Sisters in Cloth Meeting - April 4, 2014

There was a lot of great energy in the room today at the Sisters in Cloth weekly meeting. Here are a few pieces from our "show and tell."

Autumn Years Squared  by Diane Wright for the SAQA Benefit Auction to be held in September. She is totally prepared for this one!  The background is a black linen napkin and the tree was made with her own stamp design. Machine and hand quilted.

Carol Ludington is working on a yummy wool appliqué from Wooly Lady. The wools are rich and warm and her work is second to none!

Barbara Adams is working on a baby quilt to be auctioned with other baby goodies at the SARAH auction. Her fabric combinations are terrific and so fresh!

Debra Bento just completed commissioned toddler size quilt. It consists of mostly oranges and yellows from one of her favorite designers, Lotta Jansdotter. 

Class with Kate Themel Part II

After the post from our first session in Kate Themel's class, I thought I'd share some pictures from yesterday's workshop. We all improved our free-motion quilting skills. In fact, it was a new skill to some.

Kate explaining the process for the day.

 Kate demonstrating the method.

 MaryLyn doing her first free-motion quilting.

Very impressive indeed.

 Diane totally engrossed in her work.

 Carol hard at work stitching.

 Alice working on a practice piece in order to hone her skills.

 Barb contemplating the next step.

 Betty Warner doing a smaller piece before tackling a large one with many magnolias.

 Gina, Janine, and Robin.

Ruth Anne trying to work around the tension issues of her machine.

It was fun to be working together on a lovely project. We all jumped at the chance to take a class with Kate. 

Preview of SAQA/CT's "Local Color"

Our group was over the moon when the acceptances of SAQA/CT's were released by the jurors for Local Color!  Eight of us received the 'fat envelope'!!

Gail Kotowski's Metropolis

I have images of four:  

My Town Green

Barb Adams' Winter Marsh

This group entry (Diane Wright, Gail Kotowski, Barb Adams, Linda Zimmerman, Yvette Howard and Robin Wolek) was especially fun for us.  We love working on group projects: Whoever can, participates.  We always know that life gets in the way for us all, so it's usually 6-8 members who are available at any one time.  This time it was 6.

Hartford's Colt Dome

We had decided that we wanted to find a 'ultra' iconic image.  After not hearing from the Colt Dome Trustees for permission to use their online image, I decided to do the Little Red Hen thing and do it myself.  Well, myself with my husband David, the designated photographer.  While I was the designated driver, and he the photographer, we picked a clear day and made many 'passes' on I91 to capture images of the Hartford skyline that included the Colt Dome.  It was at times like this that you wish you had a helicopter.

Carol Ludington, and Ruth Anne Olson  also had entries accepted.  What fun!

Busy Week

Robin Wolek with her two

Instead of our usual meeting, today a few of us decided to drive into New Haven to see our Indigo exhibit at 300 George Street.  The walls are a perfect fit for our collection.  The lighting is wonderful.  There is a lot of foot traffic. All in all a wonderful place to be.

Marie Shepherd admiring Janine Anderson-Bayes' Bunny Tales

Yvette Howard next to hers (and in front of Diane's)

This last photo is courtesy of Margaret Sheehan, the SAQA NH and VT co-rep.  Last Saturday we all came from all over New England to hear Martha Sielman's (second from L seated) very informative talk about the Masters 2 Art Quilt exhibition now on display at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA.  'Sister' Barb Adams and I drove up (two seated on R) with Kate Themel (directly behind us).  What a wonderful day it was!

The Hits Just Keep on Comin'

First, the postman brought a wonderful surprise with this most recent issue of Quilting Arts' Gifts.  Wow!  Four of our Sisters' had projects featured:  Barb Adams, Deb Bento, Vivika DeNegre, and Carol Ludington.  They all had been quiet about their participation and surprised us all.  Each offered a project that  we all consider their 'own' to be sure.  In our group, Barb has always described her many trip in terms of her gorgeous journals.  Deb's notepad holders have been one of her most sought-after items in the Guilford Art Center's Gift Shop.  Carol Ludington has been a dyer of note...and local instructor...for ages.  Her trademark (IMHO) is her crystal clear ice dyed fabrics.  And, Vivika...gosh, where would I begin?!

  THEN, Gifts was followed shortly by the Oct/Nov 2012 Quilting Arts issue.  Lynn Krawczyk interviewed four quilt groups from across the county...Sisters in Cloth among them...on how to start your own fiber art group.  A subject near and dear to my heart.

The opening photograph shows seven of the twelve members at one of our regular meetings...a critical mass, per usual, but hardly ever a full complement.  Carol Ludington (see above), Liz Shore, Robin Wolek, Debbie Bento (see above), me, Janine Anderson-Bays and Marie Shepherd.  One of the cool parts of this is that the photo represents the total twelve years that we have been in existence.  Liz, Robin, Deb, Janine and I were there in the beginning when we were first formed from the Guilford Newcomers' Club.  (interestingly, Liz had dropped out a few years ago to return to employment and has just recently re-joined the group).  Carol and Marie joined later as the group morphed from Newcomers' to wider membership.

This photo was taken at one of the installations of Double Take, our exhibit that traveled to several venues around the area.  It was a collaborative effort, joining our work with that of photographer Rosemary Delucco Alpert.  This page features Yvette Howard (another one of the Newcomers) and Deb, along with a childhood friend of hers, Debbie Kouzoukian, enjoying the opening reception.

The last photo in the article is that of Linda Zimmerman's wonderful interpretation of one of Alpert's photographs, Pink Hydrangea.

I am so proud of my friends' successes in their journeys as artists.  It has been such a wonderful meandering, joyful trip!