Is it okay if I move on from the kerfuffle? At some point at QuiltCon someone said that I’ve made potty-mouth quilting and crafting my thing and it made me pause to reflect. I guess it’s one part of the things I do, but I make loads of other things. So when it flares up, it can feel mighty claustrophobic and seem like folks might get the wrong impression of what it is that I do.
Anyway, I had another quilt hanging at QuiltCon and it won first place for small applique quilts. This was a total surprise since it’s my first applique quilt ever.
Maybe I’ll get a lesson or two and try this again?
You can see round-ups of photos of the QuiltCon winners on this blog or, more compactly, in this flickr set. There were some lovely quilts in the show. First place in large pieced quilts was this Ron Swanson by Monica Solorio-Snow. My good buddy Jacey got in on the photo but only with her own ‘stache.
Mostly I met a zillion quilters, stared at many quilts, and attended a few lectures. You can see some of the lectures for free over here on Craftsy. Some were really great, some were really okay, and one was rather infuriating.
When I needed a moment of solitude, I’d find a quiet corner of the convention center and just stitch for a while.
There’s not going to be a single potty-mouthed word in this redwork sampler.
Well naturally I want to know which one was the infuriating one. Dang now that’s going to be on my mind all morning! Just kidding…and I’m not trying to ask you to tell me which one it was. But I love the fact that you sat in on one that infuriated you. Did you walk out before it was done?
Nope, I stayed for the whole thing! I’d hoped the Q/A would clear things up, but the speaker just dug themselves deeper in a hole.
Um, yep, dug to China =)
now I REALLY want to know!
Was this one on the Craftsy recap?
Hey congratulations! I had been wondering about your non-kerfuffle inducing piece…
wow ..i think of you as political, aware, contemporary and so talented…potty mouthed was not included in say the top 100 adjectives that crossed my mind…you reflect…and comment in your work, and it is amazing….
well said! I completely agree!
Belatedly – Cynthia says it all! Your blog and your work are so not that single, witty and interesting group project.
I don’t think potty mouth when I click to go to your blog and read what you are up to- I think creative beautiful stitching.
I was writing a comment yesterday when my son stopped over for a visit. when he asked what I was up to I told him about your post and then showed him your gallery of work. He loves your quilts – especially legit rape. quilting isn’t just for grandmas ; )
The people who are critical of the “kerfuffle” piece are the same ones who do not have the intellectual capacity to distinguish between erotic art and pornography, so don’t give them any more of your energy. They’ll probably never understand what made the “f*ck” quilt so great, and they don’t have me offering to buy their quilts, do they!! BTW, congrats on the award, and loved seeing the Ron Swanson quilt, too. That was made by a member of our guild here in Portland. <3
Your appliqué quilt was one of my favorites. I’m curious about that infuriating lecture, too … probably because of my reaction to a lecture on Modern Quilting at a local guild that infuriated me, too :-)
Potty mouth isn’t a word I would use to describe you. It’s just one aspect of your crafty exploration, I think. Your self-portrait piece is just stunning. My mind has been racing about the discussions we had. Also, my moustache isn’t nearly as nice as Ron’s, but it was nice to stand next to him. ;)
or, mustache.
To suggest that the only thing you do is potty-mouthed or that that is your “thing” is ridiculous. I take this comment to mean one of two things: 1) the speaker doesn’t really know you or your breadth of your craft (read “mad skills”) 2) they only know your for the more in your face work, rather than the other subtler, but no less important pieces (see #1). From my perspective you are one of the few quilters I pay attention to these days who are doing innovative work and challenging the status quo. Without quilters/stitchers like you we are all living in a very one dimensional world. I for one am grateful for your work.
Oh, I think they meant no harm at all. It was just a passing statement about how we present ourselves. Some won’t associate with those who push boundaries because, like any middle-school girl in the lunchroom, they don’t want to be shunned by their “friends.”
P.S. Your reflections on the lectures, etc. does not surprise me. Thank you for sharing.
I think everyone here knows that you’re multi-dimentional. Certain things will attract attention, and that’s not always bad. ;-)
I found your blog because I know Kristin LaFlamme and I saw her blog post on the blocks she made for the F*ck quilt. I certainly don’t think that your thing is “potty mouth” at all. I try not to catagorize anyone to “their thing” however, when I read your blog I know that I’m going to frequently discover a way that you are pushing boundaries, and that is why I’m willing to read it. I found the f*ck quilt to be incredibly daring (not in the way that is scandalizing to some people) but in that it is a complete antithesis to traditional quilting, and I am completely a traditional quilter!
Is this the place to say that I don’t consider the use of certain four-letter words to be “potty-mouth” at all? I consider that “salty talk.” My definition of “potty mouth” is people (like perhaps my MIL) who feel compelled to share EVERYTHING about their bodily functions. Way more than I want to hear about!
Congratulations on the prize winner! What an accomplishment!
Huge congratulations on the win.
I truly love all the “Modern” quilts that are around at the moment but in my humble opinion you are one of the few who is really pushing the art/craft, and I find that very exciting.
Congratulations on your win!
Your quilting and embroidery is always thought provoking and somehow needed at that moment in time. But I have to say that I do hope that next year will not see a sudden rise in potty mouthed (or otherwise textual controversial) pieces at large, just because it is the IN thing to do. The gimmick of fuck, so to speak.
i agree.
congratulations :) As for the comment about what your thing is, they obviously don’t know what your thing is and their comment has no value or meaning.
You are a brilliant artist in multiple mediums. I follow your blog and have deep admiration and appreciation for all your work. People try to “box in” others who threaten or challenge their status quo or beliefs, so please ignore boxes and do your thing, undeterred by those who demean, minimize, belittle or pejoratively label your work!
that was your first applique quilt? holy cow. no starting out easy for you, eh. makes your quilt that much more impressive. ooh, would love to know which lecture you found infuriating. haven’t watched the lectures yet, but plan to.
hurrah for winning a prize!!
Congratulations on the price!
Potty mouth seems to me (non native speaker) as a person who throws a lot of “naughty” words out there for lack of imagination and/or the need to show off. I.e. just about the opposite of what you are doing.
Aaand… Am I wondering what the infuriating lecture was about? Yep!
Don’t let the class train you out of creativity in applique! Not saying that you will, probably. I have a guess which lecture made you mad, based on some verbal diarrhea some have been posting recently. I think it’s weird that some people want to make their personal opinions the authoritative voice on a rapidly evolving subject.
congratulations on the win!! It is a spectacular piece!
Congratulations! Another one of my favorites. Your applique skills are amazing. Make more.
Congrats on winning first place, it’s stunning!
Congratulations, that i an amazing quilt and an amazing first applique quilt.
People always ask me what I want my girls to grow up to be and ‘that quilt’ has made be realize that I just want them to give a fuck. About other people, about the world, to not be apathetic. So thanks.
You, a one-note artist? I think not!
It was such a pleasure to meet you. As always, I wish you lived next door.
I hope the infuriating lecture is in the Craftsy package. I ‘need’ more fodder for pondering quilting & where I fit into it.
Peace be with you, friend.
Your portrait quilt is a beauty. Congrats on the award. Only “knowing” you via your blog, I appreciate the breadth of your work. If the comment about potty mouth gives you pause, please rebound from it. As other posters have said better than I can, your work shows that you are more than isolated words. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
You know how much I love that quilt…it was a wonderful to see it in person. I’m still wondering whether to blog about the infuriating lecture or not, at least we got to be infuriated together.
I certainly don’t see you as potty mounthed, but then I swear like a trouper, and that’s just at work. I love your posts as they make such a refreshing change. Don’t get me wrong, I like mainstream and I like to keep up with what people are making, but when you’ve seen 65000 Scrappy Trip quilts on blogs in the course of a week, you know that a visit over here will NOT show you a scrappy trip quilt… You are original, inventive, creative, expressive and thoroughly talented. I was not surprised your applique quilt won, congratulations, I hope you win many more awards as your work deserves it – though I get the feeling the awards aren’t a big deal for you?
Well deserved ribbon on your appliqué quilt. I love the unexpected composition and the lovely balance between spare and intricate.
So happy for you getting first prize…what a thrill to have your work so appreciated and “judged” with top honors. You have so many talents I always look forward to stopping by and seeing what new thing you are working on, or have finished. Your command of language is always refreshing as well, along with your point of view. Glad you were able to go in person and have that experience.
That was a well deserved win. It’s an amazing quilt. Beautiful and meaningful.
Personally, I think the person who said that you have made potty mouth quilting your thing, is simply lacking knowledge or understanding of your quilting and your other craft work. Viewed together with your other work, it’s clear that you have many different “things”. And I guess that’s just one of the limitations of art. Seeing one quilt by an artist limits the viewer to just that sample, and will be heavily influenced by the viewer’s interpretation of the quilt. Only by viewing a collection of an artist’s works can you begin to get a sense of the artist behind the works.
Don’t let your voice be silenced. If anyone disagrees, they are free to put their own opinion or reaction out into the world, which is something altogether different (and far more difficult) than resorting to criticizing your artistic responses and interpretations. Jealousy comes in many forms. You can be rightly offended but please don’t change. You’re brilliant!
I agree Linda, people have a right to be offended and say so, but what gets me is that some feel being offended is a licence to victimize, demonize or label others.
When I saw this quilt had won an award, I was thrilled. I love almost all that you create but this particular piece really spoke to me on an artistic level. It feels to me like a raw or soul-bearing kind of piece that is so well executed (from a visual perspective) that to me it is not only a quilt…it is art.
Love, love, love your appliqué quilt. I can see why you received first place.
The dust up over the F*ck quilt makes me laugh.
I was wondering if you might be able to e-mail me to discuss your experiences at the QuiltCon lectures. There are a couple people who lectured that my Guild were thinking of getting to come to Portland to talk. I’d like to know what you thought of their lectures if you took them in. Thanks!
(I’d email you but I seem to be unable to find an e-mail for you.)
Seems interesting that some people insist on trying to put others in small boxes. Yes, some of your quilts and samplers have vivid expressions, but others are just peaceful or quirky or thoughtful or fun. You are an allround gifted craft-artist and I’m continually inspirered by your work (potty mouthed and otherwise).
just so you know, potty mouthed are the very last words i would use to describe you!! i am so happy you were able to meet jacey! she is such a fun fun fun girl and i just love her! i am so happy your applique won first prize. it is absolutely deserved. i am sure it was a wonderfully happy surprise in the midst of a sad sad time.
You are a brave and honest hero in my eyes. Best wishes on a grand, glorious, varied future!
And here I was just so thankful we got those 20 minutes to chat. So much thought and kindness in that short conversation, regardless of the quilts.
Congrats!
Congrats! This is one of my favorite of your quilts.
Were there many hand quilted quilts at the show? I noticed on the page you linked above that there was a handwork category. I love to hand quilt and hand sew my piecing too. Just curious about the hand quilters at the show!
not very many and certainly not many that were technically difficult–piecing or quilting. it’s certainly an area of opportunity to develop. what is “modern handwork”? will be interesting to see.
Thanks for the info. Definitely an interesting topic and lots of room for exploration and creativity.
I second cynthia craig, and elisa, and so many others here. I love your work, your talent and your courage to go with you instintc and put it “out there”.
It was a total pleasure and honor to be one of those zillion quilters you meet….