Marcella, you beat me to the punch! I was going to mention the same quilters that you've mentioned above. They do exquisite machine quilting on home machines, just like the ones available to the rest of us. It gives us hope.... ;)
We also divide our categories by how many people participate in making the quilt. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on the point of view ), the long-arm quilters in our area all belong to the guild, so your guild's solution wouldn't work for us.
Wendy, I sympathize. We have a member who lives in the next state from ours and is a nationally recognized long-arm quilter with many awards and appearances on TV shows under her belt. She's also a spokesperson for one brand of long-arm machine. She enters some of the same quilts that have already taken national awards into our local show. Her stuff is gorgeous, but I don't think it's fair of her to deprive someone less well-known from enjoying a ribbon or two, especially since these quilts have already been in far more prestigious shows than ours and since the quilter attends absolutely *no* events here.
The guild here in Phoenix/Arizona guild has divided the "professionally quilted" out from the others now. And you are supposed to list both who "made" the quilt and who quilted it. However, not all quilters do this as they should. :( I agree, if one person does all the work it should be judged differently from items where more than one does the work. But then I also think that all long arm quilting should be judged differently than regular, domestic machine quilting. And both are different than hand quilting. there are places and times for all.
Pati, > Sunny: I know what you mean!! My guild has a challenge every year. This
Leslie, from what I could see it looked like she did a photo to fabric of some sort, then used that fabric to make quilts?? Are they not pieced from the photo fabric?? I notice that many of the quilts in the gallery list someone else as the quilter or are winners in group categories.
As to what is a quilt?? Well, the classic definition is that it is composed of three layers, a top, batting/wadding, and back. Is fabric. and is sewn together with thread through all three layers. However, just as many other things in the world change, and without change we all die.... so quilting has been and will change. I look at it as a healthy growth that encourages ever more people to join the quilting community. One of the other groups I am a part of is the Society for Creative Anachronism, which for many years "promoted" what they do as "re-creating the Middle Ages, as they *should* have been. That is with much of the good stuff in arts, crafts and so on, and without things like plague and fleas and garderobes. That group has also changed and grown considerably over the years, and in a much shorter time than quilting. Some of the changes we have seen, or at least know about: the advent of polyester battings. And of better cotton and cotton blend ones, as well as washable wool batts. the rotary cutter and all the rulers/templates and such that go along with it. the use of the sewing machine for both piecing and quilting. photo transfers and photos printed directly on fabric. wider fabrics, both for piecing and extra wide for backing. many more prints available from a growing number of fabric manufacturers. the poly-cotton blend fabrics, and back to 100% cotton fabrics. use of fusibles for so many things the plethora of thread types for piecing, appliquéing and quilting new tools for marking quilts easier much more accurate piecing easier ways to design, lay out and finish quilts.
And so many more that it is difficult to think of many of them.
Personally I think that quilts of any definition are textile art. If it is used on a bed, in a bedroll, on a wall, by a kid, elderly person, newlywed, or even a pet. As long as fabric and comfort are included then I won't quibble. (I like to make quilts backed with fleece which acts as batting and backing.... for here in Arizona that is plenty. and they are comfy-cozy.)
What would put it "over the edge"..... when it moves beyond fabric with some embellishments and becomes embellishments attached to fabric. When there is nothing at all comforting, to viewer/user or maker. That is when I feel it moves beyond being any kind of quilt. Quilts can be disturbing to view, or bring a kind of sadness (like the
9-11 quilts and some very personal "angst" quilts) but they generally result in a sense of comfort or release for someone.When I see a beautiful photo of a quilt and find that it is painted and then quilted, I am disappointed. But it is still a quilt. And a piece of art. Many people consider the quilts from Gee's Bend to be beautiful pieces of art, but they were made as utility bed coverings. (And I am not fond of them, personally. ) The quilt I have that came from my mother-in-laws family is gorgeous. It barely makes the "quilt" definition because it was made in Georgia and has very little batting in it. Made as a bed covering it is still a beautiful piece.
I make quilts to be used. But some of them may be used on the wall. Not necessarily what I meant for them, but if that is what the recipient wants, then so be it. They may not be sized for a bed, but are made to be cuddled with, as a couch throw or whatever. My husband says they are art, and his is the observation that all quilters are artists. Whether they think they are or not.
Much too long,
Sorry bout that,
Pati, in Phx who has to get ready to head out for the annual AASK sew in at the PAQA meeting today. And ice cream social after the business meeting..........
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. wrote:
I wouldn't. Makes it too easy to decide who's making a *real* quilt and who isn't and use it as a means of judging someone and their quilts as inferior in order to feel important and superior. Nuh uh.
I mostly hang out on folk music forums, and on one of them we have the catchword "Horse Alert!" which means we have a discussion on "What Is Folk Music?" and somebody is *yet again* about to pull out that Big Bill Broonzy quote about jazz, that it was folk music because "I ain't heard no horse singin' it".
I see what you mean - though the only one I really like is the "fall dogwood leaves" - but as somebody who has both used fabric paint on a quilt and plays the electronic bagpipes, I can't really argue with what they're doing.
============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557
had to think a while on this. To me... quilts are layers of cloth sewn together and something to be used... if they are too small/delicate/special/extraordinary to be used, then they fall into Ms. Sairey's WUH category... or wall hangings or textile art And all of that would be in the eye of the beholder and/or maker i.e. If the result is just a picture on fabric with only a little stitching to hold it together, *I* wouldn't consider it a quilt, but art. If it is a picture on fabric with wonderful quilting stitches that add to the effect and make it whole... I would have to decide upon seeing it in person (not much help there, eh?)
That said... these look to be fabric that she designed (by reproducing photographs) and then pieced together... so they aren't really whole cloth - or not all of them are. Is transferring photographs onto cloth all that different from hand dying or stamping as they do in batiks or painting fabric to get your own desired results?
I think this is telling me i need to design my own fabric and make some quilted pieces to decide for myself! may have to wait til the kids are back in school so i have time to sink into the paints and dyes....
Kellie btw, I like her pieces but there weren't many i would want to snuggle under. i would be afraid of ruining most of them.
On behalf's of the Grammar's Police, you apology are accept with stiperlation. First, you are go write on blackboard's 100 times, "I be not using proposition to end sentence's with." Polly (That was such fun I may do it again some time. Bet it just curdles our Pats.)
"frood" wrote, in part > and I want to help out so it continues to be an organization I'm proud to be a part of.
I didn't look at each and every quilt zoomed in and close up, but the ones I did look at appear to be pieced. So she is designing her own fabric and piecing quilts of it. Not much different from what I do. I often carry out my own textile surface design and then make quilts of it. I just don't use a computer. On my long list of when I get a round tuit quilts, is one that is dye painted in the style of early twentieth century children's book illustration. Sort of custom making my own cheater panel on a grand scale. I would then bat it, back it and quilt it, then when it was finished probably give it away to some kid. So it would get snuggled and drooled on and used for a tent, and generally have a life as a proper quilt. Will it _be_ a proper quilt since I will paint the top instead of piecing or appliqueing it? Of course it will. The quilts this lady makes are all doomed to a life as an objet d'art instead of ever getting to be a superman cape. That is sad, but they are still quilts.
NightMist overly influenced by "The Velveteen Rabbit" as a child
On 6 Jul 2006 07:12:52 -0700, "Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote:
And on behalf of the resident linguists in the house....
ouch.
Although I tend to side with those who note that we've been ending sentences with prepositions for centuries. I can recall some uses in the 1300's that contained horrific grammar errors by our modern standards (and by their Middle English ones as well)!
:-)
Anastasia
--who got a bit done on the quilted purse yesterday, and cut a few pieces for her nephew's Minkee quilt, too!
Some of the most beautiful quilts I have ever seen are made by Hollis Chatelain. She paints wonderful scenes (a lot of them African) and then quilts them. They are absolutely gorgeous.
Donna in Idaho
Ugh! That's like fingernails on a blackboard! I could forgive the 'prop' for 'prep'; even the 'with' at the end; but those apostrophes - eek! >g< . In message , Polly Esther writes
it looks like the standard foreign language translated into English by a non native English speaker style to me - it gets worse when it's the "English" teacher doing this
One way I teach my students to proofread is to have them illustrate sentences than can be interpreted in silly ways in their own writings or commercial writings. One of my favorites was a letter written after a presentation on origami.
"Last night I made origami birds with my friends. When we were all done I hung them from the ceiling."
LOL good one!
Can you give me an example of something that's only possible on a long arm? I've quilted on both my home sewing machine and my longarm for years, and there's nothing I can do on the longarm that can't be done on the home machine. (I'm excluding computer controlled patterns, mainly because I haven't seen one that will make judges sit up and take notice).
Yes, it is NOT a perfect solution. I think it would still work, in that it would separate the people who do all their own work. It is one way to give them at least a fighting chance.
Most of the long armers are members here, too. That is fine with me. We were distressed that in previous shows/challenges the people who sent out quilt tops (hand or machine) were competing with people who did their all own work.
PAT > We also divide our categories by how many people participate in making
Pati, Ideally, there would be a precise and specific division of techniques, etc. This is appropriate for shows like MAQF or Houston, or maybe large guilds. In our challenge we only get between 40 to
75 quilts. If we break the groups further, we'd have some groups with > The guild here in Phoenix/Arizona guild has divided the "professionallyInspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.