Question of the Day: What's Your Favorite Experience?

With October comes Houston and the thought of magnificent quilt shows and malls and classes and merchandise and and nirvana.The question isn't just about Houston, but was sparked by this mega show.

Today's question asks about your favorite or most memorable, endearing, (or embarrassing) quilt show memory. Or perhaps an epiphany or encounter at a quilt show that changed your life or your art?

One of my favorite stories, I've recounted in an early blog and may even have repeated it a few times. I think of it as one of my 'Real Men' series of stories. My husband has been excellent fodder for several essays sold to Christian Science Monitor and other markets.So briefly tell me your stories!

Today's photo was taken at the Cabin Fever Quilt Show in Orlando in January, 2009.

Christmas is Coming -- Hurry and Make That Special Christmas Quilt!

Christmas is heading our way.  I can hear its footsteps on the path. So, while the holidays approach, here are a few ideas I gathered together for inspiration, patterns or information – or, just for fun.


Ann Fahl has a fun line of patterns. I particularly like her Color Mews cat pattern. But for the holidays, nothing says Christmas like Ginko! This is a super quick pattern using fused applique and some stylized cloth or a little fabric paint.

Ever since seeing my first arpillera quilt, I've been fascinated by the expertise and patience and imagination they incorporate.

Anytime of year is the right time for  arpillera art, but especially appropriate during these magical holidays. It has such a fantastic history as well as appeal. Here’s one design specifically to celebrate the holiness of Christmas.

Penny Halpern offers some suggestions for making a Christmas or holiday art quilt. She suggests photo transfer, appliqué, or geometric representational shapes (triangle for evergreen tree and small square or rectangle for the trunk) on either one large square or smaller squares incorporated into one larger quilt.

Her suggestions brought to mind a wallhanging I made wayyyyy back in the day when wall stenciling was the rave in home decorating. I found some of those stencils people used when decorating windows with decorative snow and used them to apply stencil paints, probably acrylics or maybe leftover paint-by-number paints to muslin squares. I then divided the squares with a border and it looked like a window. I should have added a bit of snow and maybe a scene behind it with a cardinal in the background. I’ll have to work with an update on that project. It was fun and fast and – hey, come to think of it – that was my first ‘playing with paint’ experience! It's been in my blood all this time and I didn’t realize it.

The idea of a Christmas Hawaiian quilt surprised me – in a good way – but I think that says more about my lack of imagination than anything. This collection of smaller blocks – poho poho – which means ‘patched’ offers some holiday images, but truthfully any of the Hawaiian motifs done in Christmas fabrics or colors would work fine for me. I particularly like the red star motif pictured here. And using fused applique makes this a quick project.

Another thought! I have this marvelous book “Grandma’s Magic Scissors” that has some of the most delightful patterns and ideas for paper cutting. Those would also make excellent stencils or Hawaiian style motifs for a poho poho wall hanging. Or perhaps do some freehand snowflakes in varying sizes and applique them to background, not necessarily in blocks, but randomly -- like a snow storm.

Leaping from the islands into child's play -- remember those viewers we could peek inside and turn it and we'd get the most amazing colorful designs? Why not make it into a quilt with a Christmas or holiday theme?  Kaleidoscope squares. They are fascinating to view and even more fun to make! This one I found on the site Hand Dyed by Lori.

Of course Christmas colors can vary. Red and green may be traditional but blues and grays shout ‘Winter!’ Nothing cooler and more inviting than this lovely Bloom Creek design, Indigo Star, from Connecting Threads.

And check out the logo for the Inchie Swap in the column to the right of this blog entry. Deadline has been moved to November, so there's still time to join the swap. Nadine Ruggles has provided an easy to follow tutorial for making inchie ornament. Click on the logo to go to the guidelines and tutorial. It looks like a quick, creative project that you can make in plenty of time for Christmas!

Yep, even in October, Christmas is in the air. In my hot little house in Florida where we see palm tree Christmas trees decorated with lighted flamingos, and Santa wears a Hawaiian shirt and drinks fro-fro drinks with umbrellas stuck in them. Whatever your impression of the holidays -- make it in fabric! Happy stitching. -- Dawn

Creating is NOT an option for Margaret C. Wheeler: Silk fusion is her medium of choice

Margaret C. Wheeler has generously shared her process, and her work as well as her experiences that might help others grow their art. She gives an interesting and thorough intro to silk fusion. But if you're like me, its hard to take my eyes off of the photos long enough to read her story. But be strong -- its a great read. -- Dawn

(First photo: Maui Ocean #1)

Margaret C. Wheeler in her own words!

Silk fusion is the process of bonding silk fibers together to make, usually, a sheet which can then be altered to anything you want. It is very strong since silk is very strong. It is nearly impossible to tear. I make wall pieces out of it. I cut and weave strips into a sheet and then I do freeform machine stitching and finally I do lots of beading. I am always evolving so things change fast and now I am adding prints of my photographs on silk organza.

When making silk fusion you lay the fibers (very carefully) in one direction then another layer in the opposite direction. Usually one more layer is required but if you need a 4th that is up to the individual. 2 layers is the very minimum. It is laid out on plastic screening and then is sandwiched between a second screen. This is where it gets messy. You need to wet it thoroughly with water and a tiny bit of liquid soap so that it will accept the textile medium. Next you carefully sponge out the water after which you apply the textile medium. Since silk does not have barbs like wools it needs something to bond the fibers. You must not apply too much or it will be too stiff and rubbery but you must be careful not to apply it too thin or it will not stay together and when you take the screen off it will pull apart.

Next you must hang it to drip the excess "glue" and dry. Usually about eight hours to be sure it is fully dry. Then you carefully peel off each piece of screening and there is your sheet and you are just getting started.

I set up tables in the garage to do this process because I like to make larger sheets. I break apart boxes to lay under a wooden clothes rack to catch the drips. If I am working in the warm summer weather I will hang it outside between 2 trees and let it drip on the grass.

Meet Margaret C. Wheeler

I have been working in textiles since I was about 18. I started designing my own clothes for a practical reason. I was married young and had my family early and hence no money. I would make my clothes and then when I grew tired of them my mother would take them to her town about 20 miles away and sell them to her friends. I now had money to buy new fabric. My husband and I got involved in starting a summer stock theatre in NE Montana and the director figured if I could sew I could do costumes. And I could. For the next 25 years I worked in theatre as a designer and I also constructed my designs. (Photo 2: Maui Ocean 2)

There were always volunteers but I never liked their work and always had to redo it. I learned so much about fabric and what you could make it do.

We moved from Montana to Washington where I continued to work in theatre. I loved it even tho it was very hard work. We moved to eastern Washington and I decided it was time to quit and do other things. I had started weaving in 1980 and had several looms so that was going to fill my time and satisfy my creative needs. Well it didn't. I developed an allergy to wools of all kinds, mohairs, angoras you name it.

I sold some of my looms and started to make clothes again for others, spirit dolls and fabric bowls. I was on a search for my niche. I went to a regional weavers conference and happened to find a seminar (her classes were all full) by Karen Selk on silk fusion. Had no idea what it was. I had taken other classes from Karen and knew that whatever she did it would be good, understandable and memorable. I was not disappointed. I knew I had found what I was looking for.

I love everything about silk. And silk fusion gave me that without having to set up a loom which I never liked doing and was never that good at because I do not have good eye sight. Weaving has been great for me because I understand all about the single fiber and how it fits into the scheme of a beautiful finished piece. Because of weaving I had the opportunity to take classes on color, dyeing, weave structure and many other things from some of the best people in the world.

As I say on my web site " Creating is not an option; for me it is a passion; it is my life." Other than my 4 sons and 7 grandchildren and 1 great grandson there isn't anything else I get into the "zone" over. I am very passionate about travel but cant afford to go all the time and I love golf but nothing fills that inner need except my grand kids. I never get tired of creating something out of nothing.

You asked me what does my art do for me spiritually, emotionally, physically or financially. Well spiritually, and emotionally my work fills all the holes in my soul and makes me feel complete. I often wonder what it would be like to not have to "make" something and I cant imagine it. It is a blank.

Watch TV??? Never. Maybe I would walk more. Physically it can be very hard on me. Most of the time when working I forget to take a break and pay for it the next day. My hands have arthritis in them and if I bead too long it may take several days before my thumb joint stops hurting. Not to mention neck and back problems from sitting too long. (Photo 3: Maui Ocean #3.)

Financially It is a losing proposition. I never made much money in costuming and I do not make much money now. I am very lucky that my husband is a big fan and loves my work and is willing to support my needs. We have spent a lot over the years especially when I was weaving. Equipment is so expensive. I always said I should have taken up knitting instead. I have one small drawer full of enough knitting needles to do whatever anyone would want forever. So much cheaper!!! I make more money selling my weaving equipment now.

I have collected beads and things over the years to last me for a long time.

I have a 500 sq ft studio separate from the house. I have knitted scarves, made handbags, hemmed dresses, made aprons for German trachten, dyed silk scarves, you name it, in a effort to make money to help and it does in a small way. My hands are always busy. My Mother always said "Idle hand do the devils work."

But more often she said "To thine own self be true."

I think silk fusion is for the person who really likes to start from scratch but does not want to weave. Spinning then weaving your yarn are really starting from scratch. Well then you must grow the sheep. But silk fusion can satisfy that need to start from nearly nothing and create your very own piece. I admire quilting a lot but the ones done from a pattern or using a printed design that is cut and sewn on are like paint by numbers paintings to me even tho I admire the beautiful ones. Technically I do not think I could be that precise because I'm too impatient but creatively I think I can do something better. At least I have to try and my head is full. I will need to live to 200 just to do what I think of now. By then I would have even more.

Silk fusion is a technique that is for the person who has their own vision, doesn't mind being wet and sticky and a bit messy (tho nothing like felting) and making the sheet is just the beginning. Bottom line to any one who might be interested in exploring silk fusion I can only say there is nothing more beautiful than silk. (Photo 4: My Flower Garden.)

I have several things in shows right now:

• 2 paper collages (the 2 of the dog Kelly on my website) in the NWCollage Society Fall show.
• 1 silk fusion (Let Your Life Speak) and the Memory Book (although I had to change the cover because the feather disintegrated so I have used antique lace) in a fiber show in Sequim, WA. 
• And last but not least I have a huge hand woven quilt 10 feet by 13 feet that I designed and sewed the pieces together. I oversaw the work of about 60 members of the Seattle Weavers Guild who wove the fabric for the squares and long strips as joiners and also emblellished 48 squares. That is being hung at the LaConner Quilt and Textile Museum in LaConner, WA. and will be there until the 27th of December. I have shown some of my silk fusion there in the past.

Embroidery leads Dorothy Thompson to crazy quilts

Dorothy Thompson's crazy quilt, Bucolic Scene, drew me right to it. I wanted to sit right down in her little embroidered garden. It was so inviting and intricately worked and colorful with a hint of crazy. It took a while to track Dorothy down. She tends to spend her evenings working on crazy quilts and rarely ventures near a computer! But with the help of the Alliance for American Quilts and Dorothy's computer savvy friend, Carol Pope, we finally connected. She graciously shares not only photos of her romantic, beautifully crafted creations, but also a bit of herself. Please give Dorothy Thompson a warm Subversive Stitchers welcome. Maybe a raised needle salute! -- Dawn (First photo, Down the Garden Path, details)

Dorothy Thompson: Crazy quilting is my passion.

The threads, the beads, the techniques, all speak to me. Most evenings I sit and lose myself in the worlds I create. I hope that the energy and love that go into my work are transmitted to the viewer.

"Doing and making are acts of hope, and as that hope grows, we stop feeling overwhelmed by the troubles of the world." --Corita Kent

I am inspired by the area in which I live--the Olympic Peninsula of Washington--70 miles west of Seattle--the upper left-hand corner of the map. This area, although further north than Maine, has a gentle climate similar in many ways to southern England. It is a lovely region full of trees and flowers and gentle rain. I have a cottage garden and our property is also a designated wildlife refuge.

How did I get so involved in crazy quilting? My grandmother taught me to embroider at an early age. I have tried many crafts, but I always come back to embroidery. I really got started crazy quilting in 1997.

I saw an ad for the crazy quilt club by Carolyn Cibik of Evening Star Designs and joined. Once a month a magical package arrived with fabrics and threads and beads and ideas and wonderful quotations about women.

I traveled to Portland and took a course from Judith Baker Montano and then went to a crazy quilt conference in Omaha. There I saw magnificent quilts by Christine Dabbs and my horizons truly expanded. I had never imagined the level of needlework she attained! I also discovered Inspirations magazine--especially the work of Carolyn Pearce--and learned even more techniques. I've never stopped.

One of the things I like best about crazy quilting is that there is always room for something new I want to try or a new idea that seizes me.


My husband of 42 years, Earle, has a strong background in art and is my most loyal fan and best critic. I am also fortunate to belong to a small, informal group of women--Slippers and Sweats--who get together and stitch once a week. They have believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself. It was because of all this support that I had nerve enough to enter my crazy quilt, Down the Garden Path, into big shows. (Photo 1, details of Down the Garden Path)

It was juried into the Association of Pacific Northwest Quilters show in Seattle in 2006 and then into the American Quilters Society show in Paducah,, Kentucky in 2007. What a thrill!

I entered the Crazy for Quilts contest put on by the Alliance for American Quilts and was fortunate that my quilt, Bucolic Scene, won an Honorable Mention. (Dorothy's Bucolic Scene is shown in the right column of Subversive Stitchers.) Those quilts will be at the International Quilt Association in Houston this fall. Another thrill to have a quilt there!

The Alliance for American Quilts does great work in documenting, preserving, and sharing the story of American quilting. My quilt, along with the others in the contest, will be auctioned off on eBay to benefit their organization.

I teach at Quilted Strait here in Port Angeles. I have included some samples (see photos) --the crazy quilted bear, a crazy-quilted top to a sewing box, and a heron embroidery from a pyramid with a series of scenes with herons.

Downunder designs and global gift swap brought together by Fiona Marie Clark

We've had some discussion about using commercial patterns. Fiona Marie Clark gives several excellent reasons for investing in patterns and receiving more than you ever expected from them.

She also gives us a peek at what some patchwork designers are doing. Such delight and whimsey, you can't help but smile and feel your creative urges slide into a more light hearted frame of mind.

I hope you'll warmly welcome Fiona Marie to Subversive Stitchers and check out her web site. Fiona Marie has her own story, so read to the end. -- Dawn

Fiona Clark in her own words:

On my side of the world, commonly referred to as ‘Downunder’, we are fortunate to be home to a growing number of patchwork quilting designers.

The predominant trend in their work is the merging of simple stitchery designs within a traditional patchwork setting. The stitchery designs are generally set in a randomised layout, and often overlap onto the pieced block giving the quilt an unstructured, organic look. (Photo 1: Journey of a Quilter Block – Leanne’s House)

Bronwyn Hayes, an Australian designer, is one of my most popular designers whose work follows these principles. She is slowly becoming better known throughout the world especially in Europe. Her latest design and one I am working on myself is a quilt featuring the Gingham Girls called ‘My Favourite Things’

Like the Red Hat Ladies before them, the Gingham Girls are enormously popular with quilters, embodying the spirit and philosophy this demographic strongly identifies with.
(Photo 2: Gingham Girls Quilt Block by Bronwyn Hayes.)

For me personally working on this quilt is a holistic patchwork experience and its stitches will be the threads weaving together my memories of 2009.

When you start the quilt you are given the opportunity to join a cyber group in flickr called ‘The Gingham Girls’ where questions can be asked and photos are posted of blocks throughout the quilt makers journey. Purchasing this pattern set has now become an interactive quilt making experience you can share with others along the way.


Photo 3: Butterfly Garden Block – Leanne’s House

Australian designer Leanne Beasley who produces patterns under the Leanne’s House label has three beautiful heirloom proportioned quilts in this style, ‘May your Heart make you Grateful, ‘Journey of a Quilter’, and her latest release ‘Butterfly Garden’. All these quilts can be viewed in their entirety at this link.

Leanne’s quilts again follow the theme of incorporating beautifully worked stitchery panels into a pieced patchwork layout.

Many other Australian designers including Cinderberry Stitches, Rosalie Quinlan Designs, Hugs n’ Kisses, The Birdhouse and Lynette Anderson Designs, are also producing patterns in this style or a close variation to it.

Photo 4: Little Patchwork Village – Rosalie Quinlan Designs

Another popular pattern trend is the increase in smaller projects being designed with a practical everyday use. This trend I am sure is influenced by the high proportion of designers who are working mothers and understand there are many women who simply lack the time, means, and energy to justify embarking on large projects without a practical use.

Photo 5: Birdhouse Bag – Lynette Anderson Designs

I am fortunate to own a business in the patchwork quilting industry, which means I can justify spending an hour of my quiet work time each day stitching!

I stitched my first little quilt in the Spring of 1995 while awaiting the birth of my first child, now fourteen. Encouraged by my Mother I used fabric from her stash and purchased a pattern from a local quilt shop by American designers ‘Little Quilts’.

At this time the naïve design, soft country colours, simple buttonhole appliqué, and small project size that characterise ‘Little Quilts’ designs appealed to me and were perfectly matched to my skill level. It was when stitching this first wall hanging my love affair with patchwork quilting began and since then I have gradually immersed myself in the craft both in my leisure time and in a commercial venture through my online pattern store fionamarie.com.

In 2007 my youngest daughter at age six was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Leukemia. She is now in remission and thriving. I mention this not to solicit sympathy but to identify the catalyst that played a large part in moulding my outlook on life in recent years and how this experience has influenced my patchwork quilting.

Today, I take a more holistic approach to the craft, I have become more traditional in my tastes, I prefer to work by hand rather than machine, and I’m no longer scared off by large projects.

I am spoilt for choice running a pattern store and it is often overwhelming deciding what to make next, but every time I pick up a pattern and begin a project I see myself as having started a new journey.

I am never quite sure where it will take me, who I will connect with along the way, what emotions I will experience, but when I have a needle between my fingers I am confident I’m headed in the right direction.

Have your own holistic patchwork quilting experience by joining the 2009 Great Global Christmas Swap and make the acquaintance of a stitcher from another country, in the spirit of friendship, who shares your passion for this craft.

Books written by our friends and colleagues

This is in no way a comprehensive list of my friends and readers' books, but just a few I happen to be thinking about at the moment. If any of you would care to send me information about your books, I'd be most interested!

First up is a new release by two creative fabric and mixed media artists who have both guest blogged here at Subversive Stitchers. Check the right column under Guest Bloggers for a look at what they've written. -- Dawn

Creative Ways with Books and Journals

by our very own Sue Bleiweiss and Terri Stegmiller!!!

It is available through Amazon of course or from the authors themselves. Cost at Amazon is $22.99.

Product Description:

Combine traditional book binding techniques with fabric and fibers to create journals to keep for yourself or give as gifts. You'll learn how to make beautiful hand painted fabrics using shibori and water soluble crayons and explore mixed media techniques with tissue paper, kitchen foil, paper fabric and recycled envelopes. Create gorgeous textured surface journals using machine cord, linen strips and pearl beads. With easy to follow directions accompanied by full color photos even the most inexperienced book maker will have no trouble making the eight soft cover and four hard cover book projects.

Product Details:
Paperback: 130 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (September 18, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 144212573X
ISBN-13: 978-1442125735
Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces

Of course we couldn't forget Lyric Kinard's recent release:

Art + Quilt

Product Description:

Secrets for quilting success are presented through a variety of techniques, exercises, and insider tips to inspire novice quilters and experienced textile artists to make genuine works of art. Simplifying the basic fundamentals of art and teaching the underlying principles of the visual language, this guide explores texture, shape, line, color, and value with examples and hands-on exercises. Essential principles—such as focal point, balance, repetition, scale, and space—are paired with creativity exercises while guest essays, guest artwork, and inspiring artwork from the author allow readers to analyze how other artists utilize key artistic elements or principles and see how to successfully use these elements in their own work. Both a personal creativity coach and a guide for a hobbyist or professional artist, this reference clarifies quilting goals and takes the craft to the next level through design and composition.

About the Author:

Lyric Kinard is an award-winning master quilter whose articles have appeared in Quilting Arts magazine, and her works have been featured in numerous books and exhibitions. She lives in Cary, North Carolina.

Product Details
Hardcover-spiral: 136 pages
Publisher: Interweave Press; (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1596681063
ISBN-13: 978-1596681064
Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

For more information about and inspiration from Lyric, check out the latest guest blog! She has great advice.

This I Accomplish

by Kyra Hicks

One of my favorite fellow bloggers (check out my blog list to the right for Black Threads) has written a thoroughly researched and respected book about the quilts of Harriet Powers.

Product Description:

The powerful quilts of Harriet Powers (1837-1910), a former Athens, Georgia slave, continue to capture our imagination today. Her two-known creations, the Bible Quilt and the Pictorial Quilt, have independently survived since stitched more than a century ago. Over the years, thousands of museum visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston have stood transfixed viewing her artwork. Powers' two quilts are arguably the most well-known and cited coverings in American quilt history. But, until today, no one has told the entire, dramatic story of how these two quilts, one of which initially sold for $5, were coveted, cared for, and cherished for decades in private homes before emerging as priceless, national treasures.

This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilts and Other Pieces brings to light new, exciting facts - many never before published: complete exhibition history for both known quilts; proof Harriet Powers was a literate, award-winning quilter, who stitched at least five quilts and promoted her own artwork; profiles of the two nineteenth century women who sought to purchase the Bible Quilt; profiles of the three men who once owned the Pictorial Quilt; unveiling of a young artist who embellished the Pictorial Quilt; and the name of the person who first made the connection in the twentieth century that Harriet Powers stitched both quilts.

This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilts and Other Pieces is the most comprehensive resource guide on this influential African American quilter. The book includes nearly 200 bibliographic references, most annotative, including books, exhibition catalogs, newspapers, plays, poetry, interactive map and more. For the first time ever, readers are provided with clues and encouraged to search for Harriet Powers' lost 1882 Lord's Supper Quilt.

This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilts and Other Pieces is written by Kyra E. Hicks, a quilter whose story quilts have appeared in over forty group exhibitions in places such as the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY, the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the American Folk Art Museum in NY. Hicks is the author of Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook and Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria. She lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Product Details:

Paperback: 182 pages
Publisher: Black Threads Press (July 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982479654
ISBN-13: 978-0982479650
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces

Congratulations to all of these artists for their accomplishments and hard work. And I've found all of their publications, blogs and work most inspirational and helpful. -- Dawn

Lyric Kinard's secret: How to do it all

ARTIST’S
STATEMENT:

In a world where too often, the images we feed ourselves are full of
violence and fear, my goal is to create beauty and remind us of the strength we
all possess.







If you've been following this blog for the past few months you will have heard me singing the praises of Lyric Kinard and her Playing with Paint class through Quilt University. I continue to reap the rewards from that class. Not just in the fabrics I painted, but in the attitude adjustment about success and failure and 'just do it!'


Her energy and enthusiasm vibrated all the way from her house through the Internet and right into my fingertips! And now she's published her book that opens with inspiration from several sources. I'll have more to say about her book in an upcoming review. But, for now, here's Lyric in her own words. -- Dawn


Lyric Kinard:



I hear it all the time. “How do you do it all?”

My student is usually looking at my book or at artwork I’ve produced.

I’m wondering if they think I wave a magic wand and the work just pours forth fully formed. I open my mouth and say, “I don’t do it all.”

That work on the wall? It might be the only thing I finished last year. The book? It’s done but ask my family about the sacrifices they made to give me the time to do it. I don’t do it all, at least not all at once. I do one thing at a time as time allows.
What my students are really asking is “why can’t I do more?”

It’s easier to feel sorry for ourselves than to accept or to change where we are in our artistic careers.

I’ve fallen into that trap myself. I’ll look at a prolific artist and begin to feel jealous only to find out they don’t have children.

Ah. I have to remind myself that I’m blessed to have children and chose to put my family ahead of my career. I remind myself that children grow. Quickly. There will be a season for greater productivity.

“No time” is excuse number one for not being productive.

I am the mother of five children. I’m involved in my children’s activities, my church, and my community. I have almost no spare time, but I have learned to leave the TV off. I take my sketchbook and a small “to-go” project everywhere. I stitch during hockey practice - a friend elbows me when I need to cheer. I bead through school concerts, sitting on the back row by the sound booth window and it’s light. It’s amazing how much work gets done in these little “lost” bits of time. I sketch everywhere - doodles and form studies sitting next to lecture notes and to-do lists.

I’m still learning about discipline. I’m working on keeping the computer off until after I’ve met my art goal for the day in the studio. I’m still working on limiting the engagements and deadlines I take on. It’s important to take care of the business and marketing side of the art - but you must create the art in the first place. That is one of the wonders of textile art. You can create it three stitches at a time in between interruptions. You can set it down and come right back to it later.

So - now. Off to create. Today’s goal is to clean off half of the work table and to sketch two more dancers for an idea I’m working on. Manageable.

The kids get home in an hour so I’d better get to it.

Photo Info: 1. projects to go - work in progress, sketchbook, mint tin with beading supplies .

2. pic- moonflower - 4" x 6", dyed, beaded

3. Lyric's newly published book "Art + Quilt"

4. violin pic - title Soar 20" x 20" dyed, discharged, printed, painted, stitched beaded

BIO: Lyric Kinard (see photo) is an artist with a serious addiction to fabric. Her award-winning wall quilts and wearable works of art are a product of her need and passion to create order and beauty while living a chaotic life as the mother of young children. She often says that her art is the only thing she does that is not undone by the end of the day. Her second love is teaching, which she has been doing in various capacities for the past 12 years. She loves to share her joy in the process of transforming plain fabric into a work of art.

Lyric has studied with many well known textile artists around the country and continues to expand her skills in the area of surface design. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Utah and has also formally studied music and architecture. She currently lives in Cary, North Carolina with her husband and five children.

For more about Lyric and her work check out her website, blog and etsy account.