Shooting Quilting Arts TV Series 1700

I was in Cleveland last week to shoot Series 1700 of  “Quilting Arts TV.” This Series will start airing on more than 400 Public Television stations in the U.S. in January 2016. At about the same time, it will also be available on DVDs and as a digital download from the Quilting Daily Shop. Individual episodes in digital download format will also be available for purchase on QNNTV.com

This is my fourth series as host. By the time the sun was coming up on Monday, I was headed to the studio for makeup.

Our makeup artist, Karen, makes us all look good. Here I am with her, post makeup:

 

 Here’s the set on Monday morning, all ready to roll:

Jeanne Cook-Delpit helps ready the Bernina 770 QE for one of my short filler segments. Jeanne works for Bernina USA, and helps get everyone ready to use the machines on set.
The 770 has an extra-long free-arm and a huge bobbin; I love working on it!

The production staff keeps track of what I wear for each segment using photos pinned up on this board. I change clothing and accessories at least 10-15 times a day, because the episode segments, as well as the opens and teases, are not shot in sequence.

I got to pose with the current issue of Quilting Arts magazine, which has my “Fancy Goldfish” on the cover:

Lea McComas was our first guest. She shot one segment on lost and found lines (1707), a second on thread painted portraits (1701), and another on value that will air in Series 1800.

Here’s some of Lea’s work:

Daughter and mother team Kristin Rodriguez and Jan Girod of Fiber on a Whim shot one segment on collages made using their hand-dyed burlap (1710), and another segment on making fabric landscapes with photo transfers (1708).

 

Laura Wasilowski walks through her segment with me and producer Kathie Stull (the owner of KS Productions, with her back to the camera) before we start taping. Laura shot a segment on free-stitched embroideries (1701),

Brian adjusts Frieda Anderson’s microphone before she tapes her segment:

Frieda showed how she uses freezer paper to make precise leaves and create a beautiful quilt (1706): 

For Episode 1708, Frieda made the leaf collage below, then gave all of her fused leftovers to Laura…

… who made a whimsical color chip collage from them:

Laura and Jeanne help raise the table on set for the next segment:

Frieda also shot a segment on designing patterns for Series 1800.

And Laura shot one for Series 1800 on how to turn a sketch into a small embroidery.

Andrea Brokenshire shot a segment on painting on fabric (1702) and on creating the confetti backgrounds she uses behind her giant painted flowers (1712).

Both Andrea and Nancy McNally (with Vivika, below) used long-arm sewing machines in their segments. INNOVA is a new sponsor for the show. I think this is the first time Quilting Arts TV has featured art quilters who work on long-arm machines.
 

Nancy shot a segment on free-motion stitching (1709), and a second on fusible applique with strip sets (1705).

Lisa Chin taught us how to make cool stencils using a Silhouette cutter (1706):

… and sunprinting basics (1711), plus more advanced sunprinting techniques (for Series 1800)

Susan Edmonson gets set up:

Susan demonstrated techniques with painted batting (1709), free-style embroidery (1712), and how to make a darling bird’s nest with felted eggs (Series 1800):

Next up was Julie Booth, who showed us how to use dishwashing liquid as a resist (1703) and how to make stamps with cardboard and a hot glue gun (1711). Fun and easy! Julie is the author of Fabric Printing at Home.

Susan Purney Mark (below, with me) was our second Susan guest (making that a grand total of three Susans on set this week). Susan loves screen printing, dyeing and painting.

She demonstrated and color blocking (1712) and piecemeal applique (1705).

Lorie McCown (below) is drawn to old, used textiles that tell a story and add layers of meaning. Her work uses a lot of hand stitching.

Lorie’s segments featured a focus on hand stitching (1707) and a discussion of her recent series of pieces featuring dress images (1713):

The last guest we taped was Cyndi Souder. Cyndi showed how to use woodblocks to print on fabric (1704):

She also did a segment with tips for quilting text on fabric (1709). She calls this technique “quiltwriting.”

 

Whew! What a crazy, wonderful week! I hope you’ll enjoy Series 1700 this winter! 

On the cover

“Fancy Goldfish,” the piece I made for the The Alliance for American Quilts’ 2015 Contest, “Animals We Love” is featured on the cover of the newest issue of Quilting Arts magazine (the October/November 2015 issue). It is going out to subscribers now, and will be on newsstands soon.

All submissions to this contest became the property of the Quilt Alliance, and will be auctioned off soon to support the mission of the organization: “to document, preserve, and share our American quilt heritage by collecting the rich stories that historic and contemporary quilts, and their makers, tell about our nation’s diverse peoples and their communities.” 

I’ll post here to let you know when the auction starts. There are lots of beautiful pieces; please consider bidding on one – you’ll own a wonderful piece of fiber art, and help a great organization at the same time!

“Fancy Goldfish” (16" x 16", copyright Susan Brubaker Knapp 2015)
Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint,cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted.

For more information on the making of “Fancy Goldfish,” check out my previous posts here.

This is my fourth cover quilt for Quilting Arts magazine since 2010! The others were:

Stretching

It’s good sometimes to experiment, to step outside what one usually does and try something new, to stretch one’s creative muscles. I’m doing just that this week, in preparation for a few short segments I’ll be shooting for episodes of Quilting Arts TV in a few weeks. (We shoot Series 1700 in Cleveland, Ohio, then.) 

The photo at the top of this post shows a little sample of fabric that’s been quilted and then painted. The shot below shows quilting on a piece of fabric I created using soy wax batik years ago. This is for a segment on mark making.  

Series 1700 is packed with wonderful quilt artists, fiber artists, and surface designers. I'll be sharing photos from the set on Facebook and Instagram during the shoot; you can find me here:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SusanBrubakerKnappFiberArtist
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/susanbrubakerknapp/

And I’ll do a big round-up of all the photos and stories on my blog here after I get back!

Merry and Bright

My “Merry and Bright” painted and quilted wallhanging is featured in Quilting Arts Holiday magazine! If you can’t find it on a local newsstand, you can purchase it here for $14.99. The magazine is also available as a digital download.

 

Bit by Bit

I’ve named this little piece “Bit by Bit.” It’s been a tough summer, and that’s how I’m trying to take things: bit by bit. This is a small needleturn project. The batik squares are done in needleturn applique on a piece of fabric I paint-dyed with metallic paints. It is quite shimmery. This piece measures about 10" x 27".

Here are some detail shots:

I’m teaching at Madeline Island School of Art in 2016!

The fabulous studio at MISA. (Photo courtesy of MISA.)

I am super excited to announce that I’m teaching at the Madeline Island School of Art (MISA) in Wisconsin October 3-7, 2016. MISA is one of the top five art and craft schools in the country, and is known for its large studios, world-renowned instructors, and wonderful accommodations.Madeline Island is in northern Wisconsin in the Chequamegon Bay – approximately 90 miles east of Duluth, Minnesota, along the southern shoreline of Lake Superior. Madeline is the largest of the 22 Apostle Islands. To get there, you take a car ferry in Bayfield, WI. There is also an airport shuttle from Duluth.

MISA’s campus on Madeline Island, WI. (Photo courtesy of MISA.)

I’ll be teaching Paint & Stitch: Create Original Work from Your Own Photos. If you’ve been wanting to learn about wholecloth painting and thread sketching, this is the workshop for you. In five days, you will get in-depth instruction in a spectacular setting. 

If you follow my work, you know that I work most of the time from photos like this one, taken in England of a Suffolk sheep:

… and then turn them into fiber art like this:

Or start with this photo I took of a Gerbera Daisy… 

and turn it into fiber art like this:

Intimidated? Please don’t be. My process involves working directly with the photo to trace lines, transfer them to fabric, and paint. When it comes down to it, it’s a lot like paint by numbers, except you do learn how to mix colors and blend them, and how to work with value to achieve depth. My students get fabulous results with this technique.

Here’s more information about my class:

Learn the basics of creating wholecloth painted and thread-sketched quilts based on your original photos. You will complete 2 or 3 projects, depending on size and complexity. Do not worry if you’ve never painted anything before… this may look complicated, but it isn’t once you learn a bit. Learn how to:

• select the right photos for great results
• choose paints and fabrics to use
• trace key elements from your enlarged photo to produce a line drawing
• use your line drawing as a pattern to create realistic images on fabric using acrylic textile paints
• transfer the design to fabric
• mix paints to get the right colors, shades and tints for your image
• add detail, color and texture with thread to bring the piece alive
• stabilize your piece to avoid draw-up
• regulate your stitch for perfect tension
• improve your control while stitching

The price for the five-day workshop is $670, plus a $40 materials fee (which includes paint, fabric, brushes) and lodging and meals.

Please contact me if you have questions. I’d love to see you in Wisconsin next October!

Student accommodations at MISA. (Photo courtesy of MISA.)

“Purple Anemone” done

I just finished quilting this piece I am calling “Purple Anemone.” It will be about 17" x 23" once it is faced. It is based on this photo I took in the spring of 2014 in the Duke University gardens:

Here’s how it started, with pieces of fabric – hand-dyeds and batiks – fused down, and chalk lines indicating the main stitching lines (the veins on the petals):

 

Note: The color differences in these photos are due to different lighting conditions. The main photo at the top was taken outside, and most of the other photos were taken inside, under an Ott light. 

I used Lite Steam-a-Seam II as my fusible, Heavy Weight Shaping Aid as my stabilizer, and Aurifil Cotton Mako 50-weight for thread sketching. In the flower center, I used acrylic textile paint for the tiny dots and details that were too small to do with fused fabric.

I estimate that I spent more than 30 hours working on this piece, most of it thread sketching. Here are all the threads I used:

Of course, Wicked has to have her photo taken with each quilt in progress, and this one was no different:

  

“Whimsical Inspirations” blog hop and giveaway

Have you noticed that beautiful coloring books for adults are all the rage these days? Seems like everyone is doing it this summer. It’s a great way to relax and be creative. My friend, Jamie Fingal, has a new coloring and painting book out. It’s called Whimsical Inspirations: A Coloring and Painting Book for the Artist Inside Everyone. 

Jamie drew her designs with a Sharpie Ultra Fine Point black pen.  There are 12 coloring pages, and all are printed on heavier paper, so you can use paints and markers. Just put a separate piece of paper behind the page you are coloring, so if there is anything that goes through the paper, the next page will be protected. It has a chip board back and a coil binding so it lies nice and flat while you work.   

You can color them in with colored pencils, crayons, markers, or watercolors. (I used water colors on my page at the top of this post.) There are houses, flowers, teacups, campers, dresses, and sewing- inspired designs. After that, you could frame them, or fold them in half to make a beautiful card for a friend.

Jamie self-published the book, and it is available on her blog (just look for the buy button on the right-hand side). U.S. residents only. $19.95, plus shipping and handling, via USPS.  California residents pay tax. 

To celebrate, Jamie’s having a blog hop, and she’s going to give away two copies of the coloring book (U.S. residents only, please). So for a chance to win, please visit all the blogs below and leave a comment by noon (Eastern Time) on August 10.

Sunday, August 2 - Jamie Fingal
http://JamieFingalDesigns.blogspot.com/

Monday, August 3 - Lyric Kinard
http://lyrickinard.com/lyric-kinard-blog/

Tuesday, August 4 - Leslie Tucker Jenison
http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 5 - Desiree Habicht
http://myclothesline.blogspot.com/

Thursday, August 6 - Deborah Boschert
http://DeborahsJournal.blogspot.com/

Friday, August 7 - Susan Brubaker Knapp
http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/

Saturday, August 8 - Sue Bleiweiss
http://www.suebleiweiss.com/blog/

Shooting segments for TheQuiltShow.com

I was in Asheville, NC, yesterday to shoot two segments for TheQuiltShow.com, an online television show (available through subscription) featuring Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. I was on Show 901 in 2011, teaching needleturn applique and fusible applique. This time, I’m demonstrating thread sketching and wholecloth painting. 

Alex and Ricky were in Asheville to feature North Carolina quilters, including Georgia Bonesteel, who was pivotal in bringing quilting instruction via television to countless new quilters in the 1970s. 

Such a great experience. The production crew (including Shelly Heesacker and Lilo Bowman, shown in the photo below discussing the segment with Alex and me) is simply fantastic.

When I arrived, free-motion quilter extraordinaire Leah Day was just finishing up, and Jane Hall (a.k.a. “The Pineapple Queen,”) was also on set, shooting segments on pineapple block quilts. Jane and I will be featured in the same show. 

Here are some photos of Jane on set:

 I’ll post about this again when I know the show number. 

Old Red Door

“Old Red Door” copyright 2015 by Susan Brubaker Knapp (40" x 40")

My new piece, “Old Red Door,” has been selected by curators Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison to appear in the Dinner at Eight Artists’ exhibition, “Affinity.” The exhibit will debut at the International Quilt Market (Oct. 24-26, 2015) and Festival (Oct. 28-Nov. 1, 2015) in Houston. It is a juried invitational exhibition sponsored by Havel’s Sewing.

This is a wholecloth painted piece, which means that I painted the image on white fabric with acrylic textile paints, and then stitched it. For more information on this technique, please see this blog post.

Here is the curators’ explanation of the theme, “Affinity”:

I am the garden that I plant.

I have… a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, or idea.

I am all the books that I have read.

I have… a close resemblance or connection to someone or some thing.

I am the places that I have been

I have… an agreement with someone.

I am the people that I love to be near

I have… a relationship or ties to another individual.

I am the sum of my life experiences.

Here are the 40 selected pieces and artists:

Black Cat, Red Flower, Green Leaf - Frances Holliday Alford
Beneath the Surface - Linda C. Anderson
Tutti Frutti City Street - Sue Bleiweiss
The Patriots of Boston - Loris Bogue
Green Bowl - Deborah Boschert
Spring Comes Late - Cindy Cooksey
Undaunted - Lauretta K. Crites
Paint the Town Red - Diane R. Doran
Color Play - Jane E. Dunnewold
Sprocket 2 Me - Robbi Joy Eklow
Raised on Bluebonnets - Suzan Engler
That's Amore - Barb Forrister
Essence - Lyric M. Kinard
Jacob's Treasures - Susan Fletcher King
Fiberarts Complusion - Karol Kusmaul
Napa Valley Vineyard with Red Barn - Cathie I. Hoover
Ms. Stella O'Houligan - Stacy Hurt
Old Red Door - Susan Brubaker Knapp
3 "CANS" - Sandra E. Lauterbach
Peas n'Honey - Linda Teddlie Minton
Focal Point - Jeannie P. Moore
Agave - Susie Monday
Charleston on My Mind - Rachel K. Parris
We are Stardust - Andi Perejda
Crepuscular Flash - Judy Coates Perez
Paris Avant-Garde - Yvonne Porcella
Magnetic Attraction (Tuning Fork #25) - Heather Pregger
The Sweet Press of Remembered Moments - Wen Redmond
Who Has Seen the Wind? - Cynthia St. Charles
Universal - Julie Schlueter
Horloge Musee d'Orsay - Gayle Simpson
Descended from the Stars - Sarah Ann Smith
Rock - Virginia A. Spiegel
Seeking Red - Terri Stegmiller
Martie Learns to Read - Ann E. Turley
The Rest from their Labors - Larkin Jean Van Horn
Sweet, Sweet, Bliss - Valerie C. White
Dot - Kathy York

Jamie Fingal - Rama Lama Ding Dong
Leslie Tucker Jenison - Affinity for Improv

“Old Red Door” (detail)

Orange Gerbera

“Orange Gerbera”
Copyright 2015 by Susan Brubaker Knapp
approximately 24 x 34"

Here’s my latest piece. It is based on a photo I took of an orange Gerbera Daisy (you can see the photo at the bottom of this post). I took the photo on one of my morning walks through my neighborhood earlier this spring. This piece is wholecloth painted, then quilted. I haven’t faced it yet, but it will probably end up to be about 24 x 34".

Here’s a detail shot:

“Orange Gerbera” (detail)

Photo (by me) on which the fiber art is based.