The Art of the Quilt, Hyde Park, MA

A litter farther from home, two of my pieces, Journey and Time Lapse Moon Rise are in The Art of the Quilt at the Menino Arts Center in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. That exhibit is open December 14, 2023–January 21, 2024 with a reception on Saturday, December 9 from 3–5 pm (I will not be there). The gallery is located at 26 Central Ave. in Hyde Park, MA and is open W–F 10–4 and Sa 10–noon. There is an on-line gallery of the quilts in the show on their website.

Layered Raw-Edge Appliqued Landscape Quilts featured in Art Quilting Studio Magazine

Two of my art quilts, "High Line in New York City" and "Time Lapse Moon Rise" are featured in Art Quilting Studio's Magazine's Summer 2021 issue.

The article that I wrote gives a brief description on how I made both of these landscape quilts using a layered raw-edge applique technique.

Art Quilting Studio is published quarterly and 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. You can find a store near you where it's sold or order it directly from the Stampington website.

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing with Moon Quilts

 

"Time Lapse Moon Rise" (above) is the art quilt that I made to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the moon landing. It is still travelling as a part of the "Fly Me to the Moon" exhibit and was also included in the "Fly Me to the Moon: An Art Quilt Journey" book. 

But it seems that I like to use the moon in my quilts as I've included it in at least five other quilts. Usually I like to use it as a full moon, but there is one that has a sliver of a moon. Some of the moons could also be suns, if that's how you want to look at them.

 Millefiori Moonlight

This moon (or sun) on this quilt doesn't have any quilting on it so it puffs out away from the quilt. I did add some extra batting behind it to give it even more shape.

Quilt Encounters of the Thread Kind

One of my more recent quilts, this one uses hand dyed fabrics and the fabric for the moon has some light purples in it.

Sheep Dreams Counting Sheep

This moon, and the counterpoint circle of light green fabric behind the sheep in the lower right corner both have yarn couched around their edges.

Mr. Moonlight

This piece was made from a silk necktie that was cut apart and sewn back together in a square. I usually make neckties into purses but the image on this one was so interesting I beaded it and wrapped it around a frame so it could be hung.

Gypsy Moon

The moon, and the swoosh above it, are a peach-colored taffeta. This quilt uses several non-cotton fabrics including silks, velvets, and shiny denim. 

"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.

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.

"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.

Time Lapse Moon Rise, for the "Fly Me to the Moon" Exhibit Collection

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

I was recently notified that my art quilt "Time Lapse Moon Rise," which I made back in August of 2015, was accepted for the "Fly Me to the Moon" art quilt exhibit. The exhibit is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of man's walk on the moon. 175 pieces were selected and will travel for through 2019. Locations are still being finalized. There is also a book being planned, but final selection hasn't been determined for that yet.

Organizer Susanne Miller Jones created a list of desired topics for quilts including: Memories of July 20, 1969, the Apollo Missions, the Apollo Astronauts, Scientific Moon Images, Moon Idioms and Songs, Moon Pop Culture, Romantic Moon, and Moon Myths and Superstitions.

I started by searching for images of the moon and came across time lapse photos taken of the moon rising. I was intrigued by both the way the colors of the moon rising changed and also how, because of the rotation of the earth, the moon rose at an angle. 

Depending on what time of day the moon rises, it will appear different colors. If it rises early in the evening, where it is still daylight, the moon can appear more red, partially because of the particles in the atmosphere. As the sky darkens it provides more contrast for the moon, so it becomes whiter. This is why the sky in my quilt blends from lighter, where the moon is lower, to darker, where the moon is higher.

I also noticed that the colors of the moon weren’t solid in the different times, but they seemed to blend into each other. The background shapes and the designs in the quilting are squares and rectangles were planned to contrast with the roundness of the moon(s). 

I started by playing around with layout ideas on my computer. I thought the moon rise image needed a horizontal layout but all of the quilts had to be 18" x 30" high, so I decided to add the moon rise reflecting in the water.

The first step was to sort my blue fabrics. I used commercial cotton fabrics for this, and I also used all of the available flat space.

Next I cut 3.5" squares and fused them to a piece of iron-on interfacing. I didn't want the bulk of the seams or the look of pieced fabric.

I used hand-dyed fabrics for the moons which were fused to the background. I top stitched around the moons to keep them down then fused small pieces of blue waves over the moons on the bottom part.

I cut many smaller blue squares in different sizes and fused them to the background so the larger blue squares aren't really recognizable as an organized layout. I basted and started quilting.

I did free motion meandering but with straight lines and squares and rectangle shapes using a blue variegated thread.

When I got to the waves I quilted wavy lines through them. Some of the blue rectangles were sheer fabrics, there is one in the upper right corner of this photo.

One of the last things I did was fuse a piece of fabric, the same one I used for the waves over the moons, and quilted that in place, to soften where the sky met the water. You can see another sheer fabric in the upper right corner of this photo.

You can click on any of the photos to see them larger. To read more about the exhibit and the book, click here.

More about Time Lapse Moon Rise