CSQ Guild Show and Tell with a Threadpainting Kicker

June 1st was another Guild meeting.  Our UFO challenge has resulted in some wonderful quilts getting completed and appreciated by members.  It's interesting how many times a member will display the quilt and say something to the effect that the challenge was what motivated them to get the work done on a particular project.  YEAH!  Just take a look...

Ruth (at right) finished this wonderful feathered star quilt.  She hand quilted it, too.  It drew lots of Oohs and Aahs as well it should.

Alice (at right) had this sampler quilt she completed.  Another beauty and I love the blue and yellow color combinations.

I think this was a quilt brought by Harriet (not in the picture) and is one she quilted for a customer.  I love the layout with the brown squares in the cream that march around the outside of the quilt.

Another UFO completed - and loved by her sister.  Too bad I'm blanking on the name of the quilter who in this picture is holding her own quilt.

Kathi talking about one of the Rock Creek quilts her daughter worked on in 4th grade - 2 years ago!

Another quilt for Kathi's daugher as well as a smaller quilt for the daugher's baby doll - cute!

Susan completed this McKenna Ryan pattern - one of a set of 12 (I think) or so that she has been working on.

Then it was time for our guest speaker.  I'm STILL pumped up about the things I've seen and learned this week about threadpainting. Threadpainting is something I've wanted to do for several years - originally on my longarm machine. I took a class from Claudia Pfeil last year and have practiced a few times but haven't really gotten the hang of it on my longarm. Then I saw Terry White's work at the Rising Sun Quilt Fest last year and have been salivating ever since. Terry White is a studio fiber artist (her words), very talented and great teacher (my words).


Terry came and did a trunk show for our Guild on Wednesday. She talked about various aspects of threads, fabrics, how she threadpaints, the different fabrics she uses, issues she's bumped into and how she has resolved them. Interspersed with this narrative were lots of fun stories about her kids, her life and her work. She had glorious examples and let us parade them around the room so each guild member could see the work up close. For example:

You can see the basic design of the scene depicted in this wall hanging. 

Look at the detail of the lion and lamb - threadpainting can give such wonderful detail and Terry's work is fantastic.

The Coleus quilt is for her son - a much more masculine looking quilt than the angel quilt she did for her daughter.

This is probably my favorite of Terry's quilts.  Not sure if it's the colors that appeal to me the most or the subject matter - Sun and Moon.   Regardless, I love it.  The fabric is hand dyed different colors but the background thread around the sun and moon is the same blue thread, yielding a different look onthe different colors. 

Carol doing the holding so Vicki and Jan can look at "My Big Fat Greek Still Life" quilt up close.

 Then on Thursday, Terry came back for a threadpainting workshop.  I learned several things about using my machine, about different types of needles (microtex vs. embroidery vs. universal), threads for the bobbin when threadpainting (serger thread or bobbin thread) and threads for the top - just about anything else.

Terry is demonstrating one of her techniques.  I had studied her book but it's always helpful to hear the instructions and see the technique demonstrated.

New Threadpainters enjoying lunch and a break.

JoAnn (Jiffy JoAnn) gets the prize for having completed the most on her sample.  She has wonderful background fills that are in a lighter thread and so aren't quite visiblein the picture.

Susan completed quite a bit using the different techniques discussed in class.

Gayle chose to emphasize the swag on the bottom - an artistic way to turn an oops into a new design choice.  I laughed with her because I had some of the same problems starting out that she did but it truly looks good.  She should be proud!

Notice the color of Ann's snail and her shirt.  We do have our own color preferences don't we?

Carol with her threadpainting sample. 

  It was a fun class and I learned quite a bit.  I've had a design in my head and actually drawn out for several years.  Now I have the knowledge to start working on it.   Time to get started!

Cheers!
Margaret