Quilt Mother

Between travel and allergy season, Quilt Mother has been lagging behind!
But I really must say it was so nice of the Daily Muse to honor last Saturday (March 15) National Quilting Day, with so  many articles about needle & thread.
And it has been great to hear from other Fiber Lovers through the Forum exchange, too!
One of my favorite things about the Artella community is being able to see all the different ways people are expressing themselves. Whether or not you participate in any of the many groups and challenges, it's just always encouraging to share a bit of the energy going around.
Someday, I keep thinking, I will write a haiku.
Someday I will try to draw the item-of-the-week.

Now, that might be a rather sad sort of thought..... except that I AM doing something! Many things! Fabric things!
There is nothing quite so inspiring for your own art as to look at some other people's work, especially when it is another medium.
I love to look at paintings. I don't turn them into quilt-versions-of-the-painting, but I enjoy the color, textures, themes, shapes, etc.
Recently in the newspaper there was a great photo to publicize some tropical spa vacation place. I do not want to make a tropical fabric picture, though. What I liked was the colors, and the way the items in the photo suggested big blocky shapes to divide the space.
I feel an art quilt comin' on!
Copied?....no.  Inspired?....yes!
(and credit always given when possible)

Most art doesn't jump full-blown & perfect out of someone's head. It's due to a life of looking and thinking about other art.
Each person's art is personal  and  unique because it comes through us as individuals.....even when we are working on the same idea.

Quilt Mother has been out and about in the world, and now she's back!

I just spent a wonderful week at the John C. Campbell Folk School (http://www.folkschool.org) in Brasstown, No. Carolina.
If there's anything craft/creative related that you want to learn, the Folk School is a good place to look for a class. In the week I was there the classes included woodturning, silk painting, Indian cooking, making shaped books, fused glass, wood carving, felting rugs, building & playing a dulcimer, playing a mandolin, blacksmithing, quilting, creative writing, tinsmithing, and creative embroidery!

The difference between Campbell and other craft schools like Penland or Arrowmont is that the Folk School is non-competetive, and bit more like "camp for adults" as opposed to a school for the producing craftsperson...but don't get me wrong! These are seroius classes, with 3 hours in the morning, 3 more in the afternoon, and often the teachers & students are back in the studios for several hours each evening. There are also afternoon and evening activities (dancing, concerts, demos, field trips).
It's a true joy to spend a week there, totally immersed in some interesting class....and having no housekeeping or food prep to do!

I took the creative embroidery class with Nancy Claiborne, a very patient and generous teacher who is a mixed media artist. We learned many stitches on daily "doodle cloths" and started on samplers...but not your grandmother's straight rows/tiny stitches style! Oh, no...these samplers have all sizes of stitches and shapes!

If you'd like to see some pictures and read more about my week, visit http://www.PatchworkPie.blogspot.com
(one blog was as much as I could handle! But that doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about Aretella, too!)

My Dad always said, "You should learn one new thing every day or you have no excuse for living." And he still says that....at age 80 he is learning about using the Internet and will soon have a blog of his own!
I hope you have learned something new lately. It doesn't have to be a Big Important Thing, but every time we acquire something new to think about, it makes for a richer life.

Everbody's got some.
Even people who clain they don't!
It doesn't take long to discover that they exist...and once you start looking, they seem to pop up everywhere!

Quilters like to call them UFOs or WIPs (Un-Finished Objects or Works In Progress). But no matter what you call them, they are hanging around. Some say they are aging or aquiring a patina. When it comes to fabrics, they are actually just becoming dated, and you will have to wait a long time for them to rate as charming or vintage!

DISCLAIMER: Quilt Mother is not here to give you any guilt trips! Oh, no..., Quilt Mother herself has enough UFOs to supply everyone in the state with several, and still have too many to finish.
That's why I understand about this problem all creative people seem to share.

But instead of flirting with psychology (knowing "why" may be fine, but it won't change this!) or even worrying that we have to re-visit this topic continually, I'd like to offer a method for whittling down the collection.

That old guilt tripping/work ethic/let's-not-be-wasteful way of thinking wants us to actually complete these items, but we don't want to! So there they sit. Instead, let's learn to DEAL with them. Just take whichever one is on top of the pile, or close by, or in your way so you can't even get in the door of your studio....
Now choose one of these:

D is for Done. Finish it off as you had planned. Just do it. It's amazing how many items are within an hour's worth of effort to be completed. If that doesn't work....

E is for Edit. Get the project moving by taking it to the next step, For quilters that is often getting a top basted so the quilting can begin. Those tops (the creative, colorful, fun part!) can really pile up. Getting ready for the next phase of the project makes it seem interesting again....or at least "doable"! If you still just can't face it....

A is for Alter. Change this into a new project! Add on to make it bigger....cut it down to make it smaller. It is your project, and you do not have to complete it the way you first envisioned. But if the vision has just totally died....

L is for Let it Loose! If you are not going to enjoy working on it, then it needs to take it's depressing energy and go elsewhere. One artist's trash is another's trasure, so you may be able to give it away...or trade it for something, possibly even sell it as-is. But it needs to get out of your space so you can stop feeling bad about it.

Can you DEAL with it?
Of course you can!
Will there be more UFOs in the future?
Sure! It's in our natures...don't fight it!
But when those things pile so high they start to drag you down....DEAL with them.

love,
Quilt Mother

PS: if you are the June Cleaver, vaccuuming-in-your-pearls, perfect magazine-picture home type.....
why ever are you reading THIS blog?
PPS: but Quilt Mother loves you anyway, despite that terrible handicap.

(for great photos, videos & even audio of groundhogs visit http://www.hoghaven.com/ )

Happy Groundhog Day!

This is a special day for me and my siblings, as I had a pet groundhog when I was in high school. His was named Charlie, and he was given to me by one of my mother's co-workers when he decided to go to graduate school (the guy, not the woodchuck!).
Charlie was a great character around our house. He would sit up so straight and tall while eating a peanut butter sandwich, or enjoying his favorite Oreo cookie. He would carefully take the two sides apart, eat the icing first, then the rest....just as all children do.
He could accomplish tasks like that because his front paws were like hands...little cold, black hands that he'd stand up and wrap around your leg while you were trying to wash dishes!
Charlie was like a cat living in the house. He often curled up in my lap for a nap. His fur was quite soft and he enjoyed being petted.

This is what I learned from Charlie:
Ask for what you want....people will be glad to help you if you just let them know you need something.
Take some time off... it's OK to take some time for yourself and then make a big comeback!
Be free to be yourself... you can change your lifestyle as you reach different parts of your life.

Here's a little poem I wrote to go inside the Happy Groundhog Day cards I made and sent:
 
May your Winter be short and your Springtime be long;
may the shadows that fall in your life soon be gone.
May the sun shine upon you, may your joys never end
...and remember the Groundhog is always your friend!

Just because Quilt Mother knows almost everything about quilting does not mean she can stop learning!

Tonight I took my very first online workshop, Artella's Creative Calensure: 12 Wyas to Ensure You Have the Most Creative Year of Your Life! With Marney moderating, of course. It was wonderful, and really easy to do....even though I was a bit afraid to try it at first.
It was fun and I learned from all the people who shared ideas.

I can hardly wait to get the calendar!

Thanks, Marney...I will be participating in more online activities!

And if YOU haven't tried one yet....well, if Quilt Mother can do it, so can you!

When I started off on my get-all-that-stuff-off-the-floor project at the end of last year, I had no idea what it would turn into!
The feeling of accomplishment at getting a few projects done was quickly off-set by the vast amount of stuff that was sacked up everywhere. And yet....
As soon as a clear space appears, it inspires me to Do Something!
I decided to take some of that energy and declare 2008 to be the Year of the UFO.

I had no idea how very popular this would become.
Once the bandwagon began to roll, itseemed like all my quilter friends wanted to jump on. Now my guild is having The UFO Attack System, and actual program to help us deal with UFOs (UnFinished Projects).

One interesting question raised was: what is a UFO...meaning, does it have to be something already started, or could it also be a project you have just started collecting items for (you want to do it, but haven't begun)?
Really, I think any definition is up to the person....if it's nagging you, it's probably a UFO regardless of its actual state!

 I know all artists have to deal with this, whether it's piles of fabric or a box of paints or a collage waiting for glue.
For the most part we need to have all our materials to work with, and it is not necessary to complete one project before starting another. It's when the studio gets so filled up that you have no room to work that it is time to clear something out.

Don't even try to decide which thing to deal with first...just pick up whatever is right near you to get started. Consider your options:

• Make it bigger
• Make it smaller
• Give it away
• Throw it away

Sometimes it is better to remove an item from your life...that is the only way you can ever be Done With It! This is truly from the heart advice from a packrat (I have the genetic proof!). I like to think of it as releasing an item out into the world.There is a kind of mental and emotional clutter associated with those things...you are better off when they are gone.

Then you have the energy to do some good work with the projects you can finish!

This year, instead of New Year's Resolutions, I'm having New Year's Wishes.
Somehow, a Resolution seems to be so determined and definite....almost weighty! Once there's a slip-up, it's been broken and all is lost. It feels like a personal failure.
I know that a wish can last a long time. It has staying power. It has the ability to adjust to the way life changes. It can be flexible.

I spent my whole childhood wishing for a horse. Not a pony...a real horse.A chestnut one!
When I turned 21 that wish came true.
It happened when I married a man who owned two horses. I was not looking for a husband, and had no plans to ever get married.
Many years later the beautiful horses are no longer with us....but my wonderful husband is!
I may have been wishing for a horse, but I ended up with the love of my life.

Resolutions can be good, because if there isn't commitment to a goal it cannot be attained. So some years are good ones for Resolutions.
But this year I am having Wishes:
For health...because I might not loose a number of pounds, but I can find many ways feel better.
For good times...which may or may not turn out to be the events scheduled on my calendar!
For love & friendship...because we can never have too much, and these things always come in suprising ways.

May your New Year find your wishes coming true in amazing and marvelous ways!

The count-down may be on for Christmas, but these are also good gift ideas for any time.
Really, my favorite is the apron made from a bath towel....I love to use my own and have made matching ones for my son and husband (who enjoy cooking fancy holiday meals together!). This is an apron for serious cooks & hand-wipers, not a  cocktail hour hostess.
The instructions aren't too detailed, but I'll be glad to give you more info if you ask!
I just posted them on my other blog, so please take a look:

www.PatchworkPie.blogspot.com

Controversy reigns in the Quilt World over this question: to pre-wash or not to pre-wash!
I enjoyed the article in the Daily Muse about this topic. As usual, the answer is "depends on what you want"!

One of my friends pre-washes everything because she doesn't like the chemicals from the sizing on the fabrics.
I used to pre-wash everything, but now I don't.
How should you decide? Take a look at the following list and apply it to your own needs. Fabric purchased at discount stores and ones with looser weaves will be the worst "offenders".

Color bleeding: Most fabrics do not bleed. But it's that one you don't know about that will get you! Pre-washing will tend to remove excess dye. If you want to test first, rub the fabric with a white cloth dipped in very warm water. If color shows up on the cloth, you may want to pre-wash that piece. This is mostly a problem with reds and very dark colors.
If you do have bleeding, after a quilt or other item has been made, do not put it in the dryer. Wash it again with a mild soap and be sure you have plenty of room in the washing machine (go to a laundrmat if you have a big quilt!). Sometimes what is called "bleeding" is actually "crocking" which means the fabric was rubbing against another and transferred the dye that way.
The key to washing is to use plenty of cool water, very mild soap/detergeant, and don't scrunch up the quilt too much to fit it in the machine.

Shrinkage: Fabrics shrink along the selvedge edge, rarely across the width. Even at 3% shrinkage, you are losing about an inch per yard. Good quality fabric has little shrinkage. In a finished quilt, it's mostly the batting that is shrinking because we all like a cotton batt for machine quilting now. A polyester batt won't shrink, but has its own problems.
That puckery look comes from the batt shrinking more than the fabrics... if you want a smooth look, pre-wash everything, including the batt (if cotton...and do not just put it in the washing machine, it will fall apart! Just soak it really well, then dry it in a big pillowcase ). I tend to leave the batt as--is, and when I do wash the quilt, it shrinks a bit and looks comfy & puffy.
Washing in cold water and air-drying will allow minimal shrinkage, if any.

Sizing: Again, the cheaper quality fabrics will have the most sizing. Some people want all that stuff out of their fabric. Some people wash the fabric, and then add starch when they press it because it's easier to rotary cut! Some people just don't worry about it.

Now you are beginning to see why all these issues are so very personnal!
There are so many things to consider. But they are mostly due to care of quilts that are being used as quilts.
When it comes to art quilts or wall hangings, anything goes.

And, by the way...if you're going to be using a fusible product (for appliques or interfacing)...don't use any fabric softener during the wash or dry! The fusible won't work well, because that softener stays on the fabric.

I just gave away 1/10 of a ton of fabric...for free!

Well, actually, it was given to me first, but I did not to be carrying it around in my van ("The QuiltMobile") for the rest of the year.
A local interior designer decided not to have inventory anymore, and called the quilt show board to see if they'd like the fabrics! There are 7 guilds here who work together on the show, and each guild got 2 huge boxes, about 200 lbs. total! I am glad my quilting sisters ran to call of "Free Fabric!"

So what happens when you get a great windfall like that?
Maybe you have not used these fabrics before. They are pretty...but so many of them say "DRY CLEAN"!

I only use the fabrics that can be sewn. That means nothing stiffer or heavier than new denim.
The first thing that happens is it goes in the washing machine...yes! right in the machine and then into the dryer!
For a wall hanging, art quilt or other item that will never be washed, that doesn't matter too much. Go ahead and use it as you see fit.
But for quilts that will be used...and clothing, too!...wash the home-dec fabric and see what happens.
I just washed a piece of 'dry-clean only" that is heavy, loose-woven tapestry-like fabric. It came out beautiful and soft, and now I know when I use it for a tote bag it will be washable!

Other great ideas for this sort of fabric are making pillows and recovering chair seats. That's what they were made for, and they don't really have to be washed. I also envision making patchwork curtains for a special window...or how about an elegant shower curtain?
When the fabric is free, you can use it with wild abandon!
There is never a time when you don't need a few quick gifts. These fabrics are lovely for purse accessories, pot holders, placemats, table runners, or any of the above.
Shiny fabrics may loose their sheen when they've been washed, but if not, you have an excellent source for luxury-look items (they can still be used, though!).
Don't forget clothing. Many of these fabrics have an interesting damask-style weave or Jacobian prints or something that makes a great vest or jacket.

Fabrics with very large prints (flowers, tropical leaves) are a fabulous source of appliques for any quilt or wearable-art!
They also make fun backs for quilts!

I also kept one piece from this huge donation because I think it will be good for painting or just as a foundation for fabric collage. It's extra weight will make a wonderful sturdy base.
And as long as you're planning to cover it up, you don't even have to care about what color or print it is!

If you ever chance into a home-dec fabric windfall, take it! It's great stuff for all sorts of art projects...and what you don't want, share it with your friends!

You can never have too much fabric!

Artella Mae gave "Fiber Rich in Richmond" a good answer today about how to handle a big collection of fabric. It's true we love to buy the stuff and then are prone to save it for the perfect project, never getting started.
Tha's because the "perfect project" will never come along! It just can't happen. We would have to have a (working) crystal ball to know what exactly that fabric is being saved for!

Here are the points to remember when you have a lot of fabric (or other special art supplies!), but just can't bring yourself to cut into any of it:

• When you have so much that storage becomes a problem, then it no longer has to be "precious". You can afford to whack into it because you will never use it all up.
• If you are afraid to use it now, because later you'll find something even better to use it for....well, when you think of that other project, you'll find you wouldn't have enough yardage anyway.
• Every time you run out of a fabric during a project, whatever you have to replace it with makes the project even better!
• Using up some fabric makes it easier to buy more!
• When you save the best fabric and use the second-best, your project will be second-best. Use that fabric you love and the project will be a joy to make and to view!

So start a project using that very special fabric...you will be glad you did!
And then you can go get some more!

Did you see that picture of the Night-blooming Cereus in the poetry section of the Daily Muse?

OK, this has nothing to do with quilting, but seeing that flower just took me on a multi-generational trip down Memory Lane.
My grandmother had a Night-blooming Cereus. It doesn't look like a barrel cactus. It has long, flat wavy leaves. Sometimes it grows little roots out of the leaves, and sometimes it grows other leaves! It makes a long,tall spike that slowly flattens out and turns into....another leaf! It sprawls all over the place.
In the Winter, that plant had to be carried inside and lugged upstairs to spend several months in the not-so-heated spare room. Then in Spring, it had to be hauled back downstairs and out onto the front porch.
When my Dad was growing up, he listened to stories about how that plant would bloom huge white flowers, so incredibly fragrant that people taking an evening walk could smell it from the sidewalk, and would come up to the porch to share in the beautiful blooms. The flowers only lasted one night.
But in all his childhood, he never saw any flowers. He hated that ugly plant.

When my grandparents sold their house, I inherited the Night-Blooming Cereus. Grandma told me how she had got it from her sister-in-law's garden in Kentucky (it must have just been spending the Summer outside!). Who knows how old this plant was! My father said he hoped I'd enjoy it, but not to expect any flowers.

I had that plant for a year or two, and suddenly it started making something off the side of the leaves, and it wasn't another leaf! It was a huge big bud, that slowly curved up and one evening burst open into the most glorious flower ever seen! The scent was totally amazing and filled the yard.

It continued to bloom most years, and often had five to ten flowers over a period of several days. And once, my father was visiting when it bloomed. Who knows how long he had waited to see & smell those flowers? But at last he believed the plant really did live up to it's legend.

I still have part of that plant and it's been about 30 years. It has not bloomed lately...but there's always hope.
If I have any grandchildren, I'll be sure to leave it to one of them in my will!

When non-quilters look at a finished quilt, they are often amazed at the number of pieces of fabric.
"Did you cut and sew all those pieces?" they ask.

This is rather like asking a painter if they put all those paints in the picture. Of course we did. There might been a trick or two used somewhere to speed things up, but yes...we are responsible for all those things you see.

The end result (we hope) is art, but it's the craft of using our media, the way we know or learn to handle the materials, that astounds the viewers. They see a finished work, but they don't see the hours that went into it....the times a color was added and then changed (maybe over and over!)...the frustration until the right shape can be made to appear...the mistakes we made (maybe knowing better at the time!) and the effort it took to bring it right again.

The viewers see the work as we present it, all wrapped up and done. They cannot believe we are able to do all that!
Sometimes we can't believe it either!

There are many times when you just have to keep working, and everything will eventually come together. One of the biggest truths I've earned is that when your work is half done it looks terrible...because it looks only half done! It takes the whole thing to look complete.

 Some of my quilts I like better than others, but that has little to do with people's reactions. I'm glad when somebody likes one that I'm not really thrilled about. Likewise, if I love it and a viewer says, "Where did you find those colors?" it doesn't bother me (too much!).
What I really love is the whole process of making the quilt, even the times I might have been yelling, screaming and kicking myself. There's so much to learn and try and do!

And after finishing one, it is oh so delicious to start on the next!

I enjoy reading the Artella Daily Muse every day. It's filled with interesting articles about art, business and life.....and I mean useful info!

Yesterday there was a nice article by Diane Palmer in the ARTitorial about using vintage fabrics. She mentioned a bit about cleaning them, but you know Quilt Mother...I want to tell you even more!

Lots of people have collected fabrics, tea towels, doilies, hankies, antimasacars*, embroidered pieces, etc. with the idea of using them in an art project some time. It's a wonderful idea, as we not longer use these items in our homes and this gives them a new life. I have a drawer full of items. I like to call it "femmage", as in a combination of "feminine" and "collage" (I got that term form somebody, and wish I could remember who!)(whom?).

First to consider is condition. Even if an item has a bad stain or tear, you may still be able to use part of it. If the fabric is brittle, though, and breaks apart, there is nothing you can do to change that. You might be able to use it in an art project that is not handled, and the parts are all glued or fused into place. It will not hold up in a sewn project.
If there are little holes all over or  the fabric looks shredded  (you often find this in antique Crazy Quilts) it is damage from the dyes that were used.The black dye literally ate away the fabric
Does it small bad? Give it a brief tumble in the drier with a fabric softener sheet, or seal it in a plastic bag with a bar of soap for a day or two. Sometimes just plain airing out is good. If you're desparate, try Febreze as a last resort.

Should it be washed? Don't wash it if you don't have to. Wash it by hand if possible. Anything that seems to be silk or velvet should probably not be washed at all. And don't be fooled by "dry-cleaning".....it can be too harsh for antique fabrics, and it is not dry...it is done with chemicals instead of water.
Many vintage items have little brown spots. Think of them the same as age spots on your skin....part of the life story! They won't wash out. Try a little lemon juice, then rinse it out. Or try a "for colors" type bleach...let the fabric soak in it for awhile and then rinse  it out.
I would rather cover up a stain with an applique or piece if lace, etc. than ruin the item by trying to make it look "new" It is not new...that's the whole point!

If the fabric is cotton, you can wash it gently and do as you like. If it has a raw edge (not sewn) do not put it in a washing machine...that means old single quilt blocks, and also quilt tops!!!! Hand wash those, if needed. If it's a garment you will take apart for the fabric, wash it before you cut it up.

I could go on for a long time, but what you really need to know is don't do too much. It does not necessarily need to be washed just because it is old...especially if that will destory the item. But do enjoy using old fabric in your art. Even the "reproduction prints" available now do not really have the same look as the real vintage thing.

*antimassacar: a fabric or other item placed on the back of a chair to protect it from the Massacar Oil Victorian men used in their hair. A similar item is a dresser scarf, which was for a piece of furnture to cover or protect from scratches. These often have tatted lace  or crochet around the edges and a nice plain area in the middle for your artwork (embroidery, painting, applique, maybe a transfer of an old photo or verse......? )

Another topic that comes up often in the quilt/art/craft world is using old quilts for new projects.

There was a time when any old quilt was considered to be cheap construction material for pillows and stuffed animals. Then word got out that some of those beauties were worth real money, so these days it is much rarer to see an antique quilt used for padding during a pickup truck move, or (shudders!) as something to lay on while changing the oil on said pick up!
More likely now is the offering at a consignment shop of a well-worn utility quilt trying to be sold for hundreds of dollars.....old does not equal antique does not equal valuable!

Most quilts you will find are from the quilting hey-days of the mid 1920's through the 30's. If it's an easily recognised pattern (Grandmother's Flower Garden, Double Wedding Ring, etc.) it's beacuse there were lots of them made. If you find a nice one with just a little wear, go ahead and use it on your bed. Depending on where you are in the country, it will cost from $125 to $400. These quilts are for enjoying. (I will post another time on how to clean old quilts)

The really raggety ones are sometimes called "cutters". That means they have huge holes, stains or other damage-beyond-repair. Those are OK to be cut up and used in new projects. They have served their original purpose, and recycling the good parts is giving them a second life.

There are some well-known artists who paint on old quilts, using them like a canvas.....I hope as an important statement and that the quilts are already stained beyond recognition (though it is not Quilt Mother's place to tell anyone what they can & cannot do for their own artistic BLOCKED EXPRESSION.
I would rather see the still good parts cut out and used as many people do for making clothing or using in fabric art. Small peices in a collage or shadow box would be great. I have seen tiny piecs of quilt mounted in a metal frame as jewelry.
One of my favorite uses was by a friend who made two vests, and decorated them with other fabric findings from the same 1930's era...crocheted doilies and embroideries (OK, not a look some of us would wear, but it was respectful of the handwork and time period!).

I have old and antique quilts from both sides of my family. The ones that are in good condition I am using for a trunk show/ lecture until they show signs of wear and need to be retired beofr ereal damage sets in.
But there are two that were torn and ripped and well-used. Those I will be cutting and framing sections to give to my brothers, who will appreciate the family sentimental value, but not having an unusable quilt.

 This is really too big a topic for just one post. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll be glad to help with your own old quilt concern!