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Finally, we've had a stretch of warm, sunny days and my spring flowers are starting to bloom. Local garden centers are awash with marigolds, pansies, geraniums, and herbs. All of which has made me think about gardening and dyeing. Sunny, windless days are perfect for dyeing. But while I usually use...
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Have you experienced fiber art creep? You know, when you learn one fiber genre, let's say quilting, leads to dyeing your own fabric, which may lead to screen printing or felting...which may lead to spinning...or paper making...and so on? C'mon, admit it. You know this has happened to you. It...
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Barbara Brack man has come out with a line of fabric called “Civil War Reunion”. Read on to see the inspiration behind this line, and learn a little about Civil War quilts in the process! You have recen tly put out a new line of Fabrics with Moda entitled “Civil War Reunion”....
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I have collected a ton of fibers in my career as a quilt artist. Everything from novelty yarns, to silk carrier rods and cocoons, to felt balls, ribbons and metallic threads, wool and silk roving. Not to mention the scraps of thousands of quilting fabrics, sheers, gauzes, saris, and the like. And don't...
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Aren't we all craving signs of spring right about now? I know I am. Heck, I'd be happy to go right to summer! Back at Quilting Arts headquarters in Massachusetts, spring is slow to arrive. In fact, we can have snow as late as May. But everyone on the staff knows that once we get that first warm...
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Every time I come back to our editorial offices back east I'm greeting with more Quilting Arts @10 anniversary postcards. I love it! We'll be featuring some in the next issue of the magazine, so watch for them. Each postcard reminds me of the techniques we've shared with you over the years...
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I just completed a huge move so I can be closer to the QUILTING ARTS office. One of the best parts about moving is undoubtedly when all the hard work is done and it’s finally time to unpack the boxes, set everything up, and begin a new craft project. This past weekend, I decided I was ready to...
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Do you have hours of uninterrupted studio time? Me neither. I would say that unless you work full time in a dedicated studio, finding time to create is one of hardest things about being an artist. For most people, especially women, art has to get made in between "real jobs," kids, pets, and...
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There's an old joke, from well before my time, that is still around because it's a classic. An elderly gentleman is walking down the street in New York City. A younger man steps up to him and asks, "Excuse me, sir, but how do I get to Carnegie Hall?" To which the older man replies:...
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As I write this, the snow is coming down, I'm wearing extra warm socks and a scarf, and I'm wondering if I remembered to put the ice scraper in my trunk. The very thought of a being outside in a silk slip dress makes me shiver. But oh, if only I had a ticket to Australia, where it's summer...
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One thing I've learned, and that I love, about contemporary art quilting is that you can't really make a mistake. Everything that happens is grist for the creative mill and happy accidents often serve as "aha!" moments. On the other hand, there are times when a technique doesn't...
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If I could sum up the way the world looks to me during the holiday season in one word, it would be "sparkle." Sparkle is everywhere, from the moonlit snow that twinkles like diamond dust to the strings of Christmas lights up on the rooftops, to the flickering candles lit for Hanukkah and Advent...
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I'll bet that if you've been a fiber or mixed-media artist for a while, then you've accumulated a rather large array of tools, gadgets, how-to books and the like. And I'm also willing to bet that, like me, you use only a handful of those items over and over again. In fact, I'd have...
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Congratulations to Barb Forrister on being this week’s Facebook blogger of the week! When Pippa and I were going through all of the blogs that were entered this past week we were amazed by how awesome they all were – it was a tough to choose just one. In the end we chose Barb Forrister’s...
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Kathy York’s quilt, "Fifty and Female and Fearless", graced the cover of Quilting Arts for the October/ November 2010 issue. At Quilt Festival a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Kathy, and I learned that she is not only a talented art quilter but also a fabric designer! I took...