Card of the day!

I am excited for the new catalog release for Stampin' Up 2013-14 but in the meantime, I am using up some of the supplies I already have on hand. Not much to say about this card. The colors used are Baja Breeze (retiring color that was one of my faves), Calypso Coral, and Summer Starfruit, with a touch of Basic Black. Enjoy!

International Quilt Festival

I am wayyyy behind on all non-necessities, including blog posts! So please excuse the fact that Quilt Festival in Cincinnati was a couple months ago and that I am just now getting around to writing this post. I took a few fun pics that I wanted to share from the event so I didn't want to just let them go. Also, we could look at this as an advertisement for the up-coming mini-Quilt Festival in Chicago in June. There we go. Now, rather than being behind, I am looking forward to the next big quilting event! What a way to put a spin on it. :-)

Let me start off by saying that Cincinnati has great facilities for this event. From the upstairs walkway, you can see both sides of the convention center. On one side was the vendor area:

On the other side was the show quilt displays:

Here are a few of my favorite quilts from the show. There were several others that I loved but they were in a special area of the show where you are not allowed to take photographs. To see the whole thing, you need to go in person!

This quilt was absolutely stunning! I waited around for a long time to get an unobstructed photo but there was always a crowd around this quilt. I loved the Andy Warhol-esque appearance of this applique. A really fun one.

This photo doesn't do this quilt justice. My favorite part of this quilt was the use of the plaid in the applique. The design is fairly traditional but the color and fabric choices were refreshing to me. 

I always love polka dots1

Whimsical.

This quilt portrays designs of actual bridges. I am not sure if you can see in the picture the wording that was quilted in to it. There were names of cities and types of bridges quilted in to the design. I just thought it was a very cool quilt and was probably designed by a unique quilter.

I am realizing now that I should have taken notes along with my pictures so that I could give credit to the makers by name! I always love reading the bio info that accompanies each quilt. However, at the time, I was trying to not lose the interest of my quilt show companion (my husband - who took pity on me when I couldn't find a friend to go with on that day!) before I got through the whole show.

The vending side of the show is always fun. I love being able to find a new tool, pattern or other unique quilting item that I haven't seen at my local store. I left with a full bag of treasures and some fun projects to work on over the summer. 

Another great reason to go to a large quilt show is that vendors often have special show pricing on larger items. I have been researching sewing machines for some time now and knew what a good price was on the sewing machine that I have had my eye on. I was able to look at sewing machines from all of the major brands and talk with knowledgeable sales staff about the features of different brands/models. In the end, I stuck with the brand but not the model I thought I wanted. But, I got a new sewing machine! 

It was a great show! And my sweet husband was patient and even helped me carry my many purchases throughout the day. 

I plan to attend the International Quilt Festival mini in Chicago in June. See the Quilts, Inc website for tickets to the show on June 21-23 and more information.  Hope to see you there!

The Sacred Space of Cathedrals is... Family

Good afternoon everyone!  This spring certainly has been a busy one in the Dixon-DeRouchey household.  We've had more family functions in the last two months than we've had throughout the entire year!  It's good to reconnect with one's family because it's grounding.  It takes you back to childhood and forces you to contemplate those events which shaped your life.  Sometimes they are good memories and sometimes not but whatever they are, they are a part of one's continuing story.  I would rather hear about the "good, bad, and ugly" of my family than be left in the dark because it is the mapping of the path we've tread as a family and I'm very proud of that.  It is especially important for me because as an African American the path is so often next to impossible to trace, up to a point, due to the legacy of Slavery.  When I was a child my father always stressed the importance of history as a way to build one's self-esteem and I have every intention of doing that for my son.  He may not have the luxury of growing up surrounded by immediate or extended family but he will know them.

My family (like most I'm sure) is a "hodgepodge" of different types of people with varying levels of skills that seems to run the gambit!  We have educators, architects, chefs, civil servants, entrepreneurs, performance artists, artists, and even published writers.  My aunt Miki is one of those writers who recently published a photo essay book called Journey to the Woman I've Come to Love.

 The book focuses on women from all walks-of-life and includes the famous and not so famous.  My aunt interviewed and photographed the individuals herself and she asked each woman one question, "at what point did you fall in love with yourself?"  Fascinating in the scope of their own self-awareness, many of the subject's answers were provocative and thought provoking!

My aunt Miki and I on my wedding day.

With the success of her first book well on the way my aunt called me recently.  She asked if I would be willing to create a piece for the cover of her next book!  Of course I took the challenge because not only did I feel privileged to be asked such a task, it was important for me as a budding designer, and it would give me an opportunity to convey my beliefs about "family" as a continuation of an ongoing story through my art!  

Aunt Miki wanted the piece to evoke tradition and the bond between mothers and daughters.  She also wanted it to be a wall hanging and something that could possibly be translated into different things like pins.  As she was talking to me the gears in the back of my mind were turning...  Anne and I for some time now have wanted to attempt making Cathedral Windows in our own individual styles; and now here was my chance!  If you're not familiar with the cathedral window block here's what it looks like:

I snagged this example during a google search and it originally appeared on flickr.  To view a tutorial on how to make cathedral windows checkout the blog Hyena in Petticoats.  It's very informative and the pictures are great!

The block is made through a series of folds with the background fabric as a solid color (typically white) and the diamond accented with a patterned fabric.  The above example is a modern twist with the use of the gray coloring as the background.  It's funny because I actually found this picture after I had picked out my fabrics for my piece.  I too decided to lean more towards the current trend by using grays as my neutrals but I will take it a step further.  Instead of using a solid color as my background fabric I will use a patterned fabric and a more subtle patterned fabric for the diamonds!

It's amazing what you can find these days in fabric!  I found this floral print at Walmart for less than $6 a yard!  Don't snub your nose at that!!!!

This is a close-up of the diamond fabric.  It's a wonderful compliment to the floral fabric because the individual dots have many of the same tones.  It's also wonderful because it's subtle enough that it will not compete with the the next step I hope to implement!

In this close-up you can see the various shades of gray throughout the fabric.

Once I knew the block design and the color choices, I needed something that would convey mothers and daughters.  That's when it hit me...  Why not incorporate a little embroidery?!!!!  I decided I would trace a few of the pictures my aunt took of her subjects, embroider them, and make them the diamond centers.  

This is a picture of my mother and I on my wedding day which was taken by my aunt Miki...

And this is the tracing of that picture.

So far I've traced one picture and once I get my measurements just right I will begin constructing the blocks.  Stay tune for further developments on this piece in progress!

Happy crafting everyone!!!!!

Quilting Retreat, Quilting Treat... What Fun!

It's another grey May day here in Lexington and I've finally gotten my thoughts together about all the happy events in April!  Several posts ago I talked about the name tag I made in preparation for a retreat I took with my mother.  Well I went on that retreat and had an absolutely wonderful time, and now I'm just getting around to writing about it and sharing some pictures!  I know what you must be thinking... "Ahhh Kim, what the hoohay!  That was back at the beginning of April and now it's MAY!..." I know, I know, I know but sometimes you gotta do the livin' before you start the givin' (I just made that up and I kind of like it!).

Anyhoo, the retreat was called "Workt by Hand" and was taught by some very stellar teachers including Sue Spargo.  I was lucky enough to join the group during its 10th anniversary and after ten years it was a pretty well oiled machine, meaning: there was no confusion, everyone pretty much knew what they were about which made for a relaxing and creative environment.  The focus for this year's retreat was all about texture.  Using textural things and creating it for our art work.  In order to help us hone our energies concerning that purpose we were give very broad parameters: circles.  We were to create circles out of fabric, thread, and found objects.  They gave us background fabric and turned us loose!

To be honest, I came up with an idea but now I'm not so crazy about it.  Despite my current misgivings my mother and I were truly inspired by the women who surrounded us.  I learned quite a bit and really appreciated the creative intensity everyone contributed to the retreat but the best part was making new friends.  Can't wait until next year!

my mom and Sue

 Here's what I did:

Like everything I touch there's always a modicum of chaos!  I used the back of a cardboard folder to make circle templates.

Here's a close up of one of the circle templates.  I enclosed the fabric around the template by making basting stitches around the edges that I could then gather and tie off.

I used freezer paper as a guide to cut out my circles.

These are just some of the threads I thought about using for my project.  They are also just a sample of the wonderful embellishments that were available to us at the retreat!  Here's what I came up with:

My initial idea was to have various sized circles (of wool and cotton) building upon one another and simulating movement.  The first line of circles would move one way, the second line would move in the opposite direction, etc.  As I worked out the layout I realized the whole plan was not working!  I don't know why my ideas are so impractical and complicated sometimes.  All I can do is start over and try again.  My dilemma: what to do with all those circles?????  That IS the question!  

Stay tune for further developments!...  Same Bat time, same Bat channel (or blog... you get the point)!

Q First in Quilting: A Local Treat! - Part II

Good Afternoon Everyone!

We're back for the continuation of our fascinating conversation with Laura Schneider of Q First in Quilting!

Kim Dixon: Organic fabrics and Japanese imports are very popular right now.  Do you carry such fabrics and if not why?

Laura Schneider: We don't carry those type of products because of the price point.  They are just too expensive and I don't see a huge market for that right now because are just not asking for them.

KD: At least in this area right?

LS: Yes, right.

KD: So what exactly is your philosophy about collecting fabric for the store?

LS: When we started we really didn't know what people were going to like so we tried to carry a little bit of everything but as time has gone on we've narrowed our scope based on what fabrics have and are moving.  What seems to me to be big in this area are the modern fabrics and styles and we will be moving more toward that direction and cutting out those fabrics that are not interesting to customers.  For instance kid novelty prints.  Mommies are not using novelty prints but grandmothers are.  Young mothers want to use fabrics that match the colors of their house.  They're using grays and yellows not bunnies and bears... We will also be talking to the modern quilting guild of Cincinnati and see if they will come down here to give a talk and eventual start a guild in Lexington.

KD: Many of the classes you offer are machine based.  Have you ever thought of expanding your classes to include work-by-hand options?

LS: Yes, we actually have a young teacher who just did her first class about a week ago and she did a phenomenal job!  She had about 8 students for a hand quilting class and after we saw how successful that was we thought well let's see what else we can do.  Now she wants to teach a cathedral windows class... Hand quilting is a not a frequent request for us but I do see some interest raising... it depends on your customer base whether they want a hand project to preoccupy them or work with their machines.

Anne Warman: I have a question for you.  Tell me about your first quilt project.  I always think it's fun to hear about!

LS: [laughter] I was such a novice and I knew so little... I was going to grad school and I needed something for my bed, which was a futon and I wanted something that would look nice when the bed was folded up into a couch but I could also sleep with it.  So I thought, well... I'll just go and learn how to make a quilt and that will be neat and cheap! [laughter]  Everybody laughs when I say that!  Several hundreds of thousands of dollars later it turned out not to be so cheap but it did turn out to be a great thing to do.

My first quilt was a log cabin and it was back when Quilter's Square [Another Lexington area quilt shop]... was located in Dudley Square in downtown Lexington.  The owner use to do "night owl" classes until two in the morning.  I know it was incredible!

AW:  We could totally do that!  That's awesome!

LS: We would start at 7 p.m. and everyone would bring something to share to eat and as the night wore on you would do a lot of sewing and I got all of my blocks made, for my very first quilt, in that first night.

AW: One night class?!

LS: One night class.

KD: Wow!  A log cabin quilt?

LS: A log cabin, can you believe it!?  And it was a queen size... All of it!

KD and AW: [Disbelieving looks of astonishment]

LS: I know, it was a revelation to me because I had no idea about rotary cutters or any of that.  The class taught me about all of it.  I got all the cutting done and all the piecing done in that one night.  It was seven hours of completely uninterrupted sewing, so you stripped piece and continued onward... but you did have to square up after each step.

So when I did my next quilt, which was suppose to be a bear's claw and I did have square triangles, and squared the blocks up and lost every single point!  The whole quilt was what I like to call "pointless". [laughter]  So you make your mistakes and you learn from them and you go on.  There's probably not any mistakes out there that I haven't made.

KD: Do you have a philosophy about quilting?  For example, my philosophy is that I'm pretty open to about everything.  I like to break the rules and just kind of try new things.

AW: Which we're the exact opposite about that!  Kim will do these amazing drawings and will say, "I think I'm going to make a quilt out of this can you help me figure it out?"  And I looking at it and just say, "Ah... you can't do that..." [laughter]

LS: I think I'm more like Anne in terms of being a rule follower but I admire people like Kim who can do the art.  I have always thought of myself as a good reproducer of other people's work.  I am not great at coming up with stuff on my own...

KD: Really!?

LS: ... well I can trace and I can cut out and I know how to do the things that I want to do, I just don't have the ideas.  I never took art classes so I was never able to break out of any "coloring book mentality" of how art was created in my lifetime anyway.  I'm older... and we didn't have the coloring books where the birds looked like check marks... but if you didn't do art you just didn't DO art.  I didn't do art after elementary school and I certainly didn't do it in college since that would have been considered a waste of time.  So I don't have that art background or color background that a lot my customers, who are really creative and able to put fabrics together that I would never dream of putting together and make wonderful quilts.  They break the rules and come up with great stuff!  I admire that a lot and wish I had more of that within me.

AW: That does sound a lot like me! [laughter] I have a hard time not following rules because there ARE quilting rules!  I would agree with you.  I have a lot of admiration for people who are very artistic and love seeing their work but I just can't do it on my own.

KD: I truly appreciate people who DO follow the rules because it does make things much easier and you are able to design things that actually work!  And there's something to be said for having some sort of understanding of that and I think part of my issue is that I don't always have that understanding.

LS: It's sort of like learning to drive.  When you take a drive's ed class they teach you where to put your hands on the wheel, how to break at stop signs, and know exactly what to do and the more you drive the more you begin to break those rules because you know which ones you can break.  Well it's the same with quilting.  Once you learn the basics of how to do a quarter inch seam, how to press, and how to get things to look the way they're suppose to look... once you understand that then that gives you room to breakout and create.

AW: This was great!

KD: Yeah, thank you very much!

LS: Yes, thank you so much for coming and doing the interview.  It's always fun for me to talk about quilting and I love to talk about this place!

KD: Well, it's a really beautiful shop and I've enjoyed talking to you.

LS: Well thank you very much!

Anne and I would like to thank Laura and the staff of Q First in Quilting for their generous time.  We really had a lovely experience!  Make sure you stop by Q First because you'll find beautiful current fabrics and they ALWAYS have time for you!

Until next time...