Before the Wash, After the Wash

For a demonstration of what to expect after washout, this printed piece is left unwashed (left) and washed (right). What you see before washing is pretty much what to expect after washing, with a slightly lighter set of colors. Wet dye is always darker, and not the final color, but dry is likely to be the same.
 

Shower Anyone?

I'm sure you've seen this setup before. Time to prepare for a week of virtual printing and the screens need cleaning. Purchasing ones that fit exactly in the double utility sink makes sense, as well as my kitchen pullout faucet with lever handle which saves my hands, and gives me enough force to clean quickly.
 

Going Slo?

 Corita Kent's "Luke 2.14,51" circa 1964 was part of a printing and color exhibition at the de Young museum which I saw in November. I'm about to start a week of virtual screen printing and this image made me stop and consider the clean, exuberant image quality, and the bossy graphics. But not going slow.

Full Moon

Supermoon is our treat for this month, and also the last for this year. This detail from a printed piece (now sold from my web store) will give your a year's worth of moon gazing. Enjoy the feast, and farewell to 2025's cast.

New and Just Hung Up

Even without its name, it's up and happy to greet me. I have two walls that will take a piece this size, and they are easy to rehang. I'll take this on to the studio for First Friday, as well as the Blue Ice Leaves one. If you're in Rochester, find me 6-9 at the Anderson Arts Building on 250 N. Goodman Street. Studio 301.
 

ThreadTangle to Use

I have to remember to sign these works, and this will be the last for this year. I sign the front, as I have since 1981, with my last name and the year. The thread is the same color and remains hidden until you are just upon the signature. 
 

42 Feet of Fun

With four sides with facings and two edges of the sleeve to sew, I've estimated about 42 feet of hand stitching. I love this part, as it is calming, plus I get to watch TV guilt free. How old will I be before I am relieved of the guilt of watching TV?
 

Next Big Thing

On the pinwall, high as I can comfortably reach, is the next in the leaf series. Darned if I can't pick a name. You see it unfaced here; that's happening now as I watch the telly. It'll be back on this wall for First Friday's gathering. If you're around, stop by Studio 301 at Anderson Arts Building, Rochester, NY.
 

Patterns All Around

Printing fabric often calls for a repeated pattern. This half-drop is archetypal. I'll make some next time I print. Which is December, and full. January's -- specifically for those in my Australian 'Design Camp' class -- has openings for printing. Meanwhile, I'm taking these to serve up at First Friday.
 

Additional Trick

Missing a bit of the bottom, I've sewed a piece on with the longarm to the last edge. I'll sew starting and ending with a turned edge, then straight stitch, then flip, then sew along the bottom edge. Hope it's worth it when I get to the final trim!
 

Time to Scarf Up

Next week will be First Friday. I'll be in Studio 301 at Anderson Arts Building here in Rochester, and will grab all of the silk scarves I have in hand. Can't think I'll get time to make more before then, but who knows. In any case, I'll bring cookies, have some holly music, and show you my latest quilts. Need more?
 

Zoom Project Crafty Monkies

A group from two countries zoomed. Invited by Rachel Pierman of Crafty Monkies to collaborate on a work around a theme, five artists talked logistics, themes, design strategy, and timeline. With spirited and thoughtful comments, because we are all independent thinkers,  we came together with a plan.

 

Little Scissors

My Gammill longarm has seen a handful of owners, and the last one before me made a spot to keep a small sharp pair handy. With a good snip I can clean the end of the thread and manage to thread it with little trouble. Here is also a peek at what's next on the machine.

 

Up Close on Leaves

Thought you'd like to see details of the work. These go in the folder for the work and are used should an exhibition entry request a detail shot. I try to show processes, but also a well edited and well composed image. It matters that the detail shot is pleasingly composed. Top, yes; bottom, not so much.
 

New and Just Hung Up

Don't have a name for this, but it's up, in need of a good press and a signature. You can see it's now dark out, but I did get this off the queue, now there's another to get work. 
 

Short Visit

A local collector was interested in this "Lotus Pods" work. When it was seen in their space, it proved too large (about 6' square). Which meant that it could return to me for 'open storage' with a member of the staff. I took my photo and enlarged it to make this with a freezer paper pattern. 
 

Australian Time

I'll be teaching 'Design Camp' in the Australasian Quilt Convention in April, 2026. This winter I'm offering an online class for those who are registered in my AQC class. Few spots are left, and hey, they are early morning Monday to Friday. What fun! Oh, see my website for details.

 

Tis the Season

While working on the back of the quilt, this came in the mail. Means that I need to pivot from raking to getting out the winter decorations. Hope you are ready to pivot.
 

A Handful is Ten

Ten additions to my online website 'shop' hardly made a dent in the amount. This one was from Art Quilt Tahoe.  A demonstration of mixing color yields a piece with several mixes of color, then I add a predominantly background screen over it. This background color is a 'mystery' brown/red I love.
 

Backside

At the ready for sewing the facing. I'm using a wide width fabric for the backing, ordered from eQuilter online. It seems the right weight for the piece, which will be about 5' x 7' finished. I learned that a portion of profits from sales is donated, and the non profits it helps are numerous. Nice all around.
 

Staring at the Top

This quilt was loaded before my Tahoe trip. This weekend I planted in front of the longarm and quilted. Glad that the weather was stinky -- cold, rainy, snowy -- and being inside was easy. Tomorrow I'll try to square it up, trim it, face it, and get it on the table to sew the facing and sleeve. Movies!!

 

Tip for Note Takers

I often need to save information about an object. Shopping, catching a photo, or needing to remember a thought leaves me scrambling for paper and pen. When I finish a work, I'll add another 'dummy' shot and add the pertinent information; I can enter into the data base later. This is my quick measure for a work.
 

Take Your Pick

A series of works centered on using two pieces of fabric (Take Two) and I purposefully made them each 40" square. Someone was interested in the size, and had the delight (!) of choosing one to take home. It was fun to see how and why the particular piece was chosen. I'm sure the choice was the perfect one.
 

Art of Manga

At the de Young in San Francisco last week I took in the Art of Manga, an exhibition of drawings used in graphics and Japanese comic novels. The images are complex, engaging, full of symbolism that is part of the "read" and is defined as a 'genre' rather than a style. Big crowd, young, absorbed.
 

de Young's Indigenous Collection

A recently reinstalled gallery in the de Young Museum offered a look at Indigenous American art, and I am totally mesmerized with the graphic nature of the works. There is a beautiful mix of past and present variations on the works, and that comparison only makes each time period's work stronger.
 

Fiber Fair in San Francisco

I don't have the proper name for this event, forgive me on that. It was vendor after vendor of rich textiles, crafted beauties, vintage clothes, millinery, jewelry, and ethnic textile. The museum quality quilts offered at Julie Silber's table had this as the backdrop. A show stopper for my Saturday starter.
 

Routed West

For my day and a half in San Francisco the treat was the Berkeley Area Museum and Pacific Film Archive and their "Routed West" exhibition of African American artist's quilts. A spectacular and in depth look at the reasons for these works to have made their way to California. Go see it if you're able till Nov. 30th.
 

December's the Time to Print

Many have written me about a winter virtual class in printing. I've a few spaces left for next month's online class where we print in real time! If you've written to me I'll try to find the list I keep and let you know, but this image may help. More info is on my web site. www.patpauly.com/virtualclasses
 

Home Again

The time stamp on this post is Monday, as my flight did indeed land, but at 2:45 in the morning. I started in San Francisco at 70 degrees and landed in Rochester with snow. It's a sweet landscape, transient for now, hiding the leaves I'll rake and a garden to clear. So happy to be home, and happy to have had AQT.

 

Last Look at Tahoe

 As my ride pulls up to our dorm building, I turned for a last look down the lake. I know my return to upstate New York means there will be mounds of leaves to rake, these I will leave here.

End of the Day

Toward the week's end I encourage folks to stop in and see how the room works at Art Quilt Tahoe.  Visitors appreciate we make in the short time we have.  
 

Gathering of Printers

It's hard to overstate the joy of seeing a group of people engaging in so much fun as they turn out piece after piece of printed fabric. Our walkaround of the last three days (only three!) works was eye-opening. Thank you all for sharing your talent with others, and for keeping the pace!

 

Fulll Moon for November

Circles are a common motif in print class, and this fit this month's supermoon. I'm in the thick of printing workshop, and looking forward to AQT next year. Between those dates I'll be teaching a bunch of places, most notably in Australia (for sewing and design) on online for printing. Special class online printing for Australia. See my  website www.patpauly.com/virtualclasses

 

Morning Gathering

The Art Quilt Tahoe class gathers each morning to see results of the previous day. Always very cool to hear other's take on the print. These keep getting more and more complex and wonderful. A great class and wonderful layout with room to print. 
 

Moonlight Not Necessary

The almost full moon shone on the dock below this building, and if did add to this, you couldn't tell. The top floor is where my Art Quilt Tahoe class is taking place, with the lake below. Such a beautiful place, and a setting like no others. We'll be back to printing tomorrow, for now, soak up the moonlight.
 

Setup Day

 We're mostly setup for Monday and the start of class at Art Quilt Tahoe. One person had all their gearing two slim bags. Never saw such compact packing!

Area for Installation

Christ Church is nestled close to the Rochester Contemporary Art Center where the building faces the center's modern wall. That wall is used for art installations, and if I ever get my act together, I'll submit a piece for that call. Matter of time, right?

Member's Perks

Rochester Contemporary Art Center opens its members show December 5th. Today, hundreds of artists made the trip to drop off their work, and I did the same. This is about 32" square and will be seen there till February 14. So, if you are around Rochester, take a stroll to see work, grab a coffee, and chill with art.

 

Latest for the Wall

An early morning with rain left me little light to get an image for my files. I'll put a thumbnail in a document's 'table' that'll mark the title, size, year and what else might need remembering. So, here's "Go Ask Alice" clocking in at 48.5" x 71. Not going anywhere, I'm gonna enjoy it for now.
 

Harry Bertoia Night

As a student in design and a woodworking course, we studied chairs. Harry Bertoia made an iconic and beautiful one around 1952, and it remains forever part of our vocabulary. Tonight RIT showcased his work with a film and the celebration of 7 sculptures 'Dandelions' seen at the 1964 World's Fair. What a night! see old photo:    https://www.rit.edu/vignellicenter/sites/rit.edu.vignellicenter/files/images/paragraph/banner-item/header%20image.png
 

Studio Visitor

It was fun to have Chriss Johns as a guest for the QAQ weekend. I had time to show off what Rochester looks like in the fall (spectacular color) and visit all around town. One stop we had to make was Studio 301. Of course we moved some fabric to design new works. Second set of eyes, always helpful!

Stitching Rules

 

l regret not having the name of the best in show winner for QAQ, I'll try to update. This double sided work was of interest in the stitching that was added, outlining shapes from each side, and stitching so each side had even stitches showing. It is the focus of the judge for this type of work as well. 

Schweinfurth Artists' Talks

Chriss Johns talks about her large, dramatic work during today's artist talk at the Schweinfurth's exhibit Quilts=Art=Quilts. There was a robust crowd, all engaged with the ideas and processes, plus the extra chance to take in the artworks. It was a day to be energized by the works there, each having a 'say'.
 

Good Night for Q=A=Q

The opening of Quilts=Art=Quilts was a grand time. I was able to meet so many artists new to me, to find ones I'd not seen in a few years, and to take in a very strong show of fiber work that was creative and varied. Ending the night with a dinner and talk by Juror and Judge Paula Kovarik was icing,
 

The Other Side

I love changing out these walls, if for no other reason than to compare the newer work to the older work. Now that the windows have curtains, I get diffused light in the fall and winter months, so I can have these walls set with textiles and not fear the direct sunlight fading them. 
 

Disappearing Act

While at the studio, I pinned the latest quilt over another, so that I could measure and photograph it. When I looked back, it seemed they had melded into one. Almost like a 'Within the Frame' example, where the center disappears into the background. I'll do another large frame, perhaps, in the next piece.