Quilts at Empty Spools/Asilomar 04-22-24

I took about 30 quilts to show as Collector in Residence.  At the last minute before leaving home, I decided to add a few more very large pieces that would show well in the large space of Merrill Hall.  Some of the smaller quilts I changed out daily, including the 12"X12" bird quilts.  These are the pieces hung from the balcony at the back of Merrill Hall.   More tomorrow night.

     "Not Even Solomon" (Eucalyptus bloom)  Ruth de Vos  Australia  2009                   This is entirely machine pieced and quilted. 

L  to  R   "Through the Lens"  Marianne Burr - WA  2012  

"Copper Tree" Joan Colvin - WA   2003

"An Exaltation of Larks"  Mary Quinn  CO  2010

"Purple Reign"  Deb Cashatt   CA  2024  Machine pieced and quilted.

L to R   "Arnold Marathon"  Yvonne Porcella  CA  2006

"Getting My Ducks in a Row"  Pamela Allen  Canada 2005 

"Desert Nights"  Terry Grant   OR 2014

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Newest quilt in Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection 03-31-24

I am not a basketball fan, nor a fan of any sport, but the color, workwomanship, and movement in Deb's quilt are so wonderful I couldn't resist.

"Purple Reign"  2024   Deb Cashatt - California  50"W X 60"L

Cotton fabric, Machine pieced and quilted on domestic machine.

Her desgn technique is called Symbograph.

This is all machine piecing, every tiny piece!

And such even, close quilting. 

https://debcashatt.com

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Actually sewing again! 01-05-21

I decided that I would just pick anything to sew.  Not worry about how it might fit unto the "agenda" of what is important.  First I mended some undies, about a ten minute task.  Yes, I do mending, it is just part of my DNA I guess - I have just always done it, by hand or machine.  

Then I took off the shelf a box with small quilts I purchased at the 2015 SAQA conference in Portland, OR.  There is always a written bid auction at the conferences and I do enjoy the action at those auctions.  So, I bid all over the place and came home with a dozen 8" X 6" lovely pieces for the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection.   Each one is a little jewel and came with a white mat making them about 10" X 8".  But I don't want framed pieces, so I removed the mats.  Nothing was ever said about finishing the edges of the little works of art, so some have very raggedy edges.  It has taken me all these years to find time to tidy up the edges and mostly do a tiny zigzag around each one.  Some are very nicely finished and don't require anything more.  These four are complete as is.  But all the others need a little tidying. 

"At the Market"  Terry Grant - Oregon 2015  6"W X 8"L 

Stitched from drawing placed on the reverse side.

"Roof Lines"  Geri Patterson-Kutras  - California  2015  8"W X 6"L

Fused with house edges finished using very fine machine blanket stitch. 

"Eucalyptus Leaf"  Sue Dennis - Australia  2015  6"W X 8"L

Sue intended this to be horizontal, but I much prefer it in this orientation. 

"What's Next"  Deb Cashatt - California  2015  6" X 8"

This is fabric with a button, a part from computer innards, and a painted broken arrow.  The label is the small piece on the right, but I don't know what orientation Deb intended.  I like it this way.  

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Fiberlandia auction quilt by Deb Cashatt 07-19-15

I was immediately attracted to this piece by the well coordinated "hardware" and fabrics.

Deb designed the circuit board fabric.  She says, the fabric is "..based on the gajillion pc boards that I have photographed.  I found some sections that I liked; then in Photoshop, I copied/pasted/clone-stamped, rotated, filtered and blended layers together until I had a pattern that will find its way into a shirt for my husband when I find a few extra hours."   

 

"What's Next?" Deb Cashatt  2015  6"W x 8"L

Artist created fabric, commercial fabric, part of a CD player, button, gold paint.

The tag on the right is a label which, of course, didn't show when the quilt was in the matting.  I will take it off and sew it on the back when I do a heavier binding and a better label. 

 

Deb says she loves to take things apart and has a nice selection of pieces to use in her designs.  These are the buttons one pushes to play a CD player.

 

No label on this side, but, as I said before, the artists probably expected their little quilts would stay in the matting frames.  I'd advise everyone to put some identifying info on whatever they make.  Who knows where it might end up?    Great quilting on this, I wonder how she keeps such even spirals?

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Glimpses of Quilt National opening. 07-02-13

The opening of Quilt National - 2013 was May 24 and 25 in Athens, OH, at the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center.  I planned a Road Trip around it, which I enjoyed very much (except for the tornadoes).  But at the time I ran out of steam by the end of the day and didn't blog much about the event.  So, I will do so in little drips and drabs over the next few weeks. 


On Sunday everyone who could squeezed into the gallery to hear the artists speak about their work and the specific quilt they have in QN '13. In the center of this picture is Marianne Burr talking about "Thru the Lens".  Marianne says that she is primarily an embroiderer and her quilts are covered with very detailed even hand stitching to create the image.  Her quilt is the cover of the catalog.  www.marianneburr.com
In the background are quilts by Anne Smith, Catherine Kleeman, and Susan Shie.
 

One activity that the artists seem to enjoy is acquiring the signatures of the other artists. They carry their catalogs around and form these little knots of autograph hunters.  I usually join in, but I didn't do much of it this time - don't know why.  Here we have Kris Sazaki (of the Pixeladies and also President elect of SAQA), Susan Polansky, Leslie Bixel, Beth Smith (Director of Visions Art Museum/SDiego), and Deb Cashatt (the other half of the Pixeladies).  Background left is "Bow" by Sylvia Gegaregian and on the right, "Moonset" by Brienne Elisabeth Brown.
 

Deidre Adams with her quilt "Tracings III"  60"square.
This is one of my favorites in this exhibit.  She has used the technique/style that she has developed over the past years, refining and "growing" it into this amazing blend of texture and color.  This quilt sold immediately or I would have added it to TCQC.  The image in the catalog doesn't do it justice and neither does this one - one too dark and this one with a gallery spot shining directly on it.  www.deidraadams.com

 

Here is a close up of Deidra's quilt.  It has been heavily quilted and then painted so that the higher parts of the surface show the paint.  The white rings are added by hand around each "rock".
 

"Solar City" by Katherine Knauer who stands beside her quilt talking of her art.  That is not a microphone in her hand, but a recording device set up by QN staff. 
This is one of the most "traditional" quilts in the exhibit, but only by comparison to what else is hanging.  I think this is the "happiest/sunniest" quilt in the exhibit.  No website.
 

"No One But You" was made by Susan Polansky (picture above) and is another of my favorites.  The details are marvelous and viewed from a distance it just made me smile.  Another happy quilt.  www.susanpolansky.com
 

Isn't it amazing that these details read as they do from a distance.
 

 
"The Conversation" and artist Mary Ann Tipple.  This diptych is 72"W and 92"L.  A large piece that makes a striking impression from a distance.  It is hung at the end of the gallery so that it can be seen when visitors first walk through the door.  This is Mary Ann's father and his sister in the late 1930s.  She comments "since they are on two panels they can be switched to positions of agreement and disagreement.  I admire Mary Ann's work very much and have one of her large quilts (but not this large!) in TCQC.  This quilt sold at the opening.
www.textilearttipple.com
 

TCQC Quilt by Pixe Ladies 04-17-11

Sometimes a quilt stands out because it is so different.  This is not a beautiful quilt, but it is clever and graphically depicts a part of textile history that a younger generation might not see.  I sometimes hang it front side out and sometimes back side out, because both sides are interesting to look at.

"Levi Strauss Discovers Gold in California - May 20, 1873" 

The PixeLadies ( Deb Cashatt and Kris Sazaki)  2008 12" x 12"

 Blue jeans fabric, commercial cotton backing, one rivet, photo transfer, machine pieced, machine quilted.

The strip with belt loops establishes this as representing the iconic garment of the American West.

The rivet centers this pool of blue with spiraling quilting resembling a log cabin block.

The backing fabric has the glow of gold (or Fool's Gold!) showing off the swirling quilting lines - both curved and straight.

Here are the gold miners in their blue jeans.

I think you can read this explanation if you click on the picture to enlarge. 

This was purchased from the SAQA online auction 2008.  There will be another auction in the fall, I hope you will check it out and consider purchasing a 12X12 quilt to enjoy yourself. 

http://www.pixeladies.com/ 

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