They don't call it "slow stitching" for nothing. I've been working on hand piecing hexagons for one of my current works-in-progress, In Dreams I Drifted Away, and it's been time consuming. I'm not complaining, just noting. I enjoy handwork, and it was a good project to pick up in a spare moment or on a rainy day during my busy spring gardening season. I used the English paper piecing method, where each piece of fabric is basted around a paper hexagon, then the hexagons are whip-stitched together. Once it's all stitched, you pull out the papers, and that's what I was doing in the photo above.
Traditionally, the cloth hexagons are cut with a scant 1/4" allowance, to make hand quilting them easier. I didn't want to be that fussy with my cutting, and I wanted a bit of extra bulk in the hexies to make them stand out from the ground cloth I would be appliqueing the composition onto, so you see that extra fabric on the back view.
As I was working on the hexies, I was also auditioning the other fabrics for the quilt. You can see a corner of the needlefelted center panel on the right, above. That lovely bit of orange Mysore silk made the cut; that ombre red and purple one, as much as I love it, did not.
The hexagon assembly was machine appliqued onto a background of gorgeous Mysore silks, and I added couched threads as part of the larger design.
Once the entire quilt top was finished, I layered it with batting and the painted back (as shown in this previous post) and began the quilting.
It is shaping up quite nicely. Below is a shot of the back with the quilting begun.
Stay tuned! And as always, thanks for reading and commenting.
Did you know I give lectures? It's a fun part of my job. I encourage people to find and follow their unique creative paths. I start with a digital presentation about inspirations, techniques, and working methods, followed by a trunk show. I bring a big stack of my exhibition quilts, and volunteers walk them around the room so everyone can see the details.
In April I was honored to be the guest speaker for the Q.U.I.LT., Inc. Guild for their quilt show in Troy, NY. They put on a terrific show, with hundreds of beautiful quilts, and great vendors. They saw to every detail, and treated me extremely well. As part of their programming I gave my lecture on two consecutive days. Both times, the backs of my quilts caught people's eyes and interest.
My quilts are made to display on a wall, so ordinarily the backs are not visible. But I spend a lot of time working on the quilting, and it makes me happy if the back is custom made to match the imagery on the front. So for several years now I have been painting the cloth for the back side of the quilt.
Here's how I do it. I start with a length of cotton sateen that's pfd--prepared for dying-- meaning that it doesn't have any finishes that would prevent the cotton from taking up dyes or paints. I like sateen because it has a bit more heft than a flat weave, without being too bulky. I buy it in 60" wide bolts, but it it's a large quilt I may need to piece it to size.
I sweep off the driveway on a nice sunny day and lay out the fabric, weighing it at the corners in case of a breeze. I use textile paints in colors that seem appropriate for the quilt, and dilute them with water. I don't measure, but eyeball it at about a 1:4 ratio. I drip and/or swirl the paint on the fabric. In this instance I started with dry fabric, let the paint sit for a few minutes, then misted it with the hose.
I let that partially dry, then came back with another round of dripping and swirling, this time with a complementary color. Again, I misted with the hose.
Then I let the fabric dry in the sun, As it dries, the paint wicks across the fabric and forms patterns. My driveway is old and really should be replaced, but I've been hesitating because the cracks in it cause the most wonderful designs:
Once it's dry, I heat set the paint, then rinse the cloth to remove any bits of outdoor dirt. This particular back is for one of my current works in progress, In Dreams I Drifted Away. More on that quilt to follow.
As always, thanks for reading and commenting.
With special thanks to Q.U.I.L.T., Inc. for inviting me, and to Peggy Rinella for the pictures.
While I was intermittently working on In Dreams I Drifted Away, the opportunity to attend the James Webb Space Telescope Artist Project came up. I was soon heavily invested in making Luminosity. (You can read about the NASA visit, the quilt, and the exhibit by clicking the JWST tab at the top, or go here.) The centerpiece of that work was a set of hand-stitched silk hexagons representing the telescope mirrors:
Prior to this I had never worked with English paper piecing, but it was the perfect technique for this application. I enjoyed it enough that I began piecing more hexagons, just to have a hand sewing project while waiting around for an auto oil change and such. Some of the fabrics I used were leftover dye prints from making Luminosity, because they were at hand. You can see parts of the telescope imagery in the pink and orange hexagons:
As I worked I thought about how my my work to date about the Susquehanna River has grown from my personal detailed observations of it, in various states, and from various locales. 52 Ways to Look at the River in particular was about these observations. Working on the JWST project has expanded my outlook, and I realized that there is a wealth of observation and knowledge about the river that has been recorded by scientific methods. As one small example, I happened upon this video about satellite EO-1 that includes an image of the Susquehanna from 2011.
This type of observation and data has never been more important, and would seem to be at increasing risk of being unavailable for continued research. So my hexagons in this work represent the satellites and other technology that we collectively as a species are reliant on.
Now that my concept is clear, it will be easy to expand on it. These gelli plate prints I made last year are going to fit in perfectly.
I really do dream about these pieces in The River series. I look at and think about the river a lot, I always have, so themes and ideas about it float up from my unconscious when I'm just about to wake. If I'm lucky, I catch them. This title, and the general sense of it, came to me last summer and I got to work immediately on it. I pulled a vibrant piece of turquoise felt for the centerpiece, and auditioned fabrics to accompany it. Not all of them made the final cut, but they helped to set the tone.
I laid out the riverbank/border fabrics, a variety of silks with different patterns and textures, and needlefelted them onto the felt base. Next I laid slivers of wool and silk on the river and arranged them to show movement.
A layer of wool roving and lots of sparkly mylar fibers came next, and were also needlefelted into place.
I was happy with the work so far, and the title and general direction, but was still not entirely clear on the conceptual underpinnings. To give me more opportunity to reflect, I began hand stitching on the piece. Embroidery, like beadwork, is a very meditative process. I worked on it, off and on in the odd spare hour, just enjoy the feel of the textiles and the repetitive motion of the needle.
With the embroidery complete, I added a layer of batting and a backing and quilted it improvisationally.
I hate forcing a work, and I'm OK with having a variety of works in progress, so I pinned this one up on a design board where I could look it over and ruminate on it from time to time.
FURTHER UPDATE: The exhibit was extended again, the last day is July 2nd.
UPDATE: Due to popular demand, the exhibit has been extended into May!
What a great experience! Here's my chronicle of attending The James Webb Space Telescope: Art + Science 2017 opening reception. It's open, and free, at the NASA Goddard Visitor Center through April 16. This is my work in the show, Luminosity. If you are new here, you can track back the project and my part in it by clicking on the James Webb in the top header, or clicking here.
Because the Center had been undergoing renovations, mounting the exhibit happened on a quick timeline. I decided to deliver my artwork in person the day before, and I was very glad I did.
I had previously expressed my concerns on displaying my work in a way that made it obvious that it shouldn't be handled. It's been my experience that textile art in general, and my work in particular, is so tactile and inviting that people who wouldn't dream of touching a painting will almost unconsciously reach out to touch a quilt. When I arrived, the staff was busy building a structure to accomplish that goal and simultaneously show it off to the best advantage. I got to help design and screw together what was basically a giant erector set. You can see how happy I am with the results!
I also had a bit of time to look around the rest of the renovated Center and appreciate the interactive science exhibits.
The next afternoon, I was back for a scheduled media event. This also gave me a lot of time to talk with the other artists, admire their work, and talk shop about motivation and process. Once again, very happy!
Luminosity, as befits its name, looks different in all the changing light conditions in the center. (The glass is UV protected, so no worries there.) Just outside the window is this cool rocket model.
Finally the big night arrived!
Sue Reno with Luminosity. Image credit Ophelia Chambliss
Everyone looked great--there was a lot of gold/space themed attire.
Here's some snapshots of the artwork. For better, and accredited, images, along with detail shots and artist's statements, visit this NASA site.
Even the cupcakes were appropriate to the theme.
It was both gratifying and humbling to see how many of the people who have worked on the James Webb Space Telescope came out in support for the opening. I had conversations with scientists, engineers, and administrators whose involvement spanned the long term. It truly was a meeting of Art + Science.
Part way into the evening several people spoke, including Maggie Masetti. The art event was her brainchild, and she deserves many accolades for its design and execution. She has been a grand cheerleader and an advocate for the artists, and always accessible as we worked on our art and had questions. Thanks Maggie!
As you can tell from the artwork, one of the strengths of the project was the diversity of the artists invited. Hannah Larrabee wrote three poems. which she had letterpress printed.
Here's Hanna reading The Three Body Problem. (Edit--this may be too long for viewing on some mobile devices/connections.)
John Garvey performed his very catchy song about the Telescope. You can view his video on You Tube:
While everyone was gathered there was a call for a group photo. That's photographer Jolearra Tishiteya, who did a great job of herding us all together.
I'm glad so many artists were able to attend--we missed those who couldn't.
Sue Reno, Luminosity, photo credit Ophelia Chambliss
I am so glad I took a leap and applied for this opportunity. Personally, it stretched my skills, and gave me a new lens on the world that will be impacting my work for a long time. Professionally, I enjoyed meeting artists from many different disciplines and talking about our similarities and differences. As a citizen and a patriot, I am inordinately proud to have done my small bit to promote awareness of the JWST, and by extension, the science and technology that comprise the basis of my worldview and which I am happy to help support with my tax dollars.
I'm pleased to share with you another newly completed work, Late Summer Roses.
Late Summer Roses, detail 1
It was begun plein air in the garden of the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg, PA. At the previous year's event, I focused on the wonderful Magnolia tree. This time, I was enticed by the prolific late summer blooms on the rose bushes, and the way they complemented the mellow brick of the walkways.
Late Summer Roses, detail 2
The center panel is needlefelted with wool and silk, heavily stitched, and has a sparkly seed bead sewn onto on each individual rose. The supporting quilt is made of cotton and silk patchwork, including my own hand painted fabrics. It measures 54"h x 47"w. You can track back the creation of this work by clicking here, or on Late Summer Roses in the right sidebar.
Late Summer Roses, detail 3
Late Summer Roses and its companion piece Magnolia made their exhibit debut at Life Along the River: Narrative art quilts depicting the Susquehanna
River and its environs, at the Pennsylvania Arts
Experience Gallery, Marketview Arts, York, PA, March 3 – 31,
2017. I will be giving an artist talk on Saturday, March 25th at 11:00 a.m.
