Happy 2012!

2011 is history!  Another year come and gone.  How time flies...  I remember when I was a kid and I thought about the year 2000.  I was going to be 38 years old.  Soooo  oooold!  Well, in a couple of weeks, I turn 50.  Not so old, eh?  Heh, heh....  It's all a matter of perspective.

The end of the year and the beginning of a new is always a time of reflection for me.  If you follow this blog, you know that I have spent a great deal of time and energy in building TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List, an organization that helps textile businesses and fiber artists market their businesses.  I launched it at about this time two years ago on a Blogger platform, wondering if there would be interest out there.  At this time last year, we had grown to over 200 members and it was clear that we needed a new website.  Most of the year was spent focusing on that.  Several members volunteered their time and energy in a think tank that we set up on Facebook, discussing what we needed.  Then we had a fundraiser on IndieGoGo and successfully raised $5,000, again from the members, to pay for the site.  A local design team, Horizon Media Group has been working on the site since August, with me actively in the thick of things.  One week ago, we had members volunteer as guinea pigs to test the process of loading their info and using the site.  There are still many glitches and we need to change servers, but you can preview it at www.tafalist.net.

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List's new site.

Hopefully, we will be able to move to the www.tafalist.com url by the end of this week.  This has been an incredibly exhausting process, but one that has also been energizing, wonderfully democratic, and it goes to show that things can happen with no money.  My motto with TAFA has been, "Together we can do great things!" and the website is the first proof of that.

It's hard to explain to people outside of the textile community what I do.  I used to say I was an artist, but since I started TAFA I have poured all of my creative energy into building it, so have not done much of my own sewing or art work.  Hopefully, the website will free up some of my time so that I can do that again this year.  I also hope that I can travel more and actually meet some of the members who have become virtual friends.  We'll see how it all pans out.

We also had our first live event last year during the Quilt Show in April here in Paducah.  We suffered serious flooding in the area and it was a scary time.  I don't know if we will do it again this year.  I was also able to visit family and friends in Wisconsin and in Chicago during the Fall, a wonderful highlight.

What is ahead for 2012?  I haven't thought much beyond getting the new site finished.  Who knows what doors will open or close?  I pretty much try to live each day fully and take things as they come.  Many friends  have been ill in the past year, having major surgeries or having to go through chemo.  As we get older, nothing can be taken for granted, so I just hope that 2012 will be a healthy one and a creative one, with no big, rude surprises.

Let's start out the year with that old favorite Gaelic blessing:

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you:

May you see your children's children.

May you be poor in misfortune,

Rich in blessings.

May you know nothing but happiness

From this day forward.

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home

And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,

May blue be the skies above you,

May pure be the joys that surround you,

May true be the hearts that love you.

Happy 2012!

Fiberarts Magazine Bites the Dust. Call to Action!!!

TAFA Member, Luke Haynes, on the last issue of Fiberarts Magazine

My latest copy of Fiberarts Magazine arrived on Wednesday and I was absolutely thrilled to see Luke Haynes, a TAFA member on the cover!   A few pages later, I saw that Lisa Call, another TAFA member, won an Award of Excellence at the prestigious Quilt National 2011.   Woo hoo!  Kudos to both of them!  They deserve all of this and more as both work at producing a huge and consistent body of work that rocks our textile community!

Then, under News and Notes, I saw that our esteemed local art gallery, the Yeiser Art Center,  announced the winners of the Fantastic Fibers show.  I attended the opening night.  The jurors, Freda Fairchild, Caryl Bryer Fallert (TAFA Member) and Judy Schwender (curator of the National Quilt Museum) are members of Paducah Fiber Artists, my local fiber art group.

Oh, then on page 32, Fiberarts had held a competition on artist studio spaces and Denise Labadie, yet another TAFA member, won the award for Best Organization/Storage.  Wowzers!  Fiberarts Magazine was turning into a place of familiar faces!

"Monastic Ruin at Glendalough" by Denise Labadie

With a shock, I read that this latest issue would also be the LAST ISSUE!!!!!   From Editor Marci Rae McDade:

"FIBERARTS has been both an impactful magazine to the contemporary art community and a labor of lover for us here at Interweave.  However, times change and the support for Fiberarts has not been strong enough over the past several years to continue keeping it in circulation.  As a result, the Summer 2011 issue of Fiberarts will be the last one we publish.  We at Interweave thank all of the subscribers, as well as the artists, writers, venues, and advertisers who have contributed to Fiberarts over the years."

?????!!!!!?????

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS of publishing and being a driving force in this community just goes down like that?  Without a fight?  Chat boards and forums have been discussing this in a rage.  We are left hanging, with so many questions...  Why did they not share with the community that they were struggling and that they might have to close?  Why didn't they try combining an online version with the published one?  How about making advertising rates cheaper so that more of us could purchase them?  Why? Why? Why?

Lisa Call, winner of the Award of Excellence at Quilt National 2011 explores human-made structures of containment.

Surely, Interweave Press did not make this decision lightly.  They most certainly examined other options.  Still, this is a terrible loss to the serious reflection of and on trends, value, emerging and established artists and news within the textile and fiber arts community.  Yes, there are other magazines, but none of them have the history and seasoned experience of this one, which emerged along with the people it represented at a time when textiles struggled for recognition as an art form.

What does this death of this important voice say about us as a group?  Are we really not able to sustain the businesses that represent and inspire us?  

This scares the $#*^@! out of me.  As most of you know, TAFA has been fundraising for a new website.  We are trying to raise $5,000.  That is NOT a lot of money nowadays, but if you don't have it, it could be the same as 5 million.  $1,500 has come in.  All of it, except for one donation has come from TAFA members.  Sure, they are the ones who will benefit the most from the site, but I have been surprised to my core that nobody else has contributed to our campaign.  We have over 1700 followers on our facebook page.  $2 bucks apiece would buy the new site. 

I have spent money on facebook, google, project wonderful and google ads.  Not one response.  I am exhausted by the effort and from the lack of support.  I know that when the new site is launched it will quickly become one of the major hubs for this community.  We will not be and have no intention of becoming a replacement for Fiberarts Magazine.  We have a different focus, but the same inspiration that that magazine offered will be there for everybody.

Caryl Bryer Fallert, juror for Fantastic Fibers

If a 35 year old institution can't make it, then how can emerging ones like TAFA hope to succeed?  Yes, this is the worst economy since the Great Depression, yet there are still plenty of people spending money on luxury items.  Are we, the artists and organizations that support and inspire fiber arts and textiles, not worth the investment?  It's a pretty depressing scenario.

So, here we go:

CALL TO ACTION!!!!

(Yes, I am yelling in a loud voice, waving an embroidered banner...)

Pick a fiber arts or textile cause today and give it your vote of confidence with some cash.  

Of course, I hope that you will want to support TAFA with its fundraiser, but it could be a group in your local community, another magazine you enjoy (may I suggest Hand/Eye or the Textile Blog?)  Or, buy something from someone who is making textiles or fiber art.  Connie Rose has a 50% off sale going on.  Our TAFA members who have Etsy shops can be found in our Catalog of Shops.  We are all people struggling to keep afloat.  Support us!

Fiberarts Magazine may not have put out a call for help, but I am doing so now.  

Alone, it's an uphill battle that may end up face down in the dust.  

Together, we can do anything!

Fiberarts Magazine Bites the Dust. Call to Action!!!

TAFA Market Video

TAFA Market 2011, Paducah, Kentucky

Well, we did it!  Our TAFA members came through as vendors and exhibitors, helping to create a wonderful market during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, April 27-30.  The show was beautiful and so fun to see everything live, things that I had only seen before on the web.  We had members representing all five continents with both contemporary and traditional ethnic textiles, beads and crafts.  TAFA members really made this event happen as together they paid for the space, expenses and helped with marketing costs.  It was a sight to be seen!

Unfortunately, that week was also a time of major flooding in the region.  The Quilt Show had to relocate out of the Convention Center and away from downtown.  Attendance to the show was impacted by the flooding and many who would have traveled stayed home.  See the video for images of our show and of the flooding.

All in all, we consider the TAFA Market to have been a wonderfully successful event.  We had hoped to raise funds for our new website through the event, which didn't happen.  However, we almost broke even and given the context, we are extremely grateful for that.  Paducah has flood walls which protect the downtown area.  They held and continue to hold the Ohio River at bay.  Other cities and rural communities have not been spared as homes and farmland have been damaged or destroyed by historic flooding.

Many thanks to all of the TAFA members who participated and/or supported our TAFA Market!

Together, TAFA members do great things!

TAFA Market Video

TAFA Market Focus: The Loaded Trunk

A pile of ikat from The Loaded Trunk

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and a member exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

The Loaded Trunk

Visit the Loaded Trunk's Member Profile on TAFA

Piles and piles of textiles!  I close my eyes an can see it all in my head: those woven, sewn, dyed, and appliqued beauties from all over the world.  I open my eyes and see many of them in my own home.  Those of us who love them, are passionate about them.  Roni Jaco, has loaded her trunks full of them and shares them on her website and soon in our TAFA Market.

I found The Loaded Trunk by accident, searching for something else.  As I explored the site, I just knew that this site had to be represented on TAFA.  Roni joined and since then, we have talked on the phone, she will be coming to Paducah next week, and I just know that there is one more friendship in the making.

Vintage Hmong textiles made into a fun bag by The Loaded Trunk.

Roni and I are both "MKs".  In Roni's case that means "military kid" and in mine, "missionary kid".  She grew up all over the world and I grew up in Brazil.  A friend of mine here in Paducah, Paul Bilak, who also had a multi-cultural background, says that there is actually a term for us, "children of the 4th World", meaning that we have more in common with each other than any two kids who grew up in the same culture, even if we didn't grow up in the same country.  It must be true because when I was in college, those of us who were the "displaced" Americans, huddled in with the international students, all kind of bonding in the face of this big, new culture.  We might later diverge in our paths, but for that first experience, we knew each other even without really understanding the full context of our past histories.

Roni came to textiles and imports after years of working in the wine industry.  She travels all over the world to find things that move her and that she can then share with others.  The white girl with red hair surely makes an impression wherever she goes!

Roni Jaco selecting ralli quilts.

Buying in small quantities, Roni works hard to find the unique, well made, and interesting pieces.  Many of the vintage textiles that have been so collectible are quickly disappearing as countries industrialize or are even ravaged by war.  New textiles also encourage the continued production of ancient techniques.  She has both.

Vintage Hmong belt accents a contemporary pillow, The Loaded Trunk.

Not sure how to display older textiles in your home?  Roni incorporates remnants and textiles into finished pillows, throws and other functional items, all ready for use.  She has a great eye for design and will also be bringing quite a bit of jewelry that she has made or designed:

Jewelry by The Loaded Trunk

So, if you are coming to Paducah for the Quilt Show and our TAFA Market, be prepared!  I just have a feeling you might be leaving with a loaded trunk of your own!

TAFA Market Focus: The Loaded Trunk

TAFA Market Focus: Meg Hannan

 

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and a member exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

Meg Hannan

Visit Meg Hannan's Member Profile on TAFA

Fabric Jewels by Meg Hannan

Candy?  Something from the deep sea?  Meg Hannan's fabric jewels sure look edible or other worldly to me.  I remember stumbling on her website and just feeling awed by these gorgeous pieces and was delighted when she joined TAFA.  Now, Meg has sent a box full of her pins and earrings all the way from Seattle, Washington and I got to see them for the first time yesterday.  Light and hard, they are even more beautiful in real life.

Embedded with beads, Fabric Jewels are uniquely Meg Hannan's creations.

How does she do it?  Well, find a bunch of long scraps of cloth, yarn, strips of fabric, lay them all length wise on to a fabric that will contain them, sew it up, soak in resin, and then saw slices of them.  Embed with beads and other decorative accents.  Sounds easy enough, but I can guarantee you that it is not.  

Similar techniques are used in making glass and femo clay.  The technique is ancient, called Millefiori, from two Italian words meaning a thousand flowers.  It has taken Meg 20 years to perfect her process, a careful craftsmanship easily seen when looking at her pieces.

Fabric Jewels earrings are lightweight and durable.

Meg often sells her work at quilt shows and I just know that these are going to fly out!  She has them beautifully displayed on cards, making them perfect gifts for the artsy person in your life.  Not coming to Paducah for our TAFA Market or the Quilt Show?  Meg's Etsy shop is stocked with a great selection, so anyone can jump on over there and own a jewel for herself.

TAFA Market Focus: Meg Hannan

TAFA Market Focus: MarketPlace: Handwork of India

 

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and a member exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

MarketPlace: Handwork of India

Visit MarketPlace on TAFA

MarketPlace: Handwork of India. Fair Trade Fashion

I still remember the first conversation I had with Pushpika Freitas, the visionary director behind MarketPlace's success.  We were at a fair trade conference out East somewhere.  Maryland?  Over 20 years ago, we were young, bright eyed and bushy tailed, full of dreams of how our ideas could make an impact somewhere, somehow.  For Pushpika, those dreams centered on job creation in one of the largest slums of Mumbai, then called Bombai.  Fast forward all those years and we are seasoned, less idealistic, but still at it, each working doggedly to make a change.

MarketPlace: Handwork of India's clothing is 100% cotton, dyed or block printed by hand and then accented with embroidery.

Pushpika's initial efforts focused on making quilts in India and selling them in the U.S.  She soon realized that in order to really create jobs for a greater number of people, apparel offered more opportunities and a larger audience.  MarketPlace, based in Evanston. Illinois (just north of Chicago) is the marketing arm of SHARE, based in Mumbai, India, produces the fabric and garments for sale.  You can read the story of how MarketPlace developed on this page.  The 1980's was a time where many non-profits, non-governmental organizations, churches and individuals, began to shape the fair trade movement, looking at how handicraft production and agricultural products could empower communities around the world.  MarketPlace was one of the pioneers in this movement and has developed a model which can be replicated by other groups.  Although MarketPlace has continued to make some items for the home (throws, pillows), its signature lines are the dresses, pants, and tops that any MarketPlace addict immediately recognizes from a mile away.  Participating in TAFA's Market actually makes sense for MarketPlace and completes a full circle from quilts and back to the quilt audience.

MarketPlace: Handwork of India works with women in Mumbai as well as other communities in India.  Some men are also employed.  They also make a special effort to find special jobs for the handicapped.

Now that the fair trade movement has some decades under its belt, the question of impact and success is raised.  How does one measure whether a project has really made a difference in a specific community.  Pushpika and I visited this question once and I remember her expressing how difficult it is to deal with the issue in terms of monetary rewards.  There are cultural and societal barriers that want to keep poor women in their place.  A husband may feel threatened by a woman making more than him.  Women have been provided with services that they might not otherwise access, such as loans for health care and home repairs.  Pushpika said that the real measure will be seen in the next generation, in the children who are growing up with more opportunities, better sanitation, access to health care, and with mothers who are an integral part of something they can be proud of.

Visit MarketPlace: Handwork of India's website.

Working with apparel involves many challenges.  MarketPlace sells through its mail order catalog and website, introducing two new lines every year, Spring and Fall.  That means getting samples ready on time for photo shoots, producing the fabric (all hand printed, batiked or dyed), getting the garments made, and so on.  There are always hurdles along the way.  Yet, year after year, they have stuck to it.

MarketPlace made a conscious decision not to be trendy, per se.  They have a distinctive look that has evolved over time.  But, for those of us who love the MarketPlace clothing, there are also old favorites that will always be made, only in different colors and fabrics.

MarketPlace clothing is extremely comfortable and lasts a long time.  They have also always kept the larger woman within their circle, offering sizes up to triple X.  I'm a big Viking and love how my MarketPlace clothing fits me.  Many of my things are getting threadbare after years of good service and I am looking forward to picking up some new pieces next week.

Reversible coats and jackets by MarketPlace: Handwork of India.

This apparel business has natural casualties in terms of unsold products.  For some reason or another, beautiful garments like the ones in this post, remain unsold, taking up space.  So, the good news for all you who will be coming to our TAFA Market is that you will get to buy the past season garments for half off!!!  That is an incredible deal and we hope that Katherine, MarketPlace's staff person who will be here in Paducah will drive back home with an empty car.

I am so pleased to have MarketPlace as a TAFA Member and that they are making this effort to be a part of our show next week.  Not only because of our long history as friends and peers, but because I really believe in what they are doing and because I can stand behind the product and say, "This is great.  I wear it, love it, and want more."  

I worked for MarketPlace for a stint many years back.  We had this idea of trying to help local efforts in Chicago with product design and marketing.  The challenges there were very different from the ones Pushpika has dealt with in India.  But, that is a long story and a subject for another post.  Meanwhile, we each move forward and hope that our efforts make this world a better place, one that has a foundation of beauty and mutual respect.

TAFA Market Focus: MarketPlace: Handwork of India

TAFA Market Focus: Plumfish Creations

Plumfish Creations:  Recycled Silk Remnants Made Beautiful!

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and a member exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

Plumfish Creations

Visit Plumfish Creations on TAFA

An Australian Love of Silk and Color:  Plumfish Creations

Rosemary Boyd wins the prize for being the TAFA member living the furthest away who will be in our show.  On the other side of the world from me, her silk accessories are almost other worldly!  I see them as a flight into fantasy, a dream world, where bold color and texture transforms the wearer into a piece of walking art!

Plumfish Creations makes silk into a garden of life!

Rosemary describes herself as rather reserved, "The accessories I make are sometimes said to be flamboyant and lively - an expression of a part of me, that is otherwise hidden beneath a conservative quiet exterior."  Her work manifests the passion that is inside, that came manifest itself in anyone who wears her work.  Want to be a wall flower, fading into the background?  Then Plumfish Creations is not for you.  Want to create a little stir in the air, have people take a second look, have an icebreaker at a party where you don't know anyone?  Plumfish Creations will open those doors. 

Lift up your spirits with Plumfish Creations!

Like so many other TAFA members, Rosemary's interest in fiber arts came through her grandmother.  Now that I have been doing this for awhile, learning about each member as they join TAFA, over and over I see tribute being paid to mothers and grandmothers who patiently taught their daughters how to work the needle.  Traditional stitches have morphed into contemporary interpretations, often leaving the original references behind.  I cannot stress how important it is for kids to experiment with art, to let their imaginations flow, and to develop those fine motor skills that someday may actually lead to a career in art.

Wrap yourself in the creations of Rosemary Boyd!

Rosemary's Etsy shop is loaded with beautiful pieces, so if you are not coming to Paducah for our TAFA Market during the Quilt Show, you can purchase her work there.

TAFA Market Focus: Plumfish Creations

TAFA Market Focus: Ekohaus

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and a member exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

EKOHAUS

Visit Ekohaus on TAFA!

Handmade wool slippers by EKOHAUS:  Precious Sweet Milky White shoes / slippers with removable felted wool flower pins

Dovile Sirmulyte, one of our newer TAFA members, joined in March and jumped right in.  She has sent the four pairs of her felted wool shoes for our TAFA Market, all the way from Lithuania!  Dovile describes her shoes:

My felted shoes are made from 100% natural wool. For excellent performance of the wool, my shoes are very soft, lightweight and comfortable. In addition, wool naturally resists microbial proliferation, protects from bacteria and neutralizes odors. Since ancient times it was believed that the wool is similar to acupuncture: it has pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and body-enhancing properties.

I had a commercial pair that I wore all winter and do believe this is true about wool.  They never stank and seemed to stay clean, even in a house with dogs...

EKOHAUS:  Wool shoes with Eco value!  Turquoise Blue White Wool Felted Flat Shoes

Dovile says that she became inspired to work with wool after she found her great-grandmother's spinning wheel and a chest full of wool in an attic.  The genes kicked in, she started experimenting and now she has a beautiful line of hand-crafted wool shoes which she sells on Etsy, her blog and Bonanza.

The shoes are all hand made of felted wool according to ancient Lithuanian traditions using only natural sheep wool, hot water and natural soap.  They are non slippery because the sole is covered with latex. 

EKOHAUS Lithuanian Felted Slippers:  Ladybird Pastel Red White shoes/slippers with removable felted wool flower pins

As I have gotten older, my feet have also gotten crankier, demanding comfortable footware.  I have mukluks from Afghanistan that I also wear a lot in the cold weather.  It is just wonderful to know that someone made these things by hand!  I am curious to see these in real life and hope that just maybe, one of them is big enough for an old Viking with big feet!  If not, I am sure that Dovile can make me a pair in my favorite colors, just my size.  She does have a lot of offerings to pick from in her Etsy shop, so make sure you take a look there first before placing a special order.

EKOHAUS Shoes: Clear Minimalistic Style Peach Salmon and Gray Wool

It thrills me to see TAFA grow in its international representation, bringing so many talented people like Dovile together into one creative place.  I honor her path, her exploration of her traditions, giving continuance to her great-grandmother's story and handwork, while she also personalizes it with a contemporary translation.  She is young and has all of her eggs in a row.  My hope is that all of us can support her as she grows in her vision.  Shop EKOHAUS!

TAFA Market Focus: Ekohaus

TAFA Market Focus: Jefferson Street Studios

"Quilt Reflection I" by Robert Davis

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and a member exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

Jefferson Street Studios

Visit Jefferson Street Studios on TAFA

"Limbo", Art Quilt by Helene Davis

Bob and Helene Davis are two of my favorite people in Paducah.  I don't see them very often, but when I do, there is always a feeling of "home".  Both are members of our Paducah Fiber Artists group and often host our meetings at their home and studio on Jefferson Street.  We are all disappointed when Bob fails to make his expected chicken dish...  And, I am constantly reminded of them in my home as they have been extremely generous to me over the years.  When I first moved here, they gave me a couch which I use daily.  I also have fabric, thread, books and other odds and ends they have given me.  

Helene and Bob will each have two pieces in our TAFA Market show, all four shown here.  Helene is way up there, if not at the top, of my list of favorite art quilters.  She has mastered surface design, always coming up with unexpected results that ooh and aah us at our meetings.  And, I love the way she quilts!  Tight, close rows of machine stitching that make her quilts stiff, almost rug-like.  Helene also works with clay, creating gorgeous pieces that compliment her textiles beautifully.  I have found that many of us have had this marriage of interests, fabric and clay, which I find very interesting.  I worked with clay before moving into fabric and like to think that clay actually taught me how to sew.  I knew the basics and had done quite a bit of embroidery before my years with clay, but I learned how to see in a different way once I had done dimensional work.  

"Missing" by Helene Davis using her dyed fabrics.

Bob and Helene purchased a late 1800's industrial building which they renovated into a drop-dead gorgeous home, studio and gallery.  They have been our drop off site for packages arriving from our other TAFA members who are participating in the TAFA Market.  The back of the space is Helene's dyeing and sewing studio, the middle area houses living quarters and the front is the gallery.  Bob gets the monster garage.  Both are avid gardener's and have landscaped the outside beautifully.  They turned an eyesore into a must visit stop if you come to Paducah.

Inside the gallery at Jefferson Street Studios, Paducah, Kentucky.

If you are coming to Paducah for the AQS Show or for our TAFA Market, you must also stop by at Jefferson Street Studios.  Helene's quilts will be available for sale, along with her hand-dyed fabric and consignment items from some of our Paducah Fiber Artist members.

Bob is the people person and eclectic in his endeavors.  Coming from an engineering background, his quilts are precise and exercises in color and structure, where Helene's are organic and experimental.  Bob also does a lot of photography around town and has worked on an ongoing project where he reduces images of people to line drawings.  He has captured many of the local artists in this way and I hope that he someday publishes a book on them.  He did the drawing at the left of me four years ago and I almost kissed him because he made me look so young!

Bob is another of those people who has worked with clay.  He has made thousands of porcelain beads and has a display case of them at 212 Broadway, just around the corner from our TAFA Market.  You will have to stop in there, too as HeART of Healing Gallery, another TAFA member, and myself also have permanent booths there.   HeART of Healing specializes in vintage kimono and molas from Panama.

Jefferson Street Studios has started to show other artists in their gallery with excellent results.  They are just outside of the LowerTown boundaries, the artist neighborhood in Paducah, and I believe that their presence will encourage other art related studios to move into that area.  Take note:  If you are coming to Paducah, you MUST visit Jefferson Street Studios.  If you are not coming to Paducah but would like to purchase one of Bob or Helene's pieces pictured here, email me.  We can ship it to you after the show.

"Quilt Reflection II" by Robert Davis

Jefferson Street Studios:  1149 Jefferson Street in Paducah, Kentucky.

TAFA Market Focus: Jefferson Street Studios

TAFA Market Focus: Asian Art And Quilts

"Yellow Birds Among the Cherry Blossoms", Detail, Art Quilt by Barbara Harms of Asian Art And Quilts

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and a member exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

Asian Art And Quilts

Visit Asian Art And Quilts on TAFA

"Yellow Birds Among the Cherry Blossoms", Detail, Art Quilt by Barbara Harms of Asian Art And Quilts, 38"x21", (A similar one will be in the show), $400.

These birds on a blooming branch could be anywhere here in Paducah right now, except replace the cherry trees for dogwoods.  They are everywhere and in full bloom right now, a shame because the blossoms will probably be gone by the time our TAFA Market and the Quilt Show take place at the end of the month.

Barbara Harms, the artist behind this beautiful quilt, excels at translating nature themes to fabric.  Coming from a background in painting, she now uses fabric, dyes and stitches as her brush.  She often uses silk, dyeing and painting backgrounds, appliqueing elements, and then finishing off with graceful quilting.  

"Two Sunflowers", Detail, by Barbara Harms, 38"x22", $375

"Two Sunflowers" by Barbara Harms

Barbara captures movement so well in her pictorial pieces.  You can almost envision growth, wind, sun, and warmth in the work.  The translucent qualities of her dyes along with the detailed quilting, thread work, and appliqueing all come together into a snapshot of a moment, caught still in the action.

Barbara is prolific and has a shop full of choices on Etsy.  Do take a look at the widget at the bottom of this post, click and visit.  She will have several pieces in our TAFA Market, and I can't wait to see them in real life!

When Barbara speaks about her work, she says that color is her driving force.  She explores many different styles and also likes to work with abstract designs, but color is her constant.  I would add that her quilting also contributes greatly to the texture and feel of her pieces.  I've seen many quilts that have good designs, but because they are not quilted well, the piece just looks unfinished and bare.  Barbara's quilting is dense and completes the design.  Solid.

Melting Rainbow is an example of Barbara's more abstract pieces.  It's hard to see the details in these images, but if you look closely, you should be able to see that the quilting replicates the shapes of the appliqued pieces, creating an echo of form, repeated over and over.

The image on the left shows the full length of Melting Rainbow, while the one on the right is a detail.  42"x13.5", $275.


Barbara has been very active on our TAFA Team.  We have a blog for our TAFA members who have shops on Etsy.  She is a regular contributor to the blog and especially enjoys interviewing other art quilters.  You will find most of her posts under the tag, "Art Quilts".  I am especially grateful for her joyous enthusiasm!


Barbara, native of Las Vegas, lives in Oregon, a green state teeming with nature.  I am sure that her inspiration comes from a full life brimming over with an interest in all that is around her.  Barbara shows determination in teaching herself new technical skills, both in her art and in technology.  It is a joy having her on board!

Here are a couple more quilts of Barb's which will be shown at our TAFA Market:

"Sunflower Garden" by Barbara Harms, 36"x 20.5", $375

"Under the Cherry Tree", by Barbara Harms, 35"x17", $350

  

If you are not coming to Paducah for our TAFA Market or the AQS Show, but would like to purchase one of Barb's pieces pictured here, email me.  We can ship it to you after the show.  Meanwhile, also explore Asian Art And Quilts on Etsy:  

TAFA Market Focus: Asian Art And Quilts