May 2010 Newsletter

My heart bleeds for those of you who missed the April meeting! We allowed ourselves 60 seconds of silent weeping in your names. But life goes on, and there will be other meetings at which we will join hands in exaltation upon your arrival.

There were 10 members there that night, and there was some really fun show and tell. There was even a spring challenge passed around,...and I stress the word spring because there really were springs in her piece! As a matter of fact, she purchased $18 worth of springs in her excitement at the hardware store! She doesn't get out much, I'm thinking. Ha!

THAT EVENING'S DEMO was given by Yvette. She demonstrated the fixative she used on her tulip piece that was shown in March (I sent an attachment last month about the technique). This involved colored pencils, a medium on a photo on fabric, and fun results.

OUR NEXT QUILT SHOW AT THE NAPERVILLE ART LEAGUE will probably be the last weekend of October, but the date is not written in stone. It will be 7 to 10 days long, and will involve an artist's reception with some people working on their pieces as an ongoing "demo".

We were wondering if anyone would be interested in making a guest/sign in book,...maybe a composition book with a fun cover that could be used at multiple shows.

We intend to do more advertising, maybe postcards to send out.

We will also be looking for a list of pieces to "hang" in the show. Remember that this is a small gallery and will not accommodate large pieces.

Also, we are thinking of incorporating a Divas Challenge, which I will tell you about next:

THE NEWEST CHALLENGE EVER SINCE MARCH, 2010!!!!!

We have decided to have a challenge for the above mentioned show. Due date is the September meeting (I think!). MAXIMUM SIZE: 18" x 24" (that means you can go smaller than that, but not larger). INSPIRATION: will be some sort of kitchen utensil from your very own kitchen, or perhaps, if you have uninspiring utensils, that of a friend, neighbor or family member. (Yvette mentioned a hand potato masher as an inspiration) Sharon will be donating hand dyed cheese cloth that is to be incorporated in your piece (just to make it all the more interesting), and will be available at the May meeting (have a color idea going so that you can pick an appropriate piece of cheese cloth).

So, ladies and gentleman, put your thinking caps on and have fun with this.

UPCOMING QUILT SHOWS:

Quilt Expo, September 9 - 11, 2010 at the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison Wisconsin. This is a Nancy Zieman event. For ore information go to wiquiltexpo.com There will be vendors, lectures, sit and sew workshops, juried and judged quilt competition with cash prizes. This is your big chance to submit a piece if you dare!

Prairie Treasures Quilt Show (www.prairiestar.net), Friday, October 15 (10 to 8), Saturday, October 16 (9:30 - 5), at the DuPage County Fair Grounds, 2015 W Manchester Rd, Wheaton, IL. Sounds like the typical guild quilt show, but should be a fun time.

So, until we meet again at the MAY 24TH meeting at the usual place, 7 pm. If you are unsure of where that is, just check out one of the newsletters down below! Hope you all are enjoying this wonderful, yet confusing spring weather, and are blowing kisses at all of the baby birds, while tip toeing quietly around the over abundance of skunks. xo, Laurie

March 2010 Newsletter

Ladies and gentleman,

Another meeting has passed with fun show and tell, and some laughs. Thirteen members were present, 3 of which were new. Welcome!

The Spring Challenge has been extended for another month. That means April for those of you who are calender challenged! So breath a nice sigh of relief because you are still on time!

A New Challenge is in the works. Please to put on your thinking caps and come to the April meeting,...the one where the spring challenge is due?...with some clever ideas. We still have a hat with words in it. We've done a color challenge (red?). So, what's next? Food? Chocolate? Books? Techniques untried? Oh! What to do!!!

Pressing Clothes: We have received word that Menards sells teflon sheets that are meant to be used in your oven or grill. They are reasonably priced at around $5, and can be used as a non-stick pressing cloth. I'm sure they'll be available this spring with all of the restocking going on. Thank you, Christine!

The Annual Spring Exhibit of Natural Art will be held at the Morton Arboretum. The artist's reception (for members and guest) will be on April 16, from 5 to 9 p.m. The general public may view the show on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18 from noon to 5 p.m.

It is located at the Thornhill Education Center of the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Rt 53,

Lisle, IL. Over 200 works of art celebrating nature, demonstrations by guild members, the Artisan Shop will feature artists donated handmade items. All proceeds support the Nature Artists' Guild and Arboretum programs. Phone: 630-968-0074. www.mortonarb.org

Be there or be square!

The Milwaukee Art Museum will be hosting an exhibit, American Quilts: Selections from the Winterthur Collection from May 22 - September 6. This is the first-ever traveling exhibition of the Wintertur's quilts, and the 40 quilts chosen represent women's political, social and cultural lives in the formative period of the early American republic (1760 - 1850).

So if you are into old quilts (I mean, let's face it. They are our roots!), head on over. I believe there is at least one quilt shop in the area. Sounds like a road trip in the waiting!

www.mam.org

Martha has been a busy little bee: Here is her information, as well as a postcard tip:
Martha Tabis new blog re pet portraits: http://www.marthatabis.blogspot.com
Facebook fan page (another way to market your art, called a business page
on FB): Martha Tabis Pet Portraits
Fabric postcard: I use Peltex inside for a stiffer card.

Botanica Magnifica: Portraits of the World's Most Extraordinary Flowers & Plants

This is a book as well as a lecture being given at the Chicago Botanical Garden in Glencoe.

Dr. Jonathan Singer will be discussing his photography. More information will be available at

the following web site. http://www.chicagobotanic.org/school/specialevents/botanica-magnifica.php

The following technique is being shared with us by one of our members, whose last name shall remain a mystery to the casual reader. She showed us a piece that she had done with colored pencils, and it was very striking. There was a lot of interest in her technique, so here you have it:

Parrot Tulip Quilt technique

Yvette

I used the techniques developed by Irena Bluhm in her book “Quilts of a Different Color”. She has a website that I found under google using Irena Bluhm as the search criteria but there isn’t any information that she shares.

I sized my picture to the the desired size on the computer by using Microsoft Paint and printing at an increased size in grayscale.

I trimmed the paper and taped the multiple sheets together.

Then using a black permanent pen I marked the lines that I wanted to quilt on the printed photo. This is where you can simplify the piece as desired.

Use plain cream or white high quality muslin. If not PFD ( prepared for dyeing) wash the piece to remove sizing. Iron to remove wrinkles. Pine the muslin to the marked photo pattern.

Using a light source, transfer the lines to the muslin using a water soluble pen.

Add batting and backing and free motion quilt the piece changing threads where you wish. Note that elements of the design were quilted with dark thread while the background was quilted with cream. The design will have lots of starts and stops with the thread.

After quilting wash to remove the pen marks. Let dry thoroughly.

Now the real fun begins. I used Prismacolor pencils. I did try my crayola pencils but found them to be rather hard and to not transfer color well.

Control color both pressure and shading. With the darker colors you will still see the muslin background.

Work from the center out if doing a picture as it is possible to smudge the pencil into other areas. Another option is to use a clean piece of paper under your hand covering already worked areas.

If you make a mistake you can use an soft eraser of the incorrect area. Be sure to clean it as soon as it gets a lot of color on it.

I color in my background as well as it quiets the background quilting into texture.

Now come the point of setting the color. Her technique recommends a combination of fixatives but I used only Delta Ceramcoat Textile Medium which I found at JoAnns. I wasn’t planning to wash the end result. Pour out a small amount into a cup. Using a craft brush with a square top in a size appropriate to the area, paint on a thin coat of the textile medium. Note that this will begin to behave like paint so be careful where two colors meet. I did the red first to control any bleed and then went on to other colors. The medium and the brush will begin to pick up the color so be aware of this. I changed medium and washed the brush when I changed color fixing. I did use the paper again to prevent unwanted smudging. The medium will begin to dry out on the brush depending on the size of what is being done. I washed it with warm water and soap.

On a winter day this dried to the touch fairly quickly (within an hour). I went back to the touching colors when it was done.

Note that it is best to stay within a single color area as the color will pull from one area to another.

Let the piece dry completely for at least 24 hours.

Heat set the piece from the back by protecting the ironing surface just in case. (Nothing transferred when I did this.)

Finish the piece as desired.

Machine Felting Needle Mystery Solved!!!

The web site that sells machine felting needles is tryourdesigns.com. They also have a free tutorial on needle felting machines. Sharon is a wealth of information when it comes to anything regarding felting! She had 2 more samples to show at the March meeting, and one was a little yellow bird. I am showing my bird breed ignorance by not being able to tell you exactly WHICH bird she replicated. I've just let you in on my little secret,...I have sooooo many pockets of ignorance that it baffles me on a daily basis! Whoa is me!

FINALLY! I'm done rambling! I have come to the end of the note, ladies. Until we meet again, which will be on April 26 at 7 p.m. at the Naperville Art League. This may be an easier meeting for many of you to make being that there are only 4 Mondays next month!!! Ha! This is why God made calendars! Write it down! We miss all of you who forget to come. Remember, this is the spring challenge extended deadline! No guilt, only participate if you have a hankerin' to! Till next time. xxxooo, Laurie

No meeting tonight- Feb 22nd

Hey Divas!  There's NO meeting tonight February 22nd due to weather and the NAL not having much space for us due to their Fabulous Fakes show.  This Saturday's class is still going on from 9 am to 3:30 pm with a break for lunch.  Contact us for details!

January, 2010 Newsletter

Good day to you all!  It's been a while, and I'm sure you all missed being the well informed individuals that you prefer to be!  HA!  So why are you reading THIS?!

14 people arrived at the Art League for our monthly meeting, with lots of fun things to show. Felting is definitely shining right now, which is way fun.  Drawings were shown, as well as quilty

things.  Thank you to all of you who drove to the meeting despite the frigid weather.

Upcoming class:  February 28th at the Naperville Art League.  The time is yet to be announced.

There is no supply list, supplies will be supplied by the teacher.  At this point, if all pay who signed up, there will be 16 participants.  If my notes are correct, this is the "Golden" Lady (which smacks of an old James Bond movie!), but I may be wrong.  This could really be the "Colored Pencil Lady", which doesn't sound quite as daring as the "Golden" Lady!  I'm sure someone will contact me with a scathing comment about how for the "newsletter lady", I am very ill informed!  At that point, I shall contact you all with the corrected information.  It was just referred to as "The Class" at the meeting.  Sorry.  I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight now.  Poor me!

Sharon Malec's Upcoming Show:  will be from February 16th, (which is when the Artist's Reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m.), and ending on March 26th, 2010.  This will be at the Arbor Vitae Cafe, 1120 East Diehl Road, Naperville, IL  60563 (630-577-9090).  The cafe resides in the NIU extension building, says NIU on the building, and sounds pretty fun to me! Congratulations, Sharon.  You are truly an inspiration for us all to get our bums out there, produce and sell!  The nice thing about this venue is that there is no commission involved,...pure profit.  Way to go!

Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum:  Sharon Malec discovered a museum hidden away at the Benedictine University in Lisle.  Go to www.ben.edu/resources/juricasuchy.asp for more information, but this is what I have for you:  It is a collection of 10,000 specimens, ranging from coral to a whale skeleton, a bird collection....  And it's FREE and much closer than the Field Museum!  the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum is at 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL  60532.  Phone is 630-829-6546.  Hours:  Now through May 15, Monday through Friday - 1 to 5 p.m. / Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m..  May 16 through July 31, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m..

It's been said that there are a lot of stuffed animals, which make for great models if you'd like to draw something that won't roll over when it gets bored with you staring at it.  Fun for kids of all ages.  The Field Museum may have Bushman stuffed, but THIS museum has his actual skeleton!

("...and there's a piece of me over here, and there's a piece of me over there..." - The Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz).  Also, this is in the science building, 2nd floor.  There is an art gallery in the hallway.

Pet Portraits: is a new company started  by Martha Tabis!  You go, girl!  If you know of anyone who's in need of this, contact her.  She also brought some beautiful postcards and regular cards to sell at the meeting.  An exceptional deal, nice quality, and much more personal than Hallmark and American Greetings cards.  Hopefully she'll bring them to other meetings.

The latest Challenge: is due at the March meeting.  

The theme/themes is/are spring &/or contrast.  Pick and choose, or combine them both.  No rules, restrictions, limitations.  All that I ask is that you keep in mind that this is a challenge, so please stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone, ladies!

Little Dresses for Africa:  There is a drive going to help clothe orphans in Africa.  The idea is to convert pillow cases into dresses, takes about 30 minutes per dress. and you've made a child very happy.  Martha Tabis brought this to our attention last night.  For more information, go to

www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/?page_id=477 Once there, hit "more information", and then down to "pillow case pattern".  There is also information about how to get them to a source who will then send them on to Africa.  Please send this information on to whatever groups you think may be interested in helping.  Even Girl Scout Troops in need of patches, church groups, etc.  Please and thank you.

Fiberistic Journeys: an exhibit of original quilts There is an exhibit at the Anderson Art

Center (121 66th Street, Kenosha, WI 53143, 262-652-3993), from January 24 through March 21,

2010. This includes the works of Ann Fahl, Annette Hendricks, Denise Havlan, Rachel Wetzler,

Beth Gilbert, and Robbi Joy Eklow. Sounds like a road trip to me, ladies!

That's it for this month. There will be a meeting on February 22nd, even though there is a class

on the following Saturday. Same time, same place. Hope to see you there.

xxxooo, Laurie

October 2009 Newsletter

Greetings, ladies!  I actually made it to this meeting, so there will actually be a newsletter!  Woo-hoo!  We have agreed that when I am not there, someone will be designated the official note taker for the evening.  They will then get me the information so we can proceed to forward the new info onto our members.  Thank you to whoever decides to step up for this very difficult task!

16 people were present, and there was a lot of show and tell.  Some people brought their "meat/meet...challenge", others brought their "red/read...challenge", while others just brought fun stuff they've been creating.

NOVEMBER 9 IS OUR NEXT MEETING!!!!!!!!!  Please mark this on your calendar.

Due to the holidays, that's what is available.

THERE WILL BE NO MEETING IN DECEMBER!!!!!!!!  Enjoy your holidays without the

added pressure of trying to make a meeting.

JANUARY AND FEBRUARY ARE TO BE ANNOUNCED!!!!!  Due to classes that were set up for our meeting space at the art league, we are setting up other options which will be posted at a later date.

LACE CHALLENGE:  This is due at the November 9th meeting, ladies, so put your thinking caps on, and rev up those sewing machines.  Anyone new who would like to participate but did not get in on the lace passed out, just use whatever lace you have on hand.  The only criteria is that you challenge yourself, with no size restrictions.

"GOLDEN" Lady:  Dorothy talked to the woman from Golden products, and she is willing to give us a class using her company's products at the Naperville Art Legue on February 6 or 27.  Her cost is $500, which will be split among those who sign up, plus $15/person for supplies.

We will go outside of guild if necessary to get enough participation to keep the per person fee at a reasonable rate.  Remember what you would pay for a class at a major show.  So, check your calendars and bring your yea or nah to the next meeting.  Please and thank you.

"COLORED PENCIL LADY":  She will do a class with pencils on fabrics,...whatever kind of pencil your little heart desires.  Water color pencils, regular ones.  We will discuss scheduling once we get the "golden" lady set up.  Fees will be told at that time.

ART CAN BE POLITICAL show will be presented by PAQA (Professional Art Quilt Alliance/Association...my mind is laughing at me again!  Sorry!).  The show will be at the Naperville Cultural Center in the Main Street Promenade, 55 Main St, #211,

Naperville, IL.  It will run the month of November, with an opening reception on Sunday, November 7 from 3 to 6.  Even if you are not necessarily interested in politics, this would be an excellent viewing of local quilt artists and their styles.

INDIANA HERITAGE QUILT SHOW will be hosting their 19th annual show in Bloomington, Indiana on March 4 - 6, 2010.  We discussed at guild about how this is a nice show to get your feet wet in,...you fill out a form, send it in with your $10, and you're in!  Once your quilt arrives, it is then judged.  The only additional expense is the shipping there and back.

www.IHQS.org

If you go to this site and check out the 2009 show winners, you will find my quilt under the applique section.  I am still amazed!

Alright, that wraps it up.  Remember, November 9th is the next meeting.  See you there.  Naperville Art League, 508 N. Center St, Naperville, IL  60563.       

xxxooo,  Laurie

August 2009 Newsletter

Good morning, ladies!  We had a very nice meeting last night with 16 women and one sewing machine.  Lots of show and tell, including one red challenge.

THREAD PAINTING DEMO:  was given by our very own Maggie.  A very interesting process done with the help of a Viking Yarn Couching Feet Set.  There is thread and bobbin thread in the machine, but the yarn to be couched is brought in from the back of the machine.  She opts between stretching a water soluble plastic in a hoop or just holding the plastic tight as she free motion stitches the yarn in place.  Another option is to carefully place her yarns between the 2 layers of plastic to keep a design in place; or trace onto the plastic with marker, the couching as she goes.  The plastic is actually the dirty laundry bags used at some hospitals.  They fill them with laundry, throw them directly into the wash without handling anything.  They dissolve in the wash, which is what it will do after you stitch and wet it.  Ta-da!  Order them on line:  Hot water soluble bags on a roll (25 bags?).  Thank you, Maggie, for turning us on to another embellishment technique.  Oh, and she also showed thread painted leaves that she really thread painted onto the actual leaf!  Way cool!

FIBERINTHEPARK.COM is the place to check out more information on, of all things,

the Fiber in the Park show!  It is on September 19th, from 9am to 4 pm.

4165 East 16th Road, Earlville, IL.  So go to the web site to get a list of venders, classes, and a map.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM:  We have been warned!  The park district will be using our room for the January, February and March meetings.  We have been offered the gallery space to meet, and also there was mention of one night free of charge.  So, give it some thought, girls.  Is there somewhere else we'd like to meet at that point? Did someone want to give a demo in their home that is a little hard to do at the art league?  Would we like to have a field trip that night?  Maybe go out for an inexpensive dinner?  

CHALLENGES:  Look at the previous newsletters for challenge dates.  They are down below here.  Remember, there is no pressure to do any of the challenges.  But do keep in mind that the word "challenge" really does mean to challenge yourself!

OVER AND OUT:  That's is for this month.  Remember that next month, September 19th and 20th is the Faithful Circle Quilt Show.  Be there or be square.  For those of you who love applique, Selbe Baez will be the featured quilter, and her work will blow you away.  There will also be the Pilgrim/Roy invitational Quilt Challenge, as well as the guild challenge which involves VanGogh paintings!  (www.fcquilters.com)

Our next meeting will be on Monday, September 28 at 7 pm at the Naperville Art League (address, etc in letters below).  Be there or be square.  xo, Laurie

July Newsletter, 2009

Hello, ladies!  It's a beautiful day, blah, blah, blah!  Life is interesting and ever so busy.  So, I am going to make this short but sweet.

NEW MEMBERS:  There are five of you out there, thanks to our fiber arts show held at the Naperville Art League.  Your names will be withheld for your own safety.  Little did you know that there is a price on the heads of all our members.  (Did I say I was going to make this short?  Ha!)  Welcome, ladies.  I hope you enjoy the group,...we are a wild and wacky bunch. Many of these new women admitted to being dabblers!!!!!!!!  I wanted to tell them about the weekly meetings that we have,...dabblers anonymous, but I didn't want to give them the wrong impression.

DONATIONS OF SEWING ITEMS: Stephanie is looking for donations of sewing items (doesn't need a rotary cutter) for so that she can give sewing lessons to a girl she knows.  Fabrics, cutting matt, etc.  I think the girl is foreign, but I have no brain and forgot to write that part in my notes.  Duh!  This getting old stuff is for the birds, not the secretary!

RED CHALLENGE:  Some items were shown.  Fun!

NEW CHALLENGE:  The word dujour is MEAT.  Take that word anyway that you'd like, as in any homonym.  Meet, meat, oh, the list just goes on and on.  Any size, any medium, and yes,

this is once again, an optional challenge.  DUE AT THE OCTOBER MEETING.

LACE CHALLENGE:  Doroth Larsen was offered the chance to go through a box of "supplies" that the art league was getting rid of.  She chose a "bolt" of lace.  Anyone  who is interested may cut off a hunk and go to town.  Any size, any medium, optional again.  

DUE AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING.

Vicky Pigmatella will be at Riverwalk, but, of course, I don't have a date.  I'm sure you can find it on-line.  I don't know,...riverwalk.com?

FIBER ART SHOW:  The show received a very nice response.  Due to the date we chose, it forced many of the art league members to view our work (they were dropping off their work for the next show).  We were discussing the possibility of having demos at the next show,...yes there will very probably be a next show.  Felting was number one on the list.

Put your thinking caps on to come up with more possibilities.  Thank you to all who participated, we should be proud.  

NEXT MEETING will be at the Naperville Art League on July 27, 2009 at 7 p.m.  The address is 508 North Center Street, Naperville, IL  60563.  There is parking behind the building, on the street and across the street in a large parking lot.  We enter through the front door.

I will be unable to attend this meeting due to my class with Caryl Bryer Fallert!  Woo-hoo!

This time for sure!  See you in August.

MAGGIE WEISS:  Don't forget to discuss Maggie's class, thermofax basics (1 to 2 days).  Check out her website at www.maggieweiss.com.

xxxooo,  Laurie