An Interview with Elizabeth Busch: Creator of Art Quilts and Kinetic Sculpture

May 14, 2016

Elizabeth Busch is an artist who draws, paints, sews, and sculpts space. From her workshop in Maine, Elizabeth works in two mediums: Kinetic Sculpture and Art Quilts.

“My quilts are sewn paintings, acrylic on canvas that is then hand quilted. This part of the process allows me to become physically reacquainted with a piece created at arm’s length on the wall, and to add another visual dimension to it. I believe that the work communicates with many because color and mark making are a universal language.”

Elizabeth Busch will teach a five day Workshop, The Painted Quilt: Creating Small Works at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Arts Workshops October 30 to November 5, 2016.

Elizabeth recently explained her philosophy of art, and teaching.

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How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching?

My first workshop was in 1987. The director of the Fiber Department at the Fredricton New Brunswick, Canada, School of Art saw an article about me and my Painted wall quilts in a then new magazine called Threads. She contacted me and asked if I would be interested in teaching a workshop to her fiber majors. I replied: “I’ve never done such a thing…what would I teach?” She said, “How about what you DO?” … and the rest, as they say, is history.

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What is your favorite part about teaching?

There is nothing quite so thrilling as seeing a ‘lightbulb’ go off for a student. I so enjoy meeting new and former class participants, sharing ideas and problem solving with everyone, using my favorite tools and processes. I absolutely love to teach, to watch others learn and grow in such a short period of time!

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What would you tell your prospective students are three best reasons for taking a workshop?

Problem solving with several other people, seeing different results that materialize for everyone, and letting that ‘door open!’ I teach exactly what I do in my own work: it is fun, simple, and freeing. If you liked Kindergarten, I think you’ll like my workshops!

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What are you currently working on in your own art?

I recently finished a large scale Public Art commission for the Maine State Library, Museum and Archives at the state capitol in Augusta, ME. I have supported myself as an artist since 1987, and the major portion of that income is from such commissions. Most of those commissions are my Kinetic Sculpture. I generally teach 4-6 workshops per year and in between do my ‘soul work,’ my own Art Quilts. I am so fortunate to have a balance between my major source of income (Public Art Commissions); teaching workshops (in which I get to travel, meet wonderful people, and share my processes with them), and creating my own Art Quilts.

Where is your art currently being exhibited?

One of my pieces is now traveling internationally with Quilt National 2015, another is traveling with SAQA Silver. I have 8 new current pieces in my studio that are ready to go somewhere new…I hope! And the Maine Public Art Commission, “Home,” is permanently installed in the atrium of the Maine State Museum. In a few weeks I will be traveling to San Diego as one of three jurors for “Breakout: Quilt Visions 2016.”

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Is your work represented in galleries, and if so, what hints would you give to artists looking for gallery representation?

No. I do not have gallery representation. I did years ago, but find that teaching workshops, creating public art commissions, and exhibiting in shows feeds all of my financial and soul’s needs.

Do you sell your work in any online gallery?

No, I do not.

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What is your favorite art quote?

“If you don’t like what you’re doing, don’t do it! It won’t work.” –Berenice Abbott, photographer

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Describe your studio.

I have lived for 40 years in an 1856 Maine farmhouse, complete with attached barn and shed. 40 years ago there were chickens, ducks, a horse and a ‘beef critter’ in the barn. My two children, husband and I ‘lived off the land…’ kind of, but not totally. Now, the children are grown and gone, I’ve been divorced for 20 years, and the barn and shed are my glorious studios! I do share the barn studio with an occasional friendly little mole who skitters across the floor when I least expect it.

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Name five of your “can’t do without” tools/products.

Five can’t do without…unsized cotton duck, Textile paints, my Bernina 960, hand needles and embroidery floss, big work walls…and lots of good lighting!

Interview with Cynthia Corbin: Artist as Quiltmaker

May 8, 2016

Cynthia Corbin’s art quilts have been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe and New Zealand. Her work has appeared in many exhibitions, such as Quilt National, Artist As Quiltmaker, Quilts=Art=Quilts, Art Quilt Elements, Speaking In Cloth, Visions, CraftForms, and Fiberart International. She lectures and teaches nationally, applying her passion to the development of each student’s individual voice.

Drawing on her love of both folk art and abstract art, she explores dyeing and painting, intensive machine quilting, and a problem-solving, seat-of-the-pants approach to quilt construction.

Cynthia Corbin first taught at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops in 2015. Her students were so inspired and delighted that most of them immediately re-enrolled for her 2016 Workshop!

Cynthia returns to Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops to teach her Composing Composition five-day Workshop October 23 to 29, 2016 Don’t delay in enrolling if you’d like to work with Cynthia – it’s a great opportunity to catch her on the East Coast, just before she retires from teaching to focus more on Studio work and travel.

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How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching?

I taught my first class in 1974—basic beginning traditional hand piecing. But I didn’t start teaching seriously until 2003. By that time I felt I had something to teach that was a true reflection of my own experience.

What is your favorite part about teaching?

I love the direct connection with each individual student—finding out who they are and what kind of art they are interested in making. Fascinating!

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What would you tell your prospective students are three best reasons for taking a workshop?

Hands on, hands on, hands on. Oh, and supportive feedback.

What are you currently working on in your own art?

I am experimenting a lot right now. I have been staring at weather-beaten surfaces for a good long time and that is figuring in my work.

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Where is your art currently being exhibited?

I currently have a piece in Quilt National 15 touring (Weathering Out).

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Is your work represented in galleries, and if so, what hints would you give to artists looking for gallery representation?

I do show work in galleries from time to time. My best advice is to keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities that come from unexpected places—places that perhaps show fiber along with other types of work—like pottery.

What is your favorite art quote?

I have two—First one is from Picasso, “I am always doing that which I cannot do in order to learn how to do it.”

Second is from John Ford, film director, “When in doubt, make a Western”.

Describe your studio.

Not big enough, sometimes messy, once in while it is tidy…the big umbrellas provide sunshade from the sky light. I am fond of umbrellas….

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Name five of your “can’t do without” tools/products.

APQS Millennium Long Arm machine (Millie), my Bernina Aurora 440, rotary cutter, cutting mats in all sizes, DESIGN WALL. Oh, and pins once in a while.

Interview with Susan Brubaker Knapp: fiber artist, designer, author, and teacher

April 6, 2016

Susan Brubaker Knapp started quilting as a hobby which turned into a passion and a business. Susan teaches nationally and internationally, hosts “Quilting Arts TV,” and has produced numerous patterns, two books, and five video workshops.

Susan began with traditional hand quilting and needle turn appliqué, but embraced innovative machine techniques and started making art quilts in 2005. Her quilts have won national as well as local awards, and have been exhibited at national and international venues. Susan has won seven Best of Show awards at three different quilting guilds, with six different quilts.

Her work has been featured in several national magazines, and in the 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 Quilting Arts Calendars and the 2012 Quilt Art Engagement Calendar. It has graced the covers of four issues of Quilting Arts magazine.

Susan returns to the Hudson River Valley Fiber Arts Workshops to teach an exciting five day Workshop, Paint, Fuse, Stitch!, August 14 to 20, 2016.

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How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching?

I started teaching about 2005, at a local quilt shop. At the time, I was making mostly traditional quilts, both pieced and needle turn appliquéd. I had left my full time job as a page designer at The Charlotte Observer in 1999 to be at home with my first child, and was working as a freelance graphic designer. I was also designing quilts, and people started asking me to share the patterns. I have experience as a writer, editor, and graphic designer, so I thought, “Why not?” Then shops and guilds started asking me to teach from my patterns. I found that I loved teaching, and before long I was teaching nationally and internationally.

What is your favorite part about teaching?

It’s a thrill when I can help students find a new technique or skill that they love, and that they can adapt to use in their own work. I have come to realize that a large part of teaching, or of being a good teacher, is helping students get over their artistic or psychological “hangups.”

Many people have little demons in their heads (often echoes of old home economic teachers, art teachers, mothers or grandmothers) telling them that they aren’t doing it right. When they stop listening to those demons and start listening to their own instincts, desires and ideas, they can tap into their innate creativity and make art that comes from the heart.

Learning the skills and techniques is actually a pretty small part of making art. Learning how to tap into your creativity – and facing your fears about doing that – is the most important part.

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What would you tell your prospective students are the best reasons for taking a workshop?

It might change your life in a big way. In 2006, I took a class with Bonnie McCaffery. To be honest, I took the class primarily as a 6-hour break from my young children! Going in, I had no interest in the subject or technique, but ended up loving the class, and it led to my first major art quilt, which was accepted into a exhibition shown at International Quilt Festival. The last art classes I took were in high school; I have an English undergraduate degree and a journalism masters degree. If you take a workshop with your mind open to the possibilities, you will always learn something, and you will grow artistically. And you never know just where it will take you!

I take classes whenever I can. I think it is really healthy for your brain to try new things, step out of your comfort zone, and challenge yourself.

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What are you currently working on in your own art?

For the past three years, I’ve been working (off and on, between other pieces) on a large piece (it will probably be 80-90” square) that features all sorts of fish. It is called “We All Swim Together,” and is a wholecloth painted piece, and I think I have about 20 realistic fish painted on it so far. It documents mostly endangered fish species – those that are overfished, or at risk due to climate change or pollution. I have at least six other art quilts in progress and at least that many more in my head. My major techniques right now are wholecloth painting, fusible applique, and thread sketching. I’m also doing a lot of sketching, water color painting, and photography. Photos are the basis of nearly all of my work.

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Where is your art currently being exhibited? I have work coming back from the “Insects to Elephants” exhibition at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts. And I’ll have two pieces going out to the exhibition “The Art of Native Plants” at The Blowing Rock (NC) Art & History Museum this spring.

What is your favorite art quote?

“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” – Francis Bacon

The art I create is my way of celebrating and documenting the deep mysteries of the world that are to be experienced only by close inspection of the miraculous details of nature.

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Describe your studio.

My studio is a 14×14 foot guest room in my 100-year-old home. It houses all my fabric and supplies, plus all my teaching supplies. I’ve outgrown it, and I would love to have a larger studio where I could do messier stuff, and store all my supplies. But it is a dedicated space, and I’m really grateful for that.

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Name some of your “can’t do without” tools/products.

My Bernina sewing machines

Aurifil 50-weight cotton thread

ProChemical & Dyes transparent acrylic textile paints

Lite Steam-a-Seam 2 (for fusible appliqué).

My website: www.bluemoonriver.com

An Interview with Victoria Findlay Wolfe, award winning quilter

March 3, 2016

Victoria Findlay Wolfe is an award winning quilter, fabric designer, international teacher and lecturer. Meet Victoria in this terrific video.

You can also meet her in person later this year – Victoria will teach a fun three-day class, Lemoyne Star Through Play, November 30 to December 4, 2016 at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Arts Workshops.

Victoria recently shared some thoughts on her art, and teaching.

How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching?

I’ve been teaching for four years. I first taught in Australia at Material Obsession. Kathy Doughty is a friend and asked if I would, so my family and I made it a big trip, and all went and enjoyed Sydney. I had so much fun, that I came back and started taking bookings in the US.

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What is your favorite part about teaching?

I love watching people get the aha! moments! Watching their fear dissipate when showing them how simple all the things they say they would never do, actually are. When that “can do” attitude is found, the momentum then builds in their work, and is contagious to all around them. The power of a group setting is infectious!

What would you tell your prospective students are three best reasons for taking a workshop?

We all learned to sew in various ways, some things get learned … or not … So I base my classes on very elementary skills that I’ve realized most people never learned, and by the end of class we do the hardest thing…

Learning a basic skill that you’re missing will make your projects so much easier.

Learn a way to look differently at your process. Everyone needs a boot out of their own box once in a while. It’s good to shake up the way you work, to encourage more creativity.

Confidence… Building your repertoire of ways to work, ways to see, ways to sew, enhances your output.

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What are you currently working on in your own art?

Healing. I’ve been working on quilts that have a deeper message of healing, either about someone, or for myself in response to something, and pushing my own limits creatively.

Where is your art currently being exhibited?

My Color Play is at the Texas Quilt Museum now in the Modern Quilt Exhibit, LaGrange Texas. A couple of quilts will be at QuiltCon in February, A few pieces will be in Gallery EOSS, March 17-April 16th. My Double Wedding Rings quilts are headed to Australia Quilt Convention, in April. A couple other shows and exhibits will be announced soon.

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Do you sell your work?

I do sell my work, I sell privately, and do several commission pieces each year. I also donate a lot of quilts to my Community Quilt drive, BumblebeansBasics.com.

Describe your studio.

I have a long rectangle shaped studio with windows on one short end. where my JUKI long arm sits looking out the window. The other three walls are completely covered in cotton batting, so I can work on 10-12 quilts at a time. All my machines and cutting station float in the middle so I can easily get all the way around my space. It’s wonderful! The studio is one building over from where I live, so I can easily close the door walk back home away from the mess!

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I keep one book case full of fabric in my studio. When it’s full, I stop buying fabric… I don’t need any more, and after not buying fabric for one year, actually found myself with four empty cubbies… So if you figure four cubbies of fabric a year for quilts, I’m still set for about ten years!

I also keep an area to display small quilts that are inspirations to me. My Studio is my happy place, of course, so it must be filled with inspiration!

I’m always working on new various large star variation quilts. The LeMoyne Star class is my favorite to teach, the possibilities are just endless! It is a great design to play, manipulate, and be intuitive with! My newest one was made out of Double Knit Polyester! haha! Bring old quilt tops that you haven’t finished, or leftover blocks to class, Let’s Play and turn them into new beautiful Star quilts!

Grace Errea: Amazing Quilts: No Sewing, No Drawing!

January 10, 2016

Right at the beginning of our 2016 calendar, fiber artist, designer, quilter and author Grace Errea, will teach her techniques From Inspiration to Amazing Quilt Top at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops. This is a three-day class, March 30 to April 3 – fun, inspiring, and NO SEW!

Grace is a self-taught artist and her work illustrates and has been recognized for exceptional primary use of values and secondary use of color. Her focus on value makes it easy for her and her students to create inspiring botanicals, landscape scenes and portraits, in any color.

Grace recently shared with us her philosophy on teaching, and art.

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How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching?

It seems like I have been teaching my entire adult working life. My first job, albeit not in textiles or quilting was teaching. I taught programming at IBM where I worked. Later I spent many years in the management ranks but when you think about it, management is also teaching and coaching.

I started teaching quilting around 2003 on a part time basis. Once I retired in 2005 I taught quilting and textile art, first in quilt shops, and later and now at Quilt Guilds, Seminars, and Retreats.

What is your favorite part about teaching?

Sharing what I know and am passionate about. Above all I love seeing students suddenly “GET IT!” Teaching and being out with students is a means of meeting new people with similar interests, helping them solve textile challenges, and it is also a great way to learn from students some of what they know.

What would you tell your prospective students are three best reasons for taking a workshop?

There are so many of us (and I started as one) who do not know how to draw, have no time to learn, or no patience. In this workshop one of the things that attendees will learn is how to take a favorite photo and with simple tracing, develop a winning pattern to create an amazing quilt.

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When looking at their photo students will develop an awareness of shapes and how to find them. Shapes can be selected by recognizing their value (light and dark). In this class students will learn my amazing 8-Value Scale which will enable them not only to identify the shapes in the composition but also value-lize them. This will then allow them to select the fabric in any color rather than having to follow the photo.

Finally, once the pattern is created and they start the construction of their art piece students in this class will learn an amazing and revolutionary new machine appliqué technique that I developed and call “Heat-Set”. This technique is extremely easy to do, allows total flexibility and control while working with it, the product used stops any fraying that you may have with raw-edge appliqué but the end result still feels like soft and manageable fabric. This technique is so easy and fast, it takes the drudgery from appliqué and will allow you to focus on the creativity of the art rather than in the method.

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What are you currently working on in your own art?

So many things, so little time to do them all! Inspiration is all around me so I continue to focus on Fauna and Flora quilts depicting nature to encourage the viewers to see the beauty in it.

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I am experimenting with new ways of doing things, new techniques and easier, more creative ways to do textiles. I am now beginning to develop my “Negative Appliqué”, not that is a new technique but I am looking to make it easier to do.

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Pieced method used in both my “Women of Color” and my “Bleeding Heart” quilts shown on the Hudson River Valley Art website. Now I am working on a “Randomly Appliqué” background as seen in my “Columbine “ quilt below.

Where is your art currently being exhibited?

At this moment I have some of my work exhibited at the Road to California Quilt Show, the Wisconsin Museum of Fiber Arts, a traveling exhibit of “Seasonal Quilts” by SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates).

For the latter exhibit I was assigned “SPRING” as my season. “Family is Coming” shown on the left, was my interpretation of Spring where I live. But I so enjoyed the-not-so-California dogwood flowers that I remember from New York when I lived there.

Is your work represented in galleries?

No, I sell my pieces directly to buyers or I do commissions for sale. Here is Jack, one of my commissions.

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Do you sell your work in any online gallery?

I sell my pieces directly from my online website, Quilt Shows where I participate or by commission work.

What is your favorite art quote?

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Lao-Tzu

Describe your studio.

One of my workspaces is a small 10ft x 12 ft bedroom. I converted it into my studio. By the time I put my sewing machine table, my worktable (large conference room wooden table), ironing station, and all the storage I need for my fabrics, there is really not much room for anything else.

The closet has all my books and my fabrics and it is the whole width of the room. The doors to the closet are mirrors so; I placed my design wall opposite it. This way when I am working, I can inspect the growing piece via its reflection in the mirrors. It is amazing how many little problems can be easily found this way instead of looking at it straight on.

My second workspace is a bedroom that I took over after my younger daughter moved out on her own. I use it for my computer work both in the communication and business aspect as well as my computer tools that I use to create my patterns.

Name five of your “can’t do without” tools/products.

1. Freezer paper

2. My “Bernina” sewing machine. I have two; one for back-up or to use while the other one is being serviced

3. The “Heat-Set” Product I use

4. My Apple desktop and iPad

5. Best quality fabrics. My favorite is Hoffman of California Batiks and hand dyes

Sue Rasmussen on art quilts, and her love of teaching

July 16, 2015

Both highly technically accomplished and artistically talented, popular and award-winning art quilter Sue Rasmussen recently shared with us some thoughts on her art, and teaching.

Sue returns to the Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops this fall, to teach a Workshop November 1 to 7, 2015: Landscapes: Designing and Piecing Pictorial Quilts.

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How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching?

I have been teaching for over 25 years, initially teaching machine quilting, then Landscapes and Pictorial quilts. A friend of mine “stole” one of my Machine Quilting white-on-white quilts unbeknownst to me and entered it into the California State Fair. I won first place and Best of Show. Soon after word got out, I was asked to teach at the local shops.

What is your favorite part about teaching?

Sharing my techniques, piecing tricks, and extensive textiles knowledge with my students and friends. But more than that, I love meeting people and influencing or affecting their quilts and the way they approach quilting.

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What would you tell your prospective students are the three best reasons for taking a workshop?

You will learn a new technique and all the simple tricks that I have developed to make this process successful, enjoyable and transferable to all your quilting projects. So many quilters have pictures of loved ones(whether furry or two legged) or a special place that they want to remember and memorialize in a quilt, and I can share how easy and simple it is to make a pattern, create the design elements, and choose fabrics for that project.
You WILL learn more in this workshop about basics in quilting than you ever expected or ever had before. (I am told this repeatedly by my students every time I teach, because I share the ‘whys and whats’ about quilt topics that most teachers don’t know). I have two degrees in Textile Science, and I share why things occur and how to make sure that things DON’T occur, such as shrinkage, bleeding, crocking etc., just to name three that we constantly battle. Understanding the importance of warp and weft in our quilts and how the right needle makes ALL the difference in your stitch and thread ease-ability.
This is a fun, humorous and relaxed class, making you laugh and enjoy the process of learning a new technique. I share many of my silly stories of my quilts which will cause you to really belly laugh.

What are you currently working on in your own art?

Oh my, so many things. I continue to create ‘Pieced Pictorial Quilts’, and am now working on two Toucans with totally different personalities. They just need to get sewn together and quilted. (Pictures below) In addition to those two quilts, I am developing some new patterns to teach at Houston next year, and a small quilt using the new HIGHLIGHTS threads developed by YLI Corp. I have made a collage piece for the SAQA Oasis challenge too. I literally have 8 things in progress at the moment.

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Fruit Loopy Toucan

Where is your art currently being exhibited?
Route 66 Traveling Exhibition, Dragonfly Fabrics Collection, Markham Ranch Art Collection.

Is your work represented in galleries, and if so, what hints would you give to artists looking for gallery representation?

Several of my pieces have been in galleries, and I think the art quilts that are faced do better than art quilts with traditional borders on them. Viewers seem to think ‘quilt’ if there are traditional borders on the art quilt.

Do you sell your work in any online gallery?

No, I sell my pieces directly to buyers, or direct consignments.

What is your favorite art quote?

“Art does not lie in beds ready made for it

It runs away when its name is called

It wants to be incognito

Its best moments are when it forgets what it’s called.” Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet

Describe your studio.

Up until three months ago, I was sprawled out between three rooms and several closets. Now I have a wonderful, light filled, free standing, large studio. I designed the entire building on my iPad, down to the placement of each electrical outlet, window, 5 design walls, and the angle of the building to capture the best light. I designed specific furniture for my particular needs, for example: an electrical 4’ x 8’ table that raises and lowers from 23” to 52”. I can design, work, sew, press or baste on this table.

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Name five of your “can’t do without” tools/products.

Bernina sewing machines; good quality threads [Aurifil, YLI corp.]; Bohin products-scissors, pins, machine needles; White Chalk mechanical pencils (Bohin, Sew Line, or Fons & Porter); Universal Thread Holder; The “Elfa storage system” from the Container Store.

Award-winning Art Quilter and Instructor, Gloria Loughman

May 22, 2015

Awarding winning art quilter Gloria Loughman is a popular teacher from Victoria, Australia. She is the author of Luminous Landscapes and Quilted Symphony. Gloria returns to the Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops October 25 to 31, 2015 to teach an innovative new Fiber Arts class, “Fabulous Facades”.

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How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching?

Seems like I have always been a teacher. I used to be a Special Ed teacher in the secondary setting for many years. I have been teaching quilting classes for almost 20 years.

What is your favorite part about teaching?

I love teaching. I love the anticipation and excitement of the students before a class begins. I love the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction as students realise they can achieve wonderful results when tasks are broken down to manageable steps.

What are you currently working on in your own art?

I am currently working on a series of quilts based on architecture. Taking an existing building and playing with the colours and textures to produce an image that is original and eye-catching. I am also still exploring landscapes with some degree of abstraction.

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Where is your art currently being exhibited?

In a couple of months I have an exhibition of my recent work at the Festival of Quilts at Birmingham in the UK. This is indeed an honour and privilege to be invited to have a gallery at this event.

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Describe your studio.

About 6 years ago, we built a new house near the beach. I thought I might teach some classes at home so the studio was designed to be large enough to accommodate a class. When we moved in, I spread out and now have no thoughts of teaching at home. My husband says our new home is actually a studio with a small house attached.

It is wonderful. I have a wet area for dyeing, a cosy area for reading, a number of large surfaces for cutting and designing, a large design wall, and a bathroom. The studio doubles as a dormitory for lots of grandchildren when they all decide to visit at the same time.

Picture Piecing with Ruth Powers

April 27, 2015

Ruth Powers was here to teach a 5-day workshop on Picture Piecing – that’s starting with a photo for inspiration and learning to break it down into easy piece-able sections.

This is a close up of one of Ruth’s award-winning quilts.

This is the start to a piece being created by Corinne Levy of a couple of maple of leaves.

Then here is the finished piece!

After finishing the pricing, Corinne was practicing some free-motion stitching.

Here are couple more closes of two more of Ruth’s marvelous work.

Everyone enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the studio and being able to continue working (or chatting) after hours.

At the first dinner for the workshop, Ruth surprised us when she presented us with a pieced picture of our Dalmatian, Hudson! She said that she use a photo of Hudson that she found on our website. Thank you so much, Ruth!

Carol Esch: Talented Fiber Artist & Fiber Arts Workshop Student

February 7, 2015

Carol Esch is one of the most lively and enthusiastic students, and her attendance really lifts a Workshop’s energy and level of enjoyment through the week. Carol has attended a variety of Fiber Arts Workshops at our facility over the years, and has made the most of the classes to really expand the range of techniques used in her impressive art quilts.

Carol Esch Collage

How long have you been taking Fiber Art Workshops?

Oh gosh, I’ve been taking workshops at Hudson for at least six years…maybe longer! Some of the instructors I’ve had: Jean Wells Keenan, Carol Taylor, Sue Benner, Pat Pauly, Liz Berg and Rosalie Dace. These teachers are not found on the East Coast for five day classes! Kim and Mark find and employ the very best instructors!

How did you find the Workshop experience?
I loved it so much at Hudson River Valley Art Workshops that I gave my husband a gift of a week of painting with John MacDonald. We then discovered that Deborah, John’s wife, was in my fiber art class! My husband Don has taken two classes with John, one with Kim English, and one with Kenn Backhaus. Don loves the ambiance and food…and Mark complies with no asparagus, goat cheese or lamb for Don!

What would you tell your friends are the three best reasons for taking a Workshop?
One of the best parts of taking workshops here…besides the food of course…is the length of classes, camaraderie, and ability to work in the studio 24 hours a day.

What projects are you currently working on in your art?
Currently I’m working on a series of “window” quilts. I am, however, a PROCESS person so I love learning new things.

Where is your art currently being exhibited?
My quilts have been in AQS shows, several guild shows in New Jersey, a couple of small shows, and one of my window quilts won Viewer’s Choice in the Prallsville Mills show which is mostly for painters and photographers. I am applying to a few other shows and learning to resize photographs and fill out all the info. Some fiber artists must have full time people to do all this!

What is your favorite art quote?

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. – Thomas Merton

Describe your studio.

My studio (stash and cutting table) are in one area of my house, but I sew in another sun-filled area.

Name five of your “can’t do without” tools/products.

My favorite tools are my right angle ruler, Olfa cutter and mat, Kai scissors and design wall.

An Interview with Natalya Aikens: Computer + Stitch = Art Quilt

January 9, 2015

Natalya Aikens’ innovative mixed media class will kick off our 2015 Fiber Arts season at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Arts Workshops. Her Computer + Stitch = Art Quilt Workshop is March 22 to 28, 2015.

Aikens Electric

How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching? I have been officially teaching since 2009. I got started because a very insightful soul by the name of Pokey Bolton, the founder of Quilting Arts Magazine, thought I had something to teach and asked me do a workshop DVD. Previously I had written several articles for her magazine and had gotten a taste for how it feels to show others how to do something creative.

What is your favorite part about teaching? My favorite part of teaching is the interaction with the students. I love seeing the “aha!” lightbulb going off in their eyes when they have grasped a concept or seen a new way to make their art. I also love the fact that I learn something from my students each time. It’s maybe something new I figure out while trying to help them solve an issue, or they figure out something themselves and share it with me and I had never thought of approaching the issue that way. It’s always a win/win when teaching or learning.

What would you tell your prospective students are three best reasons for taking a workshop? The number one best reason of course is learning something new! Especially if it is out of your comfort zone.

The second reason is the interaction with the other students. You always learn from each other as well as from the instructor.

And number three is the creative atmosphere of the workshop. When there is so much creative energy around you, you cannot help but feel inspired and energized for your own work.

Aikens TheCity det2

What are you currently working on in your own art? For the past year I have been concentrating on taming a new found material for me. I am working almost exclusively with recyclable plastics (i.e. plastic shopping bags, plastic packaging material). I love working with the colors available and most of all I am enjoying the challenge of making trash look like treasure!

I am also focusing on my home portraits. I love the challenge of working with materials provided to me by the owner of the home. People really get a kick from seeing their ephemera transformed into their home’s portrait and I am enjoying their reactions.

Where is your art currently being exhibited? My piece titled The City is touring with Quilt National 2013. There are a few exhibits planned for 2015, but I cannot share the details yet.

Aikens TheCity

Do you sell your work in any online gallery? I sell my small affordable and experimental artwork in my Etsy shop. My larger pieces are sold through the Artful Home online gallery.

Aikens IronSpine

What is your favorite art quote?

From Twyla Tharp’s Creative Habit: The routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightning bolt of inspiration, maybe more. And this routine is available to everyone… Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits.

I try to behave as though this is my mantra….

Describe your studio. My studio is a converted one car garage in the basement of our home. When we added a garage onto a different side of our home, we closed up the original, put in windows and made it my studio. It’s cozy with plenty of light, inspiration of the walls and a large art book collection. I have fabric and supply storage off to the side of it.

Aikens Studio2

Three Berninas keep me busy stitching: my workhorse of a home machine that’s close to 30 years old, an industrial one that I indulged in about 10 years ago, and a serger which is used mostly for my costume work. I have a large folding work table on wheels, and one of the walls is my design wall. Even though I seem to have plenty of space I am known to occasionally take over the dining room table when things get busy….

Name five of your “can’t do without” tools/products. 1. My grandmother’s thimble. 2. Matte medium. 3. My 30 year old Bernina. 4. My camera. 5. My Epson printer.

Aikens Studio1

Ruth Powers: Designing and Sewing for Picture Piecing

January 9, 2015

Ruth Powers Interview

Ruth Powers will be one of the first Fiber Arts Instructors to teach in the 2015 season at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops. Her Workshop, Designing and Sewing for Picture Piecing, will be held April 12 to 18, 2015.

Ruth recently shared with us some insights on her work and teaching.

How long have you been teaching and what got you started teaching?

I’ve been teaching over 20 years; it started as a requirement of my job at a quilt shop, grew to promote my pattern company INNOVATIONS, and has evolved into a passion for sharing what I now love – creating one-of-a-kind pieced pictorial quilted wall hangings.

“Splash” 40 x 40” 2014

What is your favorite part about teaching?

Favorite parts of teaching are traveling to new places, meeting new friends and sharing this adventure of creating unique works of art. It is so fun and rewarding for me to watch as students realize that they can indeed do this, to help them to make their vision materialize and give them the foundation to pursue a satisfying new direction in their work.

What would you tell your prospective students are three best reasons for taking a workshop?

It’s been said before, but one of the best reasons I can think of to take a workshop is to set aside your everyday life and embrace a week of exploring exciting new ideas with like minded individuals. To get away from the day to day demands and just pamper yourself, and where better to do that than at Hudson River Valley Art Workshops. The food alone will be worth the trip!

What are you currently working on in your own art?

With the holidays just past and a new year beginning I am just starting a new project. The sketch is completed, the fabrics are being selected and I am excited to be planning this new landscape. The anticipation is building and I can’t wait to start sewing! It will be finished in plenty of time to bring it to the workshop in April.

Where is your art currently being exhibited?

My work can be seen at most major quilt shows and I was fortunate enough to be awarded the Fairfield Master Award For Contemporary Artistry at the Houston IQF in 2012 for “Prairie Fire”.

“Prairie Fire” 70.5 x 26” 2011 (Sold)

Is your work represented in galleries?

Currently “December Dawn” is touring with SAQA’s Seasonal Palette exhibit, their first exhibit to show in four different continents! You can see “December Dawn” on the Hudson River Valley Fiber Arts web site.

Do you sell your work in any online gallery?

My work is available for sale on my website www.ruthpowersartquilts.com, the SAQA website, www.saqa.com, locally at The Topeka Art Guild Gallery and at some of the venues as it travels and is being shown.

“Konza Prairie Spring” 53.5 X 24” 2013 (Sold)

What is your favorite quote?

I have two favorites – both reflect my workshop psychology:

“If you obey all the rules, you’ll miss all the fun!” – Katherine Hepburn

“The magic is inside you. There ain’t no crystal ball.” — Dolly Parton

Describe your studio.

My studio is my dream space; a 24 x 26’ addition to our home built to house my pattern business and office area as well as the sewing and design space with fabric storage and design wall. Bookcases that hold the fabric stash divide the two areas.

My cutting table is an old oak drafting table with deep drawers underneath for storing supplies and pattern originals. It is the perfect height for rotary cutting.

We furnished the space with antique finds, mostly oak, and kept the walls white to allow the colors of the quilts to dominate. The 8 x 8’ gray design wall is opposite my sewing machine so I can monitor my progress. There is also a seating area with books and TV.

Name five of your “can’t do without” tools/products.

Lots of fabric to choose from, both commercially printed and batiks as well as hand dyes.

Freezer Paper.

Rotary cutter.

Design Wall.

Sewing Machine.

Jane Sassaman’s Abstracting From Nature

December 31, 2014

You can’t beat the fun of a workshop, Abstracting from Nature, with Jane Sassaman in December! It was our last workshop for 2014 and it was such a great group.

“I didn’t know how great this facility is – very conducive to creativity and comfort! The meals were excellent, outstanding, delicious, healthy! Thanks for the wonderful week” – Stella Lang.

The students got off to a good start, by Wednesday they were already well on their way to creating some very imaginative and original abstractions from nature.

This is a close up of one of Jane’s pieces.

So ends the 2014 workshops season! It was fun and we are so grateful and pleased that we got to meet lots of old and new friends. The 2015 workshop season start in March, but in the meantime we’ll be planning and preparing for the fun and surprises of the new year. The full color brochure for the 2015 classes will be going out in the mail in a few days, but all of the new class information is already on our website and classes are filling fast.

Have a Happy New Year! We look forward to seeing you in 2015!

Impressionistic Fabric Art with Lenore Crawford

November 20, 2014

“An excellent teacher – a great adaptable technique, very clearly explained. The set up was great – loved so many electrical plugs and good chairs!” – Juliet Nowlan

We had a wonderful week with Lenore Crawford. Lenore was here teaching her 5-day class “Impressionistic Fabric Art.” Everyone had some great starts to the pieces with a wide range of subject matter.

Landscapes in Fabric with Kathy McNeil

April 24, 2014

Kathy McNeil, the award-winning art quilter from Washington, recently taught a 5-day workshop on Creating Your Own Landscapes.

Here is a photo tour of the work during the classes. It was great fun to see how each student progressed with their landscapes throughout the five days.

Kathy brought a number of her stunning quilts to share with the class. The detail on her work is amazing, including stitched hidden images and 3-D elements.

While the class was happily creating their landscapes, the landscape outside around the inn was happily transitioning from winter to spring!

Paula Nadelstern and Her Merry Kaleidoscope Makers

March 24, 2014

Paula Nadelstern just finished teaching another of her magical kaleidoscope quilt classes to a group of both repeat offenders . . . . . I mean attenders and newbies. Everyone had a grand time.

Some of the comments by the students were:

“My expectations were high and the class exceeded them by far!” – Bonnie Kuhn. “This class met all of my expectations and more. Paula is such a great person and teacher.” – Totty Sos

The afternoon cookie break is a favorite daily event. This is the first batch of cookies for the year!

Cookies weren’t the only sweet delight during the week, for dessert one night three different ice cream flavors were made – chocolate, vanilla and ginger. Here they are cooling before going into the ice cream maker.

Churning in the ice cream maker.

Paula spent a lot of time leading discussions on fabric, designs in fabric, and how use the designs to create the magical effect of a kaleidoscope.

Paula brought a number of her quilts to display in the class.

She also brought a tempting array of Benartex fabrics that she designed. The designs were so luscious. I especially liked the metallics, like that purple one you can see peaking out of the middle of the pile.

We had a contingent of Featherweight fans in the workshop, about 5, I think. Those ladies knew how to party and have fun!

Here are some of the first set of blocks made by the class and they got bigger and even more amazing from there.

It was an enjoyable week and a great way to start our 10th year! Already many in the class were anxious to sign up for Paula’s next class in 2016. We just have to select the dates!

Jean Wells Keenan’s Design Forward

November 20, 2013

Jean Wells Keenan, founder of the Sisters, Oregon quilt festival, owner of the Stitchin’ Post, and all around fabulous teacher and person, was here at the end of October to teach a 3-day workshop.

A fine time was had by all. “Jean is a fantastic teacher, so kind, knowledgable, down to earth, and approachable. A beautiful artist,” is what Susan Sowers had to say.

And let know forget about the cookies! That’s a 6″ plate, by the way.

The weather was beautiful Fall temperatures and the climatis were still putting on a show.

And speaking of a show, the chocolate shop was prepped for Halloween, presided over by a black crow.

Hand-Applique with Sandra Leichner

April 3, 2013

Sandra Leichner, that award-winning, awe inspiring, appliqué artist from Albany, Oregon, was here for a whirlwind 3-day workshop.

This was one dedicated group. We had to practically drag them out of the studio at meal times!

Sandra was a very approachable, friendly, and knowledgable instructor — and dedicated. I always saw her in the studio, even after class hours.

Students could learn Sandra’s techniques using one of Sandra’s designs or they could work on their own.

This is just one of the incredible pieces designed and created by Sandra that she brought to show the class. There was amazing detail throughout.

Every day Sandra would give process demos, working with small groups of the students at a time, so that everyone could be close and see clearly what was being shown.

The following are some examples of the student projects in the works.

On the final day at cookie time, the group gathered in the dining rooms for a class picture.

Everyone loved the class with Sandra. We hope to bring her back in the future to each another workshop.

Here are couple of the comments from the students written our room journals:

Resists and Printmaking with Jane Davila

November 23, 2012

Jane Davila, a fiber and mixed-media artist, was here a week ago teaching a 3-day workshop on surface design for fiber artists. She is also the editor of Quilting Arts In Stitches and Quilting Arts Surface Explorations emagazines.

Jane came loaded with all sorts of paints, resists, and printmaking tools for the students to play with.

One afternoon was spent making prints with a variety of fruits and vegetables. My favorites were the ones made with an artichoke.

The rubber fish were also quite fun.

This is the portable printing press that Jane brought with her.

It was a fun and enthusiastic class — perfect for heading into our 2 weeks off from workshops. They left us smiling and looking forward to seeing them again.

We have just two more workshops for the year. The first one is a fusing workshop with Sue Benner, Dec. 2 – 8. If you are not already signed up for this one, you’ll have to wait until Sue returns to teach again for us in 2014 because the 2012 class is full.

The final workshop for the year is a 5-day workshop with Susan Brubaker Knapp – Dec. 9 – 15. Jane Davila gave a two thumbs up to Susan as an instructor and as a terribly fun person just to spend time with. Jane said that Susan has a great sense of humor and lots of great stories to tell while also being a very organized instructor.

Susan’s workshop is titled Paint, Fuse, Stitch!

You’ll learn how to:

Distill a photographic image into shapes for fused applique.

Create a pattern for fused applique

Transfer a design to fabric for painting.

Paint on fabric, including mixing and blending colors

Layer and fuse fabric pieces to build your piece

Add detail with thread sketchingFree-motion quilt your piece.

Here are some examples of Susan’s photos that she has turned in to painted, fused and stitched pieces of quilt art.

We’d love to have you join us for this fun workshop! Give us a call at toll-free at 888-665-0044 to sign up.

Improv Scrap Quilts with Carol Taylor

March 27, 2012

Carol Taylor is back again this year repeating her very popular Improvisational Scrap Quilt workshop.

The first two days have been a flurry of activity as the students build components, that they will later use in their quilt compositions, while learning different construction techniques – skinny lines, couching, pieced circles, and a lot more.

This is an example of the exercise piece created when they were learning to couch various types of fancy fibers on a piece of fabric. This will later be cut up into pieces when they start to compose their scrap quilts.

Everyone’s work is looking totally different even though they are using the same techniques.

Carol Taylor thought I coordinated very well with Gail Dwyer’s sets so she said that she just had to take a picture!

Carol bought her mini yarn shop with her, providing lots of eye candy and possibilities for the students to purchase. This is a benefit of Carol being close enough to us to drive in her own van.

As a knitter and a fiber artists, I just love to gaze at the jumbled pile of color and sparkle!

To see pictures of Carol’s past workshops with us check out these posts:

Carol Taylor Improvisational Art Quilts (2011)

Spring Color Outshined in Carol Taylor’s Class (2010)

Carol Taylor Photo Op (2007)

The 2012 Workshop Season is About to Begin

March 2, 2012

Where has the time gone? 2012 will be our 8th workshop season, although Hudson River Valley Art Workshops has been at this location since the 1980s!

We are enjoying a brief bit of snow, which is due to melt away tomorrow. Today, however, it is gorgeous.

Every year is exciting but as I start to put together everything for the current season, it always seem that THIS year will be the best ever!

This is the line up for 2012:

Paula Nadelstern: Mar. 18-24. Kaleidoscope Quilts, 5-day workshop

Carol Taylor: Mar. 25-31. Improvisational Scrap Quilts, 5-day workshop

Laura Wasilowski: Mar. 31-Apr. 3. Couching Thread, Hidden Needle, 3-day workshop

Esterita Austin: Apr. 12-15. Exploring Sheers, 3-day workshop

John MacDonald: Apr. 15-21. Oil Painting, 5-day workshop

Susan Shie: Apr. 22-28. Diary Painting for Art Quilts, 5-day workshop

Hollis Chatelain: Apr. 29-May 5. Dye-Painting on Fabric, 5-day workshop

Karen Rosasco: May 6-12, Experimental Watermedia, 5-day workshop

Jean Uhl Spicer: May 17-20, Florals in Watercolor, 3-day workshop

Robert Burridge: May 20-26. Acrylic Painting and Collage, 5-day workshop

Elizabeth Apgar-Smith: May 31-Jun. 3. Composing from Field Sketches, 3-day workshop

Ted Nuttall: Jun. 3-9. Watercolor Portraits from Photos, 5-day workshop

Carol Marine: Jun. 10-16. Oil Still Life, 5-day workshop

Richard McKinley: Jun. 17-23. Pastel Landscapes, 5-day workshop

Jane Sassaman: Jun. 24-30. Abstracting From Nature, 5-day workshop

Kathyanne White: Jul. 1-7. Digital Printing on Alternative Surfaces, 5-day workshop

Valerie Goodwin: Jul. 12-15. Mixed Media Maps, 3-day workshop

David Dunlop: Jul. 15-21. On Location with Past Masters, 5-day workshop

Frank Webb: Jul. 22-28. Studio Watercolor, 5-day workshop

Summer Retreat: Jul. 29-Aug. 4. Self-Directed retreat, 3- or 6-nights

Mel Stabin: Aug. 5-11. Watercolor Landscapes, 5-day workshop

Peter Fiore. Aug. 12-18. Landscape Painting: Beyond the Photograph, 5-day workshop

Margaret Evans: Aug. 18-21. The Versatility of Pastel, 3-day workshop

Elin Pendleton: Aug. 23-26. Color – Getting it Right!, 3-day workshop

Judi Betts: Aug. 26-Sep. 1. Studio Watercolor, 5-day workshop

Lorenzo Chavez: Sep. 9-15. Landscapes in Pastel or Oil, 5-day workshop

Donna Zagotta: Sep. 16-22. Adding the You Factor to Your Paintings, 5-day workshop

Pat Dews: Sep. 23-29. Watermedia, 5-day workshop

Skip Lawrence: Sep. 30-Oct. 6. Watermedia, 5-day workshop

Kenn Backhaus: Oct. 7-13. Composition and Brushwork in Oil, 5-day workshop

Alvaro Castagnet: Oct. 14-20. Landscapes in Watercolor, 5-day workshop

Charotte Warr Andersen: Oct. 21-27. Portraits in Fabric, 5-day workshop

Margaret Dyer: Oct. 27-30. Figures in Pastel, 3-day workshop

Rosalie Dace: Nov. 4-10. Cross Currents, 5-day workshop

Jane Davila: Nov. 10-13. Irresistible Surface Design, 3-day workshop

Larkin Van Horn: Nov. 29-Dec. 2. Vessels, Shrines, Reliquaries, 3-day workshop

Sue Benner: Dec. 2-8. Techniques for Fused Quilts, 5-day workshop

Susan Brubaker Knapp. Dec. 9-15. Paint, Fuse, Stitch!, 5-day workshop

Fabulous Fusible Flowers with Melinda Bula

January 6, 2012

The fun and fabulous Melinda Bula was with us again in 2011 as our last workshop for the year. It was a wonderful group and it was sad to see them leave.

The busy holiday season prevented me from posting photos of the class until now. I hope you had a marvelous holiday season and a Happy New Year, too!

Below is a shot of the table where Melinda’s work is spread on the table and on the board is a piece that she was working on during that class as she showed the process and techniques that she uses.

The ladies in the class were very industrious during class time and had loads of fun and laughter at the dinner table. Who knows what when on in the studio after dinner. LOL!

Someone’s pin cushion looked as colorful as the flowers!

Successful Machine Quilting with Sue Nickels

December 6, 2011

The incomparable Sue Nickels was here at Hudson River Valley Art Workshops to teach her machine quilting workshop. Sue is the co-author, with her sister Pat Holly, of Machine Quilting: A Primer of Techniques and Stitched Raw Edge Appliqué. This was the first time I had seen Sue’s work up close and in person and all I can say is Wow.

A display of some of Sue’s books and DVDs that she had available for sale in the class.

Sue made good use of technology, with a camera and digital projector, to allow her students to get a good look of her methods without having to all crowd around and look over her shoulders.

The students really enjoyed learning from Sue. Jeanine said, “Sue is very generous with her time and with her knowledge!”

Throughout the course of the 3-day workshop, Sue had a number of different practice exercises, including doing feathers and free-motion work.

This is Dalia, who came all the way from Israel, showing off the nifty idea that Sue showed the class for making it easier to grip the fabric while you are quilting – using the cut off fingers of dishwashing gloves.

More Landscapes with Gloria Loughman

November 8, 2011

On the final day of the workshop with Gloria Loughman, as I walked around taking pictures of the landscapes that everyone was creating, I was thoroughly enjoying the amazing creativity!

This is Kathy Nurge with her landscape.

This is Jan Sheet’s birch trees.

Carol Newhart hard at work stitching leaves in place.

A fabulous landscape by Priscilla Kibbee. She worked with it turned this way the entire class. I guess it was easier to look at that way while she was seated right next to it.

Contemplating the design possibilities.

Such vibrant colors!

Debbie Ross finished one landscape and started in on another!

Barb Caldwell said she loves green! So do I.

Can’t remember who’s piece this is, but I love the marching rows of flat head pins.

Carol Taylor’s Improvisational Art Quilts

May 17, 2011

Carol Taylor, the renowned award-winning art quilter from Pittsford, NY, is here this week teaching a multitude of techniques for improvisational art quilts.

This afternoon she was explaining how she attaches yarn to the quilt in those perfect spirals that you often see on her quilts.

After the demo, Carol went around to each person to for further individual guidance with the technique.

It’s been a good couple of days to stay in the studio what with all the on and off rain, but at least the lilacs are loving it!

Inks, Paints, and Digital Photos with Lura Schwarz Smith

April 6, 2011

Lura Schwarz Smith is here with us this week teaching a 5-day workshop on using inks, watercolor pencils, fabric markers, paints, and more on fabric.

Lura arrived a couple days early and the first thing she did was set up the media table — a dazzling array of inks, markers, and pencils for everyone in the class to use.

The first couple of days were spent on exercises to learn or improve the students drawing skills and working with inks for shading and details on drawn images or digital images.

This is Janis using Fabrico fabric markers to add details to a digital image that she printed in Kerby Smith’s workshop. (Three students actually took advantage of the back-to-back workshop experience — and discount, to take both Kerby’s class and Lura’s.) She is turning an image of winter in New Mexico into a hot summer day! The colors are tremendous.

Here is an example of some of the drawing and shading exercises completed by Joan L. They practiced drawing faces both right side up and upside down. It was interesting to see how well the upside down faces turned out.

Then they used Tsukineko fabric ink to colorize their drawings.

You can also see some of the digital images that Joan created in Kerby’s class.

Missing the Workshops Already

December 29, 2010

It always happens — when the last workshop finishes for the year we are always happy to have the time off to relax and work on long put-off projects, but then around the end of the year, we start missing all of the fun and laughs that the workshops bring! So I’m counting down the days until the fun begins again.

The first workshop of 2011 will be with Melanie Testa. This will be a 3-day workshop, March 24 – 27, 2011, on creating your own fabric designs with soy wax and Procison dyes.

Melanie is the author of “Inspired to Quilt, Creative Experiments in Art Quilt Imagery,” Interweave Press, 2009 and graduated with a degree in Textile/Surface Design at The Fashion Institute of Technology.

Today, Melanie’s art explores themes of the human form, birds and nature. The first steps of her process often involve journaling on paper using paints, collage and pen and ink. She then interprets those drawings and paintings using Procion MX dyes on both cotton and silk organza. After creating these whole cloth quilt tops, collage elements are added, the layers are quilted in place and the work is bound and finished to hang on the wall.

Melanie has a wonderful blog where you can follow along with her design and inspiration process.

Still Life in Fabric with Esterita Austin

December 4, 2010

Teri Austin is here teaching a 3-day workshop on creating a still life in fabric – with no sewing involved, just fabric, Misty Fuse, organza and textile paint.

This morning Teri gave a quick demo on painting an image to fuse onto organza. She starts with a line drawing of the object placed under a piece of release paper (shiny side up). Then using Lumiere textile paints from Jaquard, Teri showed how she mixes color to create the values for the painting, and then paints directly on the release paper.

Next, she lays a layer of Misty Fuse on top of the paint and then a layer of organza.

Then the extra release paper is folder over the image (or use another sheet of release paper) and the image is ironed to fuse the painted image to the organza.

The resulting image on the organza is a somewhat transparent image that can be sewn or fused into your still life composition. The image can be further enhanced by more paint or stitched lines.

Looked like a really fun technique. I think I’ll have to get some Lumiere paint and organza in stock!

Still Life and Abstract Designs

October 21, 2010

It’s day 4 of Katie Pasquini Masopust’s workshop and everyone is working feverishly to assemble their designs. Colors and fabrics were selected yesterday and no time was wasted at the breakfast table this morning! Before you could say “Scrambled Eggs with Horseradish Cheddar Cheese” (the daily special), everyone had rushed off to the studio to get cracking!

This piece is by Alison Chandler. She is working totally abstract, as a number of others in the class are as well.

I had taken a picture of Alison ironing some of the pieces in place, but decided not to put it on the blog when Alison said, “Oh, great. Now my husband will want me to do ironing for him!” I understand her sentiment – don’t ask an art quilter to iron clothes!

Jane Strickler is working on a still life of a tea pot.

This is friends, Libby and Pam, hard at work in their corner of the studio.

Katie is showing her technique of using spray starch to get a neat edge turn over on the pieces.

This is Barb Caldwell, who is working on a really nice leaf composition.

Everyone is making great progress and I’ll bet the studio lights will be burning late into the evening for a bunch of folks.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of color happening outside of the studio. The leaves on the trees seem to changing right before my eyes. Within a couple days, I’ll bet the trees one either side of the yellow tree with be changed as well.

Katie Pasquini-Masopust is Here Again

October 20, 2010

It is always a grand time when Katie is in the house! She is a wonderful teacher, has a great sense of humor, and has a wealth of knowledge that she generously shares with her students. And she just had one of her own works accepted into Quilt National!

This year Katie is teaching “Transforming the Still Life.” She started everyone off drawing a still life design based on white objects. Everyone was suppose to bring in something white and Katie brought a number of things, too, as well as a spray can of white paint to convert anything to the right color!

Once everyone was finished, all of the white object were gathered together to get picture of one large still life set up!

The group also did exercises creating black and white studies of their designs and then played with watercolors to work up some color schemes for their design.

This is Jane Stricker. Love her color exercises!

Here is the design wall of another student.

Besides enjoying the workshop tremendously (several students have already said they are signing up for Katie’s 2011 workshop here before they leave), everyone is having a great time around the dinner table. It is apple time in New York, so this week is sure to see some yummy apple pies for dessert.

A Haunting Melody

March 28, 2007

Oh, the fabric of it all…

Well, for all of you that wanted the food pictures on Fiber Mania, here are some more and some nice class shots, too. Go read her interesting blog.

OK. I’m stealing a couple of Melody’s shots.

Here I am making the Hot Chocolate Foam, voted one of the best desserts of this class. Don’t worry, I did serve the cheese cake, too!

Yummer

John, serving the first one.

Oh, the lucky people eating it…

And here they are, even luckier, to have gotten in to this wunnerful class. Did I say lucky? No, they signed up and in advance and everything. Don’t just dream about eating this food, come to a workshop and eat it! Nuff said. Here are some class shots.

I just get all misty even thinking about what a wunnerful class this is and so does the Greenville Arms.

That’s our back 40 right next to the cottages. Don’t you wish you were taking a quilt class here?