Vivika's Largess

Janine, friend Claire, Marie and Debbie on all fours

Our fellow Sister Vivika decided to clear out her fabric stash.  I just love when this happens….there are SO many smiling faces digging into the bins.  It's not like any of us 'need' any more fabric.   Heck, 'need' hardly ever plays a part in our love of fabric.

Marie and the usually very restrained Carol

Happy Campers.  Fortunately I convinced everyone I was THE photographer, thus shielding evidence of my plunder

Thank you, Vivika!!  You know we will put it all to good use…and/or admire your beautiful contributions to our stashes.

Let's Pile Them High!

In response to eQuilter Luana Rubin's plea to donate 5000 quilts in the next three months to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, our group has been moved to action.  We are making...and looking through our stashes of already made (or partially made) bed quilts.  We are also offering to ship other area quilt donations along with our own.

Not long ago, Sister in Cloth member Vivika DeNegre (AKA Quilting Arts editor) donated several collections of manufacturer samples to our group.  My The Day the Circus Came to Town is one of those (with light blue and yellow added from my stash).  I made it before Sandy was even a tropical storm...but I think it has found a home in our collection bound for NYC.

The plea from eQuilter...and the need...is for bed sized quilts.  But I can't resist sending this crib sized one.  Somewhere there is a child who will be cheered and warmed by the Circus coming to town (instead of that darn storm).

If you live in our area and want to join us in sending your quilt (s) to Timeless Treasures, who has volunteered to warehouse the donations for eQuilter, contact one of the Sisters before Dec. 8, or comment on this blog.  We will coordinate packing and shipping.  And, don't forget to label your contribution!

Consider donating quilts or money to the effort:  details are on eQuilter's website at the bottom of the website, titled Hurricane Sandy.

The Day the Circus Came to Town

Crib Quilt detail

Crib Quilt back

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!

Extravaganza Part II

As Diane Wright wrote in her post on the 18th, Extravaganza was as much fun as ever. Here are more photos:

Karen Loprete was all smiles as she showed a quilt that was featured in an article she wrote for the current (April/May 2012) Quilting Arts Magazine. The smile on Mary Lyn Page's face is typical of the expressions on everyone all day.

Our speaker, Jane Davila, showing some of the quilts she had spoken about during her slide presentation on using found objects in our quilts. We were enthralled. Among other things, Jane talked about various methods she uses for binding her quilts--and not the standard folded and wrapped fabric, although sometimes quilts might need that traditional method.

Gail Kotowski and Debbie Bento checking out the items that Jane brought to sell so that we might try some of her techniques.

Lunch was yummy, with the veggie sandwich from La Cuisine the favorite again this year. Here, Robin Wolek is about to make her selection.

Sisters in Cloth member Vivika DeNegre, who is now the editor of Quilting Arts Magazine, is showing one of her bird pieces. It is part of a postage stamp challenge she presented to the rest of the "Sisters."

Guest Cate Prato, of Cloth Paper Scissors, shows us the shirt she stamped and painted with a variety of objects. Unfortunately, the shirt she wore, embellished beautifully with buttons, is hidden behind her art.

Rosalind Spann with her  piece that needs no binding. It includes some needle felting and lots of wispy fabrics over a variety of leftover stage costume fabrics.

Mary Lachman is holding three pieces of different sizes that she made as a series.

And hostess extraordinaire, Yvette Howard, explains a dying method she tried  using shaving cream.

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

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

Sister's Work Featured in Quilting Arts Gifts

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.