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Lynn says that Butterfly Effect was a long time in the making. It was inspired by a photo of polyester double knit quilt that her friend Jessica Wilson purchased at a thrift shop.

She went through her solid stash and cut squares in groups of four from each color. It took four squares to make each butterfly block. She was very happy when this large, 95" x 95", quilt was finally on her bed.

Butterfly Effect is shown in the gallery section at the beginning of her book, Every Last Piece.

Watch Lynn Carson Harris in Show 2310: Big Impact With Bits, Scraps and Tiny Blocks.

ButterflyEffectbyLynnCarsonHarris - 36 Pieces Non-Rotating

ButterflyEffectbyLynnCarsonHarris - 100 Pieces Non-Rotating

ButterflyEffectbyLynnCarsonHarris - 289 Pieces Non-Rotating

ButterflyEffectbyLynnCarsonHarris - 36 Pieces Rotating

ButterflyEffectbyLynnCarsonHarris - 100 Pieces Rotating

ButterflyEffectbyLynnCarsonHarris - 289 Pieces Rotating

Original Photo: Lynn Carson Harris

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Lynn says that Butterfly Effect was a long time in the making. It was inspired by a photo of polyester double knit quilt that her friend Jessica Wilson purchased at a thrift shop.

She went through her solid stash and cut squares in groups of four from each color. It took four squares to make each butterfly block. She was very happy when this large, 95" x 95", quilt was finally on her bed.

Butterfly Effect is shown in the gallery section at the beginning of her book, Every Last Piece.

Watch Lynn Carson Harris in Show 2310: Big Impact With Bits, Scraps and Tiny Blocks.

Original Photo: Lynn Carson Harris

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Cristóbal Balenciaga. Design by Eisa Dress, detail. Summer 1956. Ruffled silk taffeta. Crin petticoat lined in organza-covered silk taffeta. Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of the City of Paris, Paris Musees. Photo Pierre Even.

Walking through the Balenciaga exhibit gives one pause. From the low lighting (to preserve the textiles) to, what at first glance appears to be a sea of mostly black garments. But give your eyes a moment to adjust. It is then that the splendor of these extraordinary fabrics, held within a very tight and limited palette by a master designer, truly reveal themselves. And while there is black, there is also shimmer, translucence, texture, and depth that become a delight for the viewer. As a quilter, you can appreciate and respect the person who challenges himself to work only in a monochromatic color.

Cristóbal Balenciaga, the name alone garners reverence in the world of fashion design. A designer, whose stunning and revolutionary garments were sought after across the globe by women of influence and wealth, was a complex individual and a mystery to many. Private by nature, he did not give interviews, avoided the glitzy party scene and let his staff handle the clientele. His preferred realm was the studio, where he could imagine, test ideas, and push the limits of fabric, all the while creating clothes that were often revolutionary in design and execution. Similar to a pilot testing the limits of an aircraft to understand the capabilities of the craft itself, it was Balenciaga’s understanding of both the structure and capabilities of a fabric that allowed him to push his ideas as far as his imagination desired.

Born in 1895, an early education in tailoring began alongside his seamstress mother, who gave sewing lessons to local girls and made dresses for the vacationing wealthy. Accompanying his mother to fittings gave Balenciaga a glimpse into another world filled with beautiful objects and understanding of English tailoring. The French magazines his mother ordered allowed him another source of study.

His incredible talent was obvious from a very early age, and by 1913 he was a buyer for a Spanish department store. Five years later, at the age of 23, he opened his first salon in the city of San Sebastian. More salons followed, and by 1937 he made his debut in Paris. It was quite a feat for such a young designer.

With WWII dragging on, the wealthy clientele purchased much less often, but that was the case for many in the fashion world. Rationing and restrictions by the French government were actually a benefit for Balenciaga. As a Spanish citizen, he could travel to his other salons in Spain and bring fabrics back to occupied Paris.

With less and less orders to fill, he used this time of great chaos to lock himself away to study the structure and make of each and every fabric and trim. No matter how inexpensive or unappealing the piece, he wanted to test its limits, capabilities and how it could be manipulated. Many consider this to be the time that Balenciaga went from being a good designer to master couturier.

 

Cristóbal Balenciaga. The 'Chou' dress and cape. Winter 1967. Image courtesy of Amon Carter Museum.

Using this fundamental and deep understanding, he created dresses wrapped in yards of voluminous folds held together seemingly as if by magic. The 'Chou' dress with cape enveloped the wearer with clouds of airy fabric, while the famous 'envelope' dress was held together by just two jeweled straps at the shoulders. This dress in particular, while a stunning feat of fabric manipulation with its unusual shape, was problematic for one client in particular. The very narrow lower opening made a trip to the restroom almost impossible. The dress was returned by the owner shortly thereafter.


Cristóbal Balenciaga. Dress. Winter 1967. Bias-cut gazar. Straps embroidered with pronged rhinestones and pearlescent beads. Trimmed and hemmed with crin mesh ribbon. Balenciaga Archives, Paris. Photo Pierre Even.

It is this extraordinary skill of manipulation and execution that is currently on display at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. And while you may not be personally interested in garment construction, it is well worth viewing to learn and understand the incredible attention to detail and construction that was used for each and every item Balenciaga created. The show, Balenciaga In Black, runs through January 6, 2019.

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Alex and Ricky welcome mixed media artist Libby Williamson and discover how the humble tea bag can be used to create charming, whimsical, and outstanding textile art. Libby’s tips of adding paint, thread sketching, hand embroidery, and bits of fabric to build unique and one-of-a-kind collage art quilts, will have you looking at tea bags in a whole new way. 

Then, it's TQS member Carolyn Hock's turn to share her ideas for developing your own quilting designs based on travel photos.
 
Star Members can watch Libby and Carolyn in Show 2311: Fun with Mixed Media Collage and Quilting Inspiration, when it debuts Sunday, November 18, 2018. 
 
 

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We've made it easy to get a gift certificate for a full year of quilting for yourself or a friend. You can even pick the date the gift will arrive. Cool...that's 2 people off the list. Click the button and get some shopping done now. (Tell your family to just click below. The new 1-Year Membership will extend your current membership.)

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Jenny Bowker tells the emotional story of her quilt, After the Last Sky. It is a tribute to the victims of the Rabaa Square Massacre in Cairo, August 14, 2013. The quilt acknowledges photojournalists risking their lives to show the truth.

Jenny's quilt won 2nd Place - People, Portraits, and Figures at the Houston International Quilt Festival 2018.

See photos of the quilt after the video.

Star Members can watch Jenny in Show 1804: Quilting Outside the Blocks.

 

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Loving quilting is synonymous with loving fabric...and usually translates to all fibers. Many quilters usually are participating in other fiber activities...knitting, cross stitching, garment making, needlepoint, punch-needle, rug hooking...the list is long! When my friend Michiko of Michiko's Suede Shop told me about a shop in Portland within walking distance to downtown, I had to seek it out! Located in Chinatown, Kiriko is filled to the brim with beauty. Not only vintage Kimono fabrics by the yard, but to my surprise, it is an actual sewing room where most of the products are created on the spot! Whether it be clothing, scarves, coasters, ties, totes, or other beautifully stitched items! This is a must-visit island of creativity. Piles of fabrics surround the sewing machine and ironing board and you just know something wonderful is being created!!! Definitely add this shop to your must-visit list in Portland, Oregon. You won't be disappointed at the beauty within. If you cannot make it there, they have a website, Kiriko, and orders over $100 within the US ship for free. I hope you enjoy yourself!


 

Click here for Anna's YouTube Channel.

Click here for Anna's blog.

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow

 

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Marie Bostwick, author of the Cobbled Court Quilt Series and creator of Fierce Beyond 50, is throwing a party to celebrate that one of her books, The Second Sister, has been turned into a Hallmark Christmas movie entitled Christmas Everlasting. Marie is inviting all of her friends to watch with her online and is giving away gifties.
 
Click on Learn More to find out how to join in the fun.
 
 
 
One of those gifties is a FREE pattern from TQS Guest Deb Tucker, the Christmas Everlasting wall quilt shown below.
  

Star Members can watch Deb in Show 1707: Tricks and Tools of the Trade.

 

  

 

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Join Ricky in spreading the word that enrollment is open for Part 1 (26 weeks) of his 2019 52-Week Photo Challenge (classes).

Early Bird Pricing is still available!

70% OFF Through December 2

$599 - NOW $169

 

 

This class if for you if...

You have a great camera but think it is smarter than you.

You enjoy having a camera handy on trips and family events.

You wish you knew more about art and composition.

You took a great shot but it just didn’t have the same impact when you saw it on your computer screen.

Ricky’s 52-Week Photo Challenge is an in-depth photography class for anyone who wants to get better results with their DSLR camera. Start with the basics and grow through the entire year! It’s perfect for beginners, novices, and photo enthusiasts.
 
You get weekly:
VIDEOS
PDFs
INSPIRATION
CLASS INTERACTION
CRITIQUES
 
Join Ricky for his 2019 52-Week Photo Challenge Class. Share the link with someone you know. The class starts with the very basics.

Here's Ricky to tell you more.

 

 

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Aki Sakai has done it again. She has created a quilt filled with many wonders including dangling teddy bears, bears in rockets, bears in clouds, and bears with wings. There is something to look at in every square inch of this quilt, so we took a lot of photos. Enjoy Small Happy Crazy Quilt by Aki Sakai.

Click on the links to see other amazing quilts by Aki.