My last traditional quilt "Romantic Nights"

For nearly 20 years my parents slept under the quilt I made for their 40th anniversary. Last year my parents finally downsized and in the process bought a new bed and the quilt that I made them was no longer wide enough for them to use. So my mother returned my gift for my safe keeping. In August, Lord willing, my parents will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

I started out in traditional quilt making in 1987. I fell in love with quilting through the endless possibilities of traditional blocks with their beautiful geometric forms and plays on values. Unlimited color combinations provided even more potential for creativity. My biggest challenge in making a quilt for my parents was their decidedly different color preferences. My father LOVES bright, vibrant colors! My mom loves beige. (Sorry Mom, but its true!) But I believe combining the hot pinks, purples, reds and oranges with the beautiful creams, beiges, taupes and soft blacks created a very successful composition

“Romantic Nights” 2002, 87.5” by 102.5” commercial cottons, cotton batting, long arm machine quilted by Roz Waterworth

From The Block Book by Judy Martin

This block, “Silver Threads & Golden Needles,” was designed by Judy Martin and published in her book, “The Block Book” by Crosley-Griffith Publishing Company in 1998. It is a great book filled with original designs giving a little twist on traditional blocks. Each of these blocks has 53 pieces to cut and sew back together. And I have always adored triangles! I actually made two quilts using this block. I love the challenge of the precision in both cutting and sewing the pieces so that you do not lose a single point. Yes, I am a bit obsessive. I actually think many quilters are. I mean really, we take perfectly beautiful fabric, cut it all up and sew it back together. If that’s not a sign of obsession I don’t know what is, but I digress.

Note that all the fabrics are commercial fabrics, and not a one of them is a true solid! Before I studied with Nancy Crow I used solid fabric only in sashings and bindings. The center of each star is a beautiful batik fabric I bought that inspired the bright color part of the palette, and every neutral is tone-on-tone or patterned.

I am blessed to have such wonderful parents who have enriched my life in so many ways. They have been a wonderful example of a loving and mutual supportive marriage And I am so appreciative of how much they have supported and encouraged me as an artist through all these years. My only bigger fan is my husband. I still have a large collection of patterned commercial fabrics that I plan to use again some day. My husband and I are coming up on our 30th wedding anniversary in June and we have been sleeping under the same two quilts all these years. Thinking it may be time for something new.

Joy in having quilted

I have a love/hate relationship with machine quilting. I remember one of my communications professors in grad school telling the class, “There is no joy in writing. There is joy in having written.” That is how I feel about machine quilting.

For nearly a year I have been working on machine quilting a large composition titled “Secret Garden.” I wrote about this same piece in an earlier blog “Getting Unstuck.” At last I am done! This piece took longer than usual for a variety of reasons, one of which was I made many more thread color changes. Every time you start and stop a thread you have four knots to sink in-between the layers of the quilt. Obviously this is more time consuming, but the overall affect I achieved was worth my effort.

Quilting is the last layer of design. It is almost like sculpting into the surface of the flat fabric creating a bas-relief. It makes the surface of the quilt come alive. Look below at my work in progress. You can see the contrast. There is such an opportunity to take your work to an even higher level with thoughtful quilting design.

Detail of “Secret Garden” vine leaves, work in progress March 2021

I will share another secret. I get bored easily. With each figure I try to come up with new quilting designs. In the figure below I tried using a thinner thread (aurifil) to create the little cells in-between the veins on the leaves. As an artist I think it is important to continue exploring new materials in my work.

Detail “Secret Garden” hosta A, work in progress March 2021

Even closer detail “Secret Garden” hosta A, work in progress March 2021

Detail “Secret Garden” hosta B, work in progress March 2021

You can see tails of threads that need to be knotted and sunk.

I am thrilled to have finally finished quilting this major work. I still have more knots to sink, and I need to wash and block it before binding the piece, but in essence it is done. There is JOY in having quilted!

How are you exploring new materials in your work? How much do you invest in your quilting? How does your quilting enhance/support your overall design?

Are you a collector?

Last week I met someone new and was asked if I was a collector. I had been talking about my recent visit to Key West and visiting many of the galleries there to gather research for my future gallery. I answered, “I’m an artist,” but upon further reflection, I realized I am also a collector.

Even from a young age I have always collected things— rocks, leaves, seed pods, boxes, post cards, dolls from around the world. My kids did too —bottle caps, sea glass, shells, interesting bits of wire, wood, bone, and metal. “Hector the Collector” by Shel Silverstein was one of our favorite poems in our homeschooling days.

In 2019 my husband was invited to be a key note speaker at a conference in Perth, Australia. It was a fabulous trip. I visited museums and galleries while my husband worked. I found an aboriginal gallery that I especially liked. I have two paintings in my studio from this gallery. I love the color and lines in these pieces.

Jan Billycan “Kirriwirri” 2009

60.5 x 60 cm, acrylic on linen

This painting is about sand dunes and living water in the area where the aboriginal artist lived and worked. I love these colors — turquoise blue, greens and ochre browns. The colors reminded me of New Zealand, where I lived for almost 8 years. I also loved the simplicity. In my most recent work I am experimenting with simplicity. I have always leaned toward complexity. I admire artists who do simplicity well.

Betty Mpetyane “Awelye and Bush Melon” 2018

60 x 60 cm, acrylic on linene

This second painting is more complex. It depicts the ceremonial designs painted on the bodies of aboriginal women. I love the vibrant colors. I thought the figures kind of looked like legs. Then I learned that these ovals represented lines painted on the women’s breasts. I find it interesting how the designs are done in sets of three. Maybe it shows the movement of the dancers in the ceremony. I can image the figures joyfully dancing across the canvas.

Costa Rica 2011

14 by 3 inches

woven

In addition to paintings, I also have many carvings and sculptures. Two of my favorite figures I found in a gallery featuring South American artists and artisans in San Jose, Cost Rica in 2011. Unfortunately I do not recall the maker’s name or country. I remember being told they took over a year to make. These figures are so detailed. I love the fringe above the eyes, the woman’s earrings, the man’s spear & basket and all the little fingers & toes. The weaving is so very fine and with many color changes. I think it is just amazing work.

I admire beautiful work in all kinds of mediums. Artwork I love has wonderful color usage, interesting line work and exquisite detail — qualities I am trying to achieve in my own work. My collection of art brings me joy and inspiration. What brings you joy? Where do you find inspiration? What do you collect?

Reoccurring Themes

I find it interesting to see how past work relates to my current work. This piece is from 2004 when I was still living in New Zealand. I am very contemplative when I work. There are always thoughts and ideas in what I am creating. This is reflected in the title, “Marriage: man, woman interwoven.” This was juried into Quilt Auckland National Symposium in 2005. My artist’s statement: “As one life intertwines with another, there is joy and complexity. Windows open to new opportunities and expanded horizons. Richness and depth are added, creating a new whole more than a sum of its parts.”

“Marriage: man, woman interwoven” 2004, 73” W by 63” H

commercial fabrics, cotton batting, machine quilted

My husband has always supported my development as an artist. Together we have built a life that supports, sustains and inspires my work. In this early work you will see blooms and leaf forms in the quilting. Plant forms have always represented joy, beauty and growth in my work.

“Marriage: man, woman interwoven” 2004 detail

“Marriage: man, woman interwoven” 2004 detail

Part of finding your artistic voice is discovering continuity and reoccurring themes in your work. How does this earlier work relate to what I am doing now? Plant forms continue to inspire and inform my work. It also shows I love complexity, and I have a preference for using large colorful palettes. Early on I began creating richly textured surfaces with unexpected pops of color through intense quilting using variegated thread. These are all themes that you will find in my work today.

Where are you in the discovery of your voice? What reoccurring themes do you see in your work? How does your earlier work relate to what you are making now?

Developing Ideas

In the spring of 2017 I had the opportunity to accompany my husband on a business trip to Barcelona, Spain. While he was attending meetings, I went to the Picasso Museum. My favorite exhibit was Picasso’s suite “Las Meninas.” He created a total of 58 pieces in this series. His pieces filled two rooms. It was fascinating to see how Picasso explored and developed his ideas as he reinterpreted and recreated “Las Meninas” by Diego Velazquez. Look up Noble Oceans Pablo Picasso: The Many Interations of Las Meninas for further reading.

An essential part of being an artist is exploring and playing and asking “What if…” Below is a series of small compositions where I did just this. The idea started with a small composition from a workshop in 2003. (Hint: if you really want to develop as an artist you must work on your own at home inbetween workshops.)

“Motif Exercise #2” pieced 2003, quilted 2009, 10.25” w by 10” h, commercial fabrics, cotton batting, machine quilted

Pamela Loewen

I loved this little piece and the concept of working with a small motif in both color and neutrals. I decided to try to build on the idea in the larger piece pictured either to the right or below.

“Landscape #1: Waterfall” pieced 2004 & quilted 2009, 7.5” w by 20.5” h, commercial cottons, cotton batting, machine quilted

Pamela Loewen

In this second piece I saw an abstracted landscape. Then I asked myself, “What if I try to make the motif float above the landscape?” This is where I pushed the idea in the third piece.

“Landscape #2: Floating Motif” pieced 2004 & quilted 2009, 16” w by 18.5” h, commercial cottons, cotton batting, machine quilted

Pamela Loewen

From here I thought, what if I changed the motif and made it more bird like and created a composition with a flock of birds flying over a landscape. The following two compositions explored this idea.

“Migration” 2004, 26” w by 36.5” h, commercial cottons, cotton batting, machine quilted

Pamela Loewen

“Migration 2” 2004, 21.5” w by 20.5” h, commercial fabrics, cotton batting, machine quilted

So that is how I got from the original motif study to Migration 2. Being married to a birder also was part of my inspiration.

What ideas are you exploring? The best way to explore ideas is to work in a series. Remember, there is always more than one way to interpret an idea. Be sure to give yourself time to play!

Naming

In 2013 I was invited to create work for a show curated by Nancy Crow based on the traditional quilt block “Bull’s Eye”. I ended up making 4 pieces. Below is the third one in this miniseries.

I had so much fun making this piece. It is vibrant and energetic. But when it was finished I didn’t quite know how to name it. I have been working in my garden series for several years now, and the temptation was so call it something like cosmic bloom to make it “fit” in the series. But this didn’t feel right. So instead I delayed the decision. After I finished the binding I stored this and moved on to my next piece. However, I wanted to share it, so I needed to finally name it.

2019 Flying Sparks 69”w x 65.5” h, hand dyed fabrics, wool batting, machine quilted

When I look at this piece I think of many things: fireworks, african headdresses, comets, hurricanes, vortexes, June Carter Cash’s song “The Ring of Fire.” As I was working on the piece I called it Flying Sparks. This name doesn’t fit in my garden series, but it is apt for the composition. Sometimes it is better to not over complicate things.

2019 Flying Sparks detail

The Power of Synergy

When I moved to Auckland, New Zealand in 1999 I joined the Auckland Quilter’s Guild in order to meet like minded people and make friends. At the end of every meeting the guild held “Show & Tell” for quilters to share their most recent work. I showed a large piece called “Rhythms of Africa.” Below is the only digital photo I have of this piece currently. It is an early work where I was playing with proportions and color trying to create depth and movement. As you can see at this time I was still riffing on traditional patchwork forms.

“Rhthyms of Africa” 1999, commercial cottons, hand and machine quilted. Approximately 115 inches wide by 90 inches tall. Photo from 2010

After I showed my work, Lesley Aspin introduced herself to me. Turned out she lived only a street down from me. We quickly became good friends. We went to quilt shows and quilt shops together and we both took our first Nancy Crow class together when Nancy taught in New Zealand in 2002. We both found this class inspiring and we began to implement what we learned from Nancy in our studio practices. We also traveled to the States together to continue studying with Nancy Crow at The Barn.

I vividly remember Nancy telling us how lucky we were to have each other as we both aspired to pursue quilt making as artists. Over the next four years Lesley and I gave each other valuable feedback as we worked in our studios. I am convinced we both developed more quickly having each other to talk to about our work. We had a shared vocabulary and understanding of what we were trying to accomplish as we worked toward the same goals. We had a creative synergy that propelled the development of our work.

Lesley and I both had work juried into Quilt Auckland National Symposium held in Auckland in 2005. Our work was very distinct from the other pieces in the show, and distinct from each other. We both had grown a lot since our first class with Nancy. Below are two of our pieces from that show.

“Whitecaps and Waves” 2004, 32” w by 55” h commercial cottons, machine quilted

Pamela Loewen

“Stepping Stones” 2004 approximately 48”w by 60”h commercial and hand dyed fabrics, machine quilted

Lesley Aspin

The next year I moved back to the States. Lesley gave me her piece from the show. I had wanted to buy it, but she insisted she wanted to give it to me as a gift. It proudly hangs in my home in my living room. I have never found another kindred spirit like Lesley.

Part of the reason I want to have a gallery and begin teaching is to create a community where likeminded people can meet, show their work and create synergistic relationships that enable them to grow as artists. If you are interested in being part of this future community please use my contact information to send me your email to sign up for my upcoming newsletter. Your email will be kept confidential.

Developing Artistry

The past 5 weeks I have been traveling. I went to my nephew’s wedding, celebrated my Dad’s 80th birthday twice, visited my beloved cousin Eric as he battles terminal cancer, and got necessary medical treatments at a specialty clinic in San Diego. Traveling at this time presents its own challenges, but it is doable. Be assured that airports, airlines, hotels and car rental companies have new standards for cleaning and extra safety precautions. But as I traveled I was again struck by how much life has been changed by this virus. It is mentally draining. While I was glad to be able to do all of these very important things, returning home I was saddened at our collective loss. So it is taking a bit longer than usual to refocus my attention in my studio.

When I have had a break from art making, I often do small sewing projects to ease myself back into my studio mindset. Luckily my daughter had the perfect job for me. One of Winona’s favorite tee shirts got stained. She asked me if I could cut out the graphics and put them on her denim jacket. I have lots of experience sewing on denim from years of patching jeans. In my well stocked studio I had everything I needed: fusible interfacing, backing material for the patch, the correct sewing machine needle and the perfect color & weight of variegated thread.

The definition of an artisan is a skilled manual laborer, a craftsperson, skilled in the arts. How does one develop any skill? Through gaining knowledge and practice, practice, practice. The internet allows us to look up how to do almost anything. In fact I googled how to sew a tee shirt on a denim jacket just to refresh my mind and see if there were any helpful tips to create a better finished project. Knowledge is readily available.

Practice is the next step. Lots of practice. That whole 10,000 hours thing is really true. And you have to start where you are. Some people give up because the first thing they make isn’t as good as they envision in their heads. I describe this as wanting to fly before you know how to crawl. Other people give up because what they made isn’t as good as someone else’s work. Comparison is a killer. You will always be able to find someone who is better than you.

Turn your focus inward. Take an honest inventory of your own abilities. Do you posses all of the foundational skills of your craft? If not, that is always a great place to start. Working toward mastery is how you develop your artistry.

Getting Unstuck

Have you ever hit a wall while working on a project? This happened to me recently. Last May I started machine quilting a major work, roughly 100” wide by 90” tall. When I begin machine quilting I start on a figure in the center and work my way out to the edges. The central figure in this piece is dark purple and it is surrounded by shades of white and other light fabrics. As I was working, somehow I got a black oil stain on a light area. I guess it is from the dual feeder mechanism on my Bernina 830, but I do not know for sure. This was a problem. So I tried to get the stain out with warm sudsy water and a toothbrush. As water seeped into the quilt top while I scrubbed, dye started to run from some of the dark fabrics to the light ones. Now I had an even bigger problem. My heart sank. The oil stain was still visible, but not as dark; however, the dye stains were even worse. I stepped away from the piece and started researching my options. For days the piece sat untouched.

Multiple problems: stain spot, and at least two fabrics bleeding onto lighter areas.

I looked up how to remove dye from quilt tops. I asked a friend her advice. She suggested taking out the stained fabric and replacing it, but I wasn’t ready to consider that yet. I mulled. I stewed. I started a new composition. I finished machine quilting another smaller work. I made the decision to boldly go on and proceed quilting the piece, hoping it would all wash out in the end. But somehow I could never get back to work on the project.

Finally, after two months, I presented my problem to my on-line fabric dying group. I have to admit that I was a bit ashamed to have this problem. Obviously I had not processed my fabric properly. I had two different fabrics bleeding excess dye. But denying reality never changes reality. So I humbly posted my pictures and asked for help. To my surprise my dye instructor answered immediately (love you Carol Soderlund!), but she said the same thing my friend had said two months earlier. She pointed out I had one of the hardest problems having the bleeding dark purples next to the lightest of fabrics. Most likely the dye stains would not wash out in the end. And I knew there were other areas where those same fabrics would also bleed during my final wash after all my machine quilting was done. The problem would only grow.

It was time for me to squarely face the facts. The best solution was to ripe out the 18 hours of machine quilting. Take out all of the hand basting (another week’s work), and then take apart the actual quilt top to remove both the stained pieces, and the fabrics that were bleeding.

Luckily, thanks to Nancy Crow (adore you too Nancy!), this is not the first time I have ripped out the basting on a major composition and reworked the pieced top. For those of you who are not quilt makers, hand basting a large quilt top is one of my least favorite tasks in the whole quilt making process. Honestly the thought of having to rebaste this large piece was why I was so reluctant to do what needed to be done. But I knew I could do it, because I have done it before. It just took me two months to accept that this was the best solution. My husband encouraged me. He assured me the composition is a strong piece and worth the effort.

So I spent two days ripping out small machine quilting stitches. Once I made this decision and moved forward on the piece, I felt deeply relieved. Yes, it would take significantly more time to finish this piece, but this way I know I can fix the issues.

The quilted area as seen from the back. Dye stains are visible here too.

I used a seam ripper on the back thread and cut every 4th stitch. Then I pull out the long thread on the front side of the quilt top.

So where are you stuck? What is keeping you from moving forward? Sometimes the best way forward involves taking a step backward.

The birthplace of Ideas

I took my first quilting class when I was 24 years old. It was your standard traditional sampler class. Each week you learned how to piece a different shape and different kinds of block designs built on said shape. Even in that class I was one of the youngest students. Fast forward to my first class with Nancy Crow. I was 38 and definitely the youngest woman in the room. Most of the other students were in their 50’s and 60’s. As part of the Crow class, students are given 20 minutes to give presentations of their work, and then other students could ask the presenter questions. I have done many Crow classes and several presentations. Below is a finished study from my second class, “Strip-piecing & Restructuring #3”, with Nancy Crow in 2003. This study was done on my first trip to the Barn.

“Study-SP3” 2003, 48” w by 43” h commercial fabrics, hand quilted

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is “Where do you get your ideas?” This is not an area where I have ever struggled. I have always felt that I have more ideas than time! And almost anything can spark an idea for me — nature, books, music, museums, travels, conversations — the list is endless. I have always been blessed with a very vivid imagination and a curious mind.

I am also a booklover. I read all kinds of books. One of the things I loved about living in New Zealand was the access to British books in the bookstores. I miss that. Anyhow, a well stocked and deeply read library is a great foundation for generating ideas. Between my husband and I, we collect books on birds, flowers, trees and of course, art. This has been a wonderful resource while quarantining at home. Do you want to study variations on a motif? Look closely at a bird book. Thanks to my husband we have all of the volumes of the Handbook of the Birds of the World by Lynx Edicions. Below is page 190 from Volume 5 Barn-owls to Hummingbirds.

The variations on motifs in nature are often illustrated in handbook and identification guides.

And if you want to dive more deeply into the art world read the text of your art books! Of course I love the pictures of all of the artwork, but I learn even more by reading about the artwork! I recently finished the catalog to the “Hockney — Van Gogh: The Joy of Nature” published by the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 2019. I read it from cover to cover. It talks about perspective, color, and new ways of representing space, light and time. The conversation with David Hockney at the end is a must read. This is just one of the many art books in my library.

So how are you generating your ideas? How are you growing in your knowledge? How are you gathering imagery meaningful to you? What’s in your library?

One of my art book shelves