On Trees and Other Growing Things

 I am seeing trees everywhere these days, which is no surprise, when you live on Vancouver Island. But I'm seeing them in a new way. I'm paying attention to them. I'm finding they have things to say to me. So I try to make sure my camera is with me at all times, and I have return visits planned to Cathedral Grove and Tofino, and a first time visit to Heritage Park in Qualicum Beach where a forest of old growth trees has been preserved, and I dream about a summer trip to Carmanah and to Meares Island. In the meantime, I'm trying to travel slowly enough through my life to have time to stop off at places like Goldstream Park, just outside Victoria. That's where I took the first two photos. Lots of inspiration in the first one for my most recent workshop assignment, which challenges me to change my perspective. Although I ended up doing something else entirely, which I'll show you when it's further along. And the mossy green covering the bark in the second photo - how do I convey that in a quilt? The third photo is of a tree Nora showed me at a park near her house

in Victoria. We looked up and up and there its branches were dancing in the cold winter air. But as much as Nora likes trees, and birds too, the part she enjoyed most was playing on the swings and slides. Again and again and again, until we were all a little chilly, and bundled her up in a blanket in her wagon, to take her home again. Lessons learned? 1. Never go anywhere without a camera. 2. Nothing beats travelling on foot, for giving you eyes to see the world around you. 3. Don't be so busy looking at the trees, that you miss the birds. 4. No matter how wonderful this creative journey is, a grandchild is the best growing thing of all. 

Where Has She Gone? What Is She Up To?

This morning my dear friend Lyn, from Walnut Creek, California, phoned to make sure I was OK. She'd emailed me a week or so ago but hadn't heard back. And there'd been no new posts on my blog or on Facebook. Which reminded me that once you begin a correspondence with your friends and family in cyberspace, you'd better keep it up, or they start wondering where you've gone or what you're up to. So this is the story. On January 6th, I began a 10-week online course with Lisa Call, called Working in a Series. It's pretty intense and pretty wonderful. Also demanding, but in the best possible way. So that's where I am right now - living in the land of creating work that will hopefully be part of a cohesive whole, and which will help me develop my own voice in my work. First we generated an "Idea Warehouse" - possibilities for our series. Then we narrowed it down to one idea, and further restricted it by adding the parameters for the series. And then we got to work. No messing around. My original idea was for bare 

branch trees, but now it's limited to Vancouver Island Douglas fir trees. I've taken all sorts of photos over the years, and chose just one of these as my starting point. After abstracting it, I made my first piece, which I called "Old Friends". Then I critiqued it, using Lisa's guidelines. The next assignment asked me to choose a colour exercise from several options, and to make the next piece. And I just finished the top today (quilting will be done at some later date). This one's called "Of Those Remaining". Again, it had to be critiqued. And that will be the rhythm for the course - new course material, including a lecture and being introduced to three artists each week, and discussions on mindsets and studio practice, and a new piece of work created each week. I am so, so thankful to have this opportunity, but it has meant closing doors on a lot of other good things (that's part of the learning experience), and truth be told, I feel like I'm flying right now, and don't have the time to deal very well with anything else. So there you are. I am still alive and well, but you probably won't hear from me as often as usual for the next few

weeks. I will, however, report on my progress from time to time, and give you a peek into this terrific experience. Thanks for your patience, and much happiness to each of you as you follow your own creative paths.

A New Beginning

Well, I may be late to the party, but Happy New Year to everyone! This is what my backyard looked like on Jan. 1st (this photo is taken in colour, not B & W, as you might think), which only encouraged me to snuggle up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate and to take a good long nap. This didn't improve much when one after another winter rain storms slammed into our little peninsula. The wind blows up Georgia Strait and can be quite impressive by the time it reaches us. When it didn't show much sign of improving, I ran away to my cabin on Hornby Island, with my daughter Jess, and holed up there for

a few blissful days. The other thing I did - a much more positive reaction, you might think - was to complete this quilt top. It's called A New Beginning, and measure 37" X 37". There's nothing like rich, saturated colour as a remedy for dark and grey. And when I finished that, I still had some scraps left over, so I made the 12" X 12" piece below. I've read all sorts of posts about peoples' goals for the coming year, and words for the year, and I have decided on one and one alone for myself - that I will do the work and make the quilts that are in me to make. I have spent a lot of time over the last 6 years making quilts that are for patterns or for class samples, even for specific shows. But this year I am going to make quilts that have been crying out to be made. I'm going to listen to those small voices that come from

deep within me, and sing the song they've given me to sing. In that vein, and to give me a jump-start, I have signed up for a 10-week online course with Lisa Call - Working in a Series. The topic for this series is being narrowed down from a "Warehouse of Ideas", and I'm truly excited to see what it will be. Any of the 4 top picks I've selected appeal to me for different reasons. I"ll let you know how things develop in future posts. In the meantime, may each of you have a wonderful year to come, and may creativity abound no matter what your undertakings.

Art in Public Spaces

I have been intrigued by installation art - things like yarn-bombing and flash mobs - ever since I was first introduced to it. It has to do with making art accessible to everyone by displaying it or performing it in public and often surprising places. So here is a baobab tree in London, decorated with coils of fabric. Just beautiful. I would love to see in in situ. Flash mobs take on various forms, but it's the dance numbers performed in places like a Tokyo subway station or a Chicago airport are the ones I most enjoy. I love the look on the faces of those who thought they were just going about their business, and then get caught up in something so delightful. There is joy in this art, all the more so because it is unanticipated. When I see something like this, I find I want to rise up and affirm that yes, this is a beautiful world. In spite of everything. The corners of my mouth turn up in a smile, and a kind of tingly warmness engulfs me. I have to confess that I have a secret desire to create something like this myself. Not for any reason except "because", just because I want to. Am I becoming a little unhinged? Maybe. But I'm not really worried about it. Seems like a good way to deal with a world full of crazy uncertainty and a good measure of pain. Make art.  

A Different Christmas Story

Sarah wearing an Alice bag

I have just finished reading a collection of short stories about Christmas-time - some of them sad, some of them bitter-sweet, and some of them heart-warming. The Christmas story I'd like to tell you here falls into the latter category. It's about an inspiring group of young people - mostly twelve year-olds in grade 7 - who have all sorts of ideas about how they might make the world a better place, and who set about doing so. Last year I spoke to them about the Bitengye Designers and about Alice (the Coordinator of the group), and her efforts to build a new sewing school. They sold quite a number of items last year, which provided the money for flooring materials and paint and other necessities. So I was thrilled when Sarah Nuez asked if Alice still needed bags sold to raise money for her school, and if they could sell these at their school. Indeed, Alice still needs finishing materials, for cupboards and tables and chairs, and other equipment. So Sarah and Gabby and their friends determined to sell the bags before the two performances of their school concert. You can imagine how excited they were, as was I, when they returned with the proceeds of their sale -

Sarah and friends selling Alice bags at the school concert

$1000, which will go directly to Alice to do the work that remains to be done. After they left me, I had time to think about what they'd done - so eagerly and so happily. With the support of their teachers and their parents, they have learned very young that they CAN make a difference. What a gift! And what a gift it will be to Alice, when I write to tell her. And I hope that just hearing about it is a gift to you too. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Gabby and Sarah present me with $1000 towards Alice's school

Finishing Edges with a Facing - a Tutorial

I have been working on my next two African improvisational pieces, and am so liking finishing the edges with a facing rather than a binding, that I thought I'd show you how it's done. These instructions are also written up in Jean Wells book - Journey to Inspired Art Quilting - which I highly recommend.

1. Piece the quilt top. Layer it with backing and batting and machine and hand quilt as desired. (The fish will be added at the very end, as embellishment can only be done once the facing has been finished.)

2. Trim the edges of the backing and batting so that they line up exactly with the edges of the quilt top, and so that the whole of it is squared off. Using narrow grosgrain ribbon (I found this on rolls at Fabricland - mine is 1/2" wide although Jean Wells recommends 1/4" wide.) Working on the back of the quilt, stitch the ribbon to the back of the quilt, lining up the ribbon edge with the raw edge of the quilt. This reinforces the edge.

 3. Cut two lengths of facing fabric 2 1/2 - 3" wide and the exact length of your quilt. Place these on either side of the quilt. Measure the distance between the two inner edges of the facing.

4.  Cut the top and bottom facings 2 1/2 - 3" wide and the measurement you determined in #3 above, plus 1 inch. So if there is a distance of 4" between the two inner edges of the side facings, you would cut the top and bottom facings 5" long.

5. Place one of the long side facings right sides together with the short top facing. Stitch 1/4" seam allowance from the top edge, stopping and back-tacking 1/4" from the bottom edge of the top facing (as indicated by the lime pencil). Repeat this for the bottom facing. Add the second long facing in the same manner. In other words, all the inner seam stop 1/4" from the inside edge of the facing.

 6. Place the completed facing right sides together on the top of the quilt. All raw edges should be even. Pin in place.

 7. Stitch from the wrong side of the quilt, that is, with the backing facing up, and just inside the grosgrain ribbon. When you have stitched all the way around, trip the corners, being sure to leave a couple of threads after the corner stitching, and turn the entire piece to the right side. I have a chopstick with rounded ends that works well for this.

8. Press the edges. Pin the facing flat and hand-stitch in place. Add the hanging sleeve, if there is to be one, and the label. Add any embellishments.

This method is definitely more labour intensive than a regular binding, but I like the look of it. On my tree pieces, I did this twice - once on the quilt itself and once on the backing quilt, then stitched the two together by hand. Again, more labour intensive, but there are occasions when this kind of binding is just the ticket. If you'd like to see further applications of using facing, again, I would highly recommend Jean's book.

Africa-Inspired Wall-Hangings - Kits on Sale

At Home in Africa

I have had a lot of fun making small wall-hangings that feature different aspects of life in Africa. Some of these have been made up into kits, and these three are examples of ones available to you - At Home in Africa, No Lion in Sight and Life in the Village. As with Birds of Rubingo, the wall-hanging could become the centre of a much larger quilt, or it might be perfect for a small wall space all on its own. All three are on sale - 20% off - between now and Christmas. By using the Kitambaa website - www.kitambaa.com - you will be able to use a shopping-cart and to pay with Paypal. Couldn't be easier. It might make the perfect gift for your very own self!

No Lion in Sight

Life in the Village