Thank you for holding... while we move! It's been underway for several months now, and believe me when I say it took every minute of that. There is a reason why moving is on the list of top ten stressors! Phew. I haven't been near my blog or my sewing machine in quite some time, and there is definitely a withdrawal at play. What to do? Go see a wonderful quilt exhibit that's what! Feed the creative juices. The Webber Gallery at the Community College of Central Florida in Ocala held "Threading the Needle: National Art Exhibit" recently. I found it so refreshing. Come along for a visit. This chaotic design really resembles our lives of late! It's titled "Gendankenkarussell: Insomnia" by Donna Blalock. One in a series on the swirling thoughts of sleeplessness, the title speaks for itself. It's also an inviting study of techniques.
A familiar face? I've shared some of Karol Kusmaul's work on the blog before. And I was fortunate to take a class from her in still life quilts. Her portrait quilts are so unique. You can see some others here. This expressive piece is titled "Mug Shot".
"Where Hope Takes Flight" by Gabriele DiTota is a beautiful study in fabric manipulation- it has cyanotype, hand-dyed, and hand-painted fabrics which are pieced, appliqued, and free-motion quilted.
"(Everybody Deserves) The Chance to Soar" was made by Michael R. Stevenson PhD. He used pieced African batik fabrics and enhanced the quilt with machine embroidery and hand stitching.
Sometimes the story behind a quilt is as interesting as the quilt itself. That was the case for "Yaacov' Algae in Yellow". This is Zwia Lipkin's digitally crafted whole-cloth quilt with free-motion stitching and hand embroidery. Her father was a marine biologist who kept a collection of dried algae gathered in his student days. Zwia and her mother found the specimens after he passed and photographed them. Zwia manipulated the images and printed them on cotton cloth to make this piece.
Managing anxiety is the thrust of "They Tell Me to Calm Down" by Anne Kobus. Her improvisationally pieced quilt is meant to communicate that a dismissive phrase, such as "calm down," is an unproductive way to address anxiety disorders, which are generally misunderstood. She used commercial cottons in her colorful and chaotic quilt.
Soon I hope to show you something I've made! I really, really look forward to it. But first to say good-bye to our beloved farm, then sort and organize the new (and much smaller) sewing room.
