Art Wear Events and YSL Exhibit

"Art-for-Wear" now signifies contemporary wearable art, and "Wearable Art" means jewelry and possibly t-shirts!?? This is my conclusion after spending a lot of time online this past week. Do you understand it that way too? Please tell me what you think under Comments. I might start referring to all of it as art you wear or artwear.

April 25, 2009: This postcard advertises one of my favorite annual events in Palo Alto, CA. It's an intimate gathering of textile, accessory, and jewelry artists. Each has a vending space and when they're not busy selling to patrons, it's a chance to mingle and talk. Across the top you are looking at the work of Maja, Joanne Staniszkis, Anja Broenink, Carol Windsor, and Chris Triola. Bottom row: Jacquelyn Rice & Uosis Juodvalkis, Nicky Falkenhayn, Bonnie Wells, Voline Strand, Susan Kirschner, and Stacy Zink. Among other participating artists are Judith Content, Carol Lee Shanks, Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Ellen Hauptli, and Jean Cacicedo--there are 36 contemporary artists involved. Location: Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road (at Embarcadero), Palo Alto. www.paact.org/style. Admission: $10 donation (tax deducible) 10 am to 5 pm.

April 21, 2009: "Diva Luncheon" at the Knoxville Museum of Art adds a fashion show of wearable art. This is part of the expanded Dogwood Arts Festival in East Tennessee. This information courtesy of the Knoxville News Sentinel Co. I'm sorry I couldn't find more information, but if you go, please let me know what you saw so we can tell everyone next year.

Remember the earrings in last week's note? You couldn't click on the link because I had one "n" too many. So please try again:
www.meghannan.com Meg wrote to remind us that she will have a booth (Booth #1825) at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago, April 17-19, 2009 (Donald E. Stephens Center, Rosemont, Illinois). For more information about the quilt festival go to www.quilts.com I enjoy the quilt festivals so much that it just kills me to miss them. If you go, please let me know what you saw and enjoyed.

Marcy Tilton sent out her monthly newsletter (March 2009 Newsletter for Everyday Creatives)--always something interesting to read and ponder, and beautiful fabrics to buy. We also get a heads up on new Vogue patterns she is about to publish. Sign up with Marcy so you can get your own reminder by email. Meanwhile, here's the link: http://www.marcytilton.com

Lois Ericson also sent a note: "Now that the Design & Sew sale is over and we are getting back into our routine, it is time to concentrate on the new website. We have been working on it but it seems to take longer than I anticipated. I'm sure most of you know how that works! The new site will still be http://www.designandssew.com so you can find me. The heading on the home page will say 'Lois Ericson Designs Accessories.' I hope you will 'check me out' and see what I've been working on."

The American Craft Council (ACC) puts on annual shows in cities around the USA. (I try very hard not to miss the one in San Francisco, so many beautiful and exciting works on display!) They showcase among the best of contemporary artists in artwear, textiles, jewelry, furniture, sculpture, and more. They sent me the following: Now accepting applications from rising craft artists for our show in San Francisco! (From what I have learned over the grapevine through the years, this has been a difficult show to get into--so this is a great opportunity.) Show dates are August 14-16. Sixteen makers will be juried into this bustling section, which celebrates the innovative techniques and materials of the burgeoning handmade movement. This is an opportunity for talented artists and indie designers to gain national exposure at a well-established show.

Located at Fort Mason Center on the San Francisco waterfront between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge, this show features 250 artists and serves a well-established audience of over 10,000 Bay Area craft enthusiasts. The average booth is valued at $1,000 but as part of the Council’s commitment to indie crafters, the cost of participation is just $350, which includes a 10-ft skirted table, electricity and lighting trusses in a shared loft space. Plus, there’s no application fee! Applicants are eligible only if they have NOT shown in an American Craft Council show previously. Embellished commercially-bought objects (e.g., tee shirts, note cards, etc.) are not eligible. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 27.
Please submit: * (3) low-resolution images of your work * A brief description of your work (materials, dimensions, techniques)
* Your contact information (mailing and email addresses). Send submissions and inquiries to Erika at altcraft@craftcouncil.org. Finalists will be announced in May. You will find several entries in Google, but I liked the wearable art photos here: http://74.208.10.209/BaltimoreWholesale2009/genre.php?id=2

The World of Wearable Art is an event held in Nelson, New Zealand. There's no point in me trying to describe it. Just go to their website and look at the photos--in fact, do a search on Google and you'll find both photos and videos to entertain you for hours. http://www.worldofwearableart.com/ http://www.viddler.com/explore/WorldTelevision/videos/4/ What came to my attention is that the creator of this 20 year old show, Suzie Moncrieff, has stepped down. The gentleman replacing her is from the dance world. It will be interesting to see how he changes things.

Linda Teufel at Dragonthreads wrote to announce that Vogue patterns is putting out another Koos design. This one is a caftan, just in time for summer. I didn't have permission to show you the photo of the pieced garment, but I think this will also be a keeper. It will be fun to choose the fabrics and to make. She's also having a sale to sell the last of her copies of the book about Koos techniques and Barbara Olson's fabulous techniques book for art quilters. http://www.dragonthreads.com/

Ethnographic Designs. Because I have signed on with Rachel Clark (see last week's note) to make a vest that reflects Polish garment embellishments, I've been looking around and doing research. I was going through my several books on world textiles and to my surprise, there was very little focus, if any, on Polish costumes. Then I went online looking for costumes, and again very little. I hit the bonanza by searching on Polish "design." So if you're doing research for your cultural textiles of choice, try that. Of course at this point my eyes and ears were wide open for more on the topic and up comes an advertising email titled Ethnographic Designs at Peruvian Connections. Check out their website to see how they've incorporated cultural textile designs into their elegant clothes. http://www.peruvianconnection.com

This week I finally made the trek to the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit at the De Young museum in San Francisco. It left me speechless and that's saying how fabulous are his garments and this show. The exhibit ends on April 4, 2009, so if you're in the Bay Area and haven't been, hustle, hustle, you don't want to miss this one! The exhibit starts out with mostly black clothing. The lighting was quite low, very dark for my aging eyes--even with spotlighting I couldn't make out the seams in black velvet dresses. That was frustrating, but maybe not so much for all the young people who were there. I studied a draped coral gown but couldn't figure out how he sewed it. I used my new skills of being able to design anything you see in a photograph and figured he'd made a very unusual pattern for the ties that were part of the body, then used a facing that ends and disappears on the underside, but I don't really know. I'll have to play with drafting the pattern myself and see what I get. As a last resort I'll call Sandra Ericson and ask her, "Oh teacher, what do you suppose happened here?"

I went through the exhibit slowly. I was surprised that it was mostly black, then went back to take a second look at details and to take notes and make drawings. I didn't know there were so many variations on the tuxedo look. The pieces that were haute couture listed the famous women who ordered them. There was the little dress that Catherine Deneuve wore in the movie Belle de Jour. Another that Jane Fonda wore and I could just see her in it, ditto for Princess Grace--hers was a simple princess seam dress with bateau neck. These were the clothes of my life! It was actually pretty heady--some pieces were so very famous from photos in magazines. I was running late so I moved on towards the bookstore. And that's when I realized there was another larger room full of brightly colored gowns. My word! But my eyes were banging together by now. I had seen so much I couldn't take it all in anymore. One outstanding piece was a wedding gown for Shakespeare's time, there was the African collection, the Mondrian dresses, on and on, even the tweed suits. I have to go back! Hope I make it.

I did look through the catalog a couple of times. (I tried to find you a source for the catalog--they had piles of them at the museum. The info in the book gives no ISBN number, only the publisher's address and two websites. I have looked high and low and find nothing on the website--this looks to be a special order, but try these: http://www.abramsbooks.com www.hnabooks.com. My most favorite thing is his drawings. They speak to me more than do the photos, probably because I like to draw any garment before I make it. I have to create the image so that I can see where I'm heading and whether I have proportions right. One of the museum notes indicated that YSL's drawings were usually right on--what he drew was what you got. That isn't true with most designers. By the time they cut out the design in muslin and identify the requirements of the fashion fabric, the original idea gets modified--but not so much with YSL's clothes. Beautiful as the photos are in this catalog (big, heavy paperback!) they don't do the clothes justice. I have seen so many of them in fashion magazines over the years, and it just doesn't compare with seeing the real thing. One of my favorites is the Shakespearean wedding gown. Standing on that platform it's fabulous, a huge poufy dream of brass-colored brocade and tulle with some light touches of orange. In the book, that photo emphasizes the orange and I wouldn't have given it a second look! I'll try to write more about this show after it ends so that I don't spoil it for anyone else who might go. I didn't find indications of this show travelling elsewhere in the USA. I overheard a gentleman saying these clothes were all going back to Paris. I'll say one thing that I hope to elaborate on later. In the colorful room I felt surrounded by wearable art. There I saw first hand how these designers go to various world cultures to get ideas. In YSL's case, I remember Russia, China, Japan, India, and Africa. I expect I'll discover more. He used beading, heavy embroidery, and then the shapes of the clothes to reflect these cultures. Absolutely fascinating!

Show Your Wearable Art Skills #2

Oops, I published the last note without the index entries. So they're here, now please read the note that comes before this. And as long as I'm here, I'll include a photo from Northern California. I was waiting for my car to be tuned, so I went for a walk in the neighborhood and found this. Somebody just couldn't wait for flowers to bloom!

Show Your Wearable Art Skills

Do you know Rachel Clark? (Sorry for the blurry photo, but I had only a small image.) Rachel was one of my first teachers of quilting and wearable art techniques. I love her sense of humor and direct way of speaking--and that sense of humor shows up in her clothing. Long ago there was a whole article about Rachel in Threads magazine because of her style of working and piecing clothes. Since then you've surely seen her on tv, in quilting shows, and she teaches regularly at guild meetings, and annual workshops and retreats. Her fashion shows are a hoot plus she has been both a Fairfield and Bernina Fashion designer. Rachel has also designed a line of patterns suitable for wearable art. Check out her website and gallery at www.rdkc.com

In recent years, Rachel's been curating shows of quilts and wearable arts. The opening is at Back Porch Fabrics www.backporchfabrics.com in Pacific Grove, CA in December, and then the show travels for at least a year. (Last year the display was also exhibited at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara. As soon as I get them edited and organized, I will bring you those photos.) Now here's an announcement from Rachel of her next exhibit of garments and quilts. Maybe you'd like to enter? I've already signed up so come and join me in this show.

Ethnic & Cultural Influences
Often we like to look to different cultures and traditions when it comes to creating designs. They are seen as different, unconventional, and out of the ordinary, because many of the textiles or garments from other cultures are based on patterns, images, and colors that are often not seen in our everyday life. Many of us have incorporated ethnic styles, colors, and patterns into our work without even thinking about their origins. We think nothing of using Indian shisha embroidery, batik, or indigo dyeing, or making an Afghan coat or beading a vest. Gosh, remember the days of peasant blouses and skirts, the African Dashiki shirt, or making those Afghan coats? We were so excited using many of the Folkwear patterns. I am inviting you to go there or near there again.

I have been asked to do another show at Back Porch Fabrics in December and I invite you to participate. Drawing inspiration from Africa to Turkey, from Australia to Alaska and Northern Canada, create a long vest, coat, or small quilt using one ethnic influence. I have listed over 40 different cultures for you to choose from. Email me if you need further clarification (rachel@rdkc.com).

Do look to cultures that we seldom see. Kimonos are everywhere, but what about the appliqued robes of the Ainu peoples in Japan? (Editor's note: This partial photo is of the large catalog put out by the Seattle Art Museum. It is titled "Beyond the Tanabata Bridge, Traditional Japanese Textiles," edited by William Jay Rathbun, published by Thames & Hudson, no ISBN number. I found this book years ago at a textile show for collectors--it was the first time I had come across both an Ainu robe (fabulous!) and information about how the Ainu robes were made (in an essay by Michiyo Morioka.)) We have been influenced by Aboriginal peoples on all the continents, maybe you'd like to pick one and use their designs for beading or applique. You may use inspirational fabrics from the country of origin, dyeing techniques, ethnic embroidery, or the patterns, colors, and styles from those other cultures. Do show us how their designs inspired you.

Guidelines and General Information

Garment
1. You may make a long coat, a long vest, or a ¾ length coat.
2. The culture or ethnic influence you choose should be instantly identifiable when viewing the garment.
3. You may use one of Rachel Clark's patterns, or a pattern of your choice.

Small Quilt
Small quilt measurements: 30 inches x 30 inches, 30 inches x 36 inches, or any size within the above dimensions.

Artist’s Statement
Please provide a one-page statement describing your experience participating in this project.

Exhibits
All garments and quilts accepted for exhibit will be shown at Back Porch Fabrics in December 2009/January 2010. The garments and quilts will travel to other exhibits for at least a year. They will remain in Rachel's possession for that time unless you make special arrangements with Rachel.

Reception
Back Porch Fabrics hosts an opening reception for the artists and guests the first Sunday of December from 1-3 p.m. Cards will be sent to all participants for mailing to friends and family.

Fee
I am requesting a fee of $20.00 to cover part of the expenses. Please make the check payable to Rachel Clark.

Dates to Remember
*April 1, 2009: make first and second choice of culture you will represent. Call or email Rachel to make declaration to participate, then pay fee (see address below).

*October 1, 2009: Artist’s statement due.

*November 1, 2009: Garment or quilt due at Rachel's house, 622 Martinelli St., Watsonville, CA 95076. 831-728-4179 rachel@rdkc.com

Select the Culture and Design
If you are interested in participating, select a culture from the list below and let Rachel know your first and second choices as soon as possible. If you want to represent a culture that is not on this list, propose it to Rachel. She wants something different, something ethnic and eye-catching, something from peoples/tribes we don't normally encounter--just not the usual. She's not asking for reproductions of authentic ethnic costumes, but rather the influences.

African, American Indian, Australian, Austrian, Brazilian, Bulgarian, Canadian, Celtic, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Egyptian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kuna Indian, Maori, Mexican, Nepalese, Norwegian, Pakistani, Persian, Peruvian, Filipino, Romanian, Russian, Scottish, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Tibetan, or Turkish.

I can recommend one book, will show others at other times. I do my research via Google online and sometimes find helpful photos, but my favorite resources are remarkable books. Many show photos of people in costume and you can get a sense of the embellishment. The Folkwear Book of Ethnic Clothing, Easy Ways to Sew & Embellish Fabulous Garments from Around the World is one of the few that include some how-tos. It was written by Mary S. Parker, published by Lark Books in 2002, ISBN 1-57990-510-2. The embellishment designs shown are the same as in Folkwear patterns. The point of this book is to explain how you can make a garment that "looks" like the original but uses "easy" techniques. It's a dumbing-down of the traditional. Nevertheless, it has many wonderful photos of garments and drawings of embellishment design details that you can make any way you want. I checked only on Amazon.com and found they have several copies in stock.


Correction of Last Blog Notes
Last week I listed the Goldstein Museum of Design's exhibition "Expressions of Stability and Change: Ethnic Dress and Folk Costume." Barbara Porwit, Administrator of the St. Paul, MN museum sent me a corrected web address. What I listed was an old url that might work but takes us to outdated pages. The new one is: http://goldstein.design.umn.edu

And in Other News
##Carole Parker of the Peninsula Wearable Arts group sent this from Carol Woods: Anyone going to France anytime soon? You might want to take a look at this exhibit. www.chateauversailles.fr/en/0_Court_Pomp.php

##Bohemian Element is a vendor of world textiles, patterns and more. www.bohemianelement.comThey are holding a Sit n'Sew event on March 27 & 28 · $55 Sheraton Tucson 5151 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ.
* March 27 - Crazy Quilt Purse, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm Learn Crazy Quilt Paper Piecing and make a wonderful bag, includes kit, lunch and door prizes. Use wonderful ethnic fabrics, silks, ikats, batiks!
* March 28 - Surface Design, 9:30-11:30 Using Paintstix, stencils and woodblocks, create beautiful and unique fabrics. Use these to make a fast and easy card case in class. A light continental breakfast, door prizes, and shopping will make a fun morning!
* March 28 - Fiber Art & Textile Show (trunk show) · $25 12:30 pm -4:30 pm Hands-on Demonstrations and Make-and-Takes. Fabrics and Embellishments from all over the world.
* April 3 & 4 - Bohemian Element & Philip J Mertens trunk show of Beads, Findings, Jewelry, and Textiles (Old and New), 10:00-5:00 at UN Center/Unicef, 6242 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson AZ 85712 520-881-7060 www.untucson.org

Folkwear Patterns, Museum News, Patsy Monk

Kate Mathews wrote to me this week. Kate owns Folkwear Patterns. Whether or not you're familiar with Folkwear patterns, do spend time at the website. Originally the patterns were mostly of ethnic clothing, but now include other categories. They include instructions for embellishment. You're getting the real thing so you can learn the techniques of various old cultures. I love these patterns for their authenticity. I bet one of the most popular is the Tibetan Panel Coat, or the Turkish Coat. They're a staple of the wearable art fashion shows because you can combine so many fabrics and techniques in either one to make a timeless and stylish garment. Most of the ethnic patterns are based on the rectangle, in the width of fabric woven by that culture. I recommend you cut the pieces out of muslin or plain cotton, baste them together and check the fit. It doesn't have to be a major process, you just want to make sure that you are sewing to the right size. You don't want to find out it's too small after you've done all the embroidery. www.folkwear.com (Be sure to visit the Gallery.)

The latest news about Folkwear Patterns is that two re-published oldies but goodies are on their way. #110 Little Kittel (children's sizes 4-10),
and #148 Black Forest Smock (Misses' 6-16, Men's 36-44) have been out of print since the early 1980s. Traditional smocks like these for girls and boys, women, and men were worn by workers and craftsmen in Germany, Switzerland, France, and other parts of Old Europe. (Now they're back in style!) The loose-fitting garment is pleated into neckband and cuffs. Adult sizes have welt pockets; child's sizes have inseam pockets. Make it in shirt or dress length for any season, in cotton batiste this summer or baby-wale corduroy this fall.

Kate Mathews also writes a newsletter which she sends out as email. You can sign up for Kate's newsletter by sending an email message to kate@folkwear.com with "Email newsletter" in the Subject line. The following is a sampling of her news:

**"The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is putting serious resources into expanding its already-impressive costume and textile collection. The spectacular popularity of recent exhibitions across the country has encouraged museum officials to add quality pieces to an often-ignored area. The Museum will debut an important new exhibit of European garments next year and has formed an elite group of patrons to help expand the museum's collection. Visit www.lacma.org for more information." (Browse the Costume and Textiles Collection and look at the Collection Highlights for photos of spectacular clothes.)

**"The Brooklyn Museum www.brooklynmuseum.org has transferred its renowned costume and accessories collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It will be incorporated into the Met's Costume Institute, but will be identified separately as the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection. The bulk of Brooklyn Museum's world-famous holdings have been in storage for years, lacking adequate resources for proper exhibition. The two museums are planning a co-published book about the highlights of the combined collection and an online directory."

Kate says "Get some inspiration if you're out and about. If you are traveling this spring/summer or have guests visiting you, you might want to see some of these interesting events:

**"The Art of the Embroiderer, featuring dazzling garments and textiles from across the world spanning more than 200 years of creativity and innovation. From haute couture gowns to Japanese kimono and Saudi Arabian caftans, 18th century coats and vests, robes and tunics from Turkey, Morocco, Spain, Greece, China, Romania, and India. At the Kent State University Museum in Kent, Ohio, through August 30. www.kent.edu/museum

**"Sartorial Sanctuary: Clothing and Tradition in the Eastern Islamic World, an exploration of the range of garment styles, colors, and motifs worn by Muslim men and women across the eastern reaches of the Islamic world, from Syria and Turkey to India and Indonesia. At the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, through April 26. www.risdmuseum.org

**"Expressions of Stability and Change: Ethnic Dress and Folk Costume. Garment ensembles from Bhutan, India, Afghanistan, China, Somalia, Cameroon, Egypt, Norway, Portugal, Laos, Mexico, Guatemala, and other countries to illustrate how traditional costume is used as a form of cultural expression and unification. Through June 14, at the Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota, St. Paul. http://goldstein.che.umn.edu (Check out the collections too.)

**"Seduction, a chronological survey of 250 years of seductive clothing, featuring a black satin Belle Époque corset, silk jersey evening dress by Halston, black leather evening gown by John Galliano for Christian Dior, Manolo Blahnik stilettos, other garments and accessories. Through June 16 at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. www.fitnyc.edu

**"The Art of Affluence: Haute Couture & Luxury Fashions 1947-2007, featuring fashions from the museum's collection by Chanel, Schiaparelli, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Patou, Versace, Armani, and others. Through May 2, at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC. www.mintmuseum.org

**"Fashioning Felt, an exhibition of historic examples of felt as well as contemporary product design and applications in fashion, architecture, and home furnishings. Through September 7, at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York City. www.cooperhewitt.org"


In My Own News
Not much sewing going on here this week. I had positioned cotton fabric onto a sweatshirt, using temporary fabric glue. I was following instructions in a pattern I'm going to tell you about. The glue stays up to 5 days. Well, we're into day 7, I checked today and the glue has disappeared, so I'm going to have to do it all over again, sigh. Mom's been sick, both cats had to go to the vets, and I've been both taking care of the stray and looking for the owner or someone willing to take the cat. No time left to sit at the sewing machine, but I have high hopes for next week. I'd better respray the glue before we get rain on Sunday. I do my spraying outside.

##I go way back with Patsy Monk. She was my second subscriber when I had started my newsletter on paper. She was a quilter then and gave quilting classes. We took a color class in Houston from Jean Ray Laury where Patsy did well and I failed miserably which is why I'm still learning to trust my color choices. Now Patsy writes to say she's deeply immersed in making glass beads. I found the little birds enchanting, so do have a look. (Click on the little photo to get an enlargement.) It would be nice to hear that people are not only reading this blog but also checking out the websites. You will find Patsy's work at: www.artfire.com

Inspiration from Quilting Arts Magazine and more

This cute little guy is the reason why I'm behind with everything! He's Harley for harlequin, all black and white with perfectly symmetrical "color blocking." After a month of seeing him around, we finally decided that Harley is a stray looking for a home. Unfortunately, my two adult cats refuse to let him set foot in their territory, but he sneaks in just the same. Night-time temperatures dropped to freezing, it rained for days, and I heard the raccoons and smelled the skunks moving through the backyard, so Harley moved into the garage where he has a soft bed and lots of food. Now my trick is to keep the other cats from seeing this sweet, gentle, well-mannered cat. Chessie attacks if he can,"I know you're doing something nefarious down there mom. I know something is going on--where is he?" Harley stays quiet in the garage and so maybe I won't get a lot of vertical spraying in the house. Anybody looking for this cat?

When my husband's chronic illness finally sank in as our new reality, and I started packing, house-hunting, and then moving us slowly, I really missed sewing, writing, and my whole creative process. Looking back now, I realize that the doing had stopped, but the learning continued. When I was most down, when I most missed color, and my sewing machine was in the closet of the new house 200 miles away, it was tough. What got me through it was Quilting Arts magazine and Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. Patricia Bolton, her husband, and staff continue to find and present the leading edge of art quilting, mixed media, surface design, and "artistic discovery." They kept (and keep) me breathless with innovation and inspiration. I'm finding out that there are still folks who haven't discovered them so here's your introduction. http://www.quiltingarts.com http://www.clothpaperscissors.com. I will write later about their other magazines. I will also tell you that except for Stitch magazine, you're not going to find wearable art, just pure inspiration and sometimes techniques that can go through the wash. I would never have thought to applique a crow onto anything I wear, but the enchanting designs made me do it. I'll show you when I finish.

Recently I told you about Pamela Allen's DVD. CQFA (California Quilt and Fiber Association) is hosting a Pamela Allen workshop on April 17 and 18, 2009 at the Community Church of Santa Clara. (directions: http://cqfa.org/meetings.html) The workshop is on the same topic as the DVD, "How to Think Like an Artist" but will focus on each person developing a personal voice and private language. See the description on Pamela's website: http://pamed.homestead.com/home.html To quote Pamela, "There are two parts to every art quilt...one is the technical expertise of stitching, applique, quilting, blocking, binding. And we all continue to improve in this category simply by making work. The other side...the ART part...is more ephemeral and esoteric perhaps, as it requires many years of questioning, risk taking and imagination to develop.... Students will hone in on the whole process of art-making using a series of hands on exercises which focus on the important elements of creativity. Each morning and afternoon, the class will work on projects that address certain problems faced by every artist." Boy, don't I wish I could go to that one! To reserve a space send a check for $155, payable to CQFA, to Julie Stiller, 1251 Highland Drive, Boulder Creek, CA 95006. This price includes a one year membership in CQFA! No machines are required.

When I wrote about Therese May in an earlier note, I neglected to include the url for one more website. This one includes her interesting blog as well as photos from her present exhibition at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, CA, and more works. I was just thinking how interesting would be fabric printed with some of her designs. www.theresemay.com

Remember my note about Margot Silk Forrest and her embellished shoes? Margot is now writing a blog for her business, Sassy Feet! Check out her stories and tips at http://glittersweatshop.typepad.com Now she's convinced me to buy Steve Madden hightops and embellish to my heart's content. I want shoes with comfort but also flair and sass, so this might be the way to get what I want. Time to start collecting the right trims.

Information from Hither and Yon, West Coast USA

Before I present yet another mixed list of resources, I hope you agree with me that the more you look at, and play with, different forms of art, the better your own work. You might be surprised at what I list here, but I found for example, that even though I will likely never do more goldwork than what I did in a class, it reminded me once again how satisfying painstaking handwork can be. And it satisfied my curiosity about goldwork. Beautiful but not washable! And that gold is expensive! It has brought me back to my old ideas of doing embroidery on my wearable art. I don't need to follow current trends of doing everything by machine. I like to go slow, make changes in design as I go along, and it's a prime form of releasing stress (especially in front of a boring tv). Anyhow, for that reason I'm offering up a potpourri of workshops I wish we could all attend, and some online shopping to tempt you too.

## Shibori: Pressure-Resist Fabric Dyeing with Joy-Lily, workshop on Saturday March 28, 10 - 4 PM at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 6780 Depot St. Sebastopol, CA. Here's a description of shibori from Joy-Lily:
"Pressure-resist is probably the oldest method used world-wide for dyeing colors into fabric. In Japan it is called shibori, in Indonesia pelangi, in India banda, in South America amarras, in Nigeria onikon, and in the U.S, tie-dye. Stitch, wrap, pleat, bind, clamp, bunch, fold or knot cotton, silk, rayon challis, linen, bamboo or hemp. In the dyebath, little or no color flows into the tightly compressed areas. The resulting patterns clearly show where the dye goes and where it is resisted. Re-dye the same fabric in another color with a different resist and the results get very exciting!" In this workshop we'll use color-fast dye, mostly Procion MX. We'll also do some painted shibori using the new vinyl-sulphon dyes (they replace Procion H dyes, now discontinued.) $80 + $5 supply fee (includes a silk scarf). To register: 707 829-4797 www.sebarts.org

## Search on Google for Procion H. You will find excellent information about the new vinyl-sulphon dyes that replace it in Paula Burch's website http://www.pburch.net--move down the page to find the Dyer's Forum questions and answers. The Jacquard site www.jacquardproducts.com has information, paint, dye, fabric and other art products, and just as important, an inspiring gallery including wearable art.

## Silk painting classes by Susan Louise Moyer, author of SILK PAINTING, The Artist's Guide to Gutta and Wax Resist Techniques and the new revised edition of SILK PAINTING for FASHION and FINE ART. (Both fabulous books but I especially like the last one.)
5-Day Workshop, Gualala, CA, April 13-17, 2009, Monday-Friday 9am-4pm DyeColor� Painting on Silk
Watercolor enthusiasts as well as silk painters will find this workshop to be a departure from tradition and an inspiration for new directions. The technique called DyeColor� painting on silk involves preparing the surface of the silk so that liquid dyes can be applied to the silk without the use of a linear resist. DyeColor� painting techniques are similar to the way watercolor is painted on paper. As a surface to work on, silk enables the artist to achieve luminous rich color and new creative options. For example, gutta and wax resist techniques, flowing dye, and discharge techniques can be combined with DyeColor� painting on the same work of art.
We will start by setting up our palette and learning a color theory system that will assist you in mixing clear, bright and in some cases glowing color. I will teach traditional watercolor and silk painting techniques related to DyeColor� painting including washes, shading, blending, wet-in-wet, stenciling and wax resist.
Workshop: $500, Materials fee: $65 Level: Novice-Advanced, no more than 12 students. Phone: 707 884-1138 E-mail: info@GualalaArts.org www.gualalaarts.org

## I don't wear makeup or a lot of jewelry but every time I've gone to Houston I felt I needed earrings. I always ended up in Meg Hannann's booth because what she made was both original and light--and invariably she had something that was a perfect match to my latest piece of wearable art. I found two pairs of earrings in this still unpacked house, so here's a photo. Now Meg has a website for her Fabric Jewels: www.meghannann.com. Beginning in early March she's going to start a workshop: What Color Is Your Heart? Check it out on the Workshop page! (She makes wonderful heart-shaped pieces.)

## Over the years my favorite place to hang out has been the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. I spent many hours looking at the work of art quilt masters, getting my face in close to study their technique, trying to figure out how they chose the colors, why they put those two fabrics together, and so on. From the beginning of executive director Jane Przybysz's arrival, I knew she would be adding ethnic displays. We've already had a show of Vietnamese contemporary art clothing. Now we have "Changing Landscapes: Contemporary Chinese Fiber Art," the first exhibition of contemporary Chinese fiber art ever to travel to the United States. This exhibition, which includes 45 works of tapestry, sculpture, and mixed media by 48 artists, was created in partnership with Beijing's Tsinghua University's Fiber Arts Institute. You can see and read more at
www.SJQuiltMuseum.org. The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is at 520 South First Street San Jose California 95113.

## When you wander through the gift shop at the quilt museum you will see works from Therese May. I took a very freeing stamping class with Therese once, have been following her career for many years because I get an emotional reaction every time. Her style is "quirky"--paint on fabric, beading, very much contemporary folk art. A truly memorable piece was in a quilt exhibit honoring the children that died in the terror bombing in Oklahoma. I looked at all those quilts but Therese spoke to me best of all about those innocent little souls winging off to heaven--it was a very peaceful and healing piece. I have two websites where you can see Therese's works including bumper strips and a coloring book that you can buy. The second website is where Therese has listed upcoming workshops and exhibits.
www.zazzle.com/theresemay
www.quiltpower.com/Turkey_Coloring_Book.html

## Elizabeth Floyd wrote a note online that an exhibit of pojagi at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco will start March 18 (Contemporary Korean Fiber Art--Reinterpreting the Korean Patchwork). I was introduced to pojagi by artist Jack Brockette who used the technique to perfection with his acid-dyed silk jackets www.brockette.com. Do have a look at his gallery of silk jackets. Pojagi are traditionally "wrapping cloths" made of little rectangles of fabric, sewn together with something like 1/8" French seams so that all seams are delicately finished. I'm going to plan to go to this show in San Francisco and will report back. I wish you were going with me Jack!

Information from Hither and Yon, mostly

Before I present yet another mixed list of resources, I hope you agree with me that the more you look at, and play with, different forms of art, the better your own work. You might be surprised at what I list here, but I found for example that even though I will likely never do more goldwork than what I did in a class, it reminded me once again how satisfying painstaking handwork can be. And it satisfied my curiosity about goldwork. Beautiful but not washable! It has brought me back to my old ideas of doing embroidery on my wearable art. I don't need to follow current trends of doing everything by machine. I like to go slow, make changes in design as I go along, and it's a prime form of releasing stress (especially in front of a boring tv). Anyhow, for that reason I'm offering up a popourri of workshops I wish we could all attend, and some online shopping to tempt you too.

## Shibori: Pressure-Resist Fabric Dyeing with Joy-Lily, workshop on Saturday March 28, 10 - 4 PM at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 6780 Depot St. Sebastopol, CA. Here's a good description of shibori from Joy-Lily:

"Pressure-resist is probably the oldest method used world-wide for dyeing colors into fabric. In Japan it is called shibori, in Indonesia pelangi, in India banda, in South America amarras, in Nigeria onikon, and in the U.S, tie-dye. Stitch, wrap, pleat, bind, clamp, bunch, fold or knot cotton, silk, rayon challis, linen, bamboo or hemp. In the dyebath, little or no color flows into the tightly compressed areas. The resulting patterns clearly show where the dye goes and where it is resisted. Re-dye the same fabric in another color with a different resist and the results get very exciting!" In this workshop we'll use color-fast dye, mostly Procion MX. We'll also do some painted shibori using the new vinyl-sulphon dyes (they replace Procion H dyes, now discontinued.) $80 + $5 supply fee (includes a silk scarf). To register: 707 829-4797 www.sebarts.org

## Search on Google for Procion H. You will find excellent information about the new vinyl-sulphon dyes that replace it in Paula Burch's website http://www.pburch.net, and move down to find the Dyer's Forum questions and answers. The Jacquard site www.jacquardproducts.com has information, paint, dye, fabric and other art products, and just as important, an inspiring gallery.

## Silk painting classes by Susan Louise Moyer, author of SILK PAINTING, The Artist's Guide to Gutta and Wax Resist Techniques and the new revised edition of SILK PAINTING for FASHION and FINE ART. Website: www.GualalaArts.org,

5-Day Workshop, Gualala, CA, April 13-17, 2009, Monday-Friday 9am-4pm DyeColor Painting on Silk
Watercolor enthusiasts as well as silk painters will find this workshop to be a departure from tradition and an inspiration for new directions. The technique called DyeColor painting on silk involves preparing the surface of the silk so that liquid dyes can be applied to the silk without the use of a linear resist. DyeColor painting techniques are similar to the way watercolor is painted on paper. As a surface to work on, silk enables the artist to achieve luminous rich color and new creative options. For example, gutta and wax resist techniques, flowing dye, and discharge techniques can be combined with DyeColor painting on the same work of art.
We will start by setting up our palette and learning a color theory system that will assist you in mixing clear, bright and in some cases glowing color. I will teach traditional watercolor and silk painting techniques related to DyeColor painting including washes, shading, blending, wet-in-wet, stenciling and wax resist.
Workshop: $500, Materials fee: $65 Level: Novice-Advanced, no more than 12 students. Phone: 707 884-1138 E-mail: info@GualalaArts.org www.gualalaarts.org

## I don't wear makeup or a lot of jewelry but every time I've gone to Houston I felt I needed earrings. I always ended up in Meg Hannann's booth because what she made was both original and light--and invariably she had something that was a perfect match to my latest piece of wearable art. If I can find some in this still unpacked house, I'll include a photo here. Now Meg has a website for her Fabric Jewels: www.meghannann.com. Beginning in early March she's going to start a workshop: What Color Is Your Heart? Check it out on the Workshop page! (She makes heart-shaped pieces.)

## Over the years my favorite place to hang out has been the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. I spent many hours looking at the work of art quilt masters, getting my face in close to study their technique, trying to figure out how they chose the colors, why they put those two fabrics together, and so on. From the beginning of director Jane P's arrival, I knew she would be adding ethnic and cultural displays. We've already had a show of Vietnamese contemporary art clothing. Now we have "Changing Landscapes: Contemporary Chinese Fiber Art," the first exhibition of contemporary Chinese fiber art ever to travel to the United States. This exhibition, which includes 45 works of tapestry, sculpture and
mixed media by 48 artists, was created in partnership with Beijing's
Tsinghua University's Fiber Arts Institute. You can see and read more at
www.SJQuiltMuseum.org. The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is at 520 South First Street San Jose California 95113.

## When you wander through the gift shop at the quilt museum you will see works from Therese May. I took a very freeing stamping class with Therese once, have been following her career for many years because I get an emotional reaction every time. Her style is "quirky"--paint on fabric, beading, very much contemporary folk art. A truly memorable piece was in a quilt exhibit honoring the children that died in the terror bombing in Oklahoma. I looked at all those quilts but Therese spoke to me best of all about those innocent little souls winging off to heaven--it was a very peaceful and healing piece. I have two websites where you can see Therese's works including bumper strips and a coloring book that you can buy. The second website is where Therese has listed workshops and exhibits.
www.zazzle.com/theresemay
www.quiltpower.com/Turkey_Coloring_Book.html

## Elizabeth Floyd wrote a note online that an exhibit of pojagi at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco will start March 18 (Contemporary Korean Fiber Art--Reinterpreting the Korean Patchwork). I was introduced to pojagi by artist Jack Brockette who used the technique to perfection with his acid-dyed silk jackets www.brockette.com. I'm going to plan to go to this show in San Francisco and will report back. Pojagi are traditionally "wrapping cloths" made of little rectangles of fabric, sewn together with something like 1/8" French seams.

My Basic Barely Wearable Art Jacket on Me

I'm posting a photo taken yesterday. This was at the baptism of my grandnephew Damian and includes his parents, America and Matthew. The person on the end is yours truly wearing that jacket I was going to embellish with beads etc. before I wore it again. (Click on the photo to get a larger view.) I've been too sick lately to work on it but decided it would do for the event. I learned two new things about it--I still need to beef up the body because it just can't hold up the band. The body fabric sags in no time and the band kind of sticks out and flops around at the end of the sleeves and in back. I'm considering ironing a fusible black tricot inside. It might be better than adding a lining--it really needs more "oomph" in the body fabric. (Comments? I'd love to hear your suggestions--don't be shy.) I have a short neck and always reduce height of standing collars by half. The band is pretty high in back of my neck and was bothering me--I see I have it pushed back. Not everyone would find it to be a problem--this is just a note. So with this photo you get to see how it sits on my body--even if it's sitting a bit crooked here. I hadn't added bust darts so that's also why it pulls up in front.