Quilters aren’t running for public office, that I know of (although some probably are in their community or state).  However, quilters are expressing their support for Barack Obama through their art.

At Kyra’s Black Threads, I read a post, Fiber Artists for Obama, about the artists who are using their talents to support the candidate of their choice.  Kyra directs you to Cultural Expressions for more information.

Are there quilters and fiber artists supporting other candidates through quilting or who simply are raising the consiciousness of citizens to take an interest in the political scene and vote?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Quilters Enter the Political Arena

When I saw her compiling the pages today and spied the butterfly and lilacs, I realized Beth had used her photo as inspiration for this project.  It captured her imagination as it did mine.

Check this post, Quilting Inspiration from Your Photos, for the photograph.

Here is the book page made from the photo printed onto fabric.  (Photo and book page from Meandering Threads.)  This also would make a lovely fabric postcard, I think.

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Printing Photos on Fabric for Your Quilting

She also created a trillium design for one of her contributions to a round robin project.This is an example of a page for a round robin book created from a picture of trillium Beth took on one of her photography expeditions around our woodland last year.  When she needed something to inspire her page for the nature theme book, she took a look at her photos (stored on her computer) and found some of trillium.

So…..keep your camera with you and capture nature for your quilting and fabric art.

For more of Beth’s flower photos visit her Meandering Threads blog.

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Quilting Inspiration from Your Photos

Cyndi has a number of photos of some Angie’s various types of work….journal quilts, fabric postcards, altered books, handmade books, ATC’s, altered CD’s, and fiber art.  I particularly like the journal quilt Cyndi shows on her blog.

(To see more of Angie’s work, visit her web site and her blog.)

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Getting to Know Fabric Artist/Quilter Angie Platten

One arrived today from England with circle stitching and sparkly circles sewed on it, too.  (And it came through the mail perfectly intact without an envelope or plastic covering.)  It’s interesting the great variety of postcards that can be designed with a simple circle theme.

Here is one of Beth’s:

You can check out more at her Meandering Threads blog  You may want to see what you can design for postcards, ATCs, and other fabric art items. 

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Quilters Swap Fabric Postcards with Circle Designs

I think this is lovely, and even the photo shows the three-dimensional effect.

Now maybe I’m prejudiced because Beth is my daughter!  However, I’m going to suggest she sometime make a whole book of these little fairies in different costumes and and poses.  Perhaps I should write a children’s story and let Beth make illustrations in fabric. 

Learn more about the Round Robin fabric book project at Beth’s Meandering Threads blog.

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A Fairy for a Quilting Project

She had just returned from the International Quilt Festival in Chicago and mentioned her bag of inspiration…items she’d collected while at the show (fabrics, fun fusible, funky art items, bright thread, hand dyed fibers, gold fabric paint).  Emily was anxious to begin creating from her collection and thought the rainy day they were experiencing was perfect.  Then she mentioned that you didn’t have to attend the show to have such a bag or have a rainy day. 

Simply “fill a box or bag with fabric, batting, thread – and anything else you’ve been wanting to try – and keep it at the ready when the rain rolls in.  On second thought…why wait for rain?  Go get creative and quilt right now!”

Yes!  I thought.  This is a great idea. 

Why not put some items into a special bag (the one my daughter made from denim patches and appliqued butterflies) and have it ready to pull out when I need a project or inspiration.  I also can take my Inspiration Bag with me when I travel or know I’ll have to wait somewhere.  Perhaps a smaller bag to tuck into my carry-on luggage for waiting at airports. 

Do you have an Inspiration Bag?

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Fill Your Quilter’s Inspiration Bag

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More Round Robin Quilting

So we look to our quilting fabric art and “Think Spring!”

Beth posted a photo of the storm on her Meandering Threads blog and then some fabric postcards with spring scenes or themes.  These actually are some she made for her latest round of a fabric postcard exchange she participates in.

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“Think Spring” in Your Quilting

Each quilter is contributing a page to one another’s books.  They also selected themes for their books which the contributors are carrying out.

It’s very interesting to see the various techniques and ideas they are coming up with.

Here is Beth’s contribution to one of the books with the theme of “Sky.”  It’s difficult to see clearly here, but Beth placed cheese cloth over the blue ocean to give it texture.  The fabric is some she painted and decided it looked like sky and sea.

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Round Robin Quilt Saga Continued