Kimball St Studios

I dropped off a number of art quilts and other items at Kimball St Studios in Lewiston today in preparation for the Art Quilts Maine exhibit. The exhibit opens with September's Last Friday Art Walk in Lewiston, Friday, September 30 from 5:00 to 8:00. If you can't get to the opening, the show remains on display at Kimball St Studios through the month of October.

Featuring this year's Art Quilts Maine challenge tour, "The Power of 3", the show also includes a number of embellished masks members made last winter, and several other member items. Bonnie met me at the gallery with an armload of beautiful quilts, masks, even a bag! Most of the pieces on exhibit are available for purchase. 

"The Power of 3" refers to the many ways the number "3" appears in culture and mythology. Challenge participants responded with quilts that delight and inspire. This group of 10 quilts debuted at Maine Quilts in July and will continue for a two-month stay at the Portland Public Library following Kimball St. Note that the gallery is located at 191 Lisbon St in Lewiston.

While in Friendship this summer I refilled my box of pins featuring a botanical theme inspired by morning walks to see the fairy houses in Martin Point Wildlife Preserve. The box is at Kimball St through October.

Fall in Maine

I have been absent, not posting for a while. I wish I could say I was busy finishing quilts, but not so. Although I did deliver over 35 quilts to Kimball St Studios in Lewiston for Art Quilts Maine's second annual show! It is beautifully hung and it is not too late to view it. We have just decided to keep the quilts on display until October 29, so if you are in the area, stop by. Click the link for information on the gallery. Included in the show is this year's Travelling Challenge Quilt Show, the theme of which is fabric manipulation. The Travelling Challenge will be at Portland Public Library next, during December and January. Some truly creative pieces in that group!

We also traveled to Florida and Honu found a home, hanging on a wall at Jerry's Mom and PaPa Joe's home. It really is the perfect spot for this wall hanging, since we went with them to Hawaii, on the trip that inspired Honu.

I teach a full class tomorrow at Sew Portland on Free Motion Quilting. If you didn't get into this session, I'll be scheduling another one--maybe after the holidays. Meanwhile, work is progressing on the wedding quilt commission and a new round robin series.

I recently made up a new batch of Quiltini Pins and will be looking for opportunities to put them out for sale. Once I get started they are addicting to make--each a tiny, embellished quilt with glitz and glitter!

Center for Maine Craft

Alison and I met at the Center for Maine Craft located in the West Gardiner service plaza to hang the Art Quilts Maine exhibit. The Center is a high-traffic location--anyone travelling past Augusta goes right by, and a steady stream of people are in and out of the service plaza. Many take a break from their travels to enjoy (and maybe purchase) Maine crafts. The exhibit runs through July 31. The collection reappears later this year at Kimball St Studios in Lewiston, for the month of November. 

Quiltinis
Rana O'Connor

Six artists contributed to this collection. In addition to a few wall pieces (you can see my two Chairs on the back wall, for instance) I brought along a box full of Quiltini pins,a smaller item I developed and quickly got addicted to making earlier this year. Each pin is crafted from bits of quilted fabric sealed with a satin stitch. Then the fun begins! Embellishments include beads, glitter, stamps, rhinestones, paint and found objects.

New Work

Friendship, Maine 2013

Life sometimes gets in the way of keeping up with my blog--when time is short, I'd rather be quilting than blogging! Things are hopefully settling down for a bit.

At the Art Quilts Maine meeting in April, I had to submit the title and dimensions of my challenge piece for this year's challenge: "Ocean, Lake, River, a piece inspired by a body of water." We've known what the challenge was since September, but all I knew in April was that my piece would be inspired by this photo. So, I gave it a name and came up with dimensions, and have spent the last month creating the quilt to go with the size and title. Working backwards did add to the challenge! It's not done yet, but it is coming along--hopefully will have it ready to go for the June meeting, when we are to reveal the quilts. Along the way my initial design idea completely morphed, but it is still true to the submitted name. That's what I'm working on. I also think I know how I am going to finally finish Honu--which I will exhibit at Maine Quilts in July, so that's on the back burner.

I've been invited to do a trunk show at Fort Johnson in upstate New York--alongside a display of historic quilts. I am looking forward to that! I plan to bring my quilt pins along in case people want to purchase something that day--I think I'll call them 'Quiltini's'. More classes on the horizon as well, including one in Trenton, about two-an-a-half hours north, but it comes with the offer to stay at the store owner's camp, a little side adventure. I'll send out an announcement as soon as dates are confirmed.

Now back to quilting!

Calico Quilt Show

Fabric pins by Rana O'Connor

I'm a member of a guild chapter, Calico Quilters. The group has a show every other year, exhibiting members' work and raising money for chapter activities. This year's show is on April 26 and 27 at the Rowe School in Yarmouth. In addition to the quilt display--which is in itself worth the drive--there are vendors, a raffle table with handmade table-top items, like place mats and table runners, and a sale table for all things quilt related. Somehow I got the idea to make fabric pins. Like miniature art quilts.

I picked up a book on Inchie Quilts--little, one-inch square bits of fabric, thread, batting and beads. Inspired, I set to work, trying out fabrics. One inch square is pretty small, for a pin. One piece of fabric had motifs I wanted to use. My pins ended up somewhere between 1.5 and 3 inches in size. Quilted, embellished with beads, baubles and paint, edged with a tight zig-zag stitch in various colors. Although I work assembly-line style, it takes roughly 30 minutes per pin. I've got 25 done. Enough to fill a little basket for the sale table. I'm hoping that will do!

Stop by Rowe School and see the quilts--I hope to have two of mine on display, and am volunteering as a white glove lady on the 27th, which will give me a chance to enjoy everyone's work.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered

Finished the commission piece and met up with the new owner for lunch to hand over the quilt. She was happy with the finished product which is what matters most when you are making a quilt for someone else. It is an interesting collaboration--taking their ideas and impressions and interpreting them through your own filter. Her vision was of a quilt that implied a person walking their dog on the beach but not a wall hanging or pictorial quilt, more something you could wrap up in. I love this photo of the beach-y quilt with snow in the background.

Center for Maine Craft Exhibit

Art Quilts Maine was offered the opportunity to exhibit at the Center for Maine Craft located in the service center off of the Maine Turnpike in West Gardiner. Eight artists contributed a total of 30 pieces. I promised to take photos when I went up to Augusta for the Art Quilts meeting, and here they are. The show looks super--such a lovely space. Amy's fabric bowls and vase are awesome additions, set on pedestals. If you are nearby anytime this month, be sure to stop by to stretch and check out the art!

AQM at the Center for Maine Craft

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: Rana's Quilts

Portland Public Library Exhibit

Postcards from Away at
Portland Public Library

Art Quilts Maine's traveling exhibit, "Postcards from Away" is on view at the Portland Public Library's childrens' area, and will be on display until the end of September. The exhibit is composed of 17 small art quilts, each depicting a place the artist has visited or would like to visit, real or imaginary. The exhibit will tour Maine until June 2013, with stops in Skowhegan, Saco, Waterville and Rockland. Keep an eye out for an opportunity to see this exhibit, which features techniques ranging from thread paint to printed and embellished photos. Art Quilts Maine meets every other month in Augusta to support members in their exploration of contemporary quilt art, and includes quilters from all corners of the state. Which one is mine? The Venetian mask in the corner, below. I was interviewed for CTN5 about this exhibit. Here's the link.



Postcards from Away 2012-2013

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Onward to Iowa

Mom and Auntie Jean Play Gin
in process Rana O'Connor 2010

Mom and Auntie Jean sure know how to get around! The quilt is currently in Grand Rapids, Michigan where it will be on display August 22 - 25. Shortly after sending the quilt off, I received notification that it was also accepted at the American Quilters's Society Show October 3-6 in Des Moines, Iowa! Back to back shows. Luckily they are both under the auspices of AQS so I was able to arrange for the quilt to travel from one show to the other without coming back to Maine in between. The quilt hangs on Mom's wall in between shows--I should bring something else to fill the space since Mom won't get it back until mid-October. Very happy to have the quilt out in the world, and at two national shows, no less.

Mom and Auntie Jean Play Gin
in process Rana O'Connor 2010

On a personal note, the agency where I have worked for over 20 years is closing at the end of the year. It's been so long since I have given any thought to job hunting or another line of work, I feel quite at sea about it. Of course friends say, "turn your quilting into a job!" but I have many reservations about whether it would be the right move for me. Those of you that have made the leap from hobbyist to professional--any thoughts, ideas, words of wisdom?

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Random Mention

I opened my e-newsletter from Maine Fiberarts today and got a nice surprise! A detail photo from my quilt, "Being Alive is the Magic" was featured in the header. I know the photos are random, but it was still great fun to see it! If you have not had the opportunity to check out Maine Fiberarts, you must take a minute to do so:
http://www.mainefiberarts.org/

Should you find yourself in Topsham, be sure to stop by their building at 13 Main Street. They always have a fiber art exhibit on display, and you can pick up a copy of the Maine Fiberarts Tour Map while you are there.

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

News from New Hampshire!

A friend just called to say that her sister went to The Quilter's Gathering show in New Hampshire this weekend and 'Mom and Aunti Jean play Gin' had a ribbon attached! Very awesome. She says I won "Best interpretation of the theme" which was Sisterhood Swirls. Can't wait to get the 'official' notification. I had two quilts in the show, this one and 'Bali Bloom', the big pink flower with beading. You can see it in the slideshow on my sidebar. Made my week!
Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Sold!

I had a very exciting phone call last night. A member of my guild, Art Quilts Maine, called to say one of the quilts I had in our summer exhibit at the Central Maine Artist Gallery in Skowhegan had sold! I had three pieces in the month-long exhibit: Wish, Tiger Two and Rags to Riches. Wish sold, and the gallery owner has asked to keep a few pieces, including Tiger Two for a few more months. I am so thrilled! I am posting a photo of Wish. You can see the others in my Album. Wish, which is 12" square, features a painted face (a photo of my youngest daughter served as the model) thread-painted hair and dandelions, and fairies embellished with beads and sparkly thread. I totally loved the way the background quilting came out on this piece.

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts