Constructions #65, 2002 by Nancy Crow
I would be remiss to go very far into this Quilt Artist of the Week thing without mentioning Nancy Crow, especially now that she has a new book out. She is undoubtedly the most widely known of all art quilters both inside and outside of the quilt world, and indeed is considered the vanguard of modern art quilting.
She’s also a very active teacher, offering workshops in her studio in rural Ohio as well as incredible-sounding arts and crafts tours of places such as Mexico and France. Her workshops are infamous for requiring students to bring tons and tons of different solid-color fabrics.
Chinese Souls #6, 1992 by Nancy Crow
From her artist’s statement:
When I work on a quilt, I put away all thoughts that are not helpful and channel my energies towards relaxing and becoming one with my fabrics. Since I work intuitively, this is absolutely important. I begin to see shapes in my head and think about how to cut them out of my huge palette of colors that I have hand-dyed in my basement dye studio. Never, ever do I think about what others expect or want or what will sell, but rather I look at my time in my studio as a process of discovery. I love being inside my brain and pushing myself to think in ever more complex ways because I know the ideas are there for the taking. It’s all about being focused and disciplined and making use of one’s abilities. And about being alone, in solitude, so one can think and feel deeply without interruption. I have definitely grown far closer to myself rather than to others because I see my quiltmaking as my experience which has nothing to do with other people.
Whiptips is an advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving your comments. View the Whiptips archive here. You can submit questions, to whiptips@gmail.com. Please include photos with your questions!
Weeks Ringle of FunQuilts who writes here at Whipup has offered to give advice to people on how to finish and makeover unwanted quilt blocks or pieces of quilts. Please submit photos of samples to whiptips@gmail.com for consideration. Weeks will post suggestions on two or three at a time. She expects a great response “since no one knows what to do with them and it’s painful to toss out”.
Thanks, Weeks! We can’t wait to see people’s projects.
I have had great fun this month checking out all the wonderful new and not so new blogs and everyones amazing creative energy and uniqueness. So this is the last day of June and of introductions. Next comes July and Bags – and some great prizes too.
JULY: For something a little bit different this whiplash – the comp will be open to entries for the first 2 weeks of July and then the links will remain up for the next week so everyone has a chance to check out the links and we can post the winners. Then in the last week of July – the links will be open for some non-competition entries.
Something else that is a little different is categories – in your post on your blog please note which category you are entering – and don’t forget to also post a whiplash badge (grab the code from the whiplash page) so we know it is an official entry.
SKILL – this for those crafters who are very skilled at a certain craft and would like to showcase their beautiful workmanship.
TUTORIAL – this is for those whose project might be quick, original or clever and have a good clear tutorial to go with it.
FANCY – a fabulous decorative touch, embellishment, original colour combination or stitched/knitted design.
Some tips for a good entry – include good clear photos, a story about the why or who for, a description or ‘how to’.
Have fun.
And Nicole has a good tutorial on how to enter.
box quilt at becka’s project journal in Minneapolis
chinese coins wallhanging at KC quilts by Katie Sue in virginia.
A crafty tree by crafty Mcgee – Rose from Washington.
Target by Lubna Chowdhary.
The tile is an excellent product to get started in ceramics (or to continue for that matter). It allows you to explore clay – it’s textures, profiles and glazes. It can be painted and printed onto and when the tiles are all made it’s all the fun of arranging them together or enjoying just the one as a piece of art.
Lubna Chowdhary makes tiles in a cascade of colour, abstract pattern and graphic lines. Her tiles are made by pressing clay into a plaster mould or through rolling out slabs into which objects or tools are impressed. Above is a selection of tiles that Lubna Chowdhary has made for Agnes Emery.
Mariana Argüelles is a tile maker and also writer of the blog Tileworld, with lots of tile links and reviews of for instance Frank Giorgini’s book Handmade Tiles.
I think it has a gorgeous cover and although I haven’t read it, I’ve read lots of good things about it! Giorgini himself is also a tile maker and on his website he shows how he press moulds his tiles.
Announcing a new feature here at Whip-up!
Whiptips is an advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice. We were inspired by the ‘Good Questions’ at apartment therapy. Each post will include one question, and we’ll try and answer it, but we’re hoping anyone else reading Whip-Up can help out by leaving your comments! View Whiptips archive here.
Please submit questions, and photos if you can, to whiptips@gmail.com.
First question!
A reader, Jeanna, wrote to us asking for help to make something out of men’s neckties. Her husband passed away six years ago, and she would like to make something to remember him by, possibly a blanket or throw. Has anyone seen or done anything like this before? Has anyone got other ideas for how they could be used?
