seam by seam

I must admit there are times when making a quilt seems endless--and more than a bit scary. After all, I have spent so many days with it and while I may have a vision of the look I want in the end, I can never be sure it is going to work the way I want it to. Instead all I can do is keep sewing. Keep hoping. Look at my design board frequently. And test different fabric colors until it seems right.

It seems so simple at first. The little pieces fall into place. Of course there is the question as to how quickly I want the color transition to go. Was I a bit impatient?

process--ann brauer 2018

But I know I need to anchor the bottom of this quilt with a ridge line. Maybe it is the soil. Maybe the deep dark mountains. You decide. But doesn't it look different with the colors there.

process--ann brauer 2018

And now I can echo the dark of the mountains with the dark in the sky. Again I test colors.

process--ann brauer 2018

And start to add even more fabrics. I love the hint of rose. The warmth of the rusts. Gradually it is taking shape.

process--ann brauer 2018

Still there is a long way to go. I have the wonderful light on the top. The feeling of the endless sky looking up. Now to work on the bottom. More piecing and fretting. Is a quilter ever done?

process--ann brauer 2018

How do you work? How much to you start with a vision? Do you ever feel that the quilt will not get done?

explorations--I begin

It did sound like an interesting show to enter. About twenty quilt makers were selected to each create a quilt that was 30 x 50 inches and highlight a particular process. So I entered and was among the chosen.  Of course my technique is quilt as you go--can you imagine my being selected for any other method? That was the easy part.

Unfortunately though I had to make the quilt. The first step of deciding what to make is often the hardest. What would illustrate the method, look artistic and fit the size requirements? My mind was alive with ideas. But....

I kept sketching. Would it look good at 30x50 inches? Oh why had they not chosen 32x48 inches which I find a much more satisfying size?  Or given us the option of making a horizontal quilt--again a size that can look great over the sofa or bed?  But this was taking up valuable mental energy.

I had to start. Many were already finished with their quilts. I couldn't let them down. I got gentle reminders. from the volunteer working on the project. She was so kind and patient.  Still I fretted.  Why did I agree to do this? I don't even like the focus on process?  Shouldn't it be on the artistic expression instead? Isn't process just the tool to say what you want to say? I could delay forever but I had promised. I was just procrastinating. I needed to make a quilt I could be proud of. Then it dawned on me.  My quilt "mountain sun" was 30 x 70 inches and I liked it. If it could work at that size, then surely it could work at 30 x 50 inches.

mountain sun--30x70 inches--ann brauer--2018

--image by John Polak

Now of course I didn't want to make a quilt just like this. That would be no fun. But I had customers through who had wondered about the quilt in plum--or maybe burgundy. That would be a fun challenge. I was curious to see what would happen.  Wouldn't I love to develop that colorway and then maybe make a couple of longer quilts for my booth. I feel such a need to go large these days. But more on that later.

Time to start. I press the back fabric. Amazing how wrinkled it gets on the bolt.

explorations--pressing the fabric--ann brauer 2018

Then I baste the batting onto the back. After all this is quilt as you go so the batting is included in the sandwich.

explorations--basting the batting to the fabric--ann brauer 2018

That always feel like a major step. I am committed. How do you decide what quilt to make? How do you begin? How do you show process? How much do you think process is relevant?

mountain sun

Ta da. The quilt is done and sold. It was one of those orders I had been fretting about over the winter. At 30 inches wide by 70 inches long it was a strange shape meant to go in the staircase. You know that long blank wall that you see as you walk down the stairs.

I wanted it to tell a simple story with the sun rising at the bottom. A color study that was also of a time and place. One of the challenges was to use the measurements to add to the story. Shouldn't the sky be dominant? Rising far above the mountains. And yet it shouldn't be just a color--with that size I wanted there to be a continuing interest and development. Again there needed to be a complexity to the colors.

Of course the only way to get the quilt done was to begin. I always tell myself to start with what I know and trust that the quilt will develop as I grow into it. But what a bulk of fabric this was to work with. Still I knew the sun and started.

mountain sun--detail--2018

What colors should I put in. After all, these would determine the colors throughout the quilt. How quickly should I have the colors progress through the palest tans and greys into colors with more substance and texture. How hard it was to be patient.

Still I kept sewing. The only way to get the quilt done was to move forward and trust that it would come together.

mountain sun--detail--ann brauer

Was the quilt getting too busy? As I worked I knew I wanted it to have those splashes of color and light. But still it was important to maintain the calming feeling that I knew the customer wanted. Still all I could do is keep moving forward. Notice how I added a bit of the horizon to give me some guidance as I kept piecing.

Finally though it was done. Don't you love the complexities of the colors?

mountain sun--30x70"--quilt--ann brauer 2018--image by John Polak

Don't the hints of blue sparkle against the tan while the colors move from light to dark and then back to light again seeming to echo the horizon and meadow. At least that is my thought.

And here is a detail. I love how the gently radiates its light against the grey of the mountains.

detail--Mountain Sun--quilt--Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak

I hung it in the studio so I could study it a bit.

mountain sun in studio--quilts--ann brauer 2018

And sure enough a couple dropped by to consider fiber art for their home. Maybe if I made another one in plum to coordinate....  Wouldn't that be lovely. Now that order has not come through yet but it does lead me to think. First though I do have a few other quilts I must complete. Isn't that how it works. One quilt inspires so many more. The only question is what to make next. I guess that's high class worries.

only 19 more days--nor'easter riley

As the snow swirls around my window (doesn't that sound dramatic--or is it just cliched) there are believe it or not only 19 more days until the Vernal Equinox. And today's entry into the spring cleaning is my wonderful quilt "study in stripes".

Don't you love the geometry of this quilt? Aren't the colors perfect for spring? Yes, it is based on the traditional log cabin pattern although I have played with the design. I made it by piecing and quilting the many strips of cotton fabric going through the cotton batting onto the back. Yes, I had to tie off threads at every seam. Argh!!!

study in stripes--detail--ann brauer

At 12 x 48 inches wouldn't this be a dramatic table runner for the spring? Wouldn't this look great in either a modern home or a country cottage.

study in stripes--quilt--12x48"--ann brauer 2013

Of course you could also hang it as an accent piece in that nook that needs a bit of color and design. I have attached looped tape on the top and bottom  and provide you with the matching hooked tape and faux wood to attach to the wall.

study in stripes--detail--ann brauer 2013

For some reason, this quilt needs a good home so I have decided to reduce it from $400 to $225--at least until spring comes. Of course I signed it. The quilt is listed here https://www.etsy.com/listing/176420147 on my Etsy shop. If you want to hang it horizontally let me know and I can attach the looped tape for an additional $20 fee.

study in stripes--detail--ann brauer

don't stop thinking about tomorrow

There is an apocryphal but oh so true story that I have heard for years--probably you have heard it also.

An artist is asked what she would do if she was given a million dollars. The answer of course is to keep making art until she ran out of money.

Isn't that the way it goes. Always there is another quilt to make. Another show to prepare for.

Next up is the Baltimore Craft Show February 23-25 at the Baltimore Convention Center. www.craftcouncil.org How I love this show. This is another large show with six hundred artists and lots of customers who are searching for an escape from winter. For me it is the first chance to define my work for the coming year. How can I create a body of work that carries on from what I have previously done, allows me take advantage of the insights from last year and reads as a cohesive whole. One friend noted that all of my square quilts reminded her of school bus windows. Interesting thought. Do I need to make more quilts that are other sizes? Another friend whose work I respect said she preferred my more abstract pieces. Hmmm. And of course there are all those who make comments about psychedelic colors. I hear these and put them in the back of my mind to gel.

I look at other art to feed my soul and to help me see new possibilities. What inspires me. What am I trying to say. I sketch lots of quilts that will probably not get made just to see if I could make them. After all,  I am not making quilts just to make quilts--I  want to make quilts that have a purpose. Although it can be important to understand the technique until it becomes my language, technique is not the content of the quilts--at least not for me. I want to speak with the viewer. What am I trying to communicate.

And I make lots of potholders and place mats as I think about it. There is no point in sitting idly by and fretting too much. That does not create art. Instead I sew and play with the fabrics.

This year I have decided to feature my quilt "mountain sunrise". I love the colors and the joy of this piece. So happy and confident. Definitely it will be a focus. But my booth is large and there are 600 exhibitors at the Baltimore Show. I need to WOW the crowd.

mountain sunrise--40x40"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

I make a long quilt--it's a new day. Not large enough to be a showstopper but still it was a quilt I wanted to make in a shape that could look great over a sofa or bed. Size does matter sometimes.

it's a new day--17x63"--Ann Brauer 2017

I look at other quilts I have made. I love the triptych in notes from twilight. That could make a strong statement in my booth.

notes from twilight--40x80"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

And I start sewing with a purpose. Yes this is a quilt that I want to make. A quilt that will look great. And a quilt that should dominate the booth. Now there is just the long slow road to completion. One tiny bit of fabric at a time. I'll try to keep you posted.

And you--how do you choose what to make? How do you create a body of work?

go big or go home--part one

Let's face it. Chicago is big. There are lots of people. Traffic from all directions. Buildings that stretch to the sky and then reflect it.

view of Chicago from Merchandise Mart

The lions at the Art Institute are big.

lions outside of Art Institute--Chicago

One of my favorite paintings by Georgia O'Keefe is so big they had to build a special wall just to display it.

clouds--Georgia O'Keefe--Art Institute

So last year after doing OK at the One of a Kind Show I decided that I wanted to go big. Wouldn't my work look great in a larger booth? They give me the hard white walls, the carpet, the lights. Sure the show is a long hard drive from home. The lines for load in and load out are carefully controlled chaos. And the price to do the show is--let's face it--big.

Still I told myself I wouldn't know until I tried. When I was offered a larger booth I decided I had to try. Let's face it, I decided to rebuild my studio because I knew I had more quilts to make and I wanted to make them. Quilts can be more than fine craft and I want to make big quilts that transcend the medium. I spent all autumn working for this show.  I had other fairs to do and orders to fill, but I kept imagining myself in this large space.

Of course I didn't have nearly enough time to get all the quilts in my imagination done. How delighted I was to read that Claude Monet was frustrated that his wonderful stacks of wheat paintings took much longer than he wanted to complete. Don't you love to read labels at the Museum.

stack of wheat--Claude Monet--Art Institute

I set up the booth. Thought it looked great in its largeness and splendor and then waited. Is it the kiss of death if other artists think your booth looks grand?  Or was it because it was Thursday? Did I forget to convey the idea that these are quilts? Does that matter? Should it matter? After all it only takes a couple of good customers.

Or maybe there is more I need to do to achieve my idea. My concept. I'll try to keep you posted. Meanwhile wish me well. If you are in the Chicago area my booth is 4123. I would love to know what you think?

booth--OOAK Chicago--Ann Brauer 2017

red sun

Sometimes, less is more. Up close and personal. For a while I had it hanging so I could see it every day as I sewed. Secretly I have always longed to make it as one big quilt in four panels. That would be a challenge and yet it would command attention. And yet eventually, I put it aside as I moved on to more landscapes. Still, there is a power here that may demand a space in my booth at the
One of a Kind Show next week-end in Chicago.

After all,  it would be fun to look at it again, wouldn't it?

red sun--40x40"--Ann Brauer 2015--image by John Polak

gentle morning

Sometimes a cloudy morning. The sun rises, the sky brightens but there are no shadows. Still there is a beauty in calm. There is subtle quiet--a time to breathe and relax. A time to admire all the subtle colors and changes. The little stories that combine to create a day, a place, alife.

This is another in my landscape quilts that I plan to bring to the One of a Kind Show in Chicago December 7-10.

gentle morning--40x40"--Ann Brauer 2017--image by John Polak

What do you think? Do you ever just sit and enjoy the moment?  Do you let your mind wander?

memories of the eclipse

It seems such a long time ago that my DH and a friend of his drove down to North Carolina to see the total eclipse in all its splendor. Not me. I had quilts to make. Sure I went outside and saw the light change color even through the hazy clouds. I even felt a very mystical breath of cool air at the height of the eclipse here in Massachusetts. And of course I looked at the wonderful images on the internet.

Luckily one of the quilts I was busy creating was this custom order of the eclipse for a person who was traveling to the St Louis area to experience totality. What fun I had imagining the sun gone dark with the memories of the warmth and light hidden by the moon. And of course the corona focusing our attention on its marvelous light against the dark sky with bits of stars peeking through.

Sure it is not an exact replica--that was not my purpose but just a broad simple statement of the event.

What do you think? Did you get to witness the event? Have you seen an eclipse?

memories of the eclipse--40x40"--copyright Ann Brauer 2017

the frame job--day 16

Quilts are art.  At least quilts can be art. By now that is an uncontested statement. Still sometimes a quilt needs to be formally mounted for a specific look or location.

Years ago I would have a framer mount the quilts for me. It did help sales since customers could picture the quilt in a more formal setting but it was also expensive and time consuming. Then the framer I had used moved on to different things.

I read detailed descriptions and tried to do it myself from scratch.  After all, I was smart and should be able to figure this out by myself. But that took a long while to do and was frustrating. I could not recoup the time I had put into the quilts. Not a good business plan.

Finally though, as I have frequently found, if I keep toying with an idea in the back of my mind, I may come across a solution to the question. Doesn't persistence pay off? This time it was my friend Cindy Grisdela who wrote about her method for framing. I might be able to do this. Certainly I had to try. Check out her tutorial on her blog. https://cindygrisdela.com/mounting-art-quilts-on-canvas-tutorial/

It was scary after making the quilt to then cut it apart. Wouldn't the flow of the quilt be different? But this was an experiment. What was the worst that could happen?  I would destroy a lovely quilt in the process. And it was lovely, wasn't it?

prairie memories--wip--quilt--ann brauer 2017

Still I had to know if her ideas would work with my quilts?  I had already invested in the frames and other supplies. So I mumbled a few words of encouragement to myself and cut. Very different isn't it?

prairie memories--wip--quilt--ann brauer 2017

And I proceeded to frame the quilt. What do you think? And now I need to make another and another until it becomes not just Cindy's way of framing but also my way as I tweak the method to make it look great for my quilts. That is what is fun about it, isn't it? There is always something new to explore. Some new path to learn.

prairie memories--12x36"--quilt--ann brauer 2017

What do you think? Do you try something new? How do you make it your own?

high class worries--day 14

Sometimes I work with a customer and together it seems we push the design until it becomes more than I thought it might when I started. That happened with my triptych "notes on twilight". Don't you love the purple grasses with the gold circles dancing through it. Isn't the quilt free and graceful but also restful and calm? One of those pieces that I could study and always find something new?

This quilt does have a presence. It is large--the center piece is 40x40 inches and the two smaller ones are each 20x40 inches. I have it hanging on the back wall of my studio and love looking at it as I pass by.

But alas--as I told you--this was a custom order and the customer wants it. Of course this is what I wanted to happen but still I will miss it. Such a hole on my wall. I remind myself, paraphrasing Alice B Toklas, if I didn't need to replace the spot on my wall, I would not have room to hang another quilt. (Well actually she said if her uncle had not died, someone else might not have been born, but you get the idea.)

Or as a friend of mine would say, "That's high class worries."

notes on twilight--quilt--Ann Brauer 2017--photo by John Polak

detail--notes on twilight--Ann Brauer 2017--photo by John Polak

rhubarb fire--day 11

Spring will come and spring will go. Each one different in its own right. This year two unseasonably warm days and then it snowed. What more can I say?  Last year was so dry I had to mulch as I planted and water as sparingly as possible.

I made this quilt "rhubarb fire" thinking of the spring that refused to come. Even the rhubarb would not raise its ruby and green stalks although I checked it every day after work. How hard it was to be patient.

rhubarb fire--40x42"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2015--photo by John Polak

Or hung the other direction for a different look.

rhubarb fire--40x42"--quilt--Ann Brauer 2015--photo by John Polak

sweet--day 9

Checking my e-mail is always exciting. Usually it is the same old same old so to speak. But occasionally I get one of those lovely surprises.

When I make a quilt I do believe that it has a home--and it is just a natter of waiting until the quilt and its home find each other. This was certainly true of my quilt--sunrise.

I loved the simple but complex colors of the sun rising above the water. There was a wonderful graphic design to the piece. When I was making it, I had to concentrate to get the two sides to be similar but have enough difference that the quilt had a life to it.

At 30x80 inches it could look fabulous over a king size bed or a large sofa. It could be an accent on a hallway. However, the size made it more difficult to show at a craft fair as it would dominate the wall but leave a lot of unused space around it. It looked great when I hung it in my studio but again it commanded a large wall. So I waited.

Until this week-end when I got the e-mail. Ta da. My theory is proven true again. Soon the quilt will be in a new home although I confess I will miss its presence. Don't you love the light dancing on the water? And the reflections of the sun in the sky?  Isn't it a happy quilt?

sunrise--quilt--30x80 inches--Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak

Thanks Etsy. I do love opening my mail. To see more of my quilts and check out my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauerhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer

but what is it all about?--day5

Sometimes I make a quilt just because. Just because I am curious about what it will look like. Just because I think it tells a story although I am not sure what the story will be. Just because there is a feeling that I can only capture by creating this quilt.

Does this ever happen to you? Does this help you find the story?

That is why I made this quilt--"above the desert". I loved the idea of floating above the desert letting go and just being. I think of it as creating a calm and serene place although a friend of mine whose artistic sense I trust found it to be a bit troubling.

What do you think? What stories does this tell?

above the desert--27x61"--By Ann Brauer 2016--photo by John Polak

detail--above the desert--Ann Brauer 2016--photo by John Polak

36 years and still standing--prairie scene

I was lucky enough to grow up on a farm in Illinois. One of those wonderful magical places that one often only read about. Although the farm was along a river which gave us a few rolling hills, there were also long views of the distant sky. Would the bands of rain we could see in the west fall where we needed them? Would the sun break through the clouds before it set?

Normally we stored the hay and straw in the loft in the barn but one year for some reason my dad baled it and stacked the bales just west of the barn.

I can remember as a child scaling to the top of this pile and sitting there with the best view around just looking at the horizon and dreaming of what lay beyond.

prairie scene--quilt--ann brauer 2017--photo by John Polak

Do you have a memory of a place that you return to try to capture in all its aspects?  What do you think?

Day 2 of my 36 Day challenge.

Paradise Perks

I'm offering 20% off select Old Favorites at the Paradise City Arts Festival in Marlborough, MA next week-end with this coupon--I'm Booth 135.

You can download my coupon here and check out the others also. I wonder what other quilts I will add to this selection. I must go through my studio and see what I find. They will be work that I love but am not currently making and so I don't tend to bring them to shows and it becomes a Catch 22. Why not? (Of course this offer does not apply to orders or recent quilts but I will try to have a good selection.)https://festivals.paradisecityarts.com/spring-marlborough-perks

winter light--about 96x96 inches--Ann Brauer

pink butterflies--24x48 inches--Ann Brauer

3 landscapes--36x36 inches--Ann Brauer

skyscraper--8x64 inches--Ann Brauer--select colors available

field table runners--12x40 inches--Ann Brauer (this design only)

river of summer--38x38 inches--Ann Brauer

hidden lake--40x40 inches--Ann Brauer

seasons of the marsh--winter

One of the many reasons I love doing craft shows is to listen to what the public thinks about a new quilt. Here's hoping they like "seasons of the marsh-winter"--that I just finished and I can't wait to show it at the Baltimore Craft Show this February 24-26 at the Convention Center. I'm Booth 1308.

seasons of the marsh--winter--32x72 inches--copyright Ann Brauer--photo by John Polak

For discounted tickets:

1. Visit Eventbrite.
2. Enter 50% promotional code BWI2017GUEST 
3. Click APPLY. 
4. The discount was applied to your One-day pass (you will see the price will be discounted 50%)
5. Select quantity of One-day Pass
6. Click ORDER NOW. 
7. Complete your contract information: name, email and password. 
8. Click PAY NOW and you will be taken to a confirmation page.
9. You can download your tickets immediately and also are sent an email confirmation with a download link.

I hope to see some of you there.

new quilts to brighten a winter day

OK--it is grey and raining here. I keep telling myself that at least I do not have to shovel and we probably do need the rain but I miss the bright sunny days we had been having so I decided to show off some of my latest quilts. I just got the images back from my wonderful photographer John Polak.

This quilt I call "pluto is a planet." I made it this past summer as NASA was beginning to release some of the images of Pluto. Call me old fashioned but I do believe that they were wrong to declare that Pluto is a planetoid or whatever they are calling it. Oh well.

pluto is a planet--40x40 inches--quilt--Ann Brauer--2015

"Sunrise" is a hard quilt to display in my booth or even in my studio but I love the shape and colors and think it would be perfect over a sofa or bed. It was a challenge to keep the lines straight and the the two sides balanced but alive with differences.

sunrise--30x80 inches--quilt--Ann Brauer--2015

"Distant fire" reaches up to the sky. It was fun to make three panels which had to be similar but different and then see the effect of joining them together. I love this quilt and vertical quilts are actually easier to display in my booth.

distant fire--80x37.5 inches--quilt--Ann Brauer--2015

I will be bringing them to the Holiday Morristown Show next week-end in Morristown, NJ as well as lots of smaller items. This is the show where you need to download and fill out one pass for each person and you can get complimentary admission. Some great work--some fun crafts--and plenty of items to have on hand as stocking stuffers, hostess gifts or just because. Here is the link to get your pass:

https://artrider.wufoo.com/forms/holiday-craftmorristown-2015-comp-admission-coupon/

And of course I am slowly getting the new work listed on my Etsy shop as well as filling the holes as work sells.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/annbrauer 

Here's hoping the sun is shining where you are.