Claire Sherman Art

Breaking my own rules

Posted on March 13, 2017 by admin

I read somewhere, maybe from Kaffe Fassett that when designing a quilt, you should make up some rules to follow for that quilt. Then, to add surprise and make it more interesting, every so often, you should break the rules! For this quilt one of my rules is that the triangles are orange or red, and not the background yellow colors. I’m now breaking that rule in a few places. It’s pretty subtle, but definitely will make the quilt more interesting to look at. Yesterday I started breaking a different rule: that each square has no more than one triangle added to it. And then there’s the rule I’ve been breaking all along, that the background squares are yellow. I’ve been adding light orange background squares here and there from the beginning.

Posted in Improvisational piecing, liberated stars, Work In Progress | Tagged breaking the rules, Kaffe Fassett | Comments Off

Lots of progress on improv star!

Posted on March 13, 2017 by admin

I got more time to work on this today than I thought I would. See how much I accomplished!

I wanted to mention that one of the reasons why I don’t cut out all the squares at the beginning of a quilt is that my idea of which colors belong keeps changing. I also have no idea how many squares I will actually need, since I’m not working from a pattern. I enjoy making artistic decisions all throughout the quilting process. I almost never design a quilt on paper or on the computer and then make exactly that quilt. I would find that really boring, although I know people who do it that way.

Posted in Improvisational piecing, liberated stars, Work In Progress | Comments Off

Auditioning new fabric

Posted on March 11, 2017 by admin

I bought four new yellows at New Pieces. I’m auditioning them to see if they will play nicely with the colors already in this quilt. I’ve cut them into squares so that I can really see how they work. I decided that two of the four worked. Going from the left, the first and third fabrics are in. (The second fabric was too tan, and the fourth one was too bright a yellow, especially since it has white polka dots on it).

This is what it looks like now, at the end of the day. I’ve increased the size so that it’s nine squares across rather than eight. It’s Friday afternoon, and I need to stop now and make dinner. This weekend will be so busy that I may not sew again until Sunday evening.

Posted in Improvisational piecing, Work In Progress | Tagged New Pieces Quilt Store | Comments Off

New improv star quilt

Posted on March 9, 2017 by admin

I’m working on another star quilt. I’m making it about 3′ x 3′. This will be my entry in the Berkeley Public Library quilt show. It’s not due until late April, so I do have enough time to finish it. This quilt will be mainly “stitch and flip” stars. I’m trying to decide if the two fabrics at the bottom will work in this quilt, or if they stick out like a sore thumb. The star at the bottom right I’ve already decided to delete from this quilt.

The library quilt show will be up from May 1 through June 4 at the central/main Berkeley library, on the second floor.

Posted in Improvisational piecing, liberated stars, Quilt Shows, Work In Progress | Tagged Berkeley Public Library, Berkeley Public Library Quilt Show, improvisational quilting | Comments Off

The two classes I’m teaching!

Posted on March 5, 2017 by admin

Join me for two Lehrhaus classes:

Beginning Israeli Folk Dance, and \ or

Exploring the Hamsa- A Hands on Workshop

At the JCC East Bay-1414 Walnut St, Berkeley, CA

Preregistration required. Go to http://www.lehrhaus.org $36/$18 JCC members for either class.

Beginning Israeli Folk Dance– Sunday, March 19 from 11 AM – 1 PM

Come learn a variety of classic, easy to follow circle and line dances. Open to all, including adults, teens, and children ages 10 and up, with their parents, at the JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St, Berkeley, CA

Exploring the Hamsa: A Hands on Workshop-Sunday, April 23, 2 PM – 5 PM

A hamsa is a stylized hand for protection against the “evil eye,” frequently worn as jewelry. Made by both Jews and Muslims, hamsas are found all over the Middle East, but are older than either religion. Come learn about the folklore of hamsas and Jewish amulets, as we make them out of paper or fabric. Learn paper cutting techniques to make appliqués with fusible web backed fabric. No artistic talent or sewing is required to make stunning hamsa designs. The finished paper-cut hamsa can be framed, to hang on the wall, and a fabric hamsa can become a wall hanging, challah cover, or part of a quilt. $5 materials fee payable the day of the class.

If there is enough interest I will teach both of these again. Leave me a comment if you are interested in future classes.

Posted in Classes, hamsa | Tagged fusible applique, Judaica, Lehrhaus | Comments Off

Mizrach is almost finished

Posted on March 2, 2017 by admin

I sewed a tight zigzag or satin stitch around each appliqué piece. I don’t always do that. Lately I’ve been sewing a straight stitch on the edges. The latticework is stitched with one needle, by eye, without drawing it first. I don’t know why, but I hate drawing lines on fabric that need to be erased. I’m going to do some more quilting in the background, and it will be done.

I have a lot of freezer paper templates from previous work. I looked through them when I was ready to cut the inner windows. Here are a bunch of them. Of course none of them was the right size, so I had to cut a new one.

Posted in 12 x 12, Machine applique, Mizrach, Work In Progress | Comments Off

WIP which is now a “mizrach,” rather than an amulet

Posted on February 20, 2017 by admin

My daughter suggested I use the periwinkle on top of the dark blue, for the upper “window.” What a good idea! I had to cut out a new periwinkle piece as the other one was the wrong size, and I ruined it by trying to shave off bits from each side. I’ve decided that this one won’t be an amulet, but will be a mizrach, instead. Here’s what I wrote about mizrachim (that’s the plural of mizrach), for a previous mizrach quilt.

What is a mizrach? (For those who don’t know):

The word mizrach means “east” in Hebrew, and indicates the direction of Jerusalem. When Jews pray, we generally face east, towards Jerusalem. The custom of having a mizrach developed after the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE). Diaspora Jews would leave a small portion of the eastern wall in their homes unfinished, with the bricks exposed. This served both to indicate the direction of Jerusalem and as way of mourning the destruction of the Temple. Over the years mizrachim evolved into a separate plaque, which was placed on the eastern wall, with the word “mizrach”, i.e. “east” on it.

Creating a mizrach is a wonderful opportunity for an artist, because it can portray any imagery. Also, mizrachim can be made out of any material, such as mosaic, beaded, wood, (fabric of course), or even water colors on paper. As long as a mizrach contains the word, mizrach, it’s “kosher.” I chose to depict middle eastern architecture, such as one might see in Jerusalem, because the essence of this custom is a longing for Jerusalem.

I wrote mizrach in Hebrew with a Micron pen. I practiced by writing it on the backing paper from the fusible web, which you can see in the first photo at the top of this post.

Here it is, all fused together. It’s 13″ x 13″ so that it can shrink during quilting, and still be 12″x 12.”

Posted in 12 x 12, Machine applique, Mizrach, Work In Progress | Tagged fusible applique, Judaica, machine applique, mizrach | Comments Off

Work in progress- 12 x 12 amulet

Posted on February 17, 2017 by admin

I’m working on a new 12″ x 12″ amulet, with fusible applique. I’m having trouble picking the color for the center top “window.” At first I thought the periwinkle below was the right color. Here I am cutting it out with my sharpest scissors. The white part is a template that I cut out of freezer paper. The fusible web is on the other side of the fabric.

After I cut it out, I looked at it in place, and didn’t like it.

Then I tried the pink on top of it, which I disliked so much that I didn’t take a photo of it. I cut out a darker blue one, as a border, which you see below. I’m still not happy with it. I think I’ll sleep on it, and see how I feel tomorrow.

Posted in 12 x 12, Machine applique, Work In Progress | Tagged amulet, fusible applique, improvisational quilting | Comments Off

Disappearing hourglass eight ways!

Posted on February 2, 2017 by admin

I took an EBHQ fabric marbling class on Monday. Above are three of the eighteen fabric pieces I dyed. I showed them at the East Bay Modern Quilters meeting on Tue. Stacey asked me what I was going to do with the fabric? I answered, ‘I have no idea’. Today I decided to use one for a 12 x 12 disappearing block for the 12 x 12 meeting next week. Here it is as an hourglass block.

I decided that black was the best color to contrast with the marbled fabric. Then I cut it into nine pieces, measuring the first cut 2 1/4″ from the center seam.

I discovered eight different ways to rearrange the pieces. Below is #1.

# 2

Number 1 is the way I sewed it together. I have lots of time to quilt it before next Tuesday.

Posted in 12 x 12, disappearing blocks, Disappearing hourglass, Work In Progress | Tagged disappearing hourglass, East Bay Heritage Quilters | Comments Off

Official hamsa class announcement!

Posted on January 25, 2017 by admin

Join Claire Sherman for a workshop on paper-cutting, fabric appliqué, and the folklore of hamsas. Sunday, April 23, 2:00 – 5:00 pm at the JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St, Berkeley, CA $36 Register at www.lehrhaus.org

A hamsa is a stylized hand for protection against the “evil eye,” frequently worn as jewelry. Made by both Jews and Muslims, hamsas are found all over the Middle East, but are older than either religion. Come learn about the folklore of hamsas and Jewish amulets, as we make them out of paper or fabric. (People of all religions, and atheists welcome). The basics of paper-cutting, a traditional Jewish folk art, will also be taught. Before Claire made appliqué quilts, she was an accomplished “paper cutter”. Learn paper cutting techniques to make stunning appliqués with fusible-web backed fabric. We will cut out our appliqués with scissors, and/or Exacto knives for accuracy, then iron them to a background. No artistic talent is required to make stunning hamsa designs. The finished paper-cut hamsa can be framed, to hang on the wall, and a fabric hamsa can become a wall hanging, challah cover, or part of a quilt.

Claire Sherman creates ceramic sculpture, quilts, and Jewish ritual objects out of clay, paper, and fabric. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, with a BFA in ceramics, she spent a year in Israel, where she learned about hamsas from other artists. She has taught art workshops in paper cutting, quilting, and Jewish ritual objects for adults and children throughout California. Visit her website at http://www.claireshermanart.com.

Posted in hamsa | Tagged hamsa, Lehrhaus | Comments Off