PAQA Meeting

I went to the Professional Art Quilt Alliance (PAQA) meeting today. It is held at the library in Glen Ellyn, which is a 2.5 hour drive from Madison. But it is worth the long drive and getting up at 6:00 AM.

Here are the goals of PAQA:

Bring and show new and original work

Encourage new artists in the field

Discuss professional issues

Network

Share wisdom and experience

At the meeting, we do a thing called "Showcasing", which is an elaborate show and tell. I love it because you get to see quilts that win national awards. Their creators are willing to share how they made the quilt. The quilts are spread out around the room and you can even touch them. Rachel Wetzler, show us her latest quilt. It is called, The World. On it she wrote the opening verse from the bible. As you can see it is a double hemisphere surround by foliage and animals. It is an amazing work of art and sure to win prizes where ever it is entered. It has been a long day for me so, good night and thank you for being a Rust-Tex.bolgspot.com reader.

Winners of the Rust-Tex Collection

Judy Momenzadeh, has been quilting for 12 years and sewing most of her life. She started out traditionally but became fascinated with free motion quilting so started doing art quilts. Somewhere along the line she discovered digital techniques on fabric, that has become her passion. She loves taking photos of nature and using them as metaphors for emotions, feelings, and life experiences.

Judy is a confessed technique junkie!

Jars Of Clay, My People

Fused, raw edge applique using original inkjet images printed on commercial, rust dyed cottons and metallic paper applied to commercial fabrics, embellished with oil paint sticks and water soluble wax crayons, free-motion and machine guided quilting using rayon and polyester threads.

My inspiration came from a Bible scripture that says we are but jars of clay, our essence; our being is the Spirit within. "My People" represents friends, families, communities, mankind. The jars represent to me individual people and the incredible potential that we all have within.
Judy shares a blog with two fiber art friends, but she seems to do most of the posting.
Judy’s Blog: http://www.miamithreads.blogspot.com/

Winners of the Rust-Tex Collection

Frieda Anderson, made her first quilt when she was in high school. She has been designing and making original quilts ever since. She finds each step of quilt making, from the beginning to the end, a real challenge. Most of her quilts are fused or have fusing in them.

Frieda says, "Every day I walk in the woods with my dog. In the late spring it is an adventure while walking to search for Jack in the Pulpits. I love the primordial look of their leaves and the way they hide in the undergrowth. I often bring my sketchbook and sketch them."Jack in the Pulpit

Background fabric over dyed Rust-Tex fabric with procion dyes, artist hand dyed cotton, silks and thread, raw edged fused, free-motion machine quilted.

"My dog's name is George. He is a Jack Russell Terrier, or terror, take your pick. He and I go to the woods everyday that I am home and walk. It is because of him that I am able to find so many subjects for my work. I love the fact that we walk in the woods, and I love the flora and fauna of our little woods and, of course, I love George.", Frieda said.

Frieda’s Website: http://www.friestyle.com

Frieda’s Blog: http://www.friestyle.blogspot.com

Winners of the Rust-Tex Collection

Beth Wheeler, has been a fiber artist for most of her life. She began embroidering by hand at age 5, crocheting at age 6, sewing garments for dolls and people at age 7, and quilting at age 16.

She is the author of hundreds of articles for consumer and trade publications and her 47th book, Next Steps in Altered Photo Artistry, was released in October 2009.

Whisper on the Wind

Rust-dyed cotton base with printed digital images, fabric paint, machine quilted, hand beaded.

Here is the story that inspired Beth to make this quilt.

"One spring day my grandmother, mother, and I went to the farm of a relative to see the spring wildflowers in the woods. I was mesmerized by the delicate shapes and colors of the various blossoms, but was disappointed when Grandmother said they couldn't go home with us. Grandmother told me, They would be unhappy away from their home in the woods and would die.

I quickly grew bored of looking at flowers that would not be in a vase in my room and wandered off, sat on a log, and imagined I could hear fairy voices on the wind. Their voices were soft as whispers and they spoke in a strange language."

Machine stitching on the the ancient language of Tamil, is in monofilament, to add texture without distracting color and is enhanced with hand-beaded "punctuation."The color was added with Earth Safe Finishes watercolor.

Beth's Website: http://www.threadography.net

Beth's Blog: http://www.threadsociety.blogspot.com

New Product

My friend, Freida Anderson, did a little video of me at International Quilt Festival-Chicago. You can see it by following the link below:

http://friestyle.blogspot.com/2010/04/rust-tex.html

Please forgive the dumb look on my face at the beginning of the video. I should have been smiling but I didn't know I was in the picture!

A New Show in Chicago

International Quilt Festival is moving to Cincinnati, and everyone is wondering why? The vendors think Cincinnati made them an offer they can't refuse.

There is a new show coming to Chicago, or rather Schaumburg.

The Original Sewing & Quilt Expo will be held March 31, April 1 & 2, 2011 at the Schaumburg Convention Center. To learn more follow this link:

http://www.sewingexpo.com/ChicagoIL.aspx

Rust-Tex will be vending there!!! So you can can stock up on all those great 4 yards of embellishment threads for a $1.00, which are not available at the store at Rust-Tex.Com, and the many vintage items I carry in the booth.

I might even be teaching rust dyeing.