The Artist

I am an art quilter exploring stories starting with a photograph.

Vintage images, family albums and camera phone snapshots documenting my life are my primary subject matter.  Every art quilt I make has a rich subtext - a hidden story.

Creating allows me, as an artist; to think deeply about my life and celebrate the joy I find everyday

jim

My process starts with a digital image. I use photo manipulation software to enhance or create a new composition. The digital file is sent to a commercial fabric printer. When the fabric arrives in my studio, I use a variety of  materials including dyes, pigment sticks and paints directly on the cloth.  As I quilt through the cloth, batting and backing; I am  drawing with thread to create a rich and visually exciting  work of art.

Margaret Abramshe was born in Honolulu Hawaii in 1959 to family of academics. She studied for her BFA at the University of Colorado at Boulder, received a degree in Art Education from Florida International University and a Master’s in Fine Art from the University of Northern Colorado. She spent her career as public school educator, a mentor teacher, wrote numerous grants and was part of district wide curriculum writing teams in Jefferson County Colorado.

Since retiring, Margaret has devoted her time to being studio artist working as an art quilter.  In the past three years Margaret’s art quilts have been included in numerous local, national and international shows.

Recent Posts

Studio Redesign

My studio remodel is done. It took a little time, some elbow grease and a little under $1000 to create a wonderful dedicated work space.

Studio Collage
Plan

1. Start with the surfaces. I needed light that filled the space evenly. I painted all the walls with a white with a little sheen (not a flat white). Next I added a solid surface floor in off white. I used “peel and stick” tiles that have a linen texture. I keep the windows curtain free to let in the maximum natural light.

2.Place the biggest pieces of furniture in the room first. I have a large koala sewing table with a leaf extension. I can roll the table around but for the most part I like to use it with the leaf down. I placed this on one side of the room with my back facing the wall and the leaf facing middle of the room. This allows me to open the leaf without moving anything else. My mid arm machine is on the opposite wall. So is my desk and my storage cubby.

3. Tools and supplies should be easy to reach. Think of creating workstations. I have most of my thread near my mid arm machine.Rulers are pinned on a board above my sewing machine. Cutting matts sit on cabinets with my rotary cutters in cans in arm reach. I have my rack that hold my spoonflower prints, yardage and some finished quilts in the alcove right across from my buckets and bins of scrap.

4. Invest in quality functional storage. I had simple custom cabinets installed. They are a simple white finish. No doors or drawers. Two deep cabinets provide an extended  surface for quilting larger pieces. They also provide storage for all my batting and material. In the alcove I have large tall bookcase which holds all my media, books and miscellaneous materials.

 

Now Decorate!

Create displays of your work and work that you have collected. When someone comes to your studio you don’t want to miss an opportunity to have your style on display.

I want to be inspired when I enter my studio.  I pulled out work that is too old and too small to enter in shows. I created  interesting items like decoupage paint cans to hold trash and floor matts covered with fused scrap  . 

Don’t let money stop you from making your space work for you. Grab a can of paint, rearrange the furniture, create some workstations and put your work up on your walls.

Until Next time…..
Margaret

12 Little Secrets to Becoming an Art Quilter

I love Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen’s passion is the study of happiness and habit formation. On her webpage she has long list of “secrets to adulthood”  The secrets are little reminders that help make life more enjoyable and promote good habits. I began more than 10 years ago working exclusively on art quilts. For past four […]

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The Careful Snapshot

Like many people, I am on a summer road trip. My husband and I our heading back to our former home to see our son, visit friends, do a little sightseeing and attending the opening of “Art Quilt Legacies” in Ft. Collins Colorado. While on the road, like many people; I  take photographs to post […]

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BIG Fish in Little Pond or Little Fish in BIG pond

I have been working the last three years on building a portfolio. My process has evolved through SAQA mentorship program, classes, critique groups, professional conferences, journals and my local community of quilters. Along the way my perspective has changed. I think of this change as a shift from the kind of creative “pond” I am […]

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On the Wall

My quilt “Nan” was included in the long running and prestigious exhibition: “Artist” as Quiltmaker XVIII” in Oberlin Ohio.    The exhibition is very competitive and this year was juried by Emily Zilber; a curator at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. I received the Kirtz/Van Nortwick Award and an image of my quilt […]

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