Divas:  Use the Show Entry form for the upcoming FiberArt Divas show. Complete the form and return it to Yvette Thorn by Monday 10/22.    

Drop off of art is Monday, 10/29 from 2 to 4 pm.  (If you can't make those times, please arrange to have a friend drop off your art.) 

Pick up will be at the end of the show, Nov. 10 at 4 pm.

Your items can be marked For Sale.  Naperville Art League will take 20% commission on sales so price accordingly. 

You can also bring a limited supply of small gift shop type items (your original art), DVDs, or books for sale.  We reserve the right to limit the number of pieces and cannot store extra items.

Recall we decided earlier this year to collect an annual membership fee.  That covers monthly meeting fees and entitles the member to participate in the show.  We want your art in the show and it's not too late to become a member. In fact, if you join now you pay the half-year rate of $15.  Monday 10/22 at 7 pm is our next meeting at the art league so you can pay then or at drop off.  Of course, nonmembers are always welcome to attend meetings for a guest fee of $3.

Spread the word:  Tell your friends about the show. 

Fiber Art Divas present....

"Elements of Innovation"

Opening date:  Tuesday, October 30.  

Reception with free demos: Sunday Nov. 4 from 2 to 4 pm.  

Show ends: Nov. 10

Location: Naperville Fine Art Center & Gallery, 508 N. Center St., Naperville

Hours:  Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm; Saturday 10 am to 4 pm.

Show will feature art quilts, felted art, wearables, 2D and 3D pieces, plus the "Adventure" challenge items.

June 2018 meeting notes.

I have big shoes to fill… taking over the blog updates from Laurie. Here goes:

Divas show dates are: 10/29 Monday drop off 2 to 4 pm. Show opens 10/30 and runs through 11/10/18. The reception will be Sunday 11/4 from 2 to 4 pm. We hope to have a small guest show along with our show and perhaps a speaker at the reception. Linda V will do the promotional postcard and flyer; hopefully Linda K will again help with PR. The Challenge for the show is themed Adventure. See past blogs for details.

Send Linda V snapshots of quilts you think might be a candidate for the postcard art by July 8. A more professional photo may be taken of the one(s) selected.

Some Divas have gone to the National Parks Quilt Exposition and applaud the shows at 4 local venues. Visit  ReconnectWithNature.org for details. Hurry, the show ends July 3. The show book is a winner too.

There’s a SAQA show at the Bloomingdale Park District worth seeing.

Naperville Art League is accepting new members. Fee is $50 for an individual. Members can display art in the Gallery each month plus get other benefits.

Next Divas meeting is 7/23. Happy 4^th of July!

Linda V.

April / May 2018 Newsletter

April / May 2018 Newsletter,...it is finally here!!!!!  Your official, world's shortest newsletter!!!!!
You are most welcome!  As always, our meeting in April was very interesting with great show and tell, interesting questions, as well as answers.  Glad you all could make it.

Our quilt show in October:

We are still waiting for the dates, but we already know it's in October, so get with it, McGoo!  Sew, felt, bead, fuse, paint,...and get these pieces completed!  Remember that in order to hang your work at this venue, you must pay your $30 membership fee.  Please and thank you!

Quilt show things to think about:

At our next meeting we need to discuss who would like to tackle advertising.  It's a much needed "chair" to fill.  I know there's a small part of someone that has always wanted to be in the newspaper business, smoking cheap cigarettes, running to a bank of telephones, screaming into them with the latest news, wearing those great hats that you never see anyone wear anymore unless they're in England or at the Kentucky Derby!  So dig deep into your subconscious, and see if that person is you.

     Alice has offered to type up the label cards for each piece entered.  This is in "quilt show style", with your name, title of the piece, media, as well as a section for your inspiration, explanations, whatever you need to write to help the viewer understand your piece.  We have found this to make the show more interesting.  Thanks, Alice!

     We also need to consider having a "guest showing".  In the past we have had Denise Havlan, as well as a PAQA exhibit hung next to ours.  It may help to fill in the show a bit, as well as bring more varied talents.  Hmmm....  What to do, what to do....  So bring an opinion, as well as an idea of how we can fill this void (if you want to call it that).

"Adventure" challenge:

The info is in a previous newsletter which is only a scroll away.  This is an excellent time to experiment with new techniques, and those ideas that have always been on the back burner waiting to present itself.  This project is also a nice piece to have in the show!  Did I say show?  We do need work for the show!  Show!  Show!  Show!  Ha!

Got anything you'd like to demonstrate?

We are always looking to learn new things.  If you happen to have learned something new at a class, or perhaps you noticed that you do things differently than most of the group, feel free to give a demo.

Please and thank you.

The Art of Pollinators Exhibit:

From this point until Friday, June 1st, the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook is having an exhibit of art work that, big surprise, is based on pollinators!  No confusion there!  The hours vary, as do the days that you can view this show, so go to 

http://www.dupageforest.org/mayslake-peabody-estate

to get more information.  Click on the pollinators exhibit spot to the right of the screen, and you can walk through their calendar.  (Which is a really poorly handled calendar, by the way!  Argh!)

Go to 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVF2PXoblHA

to see the work of Phil Ponce, WTTW's newscaster, who does his version of Mexican paper cutting banners on tyvek.  They are truly beautiful.  He has 2 pieces at the show.

Adios!  and no May meeting!

Thanks for reading.  Just a reminder, we won't have a May meeting due to Memorial Day.  I look forward to seeing you all at our June meeting.  Enjoy the planting season,...if not by actually participating, then by seeing the work of others.  Remember, $30 dues for membership and the ability to exhibit at October's show, or $3 per meeting.  Have fun.

xo,

Laurie     oops!  Became longer as I remembered things to add.  Sorry for the small lie!

March 2018 Newsletter

March 2018 Newsletter

Well, spring has almost sprung!  Actually I do believe that spring is laughing at us.  Good thing we're all made of good stock, and we can take a joke!

We now have real live dues!

It has been decided that members or guests can continue to pay $3 per meeting attended. That said, we encourage you to join officially with a $30 per year membership.  This membership will allow you into all of our meetings.  This will also allow you to show your work in our annual fiber show in October.  No full membership, no work in the show.  Pretty simple.  This new dues program will guarantee our being able to pay for our meeting space rent, as well as maybe a wee bit more for advertising, etc for our fiber show.  Thank you for considering this as an option.  And please bring your dues to the next meeting you attend.

Annual Spring Exhibit of Natural History Art

is being held by the Nature Artists' Guild of the Morton Arboretum!  Yay!  Saturday and Sunday, April 7th and 8th, 2018, at the Cudahy Room at the Morton Arboretum.  The artist's reception for both members and guests will be held on April 6th from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  The arboretum is located at 4100 Illinois Rte 53, Lisle, IL  60532

http://www.mortonarb.org/events/nature-artists%E2%80%99-guild-nag-spring-exhibit-natural-history-art

Fiber Adventures Challenge

Just a reminder of our latest challenge, which I believe is written up in the January newsletter.  No restrictions as to media, 96" circumference maximum, and let your adventures take you for a ride in fiber!  Keep in mind that you will need to write up your inspiration, maybe your media, as well as a definition of your title.  Let's get cookin', ladies!

A fun piece to work on, and at least one piece in the show!  I previously wrote up the deadline (which is sort of a joke,...more of an encouragement for you to get it done in plenty of time for the show,...maybe eliminate some of the panic mode!)

Over and out:

Our next meeting will be on Monday, April 23rd, at 7 p.m. at the Naperville Art League.

Unless you have paid dues, there will be a $3.00 charge.  Please feel free to bring any show and tell to share with us.  It's always fun and educational to see what everyone is doing!

Also, there will be no May meeting,...it would fall on Memorial Day, so there you have it.

Enjoy those tiny flowers that are poking their tiny little heads through the ground.  I have my scillas blooming in the yard.  Soon it will be a purple blanket out there, and I truly love them!  ( <--- font="" of="" photo="" scillas="">

Holy cow!  I just figured out how to do this after over 10 years of newsletter writing!

Amazing!

That said, I wouldn't have been putting many images up anyway in respect for your art pieces being private, etc.

Happy Easter!

xo,

Laurie

February 2018 Newsletter

Well, here we are with another February behind us.  That's a good thing!  Spring is just around the corner!  We had 13 members at the meeting, and all was good.

Dues:

We have been collecting $3 per meeting attended since the beginning of time.  Due to the donation to the Naperville Art League for the use of their room, as well as quilt show expenses, we are forced to make a yearly requirement of $30 per member.  This will allow you to continue to come to our meetings, as well as allow you to show your work in our exhibit.  Anyone who wishes to remain a member but on a per meeting basis can continue to join us at the $3 per meeting fee.  We hope this isn't an inconvenience to you, but this is what we need to do to survive.  Thanks for understanding.

Catherine Redford:

Go to www.catherineredford.com to visit our very own Catherine's site.  She's a fiber artist, author, teacher and speaker.  If you check her site, you can get free patterns for butterflies and moths, both for embroidery and applique, at the "A Year of Butterflies" prompt.  Check out the gallery, and you can see her embroidery work, as well as everything else she's up to/has been up to.  She mentioned that she also sells Turtle Moon batiks at her classes in 18" squares (if I caught that right).  They're supposed to be beautiful.  Contact her if you're interested.  (I could not find any info on them,...sorry.)

Newsletter and Directory:

Both the newsletter and directory have been "my babies" since the beginning of the group.  Blog-wise it's been over 10 years.  Previous to that I just emailed you the newsletter.  It is time to hand over the baton.  Joan will be handling the directory immediately, and Linda will be writing your newsletters beginning in June.  Yay!  Thank you, ladies!!!!

Challenge:  Fiber Adventures:

The challenge info is written up in the January Newsletter, so you can hit that for details.  Remember that anything goes!

It's a wrap!

That's all the news that's fit to print!  Our next meeting will be on Monday, March 26th, 2018, at 7 pm at the Naperville Art League.  Be sure to bring projects you're working on for show and tell.  They do not have to be completed.  Also anything that you want opinions on, ideas, etc.  Remember to bring your $30 membership fee (or $3 if you'd care not to join and exhibit your work at the show).

And as a heads up to you, there will be no meeting in May due to Memorial Day.  I look forward to seeing you all in March.  

xo,

Laurie

January 2018 Newsletter

January 2018 Newsletter

Happy New Year, everyone!  As always the year shows promise in so many ways.

This last meeting had 11 members with wonderful show and tell.  Here's what we discussed:

Challenge for the year:  Fiber Adventures:

Your piece needs to have a maximum circumference of 96".  That's maximum, so obviously it can be smaller.  You may use any interpretation of the name "fiber adventures".  You can go safari, adventures in new techniques used, it's always an adventure to go into the drawers of my refrigerator!

and the list goes on.  Have fun with this.  The due date will be the September 2018 meeting, and will be shown in the October quilt show.  Obviously if you finish it the day before the show's drop off time, you're still good.  Also there is no color requirement to be used,...except for you, Sharon!  You have to use some purple!  (Not!)  As with all of our quilt show entries, you will need to have information for a card explaining your techniques, medium (sp), inspiration, etc.

Quilt Show at the Art Institute in Chicago:

Making Memories:  Quilts as Souvenirs is the quilt show in progress through April 1st.  I have attached the website for your convenience.  You can purchase tickets online if you're interested. Word is that it's an excellent show.

http://www.artic.edu/exhibition/making-memories-quilts-souvenirs

Anderson Arts Center, Kenosha WI show:

There is an exhibit worth a road trip to Kenosha!  It combines work from SAQA ("Stitched Together" fiber art), the Women's Journeys in Fiber ("Boxes:  Treasure, Structure, Expression".  This portion ends on March 3), and work by Jan Debevic ("All Things Wool and Felt").  The show runs through March 17th.  The art center is in a beautiful old mansion that adds to the pleasure of attending.

https://www.andersonartscenter.com/exhibits.htm

Stitchers Garden:  There's a new store in town, ladies!

This shop is in Naperville, and seems to cater to the needle arts.  Cross stitch, embroidery, crewel work, etc.  I hit shop online and it showed printed canvases to buy, but did not go into the available threads, needles etc that you can see on the walls in the background of the store.  Dorothy gave it rave reviews.  Be there or be square!

https://www.stitchersgardenil.com/

For your beading needs:  Beadcats!

...and for all of your beading needs, go to Beadcats!  Alice says she likes to order size 10 to 12 needles depending on the bead hole size.  She is also swearing by the Clover needle threader for easier threading.  It took her about 4 times initially to get the hang of it, but it has been a gift for those with threading issues!  Be sure to check out the gallery!  Amazing!

http://www.beadcats.com/

The Future of these Newsletters:

After writing these newsletters for 10 years, I do believe it's time to resign.  I am looking for someone who'd like to take this on.  It's an easy enough job.  You take notes, type them up, do a little research on different shows, books, etc to add in, and hit publish.  Voila!  Another newsletter is up and running.  As a group, we need to decide if this is the format that we'd prefer.  Do we want to continue with the blog?  Or should the newsletter just be sent in an email the way it was initially done pre-blog days?  (Which means I've actually been doing this since the group was conceived!)  So please consider taking on the newsletter job.  We have no real officers, or elected "officials" in this group. People always seem to step up to handle whatever job needs to be done, and for that I am grateful.

Next Meeting:

will be on Monday, February 26th, 7 pm at the Naperville Art League.  $3 per person.  Please bring in your show and tell, any work you'd like an opinion on, or perhaps ideas on what to do next or how to handle a problem.  We're all here for each other.  Enjoy your February, and try to stay warm!

xo,

Laurie