Summer Wrap-Up #2: Sacred Threads Quilt Exhibit

Bonnie Dubbin Askowitz: Hand of Peace

A highlight for me this summer was a visit to the Sacred Threads quilt exhibit. This exhibit is held once every two years in Herndon, Virginia. This is the second time I've gone to the exhibit. My first time was in 2013 and I unfortunately missed the exhibit in 2015. Below is a small selection (of the hundreds of quilts!) from the exhibit that particularly struck me. The first, by Bonnie Dubbin Askowitz, is really my favorite. You can see the exuberance in each hand!  I love the protective Hamsa symbol (also known as the Hand of Fatima). I've spent many hours drawing them as a form of meditation. I've designed, drawn and stitched them as gifts for dear friends and family members. Seeing Bonnie's piece made me realize that I want to go back and create more...maybe even a hundred of them!

Bonnie Dubbin Askowitz: Detail

 Here is some "history" about the exhibit from the website:

In 1999 a small group of women gathered together with a vision of a "new" type of quilt exhibit. At that time topics such as spirituality and inspiration were not always understood or welcomed at traditional quilt shows, and all-medium liturgical art exhibits generally featured few if any quilts. There was no "safe" or welcoming venue for quilters who saw their works as a connection to the sacred and/or as an expression of their own spiritual journey. Often the meaning behind these works was missed or misunderstood because the artist did not have the opportunity to share their sources of inspiration with the viewer. 

Hope Wilmarth: Fall Was Her Favorite Time of Year

Founder Vikki Pignatelli and the other committee members wanted to create a dignified exhibit of artwork that would touch all those who viewed it on both spiritual and personal levels. We wanted to share the experiences of quilters whose stories would be a source of healing and strength for others by allowing the artist to submit a statement which would be exhibited with the artwork that described the meaning or inspiration for the piece...

Kimberly Lacy: Pyrite Ammonites

The show does not emphasize any particular religion or theology but conveys the spirituality, healing and inspirational messages that transcend all people. 

Sabrina Zarco: No Olvidados/Not Forgotten

 For the exhibit, quilts are divided into categories based on theme. These are Expressions of Joy, Spirituality, Inspiration, Grief, Healing and Peace/Brotherhood.  The artwork themes provide thought-provoking insights, encouragement, inspiration and healing responses to grief and human hardships... 

Jackie Manley: Death Did Us Part

Jocelyne Sobeski: After the Snow Falls

Jocelyne Sobeski: Detail.

Linda Jurkiewicz: Blue

Linda Jurkiewicz: Detail.

Linda Jurkiewicz: Endure Hardship as Discipline

Linda Jurkiewicz: Detail.

Susan Callahan: Ball Gown with Cape (made from old ties!)

Lorie Hancock McCown: the Black Dresses

Martha Petry: Moon Flower

Martha Petry: Detail

Roxanne Lasky: Tidal III: Source

Roxanne Lasky: Detail

The quilts in this exhibit were very powerful! Thank you participants for sharing your work!

Healing Cloth Workshop

This weekend, I taught a new workshop at The Art League School called, Patching, Stitching, Weaving: Creating Healing Cloth.

This is a concept I've been thinking about for a while now. The act of mending cloth (patching, stitching, darning) can also mend or be healing to the maker or can serve as a means for them to create a piece that could heal another. I was inspired by two events. The first was meeting Gene and Sue Greer, a husband and wife quilting team who create memorial quilts. I was deeply moved when they told me that they work together to create special butterfly quilts for terminally ill children. A comfort for the children and then eventually for their families. The other event was designing a hamsa for my friend, Martha and after her death having the opportunity to create peace flags using her hamsa symbol. I found the act of printing and hand stitching the flags very cathartic and meaningful.

I wasn't sure that my deep connection with this idea would translate well into a class. I took a chance.

Saaraliisa Y.

I was so fortunate to have a group that was willing to take a chance with me. For two days we stitched and shared. I'm hoping that they got as much out of the experience as I did!

Susan P.

Thank you Susan, Amy, Zita, Saaraliisa and Lisa.

Zita S.

Amy J.

Amy J. (detail)

(All works are in process)

Tallis Reconnection

A friend of mine got a commission to create a tallis, or prayer shawl, for a girl's Bat Mitzvah.

Since my son had his Bar Mitzvah just over nine years ago, my friend asked for some information on the size etc. of his tallis.

So today I went digging and found the woven bag in which it is stored. I unrolled it and realized that it needed to be ironed...or at least have a bit of looking after.

The tallis was woven by another friend and I did the embroidery on the collar.

It's interesting to me that even nine years ago I had a deep connection with the hamsa symbol.

The Star of David has the Hebrew word Chai which means life.

It was nice reconnecting with this ceremonial piece. I'll be curious to see how the commissioned tallis created by my quilt artist friend turns out.

New Year: Peace Flags

An assortment of Peace Flags in process.

 It seems that I spent the week after Christmas in a bit of studio avoidance...cleaning bathrooms, sorting through old jewelry, washing clothes... But yesterday, I was determined!

I've been wanting to finish up a set of Peace Flags, based on the ones I made this past fall. They are for an artists' trade. You can read more about the original flags here.

The backgrounds are hand painted and the hamsa hand design and Peace are printed using carved blocks.

I then went back in to paint a few details, including the whites of the eyes.

I made a number of extra flags...just in case!

Now I just have to finish stitching them up and they will be on their way...

Day 31: 2012 in Review

Salt and glue resist

 A review of 2012:
Starting with the presentation of my Conant grant project, Kitchen Resists: Using Common Household Materials as Resists on Fabric. In the end, 64 resist recipes and up to 16 application techniques per recipe! This led to several workshops and presentations throughout the year.

Fabric created by printing with recycled foam containers.

A re-focus on this blog and the birth of my free monthly online newsletter, Julie B Booth Surface Design News. The Newsletter focuses on the kitchen as a resource for surface design on fabric techniques.

Textures from the kitchen.

A year of Searching for Roy G Biv and the creation of monthly Challenge fabrics.

Sampling of some Roy G Biv Challenge fabrics.

Working on a series of weed fabrics for my group F.I.N.E.

Prints and rubbings with weeds.

Crazy about hamsas! Creating them for family members and friends.

Poppy's hamsa

Jean's hamsa

The death of my dear friend, Martha. I am missing her.

Being able to honor Martha's memory using a hamsa I designed for her to create peace flags as part of the Flags for Peace Project.

Peace flags honoring Martha.

Travels to Maine, Virginia Beach and San Francisco.

Queen Anne's Lace in Kittery Point, Maine.

Driftwood, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Looking forward to 2013 and all the creative possibilities it holds!

Monoprint with uncooked wheat flour paste resist.

Hope we can all strive for more Peace this next year.

200th

This is my 200th post! I can hardly believe it. I started blogging just over a year ago. Looking back at those early posts, I feel like I've come a long way...especially from that first posting the day after the remnants of Hurricane Isabel hit our area. The highlight (if you want to call it that) was my photo of a dead raccoon!

I have two people to thank for getting me a bit more up to snuff in the blogging world. One is Lesley Riley, my coach and mentor, who said that I needed to get back to blogging on a very regular basis. The other, is the woman I like to call the Blogging Qu(d)een. That is none other than Jennifer. She kindly answered my often simple and sometimes bizarre technical questions. She gently reminded me about blogging etiquette. And she has continued to be a cheer leader and frequent commenter on this blog. Thanks Jennifer for all your help.

 To celebrate getting this far on my blogging journey, I am offering a little gift. It is a Peace Flag. It was one of my sample flags from the Flags for Peace Project. I hand painted the background cotton fabric, hand printed the flag and added some hand painted details. The flag is ready for hanging with a little sleeve at the top (that was hand stitched). The size of the flag is 7" x 10". For those of you new to this blog, the symbol on the flag is a hamsa (sometimes called a Hand of Fatima). It's a protective symbol. This particular hamsa has great meaning for me as it was one I designed for a good friend, who recently passed away. You can read more about it here.

To win this special little flag, all you have to do is leave a comment at this post. I will be doing a drawing for the winner on Sunday, October 14th.

Thanks to all who have been following along. I've enjoyed your comments, observations and encouragement. It's wonderful to make new friends and to share what is closest to our hearts...art!

Now back to the studio to do some more printing....

And the winner is...

 Congratulations, Joan!

You have a choice between these two flags:

Please email me to let me know which of these you prefer and I will get it off to you.

Thanks to all those who played along this month. Next month's color is INDIGO. Now that's going to be an interesting color... The next Searching for Roy G Biv Challenge is on Thursday, October 18. I hope more of you will play along next month. I'm already thinking about the Challenge fabric...

Ersi just posted some BLUES for all to enjoy. She's sorry that she missed the deadline but she's been quite busy with the Flags for Peace Project with her group over in Spain. Enjoy her Mediterranean BLUES and take a peak at the amazing flags from her group!