Custom Quilts made in 2017

It's my annual look back on the custom quilts I made during the year that I haven't shared yet (some were gifts).

Click on the photos to see larger views.

Ariel's Double-Sided T-shirt quilt. 46" x 80"

Alice's Double-Sided T-shirt Quilt, 85" x 91"

Jo Jo's Double-Sided T-shirt quilt, 58" x 78"

YSKP T-shirt quilt, 46" x 80"

Salem T-shirt quilt, 46" x 88"

Gypsy Moon bed quilt and pillow cases, 88" x 93"

House Banners art quilts, 16" x 21", each

White Mum Corsage Fabric Mosaic, 11" x 14" framed

Skull & Flower art quilt ala Georgia O'Keeffee, 6" x 6" x 1"

Wool Roving as Embellishment featured in Art Quilting Studio Magazine

Two of my framed quilted fabric mosaics, "Mountain Mist" and "Northern Lights" are featured in Art Quilting Studio's Magazine's Winter 2018 issue.

The article that I wrote gives a brief description on how I made both of these pieces but focuses mostly on the wool roving that I used as an embellishment.

Art Quilting Studio is only published two times a year but is packed full of new quilting techniques and innovative design ideas. It is one of many publications put out by Stampington & Company. I've heard it's available at some Joann stores. Or you can order it from the Stampington website.

"Daybreak is Your Midnight" in the OOVAR Exhibit in Columbus

"Daybreak is Your Midnight," 35.5" x 36", made by Pam Geisel, 2014

My art quilt "Daybreak is Your Midnight" is on exhibit with the 11th Annual Ohio Online Visual Artist Registry Juried Exhibition. The exhibit runs through Jan. 6, 2018 at the Carnegie Gallery in the Columbus Metropolitan Main Library in Columbus, Ohio. There will be a closing reception on Sat. Jan. 6 from 2-4 pm.

Art & Soul art show this Sat, Nov. 18 in Yellow Springs

My last show of the year this year is Art & Soul, which features over 30 exceptional artists who “put their souls into making art.” The show is this Sat., Nov. 18 from 10 am-5 pm. It will be in the Mills Lawn School Gym, 200 S. Walnut St. in Yellow Springs, just one block from the Xenia Ave. There's plenty of free parking in town and also in the lot behind the school.

There is a $4 admission fee, a portion of which will go to the Yellow Springs Schools and the Yellow Springs Police Coat Fund.

You can find photos and bios of all the artists participating on the Art & Soul Facebook page.

Quilting Workshop in Preble County, Nov 11

"Delightful Daisy," 9" x 9", handmade by Pam Geisel, May 2017

Last year I taught two quilting workshops at the Visual Arts Center of Preble County (Ohio). This year I am teaching participants how to make the "Delightful Daisy" art quilt. We will cover piecing, using fusibles, machine raw-edge applique, couching yarn, and making a facing (knife edge) binding.

The workshop is Sat., Nov. 11 from 10:30-1:30 pm. The cost is $45 for members, $60 for non members and it includes materials, although you can bring fabric from your own stash if you want.

You can register for the workshop on-line here, or contact the Visual Arts Center of Preble County at (937) 456-3999 or info@preblearts.org.

"Be Still My Beaded Hearts"

"Be Still My Beaded Hearts," 17" x 8" x 1", made by Pam Geisel, Oct. 2017

This year I've made several custom quilts, new baby quilts, bookmarks, wine glass coasters, and printed note cards, but it's been awhile since I've made an art quilt.

I made this one so I'd have something to do as a demonstration during the Yellow Springs Open Studios last month. I fused six connected white hearts to a rainbow batik background then stitched them down. 

During the Open Studios I added over 300 beads by hand, matching the bead color to the background color. I tried to use as many different types of beads as possible.

I was a little concerned about the weight of the beads so I wrapped it around some wooden stretcher bars.

I made this design because we're having a lobby show at Village Artisans and the theme is "What Makes Your Heart Sing" and two of the things that make my heart sing are rainbow colors and sparkly glass beads. I also like taking close up photos of beads. The exhibit runs from Nov. 9-Jan 2 at Village Artisans, 100 Corry St. in Yellow Springs.

As always you can click on the photos to see them larger (seriously, I think these are awesome photos!)

More about Be Still My Beaded Hearts

"Behind the Scenes (revisited)" exhibit of Bill Franz's photos and his subject's artwork and Fundraiser

Photo from last year's Art Off Fundraiser, my quilt "She Paints with Fabric" and my art box "Inside of a Dog" are in the background

Three years ago I was contacted by photographer Bill Franz who had retired from his job and wanted to take photos of artists in their studios. At that time I'd just finished my large art quilt "Lavender Diamonds" which he thought that would be a good back drop.

Last year the K12 and TEJAS Gallery had an exhibit of works from local artists with the photos that Bill took of them working in their studios displayed with their artwork. This exhibit was so much fun that they are doing it again this year.

My art quilt "Journey" will be in this year. The exhibit runs from Nov. 3-25 and it was really interesting to see the artwork and the photos together.

The reception is this Sat., Nov. 4 from 6-9 pm during their annual "Art Off" Fundraiser. Tickets for the event are $50 per person or $75 per couple and include food, drinks, music, performers, art demonstrations, silent and live auctions, and a live painting competition. We went last year and it really was a lot of fun.

"Time Lapse Moon Rise" Book Publication and Exhibit Follow Up

Me with the page that my quilt "Time Lapse Moon Rise" in the book "Fly Me to the Moon: an Art Quilt Journey"

My copy of the book "Fly Me to the Moon: an Art Quilt Journey" by Susanne Miller Jones has arrived! My quilt "Time Lapse Moon Rise" is on page 197 in the section "Studying the Moon." It includes photos and information about all 179 art quilts that were juried into this traveling exhibit.

This is the blurb on the publisher's website and the back of the book:

"When the Apollo astronauts went to the moon, the whole world watched. When the Fly Me to the Moon art quilt challenge went out, it went global. This book showcases the curated results of that call for entries: 179 art quilts by over 130 artists from 8 countries, expressing their interpretation of the space program and all things lunar. Walk down memory lane or discover the story of the missions for the first time, but most importantly, enjoy a trip to the moon and beyond without the time and rigors of space training. As you travel into space, meet the astronauts, hum the tunes, and listen to the artists tell you about their pieces. Find endless inspiration and discover what the moon is really made of: cotton, thread, crystals, paint, ink, tulle, and crocheted lace."

I also learned from the book that NASA astronaut Kathy Nyberg was the first person to quilt and sew in space!

I was fortunate enough to get to see all of the quilts in person last Friday at the Indianapolis Quilt Guild show. While the show is a traveling exhibit, not all of the quilts were at all of the locations, but I got to see all of them. The photo above shows just some of them (including mine, on the right side).

Here's a closer view of the group that my quilt was with. All of the quilts were very impressive and some were quite moving.

You can click on any of the photos to see them larger. Here are some links you might be interested in:

For more information about my quilt and how I made it.

For more information about the book and how to order it from Amazon.

For more information about all of the quilts click here.

To see other photos of this exhibit from the Indianapolis Quilt Guild show.

The publisher's website also has a page where you can read about the quilters and/or to hear them talk about their quilt.

New Baby Quilt: Octopus's Garden

"Octopus's Garden" handmade baby quilt by Pam Geisel, 33" x 33"

I made this lovely baby quilt using Toscana chips by Northcott fabric. It's a pretty straight forward construction with quilting lines that made "x"s in all of the squares.

More about Octopus's Garden

More New Notecards!

I had some new professionally-printed note cards made of some of my quilts.

Top row, left to right: Baseball - Inside, Little House, Mill, Moon.
Middle two: Baseball - Outside, Beach
Bottom row, left to right: Pumpkin, Zigzag, Flower, Path

They are available as singles ($4) and in sets ($20) at in Yellow Springs at Village Artisans, where ever I'm doing a show, and on my Etsy page.

Yellow Springs Open Studios this weekend

This weekend is the Yellow Springs Open Studios event. There are 30 artists at 22 locations.

My guest artist is Carol Culbertson, who creates both pottery and weavings.

The event is Sat. & Sun., Oct. 21 & 22, from 10am-5 pm. Click here for an interactive map of studio locations (artists are organized alphabetically by FIRST name). Printed brochures will also be available at the studios, and also in downtown Yellow Springs.

"Time Lapse Moon Rise" part of the "Fly Me to the Moon" exhibit in Indianapolis and Book Publication

"Time Lapse Moon Rise," 18" x 30", made by Pam Geisel, 2015

Two years ago I made the art quilt "Time Lapse Moon Rise" for the Fly Me to the Moon art quilts to honor the 50th Anniversary of man walking on the moon. The quilts, which will tour tour the country at different events through 2019, are finally going to be close enough for me to see them all together at the Indianapolis Guild Show at Westfield Middle School on October 20 and 21. You can view all of the quilts, or get more information here.

The book is also being published this month and it can be purchased from Schiffer Publishing or Amazon.

Professionally printed note cards of this quilt are available at Village Artisans and on-line in my Etsy shop.

Three art quilts in the 25th Annual Art Quilt Exhibit at Aullwood Audubon Center

Three of my art quilts (from left: "Persian Shield", "The View From My Hammock", and "She Paints With Fabric") are included in the "Spots, Stripes, and Shapes in Nature," the 25th annual art quilt exhibit at Aullwood Audubon Center, located at 1000 Aullwood Rd. in Dayton, Ohio. The show runs from Sept. 16 through Nov. 4 and there will be an artist reception on Sunday, Oct. 1 from 2-4 p. The center is open M-Sa from 9a-5p and Su from 1-5p. There is a $5 admission fee that allows access to the center and also to the farm.

"Stitch by Stitch" YS Textile Art Group show at the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs

Now extended through Nov. 12!

Stitch By Stitch: A cross-cultural exploration of contemporary textile and fiber art is presented by five members of the Yellow Springs Textile Art Group. The members, Corrine Bayraktaroglu, Carol Culbertson, Pam Geisel, Bette Kelley, and Phyllis Schmidt are all Yellow Springs fiber and textile artists who create innovative embroidery, weaving, and art quilts.

You can view the show during the months of Sept. and Oct. at the Winds Cafe, 215 Xenia Ave. in Yellow Springs. The Winds Cafe is open Tues.-Sat. from 11:30 am-2:30 pm and 5-10 pm, and on Sun. from 10 am-3 pm, they are closed on Mondays.

There will be an opening reception on Sun., Sept. 17, from 6:30-8:30 pm.

Quilt National 2017

Photo by the Dairy Barn Arts Center

It is once again time for my biennial trip to see Quilt National, an art quilt exhibition held on odd-numbered years at the Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio and attracts entries from around the globe. This year there are 85 art quilts from 28 states and 9 countries.

The exhibit runs through Sept 4, 2107. If you don't get a chance to see it there, you can either view it on line, or catch it on tour.

On Tour

As of this posting, parts of the show will tour to St. Louis, MO and Columbus, OH.

The St. Louis exhibit will be at the Foundry Art Centre from Oct. 6-Dec. 1, 2017.

The Columbus exhibit will be at the Riffe Gallery from Jan. 25-Apr. 14, 2018.

On-Line

Photography isn't allowed in the Dairy Barn but there are many place on-line to see some of the quilts:
- Prize winners
- People's Choice leaders
Some of my favorites are here, including:
   - "Global Players" by Brigitte Kopp of Kasel-Golzig, Germany
   - "Chasm 23" by Beth Carney of Yonkers, NY
   - "Butterfly Garden" by Pamela Loewen of Williamston, MI

Here's a list of exhibitors.

New Hawaiian Themed Wine Glass Coasters and Bookmarks

We recently took a trip to Hawaii and had a great time. Of course I couldn't come home without some new fabric. I used some of that fabric to make some bookmarks...

...and some wine glass coasters. I'll have them at Art on the Lawn this Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. After the show I'll take them to Village Artisans.

Art on the Lawn, Sat. Aug. 12 in Yellow Springs

Me at Art on the Lawn two years ago.

Art on the Lawn is this Saturday, Aug 12 from 10 am-5 pm at Mills Lawn, 200 S. Walnut St. in Yellow Springs, Ohio. I'll be there under the shade of the trees with my art. There will be around 100 artists, plus some food vendors and live musicians. The show is sponsored by Village Artisans, where I am a member.

20 T-Shirt Quilts!

I've been organizing my files and discovered I've made 20 t-shirt quilts! Here are the fronts and backs of them. (I'll start #21 next month). As always, you can click on any of the photos to see them larger.)

(For this one the backing was provided, it was an unfinished quilt top)

Double-sided t-shirt quilts:

While most of the others had some t-shirts on the back, these were designed to be two-sided, with the same-sized shirt matching up on the other side.

More about custom t-shirt quilts