Sacramento Living

I don't usually think about chickens when I think of Sacramento, but my girlfriend Joanie has a veritable miniature farm in her beautiful back yard.

Everything in her yard grows so beautifully, I have no hopes of ever attaining this kind of thing. I'm much better at painting plants than tending them, but I can admire their beauty.





I think this french pumpkin was trying to make its escape.

Angry chicken.
She's got her eye on you!

Northern California Farmers Market Love

I have been staying with my parents in Davis and a friend in Sacramento, really getting a feel for the area, since this is where I'll be moving in the fall. Can you tell I am in love with the farmers markets?

I love the amazing variety of fresh, ripe fruits and vegetables available in the central valley where pretty much everything is grown and you can see plenty of seafood and things like grass-fed beef, it's not so plentiful in Chicago.

This Sacramento market is under the freeway! Excellent use of space and shady and cool too!

I want to try everything, like these baseball sized melons!


Tomatoes!!! of every shape and variety.


I want to cook this two color squash!

So much color!


and texture! I love the way these bitter melon look, such an interesting vegetable.

I'm leaving in on a jet plane...

I'm on my way to Sacramento to spend a few days with my parents and check out neighborhoods for potential places to live. Then I'm flying to Southern California to spend a day with my gal pals Leslie Jenison and Jamie Fingal and teach at International Quilt Festival, Long Beach. By the way I still have a few spaces in each of my classes.

I am so looking forward to seeing all my quilting friends in beautiful sunny southern California!

Emboss some metal at Road to California next January

I am excited to be teaching at Road to California for the first time next January. Registration started Sunday and I can't believe 3 of my 4 classes are already filled!

My Heavy Metal Play Day class on Sunday still has room in it though, if you'd like to change things up a bit and try something new.

It's a fun, relaxing class, no stressing out over matching points or even stitches here! 

The cool thing is it has very short supply list (pencil, paintbrush and cup for water) and everyone in the class gets a $29 tool kit free! 


Check out some of the great work done in previous classes.

free motion quilting designs were this students inspiration for the peice with the leaves

It's amazing the kind of dimension you can get with the copper

A little color added with alcohol inks

Take a break from stitching for a Heavy Metal Play Day!

Start your fiber art collection now with a CSA ArtBox!

You've heard of buying a CSA farm box of veggies from a local grower and having it delivered to your door right? Well, ArtBox, CSA is a smilar concept that a group of well known and loved :-) textile artists are trying out. We have created a beautiful collection of unique artwork to be delivered and ready to hang in your home or office. 

Participating artists are: top row Jamie Fingal, me, Lyric Kinard, Deborah Boschert,  

bottom row Leslie Tucker Jenison, Desiree Habicht, Kathy York, and Sue Bleiweiss. 

Each unique piece is mounted on an
8"x 8"x 1 1/2" canvas that simply hangs 
on a nail. 

See the whole collection here.

Full Art Box 8 pieces of artwork - $640 

only 6 boxes available, US Shipping $30

Half Art Box 4 pieces of artwork - $375
only 6 boxes available, US Shipping $20 

Priced at less that $100 per art piece, this is a total steal. 


FYI, 3 full art boxes have already sold.

Combining images of nature and technology with paper and fabric, my series of quilted mixed media textile pieces incorporate vintage engravings printed on abaca paper, technical drawings from old text books and sewing pattern tissues collaged on painted fabric, then embellished with thermofax screened floral patterns, and stamped text and insect imagery. 

The focal point of each collage was painted with inks and enhanced with colored pencil. A free-motion machine stitched pattern based on gothic ironwork and accented with sheer color from paint sticks, brings cohesion to the overall design.

 

Check out ArtBox, CSA now.

And the winner is...

Peggie is lucky number 87, 
the winner of Patchwork Sassaman Style! 


Congratulations Peggie!

Wow, it's already time to sign up for classes at IQF Houston!

International Quilt Festival info here.
For all of you Tsukineko ink enthusiasts, due to popular demand, I am teaching two classes again this fall! 

Tuesday, Oct 30
Tsukineko All Purpose Inks (6 hours)

The benefit to taking my class is, I teach two different methods for working with the inks. One uses the Fantastix tool with a dry brush method that feels more like traditional drawing, and the other method is working wet with paintbrushes that give a more painterly quality. This is a techniques class where you will master blending and shading, mixing colors, creating light and dark colors, learn how to control bleeding on fabric and creating fine lines and details.


Then take a break from class on Tuesday and let me entertain you from noon-2pm, for lunch and a lecture on Inspiration 

How about learning some new tricks for applying paint to fabric, Wednesday, Oct 31 in 
Painting Imagery for Art Quilts with Textile Paints (6 hours)


I love to teach this class not only because I love to paint, but also because I love seeing my students amazement when they are able to do things they never thought posible in just 6 hours. Together we can work magic! 


I know people are hesitant to try painting, because they have this misguided notion that it's a special "talent or gift". Don't believe it! Painting is a skill and you can learn at any age and besides that it's relaxing and fun.

Thursday, Nov 1
Tsukineko All Purpose Inks (6 hours)

Friday, Nov 2
Ornamental Fiesta (6 hours)

Making these ornaments are so fun because they incorporate a sampling of techniques; painting, stitching and embossing metal. And for those of you who like to leave class with a finished project, I guarantee you will go home with at least one beautiful ornament, maybe two if you're a fast worker. 

Saturday, Nov 3
Heavy Metal Play Day (6 hours)

Spend a fun and relaxing day experimenting with different embossing techniques on aluminum and copper metal, then learn how to add color and create beautiful mottled effects with alcohol inks. Every student gets a free tool kit in this class too!


I can hardly wait, IQF Houston is my favorite action packed week of teaching and inspiration. I love seeing the exhibits, having BBQ, dancing on the green, and visiting with friends old and new.

Hope to see you there!

But first I'm off to Southern California to teach at IQF Long Beach at the end of the month. There's still a few spots in each of my classes, if you want some creative fun in the sun!
(P.S. we'll be using Bernina's in the Alternatively Stitched & Bound class too!)

Patchwork Sassaman Style Blog Hop Giveaway!

I am so thrilled to be able to help my friend Jane Sassaman promote her new book Patchwork Sassaman Style.

This is such a great book! it even gets me itching to make a few traditionally constructed quilts to snuggle under. I love the way Jane has used her beautifully designed fabrics to illustrate how a simple patchwork pattern can look far more complex and interesting with large scale prints.

Janes book includes easy to follow instructions with diagrams for constructing the various pieced block patterns, as well as a few aplique ones too.

There are also suggestions for simple machine stitched quilting patterns.

After reading Jane's book I had a few questions for Jane:

Jane, I have always admired your sense of design, and choice of imagery with your quilts and fabric. I loved reading about the process you go through designing fabric. I was wondering did you have a background working in design before you began making quilts?

Judy, I feel the same about your work! We are definitely inspired by many of the same things! 

Yes, I have always been interested in "design for use". The periods of art history that attract me most are when the artist is encouraged to be a designer, too. That's why I am drawn to the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Viennese Secession, for example. These artists didn't just paint pictures they designed everything... plates, furniture, jewelry, etc. I did work as a designer of decorative accessories for many years until quilting took over. Now it is especially nice to combine the two by designing fabric... a dream come true.

Your book is such an inspiration for ways to use bold prints with large easy to piece quilt blocks, I can now see how easy it would be to keep coming up with variations of quilt designs with this process using your beautiful fabrics as well as other large scale prints. There are so many wonderful quilts featured. After seeing them all made into finished quilts, do you have a favorite block pattern? 

And if so why does that block pattern appeal to you more than others?

Thats tough. I love them all. I am a sucker for the basic nine patch and ocean waves. Believe it or not, I am a minimalist at heart. I love the strong graphics of very simple blocks, although the fabric can make them look anything but simple. And there are so many more waiting to be used.

Well this is my favorite quilt in the book. I love it made with Jane's bold and graphic fern fabric!

Leave a comment now thru Sunday July 8 for a chance to win a copy of Jane's book. The winner will be chosen by random number generator, sorry overseas friends, unfortunately this is only open to US entries. Check back Monday to see if you've won. 
PS. dont forget to leave your name with your comment, if you don't have a blog to identify you. 

And dont forget to stop by these other great blogs to read more about Janes new book and for another chance to win.

July 2 Laura Wasilowski
July 3 Jessica Sloan
July 4 Happy 4th of July!
July 5 Judy Coates Perez
July 6 Jane Sassaman
July 7 Dragon Threads
July 8 Gloria Hansen
July 9 Melissa Peda
July 10 Susan Bruebaker Knapp
July 11 Jacquie Gering
July 12 Weeks Ringle
July 13 Sew Cal Gal
July 14 Jessica Kovach
July 15 Pam Matthews
July 16 Frieda Anderson
July 17 Pat Sloan
July 18 Jan Krentz
July 19 Make It Simpler
July 20 Lyric Kinard
July 22 Jane LaFazio
July 24 Nancy Zieman