Buttons&Beads&Quilts!

I’m borrowing a theme from Paul Simon’s fourth album, “Still Crazy After all These Years!”, to affirm that I’ve been quilting for awhile. Professionally, actually 31 years, as I established a trade license with the state of Maryland here in the USA when I moved into my then new house.  While the license lapsed, it has since renewed, but I have been making art quilts continuously since 1981. This fact was brought home to me the other day when I got a fan letter from a woman saying that she had been reading an interview I had done in 1989, was going to show it to a friend of hers who has just started quilting, and then decided to use Google to find out if I was still alive. She found my web site and blog, wrote me, and I assured her that as of the last time I checked, I was very much still alive. I found the email pretty amusing and delightful, as this is the oldest piece of writing that I’ve been contacted about, and her interest to see if I’m still breathing. She did go on to say she loved my work and was going to pass the links on to her friends.

One of the phrases that I had apparently used back in that article was my use of “consistent inconsistencies”. This, I believe, was  in reference to the fact that I. at that point, had been sewing long enough that my blips and unevenness were evenly distributed enough that it looked as if that was what I had intended. If that’s not the case with the original article, that statement is certainly true of my work now, especially since I use so many beads in my art quilts. I’ve taken that degree of “sewing my way” to new heights.

I just got back a piece from a national magazine, for which I was a finalist, and actually got back reviews from the judges. It’s been since the 1980s that judges have taken the time to comment on pieces that have been submitted. These days, you pay your entrance fee, and get accepted, or not, but never know why. While the piece I submitted got a lot of comments, like “Wow! You really tie diverse elements together”, or “Love your use of color”, one of the judges suggested that I cover up the backs of my art quilts to hide the messy stitches. It’s been quite a long time, probably over twenty five years, since I heard a comment like that. Those suggestions used to come from the days when I was still submitting to traditional quilt shows, where technique is everything, and your craftsmanship is judged by the number of stitches/inches and how neat the whole piece is. In fact, the second blog I wrote about on 16 September, 2011 was titled “OK, I’m Messy”. In that posting, there’s a photo of the backs of one of my art quilts, that shows all of the countless stitches that go into attaching all of those beads and ephemera. Most people like to see what goes into creating one of my pieces, and the backs certainly show the energy that goes into my work. So, I laughed when I saw that comment from one of the judges, and I thought…”OK, old school!”

So, I emailed back the woman who wrote me to tell me how she had liked that interview back in 1989, and for thanking her for checking to see if I were still alive. It gave me a great idea for this blog and time to reflect on exactly what I have accomplished since then with my art quilting. I am pleased to say that I’m at a point in my career, where if I can think it, I can make it, which frees me up to just “be” with the piece and let it tell me how it wants to look. So, yes, I’m still quilting, (and crazy) after all these years! Thank you, Pa

What quirks do you have in your own artistic medium? What would you like to be remembered for as an artist? Do you see yourself still doing the same medium thirty years from now?

Why not leave a comment as to your thoughts on this posting. Please take a minute, fill out the form by clicking on the “comments/no comments link” at the top of the posting, and then share your ideas with the rest of us. We all grow when we share our thoughts and impressions, so why not join our growing community of those who appreciate art quilts and textile arts. We’d love to hear from you!

You can see more of my art work on my web site at www.fiberfantasies.com and can find me on Google + , Facebook,  and Twitter.

To find out how to buy my art work, please check out “How to Buy my Art Work” in the “Pages” section to the right of this blog.