Comments on: New Work table topper project from Lynn Krawczyk’s book, Intentional Printing

By: Anne Harkin

Anne Harkin — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 00:06:19 +0000

Love using found objects as one of my fabric printing techniques. Started this occupation by chance and was spurred on by finding Traci Bunkers’ Print & Stamp Lab in a bookshop. Now I’ve built a studio and teach kids and adults, make clothes and housewares and LOVE the whole creative process. My arts include photography, African and Arabic traditional percussion and paper crafts as well as textile arts. Here’s a photo of printed bunting made by school kids I taught for a local festival, as well as a print or two from my found objects prints…if I can find where to attach the photos!

By: Deborah M

Deborah M — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 12:42:47 +0000

Nice work, Lyric! I would love to teach women, who are somehow disadvantaged, to sew!

By: Ronni Hunter

Ronni Hunter — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 14:07:37 +0000

I belong to two critique groups where we all help each other with roadblocks and encouragement. I find the exchange of information about techniques or artistic ethics is a really great way to give back to other creative people.

By: Joanne

Joanne — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 04:54:47 +0000

I volunteer co-teaching an art/craft class at a senior center once a month. We encourage everyone to enjoy the process. I have worked with preschoolers, seniors and every age in-between and they all want to know if they’re doing it right. We tell them there is no wrong way if you enjoy what you’re creating.

By: Michele Lea

Michele Lea — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 02:51:09 +0000

My most memorable mistake was with the 2008 Kaufman Quilt Quest Challenge. I miss understood the directions/requirements of the challenge and made assumptions. I got the fabric had a really cool design and proceeded to cut the pieces and put it together – orange and purple grape shapes hanging from a wall. Then I went back and reread the instructions for some reason and to my horror I was to use a “traditional block”. The word traditional through me off and I literally thought it had to be a block with a traditional pattern. Well, hell, my collage of seemingly grape like shapes contrasting against a variety of stripped rectangles varying in sizes was not a traditional block! Soooo, I bought some more fabric and selected the card-trick block and came up with a pleasing composition and added a little nature to it by intertwining green ivy by appliqué The card-trick block is a combination of triangles sewn together to give an illusion BUT it is a “traditional block” so all the corners had to match perfectly. (By the way, I had not taken a traditional quilting class yet-I assumed I could figure out how to sew triangles together – what is so hard about that? Well, after ripping out little triangles for seemingly the 100th time I finally completed the card-trick pattern with a lot of verbal abuse directed at my quilt. I now have a pieced quilt top using a traditional quilt block. For some reason, I went back and reread the instructions, to my horror again, I realized that a traditional block could be a plain block with any design in it, so I could have used my original design after all! I was not a happy camper but then started to laugh at myself and sat back and realized I had learned an awful lot – true, it could have been a lot easier but not as memorable. Nothing is as simple as it seems, read the instructions/challenge requirements and make sure you understand them, if not, ask someone to explain them to you-preferably an experienced quilter and do a little reading on a technique that has been tried, tested, and works rather than trying to guess how it is done-read, listen, and follow the instructions for a challenge. I now know what a 1/4″ seam is and that little bit off turns into a big bit off after a couple of squares. I know the card trick block inside and out and I don’t want to do it again. I have an incredible amount of respect for those talented and precision conscious artists that do traditional piecing, especially in such large formats as queen size quilts. “Twice Over Lesson Learned” did not win but was juried into the show that traveled the country for a year. The winning piece was an appliqué of a pelican – beautiful, but my question was “where is the traditional block”?

By: Sandra Betts

Sandra Betts — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:52:05 +0000

I try to pay it forward by mentoring those who need to access my experience . I would like to share whatever I have been fortunate enough to have learnt.

By: Lynnelise

Lynnelise — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 20:31:27 +0000

Every time I learn a new technique or get a new art book, i can’t wait to share with my friend who lives in another state with no access to an art group. We get together once a month and experiment with these new techniques!

By: Yvonne R

Yvonne R — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 09:22:49 +0000

For me, spending time with like minded quilters who share the enthusiasm and dedication to produce work with textiles that both inspire and add passion gives enormous pleasure. To give gifts of textile art that been made personally to both family, friends and to the community certainly gives me a great deal of satisfaction as well as a “feel good” feeling.

By: Christine Robinson

Christine Robinson — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 08:07:48 +0000

I have made my stash of fabric open to my friends. There is so much and I know I will never use it all and I am not getting any younger!!! It means they will call and have a chat, ask for help and share a laugh. I am not able to get out and about as I used to but at least my fabric can.

By: Keren Evanson

Keren Evanson — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 04:31:03 +0000

I have a co-worker in her twenties, much younger than i am, who is so excited to learn to sew. I convinced her to buy a sewing machine and can’t wait to help her with her first project.