Quilting Arts Magazine

WHENEVER I TRAVEL, I bring more reading material than I need. There’s always an audio book in my queue for a plane ride, a good hardcover to cozy up with in the car (isn’t just holding a substantial book a true pleasure?) and often loads of documents on the computer and newspaper summaries on my phone to keep me busy. Recently, I was packing for a trip and realized I was short on non-digital reading materials. I slipped a few back issues of QUILTING ARTS in my carry-on ‘just in case.’ It turned out that rereading some of my favorite articles was not only a pleasure, but also revitalized my desire to get back into my studio and create. Yes, I’ve mentioned it before: I have every back issue of this magazine,…

In the last issue, we asked our readers how they Get Outside! with their work and/or how the outdoors impacts and influences their art. We’re pleased to have heard from so many of you, sharing your thoughts and practices. We hope you enjoy some inspiration from your fellow readers—and we hope to hear from you, too, when a future prompt inspires you! I’ve been taking my sewing machine and supplies along with my quilting projects outside for several years now. I love sitting in my backyard surrounded by my garden, the birds, and nature. My little dogs run circles around me and I’m in the zone. As soon as it is warm here in Michigan, I hurry out to sew. Theresa Nielsen Royal Oak, Michigan My friend Alice Flyr (pictured) and I love to hike…

Susan Price is a fiber artist in Virginia who aims to incorporate Thermofax screen printing in her fiber art, even if just part of the background texture. Her work has been shown in national traveling exhibits and published in books and magazines including Quilting Arts Reader Challenges. She enjoys incorporating cyanotype printing, shibori fabrics, and hand stitching in her work. pgfiber2art.blogspot.com Colleen Ansbaugh is a fiber artist whose work is strongly influenced by the ‘Up North’ woods and landscapes of Wisconsin. Her work has been exhibited around the world and featured in numerous publications. She is noted for her use of color and textures, and interpreting life experiences in new and exciting ways. colleenansbaugh.com Kestrel Michaud is a classically trained and award-winning fine art quilter with a BFA in Illustration from the Ringling College…

I fell in love with quilting because it represents a greater idea of comfort and utility. To be honest, it took me years to fully understand that idea and the reason why I, as a 40-year-old male, find so much of my identity and intrigue behind textiles and tactile art making. I lived in 15 states and grew up in trailer parks and on food stamps. My parents were young and went their separate ways after having me at a time that wasn’t convenient in their life. I became a tiny adult at 8 years old—walking myself to and from school; grocery shopping for the week; cobbling together breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for myself. I learned to fix things around the house, I read books that taught me about the world,…

Every cover of QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE is special, but this one stands out for its winning combination of sophisticated artistry and incredible beauty. Congratulations to Kate Themel, the winner of our first-ever QUILTING ARTS Cover Contest. We know that many of our readers share the dream of seeing their artwork on the cover of QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE, and their response to this contest was tremendous. We received 161 submissions and winnowing them down to seven finalists was a challenge. From whimsical illustrations to technically dazzling compositions, QUILTING ARTS readers showed us their best work, making choosing the winning image a true challenge. By now you’ve seen the winning quilt on the cover of this issue: “As You Set Out” by Kate Themel and you can learn more about this piece and the…

Kimberley Pierce Cartwright sits at her kitchen table in Durham, North Carolina, her latest thrift shop haul in a bag in front of her. She pulls out fabric scraps, glittery thread, a bit of sequin-infused chiffon, a few buttons. Holding a piece of fabric in her hands, she waits for it to tell her what to do. This, in a nutshell, is Kimberley’s creative process, though it should be noted that the kitchen isn’t the only space where she creates. She’s also known for making art in cars, her husband, Anderson, at the wheel as she hand stitches together bits and pieces of fabric into quilts and quilted postcards. The image of Kimberley at work in the kitchen is fitting, especially if you imagine the sequined chiffon spilling like a river across…