Melanie Testa’s Blog

Creating a sense of movement+change.

2010-01-26T14:15:00Z

Hello Good Reader!

I have been blogging on the Quilting Arts web site since it's inception in late April, almost nine months! This has been a great way to celebrate the release of my book, to connect with you, to create videos that show off my favorite techniques and to explore the world of quilting in its myriad forms. I have loved every minute of it. I've met great people and been able to see Quilting Arts and Cloth, Paper Scissors grow into a fabulous and supportive community. Beside thanking Pokey and the fabulous crew that she works with, this community is what it is because of you.

I have also been maintaining my personal blog, every-single-day! at melanietesta.com. It is time for me to 'move on home', as the saying goes. I hope you will continue reading my posts from there!

Thanks to all of you for being a part of this blog, for reading, commenting and posting images of the work you created as a result. You are the best.

---Melly

mend, random, intuit

2010-01-19T13:31:00Z

I do not make resolutions in a yearly manner. I don't feel compelled to make a particular change on a particular day, but this year I have been thinking about words for creative exploration.

After some thought I have come up with: mend, random, intuit.

mend: I am in love with stitches that are not intentional. Or perhaps I should describe it as stitches that are purposeful without the willful intent of beauty or symmetry.

random: disparate imagery cobbled and pulled from different sources. The connections might be evident or private, you never know.

intuit: I don't want to use the word intuitive. Intuit. Intuit feels more present-tense somehow. Ituit feels embodied, trusting, internal.

I have been exploring stitch. Hand Stitch. Slow stitch. Slow cloth. I have joined a group on facebook called Slow Cloth and am enjoying thinking the idea through. The term is akin to slow food, as it might to compared to the more ubiquitous, fast food.

Slow Cloth is intentional, takes time, energy and thought. It doesn't necassarily mean that you sew by hand, it also means you make the cloth you use, paint or dye, it can mean that you sew by machine. But more often than not it means that you engage in the path of mastery, intention and wonder of materials.

This weekend, my Man and I went to Sri Threads here in Brooklyn. The man who owns the gallery collects Boro cloth and garments. Indigo dyed cloth-rags and tatters, for the most part that has been mended and repurposed for long term use.

I beelined it for the rag basket. I really want scraps. I found a few gems, I didn't go overboard because the lil buggers can be expensive. Now I need to search my cloth bins for some other pieces that will go with.

Lacey!

2010-01-09T11:59:00Z

I have been making cloth and enjoying every minute of it! In a moment of, 'What if?' I created a freezer paper resist that reminds me of doilies and lace. I printed it on a green ground, where if you look closely you'll see rodeo arches, doors, dog houses and church steeples. It was a piece of cloth I'd dye printed years ago and slowly whittled away.

The broad open areas are calling to me. They make me want to paint a toile like scene in them, the scene would need to be irreverent like the green fabric itself.

The Quiet Celebrate

2009-12-24T11:09:00Z

This week Brooklyn received about a foot of snow. David had the day off and we watched movies, drank hot cocoa and waited for the snow to really hit. It was night time when the snow settled in for the long haul. So we bundled up and and went outside to experience the snow falling among the brownstones. I love the quiet that snow lends to the environment, it is a hush of expectancy like no other.

We walked to the park and I hopped on a swing. I love swings and these are in high demand during regular hours. It amazes me that adults don't nip out and take a swing more often.

We ran through the park and slid on our boot heels, admired the light displays, and had a few, 'Ho, ho, ho's' when we saw plastic Santas in windows along our route.

Super fun.

I don't know what you celebrate in this season and I don't mean to leave anyone out but, Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy

Kwanzaa. And just plain enjoy each day, as though it is a holiday, because really, each and every-single-day is just that.

I will be away for a week enjoying my Man, my family and taking each moment as it comes. I hope you are doing the same.

the Slowness of Being

2009-12-19T19:30:00Z

Being creative and fostering growth within that realm is a process of engaging with the world around you as well as that of other artists. Taking what you learn from these places and making it your own is the imperative of each of us as artists.

A few years ago, a few of my friends took a class by Dorothy Caldwell. The samples they brought home were stunning and got me thinking about Kantha cloth and making marks on cloth using stitch. This stewed and brewed within me for, as I said, a couple of years.

Then I started reading Jude Hill at Spirit Cloth whose work, style and approach inspire me so much, I feel overwhelmed. I know I have been talking about her a lot in the last few months, but there you have it. Jude tells stories in every stitch. She concerns herself with concepts and ideas and explores those ideas one stitch at a time. Her edges are ragged when they need to be. Creatures surface, moons appear, words bubble up from the depths of thread. Dots, dashes, random and ordered.

For a while I had a story in my head that went like this, "Melly. You need to create and finish artwork more quickly. You cannot get so immersed in a piece that it takes a year to finish it. You will never be able to sell artwork that takes too long to finish.'

That is an old storyline. That storyline began when I was in my beaded mosaic/beading stage. And well before I started working small and allowing myself to work on multiple pieces at one time. So. It is time to ditch that storyline, right? OK.

Especially in light of my newest addiction.

Kantha cloth, using positive and negative space, stitch, cloth and line to create a story or idea. I am using my own hand dyed 6 strand embroidery floss to create this little tableau (although, I am using a single strand to do it). If you look closely, you will see the Daisy Gazer. The beauty of this thread is that it slowly fades into the cloth I am using (Thank you Judy).

Here is a detail of the Daisy Gazer.

The Daisy Gazer is a little doodle that I do when asked to sign my book. His expression is how I feel when I see birds. Captivated and stilled and wanting to see more.

Which is also how I feel when stitching. One. Stitch. At. A. Time.

I am making the design up as I go. Free-form, with no outlines. Can you see the spaceship with alien? Can you tell I am having fun? AND seeing as I started stitching this on Thursday, can you remind me that it is not taking a year to complete (even if it is, as yet, incomplete)?

Small Wonder

2009-12-16T19:09:00Z

Last week I taught a class locally and really enjoyed it. I hit all the points I had hoped to make, I didn't plan too much (which is normal for me), and I didn't plan too little. It was just right, and I believe my class thought so too. They were ten women strong and they were open to possibilities. They have their own small offshoot of a larger national guild and they practice many forms of fiber art from weaving and knitting to quilting.

Here you see myself, the exuberant Gilda, Helene and Lauren. I love the word exuberant and hope I might be considered an exuberant person too.

I was also impressed by the focus and intent of the group. When it was time to start, we started. There was much laughter too. They were a joy to experience and a joy to teach.

This is a sample that I made for that class but today I took the time to complete it.

And even though I like things in progress, rather than complete here is the finished piece straight on.

Slow Sewing

2009-12-07T11:49:00Z

I am preparing for a class I will teach later this week. In this instance I was asked to do my Small Works, Big Impact class with a leaning toward painted imagery (rather than dye) and hand sewing. I love dye for its vibrancy, but paint is pretty awesome too. In this sample I used Stewart Gill paints, which are really creamy and nice. Just the organza layer is painted.

But what I am really interested in is the stitch work.

The title of this post is inspired by Jude over at Spirit Cloth, whose work is scrumptious. I love it so much, I lurve it. I don't know that she uses a sewing machine at all. But she tells stories in cloth and stitch, calling it slow cloth. This is a play on ideas like fast food, is there such a thing? And if we work with our hands, is it not the time and energy that we put into the making that is the substance and comfort of the process?

This is a detail of the stitches surrounding the top most bird. As I was working on this piece I made an effort at listening to the needle enter the cloth. I found that I prefer stitching all the way through the cloth and back up again, rather than a running quilt like stitch to create the straight lines of stitching that surround the bird. The reason being that I think the sheen of the DMC embroidery floss shows up better when worked in this manner. I am using a mixture of hand dyed and commercial flosses in this piece and like the difference in color and texture that this creates.

I love Slow Sewing. I like to say that I don't like reading a book unless it is fat! I want to get into the characters and story line, I look for total immersion. I do this in making my art too. I want to make the cloth, love sewing densely by machine and for these smaller, more manageable pieces, I like to use embroidery and hand sewing to best advantage. It feels good.

My friend Cricket got this birdy tray at Ikea and, of course, I love it!

Now to discuss the Tools of the Tray (which makes me giggle). The embroidery scissors are a cherished gift from my brother and are about 20 years old. I sewed the leather case for them. The thimble fits me perfectly, size 8. The office nubbins is a lifesaver when embroidering. It really helps take the pressure off your wrists and hands, helping to grab the needle and pull it through the cloth. Then of course there is Thread Heaven, a wondrous waxy help. It actually works better than wax.I think it has silicone in it.

So there you have it. I will be working on more of these this week.

Getting to Know You.

2009-11-29T21:43:00Z

I love color and color mixing. I just bought a new palette of gouache and have been recreating the tools and methods with which I have been working. Pencil cases for figure drawing sessions, a smaller pencil case for everyday use, a new palette of paint. I am no longer going to use my much loved and well used Pelikan paint set (it is time to use grown up paints and tools and I am ready.

Moving into a new manner of approach can be daunting. I don't know some of these paints or pigments. My 'go to' colors are new new and improved. And although I have been hunting and gathering supplies I haven't been using them as much as I want to. So I sat down and began to be methodical.

When I first started to sew, I told myself to learn the 'right' way, then let go of it and do it my way. This is a fantastic approach in all endeavors. It allows you the learning curve that is needed in order to move into a new idea or thought process.

I learned the basics of color mixing in school. Color mixing was my nemesis in school. The teacher loved nothing better than to tell us what to do then leave the room and get tea for 45 minutes, leaving us to struggle without being able to ask questions.

But we were asked to take each new open tube of paint and to swipe it off the edge of a piece of watercolor, grouping all of the reds blues and yellows together. Then we were asked to apply each color to a page in gradation from pure color to as light as we could get it. This teaches a lot. It tells you where the color will go when watered down, it lets you know what to expect. It is a great start. Learn the 'right' way, then find your own voice.

So these are the new colors that I have at my disposal. I now have an idea of of what they will do in gradation, and their placement in my palette,

and what they look like straight out of the tube. The photos above are my current palette using most of Roz's suggestions and are mostly M. Graham Gouache.

This sample is my original palette from the Fashion Institute, which I have kept in a 3RB (3 ring binder) for the last 10 years. This set of samples is Winsor & Newton gouache and Luma watercolor dye (which I think is extinct- Dr. Martin is another brand name for this type of watercolor).

This is a sample that I made for my book, which can be found on page 17, though in much smaller format. This is thickened Procion MX dye on cloth.

And this is the color wheel that I created for my book, also Procion MX, also on cloth. I am pretty sure this is Golden Yellow, Mixing Red and Intense Blue.

I show all of this to reinforce what it takes to learn color and its use. These are the mediums I have chosen to use and I think this is a great way to inform myself as to how to use them and lto earn their idiosyncrasies.

I know that working in this manner may seem intense and protracted, but it is thorough. Besides, let your art know you are serious about getting to know all about it!

Just in case you haven't watched this: please do (the link is #6 in the Inspired to Quilt Video Series:Color Mixing with dye). It is worth it.

Here is another picture of Arrow. I lub 'im and his boxer paws.

And can I just say? A few weeks ago I got it in my head that Arrow needed a new bed for my sewing closet, I mean room. I wanted a pet store type soft walled item but decided that until I found myself in that type store, I would plug in his cat pad (6 Watts of kitty happiness) and create a bed with stuff I had around the apartment. This is his blanket, made years ago, placed over his kitty pad and wrapped around a dye bin (clean of course). This bed has such MOJO that Arrow has been loving it exclusive of the cat tree and sometimes even my LAP!!! And ARROW is a LAP CAT! It doesn't bother him one bit that it is too small. No sir.

The Importants and Niftiness.

2009-11-27T16:45:00Z

No, the title of this post is not spelled improperly.

It is always a good thing when I delve deeply into working my journals. It means that I will have fodder for working in cloth and that I am staying actively engaged in my creative process. Nothing wrong with that.
As I have been posting, I am actively seeking new and improved journaling supplies, Roz Stendahl has helped and encouraged me in this. I went and bought a new set of gouache, cleaned out an old watercolor palette and created a new palette of gouache to travel with me. I made a pencil case to travel to figure drawing sessions. But really, who wants to carry a huge pencil case every day?
For years I had been using a plastic case that came with a set of pens bought from an office supply store. When it started to come apart, I asked my Man to tape it and he got fancy with some colorful duct tapes. But this week, I looked at the plastic case and saw a hole forming at the bottom of the case. This small case has been good to me. It carried three nice pens, tucks nicely into my purse and is neat and orderly.
So I recreated it in cloth.

I love to make and design bags (there are three links in this sentence-click, but please do come back).

And soon another free bag pattern of mine will be released at the Sewing Republic web site! I am very excited about that bag! I will blog about it when it happens.

So anyway. This small pencil case still fits three pens quite nicely, has a ribbon loop closure sewn into the side seams (I think the ribbon is thanks to Jeannie E VH). and has whipped stitch hand dyed edging. There are small tucks in the bottom of the pouch to allow for the depth of the pens.

So, anyway.

A few weeks ago I was asked to participate in an artistic ponzi scheme where I make one piece of art, mail it to the person at the top of the list and replace my name with theirs... and it's complicated in detail. I sent a piece of art out, late (of course). I am supposed to get 36 pieces in response to this.

This is the one I sent out, I think it went to Hawaii and I don't know how long that takes.

These two pieces were one, when I originally made them. I cut them so that I could send out two postcards. Although I didn't need to send it out as a result of the exchange, I sent this postcard to the scheme's organizer. I bet she has already received it but I have not heard. But if you pop over to her site, you will see that she is quite busy, she just got a book deal, you see. I am so happy for her.

I know that two of the people I emailed to participate in this exchange are unable to participate so if you would like the details please leave a comment. I would love to get some art in exchange!

And because this is Thanksgiving weekend, I would like to give thanks to you good reader. Thank you for reading this blog, leaving comments, being my friend and supporting me in my creative pursuits. My virtual community has really been a support to me in the last year and I have to acknowledge that! Thanks to you.

Pencils; tamed.

2009-11-21T13:49:00Z

With my focus on journaling and drawing, I decided to make a pencil case for all that I will need to carry back and forth to figure drawing sessions. I had the machine quilting samples for the International Quilt Fest: Quilt Scene article I wrote and went at it.

The bag is modeled after a bag I saw while shopping at this pen store (scroll down). I didn't put the small pocket in as you see in the inspiration, though I wish I had, it would carry a sharpener and eraser quite nicely. A mod in retrospect? hm.

I like how it becomes a pencil cup, though it is a little soft and wobbly, of course.

I did all of this between 7:30 and 9 yesterday morning. My parents visited me and we spent the day eating our way through just some of what Brooklyn has to offer.

It was a great day, but much too short. Don't we look well fed and happy?

We were tired of living in a house.

2009-11-19T01:24:00Z

So we packed our bags and moved into a city apartment.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

The title of this post refers to a favorite childhood book by the same name.

Last night I went to the Society of Illustrators Sketch and Jazz event. Event? It is a twice weekly gathering of people who draw figure models for 3 hours. There is a bar and a live jazz group, bass, sax and piano. The Society has been around for 105 years, it's filled with artwork from the Big'uns and is a great setting.

I went alone and had much flutterings and hesitation beforehand. Afterward, pure skipping and la-de-da happiness.

I came home to a little bulge of an envelope that I am thankful wasn't lost in the sending. The envelope was ripped and pudgy and exciting looking. It contained a lil LaFazio felted wool square among some samples of her fav threads (which I had asked for). It immediately got hung on my sewing room wall. The square doesn't have a name and I am lovingly calling it lil LaFazio.

My snapshots stink and do not do the lil wonder justice.

And have you seen my latest article in Cloth, Paper, Scissors?

CPS is hosting a Mother Earth Doll Challenge and used my doll image to promote it in their newsletter, are you going to participate?

The zone.

2009-11-14T01:33:00Z

A famine, then a feast. That seems to be the way of life, I think.

Just before Houston, I decided it was time to make a larger piece, based on the recent painting of a Wester Tanager in my journal and I set out. I printed in a flurry, with no true thought in how to get the thing printed and made rules up as I went. I then needed to put the piece aside in order to prepare for my lecture and forums. When I came back, I made the retreat and then caught cold. But still I worked on the piece throughout.

Above is a photo of a ripping. I didn't like the placement of the machine drawn daisy, so out came the seam ripper. We are looking at the piece from the back. I decided to back this piece in flour sacks collected while still living in Flagstaff, AZ. Blue Bird Flour by Cortez Millling Co. Cloth flour sacks are not a rare occurence in the middle of our huge country. I have seen calico ones too. These sacks have been well used and have stains of authenticity on them. They even have crunchy bits of flour that are falling away with my dense machine quilting.

And here is a detail again. Can you tell I have been having fun?

anybody home?

2009-11-12T01:33:00Z

...and then I have been quilting up a storm and not only that but, oh wait.

Hi. How you are? Long time no see. Sorry about that. Yeah. I was away for a lil bit there and for no good reason. Or maybe there were many reasons.

I will slow down.

I did get a flu a couple of weeks ago, and it hung on, clawing, scratching and biting. I am still coughing. But it is getting better-thank goodness.

The above is a detail of the piece I am working on right now and it looks totally different now. In that photo, the organza layer is covering over the Western Tanager's face. The organza has since been cut away and the bird shows itself strikingly, proudly, vibrant even.
But it is not finished. I have not yet read the rules for a certain upcoming quilt show deadline, so a detail is all I will show right now.

With all this Recycled Journal watercolor stuff floating around in my mental space, I have been researching and looking into drawing, paint, and journaling web sites. Almost to the point where I need to tell myself to step away from the computer and focus on the three (!!!) teaching proposals I need to crank out.

But, when you have a cold, what better than to surf the web and find sites like this, or this.

Now I have been wanting a new paint palette ever since I saw Jane LaFazio working with M. Grahams watercolor paintlast spring.

But a girl needs to draw the line somewhere! I have several lines competing for my attention, I would like a smaller paint box than I now carry and I want to start using better quality paint, which I have been finding out is M. Graham among others.

Where are these ideas coming from? Beside Jane that is? Roz.

Roz is putting all sorts of not-so-crazy ideas in my head. Her blog is super organized, categorized, she is humorous, she can draw and paint like nobodies bidnss and she is my new blog crush. Except that she also introduced me to Andrea Joseph's Sketchblog. And is laughing is your thing then perhaps you should fall in love with Oswald over at the Mistress of Longears' Flickr site (Jane turned me on to her).

So. I am on the mend, quilting a piece that is bigger than 12" square(!), researching paint selections and color choices, and wondering how you are too. Thanks for sticking with me folks. I loves yous like I loves Bird Toes. (everything is better with an S at the end of it!)

And Whoa! Hey, wait!

Here is a free project I made for The Sewing Republic . Just released and spankin' new! I couldn't talk about it while I created the pattern, but I can now! Go download your pattern today.

So many shoulds, time enough to follow through.

2009-11-01T19:51:00Z

There are many things I should blog about, like the ten yards of fabric that came to my door on winning the Nature's Best contest, THANKS to you! Or the fabulous review of my book in Machine Quilting Unlimited, or the fantastic blog I found this week.

But instead I want to talk about the Recycled Journals I am now in love with. Have I talked about this too much already? I used some original pages from the book, Dreams their Meaning and Significance and layered them into signatures of 140 pound cold press Fabriano watercolor paper. See the texture? I could bite my tongue.

I already, sort of, messed the book up. I have to learn about end paper. I think they need to be stiffer than the paper I chose. And because I chose a paper that was floppy, I tried to substantiate it by painting the wrong side with white, panicked, glued something on top, panicked and well, you get the gist of it. Now the end paper in the front of the book is glued to the first page. Covered that one right up. It isn't that bad, a little odd, but. So am I (I was giggling through the writing of that last paragraph- it is good not to take self too srsly).

Have I said how much I love 140 pound watercolor paper? I learned to love it in school, Fabriano in particular. The brushes, the paint, the way the water lays atop the page ready to be reworked until it isn't anymore? Totally different than painting on cloth, but still such satisfaction.

And we all know how much I love to draw and wish that every person who had an inkling of even wanting to draw would start now. Right now. It is so graceful, paper and pencil, that it all you need. Painting is just an extension of drawing. And every artist, even if they don't use every tool in the box should have an understanding of the basics. It is so meditative.

I wish my first journals were available to me now, (they are in storage). I would show you. I sucked. We all suck when we start out, that is the way it is. I still have a ways to go, I want to learn to have ease with hands and feet, for instance. But when you are new, just tell yourself to turn the page and don't look back. Not right away, anyway. Now I can look back as some of my early journals and see the raw beauty and the gems among the mundane. See where I was stretching to see myself further, trying. For the most part, I love the progress I have made. But I do see it as a journey, not a destination.

Arrow, beautiful, white and black Arrow. Head tucked, smiling. He knew I was looking at him and kept murping and coming to attention and asking me to pet him.

I am actively seeking friends.

2009-10-27T01:27:00Z

Sometimes you just have to say it like it is. The statement comes out and then resonates. I spoke about this a bit in my last post, I told you of Shirley, who approached me at Open Studios and whose name tag indicated that she was from New York City. Without thinking I reiterated where she was from and told her I was actively seeking friends.
So this post is about friends, both old and new.

Last week, I returned home from my new friend Shirley's house with a sense of excitement, vim and vigor. I was a bit busy and although I wanted to drop everything and purchase some watercolor paper, linen thread and glue, I stayed focused. More on that later.
But today there was nice crisp fall weather and I was able to complete some jobs prior to hopping on the train and heading over to the art store to purchase the needed supplies. Photos will come later, the pages I am cutting in this photograph are being flattened over night.

A good friend of mine had to attend to some important business and was unable to teach a class. Somehow my name came up and I am filling in. This is a three week class where we print, create a quilt, and embellish.Week one we made found object stamps using cardboard, string and plastic.
I am now prepping for week 2; quilting, or perhaps embroidering is the right word. This is my sample and is as far as I have gotten.
Not too shabby! The sample makes me happy because it is not my normal style.

Then there was my retreat. This is a dream scenario, food is cooked three times a day on a strict schedule, wine and beer can be had if there is interest, a large room is provided where 8 to 10 talented, creative and supportive women gather twice a year to work on our own projects. The leaves outside rustled and fell, the view of the lake... gorgeous.
I decided not to go to lunch on Saturday and was left in a quiet room with piles of cloth, a spill of thread and echoes of friends voices. It was awesome. You might remember that I used to organize this group and that this is not the first retreat I have been to with these fabulous women (I went into my personal wayback machine and got lost in my own archives! Suffice it to say, I have been going to this retreat since 2005 safe for my brief love affair with Flagstaff.

Eye candy...

Brienne quilts like the devil and uses yummy threads to boot.

Carol embraces the whirlwind effect of creativity, if your stash overflows you will find the right cloth for the purpose. And heck! Look at her stash.

Dana is a wearable art artist and her work is amazing. She can handle the most delicate of cloth with mastery.

She helped me to break down and recreate the skirt pattern!
...Dharma, why is your Hemp/Silk Charmeuse so darned expensive (or perhaps I should say, when was the last time you made a skirt that calls for 5 yards of cloth?)

And here we are minus one member, sorry Jutta. From left to right, myself, Carol, Dana, Jane, Judy, Elizabeth and Brienne.