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creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #52: Kim Soper

Posted on December 28, 2018
Kim Soper The Creativity Project Week 52 Leland Ave Studios

Welcome to the final week of 2018, and the last week of The Creativity Project! Over the past 52 weeks, we’ve come together every Friday with so many amazing artists and makers to try to get to the heart of “why” we create. For 52 weeks, we’ve come to this space with an open heart and curious mind, to hear each participant give voice to their personal creative process.

Throughout the year, many of you have asked if I would provide my own reflections on the interview questions. While I didn’t want my opinions to influence any of the respondent’s interpretation of the questions, I thought it only fair for me to experience what it is like to be the one sharing their personal process. And so, for this final installment of The Creativity Project, I give you — me.

Before we begin the final interview, I’d like to express how much I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time out of your busy lives to read this project and reflect on its meaning. It has been a privilege to bring you this series, and I only hope that you have enjoyed it as much as I have. Thank you for coming along on this journey with me.

Of course I’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of the project participants: Melanie Tuazon, Jess Skultety, Michelle Cain, Laura Hartrich, Yvonne Fuchs, Shannon Fraser, Tiffany Horn, Andrea Tsang Jackson, Christa Watson, Silvia Sutters, Michelle Wilkie, Deborah Fisher, Michelle Bartholomew, Kirsty Cleverly, Steph Skardal, Laura McDowell Hopper, Daisy Aschehoug, Heather Black, Shelagh Jessop, Kathryn Upitis, Carole Lyles Shaw, Dash Masland, Victoria Gertenbach, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Mel Beach, Diana Vandeyar, Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill, Kristin Shields, Alexis Deise, Sujata Shah, Sara Trail, Gina Adams, Tara Faughnan, Melissa Averinos, Luke Haynes, Jen Broemel, Sarah Goer, Timna Tarr, Heidi Parkes, Alyce Blythe, Scarlet Sparkuhl, Riane Menardi, Zak Foster, Karen Duling, Jenny Haynes, Carolina Oneto, Kim Eichler-Messmer, Suzy Williams, Heather Jones, Sam Hunter, and of course all of you who participated in the survey. Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully consider the interview questions. Without you this project could not exist! 

And now, without further ado, I give you the final installment of The Creativity Project.

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creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #50: Sam Hunter

Posted on December 14, 2018
Sam Hunter The Creativity Project Week #50 Leland Ave Studios Kim Smith Soper Photo Credit:Melissa Joy Sleasman

Sam Hunter is a fiber artist and quilt pattern designer. Born in England, Sam split her formative years between Europe and the United States before settling in the USA permanently in  1981. Sam started sewing when she was only seven years old and then began quilting in her late twenties. Shortly thereafter, she started teaching quilting. Sam holds an MFA in Fiber Arts, and blends this classic training with a  sense of play in all that she does. Sam has exhibited her artwork throughout the United States, and has received numerous grants and awards, including a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship. As a pattern designer, Sam is a champion for helping beginners develop their skills, while making patterns that are interesting enough to entice more advanced sewists. Sam has developed a Pattern Mission Statement that informs all of the work she creates. In addition, Sam is a champion for artists getting paid a fair value for their work. She created the We Are $ew Worth It campaign to empower artists and designers by providing resources on topics such as: keeping track of time when working, pricing, and other issues that arise when trying to place value on the work that we do. Sam is the author of numerous patterns and the book, Quilt Talk: Paper-Pieced Alphabet with Numbers & Symbols – 12 Chatty Projects. Her beautiful collaboration with artist Lisa Congdon is currently touring with the Modern Quilt Guild’s Modern Showcase. Welcome, Sam! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #49: Heather Jones

Posted on December 7, 2018
Heather Jones The Creativity Project Week #49 Leland Ave Studios Kim Smith Soper

Heather Jones is an artist, designer, and educator whose work questions and pushes traditional conceptions of both quilt making and painting. Her work is represented by The George Gallery, Charlestown, SC , Imlay Gallery, Montclair, NJ, and she has work available through the Marta Hewett Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is a three-time winner of the Project Modern Quilt Design competition, a two-time finalist for the Martha Stewart American Made Awards, and was named a “Creative Genius” by DIY Network.  Her work has been exhibited widely at venues across the United States. Heather’s first book, Quilt Local: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday was released in October 2015 by STC Craft, an imprint of Abrams, New York.  Heather’s work has been featured in numerous books and magazines such as Martha Stewart Living; Lucky Spool’s Essential Guide to Modern Quilt Making; Modern Patchwork; and Curated Quilts. She teaches quilting and design workshops across the country, offers online classes through Creativebug.com, and has appeared on PBS’s Quilting Arts TV and Fresh Quilting. A native Cincinnatian, Heather studied art history at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning, earning both a Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Arts (ABT). She currently lives just outside the city on a small farm with her husband and two young children. Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #48: Suzy Williams

Posted on November 30, 2018
Suzy Williams The Creativity Project Week #48 Leland Ave Studios:Kim Smith Soper

Suzy Williams is a quilting entrepreneur. She has used her modern, minimalist aesthetic to take pattern design to a new level through her use of stunning photography and a vibrant social media presence. Suzy came to quilting at the age of 15, when she curiously peeked into her friend’s mom’s sewing room. Brenda Winkelmeyer became Suzy’s quilting mentor, and, combined with Suzy’s background in graphic design, the textile business Suzy Quilts was born. Suzy’s quilts have been featured in numerous publications, including Modern Patchwork Magazine, QuiltCon Magazine, Modern Quilts Unlimited, and the book Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century. She also writes a monthly column in Love, Patchwork & Quilting Magazine. Suzy is a BERNINA Ambassador, and even flew to their headquarters in Switzerland to film videos to promote the release of their new machines made specifically for quilters. Suzy has released countless successful patterns, all of which are available for purchase on her website, and has licensed textile designs to Land of Nod and others. In 2016, she partnered with Toyota, where her quilt of a cityscape was featured in print and web ads for the brand. The Suzy Quilts website is full of educational tips and tutorials about quilting, all delivered with a dose of Suzy’s wit and photos of her adorable dog, Scrappy. Suzy lives in Chicago with her husband, dog, and almost-here baby boy. Welcome, Suzy! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #47: Kim Eichler-Messmer

Posted on November 23, 2018
Kim Eichler-Messmer The Creativity Project Week #47 Kim Smith Soper Leland Ave Studios

Kim Eichler-Messmer is a textile artist living and working in Kansas City. Born in Iowa as an only child to two hard-working and creative parents, Kim developed a love of art from an early age. In college, she discovered a passion for working with textiles, and almost all of her quilts are hand dyed. Since 2008, Kim has been an Associate Professor in Fiber at the Kansas City Art Institute, where she has taught surface design, quilting, and natural dye. She received an MFA in Textiles from the University of Kansas and a BFA in Drawing and Printmaking from Iowa State University. Her hand dyed, one-of-a-kind quilts have been exhibited nationally in numerous solo and juried shows and featured on prominent design blogs including Apartment Therapy and Design Sponge. Kim is the author of Modern Color: An Illustrated Guide to Dyeing Fabric for Modern Quilts and her work has been featured in many books and publications, including: Quilting with a Modern Slant by Rachel May; The Essential Guide To Modern Quilt Making, edited by Heather Grant; and The Uppercase Compendium of Craft and Creativity by Janine Vangool. Most recently, Kim has been exploring natural dyes and dying techniques. This summer, she traveled to Japan, where she studied with shibori masters. She also taught a summer workshop for the Penland School of Crafts, in Penland, North Carolina on natural dyes and quilting. Welcome, Kim! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #46: Carolina Oneto

Posted on November 16, 2018
Carolina Oneto The Creativity Project Week #46 Leland Ave Studios Kim Smith Soper

Carolina Oneto is a South American Industrial Engineer with a Master’s degree in Business Engineering. She worked in the industry and was a university professor for more than 10 years. In 2010, Carolina and her family left Santiago, Chile to relocate to Buenos Aires, Argentina. After the birth of her third child, she chose this opportunity to slow her life down. It was at this time that she discovered her love of patchwork. Carolina went on to study patchwork and quilting with Cecilia Koppman and Teresita Leal, and afterward has traveled yearly to study with experienced quilters here in the US. In addition, Carolina’s time spent studying “The Interaction of Color” at the art school of Chile’s Catholic University has had a huge influence on her work. Color (and its interaction) is a recurring theme for her. Carolina teaches classes and workshops in her studio. She has also partnered with Janome Chile to teach workshops in the Janome Academy and in the craft fair “Materia Prima” throughout Chile. This year, Carolina has taught workshops in Buenos Aires, and in September she participated as Professor of The Quilt and Patchwork Festival in Gramado, Brazil. She is member of the Modern Quilt Guild, member of the Studio Art Quilt Association (SAQA) and the International Quilt Association. Carolina lives in Chile with her husband and their three children. Welcome, Carolina!  [Editor’s Note: this interview is presented in both English and Spanish.]

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creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #45: Jenny Haynes

Posted on November 9, 2018
Jenny Haynes The Creativity Project Week #45 Leland Ave Studios Kim Smith Soper

A Swedish exile residing in in London and Sheffield for the past 20 years, Jenny Haynes began her textile journey by studying Pattern Cutting and Tailoring in her native Stockholm. Soon after, she followed her passion for fabrics and moved to London to study Fashion and Textiles at the London College of Fashion. She then went on to develop her own label ‘Papper, Sax, Sten’ (that’s ‘Paper, Scissors, Stone’ in case you’re wondering!), creating designs that reflect her many different influences. Her bespoke quilts and furnishings are recognized for their clean, simple, mid-century modern design. Jenny mixes vintage fabrics with modern prints; rich colors with pastels; often using her trademark curves; while remaining faithful to her Scandinavian roots. In 2015, Jenny was invited by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, along with 18 other Swedish designers, to be a part of a Swedish Summer Exhibition at famed London department store Heal’s. More recently Jenny was asked to contribute to a publication by Thames & Hudson for the V&A. Two of Jenny’s quilts are featured in Patchwork & Quilting: A Maker’s Guide; and her Reel to Reel quilt will be featured in QuiltCon Magazine (2019). Apart from designing and making quilts, Jenny also teaches and lectures about quilting and her design process. In 2019, she will be teaching graphic design at Sheffield Hallam University. Students will work with Jenny on a project titled Protest, where the medium is patchwork and quilting. Welcome, Jenny! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #44: Karen Duling

Posted on November 2, 2018
Karen Duling The Creativity Project Week #44 Leland Ave Studios Kim Smith Soper

Karen Duling creates thought-provoking work that is both clever and introspective. Karen began making quilts to raise funds for her community animal shelter. Over time, she realized that these quilts could offer comfort to those grieving the loss of a pet, or celebrating the joys of life. Her 2014 book, Quilting for the Paws, is a celebration of the animals she loves so much, featuring patterns to make a variety of pet-themed quilts. But while her interests may have started with animals, the subject manner of her work is far ranging.  Karen’s designs are conceptualized through weeks of rumination and carried out with a good dose of improvisation and whimsy.  Karen has been deeply inspired by Gwen Marston, and considers her now both friend and mentor. Karen’s quilts have been featured in exhibits around the country, including “Quilt + Resist:  Art, Politics, Storytelling” (currently at the Woman Made Gallery, Chicago Illinois); the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon; “Art Quilt Invitational”, an exhibit at the Bonifas Art Center in Escanaba, Michigan; and her quilt “Fish Squared” was included in an exhibit featuring medallion-style quilts shown at the American Quilter’s Society show in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2012. In addition, Karen’s quilts have been featured in numerous publications, including Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century, and have been the recipient of awards from the American Quilters Society and at the Modern Quilt Guild’s QuiltCon 2016 show in Pasadena, California. Karen currently lectures and presents trunk shows across the midwest, sharing her work with fellow quilters.  She lives in the middle of Michigan with her husband and canine quilting pal Merle, renowned as the creator of “Merle’s Tips” in her book Quilting for the Paws. Welcome, Karen! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #43: Zak Foster

Posted on October 26, 2018
Zak Foster The Creativity Project Week #43 Leland Ave Studios Kim Smith Soper

Zak Foster has been quilting since 2010, when his partner’s grandmother taught him to quilt, and he’s never looked back. His quilts walk the line between art and utility, and they are designed for comfort, warmth, security, and memory. Zak works with reclaimed fabrics, which give layered meaning and visual interest to his work. An improvisational quilter at heart, Zak’s quilts are surprising and alluring. Each of his pieces are unique and custom-made for his clients, becoming modern heirlooms to be passed down for generations to come. Zak’s work has been featured in several magazine and galleries, including: the Handle with Care group exhibit in Melbourne, Australia; International Quilt Market (Houston, 2016); Seattle Pacific Art Center (2015); Quilty magazine; Fresh Cuts magazine and much more. In addition, Zak is the community organizer behind the 43-for-43 campaign. To create this social protest quilt, Zak asked 43 artists to produce 43 different quilt blocks, each dedicated to one of the missing Ayotzinapa students who disappeared in Mexico in 2014. Over 70 quilters organized in a short period of time to create a usable work of art that was dedicated to the families of those lost. His most recent political finish, O America, is a love letter to his country, and a reflection on the first 100 days of the current administration. Welcome, Zak! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #42: Riane Menardi Morrison

Posted on October 19, 2018
Riane Menardi Morrison The Creativity Project Week #42 Leland Ave Studios: Kim Smith Soper

Riane Menardi Morrison is a modern quilt designer making minimal quilts for the modern home. Her quilts; made with linen, cotton, and wool; are as beautiful as they are functional. Each quilt is hand-quilted with large stitching for an heirloom-quality finish. Riane got her start in the publishing industry, and through serendipitous events, found herself working on the magazine, Fresh Quilts. There, she produced and designed quilts, edited quilting-related copy, and oversaw projects. After a brief stint with an advertising agency, Riane started working as the communications manager for The Modern Quilt Guild. Riane has taught at QuiltCon and was a guest on season two of the public television show, Fresh Quilting. She regularly teaches about quilt design and hand quilting techniques to local makers, and was a co-founding member of the Central Iowa Modern Quilt Guild. Her work and writing has been featured in magazines including Modern Patchwork, Simply Moderne, QuiltCon Magazine and Quilting Arts. Riane is a coauthor of the book Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century, and her self-published book about her own modern quilts, Inheritance, is available now for pre-order! She lives and works in Des Moines with her husband, Kevin, and silly pup, Dallas. Welcome, Riane! Continue Reading