Craft Napa 2023

I will be teaching at Craft Napa 2023. The registration is now open, Thursday 15th, you can go 

HERE

My workshop it's called: *Gossip Blocks*

Let's have some fun with paper and cloth!

This is an environmentally friendly class. We will be experimenting with a layering technique of paper and cloth to create a unique mixed media quilt block. Learn how to prepare the paper for applique. Design, cut and paste them onto to cloth to form your gossip block. Apply accent stitches by hand. 

This is an ideal workshop for individuals who wants to explore something playful and different.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild Workshops


I had the pleasure to spent the last three days with the Quilt Guild from Ann Arbor.

It is always fun to find quilters that are willing to think outside the box and explore different materials to be included in their art  other than fabric.

They chose two workshops: Instant Paper-Cloth and Applique with Paper and Fabric. Also my Lecture *The Odd Couple-Paper and Fabric in Quilts*

Even though this was a virtual event we felt the good energy, working all together from the comfort of our own home.

I am grateful  for this experience.

*Sheer Paper-Cloth* Ornaments

*Bell Tents*

On the 15th year of the ANNIVERSARY issue of quilting Arts Magazine , under my article entitled *Sheer Paper-Cloth*, I demonstrate how to make a pliable and soft material that is easy to sew by hand or by machine. It was also demonstrated on Quilting Arts TV - episode 2106.
 
This technique is good not only for making art quilts, but also to make ornaments to decorate the house, especially now that we are in the Holiday season.
 
Once you have your paper-cloth ready, follow the next instructions to make a "bell tent":
 
1) Cut one piece from Sheer Paper-Cloth and iron interfacing in the back.



2) Draw and cut the pattern below from copy paper.
3) Trace the pattern on the right side of the Sheer Paper-Cloth (I usually use a mechanical pencil for this task but for this demonstration I used a black marker). Make sure you leave 1/2 inch of bottom border.

4) Cut circles from the contrast color areas of the Sheer Paper-Cloth and paste them with glue as shown
 
5) Select a dark color of 28w Aurifil cotton thread and load your sewing machine. Choose a free motion foot and drop the feed dogs.
 
6) Sew on the 1/2 inch space you left at the bottom of your traced shapes as shown in the picture below to go from shape to shape.
 
7) Select Aurifil Lana 12w thread for your hand embroidery. I love the bold marks these threads leave with simple stitches.
 
8) Once finished, cut around each shape.
 
9) Sew from the top dot to the straight edge. When you are ready to sew the third piece fold the opposite side as shown below (side view).
 
10) (Top view) You can see below the left side already sewn on both sides. It is folded to make room for sewing the right and third side.
 
11) After having finished sewing with your machine, each top side should look like this. Starting and/or stopping at the dots. Leave a small opening.
 
12) Cut a 14 inch long piece of thread. Tie up a jingle bell with a knot in the middle.
 
13) With the help of a tweezer pass both threads from the inside through the middle hole. It helps to rest the jingle bell at the edge, as shown in the picture, to have the right length of the thread.
 
14) Insert a little button on the top. Make a doble knot and apply a drop of rubber cement to the back.
 
15) Now that you know how to make one *Bell Tent*, why not make more and share them with your family and friends to spread some cheer throughout the season?
 

I am linked to: http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com


*Quilting Arts TV* Tapings


Vivika  Denegre, myself and Susan Brubaker
 

Myself and Kristine Lundblad

A couple of weeks ago I went to Ohio to film 4 segments for Quilting Arts TV *QATV*. It was a wonderful experience. I met Susan a few years back when she came to my town to give a workshop. I have been working with Vivika and Kristine for 8 years writing articles for  Quilting Arts Magazine. During this time we've exchanged lots of emails but never actually met. I was very happy to finally meet them both in person and share moments that I will never forget.
 
These three ladies are wonderful to work with. They made sure to make you feel comfortable and relax on the set.
 
I had to prepare all my samples beforehand. Each of my segments needed to be organized into steps, These were:

- Cheesecloth Skins: two ways; colored and with hand-calligraphy
- How to make a polka dots stencil economically and sturdy with a one hole punch
- Sheer paper-cloth
- Dimensional accents for Art-Quilts with modeling paste

The filming company instructed me on what to wear or what not to wear in front of the camera. I had to choose my wardrobe carefully because all of my segments used wet media. This meant that I could not bring my *best* clothes since the paint sometimes is sneaky and lands in places you don't desire. Believe me I have enough painting clothes in my closet already!

Also, they asked me to do a manicure. It is something I usually don't do since I am always working with paints and dyes and my fingers end up very colorful. But for this occasion I complied.

The filming studio is located in the city of Solon, which is a 35 to 40 minute drive from Cleveland. The name of the studio is KS Productions and the owner is Kathie Stull. She really knows how to run her business. Kathie knows how to guide you and to keep the segments on schedule.

Once I arrived at the studio, I entered through the green room.

Each presenter has three tables where you can use trays to prepare all of your materials.

 
Then you enter the make up room. Oh, I felt like a diva.The stylist was magnificent, she knew exactly how to cover the unwanted blemishes.

 
I peeked into the filming area to familiarize myself with it. In the above photo they were just starting to put all the set together.



Then, you review each step before they start to film.


The KS crew were very easy to work with and professional. They started to do some editing on-site as the tapings finished but it will take months until the episodes will be ready. They will air on PBS stations all over the country. Check your local stations around the last weeks of December this year or beginning of the year 2020. My segments will come out in the Series 2500 and 2600. I will let you know when exactly they will air as we get close to the date.

In the night before my tapings I  met three wonderful artists from the west coast: Denise Oyama Miller, Nancy Ryan and sweet Mel Beach. I failed to take a picture with them; I guessed we were busy talking trying to know each other in the couple of hours we had together.They left the next morning when it was my turn to film.

On the day of my taping I met another great artist, who's specialty is wearable art.
Rachel DK Clark and myself
 
I keep thanking the world of art quilting for my wonderful and memorable experiences. Experiences that would have otherwise never happened.
 
This is just one of the  samples of one of the segments: *Dimensional accents for Art-Quilts with modeling paste*

I am linked to : ninamariesayre.blogspot.com Go and visit the work of other artists and get inspired!

Quiltweek at Paducah Workshops

 

 




Just a few pictures of one my classes during QuilWeek in Paducah Kentucky. I had a wonderful time with wonderful students!
 
Although I forgot to take more class pictures I did have some time to walk through the Show and will post photos of some of the quilts they had on display.
 
What an intense and fantastic experience  I had. Thank you AQS for having me and letting me be part of your faculty this year.