Looking back one year. Feb 8, 2025

Last year this week I was in San Diego taking a dye painting class with Pat Pauly.   What a rood experience that was.  I shared an  AirB&B with Pat, only a few blocks from the spacious two room classroom.  There were  some amazing artists in  the group  - some experience, but mostly, like me, very much beginners.  Pat is a great teacher and  keeps things moving along.   We pressed, stroked, rubbed, stamped, rubbered, stenciled, painted...... well, anything one can to with thickened dye on fabric.  Messy, but amazingly freeing to the creative spirit.   I haven't kept track of who made most  of these pieces, but each student created to their own tune.

All the pieces are in their faw state: unrinsed, washed, or pressed. 

Using a piece of truck tire tread picked up on I-5.

Some students see things more realistic. 

We also dined out - very well.

Now, a year later, I am recovering from the RSV and coughing much less.  Hope to feel well enough tomorrow to maybe walk around the  cul de sac with KoKo.  

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Quilt from TCQC 05-19-24

Here is another 12X12 quilt from the SAQA online auction -  Purchased in 2012, a long 12 years before  I took her six day printing class in February this year.  This was before she started using her own printed fabric almost exclusively.  I learned a lot in her class this year,  primarily that printing fabric takes a lot of stamina and hard work.  I did print some pieces that I like very much, but doubt if I will do much more printing.   However, I am more than willing to buy what she prints and maybe  another of her fascinating quilts.     www.patpauly.com

Pat Pauly quilt from SAQA online auction      01-06-13

I was so taken with Pat Pauly's "Pink Leaf 2" in the Quilt National exhibit at San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles last spring that I went home and looked up her website.  I'm impressed with her work and hope to add a large quilt to the Collection.  Meanwhile I am enjoying this 12"x12" piece - a great combination of colors and textures.  


"Petite Mummy 2"  Pat Pauly - New York  2012  12"x12"
Commercial and hand-dyed fabrics are stamped, foiled and machine quilted.
www.patpauly.com

I asked Pat about the title - what does the quilt have to do with mummies?  She replied that "The form of the mummy bag, just like the one that is used to sleep in while camping, is a stand-in for a person or personality.  So, they become 'figures' so to speak." 

 
This type of foiling, like it has weathered away, is pleasing to my eye.
 

 
A commercial batik and a nice hand-dye with yellow scribbles on the red.
 

 
Pat has machine stitched her last name and the year on the lower right corner of the front. 

 
A nice "pebbled" batik on the back. 

 
But no label!  Instead she has attached a business card.  I haven't decided how to deal with this.  Maybe sew a little net pouch on the back to encase the card.  I have written the size (and it really is 12 inches square) and the year.

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More quilts from Empty Spools 04-23-24

Not many tonight, I am still just sooo tired.  I did not take as many photos as I thought. I guess I was too busy answering questions and talking quilts. These two quilts were on the stage.

"A Rash of Flamingos"   Ruth B. McDowell  - Minnesota  2000

Using her unique piecing technique Ruth created this fabulous flock.  It seems to be the most popular quilt in TCQC.

Cotton fabric, thread, batting.  Machine pieced and quilted.  52"LX100"W

"Oregon Rain"  Pat Pauly - NY 2023

Printed using silk screen, rubbing, masking, scrappers, etc..

Machine pieced, machine quilted.  52"X104"

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More images from Pat Pauly class 02-19-24

On this holiday honoring POTUS we recognize all the Presidents, good, bad, and abysmal.  Hope  you enjoyed the "free" day.  Here  it rained off and on all day and is raining now at almost midnight.  We need the rain, but it does cause problems. The city has canceled the grand re-opening of the park behind our house.  I am very curious to see the larger part that I cannot see from  our backyard.  

Here are some more pieces from Pat Pauly's students.  If you can identify any of  the creators, please let me know.  There  were a number of purple fans in the class.

But, of course, every color and variation thereof was used. 

Yvonne Perez Collins

Some of the work will be whole cloth quilts, but I imagine most will  be  cut  up  and  used for piecing or applique.   Here are a few ready  to be quilted. 

Andrea Bacal

Enough for tonight. 

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Images from students printing on fabric class 02-17-24

 

Pat Pauly and Del Thomas with "Oregon Rain" Pat's quilt that is part of TCQC.

Strawberries by Deb MacKay, who experimented with combining different techniques.

Terry Gardella

I especially admire this soft color piece by Andrea Bacal.  So much like autumn with the light morning fog.  This is not silk screened, but softly rollered with the template underneath. 

The subject of the class was Motif and Kay Laboda worked with Ginkgo leaves.  So graceful  and great color. 

Lots of dots going on, not necessarily perfectly round dots.  

Leaves were popular, probably because Pat used a leaf as a demo and suggested it as a basic shape to  begin with.  The bottom picture are my beginnings, using a commercial stencil borrowed from another student. 

More images at a later date.

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Home again 02-14-24

Hope you had a loving/lovely Valentine's Day.   💓  My thoughtful neighbor came with a card and bag of chocolate hearts.   But I spent the day napping and slowly putting things away.  Did  one load of laundry, but must do another load with just the clothes with dye on them. Didn't want tinted undies!   And I must start  washing out the fabric that I printed in class; it is an intensive project of many cold water rinses, several warm/hot water rinses, and, finally, hot water in the  washing machine with Synthrapol.  I have a front loader, so I'm not sure how well it will work, but that is what i  have.  Can't do everything at once, therefore it will probably be an  all day effort.

I left SDiego about 7:45am yesterday to arrive  at Nancy Ota's at  9am.  I thought  I would take KoKo to the quilt guild meeting, but Nancy suggested  we leave him at her house and I ride with her to the meeting.  It worked out fine and after the meeting we drove back to her house, loaded up KoKo's luggage, and I drove home in light afternoon traffic.  After unloading the essentials,  I  just  passed out for a  couple hours until it was time  to take KoKo for his  walk.  We strode along  quickly with my  new pacemaker showing  it's stuff.  Feels GREAT to not be dragging my body along and sitting down sometimes at all five "seats" that I have been  using.  However, I will start soon with a personal trainer to try  to build up strength.

The pictures I couldn't edit and transfer are intact. I will try to edit them and get them posted, but also have the "official" photos from the  guild meeting to edit and forward to the newsletter editor and I need to do those first.  I will talk more about Pat Pauly's workshop in the future. 

Here is KoKo helping Nancy Ota hand quilt.

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Still in San Diego 02-10-24

Seems the rain has stopped for now,  but it is cold.  Down to 41F  at night and only  up to mid-60s in the day time.  No flooding at the house we have in Pacific Beach area.  

I have been working on the pictures, but cannot post  them.  The screen sneers back "pictures  will upload when  connected to wi-fi".   However, the settings say I AM connected  to wi-fi!  Yes,  I turned it off and back on.  Didn't help.  So no classroom pictures tonight.

Physically this  trip is a mistake, but since I signed up in September it wasn't possible to cancel in January.   I would forfeit my money and the  instructor, Pat Pauly would be without a dwelling and a driver.  However, I  am so glad I am here, the class is fascinating, the teacher is good (and a good roomie), and I am enjoying the adventure.   I plan to rest when I get home and start  with a personal trainer to get strength back.   So, all  is  well.   Tomorrow I will be alone here while others go to Coronado and hope to walk on the beach.   I will work trying to get the pictures to post and also do some paperwork I brought from home thinking I would have time to work on it.     It  is11pm and past time to be asleep. 

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Classwork with Pat Pauly 02-06-24

 It is too late and I MUST get to bed!!!    But here are a few  images of student work on the 2nd day of class.   I'll try harder tomorrow.  

Student and Pat work.  There is a huge mirror behind where Pat does her demos. 

I took this in the mirror as you can see me at the top near the middle. 

Student work, using direct application and some roller. 

Andrea Bacal work  using stencils with dye applied with roller. 

Del's piece of truck tire picked up years ago along I-5.  I have always wanted to use it for printing.  I put the print ready fabric on the piece tread and then applied the dye with a roller. This is four  "squares".  I have since printed over it with a different color. 

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