Life in Abstraction

I am extremely happy to announce that my piece, Life In Abstraction, has been selected as one of the 45 art quilts to tour as the Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth - SAQA Show from 2019 - 2021.  The show debuts in California to coincide with the SAQA National Conference. The show then tours via museums and galleries in Alaska, California, Canada, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

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©2018, Amanda Snavely, All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Sam Garnett

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Detail of Life in Abstraction

©2018, Amanda Snavely, All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Sam Garnett

Tour Schedule from SAQA’s website as of January 2019:

First Venue:
Venue Name: Works/San Jose
Address: 365 South Market Street, San Jose, California 95113
Exhibition Run Dates: April 19 – May 5, 2019

Venue Name: Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum
Address: 703 South 2nd Street, La Conner, Washington 98257
Exhibition Run Dates: June 1 – August 24, 2019

Venue Name: Chehalem Cultural Center
Address: 415 East Sheridan Street, Newberg, Oregon 97132
Exhibition Run Dates: March 1 – April 24, 2020

Venue Name: Wailoa Center, State Parks, DLNR
Address: 200 Piopio Street, Hilo, Hawai’i
Exhibition Run Dates: July 1 – July 30, 2020

Venue Name: International Gallery of Contemporary Art
Address: 427 “D” Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Exhibition Run Dates: August 26 – September 30, 2020

Venue Name: Pratt Museum
Address: 3779 Bartlett Street, Homer, Alaska 99603
Exhibition Run Dates: October 1 – 31, 2020

Venue Name: Visions Art Museum
Address: 2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100, San Diego, California 92106
Exhibition Run Dates: January 1 – April 4. 2021

Venue Name: Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Address: 165 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove 93950
Exhibition Run Dates: July 1 – September 30, 2021 (working dates)

My Rainbow of Thread Colors

One of my favorite gifts from my husband is my Gutermann 100% Natural Cotton Thread Set. Being able to quickly glance at thread color options and audition different colors without having to scramble through a box of thread is a huge time saver.

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I currently use glass jars to contain my other threads.  However, I hope to eventually find a way to display them as well.  Shelf space is precious in my studio.  I will be searching for a solution that can be mounted on the wall.

I have tried various thread brands and prefer the 100% Natural Cotton Gutermann thread for most of my projects.  I prefer cotton as it can be over-dyed if needed.  The cotton thread works well for both machine and hand stitching.  There are many more expensive brands, but Gutermann is a good quality thread in an average price range.  In my experience, Coats & Clark brand threads break easily regardless of the type.  

I have used several of Gutermann's other thread types for both machine and hand stitching.  I use Gutermann 100% Viscose thread when I want to emphasize an area by adding shine.  For pieces needing added strength I use Gutermann's 100% Polyester thread for both machine and hand stitching.  To add a minimal shine, I use Gutermann's 100% Silk Thread.  I have currently only used the silk thread for hand stitching.  The most impressive thread is the Gutermann Invisible Thread.  Anyone that has ever experienced a rat's nest bobbin using invisible thread knows the importance of a good invisible thread.  I have used both the clear and the smoke invisible thread numerous times without any problems for both the top thread and the bobbin.  

Over the course of my experiments I will try other brands.  Currently, I am trying out the different types of thread while keeping the brand a constant.  Keeping the brand variable the same allows me to get a feel for the difference of type of thread without having to consider brand differences.

Please comment on either thread storage options or thread choices that you have a fondness for using.