Let me begin by telling you all that I'm loving my new job at my LQS, The City Quilter, in Manhattan, I'm into my third week now and I'm wondering if I'll ever get tired of handling all that fabric?!!!!! If you didn't catch my earlier posts you can read all about the store here and then catch up on my 'golden ticket' job news here :) To be perfectly honest my back hasn't loved the job quite as much as I have, it's been a rocky start involving pain killers, ice and heat packs, hot Epsom salt baths, lots of stretching, a back belt, massage, a chiropractor, a physical therapist and, yes, I've been wearing very comfy shoes. I think my body just went into total shock at being made to stand for nine hours instead of sitting either at a sewing machine or computer!!! Still, I'm getting there, each day that I work is easier than the last and I won't be giving in to my aches and pains that easily! It's quite incredible just how much pleasure I can get from cutting fabric off a bolt and rolling a fat quarter. I can create beautiful fat quarter bundles now too - oh won't they look wonderful as presents. I've also had to learn what all these American coins are - in the two years since I moved here I just hadn't bothered to get to grips with them, I just used notes, so I'm learning fast. One of the best things is getting to meet all the wonderful customers that come into the store. To see how excited they are to be there is such fun and I really love the European customers, talking to me in metric measurements (strange to have been taught imperial at school only to convert to metric in England during the 1970s and now back to imperial again in America!) and with accents that it's been too long since I heard anywhere other than on the telly. And, of course, they're so thrilled at the fabric prices - who from Europe wouldn't be? - after all there's quite a difference between £18/€18/metre and $10.98/yard (converts to £7.28/€8.42) and a yard is only 3.39"/8.5cm less than a metre!!! And while I'm talking about work there's more news from The Art Quilt Gallery too. At the beginning of June I shared with you The Art Quilt Gallery's exhibition 'Sunshine and Shadow' by Fibre Artist, Deb Hyde. I had a great response to the post and I did suggest that maybe I should report back on all future exhibitions at the gallery. The current exhibition is: 'Travel Log' by Maya Chaimovich: 25 June - 3 August 2013 Maya is an Art Quilter born in Israel and here's an extract from her Artist Bio available on The Art Quilt Gallery website: "Through the art quilt, which has become the main focus of my life, I learned to express my feelings and share my experiences. I use as many types of material as I can in my work: cotton, lace, velvet, various types of silk, synthetic materials of all kinds. Most of the materials I use are from recycled clothes in an assortment of colors. An important part of my design experience is the use of materials worn by people I don't know. I give them a life of their own while designing my own creations. A main theme and a group of colors which I choose, guide me in the creation of a new work. The creation itself develops through much conflict, but gradually evolves into its final form." Each quilt is created from recycled fabrics (cotton, lace, silk, velvet, synthetic, polyester), metal and multicolour threads, small pieces on fusible interfacing and finally, free motion quilted. 'To Be Free' - 31" x 53", 2011 'New Day' - 36" x 36", 2008 'In Memorial' - 41" x 36", 2010 'Beyond' - 50" x 46", 2006 'Train of Thought' - 55" x 50", 2009 Bud' - 54" x 47", 2010 Mystery' - 40" x 52", 2006 'Moonlight Reflections' - 36" x 46", 2007 'Bride Bouquet' - 44" x 55", 2006 'The Desert' - 57" x 47", 2007 'Morning Walking' - 38" x 39", 2012 'Drop By Drop' - 31" x 29", 2009 'Under One Roof' - 20" x 47" - 2007 Maya will be giving a talk about her quilts at The Art Quilt Gallery on 17 July at 6.00 pm - attendance is free but please contact The City Quilter to register: 212-807-9451/[email protected] For those who can't drop in then, I hope my photos have inspired you as much as seeing the quilts has inspired me :) This is a link to a review of Maya's exhibition from The Jewish Week and here's a list of upcoming gallery exhibitions. For details of other fabric, yarn, trim and notion stores that I've visited around the world along with the NYC stores I love, exhibitions and events I've attended and wonderful people I've been lucky to meet click the links below or in my sidebar :D Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.
