Sandra's Studio

My New Singer

2012-02-15T05:20:00.000-08:00

Well, it isn't really new. It was my grandfather's industrial machine.

It got some TLC (tender loving care) this week.

Fred from Shamrock Sewing Machines made a house call, got it into shape and gave me a lesson on how to use it!

I remember my grandfather using it when I hung out at his tailor shop on Saturday afternoons after ballet class.

I loved looking through the sample books.

I think the thing I will like the best on this machine is the bobbin winder.
(left side) The bobbin winds as the machine is sewing! How cool is that!
See the black mark on the left?
It is where he use to hang his cigarette while he sewed.
He use to forget it and it use to burn the wood. I remember that, too.

My grandmother will be so happy when I call and tell her I'm using it! I'll be seeing her this weekend in Montreal.

Red

2012-02-14T05:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

red thread in my studio
(photo by friend and quilter J. Freeman)

Colour

2012-02-11T05:27:00.000-08:00

I signed up for a knitting class at the Purple Purl. The class took place at the art gallery next door. The sun poured in and the art around us was so inspirational.

Art work by Eva Koller Davis.

I learned so much from our teacher Glenna C.

Since we were doing a class about using two or more colours when knitting, she went over the colour wheel and some colour theory. As in quilting, people have trouble deciding what colours to pull together.

Student, Eva's, work at the side.

This is my sample.
Just as in quilting, one who really knows looks at the back of the work!

The teacher called us advanced. Woohoo!

Late Night in Toronto

2012-02-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

I came home late from the guild meeting.

It is always nice seeing quilting friends,

and sharing what we have been up to in the past month.

Our Blue Quilts

2012-02-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Our little group, Ad Maiora (Canada), was able to get 4 quilts made for the Cayman Islands Hospital and the new Diabetes Education Centre at the Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital.

Blue is the colour that represents diabetes. (Cayman Islands Diabetes Charitable Trust)

Gail will be putting on prairie points to finish the edges.

Love the labels, Grace!

On the way home, I stopped at the bluffs in the east end of Toronto to take this picture of Lake Ontario. I was thinking of the warm, blue Caribbean Sea surrounding the Caymans.

Without thinking, I put cotton batting in my quilt. I hope it won't be too warm!

The Best Part

2012-02-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

I love sewing on binding on a quilt by hand. (It's not the same as hand stitching. This is manageable. You can hold the fabric without getting all tangled up in it.)

I'm not sure why. It could be the steady rhythm and movement of the arm as it pulls the needle and thread through the layers or maybe the closeness that 'we' share as it lays on my lap.

That is when I start loving the quilt. I see it close up. I see all the fabrics I used. I pull off all the little threads. I feel its warmth.

It was dropped off at a friend's on the weekend. She will be taking it to the Cayman Islands as part of Ad Maiora Canada's contribution to the Cayman Islands Hospital and the new Diabetes Education Centre at the Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital. The children receiving the quilts will be between the ages of 7 and 10, newly diagnosed with diabetes.

I put a "Canadian" label on the back.
Judy Davidson did the gorgeous quilting on a long-arm machine.

Our sister group in Verona has also made some and they will be sending theirs soon.

Rubbings

2012-02-04T13:23:00.000-08:00

I always keep my eyes open for textures as I walk in the city.

I have been looking for letters in particular.

This morning after my breakfast date with my husband, I took a rubbing of one of the signs near our coffee place.

It is the first stage in preparing my piece of muslin.

The crayons and fabric fit nicely in my purse...you never know where you'll find something good to transfer.

I carry a container of crayons in a small lozenge case.

I have this metal box from when I lived in Vienna.

Notice the 82.00. It's in schillings, not dollars!

Toronto Public Library Community Quilt

2012-02-03T04:19:00.000-08:00

The log cabin class took place yesterday at the TPL, Spadina branch. Fourteen people signed up.

Wonky log cabin block (Crooked on purpose!)

I gave a short history of the block- the uncertain history; Did the design come from the farmer's fields in Scotland and England or the mummified cats from the discovery of Egyptian artifacts around the time Napoleon conquered that country. It seems that pattern was around before the pioneer's log cabin.

Log cabin quilts were found in Europe in the 1820's and much later in North America.

They sewed...

and talked...

and laughed.

...a nice relaxed get-together... just like quilting was meant to be.

Hand Stitching

2012-02-01T05:32:00.000-08:00

I am a FAST person. I think FAST. I walk FAST. When I have ideas, I want them executed FAST.

Maybe that is why I never really got into hand stitching, as much as I love the look. It's so SLOW.

Most of my work, be it quilts or textile art, is machine done.

I have enrolled in an on-line class given by my Australian friend and textile artist, Dijanne Cevaal. It is all about hand stitching!

Dijanne Cevaal's hand stitching, "X marks the Place" detail

Since I will be travelling this summer, I will be able to stitch while away.

Summer is a good time to be SLOW.

Back to Purple

2012-01-30T05:24:00.000-08:00

I had a busy week dealing with deadlines and such for the France show. There is still lots to do for the exhibit but I needed to do some sewing to clear my head!

I knew I wanted to stitch this piece heavily. It took a while to decide how to proceed.

I use newspaper as a template instead of marking my fabric with a pencil.

That is why I work on several pieces at the same time. Some need to stay on the design wall and "simmer" until they are ready.

The back fabric was bought in South Africa
but doesn't necessarily mean it is from there. I just know it is African.
-hand dyed and batik designs.

A study done in the 80's by Dr. R. Reiner, of the New York University Medical Center, studied women while playing cards, watching video games, reading the newspaper, painting at an easel and sewing simple projects. He found that heart rates decreased by 7 to 11 beats per minute when women were sewing but increased by 4 to 8 beats during the other activities.

Hard Twist 6- Obsession

2012-01-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

The textile-based exhibit at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto ends this weekend (January 29).

Kate Busby will have her red piece going to France for the Canadian exhibit I am curating.

3,600 (BEATS) by Kate Busby
There is a french knot in the center of every square.

Amanda McCavour's work is still hanging at the hotel.

"ACCUMULATE (LARGE)"
my picture of Amanda's work isn't very good.
Go see it LIVE! It's beautiful.

One of the jurors, Judith Tinkl, is an artist who is also participating in the France show, Tradition in Transition. She has made a new piece using her grandfather's silk ties, her grandmother's fabric and japanese obi she had collected.

I loved these two spinning lamps! (yes, they do twirl gently.) They are so FUN!

SWAG, by Barbara Sutherland, which hangs on the 4th floor of the hotel,
is made with strips of fabric.

The Gladstone, as we locals call it, has a geometric design painted on the outside of its building. Quilt like?

Canadian Landscape

2012-01-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

What makes our textile work as Canadians different from the quilting and textile art of Europe?

I believe it is the landscape and how it influences our work, consciously or subconsciously.

"Textile art in Canada is not only inspired by the environment, it
often incorporates that very thing.

Quilts are made of fabric hand-dyed with collected berries or bark;

in the city fabric is dyed with rusted metal.

The forms reflect the symmetry of the skyscrapers

or the raw shapes of the outdoors.

The materials used are themselves important and are often sentimental conversations with the past in the re-use of fabrics.

Although we come from different backgrounds and cultural influences, it is the Canadian landscape that brings us together and inspires our art."

Excerpt from my curator's statement for the 18th Carrefour Europeén du Patchwork.
Canadian photographs by me and my daughter, Isabelle. (photos from provinces of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia)

Studio Visit

2012-01-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

Today I taught a different kind of class in my home studio. It was more of a demo style class. We talked about setting up a studio/sewing space. We had tea. I made triangles.

I personally learn so much from watching other experienced quilters/artists work. Not only from their comments as they think aloud but from their way of actually stitching and holding their fabric as they work.

I hope the students enjoyed themselves! As usual, I was busy enjoying myself and forgot to take pictures of the "event".

There are still a few spaces left for my quilt-as-you-go class and the free motion technique class both in the Bloor/Lansdowne area of Toronto. See teaching schedule for times and location.

Show in France

2012-01-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

The last two days were crazy days! The phone rang constantly and the emails kept coming in! I did not sew for even 5 minutes!

I was addressing a deadline for the show I am curating for the 18th Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork in the Alsace area of France.

The organizers have given the guest country, Canada, a large church as an exhibition space. The pictures I am posting are from the Val D'Argent area when I was there in September 2008 for the 14th edition of the carrefour.

I have had great responses from Canadian makers. There are some big names and some local quilters from different communities around the country that are participating.

I have representation from most of the provinces and territories. I want to get some applique works from the Inuit community but I keep hitting snags with that.

The title I chose is 'Tradition in Transition'. I am showing traditional scrap quilts to bed quilts of a contemporary design, going into textile art and ending with three works that are super contemporary, which stem from stitching but are not done in layers or quilted per se.

You can see the piece Judith Martin is presenting on her blog.

If any Europeans reading this will be at the event I would love to meet you! I will be with the show for the 4 days at Eglise de la Madeleine in Ste-Marie-aux-Mines.

It Finally Snowed!

2012-01-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

This piece (a very early work), Spring Thaw, was exhibited in several galleries and shows in Toronto and in Europe.

Spring Thaw, made in 2006, 73 cm x 77.5 cm
commercial fabric, organza, crinoline, gesso,
hand and machine stitched
(the cut out parts look pink here but are actually see-through)

It is a piece I originally did not like. It just didn't SAY anything. I had it sitting there for about 3 years and finally decided to play with it.

I quilted it heavily. Still not great.

I painted it with gesso. Getting better.

I cut it up randomly (that took courage!) and sewed it back together in a different way.

Now, I love it!

Spring Thaw, detail

Toronto is finally white with snow. I guess we ARE going to have a spring thaw.

Challenge Results

2012-01-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

Our guild hosted a DIVA evening along with the Paint Chip Challenge works.

So many ladies wore costumes! I resurrected my blonde wig and a sparkly top from the kids' dress-up box.

one of the DIVAS

Members voted for their three favorite pieces from the Paint Chip Challenge. The three with the most votes (shown below) were awarded prizes.

This was one of my votes.
It was visually appealing and
very well done technically.

"Grey Morning" by our president
in her DIVA dress!

Two artists that were in attendance that evening were Maggie Vanderweit and Clare Kirby.

Clare holding up her work,
"Belisarius and the Cosmic Astral Tyger"
hand dyed silks, hand quilted

"Cat Killed the Cardinal", by Clare Kirby
hand dyed silks, fused silk, feathers, beads, hand quilted

The executive from the Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre has asked me to contribute an art piece for their fundraising event in May and I have decided to donate my Paint Chip Challenge piece, Jungle Green. (to see the work click here)

Paint Chip Challenge

2012-01-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

Our guild decided to put out a challenge to all its members.

We picked a paint chip out of a hat. The main colour of your piece had to be the paint chip colour and the title had to be the name of your paint chip. Mine was Jungle Green.

At first I thought it was green but realized there was quite a bit of blue
in the colour.
I mixed up some paint and silk screened some leaf shapes onto
painted fabric.

Whenever I hear the word 'jungle' I immediately add the word 'book' after it. So I definitely wanted to have some text in my piece.

I also wanted a hint of orange to remind me of our walk in the rain forest of Borneo. We thought we were alone but as soon as the rain came there were flashes of orange high above our heads- the orangutans scrambling for shelter.

I used some painted lutradur for texture.

I did some photo transfers.

There was too harsh a line between the writing and the blue/green piece of fabric. To soften it, I added lutradur.

Work pinned in place on a vertical design wall. Need to soften the line
between the text fabric and the blue/green one above it.

I added some free motion stitching and there you go!

The back view. Even though zebras live in the savannas
and not in the jungle I found the black and white design 'refreshing'
so I included it.

Final work-

The colours are so much better 'live' plus you can see the stitches better.
Can you make out the bug on the right side? I also added some text
on the lutradur to the left of the bug's wing.
20" x 20"

Looks nothing like my first sketches!

More Purple Painting

2012-01-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is my painting day. I paint and prepare fabric for future use. This panel is to add to the piece I am working on right now. (click here to view it)

more purple painting
I make up a small pot of paint every time and only make enough
to cover the piece of cotton I have in front of me.
It speaks to my concern to over consume.
The purple colour I mix up is always slightly different

My friend dropped by and life stopped for half an hour. We sat and had tea and made a fire.

Sometimes that is bliss!

Food

2012-01-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

I spend about half my day in the kitchen (more when the four children lived at home). I love cooking and baking.

The background looks like an encaustic painting.
Did you notice the thin blue line on the bottom left?

There are so many beautiful colours and textures I notice.

This could be interesting as free motion thread work

The compositions are also interesting...achieved without any thought at all.

Nice composition, a circle that goes off the "page",
nice black "french knots" and
a clever white strip up in the right hand corner.

Food can be a great inspiration for textile work.

Market fair

So Productive

2012-01-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

I have started this year with a bang! So productive today!

I finished the borders on this quilt which I will be donating to the Diabetes Association in the Cayman Islands. It will be given to one of the newly diagnosed children between the ages of 7 and 10.

The quilt had to be predominantly blue as that is the colour representing diabetes.

I did not buy one new piece of fabric for the top.
I made it using my scraps.

I love scrap quilts. They have so much to offer the viewer.

detail

The backs of my quilts are usually pieced. I just put a simple strip down the back for this one.

I had some time to work on a small sample for my next scrap class that I will be teaching this term.

For the scrap classes I teach, NO new fabric is bought.
We really just use the students' scraps.

I made a great dinner for the family AND my husband came home early from the office. What a great way to start the first week of the new year.

We Start Again

2012-01-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

We begin another year...

What do YOU have in store for yourself this time around?

Today is the last slow day before the tread mill in my head starts, the last day before that make-believe gerbil starts running round and round.

I sit with a cup of tea and embroider circles- an appropriate shape for today. The circle begins again.......or does it ever end.

I like the combination of the circles with the angular grid.
(latest work in progress)

Purple

2011-12-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

Purple is made by mixing red and blue together, the warmest and coolest colours. It is thought to be the ideal colour because of that.

They say if one surrounds oneself with purple one will have peace of mind...go figure!

Purple is the colour I keep making and painting with these days. The panels below are details of my latest work..still in progress.

two kinds of purple

I want to have lots of stitching on these.

Ms Emma still designs

2011-12-29T05:44:00.000-08:00

My friend, Sofia Verna, was in Toronto recently. She is the owner of Ms Emma Designs but more importantly she is the designer, painter, the artist behind the clothes.

Ms Emma Designs, 543 College Street, Toronto

While she was in town, she was busy sewing up a storm!

Her fabrics are as beautiful as ever! She paints and dyes them in her studio in Italy. She has a great colour sense!

She also makes wonderful jackets out of the wool from her sheep!

crocheted jackets

photo taken several years ago at Sofia's farm/residence

In September, 2013, I will be taking a group of quilters/textile artists to Umbria, Italy, for 10 days.

our destination for September 2013

The itinerary for this trip will include a day at Sofia's gorgeous home and property. We will be having a class with her in her studio!

Start saving!

My Artist Self

2011-12-27T06:47:00.000-08:00

Although I was away from my studio and sewing machine for a few days, my artist spirit was still with me. Everywhere I looked was something inspirational-

a shadow,

a pattern,

a shape,

colour.

oops..I'm in the corner there!

I had some quiet moments while the kids and husband slept-in. I worked out some new art ideas.

I am back at home now without the rest of the family.

The girls are still in Paris.

The boys are at the Reford farm.

A bit more tranquility at the end of a busy, busy year.

My One Year Anniversary

2011-12-25T03:55:00.000-08:00

Last year for Christmas my two younger children gave me this blog.

365 days ago

They chose the name, set it up and taught me how to post. I have thanked them almost every day this year. What a great gift... they said they could not possibly match it this year!

This blog has helped me stay focused on my art work. It has helped me develop an eye for photography and that has helped me SEE. It has been a great way to publicize what I am up to. I have loved discovering other textile lovers through my followers' list.

There are people visiting this blog from Canada, Italy, Australia, USA, Chile, India, Spain, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Philippines, China and Malaysia.

28 countries.

I have had close to 15,000 visits. That's incredible! To think all this is available through the World Wide Web.

WOW

(as an aside, did you know that WOW flipped upside down spells MOM...)

I have loved all your comments - many who had difficulty posting their thoughts, emailed me instead. Keep those coming!

Thanks for your support throughout my first year of blogging.

Tiramisu and the blog birthday

I want to wish all of you from around the world a wonderful holiday season!!

fireworks from the summer in the south of italy
(photo by 'my sister' MT Sansotta)

Visiting my Art Heaven

2011-12-23T07:46:00.000-08:00

I stopped by to meet Sybil Rampen. We had been communicating via email about works for the show I am curating for France. Since I was in the neighbourhood...

click for the web site: Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre

What a magical place! The buildings are filled with art. Art everywhere- on the walls, on the floor, on the shelves, on the benches. All kinds of art- framed, unframed, paper, paintings, textile, sculpture, rocks, wood...and artists sprinkled here and there-one painting in a studio, one sitting at the dining room table drawing, two off the kitchen watching and enjoying tea..and me plunked in her computer room viewing artists' work on a screen.

Sybil with one of her students

Right now at the Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre there is an exhibit on of Chris Kummer's work.

Chris' background is in sculpture and anthropology. Her textile sculpted dolls are adorned with beautiful stitchery. They hang around the gallery encircling the room. Their faces are looking out towards a table set for the Christmas dinner party Sybil is hosting for her artists and board of directors.

I was there for about an hour and loved ever second of my tour! Thanks Sybil. A la prochaine.

OCC

2011-12-22T06:48:00.000-08:00

I visited the Ontario Craft Council's gallery space on the weekend.

I had a very nice chat with Maxine, the receptionist and we discussed in great length some of the pieces in the show. I mentioned to her Scottish artist David Mach who has been making sculptures out of matches for 26 years. They are much more interesting than Daniel Durocher's circle of matches, in my opinion.

I was there to see Judy Martin's work in particular.

Me standing beside Judy Martin's textile work, "Energy Cloth"

I had seen it when it wasn't quite finished.

I love all her stitches. I love the colour violet in the ribs.

I found these other works to be interesting. They reminded me of textile but were hard materials instead.

This looks like a piece of soft fabric or a rolled up leaf
but it is porcelain.
Work by Paula Murray entitled
"Nothing Endures but Change"

I thought this was rubber but it is blown glass.
Work by Cali Balles entitled "Infrastructure 3"
(don't mind the shadow)

I liked this piece- the shape, the texture, the colours.
It is by Lesley McInnally entitled "Ode to Odin"

Giving and Getting

2011-12-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

At this time of year, we think of GIVING.

Last week, I did some GETTING!

I won the block-of-the-month blocks at our guild Christmas party! They picked my name out of a hat!

The blocks I won are on my design wall for now.
I plan to sew them up over the holidays.

I won the table prize (my chair had the Christmas sticker!) and everyone at our table got a present from Margaret!

filled with chocolates, Danish cookies,
sewing related items and of course, FABRIC

I, too, gave myself something ... I jazz concert! I went to hear Bill McBirnie and Robi Botos perform during lunchtime at the Four Season's Centre for the Performing Arts. Ahh- one hour of inside quietness during this crazy time of year.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts

2011-12-20T04:43:00.000-08:00

Do you need another idea?

How about a pillow case?

I made one a few years ago for my daughter and she still loves it!

Supplies:

24 inch cut of pillow case fabric (24 inches x width of fabric) Non directional is ideal. For fabric with figures, they should stand with their heads towards the selvage in order for them to be upright when the pillow case is completed
10 1/2 inches fabric for cuff (10 1/2 inches x width of fabric)
11/2 inch strip of accent fabric (1 1/2 inches x width of fabric), folded in half lengthwise and ironed.

How to:

Part 1

1. Lay the 10 1/2 inch fabric on your table with the good side facing you
2. Lay over that the pillow case fabric with good side facing you (the selvage ends are to the right and left sides)
3. Lay the accent fabric over that, lining up the raw edges
4. Pin in place
5. Sew all layers together
(helpful hint: I use my 1/4 inch foot for this)

Part 1 should look like this.

Part 2

1. Flip the cuff fabric up and over to the front.
2. Fold a 1/4 inch seam and iron.

Part 2 should look like this.

Part 3

1. Sew the cuff so that the accent fabric peeks through.
(helpful hint: I use my walking foot for this)

Part 3 should look like this.

Part 4

1. Fold the pillow case in half, good sides facing outward.
2. Cut off the selvage edge.

Closing up the Pillow Case:

Sew the side and bottom of the pillow case (you are sewing an L shape)

Regular way:

1. Fold with good side facing inward and sew the L-shaped seam
Turn right side out. Voila!!

OR

French seam: (looks neater and better!)

1. Fold the pillow case with the good side of the fabric facing outward.
2. Sew straight along the L edge catching only about 1/8 inch of the fabric.

first part of the french seam

3. Turn the pillow case inside out and iron the edges flat.

4. Sew the same L shape, taking in a generous 1/4 inch seam allowance.

5. Turn the pillow right side out and iron. Voila!!

Fold and wrap!

If you are making several I suggest you do it assembly style- cut everything at once, match up your fabric pieces for every pillowcase, pin all the pieces together, sew the first seam on all the pillow cases, etc. Way faster!

This is a good gift for any age!

Add a good bedtime book to the gift. Or how about a cup and hot chocolate recipe, or a new pj, or a bedtime cuddle toy, or a new alarm clock...

Grade 12 art students

2011-12-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

My talk at St Joan of Arc secondary school went well...but there is always that one kid that is unappreciative of your experience. He's sitting at the back WAITING for you to finish while he plays on his cell phone.

waiting

I love speaking to groups and explaining what I do. It is something new to many even though the textile art I practice has been around since the 1960's.

I had timed the talk at home with time to spare but oddly enough I had no time left to demo the free motion technique on my machine. I think the students would have liked to see that and maybe try it at home.

Sewing Free Motion in Juliet's (as in Romeo) bedroom in Verona, Italy
March 2011

My next talk is February 23, 2012, at the East York Quilters Guild.

In April, I am going in to speak and work with the grade 9 and 10 art students at Branksome Hall.

Toronto School of Art Open House

2011-12-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend is the TSA open house.

December 15,16,17
noon to 5pm
410 Adelaide Street West
Toronto

All students get to hang one piece they created during the term.

I helped clean up the studios last week and went out there quickly on the opening night before the party had started. Thank goodness I did. My art work was hung sideways.

wrong way

right way

It isn't the first time that my work is hung wrong or even photographed sideways.

Odd.

Sometimes the work does look better but this one definitely needed to be righted.

Something to Think About

2011-12-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

ART WASHES AWAY FROM THE SOUL THE DUST OF EVERYDAY LIFE pablo picasso

Over the Christmas break, make time to go to an art gallery or an art museum and be vacuumed!

Preparing for my Talk

2011-12-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

St Joan of Arc secondary school's art department has asked me to come in and speak to their grade 12 class as part of their artist guest speaker series.

I am preparing my works this weekend for next Friday's engagement.

Some of my pieces incorporate paper and since many of them have travelled and have been handled quite a bit I need to make a few minor repairs.

I will also include "pieces in progress" so they can see the stages of a textile work.

I am bringing my post cards which are my version of sketching- an important part in creating my work.

I want to keep the 30 students interested. I have decided to demo the free motion technique on my sewing machine. I use it in all my work.

Collage Book

2011-12-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

In collage class, we made an accordion book. I made mine about my trip to Verona.

Verona accordion book, Gail Marmoreo's work behind it.

I was very involved in promoting literacy for about 8 years starting in 1990, the International Year of Literacy. I did that through workshops I gave at the Toronto Public Libraries, the Toronto Public School Board amongst other things. One of the workshops was entitled "Book Making with your Children".

My children's french books, books with puppets, books about their dad

Making the book in class reminded me of the great books my own children made for their stories.

Christmas is around the Corner

2011-12-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

It's difficult for me to get into the Christmas spirit while the weather is so mild.

I did start making my gifts though.

Who said making things is the cheaper way to go??

Collage Work

2011-12-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

We had our last collage class this week. I stitched some of my pieces while talking to fellow students. It was a nice slow class.

I enjoyed the one-on-one with the teacher. I would have liked more of that throughout the term.

Here are some of my finished (or almost finished) works from the last segment of the course.

painted fabric, image transfer, hand stitching

collage papers, image transfers, commercial fabric,
paint, hand and machine stitching

painted cloth, image transfer, buttons, hand and machine stitched

There is an assemblage class next term at the Toronto School of Art. I would like to take it but with my Italy trip I will miss more than half the classes. Too bad because one of the projects, the altered book, interests me very much.

Words of Wisdom

2011-11-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

I was never big on reading instructions and still I am not a fan.

That is why my studio smells of something toxic! I was making photo transfers using my photos of Toronto.

I ironed a photo transfer that did not need to be ironed and instead I burnt it.

For this type of transfer, you need only to remove the paper backing.

I got rid of the iron-on sheets because I did not like the rubbery texture they gave when transfered onto cloth.

So now I have a head ache-got to get out of here and get some fresh air!

I should have read the 'words of wisdom', as my father-in-law always advised.

I used one of my photographs for the photo transfer below.

detail, Bougainvilla di Rossano, 2008

Painting Wednesday

2011-11-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

This week I decided to paint paper instead of fabric.

It will be a base for a collage project.

Collage Class at Toronto School of Art

2011-11-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

The collage class is going well. Funny how I got more confident when fabric was introduced to the mix!

I finally produced something that I like.

paper, photo transfers, painted and hand-dyed fabric,
machine stitched, 14" x 21", 35.5cm x 53cm.

Next week is our last class. Each student will have a piece exhibited at the school's open house- December 15, 16, 17 from 12 to 5pm, 410 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, 3rd floor. Everyone is welcome.

The Gladstone Hotel

2011-11-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

The Gladstone on Queen Street in Toronto is an art hotel. I was there last week to see Amanda McCavour's installation in their cafe. (my pictures are not as nice as the real thing-go see it if you can)

I love her thread work.

I hope she can participate in the France exhibit that I am curating of Canadian quilts and textile art in September 2012.

Tyvek

2011-11-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

The collage class at Toronto School of Art is getting me to think more about paper. I thought I would go back to using Tyvek. It is a kind of "paper".

I haven't worked with it for a while.

I use to paint it and melt it.

"Birth", 2006, 4" x 6", tyvek, organza, gauze,
thread, commercial fabric

"Birth" detail

Lawyers use envelopes made of Tyvek to send important documents. It is very resistant to water and tearing which makes it good for painting and stitching.

Before I started working today, I was a little upset about something that had happened to me earlier but after painting I feel so much better. The powers of creating!

Final Results

2011-11-15T05:19:00.000-08:00

The results of my dying experiment were disappointing.

The fabric was a kind of red-purple colour before I rinsed it. Now the cloth looks dirty with a hint of pink.

There are a few interesting line designs that transfered onto the fabric pieces.

Maybe I can do something with those.

The string changed colour. It is subtle but I can use it to couch with.

Did I not leave my fabric packets sitting long enough? Was it the wrong vegetable?

I like to "GO BIG OR GO HOME" so I won't be repeating that procedure anytime soon!

Dying- part two

2011-11-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Steps I followed:

We'll see what happens.

Dying

2011-11-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

I always use what I have and repurpose things. I know that is part of my upbringing. My italian grandparents always had "inventive" ways to re-use things. Consciously, or not, they avoided making garbage.

Today's "garbage" was used to dye fabric.

beet leaves and peel

I made a roast with vegetables for dinner. The beets turned my fingers red.

I wonder what the leaves will do for my fabric!

I'll be posting the results later.

Short Cuts

2011-11-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

I taught a quilt-as-you-go technique class last Saturday. It's a short-cut method of making a quilt. The piecing and quilting are done at the same time. I have created this by putting together a few techniques that are already out there that, in my opinion, have a 'problem'. There is no stress doing it my way! Like many of my classes, this one is open ended and there is lots of room for the student's expression. The class was also about using what you have. No buying new fabric for this!!

Our class

It was great to see some new faces and some "old" students too.

Two students setting up their machines in my new teaching space
in the west end of the city.

It is really energizing for me to see every person in the class enthusiastic about their sewing experience.

I love teaching.

And now for something completely different and unrelated to textile...the Canadian fall colours.

High Park, Toronto

Wychwood Park, Toronto

Wednesday was Painting Day

2011-11-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

I'm off to the basement...

I start off with white.

I add my pigment.

I mix and stir.

I wet my fabric.

I paint with a brush.

I paint on dry fabric.

I paint with a spoon.

I like the texture on the wet fabric.

I added salt on some pieces. It does funny things to the kind of paint I use and adds texture.

I wait till it dries before I heat set the colour.

My pieces of fabric are small because I use what I have and that's what I had this time (artist's statement). I will sew them together and create the size I need. Because I make up a small amount of paint at a time I can get a slight variation of colour in each batch. I think that looks interesting when the pieces are sewn together.

I am a Textile Artist

2011-11-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

I make quilts (blankets) out of cottons and I make textile art (to hang on your wall) out of painted and dyed fabric, plastic and paper.

What is wrong with doing both?

One of my daughters says I will not be taken seriously as an artist if I make blankets!

I AM a serious artist.

a friend and I (right) discharge dying with bleach

speaking about my art at Quiltitalia's National Conference
Rimini, Italy, November 2009

detail installation, Toronto Public Library
Spadina Branch, 2010

detail La Poesie d'un Plume
exhibited MoA Gallery, Verona,

detail, 'reuse reduce recycle'
international juried show, 13th Carrefour Europeen
du Patchwork, France

AND

I love making quilts.

One of my daughters and I cuddling under her grad quilt.
All her friends signed it!

Quilting has given me an opportunity to teach and travel in Europe. I love doing that. People enjoy my classes. I had 90 people signed up for my class last year at Quiltitalia's National Conference in Cervia, Italy. Seeing what is going on in Europe regarding textile art has enriched and inspired me as an artist.

Why can't I do both?

Working on one means less time for the other- I understand that.

The time management skills I have honed as a mother of 4 are coming in handy!

me, the 4 children and the dog, 1993

Discipline

2011-10-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

Being an artist is like every other job. You have to go to your "office" every day and work.

Penny Berens stitches 5 hours a day.

Penny's work (detail) is always filled with hand and machine stitching

Judith Martin spends 5 hours stitching, 3 hours in studio designing and 2 hours researching. That's a 10 hour day.

Judy Martin presents her work " Heart to Heart"

Australian artist Dijanne Cevaal dedicates 50 hours per week to her art. That includes blogging, writing articles, teaching, designing, dying and making.

part of Dijanne Cevaal's Sentinelle Series

Before I became a mother and made that my career, I was a student at the National Ballet School and later a ballet dancer in a dance company in Vienna, Austria. I know about self discipline!

Now, I am a textile artist.

I sew every day, even on weekends. I spend on average about 4 hours in my studio creating and doing, depending on my family commitment.

Blogging, taking art classes, teaching, researching other textile artists, curating, writing my book...that is all extra! I fit that in when I can.

Confession: Sometimes I work on quilts unrelated to the quilt book I am writing or projects that have nothing to do with my teaching samples or my art work!! That is the equivalent of playing computer games when your boss isn't around!

wasting time??

I have decided to put aside every Wednesday for painting and preparing fabrics and papers for future works.

My dance training will come in handy.

My New Studio

2011-10-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Watching all those decorating shows while I was sick inspired me to redo some of the rooms in my house.

I moved some bedroom furniture from one room to another one across the hall. That is now the new guest room.

I moved my studio from the sun room to that empty room. It gave me an opportunity to sort out and donate stuff I have not been using.

I love my new space!!

I have room for fabric.

I have room for books.

I have room for projects on the go.

I have room for precut strips.

My system consists of 3 swing lid garbage bins. Each bin holds
pre-cut strips of different sizes. All scrap fabric.
They are close to my cutting table.

I have room for two tables- one for sewing and one for cutting and layering.

I have room for a permanent design wall.

I have room for a couch for friends that visit. (and room to hang some art!)

painting on the window ledge done by my daughter, Isabelle

I have a large north-facing window.

I have room for everything- my quilting stuff and my textile art stuff.

I still do all the messy fabric painting in my unglamourous basement where I have good light and a sink. You don't want to see THAT space! Scary!!

Surprise!

2011-10-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

I found out this morning via email that my Afghanistan piece was selected to be exhibited at Pfarrhaus, in the city of Hasenweiler, Germany.

Farida's Garden, 15" x 10"
Farida is the person who embroidered the square on the far right.

My piece is part of a selection of 220 works from 14 countries. From this pool a selection is made for each exhibit as it tours Europe.

Good news is a nice way to start the week!

Below are 6 of the embroidered Afghanistan squares I bought recently.

Each square is densely filled with stitch and has a border made of over lapping V's to contain those stitches.

Not sure how I will use them yet.

Pink

2011-10-23T04:06:00.000-07:00

It is another grey day in Toronto.

I will think of pink instead.

It's a good day to stay home and sew something happy.

(The day turned into a gorgeous sunny day!! I wonder if it was my positive pink thinking. I went out with my photographer and we did some shots for my quilt book.)

A Cold WIndy Day

2011-10-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

This is Lake Ontario on a cold windy afternoon.

This is textile artist, Penny Berens', body of water.... looks way warmer!

"Meeting Place", approx. 13" x 30"

detail, "Meeting Place"

Penny now lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, and her work is influenced by the natural environment she sees every day.

She posts nice pictures of Nova Scotia on her blog.

When she lived in Toronto her work was influenced by symbols.

She has always done lots of hand stitching in her work.

detail, Rockbound, 33" x13"

detail, Rockbound, 33" x 13"

She is one of the artists that has agreed to exhibit a work in the show I am curating for France, 2012.

She spoke at the York Heritage Quilter's Guild last night and I went to see her.

John Willard's Saturday Class

2011-10-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

I took a class from quilter/textile artist, John Willard. He is a very big Canadian name.

John Willard explaining one of his works. He has been sewing since the 60's

What to bring to class? Wild fabrics! Lots of brights, dots, stripes, pattern!

definitely out of my comfort zone!

The workshop was very "free". Nothing was sketched or planned. We just went with it.

I went from this:

To this:

Mine is not quite done. I would like to add a strip of orange.

None of the students' works were the same (how refreshing!). Everything depended on their choice of colours and fabric.

I liked following John around the classroom while he advised the students. He has so much knowledge and experience.

I learned about fabric and pattern and colour and how to mitre borders properly and a new way to finish the edges for my art work.

I made a new friend.

Plus it was a really fun day!

Thanks John!

Printing and Stitching

2011-10-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Caldwell is a very well known textile artist.

She was born in the USA but lives in Ontario, Canada.

Silent Fog and Following the Sound of Birds

I went to see her show today at David Kaye Gallery in downtown Toronto.

In Place: new landscapes

Cotton printing and stitching.

1092 Queen Street West, entrance on Dovercourt

She received a Canada Council grant and travelled to Australia and the Canadian Arctic for inspiration
for this series

Resting Place

Following the Sound of Birds

Wet Lake/Dry Lake

My pictures do not do any of her work justice. There is so much detail my camera does not pick up.

detail, Wandering Times

I love her stitching.

detail. Wandering Times

The show is on till October 30. Go see it if you can.

shadow boxes

2011-10-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

At the end of last year's guild meetings, there was a sale of miniatures raising money for two local charities. The organizing committee decided to add shadow boxes to the list of items for sale. This is the one I bought for $70. It was used for the poster for the sale.

made by Gail Marmoreo
She decided to frame it upside down!

This is the piece I submitted. It sold for $60.

"Impact", 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
paper, plastic, thread, hand dyed and commercial fabrics

A few weeks ago the Yorkshire Rose Quilters Guild hosted a show in Toronto. They had more shadow boxes for sale. By the time I got there the ones I wanted to buy were sold.


detail, Karen Howes contemporary work. I would have loved to buy her shadow box! (not shown)

I bought this quilt top instead.

It was made by Karen Howes

I will be showing it when I teach my beginner 9-patch course.

Our group has a lot of talent!

How Many Have I Made?

2011-10-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

I was wondering how many quilts and textile art pieces I have made over the 20 years I have been sewing.

When I started doing textile art, a friend (installation artist and prof at OCAD) suggested I get all my work professionally photographed. I thought that was much too extravagant. My work photographed? I am sorry I did not take her advice. I wish I had them all photographed and documented.

Some are sold and are out of the country.

Some have been given away as gifts. One was given to somebody and before the recipient could send me a photograph, his house caught fire and burnt to the ground. The hand-appliqued, original wall hanging went with it.

Some are here in my home.

Not all of them have titles.

I don't have the measurements for all of them.

I don't even remember when some of them were made.

This is my very first "art quilt" I ever made.

Running in the Rain, 2005
19"x45", 48cm x115cm
commercial cottons, organza, assorted fabrics

I got the idea while sitting in the car. It was pouring rain that afternoon. Through the water dripping on the windshield I could see my son's soccer team running. The colours were fractured as they ran.

I like the irregular edges.

I like the dense quilting.

I like the chunks of colour.

I like remembering that day.

detail, Running in the Rain

It will be exhibited in Vicenza, Italy, during their 4-day Fiera in October.

Market on Saturday

2011-10-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am feeling a little better. Thanks for all your emails!

We went to pick up a few ingredients for the Thanksgiving menu. We celebrate it this weekend in Canada.

I love all the colours at this time of year.

fresh Ontario cranberries in the front corner

It's nice to have some of the kids home in Toronto for the weekend.

A view of downtown Toronto for one of my daughters who
lives in Paris, France, and won't be with us this weekend.

After the market, we had a huge family breakfast together.

french toast, raspberry treats from the market, oranges,
apples, juice and maple syrup!

This post has nothing to do with textile or my studio but I have not been sewing since... 10 days ago when I got sick. I still feel like my head is under water! The sound is very strange.

Textile Art on your Walls

2011-10-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Why do so many people think ART comes in a wooden frame?

It doesn't.

A beautiful south american weaving in a Montreal home.
Look how it is hung- so high end!

Textile art in Turkey

Textile art by Maria Teresa Sansotta hung in a
high end Rome apartment.
The shot looks like it's out of a decor magazine!

This is the piece I bought in 1987 before I was sewing. It hangs in our family room. It is the reason I got into patchwork and textile art.

Les Jardins de Metis, by french artist Marie Josee Danzon
made with upholstery fabric with every center
made of velvet or corduroy

It was inspired by Les Jardins de Metis, in northern Quebec.

I'm so happy I bought it. I never get tired of looking at it.

More people should buy textile art.

Sick Days

2011-10-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have been really sick for exactly 5 and a half days- in bed, on antibiotics, with terrible ear pain.

From my bed I can see my sewing machine...it's calling me but I can't sew.

This morning I watched 3 hours of decorating shows on TV and have come to the conclusion that I NEED TO REDO MY HOUSE!

It has been really frustrating not being able to do anything but lie there. My quilts have been a joy and a comfort though.

As my scrap quilts cover me and keep me warm, I look at all the fabrics and textures. That makes me smile.

The kids are coming home at the end of the week to celebrate Thanksgiving. I hope I am better for that.

A Special Visit

2011-09-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

I found out last minute and only by chance that Judith Martin was coming to Toronto. I saw it on her blog. Turns out she was speaking very close to my house! So I called a neighbour and off we went!

It took me ten minutes to drive there and it took her hours to come in from Manitoulin Island.

I had seen all the pieces she talked about, either exhibited or in images on her blog. The thing I wanted to do was TOUCH everything.

Her biggest news is that one of her pieces got into the QUILT NATIONAL! She was so happy about that. It had been her goal for a very long time.

page 37 in the Quilt National Catalogue. There it is!

She shared her life for forty-five minutes.

I know so much about Judy from her visits, her classes I have taken and from talking to her at several of her exhibits. I remember many things about her because she and I are similar in so many ways.

We both have 4 children. We both made quilts and art about our kids. We both have a favorite red sweater we wear around the house. We both fussed about getting the kids on the school bus on time. We both forgot our cameras last weekend when we went to see textile at museums, her in Toronto and me in Montreal. We both use paper, fabric, stitch in our work.

One of Judy's early works-
a log cabin made from family photographs and paper
stitched on fabric. The words are nursery rhymes.

She continues to be my most favorite contemporary textile artist.

Everything was so beautiful. Thank you Judy!

Movement

2011-09-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Collage class #3 was finally satisfying. I am getting the hang of letting go and just "doing" without a plan in mind.

I love the movement of my piece. It has good line.

My work over the teacher's samples.
The one on the right is about Romeo and Juliet- ahh Verona!

I had tried this idea many years ago using two pieces of pieced fabric but with the 1/4 inch seam allowance eaten up on both sides of the strip the design was less effective.

We had some time to finish last week's collage and I was pleased with the movement of the curves.

it looks a bit sexual, no?
a fluke!

Surround Yourself with Art

2011-09-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

My daughter and her room mate have a beautiful apartment, full of natural light and art work!

These McGill students have surrounded themselves with beautiful things.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

William Morris.

Two paintings they made are resting on the mantel.

Seagull painting done at TSA by a seaside vignette.

A painted canvas from high school, IB art,
hangs in the dining room.

They have a folded quilt hanging over their couch.

It was given to the room mate's parents as a wedding gift.
It is a summer quilt, made without any batting.

I was thinking of art all weekend.

I designed a new quilt!

I collected some "found paper" for my collage class. Keener!

Jean Paul Gaultier in Montreal

2011-09-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

I am in Montreal for the weekend. My daughter and I went to see the gorgeous textiles of "l'enfant terrible" of the fashion world.

He is self-taught.

He is one of the most important fashion designers of recent decades.

Jean Paul Gaultier's haute couture. (images courtesy of Zio Paolino from flickr as I forgot my camera!)

I loved the photo transfers onto cloth, the textures, the beading.

Pierre Cardin told him, "The idea is more important than the material used to translate it."

Quilt Shows Everywhere

2011-09-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

This is the season of quilt shows.

On the weekend I visited my first this fall. It was hosted by the Yorkshire Rose Quilter's Guild. I am on the look out for possible submissions that are more traditional for the show I am curating in France.

There were many beautiful quilts exhibited. Coral presented two works she started in Verona. She was one of the Verona Trip travellers from March 2010. She learned these new techniques there and finished the works here. Brava!

miniature, Afghanistan hand sewing technique

Scrap quilt project taught by Roberta Bugli in Verona
No new fabric was bought for this! How good does that feel!

detail of above quilt:
some of the fabric used: an italian mens shirt fabric,
a piece of hand dyed fabric from the class of Marina Tavella

The 9 patch is one of my favorite blocks! It's so versatile. I teach it as a first quilt.

This quilt was made using blocks from the
9 patch exchange I initiated with my guild last year.
It was made by Marg, another Verona Trip traveller!

I was happy to see many works from quilters that have taken classes from me. It is satisfying to see completed quilts started in my classes.

Grace and her work from the foundation piecing class

5-4-3-2-1- the countdown series shown below. No new fabric can be purchased to create the quilts in these classes. What a challenge! But these students did great!

The next show I plan to go to is the Rouge Valley Quilters' Guild Show, October 15-16, 2011. On November 11,12 13 the members of York Heritage Quilters Guild will have their work on exhibit.

Toronto Scapes

2011-09-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is what I see when I walk in downtown Toronto.

It reminds me of the early works of Canadian textile artist Sandra Meech.

I walked downtown today for my collage class. I found the class difficult in that I had no idea where I was going during one of the exercises.

collage in progress using 'found' paper

Going with the flow again.

Art Classes

2011-09-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

I am taking a Collage and Assemblage class with Donnely Smallwood at the Toronto School of Art.

Thimble near the school @ Spadina and Richmond

Last week was our first class. The teacher explained what we would be doing and we worked on a collective exercise to break the ice.

full view of collective exercise, my head

I remember doing this with my kids when they were little. We had such fun! Fold a paper in thirds and have one person draw a head. Fold it over to hide it and pass it onto the next person so they can draw the body and the next person to draw the legs.

full views

just the bottoms, mine is first on the right

It is amazing how the parts work together even though they are separate entities.

I know I will be able to apply the experience that I gain from this class towards my textile art. It will influence my textile pieces.

On the long walk back home, I saw the first sign that winter is coming!

Autumn tree in front of Robarts Library

Teaching this Fall

2011-09-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Since I will be in one place for the fall, I have decided to do some teaching! Classes will be held in Toronto, east and west locations. Classes include quilt making my machine for beginners, paper piecing, quilt-as-you-go and a 'come and sew' morning. Please view my schedule here.

Below are some of the happy beginner students and their projects. Most of the photographs were taken at our Quilt Recital, spring 2010

Accuracy Course with an emphasis on
values (lights, mediums, darks)

Community Project-Jones Public Library
Victorian Crazy Quilting
the youngest quilter explains

Course: Setting your Blocks on Point
We touched on the Floating Stars block.

Log Cabin Course

9-patch beginner class

Isn't it fun that the 9-patch beginner quilts look completely different yet they are all made from the same block! I pride myself on that. Everyone's work SHOULD look different.

Oltre il Tessuto

2011-09-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

From August 8 to 15, 2011, artist Maria Teresa Sansotta and I were invited to exhibit our work in Gangi, Sicily. The show was entitled "Oltre il Tessuto".

entrance to Palazzo Bongiorno with our poster

The exhibit was mounted in the 18th century Palazzo Bongiorno situated in the main piazza of the town.

Attending the opening, were the mayor, alderman, many journalists as well as people from Italy.

My friend and artist, Maria Teresa Sansotta (white dress)
with prominent figures of Gangi.
In the background her famous piece, Ti Amo,
incorporating coloured condoms.

The show was held during their famous week of festivities, La Sagra della Spiga.

decorations made with wheat hang above the narrow road

There were in all 1500 visitors at our exhibit, all very interested in our art expression.

two of my pieces

Maria Teresa's piece

Maria Teresa explains her piece, Don't Touch my Plume

people inspect Maria Teresa's piece as she explains

Maria Teresa's piece on the left, Oltre Mare,
my piece, Blue Depression, on the right

Maria Teresa's two pieces

hand appliqued pieces from Maria Teresa

Maria Teresa explains my inspiration for my two pieces.

I am glad we remembered to put out a book for comments. Those are always fun to read!

Today's Circle

2011-09-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

Making contemporary circles for a new piece.

assorted fabrics, thread, paper, plastic

Circles

2011-09-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

The never ending line...

early morning spider web

asparagus ends

Paving stones in a Toronto garden

lamp sphere at Sweet Grass Spa, Toronto.
It was too high to touch!

I am still embroidering circles on my quilt.

It's so fun! I want to cover it completely!

Another School Year

2011-09-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just returned from London, Ontario, where my husband and I dropped off our last child at university.

Doing some hand embroidery on a quilt and enjoying the quiet that comes with a big empty house.

embroidering circles on my latest scrap quilt for my book

I am not complaining!

Verona Anyone?

2011-09-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

After a highly successful trip to Verona last March, I have decided to put together another group trip for March 2012.

Official dates are March 2 to March 11, 2012.

Verona and Adige river

Me, last fall, with the Roman Theatre in the distance

Quilters/textile artists/sewers of any level are welcome. The group is an intimate size; minimum 6, maximum 13. The classes and tours will be in english, although I do speak french and some german. We will be staying in charming, newly-renovated apartments in Verona's historical centre.

Do you...

love new adventures?

Sicilian ceramic tile

love new quilting and textile experiences?

outdoor sculpture in Piazza Erbe

detail of work by Anna Tosi

detail of work by Maria Teresa Sansotta

love to walk?

Path to the sewing studio, Verona

love Italian food and wine?

window display

dessert class at La Cucina di Casa

What makes this trip special is my connection to the Veronese textile community. Through that I am able to offer a truly cultural experience! (yes, I speak italian!)

Ponte di Castel Vecchio, also known as Ponte Scaligero. Verona

There is an info meeting set for:

Sunday, November 27 @ 3pm.

L'Espresso Bar
321 Bloor Street West, Toronto
(south side, just east of St. George)

There will be photos from last year's trip, an itinerary for this year's trip and also the price. Some of last year's travellers will be attending. They will say a few words.

Statue on Ponte della Vittoria

Come fly with me!

Construct, Compose, Conceive

2011-08-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Creativity is food for my soul.

Creativity relaxes me, makes me feel calm, makes me feel happy.

I have to create every day.

Create.

I concoct in the kitchen.

Create.

I brought into being a family. Together, we are 6.
I am creative in my parenting.
(detail of my t-shirt quilt)

Create.

I am imaginative when I teach because everyone learns in a different way.
(teaching a fabric painting class in Verona, Italy)

This week two people told me they did not like my work...(I am waiting for the third!).

So what!!!

I don't create for them. I create for me.

Antonym of create - ruin and destroy.

Walking to the Beach

2011-08-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Gianna and Camillo's house

Look what I found on the way to the beach while I was in southern Italy. A quilt! The colours compliment the flowers so well. Looks like a shot from a travel magazine!

I tried to do some hand sewing while I was in Italy but was too busy laughing, swimming, playing cards and eating!

I'm back

2011-08-26T04:29:00.000-07:00

What a great summer break!

the sky and the sea in southern Italy

Today's jobs: unpack, laundry, groceries, sew, sew, sew.

Save me

2011-08-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you create and the outcome is disastrous!

Take my husband's birthday cake, for instance.

It is a two layer chocolate cake made from scratch.

The top split down the middle and slid off the raspberry jam filling. I repaired it...somewhat... and when I poured the warm chocolate icing over it, the moist cake split apart again...I just kept pouring the icing... sometimes you have to go with the flow.

I saved it! I made it into a diamond mine (he's a geophysicist)!! Thanks for the idea, Mike.

He loved it!

African Fabrics

2011-08-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

When my husband returns from working in Africa he often brings me fabric.

These are from Senegal and were a gift from a friend
whose son was there working

I got this one at a garage sale in Toronto for $1.00.

This meter is from Zimbabwe. My daughter brought it back for me.

These pieces are 5.5 metres each.
I bought them in Toronto from a Chinese lady
who sells them out of Brampton!

My New Cups

2011-08-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

My friend gave me some gorgeous tea cups made by an American artisan.

I love the colours.

Today's mini work.

raw edge applique, free-motion thread work

I will send it to her as a thank you.

Jump In

2011-08-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

I find this african fabric refreshing! Like a pool of water sparkling in the sun.

I am still at the beach in southern Italy enjoying the sea.

Edward Burtynsky's work was at the ROM

2011-07-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

I have seen his photographs in galleries in several cities. He is my absolute favorite photographer- a Canadian who has achieved international recognition for his large format photographs of industrial landscapes. I think his works are beautiful and often his subjects are disturbing- our world and its pollution. Below is the photograph of his work I took at the museum.

Oil Spill #2, Discoverer Enterprise
Gulf of Mexico,
May 11, 2010,
Chromogenic print

The image reminds me of Yoko Okuyama's scarf.

Yoko's painting digitally transfered onto silk.

The silk scarf is signed
The fabric under it is from Bhutan.

I'm glad MY ocean off the coast of Italy does not look like that!

our summer spot

I leave today.

Another Cooking Clip

2011-07-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

Siamo Donne has edited another of the video recipes I did last May while in Verona.

pancakes and maple syrup

This one is way less serious! But what is with that eyebrow??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIn9frIjX-Y

If you remember from previous blogs, Marina, the host, is a textile artist.

blunder

2011-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

I really blew it with my mini art work this morning.

don't look!

I believe even when things go wrong there is a positive lesson.

Find it.

quiet down

2011-07-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Making the stars has reminded me how much I like hand sewing.
How quiet it is as an activity.
How different it is from my daily life.

I appliqued a piece of silk by hand onto painted cotton.

I embroidered.

Did you know that basting a work using a tailor's basting stitch holds the layers of the work better that a running stitch?

I wasn't sure about the embroidery. I did not want it to fight with my painted design. I can always take it out if I decide it is the wrong thing.

For now I like it.

It's too damn hot

2011-07-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

Toronto has been suffering an extreme heat wave. With the humidity, it felt like over 40 degrees celsius all week! I heard from friend in Italy that we made the BBC news with this heat.

I sat in the park in the shade of a tree to sew my little stars. There was a little breeze.

my new hand project-
mini stars made up of six 60 degree angle diamonds

I made some refreshing lemonade when I got home.

Perfect for snack.

Cool down!

Keep Smiling!

Making Sense

2011-07-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have been asked by the 18th Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork to curate a show of textile, contemporary and traditional, that would demonstrate what is going on in textile in Canada at this time.

Judith Tinkl is one of the artists that has agreed to be part of the exhibit in France for September 2012. Her work was part of the exhibit, Making Sense, (900 Bay Street, Toronto, closes July 22). I went to see it today.

"Thanks to Mr Ammann" work by Judith Tinkl
71"x84"

There was a daycare group that was in the gallery while I was there. The teacher said, "Oh look. There is a blanket on the wall," and Megan, who looked about 4, corrected her and said, "It's a quilt."

I heard this little Megan say at the end of the visit that the quilt was her favorite.

Piece by Piece by Judith Tinkl, masonite

There is my foot to give the piece some scale

Both pieces are for sale.

giving

2011-07-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

Can you read this? It says "GIVE MORE".

I gave someone a quilt. I know she appreciated it
and understood how many hours went into making it.

Today, I made a small gift for a 9 year old.

I am mailing this zippered case tomorrow

I hope she likes it.

Happy Birthday, Charlotte.

Don't ask me why

2011-07-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

About 4 years ago, I started sewing together strips, end to end, left over from my cotton fabrics, making one very long fabric string...which turned into a knitting project.

It goes with what I believe in - using what you have, making it work, managing. There is a word for this in italian- ARRANGIARSI. The people in the south of Italy understand this concept. They use it when they cook. They create wonderful meals from little!

Not sure how I will use it. Patience. The right use will show itself in due time.

I will keep knitting.

I do love the colours and texture.

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition

2011-07-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend Toronto held its 50th outdoor art event.

booths at Nathan Phillips Square

booths with the view of old city hall

Amanda McCavour 's booth was my favorite.

Amanda and her installation

It was so fun standing under it and looking up!

Alice Vander Vennen is a textile artist that has exhibited at this show several times.

Alice in front of her work. She arrived at
textile art through sculpture.

Dave Hind described his work to me as "quilts made of metal".

detail of the above work

Even the visitors were artists!

Dolores and her beautiful dress

Dolores used the crocheted doilies her mom made
and appliqued them on a white dress.

It is good to see other artists' work.

Where was I? Didn't apply...too many trips to Italy!

Omni News interview

2011-07-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Click here to view the interview. (THE INTERVIEW IS NOT AVAILABLE AFTER SEPT. 1, 2011)

Click Italian News Ontario-July 7, 2011, which is on the right of the video screen.

The interview is at 17:50 minutes.

The interviewer, Laura D'Aprile, filmed all the works in the show. Two of them are mine. She also got some shots of some of my other art works and blankets that are not exhibited in the gallery.

My grandparents in circa 1965, Montreal
One of my pieces is about her.

quilt designs

2011-07-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Quilt: from the latin "culcita" meaning matress.

A quilt is a textile item consisting of three layers, a top-usually decorative, a middle- a padding of some kind, and a back or lining.

The three layers are held together with stitching or "quilting" which has the twofold task of uniting the layers and creating a decorative texture at the same time. (loosely quoted from the Italia Invita catalogue, 2011, in which, I might add, they have a nice little bit about me and my work, including photo of my work!)

catalogue page

I am always on the look out for some new, quilting-design inspirations.

bottom of a cappucino cup

metal door, Concordia Sagitarius, Italy

shadow

facade across the street from Casa Mila, Barcelona, Spain

facade, Verona, Italy

booklet showing plans for a floor heating system

points of a cactus

cement covered in flowers

T-shirt design

design in cement wall, verona

design on moroccan cup

window wrought iron

stone wall, verona

my quilting hands

How can this be?

2011-07-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

I am working on a new piece in my series, MAPS. I have had this work, shown below, on my design wall for about one week as I think of how to proceed.

The base fabric is yellow which I dyed myself. It was dyed with a natural dye of skin of pomegranate and tumeric.

the yellow is a little stronger than in this photograph

I painted the yellow fabric using a colour I created myself with the Colour Vie paint system. I stamped it using repurposed plastic to create a pattern.

so far I am very pleased with it

Then I took a walk downtown and saw this!!!!!

paper used as lining in the store window at Chanel in Toronto

How can it look so similar to what I am doing? Isn't there anything original anymore?

I will still continue on my path with this piece but how discouraging!

change of plans

2011-07-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Because of a timing issue with the programming the TV interview has been moved to Thursday, July 7, on OMNI 1, somewhere between 8 and 9 pm.