I’m a member of several Yahoo Groups, including DyeHard_Runoffs and Complex Cloth. On the Complex Cloth list there was a posting in late August seeking art quilters in SE Michigan or northern Ohio for a show. I responded thinking that it was a call for entries for an exhibit, but after some offline conversations, I learned it was an annual show for vendors, and I was accepted as the art quilt vendor for Art on The Farm in Dexter, MI (www.ArtOnTheFarmDexter.com).
I’ve participated in a few exhibits, but this is my first show! My initial reaction was “holy crap – what did I just get myself into?” What followed was a pretty incredible burst of creativity and productivity as I attempted to finish many languishing projects and start a few new ones in time for the 10/26 show. As soon as my camera battery is done charging, I’ll post pictures of my work.
I also culled through all of my hand dyes and selected yardage I was willing to part with. I started dyeing last summer and ended up dyeing 210 yards by the end of the season. Lots of experimentation with color and technique and generally a “mad scientist” approach. My documentation consisted of the date, the fabric, yardage and a general description of the techniques; but no recipes, so nothing could be duplicated. It was fun to visit with my fabric babies – they spend too much time neatly folded in the cupboard!
This year I dyed another 150 yards and followed a lot of the experiments in Dyeing to Quilt by Joyce Mori. It’s out of print, but can be found online. Well worth the search – it is a WONDERFUL resource! I started the 2008 season working through Fat 1/8th color wheels, then did several 6-step and 8-step gradations. This wonderful stash helped me create my 2008 Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational Quilt (theme, A Visit to Italy; quilt, “Venetian Carnival” as well as many of the pieces for the upcoming show.
My gradations came in handy for a class I took through my guild (Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild) with Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle of Fun Quilts. The class was “Luminous Quilts” and the lecture and exercise were very, very helpful. I was so pleased with my exercise, that I turned it into a little art quilt. The piece was so successful that it became a jumping off point for several more in that style.
Sonja's Musings: The Fabric of My Life 