The ArtPlayers: November 2011

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Common Threads Closing Ceremony: The works of art revealed!

Common Threads mastermind, Sharrif Simmons presides over the unveiling of the works of art made by Quilters from Gee's Bend, AL and Groupe Bogolan Kasobane from Mali, West Africa. Although difficult to understand, you can catch glimpses of the vibrant spirit that inhabited the Alys Stephens Center during the week of Common Threads. This spirit overflowed from the artists from Gee's Bend and Mali.

Gee's Bend Singing Train

The Gee's Bend quilters lead the community in a singing "train" during the Common Threads closing ceremony.

Common Threads Closing Ceremony

Three short videos of the Gee's Bend quilters singing during the Common Threads closing ceremony

Common Threads: Day 4 Dinner

On Thursday evening, the ArtPlay Piecemakers hosted the artists of Common Threads for dinner. Chicken shrimp gumbo and rice, sweet potato salad, green salad, homemade bread, boiled peanuts, and homemade (from scratch now) banana pudding.

Knox made the delicious chicken shrimp gumbo and presided over those giant pots until everyone was served.

The ArtPlay Piecemakers made a beautiful spread in honor of the Common Threads artists.

Nothing like fellowship around a large table with good food and beautiful new friends.

The ArtPlay Piecemakers, the Quilters of Gee's Bend, Groupe Bogolan Kasobane and the amazing community members who brought us all together.

The ArtPlay Piecemakers and their community quilt top, inspired by the theme, "Local Fabric"

Groupe Bogolan Kasobane at ASC

Two members of Groupe Bogolan Kasobane (Mali, West Africa) participated in the ASC's Common Threads program in November, 2011. Here, they are seen applying clay to their hand-woven cloth.

Gee's Bend Quilters at ASC 2

Five Gee's Bend quilters participated in the ASC's Common Threads program in November, 2011. Here, they are seen singing after the quilting has been completed. The quilt is ready for binding or "hemming'.

Gee's Bend Quilters at ASC 1

Five Gee's Bend quilters participated in the ASC's Common Threads program in November, 2011. Here, they are seen prepping their quilt top for the quilting frame.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Melody's sweet potato salad was such a success at our Common Threads dinner last night that we're sharing the recipe. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Salad
From The New Laurel's Kitchen

2 cups cubed cooked sweet potato
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 scallions, sliced thin
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup yogurt
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place sweet potato, green pepper, celery, scallions, and walnuts in a
small salad bowl.

Stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon zest and juice (about 3
tablespoons) and salt. Combine with sweet potato mixture and adjust
salt and lemon juice to taste.

Makes 3 cups, to serve 4

Common Threads: Day 3

Bogolan is the term for what we call "Mud Cloth". "Bogo" means clay and in this picture, you can see where old clay application has darkened the cloth (the black color) and more recent clay application is still on the cloth.

Groupe Bogolan Kasobane station in the ASC during Common Threads.

Kandioura waves to a baby.

Kandioura reaches for a brush to show to the baby, who looks on curiously.

The baby's grip is strong.

The quilting has been completed on Day 3! Now all that is left is to bind the quilt.

Ms. Revil Mosely and Rita Mae hold up their completed quilt.

The women start cutting up and China poses with the quilt.

Mary Ann joins China in the fun.

As Mary Ann cuts away the excess batting and backing in order to bind the quilt, the other women gather and around her and sing.

Common Threads: Day 2

Lucy, Rita Mae and Mary Ann

Lucy and Rita Mae

This image is a little fuzzy, but I love it. The women were talking with Eric, the man who has been taking them to and from the hotel. They were cutting up with him and laughing and giggling while they quilted. Everyone of them was laughing so hard.

Look at the lines of quilting already completed.

From left to right: Lucy, Rita Mae, Mary Ann, China and Ms. Mosely's hands. She's cutting up with Eric. They call her the trouble maker.

Common Threads: Day 1

The Gee's Bend quilters were finished with their quilt top on the first day. That's a quilt top in five hours!

Here, the Gee's Bend quilters are making their "sandwich": quilt top, batting and backing material.

The women sang while they worked.

Once the "sandwich" is made, the women can start quilting.

The quilt is on the frame and the women are working their way from one end to the next.

Ms. Lucy Mingo working on her portion of the quilt.

You can see here how the quilting adds depth to the quilt.

The men of Groupe Bologan Kasabane: Kandiaura and Kletigui.

Kandiaura and Kletigui from Bamako in Mali

Kandiaura and Kletigui from Bamako in Mali. Here you can see the cloth and the clay that they use as pigment in their paintings.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

A true sewing bee

This week, I was deliriously sick when class time came around. I arrived to a group of excited Piecemakers ready to work on putting their quilt top together. I blurted out some barely coherent guidelines for creating sashing for our top. The group chose a beautifully faded dark stripe fabric which does evoke 'local fabric' though I haven't yet found the words to describe why. I quickly cut strips of this fabric and made a pile of squared quilt blocks and a pile of strips for sashing. I left the Piecemakers to attach these strips to all of the blocks. When I left, they were lively and had an entire pumpkin pie to keep them company. I returned to my bed and hoped for the best.

When I picked up the squares the following day, it was clear that the Piecemakers had enjoyed their task. They had completed it wonderfully and it made me think that our little group has gone from instructor-instructees to a bonafide sewing bee, where each member brings her own unique skills and creative energy. When one member or more is down, the rest make up for the missing pieces. The Piecemakers' quilt top is completed and ready for viewing during the Common Threads program at Alys Stephens Center, beginning this Monday, November 7th and running through the week. All of the Piecemakers are represented in the quilt and they rose to the challenge of creating a community quilt in eight weeks. The remainder of our class time will be dedicated to finishing our quilt and learning other quilt making techniques.