Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Giveaway! Giveaway! Giveaway!

Did I get your attention?
The other day I was talking to my youngest about what makes effective writing. Actually I was trying to get her to use some of the techniques that her writing lesson called for. The lesson discussed the importance of a powerful lead in non-fiction writing. In the interest of being a good role model to my girl, I though I'd craft a powerful lead to this post and nothing gets people's attention faster that the prospect of free stuff.
Fear not. I didn't title the post "Giveaway...!" just to get your attention. I am genuinely giving something away. Actually, not me exactly, but my lovely sponsor, Rossie. She and I are doing a double interview and giveaway. I have a fun and informative interview with Rossie here on my blog and she has the same, but with me as the interviewee on her blog. Make sense?
OK. Here we go.

Malka: You've been experimenting with this process for a while, tell me a little about what you like about it. What drew you to start working with this technique?

Rossie: I have certain colors that I love and surround myself with: rich teals, fall oranges, medium grays, and pure reds. Anyone whose has been in my house or seen my wardrobe will testify to this! I also have certain colors that I will never combine: white with off-white, dark blues with black, and brown with black. Because of this pickiness I have about colors, I started overdyeing and discharging my quilting fabrics in an effort to either get a color I craved or avoid a combination that I disliked. Around the same time that I was getting a firm handle on making these small changes to fabrics, I started reading your blog...you had one of your twinkle quilts up and were saying that it wasn't applique, but made by clamping and dying. Because I already had a sense of the dying part of the equation, I was really intrigued by the clamping aspect. And thus, you created a monster!

Malka: I know you had a struggle finding someone to fabricate the shapes, how did you finally find your source for plexiglass shapes?

Rossie: The city I live in (Ann Arbor, Michigan) has a big art fair every summer. Which sounds awesome, and it some ways it is awesome, but it is also kind of not awesome because the Art Fair has become so big that the price to get a booth is insane! Most local artists can't afford to rent a booth and staff it for three days; people who just want to share a performance...well, they are out of luck. In response, a group of local indie artists organized the Shadow Art Fair, a biannual event which is explicitly local, community-oriented, and affordable for vendors and patrons alike. It’s the coolest and I recommend it to anyone in the area!
At this summer’s Shadow Art Fair, I met Mike, the plexi guy. He had a booth, I was wandering around with a friend, I was feeling chatty. As the Shadow Art Fair website says "when local artists come out and meet each other, good things happen."



Malka: I see you have several different sizes of squares, circles and triangles, what shapes do you think you might branch out into in the future?

Rossie: I've been adding one or two new shapes a month, as inspiration strikes. So there are now plus signs, a pollex shape (like a thumb), and ovals. In some cases, the idea for a shape comes from a customer (as with you, asking for ovals) and in other cases, out of my own brain. Next up is a quadrangle that was inspired by the perfectly imperfect patchwork blocks of so many modern quilters. I keep a list of ideas in my planner, right now, the strangest thing on that list is "toast."



Malka: Your shapes have been very popular. What do you think it is about this process that interests other crafters?

Rossie: For one, I think your work is really inspirational. It's like seeing someone who can really dance...it makes a person want to get up a do their own awkward boogie! Also, I think itajime, especially when you use commercial fabrics, sits at a really interesting intersection between buying a finished product and making something from scratch. On the one hand, you get the thrill of choosing fabric you like and the familiar warmth of consumption, but you also get the thrill of putting your own spin on it, adding layers and making it your own. It’s like a quilter’s version of a remix or a mash-up; take from culture, do what you want with it, be yourself, have fun, give back.



Rossie mentioned that she periodically introduces new shapes. Recently she added two different sizes of ovals, 5" and 3". I'm psyched about that because I think ovals are the new circles.I've purchased a few and now I've been authorized/deputized by Rossie to giveaway an oval bundle. That's 2 pairs of both 3" and 5" ovals. All you have to do to be entered in the drawing is to leave a comment here telling me what your favorite shape is. It's like that famous Barbara Walters question, "If you were a tree, what tree would you be?" I'll announce the winner on Friday.
Good luck!

93 comments:

Angie said...

I'm a circle fan!

lookwhaticando said...

My favorite shape is a diamond....

Julie z said...

I like circles--but can see the eye appeal of ovals! And they are a bit different.

RosaMarĂ­a said...

ovals rules!!! but i love all fabric from you!
thanks for the chance to win!

Bison Girl said...

I like circles! Great interview :)

wishes, true and kind said...

I like circles, too, but I'm willing to give ovals a try! Great giveaway!

joan

ilovebabyquilts said...

I'll take hexagons! Oh, and I'd totally be a ginkgo tree.

PrairiePeasant said...

I love most things asymmetrical, but for these purposes I'll say a circle!

Cindy said...

I love dots, so circle would have to be my choice.

Andrea said...

My favorite shape? The curve of a newborn's ear, the sweet round cheeks of three year old boys learning to use the potty, well-worn beach stones and seaglass, sweaty curls on a sleeping face, a scented spring flower cupped in my hand ~ Round...

Rach said...

Triangles! Of all shapes and sizes! :)

Anonymous said...

favourite shape - i'd have to say a star. twinkle twinkle.
cara

Jeni Baker said...

Squares for sure! :)

Beth Laske-Miller said...

I like freeform amoeba shapes :) as far as more conventional shapes go, I like a good, slanty rhombus

Jennifer said...

Thanks for the chance at an awesome giveaway.

I really like rectangles. I think they are so .. balanced! Rectangles over squares any day. :P

Ms. Luzader said...

rectangles in all sizes!!

Miranda Ward said...

I like circles

Vicki W said...

I have Rossie's shop marked in my favorites. Once I get some more time to experiment with my dyeing, she's going to see a big order come through! I love all of the shapes and will have difficulty limiting myself.

stitchinpenny said...

My favorite shape is a hexagon. I like spirals even more, but they are not really shapes.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, what shape am I...a rather round one I am sure, but not just a circle, an oval I suppose or at least ovoid. Love Rossie clamp shapes, would love to win these!

Allabitrandom said...

Circles for me!

susanlr said...

Definitely a circle

Darlene said...

Circles, I guess, but ovals are nice too...

Lisa said...

Circles! I HEART circles!

Maria said...

Circles, but I love ovals too!!!

Joyce said...

I love the circles, partly because they are hard to piece but look so great.I'd love to dye some.

Cheryl Arkison said...

Ovals are the new circles? I'm ahead of the curve for once. I finished up an oval quilt not too long ago.

Laura said...

I've already bought the circle plexi shapes from Rossie, the ovals would be fabulous to have, too. I guess circles are my favorite, as I seem to make quilted things with lots of circles on them. All I'm waiting for now is some warmer weather so I can dye some fabric and use the plexi circles, it's been too cold to dye in my garage since I received the package.

Anonymous said...

I like curvy shapes best--circles, ovals, etc.

carrie said...

Yes, the rounded shapes. As they are shapes with which I enjoy working when I'm sewing, but I'd rather not be piecing with circles or ovals--too time-consuming! So if they're already there as a motif on the fabric... perfect!

Sequana said...

I'd be the perfect winner cause my fave shape is an oval. *S*

Unknown said...

hi malka,
i'm definitely a polka dot kind of girl, so. . .circles!
thanks!
elizabeth

Mary Keasler said...

OH MY! as much as i love circles, ovals are my favorite. and of course your fabrics are an inspiration to me! at the ripe old age of 61, i am now determined to learn to dye and batik. i so appreciate the creativies that you girls are sharing with everyone

britt said...

I wish 'scalloped' was a shape. Would that be a wider pollex? Second to that: hexagons!

denise said...

I am a circle fan, but I think a sunburst would be my favorite.

tammikins said...

Ovals are my absolute favorite!

Anonymous said...

My mind is drawn to circles as I think of the sun, the moon, a beautiful diamond solitaire, and my mind goes on.... Now second choice....I believe stars...I must be in a celestial mood. Kristy in Ohio

masko said...

OVALS. Must be fun to play around with them to create different shapes/patterns.

Just signed up for a 3 days Itajime workshop and these templates will be a great tools to start with to make my own fabrics after the classes!

Alexis said...

That was a great interview- thanks!

My favorite shape... I love the symbolism or circles and spirals, but it my quilting I find I am drawn to quadrangles more.

mytinyrobotheart said...

squares please! nice interview :)

sally said...

I know I'm not much different from the rest but I love circles, always have. I think so much can be done with circles.

Andi said...

Love looking at circles but prefer to sew straight lines.
Basically, if it's red or pink, I'll love it no matter the shape!
Andi :-)

J said...

Circles are my favourite too :)

Erin said...

I love stars...those would be kind of a nightmare with itajime, all those corners, but look awesome if done properly. I love those ovals!!

Cathy said...

I love the ovals- not as expected as circles!

monkey and bee said...

It may be boring but I LOVE SQUARES.

pklaw said...

It would be great to win the ovals. As for my favorite shape, I love circles and how they interact with each other. Thanks for the interview!

Debbie said...

I'm a hexagon junkie!

Jessica said...

hexagons. Can't stop looking at how they intersect.

Connie Akers said...

Great interview - would love to go to Ann Arbor Shadow fair. Circle!

karen @ badlandsquilts said...

squares... I am a math girl, squares are balanced, fit together, just neat and even

Aussie Jo said...

My favourite is a version of the oval: I love egg shapes (which many of us happily resemble!!!)

zarina said...

Yeah - a chance to own that exclusive dye set. I just love your circle quilt (can't recall the name) and hope to make one exactly like yours with my own dyeing experiment.

Amber said...

I'm a circle fan too - love the fabrics you make with all your circles...they are beautiful!

Lara Gibbo said...

Hearts are such a flexible shape. They can be a mirror image on each side or not. They don't have to be perfect to express their sentiment and create a smile.

patty a. said...

My favorite is the circle.

folksmith said...

i have 'collected' rossie's circles, squares and triangles. i think i now need the ovals and then it's time i put them to good use.

love your blog.

Cheryl said...

I believe that ovals are my favorite! Just a little off, I suppose like me! LOL

Carol said...

I do love circles, but ovals intrigue me and I love the wonky curves in an ameboa.

Anonymous said...

What an interesting craft! Sometimes I'm amazed at what we can do and the creativity/inginuity we're capable of. I like plain ol' squares best!

shannoncarman at yahoo dot com

susan said...

susan-I like the building of one thing upon another, so I'm thinking an oval with an overlay of circle and then a little of the twisted curl that Andrea mentions.

Fran said...

A big polka dot fan....
I'd have to say circles !
Great interview !

Ashley said...

great interview! it was fun to read a bit more about both of you! Boy... a favorite shape - I think I like them all, but I'm kind of intrigued by the plus sign Rossie has listed in her shop... seems like that could be fun!

Unknown said...

Rather boring, but I like squares. All sizes, repeated, over lapping. Love squares.

Jessica! said...

I'm a Square girl ALL THE WAY.

Hexy said...

Stars! Though I do love what you've done with the circles in square patches.

Melissa said...

After sewing together hundreds of diamonds - I have to say I still love them!

Bethany said...

I love circles! I haven't gotten brave enough to try piecing circles, but polka dots and bubbles make me happy! Thanks for the giveaway.

Dar @ Shibori Borealis said...

I'm with stitchinpenny on this : I love spirals, but true ... they aren't really an enclosed shape.

I've been looking at these resists in Rossie's shop for a while now and would love to incorporate some of these in my work.

G said...

Stars!

Joy said...

I'm still a hexagon fan, but I could try a nice oval. Thanks for doing the interview and giveaway!

Digs (Amanda Carestio) said...

Um... all my favorite shapes relate to food: I love donut and olive shapes. Yum and yum!

Daisy said...

I love patterns , so any shape that repeats can be wonderful.. polka dots (circles) stripes (rectangles) offset ovals.
Im also fond of asymmetrical shapes like paisleys and amoeba, keys, and squiggly shapes like serpentines and branching coral!
Can't help it , as with colors, I have many favorite shapes.

Chris Daly said...

I'd love to add the ovals to my Rossie collection. I have the Kalka bundle and love them!

docsage said...

I love quadralaterals! Squares, trapezoids, parallellagrams, rectangles!

Ingrid said...

I love circles,great giveaway:-)

Ashley said...

It is hard to pick just one favorite shape. Circles, long ovals, asymetrical pebble shaped ovals and marquise shapes appear in my jewelry designs a lot. Perhaps inspired by gemstones and pebbles that I use.

Sharon Stanley said...

I'm a circle girl all the way...love dots all sizes!

Karen in Virginia said...

I really had to think about this. I doodle straight lines and squiggles but they aren't really shapes. My favorite shape right at this moment is .... a triangle!

hands_of_gold said...

like the reverse circles -
have the circles and love them -
the reverse ones are another way of looking. . . or is that seeing?

Kim said...

I like rectangles! Don't know why...

Unknown said...

Do spirals count as a shape? If not circles!

Tracy T. said...

My favorite shape is paisley - or is there another descriptor for those slightly sperm-shaped lovelies? Although, as a big fan of polka-dots, I am also fond of the circle... I'd love to try those plexi-wonders - pick me!

kakihara said...

I love circles--thanks for the chance to win!
kakihararocks@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Great interview - I love reading about these techniques!

Hmm, what is my favorite shape? I haven't considered this before! I think I'll have to go with triangles.

florcita said...

Since Ive discovered your blog I have been so excited about itajime. Im a felter so I am trying to make time to try itajime on wool.
Anyway... shapes. Im working on ovals now, but that is done already. How about hexagons in different sizes that can be superimpossed? HEarts for Valentine's? Flowers for summer? yeah, flowers! :)
Great interview. off the read the other side!

Sarah said...

I love circles! Thanks for the giveaway!

Susana said...

A long, sinewy, art-noveau line. But I like ovals, too!

Escargot Pudding said...

I love a good hexagon!

bellaandmolly said...

I an a fan of angles, I like squares, and rectangles of all shapes and orientations.

lkhomework said...

When I doodle, I often obsess on the egg shape.

Alissa said...

Does spiral count as a shape?

Isa said...

You sure did caught my attention!
I love the ovals too! I think some kind of leaf shape could be fun also..
And if I were a tree I would be a copper beech ;-)