I've always loved art. Once upon a time I envisioned myself possessing an art degree (and have the transcripts to prove it!) until I realized I had to waste time studying aspects I found extreeeemely boring. Over the years, I attempted various art forms including painting, stained glass, crafting and "altered art" using mixed-media techniques.
Fast forward many, many (many!) years to fall 2010. I met an artist online and purchased tiny crane origami earrings for my granddaughter for Christmas. Through my purchase, Sam, the artist/jewelrymaker, became a friend and somewhat of a mentor even though she lives far away in Pennsylvania. Recently we talked and she began to throw ideas out about items I could make and create that aren't as overwhelming and large as the quilts I make. Then she said "You need to join an art guild."
Her urging uncovered a memory I had filed away about the Dallas Area Fiber Artists organization. I once read about them in a magazine distributed in shops in NorthEast Dallas near White Rock Lake. I quickly found DAFA online and read they were having a workshop prior to their next meeting: "Quick & Easy Art Quilts" by Kathy Mayhew and Jules Rushing. I've been interested in art quilts for quite a few years and have a fused art quilt simply waiting to be quilted. Even though there were weather alerts for tornadoes the evening of the meeting, I drove 20 miles to get there. The weather goddess smiled upon me. Not a single drop of rain in spite of high winds and heavy storms in surrounding areas!
When I arrived, there were tables filled with mixed media for creating our own 9x12 art quilt. They had supplied background fabric, batting, backing, irons, parchment paper, paints, rubber stamps, adhesive, embellishments. You name it, they'd brought it. All of this for just a $5 workshop fee.
Following the workshop, Jules and Kathy presented the SAQA-Texas Mini Art Quilt Trunk Show of 9x12 art quilts exhibited at The International Quilt Festival in Houston last fall. This was followed by an overview of SAQA, its membership benefits, and their online website including SAQA University.
http://www.saqa.com/I'm still sewing quilts, and tonight finished the last block for a modern quilt-along I began a few weeks ago. I have several quilts in different stages of completion for family and friends. But since I made the art quilt in the workshop, I'm definitely looking forward to using mixed-media techniques. I've already come up with a plan and a theme for my first art quilt (or second if I ever quilt my fused one). I'll be blogging about the process once I get everything together.
