Milwaukee Quilt Exhibit

Quilts:  Story Material

This show runs from January 8-February 19, 2011.  The work of 4 artists is hanging in a gallery space at St. John's Communities, 1840 N. Prospect Ave. Milwaukee WI.  Mon-Sat 10am to 5 pm.

Quilt by Casey Puetz

Juleen Jaeger is a traditional quilter, Chris Lynn Kirsch, Judy Zoelzer Levine and Casey Puetz are the art quilters represented.  All are working in Wisconsin.

Sorry no title, this bold red quilt is by Chris Lynn Kirsh

Each of the artists had a number of pieces on display, so the viewers got to see a good cross section of their work.

One of the body series by Judy Zoelzer Levine   


My apologies for the photography. The lights were bright and the space was crowded on the Sunday opening. It was an interesting show.


Ann

My Big Project

Whiskers  by Ann Fahl, this is Oreo's official portrait quilt

Many of you have seen the quilts of my cat Oreo.  After publishing my first book, Coloring with Thread, I began working on a book including all my feline quilts.  Jacquie Scuitto wrote delightful verse to accompany the quilts. For years now, I've worked to find a publisher for my small volume. Time is marching, and I've decided to publish the book myself. My friend Sally is designing the pages for me and the pieces are coming together to form a colorful book.

This book will be for quilters, cat lovers, and people that would like to share quilts with their favorite children. In short, almost everyone will enjoy looking at the color photography and reading the accompanying poetry. If they want to know more about the quilts, there are short descriptions of each in the back.

Since I'm a quilter, not a publisher there have been some big challenges along the way; learning how books are bound, paper types, and purchasing my first ISBN number.  This number has consumed much of my time. After asking everyone about these things I've finally sifted through all the information on the web, and have one assigned to this upcoming book. This sounds like a small matter, but it was a huge challenge for me.

Yesterday I got so frustrated, I left my studio and went to have lunch at my favorite Hardee's. It was the change of scenery that I needed, and when I finished talking to my friend Carole, I drove home and purchased that ISBN number that has caused me so much anxiety!

For today, an isbn nimber is my big news.  I've been taking this book one step at a time, and this was one giant step for me. My next challenge is .............

Ann

Wow It's Electric

Ann's quilt:  Wow It's Electric

I've finished a small quilt.  And it is electric. Because I like handwork, I always have a small piece that I can hand bead in the evening.  The binding was sewn on the other day, and now it's finished and up on my website.  You can read more about it here.

Success--Back to the Troubling Quilt part 5

At last it is done.  Before Christmas I rolled up this quilt and put it away.  I was out of ideas about how to change some of the problem areas.

I added the large flower at the bottom, and felt better about that.  Then it was quilted and blocked.  When I hung it on my design wall, I knew I was still "stuck" at the point of needing something in the center portion of the quilt in the water.

Tragedy on Esplanade by Ann Fahl

After the holidays, I unrolled the quilt and took a long look at it.  I added ducks. In a light bulb moment I realized that it was possible that ducks might be out there quacking in the water after the accident.  I moved them around in many configurations. I settled on spreading them out across the lake.

Now I could work on shading of the foreground. After all, this happened at midnight, and my colors look like daytime.  So I got out my colored pencils and shaded the ducks which were too bright.  Then I darkened the applique stitching at the top of the grass, near the hammock.  Then I shaded the upper grass and below the hammock. Voila! I am happy and satisfied with the finished product.

I am done.  All my design problems are resolved. The quilt has been bound, photographed, and the label attached to the back. The memorial to this terrible tragedy is complete.

For more images of this quilt you may go to my website.

Now, where will I exhibit this memorial? Do any of you have any suggestions? Do you live in Winona Lake, Warsaw or Wabash IN? These are the communities that might have an interest in exhibiting my quilt.

Ode to My Purple Vase

I've just finished sewing the binding on a new little quilt.  As soon as I finish the tragedy quilt, I will post it with my final comments!

So here is the picture of my new little piece, My Purple Vase.

My Purple Vase    by Ann Fahl

And here is the poem I've written about it:

Oh, you are such a wonderful purple

But my new vase looks like a urinal.

Your glass is both rippled and clear

With a price of five dollars you’re hardly premier.

Add a flower, you totally transform

Into an object whose color both cool and warm.

With embroidered flowers and curly green leaves

You are a sight that’s so sure to please!

The big pink flowers and fabrics scrappy

You are a sight that makes me ever so happy.

With thread covered flowers and leaves at your base

You have now read my Ode to this little vase!

You can see larger images on my website.

Did I make you smile?

Ann Fahl