My Video Workshop is Released Today!

Video Workshop
My brand new video workshop, Contemporary Fabric Collage: Design, Stitch and Finish, is now available for download! I am so thrilled with this project.

It's just like taking a workshop with me. As I prepared for the shoot, I made long lists about all the tips, suggestions, ideas and directions I wanted to include. Plus, there are lots of visual aids and examples throughout the dvd. I think you're going to love it!

The video workshop includes chapters on fabric selection, composition, using sheer fabrics, stitching by machine and by hand, and unique finishing options.

Artwork from the Video
I created three fabric collages specifically for filming the video workshop. They each include the signature elements and techniques that are discussed in the workshop.

Verdant Vista, 14x11"

 

Ikat Gathered, 12.5 x 11"

Plentiful, 22 x 15"

Give Away
To celebrate the release, check out this fun give-away! I've created three "collage kits" inspired by each of the three collages for the video. Each kit includes several pieces of fabric, including some of the exact same fabrics I used in these collages, plus some fabrics with my original stamping and surface designs. There are sheer fabrics, cottons, unexpected and unusual items and vintage hankies. Plus, a couple of skeins of coordinating embroidery floss, one of my favorite needles and a spouncer sponge. (Almost everything you need to create your own collage.)

Verdant Vista Inspired Collage Kit

 

Ikat Gathered Inspired Collage Kit

Plentiful Inspired Collage Kit

 

How to Enter
To be entered into this give-away, just comment on this blog post. Tell me what you are looking forward to learning in the video workshop. Here are some extra opportunities to be selected for the collage kits.

• Mention and link my blog and video workshop on your Facebook.
• Sign up for my e-newsletter. (The link is at the top of the right side bar.)
• Pin an image of the video workshop or my artwork on Pinterest.
• Blog about the video workshop.

If you do any of these things, just come back here and add an additional comment saying "hey, I signed up for your newsletter/mentioned you on Facebook/pinned an image..." or whatever. Thanks so much for spreading the word about the video workshop.

I'll take sign ups through May 2, then I'll use a random number generator from all the blog comments and pick three winners -- one for each collage kit.

I'll leave you with this funny picture from the video production. Apparently, I was a bit surprised by sound guy.

Blog Renew: 14

I was really productive today, including a trip to the grocery store. Hey, see those bananas?

If I bought bananas just a bit green in Maryland, they would be perfect the next day and fine for another three or four. Here in Texas, those bananas are perfect for one day, tolerable for another day and covered in big brown spots by the third day. Mangos, on the other hand, are plentiful, less expensive and stay ripe longer than the mangos in Maryland.

Most of my productive time today was spent at the computer, but I was on a roll and feeling motivated. Sometimes the creativity required to work through projects at the computer is just as challenging and fun as actually cutting, stitching, painting and composing in the studio.

I prepared two blog posts including a fun new video for The Sketchbook Challenge blog hop. My day to post is Thursday. Have you been following all the amazingly inspiring content from the Sketchbook Challenge artists this month? Good stuff.

I'm also working on a (somewhat) new online workshop. I'm uploading videos. Setting up a private blog. Thinking of some really exciting ways to enhance the experience for the student.

If you were going to take an online workshop from me, what kinds of projects, techniques and ideas would you like to explore?

Me and My Friends at the Dallas Quilt Show

I had a great time at the Dallas Quilt Show today. I've slapped a bunch of snapshots here into the blog post -- mostly of quilts made by me and my friends. Later I'll share some other quilts that caught my eye.

Here's my quilt Plentiful that I created as a sample for my Quilting Arts workshop dvd. I really love this small quilt... I entered it because it was one of the only pieces I had that fit the size requirements for the small quilt category.

Here's Blue Chair Mantra which has been seen hanging several places of late. It got an Honorable Mention in the Art Quilt catagory.

Here's Grow Abundant which has been rejected from several shows, but won a third place ribbon in Art Quilts. Hooray!

My friend Heather Pregger's Tuning Fork 12 won second place in Art Quilts.

My friend Lu Peters, who makes stunning garments, won first in the Garment category for her piece titled "Hiding in Plain Sight: The Cloak of Invisibility."

She calls it "couture camouflage." It's both brilliant conceptually and technically.

My friend Tonya was the featured quilter at the show and gave an excellent lecture.

Carol Morrisey's Spider Lillies are amazing! They won a Judges Choice ribbon (but nothing in the Pictorial category, which I may discuss more later. Or maybe not.)

Robin Williamson created this fabulous pieced quilt she titled Voldemort, because it originally refused to be named.

At the Dallas Show they hang the quilt info and artist statement from a ribbon pinned to the quilt. Above you see how the quilt looks at the show. And below I've tucked the sign behind the quilt so you can see the black and white section of Robin's quilt.

It really looks entirely different when you don't hide the black and white section, right? I really dislike how those signs hang over the quilt. I mentioned to someone when I was helping hang the show on Wednesday and I got my head bit off. I should have asked someone to take a picture of me without my head.

Sherrie Tootle won third in Art Quilts! Our small art quilt group, The Twisted Stitchers, issued a challenge for everyone to create a quilt with red in it. This is Sherrie's red contribution.

Here is Barbara Oliver Hartman's red quilt.

And here's Tonya Littman's red quilt.

With a sheer overlay of a horse for the Year of the Horse.

Another small art quilt group I belong too created a multi-piece collaborative work see in the background here. I was taking a tour of the show led by Marian Ann Montgomery. She highlighted this piece as a unique entry in the group quilt category.

Here's a wide shot of Tonya's special exhibit as the featured quilter at the show.

There were so many more quilts and more friends. It was a super fun day.

I came home eager to get to work on some new art quilts!