We all love the beautiful blue color found in indigo-dyed textiles. The time-honored process of dyeing with indigo is the perfect companion to shibori techniques. Whether I am working with white linen or a piece of fabric previously dyed with MX dyes, I find the process of adding color and pattern to fabric from the indigo vat a magical experience. Join me next June in Minneapolis to experience it yourself….

“I am floating 30 feet above the concrete floor in the dark. I can hear the murmuring of the audience as I strap the paintbrush onto a 3 foot long piece of bamboo. The lights switch on, illuminating a tower of white silk. As as the luscious notes of a solo cello begin to resonate through the auditorium, I begin to paint.”…

ART YARN was a hot topic at the recent Textile Society of America conference in Lincoln, NE, thanks to Tracy Hudson’s outstanding and eye-opening presentation. This peripatetic spinner/quilter, currently based in Qatar, shares her take on this new twist and how the ravelry.com community has inspired and supported her work through the magic of the World Wide Web. Get inspired by her creative process and spin art, then link to some of her favorite spinners and resources……

Read about the ideas and surface design techniques Michelle Sirois-Silver and Andrea Donnelly (whose work appears at left) plan to explore using SDA Personal Development Grants. Check out the guidelines for applying to win a grant yourself on the SDA website….

Get free media promotion of your event or product by learning to write an effective press release–and develop a list of promising publications and editors to which it can be sent. SDA Manager of PR Della Reams tells how. (Guidelines for submitting a press release or story pitch to the NewsBlog can be accessed by clicking on CONTACT in the header at the top of this page)….

Therese May’s mission is to “create art with a healing message and inspire the flow of creative juices in the viewer.” She is recognized worldwide as a leader in the creation and development of the “art” quilt, particularly in her use of embellishment and the spontaneous folk art style of her work. …

“Like many others, I’m concerned about the baggage of “quilt,” Linda Colsh observes. “I think of myself as an artist—no adjectives, no modifiers. If asked to be more specific, I would identify myself as a surface designer, fiber artist, or printmaker. I think the majority of serious studio quilt artists are surface designers and it’s a bit of a mystery why surface design isn’t more widely accepted as a nomenclature for the métier and medium.”
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Get more information online about the many makers featured in this first SDJ issue focusing on quilts since 1996. It’s been 25 years since the publication of “The Art Quilt” by Penny Morris and the creative synergy between quilts and surface design is more energetic and striking than ever….

Barbara Shapiro’s love of textiles and French language took her on a 7-year journey that ended in the publication of her translation of a card (tablet) weaving text of historical interest. With generous encouragement from the late Peter Collingwood, this early 20th century French book can now be read in English….

Mississippi quilt maker Gwendolyn Magee was recently awarded a 2011 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in the “Artistic Excellence” category. Tyler School of Art’s Rebecca Medel recently received an ACC American Craft Fellow award. Learn more about these award-winning members of SDA….