Christmas Greetings to all of our FIBREARTS ALLIANCE blog readers...

Here we are at December 21st and the big weekend is fast approaching. This message sends a very heartfelt wish for a family focused and blessed Christmas season for you and your family. Be safe as you travel and make sure to think of those who do not have family close by and make a contact with the over the Holidays.

The Kingston and area Quilt Shop's classroom season is over, and our local Quilt Shops are holding special sales and events over the next several weeks to draw customers and patrons in for their year end specials. This is a great time to plan for next year. Make sure that you are stocking in the supplies from the sales that will serve you best in the New Year. Have a look at their Winter calendar for exciting new classes.

QUILTS KINGSTON 2012 is fast approaching as the Kingston Heirloom Quilters and the Limestone Quilters Guild members work together to plan this stellar event in Kingston for June 2012. Please visit the QUILTS KINGSTON website at http://www.quiltskingston.org for more details. Renowned quilter KATHY WYLIE will be the Guest Artist for the Show.

An amazing WEARABLES Show is up at the John M. Parrott Gallery at the Belleville Public Library. A short visit there last week saw friends enjoying the beautiful work of ANDREA GRAHAM, ELINOR RUSH and HEDY CAMPBELL along with many other talented area Artists. All of the wearables including jackets, hats, scarves, dresses and more are for sale and would make wonderful Holiday gifts. Many beautiful silk scarves dyed by CHRISTINA BARNES of Kingston are available through the Library Gallery Shops on the third floor, along with the art of many fine area artists presenting amazing wood work including hand make fountain pens, boxes, and jewellery, handbags and so much more. Glorious pottery and porcelain work is also there for the collector. Don't miss a drive to Belleville this winter holiday season! Visit the Library Website for details and library hours.

Winter Term Courses at St. Lawrence College begin again on Thursday, January 19th as we launch the "COLOUR THE QUILT ARTIST'S WAY", a  12 week course running through April 12th (there will be no class on March 29th as I will be travelling to the SAQA/SDA Conference in Philadelphia). Our course this term will cover all things colour related and will see students focusing on the layering of colour and stitch in all new contemporary work. Those who are passionate about traditional work are most welcome to join in on the fun and take a traditional design to all new and exciting heights using the beautiful new fabrics that the manufacturers are bringing to the marketplace in glorious colour. Registration is available at the Student Services Office, St. Lawrence College or by calling 613-544-5400, ext. 60 or online at http://www.SL.on.ca. Everyone welcome and this is a full credit course in the Textile Design Diploma Program. No pre-requisites for the course and all levels of skill are welcome, beginners to advanced. Interest Only students are encouraged to register and join in on the fun!

 

FIBREWORKS KINGSTON presents two amazing Instructors with their workshops in March and April. Travelling from Coburg will be ALICE VANDER VENNEN and from London, ON, JOHNNENE MADDISON. Each Instructor brings a wonderful and all new approach to their work and will share techniques that will excite and prepare their students to take on the challenges of creating original work in all new ways! Alice's "FINDING A NEW STORY: Working with Textiles and Found Objects" and Johnnene's "THREAD DRAWINGS WITH AQUABOND" are courses that will take Kingston and area students to a whole new place as they explore collage, and machine stitching in many exciting new ways. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend the Friday evening lectures at St. Lawrence College on the Friday evenings March 9th and April 20th in Room 12050, Upper Link Hallway, Administration Wing at the rear of the College Campus. Details from Donna Hamilton, Fibreworks Registrar at fibreworks@cogeco.ca.

Watch for two great exhibitions by the KINGSTON FIBRE ARTISTS GROUP - the foyer in the downtown branch of the Kingston Public Library during the month of April 2012 and then a 6 week long exhibition in the WINDOW GALLERY at the Kingtson School of Art on Princess Street beginning in November 2012. The group welcomes new member, JANINE GATES in the New Year. Janine's designs are truly exciting and she will be a valuable and contributing member of this active Fibre Arts group in Kingston. Congratulations to Janine.

Have a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for an amazing and art filled NEW YEAR... it is fast approaching now, and soon we will all be back together at the exciting groups and gatherings that we all love to attend.

PLEASE JOIN US... SAQA Central Canada Group Meeting November 29, 2011 at Odessa Fairgrounds Hall

Please mark your calendar:

Everyone interested in SAQA (Studio Art Quilts Associates) is welcome and encouraged to attend. Bring Friends, and RSVP to garner@kingston.net

The SAQA Central Canada Group will meet on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at the Odessa Fairgrounds Hall located in the Village of Odessa just west of Kingston. Every member is welcome and encouraged to attend, and to bring a friend who you might feel is interested in SAQA membership. The meeting will be hosted by SAQA Regional Representative, Bethany Garner, and will begin with Business Meeting at 10:30 am to allow for travel time by members coming from a distance. Please plan to participate in our "Creative Buffet" sharing during the late morning, as we so enjoy seeing YOUR new work.

Agenda items are welcome from all members. Please forward to Bethany at garner@kingston.net no later than November 15th. Pat Caffery, SYNTHESIS II Curator, will have a report for all of us to share the latest news about the "next steps" for our exciting Exhibition.

Discussion about future meeting dates/venues will be at the top of the list. Your input is very important and we encourage members who are willing to host a regional meeting to please advise your Regional Representatives: Sharon Collins, Dwayne Wanner or Bethany Garner.

After the am meeting, please join us as we share a members-provided POTLUCK LUNCH at 12:30 pm (coffee/tea/water provided), followed by an afternoon of visiting and moving through a few techniques demonstrations shared by local members. We hope you will be able to stay throughout the afternoon if at all possible. A small "donation" to help cover the hall rental will be appreciated.

DIRECTIONS: The Odessa Fairgrounds Hall is located just south of the Odessa exit off Highway 401, and a quick drive from 401 to the stop lights in the village. Proceed south through the lights and the entrance to the Fairgrounds property will be on your left about one city block past the stop lights. Parking is available next to the "Palace" (white Barn with a red roof) building on your left as you enter the Fairgrounds property. The meeting will be held in the meeting hall attached to the rear of the building and with a ramped, accessible entrance. Please click on the link below for the Google Maps, Odessa, ON directions from your location.

http://g.co/maps/vckct

Looking forward to seeing you November 29th in Odessa. RSVP attendance to Bethany encouraged to garner@kingston.net , please and thanks.

MARY PAL is featured artist at FIBREWORKS KINGSTON, November 11-13th

Please mark your calendar and plan to join Hilary Scanlon next week on Friday evening, November 11, 2011, for an exciting evening with Guest Instructor MARY PAL as she shares a Lecture and sampling of her beautiful new work before her comprehensive two-day workshop,  "PAINTING WITH CHEESECLOTH" to be presented to 20 very lucky workshop weekend students.

The Lecture will be held at St. Lawrence College, located at the corner of King St. and Portsmouth Av. in Kingston, ON. Please enter the college campus off Country Club Drive, just a short distance west of the King St./Portsmouth Av. intersection. Once on Country Club Drive, take the second right turn into the campus, driving past the Technology Building on your right, and enter the parking lot beside the Administrative Wing (behind the Tech Building). Enter Door E12, and take the elevator in the lower hallway beyond the stairs or travel the stirs to the second level. A left turn off the elevator will take you into the LINK Hallway. The first door on the left is the 12050 Classroom where Mary's Lecture will begin at 7 pm.

The Lecture entry is a $5 donation at the door. Please plan to bring friends. You will not want to miss this exciting evening with Mary and her beautiful work. Contact Donna Hamilton, FW Registrar at 613-544-7324 for more information.

QUILTS=ART=Quilts opens at Schweinfurth Art Centre, Auburn, NY

Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center Quilts=Art=Quilts Oct 30 - Jan 8, 2012 Director's Tour: Tuesday, Nov 1, 2pm Kathleen Loomis, Crazed 9: Blue State Blues (detail)

Quilts=Art=Quilts October 30 - January 8, 2012 This exhibition includes 82 quilts by 74 artists from across the United States, as well as Canada and Japan. This annual exhibit, now in its 31st year, has become a tradition at the Schweinfurth Art Center and is one of the longest running Quilt Art exhibits in the country. Quilts on view in the exhibit express the diversity of styles, techniques and designs in contemporary quilt making. Quilts range from those based on innovative interpretations of traditional block quilts, to pictorial quilts and abstract designs. Techniques include traditional piecing, hand quilting, hand dying, machine thread painting, and appliqué. Admission is $6, free for members, exhibiting quilters & children 12 and under. THIS TUESDAY Director's Tour Tuesday, November 1, 2pm Enjoy a second opportunity to tour the 31st annual quilt show with Executive Director Donna Lamb. Included with $6 general admission to exhibition, free for Schweinfurth membersand exhibiting quilters. Quilts for Art: Mini-Quilt Raffle October 29, 2011 - January 8, 2012 Purchase your chance to win a small quilt donated by one of the exhibiting quilters. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. Purchase your tickets by phone or at the Art Center. Drawing will be held on January 8. You do not need to be present to win - winners will be notified by telephone. Proceeds benefit the Art Center's ongoing exhibitions & programs, including Quilts=Art=Quilts, Quilting by the Lake & QBL2. Admission: $6 Adults; Members, exhibiting quilters & children 12 and under are FREE Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm. Closed Mondays, major holidays, and between exhibitions. Find us on Facebook and Twitter. Visit www.myartcenter.org for more information.

QUINTE FIBRE ARTISTS' SHOW OPENS November 3rd, 2011

Quinte Fibreartists invite YOU to attend their new Fall 2011 Show and Sale.

Please mark your calendar for the GALLERY OPENING EVENT of the Quinte Fibre Artists Group fall exhibition " RE-INSPIRED" on Saturday afternoon, November 5th, 2-4 pm in the John M. Parrott Gallery, Belleville Public Library. Everyone Welcome.

The Library is located at 254 Pinnacle Street, downtown Belleville. The Exhibition will run from November 3-24th, 2011. Library hours are Monday - Saturday 9:30-5 pm, except Thursday, 9 am - 8 pm.

 

This is an exceptional opportunity to view the latest work of these stellar Artists working in the Fibre medium, and enjoy some time with friends as you tour their 2011 exhibition.

SAQA Central Canada Members work to go to the Quilt Museum at Michigan State University

SAQA CENTRAL CANADA Members work to go to Michigan State University Quilt Museum Permanent Collection

We are so pleased to announce that three members of our SAQA Central Canada group have been honoured by the selection of their submission pices to SAQA's travelling exhibition "This is a Quilt". Congratulations to Catharina Breedyk-Law, Mary Pal and Dwayne Wanner.

As part of the planning for This is a Quilt! SAQA arranged for 50 pieces to become part of the permanent collection at the Michigan State University Museum. SAQA engaged gallerist Michael Solomon to select those pieces. The pieces will go to the Michigan State University Museum at the close of the trunk show travels.

Michael Solomon wrote:
When Kris Sazaki first asked me to be the juror for a collection to go to the Michigan State University Museum, I willingly accepted, thinking it would be a piece of cake. After all, I had owned a fine art gallery in Sacramento for over 10 years, and I had certainly chosen art and artists for many gallery exhibits. I faced a slightly greater challenge with group shows as opposed to solo exhibits, but I felt I had a pretty good grasp of the contemporary painting and sculpture we exhibited. I have also juried shows outside of my gallery, as well as my own photography exhibits.

For the SAQA show, I came to realize that my mandate would limit and challenge me when I faced the prospect of selecting just 50 pieces out of 268 submissions. I have spent many hours in art museums around the world, I am an avid collector, and I have formulated some ideas as to what constitutes "great art." While the quality of art may be subjective, great art is simply that which compels one to look at it, again and again and again. This is the truth, if not a truism. And that's the reason museums full of art that visitors repeatedly visit, contain great art. I can't stop looking at and admiring the art on my walls and pedestals; if I do, I end up replacing it with something better, and then repeat the process.

In jurying this show, I looked for aesthetic design, shapes, color, composition, texture, and subject matter. I am somewhat partial to figurative subject matter, so that may have affected my judgment in some respects. All of the work I viewed exhibited high artistic quality, and I found myself initially choosing way more than my allotment of 50. I then faced the agonizing task of deselecting many pieces I appreciated. In any event, I hope you enjoy my selections.

Artists whose trunk show pieces were chosen to become part of the Michigan State University Museum's permanent collection:

1. Affolter, Regula
2. Branjord, Sandra
3. Bruvry, Patricia
4. Carrigan, Sherry
5. Chen, Yeu-Chiu
6. Chuang, Huei-Lan
7. Clover, Jette
8. David-Cohen, Yael
9. Drucker, Tamar
10. Ecob, Aileyn
11. Filatoff, Julie
12. Fingal, Jamie
13. Fitzsimmons, Micaela
14. Fricke, Rebecca
15. Henry, Susan Elaine
16. Horne, Connie
17. Huang, Ming-Mei
18. Jensen, Jill
19. Jurgenson, Jean Renli
20. Lachman, Mary F.
21. Law, Catharina Breedyk
22. Limmer, Andrea
23. Lin, Hsin-Chen
24. Lin, Mei-Mu
25. McClean, Sarah Louise
26. McLaughlin, Linda
27. Milholen, Vivian
28. Miller, Linda
29. Ortelle, Cathy
30. Owoc, Pat
31. Pal, Mary
32. Phillips, Margaret A.
33. Pixeladies
34. Puetz, Casey
35. Read, Priscilla
36. Robertson, Ruan
37. Robertus, Linda
38. Rushbrooke, Rose
39. Simpson, Gayle
40. Smith, Catherine Whall
41. Smith, Lura Schwarz
42. Stegmiller, Terri
43. Stoltz, Heather G.
44. Tateo, Tiziana
45. Themel, Kate
46. Thomas, Rosalind
47. Tunnell, Karen Reese
48. Wambaugh, Debbie
49. Wanner , Dwayne
50. Watler, Barbara

NATURESSENCE Exhibit opens at Mississippi Mills Textile Museum

Please make time this fall to visit the beautiful exhibition of Elaine Quehl and Catharina Breedyk Law at the Mississippi Mills Textile Mueseum located in the lovely town of Almonte, ON. The Museum offers visitors a lovely step back in time to explore the restored Mill which sits alongside the river in the village and the opportunity to see a collection of outstanding quilts created by Cathy and Elaine which is unrivaled in the Ontario and Canadian Textile medium. The pair are professional quilt artists working in a studio environment to create quilts that depict the beauty of the Canadian landscape and the unique views captured as they have travelled, photographed and enjoyed nature at its best.

This is a perfect time of year to take a drive with a few good friends and enjoy the beautiful quilts created to celebrate Nature and the mastery of these two talented quilters as they express their creative process in cloth and stitch. Plan lunch in the village and visit the area shops now as they gear up for Holiday shopping. Lunch at one of the several amazing dining options in the downtown will be a treat.

Contact the Museum for hours and be sure to visit while this beautiful collection of quilts is up for viewing.

KAREY BRESENHAN requests quilts for Texas Quilt Museum

The request below came from Karey via the online QUILTART LIST today and is so worthy I feel I want all of you to have the opportunity to consider a donation to the new Museum. Without the help and influence Karey has shared with quilters around the world, we would not have the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Chicago (now Cincinnati) and Long Beach, California. We would not have links to major quilt shows all around the world and a hugely wonderful network of quilters to which each of us can belong.... Please consider a donation if you can.

Bethany

_______________________________________________________________________________

Message: 10

Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2011 00:33:57 -0500

From: "Karey Bresenhan" <kareyb@quilts.com>

To: "QuiltArt" <quiltart@quilt.net>

Subject: [Quiltart] Call for small quilts

Dear friends, I have been fairly quiet on the QuiltArt list for almost a

year now, and during that year, I have focused almost entirely on creating

the new Texas Quilt Museum in La Grange. It is going to be fabulous--two

1893 handmade brick buildings containing three high-ceilinged galleries with

a terrific quilt mural on the exterior and a Grandmother's Flower Garden on

adjacent property. La Grange is a small Central Texas town that is almost

equi-distant from Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, so it is in a perfect

crossroads position. We are opening officially on Sunday, Nov. 13, but we

have private tours and events scheduled at the Museum pre-opening, beginning

Oct. 20.

We have a small Museum Store and as a former quilt shop owner, it is falling

to me to stock this store.with the most limited budget imaginable! So I

thought I would turn to the QuiltArt list. I read all the time how y'all

don't know what you're going to do with all your quilts.perhaps you would

consider donating one or more to the Texas Quilt Museum that we could sell

in our Museum Store?

I'm looking for small quilts--either art or traditional or a

combination--that we can sell for between $100 and $200. (It's not that they

wouldn't be worth more than that, but that's about the outside limit of the

market here.) Because we are a museum, quality is important, as you might

imagine. But although I am a dreamer, I'm not unrealistic.I know we're not

likely to get top award winners donated to sell! (Then again, wouldn't that

be wonderful!) But I also know there's a lot of talent on this list, and

many of you are prolific quilt artists. I'm hoping many of you also have a

strong philanthropic streak and will want to help us get this new quilt

museum off to an outstanding start. I read the QuiltArt posts daily, and I

realize that you, along with many others today, are on tight budgets--that's

why we're not asking for monetary donations. By donating a quilt or two, you

will not only be helping us present fine quilts and spread the love of

quilting and the understanding of quilt art, you will also be getting good

exposure for your work and your own talents. In addition, any donations to

the museum are tax-deductible as we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

If you're interested, please contact me off list at kareyb@quilts.com . I

do hope to hear from you! You'd be doing such a good deed!

Karey Bresenhan

Co-founder, Texas Quilt Museum

Director, International Quilt Festival--Houston, Long Beach, Cincinnati

MARY PAL VISITS KINGSTON TWICE THIS WEEK

What an exceptional opportunity to experience the dynamic energy and see the beautiful work of this hugely amazing Art Quilt Professional. Mary Pal lives in Ottawa and over  the past several years has become one of Canada's premier quilt artists. Her work is seen in Quilting Arts Magazine, in the Studio Art Quilt Associates Journals 15, 16 and 17 and she is a member of the Board of Directors for SAQA.

Mary will be the Guest Speaker at the Limestone Quilters' Guild meeting on Wednesday evening, September 7th at the Srs. Association Centre located at 56 Francis Street off Mowat Ave. near St. Lawrence College in Kingston. The meeting begins at 7 pm and will be an exciting and fun filled evening as Mary presents her Trunk Show and shares a talk with members and Guests centering around her quilt career, teaching, professional development and more. Mary is hugely warm and an inspiring speaker, so please do not miss this opportunity to share in a great evening with a Canadian Icon in the quilt world.

Mary is also sharing a full day workshop with Limestone Guild members on Saturday, September 10th at the Odessa Fairgrounds Hall. The workshop will include a full day of exploring the magic of using the old friend, CHEESECLOTH, in your art work...and the exciting ways she uses it to create a small "goldfish" wall quilt class sample project. Terrific chance for those who registered to get a heads up on the use of this amazing art quilt staple for all new designs. Mary is also exploring options for colouring your cheesecloth and the magic of the hand and machine stitching she uses to embellish her quilts.

For those of you who are ready for a more advanced workshop, please see the article below, as Mary is a Guest Artist with FIBREWORKS KINGSTON in November, and sharing her CHEESECLOTH PORTRAITS workshop weekend with registered students the weekend of November 11-13th. Please contact Donna Hamilton, Fibreworks Registrar, to secure your seat in this awesome weekend workshop. fibreworks@cogeco.ca

FIBREWORKS KINGSTON 2011/2012 Brochure Available online

Hilary Scanlon has released the schedule of her 2011/2012 FIBREWORKS KINGSTON Weekend Workshops Series in brochure and registration format online through the lovely new FIBREWORKS BLOG.

The Instructors this next year include:

PAMELA ALLEN, October 21-23, 2011 " Under the Influence"

MARY PAL, November 11-13, 2011 "Painting with Cheesecloth"

and

ALICE VANDER VENNEN, March 9-11, 2012 "Finding a New Story: Working with Textiles and Found Objects"

JOHNNENE MADDISON, April 20-22, 2012 "Thread Drawings with Aquabond"

You may download a copy of the 2011/2012 Brochure at
http://FibreworksKingston.wordpress.com/ 

and read the details of each individual workshop weekend and the course description, as well as the Instructor bio.

Registration contact: Donna Hamilton, FW Registrar, 613-544-7324 or fibreworks@cogeco.ca

Don't miss this opportunity to study with each of these dynamic and talented Instructors.

See you all in the classroom.

Note: Lectures on the Friday evenings of each workshop weekend are open to the public and held in  Room 12050, St. Lawrence College, Kingston, ON at 7 pm. Everyone Welcome. $5 at the door.

Please feel free to contact Hilary at 613-542-9226 or Bethany Garner, Advertising and Promotions Co-ordinator at fibreworkskingston@gmail.com

THREADWORKS 2010 Arrives at ARTHUR CHILD HERITAGE CENTRE, Gananoque

The amazing and visually so beautiful THREADWORKS 2010 Exhibition which includes the work of Fibre Artists from across Canada arrives at the ARTHUR CHILD HERITAGE CENTRE for an opening on August 21st and running through September 30th.

THREADWORKS 2010 includes the work of embroiderers, quilters, fibre artists and surface design professionals who have created a breathtaking variety of stitched works around the theme "TREES". The Call to Entry went out in 2009 for submissions, and several  hundred artists sent their beautiful work for Jurying. The approximately 70 selected pieces included in the Threadworks Show were unveiled at the Exhibition Opening at the Wellington County Museum in Fergus in April of 2010. Since that time, the Exhibition has travelled to venues all across Ontario, offering residents in the receiving communities the opportunity to be exposed to the beauty and sensuous quality of the hand and machine stitch, painted and manipulated fabric and surface design techniques that fascinate the viewer.

Please plan to visit the THREADWORKS Exhibition beginning August 21st and running through September 30th in the Arthur Child Heritage Centre Museum Gallery located on the waterfront in Gananoque. Call ahead to check the hours of the gallery  before driving down and perhaps plan to take a lovely St. Lawrence River tour on the terrific Gananoque Boat Lines while there, with stops at the Boldt Castle on the three hour tour. Gananoque offers a lovely waterfront collection of small shops, great eateries and walking tours. The Gananoque Inn is a  lovely place to stay in case you would like to make a mini-vacation part of your visit! Be sure to take friends, share the news of the exhibition and visit often.

Local artists with work in the Threadworks 2010 Exhibition include Phillida Hargreaves, Robin Laws Field, Frankie Lemonde-Meunier, Bethany Garner, Maureen Byer and Elizabeth Vandenberg.

Some of the pieces are actually offered for sale though the individual artists. Catalogues available or visit http://www.onnguilds.ca/ for a pre-visit view of the catalogue. Click on THREADWORKS 2010 in the sidebar for links to the online exhibit.

The Arthur Child Heritage Centre and Gallery is located just south of the 401 along the St. Lawrence River. Contact:

ARTHUR CHILD HERITAGE CENTRE

125 Water Street

Gananoque, Ontario K7G 3E3

613-382-2535

SAQA Central Canada Exhibit at Perth Quilt Show WONDERFUL!

Please make sure today to take a drive to Perth and the St. John's High School where you will find a beautiful and prolific display of Quilts and Wall Hangings as well as lovely displays of memorable accessories and small quilted objects in QUILTS ON THE TAY 2011, the bi-annual Quilt Show of the Lanark Quilters Guild, Perth and area.

Included in this wonderful show is a special exhibit organized by Helga Zimmerly, long time member of LQG and now of the SAQA (Studio Art Quilts Associates) Central Canada Group. Helga put out a call for quilts for a Special Exhibit to fellow SAQA members and the resulting donations of beautiful art work have made a spectacular and very worthy exhibition of member's work. One large room simply resonates with colour, texture and stitch as many pieces including LAURENTIAN HILLS, the amazing twenty member collaborative piece created last year by SAQA Central Canada members calls viewers close for an inspection of design, technique and beautiful hand and machine stitching. Please don't miss this exhibit.

The Show also includes a wonderful Merchants Mall and Members Boutique. Of special note were the booths of Nina Stahlschmidt of Jordon, Ontario with her beautiful Feed Sack Quilts and accessories and the booth of Betty Ives, an amazing Art Quilter and founding member of the Canadian Quilters Association. Both offered viewers a wonderful walk down memory lane and huge opportunities for educational information about quilts and quiltmaking.

The TEAROOM is a special treat as well. Make time today to be there and see old and new friends, some really spectacular quilts and the QUILT CAR just outside the School entrance. A DVD of the entire Show is available for sharing at only $10 and a great investment.Great job ladies!

Third Brockville KFA Show hangs August 12th

The members of the Kingston Fibre Artists Group would like to extend a welcome to their third of the Summer 2011 Exhibitions at the Brockville Museum, located at 5 Henry Street on the waterfront in Brockville, Ontario. The Museum is open Monday to Saturday 10- 5 pm and 1-5 on Sunday afternoons.

Each of the thirteen participating members will have their work represented in this third Exhibition installation. New pieces as well as a retrospective of favourites from past Kingston Shows will be included, each with a special selection of mixed media, quilting and surface design techniques.

Please make time to visit the exhibit between now and the 20th of September. Be sure to bring friends.

Also a special exhibit this weekend is QUILTS ON THE TAY, the bi-annual exhibit of the Lanark Quilters Guild to be held at St. John's High School on Hwy. #10 as you come into Perth from Westport. The show promises visitors a wonderful display of new quilts, both hand and machine pieced and quilted. There will be a lovely special display of the works of SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) members from Central Ontario. The Merchant Mall at the show is always representative of the very best of the best area vendors with the newest fabrics, tools and specialty items for visitors to the show to enjoy. Please take family and friends... something for everyone.

The Annual Garlic Festival is on this weekend in Perth as well... so much to see between Perth and Brockville. Enjoy this beautiful weekend.

Gearing up for CREATING FABRICS WITH DYES WEEKEND Aug 6-8, 2011

The heat is on for sure and the temperature is nearing the 40's - whew! The notices and supplies lists have gone out to the students enrolled in the CREATING FABRICS WITH DYES AND PIGMENTS Course starting August 6th at St. Lawrence College. With 12 students already registered - we are happily collecting supplies, fabrics and some great colour family choices for dye work for three long, terrific summer days. The first day will be colour wheel brights, with the opportunity to dip into the colour baths of dyes and mix your own palettes to work with. The second day will be a more subtle batch of dye colours with over-dye possibilities. The second day will also involve SHIBORI work - with lots of pre-stitched fabrics and pole wraps being coloured!

Day three is open to each students personal choices/needs and can certainly involve custom dye baths being mixed, parfait layering for mottled gradations, and dyeing of threads for embroidery and machine bobbin stitching. Some of the students are returning course participants, while others are totally new to the course, and dyeing. Lots of individual attention and plenty of great information shared in the 100+ page workbook/note book prepared by the Instructor will keep the students on their game and making notes for further adventures with dyeing original fabrics.

Hoping that some of the students will bring clothing to dye,odd bits and pieces of vintage textiles (I love to hand dye beautiful old linens and tablecloths for future projects). So much fun to watch the many individual projects and batches of colourful fabrics evolve as the weekend days pass by.

If you haven't registered for the course, please consider it - there is plenty of time to get into the course and you just need to email me and let me know you are coming at garner@Kingston.net and ask for the supplies list.

The college registration number is 613-544-5400, ext. 60 or register online at Part-time Studies, Kingston Campus, http://www.SL.on.ca - click on Creative Arts, Textile Design, Creating Fabrics with Dyes and Pigments. Hope to see many of you in the classroom.

Reunion Day fun filled and productive!

The Fibre Artists gathering at St. Lawrence College July 14th was a terrific opportunity for 12 great friends to get together for the sharing of news, new projects and creative endeavours. The room was filled with colourful fabrics, arts projects and many great books and magazines to have a peek at.

During the day several of the artists were painting fabric using the COLOUR VIE paint system they love to work with, and the hallways of the college just outside our classroom quickly filled with great new backgrounds for futures projects. COLOUR VIE is a very versatile and exciting paint selection for a quick fun day of painting. No stores to visit searching for the perfect colour, just mix it yourself.

Others were piecing quilt blocks, embroidering fabric paintings, creating free motion stitched collages for burning with a heat gun and many tried creating "Stick Dolls" inspired by those made in a workshop with Margi Hennen in London. There were pieces of ribbons, fabrics, yarns and embellishments being shared and used to create dynamic characters. Hoping to see more of the finished dolls at upcoming gatherings. Great fun.

Stories of summer vacations, special projects and upcoming events as well as some art critiquing and small conferences in the corners were happening all through the day. A terrific lunch and time to chat were super parts of the day. Thanks to everyone for participating. Let's do this again - often.

THE LAUNCH CONTINUES...

Today the emails went out to local groups and individuals extending the invitation to join the Fibrearts Alliance Network and I hope we will have a great response. Please feel free to share the link to the blog on your groups or Guilds website and I am happy to hear from all of you when you feel you would like to join us and share news from "your end of the fibre world".

Please share the news with friends and do plan to join me at St. Lawrence College this Thursday, July 14th... see the blog entry below or in the archive to the right of the main entries.

Happy stitching!

St. Lawrence College "Reunion Day"

Thursday, July 14th will find many students from St. Lawrence College's TEXTILE DESIGN DIPLOMA PROGRAM gathering in our favourite 12050 classroom in the LINK for a day of stitching and catching up! Summer is a time when quilting and fibre arts friends gather for "Stitch-ins" and days of visiting to share what is happening in their busy fibre related lives.

New work and techniques will be shared along with a collection of all new books, fabrics and inspiration. Students who are exhibiting work will share their news and locations with the group. Many are travelling this summer and we hope each student will share their adventures and great fibre finds with us. How, when and where they are headed on their travels around Canada and beyond is always a great topic for great stories and tips.

The college is offering several textile related courses this fall and we are hoping students will make their way back into the classroom for some fun and camaraderie. TEXTILE DESIGN, the first course in the 10-course line-up of required courses with Bethany Garner, Instructor, will begin the week of September 15th. The course will run for twelve consecutive weeks and be focused on design and composition of all new art.  Beth's evening courses run 6:00-9:00 pm on Thursday evenings in Room 12050 in the Link near the Administrative Wing at the rear of the college campus.

Another required course in the diploma program, PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT, will also begin that week with Janice VanDijk instructing. This course is designed to assist the students as they develop strong digital photography with their personal camera and photograph editing skills using ADOBE Photoshop programs in the college's computer labs. The course offers students a textile focused look at photographing one's work for submissions to exhibitions and for publication. A full day photo shoot is also included that will take each student through the steps to correct lighting to ensure the best use of the camera functions for clear photographs without shadows and clearly in focus. Classroom assignment to be provided with registration.

Hoping all students in the program will join us for the "reunion" on July 14th - everyone welcome. And watch the college website at www.SL.on.ca for news of the registration and course outlines. Just click on Part-time Studies, Kingston Campus, Creative Arts in mid August.

Happy stitching. Can't wait to see all of the new work when courses start this fall.

Kingston Fibre Artists Show in Brockville

Thirteen of the sixteen members of the Kingston Fibre Artists Group have joined together to share their beautiful work during the Summer of 2011 at the Brockville Museum. Located at 5 Henry Street on the waterfront in historical downtown Brockville, the small gallery inside the Museum is brought to life by the beautiful work of this group of close friends, whose work exemplifies the diverse techniques and talent of it's members.

The room where the work hangs is painted a brilliant Sunshine Yellow (almost orange) so the challenge was to choose work that would "pop" against the wall colour. This group of talented friends has done just that... made the work just literally jump against the bold wall colour. The current show will change in the next few days as a totally new exhibit is hung on Friday, July 8th. The second sharing of work will change once again on August 12th, allowing visitors in the Brockville area and the summer visitors coming to Brockville by boat from the nearby shores of the US to enjoy a hugely delightful sharing of it's Textile work.

The Brockville, ON Museum is open from 10-5 Mon-Sat. each week and 1-5 pm on Sunday afternoons. There is a $5 admission to the Museum, and visitors will enjoy many interesting exhibits, from old cars and tools, to local memorabilia and the lovely textiles and wearables that have dotted Brockville's history and now reside in their permanent collections. Husbands and friends welcome and the visit will not disappoint.

Please plan to visit the area often this summer and while there, drop by both Picket Fence Fabrics on King Street in downtown Brockville and Taylor's Sewing Centre located just west of the lights at Highway 29 and Parkdale Ave. in the north-end shopping district (a left turn noth at the lights and in a small shopping centre next to the Pizza Hut). Both shops have an excellent selection of fabrics, notions and patterns, as well as samples for upcoming classes.

Also on exhibit this summer, works at the Marianne VonSielfort Gallery at St. Lawrence College on Parkdale Ave, east of Taylor's Sewing Centre. The gallery is open to the public. There are always terrific summer exhibits to enjoy in this small but very beautiful gallery space.

Have a great summer searching the textile exhibits and shops in our area and be sure to include the Kingston Fibre Artists Show in your summer plans.

And now it begins - Welcome to all Fibre Arts Enthusiasts

July is a great month to rest,reflect and start new projects. The days are longer and the hours seem to stretch on to allow for new tasks and playing catch up on those that have been languishing in the "to do pile. Just like stitching projects, blogging can be a fun and worthwhile project, or another burden on the blog manager. I hope to tackle this new venture with enthusiasm and keep the news flowing out to each of you often.

Tonight I am launching this blog to invite friends in the Fibre Arts to join me in keeping those interested in the Fibre Arts advised of area news, upcoming events and bits of information that might be of interest to network members as we navigate this very busy and interesting pass time, the Fibre Arts.

Many of us belong to local and distant groups and networks, but do not have a regular place to check back to make sure we are up to date on the news and happenings nearby. Come back often and see what is happening in and around Central Ontario. Drop me a line by email and let me know what is news in your area and I will be pleased to share the information for you.

Hoping your summer 2011 is filled with great places to visit, lots of fun with great friends and many hours of stitch time.