Good News!
Last Thursday had one of those rare moments that you want to savor-I received two acceptance notices in the same day. I was juried into a regional show of Studio Art Quilt Associates and I was also notified that some of my work will be included in an upcoming book by Sandra Sider titled “1000 Quilt Inspirations”. I don’t know how many of my photos will be included in the book-I submitted the maximum of 10 and will be notified later how many were chosen.
I’ve been mum about the quilt that was accepted since I didn’t want to show it until after it was juried in-or not. It will be included in the Northern California Inspirations exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles that will show from May 3 – July 20, 2014. This exhibit will show concurrently with two parts of the traveling Quilt National ’13 show, a must-see exhibit for textile art enthusiasts!
I’ve titled my quilt “Breeze II” which is again inspired by my drought tolerant landscape, like Morning Breeze. I wanted to capture the beauty that happens when a breeze just begins to move the grasses.
I quilted this in two stages. First I covered the entire quilt surface with echo quilting using Kimono silk thread top and bobbin. I came back in and added the grasses using Aurifil thread on top.
And maybe no one else cares, but I love the backs of my quilts. If you could see this in person you would appreciate the lovely sheen of the gray silk Kimono thread against the black sateen. Oh how I love silk thread!
I was in a brief 80/20 batting phase for this quilt (80% cotton/20% polyester) and used 2 layers of batting. I have seen several competitive quilters use the 80/20, but after just a few quilts I have decided I’m not a fan.
Of course there are always problems with any quilt. In this case I decided that I needed to move a line. I was using a larger needle for the Aurifil (size 80) and it left these huge, disfiguring holes after I ripped out my stitches.
I was working with cotton sateen which means you have these “floater” threads on top that give the sheen. On a whim I tried simply physically coaxing the fibers back into place by drawing a pin and a seam ripper across the separated fibers and look how much that simple step helped! Later when I wet the fabric to remove the markings, the fibers moved back into their original place like I expected. You couldn’t tell that I had removed any stitches-yesss!
I wanted this to hang very straight, like a painting would. I created a tiny rod pocket at the bottom of the quilt and inserted a thin metal rod. The rod is zinc coated and will not degrade the fabric. Even so, the pocket will keep the rod from coming into contact with the quilt.
And oh yeah, there’s another nearly completed quilt in the scrap heap: I echo quilted the entire background, began laying in the grasses and I added way too many. After ripping out lots and lots of stitching, the surface of the quilt was too damaged to be repaired. Sigh.
So I had a great day and received two acceptances. Lest you think my head might become a little big, you will chuckle at an upcoming post which will be about…things not quite so successful!
Major props for these accomplishments! And the grasses piece is exquisite. It would be great if it could be hung where both sides could be seen. Of course, it would need a different hanging method as the sleeve doesn’t quite cut it, aesthetically speaking. Silk thread, hunh. I’ve never tried sewing with it. Another item on my list.
Thank you Joanna. I would like to eventually have it hang as a 2-sided quilt but of course they never do that in shows since it takes up too much room. Oh try silk thread-YLI or Superior Kimono-it’s divine! You’ll need a small needle, 60 0r 70 and a skinny bobbin thread too-may have to adjust bobbin tension.
I love this piece Jenny! Major kudos to you!
Thank you Roxane-I was shocked to get in.
This is so interesting, Jenny! If I had wanted to do something like this, I would have tried to do the grass first and THEN quilt the background — but of course your way is much better because the “wind” of the background quilting swirls past the grass in unbroken stitching lines. Thanks for showing the holes and the fix, too. I would never have thought that holes like that could be fixed, or realize that the fabric threads would move back into position after they were wetted. Do you think that would happen with batiks as well? I used batiks for that machine applique class that I took with Harriet Hargrave and one of the reasons I wrote off invisible machine applique is that I just hate the visible needle holes, which were much more obvious on my batiks than on some other students’ fabrics. Now you’re making me want to quilt up that class sample block, bind it and wash it, to see if the holes will close.
Congratulations on your recent successes!
Love this piece, Jenny! Excellent as always!
PS: Congrats on your juried show acceptances, too!
Aw thank you Carla! I can’t wait to see the actual show now.
Beautiful work, Jenny — congratulations! And the story of your repair was very interesting. :-)
Thank you Margaret. I think every piece I make has some kind of story-and that’s what makes all this so rewarding.
Kudos to you!!!!!! It is always so sweet to receive such validation from sources you hold in respect. They have wisely chosen and I hope we can see the final choices soon!!!!! You just never really know what others are thinking of the work when it is viewed!!!!! Hugs………….
Thank you for your kind comments Doreen. It will be very interesting to see the whole show-both the Quilt National and our regional show. I always learn a lot from seeing my work hang with others.
Congratulations–wonderful news! Your work is lovely!
Thank you Barbara! I was delighted to be chosen.
Congratulations Jenny! Well deserved! And I love the deceptively simple elegance of your grasses, the echo quilting, and the positive/negative value!
Oh and you know how hard “simple” is for me!
Very cool! Can’t believe you had to do the whole thing twice!! Makes it extra special that it was accepted.
Thanks Debby. I do find myself having to do things twice-more often than I’d like.
Congratulations! I love the breeze piece and the back is exquisite.
Thank you Linda! The back is actually my favorite-the silk thread just sings.
Congratulations, Jenny. I can hardly wait to see your quilts in the show and book.
Thanks Kay! I kind of jumped when you said “the book”-I thought, what book? Then realized the show book. I don’t think we’ll have one as this is pretty low budget.
I live in Northen Calofornia and I look forward to the show. Congrats on being accepted. I am excited to see your quilt. I would have never thought about quilting first and them adding the picture design later. That’s why blogs like yours and other like minded artists are both inspiring and educational
Thank you Kaye. Ya know I decided it was so hard to quilt right up to something and then continue it on the other side. I thought I wonder if it would work to do the whole background first and it worked. I used the same bobbin thread for both so that’s part of what worked.
Your grass quilt is beautiful. Is the grass all threadwork, or is there some applique as well?
Thank you Gigi. The grass is all threadwork and truly, it is not rocket science. I just free motioned back and forth until it was solid-not a lot of finesse once I figured out what shape I wanted.
Congratulations. It ain’t bragging if it’s so. Most of us need to tell others about our accomplishments more often. So, thanks for encouraging us to proclaim our successes and recognitions with your good example. I love both of the quilts. Also, thanks for showing us how to correct a mistake. I didn’t know that holes can be fixed so nicely. I rip out a lot so I’ll use this new knowledge. And, finally, thanks for telling about your mess up that was so bad the work had to be thrown away. That encourages me because the fear of big mistakes keeps me from trying things sometime. Linda Combs
Thank you LJ! Yes, we do need to share our accomplishments-it encourages others! As to correcting mistakes-I’ve got a lot of practice on that one, giggle. That method does not always work but it’s worth a try. And Fear of Big Mistakes? Ya gotta laugh at them or they will keep you from experimenting-and you can’t let that happen! Love your attitude LJ!
Congrats Jenny! Can’t wait to see Breeze II in the San Jose exhibit and the company I’m in for the book!
Thank you Franki-wishing there were a book.
Congratulations Jenny! Breeze II is fabulous. You are on a roll lady!!! Wonderful news. Take care and stay well.
Oh thank you Loretta. It is a kick to be juried in!