Quilting Arts Magazine April/May 2019

Viewpoints 9 is an international, invitational fiber art group founded in 2012. Based on challenges posed by members of the group, each artist considers unique sources of creative inspiration and they share their interpretations on an online blog. The emerging narrative allows the artists opportunities to experiment with new techniques, share their individual perspectives, and provide glimpses into their creative process. The work of Viewpoints 9 members offers an intimate portrait of the feelings and fascinations of the artists that transcend language, distance, and culture. Inspired by a book of spectacular photographs of the world’s extraordinary climate, member Diane Wright proposed the theme of ‘weather’ to her fellow Viewpoints 9 artists writing, "WEATHER! We all talk about it … with friends, family, and strangers. In fact, it is often the icebreaker—no pun…

Cyanotype is a simple process that has been used for over 150 years. It is a contact printing process that also goes by the name sunprinting and blueprints. Wet cyanotype—commonly called wetcyan—is a relative newcomer to the world of cyanotype printing, appearing on Instagram feeds in the spring of 2017. Cyanotype is the straight laced parent of the more adventurous, rule-breaking, serendipitous, and dare I say naughty, wet-cyan child. Yep, that’s me. This process uses two powdered chemicals: green ferric ammonium citrate and red crystal potassium ferricyanide. Potassium ferricyanide is light sensitive on its own and the purpose of the ferric ammonium citrate is to speed up the exposure process and darken the end color (blue ferric ferrocyanide), which is permanently bound to the fabric. It is light sensitive until exposure,…

Cathy DeForest doesn’t look like a rabble-rouser. Soft-spoken and unassuming, she looks more like a printmaker and book artist—her full-time occupation until recently. Two years ago, Cathy had an idea—if we could conceive of a society without gun violence, then it would be possible. Committed to transforming a culture of fear and isolation, mass shootings and suicides to something else, Cathy founded Vision Quilt, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower communities to create solutions to gun violence through art and inclusive dialogue. Vision Quilt challenges us to consider how to create a country without gun violence by inviting people to create 18" x 24" panels depicting their visions of how to prevent it. Some panel makers call for stricter gun regulation while others focus on suicide prevention. Panels have been…

One dream many quilters share is to be able to design their own home studio from scratch, keeping in mind the need for fabric and thread storage, bright lighting, efficient and plentiful work tables, a dedicated design wall, and room for sewing. Art quilter Brenda Rhinehart counts herself as one of the lucky ones who has lived that dream. Her passion for quilting started after she and her husband moved into a new home and she quickly found that her sewing space was overtaking much of the house. “I’m not sure how I did it, but I talked my husband into building an addition to our home.” “One way of showing my gratitude for my good fortune is by sharing what I do.” The new studio was built adjacent to the existing…