More Fiber Postcards - from 2006 09-18-09

Since I have postcards on my mind and I don't want to share what I am working on I'm sharing some from the past. These were all part of the FFAC sale at Quilt Festival 2006 and measure 6"W X 4"L. The "pumpkin" background is a scrap from my quilt "Cactus Flower", the rest of the backgrounds are strip pieced from my scrapbag. I should have gone back and cropped these a little more... too late now!

"Bluebird in the Pumpkin Patch" Postcard Del Thomas Aug 2006

Owned by Ruth Powers of Carbondale, KS

"Little Green Bird" Postcard Del Thomas Aug 2006 Owned by Franki Kohler Oakland, CA

"Duck in a Maze" Postcard Del Thomas Aug 2006 Owned by Jeri Riggs of Dobbs Ferry, NY

"Green Bird" Postcard Del Thomas Aug 2006 Owned by Katherine Ferris Nicholson of Vermont

Terry Grant quilt from TCQC 03-29-09

"Judith's Garden" Terry Grant 2005 21"W x 28"L

Commercial Cotton Fabrics, inkjet printed fabrics, fused applique, machine quilted.

Terry created this piece in 2005 for a guild challenge on the theme "The Unexpected". The original title was "Judith's garden was unexpectedly successful this year". A part of the challenge required the use of one of the printed floral fabrics designed by Jane Sassaman. Using additional Jane Sassaman floral prints, Terry individually cutout the floral motifs to combine into a new floral design.

The figure of Judith is Terry's own design, created in Illustrator and inkjet printed onto cotton fabric. The fused composition was layered and machine stitched and quilted. This piece was the first place winner in the challenge competition and one of the pieces Terry has most enjoyed making in all of her quilt making experience.

Cancer has had a devastating impact on Terry's family and she was proud to donate this piece to the 2008 FFAC Invitational Reverse Auction to help raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

Terry Grant has a degree in art and was a painter and printmaker before turning her attention to fabric art. Her work has appeared in several books and magazines and has been exhibited at the Houston International Quilt Festival, Quilt Expo in Lyon, France, The Association of Pacific Northwest Quilters in Seattle and numerous regional and local shows. One of her quilts traveled with "Fine Focus '06", a national juried show of small format art quilts. Terry and her husband live in Beaverton, OR, where she has her own lovely garden and a cute and happy grandgirl.

http://andsewitgoes.blogspot.com/

I purchased this quilt from the FFAC Invitational Reverse Auction and feel I was lucky to capture it. Although it was shown on my blog last April while hanging at the desert house, I feel that it is appropriate for the spring season after the difficult winter endured by much of the USA.

I will still be on 'sabbatical' into the coming week. Be sure to check back next Sunday. Love, Del

Results of Special Event

The Fiberart For A Cause Reverse Auction raised $6250 for the American Cancer Society. Not a record, but still a nice donation. All of the quilts were sold. This was the last of Virginia Spiegel's FFAC auctions. Thanks for your participation. Raised $6250 for the American Cancer Society

Reminder of special event 03-25-09

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

A note from Virginia Spiegel
The Fifth and Final Reverse Auction opens today, March 24, at 10 a.m. CST with 100% of the proceeds donated directly to the American Cancer Society: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ReverseAuctionArtwork2009.html
The minimum donation will drop each day through Thursday, March 26. Wait too long and your favorite piece of fiber art will be gone! The generous artists who have donated their fiber artwork include:
Natalya Aikens
Gerrie Congdon
Marjorie DeQuincy
Rayna Gillman
Carol Larson
Linda Teddlie Minton
Susie Monday
Judy Coates Perez
Leandra Spangler
Roxane Stoner
Don't forget that you have two additional ways to support FFAC before it fades off into the sunset. You still have time to meet the April 1 jpeg deadline to donate artwork to Collage Mania and Collage Mania itself opens on May 5. All the details are here: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageManiaCall08.html

Thank you for your ongoing support of Fiberart For A Cause.
Warm regards,Virginia

Quilt from TCQC

The Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection started out with just medium to large quilts, but as artists made smaller works I added some of those. Finally, as the Collection grew larger I divided my files into quilts greater than 24" in any direction and those less than 24". It makes storage and record keeping easier and helps when I am putting together a trunk show. Quilt auctions have become more common (there were three online quilt auctions at the same time this in Oct/Nov) and the quilts made for these auctions are usually medium to small sizes. So, it is a great place for new or aspiring collectors to find quilts that they like.

"Haiku" Karen Stiehl Osborn 2003 9"W x 17"L

This quilt was part of the 2005 Fiberarts For A Cause online auction. I was attracted by the depth Karen has achieved and the density of the blue color. She creates her own cloth to use in her quilts and also does paper for her wonderful paper collages. The three rectangles represent the three lines of a haiku, making it a 'visual haiku'. www.KarenStiehlOsborn.com

A funny story about this piece - when I bought it I knew I would be out of town for several weeks, so I ask that it be sent to a friend. While I was gone I called to ask her if it had arrived and she said yes. She thought it was very nice, but she said, "I guess I need new glasses, I can't read a single word". We had a laugh when I told her that nobody can, they aren't real words, they just resemble them.

Information on the 2009 Fiberarts For A Cause auction at:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ReverseAuctionInformation2009.html

Christmas Shopping 12-17-08

Everyone is concerned about what is going to happen with our economy, apparently even Queen Elizabeth II. Artists are especially hard hit because what they have to offer is not vital to life and limb. Many are offering specials on their work and some are making smaller quilts to accommodate smaller pocketbooks. Lend your support by shopping artists' offerings.

Jeanne Williamson organized a site with offerings from many artists in different disciplines: http://www.smallartshowcase.com/

Elizabeth Barton added another 'page' to her blog: http://ebartonstore.blogspot.com/

Karen Stiehl Osborn has a page of collage pieces on sale at: http://www.karenstiehlosborn.com/Gallery/HolidaySale.htm

Fiberart For A Cause has merchandise related to this project to raise money for cancer research on their Cafe Press site: http://www.cafepress.com/virginiaspiegel

Virginia Spiegel has a series at a special price: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/PeaceSeries.html

I am sure there are other special offerings. If you send me the URL I will post it on my blog. I don't have a huge exposure, but every little bit helps.

Collage Mania 05-04-08

Collage Mania offered by Fiberart For A Cause in support of the

American Cancer Society

All of the money raised goes directly to the ACS.

Coose from 235 donated collages by 100 artists from around the world.

Go to: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageMania081.html

Monday, May 5, 2008 starting at 9 a.m. CST

All collages available for a minimum donation of $80.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 starting at 9 a.m. CST

All collages available for a minimum donation of $40.

This is one of four collages that Karen has donated - Hope, Faith, Charity and.........

Karen Stiehl Osborn
Love
7"h x 5"w
Cotton cloth, papers, acrylic paint, pigment dye, ink

Fiberart For A Cause 04-24-08

Denise Aumick

Stone House Window10”h x 8”wPhoto, modeling paste, plaster tape,acrylic paints, pigments. Created and mounted on 10"x8"mat board,signed, dated and ready for framing.
=========================

More than 100 artists worldwide have donated 235 fiber collages to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Collage Mania will be held May 5 and 6 with a preview of all collages beginning April 28. More information is available here: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageManiaDetails.html

100% of the proceeds are donated directly to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause which has already donated more than $150,000 towards cancer research and education in the past three years.

FFAC over & BCQG meeting 03-13-08

The FFAC Reverse Auction ended today and Virginia Spiegel is happy with the $8794.00 that was raised for the American Cancer Society. All but one of the pieces sold. I bought Terry Grant's "Judith's Garden" for the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection. And Karey Bresenhan bought my "Color Bowls - Two" for her personal collection. Needless to say I am pretty stoked about that! Check out the rest of the quilts and their purchasers at

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ReverseAuctionArtwork2008.html

This evening I went to the monthly meeting of Beach Cities Quilters Guild which meets in San Juan Capistrano. Although I am a long time member I don't go very often because it is almost 80 miles round trip. Tonight I went because a quorum was needed and although there are over 500 members, fewer than half are at any one meeting. So, I drove down to visit with friends and to be there for the voting. It is a wonderful group of ladies and they are always doing something interesting. This quilt is the opportunity quilt for the quilt show early in June - just as wonderful as all those of previous years. I will happily sell you a ticket! 1 for $1 or 6 for $5. Put a comment on this post or e-mail me at DELQLTS@aol.com

FFAC Reverse Auction 03-11-08

Just a reminder that the Fiberart For A Cause Reverse Auction is taking place this week. All of the money raised goes directly to the American Cancer Society, a cause I especially support because my husband died of a brain tumor in 1990. This auction is the major annual fundraiser for FFAC, so take a look, you might find some fiber art you love.

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ReverseAuctionArtwork2008.html

Woad 02-24-08

Seeing the picture of the kimono jacket in the FFAC Reverse Auction reminded me of a quilt I made in 2005 for "Healing Quilts in Medicine", a project started by my friend Judy House to brighten the chemo waiting area at Walter Reed Medical Center. The 37 quilts depict plants/creatures that are used or have the potential to be used in the fight against cancer. You can read about the project at http://healingquiltsinmedicine.org/index.htm

And see the quilts at http://healingquiltsinmedicine.org/quilt_gallery.htm

Judy died before the project was completed, but her good friends and students in Virginia continued working until the quilts were hung in 2006.

"Woad" Del Thomas 2005 24"W x 30"L

I chose this plant to be the image on my quilt because indigo blue is one of Judy House’s favorite colors. Woad is a dye plant used for thousands of years in Northern Europe. Although the flowers are yellow, when the plant is used as a natural dye the dye color is a blue very much like indigo. Woad can be found along roadsides and in fallow fields through the Western USA, although it is not a native and is listed as a noxious weed in many states. It would be ironic if a plant that is considered an agricultural pest should prove to be a treatment for cancer.
Techniques: Machine piecing, Machine quilting.
Materials: Commercial cotton fabrics, cotton thread and batting.

FFAC Reverse Auction 02-21-08

All of the art work offered in the Fiberarts For A Cure reverse auction is now on view at:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ReverseAuctionArtwork2008.html

This is the piece I contributed "Color Bowls - 2" which is 17"W x 23"L.

The auction starts on March 10th, but right now is the time to get the information out there to everyone I, or you, can think of. I hope you will pass the above URL on to your friends and ask them to pass it on to their friends. Curing cancer is an important cause, so help us as much as you can by letting everyone know about this event.

This is a different detail than the one I previously posted and it shows the stitching on the 'bowls'.

"Color Bowls - Two" 02-08-08

Installing the exhibit at Back Porch was a very special event, but there was another special event in my life yesterday.

"Color Bowls - Two" Del Thomas 2008 17″W x 23″L

Virginia Spiegel introduced the quilt I donated to the FFAC Reverse Auction - 2008 when she posted it on her blog yesterday and explained about the auction. Check it out at: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/archives/date/2008/02/07/

FFAC raises money for the American Cancer Society and this auction is one of the major fund raisers each year. I am particularly dedicated to supporting this cause because eighteen years ago my husband died of a brain tumor. I hope that my small efforts will help find a cure for all types of cancers - sooner rather than later. I am very proud to be among such talented artists who are trying to make a difference with their art. On March 10th I will remind you that the auction is open!

Mistyfuse 12-06-07

A post script to 12-05-07 post. I should have mentioned that during the month of December Iris Karp of Mistyfuse is donating 20% of all Mistyfuse sales from http://www.mistyfuse.com to Fiberart For A Cause which raises money for the American Cancer Society through the sale of fiber art donated by the artists. This is a project I have been involved with since it's inception - I strongly support both FFAC and AMC. I hope you will stock up on Misty Fuse and help us raise more money!

eBook for American Cancer Society 10-06-07

Need some inspiration? Virginia Spiegel, who has spearheaded the campaign within the quilting community to raise money for the American Cancer Society, has an eBook coming out with all the proceeds going to the ACS.

All of the details are on Virginia's website: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/NewFiles/ACSFundraiser.html

From Virginia's press release:"My eBook "Art, Nature, Creativity, Life" will be released on Monday, October 8 with all proceeds going directly to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause."Art, Nature, Creativity, Life" is an expanded version of the best of my e-newsletters. There are 19 chapters stuffed with essays, art, photos, annotated book recommendations, and poetry.Make a cup of tea, settle into your favorite chair and wander through the issues at your leisure. You can spend ten minutes and be refreshed or spend several hours enjoying art, nature, poetry, photography and my take on the life of an artist. Enjoy and be inspired.My goal is to raise $30,000 to join the more than $130,000 that Fiberart For A Cause has already raised for the American Cancer Society."