I choose this quilt to blog about because it is meaningful for me in many deeply personal ways. I hesitate to bring this up in a public forum, but many women are going to relate to this, sadly.
As a child I had vivid imagination and was reckless and unafraid of anything . I was loud, lively and loved life.
But after years s in an abusive marriage, I became a completely different person. I understand battered woman syndrome, it causes a withdraw from life and constant fear, loss of trust in yourself. They don’t leave because they are helpless in their own minds. It could be compared to a turtle who pulls it’s head into it’s shell for protection. When you distrust yourself , your judgement, you don’t take risks, you play life safe, you try to be invisible, stay unnoticed so you don’t attract attention to yourself. You see yourself as helpless, powerless, and that becomes a reality because you believe it to be true.
That was years ago, I got out. I was a single parent for much time after that.. I am now happily married and have 3 wonderful children. And slowly I began to work at healing. Learning to stick my head out a slowly, bit by bit.
Art has been one avenue that has helped to teach me to trust myself again. I think that’s why I began art quilting.
I can take risks . I even have opened my online art quilting business! That’s so big. This quilt was commissioned, the old me could never have done that, who would like anything I made? I am able to recommend my work and promote myself, and be proud of myself.
I think my new freedom is especially evident in designing and making of a new art piece. I have trust my instincts again, and other people trust me too because of that. Instead of hiding in a corner, I am shouting look at me “with my loud color choices and out of the box designs”.
This quilt was an especially risky one for me to make but I did it, and I love it! It is a proud moment for me personally.
This is not about self-pity, but how change is possible. It lies within ourselvess to make life what we want it to be. Think of Dorothy’s ruby red slippers. We do not have to accept bad circumstances in life passively. The power always was there within us the whole time. We just have to start to believe again. If we begin to think it and say it enough, we convince ourselves of the truth of it and that my dears, leads to change!
As I mentioned in earlier posts, I want to interview the quilters who I have the highest respect and admiration for. I am thrilled and elated to offer this interview with Diane Gaudynski. When looking at her work you can’t help asking yourself ; ” How is this quality of quilting perfection possible on a machine quilted work?”.
The name Diane Gaudynski brings many thoughts to mind; award winning quilter, author, teacher, lecturer. She has accumulated a long long list of prestigious awards and honors.
Her 2 books are amoung the best books available on machine quilting with a domestic machine.
In 2002, Diane’s work was included in an international exhibit in Japan, appropriately titled 30 Distinguished Quilt Artists of the World. I heartily agree, Diane certainly has earned her place in the top 30.
Just got home last night from the long trek to Art in the Park in Las Vegas. Long drive, but enjoyable when going with my quilting buddy Teresa McConachie, who shared the booth with me.
Lots of people, un-characteristic rain, very characteristic wind and high temps. But the rain cooled things down some what.
Here’s some pics of the show, it was so huge!! Seemed to take up a city block, but I might be embellishing on that just a tad!
Art quilting is a reliability new art form that was initially perceived as a craft rather than ligitiment
I came across this post by Clairan Ferrono that I found to be very insightful,
“Recently many art quilters have been successfully submitting their work to art shows rather than fiber or quilt shows. Over the nearly ten years that I’ve been an exhibiting artist, there’s been a shift in the perception of art quilts within the art world. Although some of this persists today, the categorization of art quilts as “craft”rather than “art” (which resulted in many art shows saying specifically “No Fiber”) is fading. Increasingly critics, museums, galleries and curators of major exhibitions are recognizing that the use of the medium defines art, rather than the medium itself….So if you are an art quilt fan, look for more and more art quilts to appear at art exhibits as well as in galleries and museums. And keep in mind that art quilts are still a bargain in the art world — great for the new collector! “.
Working like a mad woman and in general losing my sanity. I leave for Vegas for Art in the Park tomorrow morning [yikes! e gad! ]. This is a big event that draws 100,000 visitors to Vegas from all over. They come in by the busload.
Needless to say, I want to have a lot of new work to take. So as I mentioned before, I’m at it with a vengeance. There comes a point that a person needs to just stop and say enough! I however, am not capable of such reasonable behavior. Last night I sewed through the side of my finger with my sewing machine, cut another finger with the rotary blade and poked that same finger with a sharp pointy instrument. I had 3 bandages on the same hand on 2 fingers. Does this sound like a reasonable person? Working past the point that you’re so tired you are causing bodily injury to yourself? I say, ‘Who needs reason? Panic provides some great motivation!” .That’s my motto, yessiree.
It’s a good thing we’re leaving tomorrow or I could lose a finger or worse. So here’s a few more art quilts that are finished. I need to get a grip I tell you!
Worked some more on the quilt in progress, thread painting the flowers. Not done, but it’s coming along. Here’s the progress since last post.
so far so good
work in progressI'm liking these Hollyhocks, wasn't sure about the color but it has grown on me.
That’s it for now. It;s always so strange to me when I make something and then look at it and say to myself; “Self I like this” . How does that happen? You draw a little bit, cut a bit, sew a bit and wowsers! Something pretty come out of that. I’m always a little bit surprised by the process.
I have had some discussion via email with Chrissy O’Donnell Leasher about the peculiar position art quilting and fiber art is placed in within the art world. In many ways it is a new & developing art form.
From the beginnings of this movement, the art community has viewed it as more of a craft than an actual art form. Slowly that view has changed and more and more galleries and art museums are showing art quilts and having specific exhibits featuring textile art and art quilting.
Chrissy is running the Second Skin Textile & Arts show in New Hope PA . She is a designer and a Moore College of Art and Design alum. I thought some of the thoughts she expressed in this email were pertinent:
“HI Barbara,
Quilts and sewing is a lost art. Many women do it and do not know its as art but as a hobby. There is so much thought that goes into the compositions and color story of each design. Some artist paint on the fabric, knit, collage, etc… but stitch control, which can be seen as interesting as line quality is key to good quilt making and is extremely difficult. As a painter and a fashion designer, I know the amount of details in this art medium. Art such as quilting is a labor of creativity, love and passion. The sewing machine is your brush with the amazing line quality it creates and fabric is your paint because it can be any shape in you dream of. Art is an expression and it does not matter how it evolves, because it is the sense of pride a master piece makes you feel when looking at them. It does not matter whether you created the art or it is just inspiring you hanging in a gallery or someones home. I love your work Barbara because when I look at your pieces I see an extreme amount of energetic details and color. -Chrissy-”
I appreciated her thoughts about what really constitutes art. When you look at the amazing work being done by so many talented quilt artists today, that is art by any definition.
I have a long list of amazing quilters who I would love to interview on my blog. Talented, interesting people, who I know other people would enjoy reading about as well.
But the obvious question is would they agree to be interviewed on my little blog?
Well there’s one thing for certain, I’ll never know if I don’t ask.
I began sending emails to some of my favorite quilters, requesting an online interview. One name at the top of that list was Karen McTavish. Karen has had a huge impact on my quilting, and judging from the many accolades and awards she’s accumulated, other’s too.
When I sent an email to her, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting a response.
So you can imagine my surprise to see the name Karen McTavish in my inbox. I thought, “That was so nice of her to write back personally to decline my interview”, but when I opened it -gasp- she had agreed to it! This was from THE Karen McTavish, not a sweet little 70-year-old lady who is a greeter at WalMart named Karyn McTavish.
Karen McTavish has rocked the quilting world with her traditional whole cloth machine quilting techniques . And what quilter hasn’t heard of McTavishing?
Karen is an Award Winning Longarm Quilter, Author, Instructor, Speaker, Judge, representative for APQS and APQS dealer. Her work on Wholecloth/Whitework quilts, Shadow and Color Trapunto, Scrollwork and Victorian Feathers is legendary.
She is best known for developing her signature technique McTavishing and techniques which replicate traditional hand-quilting using a machine.
As an author she has written some of the best books on machine quilting out there, books that you must own; Whitework Quilting, The Secrets of Elemental Quilting, Quilting for Show, Mastering the Art of McTavishing, and coming in spring 2011 -A new pattern book http://www.onwordboundbooks.com/products1.html
A friend and I attended her trunk show and demonstration a few years ago. We were already Karen McTavish “groupies”, well since technically a groupie follows her idol from show to show, we couldn’t afford to be official groupies, but we were groupies in our hearts, let me tell you that!
We expected an amazing & informative presentation and we weren’t disappointed..
But what I didn’t expect was Karen the person. This woman is interesting, witty, humorous, thoroughly entertaining. She has a big personality that matches her big ole talent! You can’t help but like Karen the person as much as the work and talent of Karen McTavish.
She’s not your stereotypical quilter. She seems to be full of contradictions, from her long dark dreadlocks to her tats of ornate heirloom Victorian feathers to being the lead singer in her own rock band. She’s young, exciting, interesting and refreshingly non-conventional. Her contradictions make her the talented artist that she is..
I don’t think Karen would be comfortable with all this gushing on. So. I’ll let you read on for a wee glimpse into Karen McTavish the person, and the quilter. Karen graciously sent some very personal photos as well. Enjoy!
1-What inspires you to create and how do you stay motivated?
Music. Music. Music.
Specifically:
Mouth of the Architect, Rage Against the Machine, Since the Flood, Silverchair, Russian Circles, Oh, Sleeper, Norma Jean, Nights Like These, Neurosis, Martyr A.D., The Mars Volta, Lamb of God, Korn, Every Time I Die, Ekotren, Seven Year Existence, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Dead to Fall, Converge, At the Drive-In, American Head Charge, Alcest, Maynard James Keenan, Patti Smith, Blue Water Dance, Tiger Blue Death Squad, Rodrigo y Gabriela, DevilDriver, 36 Crazyfists, Pantera, The Distillers, Deftones, Chevelle, Cult of Luna, A Perfect Circle, Atreyu, August Burns Red, Cowboy Junkies, The Cure, Eddie Vedder, Elliott Smith, Husker Du, In Flames, John Frusciante, Killswitch Engage, Muse, Apocalyptica, Queens Of The Stoneage, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Serj Tankian, Static X, System of a Down, Tool, Slipknot, Straight Line Stitch
2- How do you keep your work fresh and interesting ? I never copy quilting designs or get inspiration from the quilting industry. I draw everything from my mind. All my work is original work. My work is inspired by things outside the quilting world. I am greatly inspired by elements outside the genre of quilting. I will either be completely outside the box of tradition, or I can be completely comfortable inside that traditional box of quilting. I actually am more comfortable in the traditions of quilting. This is my comfort zone. Traditional quilting has clear and distinct rules and guidelines that I can follow. It feels very easy for me to be a traditional quilter and stay within those comfort zones. I would much rather quilt a traditional quilt, than quilt a non-traditional quilt.
3-Where do you get your ideas for designs?
I tend to lean on Traditional designs that have “feathers” then add a scroll or whip to the stem. Then go from there in the space that I am allowed to move. I usually draw the design on paper first, then light box the design directly on to the quilt top.
4–Who or what have had the most influence on your work?
I was so isolated when I started – I had only library books as my source of teaching. I would say my teachers were “dead hand-quilters”. No one told me that I couldn’t do what hand-quilters were doing on a longarm quilting machine. I just tried to do what the “dead hand-quilters” were telling me to do in the old decayed library books that I picked up in the library.
5-What do you do for fun [besides quilting]?
I sing vocals in a band locally. I work with other women in a sewing group of survivors of domestic abuse which meets weekly in my studio teaching them how to piece quilt tops. I raise my 5 year old son. I work in my studio as much as I can on my own projects which is nice.
6-Share with us something funny that has happened to you recently:
Good things happen to me. I get stuck in the bad things all day long. I focus on the bad things. I believe in Karma. I am not a big “God” girl. I believe in Spirituality. When I am working on a quilt – for example. I go into Karma mode. I am always worried that something “BAD” will go wrong on the quilt- so I go into Karma mode- big time. I start donating to NPR, I buy the dude behind me in the McDonalds drive-thru line a burger, and drive away. I do random acts of kindness all day while I am working on the quilt – trying to build up as much Quilt “Karma” as possible. Because nothing can go wrong while I am working on the quilt. If I am asked to change a tire, while I am working on an important quilt, I will do it, to build up the quilt “Karma”. I am doing crazy acts of kindness for weeks all because I believe it will help this quilt.
If I am not quilting something amazing or important ..I would say.”sorry buddy.You are on your own.do I look like I know how to change a tire?”. See? I really am not a nice person.
7-How have you handled the business side of your career?
I learned as an Quilting Instructor how to help other longarm machine quilters overcome the phrase: “But my customers won’t pay more”. This has been very rewarding. Helping other longarmers learn to charge more for their work – it’s very rewarding to help them learn the process.
8- What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
Practice Practice Practice, of course – I didn’t – I practiced on customer quilts. But the best advice is to do your own thing. Do what feels right. Overcome all the nightmares, you will screw up. I did. And get thru it. Get over the fear..we all have fear. Get to the other side. This is the best job in the world! It’s perfect for the single mother – this is why I started quilting in the first place. And believe me – I was NO Quilter when I started quilting.
9-How would you describe your style?
Ridiculous. I don’t even brush my hair. Are you talking about my hair?
10-Describe yourself in 5 words.
Loud, QuiltxCore, Hardcore, Protective, isolated
11-What has been your biggest obstacle in achieving your success?
Too many Non-Smoking Hotel Rooms, Inability to hear very well due to many rock concerts, Not enough Starbucks on every street corner.
Here’s a couple of new ones. I told you I’m focused and working!!! These 2 are opposites, vibrant and serene, hot and cool, excitement and calm…you get the idea…
Muy Caliente!
”]Serene ocean colors, sand, teal ,aqua and peach- in "Abalone"detail of appliqué and thread painting, colors appear almost like a watercolor painting.
Another one just in. This is really cool. I started with an awesome batik fabric . The gradient colors seemed to melt from one to the next, green to violet to purple back to green. I decided to mimic that effect by doing layer upon layer of appliqué in various colors. It was labor intensive but so worth the effort. I also added to the design with thread painting in different colors. I love how this quilt turned out!
What should I call it? Ideas anyone?detaildetailMore details. OK enough! I'll stop with the pics!
How about some help with a title for this one, I’m drawing a blank. Leave a comment and help name this baby!
This an old post from a few years ago. After all the sleepless nights, hair pulling and teeth gnashing, not to mention the months it took me, I just let it sit, waiting for someone to put the posts back into their categories. There it has sat … waiting… I’m turning over a new leaf ,s0 you’ll see some older posts trickling in, maybe you’ll find something of interest
As fall is almost upon us I thought an ode to the beautiful flowers of spring and summer would be in order!
Barbara Harms Fiber Art & More 