Thursday, December 28, 2017

TIME MARCHES ON

81/2" x 10"

To conclude 2017, one more small study__ MARTIANS IN THE HOUSE__seems like the obvious title, unless you don't see them. Part of the fun of abstract design is giving the imagination free range to see and sew or sew and see, then loan the quilt to the viewer and let their imagination go!

Farewell 2017---Anticipate 2018

"discard the tendency to exclude things from possibility" words of e e cummings

May the future be filled with possibilities created in compassion, reason, class, hope, equality and persistence.

CHEERS




Wednesday, December 20, 2017

A DASH of RED

9" x 10 1/2"


On Dasher, Dancer
Six more reindeer with Rudolph
Who has the red nose

Living north of the 45th parallel north, places me closer to the North Pole than the Equator.  I can see Santa's sleigh from my back porch. 


8" x 10 1/2"





North country winter
Three dog night is not a crowd
Solstice brings the light

HAPPY HOLIDAYS one and all----------! 

hey, how did Santa's belt get in the middle of it?

Monday, December 11, 2017

Deck the Halls with BOOKS



Adding a couple of books to the library is a holiday tradition. This year I am returning to some classics that were not yet in my collection. I found, rather, Santa found good used books and I will act surprised when I open them, given from the dog with love.

hand carved by a friend


AMISH The Art of the Quilt by Robert Hughes and Julie Silber, 1990 promises stunning photos of the Espirit quilt collection with interpretation by Art Critic, Robert Hughes, and curator of the collection, Julie Silber. I will be lost in these pages for some time.

The Quilt Digest, Revised edition 1985, volumes 1-4 are in the sleigh. The Quilt Digest was an annual publication started by Michael Kyle and Roderick Kiracofe appealing to enthusiasts of antique and contemporary quilts. They weren't afraid to mix it up. Yes, that Roderick Kiracofe and he is well represented in my library.


In my search, I discovered a few copies of Quilting with Style by Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham, 1993. I have had this book for several years now, but it was difficult to find then. 

Now for a few more in my possession. This short stack, old friends now, document pieces of our vibrant and rich tradition, reporting on the acceptance of quilts as visual and expressive objects. Art. Consider how making art would be unintentional to many of these makers.




A Communion of the Spirits, African-American Quilters, Preservers, and Their Stories by Roland Freeman, 1996 is a gem. Mr. Freeman, an award winning photo-documentarian and field research photographer for the Smithsonian Institution, completed this national survey of African-American quilt makers. In these pages, the reader will meet Fannie Lee R. Chaney, the mother of James Chaney, Maya Angelou, Faith Ringgold, Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, Rosa Parks, Michigan quilter Carole Harris, and, and, and! This documentation continued for 20 years and covered thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia. 



Enjoy your holiday quilt traditions. Deck the halls. Gifts are in need of finishing stitches. The good books, old and new, will be waiting. 

WARM WISHES, Pam