Archive

Oh my freaking word! Woodblock carving is hard! I haven’t tried this since high school art classes. Any printmakers out there who do this on a regular basis, I have a new-found respect for you. I did one small test block to see how this would work as a means of reproducing calico fabric patterns. […]

I’ve been doing some research into calico prints from the early to mid 20th century, the time that my great-grandmother Grace would have been quilting. I’ve also been taking a closer look at the photos that I have of the crazy quilt that hangs at the Veazie Congrational Church (pictured above), the one quilt that […]

I have been working on prints for my great-grandmother Grace’s quilt for the last few days. I have been trying to come up with something approaching floral. Not really my wheelbase and frankly I’m not thrilled with the results so far, and I’ve managed to burn myself on my heat gun in the process. I’ve […]

I’ve decided that I want the quilts in this project to have different patterns and, where possible, different techniques and materials that are in some way representative of the women that they are commemorating. I knew that I wanted one of the quilts to be a Signature Quilt. A number of patterns lend themselves to […]

I’m about to undertake the first quilt for a member of the family that I never knew: my great-grandmother Grace Turner Jordan (pictured above). Even though I never knew her I’ve always felt a connection with her for several reasons. First I grew up in her house. The house where she raised 9 children.   And […]

One of the many things that I like about the process of making these memorial quilts is that there are so many different steps to it to suit my different moods. If I am feeling particularly adventurous and creative I can experiment with new types of prints, if I’m feeling like churning out work there […]

I’m finding that sewing can teach you a lot about life if you just pay attention. Today’s lesson is that it generally doesn’t pay to do too many things at once: This is what happens when you try to save yourself time by leaving the bobbin spool on so it will be there when you […]

And a well shot picture is worth even more. I learned a while back that I am not a good photographer. Fortunately for me there is a great photographer who specializes in photographing artwork just a few blocks from me, Jay York. Jay does great work (sometimes I think he makes my work look better […]

The more they stay the same – or so the saying goes… Had a lot of trouble today with the sewing – lot’s of stitching and unstitching when things wouldn’t line up right so I took it as a sign that it was time to reorganize my closet. The print and book page pieces don’t […]

I thought about calling this one, “A Woman’s Work is Never Done”, but that seemed too cliché. Over the Christmas vacation I cleaned out my studio of a bunch of  stored up yarn and knitting needles. My mother called before we headed up to ask about a sweater pattern book that she knew I had and […]