Looking back 06-18-20

In June 2009 I took a class in deconstructed screen printing with Rayna Gilman.  What an eye opener that was.  Some of my experiments were dreadful, but I had a couple that turned out very well and I was surprised!  I have only done the technique once since then; I had a specific look in mind and was successful with that.  

This is one of four that I did in class off of the same screen.  There is a lot of paint on the screen so one can just keep moving the screen to a fresh piece of fabric  and squeegy-ing until there isn't enough paint left to print.   This was about the middle run.  To make the impression I used net, plastic scraps, sequin waste, and shredded bark from a crepe myrtle tree.  I like it so much that I fear that if I do something with it I will ruin it!  Someday....

Rayna and I in the classroom.  One thing this brings home is how much I have aged in eleven years.  I was only 70 then, now I am 81.  Still wearing the same hat, scarf, and earrings.

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Another auction quilt from SAQA Fiberlandia 05-24-15

Jill P. Hoddick was at the SAQA conference and kindly introduced herself.  I do like to meet the artists and there were a lot of them who identified themselves for a little talk.

She started this with a Rayna Gillman class in surface design which included silk screening.  Using masking tape she printed many times in multiple directions on her hand dyed fabric.  Jill is attracted to lines in her work.  
Choosing a section of the fabric she set in the yellow lines and added the special button. 

 

"Point of Reference"  Jill P. Hoddick - Portland, OR  6"W x 8"L

Silk screened cotton fabric, machine pieced and quilted. button embellishment.

This is a 1930's button from Jill's collection.   Note that is sewn on with yellow thread.

Jill is attracted to lines in her work.  

Jill put a label showing her info and contact on the back of her piece, even though it was matted.  I appreciate that because I will not leave the quilts in the matting and all will need labels.

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Asilomar 2nd day at Empty Spools/Asilomar 03-02-13

Oh, dear, I didn't mean to stay up so late.  As usual after class all day and hiking up and down the stairs and along the paths I am very tired.  But don't want to miss sharing part of the day with you.


One thing different at Asilomar this year is the construction going on.  They are renovating all of the paths and ramps and stairs, so the routes to different places on campus are strange.  This stairway goes up the side of the Pirate's Den building (one of the original 1920s sleeping locations) where my room is on the SE corner.  The room below me is blocked off and the forms are being set for ? concrete?  Several pathways that were always packed dirt have been repaved with beige bricks.
 

 
The driveway across the front of the Administration Building is torn up in preparation for repaving and the same for the small short term parking lot on the S side of the building.
 

Here is Rayna Gillman talking to her students in the morning.  The quilts behind her are part of the display of the artist-in-residence this week, Phyllis Binkley.

Today was devoted to cutting fabric strips and sewing them together in different widths and lengths.  These will be cut again and rearranged to make blocks for our quilts. 
 

A completed top and "Strip sets" by Eloise Catugno   Rayna Gillman class 03-02-13

Beautiful completed top by Dolores Roseveare.  Lots of Marsha Derse fabric in this one.  Rayna Gillman class 03-02-13
 

 
"Strip sets" by Jo Van Loo.  Rayna is encouraging us to "make stuff" using different colors and cuts, they won't  necessarily go in the same quilt.   Rayna Gillman class 03-02-13
 

Carole Pirruccello has cleverly fused her name in fabric to hang on her board.  She has completed a number of sets and some blocks.  Rayna Gillman class  03-02-13
 

Pippa Moore is using a limited palette for her strip sets and blocks.  Rayna Gillman class 03-02-13

Guess who is at Camp Del

Yes, it is the Poodle Prince!  I love having him, but he is demanding and takes up more of my time than I expect.  I'm trying to get ready to go to Empty Spools/Asilomar for classes with Ruth McDowell.  This is her last year of teaching, so it will be the end of a 21 year journey for me.  I don't know what I will do in the future, but Rayna Gillman is scheduled for 2013 and I might try to sign up for her class - whatever it may be.

How about "Friday Face"?

Guess this is how I truly appear to others.  Beth Smith, director of Visions Art Museum, took this "Glam shot" in the office when I was there on Wednesday preparing the layout for the 12X12 quilts that will be on exhibit starting February 3rd (that is the date of the opening event - mark your calendar).  The scarf is a new one from Rayna Gillman, who does every possible kind of surface design, and it is wonderful silk crepe - my favorite fabric for scarves.  I have become a collector of Rayna scarves - "two is a pair, three is a collection" - since I now have four in my drawer.    http://studio78notes.blogspot.com/


The event on Feb 3rd will include the 'reveal' of the new name of the large VAM gallery - the "Del Thomas Gallery" - and also celebrate my ongoing financial commitment to the Museum.  I have been to all eleven Visions exhibits over the years and try to be as involved as possible in what is going on at VAM.  Living 2 to 3 hours north sometimes makes it difficult, however, I can send money and so can you!  With the "Great Recession", as the media has termed it, all non-profit organizations are hurting.  You can help by becoming a member and participating in those programs that are open to members all over the world, including an opportunity to exhibit and sell your work.  Every membership and every donation helps the continued operation of the Museum.    http://www.visionsartmuseum.org/ 

Thanks to Lisa Broberg Quintana, whose Blog is among my daily "reads", for the kind words she posted yesterday.   http://michigoose-life-quilts.blogspot.com/
 

Monday Browsing 12-04-11

I am a big fan of the very inventive Rayna Gillman who has a new book out explaining her methods for creating original "Free Form Quilts".  Alex Anderson interviewed her and let the camera continue to roll for a personal conversation afterward.  You will find the URLs on Rayna's Blog:  Rayna is tentatively scheduled to teach at Empty Spools at Asilomar in 2013.
http://studio78notes.blogspot.com/2011/12/i-finally-watched-it.html 
To order a signed copy of this inspiring book go to: 
http://studio78notes.blogspot.com/p/raynas-new-book.html


Nothing to do with quiltmaking, but if you are a reader you will probably find it interesting: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2011/11/the_wondrous_database_that_reveals_what_books_americans_checked_out_of_the_library_a_century_ago_.html

Buttons, pins, and other goodies that are different than what I usually find. Check out the pages for Buttons & Pins and Silver Charms. http://www.countrystitchesonline.com/

http://nationalchristmascenter.com/  The National Christmas Center overflows with hundreds of thousands of Christmas items, some more than 200 years old. The 20,000 square feet center features 14 yuletide fantasy worlds including a replica of a Woolworth's 5 & 10 Cent Store (which originated in Lancaster).


Woolworth's 5 & 10 Cent Store:

http://www.nationalchristmascenter.com/exhibits/htm/woolworth.htm

Virtual Tour of Woolworth's:

http://nationalchristmascenter.com/virtual/pano46d/virtual.aspx

Video tour of the National Christmas Center w/Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/266779/national-christmas-center


A great dog show with rescued dogs (from Germany?) http://www.flixxy.com/dog-show.htm

The very best seedless raspberry jam (from Oregon) http://berriesinajar.com

I took the fun class with Jane LaFazio today, but I am somewhat exhausted and can't process the pictures - I'll post about the class tonight (Tuesday). 

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Photo experiment & Rayna Gillman post 12-09-10

Yesterday I had lunch at a local eatery named Rutabegorz which is a holdover from the Hippie food of 1970. The original is in Fullerton, but there are also locations in Orange and Tustin (where I ate yesterday). The food is organic, big on veggies, huge salads, hearty soups and some 'funky' dishes, too. Anyway, I was sitting there with my latte in a Xmas mug, which I think is very cute (it is also very much like a design I did for a quilt about thirty years ago), and I tried a half dozen photos to see what I could do with the very busy background I would get. These two images are the two best, however, they are highly modified. I have found that I enjoy digital photography more and more - it is fun to take a not very great image and use the different functions of a photo program to improve it.

If you are a quiltmaker I hope you will take the time to read Rayna Gillman's Blog for today. She makes some very good points about exhibiting your work.
http://studio78notes.blogspot.com/2010/12/juried-vs-curated-or-invitational-shows.html

Dinner with the teacher 05-13-10

Del Thomas and Sally Collins at Cedar Creek Inn, San Juan Capistrano, CA.

Yesterday after the workshop everyone was invited to join Sally for dinner, but only four of us could make it. It is not something I get a chance to do very often because I don't take many workshops. It was a lovely meal in lovely company - we sat on the patio and the weather was just perfect. Sally is speaking this evening at Beach Cities QGuild, but I couldn't go. And she will be giving at least one workshop for that guild, so she will have her fill of Orange County quilters.

(I am wearing one of my hand-screened Rayna Gillman scarves.)

Linda Morand (California) identified the ground cover in the images I posted on Monday as Dymondia margretae or "Silver Carpet". In case any of you wondered!

Pitiful experiments 05-04-10

I've tried so many ideas with Rayna Gillman's "challenge" and few have worked as I thought they might. One thing I had hoped to do is modify the fabrics in the block with some kind of paint. I have a small selection of things I have tried over the years, including Shiva paint sticks, but I haven't used any of them for a very long time. I have only used the metallic sticks in the past. But I got them out, peeled them, found a rubber stamp design to make a rubbing and rubbed away. But the metallic seems sort of 'over the top'. Today I stopped at a shop that has a nice selection of items for the art quilt maker - Soft Expressions is an online business that also welcomes walk-in customers and their office/warehouse is only about a mile from my house. http://www.softexpressions.com/index.html

And I bought some non-metallic Shivas. After I had experimented a bit I remembered what I had heard about them being more difficult to use than the metallic ones. The putrid green on the right is actually supposed to be yellow and it has a pattern from the rubber stamp I rubbed it on. The white is a little grainy, but the black went on smoothly. At any rate, I don't think Shivas are what I need on this project. But I will keep working at the challenge. I do feel bad about missing the deadline, but sometimes life gets in the way of what we might prefer to be doing.

I still have Corky and will need to get him to his grooming appointment in LBeach by 8:30am. When his parents arrived at Dulles Airport this morning they discovered that JetBlue had screwed up their reservations and the first flight they could get out on is tomorrow morning at 7am Eastern time. So, I had better get some sleep.

Rayna's Ancient Block Challenge 04-22-10

About a month ago Rayna Gillman was rediscovering some UFOs that she had stashed away a very long time ago. This block came from a quilt top of equally appalling blocks and she wondered about cutting them all up and creating something new and freewheeling. Asking for volunteers she was able to pawn off the blocks on online friends - including me. I've done a step-by-step of what I have done and will post each step.

The challenged must have their 'results' done by April 27th so they can send a jpg to Rayna and she is planning on posting them all.

I did not photograph the original block she sent to me, but immediately ripped out all the seams, pressed the nine components, fused them to Wonder-Under and squared them up to 5.25". Pinning them to a portable board in their original layout I took this picture and commenced to move, cut, rearrange, etc.. I have hauled them around the house so I could look at them, no matter where I was or what I was doing. To me, this is a logical method of working.

Today I had a major molar removed because it had cracked vertically and there was no saving it. Although it took longer to pull it out than I had expected, it is not painful at all. I have followed the instructions to ice it for 20 minutes out of every 30 for 8 hours and have taken Tylenol every 5 hours. I have also rested in bed with my head elevated on two pillows and taken the antibiotic prescribed. All the while contemplating my 'challenge block' - when I wasn't snoozing or reading. I can see that the direction I was going is not very inventive, so tomorrow I will give it some more thought. It is easier to do this without having to actually sew it together - just move the pieces around until I like the way it looks and then hit them with the iron. I've tried about six different background fabrics, but haven't found the right one yet. I am also working on the Surfside QG N/L to be posted on Tuesday. Busy gal.

Rayna's Quilts 06-16-09

Click on photos to enlarge.

This is "Tea Leaf" the Rayna Gillman quilt that is part of TCQC. It is a whole cloth quilt made, of course, from her original fabric.
She brought about a dozen quilts to share with us - they are not large quilts since she needed to squeeze them into her suitcase. But WOW, the fabrics are stunning. I don't know the names of the quilts, however the point is for you to see the fabrics she creates.

This is a pieced quilt using just Rayna's fabrics.

This is a whole cloth quilt - fabric by Rayna.

This is a pieced quilt made from a combination of Rayna's fabrics and a few commercial fabrics.

Not a good picture and I don't know if this quilt even has a name, but it immediately said, "Bath Houses in Love" to me! I believe this is a combination of Rayna fabric and commercial fabric. The light colored quilt on the table is also one she brought with her on this trip.

The yellow "wheel" behind her is part of a hand press for students making original prints - makes an interesting background. The class was held in the print classroom at Fullerton College. since school is out for the summer it was convenient for each of us to have lots of room to spread out.

Rayna's website: www.studio78.com Rayna's Blog: www.studio78notes.blogspot.com

Deconstructed Screen Printing 06-15-09

Click on photos to enlarge.

Here is Rayna Gillman from New Jersey who does fabulous dyeing. She is in SCalifornia on a teaching trip and I snagged a spot in her two day class this past weekend in Fullerton (next town over from Placentia). She kept reminding us that there are no mistakes in this process - just opportunities to overprint, discharge, stamp, etc. until one is happy with the fabric created. I wish I could have gone on to the five day class she is doing this week at Quilters Studio in Newbury Park (northeast of Los Angeles). But I had already scheduled some things for the week and it wasn't possible. I KNOW they are having fun from the blogs I read.

Here are the "principals" in this event - from the left: Rayna Gillman, teacher; organizer Carol Henke; organizer Holly Lester. Out in the hall on a drying rack to Holly's left is a piece that I screen that reminds me of a horror movie or a massacre - it is so bloody red. But I can keep adding layers until I like what I have - or I can cut it up and use it for red pieces in a quilt.

This image is of a screen prepared for printing - it looked so great I thought I should have a picture of what I started with. I printed five images with the screen, each a little different, until there wasn't enough dye left to make much of an impression. I will post those five later so you can see a progression (or you can check on Rayna's blog right now). I didn't ask the other students if I could post their work on my blog, when I have secured their assent I will post a few pictures. However, Rayna has posted some excellent images.

Yes, it is Rayna and Del in the classroom. Rayna is wearing a hand dyed shirt made by a friend, but not using the methods we were learning. And I am wearing an original Rayna scarf that I had just purchased from her. I have worn with orange and teal and beige and they all looked great, I think it is an excellent addition to my "wardrobe".

See Rayna's work on her website: http://www.studio78.net
Read her blog at: http://www.studio78notes.blogspot.com
Buy her book "Create Your Own Hand-printed Cloth: Stamp, Screen and Stencil with Everyday Objects" - from C&T Publishers 2008 Or buy it directly from Rayna.

There are also photos on Cindy Cooksey's blog: http://www.cookseyville.blogspot.com

Sorry, no post 06-16-09

I had the pictures all set up, but blogger won't let me post them! Haven't a clue why not. I'll try later this morning. Please let me know if you cannot see the images in any post - sometimes there will be a box with a smaller square containing a red X - as those images have disappeared and I will need to replace them.

06-17-09 It is a bigger problem than I thought and blogger still won't let me upload pictures. I'll keep working at it. Please, check back tomorrow.

By the way, Rayna is teaching at Quilters Studio in Newbury Park, CA. through Friday and their newsletter said it was okay to come by and see what they are doing. If you live in the area you might do that to see if you would like to take a Rayna class in the future. http://www.quiltersstudio.com

Del-at-home