Books are Magic

Patterns and Designs

My last post showed a variation of the log cabin quilt pattern. A pattern that I grew up using and have come to love. When I first saw the beautiful variety of fabric scraps, with their vast range of vibrant golds, glittering silvers and muted plaids, I thought the log cabin pattern would work well.

However, by the time I created the third page I realized the log cabin pattern wasn't the best choice for these fabrics. I didn't like the way the fabrics "read."

Another quilt design I used as a child was the string pattern. It is great for combining disparate fabric textures, styles, and colors. It involves cutting every fabric into 1" to 2" strips and then sewing these strips together to create a square. After making four squares, I combine them to form a diamond shape. The beautiful metallic and gold fabrics mixed with the plaids create a very pleasing design.

*Coronavirus Disease 2019:

Update in Maryland- 8/23/2020

104,102 confirmed cases

3,691 deaths 6,047 recovered

Update in New York State - 8/23/2020

429,737 confirmed cases

32,883 deaths 74,640 recovered

Total in United States: 5,693,879 confirmed cases, 176,756 deaths

Total Worldwide: 23,309,597 confirmed cases, 806,543 deaths

* All numbers are taken from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

Comments

Surviving my Teen Years with Shakespeare

I became passionate about poetry in high school when I desperately needed guidance. When I needed something to make sense of the chaos others called life. There was no IG, no FB, no Internet, no cell phones, no "reach out and touch" when life quickly crumbled, leaving you alone with just the clothes on your back. Earlier this year I revisited all 154 Shakespeare Sonnets and began making textile books inspired by them. Here is Sonnet One -- Don't Get Twisted by the Bling of Youth.

Born of Love, Shakespeare's Sonnet 151

Over the summer I worked on new artwork, Born of Love , inspired by Shakespeare's Sonnet 151. The book offers a translation of the sonnet to the language of textiles and embroidery. Working on this book allowed me to explore the beauty of textiles from four continents. Its construction is inspired by the poetic structure within the sonnet. This book, along with two other of my art pieces, will be on exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library from 16 Sept 2024 - 9 Feb 2025.

Evidence: The Art of Candy Jernigan

Art is Life I was introduced to Candy Jernigan's art and book when I was going through cancer treatment more than a decade ago. Her meticulously arranged collages, paintings, and drawings have had a profound impact on the way I view art, life, and visual storytelling. Before reading her book, I had never seen how powerful art journaling could be -- that it could also be an artistic tool for social commentary. Candy Jernigan (b. 1952- 1991) attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Soon after graduating she became a painter, set and costume designer in Provincetown, MA. In Evidence , Stokes Howell wrote, " By the time she returned to New York in 1980 she was starting to develop the themes and methods she would work with the rest of her life." Candy described the transformative process of taking found objects, "trash," and discarded materials from life and turning them into art: "In 1980, as I set out on my first trip to Europe, I decided...

Baltimore Sonnets

Search This Blog