Author: JP Dawes Artist

Half Way Point 2011

| JP Dawes Artist

The question was asked today about how we are doing on our WORD we chose for 2011. I have been so busy  putting my life back together that my art and my word  were forgotten…..but just maybe it was ingrained. Thank you to the person on the QA list who reminded me of this. When I went back and read my own post I think maybe I need to read this every day.  Here is what I wrote about it way back in January:

Last year was the first time I chose a word rather than making a resolution. So simple, so easy to stay on track and nobody to measure my success besides me. Last year my word was “Acceptance”. I chose that word for many reasons associated with my personal life as well as my art. It surprised me how many times through 2010 I actually remembered and reminded myself to accept the situation for what it was and to accept my art for what it is. For the most part I stopped trying to fix things.

That word  was really important because of my RA. I did have a life before RA and it was different. Acceptance would not have been tolerated by my inner task master. It took me nearly 6 years of living with RA to know that Acceptance is the only way I am going to be able to pace my energy. Acceptance is the only way I can have priorities without guilt. I gave myself permission to not even try to multi-task.

This year my word is Persevere. Do you see the progression here? I think I do and I’m happy with it. I can accept my limitations but I will persevere to do the best art I can do within those limits.

Goodie Bag Exchange

| JP Dawes Artist

Here is what I sent in my bag of goodies for a small exchange I am in with Didi Salvatierra, Holly Knott and Mary Hinckle.

The theme we had to stay with was “Summer”. I had the funky focus fabric in the front that I didn’t know what to do with so figured Didi would like the challenge!

When Life gives you lemons, plant sunflowers.

| JP Dawes Artist

My original plan for this Arts in the Cards trade bit the dust so you might say I had to make lemonade from the lemon.  I was not impressed or motivated when I started this idea. I quilted commercial cotton with a summer garden print. then I fused stylized sunflowers on the front. It was getting better. Then I added the funky rick rack grass and granny butterfly. When I started the backs, I decided to leave a pocket for a surprise inside. I searched for a quote or a blessing but couldn’t come up with anything I liked. So I made up my own quote to fit the trade, wrote it on construction paper lemons and tucked it inside the card. Photo quality isn’t great because I scanned this in. I hope the recipients like them when they sprout in their mailbox.

Guilds and Quilt History from my view

| JP Dawes Artist

A conversation took place recently  about how many art and contemporary quilters feel they aren’t accepted by their local guilds. Some even put their LQS [local quilt shop] in the mix, too.  I have to say that sometimes what we art quilters do isn’t the norm and sometimes leaves others scratching their head with a quizzical look on their faces.  On the flip side of that,   I have that look when someone doesn’t understand what I’m doing and treats it like it is from another dimension.  A few people thought some us of feel that way because we want adulation and applause for being so clever. That couldn’t be further from the truth. That’s why I’m writing this post.

Whether you lean towards what we now call traditional quilting or contemporary quilting, it is really all the same. We use time honored techniques such as piecing, applique and whole cloth in our art quilts just like traditionalists do. And quite a few of the traditionalists are making quilts with fusing and raw edges just like the art quilters do.  When I thought about this I imagined that the Baltimore Album quilt artist were looked at a little strangely…after all, why would you want to make a quilt pictorial? Or horror of horrors, write on your beautiful quilt with India Ink? And then later, Marie Webster developed and produced her own patterns and designs that didn’t match the pieced and whole cloth quilts others were making. Maybe some of the local quilting bee looked down their noses at these people but now those quilts are considered traditional fare, not art quilt fare.

Tanis quilt Commission

So the more things change, the more they stay the same. I think the art quilters and contemporary quilters are just a step or two ahead of the pack. Give it a few more years and just like long-arm quilting, it will all be accepted practices. If you belong to a guild and have been less than welcoming to an art or contemporary quilter, please think about what I wrote. Nobody expects everyone to do the same thing, just respect the diversity and embrace it.

Just for fun, here is a photo of a very traditional quilt I made for a commission.

Vintage Quilt Top Find

| JP Dawes Artist

Yesterday on my way home from exercise class I stopped at a thrift shop and one estate sale. The thrift shop coughed up this vintage Brick Road pattern quilt top for $3. It was a long skinny piece that I split and stitched together to make a lap quilt that will measure apx. 42×55. Plenty of room to get cozy this winter.

The estate sale had some sewing things and a  cotton batt for $1 decided to go home with me. Since I finished my mindless crochet throw I needed some easy hand work to do while I watch trash TV at night. I think this will be wonderful when it is done for only $4. I took a few photos of some of my favorite fabrics in the piece. Oddly enough I have had some of these fabrics in the past. I really love the deer and they remind me of Jay McCarroll’s Woodland Wonderland line of fabric from FreeSpirit. Find it here