A cape!

Posted on June 18, 2019 by admin

A little boy that I know just had his 3rd birthday. Back when I had a 3 year old, more than 20 years ago, I made some capes for the preschool auction. At the time, I traced around a cape among the school’s dress ups onto a brown paper bag as a pattern to cut around. The question I asked myself was whether I still had the paper pattern in my sewing cupboard, or did I throw it out? It’s hard to know what size to make a cape for a 3 year old, if you don’t have a 3 year old around, to measure at home. I looked for the brown paper pattern, and couldn’t find it. I had a vague memory of throwing it out. Then I remembered that I had cut out a cape of pirate fabric that I never finished. If I still had it, it would be in my box of children’s and novelty fabric. I found it on the very bottom of that box! I used it as a pattern to cut out two pieces of fabric, one for the front, and one for the back. Although I originally intended for the alef-bet fabric to be the front, I think in reality the orange will be the front. I machine appliqued an “A” on the orange for his name. Orange is his favorite color. The little red square is Velcro.

Here’s the other “front.”

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Work from the Circular Squares & Rectangles class

Posted on June 12, 2019 by admin

Here’s some student work from the Circular Squares & Rectangles class that I taught at HelloStitch:

These are both by the same student. The first is just 4 square blocks, and the second uses both squares and rectangles.

Same thing. First is 4 squares the second adds a rectangle.

This is what I worked on while teaching.

Posted in Classes, Improvisational piecing, Work In Progress | Tagged Claire-Sherman, Hello Stitch, Hellostitchstudio | Comments Off

I’m teaching fusible fabric applique, Aug 4

Posted on June 12, 2019 by admin

I’m teaching a fusible fabric applique class at HelloStitch, Aug 4. Below is an example of what you can do with this technique.

Here’s a link to the class on the website. https://www.hellostitchstudio.com/claire-sherman

Use paper cutting techniques to make intricate, iron-on fabric appliqués. Then practice different ways of sewing the fused appliqués onto a background fabric. Explore the possibilities with multi-layer appliqués.

This is a process class, focused on learning how to cut and appliqué fabric. However it’s easy to turn your class project into a wall hanging or pillow.

Skill Level: Appropriate for everyone from beginners to advanced.

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The eyes quilt, continued

Posted on May 28, 2019 by admin

I started thinking about this quilt last Monday. I started working on it on Wednesday, and I finished the binding this morning at 1 AM. I’m not quite done yet. I might sew on some beads. I need to ship the quilt Tuesday morning.

Here’s a detail of the beading I’m in the process of doing. The photo is rotated wrong, but I kept trying to fix it, and my computer wouldn’t let me because the file was supposedly open somewhere else.

I plan to ship this quilt to Virginia tomorrow, so any beading I do needs to be done by noon tomorrow.

Ok. It’s after midnight and I’m going to bed now. Here’s a final photo:

And here’s a detail of one eye and the beading:

Posted in Improvisational piecing, Machine applique, Quilt Shows, sewing with silk, Work In Progress | Tagged Eye Contact, Sacred Threads | Comments Off

The eyes have it!

Posted on May 23, 2019 by admin

I’m working on a 23″ wide by 5″ tall eyes challenge. Since that doesn’t make much sense, here’s the info:

Sacred Threads Eye Contact Project

Sacred Threads 2019

“Eye Contact: creating a connection“

We need your Participation!

Samples made by Barbara Hollinger, Karol Kusmaul and Laurie Ceesay

Hi, I am Barbara Hollinger, curator of Sacred Threads, our national quilt and fiber art exhibit.

We are planning the show for the summer of 2019 and have a project underway that will allow you to participate in creating a special installation for our visitors.

It’s called “Eye Contact: creating a connection“.

There is a famous quote by Cicero (106-43 B.C.). ‘Ut imago est animi voltus sic indices oculi’ (The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter). ‘The eyes are the window of the soul‘ is a variant form of the proverb…”Reference

Here are the specifics:

– The dimensions are 23″ wide x 5″ high
– Any fiber/ mixed media technique and materials
– Finished using any method
– No sleeves are needed
– Please put your name on the back of your piece, either with a label or permanent pen
– Human Eyes – Looking at the Viewer

Make one, or make several, and mail them to us to share in a special display at the exhibit here in the Washington DC area next summer.

Deadline May 31, 2019.

Mail to:

ST Eye Contact Project

c/o Barbara Hollinger

10309 Dunn Meadow Road

Vienna VA 22182

Please fill out this return shipping form and include with your shipment.

Return Fees (There is no fee to enter but we do need to collect funds to help return your piece to you):

From within the US: Please include a $7.5 check, made out to Sacred Threads.

From outside the US: We will send you a PAYPAL invoice for $25.00.

We will return your artwork in a USPS Flat-Rate small box. It will be trackable and the default insurance will be applied.

We would love to have you join us at the exhibit and cannot wait to share your “Eye Contact: creating a connection” project.

I rarely make art with eyes in it. About 30 years ago I made a Purim mask of Queen Esther out of Fimo clay and wood. Here it is:

It suddenly occurred to me that I could make this quilt topical by putting stars in the eyes of the quilt I’m making of eyes. but I’m not sure I really want to. If you have an opinion, please leave me a comment below.

Here’s what I have, so far:

Posted in Improvisational piecing, Work In Progress | Tagged Sacred Threads | Comments Off

I’m teaching Circular Squares on June 9th!

Posted on May 22, 2019 by admin

Slightly Sober Path 2012

Circular Squares and Rectangles Improv Quilt Class

At Hello Stitch Studio on June 9, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM,

1708 University Ave, Berkeley, CA

Sign up at www.hellostitchstudio.com or (510) 982-6549

This class explores curved piecing in both square and rectangular blocks. Learn how to boldly cut curves with a rotary cutter, but without a ruler or a cutting line! Using a stack of fabrics, you will learn how to make a fun, improv quilt. This is a process class. Once you learn the process, the world of curved, pieced quilts is yours to explore.

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner-Intermediate

Below is some student work from the last time I taught this class.

And here’s one that I made during the class:

Posted in Classes, Improvisational piecing | Tagged Circular squares and rectangles, Claire-Sherman, Hello Stitch, Hellostitchstudio, improvisational quilting | Comments Off

Annual library quilt show!

Posted on May 14, 2019 by admin

The 38th annual Berkeley Public Library quilt show is up from now until June 29. It’s on the 2nd floor in the cases in the lobby and hanging above the reference desk. I have 2 quilts in the show: a 3′ X 3′ star in a star, and a postcard sized basket.

Here’s a better photo of the star quilt. There’s a reception for the show on June 10, at 6:00 pm in the community meeting room on the 3rd floor. Everyone is invited! I’ll be there, with a lot of the quilters from the show.

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Shibori, felting and fulling class

Posted on May 2, 2019 by admin

Last weekend I took an EBHQ workshop with Yoshiko Wada. Here is a photo of some of our experiments.

Above is master shibori artist Yoshiko Wada showing us how to brew natural indigo and demonstrating shibori. Since shibori is a form of tie dye, I asked her where tie dye was invented, Japan or India? She said that historians believe that both countries developed it independently of each other.

Here is my output for the 2 days from the top left: wool shibori, fulled, stitched and dyed wool, shibori underwear, cotton shibori, and 2 cotton shibori dyed shirts.

I also learned the difference between felted and fulled. Felted refers to wool that hasn’t been woven. If you do the felting process on a woven wool fabric, it is fulled not felted.

Posted in Classes, Work In Progress | Tagged East Bay Heritage Quilters, EBHQ | Comments Off

Free motion quilting

Posted on April 2, 2019 by admin

I took Mel Beach’s EBHQ workshop on free motion quilting a week ago. Here’s one of my 2 samples, above. I was very out of practice. It’s been at least two years since I did any free motion quilting. Since the workshop I’ve continued practicing by quilting two donation baby quilts that EBHQ always has on hand. I am improving, but it seems like a slow learning curve!

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I’m teaching how to make Cathedral Window quilts this Sunday!

Posted on March 23, 2019 by admin

Three Ways to Make a Cathedral Window Quilt

Sun, Mar 24

Mar 24, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Hello Stitch Studio, 1708 University Ave, Berkeley www.hellostitchstudio.com

[510] 982-6549 | hello@hellostitchstudio.com

Cathedral Window is a beautifully intricate quilt block pattern. Traditionally it is done entirely by hand, however, I will demonstrate three ways to make these blocks: completely hand sewn, completely machine sewn, as well as a combination of both. The background fabric is folded in origami fashion and the contrasting center fabrics are sewn into each pocket like a small jewel. This is a dimensional, multi-layer quilt block that doesn’t require quilting and is perfect for using scraps of fabric.

This is a process class. Once you learn how to make the blocks you can turn them into a quilt, wall hanging or pillow, but those projects won’t be covered in class. These blocks look complicated, but once you learn the process, it isn’t that hard to do.

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Claire Sherman Art