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

TAFA Market Focus: Jwrobel

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 an exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors in the next two weeks.  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:

Jwrobel

Visit Jwrobel's Member Profile on TAFA

Organic and Sustainable Baby Accessories by JWrobel

I always thought I would have my own kids, fantasizing about dressing them up with little outfits from around the world or beautiful handmade, natural clothing like this fun green cap.  Probably a good thing it didn't happen as the grown-up kids would probably have ended up in therapy for all my other eccentricities.  Although, I must say: My dogs do like me!

Those who do have a baby or a little one in their lives need to take a look at Jwrobel's beautiful baby clothing and accessories.  Carefully knitted, using sustainable materials like organic, hand dyed wools, alpaca, and silk, the results are soft and luxurious.

Baby Pixie Hat by Jwrobel

Jwrobel, or Jess Wrobel, will have several baby items and adult accessories in our TAFA Market.  She said grandmas are some of her best customers and we all know that there will be plenty of you coming to Paducah who have little ones on the way or recently arrived.  This is your chance to score big points with your child or grandchild!

Jess has been a great asset to TAFA ever since she joined us.  Freely sharing business tips and ideas, I have already learned a lot from her and look forward to continued growth in the future.  All of us have to wear so many hats as we make, design or buy our products, photograph them, get them online and then engage in the often tedious tasks of marketing what we do.  Jess has successfully integrated her products into a sensibility which reflects her commitment to being green and natural.  

Babies are not the only focus at the Jwrobel studio.  Adults have plenty to pick from to accessorize themselves and their homes.  Jess integrates an old world feel, sometimes calling out to Central Asia and the Silk Road and at others harking back to Victorian sensibilities.  She makes beautiful purses, bags, pillows and much more.  A couple examples of what will be at the TAFA Market:

Satin Garden Rose by Jwrobel

Knit Purse by Jwrobel

If you are coming to Paducah, definitely check out our TAFA Market to see Jwrobel's work in person.  Meanwhile, you can check out her shops on Etsy:

TAFA Market Focus: Jwrobel

TAFA Market Focus: Rose Hughes

"Riding the Thermals", by Rose Hughes, 45"x45", $3,500

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 an exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors in the next two weeks.  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:

Rose Hughes

Visit Rose's TAFA Member Profile

When I first saw Rose's quilts on her website, my eyes popped out.  I shoved them back in and studied her compositions, choices of color, and fell in love.   RavenSpeak Quilts are about the fecundity of nature, the freedom of hills and sky, the beauty of sunsets, trees, and life.  Roundness, calling you in for comfort and a hug, her work invites me to a walk outside, to slow down and let the air move around me.

Rose will have one quilt in our TAFA Market exhibit, "Riding the Thermals", pictured above.  She describes it:

"This design was originally created for a Quilting Arts article showing the effects you get when discharging silk and velveteen and then using crayons and paint for surface design. This second version was completed and traveled as part of the special art quilt exhibit Noble Elements."

It happens to be one of my favorites and I can't wait to see it in real life.

The Raven shows up often as a symbol in Rose's quilts.  She explains it in her Artist's Statement:

"Inspiration for my quiltart is drawn from my love of the ever-changing hills that make up our landscape, and from the ravens that mirror and mock this region's boisterous, and sometimes-crazy human residents. Watching ravens, I see how they live and weave their lives among us. Keeping an eye on us, laughing at us, they point to a layer of life that often goes unnoticed. 

Poet Mary Oliver refers to these rowdy creatures as “an advertisement for the more than ordinary life.” By allowing myself to experiment with materials, techniques, and color my works are attempts to express our always wondrous, always changing landscape. 

In my work I use the idea of layers to transform fabric. I began by creating a layer of strong structural shapes that are important for their initial impact on the senses, and the suggestion they give of the landscape. 

Like a raven, stealing and hoarding the ‘shiny objects', I embellish the areas of the base quilt canvas. I use handspun yarns to create strong lines to highlight each shape, and I add whimsy, texture, and sparkle by using a variety of glass beads and magical, shiny found objects. These embellishments used in combination with hand painted, hand dyed fabrics, imported silks and selected textural layers bring each original piece to life."

Here is another example of Rose's quilts:

"Desert Tango", Art Quilt by Rose Hughes

I absolutely love her sense of color!  And, apparently other people do, too, as Rose has a busy schedule of workshops, teaching others around the United States how to see in a new way and how to translate that vision into fabric.

Rose has taken time from that full life to help out with our TAFA Team Blog, where TAFA members who have Etsy shops showcase their work.  She does this even though she has closed her Etsy shop!  Pretty generous in my book...

If you would like to purchase "Riding the Thermals" and are not coming to Paducah, you can do so via Pay Pal.  Just email me and I will give you the details.  We will ship to you after the show.  Meanwhile, explore Rose's website and take a look at her schedule of workshops.  Who knows?  Maybe she can help you see the world in a new, colorful way!

TAFA Market Focus: Rose Hughes

TAFA Market Focus: David Lucht

"Fortunate Son of Fez", Batik by David Lucht, 19"x 29"   $1,250

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 an exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors in the next two weeks.  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:

David Lucht

Visit David's Member Profile on TAFA

"La Madre de Nosostros Todo", Batik by David Lucht, 30"x27"  $2450

David is probably THE BEST BATIK ARTIST I have ever met.  And, we happen to live in the same town, so I get to see him and his wife, Stefanie Graves, every now and then.  Stefanie is also a talented artist, watercolors, and as both are world travelers, there is some overlap in the subject choices: people, society, nature...   They share a website, Cowango, with David on one side and Stefanie on the other.  David actually wrote a post for this blog some time ago.  Find it here.

Here is how David describes his experience with his batiks:

My approach to batik painting elevates this ancient craft to fine art. Batik originated in the world of craft where people create objects that contribute a sense of grace and beauty to their daily lives. I try to bring forward that history of desire for commonplace beauty and use it as a support in developing my own imagery.

In batik the image and the cloth become a fully integrated thing. There is no surface decoration in batik. The image is established in the fiber of the cloth. I find that to be a very powerful idea.

Batik painting offers solutions for me. It provides an escape valve that allows me to see the history of art differently. It comes from the world of craft and that appeals to me in many ways: as communal, as beauty in the utilitarian, as an open ended alternative. Batik is undiscovered territory. It has magical qualities of obscurity and revelation. The finished work is only seen in its entirety at the very end of the process, when the wax is removed and the image revealed.

The trademark cracks and wax resist areas in David's batiks are very subtle.  As he describes, these are more like paintings than drawings, which is what most of the batiks I am familiar with use.  Lines of wax are drawn or images are stamped on to a fabric with wax or resist, then various dyes are applied.  For those of you who are not familiar with the batik process, here is an example of a textile I carried in my Etsy shop:

In this case, the face was painted with ink on white fabric, then all of the areas that are white were covered with wax, the ocher color was added, then that was covered with wax, then the brown dye, then the black.  This is a quickie in the batik world, but still quite a bit of work.  

I have batik tools, the wax, textile stamps galore and I always kid myself that someday I will play with these and get fun results.  I only tried it once so far and for the life of me could not control the wax.  It looked like a two year old had gotten into my supplies.  So, I have great respect for anyone who can make clean batik designs.

But David is on another level.  Each piece takes him weeks of careful labor.  He often batiks on silk which gives the finished piece a subtle sheen.  Absolutely gorgeous!

"Bodnath Market" by David Lucht, 26"x 24"   $850

David and Stefanie will actually be hosting two of our TAFA members who have vending spaces in our TAFA Market.  All of them have connections around the world through travel and work.  So, they will have plenty to talk about!  

The three batiks shown in this post will be on exhibit at our event.  If you would like to purchase any of them and are not coming to Paducah, you can do so via Pay Pal.  Just email me and I will give you the details.  We will ship to you after the show.

For those of you who are coming, David also has a wonderful piece at the Yeiser Art Center, just around the corner from where we will be.  They have a show, Fantastic Fibers, which will be up through April.  I was there for the opening reception and it is a great show.  I even got David long enough to have him talk a bit about the piece he has there.  Then, another half a block and you will find Antique Galleria at 212 Broadway.  Both David and Stefanie will have a few pieces of their work there.  That is also where I have my year-around booth, filled with ethnic textiles and other good stuff.  So, in just a short walk, you have several stops to make to enjoy some Cowango!

TAFA Market Focus: David Lucht