Quilting Arts Magazine August/September 2020

“It’s amazing what a little color can do to lift the spirit and feed the soul.” THE SPRING MONTHS THIS YEAR WERE HARD ON NEARLY EVERYONE I KNOW. Not only were we sheltering due to the pandemic, but the New England weather didn’t cooperate, and we were stuck inside with weeks of cold gray weather and lots of rain. Visiting friends, trips to the gym, and dinners out were replaced with virtual meet-ups, Zoom yoga, and sourdough pancake experiments. But despite the disruptions, there were a few bright spots. Family dinners, game nights, and political debates helped my family make it through those months of sheltering in place. I read a pile of books, cleaned closets, and caught up on podcasts (more on that later). And to top it off, I even…

Hi Quilting Arts, I grew up in a family of sewists and quilters—both of my grandmothers made beautiful quilts and my mom, a Home Ec teacher, was a fabulous seamstress and taught me how to sew at a young age. I have been a garment seamstress for many years and my first forays into quilting were just embroidered or fussy-cut blocks joined with sashing. However, as I did more reading, took quilting classes, and studiously absorbed magazine articles on this beautiful art (Quilting Arts has played a huge part in this—I am a subscriber), I became more adventurous and delved into piecing and intricate designs. When my granddaughter drew me a picture of their farm, I had the idea to make a small wall quilt from her drawing and a passion was…

Christine Barnes is contemporary quilter specializing in color theory for quilters―in particular the “lights effects” of transparency, luminosity, and luster―for the vitality they add to a quilt design. She has authored four books on quilt making. two on color alone, and her designs have appeared in MODERN PATCHWORK, AMERICAN PATCHWORK & QUILTING, McCALL'S QUILTING, and AMERICAN QUILTER magazines. christinebarnes.com Mel Beach is a San Jose, California. based quilt artist, teacher, and lecturer. She loves stretching her creativity through photography, comedy improv studies, and the completion of 80+ quilt challenges at the local and international level. Mel has appeared on “Quilting Arts TV.” melbeachquilts.com Cindy Grildela is an award-winning fiber artist with over 30 years of experience creating eye-catching quilts. She specializes in improvisational quilt designs and dense free-motion quilting. and she travels extensively showing…

“the color is the first step.” This statement from Cindy Grisdela is both illuminating and obvious. Cindy’s contemporary art quilts radiate with color, value, and balance. “Each decision about color and shape influences the next and complex blocks repeat like beats of a melody,” she says. Her intuitive and improvisational style creates luminous works that can be found in private collectives across the country … and they all get their start in her home studio. Lakeside retreat Cindy’s studio may be located in the daylight basement of her home, but it is well-lit and overlooks a lake. She’s worked in a variety of home studios over the course of her career, from a space on the dining room table to a corner of the guest bedroom to a small upstairs den. Each has…

Color is one of the most powerful tools we have. It’s often the first design component viewers see, and it draws them in to look at a quilt more closely—or sometimes causes them to keep moving when the color combination isn’t appealing. However, color is the design element many makers struggle with. Part of the problem? Color is very personal. Each of us sees color in a different way and we all have different histories with color in our lives. Maybe you can’t stand pink because your mom dressed you only in pink growing up. Or maybe you love green because it was your grandma’s favorite color and you have fond memories of her. Also, color is relative. The way we see a particular color can be influenced by other colors around…

“As Far As the Eye Can See” CHRISTINE DOWELL • DARLING HEIGHTS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA BASED ON A PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER LITTLE, USED WITH CONSENT “My son-in-law captured this image of my daughter and granddaughter on a trip to central Australia. I selected this image because of the distance/view of being able to see forever—well, maybe nearly. It also shows the beauty of outback Australia.” Hand painted and hand-dyed cotton, rayon and polyester threads; raw-edge appliqué, thread sketching; free-motion machine quilted. “Cataract” DIANNE FIRTH • CANBERRA, ACT, AUSTRALIA “Cataracts turn the transparent lens in the eye into an opaque gray material that restricts vision. Colors fade and images blur. In first-world countries, a simple medical procedure can replace the lens and restore sight.” Viscose felt, cotton, polyester thread; torn-strip appliqué; machine quilted. “Lateral Inhibition” KIM SIMPSON • KYABRAM, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA “Lateral…