My Very First Spoonflower Order

I have had an account with Spoonflower for years, and have always wanted to order some custom fabric from them, but the time never seemed quite right, until now, and now that I've received my order, I must say I LOVE their product! It's exactly what I was hoping for, and the colors and textures from my original image have carried over into fabric beautifully.

For anybody who does not know what Spoonflower is, it's basically one of the most powerful services available to an art quilter who wants to design her own fabric. Anyone with access to a computer and even super basic image editing software can upload an image to their site and have it printed on a variety of fabrics.  The fabric is washable, and the inkjet printing leaves no "feel" on the surface, so it can be used for quilts, clothing, table cloths, whatever you can think of! 

One yard of super bright, crisply detailed fabric.  Enough to cover a dog!

For my first order, I did not go with a repeating pattern but instead just created a yard-of-fabric sized file in Photoshop and dragged various images into it.  Spoonflower takes images that are 150 dpi and a yard of fabric is 36" by 42" - a file that big was pretty unwieldy, but it did manage to upload eventually!

The leafy photograph in the corner of the fabric is destined to be a wholecloth quilt with oil paint stick additions to bring out the quilting.

The polka dots should be useful for a variety of projects - that image I made back when I was in college, by hand-gluing a zillion 1/4" hole punches onto a piece of 8.5" by 11" card stock.  So. Much. Work, but it has continued to be useful ever since!

Most patient dog ever. I do love to torture him.

There are many ways to make a perfectly repeating pattern to print onto fabric, and Julia Rothman has written a superlative tutorial about how you can create your repeat by hand, using paper and simple drawing tools.  Her instructions are clear and easy to follow, and her method requires only minimal computer assistance. 

Most people use either Photoshop or Illustrator to make their patterns, and the methods of doing this vary wildly.  I plan to create a tutorial about the specific way I create repeating patterns in Photoshop, so keep an eye out for that here on the blog in the next month or two. Here are two of the repeats I've created in the past few years:

Penguin fabric I designed for Thing-a-Day a few years ago.

One of my first ever patterns, drawn by hand based on Julia's instructions and colored using Photoshop.

Oh, and I just found out that there's a comparison of different custom-fabric printing services over on True Up that's way more thorough and comprehensive than my "I ordered this and it looked nice" method of judging a product.  Go check it out!

Art Show: "Know Gays Aloud," at Art for Change in New York

As part of my plan to actually get out of my apartment and involve myself in the various arts communities here in New York, I am setting a goal for myself to attend and review as many art shows as possible locally, as well as wherever I happen to be.  Many if not most of these shows will probably have nothing to do with quilting or fiber art, but I think that should be okay, since art is an important part of my life no matter what medium it's made from.

The show I visited this past Saturday is called "Know Gays Aloud," and will be on view at an East Harlem gallery called Art for Change through June 23rd.  Art for Change is a nonprofit organization whose mission includes a strong focus on community building and social justice.  They attempt to create themes for their art shows that enable local artists to weigh in on important community issues ranging from local to international. While I only found out about Art for Change last week, they've been pursuing their mission for a long time:

 "Founded in 1997 by Eliana Godoy and receiving non-profit status in September 2001, Art for Change (AfC) is an organization expressly dedicated to the utilization of art as a stimulus for social change.  Based in “El Barrio,” or East Harlem, New York City, AfC has extensive experience in reaching out to disadvantaged youth, with a significant number of Hispanic clients.  As an entirely volunteer-run association, AfC continues to draw from a diverse and vibrant network of volunteers – a strength in its outreach, fundraising and administration. The commitment of its volunteers is demonstrated in the willingness to donate their talents in administrative duties, as well as film-making, murals and youth outreach.  AfC has worked with youth and families since its inception, through a variety of programs: the organization of a youth music festival in Uyuni , Bolivia ; Art and Technology, training youth in digital media; a youth internship program; and exhibits and performances by youth in AfC’s gallery space."

 When I read about the current show at Art for Change, "Know Gays Aloud," it sounded appealing to me on two levels.  First, I believe that the direction this country takes in its official policies towards gender identity and sexual orientation will be absolutely vital in determining what kind of society we want to create, and will have wide-ranging implications for how we exist in the wider world and what kind of example we will set for how humans should treat each other when resolving struggles of all kinds.  Second, I simply think that there is a lot of artwork being created at the moment that is interesting and beautiful whether or not one is aware of its connection to current LGBT political issues. I've always appreciated visual art that is appealing both within and independently from the statement it was created to communicate.

One more quote from Art for Change's website before I get to the work. Here is their description for "Know Gays Aloud":

"The LGBT community has struggled to ensure equality of their civil liberties for over three decades. Though there has been significant progress in obtaining equal rights in the United States, such as the recent vote that passed a marriage equality law in New York, violence still persists against the LGBT community especially in minority populations. The increase in hostility towards the LGBT community in the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa has led to a rise in murders and teen suicides, notably for the transgendered. In Puerto Rico, even though murders of transgendered are becoming more frequent, the government is seeking to take these crimes off of the list of hate crimes, further justifying these acts of violence. This exhibition aims to expose the violence and prejudice that LGBT communities of color have endured through systematic cultural and religious persecution. Art for Change seeks work that reacts to this injustice."

"Know Gays Aloud" is a group show, and here is a sampling of photos I took during my visit.  As always, please forgive the poor quality of the images, and go see the work in person to get the full effect!

Darlene Aschbacher's piece, "Extended Obituary." According to Aschbacher's artist statement, "Nearly 200 transphobic murders were painstakingly recorded last year by the Transrespect vs. Transphobia project. Statistics suggest that Brazil, the U.S. and Honduras rank at the top with Brazil accounting for more than half of the transphobic murders. Between November 28, 2010 and January 9th, 2011 trans people were slaughtered at a rate of more than one a week in Honduras, a population smaller than London. Using a specific image on a specific day from the New York Times obituary page, I recreate these images onto 5"x5" paper. My current work, 'Extended Obituary,' is a perpetual work in progress."

"Extended Obituary," by Darlene Aschbacher

"Objeto de la Nueva España 1," by Felipe Baeza, who writes: "As a Mexican, I belong to a population absent from U.S. cultural and historical production, and often referred to as 'illegal.' Within this context, printmaking becomes a response to the exclusionary history, media and texts populating my upbringing."

"Objeto de la Nueva España 1," by Felipe Baeza.

"Inferior Interior," by Rochelle Williams. I wasn't able to find a website for Ms. Williams, but if she's out there and would like to send me a link, I'll definitely add it to this post! 

"Inferior Interior," by Rochelle Williams.

Black and white painting by artist Ivan Velez, plus my possibly favorite work from the show, his nine-panel comic "If," which is super sweet and poignant.

"Chulo #3 (La Gran Virgen Santa Betty de la Boop," by Ivan Velez.

"If," by Ivan Velez.

Other artists whose work is featured in this show include: D. Shayne Aldrich, Ryan William Turley, Christopher Udemezue, Micaela Anaya, Michael J. DiRaimondo, Olivia Frazao, Paul Baker Prindle, Rory Golden, Nicole Goodwin, and Cecilia Givens.

If you would like to visit the gallery, they are located at 1699 Lexington Ave, between 106th & 107th streets, in a basement-level storefront.  Their hours are Saturdays from 1-5pm. 

New Quilt: "Welcome Complexities #1"

This is one of my many quilt projects that are finally finished after sitting around half-done for months and months while I had no idea what needed to be done next.  The quilt was in limbo for who knows how long, until one day I decided to apply my trusty "Just start attaching things and soon it will be fabulous" method.  Sure enough, after extensive embroidery, drawing, more embroidery and adding found objects with holes drilled in them, a finished quilt had emerged!

"Welcome Complexities #1"

Title: Welcome Complexities #1
Materials: inkjet printed cotton, found fabrics, sheer ribbon, found objects, beads, Swarovski crystals, embroidery, permanent marker, jewelry, laminated images
Dimensions: 13" by 9.5"
Date: 2012

Click on details below to view larger versions.

Art Show: "Walking Through Time," by Sue Benner, at The ArtQuilt Gallery

There are a lot of things to be seen in New York City, and New Yorkers like to think of ourselves as having more of everything than pretty much anywhere else, but there are certainly some notable exceptions to this.

The first is stars.  I'm not sure exactly what happened, but when they were handing out stars New York must have waited to sign up for them until the very last minute - if you look into the sky at night, especially in Manhattan, you'll see how we ended up with just the tiny, dinky ones that were leftover in the bottom of the sack.

Another unexpected exception to the more-of-everything principle is Art Quilting.  New York is honestly not the most fruitful place to try and make it as an art quilter.

This situation is hopefully in the process of changing, however - in April 2011 New York got its only venue exclusively devoted to showing quilts, The ArtQuilt Gallery.  If a city is only going to have a single place that showcases quilt art, I have to say that The ArtQuilt Gallery is a pretty great one!  Their space consists of a single large, brightly lit room attached to The City Quilter fabric and supply store. It's impossible to go in there and not come out ready to have a great day, because you'll see gorgeous artwork and chat with open-hearted folks who can't wait to share their love of fiber art.

"Specimen #2: Sampler" by Sue Benner, 2011

On view now (from March 20 through April 28, 2012) are works by master art quilter Sue Benner. I have been an art quilter for many years but am only just now starting to connect with the larger Art Quilt World and to learn about all the unbelievably talented people working in this medium, and as a result I had never heard of Sue Benner until I walked through the door of The ArtQuilt Gallery a few weeks ago.  Seeing Sue Benner's work for the first time, especially not having known about her beforehand, was a truly wonderful experience!

"Wearing Plaid 1" by Sue Benner, 2011

You all will have to forgive the poor quality of my photographs - they really do not do Sue Benner's quilts justice at all, but I'm hoping they'll still inspire those of you who can make it to New York by the 28th to swing by the gallery and check them out.

"Prairie/Wall 1" by Sue Benner, 2010

Sue Benner's work incorporates hand-dyed and commercial cotton, silk and synthetic fabrics that are painted, monoprinted, stamped and foiled, then cut into various specific shapes and fused into a single composition, then locked into place with elegant free motion quilting that is scaled perfectly on each quilt to catch the fabric edges as effectively as possible while existing as its own powerful design element.  As far as I can tell the quilts in this show involve little to no piecing, and I found this all-fused technique extremely intriguing - it seems like there must be endless potential for improvising as you go.

"Studio History in Four Parts" by Sue Benner, 2010

Science seems to have been Sue Benner's first love - before becoming an art quilter she pursued studies in cellular biology - you can read about her history here.

"Cellular Structure VIII (Oval Shift)," 2007 and "Display II," by Sue Benner, 2008

Some of Benner's quilts reference ideas related to the structure of cells in living bodies. She says about her Cellular Structure series:

"A cell can be described as the functional unit of a larger whole.  I think about cells as an organizing device in many contexts, but the biological cell is a particular source of fascination for me. These shapes live in my mind and are the building blocks of my world and art." 

Four smaller pieces in the "Checks and Bars" series, by Sue Benner, 2011

These quilts for the most part take up entire walls and fill a room with brilliant colors, but as an artist who tends to work super small, I was happy to see these smaller-scale works.  These little guys really invite a person to get up close and examine them - there is A LOT going on!

I hope I learned some new design ideas and fabric painting and manipulation concepts from this show, and I am DEFINITELY needing to go make some art right now.  Go check out Sue's work, and get inspired!

Product Review: A Big Thumbs-Down to Poly-Fil Hi-Loft Batting

I recently decided it might be fun to try free motion quilting in a way that would produce more dimension on the surface of my quilts, so I went out and bought a crib size piece of Poly-Fil Hi-Loft batting to experiment with.  My standard go-to batting is Warm & Natural 100% cotton, so I knew that the all-polyester, far fluffier batting would take some getting used to.

Poly-Fil Hi-Loft batting... Can I find a use for it?

As it turns out the fluffiness did not bother me at all, but there was a far greater concern that may prevent me from ever using this batting for serious projects.  Poly-Fil claims to be flame retardant, and this is in fact true - it just gets all smelly and melty instead of catching fire.  However, it turns out the batting is decidedly NOT heat-resistant.  The minute you touch it with a hot iron, it flattens right up and sticks to itself, completely and permanently ruining its loftiness!  For many quilters this would not be a problem, but for me it's disastrous!  I tend to add a lot of paints, fabric markers, iron-on transfers and fusible applique during or after my quilting process, and all of these things benefit from heat-setting.  If Poly-Fil is going to give up its fluffy ghost the moment it gets pressed (the batting flattens after less than ten seconds of ironing), then it is never going to be the batting for me.

Squashed, flattened bits.  So annoying!

I'm very glad I decided to only purchase the crib size batting - I'm sure that I can come up with some simple pieced projects to use the remaining batting for, but for any real art quilting I am going right back to my Warm & Natural!
If anyone has suggestions about which batting they prefer to use and which projects it excels at, please leave them in the comments - I would love to hear your ideas!

New Quilt: "Pale Spaces Unexplored for Centuries"

Hand printed fabric (sort of!) The main blue and green textures in this quilt were made using hand carved foam stamps to apply ink from Sharpie markers to muslin.  Sharpie ink dries very quickly, so if you stamp multiple times after inking the stamp once, you get a series of appealing, increasingly ghostly images.  The animals on the upper left were drawn onto brown fabric using the Pentel Gel Roller for Fabric, and the bottom half of the quilt features hand-made laminated sequins. 

"Pale Spaces Unexplored for Centuries"

Title: Pale Spaces Unexplored for Centuries
Materials: various found fabrics, muslin, ribbon, laminated images, Sharpie, fabric pen, embroidery floss, beads, yarn
Dimensions: 11.375" by 16.625"
Date: 2012

Click on details below to view larger versions on Flickr.

Turns Out You Can't Use Everything...

I'm drawn to the challenge of using ALL THE THINGS in my work.  It's basically the point of why I make quilts - quilting is the ultimate scavenger's artform.  It's why I have such a hard time ever getting rid of stuff - supplies, paper scraps, found objects, bits of leftover thread... You will all get to see some of my more outlandish collections in future "Meet the Supplies" posts. They're all just waiting to find their proper home in a piece of art.  But, sometimes even a consummate collector must admit defeat.  About a year and a half ago I found these truly wonderful wooden blocks hiding in the trash outside my local elementary school.  They're clearly teaching tools, though I'm not sure why the school was getting rid of them.

Beautiful wooden blocks.

I had such high hopes for these - I wanted to glue them onto plywood in a grid and then cut shapes from the whole assemblage using my scroll saw... OR, to glue them together to make a 1" wide multi-colored frame for a work of art... OR, to drill holes diagonally into the corner of each block and hang them from the bottoms of my quilts... OR, to glue an image onto one side of each block and attach a tiny hanger to the back to make miniscule works of art... So many ideas! 

However, the blocks proved to be too dense to easily cut with the scroll saw or drill into, and the 1" thickness really made them inappropriate for inclusion in my quilts, and after they sat around in their box beneath my scroll saw quite literally collecting dust for a year and a half, I realized I had to let them move on and find a better home. 

I posted a description with photo on Freecycle, and was thrilled to see how many people had an interest in hundreds of brightly colored wooden blocks!  A young woman came by and got them, and now her husband who is a teacher will use them in his classroom to demonstrate concepts about volume and area.  So really they're right back where they belong! 

I guess not Everything ends up as art...
...but I did end up holding onto a little handful of them, just in case!