Laura Cater Woods (originally posted 9/25/08)

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I took a 2 day workshop with Laura Cater Woods. I signed up for the workshop last spring, then decided against it in Fall. I have such a limited amount of time that I have to be careful where i select to spend it. You can check out Laura’s website at www.cater-woods.com. Laura was delightful and very giving. My mission was to really get as much professional advise for my grand plan of going National as I possibly could. Laura did not disappoint! I created a piece pictured to the left “The Meek shall inherent the Earth”. I had no pre-planned idea (for a change) I just designed and cut cloth. The final outcome was a pleasing sketch for the possibility of a larger piece. I think I need to dye some fabric soon because I am loving the hand dyes for skys. Laura expressed that she would like to see my “art” quilts being told with more of my voice like the “e-series” I did a while back. (Pictured in my art quilts on my website) Hmmm – I have to think about that for awhile.

I also completed another challenge that I had issued from my Faithful Circle Quilt Guild : Crayon Challenge. Each participant chose a crayon and needed to use that color in a wall quilt. I chose cerise – which is a deep magenta. I made a Hamsa Hand quilt. The Jewish name is the Hand of Miriam, in reference to Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. It is a kind of “protecting hand” or “hand of God”.Some associate the significance of the five fingers to the five books of the Torah for Jews, Hamsas are popular as charms and decorations in Israel and are not considered to have any Islamic connection other than the shared Arabic name (same as the Hebrew). Among Jews, fish are considered to be a symbol of good luck, so many hamsas are also decorated with fish images. Hamsas are incorporated in wall plaques, mobiles, keychains and necklaces. Sometimes they are inscribed with Hebrew prayers, such as the Sh’ma, the Birkat HaBayit (Blessing for the Home), or the Tefilat HaDerech (Traveler’s Prayer). Hamsas may be displayed in either direction, up or down according to the taste or decoration associated with the Hamsa. This will eventually be a pattern. I will have a section of patterns dedicated to “religious icons”. I want to make these patterns universal.

I worked very hard in class to produce and absorb as much information as I could from LCW. It was a good week and today I am going to display my crayon challenge.

My next task is to work on the Philly Stamp and get thinking more about my next big art quilt.

Oh yea – I got accepted to vend at the Pittsburgh Quilt Market. That is a big deal! I look forward to this next challenge!

Maybe if you are reading this you will challenge your self to do something new and spontaneous – it is great for the soul!