Just moments before I started writing this, I learned that my paper towel quilt, "This Day: The Strength Within" (see first blog post) did not get accepted in a statewide art competition. The juror gave no explanation for the declination, and I admit that the lack of explanation bothers me; but the rejection… meh… not so much. I've read a lot of articles lately about how hard it is for some artists to deal with rejection when an art piece they submit for an exhibit isn't accepted. But here's the thing: I have so much fun making my quilts, I'm not all that concerned about whether they get accepted into a show. I guess the only thing I can say I'm cranky about is that I'm out the entry fee.l

 

But here's the thing. The exhibit I entered was not a "quilt" or even "fiber art" exhibit; it was an "art exhibit." The entry did allow for "mixed media," so I entered my piece in that category (I mixed paper, ink, dye, paint, and quilting). I suspect my piece didn't make it in because it is not traditional art.

 

I bet that if I go to the exhibit, I'll see lots of paintings; probably paintings of birds that look just like birds or landscapes that look just like the landscape (not that there's anything wrong with that... but it does make me want to... you know... yawn.).   

So, that's about all I want to say about rejection On to the next piece! My peace sign quilt:
 

 

I haven't named this one yet. I'm thinking something like Peace, Man: A Nod to Andy, (as in Andy Warhol). This peace sign quilt is my first attempt at following Susan Carlson's instructions for making art quilts by gluing small bits to a base fabric on which the design is penciled in. I first saw Susan's work on the cover of a quilting magazine some years back: it was her pink rhinoceros. Then I saw her amazing piece called "Samuelasaurus Rex" at a quilt show. (It's a very large quilt and an image of her son—when he was little—on his tricycle, mouth wide open and his hands shaped like the claws of a dinosaur. I could almost hear him roar!) All value, with every color imaginable. Value (not color) did all the work. Wow!

Anyway, I bought her book a few years ago and read it pretty much cover to cover, and last year I finally made the top for this peace sign art quilt using her gluing method. Here are a few pictures of the peace signs in process.  

 

It was really fun, and I said I'd do another just like it; but for my second "Carlson-inspired" quilt I would pay more attention to value rather than color. But then I got busy with other things (paper towel quilts, among them) and didn’t do my value study, nor did I finish this peace sign quilt--for months. But… this quilt is going to be exhibited soon, so I had to get it finished. (As the saying goes, nothing motivates like a deadline).  

The cool thing about my latest quilt isn't the gluing technique, or the colors, or the fact that I actually used up some scraps. The thing I like most about this quilt is how the quilting looks on the back. I tried a new free-motion quilting design that sort of combines Zentangling with a quilting style that is inspired by something I saw in a quilting book by Karen McTavish.

 

Anyway, here's the back:

 

 

Finally, I finished the quilt with a full-turn binding. I love, Love, LOVE it when art quilters use a full-turn binding. I prefer it because it looks clean, it doesn't "stop" or interrupt the quilting with an unquilted (sometimes badly matched) piece of fabric, and (maybe most importantly) because it gives the piece more of a fine art look and less of a small bed quilt look. And, of course, this is just my personal preference. (Hey, it's my blog, so I get to state my preferences). It does not mean that I don’t like art quilts with a traditional (bed quilt) binding; I just like the full-turn binding better for quilts that are destined to hang on the wall. So, here's what I mean by a full turn.

 

And, yes, I purposefully switched the colors of the binding to pull the color from the front to the back, and to match the color of the thread on back.

Now look again at the front. No binding shows.

 

 

Finally, here's Lucy cat. She's my 11 year-old studio cat and she's been assisting me with all my sewing and crafting shenanigans since she was just a wee kitten. I found her in the parking lot of a nearby Hobby Lobby store one evening after the store had closed. I guess that since her life with me started near a craft store, it's fitting that she's a crafty cat.

 

 

Until next time, y'all!