great fibers show

I hope to see everyone at this opening.  My friend Anna Keck is displaying her thesis work in the gallery space of SCAD’s Alexander Hall
Her work is extraordinary and a must see!

Read Full Post »

my new friend

I have been on the hunt for a small “portable” or table top loom ever since I took a weaving class several months ago. I really enjoyed weaving and think about it all the time but with little knowledge of looms and of weaving itself I didnt feel comfortable buying a new fancy loom. I had been searching craigs list and newspapers online with no luck. Well the other day I bumped into a woman who I have taken some fibers classes with a few years ago and mentioned to her that I was searching for an affordable table loom. she put me in touch with a good friend of hers who just so happened to have a Leclerc table loom in her garage that was lonely. This woman was so friendly and welcoming to me. She told me that she would be happy to loan this old loom to me so that I may become familiar with weaving and was just happy to have someone to love it again. She invited me to her home to pick it up and she talked to me about weaving and helped me to remember how to dress the loom, she is absolutely the nicest person I have met in years! The kind of person that makes you happy for days. So thank you Phillippa for being so generous, trusting and wonderful!!!! here are some photos of my new friend, I havent yet had the chance to dress him (Mr. Leclerc) but am hoping to do so next week or this weekend after the craft fair. I am so excited to start playing I just cant wait!!

Read Full Post »

working in a well organized studio… ahhh

I am working on some tedious paper work type-o-stuff in my newly re organized studio.  While I am loving my new space for its functionality for work purposes Abby is loving it for the room she now has to stretch out.  this is not helping my motivation.   

 

I got in some new fabric to try for my dresses so I will be sewing those hopefully this week. once they are finished I will post them!

Read Full Post »

the collaborative quilt project

Top Stories

Collaborative quilt on a mission  Photo by Charlie RibbensPublished: Friday, February 8, 2008A collaborative quilt made by fibers students is displayed in shopSCAD. Tickets for a drawing, in which the quilt will be given away, can be purchased for $1 or with a donation of art supplies. Tickets can be purchased at shopSCAD or at the fibers department’s Open Studio, Feb. 22, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Gordon Hall, 439 E. Broad St. Proceeds, including the art supplies, will be given to Union Mission’s Growing Hope Artisan’s Cooperative.SCAD students and faculty as well as community members contributed by creating 42 quilt squares, which the fibers department assembled to make the top of the quilt. Each person was given a swatch of identical fabric to use in their 10-inch square to allow continuity between the pieces, but the design of each square was the decision of the contributor. Alumna Jen Jenkins (M.F.A., fibers, 2006) quilted the squares together.

 

Read Full Post »

no internet…. writing to you from the dye lab

I am researching for my next installation and I came across this article on artist Milan Kohout. its a must read.I have worked on a couple mini quilts for the quilt journal project Karin and I are doing.  They are practical, not so much journals but with the workload I have right now I was lucky to be able to make those. I will post the photos as soon as the internet is back at the house.  We are at the mercy of comcast. so cross your fingers that they are prompt. 

Read Full Post »

project 3

this is the third project for the class “images on fabric”. This class so far has just been tedious exercises, and this project is also but we are making a series of 15 8×8 pieces of dyed fabrics that have a theme. The idea behind these images for me is the act of losing sensible thought;  socially unacceptable thought processes. It is all still experimenting but its been so much fun. Here are the photos of what I did tonight. I’m getting a really late start due to being really sick so I will not be leaving the house at all this weekend. Hooray for dyeing!

these are silk screened with h dye in sodium alginate on cotton velvet and cotton print cloth

these are some samples drying on the wall. I pinned them up so I could look at them. I dont have enough table room to keep everything right there. the studio is crazy right now. some of the techniques are: monoprinting, blockprinting, painting, “wet on wet, gutta, resist…. what am I forgetting

these next few are in the very beginning stages. the chunks you see on a couple of the squares is salt. Its supposed to create an interesting ring effect.

Read Full Post »

blogs to visit

I have been spending many many hours researching various ideas and have come across some pretty awesome blogs and websites along the way. I feel like they are too good not to share. so please check them out. I promise you will like them.

http://ainescannell.blogspot.com/

http://www.karenbettencourt.com/

http://spectrescope.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html

http://www.lauramoriarty.com/

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/

http://www.antonygormley.com/

http://www.nepalostparks.com/parks/nepalist.html

great printmaker and ceramicist Matt Squibb

 

this blog has tons of great images from other artists lovely textiles

worlds healthiest foods… contains nutrient info and what foods are best for us. lots of great info.  http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php 

Read Full Post »

阿什蕾使得被子

I have found that the best thing I can do to get back into my creative and motivated state is to make things. for me its cooking that gets me inspired to sew or get into clay. I dont know what it is about making fod from scratch that moves me but it make me relax and get inspired. My kitchen is my favorite room in my house. it always has been.

So I am now trying to get back into my creative mode after taking such a long break for family visits and all. I decided that today it was time to finaly make some pumpkin stuff (yes from my november pumpkins they are suprisingly still OK). I started with roasting seeds

and now I am going to bake the pumpkins whole and then freeze the meaty part. and maybe I will make some pumpkin soup today.

I think that our favorite treasure from holiday with family is this clock (that doesnt work).

“ashleigh makes quilts”. I want to take a mandarin chinese class and relearn what I have forgotten. plus learn how to write. I just dont know when I can take the time to devote to something like that. maybe this summer I can enroll at SSU and just take one class every so often. the only problem I see is that I used to understand mandarin and speak some but with out using it you lose it. so will I relearn it only to lose it again?

Read Full Post »

Handmade is fun!

 so I have been making most of the holiday gifts this year. I have actually really enjoyed it. Sometimes when I commit myself to making a gift I get frustrated and lose interest in finishing. this year I have been positive, I think that its the simplicity of the projects that has really helped. that and the new sewing machine. For right now I can only share a couple items. but these are pretty cute.

this first photo is of a mini quilt I made for my grandmother. the photo is of my aunt pushing my mom around the yard. I am still trying to decide on a binding.

next are some marble magnets. I bought little tins to put them in. I think they are so cute. I am totally addicted to making them.

this last set is of more wheezy and abby appliqued tops. another hoodie and a dress shirt. for my older nephew.

lastly this is one of my two squares for a collaborative quilt project I am participating in. I will post photos of it as we start piecing it together. It will be auctioned off with all proceeds donated to a local homeless shelter.

Read Full Post »

get going

Kate and I are always talking about what gets people inspired, motivated and moving for their crafting. and how do you explain it? For me its my surroundings. My house is such an extension of who I am and what I love. its colorful with little treasures hidden everywhere. some days I see a little thing stashed on a shelf, in the attic maybe its just hanging on the wall and I will get an idea for a project or it might simply just inspire me to go into my studio and play. I want to start keeping track of these things that catch my eye. so this morning this is what I was looking at.

this pot used to be an herb. but I neglected him too long and he died. he used to live in my kitchen and thats when I put that cupcake topper in it. its from my wedding. Zack gave me that fake flower on our first date. we went to graceland, he got it at a gas station really late at night.

this is a photo of a quilt I did several years ago. it hangs just outside my studio door. I love sliding my fingers through those ruffles. I made this quilt while I was going through diagnosis.

this last image is a banner that Zack painted for a convention he worked. We went to Ringling museum last year and are still thinking about it. as a kid I spent LOTS of time there. it has one of the best selections of paintings and sculpture. not to mention the circus museum. and it is the prettiest place I’ve ever been. I want to make a quilt that has this same feeling. I havent figured out how that will translate quite yet.

Read Full Post »