Category Archives: AQS

Summer’s End: A Workshop, Lecture and an Exhibit Visit

Summer has ended with a return to warm temperatures and a big sigh of relief. I love the last few weeks when you have fully sunk into sleeping in and reading lots of useless novels. Haha-that didn’t happen round here and August has kept me busy and happy.

Highlights from the month:

1. After moving home from VT in early August, I packed my bags and went to a Nancy Crow workshop sponsored by the Muskegon Museum of Art. I had taken it before but signed up knowing that a little refresher is always good for you. The title of the class was Sets and Variables and the intention was to manipulate a “motif” you have made into various assignments.

Peek to the left and you can see the beautiful workspace!

Peek to the left and you can see the beautiful workspace!

The workshop was given in a recently renovated building in downtown Muskegon and I fell in love with the high ceilings and great lighting we had.

DSC_7669

Motifs under construction

I greatly missed Margaret’s cooking as we ate out for lunch/dinner which really disrupts your process. I struggled with staying focused for the exercises. I learned quite  a bit about my working habits that are getting in my way.

Alwasy listen to directions :they needed to be smaller

Always listen to directions -they needed to be smaller

2. Nancy  Crow gave a lecture on Thursday night in conjunction with the opening of her solo show titled “Transformational Quilts“. It was a treat to here her speak about her work, her career and inspirations. The exhibit was breathtaking and included older work and some very new pieced work. ( No photos allowed. ) I have never had the opportunity to see more than one or two of her pieces in the past. She is definitely the master of color and composition and this exhibit reveals that so clearly.  It took my breath away to see such a variety of styles of her work in one space. The two events were a treasure for me. If you are in the area, you definitely need to see this exhibit. If you aren’t in the area, think about making a visit there before it closes in mid- October.

3. I went back to fabric dyeing last week. I am in love with full immersion of really dark pieces.

full immersion of  2 yard pieces

full immersion of 2 yard pieces

4. I assisted in the hanging of the AQS show here in Grand Rapids. It was amazing to see what goes on behind the scenes in a show. I signed up for a shift to help hang the quilts and enjoyed seeing both sides of the quilt.  I also appreciate what the vendors do to get their merchandise ready for all those crazy buyers.

large pallets being moved in to the vendor region

large pallets being moved in to the vendor region

And now my son is  back in school and my daughter is at college so I am back to regular studio hours and the  fabric is flying.  I am on to the next season of work and play . What are you working on?

 

I Must Learn to Shout

     The recent issue of the Grand Rapids Magazine had an article in it about the American Quilt Society Show coming to our city August 22-25th. And back in July, they interviewed little old me and my friend Terri Watson for this article.

   
     Very nice to have been interviewed and I didn’t say anything too embarrassing!

      Be sure to enjoy upcoming show next week. I can hardly wait and am volunteering a few shifts. They still need volunteers and a short shift will allow you a free daily admittance.

Inch By Inch

     We have been enjoying great weather and a visitor this week.  It made me appreciate the views and just slow down a bit.

When I can squeeze it in, I am machine quilting. Last night I measured how far I had stitched on my Artprize piece and it was 18 inches out of about 83….just moving along inch by inch.

But things like this just keep pushing me along: a nice blog article in the Experiencegr regarding my work! They are doing a series in regards to the AQS show in Grand Rapids in August.

Crazy Times

     I am so looking forward to summer and a change in schedules. The end of the school year is always busy! Combine that with going away for a week in May and I was really far behind.

     Earlier this week, I helped out with the West Michigan Quilt Guild welcoming Bonnie Browning, the president of AQS, to Grand Rapids for a class and lecture. She shared with us some of the excitement of having a national quilting convention in our city: imagine 930 quilts and 350 vendors all under one roof.  I had no idea it was going to be so large! It is really exciting for our guild to volunteer there and our city. They are bringing many special quilt exhibits and one that looked intriguing was the Tentmakers of Cairo.

    The rest of the week I have been machine quilting on the never-ending piece. Every night I am stitching away and I wake up in the morning and feel as if I have made two inches of progress. This is a piece I should have really tracked how long it took me to machine quilt it. Because when someone asks the inevitable question of how long did that take me to do, I could answer: 7000 years. 🙂

     I hope to start dyeing this weekend as I have used up my deep red fabrics.

    If anyone wants to come and visit, the American Quilt Society Show will be here August 22-25th. Read about it here.