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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

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #41: Scarlet Sparkuhl Delia

Posted on October 12, 2018

Dr. Scarlet Sparkuhl Delia comes from a long line of artists and doctors. Scarlet grew up in Laguna Beach, California and studied modern dance, while simultaneously pursuing an undergraduate degree in pre-med. She spent a year studying Spanish in Chile, and then attended medical school, eventually settling down with her family in Fort Collins, Colorado. During her training in family medicine, Scarlet learned to quilt as a creative outlet. She is a passionate advocate for textile recycling, homeschools her two children, and all while working as a family doctor. Scarlet is also a member of the Fort Collins Modern Quilt Guild. Welcome, Scarlet! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #40: Alyce Blyth

Posted on October 5, 2018
Alyce Blyth The Creativity Project Week 40 Leland Ave Studios Kim Smith Soper

Alyce Blyth started quilting about seven years ago when her husband bought her a little $100 Elna and she embarked on a mission to make her children each a quilt for their fifth birthdays. Alyce taught herself how to quilt both from blogs and books, as well as through determination and experimentation. About a year later, her family moved from Australia to Japan. With the move, came time and the desire to connect with others; and so, Blossom Heart Quilts began, as a way for Alyce to document her makes and to share what she’d learned with others. Since then, Alyce and her family have moved back to Australia, and Alyce has continued to grow her business. She became a columnist for Make Modern Magazine, and began writing books. DIY Block Design was released in 2015, and her second book is due out in 2019 with Lucky Spool. In addition, Alyce was a Craftsy columnist, is a Pfaff Associate, an Aurifil Artisan, an AccuQuilt Associate, and an EQ8 Artist. Alyce continues to write patterns, to teach classes at local quilt stores, and to be a member of her local Modern Quilt Guild. Welcome, Alyce! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #39: Heidi Parkes

Posted on September 28, 2018
Heidi Parkes The Creativity Project Week #39 Leland Ave Studios:Kim Smith Soper

Heidi Parkes is a quilt artist exploring concepts of place, relationship, and memory. A graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Heidi has worked as a ceramicists’ apprentice, a high school art teacher, and now has established a loyal following as a quilter and mender. Heidi’s award-winning work has appeared locally in numerous shows in Milwaukee; at QuiltCon; as part of the 2017 Piecework Collective exhibit in New York City; and in textile museums including: the New England Quilt Museum, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts, and the Dairy Barn Arts Center.  Heidi will be teaching in Nashville at QuiltCon 2019 and has two upcoming workshops with The Makerie in Boulder, Colorado in April 2019. Heidi is active within her local quilting community, and is a member of the Midwest Fiber Arts Trails, the Milwaukee Art Quilters, the Chicago MQG, and One-Onethousand. In addition, Heidi is a certified yoga instructor and teaches workshops like Yoga for Makers with Siddhi Yoga. Welcome, Heidi! Continue Reading

creativity The Creativity Project

The Creativity Project Week #38: Timna Tarr

Posted on September 21, 2018
Timna Tarr The Creativity Project Week #38 Leland Ave Studios Kim Smith Soper

Timna Tarr comes from a long line of quilters but did not begin quilting until after studying art history in college. She bought her first longarm in 2001 and began quilting clients’ quilts shortly thereafter. Since then she has custom designed and quilted thousands of quilts. Timna’s own nationally award-winning quilts are in private and corporate collections and have been seen in numerous exhibits, quilting magazines, and books. Her work uses color and composition in a unique and playful way. Each block in a quilt is made as its own element, independent of the other blocks. After all of the blocks are constructed, she arranges the small compositions to play off each other and to work together to create a larger whole. The resulting quilts are contemporary works, set in this time and place, which reference the rich tradition of quilt making. Timna is an in-demand speaker and teacher throughout the northeastern United States. She is a member of her local guilds in Massachusetts, Hands Across the Valley Quilters Guild and the Northampton Modern Quilt Guild. Welcome, Timna! Continue Reading