Cast of Downton Abbey Visits the Set of Quilting Arts TV!

April 5, 2013 By pokeysponderings in Quilting Ars TV Tags: Cheryl Sleboda, Debbie Grifka, Heather jones, Judy Perez, Linda McLaughlin, Lynn Krawczyk, Marlene Glickman, Pet Postcards, Pokey Bolton, Quilting Arts TV, Sue Bliewiess 8 Comments

Well, maybe that header is a tad misleading…but I got you to read this far, right?

I owe the final entry on the QA TV taping that took place last week, and a little known show on PBS called Downton Abbey made it’s way on set, thanks to Cheryl Sleboda…

Me with my friend Cheryl Sleboda who taped a whopping five segments for this next season.

A fellow die-hard Downton Abbey fan, Cheryl demonstrated how she made small portraits of Downton Abbey characters based on her cartooning and sketching techniques. In the picture below (if you squint), you can get a glimpse of the steps she took to make portraits of Sybil, Edith, Cora, and even the Dowager Countess!

Closest to Cheryl, you can see the “step-outs” to create Lady Mary.

I also taped a segment on International Quilt Festival’s Pet Project to raise funds for Friends for Life, Houston’s premiere no-kill animal shelter. I am hoping thousands of PBS viewers take my request to heart, and send in pet postcards for this next fall’s show (or better yet, come in person)!

Above I’m holding a postcard I made featuring my beloved Lou Lou.

I was so happy to get Sue Bliewiess to tape with us finally. A fellow Boston girl, she is very, very talented and makes the most adorable pet postcards. She did a lengthy segment, explaining her techniques for creating them.

My friend Judy Coates Perez came back this season to tape two segments on dying and fabric painting, and she looked fantastic with her new Farah Fawcett hairdo!

Linda McLaughlin taped a couple of segments, one on a variation of deconstructed screen printing (which was so cool and I will be trying this weekend), and a segment on “365 Days of 65″ where she hand-stitched small quilt squares every single day during the year of her 65th birthday.

Her newly adopted discipline of daily hand stitching inspired other finished works, including this black and white quilt that I was rather tempted to steal off the set…

The very colorful Dianne Springer was a newbie to QATV, but she was a total pro on camera as she demonstrated how she takes scraps of fabrics to create a vibrant mailbox that will definitely set one apart from the neighbors!

Fellow thermofax screen passionista, Lynn Krawczyk was back this season, too, to demonstrate how to turn one’s love of surface design techniques into wearable art and home dec. projects.

Silk dyer Marlene Glickman was back, too, to demonstrate a unique way of creating fabric collage using elusive bits of dyed sheers.

Modern Quilter Debbie Grifka demonstrated five small modern quilt projects that were so clever and that all can be completed in an afternoon. (By the look of my bangs in the shot below, it seems Judy Perez wasn’t the only one channeling Farah Fawcett!)

And lastly, Heather Jones was back this season to demonstrate other modern quilting techniques…some of which she will be demonstrating at Open Studios at International Quilt Festival/ Cincinnati next week! The guy between us is Mike Murphy, our Director. (He loves to ham it up.)

And speaking of behind-the scenes folks…here are another couple of guys that I stare at all day:

Floor director Billy with camera man, Brandon (and Hulk Hogan in the middle).

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Coming to Quilt Festival Cincinnati? I have some FUN homework for you…

April 4, 2013 By pokeysponderings in International Quilt Festival, Open Studios Tags: Quilt Festival Cincinnati Leave a comment

T-minus one week until we descend upon the Queen city for Quilt Festival Cincinnati, and there are going to be a number of fun and festive activities on the show floor to prepare for beforehand!

1. Make an Ohio Star Quilt Block!

Ohio Star quilt block by Sharon Shipley Troute

The Details:
• Make a 9.5″-square unfinished block (so that when we quilt it it will be 9″ finished) where the theme is a variation of the Ohio Star. We welcome modern, traditional, and arty variations.
• Stick to red and white as your color scheme.
• Sign your unfinished quilt block with a permanent marker somewhere on the front of the block.
• During show hours, bring your 9.5″-square unfinished block to our Design Wall on the show floor just inside the exhibit hall.

Once quilted, this Ohio Star quilt will be donated to a local Cincinnati charity next spring. All those who make a quilt block will have the opportunity, at this year’s show, to vote for a local charity where they would like to see the quilt donated. We will announce the winning charity at next year’s Quilt Festival in Cincinnati (2014), where we will also have the finished quilt on display. We hope you’ll be a part of this fun and unique challenge!

2. Make ATCs or Mug Rugs to Trade at Our Trading Post!

Make as many ATCs and mug rugs as you like to trade with others at the Trading Post, which will be located in front of Create on the Spot!

Don’t know how to make ATCs or mug rugs? They are fast and easy to create!

ATC Tutorials online:

http://quiltinggallery.com/2012/03/07/artist-trading-cards-tutorial/

http://www.muppin.com/quilts/blog/2006/08/fabric-atc-tutorial.html

Mug Rug Tutorials:

http://tipnut.com/mug-rugs/

http://sew-fantastic.blogspot.com/2011/03/mug-rug-tutorial-scrappy-colorblock.html

https://sew4home.com/projects/table-linens/scrapbusters-mug-rug

3. Come to the Show on Preview Night (April 10) to experience Open Studios!

For the duration of Preview Night, artists will be on hand in the Create on the Spot! area demonstrating everything from monoprinting and screen printing fabrics to demonstrating modern quilting techniques. Don’t miss out!

4. Prepare to Take Workshops at Create on the Spot!

Take just an hour, or less, to learn a quick new skill, and make a fun project. No pre-enrollment; just pay $10 at the door (first-come, first-served). Tickets available all day (for that day’s sessions only) until the class space is sold out. Come to booths 626/727 off “Main Street” to see the project line up.

Thursday, April 11

11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Kim DeCoste Pentagon Fabric Bowl—English Paper Piecing

12:30-1:30 p.m. Cindy Walter Miniature Painted Quilt

1:45-2:45 p.m. Edie Wittenmeyer Fabric Applique Fun!

3:00-4:00 p.m. Judy Murrah Jazzy Small Notions Bag

4:15-5:15 p.m. Pokey Bolton Fabric Postcards

Friday, April 12

11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Diane Zubrick Silk Screening—Gingko Leaves Art Cloth

12:30-1:30 p.m. Judy Murrah Jazzy Small Notions Bag

1:45-2:45 p.m. Diane Zubrick Silk Screening—Creating Art Cloth with Sharpies &

Silk Screening

3:00-4:00 p.m. Pokey Bolton Fabric Postcards

4:15-5:15 p.m. Kim DeCoste Pentagon Fabric Bowl—English Paper Piecing

Saturday, April 13

11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Diane Zubrick Silk Screening—African Adinkra Symbols Art Cloth

12:30-1:30 p.m. Julie Craig Silk Roses

1:45-2:45 p.m. Diane Zubrick Silk Screening—Art Cloth Printing Lab

3:00-4:00 p.m. Kim DeCoste Pentagon Fabric Bowl—English Paper Piecing

We are also preparing for our Iron Quilter Challenge for Thursday night (April 11), which is going to be pretty hilarious!

If you haven’t bought your tickets to the show yet, click this link and you can buy them in advance.

Are you coming to Cincinnati? I hope to see you!

Before & After (Part 1)

April 3, 2013 By pokeysponderings in Quilt Studio Tags: Open Studios, Quilt Studio 15 Comments

My body is having an off day so I decided it was best to stay home and prepare my supplies for Open Studios and my Fabric Postcard workshops for Create On The Spot! next week at Quilt Festival/Cincinnati. (Much, much more on that tomorrow!)

Problem was, this past year I have downsized from a sizable studio into a 10′ x 10′ guest bedroom space, and frankly, I just haven’t created much at all because I can’t ever find anything! So today, I started to expand my studio into other parts of my house in efforts to get organized.

Here’s an instance of that…

Before:

And after:

Fabric trumps food.

Season 12 of Quilting Arts TV Taping Has Commenced!

March 26, 2013 By pokeysponderings in A Pokey Pondering, Pokey Bolton, Quilting Ars TV Tags: Ana Buzzalino, Barbara Schneider, Luana Rubin, Pauline Salzman, Pokey Bolton, Quilting Arts TV, Vanessa Christenson 5 Comments

I actually can’t believe I wrote that subject line…Season 12 already!? According to my calculations, that means we have taped 143 episodes over the last 11 seasons. This number, ironically, means “I love you” in text speak. How appropriate…because I love my hosting job and watching guests get a chance to share their amazing talents with a greater audience.

For season 12, we have taped two days of guest segments so far, and not even the constant misting of snow or bone-chilling temps in spring could dampen the energy in the studio.

Some highlights so far:

Vanessa Christenson of V and Co. fame came to demonstrate several projects for us, and also shared her new fabric line debuting for Moda Fabrics at Spring Quilt Market. Stores are going to gobble this line up, it is simply striking!

Barbara Schneider braved driving from Chicago to Cleveland in a snow storm to tape several segments. I am a big fan of Barbara’s, and I’m hopeful that I have convinced her to be a featured artist in Open Studios at our Chicago Quilt Festival in June. She does spectacular surface design work, including creating vibrant, abstract fabric interpretations of her nature photographs.

See what I mean? She had yards and yards of this stuff on set.

Ana Buzzalino and her bright smile were back to dazzle with five segments for QATV this season. She is one of the kindest, most generous art quilters I have come across, and she told me on set that she is teaching for International Quilt Festival/Houston in the fall! Believe me, if you are coming to Festival, you will absolutely want to take one of her classes! She is extremely talented (and is a very patient teacher).

The quilt above is one of Ana’s and it was at one time totally white. She pieced, appliqued, and quilted it (all in white fabrics and threads), and then took the plunge into a dye bath and dyed the entire piece orange. She is a brave soul!

Pauline Salzman came to tape two segments, too, including one on how she created pet postcards for our Festival Pet Project (which will run for two more years). She is a pretty hilarious person, and pushes the envelope so to speak, so it was very, very hard for me to keep it together during her segments and not laugh the entire way through. (When you see the segment where she shares her quilt of a close up of Bruce Springsteen and what she actually said on camera about his anatomy, you will understand why.) She made MANY postcards for the taping, most of which will go towards our Festival Pet Project this fall!

She said she is addicted to making postcards now because of the project…

And lastly, Luana and Sophie Rubin from eQuilter came to tape. As seasoned guests, they were great on camera and shared many inspiring quilts and fabrics!

And Sophie was pretty charming when she explained different ikat fabrics from different cultures…

Two days down, and three to go. More soon!

A Quilter’s Cure for the Irish Flu…

March 18, 2013 By pokeysponderings in A Pokey Pondering Tags: Irish Flu, Juicing 6 Comments

In case you are unfamiliar with the term “Irish Flu,” it’s a sickness one experiences on March 18, after celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by imbibing one too many green beers. Fortunately for me, I do not have a case of the Irish Flu today (and no one else at Quilts Inc. does either), but since our staff is getting ready to embark on Quilt Show season with our first show about three weeks away, it’s time we build or strength and stamina, beginning with a healthy, vitamin- and antioxidant-filled juice drink!

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I made sure we focused on ingredients that would yield green juice…

Why do I personally like to juice? I am bad about remembering to eat my fruits and vegetables every day, so juicing gives me a leg up. There are also vegetables I don’t like to eat, but they taste pretty good in a blended juice. Plus, juicing is a great idea before embarking on a long machine quilting session at your sewing machine as it will keep you energized and sated for hours. Some of my favorite fruits and vegetables to juice include (and yes, I mix them all together):

Spinach

Kale

Ginger

Garlic

Carrots

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Lemons

Oranges

Peppers

Apples

Pears

Parsley

Beets (But be warned, this will make your juice bright red!)

I use a Hurom Slow Juicer, which separates the pulp from the juice:

Before drinking, it’s a good idea to stir the juice with a spoon to make sure the fruits and vegetables are blended.

Bottom’s Up!

Happy Monday…

I found my heart (and my art) in San Francisco…

March 15, 2013 By pokeysponderings in A Pokey Pondering Tags: American Cupcake 8 Comments

Earlier this month, I did a crazy and spontaneous thing: I put down my needle and thread and took a last minute trip to my beloved hometown of San Francisco for the weekend.

Fisherman’s Wharf
Saturday, March 2

I stayed in my grandmother’s vacant apartment, which was bitter sweet. The last time I had been here was in 2010 when I hosted the SAQA board meeting, and since the apartment most likely will be going on the market soon since my grandmother has passed, I wanted to at least spend one more time in a place that has been a part of my life since I was a very small girl. The view aint half bad either…

I also got to have drinks on the wharf with my closest friend from high school who recently got engaged, and while pondering locales for her upcoming nuptials (Napa, Cindy, Napa!!!), we got to talking about other close high school friends with whom we’ve lost touch, namely our friend Devin who three years ago launched her own restaurant in San Francisco (and has been getting a ton of press).

Here’s a shot of Devin and me 24 years ago…

Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team
The Branson School
1989

So on Saturday I decided to pay her a surprise visit at American Cupcake on Union Street. I was worried that when I saw her she wouldn’t recognize me (it’s been at least 15 years), but nope, we squealed and squeaked like a couple of meerkats upon sight, frightening all of her customers.

It was the best visit; over freshly baked chocolate cupcakes and glasses of pinot, we caught up, gossiped, and talked about our love of creating, whether it be food or quilts.

I am so proud of Devin, and for those who love fried chicken, she has a very, very special dish…

I am so glad I took this last minute trip, because besides making pet postcards for our Festival Pet Project last fall, my quilt muse has been fairly absent over the past year. Yet just going on this brief excursion, I am energized to fire up my thermofax machine and stitch a quilt I have in mind that pays tribute to my hometown. So my upcoming weekend plans will be to hole up in my studio whilst listening to some Flogging Molly on St. Patrick’s Day.

To all my fellow Irish, Sláinte!

Are you getting ready for our Cincinnati show? Join Our Ohio Star Quilt Challenge!

February 25, 2013 By pokeysponderings in International Quilt Festival Tags: Cincinnati, Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild, Ohio Star 19 Comments

We are getting excited that International Quilt Festival/ Cincinnati is just about 6.5 weeks away (April 11-13), and we want to make sure attendees participate in our new opportunity!

Introducing our Ohio Star Quilt Challenge

1998-14 Amish Ohio Star within an Ohio Star

Quilter unknown

The Details:
• Make a 9.5″-square unfinished block (so that when we quilt it it will be 9″ finished) where the theme is a variation of the Ohio Star. We welcome modern, traditional, and arty variations. Limit one block per person.
• Stick to red and white as your color scheme.
• Sign your unfinished quilt block with a permanent marker somewhere on the front of the block.
• During show hours, bring your 9.5″-square unfinished block to our Design Wall on the show floor just inside the exhibit hall.

Please share this news with your friends, and congratulations to Ali M. for being randomly picked to win the Japanese Quilting book! I will email you for your shipping details.

Breaking Special Exhibit News & Free Book Giveaway!

February 19, 2013 By pokeysponderings in Festival Pet Project Fundraiser, Free Quilt Book, Houston Quilt Festival Tags: Animal Quilts, Festival Pet Project, Friends for Life 72 Comments

Mark your calendars and break out your sewing machines! I’m thrilled to share that we have just posted the exhibit particulars for our new special exhibit debuting this fall in Houston, It’s Raining Cats and Dogs! This juried exhibit will accompany our Festival Pet Project where once again fabric postcards made and donated by animal lovers worldwide will sell for $20 each, benefiting Friends For Life, Houston’s premier no-kill animal shelter and rescue program.

Fabric postcards by Pauline Salzman

What about making a pet-themed quilt for this exhibit and some pet-themed fabric postcards to benefit homeless animals?

It’s Raining Cats and Dogs will premiere at International Quilt Market and Festival, October 26–November 3, 2013. Quilts must be a minimum of 25″ x 25″ in size, and you can find out all of the nitty-gritty details by clicking this link.

Nellie and Clarence, two very special alumni from Friends For Life.

On a completely unrelated note, I have an extra copy of this fantastic quilting book by the extremely talented Yoko Saito of Japan:

With 29 projects featuring traditional patchwork designs, beautiful hand stitching, and muted fabrics in taupe and sepia, this book isn’t just pretty to flip through, but you’ll find a project (…or two or three) that you will want to create.

Just answer the following question and I will randomly select a book winner in the next few days!

Question: What was the zaniest idea you have ever had for a quilt? Was it a 3D quilt, a quilt that was so large it took you twenty years to complete, or perhaps a baby quilt done in whacky colors? Did you actually complete your zany quilt idea or are you still mulling it over? (And if you have completed your zany quilt idea and have a picture of it online, be sure to include a link in your comment!)

In Honor of Valentine’s Day, Paying Tribute to the #1 Fan of Quilting Arts

February 13, 2013 By pokeysponderings in A Pokey Pondering Tags: Anne Bassett Stanley Chatham 35 Comments

I recently returned from Jupiter Island, Florida, where my family celebrated the life of my beloved grandmother, my “Gran”–Anne Bassett Stanley Chatham, the classiest woman I have ever met, and Quilting Arts’ #1 fan.

Anne Bassett Stanley Chatham
1920-2013

The matriarch of my family, she was an amalgam of Jessica Tandy’s character in “Driving Miss Daisy” and this lady that many of us “Downton Abbey” fans have come to adore…

The Dowager Countess of “Downton Abbey”

Although petite in stature, my grandmother was a huge influence in my life. She is the one who taught me to stay firm, to never settle, and to follow my heart…even if doing so meant ruffling some feathers. You see, when she was just 17, she eloped with my grandfather, a no-name from North Carolina. When her father, a prominent Virginia businessman who served in Congress and was also the former Governor of Virginia (and not someone to be crossed) firmly told them they couldn’t get married, my grandmother trusted her instinct and my grandparents were officially married on October 2, which just so happens to be my birthday. They were married for 49 years until my grandfather passed.

She also loved to go exploring, and when my grandfather died–ever wanting to instill strength and adventure in others–she said to me, “Pokey, I am going to take you to some of the places your grandfather was too afraid for me to go.” So off we went to safari in Kenya, to visit Srinigar and Agra in India, to sight see in Hong Kong, and to go gorilla tracking in the densely forested mountains of Rwanda at 14,000 feet above sea level. She was 68 years old at the time.

Below is a shot of my first trip with her when I was 11, the same trip where after being so excited watching the Lipizzaners in Vienna, I went back to the hotel and started jumping on the hotel bed. Instead of reprimanding me, she joined me.

If you are wondering if my grandmother spoiled me rotten, you are exactly right…

Ristorante Alfredo in Rome, 1982
Left to right: Me, Susie Chatham, Gran

She also traveled high and low to attend every grandchild’s graduation, whether it be from elementary school, high school, or college…even if said graduation took place in Yankee territory. (I’m kidding…sort of.)

Boston College, 1993
Left to right: Gayle, Crockett (Dad), Me, Kathy (Mom), and Gran

And when it was time to celebrate, celebrate, she did. Here we are attempting to dance at my wedding. I remember this moment so well…

My wedding in Boston. (Hey quilters…notice the flower girl? That’s Lindsey Murray McLelland!)

Years later, when I got a crazy notion to start a quilting magazine, she was my biggest supporter. Although she never quilted, every time she received her copy of Quilting Arts, she called me to let me know how wonderful the issue was, and what her favorite articles were. One time when I went to visit her home in Virginia, she had ripped up all of her flower beds to rework them so they resembled patchwork blocks in my honor.

Ah, Gran, we all miss you. Just look at some of your legacy…

Charlotte and Mary Anne Groton

Some of the Chatham cousins
Left to right: Chris, Heather, Davy, Me, Mary Anne

Some of the great grandchildren rolling on the hills of the golf course when the memorial service ended. Made so many of us smile…

My cousin Bud Chatham and his family (in their 49er gear!)
Left to right: JC, Bud, Hyla, Kelly

Chris, Heather, Matt, Bud, Me, and Davy all rallying around Jackie Stone–my grandmother’s assistant, close friend, and champion until the very, very end. We are forever grateful to you, Jackie…

Love to you, Gran! Give Gramps a big hug and kiss from all of us. Thanks for so many wonderful years, for so many incredible memories, and for instilling strength in all of us.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone…

Pokey

Starting tomorrow! A Year of Art to benefit the American Cancer Society

February 11, 2013 By pokeysponderings in Fiberart For a Cause Tags: American Cancer Society, Fiberart For a Cause, Pokey Bolton, Virginia Spiegel 1 Comment

Virginia Spiegel’s A Year of Art launches tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12 and continues on Wednesday, February 13. It’s two days of fiberlicious fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Here’s the line-up of contributing artists:

Pamela Allen
Pokey Bolton
Linda Colsh
Jane Davila
Vivika DeNegre
Jane Dunnewold
Jamie Fingal
Karen Stiehl Osborn
Yvonne Porcella
Virginia A. Spiegel
Laura Wasilowski

I am contributing this market tote I made, and filling it with lots of goodies:

I’m stuffing this tote with the last three seasons of Quilting Arts TV, an assortment of books and magazines from Interweave, a fat stack of screened and printed fabric created by Yours Truly, among other fiber treats.

Furthermore, I will match the winning bid for my tote, so that’s double the amount for ACS!

I recently had a short interview with Virginia Spiegel which can be found here.

Mark your calendars for tomorrow and bookmark this page to win some great art to benefit the American Cancer Society!

pokey's ponderings

Thoughts on stitch, surface design, and quilting