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Inspiring Quilting: Elly's blog to boost your creative IQ

Boring vs. badly made

July 28th, 2013

True confessions, and I’m not embarrassed to tell: One, I’m addicted to TV’s Project Runway. You know, the reality show where creative clothing makers compete in challenges week after week until one is chosen as tomorrow’s top designer, and lavished with cash and prizes to set up a biznez.  And two, I LOVE the Quiltart network — the longtime listserv for contemporary art quilters. Many of my “best friends I’ve never met” are fans–and fanatical–about PR (Project Runway, though it has a LOT in common with Public Relations–more on that later). In fact, they are the ones who turned me onto this show in the first place. After each weekly challenge–and we’ve now seen two of season 12, quilt artists rush to post critiques, not only on what the the designers put on the runway, but also on the validity of the judges’ decisions.  It’s all totally relevant to what we do as art quilters: cuz we understand that the rules of great design apply to art in the medium of quilting as easily as they do to wearable art and artful fashion.

The most recent discussion on quiltart was at first devoted to expressing horror that designers with really, really, really lousy workmanship were kept in the competition, while those whose clothes were well constructed but ho-hum got an auf Wiedersehen (kiss goodbye). And I totally agreed with them.

But then Toni of Milwaukee posted on quiltart, and I totally agreed with her: “In all the changes with PR over the years, one rule has prevailed. When confronted with two really atrocious outfits–one dull and one crazy-dull and boring ALWAYS goes home. The thinking is that a designer who does boring work will never amount to much, while one with a promising idea but is over-the-top crazy, can be “molded” or trained. Bad execution can often be overlooked with a good design, but skillful execution will never rescue a poor or boring design. The gal who stayed had a great idea, albeit very ambitious for a one-day challenge.”

Yup, art and design are about concepts that resonate, innovation that’s daring. That’s why, my sisters and brothers, we take delight in the Gees Bend quilts…or other masterpieces where intent and individuality and composition trump traditional rules of quilt construction. That’s why we art quilters require venues out of the mainstream, where our work can be seen and judged without adherence to rules about number of layers, type of stitching, precise 90 degree corners,  perfectly mitered bindings, and neat backs. Our Seamsters’ Union (sic) welcomes outlaws of the outfit and sewing subversives, and we treasure Quilt National, Visions, Art Quilt Elements. Such highly selective venues pay us the honor of defining art quilts broadly.

OK, now: To check out the Project Runway fashions and read the mostly delightfully snarky, no-holds-back commentary, meet me in Tom & Lorenzo’s Lounge.

The vast majority of watchers were sad to see Kahindo Mateene  kicked off Project Runway this past week. She has a wonderful way with African fabrics, and will go far staying true to her Ugandan roots. Just not as a TV contestant forced to work with parachute fabric and precious old-world Euro jewels. We also saw promise in Angela Bacskocky who was sent home the week before.

But PR is about PR. Project Runway has to be aware of relating to the public,  grabbing their attention and keeping them glued. Both the entertainment and the fashion industry have insatiable needs for showmanship as well as for creativity. For new for the sake of new and for surprises. And that extends to the designers themselves. The judges–and the show producers and directors behind them–demand crazy, larger than life personalities on camera. They’ll forgive bad fashion for a while at least, as long as the designers avoid committing the cardinal sin of being boring.

It took me a while to learn this lesson for my presentations for quilt guilds and quilt shops. That’s especially true for my Quilting Project Runway program. I am more than willing to make a complete fool out of myself. And invariably, the quilt guild members who blindly agree to model for me are incredibly good sports. They get to wear my slightly over-the-top fashions along with some absolutely ludicrous accessories. And I get to hope my audiences are so busy laughing over the wacky outfits that no one peers too closely at my workmanship. ..let alone looks at the insides and linings! Here I am in my appliqued kimono that has the word wit repeated in embroidery along the leaf tendrils.  I have all my wits about me, folks! And there’s no business like show business!jester-me

wits jacket

 

 

Posted in Wearable Art | 6 Comments »

6 Responses to “Boring vs. badly made”

  1. Toni Mitt says:
    July 28, 2013 at 11:22 pm

    Eleanor!
    I am honored that my observations about PR made your blog, and I love the idea of your Quilting Project Runway! Looks like very much fun.
    When you do log into Tom and Lorenzo’s site and read the comments, I post as “Call Me Bee”, in case you’re interested… 🙂

    Reply
  2. Maggie Winfield says:
    July 30, 2013 at 3:31 am

    Eleanor, I too am addicted to PR and love the show warts and all. Often people complain about the snarkieness of the designers, but frankly I love it all. I LOVE fashion and Drama. Your quilting PR looks like so much fun. Do you dress outrageous too?

    Reply
    • Eleanor says:
      July 30, 2013 at 7:39 pm

      I sure try to, cuz otherwise I can hardly ask the sweet, conservatively dressed guild member who just happens to be wearing the right color pants to agree to put on whatever is in the tote bag she’s handed!

      Reply
  3. Linda D says:
    July 30, 2013 at 4:47 am

    I think Toni says it all quite succintly. What I have learned by watching for several years is this: the words “looks like it could be bought in any store” or ” looks like a sale rack dress” damn it for sure. I can usually figure out which of the remaining three will be sent home. Boring is the kiss of death. A feisty designer with so-so skills will make it to the next challenge at least…drama sells! The first half of each season it is easier to figure out who might go home; the second half it gets significantly harder. My husband is not a fan, but we do discuss who is going to win if he is off work and has to watch it!

    Reply
  4. Linda D says:
    July 30, 2013 at 8:02 pm

    I forgot to remark on your Quilting Project Runway: what fun! I would love to see one of your “shows” in person! Keep up the good work.

    Reply

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Do your quilts look like you?

July 15th, 2013

It’s often said that people look like their dogs. Undoubtedly, when folks you look for a pet, on some level, mostly subconscious, they look for something that is a bit like them…in physical attributes or personalities.

At the opening reception of Sacred Threads art quilt exhibition on Saturday, I asked lots of the artists who attended to pose with their pieces.

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Susan Leonard with her “Silken Masks”

And in reviewing these photos two days later, I am struck by the similarities of the woman and her work. On some level, this is a well, duh! conclusion. Of course our art is a reflection of our essence, the depths of our emotion—from buoyant joy to the darkest depths of grief, our memories and dreams. Of course we choose the colors and patterns we love for making quilts for our walls as well as for clothing for our bodies.  I would go so far as to suggest that creative self-expression calls for an acceptance one’s self and a confidence to share: This is who I am.

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Pollution in the Gulf, by Marianne R. Williamson

Marianne with her granddaughter, Sabina

Marianne with her granddaughter, Sabina

Karen S. Riggins and her piece, “The Feminine Embraces”

 

Linda K. Bell with “Life is Change”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Shabbat Blessings," Susan L. Robbins

“Shabbat Blessings,” Susan L. Robbins

"Welcoming Doors," with Deborah Sorem

“Welcoming Doors,” with Deborah Sorem

 

French Canadian Dominique Ehrmann was invited by the Sacred Threads organizers to share her very large and dimensional installation, “Come and Follow Me.” It’s easy for me to see this artist in the folk-art figure of the girl as seen from the back. There’s an upbeat, bright, positively Pollyanna attitude about every layer of this stage-set, with many backstories to tell. And it certainly matches my impression of Dominique.

"Come and Follow Me," with the artist, Dominique Ehrmann

“Come and Follow Me,” with the artist, Dominique Ehrmann

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Detail, “Come and Follow Me”

I suppose it’s only fair to show my quilt and me (below), and ask if you see any similarities? That smokey gray aura around the pot and my face, the oval neckline and neck of the pot. A shape that’s currently more rounded and bulbous than I’d prefer, but at least good fortune has given me a richness of experiences, and filled me with ideas and inspiration.

Yours truly, Eleanor Levie, with"Vessel"

Yours truly, Eleanor Levie, with”Vessel”

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What do you think? Do we look like our art quilts?

Does your creative expression reflect your physical as well as psychological attributes? As we are created in the divine image, do we—subconsciously or consciously—replicate aspects of our own image or ourselves?

Posted in Art + Quilt, Inspiration, Personally Speaking | 12 Comments »

12 Responses to “Do your quilts look like you?”

  1. Carolyn Abbott says:
    July 15, 2013 at 9:16 pm

    Your examples show this quite well. I wonder how it would work to match Column A (photos of quilts) with Column B ( random photos of the quilters)?

    Reply
    • Eleanor says:
      July 17, 2013 at 1:21 am

      Sounds like fun! Reminds me: When Mark Lipinski was producing the Quilter’s Home magazine, I suggested he show celebrity quilters and ask readers to match up faces with shoes! Susan Shie wears different color Crocs, Jodie Davis is a fashionista in flats, Libby Lehman (continued wishes for a full recovery) works in her bedroom slippers, etc.

      Reply
  2. Sandy Snowden says:
    July 15, 2013 at 9:46 pm

    Maybe it is because you know these people. but I actually don’t see a connection. Sorry,to me they are photos of ladies next to what I am told is their work. I am not even familiar with their names!
    I would be interested to know what in the works made that connection for you? I don’t even see you as rounded as you think you are. There are plenty of people who are rounded, but you sure don’t fit that category!
    Sandy in the UK

    Reply
  3. Eleanor says:
    July 16, 2013 at 2:18 am

    I actually didn’t know any of the artists before Saturday’s reception–except Susan Leonard. I’m willing to bet it was pure coincidence that Susan dressed in solids, with a circle shaped pendant, yet it echoed her wonderful piece, one of my all-time faves. The swirling colors and textures in Maggie’s and Linda’s blouses seemed to coordinate with their pieces, and I’m sure that was not their intention. Don’t you think Dominique has a perennial girlishness to her style, with her figure seeming to be a younger version of herself? Round shapes are often used as symbols of femininity, and vessels as motherhood, so Karen and I seemed to adopt these forms. Of course, one can’t take this literally: I doubt that (m)any of the pieces in Sacred Threads are meant to be self-portraits. All art is subject to personal interpretation, and all artists hope our works will resonate with the viewer rather than merely capture our souls.

    Reply
  4. Lisa says:
    July 17, 2013 at 2:41 am

    No. Not at all. My quilts don’t look like me at all. Take a look at my blog and you’ll see my Sacred Threads quilt and I included two photos of me……so you can make the comparison even though I wasn’t able to be at the show (and deeply regret it….I had planned on coming).

    http://michigoose-life-quilts.blogspot.com/2013/07/sacred-threads-exhibition-2013.html

    Reply
  5. Cathy Perlmutter says:
    July 17, 2013 at 5:19 am

    Eleanor, I think you’re totally onto something with your theory!
    At the very least, quilters often wear fabrics that they also like to sew with. I know I do! I also buy interesting fabric shirts for my spouse!
    Now THAT would be a fun book: Portraits of quilters. their spouses, and their similar-looking quilts! (Throw in their pets, too, for a whole matching set!?)

    Reply
  6. Debra S says:
    July 17, 2013 at 10:55 pm

    I certainly didn’t plan to look like my quilt but the minute I saw the photo my friend took of me with my quilt, I thought that it was hard to tell where the quilt ended and I began! LOL!

    You can see the photo on my website, http://www.debraspincic.com or on Facebook.

    Reply
  7. Trisha says:
    June 16, 2018 at 2:19 am

    Yes, there are definately similarities between the ladies and their work, even if it were just in the type of clothing they choose, but their appearances share characteristics as well. This is an exercise we did at art school, matching up students and then other artists with their work, it is an accepted thing. The artists of the Bauhaus in Germany before the war, mainly Itten, observed that students choose to do work with materials that looked like them. For instance – cool ash blondes tended to choose to work with metals or smooth fabrics and wavy haired golden girls or boys tended toward rugged wood or thick tweedy fabrics, etc, etc. We are phycologically programmed to look for what reflects our own personalities and looks, even if its totally subconcious, which is fascinating.

    Reply
  8. Heather M Rockwell says:
    December 6, 2020 at 8:46 am

    Hi Eleanor,
    I remember the crafts that you made, you are so talented. I always was very fond of you, your artistic vision, and sweet demeanor. Just happen to see you here and wanted to say hi. This is Heather, who was your brother’s girlfriend back in 1994. Wow, that is a long time ago! I hope all is well.

    Reply

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The Very Quilty State

July 2nd, 2013

Nope, I’m not talking about a state of mind. I’m talking about one of the United States of America. And no, it’s not Kentucky, even though the AQS show in Paducah turns the quilting demographic on its ear for one week out of the year.

I’m talking about a state where all year ’round,  fabric hunters and gatherers treat their quiltmaking  as a way of life.  I’m talking about Alaska.

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I’m pointing out details of Seasons at Denali, by Ree Nancarrow; scroll down to see the whole tour de force.

I was invited by two guilds in the Anchorage vicinity to present trunk shows, fashion shows, and workshops. The husband joined me after my week of teaching trip, and we traveled to Denali and Seward. Seemingly everywhere I went beautiful quilts hung on display.  I admired how they occupied walls above or alongside a window, so the endless sun of summer solstice could not wreak havoc with the fabric dyes.

The charmingly rustic Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge featured them high accompanied with other trophy items:

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Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw quilts in restaurants: most noteworthy, the Snow Goose in Anchorage. Owner Jane Klopfer customized her wall hangings not only to the waterside site with its wonderful view of Sleeping Lady Mountain and the Cook Inlet, but also to each space, including a piece in the shape of a carpenter’s square–an “L” shape to fit around the restaurant store.

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It’s hard to choose a favorite among Jane’s many wonderful chef d’oeuvres, so instead I simply tried to choose a favorite among the local brews. Hmmm, better try one more, with a side order of pita chips and hummus!

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I found quilts hanging in bakeries, book stores, and government buildings. Little quilts were sold at the SeaLife Center in Seward, as well as in half the gift shops I browsed through.

And every other quilter told me not to miss the  four-paneled masterpiece at the Eielsen Visitor’s Center at Denali National Park and Preserve, and holy mackerel, were they right. The exquisite work by Ree Nancarrow depicts the awe-inspiring crescendo of life from the sub-zero, nearly dead of winter to the thundering herds and horticultural richness of the warmer months. An eloquent guru named Kevin who guided us through the park on a school bus (I heartily recommend the Kantishna Wilderness Trails road trip) challenged all his passengers to find the mosquitoes in the quilting. They’re there!

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Seasons of Denali, by Ree Nancarrow

The crown jewel of this quilt and of the park  is Denali, the highest mountain in North America; it’s alternatively known as Mount McKinley. Located in Alaska’s interior, it does seem to get the climate extremes.

Of course, no matter where you are in Alaska, it’s frigid and snow-blanketed much of the year. Any sane person given half a chance would wanna stay indoors and make quilts. When the weather warms up, many folks–women as well as men, go hook, line, and sinker after salmon, halibut, and cod. But if you’re like me, the only fishing you do is for compliments. In which case you’re apt to be a fabric-lover of a landlubber, sailing home from the quilt shop with precious booty, launching your latest project from the deck of your cutting mat, and steering it along with your sewing machine close at starboard.  Though come to think of it, I did meet at least a couple of quilters whose fishing boats are outfitted with a featherweight.

Anyhoo, it’s no fish tale: there are a LOT of savvy quilters in Alaska, and they’re kept happy by a goodly number of very good quilt shops. Each of them had a slightly different flavor, fabric inventory, and quilt samples for upcoming classes to lure in customers. I got to visit:

Dina’s Cozy Cabin Quilts  in Eagle River

Sylvia’s Quilt Depot in Wasilla

Just Sew in Palmer

The Quilt Tree and The Quilted Raven in Anchorage

(Geri and Maryellen–Did I miss any?)

Getting to see some gorgeous scenery was certainly a high point of my trip to Alaska. But even that was topped by the experience of getting to know some fabulous women. Whether at the top of their quilting game or not, all of them had hearts as big as the 49th state.

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Participants at my workshops each took a leap of faith, went on a wild and crazy adventure with me, and  created highly individualized, striking work, reflective of their singular personalities. I’ll soon be putting up pictures of the work they did on my workshop pages. Just scroll down past the description and supply list to view these creative geniuses in process.

Nine Patch Goes Wild

Weave a Skinny Quilt with Me

An Unforgettable Tote Bag

and Stretch Your Creativity

Check back here at these links later this fall to see if they’ve sent me pics of the finished projects!  Maybe by that time, I’ll be ready to post my own quilty reflections of Alaska in cloth. Sounds all soppy and cliche, but it really was the trip of a lifetime, and I’ve got enough visual memories and digital images from this trip to inspire quilts for the rest of my life.

Do you have a summer adventure planned to inspire your quiltmaking?

 

Posted in Art + Quilt, Inspiration | 3 Comments »

3 Responses to “The Very Quilty State”

  1. Sammie says:
    July 2, 2013 at 3:19 am

    Just plain Wow!

    Reply
  2. mariilyn wall says:
    July 3, 2013 at 11:36 am

    Always wanted to go to Alaska. This really makes me want to put it on my bucket list. Can’t wait to see the finished quilts.

    Reply
  3. Jeanne Marklin says:
    July 3, 2013 at 2:37 pm

    I went to SE Alaska in May. The beauty was truly overwhelming! We did an adventure cruise, and were in the Tsongas national park so we didn’t see any quilts. Did go to a nice shop in Juneau – I forget the name but it was lovely and I bought some fabric to remind me of Alaska later. Thanks for showing us quilts that were made by Alaskan quilt makers. Sounds like you had a great adventure too!

    Reply

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Are you game for a quilting challenge?

May 14th, 2013
Take 20, detail

Take 20, detail

The intriguing themes of the Quilt Alliance’s 20th anniversary contest and auction always jump start my creativity, and this year’s theme, “20” had me immediately sketching.  In fact, this is probably the first time I’ve had an idea and stuck with it. My inspiration was the crossed legs of a classic bistro table form  a double X, or XX — the Roman numeral for 20.

Friends and readers of this blog know about my fondness for upcycling foil-lined packaging. If you’re new to this blog, you may wanna look at my entire ReUse series before this one in my earlier post, Trash Stash Quilting. The great things about using trash are: free materials, no need to press, and the knowledge of helping the environmental situation that plagues our throw-away culture.

And the great things about making pieces for the Quilt Alliance’s annual fundraiser are: a push to produce work with definite guidelines, the opportunity to show work, the knowledge of contributing to this amazing organization, and, in my case, the freedom to exhibit in the public realm a piece that’s full of branding and logos many venues would not accept.

So I love this challenge, and pass along TWO challenges for you. First, you have until June 1 to submit your own “20” quilt. Dimensions must be 20″ x 20,” natch, and all the info is on the website provided above.

Second, and you may have to place the winning bid on my quilt in order to rise to this challenge, I incorporated a little “I Spy” game in my quilt: Find twenty 20’s–characters (like the XX table legs), text (there’s lots on the packaging, such as “Use before 2012” or the words for 20 in other languages), and quantities of items (5 Four-Patch blocks, 20 flowers).

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Maybe, just maybe, the number 20 marks your own anniversary, birth date of the month, sports hero jersey. But even if  20 has no special meaning for you, consider bidding on my quilt because of the advisory behind the title: It’s called “Take 20”– because everybody needs a break now and then, even if it’s just 20 minutes to enjoy a cuppa with a friend.

Alas, no time for that now—I’m off to mail in my entry!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Recycled Art, Unusual Materials | No Comments »

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Earth Day Dabbling

April 22nd, 2013

Went wOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAalking with the husband yesterday, snapping pics of all the early spring flowers.

In our ‘hood, even humble plant pairings in clay pots looked spectacular.

Doncha love pansies that combine unlikely colors? Gives you the feeling that such a color palette might also succeed in a quilt…

Walked to work in celebration of Earth Day today. OK, truth is, I always walk to work–as my office and sewing studio is in my house. But before I get down to the nitty gritty, I’m auditioning my photo faves as art quilt subjects. Oh, and playing around with basic photo editing.  Jasc Photo Album lets me brighten and add vibrancy…or use special effects to radically invert the color palette…

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Flowering trees–Japanese cherry trees, crepe myrtles, magnolias, and more gave otherwise gritty alleyways a blushing gracefulness. Please leave a comment if you can identify this tree for me!

A “solarizing” effect gave a softer, other-worldly glow that has, for me, a calming effect…perhaps the lack of contrast, and the cool blues and greens.

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We strolled through the ritzy Society Hill neighborhoods, where folks spend gobs of moolah on abundant plantings, no doubt professionally designed and installed.

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A special effects called Glass Blocks let me turn this into a beautiful abstraction. If you’re intoxicated with color, you might even envision a Drunkard’s Path quilt or a granny motif afghan for a different sort of flower bed. In any case, do enjoy wending your way along your own path, letting Mother Nature and Tanta Technology inspire creativity!

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Posted in Color, Flowers | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “Earth Day Dabbling”

  1. Fran Apland says:
    May 17, 2013 at 6:38 am

    This quilt is intriguing with the movement of the colors and the textural depth. Will it be traveling with you to Alaska? Look forward to meeting you in June. Fran

    Reply
  2. Eleanor says:
    May 17, 2013 at 11:20 pm

    Well, Fran, this quilt so far exists only in my manipulated photo. I do agree that it would make a neat work in fiber…and I’ll be sure to bring other examples of my crazy, eclectic work! I look forward to meeting you, too!

    Reply

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A Flower Show is rather like a Quilt Show…

March 5th, 2013

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The Philadelphia Flower Show is rather like a royal banquet: a feast for the eyes…and nose, for that matter. I’m not so green, having been to a few even in the years before my husband and I transplanted ourselves to within walking distance of the Convention Center.  So I can say with some ability to judge by comparison that this year is as sumptuous and exciting as any. Worry not that the theme of Great Britain provides the horticultural parallel to bland English food. Rather, the title: “Brilliant!” inspired exhibitors to bring on the riches and inspiration by the barrel.

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The Flower Show is rather like an art exhibit. As I constantly snapped pics–like everyone else holding up an Iphone, cell phone, Ipad, or humongous big box camera with telescoping lens–I realized that  the same elements that make art well, art, make for a successful floral arrangement or garden bed: color, contrast, value, line, texture, pattern play, composition, balance, rhythm, repetition.

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A flower show is rather like a collection of stories.  And storytelling is where the Philadelphia Flower Show exhibits are bloomin’ awesome.  The Commonwealth (of England, that is, not Pennsylvania) provides lots of inspiration for conjuring up romantic idylls—cottage gardens, rustic hideaways, Mary Poppins and Peter Pan roof-tops. There is more than a nod to literature, i.e., Beatrix Potter, Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen.

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Some of the very best scenes were inspired by Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Sherlock Holmes, and Harry Potter, though my flashbulb dispelled the magic of the dark spaces of  laboratories, back alleys and narrow passageways,  underground subway stations and ancient crypts.

Surely, the graphic jolt and nostalgic sentiments of books and text heightens the take-away of a flower show:

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Pop culture played loud and clear as well, with too many yellow submarines to count, and a Peter Max-like review of musicians playing on the Big Ben clockface screen.

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A flower show is rather a heady affair, and with a British accent and the most recent royal wedding, this means crowns and fascinators. You remember, those little headpieces that defy gravity as they perch atop the head? The breakout fashion accessory seen at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton? Lots of show-goers took advantage of a make-and-take opportunity and sported their fascinators through the show and out into the wintry winds. Of course, the headgear of the show were all composed of floral sprigs, stalks, berries, pods, leaves, moss, and fresh flowers.

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One popular feature of the flower show is rather like an exhibit of  dollhouses. There are always long lines to peer at the miniature displays, but at the end of the evening on a Monday, I was able to drag the husband through at a good clip. He admitted the prize winners were mind-bogglingly sophisticated, rather than cloyingly cute.

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A flower show is rather like a scavenger hunt: Looking closely rewards you with inspiration for recycled and unusual materials and containers.

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Come to think of it, the Philadelphia Flower Show delivers everything I love about quilts in a juried quilt show: all the elements of art and artistry, storytelling, surprising materials and innovative techniques, use of text and graphics,  fascinating wearables, and fabulous miniatures.

It even included a quilt hidden among the foliage! A priceless olde English heirloom you’d put out in the garden…methinks not! More likely, a tufted pinwheel pattern of feedsack fabrics, and downright American.

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Yes, a flower show is very like a quilt show. So you tell me, why do YOU think so many quilters are fond of gardening?

Posted in Color, Flowers, Inspiration | 9 Comments »

9 Responses to “A Flower Show is rather like a Quilt Show…”

  1. Karen Horton says:
    March 6, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    Eleanor, this is great — would love to see it. Not in the cards this year, but maybe next? So if you want company in 2014, holler!
    Can almost smell spring looking at the images.

    Karen

    Reply
  2. bonnie tarses says:
    March 6, 2013 at 4:21 pm

    Nice blog and great flower show! I love looking at flowers.

    Reply
  3. Carl Harringto says:
    March 6, 2013 at 7:53 pm

    “Brilliant” pictures and commentary.

    If you go to the flower show, don’t miss the Jack the Ripper exhibit. Dark and mysterious but a ripping good exhibit.

    Reply
    • Eleanor says:
      March 6, 2013 at 8:37 pm

      Here’s how it’s described in the Flower show notes: “This exhibit travels back to 1888 and the distorted, dark streets, the cold, factory-driven silhouettes of the East End, the back-alleys where illicit activities were the norm. And Jack the Ripper roamed.” Sounds dismal. Looks divine.

      Reply
  4. Heidi Butler says:
    March 7, 2013 at 1:02 am

    Beautiful writing. Not a prepositional pile-up in the piece. Gorgeous pictures. Makes even this failure of a gardener want to go to the show.

    Reply
  5. Beth Wheeler says:
    March 7, 2013 at 4:58 am

    This is fabulous Eleanor! It makes the small Home Show in Fort Wayne look mighty puny. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Leona Law says:
    March 9, 2013 at 4:58 pm

    Hi,
    Glad to see you remain a visual person. Photos make you feel almost a smell. Thanks for the visit!
    Hope to be in the city with Trina and Nancy, in the spring. We will call for a lunch date.
    Peace, Leona

    Reply
  7. HelenMarie Marshall says:
    April 23, 2013 at 1:45 am

    Think that is a flowering crabapple…maybe in latin is is a “prunus” something

    Reply

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More Trash into Treasures

January 30th, 2013

 

I admit it, I am a trashy art lover! No, not soft porn, or sexy comic-book art, but art that utilizes the graphic excitement of commercial packaging and found objects. With these imaginative concoctions, that which is usually thrown away gets a second life  worthy of our highest regard. Not to mention that each one is a treasure of entertaining pleasure.

Eileen Neill commented to my last blog post: “I too make art quilts from trash. there is a particular brand of potato chips (Miss Vickie’s) here in Canada that has a really nice bag. I have made many small wall quilts using these bags. I commission my grandchildren to eat the chips for me.”

missVickies(2)

Miss Vickie’s, by Eileen Neill

Fun! And makes me want to hit the pantry for some crunchy munchies myself!

I’ve shared in a previous blog how Amy Orr uses cut-up credit cards in her art. Get a load of another masterpiece with a diversity of discarded “gems.”

alphabetquilt (2)
Alphabet Quilt, by Amy Orr
Crack vials, action figures, miscellaneous plastic and metal fragments, Publishers Clearing House stamps and glass beads, hand-stitched onto velvet
41″ x 32″

Doncha LOVE it? Amy’s use of unusual trash and found objects always provide an underlying, almost subversive dimension to her collage fiber art. So, although you’re looking at a textural icon recalling a joyful classic juvenile quilt style, Amy is also commenting about the dark, dangerous horrors all too prevalent in the environment or future of a child living in urban poverty.

 

Ellen Saul, one of the  Dumpster Divers of Philadelphia now exhibiting in Upscaling: Trash into Treasures, used a stained, vintage hanky and vegetable bags, among other things, to make her little masterpiece, My Way, below. Excuse the glare from the glass, and like all these pieces, you just have to see them in the cloth! And, her other little hanky-pankies, on her website.

MyWay,EllenSaul

Another member of this esteemed group of artists bound together by their talent for taking trash to the max is Ellen Benson. With the understanding that art quilts are one step away from more 3-D forms of mixed media, you’re bound to fall under the spell of Ellen’s talismans (talismen? taliswomen?).

EllenBenson-talismans-3 EllenBenson-talismans (2)

In the event you need an extra reason to covet them, Ellen makes a variety of weathered, ancient-looking labels available, so you get to choose the figure you want, plus the nightmare you wish to ward off. I seem to need the one that says Amulet to protect me from my computer going down….Talisman to prevent cellulite…or to ward off loud cell-phone users. You might prefer  Protection from overwhelming urges to go shopping–although I think there’s only good karma in purchasing from Ellen or other artists at dumpsterdivers.org.

ellenbenson-labels (2)

Finally, let me share the work of one more Dumpster Diver in this show–soon to close at the Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, PA: a new and wonderful friend whose work was recently exhibited at the esteemed Snyderman-Works Gallery here in Philly: Linda Lou Horn.

LindaLouHorn-3

Linda Lou Horn

These “Ladies” are:

“Lit Up for You,” created with a parts of a lamp and other electrical components

Slinky Sally Shimmers, created with chair parts and part of a broom

Dart of My Heart, with a brush, doll shoes, and one found object that makes it an irresistible target for adoption.

If you like treasures from trash, green quilts, mixed media from found objects, please   comment below, share your work with me at elevie@comcast.net…

… and stay tuned for more adventurous art!

Posted in Recycled Art, Unusual Materials | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “More Trash into Treasures”

  1. Sam says:
    January 30, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    Love it! Is there an easy way to source fabric from clothes that don’t sell either at retail outlets or thrift shops? Any tips for finding good dumpsters for crafting?

    Reply
  2. Anne Copeland says:
    February 1, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    What you want to find for fabric that isn’t sold at retail outlets or thrift shops are stores that collect and sell rags. Generally, these rags are the ones that are used to weave rag rugs, and they are also used for other household uses (which is why they are collected). You can generally buy the stuff by the pound. Also, some larger thrift stores (not all locations) have a “by the pound” area where you can buy a lot of things very cheaply. I have found things thrown away and have gone after them in dumpsters in my mobile home park. Sometimes in some apartments and mobile home parks, there are tables where people can (and do) leave things for others to take. Anyway, you can check google for good resources for rags in your area and if not, there may be places where you can get them cheaply. I also use (as Eleanor does) things from my own home that would be thrown out. The bags cat and dog food come in are often a very nice, heavy plasticized paper and it can be cut and sewn. There are all sorts of things that generally get thrown away that you can use.

    Reply

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Trash Stash Quilting

December 19th, 2012

My immodest alter ego calls it Recycled “Art.”

ReUSE #1, by Eleanor Levie, 2009
REUSE/Re:use/ Re: us/Re: U.S….

Here’s the thing: I just can’t throw away colorful, foil-lined packaging–the kind that holds a crease. So colorful and sturdy. So easy to cut and sew through. Pressing is just pinching—no ironing, unless the packaging is really wrinkly (which can be a good thing).

So besides the clear Rubbermaid tubs of fat quarters, and the drawers of wool, linen, upholstery-weight cottons and dress goods, I’ve now got bins of coffee bags–the kind that fold down, boxes of tea bag envelopes like Stash and Constant Comment, plus sacks of dog food bags for large backgrounds, Alka Seltzer and energy drink packets,  and even thinner packaging if the graphics rock. My friends save their empty bags for me. They know about my ReUse series (see it on my website gallery here). Yup, every so often I return to my stash of trash to make quilts. I could probably devote the rest of my quilting to using this medium…

The first one I made is on the wall of our just-renovated kitchen. Grease and dust? No prob, just sponge it off.

Another one is in our archway, between a gate and our front door. Silt and dirt from the city streets

are equally easy to wipe away.

Grounds for Recycling, by Eleanor Levie, 2011

 

Here are 2010’s and 2011’s ReUse series pieces, donated to the Quilt Alliance for their fundraising auctions:

ReUse #3, Home Sweet Home, Eleanor Levie, 2011; in the collection of Mark Lipinski

Tahrire Square, by Eleanor Levie, 16" square, 2011; in the collection of Meg Cox

Tahrire Square, by Eleanor Levie, 16″ square, 2011; in the collection of Meg Cox

The latest entry for the Quilt Alliance was three-dimensional:

Coffee House, by Eleanor Levie, 15"x19.5"x 2"

Coffee House, by Eleanor Levie, 15″x19.5″x 2″, 2012

Coffee House: side view

Coffee House: side view

Coffee House: open door

Coffee House: open door

 

 

I’m excited to say that one of my best friends–and suppliers of used coffee bags–won the auction bid on this Coffee House. So, for Christmas this year, I made a little sign: Emmetts’ to go over the Coffee House oval, and glossy photo of their beloved English Springer– hopefully in scale!–to personalize their new piece. I’ll add a photo of the new piece when it’s available, but in the meantime, you get the point!

 

 

 

 

 

The newest addition to my ReUse series is this little sample for a class I’ll teach for the Pomegranate Guild in Philadelphia next October. Notice it’s a simplification of Tahrire Square, featuring the Middle East hamsa, a good luck motif that wards off the evil eye. I’m also taking the opportunity to reuse bottle caps and vintage buttons. Not only that, my go-to background and backing is craft felt that is made from recycled plastic bottles. Once again, trash into treasure.

Kitchen Hamsa, by Eleanor Levie, 2012, 9" x 11", not including dingle-dangles

Kitchen Hamsa, by Eleanor Levie, 2012, 9″ x 11″, not including dingle-dangles

So….after you’ve got your serious work done, and your deadlines met, why not play hooky with a stash of trash? Here are my top tips:

  • Use small amounts of glue stick to hold appliques in place.
  • Use small amounts of cellophane tape to hold patches together, but be sure you are not stitching through the tape.
  • Use a size 90 needle in the machine, 50 or 60 weight thread, and larger stitches: you don’t want to perforate the foil-lined packaging so much that it tears.
  • Perforations are there to stay, so forget about ripping out. Just cut and restitch. Or throw the unit away–it’s just trash.
  • When your “quilt top” is done, lay it over a larger piece of felt in a coordinating or contrast color: this will show as your edging, and also provide the thin, soft filler. No pins or tape necessary. Quilt simply, and not too densely, working from the center outward.
  • Lay the quilted piece on another piece of felt, the same size as before. Quilt around the edges, adding a strip at the top for a hanging sleeve, and catching its top edge as you machine-stitch through all the layers.
  • Trim the felt slightly larger than the quilt top all around, using pinking shears or your rotary cutting supplies. Hand-tack the bottom edge of the sleeve in place.

These are just tips. There’s only one rule for making Recycled Art with a stash of trash: HAVE FUN! Please leave a comment. What do YOU recycle into ART?

Posted in Recycled Art, Unusual Materials | 10 Comments »

10 Responses to “Trash Stash Quilting”

  1. Cheryl lynch says:
    December 19, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    What wonderful pieces with such delightful compositions. I have some snack bags I brought back from Israel with Hebrew printing. Now I know what I am going to do with them. Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Cheryl lynch says:
    December 19, 2012 at 8:33 pm

    BTW,I’ll be teaching at the Pom convention too. Hope we get to meet.

    Reply
    • Eleanor says:
      December 20, 2012 at 10:47 pm

      I met you at a Quilt Market, where I congratulated you on your new Quilt Fiesta! You are the queen of inspiring ideas! Let me know if you want home hospitality while you’re in Philly!

      Reply
  3. Eileen Neill says:
    December 19, 2012 at 9:20 pm

    I too make art quilts from trash. there is a particular brand of potato chips (Miss Vicky’s) here in Canada that has a really nice bag. I have made many small wall quilts using these bags. I commission my grandchildren to eat the chips for me. I would send you a picture of one of them if you would give me your e-mail address. Cheers, Eileen

    Reply
  4. Ann E. Ruthsdottir says:
    December 20, 2012 at 2:06 am

    LOVE what you are doing with recycling!

    Reply
  5. Jennifer OBrien says:
    December 20, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    Really fun stuff. What a good idea. I have not done any recycling in quilting but I think I will try it.

    Reply
  6. Lynn Kunz says:
    December 22, 2012 at 12:43 am

    I, too, have dabbled in making art from plastic bags and packaging. The quilting is fun to do. I framed a piece and SOLD it at a gallery showing last summer! What a surprise! The framing really set it off. It inspired me to make more. I usually do some ironing to melt the plastics a bit. I also add fibers and beads. Now I’ll have to work on lettering. Your stuff is great! Thanks for the inspiration.
    Lynn Kunz

    Reply
  7. Linda Lou Horn says:
    February 1, 2013 at 9:40 pm

    I love these Eleanor . . . I’ve been saving my 99 cent potato chip bags (something I should not have, but on occasion indulge-Baked) for a long time . . hoping to quilt and or weave something.

    Reply
  8. Are you game for a quilting challenge? « Inspiring Quilting: Elly's blog to boost your creative IQ says:
    May 14, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    […] Trash Stash Quilting […]

    Reply

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Yellow = Optimism

November 14th, 2012

Yesterday, the hubster wanted to take a walk, and take in one of the last warm and gorgeous days of the year. Seeing how the gingko in front of our townhouse and the maple in back of it had just turned gorgeously golden, I ran to get my camera. Soon, I had a bad case of Yellow Fever: I couldn’t stop snapping wherever lemon, butterscotch, or canary turned up.  And Hubby was soon beating me to the Hello Yellow moments, pointing out the best shots, whether mellow yellow or mighty yellow.

  

     

 

Not all the yellow was flora, mind you. Still, the color endowed any item–no matter how mundane or humble–with zing.

  

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didja get a load of that BRIGHT yellow house in my ‘hood? (How could you miss it?!) And at the risk of inviting more yellow puns or yolks, er, jokes, folks, it’s time to apply the Glad packaging of yellow to quilts. Here’s what that fab colorist, Kaffe Fassett does with yellow; this is Nona, from his book of a few years back, Passionate Patchwork:

 

 

And here’s Bouquet, by the wonderful, always thought-provoking folk artist, Ginny Smith:

 

The late, great, Jean Ray Laury knew a thing or two about yellow, as shown in this quilt she made of her commercial fabrics:

 

Here’s a sensational bit of whimsy from Jack M. Walsh III’s collection, as seen at the Morris Museum a few years back. Doesn’t the background color (ad)dress the happy dilemma faced by the artist’s daughter in getting dressed every morning? I seem to recall that the embroidered text repeats, “Does this look good on me?”  I truly regret that #1, it’s not in good focus, and #2, I don’t remember who created it…Can someone help me fill in the appropriate credit? And maybe I can get a good image from the folk artist, one that does this piece justice.

Let’s sashay on down the yellow brick road to my work. BIG surprise, and humble, yellow-bellied confession: I don’t look good in yellow, and even standing near it makes me look jaundiced. Sooooo, I have actually used yellow startlingly little in my quilts and my wearables! But since black and white makes ANY color rock, I did make a big yellow taxi tote:

Here’s where you can find the free directions. 

Or, take inspiration from any of the projects in my book, Unforgettable Tote Bags: 20 Designs too cool to leave in the car.

Or, bring me to your guild or local quilt shop to teach the workshop, Unforgettable Tote Bags. (You don’t have to use yellow.)

By now, I bet you’ve figured out the secret to using yellow. Even a little adds a dash of fun, joy, hope, cheer, sunshine. Pair it with its complement, purple (or lavender) to make it sing. Rev it up with red; cool it down with aqua. Go natural with shades of cream, or ramp up the star power with metallic gold and copper.

Here’s a couple of pillows I made for gifts –to bring some shine and sunshine to a comfy spot.

  

Anyone who has seen Sunflowers knows Van Gogh’s favorite color. Hey, skip the Van, Go Yellow! We all live in a Yellow Submarine, a Yellow Submarine, a Yellow Submarine…Now to dive into my next quilt project…and pick from among my photos to create an upbeat piece of quilted art. What’s your vote?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Color, Gingko, Inspiration | 10 Comments »

10 Responses to “Yellow = Optimism”

  1. alison schwabe says:
    November 14, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    English embroiderer, the late Constance Howard, with whom I was priveleged to attend a workshop years ago, taught us that absolutely every colour scheme must have at least the tiniest bit of a’yellow’ somwhere in it, to make it sing, she said. ie some value of yellow which could range from almost curry coloured through greeny yellows to orange yellows – some appropriate value of yellow. Even if it is just a few small embroidery stitches , or, in the case of quiltmaking it’s very easy to choose some kind of print with some yellow in it if you don’t want a whole piece of ‘yellow’, or include some very small slivers or tiny patches here and there. And I am sure she was right. I have problems whenever I see one of the technically complicated and marvellous quilts by a very well known north American quiltmaker who teaches, is published frequently, etc: her colour schemes are always brightly and strongly colured, but somehow lifeless and I am sure this is why – not a sign of any value of yellow.

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth says:
    November 14, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    Thanks for adding some sunshine to my day!

    Reply
  3. Betty says:
    November 14, 2012 at 2:23 pm

    It’s a wonderful color. It makes al gloom go away. There is so much grey during the late fall and winter and a shot of yellow perks everything up. Makes one want sing and dance.

    Reply
  4. Eleanor says:
    November 14, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    Comments like these are enlightenment and mood-lightening. Thank you for writing!

    Reply
  5. Eleanor says:
    November 14, 2012 at 8:59 pm

    What Alison Schwabe said on email: Nice pics. At least a little of some value of yellow is essential to give any scheme ‘life’. It doesn’t have to be bright sunshine yellow, and a colour can be ‘relatively yellow’ when put alongside others in a piece and it is therefore at that time behaving as ‘a yellow’ even if away from all those other colours it is an odd kind of grey/yellow or some kind of curry colour.

    I could never wear yellow when young, but now I am older and only when I have a touch of sun in the summer, I can wear a nice canary kind of yellow – but even better are the citrus values of yellow.

    Reply
  6. Cathy Perlmutter says:
    November 14, 2012 at 11:46 pm

    I have a love/hate relationship to yellow, susceptible to outside influence. Your post may push me over to the love side, at least for a while!

    Reply
  7. Anita says:
    November 15, 2012 at 12:23 am

    The photos make me homesick for the east coast and I can’t wait to move back. Arizona has lots and lots of yellow but it just isn’t the same. My favorite yellow quote is by Vincent Van Gogh, who said “there is no blue without yellow and orange.”

    Reply
  8. Madeline Hawley says:
    November 18, 2012 at 1:13 pm

    I love all of your yellow photos, it must have been a fun expedition. I agree that a bit of yellow makes a piece sing. Personally, the color makes me happy. Enjoyed your blog.

    Reply
  9. SandraB says:
    December 19, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    The quilt with the many small dresses was made by Rachel Brumer. I’ve been an admirer of her work for many years. The name of the quilt is Let Her. It’s pictured in the book, The Art Quilt. I wouldn’t consider Rachel Brumer a folk artist, IMHO.
    SandyB

    Reply
    • Eleanor says:
      January 5, 2013 at 7:36 pm

      A late thank you for that response and for providing that credit. I remember being surprised that it is Rachel’s work, because I was so enamored with her very sophisticated, deeply meditative installation “Cover Them.” She used dresses there, too, but also stones, train tracks, ravens or doves, hands, and other references to the 10,000 French children killed in the Holocaust. Quite a difference to this light-hearted lenience to her daughter picking out what to wear to school!

      Reply

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Costume Review!

October 11th, 2012

Gotta gear up.

Oct. 20, the hubster and I host our Halloween Party, held only every four years, when a presidential election is looming. Guests are asked to come in mask or costume…which must reflect a political figure…or a political concept.  Some friends take the easy road, and buy masks: Nixon and Kennedy, for example. Others find simple props: Bill Clinton brought his saxophone, and Sandra Day O’Connor donned a graduation robe and white wig. Then there was the guy, a hunter, whose wife sewed curvy oblongs of brown fake fur to his sweatshirt, so he could be the Right to Bear Arms.  She wore a giant tapered cylinder that had Slushie on it, with monopoly money taped all over…Slush Funds. Carl, my hubby, wears a swing and a boater with a red, white, and blue hat band…he’s a swing voter. This year, he’s thinking an oven mitt and a couple of steaks, but after the last debate, Romney’s “Mitt-steaks” seem less pronounced.

We’re partying early, cuz  I’ll be hawking my new book, Quilt Blocks Go Wild! at Quilt Market in Houston the following weekend. And there, too, I’m prone to making an ass out of myself, for the sake of drawing attention to this book. (I’ll be at Schoolhouse, demoing at the Fairfield World booth, and doing a show-‘n-tell and book-signing at Brewer’s booth. Haven’t quite figured out that costume yet, but it’s gotta be wild. Welcome your suggestions!

This photo album begins with a few pics from the last political Halloween bash, in 2008. That’s Jane Biberman as the Dems Donkey with a GOP elephant behind, and Sarah Stoll as Sarah Palin (remember her?). The rest are assorted costumes I’ve created for partying — beginning with Blind Justice–my quadriennial political spook…er, spoof. And then, lots more garbled garb for purposes of shameless self promotion at quilters’ gatherings and Purim celebrations. The rule of thumb is quick and clever, rather than appealing artistry!

Precious little quilting this time, but possibly some tongue-in-cheekiness to inspire your own upscale wearable statement–personal or political, at Halloween or anytime you wanna play the fool.

 

Posted in Fashion or Costume, Wearable Art | 1 Comment »

One Response to “Costume Review!”

  1. Antoinette Rappe says:
    November 12, 2012 at 12:28 pm

    Dominique on May 10,2011″I believe that life is a prize, but to win doesn’t mean your alive!”-Moment 4 Life (ft. Drake) Nicki Minaj!!.

    Reply

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