the leaf, was really beautiful.

I started with white Pimatex cotton fabric, a combed cotton poplin fabric by Robert Kaufman. I had used Robert Kaufman’s Kona Cotton before, but I discovered that I like the Pimatex better for this kind of work. It is very fine and smooth, and much easier to draw on with a pencil.

After sketching the lines on the fabric, I painted using Liquitex Soft Body Artist Color mixed with Liquitex Fabric Medium. Then I did thread work on the surface before quilting it. Here is a detail shot:

A new pattern: The Piñata Purse

Here it is, my latest pattern: Piñata Purse! It is $10 and is available on my website. Quiltshops can purchase it wholesale through Moda (soon)!

This flirty purse covered in raw-edge batik fringe is fully lined and has a large pocket on the back, as well as inner pockets you can customize to fit the things you carry in your purse. It measures 13" x 10" x 3".



Here’s a shot of the back:


Want to win a copy? Leave me a comment on this post telling me what you think about the Piñata Purse, or your favorite piñata story (get hit in the head? have a party piñata that refused to crack open?), and I’ll draw one name at random on Oct. 1, and announce the winner here.
(NOTE: I drew a number, and Rosalie W. is the winner!)

Indian Corn

Indian Corn Imprint (2009) 14 x 11.5"

This is a small piece I just completed this weekend. At Monday’s Pandoras meeting, I created a stamp of the corn pattern using Fun Foam mounted on a cylinder (see previous entry for explanation of this process). I created stamps using both the positive parts (kernels) and negative parts (spaces between the kernels) of the design.

I stamped on muslin, using Liquitex Soft Body Artist Color and Liquitex Professional Acrylic Ink, mixed with Liquitex Fabric Medium. I cut some of the stamped muslin apart and stitched it back together. You can see this in the upper left section of the photo above, and in the detail shots below.

On some of the images using the stamp with the kernels, I drew around the kernels with a purple Derwent Inktense Pencil and then used a wet paintbrush to soften the pencil lines.

When I quilted it, I stitched in some kernels along the edges that weren’t there originally, and filled them in with the Inktense pencils. My intent was not to make them look exactly the same, but to draw attention to the stitched line and the transition between the two pieces (which you can see in the photo below, almost right down the middle):


and in this shot, horizontally near the top:


On the stamped images using the stamp with the space between the kernels, I used the Inktense pencils to color in (using cross hatching) the kernels. Or I simply did the cross hatching with thread. You can see this in the photo below, on the left side:

I quilted in lines suggestive of dried corn husks around the corn, using a variated green/tan/brown thread.

I had fun with this piece, and learned how to use some new materials I had not tried before. I really liked the Liquitex materials, especially how the inks and paints worked with the Fabric Medium. Liquitex makes some metallic colors, too, which I have not tried yet, but will in the future. The Inktense pencils would be nice for a soft watercolor effect, or a subtle wash of color.

I like trying out new techniques and materials, because I find that it forces me a bit out of my comfort zone, and makes me more creative. It also adds skills and materials to my arsenal, so that when I get a great idea, I can choose those best suited to the subject matter.

Stamps from Fun Foam

My local art quilt group, the Pandoras, met today at my house to create rolling stamps. We followed directions in the current issue (September/October 2009) of Cloth Paper Scissors in an article by Linda Calverley. The idea is to make stamps on cylindrical objects so you can roll your design on, rather than stamping straight down.

We started by collecting cylinders, such as pieces of PVC piping, salt containers, cardboard tubes, tennis ball tubes and baby wipe containers. The author suggests using Fun Foam, which is a lightweight foam plastic material that comes in sheets of varying thicknesses, and is often pre-cut into cute shapes for kids’ crafts. She uses a very strong adhesive (such as UHU glue) to stick the foam onto the cylinders, but I found it at my local craft store with an adhesive backing paper already attached. All we had to do was to cut our designs, peel off the paper backing, stick them to the cylinders, then dab on the paint and let ’er roll!

Here’s a closeup of my corn design shown above with the stamp:


Instead of using fabric paints, I used a mixture of Liquitex Fabric Medium and Liquitex Professional Acrylic Inks. Although the inks are very thin, they have very strong color, making them ideal for stamping. I mixed just a few drops of the ink with the Fabric Medium so that it would not bleed or dry out as quickly, and to create more volume. The Fabric Medium also helps give the stamped area a softer “hand” (this term means softness and flexibility of the fabric) when it dries. This created the perfect consistency for dabbing on to the stamps with a foam brush.


I also used the stamp with metallic paints, Lumiere by Jacquard:


Here is the other half of the corn design, rolled around a recycled cardboard salt container:


I think this one (created by stamping several times) resembles a net, or some sort of cellular structure:


I have some projects in mind for these fabrics. Stay tuned!

Appliqué Petal Party is here!

It’s here! I just got my advance copy of Appliqué Petal Party! My editors, photographers and graphic designers at C&T Publishing did a fabulous job; they were a pleasure to work with. Several of my friends did blocks in different color schemes that are featured on the exterior covers and in the booklet. (You guys are the greatest!) I’m so pleased with how it turned out.

It will be available in October from C&T, and I’m be taking pre-orders for autographed copies on my website right now. If you are coming to Fall Quilt Market in Houston, I’ll also be autographing copies in C&T’s booth on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

Hoo-ray!

DETAILS:
Appliqué Petal Party by Susan Brubaker Knapp
Published by C&T Publishing www.ctpub.com
$17.95
16 floral bouquet blocks (12-1/2" square) and a floral border make a 73" x 73" finished quilt
8-page color booklet with step-by-step instructions
9 double-sided pattern sheets with full-size appliqué patterns

Three new pieces

Here are three new pieces I’ve completed in the past six weeks. All are little (smaller than one foot square), because I had to create them as projects for the two Quilting Arts TV segments and the Workshop DVD I filmed last week. That meant that I had to do each one partially several times, to create the “step-outs” to demonstrate how I worked.

Here’s the first, “Sunflower,” which is based on a photo I took in my mom’s garden. This sample is for my Quilting Arts Workshop DVD on free-motion machine quilting and thread-sketching. This piece has fused pieces that are thread-sketched; there is nothing but thread and fabric here. No paint! The Workshop DVD should be available this fall through Quilting Arts/Interweave.


This is “Bodie Island Lighthouse.” It is based on a photo I took during my daughter’s field trip to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The pieces are fused to the background and then thread-sketched before the piece is quilted. That’s Angelina for the clouds. I think this project will be on the first episode, 501.


This is “Coleus,” a wholecloth painted quilt. It started as a piece of plain white Kona Cotton, and I painted it with Stewart Gill paint, then added some detail with thread, and quilted it. This piece is based on a close-up photo of a coleus leaf I took at the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Asheville. I think this project will air in episode 513:

Quilts featured in Mooresville Artist Guild exhibition

My local quilt guild, Lake Norman Quilters, has work exhibited at the Mooresville Artist Guild this month. Our group started about ten years ago with only 5 members; today we have more than 50 traditional quilters and art quilters. My quilt “Lepidoptera” is part of the exhibit. It is really great to see an artists’ group accepting fiber artists and quilters.

The opening reception will be held Sept. 11 from 6-8 p.m. during the Mooresville Art Walk. The guild building is the Southern Railway Depot at the intersection of Main and Center in historic downtown Mooresville.

Mooresville Artists Guild
103 W. Center Avenue
Mooresville NC 28115
704.663.6661
Open Tuesday – Saturday 10 to 4 and Sunday 1-4