Designing with Valerie

I'm at Quilting by the Lake, an annual conference in Syracuse, NY that includes quilting, surface design, collage, and other topics. It's a great place to study with some terrific teachers and to work with some wonderful people. My workshop this week is a design class with Valerie Goodwin, who specializes in art quilt maps.

Since I never had a design class and I love Valerie's work, this is perfect. Above is one result from a series of exercises in design principles, using fabric collage, paint, sheer layers, and the design elements. All seven below, in stages of construction.

Happy Information Overload

On Friday I drove to Essex Junction, VT with Pat Pauly to view the Vermont Quilt Festival. The image above represents my experience there: loads of color, spectacular techniques, fresh ideas, and a lot happening all at once! (Apologies to the artist who made this masterpiece. We were about to leave and I forgot to photograph her tag. Love it!)

It was fun to go there with Pat. She pointed out many pieces, techniques, and artists I couldn't quite put into context because of my inexperience in this little universe of quilts. And when we left, she asked me how I would view the event if (or, more likely, when) I come again. A great question! I answered then and have thought about it since then. I would

• Buzz through the entries quickly then go back and spend more time on a few favorites (usually in the contemporary abstract category).
• Spend more time in the special exhibits area and attend more of the talks there. Loads to learn from the experts there.
• Make a better shopping list before I go! Now that I know I can buy almost anything related to fiber art there, I'll know what to expect. I did pretty well though - found several things I want for the workshop I'm taking at QBL in a few weeks, including silks at this very inviting booth.