Uncommon Threads

Music Challenge

2012-01-18T10:59:00.026-06:00

Our challenge due in January was provided by Donna Olson. She asked that we make 12" x 12" quilts inspired by the theme of music.

A LITTLE DITTY

by Cathy Jeffery

Cathy's piece features some of the decorative stitches from her sewing machine. She said "music totally inspires me....It's one of the most important things in my life."

NOTATIONS

by Diana Callahan

Diana found this challenge to be a good way to use the wonderful fabric with the musical score and script that she has had for several years.

NOTES

by Diane Steffen

SONG SUNG BLUE

by Donna Olson

Donna printed a photo of her grandson, Burke, on fabric and added a border and quilting to create a lovely fabric portrait. It is a picture of him singing at his mother's 50th birthday celebration.

THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES

by Lily Kerns

The title comes from an old hymn, "This is My Father's World". The piece itself was inspired by photographs from the Hubble spacecraft. It is hand beaded on microwave dyed silk.

BLUE NOTE

by Lucy Silliman

My piece was a technical challenge of producing a piece with holes in it. The notes seemed to interlock effortlessly as notes do in a great piece of music. "Blue Notes" was a fun experiment that almost designed itself.

IN MY MIND

by Maureen Ashlock

I chose Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber because I like the music and have seen the play and the 2004 movie. I digitized the embroidery and listed the major songs. The name is "In MY Mind" as I have been humming the music as I sew patches on the silk quilt I am restoring right now.

THE RICHEST CHORD

by Roberta Ranney

This is my attempt to make a picture from a sound. There is a chord in the last movement of the Moonlight Sonata that seems to contain all the wonders of music and this is my depiction of it.

STAGE DOOR

by Sheryl Schleicher

Sheryl's work shows the less glamorous side of musical performance. Out front everything is bright and colorful but all of that is absent behind the stage.

A NIGHTINGALE SINGS

by Emmie Seaman

This is from the title of "A Nightingale Sings in Barkley Square". She is beaded and her blue wings are metallic.

STRING RHYTHMS

by Carol Bormann

The fragmentation of shapes and colors represent the staccato sound of plucked strings. I digitized my graphic image and converted it to "stitch language" to create this rayon machine embroidery on black cotton. Both my daughter and I played the violin in school; our son played the string bass and currently plays the guitar in a band called "Rock Show". It seemed fitting to dedicate the piece to stringed instruments.

ROCK AND ROLL

by Lettie Blackburn

Lettie says that she enjoys "all kinds of music, from opera to zydeco, but I was a teenager in the 60's, so rock and roll clearly defines music to me!

EAR WORMS

by Merrilee Tieche

Merrilee's piece says "do you ever get a song in your head and it won't go away?"

She says "while I am not very inspired by music, I often do get a song stuck in my head and sing it (badly) all day!

Our Upcoming Show at Juanita K. Hammonds

2011-10-28T08:37:00.000-05:00

Peaceful Waters Challenge

2011-10-26T10:48:00.002-05:00

Our challenge due for October was offered by Roberta Ranney. Inspiration was to come from a song composed by Bob Ranney in 1974 called Peaceful Waters.

There's a rhythm in the water flowing by
There's a rhythm in the wingbeats in the sky
Can't you feel it. It's a thing called life
Peaceful waters flowing by

You can see it in the oaks against the sky
You can hear it in the whip-poor-will at night
You can feel it with the heron in its flight
Peaceful waters flowing by

You can see it when you close your eyes
But you can't see it when you close your mind
Don't you know we're so far behind
Peaceful waters flowing by

Chorus:
Peaceful waters flowing by
Deep green forest reaching up to the sky
Don't you know your soul can't die
Peaceful waters flowing by

Vigilant Wader by Carol Bormann

Sac River by Dianna Callahan

Open Your Mind by Cathy Jeffery

Autumn Waters by Lettie Blackburn

Rain Forest by Lily Kerns

Mountain Air by Donna Olson

Heron by Roberta Ranney

Heron on the Water by Emmie Seaman

Imagine by Diane Steffen

Soaring by Maureen Ashlock

Peaceful Waters by Lucy Silliman

Peaceful Waters by Merrilee Tieche

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Totems Challenge

2011-09-21T15:58:00.006-05:00

Our latest challenge was presented by Sheryl Schleicher and was due at the September meeting. The theme of the challenge is Totems. Each person was to select an animal that had traits that represented her or had traits she wished to have.

This is a collage of the work members brought to the annual retreat:

And the individual quilts:

Lettie Blackburn chose the loon.

For those with a Loon totem,
imagination and dreaming abilities are powerful.
Images and visions will be very lifelike
and you must separate the real from the unreal.
Loon will help you see the truth.

The Loon awakens the imagination
and reminds us that all hopes, dreams and wishes
can become realities.

Dianna Callahan identified with a meerkat. Her piece is called "The Sentinel" and represents the vigilance the members of a meerkat clan exhibit to keep each other safe.

Donna Olson's totem was no surprise. She chose a crow - or it chose her!

Donna completed two 12 x 12s for the challenge.

Cathy Jeffery's totem is an owl.

Carol Bormann tells us "the giraffe has the ability to know the future and understand the past while walking in the present moment. It teaches us how to increase our perceptions by viewing life from all angles. Developing these characteristics is taking me a lifetime."

Roberta Ranney identified with the lynx - the keeper of secrets and mystical knowledge.

You know the secrets
So very well,
The Dreamtime and the magic,
But you'll never tell.

May I learn to hold my tongue,
Observe like the Sphinx,
Powerful, yet silent,
The medicine of Lynx.

Lily Kerns found a book of prayers about various animals and strongly identified with the goat. According to the prayer, the goat needs freedom and a little giddiness of heart.

Emmie Seaman says "I chose the Flamingo because it is heart healing, psychic,

a people person and flirtatious. Since a totem can be more than one I made the second quilt with the flamingo nestled in a poppy as it is my favorite flower and my garden is a riot of red poppies every Spring."

Sheryl Schleicher chose a horse as her totem. Her work is expressed entirely in fine quilting.

Diane Steffen portrayed her new dog Louie. Louie is a min pin who has captured her heart.

The dog totem is a great spirit booster and symbol of the small becoming great. Study the quality of the breed of dog that has entered your life. Is it hunter, protector, companion, or playful? Each quality gives insight into the quality needed for your own life. People with this totem have a great spirit and ability to love as best friends.

Merrilee Tieche was inspired by the jaguar.

"Jaguar enhances spiritual and psychic vision with a keen sense of awareness, pinpointing strong intuitional abilities. Jaguar shows how to embrace the gifts of the Spirit with composure, tenacity, fortitude with a complete integration of lessons learned and applying them in daily life. Are you integrating ideas and thoughts like you should? Jaguar will aid in this transition of self-actualization. He shows how to move silently, stealthily knowing when and how to react, shows empowerment, teaches how to maneuver and understand things unseen. He cuts through the illusion of separation and shows how the hurtful lessons of the past can be transformed into a higher clarity of purpose with a higher sense of self and connectedness. Jaguar's wisdom will show clarity in the chaos in the soul process of integration and shifting perspectives with balance and grace. "

Maureen Ashlock chose the horse as her totem and provided this information:

"Majestic"

The Horse Totem

Freedom and Power

Grace and Strength

Joy and Perseverance

Creativity and Expression

The next challenge is from Roberta Ranney. She asks that we produce a work inspired by a song written by her husband called Peaceful Waters. The work will be due at the October meeting of UT.

The Gallery at Lumberyard Art Center

2011-09-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

Our exhibit was hung yesterday in the gallery at the Lumberyard Art Center. Following are photos after we finished.

As the gallery is approached one will see Lettie Blackburn's "Jack in the Pulpit" in the doorway on a easel. Upon entering the gallery, our "Good Grief" quilt in prominently displayed in the center of the room with a wall of art quilts behind it.

I should have written down the name of each piece and the artist but I forgot. Oh well, enjoy.

The art center really was an old lumber yard. This is the back half that is still awaiting renovation into a theatre.

And this is the front half that is finished and in use. A very delightful facility.

Our exhibit opens this Friday, September 16 and will be there until October 8. Information is on our preceding post.

Lumberyard Art Center

2011-09-07T14:56:00.000-05:00

On September 16, 2011, nine members of Uncommon Threads will open an exhibit of their art quilts at the Lumberyard Art Center in Baldwin, KS. Unfortunately that opening will conflict with our retreat so none of us will be there. I'll post pictures after we hang the show so you'll know what it looks like.
the exhibit is up until October 8, so if you're in the area, stop by. You can read all about it in the LAC newsletter and also learn about LAC at their website

BitterSweet Challenge

2011-07-30T20:50:00.000-05:00

Our latest challenge was revealed at our July meeting. The theme was "Bittersweet." The following picture was chosen by Emmie Seaman who said we could be inspired by the picture/design, the colors, or the word bittersweet.

Here is a mosaic of all of the 12 x 12s. Then they follow individually.

Mother's Day Gift - Maureen Ashlock

These Lilies were given to me by my Grandsons on Mother's Day and they bloom around that day each year. I collaged three photoshop pictures together to make the 3 D design.

Bittersweet - Lettie Blackburn

Since I love both painting and art quilting, I decided to combine them...

and 12x12 is a good way to experiment!

Jake - Carol Bormann

The image, based on a photo by Susan Brown, shows her son immersed in a ball pit. The colors of the balls were altered to mimic the cluster of bittersweet. The technique is photo transfer and appliqué with quilted accents.

I really enjoyed this challenge. Actually, I have had a lot of fun with exploring new avenues with all of our challenge pieces. The process is a great idea.

Butterflies and Bittersweet - Dianna Callahan

Emma - Cathy Jeffery

It is so bittersweet to have a kitty for 18 years and have to say goodbye.

Bittersweet At Night - Kathy Kansier

My 12 x 12 Bittersweet quilt portrays a basket of Bittersweet branches. I think of the plant as one often used in folk art and it seemed right to show it in this way. I arrived at my title because I stayed up all night making this the night before it was due.

Bittersweet - Lily Kerns
My "Bittersweet" piece will serve as a class sample for five different classes: "Stained Glass Techniques"; "Abstracting from Nature"; "Designing for Foundation Paper Piecing"; and "Almost Mondrian". I will also adapt it for an Ozark Garden block.

Bittersweet - Donna Olson

Waiting - Roberta Raney
"My bittersweet quilt is a photo of my mother in 1952 superimposed on a picture of bittersweet. My mother is wearing my father's Army jacket as she awaits his return from Korea. He died in Korea shortly after this picture was taken." I must say this little quilt is much more bitter than sweet but 'tis what it is.

Pixeled - Sheryl Schleicher
I laid a grid on the photo and then did an abstract pixel of each square using the grunge fabrics. It was a lot of fun to do and definitely a technique I will use again just for the sheer fun of it. Fun to quilt, too!

Bittersweet Abstract - Emmie Seaman
The background is a mosaic of torn and cut squares and rectangles of fabric, then quilted to hold them down. The two blue lines and the circles are fused on top with some decorative stitching and beads added.

Bittersweet Memories - Lucy Silliman
I returned to a style of design that I used for many of my pieces that went to judged shows. Since I’ve given up showing, it’s a little bitter, but sweet in that I’ve moved on to other things.

Blue Grid - Diane Steffen

Night Shade - Merrilee Tieche
I believe the 12 x 12 format is perfect for trying out new techniques as well as inspirations. Nightshade incorporates several layers of paint, writing and fabric, giving the 2 dimensional surface more depth.

Entering Juried Exhibits

2011-07-14T12:52:00.000-05:00

ENTERING JURIED EXHIBITS

The basics:

1. Have a body of work ready to exhibit (4-12 pieces)

2. Determine a yearly budget for entry fees, insurance, shipping, and travel.

3. Decide which types of shows you will enter.

4. Locate calls for entry.

5. Prepare a calendar for the exhibit year.

1. You will need a cohesive body of work that shows your current style and technique. Choose a theme or technique that may make your work unique from that of others. Highlight what you love to do best and you are expert at doing. Don’t be discouraged if a juror doesn’t pick your art piece for the exhibit. The next juror may give you an award in an upcoming show.

2. Be prepared to pay to enter and don’t expect to win awards. To pay an entry fee, then to pay insurance, and shipping and handling both ways if your work is accepted, will easily cost $50. If you travel very far to drop off the entry, then attend the reception later, your cost will be considerably more. Your non-refundable entry fee alone will run $15 - $40 for anywhere from one to three works. If you are paying $30 - $40 you will want to enter the maximum number of pieces, although it is rare for an artist to get all three accepted since there will be so much artwork for the juror to choose from. Ship your work where it is convenient for you unless the call for entry tells you specifically to send UPS. The post office may be a more convenient option than UPS or Fed x.

3. There are always several local galleries holding periodic juried exhibits. You can drop off, pick up, attend receptions and view the exhibits easily. If you decide to exhibit farther away, you may choose gallery shows that will run for a month. You can choose to exhibit in Expos and fairs that run only a few days, or shows that travel up to a year. Other opportunities are group exhibits and solo exhibits.

4. To learn about where to exhibit, contact a local group or get info from your art friends, search the internet to get on some mailing lists, or search the exhibit entry section of topic related magazines. When you find an entry that you like, read the form thoroughly to determine if your work can qualify and if you can meet all of the deadlines and comply with criteria. Most current methods of entry for non-local exhibits are sent on CD or e-mail. Locally, you will just drop off the form with the artwork. Be sure to always keep copies of all paperwork.

5.Keeping track of even a few shows may require you to have a running calendar. For example, during August, you may have an entry deadline for one show, a ship date to another, a reception, or a work return date, etc. Most shows cover a three to four month span from the date of entry deadline to the date the shown work is returned to you. If a work isn’t accepted in a juried exhibit, you can then enter it in the next upcoming exhibit. Remember, some shows may have so many entries that the juror will only pick 20% of them for exhibit. It is very important that you don’t commit a piece to a new show while it is still in a current one. Also, if the piece sells, you won’t want it entered into a new show.

If the artwork doesn’t sell, plan on showing it as many times as you want over a two or three year period before “retiring” it, gifting or donating it. Remember, it is unlikely that the same people in Lowell will see the piece again in Wichita or Springfield.

Dianna Callahan

12 x 12 Notan

2011-06-08T15:24:00.001-05:00

This June 12 x 12 theme was "Notan" chosen by Lucy Silliman.

And here they are individually:

Lettie Blackburn "Branch Shadows"

Roberta Raney "Whirligig"

Dianna Callahan "Broken Trails"

Sheryl Schleicher " Quilted Mylar"

Cathy Jeffery "Tango"

Lucy Silliman "Crab Walk"

Emmie Seaman "Midnight"

Merrilee Tiech "Tsunami"

Kathy Kansier "Angels"

Inspired by her twin Grand daughters Isabelle and Gabrielle

Carol Borman "Metamorphosis

The life cycles of the butterfly include changes in form and environment. This metamorphic "cycle" begins with the caterpillar resting on the lower "ledge." As each butterfly passes from the inner white square (birth) to the outer black border (end of life) the values transform to constrast with the new background.

Donna Olson "Petroglyphs"

Lily Kerns "Purs-agami"

This functional purse was designed in Corel Draw using a Reverse Notan proess.It is one rectangle of fabric, folded stitched and embellished

Maureen Ashlock "It Takes Two"

Lucy Silliman "Snake In The Grass"

Diane Steffen "Wood Block"

The next theme, due in July, is a photograph of bittersweet chosen by Emmie Seaman. The design, colors, or name "bittersweet", may be used. Good Luck to all.

Winter White Challenge

2011-03-19T11:22:00.005-05:00

Our latest challenge was due at our March Meeting. The subject, selected by Diane Steffens, was "Winter White."

Here they are individually:

Emmie Seaman - Winter Oxymoron

After a 20" snow storm, this large pile of snow was pushed up in front of our local gas/convenience store named Hot Spot.

Diane Steffen - Tranquility

Dianna Callahan - Snowy Egret

Cathy Jeffery - Almost White

Donna Olson - Winter White with Snowy Owl

Kathy Kansier - Snow Angel

Lettie Blackburn - Winter White With Shadows

Roberta Ranney - Juncos On A Winter White Day

Sheryl Schleicher - Winter's Kiss

Lucy Silliman - Iceberg

Lucy has been on a trip to the Antarctic

Maureen Ashlock - Winter White Snow Bright

Maureen has memories of living in Alaska

Carol Bormann - Nebraska Interpretation

Photograph of Carol's grandparents from a journal "Prairie Saga" by Wilma Heers Christiansen

...."One winter there was so much snow that the wind created a snow drift between the house and the barn. It was as high as the garage roof and Dad had to tunnel his way to get to the stock and milk the cows.".....

Merrilee Tieche - Winter White, Summer Sands

Is it so small a thing To have enjoy'd the sun,

To have lived light in the spring, To have loved,

To have thought, to have done,

To have advanced true friends....

Lily Kern - Ice Storm Sunrise

Carol Bormann - Dare To Be Different

Several people made more than one, but I chose this second one of Carol's to balance the group shot!

SPOTS - with buttons

2011-03-15T16:05:00.000-05:00

All it needed was a sprinkling of buttons.....done.

The actual name of this piece is "Resulting Pain".

SPOTS- Give it some quilting

2011-03-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

This is the final result (I think). I actually felt like I was" on fire" with pain after the first dermatology visit. The nurse told me next time I should take advil before I come in. Believe me, that did help. My next appointment is scheduled for July. I can hardly wait!

SPOTS - Give it Some Color

2011-02-23T10:40:00.000-06:00

This is after fusing it to the background.

Had to show the place where the doctor did the cutting.

And now the real fun begins. To the sewing machine I go!

SPOTS - The Second Phase

2011-02-18T14:28:00.000-06:00

I attempted to draw, which I'm not very good at, a body shape. I wish mine looked this nice!

Then I cut my body apart....to be reassembled at a later date.

SPOTS by Cathy Jeffery

2011-02-08T10:43:00.000-06:00

Of all the cancers that humans can get, skin cancer is the most common. People with light skin who sunburn easily have a higher risk, but anyone can get skin cancer. Some of the risk factors are: sunburn, exposure to x-rays, weakened immune system, scarring caused by a disease or burn, exposure to cancer-causing compounds such as arsenic, using indoor tanning beds or sunlamps and in my case a family history of skin cancer.
Since almost everyone in my family has had it, I thought it was best that I get checked. So off I went to my friendly family dermatologist. I didn't know what to expect on that first visit. I was thinking it can't be that bad. Boy was I wrong. The doctor proceeded to freeze 30 spots all over my body with liquid nitrogen. He could tell just by looking that these were places that could turn into cancer. One of the spots, however, was suspicious to his talented eye. He numbed that spot and cut it out for biopsy. The results were Basal Cell Carcinoma. I was lucky to have caught it before it grew into something bad.
On my second visit he found 18 more spots.

Of course, being a fiber artist, I am inspired to make a piece about this experience.

So I dug out some of my spotted fabric.

I have a plan and I will share on this blog as I progress.
.......to be continued........

12 x 12 CHALLENGE: ABUNDANCE

2011-01-26T11:27:00.003-06:00

The Uncommon Threads group has been interested in the projects done by the Twelve by Twelve International Art Quilt Challenge. http://twelveby12.blogspot.com/. We decided to make 12" square quilts every other month during 2011. Merrilee Tieche chose the first inspiration picture shown above. She selected the picture based on the copious food and wine consumed at the annual Uncommon Threads retreat in October.

Kathy Kansier

Carol Bormann

Cathy Jeffery

Dianna Callahan

Donna Olson

Diane Steffen

Emmie Seaman

Lettie Blackburn

Lily Kerns

Lucy Silliman

Maureen Ashlock

Merrilee Tieche

Roberta Ranney

The next challenge is due in March and was suggested by Diane Steffen. Our quilts will be interpretations of the phrase "Winter White".

Houston AQS Quilt Show

2010-11-30T11:14:00.000-06:00

Quilt Show review by Diane Steffen

This year I attended the 2010 International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas for the second year. Every year it seems to get bigger and bigger. There were 40 Special Exhibits including some exhibits where photos were not allowed such as art quilts from the book 500 Art Quilts and Artbra where fiber artists embellished bras for a calendar that was available for purchase. The following photos are a few quilts that were my favorites and, of course, I included two of my own quilts that were on display.

Ruffled Feathers by Roxanne Nelson

Roxanne is a Canadian quilter and this quilt has earned several Canadian awards including Viewers Choice and First Place - Excellence for Representational Wall Quilt in the 2010 Canadian National Juried Show.

Hope by Michelle Jackson

Special Exhibit - Text On Textiles: Words as Design in Quilts
This exhibit showcases quilts in which words and fabric come together to form a unique statement. This is the second year of a 3 year project.

Innocence by Hollis Chatelain

This quilt portrays a boy that Hollis saw in a dream, 37 images of children's faces are quilted on the face of Earnest. Hollis also showed an exhibit titled "Imagine Hope, Awareness through Art". The exhibition is comprised of 11 textile pieces by Hollis, and 22 black and white photographs from five prominent photographers. The exhibit addresses key social and environmental issues facing our world today.

Yes, I Am by Deborah Sylvester

"Yes, I am strong" is the inspirational message that Deborah wanted to portray after a divorce.

Soul of Art by Mary Fisher

Special Exhibit - Art & Soul
This collection of art quilts includes Mary Fisher's mixed media, fiber and handmade paper. As an international speaker, she travels the world advocating for those who share her HIV status.

Wings & Feathers by Mark Sherman

Mark created this quilt for his daughter Sara, who loves butterflies.

High Heel Daze by Diane Steffen

Special Exhibit - Celebrate Spring! 2010
Quilts from the annual spring edition of the IQA Judged Show in Chicago. Both winning and finalist works featuring a wide array of interpretations were on display.

Rare Catch by Diane Steffen

Special Exhibit - Quilts: A World Of Beauty 2010
Both winning and finalists quilts from the annual fall Judged Show of the International Quilt Association in Houston were on display. "Rare Catch" is in the Art - Pictorial category.

Retreat at Creek's End

2010-10-22T15:11:00.010-05:00

Seven members of Uncommon Threads took off for our annual retreat on October 15. Emmie, Donna, Diane, Dianna and Merrilee are pictured here, with Cathy taking the picture and Susan on her way from the other direction.
Our destination was the beautiful Creek's End Retreat near Jasper, Arkansas.

We stopped for a great lunch at Neighbor's Mill Bakery and Cafe in Harrison, Arkansas, and took time out on the way to do a little shopping at Emma's Museum of Junk and other fine shops in Jasper, Arkansas.

We stopped at the Buffalo River to take in the amazing cliffs and gorgeous surroundings before proceeding on to our destination.

The drive to Creek's End was beautiful, though the fall foliage was not as colorful as we'd hoped due to the prolonged drought in Northern Arkansas. Driving on the back roads was sometimes a challenge, but always lovely.

Creek's End was delightful! Neat as a pin and plenty of room for everyone to spread out. The retreat was situated on the banks of the Little Buffalo River (which was mostly dry at the time), and we were eager to hike and explore the stream bed. A beautiful sheer cliff bordered one side of the stream. This afforded everyone a real "photo op"!

Saturday's time was spent as each person chose - sewing, knitting, catching up on quilting magazines, hiking, doing yoga, or just plain relaxing!

Each participant provided a meal for the group. The food and wine was fabulous and most abundant! Many of us (no names, please) ate too much and even enjoyed the wine a little too much!

On the way home Sunday morning we made a stop at an overlook of the Buffalo River Valley, where one could see only wilderness from horizon to horizon. Then on to enjoy the view and the little gift shop at Cliff House. We had planned to lunch there, but everyone was just too full.

It goes without saying, "A Good Time Was Had By All!" and we look forward to visiting the lovely little "Fairy Cottage" again.

Threads of Memory, Part Deux

2010-09-07T09:40:00.003-05:00

I hope you enjoyed seeing the first part of our exhibition, Threads of Memory, shown at the Pool Gallery Art Center. Here are some photos from the rest of the show.

Here are some of the UT members gathered at the opening reception. Left to right, back row, Cathy Jeffery, Merrilee Tieche, Carol Bormann, Emmie Seaman. Front row, Maureen Ashlock, Roberta Ranney, Donna Olson, Dianna Callahan.

Some of the pieces in the show that you haven't seen:

Do You Like Butter? That's the question asked by Lettie Blackburn's beautifully framed piece. "Of course I do" is the answer given by generations of laughing children on a warm summer's day, "my chin is yellow!" The glittering threads and sheers play perfectly off the grassy background, taking one back to remembered days of itchy grass, fireflies and golden dandelions.

This lovely oil pastel portrait of the artist's mother, done by Dianna Callahan and entitled Momma is a charming tribute. A lace collar and tags from clothing add personal touches to the piece since Dianna's mother worked in a garment factory.

Three Sisters, submitted by Lucy Silliman utilizes a different surface design technique to achieve a beautiful and interesting look. Lucy first thread painted her flowers on cloth, then colored the raised portions with oil pastels. The three small pieces were then mounted on stretcher bars giving the trio a great design element.

Rainforest, a mixed media piece from Diane Steffen, uses the artist's great abstract style to evoke the sunless depths and bright canopy of a rain forest. Mosses are stylized with the use of wool roving, and bright parrot blue draws our eye.

A secondary exhibit within Threads of Memory showcases our members contribution to a special exhibit. In 2008, UT member Kathy Kansier was the recipient of the prestigious Jewell Pearce Patterson scholarship awarded to "Teacher of the Year" by IQA. In return for the many perks this award entails, Kathy had to develop a class based on something she had learned during the scholarship period, and then mount an exhibit of works on that theme made by herself and her students to be premiered at the 2009 Houston IQA show. The show then traveled to Quilt Market at Minneapolis and the fall IQA show in Long Beach, CA. Kathy had 24 quilts in her exhibition. Several of our UT members rose to the challenge and made art quilts based on Kathy's chosen theme of "Making a Grand Entrance"

Down Olive Way is Maureen Ashlock's contribution. The doorways are based on the different homes Maureen lived in during her husband's military career. Maureen worked long and hard to achieve the perfect perspective evidenced on this complicated quilt. Choice of fabrics, the great machine stitching and even the kitty on the doorstep bring a warm feeling to it.

Reflections of Tuscany: Limonaria at Spannocchia selects an image beloved by artist Carol Bormann of the ancient building in Italy where lemon trees are stored during cold weather. Carol and her husband, Nick, have returned to this enchanting place in Tuscany for it's particular beauty. Note the reflection of the vines in the glass over the doorway.

Greek Archways by Dianna Callahan portrays an ancient entrance photographed, and now captured in fabric, during Dianna's recent travels to Greece and Turkey. The amazing depth and realism of this piece is enhanced with paint, applied by both brush and spray.

First of four quilts made by Kathy Kansier for her exhibit is Entering a Competitive World, hilariously picturing aging bathing beauties on the beach. Kathy's use of fabric and sense of humor play a big part in this quilt.

On a Hill Far Away by Kathy Kansier shows an ancient arch and landscape focused on three distant crosses. Note the realism and excellent use of perspective in this quilt.

Kathy's quilt, He's Not There, shows the shock of discovering Jesus's body was missing when Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary, mother of James, looked in the tomb. Kathy's use of color and imagination add to the realism.

Damascus Gate is a sister piece to He's Not There in more ways than one. Both were originally created as one very large quilt but Kathy determined that each should have been separate, so she cut the quilt to make two. The Damascus Gate was exit from Jeruselum that was used to transport Jesus to the site of his crucifixion.

Chaco Canyon by Donna Olson shows a series of entrances, photographed by Donna's husband, in an ancient Anasazi Native American ruin in the Four Corners area of the U.S. Southwest. The age of the worn adobe brick and the shadows made by sun shining through the collapsed ceilings make a perfect backdrop for Donna's favorite Native American myth - the Trickster, the crow.

L'Entrata di Siena, by Merrilee Tieche, translates a photograph taken by the artist in the ancient city of Siena in Italy. The modernity of the shiny new bicycle in front of the old building and the shadows growing longer, created a contrast she couldn't resist. In the original photo, there was a very modern black plastic garbage bag to the right of the door.

Well, my friends, that's the whole show. I will insert a caveat here and tell you that no photograph in the world can do justice to our fiber art - the texture, depth and color of the fabrics add an element that must be seen to be appreciated.

Welcome to "Threads of Memory"

2010-09-04T19:57:00.011-05:00

If you weren't able to come to last night's opening of Threads of Memory at Drury University's Pool Art Center Gallery, you missed a fantastic event. If you're in the area, please do try to see the exhibition. It will run through September 25, 2010.

Just in case you can't make it in person, here is your own private guided tour!

Good Grief, Uncommon Threads' coffin quilt, is the centerpiece of the show. We turned the quilt several times during the 3 hours of the opening so visitors could see both colorways of the quilt. Check out our book (linked at right), Good Grief, a Celebration of Life and Art, to see more of this amazing quilt.

Contrast: Experiencing Serra, Nick and Carol Bormann's magnificent collaboration, was the first thing seen by our visitors as they entered the show. It is a very large piece showcasing the talents of both the Bormanns.

Lily Kerns with her homages to pojagi (top to bottom) Almost Mondrian I, Handicap Access, and Almost Mondrian II. The art sparked almost as much interest as Lily's Segway!

Carol Bormann's new series represented here by The Last Time I Saw Paris

and The Last Time I Saw Venice. Carol does such a wonderful job of blending custom machine cross stitch with applique.

Our far-away friend, Christine Marcum, sent her wonderful sheer and many layered piece, Blocked Memory. This is Christine's impression of the ancient Korean art of pojagi, the same inspiration for Lily Kerns art, but very different in execution.

Lettie Blackburn's new piece, Last Stand, is larger than her usual work, and is stunning in color, scope and execution. Lettie's trees are a metaphor for life, here showing an old white pine, the lone survivor of a once-proud stand of trees.

Bird's Eye View, (below) Donna Olson's vision of irrigation circles and riverbeds as seen from high above the earth, imagines the vistas Donna's familiar crow might see while in flight.

Petroglyphs, a mixed media piece by Donna Olson, reprises her love of ancient Native American rock paintings discovered and photographed on her travels though the Four Corners area of the American Southwest.

Two smaller, but infinitely intriguing pieces by Maureen Ashlock begged us to get a little closer and look a little longer. So much going on! Top is A Quiet Day- My Creative Comfort, and (below) is Forrest Glen - Pixies at Play with Project Runway

Daydream, by Diane Steffen, is a colorful beachy piece evoking Caribbean waters and warm sand. Beautiful fabrics in shades of aqua enhance the feeling.

"Elegant" is the only word to describe Diane Steffen's lovely Bali Night. The vintage Oriental reed for weaving is the perfect choice to mount it on. The serene colors and beautiful beading and threadwork bring to mind a warm tropical night.

Susan Leslie Lumsden's emotional work is represented by her uber-huge Slipstream Adventure. As always, Susan's incredibly saturated colors take the viewer's eye on an adventure of their own!

Dianna Callahan's trip to Greece and Turkey is evoked here in Turkish Touch. Based on a photo Dianna took of a rug weaver at work, the colors and fabrics representing Oriental Rugs are endlessly fascinating.

Jambalaya, by Cathy Jeffery, represents the colors and mixtures often seen in Cajun cookery. You can almost smell the peppers and onions!

CSI, also submitted by Cathy Jeffery, takes a light hearted "stab" at humor. Using her usual improvisational piecing and a background of bright yellow and red spatter, the chalk outline of the recently deceased makes one wonder what was the cause of death?

Cathy Jeffery's third piece in the show is her newest work, Vision. Bright earthtones against a starry background are highlighted with a peacock feather and made so much more interesting with uneven edges.

Newer UT member, Roberta Ranney, loves playing with dyes. Pieces of her experimentations with indigo show up here in Reflections of Monte Carlo portraying perfectly the warm Mediterranean waters and the reflections in the windows of the charming houses.

Where in the world can you see the cool blue hues imagined and created by Roberta Ranney in Indigo Hill? I think perhaps we'd have to travel to Scandinavia to see it - maybe Norway? Brrrr! Where does it take you?

Memory of Sicily, also submitted by Roberta Ranney, evokes a warmer climate, the ochers and siennas reminiscent of the island of Sicily.

Emergence

Anticipation

Jubilation

Emmie Seaman's exhilarating threesome shows joy only a gardener can imagine. Carrot seeds germinating under the watchful eye of the sun, springing to full grown splendor, then dancing with joyous abandon evidences the processes that often go unnoticed beneath the soil.

Two pieces by Merrilee Tieche hopefully can make you smell the salt air, wherever you are. The first, Reflection, reminds one of sitting in the sand at sunset, gazing across the water at the island in the distance. The second (below) Pacific Echoes, takes the viewer from the light filled waters nearer the sun, down to the darkest depths of the sea.

So there you have it for today. There are a few photos that need to be taken over, and a whole section of the show yet to see, so look here for an update next week. Thanks for visiting our show!

Threads of Memory

2010-08-31T06:28:00.000-05:00

Uncommon Threads is having an exhibit at Pool Gallery, Drury University, Springfield, Mo opening this Friday, August 3 from 7 to 9. In addition to member's work, our Good Grief quilt will be on display. Donna Olson will be giving a talk on it and other funeral quilts at 6 PM, prior to the opening.

MEANDERINGS BY LILY KERNS

2010-08-23T06:42:00.000-05:00

Fleece Scarf With Whisper Felting

Lily Kerns

Comfort Zones

Those words give you a warm protected feeling, don't they? Workiing within your comfort zone is also the easiest way to make quilts. You have a pattern and the directions. You have the right fabrics and tools-and you have it almost made, right? For a total beginner with no established quilt-making comfort zone, this much may well be an adventure in itself. But once you get beyond the total beginner stage what you have learned soon becomes a comfort zone. Working in this comfort zone means that you not only know how to do it, but that you pretty much know what the final result will be.

The art quilter, however, is an adventurer and mastered tasks hold less appeal. She welcomes the challenge of uncertainty, of doing what she has never tried before, of not knowing exactly how things will turn out.

I encountered both of these scenarios recently in a weekend "Fiber University" sponsored by an alpaca owners and breeders association. Although I teach a felting for quilters class at Quilt University, I have never taken a felting class. Figuring I could learn something, I registered for two classes (needle felting and wet felting.)

Hand needle felting is very simple and easy to learn. You have one or more slender barbed needles which are poked up and down into a bed of wool or other fiber. The barbs carry strands of fiber downward to tangle with other fibers, making a felted mat. The thickness of this felted fabric depends on how thick your layer of fiber was to start with.

We were provided with a protective mat, a set of needles and an assortment of colored fibers, including of course, wonderfully soft alpaca. We chose a large plastic cookie cutter as a template. Fibers placed insode the cookie cutter were needled down into an underlying fabric to create a felted shape when the cookie cutter was removed. The basic decision making involved was choosing fiber colors. If you had a heart shape, then red fiber was an obvious choice. Beginning felters needed to learn how much fiber to use, how to hold the needle and avoid breaking it.

If this simple process challenges your comfort zones, then hurrah for you! However, I've done a good bit of experimenting with felting and the process of felting into cookie cutters is pretty well buried in my accumulation of comfort zones. So I chose to start from scratch, with no pattern, no clearn idea of what I would do.

The scarf above started by choosing small amounts of colored fibers in light value to contrast with the dark fleece. I felted thin wisps of these in a spray pattern from the lower left corner. An enticing bag of colorful wool curls suggested flowers, so small bits of these were felted in place. From there on it was a matter of listening to the fiber and design and adding whatever seemed to be needed.

This intuitive approach to design is not the easiest way. It challenges your comfort zone with every new decision. It is the essence of creativity, of discovery, of risk-taking. It is the hall mark of the creative art quilter.

My lilies in fabric by Maureen Ashlock

2010-07-23T16:04:00.001-05:00

My inspiration is a picture of my lilies starting to bloom each July on stalk with 10 to 13 blooms.

Lilies painted with fabric paint on muslin. Background over painted with thin mixture of turquoise and white pearl paint.

Design machine thread painted with metallics layered over thin batting. Hand embroidered french knots on petals.

"Romance of Starlight Express" 23" x 19".
Background hand beaded with matching mint colored seed beads.

Kudos by Dianna Callahan

2010-06-15T15:10:00.004-05:00

"A Little Girl's Fantasy"

Dianna Callahan

themed juried exhibit - "Childhood in its Landscape"

Good Girl Art Gallery, Springfield, MO

April 2 - April 24, 2010

"Ruby's Red Socks"

Dianna Callahan

themed juried exhibit - "Vanishing Ozarks, Wooden Barns and Mills"

Harlin Museum, West Plains, MO

June 16 - July 9, 2010

"Lady at Rest"
Dianna Callahan
themed juried exhibit - "From Fine Art to Fiber: Reinterpreting the Masters"
Whistler House Museum of Art, Lowell, Massachusetts
August 4 - September 4, 2010

Lily Kerns debuted a new class at QuiltUniversity.com in February. “Whisper Felting” takes the traditional craft of making felt and transforms it into a whisper-thin embellishment technique for quilters. The first class filled immediately and an over flow class begins June 17. It will be offered again in the fall.

Jewelery-Art+Deco
Carol Borman

Last spring Carol Bormann was selected to have her work included in an international traveling art quilt exhibit. The Jewelry Quilt Project exhibition is May 13-24, 2010 in Luberon (Provence) at the Saint Michel l’Observatoire. The Jewelry Quilt Project was previously exhibited in Japan --Yokohama (November) and Tokyo (December), and Bihorel (Normandy), France.

Susan Leslie Lumsden
I got a best of show for my "Sweeping Changes" quilt in Boonville at the Missouri Life Festival.

Susan Leslie Lumsden
In April I got third place at the Fantastic Fibers in Paducah at the Yeiser Art Center.-- "Live Water"

Susan Leslie Lumsden
I had "Energy of Hope" accepted into Missouri Fiber Artists' Fiber: 2010

Susan Leslie Lumsden
I had "Slipstream Adventure" accepted into Art Quilts:Elements in Wayne, PA

Diane Steffen
"High Heel Daze" was juried into the Celebrate Spring show at IQF - Chicago (April 16 - 18). It will also travel and be displayed at IQF - Long Beach (July 23 - 25) and IQF - Houston (Nov. 4 - 7)

"One Sentence" by Christine Marcum was shown at the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons exhibit entitled "Wounded in Action" in February in New Orleans. Christine won Best in Show.

Flavors of the Season

2010-05-18T14:32:00.003-05:00

One of our favorite galleries, Waverly House in Springfield, MO, sent out a call for entries for their Spring show themed "Flavors of the Season". 89 entries were received in all manner of media. Of theses 34 were selected by the three jurors. Six of those were art quilts created by Uncommon Threads members. Proud? You bet!

Do You Like Butter by Lettie Blackburn

Wine Time by Roberta Ranney

Celebration by Emmie Seaman

Passion by Emmie Seaman - Juror's Choice

Summer Winds by Merrilee Tieche

Early Bird by Merrilee Tieche

ROUND BOBBIN EXPO EXHIBIT

2010-04-22T09:59:00.002-05:00

The members of Uncommon Threads and Quilt Odyssey recently were asked to display art quilts at the Round Bobbin Quilting and Sewing Expo Exhibit in Springfield, Missouri. In April the thirty four art quilts submitted by fourteen artists varied in subject matter and technique. Piecing, fabric collage, appliqué, painting, stamping, colored pencil, beading, free-motion embroidery, and quilting were often combined to create pieces illustrating natural elements, social and cultural issues, and abstract designs. These two- and three-dimensional pieces were received very favorably by those attending the expo.Featured below are selected pieces by the ten Uncommon Threads artists and the four members representing the Quilt Odyssey group.

Love my Tattoo by Maureen Ashock , UT

Media: fabric collage, machine appliqué, beading, water color crayons on cotton/nylon netting; free motion quilting with monofilament and metallic threads. This tattooed fish is not your average “Joe”. May we all be content in our surroundings knowing we are all originals.

Penetrating Planes by Carol Bormann, UT

Media: appliqué on cotton, machine quilting. Created for a challenge to interpret luminosity, the artist depicts shafts of color passing through planes that increase in opacity through layering.

Elvis’ Fan Club by Eleanor Bronnenberg, QO

Media: piecing, appliqué, quilting; cotton with glow in the dark embellishments. Having lived in Japan, the artist witnessed Japanese young adults impersonating Elvis for weekend entertainment in the Harajuku section of Tokyo. Elvis never performed in Japan, but the Elvis Presley Fan Club –Tokyo currently has about 3000 members. The pieced mini-blocks represent an “audience of fans”.

Ruby’s Red Socks by Dianna Callahan, UT

Media: Oil stick on fabric; drawing, appliqué, machine quilting.
The artist’s mother is sitting in front of the neighbor’s barn. She often walked around outside in her stocking feet looking for four leaf clovers.

Shirt Waist by Judith Ferguson, QO

Media: fabrics (mixed) on muslin base over 3D form. Using her term “deconstructed/reconstructed fabric”, the artist describes her randomly cut and reassembled fabric into a shirt form and basted onto a muslin foundation stretched over batting and a torso mannequin.

CSI by Cathy Jeffery, UT

Media: painting, appliqué, machine quilting on mixed fabrics. The artist’s inspiration came from reading and watching TV stories about crime in the streets.

Log Cabin Building Blocks by Donna Olson, UT

Media: piecing of cotton fabric, machine quilting. The artist’s foundation is in traditional quilting and this is included as an integral part of her designs.

Peacock in Color by Cher Piché, QO

Media: free motion machine embroidery (thread painting) on cotton, colored pencils, quilting. The artist’s original drawing was created using a long arm machine, then colored to enhance the stitching.

Iris and Friends by Roberta Ranney, UT

Media: appliqué, machine embroidery on cotton, quilting. The big blue iris is surrounded by her more colorful friends but she is still the star. This work celebrates the rich colors of nature.

Star Gazer by Emmie Seaman, UT

Media: machine appliqué, quilting; cotton. Photograph of the artist’s garden flowers is translated into fabric. The artist likes to portray her flowers as small quilts.

Focused by Lucy Silliman, UT

Media: aper piecing of cotton and hand-dyed cotton, machine quilting. Triangles diminishing in size and graded in color draw the eye inward to focus at their converging point.

Journey by Diane Steffen, UT

Media: piecing, quilting on cotton, silk dupioni embellished with metallic thread, glass and wood beads. Australian fabric inspired this piece. Movement and contrast are created with the use of glass vs. wooden beads, dupioni vs. silk fabrics and quilted curved lines vs. a straight grid pattern. The varying paths represent the journey through life with various contrasts we experience.

Organic III by Vivian Terbeek, QO

Media: collage; raw silk, polyester and satin; ribbons, yarns and beads; free-motion machine embroidery. A non-representational study of motion and color. Throughout the organic form the eye moves without chaotic, jarring motions, and color soothes the viewer’s senses resting on the one bold color. Who ever thought of orange as a place to rest your eyes?

Maggie’s Nest by Merrilee Tieche

Media: appliqué using silk, synthetic sheers and cotton; quilting. Like the magpie, I bring home shiny things to my nest – love bright colors and clear skies

Obviously it was as much fun to hang the exhibit as it was work!

March 16, 2010

2010-03-16T20:32:00.000-05:00

Merrilee Tieche presented this art quilt for the upcoming "Flavors of the Season" exhibit that will be at Waverly House.