Memory Quilt-Step by Step Above all,a memory quilt is a quilt made out of a person’s clothing as a way of honoring their memory. After seeing my art work, a client contacted me to make an art quilt as a way to keep the memory of  her grandmother alive.For example,follow as I show the step by step the process of making a memory quilt of the client’s grandmother’s clothes and articles. At our First Meeting At our first meeting, the woman shared information about her grandmother’s life that she especially wanted to be included in the memory quilt. In addition,she brought artifacts to illust ..read more

More that once people have visited my studio and commented “You are so brave.” “What? Why?I am brave to do my art? What do they mean? “First of all, being brave is taking action even though one is scared or afraid. On the other hand,being a brave artist is discovering one’s artistic strengths, developing them, and staying true to them. That I have tried to do. As with many things, it is a work in progress. Am a brave person? Ultimately, I don’t feel brave in my day-to-day life. Following rules on the road keep us safe. I don’t want to get caught doing something that I am not supposed to do or ..read more

Rusty Leaves, 29″ h x 21″ w Art quilts are a newer art form. Creating art with fabric is not like creating art with paint. We create our own canvas of sorts with our backing. We finish the edges with stitches.We do not need an additional frame to complete our work. Some quilt artists add a fabric frame but that is different. Art quilters need to embrace the uniqueness of their art form. Art quilts come in many fabrics,colors and sizes. There are no predetermined sizes like with a canvas. Sometimes  quilt artists choose a smaller size to try out a new technique or for a gift. More importan ..read more

Frequently Asked Questions about Materials Where do you get your materials from? Above all,I usually get my materials from FABMO, a nonprofit that gathers materials weekly  from the San Francisco Design Center. fabmo.org Then they make the materials available to the public to keep them out of the landfill. Furthermore,these materials are new, high end , high quality fabrics. For example,linen, silk and other unique fabrics are readily available. Most importantly,these fabrics cannot be found in regular fabric stores. It is a win-win situation. Frequently Asked Questions about Inspiratio ..read more

Good Advice Gone Bad Good Advice Gone Bad Here are some examples where good advice went bad. Or in other words the advice did not work out for me. Anna’s Irish Tulips, a king sized bed quilt Quilt Appraisers Several years ago I completed that queen sized bed quilt. Charming tulips with leaves popping out from the sides alternated plain cream colored blocks.  In the empty blocks I hand quilted flowers. I made a scalloped hem knowing that this would truly be a family heirloom. Needlessto say, I was extremely proud of my work. After all,I had been quilting for years. This was the culmi ..read more

Skyward,the finished art quilt   Mostly Black and White Art Viewing art made with  mostly black and white colors is engaging. Furthermore, the contrast with just one other color attracts the viewer’s eye. While this is true of all art genres, I make art quilts. This post is about the quilts that use mostly  black and white with possibly one or two other colors. Classic Decor Black and white decor is a classic look that is currently enjoying a rebirth in popularity. Black and white floors are common in Europe. One art fan compared my art quilts to tapestries. One time someon ..read more

fabric business cards, about 3″ x 4″ Artful Fabric Business Cards My Artful Fabric Business Cards reflect my art quilt business. Business cards generally give basic information about a business; location, phone number and email .  Yet, I take my business cards a step further. They are small art quilts. For people who do not know what an art quilt is,the business card gives them an actual example to choose and take with them. Reducing Waste Reducing waste is a major motivation for me. My cards are made of fabric that most people would throw away. I use a fabric pen to write on a plain piec ..read more

Political Quilts Twenty Twenty It has been said for example that if you don’t care about politics, then you don’t care about life. Politics and life are inseparable. I made these Political Quilts 2020 this Spring in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition,they also speak to the call for attention to the human treatment of immigrants and respect for the essential workers. Similarly,the positive messages of these quilts are of brotherhood and respect. For a Juried Art Show For example,Let Us Breathe,(Political Quilts Twenty Twenty)shows a black man and a black woman dressed in A ..read more

Develop Your Art Style Ann Baldwin May wrote Develop Your Art Style  as a potential  Zoom talk at a NorCal /Southern Nevada  Regional Meeting of the International Art quilters organization,SAQA. Although this post’s original audience was art quilters, many of the points apply to all forms of artists. Especially artists who are just beginning to put themselves and their art out into the world. Introduction Ann Baldwin May developed her art style to become a quilt artist. Ms. May reinvented herself in retirement.  Her art friends call her resilient, a prolific artist and a ma ..read more

Lost in space Be ready to present your Laser Statement to the world. Being ready with a short laser statement about one’s passion or business is essential. By definition, random encounters can happen anyway and anytime. Such positive interactions keep life interesting. For many they can be a way to interact with the public in a new way. A laser statement is a necessity for artists or others to quickly explain to a novice what they do. Art quilts are still a  new art form that many are not familiar with. Each conversation is an opportunity to share and educate. I didn’t expect a conve ..read more