Tip #9

#9

Perhaps you've noticed antique quilts in museums with a very visible centre fold line. The eye picks up that middle crease very easily.

The best way to store your quilts is to fold them in thirds avoiding that centre crease.

If you want to be extra cautious, you can roll up a piece of fabric and place it in the fold then fold your quilt over that tubular barrier. That will help avoid a visible crease.

Some collectors like to lay their quilts on a guest bed and have them flat. The quilts are just piled up one over the other. I think that makes them more difficult to access but at least they lay flat. 

Another interesting way is to roll them. I use a pool noodle as my centre support. I use this method for my textile art work.

For the quilts that are in use, I fold them in thirds then roll them into a large cylinder shape. They stand upright in a basket near the couch readily available! Love to see all the colours!!

BE THERE!! Verona, Italy, April 21 to 30, 2017

On a freezing cold day like today, I dream of a spring season in Verona, Italy. Doesn't that sound nice?

YOU may like to discover Verona while enjoying Verona Tessile, a biannual quilt and contemporary textile art festival highlighting works from around the world. 

A walking tour, classes, a wine tasting in the Valpolicella region, a cooking class of typical Veronese fare and a day trip to Venice are among the activities during the trip I organize.

My textile trip registration is progressing. There are still spots available so sign up soon as there are limited places (12 max.)

Verona is such a gorgeous city. Even though I have been visiting there for the past 11 years I never tire of it. The beautiful Adige river hugging the historical area.

The history.

The architecture.

And of course you can't talk about Italy without mentioning food!

Fresh spring asparagus over parmigiano crisps

Or it's people- full of life and ever so stylish! One of the plusses about this trip is that you will get to meet Italians that have the same interests as you- quilting and textile art. There have been some nice friendships between the Canadians and the Veronese that have blossomed since 2011 when I started taking groups over there.

Some of my friends that you will meet!

I hope you can join me for this authentic experience of Italian life. It will be unforgettable!!

Click here for details.

Discovery

The nice thing about going through boxes and bags of stuff in my studio is finding things I forgot I had- mostly quilt blocks.

Bear Paw blocks were almost all made up!

As I reorganized shelves, fabric and spools of thread, I did spend some time sewing those blocks together or adding a border on some quilt tops that needed a frame.

Made using 5 inch squares and a few rectangles.
Made using  my fabric scraps of course!
I did buy new fabric for the back.

I sent several quilt tops out to the quilter for layering and quilting.

I love this lime green binding.
I could have gone with dark brown (boring)
or even a blue but the green makes a splash!

The whole process did take away some time from my art work but I feel it was worth it. It is much better to have these quilts done than in a box where no one can enjoy them.

What a treat sewing by the fire on a cold spring day!

I urge you to do the same!

Make it a spring cleaning project!

Quilt Heirlooms

I am sorting through my children's books. I am packing up the ones we want to donate and setting aside the ones we want to keep.

There are many!

I came across Patricia Polacco's The Keeping Quilt.

It made me wonder about MY quilts.

Three of the latest quilts...
all old tops that were recently machine quilted.

Will they be passed down? Will they be blankets that start a conversation about the great-great-grandmother who made them? Will they be discarded and forgotten and eventually sold at an Antique Quilt Market?

Three more..
T-shirt quilts and simple squares

Right now my children love the quilts we have around the house. Each child has a quilt that I made especially for them. Each one is personal.

I love making quilts.

Follow your passion and you will find your purpose

Show and Share

After we had lunch at the famous Al Calmiere ...

on the Piazza San Zeno...

We had a small show-and-share with Piera, the accountant at the train store.

Piera and her husband at their shop

It was so nice to see her work...

and enjoy her immense creativity.

She is self taught and has a wonderful sense of colour!

Our group with Piera (centre)

She hit it off with one of our travellers.

Piera and Brenda admiring Al Côté's work

We ended the day with an aperitivo! Salute!

Italian Food

After a breakfast at the bar close to the apartments, we went to visit more exhibits.

Making new friends, Canada + Italy

Followed by a great (light) pizza lunch.... 

and more visits...

Art quilts by students of Nancy Crow

Art Gallery UniCredit
My work, Collision with Melancholia (right) 

And a fabulous cooking class at E Cucina with award-winning chef Luca Fasoli and his sous-chef and owner of the school, Martina Cortelazzo.

The menu was super!

preparing Mediterranean Rabbit

Luca prepares an antipasto

asparagus and parmigiano crisps

Cool ingredient!!

Can't wait to try these typical Veronese dishes at my next dinner party.

Annual Quilt Celebration

The Canadian Quilters Association is hosting their annual quilt show from June 11- 14. This year they have chosen Brock University in St Catharines, Ontario, as their Canadian location.

It is a time to bring quilters together and showcase Canadian talent.

There are several exhibits at the event including an Invitational Exhibit that I was honoured to be included in. (Unfortunately, I could not find any information about this exhibit and its participants on their web site. Disappointing and in my opinion, unprofessional. They have promised to add something after the event is over so it will at least be documented.)

At the time of the invitation, I was working on some pieces for the Radiation exhibit in Geneva. I decided to submit to the CQA a piece from that series entitled Collision with Melancholia that was inspired by the film Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011). It is made of hand-dyed fabric, distressed paper and is machine and hand stitched.

I hope it is appreciated. I understand at this event viewers tend to enjoy the more traditional quilts and compositions.

(all photos are details of Collision with Melancholia)

High School Quilts

I had a busy week last week mailing out art work, tennis lessons, trip preparations and wrapping up my teaching at Branksome Hall.

I worked with a small group of students and finished up the quilt making that I started with the entire grade last month. The blocks were made and designed by all the grade 8 students.

First step- Place the blocks in a pleasing fashion.
Second step- Sew the rows together being attentive to the block intersections.

Since we were pressed for time, I suggested we make the quilts the "turn inside out" way instead of the traditional way that ends with a binding.

Third step- Lay your top, good side up over the batting and pin the two layers together using safety pins.
Fourth step- Cut the batting right up to the edge of the quilt.
Fifth step- Tape the back fabric, good side up, onto a table so there won't be any shifting when doing the next step.
Sixth step- Lay the top and batting combo, good side down, over the back fabric.
Seventh step- Pin all the way around using straight pins.
Eighth step- Sew around the edge leaving a gap at one end.
Ninth step- Trim backing.
Tenth step- Turn inside out through the gap you left.
Eleventh step- Add a top stitch all around the quilt which closes up the gap.
Last step- Tie the quilt using pearl cotton.

Lots of steps but the girls were so good at listening that it went pretty fast.

Originally the quilts were to be donated but now the school has decided to exhibit them as an installation at their other school Branksome Hall Asia on Jeju Island, South Korea.

The girls are very excited about that. They should be proud of their work!!

Road Trip

I am getting ready for a short road trip. I am heading out to Peterborough, about 1.5 hours from Toronto.

I have been invited to speak to the Kawartha Quilters Guild on Wednesday, February 5.

I have packed my quilts and textile work that I will be showing. It's nice to dig those out as most are rolled up and hidden in the top of a cupboard.

Taking each one out brings a smile. I remember making them and remember their travels, either in Europe or here in the house going from room to room.

I am looking forward to meeting this group. They have 180 members! Impressive. Hopefully the weather will be good enough for many of them to drive to the presentation.

If you are in the neighbourhood, please come! Non-members are welcome and it is free. For more info contact the group at juditha26@gmail.com

I am also teaching a 'quilt as you go' workshop on Thursday, February 6, from 9 to 3, which is also open to non-members. Very good price, too!

(detail photographs of some of what I will be showing)