Revisit a quilt by Franki Kohler 02-12-17

 

"Gingkoes II"  Franki Kohler  2008  15" X15"

Fabrics: cotton, organza, tulle.  Threads: cotton, rayon, silk.  Beads.  Machine quilted.

http://frankikohler.com/

I especially appreciate the use of print fabrics which are transformed by free motion stitching following the veining in real Gingko leaves - that lovely radiating fan from the stem to the leaf edge.

Notice her use of a variegated thread to give a touch of fall color.  Also the earth, sky, tree bark, leaf colored beads creating a formal framing.  I made this image a little darker to show the textured background fabric - very subtle.  It makes me think of Doreen Speckman's advice on choosing fabrics, "Are you glad it is there?  Do you miss it when you take it away?"   I would miss the texture if it weren't there, it adds a lot to this piece.

 

A plain printed label - I have added the size because it is helpful when I am arranging quilts.  I do wish artists would put a contact on the label - e-mail, address, whatever. These days it is a lot easier to find an artist through one of the important quilt organizations, but it is nice to just flip to the label for a contact.     

 

A plain back, but a great textured fabric that allows the quilting lines to be seen.  I like that Franki let the hand stitching on the beads show - sort of the mark of her hand. 

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Franki Kohler quilt in TCQC 11-13-11

Franki Kohler has an affinity for Ginkgo trees and leaves in all seasons of the year.  And so do I.  She made this piece for the Alliance for American Quilts online auction in 2008 and I had the winning bid.  The Alliance is an important organization preserving, protecting, and presenting American quilts, covering the entire range of their history.  To my mind one of the most important things AAQ does is preserve the oral history of quiltmakers, from the world famous to the ladies in your quilt group.  These interviews are available on the AAQ website.  They also have a program named "The Boxes Under the Bed" designed to preserve examples of quilt ephemera. 

As it happens the 2011 auction starts tomorrow, November 14, and runs for three weeks with a different offering of quilts each week.  It is a great place to go holiday shopping for someone you care about, or to add to your own collection of quilts.  Check it out at:  http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/   There are some lovely quilts being offered. 

"Ginkgoes II"  Franki Kohler  2008  15" X 15"

Fabrics: cotton, organza, tulle.  Threads: cotton, rayon, silk.  Beads.  Machine quilted.

I especially appreciate the use of print fabrics which are transformed by free motion stitching following the veining in real Gingko leaves - that lovely radiating fan from the stem to the leaf edge.

Notice her use of a variegated thread to give a touch of fall color.  Also the earth, sky, tree bark, leaf colored beads creating a formal framing.  I made this image a little darker to show the textured background fabric - very subtle.  It makes me think of Doreen Speckman's advice on choosing fabrics, "Are you glad it is there?  Do you miss it when you take it away?"   I would miss the texture if it weren't there, it adds a lot to this piece.

A plain back, but a great textured fabric that allows the quilting lines to be seen.  I like that Franki let the hand stitching on the beads show - sort of the mark of her hand. 

 

A plain printed label - I have added the size because it is helpful when I am arranging quilts.  I do wish artists would put a contact on the label - e-mail, address, whatever. These days it is a lot easier to find an artist through one of the important quilt organizations, but it is nice to just flip to the label for a contact.   http://frankikohler.com/  

San Juan Bautista, Pacific Grove 03-03-10

I drove up I-5 again last night, but it was dark, so no pictures of almond trees blooming!!. No rain, surprisingly. Tthere were a zillion stars shining and a gibbous moon, so everything was bathed in a pale blue light. I haven't driven this route at night for quite a while - it was very beautiful. Each trip I find it harder to 'get it together' and packing for a long trip in the Lexus is a new experience. Finally, I left some things behind - some on purpose, because there was no room, and some because I forgot them. I've already hit Mary up for thread (of the right color) and fusible. It is hard to make a list for a trip like this because each occurrence is different.

This morning we drove to Pacific Grove to meet up with some friends who have been taking classes at the Empty Spools Seminars Session II. We tracked down Franki Kohler, who had a "Tuesday Tote" package for me, and our friends from Washington state. It would have been better if I had been able to drive up on Monday and see them yesterday because today was the last day and everyone was packing to get out of the rooms and on the road. But we had a few hugs and Mary and I were able to see some of the classwork in Reynola Pakusich's class. Very nice.

Mary Leakey, Suzanne Lucy, Reynola Pakusich, Mabel Huseby when they were almost packed.

They have everything in except their design boards. They always manage to get everything in and they each have a seat! Rather amazing, but they have years of experience. That is Mabel on the right.

Suzanne and Franki were in Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer's class (along with two ladies we know from previous years who were already seated when we arrived at the Red House) and they all raved about Jeannette's class. You can check out her work at http://www.jdmeyer.com/ She is going to be on the schedule for 2011, but I suspect you'll have to be quick to get into her class.

Mary and I then went to lunch at the Red House. We had to laugh at ourselves because we never talked about where we would go. There was a parking place directly in front of the House and we automatically parked and went inside. They had Olallieberry pie! We thought about just having that, but needed something a little more substantial, so chose the soup of the day - curried cauliflower. It was very tasty, if a little salty for me.

Of course, we also ordered the pie which was, as always, spectacular. We decided we like it with whipped cream rather than ice cream (even homemade). And it was warmed to just the right temperature. A most satisfying lunch.

It had been raining off and on since we left Mary's house and it came down very hard at times. After we were back home it REALLY rained. I spoke to Mabel about 7pm and they had only gotten as far as Eureka and were going to spend the night. They had serious rain and hail that slowed them down. I hope the weather clears up before they have to drive over the Siskiyou mountain summit tomorrow. No fun.

Pacific International Quilt Festival 10-15-09

This large quilt festival, known as PIQF, is held annually in Santa Clara, CA, which is near San Jose. I don't know how long I have been attending - maybe fifteen years. For about the last ten I have stayed with my friend Mary in San Juan Bautista, about an hour's drive south of Santa Clara, so that we could go together. We usually have one or two of Mary's friends along, but once we arrive at the show we agree on a time to meet for lunch and then split up to see the quilts at our individual pace. At lunch we decide what time we will head for home. This afternoon I was completely pooped out before I had seen very much of the show, so I waited for the others whilst sitting on a comfortable sofa in a quiet nook of the lobby. I hope I have more zip tomorrow, so with that in mind I will only post a few quilts I chose arbitrarily from the pictures I took today.

Karen has dealt with a serious illness in the past eight months, so I am happy to see one of her quilts.

The background is the curtain from which the quilt hangs. The quilt itself is just the nest hanging free from a branch. Since I am so enchanted with my "bowls" shape, with pieces cut in a similar manner, I am always interest in other artists work with the same shape. I wonder how this would look not on black, but on a wall color one would find in a residence - Navajo white, beige, yellow, etc.

Franki is a friend of several years and I am participating in a fiber postcard exchange she organized and directs - see: http://www.postmarkdart.com/. I purchased one of her Ginkgo quilts (15" square) last year at the Alliance for American Quilts online auction. It has a textured background and is very lovely.

To appreciate her excellent technique and the beauty of the materials she uses, you must see Franki's work

"in-the-fabric"

Here is a close-up that shows the intricate thread work on the leaves. I previously posted about Franki's work last year at: http://delquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/more-piqf-quilts-10-22-08.html

More quilts from the Festival tomorrow and Saturday and.......??

More PIQF Quilts 10-22-08

Tuesday evening the drive home from Tehachapi was fast and easy, not much traffic except on the notoriously slow Hwy 395 which is only two lanes most of the way. Further north the highway widens, but I didn't drive on that part. I have no idea why I have been dragging so much the last several weeks, but I decided a day of rest wouldn't hurt and might help. So, I spent Wednesday mostly in bed - reading, napping, trying to figure out my new cell phone. By evening I felt a lot better, but I had pledged 24 hours just to rest, so I did. Now it is 2am on Thursday and I thought I would spend some time online. The pictures below are those that I tried to send on Monday evening from Tehachapi. I'll work on some more for tomorrow.

Franki Kohler was an online friend for several years before we met in person. I admire her exacting work and her dedication to learning new techniques and styles. Franki is the author of "Fast and Easy Fabric Postcards" from C&T Publ. You can see her postcard work at http://www.postmarkdart.com and www.Art2Mail.com

This is the first time I can remember seeing photos and sun prints combined and it works nicely. I like the inclusion of the checkerboard, a traditional patchwork pattern.

[Franki wrote to fill me in on these quilts.The photos down the right side are sage, frise lettuce, royal oak lettuce, estilbe. On the lower left is an image of hellebore.]

An elegant and colorful quilt in one of my favorite color combinations.

The beaded inner "border" is an inspired touch. I wish she had added what kind of leaf this is. I do not know.

[The image is a Woodwardia fern - which is very large - Franki removed about half of the leaves to make a more defined image.]

This is such a striking work. The pawpaw leaves caught my eye - there is a resemblance to chestnut leaves.

Using leaves that are not perfect makes the image more interesting.

Sorry, I missed the label on this quilt, but Sue has kindly sent this info:

"Prickly Sow Thistle, 50 x 43, 2007
I am frequently drawn to take a closer look at plants that are classified as common weeds. Prickly Sow Thistle is indeed quite prickly, but it is also a colonizer on disturbed ground, helping to prevent soil runoff, and the seeds are a favorite of finches. Cyanotypes on cotton, heliographic print on cotton, artist-painted and commercial fabric, machine stitching, hand beading."

It is Sue Reno's "Prickly Sow Thistle" showing both the leaves and flowers. Gardeners everywhere will recognize this plant as a determined garden invader. The blue/yellow/green combination grabbed my attention - it is one of my favorite color schemes. http://suereno.com/ http://suereno.blogspot.com/

I sent Sue an e-mail asking about the different terms used in regard to these quilts. Her reply:"I find "sun print" or "sun dyed" to be confusing terms--it could refer to cyanotype, prints done with Setacolor, or prints done with Inkodye. So in my personal lexicon I have adopted "heliographic" to refer to the prints I do with Setacolor transparent paints. Even so it is not completely accurate--helio means sun, and I sometimes do prints using the heat from my coal stove in winter, as it is primarily a wicking process and doesn't rely on ultraviolet light like cyanotype does. I suppose I could call them monoprints, but that conjures up other associations, so I am sticking with heliographic. I like the way it rolls off the tongue!"

And so do I! Del