Artist Spotlight: Ann Kreager

“I am piecing natural dyed fabrics into log cabin blocks…. This block represents fabric dyed from Maine, Connecticut, New York and Colorado. My goal is to have this quilt pieced and hand quilt(ed) by the end of 2019. It will have so many great memories stitched into it….” - Ann Kreager

Last June, Ann and I met at Squam Art Workshops. Since then, we’ve kept in touch and I’ve enjoyed seeing this Colorado artist’s gift for all things sewn and knitted on her Instagram feed. What strikes me about Ann’s work is not only her attention to detail, but how she manages to infuse each and every thing she makes with meaning.

Ann made a block a day!

The special quilt featured here is no exception. Ann’s painterly mix of cheerful colors harmonize beautifully, and she has managed to create a quilt that is simultaneously modern and timeless. Ann finished her quilt with big stitch quilting in the ditch. See the photo below for a close up look.

How incredibly satisfying and heart warming it must feel to have created a quilt exclusively using hand dyed fabrics from dyers you know, including your own. As one of the dyers represented in the quilt, I feel Ann has stitched together not only meaningful pieces of fabric, but a powerful sense of community.

Ann inspires me, and I think anyone sleeping under this quilt is guaranteed sweet dreams!

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Detail of Ann’s big stitch hand quilting.

“I love all the sweet friends I have made on this IG community. I am thankful for all the inspiration and support I have received from others. ”

— Ann Kreager

Ann finished her incredibly beautiful, meaningful quilt well before the end of the year!

I’m sending out a big thank you to Ann Kreager for allowing me to use her photos, and to share a peek into her quilting world with all of you. You can follow her on Instagram @hottamale1985.

If you’ve tried natural dyeing, like Ann has, you’ll have a very good idea about the amount of work and time that go into naturally dying fabric. When you share what you’re making with my fabrics, you give me such a sense of satisfaction about my dye work, and it’s what keeps me coming back season after season offering you my very best naturally dyed fabrics. “Artist Spotlight” is one way that I can celebrate YOU, and it will increasingly feature you and what you make using my naturally dyed fabrics, so be sure to share! #tierneybarden

As always, I love hearing from you in the comments below or @tierneybarden.

Magnificent Earth Day Giveaway!

I’ve got an added spring in my step because April is Earth Month (which originally began as Earth Day), and it also marks the beginning of my dye season!

A Magnificent Bundle containing Essex yarn dyed linen, Brussels linen, vintage feedsack, organic cotton sateen and naturally dyed silk, plus 5 yards of hand dyed variegated silk-cotton floss!

To kick things off, I’m having a gorgeous giveaway for two lucky winners! Freshly curated, “Magnificent Bundles” are now in the shop (have a look here). You can win a bundle for yourself and one for a friend! Click here for giveaway details. All of the bundles contain sumptuous linens, naturally dyed sateens and hand dyed linen or silk-cotton flosses. Some bundles include my hand dyed silk.

I have such fun curating these bundles for your enjoyment! Those of us who love hand stitching appreciate an ample piece of linen. Every “Magnificent Bundle” is chock full of delicious, quality fabrics and they’re all just waiting for you and your needles!

Have a look at these new bundles in the shop here. Each bundle is unique, and once they’re gone, they’re gone! Have a question? Kindly use the submission form on the contact page.

The “Magnificent Bundle” in the top photo contains linen, hand dyed silk and organic cotton sateen charm pack, plus 5 yards of variegated naturally dyed silk-cotton floss. Most of the bundles are wrapped with one yard of rare, vintage French ribbon from Marcia’s basement at Tinsel Trading!

More good news?! Newsletter subscribers receive a limited time 10% discount shop wide! New subscribers will be emailed the discount code. Offer good through midnight Tuesday the 23rd.

These days, having a few pre-portioned soups and casseroles in the freezer is a convenience I depend on. At the end of a busy day, reaching for a delicious and nourishing meal is very satisfying. This Chicken Pot Pie Soup is one of my recent favorites, and I skip the pie crust “crackers”. I’d love to hear your favorite freezer-ready meal in the comments below!

As always, you can follow all the action with our new kitty, Franklin, plus close ups of studio life on Instagram. Say hello!

Is This the Year Of the WIP?

WIPs on trays for portability and easy access.

Lately, I’ve felt compelled to finish my piles of WIPs before I have a chance to add even one more to their numbers. Today, I’m sharing helpful tools for organizing WIPs, and I’m inviting you to share your best tips for completion in the comments below. I’ve also made a place for us to share our WIPs and cheer each other to the finish line: #finishedwips2019. Join in the fun!

If the sheer number of online quilters posing the challenge to finish their WIPs this year is any indication, this just might be the Year Of the WIP! We all have them, and I’ve seen some excellent organizing and planning tools. For printed pages to document and track your WIP progress, Patchwork Posse offers this free set. Also, there’s the Quilter’s Planner. (I’m not paid for endorsing these products, I just appreciate them and want to share.) You can also make your own chart to suit your needs. While I don’t use one, I have a feeling there’s probably an app for this, too!

Arrowhead quilt blocks, machine pieced

Here are four of my WIPs to tackle this year. I’ve made my own tracking page, and I’ve tacked it to my design wall so that it’s always in plain sight. I store my WIPs on trays, uncovered, on a bench in my studio. The portable trays are stored in the open within easy reach of the sewing machine or to take up to my hand sewing nest. I also store the spool(s) of thread, bobbin(s) and any instructions, notes and templates on each tray. It’s all about removing hurdles that could slow my progress.

Any amount of success is going to depend on finding the right storage and organizing methods for you. For example, I know that if I cover my WIPs or store them under a bed, I’ll forget they even exist, let alone where I put them, so I know I need to see them. It’s the same reason why I tack up my progress chart on my design wall. It can’t get misplaced, and it’s in plain sight to remind me to make the most of my sewing time.

Postage Stamp blocks, individual 1” squares, machine pieced

Antique Stars, hand pieced

My WIPS are a mix of techniques, and these four are my personal quilt projects rather than for my business. They have no deadline, and each was started because I was curious about the technique and the construction process. I like to have a project under way for each sewing method I enjoy, that way, what ever my mood or energy level there’s a project at the ready. I suppose that’s a double-edged sword.

You can see that I have a few methods represented, including machine piecing, hand piecing and English Paper piecing. As far as how each quilt will be quilted, I’ve decided to wait and see what’s best for each as the tops are completed.

My own “Liberty” Stars, English Paper Piecing

My goal for steadily working on these is to try to sew for 30 minutes each morning before my day really gets under way, and then to sew for any amount of time on either Saturdays or Sundays. They say it takes 30 day for a new habit to become routine, so hopefully at the end of the month I’ll have some real progress to share.

Having said that, life happens and I’m not going to beat myself up if any of these are still staring at me from across the room in December; however, in the spirit of the Year Of the WIP, newly organized and with a sewing plan in place, I’m committed to giving it my best shot! How about you?

I’ll share my WIP journey here and on Instagram. Join in: #finishedwips2019! Before you go, in the comments below tell me how many WIPs you have, how you plan to tackle them or what stops you from working on them…after all, there’s safety in numbers!

Gallery Talk: Resplendent

At last, we've reached the final post about the making of my art quilts recently shown at Squam Art Workshops. 

While the previous five quilts focused largely on their story telling element, this quilt's story is in its making. Enjoy a closer look at Resplendent's inception, techniques and artistry. For the complete view of "My Enchanted Wonderland" installation, please click here.

Resplendent, 2018

Title: Resplendent, 44.5" x 46.5"

Materials: Naturally dyed organic cotton sateens, commercial cottons, metallic and cotton threads; two layers wool batting

Techniques: English Paper Piecing, hand and machine piecing, fused applique, hand quilting

Date: June 2017 - May 2018

re-splend-ent, adjective

attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous

Looking back over the months that this quilt was being made, I can honestly say that resplendent is the best word to adequately convey how I felt through the entire process, including how I felt when I saw it finished for the first time. From the initial design idea, to fabric choices, exploring paper shape combinations, cutting paper for the center medallion, and hand piecing and quilting - at every stage, I felt a sort of inner radiance mixed with thrill and eagerness to keep going. 

1" hexis cut from paper and wrapped with fabric. I'm a fan of glue basting.

In the beginning, this quilt was intended as an attempt to satisfy my curiosity about medallion quilts (their history, variety of quilt components and assembly methods). At the same time, I had been anxious to start an English Paper Piecing (EPP) project using my naturally dyed fabrics. Just at the early stages of designing this quilt, Elizabeth Duvivier invited me to teach at the June '18 session of Squam Art Workshops. We had discussed paper cutting being a large part of the class, and then with a little more play time and sample making, I bridged paper cutting to fabric by way of fused applique - more on that a little later in this post - but it's important to note this time of play was a key moment in the planning of the workshop, as well as the evolution of this quilt. Lesson: make more time to play. 

First things first, I began the process of making Resplendent by cutting piles and piles of 1" paper hexagons. I also pulled a stack of my naturally dyed silks and cottons in colors that I see around me every day during summer months. I laid them out to create a transition from light to dark and noticed darker greens were needed, but because they aren't in my standard dye palette, I turned to Nancy Rink's New Aged Muslins by Marcus Fabrics. Feeling the need for a little bit of visual texture, I brought in just a few batiks, and a stripe by Moda and stars by Andover. 

EPP hexis being sewn into units before being sewn together to create the center panel of the quilt. 

Making the most of every piece of fabric, especially my hand dyed indigo.

A few of the jewel shape paper pieces used in the outer border being wrapped and glue basted. 

One unit of many forming the outermost border. The center diamonds are all lovely, soft shades of peaches and pinks from my dye pots.

A tray made transporting the English Paper Piecing units much easier!

I chuckle when I recall how I used to think sewing by hand must take ages! Having done a bit of hand sewing before embarking on this quilt, I knew that with an efficient set up (tools, posture, support, etc.), hand work actually moves right along. Stitching one color and shape to the next is satisfying, relaxing and enjoyable. I'll even admit to finding it slightly addicting. Sewing EPP is like solving a puzzle - as soon as you put two pieces together you can't wait to see the next piece put in place, and the next! 

Speaking of puzzle pieces, once the center panel and outer borders pieces were stitched together, the four outermost corners were in need of a solution. They presented a fun design challenge, for example, I knew I wanted the colors to flow around each corner, keep the eye moving and maintain a coherent design, but I also had to keep in mind that a paper cut design would be applied over this space, so how not to compete with that design? Below are photos of my solution, and with that portion completed, I moved on to the paper cut motifs. 

A corner in need of a solution. 

One half of the corner unit.

One half of the corner unit meeting up with the border.

Two corner units sewn together, inner border added.

In the quilt world, there exist a few applique methods. I tend to do a lot of needle turn applique, of which you can see an example here, here and here, but when it comes to my paper cut designs I find fused applique to be the most appropriate method. Generally, if it can be drawn and cut, it can be fused. It's a fairly simple process, and any one can use this technique with beautiful results. I enjoy sharing the technique with fellow creatives, not just quilters, and you can see the work of talented Squam students in my Instagram feed here.

On the left is a paper cut that didn't quite hit the mark for Resplendent's center medallion. I must have cut four or five different designs, fine tuning each time, getting closer to what I felt was just right. 

The final paper cut design ready for transfer to fusible web, which had already been adhered to fabric. When cutting, I first get my head in the right place: patience, steadiness and staying in the flow. 

The paper cut design is cut and turned over to the right side. 

Fusing the center medallion onto the quilt top. Tiny, sharp scissors trim any stray threads before fusing. 

Once the quilt top is completely assembled, at last, all of the paper pieces can be removed! Aa a mountain of paper pieces grows, one can see the wisdom in reusing papers.

The assembled quilt top, paper pieces removed, and the entire top pressed. The next steps include layering the batting and backing, basting, machine quilting the paper cut motifs, hand quilting the rest, and then binding. 

The day to begin Resplendent's hand quilting was memorable. It was 7:00AM on Saturday May 19th, 2018, and I was in my Nest with fresh hot coffee to my left and my small wooden tool bowl on my right, and the TV was airing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. There was one specific moment after the ceremony when a reporter commented that this wedding was "resplendent". I could hardly believe my ears. Of all the adjectives to describe the wedding, he chose the word I had named the very quilt I was stitching. Without slowing, my needle simply continued to weave glinting gold metallic thread through all the layers, holding them together for a lifetime.   

Big stitch hand quilting, detail. Metallic thread and Aurifil cotton thread.

A view of the back of the quilt. Topography comes to mind.

One last look, Resplendent surrounded by Specimen (L) and New York Beauty (R)

How's that for a fairytale ending? Thank you all for the time you have taken to read my posts about this special body of work. I value your interest and your feedback. Many of you have been so kind to share your own reactions and thoughts with me, and I've sincerely enjoyed those conversations. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out once again to Elizabeth Duvivier @elizabethduvivier and Meg Fussell @squamlove for the opportunity to produce and show this body of work, as well as their support. This has been an epic stitched journey and I've enjoyed every single moment. I remain open to traveling with this show, and would appreciate any potential locations/events you may know of.  

Please continue to share your questions and comments below or by email: tierneybarden@gmail.com. I read them all. You can also follow my natural dye works and daily life on Instagram @tierneybarden.

Expanding My Comfort Zone

Last week's near 70 degree weather was an unmissable opportunity to dye about ten yards of organic sateen. With five yards each of Tobacco and Flutter pressed and ready for use, I chose to take this week to challenge myself with some design exercises. 

Each day this week, I used one yard of Flutter and one yard of White primarily to see how far this amount of fabric would go in the making of a quilt top, and to push myself out of my comfort zone with composition and techniques.

Flutter. So pretty!

Monday was devoted to half square triangles and some solid squares of each color. This photo shows all of the yardage in use. I had fun coming up with three compositions, and this was my favorite. You can see the others on my Instagram feed @tierneybarden.

Tuesday was the day for strip piecing. I wanted to challenge myself to come up with interesting patterns from random strip sets versus predetermined widths that create a regular pattern. The only rule I gave myself was that all strip sets needed to be the same finished width. Once at the design wall, I saw the need for some solid strips to give the eye a place to rest. Otherwise, I have to say that I enjoyed the Morse Code-like patterns, and could see this idea being even more successful with a wider variety of random strip sets. The Type A in me needed to make a few regular, repeating patterns....

Cutting curves.

Laying out blocks.

Wednesday was all about the curves, and I was ready after two full days of rectangles. I chose to set aside my Drunkard's Path templates and went for Sherri Lynn Wood's method for Template Free Curved Piecing, as explained in her book, The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters. What a lesson in slowing down! I warmed up by sewing all of the two-piece curved blocks, then advanced to the three piece, and so on. I don't have this technique perfected by any stretch of the imagination, but I will say that I loved taking them to the design wall. Curves are powerful and playful, and more are in my future. 

Thursday's exercise isn't shown yet because I'm still working on it: quarter square triangles. I think I'm in love. I'll share these in a future post, but for now, rest assured that they're keeping me busy at the machine, the iron and the design wall. 

Don't forget to download my free Striped Octagon EPP template in the right sidebar. Quilters like Jayne @twiggyandopal are doing extraordinary things with it! Share what you make on Instagram and FB, we'd all love to see! #stripedoctagonepp #stitchingenchantment

The Quilters Consortium of NYS

The support and positive energy given me by quilters from quilt guilds across the state this past Tuesday was amazing! The Quilters Consortium of NYS gathered in Cicero for its quarterly meeting, and very generously invited me to be their speaker. Being my first Consortium meeting, I didn't know what to expect, and I was blown away by their warm reception, their enthusiasm and appreciation for my fabrics, not to mention their collective talent! 

The Consortium is dedicated to bringing together, inspiring and networking with all of the quilt guilds in the state (who want to participate), and promoting quilting in general. Their annual Passport can be purchased for $5.00, and not only lists every participating guild's quilt show dates and information, but affords you the chance at a fabulous raffle at each show, just remember to bring your passport and enter each raffle. The Consortium not only supports the quilt guilds, but also independent businesses. To learn more: www.qcnys.org. 

Public speaking has never been my strength (despite Mrs. Hopkins's best efforts), but my confidence in bearing my soul to an audience has steadily improved over time, so as I was handed the microphone on Tuesday, I plunged in. The room full of quilters, all of whom are far more experienced than I, attentively listened to my Simple and True talk (found in Workshops). During the talk, I spoke about what motivates me as a natural dyer, and briefly shared my concerns about damage done to our soil and water by commercial dye houses and fabrics going into landfills by the tons every day. Fabrics surround us in our daily lives, and I believe that being aware that damage is being done is an important first step.

Shibori baby quilt, 30"x35"  Organic cotton sateen and commercial cottons. Indigo, clamp resist Shibori technique.

In my own quilting and garment sewing, I'm exploring using slow cloth, salvaged fabrics and commercial fabrics. When I began my dye business in 2015, I thought I'd only be using my fabrics, but I've evolved over these past two years, and I now see that I can tell an even richer story using more fabrics than just my own hand dyed. There's room for all fabrics in our stitching, so looking to the future, if we as quilters make even one quilt a year using slow cloth, salvaged fabrics or make a huge dent in our scrap bins, imagine the positive impact that would have on our environment, as well as ourselves. I will post more on this topic in the future, providing facts, stats and sources for anyone interested in learning more.   

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This one-of-a-kind quilt is available for sale in the shop. The sweet handmade bunny will even accompany the quilt, ready for the ultimate cuddle with your little baby!

While at the Consortium's meeting, I neglected to use my camera - too caught up in meeting as many amazing, talented quilters as I could - but if I had used it, I'd show you the many smiling faces of happy quilters, stunning quilts brought in by several of the guilds, and festive decorations made by the Plank Road Quilt Guild who hosted the meeting. I also regret not having my picture taken with Ann Hawkins, QCNYS president, and Mary Jane Frind, both of whom were responsible for inviting me to speak. The quilts made by the guilds can be seen at: www.qcnys.org. 

The day was brimming with the best of the season, and I was thrilled to be a part of it! I'm looking forward to seeing these quilters and visiting their quilt shows throughout the new year. Do you belong to a quilt guild or sewing group? I'd love to hear more - email me at tierneybarden@gmail.com.

First Annual Labor Day Sale!

It's on! Our first Annual Labor Day Sale

      Now through Monday, September 5th, 2016!

20% off all PDF's

10% off all Pre-Cuts

(Pre-Cuts include: FQ's, F8's, Charms, 2.5" strips, 1/4 yard Complete set of colors)

$5.00 Scrap Bundles! A whopping value!!

10% off Organic Jersey Crib Sheet kits (Best price online!!)

Follow on Instagram for daily listings of our Sample Sale!

Our samples include hand sewn and hand knit garments, bags and quilts. All are beautifully made and will brighten your life or that of someone you love! 

LABOR DAY GIVE AWAY!

For a chance to win a $25.00 Gift Certificate (good for anything in the the shop) simply follow Tierney Barden on Instagram, leave a comment telling us one project (any!) that you'd like to finish by the year's end, and tag 2 friends. That's it! The lucky winner will be announced on September 6th!

As always, we love to see what you're stitching! Share what you're making with our fabrics and patterns on Instagram using #stitchingenchantment.

Thank you for your support, purchases and kind words on social media! Your creativity is what gets us excited to be in the studio and dye kitchen every day! If you have a suggestion for items you'd like us to carry, please tell us in the comments below. 

Wishing everyone a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend!

#MakeDo Progress and a Sale!

Last week, I posted about Sherri Lynn Wood's #MakeDoQuilt Challenge. Today, I'm sharing my progress. I spent days researching antique red and white quilts from the American Folk Art Museum's book, Red & White Quilts, Infinite Variety. I needed to find a quilt design that was roughly 2/3 white and 1/3 red, determined by the amounts of each fabric I had available. After much deliberation, I decided on the Railroad Quilt (Cups and Saucers Variation). 

Work in progress on the design wall. I like how the feed sack instantly ages this quilt.

Next, I'll sew the border (not shown) and prepare a red binding. Once the border is on, I will have officially used up every bit of the feed sack/white fabric I allowed myself for the challenge. I'm anticipating the finished piece to measure about 30" x 30". 

I'm enjoying every bit of this process, and am learning more about myself as quilter.  I'll continue to post updates. Leave a commentor tell me about your #MakeDoQuilt!

The typographer in me is loving the feed sack fragments! 

My first Annual Labor Day Sale! 

The sale runs from September 1st - 5th, 2016, and all pre-cuts and PDF patterns will be on sale! it's the first time fabrics will be on sale - you don't want to miss out! No codes needed, just visit the online shop and fill your cart with gorgeous fabrics and sweet quilt patterns! Surprise items may be added, so keep an eye on Instagram!

#MakeDoQuilt Challenge

In the spirit of the challenge, I've pulled from my fabric stash two feed sacks and some left over hand dyed silk noil. From my closet, I've pulled one dark teal blouse and a pair of red pants, both past their prime. 

If you're a quilter and are on Facebook or Instagram, you likely know about Sherri Lynn Wood's #MakeDoQuilt Challenge. I'm joining the challenge, and sincerely hope you will, too! 

In a nutshell, Sherri Lynn's challenge to quilt makers is to make at least one quilt in a year's time using only found textiles; for example, discarded clothing and household linens, garage sale and thrift shop finds, clothing swaps with friends, etc.. She states that you get extra points for salvaging the batting and backing, too! Read Sherri Lynn's post for all the details and thoughtful back story: http://daintytime.net/2016/08/11/make-do-challenge/

Her challenge resonates with me on a few levels: as a quilter who loves a challenge; as a dyer who is seeking best practices for our health and the earth's health; as a textile artist who wants to leave as small a footprint as possible. I'm both compelled and excited to participate! Plus, there's tons of inspiration already happening on Instagram, #MakeDoQuilt, by other talented quilters joining in. What a great idea - thank you Sherri Lynn Wood!

This challenge already has me approaching the quilt process in a new way. I'm keenly aware of the variety of textures and weights of the fabrics I've pulled (photo above). The quantity of each fabric now plays an integral and critical part of the design process, designing according to what I have. Quilt strategy at its best!  

Pursuing my interest in feeling closer to our quilting heritage, I'm looking to antique quilts for design inspiration. Here are three from "The American Quilt" by Roderick Kiracofe: 

Since making letters for a special commissioned quilt in December 2015, I've wanted to do more with words - perhaps piecing a beautiful quote or poem.  This challenge might be the perfect opportunity to get going! 

Inscription, 1874-1876, made by Cornelia Catharine Vosburgh, Red Hook, NY

As a natural dyer, indigo quilts and Turkey Red quilts always steal my heart. From this challenge, I'd like to learn a new technique or a new block. The feathered star might be the ticket!

Feathered Star, c.1840-1860, found in eastern Ohio; cottons, pieced, with stuffed work and cording, 82 1/2" x 91". Collection of Gail Binney.

Hawaiian Quilts make me weak in the knees. They're always stunning, and they certainly speak to my love of paper cutting. What I'm most curious to try is echo hand quilting. So beautiful.

Unnamed pattern, c. 1940, Hawaii; cottons, appliqued, 81" x 85". Robert and Ardis James Collection.

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/feb/23/marie-kondo-joy-decluttering-waste-recycling-clothes-peak-stuff

In addition to pushing one's own creative limits, there's a second element to Sherri Lynn's challenge, and that is increasing one's awareness of the huge problem the world is facing regarding fabric, landfills and our soil and water supply.

Overconsumption is a problem for us all. As a quilter, if the making of even one quilt can begin to affect change, then I'm all in. Every effort counts! Recently, I posted about how each piece of cloth is handled here in the studio, and the truth is, every scrap is accounted for. None of it goes in the trash. 

100% of my quilt making scraps over the past 22 months, and all of it is safe for my compost bin.

I'll post my #MakeDoQuilt updates here and on my IG feed. Do you have any questions for me? Are you participating, too? Let's get some conversation going, and I'd love to hear and see how you're meeting the #MakeDoQuilt Challenge!