Sisters In Cloth

While Waiting for the Snow

2012-01-22T18:55:00.003-05:00

I love to snow dye and thought snow would never arrive this winter. So I decided to do some ice cube dyeing as seen in the August -September 20011 issue of Quiting Arts Magazine. I am in love with the results and can 't seem to stop!! I used fat quarters of PFD fabric in white.

After soaking in soda ash solution, I fan folded some on the long side, some on the short sides, and others on the diagonal (my favorite), as well as just smooshing into a lump. Layer on some ice cubes, sprinkle on the powdered dyes in your choice of colors , cover and wait 24 hours. Rinse and wash, dry and iron. The pictures are just a few of many I have done.

And then I saw my empty glass vase on the counter and thought....why not try parfait dyeing with the ice cubes?? I didn't need to think twice about it and div

ed right in.

I started with yellow on the bottom,

followed by fushia,

then turquoise,

and put several colors on the top layer. I admit I was feeling reckless.

I intend to play around with the timing of each layer as well as the the number of dyes used on each layer. That's after I restock my supply of PFD fabric and a few different new dyes. OH, and make more ice cubes.

Art Quilts in NYC

2012-01-17T10:33:00.006-05:00

Last Friday I had the opportunity to view Material Witnesses, a beautiful collection of art quilts created by the Manhattan Quilters Guild at the Art Quilt Gallery right next to The City Quilter in New York City. These two were my favorites created by Paula Nadelstern and Ludmila Uspenskaya. What an amazing source of inspiration! I can’t wait to see Paula Chung’s exhibit, Painting with Fiber: Florals, the opening is January 23 from 6-9PM and the show runs January 24 – March 4.

Fiber Explorations

2012-01-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

During the winter, I step up my knitting projects. For several years, I have watched the felting enthusiasts expand their projects and the industry develop. I had avoided this side of fiber, as I thought it was a marketing ploy to make one purchase more yarn than necessary. After having completed the 8th flap-ear ski cap of the season, I looked at my collection of roving that was slowly catching up to my bead stash and decided to make the leap.

I knew that wet felting was not an exact science and researched the net to minimalize my trial and error process. I was determined not to purchase a book because the progression would lead to raising the sheep, spinning and dying. After knitting several oversized cloches and either stretching the wool to fit Andre the giant or shrinking to fit an American Girl doll, I found a consistant method.

Using a top loading washing machine combine 3 tennis balls and 2 pairs of men's pants (jeans are best) Set the temperature to the highest and run in a 5 minute cycle. Use cold water for teh rinse cycle. I remove the cap and check it to see if the fibers have felted and some yarns require 2 or 3 washings in this manner. When the hat is ready to dry, I place the hat on an inverted 2 lb plastic Protein bottle that I have borrowed from my son, who of course had a fit when he saw the bottle in the sun. How was I suppose to know that sun breakdowns powdered protein? and voila a decent felted hat is complete.

To date, I have successfully made 10 ladies cap's in this manner. My new challenge is making a man's brimmed hat and as of today I do not have the sizing down despite 3 attempts!

Gail Kotowski

We are SO proud....

2012-01-04T12:10:00.000-05:00

of our "Sister" Vivika! (pictured here with guest demonstrator Betty Warner)

Vivika DeNegre is the new Editor of Quilting Arts Magazine!

(where you can also see her very first blog post as Editor)

Pokey Bolton made the official announcement on December

16th and interviewed Vivika for the “Quilting Daily” blog.

Read the full article here:

http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/pokey/archive/2011/12/16/announcing-the-new-editor-for-quilting-arts.aspx.

According to Kate Themal, CT SAQA co-rep, who interviewed

her for SAQA/CT's blog:

Vivika is taking it all in. Although she may have less time to

work on her fiber art and beautiful bird portraits, DeNegre

is excited to begin a new adventure:

“I am thrilled, of course, and also overwhelmed in many ways with the challenges - learning Photoshop, excel and outlook, understanding the publishing world from the inside, working once again after an 11 year retirement - all of these are new experiences.”

New Editor DeNegre is already working on the April/May 2012

issue of Quilting Arts magazine.

We, Sisters in Cloth, who have known, worked, cried and laughed

with Vivika for about 9 years now, are very proud of her, and happy

that she has landed her "dream" job. She is a rare individual:

Great mom of four, talented artist, good friend and confidant...

and...rarer still, she has more than 24 hours in her day! That's the

only way she can do all that she does. Seriously.

Congratulations Vivika!

Boy, Do We Have News!

2011-12-18T12:54:00.000-05:00

Note to the wise: The really big news is always last ;^)

Our group hosted an Open Meeting on our regular Friday time. We invited friends to join us at the Guilford Free Library to celebrate our exhibit and to share Show and Tell. As we all know, Show and Tell is the highlight of meeting.

The top photo is Toni Torres showing us her piece that had toured in South Carolina. It returned a bit worse for the wear. Now beautifully restored, it offers a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of traveling exhibits.

Member Barb Adams brought and wore one of her much admired garments, onlooking is Aurelle Locke.

Carol Ludington

Claire deLambeart enjoys Linda Zimmerman's incredibly precise work.

Patty Porto brought her bargello to share.

We all had such fun that we decided we would have to repeat the event annually.

One of our Sisters was missing and it wasn't until we returned home to our computers that we discovered the reason for her recent absences: Our very own Vivika Hansen Denegre is the new editor of our favorite art quilt magazine, Quilting Arts!!!! We are so proud of her...and we know that Quilting Arts will be even better than ever with her on staff.

New Exhibits

2011-12-10T15:41:00.001-05:00

We have installed two (!) collections at the Guilford Free Library: It's a Rumor along with Gray. Fortunately the room is large.

Hanging day: Yvette Howard tidies Diane Wright's Winter Leaves Slowly above and below she is helping Carol Ludington (L) and Robin Wolek hang one of Robin's contribution to Gray.

It's a Rumor is a collection created with word of mouth descriptions, a bit like the children's game of Telephone or Gossip. The idea was to create a piece very quickly (the way rumors usually spread) based on a member's artist statement and then passed on to another member or two solely from that person's artist statement. More photos and descriptions are on Diane Wright's blog.

If you are in the area next Friday, Dec. 16, please, join us for an Open Meeting. Bring Show and Tell too. RSVP for a head count, times and directions to Diane Wright.

What's Going On Here?

2011-10-11T21:00:00.000-04:00

Road Trip! Diane couldn't help herself - after a few hours basking in the luxury of a well stocked quilt store (Sew Inspired), Diane and Carol were So Inspired upon seeing the man hole cover that they ran back into the shop, bought a package of paint sticks, and rubbed some images from the ground. Now that is a sure sign of a good day.

Lots of fabric came home with the group, of course, as did a slew of new books, ideas for a day of bleaching and discharging fabrics. Most of us ended up with lighter wallets, but healthier stashes.

Lastly, a pizza and salad at the neighboring restaurant made us all feel ready for the hour long drive home.

We are so lucky to have Sisters!

Carol Ludington's Grandmother Quilt

2011-08-22T16:49:00.001-04:00

We thought it was important to get this quilt to Carol, even though the label is not yet made, before the twins could crawl! Carol's been through a lot this year, not to mention that her daughter gave birth to twins about a month ago. Our group loves to make a "grandmother quilt" for the first grandchild to enjoy with his or her grandmother.

We wish Carol many happy hours of grandmother time...

Opening Reception: Double Take at the Guilford Free Library

2011-07-14T09:28:00.000-04:00

Rosemary with a cyclomen and iris

We are so fortunate to have been asked to hang our recent collaboration, "Double Take: Photo and Fiber" at the Guilford Free Library in Guilford, CT. Rosemary DeLuco Alpert's photographs are coupled with Sisters in Cloth's fiber interpretations for another glorious show.

Yvette and Debbie flank a friend, along with Debbie's sunflowers

The reception was held on Thursday, with many local-and-beyond clientele attending. Thank you, Rosemary, for sharing your show with us, and thanks to all who helped hang and maintain this wonderful venue. Please stop in and see these lovely pieces if you are in the Guilford area!

Ruth Anne with a lilly and hydrangia

Martha Wolfe visits the Sisters

2011-06-06T12:53:00.005-04:00

Former "Sisters in Cloth" member Martha Wolfe returned to town to share with us some of the techniques she's using now in her own fabulous work. Entitled "Sheer Bliss" her class certainly lived up to it's title.

About half of the group was able to meet with her at the Guilford Art Center, our go-to place for workshops. Pictured in the first photo is Carol, Yvette working one of the ironing stations and Vivika and Martha talking about sheers and fusibles in the background.

Photo 2 and 3, Janine, Robin and Ruth Anne are also at ironing stations. Okay, it was a technique class....which means we all went home inspired and charged up with new ideas....but no finished products. Yet. Stay tuned.

2011 Sisters' Extravaganza

2011-05-22T11:11:00.006-04:00

As you may remember, the Sisters' annually host a day of all things 'art-quilty'. This year in a departure from our norm we shifted from the comfy hospitality of our Yvette Howard's home to a commercial venue. No surprise here: it was a quilt shop(!) Vivian Lazich, owner of Sew Inspired in Simsbury CT invited us to her studio-classroom space. Granted, it was a huge hardship on us all to HAVE to relocate to a quilt shop. LOL.

Vivian went further. Having just returned from Spring Quilt Market she was a fount of information about the newest techniques, books, fabric lines etc. Whetting our appetite. She also demonstrated several really interesting products and techniques...decolourant, paints, adhesives...boggling some brains I can tell you. Thank goodness for note taking, otherwise it would have been a total sensory overload by the end of the day.

Of course, none of our gatherings is complete without Show and Tell. Always a feature! This year was no exception.

The first photo, with it's maker and frequent Sisters' guest Betty Warner hiding behind it, is her piece about the Liberty Bell which is soon to be shipped to an exhibit in Philadelphia. It honors the 9 slaves of George Washington who were not recognized during their lifetime.

Second photo is Sister in Cloth member Ruth Anne Olson with her most recent piece...still under development..featuring some of her beautiful hand painted fabric.

The whole day was a happy mixture of old friends, inspiring work, interesting new ideas and techniques, tasty food from neighboring restaurant AND piles of new fabrics. AND the sun shown for the first time in days. Gosh, life is good...especially for an art quilter.

And to add icing to the cake Vivian asked us to repeat the event next year! Really makes a girl smile.

Double Take Opening

2011-03-12T15:19:00.000-05:00

Double Take: Photo and Fiber

2011-02-04T08:38:00.009-05:00

DOUBLE TAKE: PHOTO & FIBER

February 2 - June 24 at the Gallery @ Haskins, Haskins Labs, Yale University

Opening Reception: Thursday March, 5-7pm

The Gallery @ Haskins

300 George Street Suite 9

New Haven CT

Hours: W-F 10-5

The exhibit includes original photographs by Rosemary DeLucco-Alpert paired with the art quilts by fiber art group Sisters in Cloth. Each of the group's members created a piece 18"x24" and an 8" detail.

Participating Members:

Barbara Coleman Adams

Janine Anderson-Bays

Debra Beth Bento

Vivika Hensen DeNegre

Yvette Howard

Evelyn Judson

Gail Kotowski

Carol Ludington

Ruth Anne Olson

Marie Kadlec Shepherd

Robin Wolek

Martha Wolfe

Diane Wright

Linda Zimmerman

Picture above is Purple and White Iris, Ruth Anne Olson's interpretation of Rosemary DeLucco-Alpert's photograph of the same title.

The group is happy to announce that the exhibit has been asked to travel to The Guilford Free Library in Guilford, CT during the month of July.

Identity in Fiber

2011-01-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

The theme of "Identity" is explored by 26 SAQA New England artists, including several of the Sisters in Cloth. Diane Wright, Ruth Ann Olson, Vivika Hansen DeNegre, Carol Luddington, Gail Kotowski and Debbie Bento all have answered the question "Who am I?" with thoughtful interpretations in cloth. Join us for a wonderful exhibit and an opportunity to ask the question of yourself...

IDENTITY IN FIBER
An Exhibition of Fiber Art
January 22 – March 5, 2011
Opening Reception Jan. 22nd, 5-7 PM
at the Windsor Art Center (WAC) Gallery
40 Mechanic Street
Windsor, CT 06095
(860) 688-2528
www.windsorartcenter.org

Through art quilts and fiber sculpture, artists share the memorable experiences and traditions that have shaped their identities. Meet some of the artists and enjoy light food, music and a special drawing at the Opening Reception on Saturday, January 22nd.

Preparations for a Show

2010-12-17T08:14:00.000-05:00

Preparations for the Sisters in Cloth show, Double Take: Photo and Fiber, which will be hung at Yale University's Haskins Laboratory in January, are underway. This show represents a departure from our usual presentation style... and a giant leap in making our artwork more accessible to galleries. We are mounting our quilts, all 32 of them, then using black "float frames" for hanging. The photographer's pieces will also be framed, adding to the overall unity of the exhibition. The result will be an absolutely stunning display of consistency and beauty in photo and fiber.

And the preparations include ordering and storing frames, mounting quilts on stretcher bars, and finding space for lots of quilts in an overflowing studio...

To see a few lovely examples of two of the completed pieces, check out Martha Wolfe's blog posts in late November and early December, and feast your eyes on a fiber tiger lilly.

TEXTile is UP!

2010-12-01T16:02:00.004-05:00

The Sisters in Cloth latest exhibit is up at the Guilford Free Library, 67 Park St., Guilford CT. It will be on exhibit through December 30.

Titled TEXTile, it was a challenge posed to all members and former members: create a piece 20" wide and up to 48" high inspired by "word". "Word" was meant to be translated very broadly; however, a word or character had to be contained within the piece.

Ten current members and two past members have contributed work: Barb Adams, Debbie Bento, Vivika DeNegre, Yvette Howard, Evelyn Judson, Gail Kotowski, Carol Ludington, Ruth Anne Olson, Marie Shepherd, Martha Wolfe, Diane Wright and Linda Zimmerman.

The Opening Reception will be Thursday, December 9, 5-8pm at the library. Please join us. There promises to be a party of friends and acquaintances....AND we are being joined in our celebration by two photographers, Mark Janke and Mary Ann Flick, whose exhibition will be showcased in the outer galleries.

This just in.....

2010-10-04T09:47:00.005-04:00

Apparently mindless work can be very satisfying...nay, even exhilarating!

This little snap of what looks like a colorful wreath is actually the results of our 'sister' Barb Adams sleepless Sunday night. Yep, tissue holders. Go figure.

It all started on Friday when Yvette Howard brought to the meeting a sample of some tissue holders she had made for her church's annual Fall Festival Fundraiser. I have lost count of the emails I've received since then on the rapturous moments generated by creating these little colorful containers. Barb Adams and Debbie Bento have tweaked the pattern (the subtleties of a right sided interior....it feels just a wee bit "twilight zone" to me).

One of the beneficiaries of Barb's sleepless, yet productive night, will be a friend's kindergarten class. As cold and flu season approaches her class of 26 potentially runny noses will be properly dabbed. And, what child wouldn't want to have their very own bit of colorful fabric in his/her pocket? A bit like having your blankey with you at all times...but camouflaged so that it's a useful, acceptable, 'big kid' tissue holder.

Sisters at Play

2010-09-24T15:39:00.006-04:00

If you came to one of our meetings, you might wonder why we are called Sisters in Cloth...knitting, beading, sewing, paper collage and painting are all enjoyed by our group. We've had workshops on beading, batik, and felting. We've had guests who us glorious couture knitwear and incredible artistic basketmaking. We've even dabbled in origami...but today was different.

Eileen Clark, owner of Odonata Seaglass Jewelry and Gifts, gave a lively workshop on her signature style of encapsulating seaglass in sterling silver wire. We were pleased with the results and hope to make more of our own!

Sun Printing in spite of Earl's Threat

2010-09-04T08:50:00.007-04:00

Our ruggedly optimistic small group soldiered on in the face of Hurricane Earl's predicted arrival and sun printed. "Sun printed?" you ask. Yep....well...nope. Cloud printed. Ever so faintly some printing occurred.

The first pic is actually at the end of the morning when it began to sprinkle....rain painting ;^)

The final pic is the one we are holding out hope for...a real sun print. Fingers crossed for Yvette's butterflies.

Our philosophy is "What the heck! The worse that can happen is that we have painted fabric and have a ton of fun doing it." And we did.

Sisters' Dye Results

2010-07-23T14:09:00.002-04:00

Today was our regular meeting and the usual show and tell was the "main event" (as it often is).

Our former member Evelyn Judson, who has relocated to the Raleigh NC area, was in town and made the meeting. She returned our Green Challenge which had been shown jointly with her group's Green Challenge. She also brought her art quilt "Testimony" for us all to see. The photograph is included in an earlier posting.

Five us us who dyed last week brought our dyeing results...and over achiever Carol also brought two gradations that she'd completed over this past week. The variations of linen, cotton(s) and silk were obvious, as were some of the subtleties of mixing variations. We were so happy with the results we've decided to do it again: Sept 3, same time, same station...stay tuned.

Dyeing in the yard

2010-07-16T12:53:00.007-04:00

Today the Sisters dyed by the yard.

Pictured (L/R) Gail, Linda Z, Carol and Barb.

Thanks to our intrepid Carol, who had gone to the trouble of preparing all the dyes ahead, working in this #!*+ heat/humidity was still be tolerable. We dyed in two gradations: a bright and a golden. Everyone was very happy with her work.

Actually we had such fun we are hoping to schedule another dying date this summer. Hopefully more of the Sisters will be able to attend the next one...summer is always tricky getting a quorum.

Speaking of scheduling, Eileen Clark our former member who went on to become an accomplished jewelry maker has generously offered us a class building her "sea glass cages" sometime in September. Check out my blog to see the results of the class I took with her.

Farewell Lunch

2010-06-27T17:25:00.002-04:00

Friday was the last day that Linda Sexton-Patrick said she was sure that she could break away from her moving preparations to attend a weekly meeting of our art quilt group.

Everyone knows what that means! FOOD! She chose seafood and we all met at The Stone House Restaurant at the Guilford Harbor where everything on the menu is yummy.

Pictured here is Linda (the one smiling), Gail and, seated, Janine.

For the last couple of weeks Linda has been treating us to her "over stocks": boxes of textiles of all sorts (silks, wools, vintage dresses and aprons, tablecloths, brocade, leather, doll-making supplies...etc!!) that she's packed and transported from her home in New London to our meetings for us to plunder. She spread out an array atop two double blankets in a shady spot beside the rear parking lot. We had a grand time and, yes, drew stares and grins from passersby. But what the heck: We were doing a good turn for our Sister...lightening her load like that ;^)

The farewell quilt that we presented her is a collection of nine patch blocks done by each of us in "her colors". We had it machine quilted (beautiful job!) and our own Marie created an embroidered label from the group.

Her new home certainly sounds wonderful....e.g. 1800 Sq. Ft. studio! (okay she has to also store some of her suitcases there but still...) Good Luck in Asheville, Linda!

On a totally different subject: The results of last week's post: Barb Adams' sale of her work in the fundraiser for the historic Congregational Church on the Green in New Haven: Over $1400!!! Hooray for Barb and the fund! Plus, she developed a lead for possible venue for the group's work! How exciting is THAT?! Good going, Barb!

Art Quilts and Gift Sale

2010-06-14T14:11:00.005-04:00

Barbara Coleman Adams is participating this weekend in a fundraiser for the historic Congregational Church on the Green in New Haven. She's offering several of her beautiful quilts and some very unique gifts she's made with all the proceeds going to the Meeting House Fund. It promises to be a fun event along with events being held on the Green.

ART QUILT & GIFT SALE

Art quilts, table runners, and more!

Barbara Coleman Adams

Is donating all proceeds from this sale of her work to the

Historic Meeting House Fund of

United Church on the Green, New Haven, CT

SATURDAY, June 19,

2010 1:00 – 6:00 p.m.

In the foyer of United Church on the Green

Corner of Temple & Elm Streets, New Haven

At 4:00 p.m. come to “Put Your Whole Self In,”

a story-sharing event for families of all shapes and sizes,

featuring master mime Todd Farley and puppeteer Betty Baisden

SUNDAY, June 20,

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Same location.

Worship with us at United Church on the Green at 10:30.

Conn Text Word(s) Part II

2010-06-13T09:35:00.009-04:00

These two works are by former members Martha Wolfe, now residing in FL, and Evelyn Judson, now residing in NC.

Martha's is not complete at the time of the photograph...but it's recognizable. Titled Departures, it is the departure board and clock inside the New Haven Rail Station. After Martha's father graduated from Yale he commuted from New Haven to Columbia in NYC for his Master's degree. Her grandfather traveled through there as a soldier. Her sons, too, traveled through the station. This year Martha's father took his final departure.

For the parameters of this Challenge, please read the previous post. Let's just say that sometimes rules are made to be broken. Evelyn's piece titled Testimony is a wonderful example of why this is true.

This is obviously a spectator's view of a court in session. The back story compelled Evelyn to create this piece and break the 20" width rule. As she said "it HAD to be wider".

A friend of hers son was murdered. A man was arrested and brought to trial......a trial that the mother could not miss a moment of. Her friends did not want let her be alone so they took turns being with her every day throughout the trial. To say that the event had a profound effect on all is an understatement.

Conn Text: Word(s) Challenge Revealed

2010-06-12T12:23:00.021-04:00

“Conn Text” Challenge

We created a challenge open to all current and former members of Sisters in Cloth, aka Gone to Pieces, or aka Newcomer’s Quilting.

Parameters:

Our challenge is “word”. It can be interpreted to be a word, text; it can be inspiration drawn from a poem, literature, whatever inspires you by the word “word”.

1. Each piece will be three attached layers, 20” in width and up to, but no larger than, 48” in height.

2. Each piece will be faced (not bound).

3. Each participant is responsible for affixing her piece to black stretcher bars.

4. Each piece will contain at least one letter or character.

5. The work may be of mixed media, but should contain fabric.

6. Drop dead deadline is June 11, 2010

These were the instructions and yesterday was the reveal day which didn't start out all that

auspicious. I had a power failure at my house and, at the last minute, had to find another meeting place. We all congregated at a local tea shop.

The top photo is Yvette's Connections, a playful work using Jean Ray Laurie's color-form figures.

Next is Ruth Anne's sublime sunset with her quote embroidered on the top. fiberartbyruthanne.blogspot.com

Third, in an almost completed state, is Linda Z's (and I should have written down her quote...duh) zimmermandezigns.blogspot.com

These three are

followed by pieces in a decidedly more serious tone.

Barb's (not quite finished) piece is a scene from her daily walks from her house to the nearby beach where many of the residences have no trespassing signs of various types.

The signs are yet to be attached.

Gail's Justice is a montage of the men in her family (and herself) who served The Law along with photographs of landmark decisions. Her grandfather was a well known defense attorney, her brother a forensic scientist, and her father a court officer. (Gail is also an attorney). artandfiber.com

For some reason unknown to me I can only post six photos...the others disappear. SOOoooo...I will post Martha's and Evelyn's on the next post. Stay tuned. They are among the "heavily meaningful".

Art Quilts Off The Wall

2010-05-26T10:04:00.008-04:00

There we were, right there on the first page of Front Porch News section in the Record-Journal, Sunday, May 23. Sisters in Cloth had been asked by Program Chair Sandy Parsons to provide the evening's event...it's what we humorously call our Dog and Pony Show...for the Heritage Quilt Guild.

This was the third time regional quilt guilds have asked us to come and show them the what's and why's of "art" quilts. And we are ever so happy to have the opportunity!

In a happy coincidence the evening was also their celebration of their 25th anniversary and the revealing of their Twenty five years/Twenty five pieces Challenge. As we knew they would be focusing on their challenge we brought some of ours, specifically the Photo Challenge that was exhibited last year at the Guilford Art Center and later at the Guilford Library.

We started the talk with one of our first challenges. Inspired by a gorgeous quilt hanging in Yvette Howard's entry Hidden Wells, we all made one...or many...Hidden Wells, a Mary Ellen Hopkin's specialty some time ago.

I don't know the names of their makers but here are two good examples of the MANY members who participated in their Challenge. It was just wonderful that such a huge percentage of their membership joined in!

This woman had designed this "25" VERY effectively.

Barb Adams was the only other Sister who could attend the evening with me. She, naturally, was a big hit...she is very comfortable in front of a crowd and they loved her. She brought her beautiful journals that she makes for her trips....and her new stash of them that she has made for her church fundraiser.

Extravaganza 2010

2010-05-17T11:32:00.011-04:00

Sisters in Cloth annually hosts a day of all things "quilty" that we have dubbed an Extravaganza. This year Betty Warner (www.bwarnerdesigns.blogspot.com) who is a very talented, knowledgeable and amusing teacher agreed to corral the independent, high-spirited group and demonstrated several hands-on techniques.

I think the jury is still out on whether she'll agree to return. Let's just say it was a lot like herding cats to get us all "attending" to the task at hand. It was just that kind of joyful day.

Of course there is always Show and Tell. Again, more high jinx with wonderful, artful pieces shared by all.

Here's Janine showing us her results of our class with Melanie Testa (melanietesta.com).

Two treats at the Show and Tell were the work of guests Rosalind Spann and Toni Torres. Below is Toni telling about her Black Mermaid piece (her second quilt!). Both she and Rosalind are among the artists whose work will be exhibited at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival (piccolospoleto.com and northcharleston.org) through June 13.

(

Pictured below is Linda Zimmerman

(zimmermandezigns.com), Marie Shepherd along with guest Judy Ross who are admiring the work of artist and vendor Karen Loprete (karenloprete.com). Also vending were our own Ruth Anne Olson (fiberartbyruthanne.blogspot.com) and Carol Ludingtion with her scrumptious hand dyed threads. Jan of Delectable Mountain Cloth (delectablemountain.com) in Brattleboro Vermont had driven down for the day with a carful of gorgeous silks/buttons/laces/velvets...yummm.

Other vendors who sent hand dyed fabric were Laura Wasilowski (artfabrik.com), and Malka Dombrowski (stitchindye.blogspot.com). Needless to say by afternoon we were all a bit giddy from being overstimulated: good food, good friends, good fabric...excellent show and tell.

Our last Show and Tell was the group's presentation of our Farewell Quilt to our Sister Linda Sexton-Patrick (lindasextonpatrick.com) who is in the throes of relocating from her home in New London to North Carolina. It's not quilted YET (it will be shortly) but we didn't want to miss the occasion with all her Sisters and friends to say good-bye.

Thank you to Yvette Howard AKA Incredible Hostess, Barb Adams who organized the delicious lunch and all who help invite, organize, set up, vend, clean-up. It was very much a team effort. Well done, Sisters!

Melanie Testa visits "The Sisters"

2010-04-07T09:37:00.008-04:00

Melanie Testa grew up in our town. She has family here. When we caught word that she might be coming to town we jumped at the chance to meet her.

As luck would have it she was free (after a visit with her parents) to spend a day teaching us how to batik with soy wax as the resist.

It was one of the first truly warm sunny days of spring and we were all ecstatic to be in the studio with Melanie. The co-director of the Guilford Art Center was very accommodating in making a room available to us with very short notice. Thank you, Maureen!

And, Thank You, Melanie for agreeing to meet with us and, literally, going the extra mile for us in lugging the soy wax on the train from NYC when our order did not arrive. That's dedication!

You can see more of Melanie's work (including her new book) on her website: melanietesta.com

Two (2!) Sisters' Work in Faculty Exhibit

2010-03-14T16:00:00.008-04:00

The Faculty Exhibit at the Guilford Art Center (www.guilfordartcenter.org) opened with a very well attended reception on Friday night. The Center has been, since its inception, an education center for all media. It has long been known for its weaving, metal-smithing, pottery and sculpture. Early on it was home to mixed media excellence.

Two of our Sisters in Cloth members are currently on the faculty: Ruth Anne Olson (http://fiberartbyruthanne.blogspot.com) and Linda Zimmerman (http://zimmermandezigns.blogspot.com). They are pictured here with Linda in the green scarf and Ruth Anne pointing out another artist's work.

As you can see it was a great turn out. At least two pieces were sold which is always cause for celebration. And more importantly the faculty was showcased, offering the viewing public a peek at the quality of education available at the Center.

The opening was a must for me, as I had been asked to hang the exhibit, and I couldn't pass up the chance to be a "fly on the wall" and listen for comments, particularly from the artists, on how the installation "worked".

The Faculty Exhibit, showcasing all media, will be on view until April 10.

Two (2!) Sisters' Work Selected to IQSC!

2010-03-02T10:31:00.012-05:00

Above Photo: Linda Zimmerman, http://zimmermandezigns.blogspot.com

We all congratulate "Sisters" Vivika DeNegre and Linda Zimmerman whose work was selected along with 53 other pieces from the show to become part of the International Quilt Study Center's permanent collection documenting current contemporary quiltmaking. (www.quiltstudy.org)

Their work is part of a large collection of SAQA (www.saqa.com) members from around the work that has been traveling with an educational trunk show for the past year. Both artists' work were selected to help represent the state of contemporary art quilts.

Warbler on Yarrow

Vivika DeNegre: http://vdenegrequilts.blogspot.com

A big hand for Vivika and Linda!!!

Check out their blogs for more information: Linda Zimmerman/My Textile World, http://zimmermandezigns.blogspot.com and Vivika DeNegre/ Vivika DeNegre Art Quilts, http://vdenegrequilts.blogspot.com

Sisters Set to Collaborate with Rosemary Alpert

2010-02-28T12:32:00.004-05:00

Sisters in Cloth is honored that photographer Rosemary DeLucco-Alpert (http://rdalpertphoto.com) has agreed to collaborate on a joint exhibition. From among the fifteen images selected for inspiration, each member is challenged to create a piece 18" x 24" responding to either color or composition.

Rose also plans to photograph each of us as we work in our studios, documenting the journey from our introductions through to a collaborative exhibit of photography and fiber art.

We feel very lucky that Rose agreed to join us on this adventure. She has been an active member and nurturing force of the local "art scene" for several years. Check out her website and stay tuned.

Solo Show for Sisters' Member Gail Kotowski

2010-01-07T16:46:00.002-05:00

A collection of fiber art by Connecticut artist Gail Kotowski is on display now at the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA), located at 30 Bank Street in New Britain, CT. The show, “Art & Fiber by Gail Kotowski” will run through the end of February.

An opening reception is planned for January 11, 5:30pm – 6:15pm in the CBA Third Floor Gallery.

The gallery is open during normal business hours and guests are asked to check in at the Member Services desk on the first floor.

Congratulations Gail!

SAQA Transformations: Hanging the Show

2009-11-13T04:30:00.005-05:00

Last Friday after weeks of scattered meetings when we barely had a handful of attendees, four Sisters and a few "Husbands of Sisters" hung the SAQA show, Transformations, at the Guilford Art Center. What an experience! The quilts were wrapped in rolls and packed expertly in two large metal "coffins". Each roll was a treasure of textiles which were individually stunning and collectively arresting. The pieces had to be unwrapped, inspected, loged into the show and then hung. It was our first experience in hanging a show of such magnitude and it was a learning experience for all involved.

Tonight will be the opening reception and we anticipate that it will be very well attended. More photos to come!

Visiting Friends

2009-09-12T17:36:00.001-04:00

Martha and Evelyn visited this week, with fresh inspiration and lovely quilts to share. We are fortunate that our former members take the time to stop in and show us their current creations. No photos of Evelyn this time, but Martha obliged. This piece is one in a series of layered architectural pieces with lots of surface design and lovely quilting. We can't wait to see more...

Treasure Hunt

2009-09-12T17:28:00.002-04:00

Diane and Linda, fresh from the Connecticut SAQA meeting on Wednesday, couldn't help themselves... inspiration struck in the Guilford commuter parking lot and we are eager to see how you use your new treasures. Notice the look of glee on Diane's face! So what were they so happy about? Rusty, smashed bottle caps. Go figure. We all expect to see them in your next creations...

Sister's Work Featured in Quilting Arts Gifts

2009-08-29T22:16:00.004-04:00

Another Sister in Cloth has been featured in a national publication this month... Check out the article Inspired by Nature, Captured in Cloth in the Holiday Issue of Quilting Arts Gifts to see how Vivika Hansen DeNegre creates her bird collages. Vivika has been creating these nature inspired collages for several years now, and has about 40 or 50 different designs in her portfolio. She works mainly from photographs and creates textile scenes that are often mistaken for paintings at first glance. More photos of these little gems are on her blog, and her new website.

Birthday Traditions

2009-08-18T17:17:00.004-04:00

Yvette Howard shared her lovely handmade gifts with the Sisters at our last meeting. We had started a tradition of each giving the "birthday girl" a fat quarter of fabric on her special day, but this year we decided that the birthday girl should do the giving. So far we have had lovely pins, cards, beautiful fabric, and fun trims. Yvette has now raised the bar with her amazing packaging she made using a die cutting machine and lots of imagination. We love our butterflies and posies so much, and the packaging is out of this world!

Quiltscapes at The Whistler House Museum

2009-08-12T12:17:00.004-04:00

Our own Diane Wright was honored to have been juried into Quiltscapes at the Whistler House Museum in Lowell, MA. It's a wonderful venue, devoted to art quilts during the Lowell Quilt Festival and sponsored by the New England Quilt Museum. Diane was especially happy to be included in an exhibit with artists whose work she admire: artists like Sandy Donabed and Laura Wasilowski. Several of the Sisters in Cloth members made the journey to Lowell and attended the opening. Boy, it doesn't get any better than this! Pictured are Robin Wolek and Debbie Bento, studying Sandy Donabed's piece. Diane's contribution, "Reflections", is on the top left and Laura Wasilowski's is the far right.

We Are SO Proud

2009-07-17T13:12:00.005-04:00

Our own Evelyn Judson's quilt, Storm at Sea, was featured on the cover of August/September's issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, as well as inside with a 3 page article. Evelyn started this behemouth ten years ago, and we almost don't recognize it in its finished state. She carried it to many Sisters in Cloth meetings in a beautiful handmade bag, and sat quilting by hand during so many meetings... We are so proud that she received ribbons in Houston and now the recognition she deserves! What an amazing accomplishment and a testament to hard work and beautiful workmanship.

Featured Sister: Marie Kadlec Shepherd

2009-06-24T07:41:00.002-04:00

Toby's Chair, By Marie Kadlec Shepherd

The Sisters live on the shoreline of Connecticut, where we are blessed with sandy beaches, sunshine and lazy summer afternoons. This beautiful quilt, made by our very own Marie Kadlec Shepherd, celebrates the very best of the season. Marie spends many of her summer afternoons in a chair just like this one on Block Island.

Featured Sister: Linda Sexton-Patrick

2009-06-19T08:38:00.002-04:00

We met Linda at a local Connecticut Guild lecture by Ruth McDowell several years ago. Linda's work is lovely, as you can see. She often uses pieced backgrounds and juxtaposes hand applique to create beautiful works of fiber art. The quilt featured above is entitled "Jill-In-The-Pulpit".

In her own words:

What is exciting about the medium of textile art is the collaborative effort it affords between the tactile nature of fabric, color choices applied, and the expression of ideas through design and technique. From initial concepts to the refining of the completed image, it is a joy to be engaged in every step of the creative process. Inspiration often comes from the flora and fauna of the many areas of this country where I have lived. I am particularly interested in including in my work woodland species which are endangered or rarely seen. There are endless possibilities still to be expressed!

Friday Quilting

2009-06-12T22:30:00.002-04:00

The most important thing that keeps our group cohesive and productive is our Friday morning meetings. Fridays are sacred to us: we gather at one of the members' home for an hour or two of critique, support, planning, and COFFEE. Diane, our fearless leader, keeps the calendar full of events, trips, venues and opportunities to share our work. There is always a "Challenge" in the works or on display (the latest, Photo Challenge, is hanging in the Guilford Art Center until the end of the month) and a progressive quilt to be passed to the next quilter. "Fridays" are a gift to us all...

Still Time to See Photo Quilt Exhibit

2009-06-08T10:15:00.004-04:00

The Sisters' show at the Guilford Art Center has been so successful and well received by the community that the GAC board has asked us to stay a bit longer...

Small Pieces/Big Ideas will continue to hang in the Gallery Shop Space at Guilford Art Center, 411 Church St., Guilford, through the end of June, 2009. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 12-4pm. For more information, see the GAC website http://www.guilfordartcenter.org/

Spot the Sisters

2009-05-11T08:55:00.004-04:00

Linda Zimmerman, Yvette Howard, Diane Wright and Debbie Bento all attended my opening at Chroma Gallery in Guilford, CT last Thursday night. It was an exciting evening with about 200 guests enjoying the fused glass, woven rugs and lovely quilts made by three Guilford artists who all belong to the Shoreline Arts Trail. After a few hours of lively conversation and a glass or two of wine, I started taking photos of the attendees... Using the rules of "Where's Waldo", see if you can spot Diane, Yvette and Debbie... Thankfully I was behind the lens and not in front of it!

Excitement is Mounting

2009-04-27T10:52:00.003-04:00

The Sisters in Cloth are getting ready for their unveling of a new show in May at the Guilford Art Center. Fifteen photos will be transferred to cloth, resulting in 75 small quilts. April 24 was the "Drop Dead Day" to complete the quilts and ready them for photography. MOST are done, some are in progress, but we can't wait to share the final results! Here are two members, Barbara Coleman Adams and Yvette Howard, admiring a few of the little gems.

Barbara Coleman Adams

2009-04-21T12:23:00.003-04:00

These lovely postcards were made by our very own Barbara Coleman Adams. Barbara works mainly in an abstract style, and her pieces have a rhythm and tempo which is all their own. She has been an active member of Sisters in Cloth for several years - always willing to do her share of grunt work to make our group a success. Barbara lives in Guilford, CT with her wonderful husband Roger and daughter Liz. Her work is now available through the Chester Gallery located at 76 Main Street in Chester, CT.

Rayna Gillman Visits the Sisters

2009-04-03T20:26:00.001-04:00

All day long while it rained cats and dogs, the Sisters and friends toiled at the Guilford Art Center under the tutelage of Rayna Gillman. We've employed her for the weekend to teach us her creative ways of salvaging uninspired fabric by gelatin printing and silk screening. Pictured is Robin Wolek, carefully applying rubber bands to a block of gelatin. You can see her family crest of four squares which she made multiple times in different colors. We expect to see some interesting surface design techniques used in future quilts!

Lending A Hand

2009-03-31T04:43:00.002-04:00

There are many ways to help people in need. Each of the Sisters in Cloth has her own favorite charity. In the past few years of our existence, we have made gift baskets for 65 Roses (Cystic Fibrosis Charity) auctions, a gorgeous raffle quilt for the Guilford Art Center, participated in political fundraisers, and made many additional pieces individually for these and many more worthy causes.

Our latest group charity quilts are soon to fly to Australia, packed tightly in Diane Wright's carry-on bags. With a generous donation of batting from J.T. Trading Corporation (importers of Matilda's Own Australian Wool Batting) the Sisters have teamed up to make two quilts for the victims of the recent bush fires. We all donated 9 patch squares which were pieced by some energetic members two weeks ago and quilted beautifully by Diane. She and Linda are holding the smaller of the two quilts.

We urge everyone to find a cause and support it with your time and talents.

What's In Your Stash?

2009-03-26T15:35:00.002-04:00

We all have them: pounds of pins, boxes of buttons, loads of lace, piles of patterns... just because we might need them one day. Well, that day comes for us all when it is time to clear out the stash and move on. This week, Barbara, Linda Z and Vivika cleaned out the studio of an elderly quilter. It was a lesson to all of us to make sure that our families know how to distribute our "stash" when we move on. We also were awed by the unfinished projects yearning for a home. What would someone say about my studio if they had to empty it tomorrow?

We hope that Sarah's cupboard in Branford enjoys all of the lovely 1970's and 80's fabrics we brought to them. We know our knitting friends will make use of the needles we salvaged. But what shall we do with these buttons? Any suggestions?

What's In A Name?

2009-03-23T10:31:00.006-04:00

Several years ago, our group decided to choose a name for ourselves. We'd been known by our local guild as The Guilford Group even though several members were from surrounding towns. We met on Friday mornings, and often called ourselves The Friday Morning Group. Both were uninspiring and did not say a thing about who we are or what we do. In true creative spirit, we had a contest to name ourselves, and Diane Wright came up with Gone to Pieces. That worked for a year or two, but it became obvious to the group that we were too "together" to be called Gone to Pieces. Our current and FINAL name was inspired by a Progressive quilt made by all of us and belonging to Diane. She chose the central batik motif and the fabrics, and we passed the project from member to member until it seemed done. You may recognize the row of women on the bottom as our logo. Sister Sister showcases who we are: supportive, creative and happy quilters with a love of fabric, color, texture, and each other. We are truly Sisters in Cloth.

Traveling Sisters

2009-03-21T12:29:00.006-04:00

New England can be gloomy in mid march. Although the calendar says "Spring is Here" the weather doesn't always agree. Sometimes you need a change of venue to chase away the end-of-winter-blues... This Thursday a few Sisters had a road trip to Avon, CT to take a postcard class with Sarah Ann Smith. A good time was had by all!

Knock Knock

2009-03-16T13:41:00.000-04:00

Nearly all of the Sisters in Cloth love to make cards for friends and family. This postcard was made by Vivika DeNegre for the Edgar Allen Poe "Raven" postcard challenge hosted earlier this month by Linda Tompson. The image was transfered to muslin using a toner copy and oil paint technique described in Cloth, Paper, Scissors. Embellishments of metal, paper and thread were added onto a piece of watercolor paper which had been inked and collaged with vintage ephemera. Can't you hear the raven knocking at the door?

Guilford Free Library Exhibit

2009-03-16T13:15:00.006-04:00

The Fourth Annual Sisters in Cloth exhibit at the Guilford Free Library in Guilford, CT was a roaring success. The new library meeting room walls were covered with two glorious collections of quilts. "Strata" quilts, represented by Diane Wright's "Blue Heron with Crab" pictured left, and "Orange" quilts, such as Ruth Anne Olson's Swirl hung at the library throughout the month of January. This annual event is always marked by a reception which is well attended by the community. To see more of the fabulous pieces of art, watch the gallery slide show in the right column of the blog.

Carol's In the News

2009-03-14T10:07:00.004-04:00

Carol Ludington, our West Haven Applique Maven, has had her masterpiece, Here Comes the Sun, featured on the front page of the Connecticut Post's March 5, 2009 issue. Click here http://www.connpost.com/ci_11836363?IADID=Search-www.connpost.com-www.connpost.com for a story about the Southport Congregational Curch show, "Fabrics and Fabrications".

Welcome

2009-03-12T10:19:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the Sisters in Cloth blog. We are a group of 12 motivated fiber artists living in Southern Connecticut. We show our work in many venues, including quilt shows and galleries. Although our backgrounds are very different, we have a vibrant group ethic which encourages and motivates our members to stretch their artistic talents and abilities. Join us on this journey and follow our blog as we document the work of Sisters in Cloth!