This is one of our favorite meetings of the year;  a reveal meeting! Last fall we chose 12 challenge categories and split them between 3 meetings.  We also have a wildcard category which can be shown at any of the 3 meetings.  We can each choose which challenge we want to do during the year.  The quilts are 'revealed' in April, July & October.

Stormy Weather

After the Storm by Sophia Day
26" x 19"

Artist Statement:  The inspiration was a photo.  This was made with a confetti quilt process.  Pieces of fabric were cut into little pieces and laid on a background.  Tulle was laid over the top and quilted down with monofilament thread.  The stretch was to get depth with the snow.  Fabric painting is also a challenge for me.  Further dimension was added with thread painting some thinner branches.

Category One by Shelli Fried
10" x 46"

Artist Statement:  I LOVE this fabric (batik from Ghana) and it took years for me to be willing to cut it up. When I saw the “Stormy Weather” challenge option, I knew it was time.I may add two more panels sometime in the future (or not) to create a Category 2 or 3 storm. Now that I’ve done one panel, and it fits perfectly on the pillar in our foyer, I’m thinking of other ways to use the other panels.

I used Commercial and African batik fabric, heavy Fosshape 600, wool batting, pillow stuffing, chicken wire, fabric glue, monopoly, poly, and cotton threads, heat gun.

Since I seem to enjoy meeting engineering challenges, this was a biggie: how to end up with the shape/form I wanted. And, it needed a lot of stitching/quilting to make it work. (Not my strong suite. Feed dogs were up!) And, I tried the alternative trapunto technique with some wool batting before the Fosshape and quilt back were added.  I achieved the shape by cutting a piece of chicken wire slightly wider than the quilted and bound panel. The wire was shaped and the panel pinned to it for further shaping. Heat was applied with the heat gun on both sides and then the wire removed. 

Night Mark by Tracy Visher
25" x 42"

Artist Statement:  I read a novel by the same name that took place in the late 1800’s. The stripes a ship might see on a lighthouse during the day serve as a geographic marker. The stripe pattern tells the ship where they are on the coast. At night, when the stripes are invisible, it is the pattern of the LIGHT that serves that purpose. That is Night Mark. I wanted to show a moody, violent night sky. 

I used Batik, Commercial Cotton, Organza, vinyl, gold glitter, lace, melted netting and tulle, upholstery fabrics, Inktense, acrylic paint, metallic threads, variegated cotton thread, 80/20 batting, fusible webbing, liquid acrylic for hand painted sky.

I tend to paint great skies, then cover them up most of the way with the quilt subject. This time, I wanted to use most of the sky I created. My challenge is always how to quilt the “open space”. It took me 4 layers of paint to get the effect I wanted. Getting the waves and water to “read” was also a challenge. All in all, I wanted to make the viewer feel like they were in the eye of the storm!

Summer Showers by Marylee Drake
24" x 42"

Artist Statement:  The inspiration was the hand-dyed fabric which reminded me of storm clouds.  I used the hand-dyed fabric, Derwent inktense pencils, beads, wool batting, free motion quilting and fused circles.

Using the Inktense pencils was a stretch as I haven't used them on a quilt before.

Stormy Weather

Aurora Over Grass Valley by Robin Hart
34" x 22"

Artist Statement:  My inspiration was seeing the Aurora Borealis in Grass Valley over the last 2 years and using my own photos for inspiration.

I used percale whole cloth, cotton batting, batik, various color threads.

I stretched myself by creating this quilt from firsthand experience with Auroras.

Dawn's Light, First Strike by Tracy Visher
28" x 17"

Artist Statement:  The inspiration was a watercolor of a fly fisherman my father did. I didn’t love his treatment of the fisherman. He tended to not be as detailed as I prefer to be, but I loved the light around the fisherman’s outline.

I used Batik, Commercial Cotton, Organza, Inktense, acrylic paint, metallic threads, variegated cotton thread, cotton embroidery thread,80/20 batting, fusible webbing, liquid acrylic for hand painted sky, small sequins.

Stretch for me:  I wanted to try doing a figure, which I rarely do. I was happy with how he turned out. The transparency of the water was a challenge as well, trying to show things beneath it.

Bringing Happiness by Carole Rossi
25" x 25"  

Artist Statement:  I have been thinking a lot about resilience.  How do people persevere in very difficult circumstances? For example, if someone’s environment or circumstance is quite bleak, how do they handle the situation?  Are they able to let some light or happiness shine into their world from day-to-day?  Does that help one get through the pain or stress? With this quilt, I have placed highly stylized and very colorful “flowers” in vases at a window, looking out at a wall that has rather dreary windows and somber colors.  I hope the colorful vases bring happiness and light – one windowsill at a time.  

Background wall is pieced with fabric that is printed using a gelli plate & mesh or cardboard grids, with supplemental painting using metallic textile paints. Commercial fabric also used.  Lace used in foreground along with solid cottons.  Vases are fused (mostly batiks) and secured with blanket stitching.  I drew the flower designs, influenced by Charles Renne MacIntosh roses – painted with inktense pencils & textile medium.  Over-grid window fused and secured with blanket stitching.   

My Stretch: It was very challenging to create a piece that interpreted my idea.  A lot of trial and error to create the design, to get the balance right, AND to create depth.   A lot of patience.  I wanted to abandon it but it felt I should persevere.

Stormy Weather

Washing Up by Kathryn Madison
28" x 35"

Artist Statement:  The inspiration was critters and flowers around our property

I used PFD cotton, batting, Inktense blocks and pencils, Tsukineko ink, hand embroidery floss, silk ribbon. The racoon was hand embroidered in four sections, then reassembled, faced, and added to the quilt. The silk flowers and ferns were hand embroidered on tulle, trimmed and appliqued to quilt.

My Stretch:  The reflection was much harder to paint than I thought it would be and I’m not thrilled with it. Probably will try to do another one sometime.

Dance By the Light of the Moon by Michelle Peerson
13" x 21"

Artist Statement:  The inspiration for this was summer beach parties, lady power and celebrations.

I used cotton fabric, batiks, hobbs 80/20 batting, steam-a-seam-lite 2, acrylic paint applied with a needle/or toothpick, a light box, inktense blocks, arc printer to enlarge the image.

My stretch:  I don't consider it a stretch when I am doing what I love to do - not only making art quilts, but Dancing by the Light of the Moon.

Koi Pond by Mary Stori
17" x 21"

Artist Statement:  The inspiration was an abundance of Asian style fish fabric.  

I used Japanese cottons, hand-dyed and batik cottons, motifs appliqued with metallic thread. It was quilted by machine.

My stretch:  Giving myself permission to start over when the original background I painted on didn't work. Additionally trying to perfect the stitch quality of appliqueing using metallic thread.

Reflections and Reflections II by Sophia Day

Artist Statement:  Reflections (bottom) was created for a guild challenge inspired by an image in a magazine page.  The image was a mountain reflection, so I chose this photo of a reflection taken in the fall near a local river.  I used confetti quilt technique for the trees and the bushes, but painted fabric for the rock and printed the water from the photo onto fabric.  When the quilt was covered in black tulle to hold the confetti in place, the image was too dark.  So Reflections II was born using a strip quilt technique.  

My stretch:  Trying two different ways to do justice to the original photo.  There might be a Reflections III in the future.

Storytime

Please Read Another One by Kathryn Madison
22" x 22"

Artist Statement:  The inspiration was children's book illustrations.

I used PFD cotton, batting, inktense blocks and pencils, tsukineko ink.

My Stretch:  I'm a big planner with my art quilts, using many techniques and materials.  My stretch was to do something spontaneous and whimsical.  Paint and Quilt.

There's No Place Like Home by Joan Mosley
22" x 24"

Artist Statement:  This was inspired by The Wizard of Oz and was based on several photos of porches.

I used cotton fabrics, aurifil and invisafil threads, Inktense pencils and watercolor paints.

My stretch:  this was the most complex art quilt I have attempted.  My favorite part was using watercolor paint on fabric, a technique I want to explore in more depth.

Mr. Fox by Karin Polli
21" x 31"

Artist Statement:  My inspiration was nursery rhymes in Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes by Marguerite deAngeli.

I used cotton fabrics, batting and threads.

My stretch:  The book did not include an illustration for the rhyme that I could use, so I looked for pictures of foxes and combined them to make my own design.  This was also based on a fox seen on my property.  The lettering for the sign was a stretch because of the narrow size.

The Storyteller by Jan Reed
16" x 29"

Artist Statement:  The inspiration was multiple google images.  

I used commercial batiks, beads, lace, heat set colored pencils, tsukineko inks (sky), micron pens, muslin fringe.

My stretch:  Rendering multiple faces and garments as close to the images as possible.  Not overdoing all of the opportunities for embellishments.  Completing the piece by July when originally planned for October.

I Hide Mine Eyes by Janet Gilstrap
16" x 19"

Artist Statement:  This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandkids, ages 3 & 5 (now 11 & 13), right before hunting Easter eggs at our house.  It's always special when you get to share holidays with the 'littles' in your life.

Everything is raw edge.  I used a variety of embroidery, sashiko stitching to outline and add detail.  I used wax pastels (Caran d'Ache) on the eggs & basket to enhance the colors.  The kids were printed for me by the Orangevale Copy Center.

My stretch:  I have done one other woven background and I enjoyed it.  It was a diagonal weave using 4 fabrics.  This time I bought a book to explore other weaves and a tool to make it easier.  This piece has both straight & curved cuts & strips to create an interpretation of our backyard.  I did struggle with proportions of the kids and basket to the background.

Wild Card - Into The Woods

Into the Woods and Across the Lake by Susan Dunmore
16" x 14"

Artist Statement:  Inspired by one of my favorite spots.  I used cotton fabric and thread and cotton batting.

This was my first time thread painting trees.  

Midnight in the Mountains by Cathy Urbanus
13" x 16" 

Artist Statement:  I saw a National Geographic photo on Facebook and was intrigued by the perspective in the photo.  Every year I go camping/fishing with my son and often look up to the skies through the trees at night.  This photo reminded me of our camping trips.  

I used tree fabric fussy cut and attached misty fuse, printed a photo of the moon and used black single strand embroidery thread.

My Stretch:  This is my 1st art quilt doing machine applique.  Years ago I finished a quilt that my mother had started and hand appliqued everything.  I did the embroidery free form.  

Walk in the Woods by Lynn Tubbe
24" x 18"

Artist Statement:  Nature is my happy place.  Walking in the forest evokes memories of my family’s  mountain cabin, my Georgetown home, and many vacations.

I used leftover scraps of dyed and painted cottons and silks. Background fabric is another piece of hand dyed fabric I purchased years ago.

My stretch:  I bought bags of scraps a number of years ago from one of my favorite vendors at PIQF. They have been in my “someday” pile in my studio for years. I challenged and stretched myself to design an art piece that would showcase many of those wonderful leftovers from her art to wear pieces. I pinned some of those scraps for you to see. The background fabric is also a scrap of hand dyed fabric I purchased from Wendy Richardson years ago in So Cal.

To the Pond and Beyond by Tracy Visher
40" x 19"

Artist Statement:  As a child I visited my grandparents in Medford, OR for 3 weeks as soon as school let out for the summer. My Mom’s Dad was the consummate outdoorsman. He hunted and fished and a lot of my protein diet growing up was game he caught. My brother and I used to go out into the countryside on hot evenings in the summer and go for walks in the forest with him. We went to visit in the fall for a long weekend too. This reminds me of one of those treks to one of his favorite fishing holes.

I used Organza, Cotton canvas, batik fabric, commercial printed fabric, velvet, silk, linen, inktense pencils, embroidery thread, liquid acrylic paint, metallic thread, cotton/poly thread, tulle, cotton embroidery thread.

My Stretch:   So much of this quilt is about the light. I wanted to do my best to show that it came in from the right, illuminated the foliage on the left side of the path, then was swallowed up by the trees beyond that border. I also wanted the piece to lure you into it, to actually feel as if you are walking toward the pond in the distance.