I have finally gotten to the point where I am using the cloth I have been printing all year long. I am very excited about this for several reasons. The most surprising of which is, I forgot how very much I like piecing and quilting. For years I have been ‘art quilting’, using thickened dyeContinue reading “Learning to quilt again”
Category Archives: Blog
Relaxing
David and I are on vacation. We have rented a house, on a lake, surrounded by woods and trees, we have packed our bags with great things to do and we brought the beautiful Peach. We got meds for Peach, fearing she would get riddled with anxiety from travel. She did really well, was quietContinue reading “Relaxing”
Dots, Patterns, Quilts and Inspiration
I have been seeing pattern and dots everywhere. I love them. It started because I bought a copy of Victoria Findlay Wolfe‘s book 15 minutes of Play, and I fell in love with one of the quilts displayed in her book. The quilt is called Dot Calm, and was made by Karen Griska. I have beenContinue reading “Dots, Patterns, Quilts and Inspiration”
A little of this, some of that.
I have been happily printing away over here. I am now even piecing a simple quite made of the printed samples like you see above. I adore printing in repeat, creating repeats, seeing the pieces of cloth come to life. And now, they are becoming a quilt! I am simply sewing these squares together, photosContinue reading “A little of this, some of that.”
Love and Happiness, filling the well.
My creative efforts are paying off in more than just the physical manifestation of cloth piling up and asking to be pieced. Making stuff calms and centers me. It helps me to remain true to myself, and it gives back in numerous and often, immeasurable ways. Having been diagnosed with cancer, going to doctors appointments,Continue reading “Love and Happiness, filling the well.”
Print, print, steam!
Today is a day for steaming, soaking and washing finished work. I will print as I am doing this. I have the windows open, the high will be 77 degrees today and printing in warmth is a good thing. What you see here is 4.5 yards of cloth (layered, three deep in newsprint). I loveContinue reading “Print, print, steam!”
One happy printer.
For years I have wondered how to print cloth in repeat, at home, using readily available art supplies without being super technical. I have day dreamed about it, pondered the question, gotten frustrated by it, given up on it. And now, it has come together. The ball got rolling when Pat Gaignat wrote an articleContinue reading “One happy printer.”
Printing up a storm
This week has been great by way of multicolor printing. I am working out the kinks of putting images in repeat, carving rubber, cutting foam and making stencils. I love upholstery yardage sheets, whenever I see them, I nab one. I love the tiny drawings of chairs, chaise lounge, sofas, sectionals. Such great shapes culteredContinue reading “Printing up a storm”
Breasts, and then no breasts. Year 2. Two years.
Two years of soul searching, deep, personal work. I am healing. My body is changed. I have experienced a calyx of emotion, intellect and bodily presence. Everything feels different. Two years ago today, I had bilateral mastectomy without reconstruction due to breast cancer. I am now a flat chested woman. For the first half of myContinue reading “Breasts, and then no breasts. Year 2. Two years.”
QSDS
This last weekend I took a trip out to Columbus, Ohio to teach at QSDS, and boy was it a great experience. I worked with women who were focused, ready to learn, open to new information, and each and every one of them made really good cloth. I found companionship in Denise and Susan, whoContinue reading “QSDS”
Melanie Testa 