Nineteen Stars: Quilts of Indiana's Present and Past (3)

This is my third installment about a quilt exhibit at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science in Evansville, IN. The exhibit opened on October 24 and runs through January 10, 2016. NINETEEN STARS: QUILTS OF INDIANA’S PRESENT AND PAST, begins the museum’s celebration of Indiana’s upcoming Bicentennial. The theme is drawn from the 19 stars depicted in the state flag that commemorate Indiana’s position as the 19th state to join the Union. I recently had the opportunity to view this wonderful exhibit. If you live close enough to check it out, please do so. If you would like more information about the exhibit or museum, click here.

In my previous posts, I've shown you lone star quilts and variations, feathered stars, and Penny Sisto's quilt about Frances Slocum. In my last installment on the show, I'm going to show you a variety of quilts in the exhibit.

I have to mention the fact that, as a hand quilter myself, I LOVE to see good hand quilting. This show did not disappoint. Here is only one of many examples of REALLY, REALLY good hand quilting.

REALLY good machine quilting was also represented.

There were modern/art quilts (the full quilt--Bohemian Fireworks by Sandra Peterson, 2009--is in the upper left; the other three pics are close up shots),

Bohemian II: Ferris Wheels and Kites, Sandra Peterson, 2013 (below)

and there were traditional quilts (full quilt upper left; remaining pics are close up shots).

(Quilt above--Back Porch Stars, top designed and pieced by Kaye England; quilted by Cathy Franks, 2014)

The traditional quilt above (Stars Across Indiana by Deb Geyer, 2014-2015) is unusual because of the quilting in the solid areas of the pattern. Deb says she included some of her favorite images from across Indiana in the quilting of the blocks. She has included things like the Purdue Student Union, country scenes, the Indy 500, the Children's Museum and more.

The Indiana Amish quiltmakers were represented, too. This quilt (Variable Star) was made by Katie C. Troyer Miller in 1915.

I haven't shown you nearly all the quilts in the exhibit. Please check it out in person if you get the chance. It is well worth the trip.

 

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Nineteen Stars: Quilts of Indiana's Present and Past

This is my second installment about a quilt exhibit at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science in Evansville, IN. The exhibit opened on October 24 and runs through January 10, 2016. NINETEEN STARS: QUILTS OF INDIANA’S PRESENT AND PAST, begins the museum’s celebration of Indiana’s upcoming Bicentennial. The theme is drawn from the 19 stars depicted in the state flag that commemorate Indiana’s position as the 19th state to join the Union. I recently had the opportunity to view this wonderful exhibit. If you live close enough to check it out, please do so. If you would like more information about the exhibit or museum, click here.

Here are some more of my favorites.

This one is a string star (Enlightened Star made by Judy Pleiss, from Indianapolis, in 2014). She says she was inspired by a 1940s scrap quilt top she purchased for $15. I love the lively colors in this quilt; I LOVE scrap quilts.

This was my favorite feathered star. It was made in Pike County--1840-1870. This is another quilt where the quilting is just FABULOUS.

I had to show you a close up of this star. There is LOTS of gorgeous hand quilting on this quilt.

Penny Sisto has two quilts in the exhibit. (I'm only showing you one of them. You REALLY need to see these quilts in person. The imagery is spectacular, and the eyes haunting.) The focus of both quilts is Frances Slocum. At the age of five, Frances was kidnapped by Delaware Indians. She was raised among the Delaware in what is now Ohio and Indiana. This quilt is called Frances Slocum's Totem and was made in 2014.

Penny says, "Against a darkening sky a Totem forms. It is made up of the child Frances Slocum in the years after she was kidnapped."

"The horizon of the quilt shows a child's memory of the kidnappers galloping bareback. The scene is chaotic and stands in sharp contrast to the stillness of the Totem group. Frances holds a deerskin shield bearing the symbol of a white deer."

"The shield frames the head of her adopted Grandmother/Teacher who teaches her the ways of her new people."

"An eagle rises behind Frances to bring her guidance and courage. Fractured stars form a line behind her right sholder, lighting her pathway."

I will have one more installment on this exhibit. Stay tuned.

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Nineteen Stars: Quilts of Indiana's Present and Past

There is currently a quilt exhibit at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science in Evansville, IN. The exhibit opened on October 24 and runs through January 10, 2016. NINETEEN STARS: QUILTS OF INDIANA’S PRESENT AND PAST, begins the museum’s celebration of Indiana’s upcoming Bicentennial. The theme is drawn from the 19 stars depicted in the state flag that commemorate Indiana’s position as the 19th state to join the Union. I had the opportunity to go to the exhibit today. If you live close enough to check it out, please do so. We need to get the word out that fiber arts are appreciated and that people are willing to come to the museum specifically to see fiber art. If you would like more information about the exhibit or museum, click here.

If you are a fiber art lover, you know you need to see these in person--looking at pictures just doesn't do the pieces justice. These were some of my favorites from the show.

There were very old lone star and lone star variation quilts. This one by Rachel Rardin from Greenfield, IN, is dated from 1835-1843. The quilting on this quilt is specifically mentioned on the information about the quilt. It says, "Besides the perfectly flat central star, unusual (and difficult) diamond border and survival of easily-faded purple dye, this quilt is also notable for its quilting, a formidable eleven stitches to the inch in white or blue-green thread (depending on the hue of the face fabric) through a very thin batting.

This quilt is called Stars Upon Stars and was made between 1913-1919.

This Blazing Star Quadrant Quilt was made between 1860-1880.

I took a close up of this quilt; the quilting was FABULOUS.

This is a lone star made by Anna Chupp Miller from Goshen, IN. It is dated 1930.

It is amazing to me that women 100 years ago could make such masterpieces, and that the work would survive in such good shape considering the tools (or lack of tools) they had to use. I'm sure many of them worked like my grandmother by cutting templates from thin cardboard/brown paper/sandpaper, cutting out quilt pieces with scissors (no rotary cutters back in the day), piecing by hand, and quilting by hand. I'm floored by the talent of these quiltmakers.

Over the next few days, I'll share some more quilts from the exhibit. There are string stars, Amish stars, and very modern stars yet to share with you.

 

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"Mindless" Embroidery

I belong to a great fiber arts group that meets in Louisville, KY. LAFTA (Louisville Area Fiber and Textile Artists) is a good mix of all types of fiber artists. One of the best things about the group is that it offers free classes to group members. LAFTA members volunteer to lead workshops in a wide variety of areas such as screen printing, felting, beading, bead embroidery, design, and "mindless" embroidery to name a few.

I just took the "mindless" embroidery class led by Felice Sachs. Felice explained that she has been stitching on small canvas pieces. She uses the stitching to keep her hands busy as she watches TV. You can see one of her pieces in the picture below.

 

Felice was kind enough to allow me to take photos of a few of her pieces to share with you. These are some of my favorites. She sometimes uses pieces of fabric collaged onto her pieces.

Here she has collaged a piece of lace onto the canvas.

Sometimes she simply uses threads.

I do a lot of embroidery, but I NEVER use just one strand of floss. (I'm a bit more of an "extreme" embroiderer. My work is a little more "in your face.") For these pieces, Felice always uses only one strand. She sometimes stitches over an area more than once, but she sticks to the one strand "rule." I like the more delicate look of the stitching with one strand. I appreciate that Felice shared her expertise with us in this class. I really enjoyed it. I'd also like to give a big shout out to Preston's Art Center on Bardstown Road. They let us use their classroom space for free. If you can visit the shop in person, you should. It is a GREAT store. If you don't live close enough to visit, check out their website here.

I really feel lucky to belong to a group that promotes all areas of fiber arts.

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And the Quilting Begins

The hand quilting has finally started on my current project. I haven't done any hand quilting for quite a long time. I find that I am REALLY enjoying it. The biggest drawback (besides the time it takes to do it) is that my underneath fingers look like chopped meat. I have little specks of blood on the back of the quilt; and when I go to bed, I can feel my heartbeat in my fingertips.

Here is a look at the piece. You can see the basting threads and the beginnings of my quilting.

The quilt is for the exhibit Dialogues: Contemporary Responses to Marie Webster Quilts (SAQA Regional Exhibit) to be held at the Bret Waller Gallery at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Current SAQA members from Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Iowa, Minnesota, and Tennessee are eligible. If you are interested in participating in this exhibit (and I hope you are), you can find the information here. This website summarizes the timeline and requirements.

This special SAQA regional exhibit, to be heldJune 23, 2016-September 4, 2016, will be based on Webster’s quilts. She lived in Indiana from 1859 to 1956. Her quilts were inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement and represented a fresh and innovative approach to quilt design at the time. If you should choose to accept this mission, you will need to list a particular Webster quilt or quilts title(s) which inspired your new art quilt for this juried submission.

I had real trouble picking a quilt from her collection. While I appreciate her quilts very much, they are NOT my style AT ALL. After much thought, I finally found some inspiration in her Poppy quilt. I'm hoping I get it finished in time for the exhibit and that it gets juried in.

Oh, here is a gratuitous picture of my grandson Cade. He was a prince in his elementary school's fall festival. He is such a sweetie and gets a kick out of being on Mimi's blog.

 

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Invitation to the 44th Mid-States Craft Exhibition

I just got some news this week that two of my pieces have been chosen for the 44th Mid-States Craft Exhibition at the Evansville Museum (Evansville, IN). The exhibit will take place January 17-March 6, 2016. The opening reception is January 23 (6-8 pm Central time). I'd also like you to know that currently there is a quilt exhibit at the museum. The exhibit, Nineteen Stars: Quilts of Indiana's Present and Past, will be available through January 10, 2015. For more information about both exhibits click here. You will be able to find the address and hours of admission on the site if you are interested.

I am particularly excited by this invitation because this show is an "all-media" show. My fiber pieces were chosen along with sculpture, paintings, mixed media, metal, glass, ceramic, jewelry, woodworking, etc. The last time I had a piece of work in this show there were only two fiber pieces in the entire show.

I'd love for you to see the pieces in person and hope (if you are close enough to Evansville) you attend the show. As you know, if you are a fiber lover, you REALLY have to see the pieces in person to fully appreciate the detail in the work. If you can't come or you are interested in which of my pieces made it into the show, here they are.

Metamorphosis I (24" X 24") is totally hand embroidered. I call this "Extreme Embroidery." The entire surface of the piece is covered with hand stitches. It sure takes a long time to do a piece like this. It was framed by Kathy Hilger at Elements in Jasper, IN. (The frame looks really blue in the picture, but it is actually black.)

I included some detail shots, so you could see the stitching.

Black, White, and Red All Over (36 1/2" X 26 1/4") is densely hand quilted and hand embroidered. It also includes beading, appliquéd yoyos, and fine-line piecing. This one is a favorite of my niece, Wendy.

Detail shot

If you get a chance, please check out both Nineteen Stars: Quilts of Indiana's Present and Past and the 44th Mid-States Craft Exhibition at the Evansville Museum. You'll be glad you did.

 

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