What Some Fishing Line Will Hook

Back in the days when I designed exhibits for museums, fishing line was the go-to for hanging anything invisibly. It's such a standard for installing objects; that pleasing floatiness is so fun. This is, again, at the National Aquarium.
 

Nearer Water

Visiting Baltimore, I got to take in the National Aquarium where the theme is all about water. Very apt for these times, as climate change has a great effect on the ocean's habitat. Not to mention that I added more wonderful fish shapes to my notebook for printing.
 

Summer QSDS Virtually

Quilt Surface Design Symposium meets the last week of May through the first week of June. I'll be teaching three classes virtually, two are week long and are surface design and printing. Check them out on their site: https://www.qsds.com/classesbysession2021.html#pauly4
 

Soy Wax My Friend

For silk screening, I find soy wax gives me marks that I can't get any other way. I love the brush strokes that are part of the application, and the organic edge. Those spaghetti marks are rubbings. Just to confuse you.
 

Full Moon for March

Worm moon, the nickname for this month's moon, has things coming out of the ground and emerging. Which is how we can feel after being closed up for so long. I'm ready for getting out, even if clouds cover tonight's full moon. 
 

Just Silkscreens

My next virtual class is Just Silkscreens on April 5-9, and there's one space left. I offer this because of all the printing methods I use (and teach) silk screening is my go-to. It's versatile, quick, complex, lasting, and layered. Not to mention the fact that I can get BIG graphics. No wimps!
 

What You Don't See

Tonight was a walk down the Charlotte Pier (Lake Ontario) and I hadn't noticed that the railing was holding up the land's edge. It's that weird flattening from a photograph that makes incongruous connections. It's just perspective.
 

Quilt National Gives You a Dozen Ways

I've a piece in this year's Quilt National, an exhibition that opens late May. In August I'll be virtually teaching through Quilt National's website. The three day class is called "A Dozen Ways: Design for Art Quilts" and we learn more than dozen ways to start composition works.  August 17 to 19.

 

Shade, Sun

On the property where I'm on a work vacation, there is a 1904 carriage house. It's in rough shape and may not survive it's faults, but for now it is a study in light and shadow. And that red! What other color could it be?
 

The Blues

Intense blue dye was available from my favorite Pro Chemical and Dye supplier, so I've added prints of that to prints made with mixing blue and also a bit of turquoise (I think) for a nice spread of blues from the print table. I'll be doing more come Just Silkscreen in a couple of weeks.

 

If We Had the Gift of Space

Most homes have walls 8 feet tall, a standard in residential build. This house's walls are 9 1/2 feet high. The expanse makes seeing interior space a different way, not to mention that other matters are framed in a new scale. If we all had space, a chance to dream, what would that mean to our creative outlet?
 

Happy Quilt Day

Today is National Quilt Day, which is celebrated every day where I live. This piece was included in a show from gosh, 2014 or so. I've lost track of time. It has since found new home, which delights me.  A good memory about quilts in every day life.
 

Racing the Sunset

I'm helping out with trimming windows in an old 1844 house. You can see the owner's color trial, but for now my job is to help add heft to the windows. Contemplative work after a week of teaching. I find that one activity feeds the other. And the sunset was a bonus.
 

Remains of the Day

No matter how, I've a heap of parts left over. That's all right, I explain the ins and outs of using freezer paper with a predetermined plan. And talked about how to alter the scheme in the process. Thanks to my class today; it was lots of fun. And, I got to have people in the studio once again.
 

Should You Need a Plan

Tomorrow is The New Big Leaf Class. And though we practice on my pattern, I've many ways to show how I've used the freezer paper technique to make complex reproductions of drawings. This was the part for a large lily seed pod. 

Points For Discussion

 Take Two starts with some warm-ups, then we get large. These are my bits for explaining scale, color and value, and joining parts together. It's definitely a stew of ideas, as rather than a tray of crudities. Tomorrow we'll revisit the smorgasbord. Only with bigger plates.

Need Inspiration? Get Out

I was on a recon mission for tile for my daughter. But THIS hit me. Can you imagine having the great job of designing this tile? That's what reaches out and grabs me -- that someone was trusted to propose and draft this design for us plebes to enjoy. What one finds while hunting. 

More Monoprinting

My printing table is about 6 feet long, just enough for printing my scarves that are that 72" in length. I've started a monoprint here with intense blue. Just to try it out. 
 

Spring Ahead

 This print is about the springiest thing I can think of. It's been on the tree outside, now washed, ironed, and will be put in either a pile to sell, or to keep. I can see it would be fun to cut up. Or maybe just make into a whole cloth. That'd be a summer project. And it's almost spring. So keep.

Nearing the End of the Year

The Yard in a Yard is telling me that it's about time to stop. I told the tree it'll be just a few more days till I've got a year's anniversary of draping it with a yard of printed fabric. I've been vaccinated twice, no side effects other than a sore arm, and that was to be my goal for each day of hanging. 

 

Reward Time

After my second covid shot -- knowing that I'd have 8 hours before any side effects -- I masked up to visit a store. Haven't done that in forever. This upscale tile shop has a wall filled with pattern, just what I needed for the next print class. Not much color, but wow for graphics. 
 

What Happens When?

A quick study to break the background fabric with random blocks is the start of reconstructing this four patch. I'll rework it, but I love the possibilities that are there. The second day of Make It and Break It was fun, and thank you to a great group of quilters from Germany to Vancouver. What a world I've got!
 

Loading on the Inches

Two sets of Nine Patches show just how different the size of the square is. On the left it's 12" square and the right is 9" square. Larger offers more generously sized shapes. Harkening back to traditional block structure, this arrangement presents improv as anything but pedestrian.
 

In the Mix

It'll be a lesson in how to choose fabric before we start to join (Make It) and then cut it all apart (Break It). Here is the start of my range, but I'll choose differently for the next batch. Class tomorrow!
 

Even If You Haven't Gardened

Social media has posts flowing about "getting out to garden" and now is that transitional time where people are anxiously waiting to dig, plant, get warm. I can't say why I am drawn to leaves, botanical things, or just natural lines, but they do show up in my work. Here's waiting for warm.

Using Freezer Paper

Yesterday's The New Big Leaf class was all about using templates to fabricate a design. Although this work was improvisationally pieced, I used freezer paper to select the perfect oval, cut out the interior and surround, and apply the parts to the work before piecing in place.  No fabric waste (like a mistake!).  
 

Aftermath

Those in today's New Big Leaf now know the chaos left behind on my cutting table. What was an ordered life was swept away by the fast pace of "getting it all in" in a day. I enjoyed seeing the results, and no matter that the examples I had neatly stacked went topsy-turvy. It was a great day. Thanks!

Ready or Not

Friday is a New Big Leaf Class. That means company! I've got my drawing all set on my freezer paper, the last details ready to add. Then the fun starts. Fabric, which one, what range, does it work, and can I get it finished today? Depends how much I talk. The next Big Leaf is March 18 (with a couple of spots left).
 

Getting Up Early

I was up early, getting set for the first day of Take Two, finding the remote camera, landing the computer in the studio, grabbing the earbuds for sound. But the morning light was different -- returning to the equinox position -- and hit the mantle perfectly. Had to stop to consider the light.
 

Wash Out Frights

Two yards of printed material, all with black dye, are getting washed out in cold water to start. I've a large capacity tub and this is the wash water draining. Frightening, for sure! No problem, it went into a hot wash after this and seems fine. I'll do a sewing test to see for color fastness. 
 

That Gray Thing

 

I was asked to create a scarf in grays. Not my usual, as you know, but I do love a challenge. So, using my thickened MX dyes, I tried to print a range of dark to light with just black and paste to thin it down. I might end up liking this.