Whew! As I lay down in the dark on my bedroom floor (hiding from child and husband so I can write in peace!) I am also taking the time to catch my breath. Events at the shop have come and gone, classes have been planned; quilts have come and gone, lessons learned along the way.
Many of my readers have asked about the shop's infamous Post Market Soiree Party....lemme tell ya, we had a blast and I can't even believe how many awesome prizes got given away and I didn't keep a SINGLE one and that I am very proud of! I was very tempted though- I gave away a million prizes it seemed like! Some I purchased out of my very own piggy bank, and some of the prizes were generously donated by my lovely sponsors:
The Fairy Godmother herself, Amy Butler
Denyse Schmidt
Jacquie Gering
Laura Gunn
Quilts, Illustrated
Elizabeth Hartman
GenQ Magazine
Tula Pink
Brigitte Heitland/Modern Zen Chic
Michael Miller
Marinda Stewart
Villa Rosa Designs
Abbey Lane Quilts
Crazy Old Ladies
We started out the nite with a sweet BBQ dinner from Rudy's here in Austin. Lemme tell you, you haven't had good BBQ till you've had Rudy's. In fact, if it's your first time, they'll let you sample everything! I highly recommend the pork tenderloin- delicious and never dry.
Guests mingled and munched as they checked out all the awesome prizes on the raffle table.
We. Are. Awesome. And generous. And cute.
Mom surprised me by showing up into town the nite before, and was generous enough to cut fabric for my guests! (See ladies, being a pattern designer is not really all that glamorous!)
Our quilters got an inside look at Quilt Market on our inspiration wall- we pinned swatches, business cards, marketing and other fun stuff we received at Market to our wall to let our guests bask in all the creative juices. It gave them a sneak peek into the new fabric collections coming soon and it reminded us of how much fun we had!!
Mike was in charge of party games- has anyone ever played Duck Pong before? It was like beer pong, but with ducks. When you threw the ball in a bowl with a duck, the duck had a prize written on his booty. The prizes were pretty sweet- fat quarters, RoseCard patterns, and more raffle tickets!
At the end of the nite we announced our winners, one at a time. It was so exciting to see each guest win!
I was especially excited for our guest Kenna, a member of the Austin Modern Quilt Guild and an art appreciator. She was lucky enough to take home an original print from watercolor artist and fabric designer Laura Gunn. Not going to lie, I REALLY wanted to keep it!
It's funny, before I was a quilter, I was really into art- I still am. Before I considered myself an artist of any capacity, I was just an appreciator.
One of my favorite artists was a Brooklyn street artist named Jean-Michel Basquiat. His story is a tragic one. I have come to find that I appreciate the beauty and the art of a tragic story. He had a very loving and generous spirit- when a friend admired one of his works, it would likely appear on their doorstep. He rented a room from Andy Warhol, who later became one of his greatest friends. He also briefly dated Madonna. (You may be thinking I have never even heard of this guy yet he dated Madonna?) His work speaks for itself- social commentary and pop art collide in an often cheerfully melancholy juxtaposition.
Defacement was created after a New York graffiti artist Michael Stewart was publicly beaten to death by two New York police officers. It reminds me a lot of Guernica by Pablo Picasso- an acute social commentary.
Like many artists, Basquiat was tortured by his feelings of abandonment and issues of acceptance and his overwhelming addiction to heroin.
He died tragically from an overdose in 1988. His entire life he struggled to be accepted, yet ironically in 2007 one of his paintings was sold for over 11.2 million dollars. He was the subject of a film in 1996 in which David Bowie played Andy Warhol. The film won critical acclaim, but friends of Basquiat said it greatly molested his character.
I admire Basquiat because he spent the majority of his youth homeless, living in subways and on friends' couches; later he became a widely known and highly revered fine artist. Despite his agonizing demise, I believe that he is a symbol of perserverance and triumph.
As his death date anniversary nears, I am hoping to complete a Basquiat tribute on fabric.
****GIVEAWAY TIME****
In honor of the spirit of Basquiat (a man of kind and generous spirit), because my Soiree was such a lovely time, and because my blog has now had over 10,000 views (13,200 and counting!! I meant to commemorate 10k but I guess I'll be late to my own funeral!)...
I am preparing a sweet giveaway for my loyal readers!
Everyone that knows me knows that I consider Amy Butler my true inspiration in life. From her beautiful surface and textile designs to her gentle spirit, she is an everglow of love and light. In honor of the debut of her latest collection, Cameo, and because of my ever-growing reading family (thank you all!) I am going to be picking a lucky reader to take home a fat quarter pack featuring 6 of her fabrics from Cameo.
Your entry to the contest is a comment left on this post telling me who your biggest inspiration is and why. What is it about your inspiration that you hope to be? I hope one day to have the international acclaim and talent that Basquiat possessed. And I hope one day to be calm and centered like Amy. She never appears to be stressed in any capacity, even though she runs an empire. Ommmmmmm.....
Speaking of heartfelt....
Nothing touches my heart more than a guy who makes a quilt.
(Is there anything sweeter than that? Honestly?)
Thomas and Amanda met at Baylor University and fell in love. They recently became engaged- congrats, guys! In between grad school and his internship, Thomas decided to make Amanda a quilt to commemorate their college years together.
Now, THOMAS did all the work, and Amanda says so herself! She helped him pick out the shirts and place them together. Thomas cropped the shirts and pieced the top. We had the pleasure of quilting this for them, and did so with a stipple pattern and used a variegated thread to make it a little interesting.
(I love that Thomas is holding the corner with the "Girls Fight Back" t shirt. Teehee!)
I am super proud of the two of them for coming together on this project. A special shout out to Thomas!! I am super proud of you!
The things we will do for love....I love it.
Thanks for all of the love on the blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, in-store, at Market, and on the street. It is because of your loyal support and kind words that we can do what we do.
Speaking of..you can keep in touch on:
Twitter: @fiber_culture
Instagram: @jessicaksloan
Facebook: facebook.com/remnantsfiberculture
If you are in the Austin, Texas area, it would be a shame for you not to stop by:
10435 Burnet Road, Suite 106
Austin, Texas, 78758
888-TO-QUILT
Next blog I will show off another great customer quilt and some exciting events coming up in-store.
Stay tuned! Stay stitching!
xoxo
Jess
Wow, you really posed a tough one this time. Hmmmm. . . . Well if I look at the artistic world I would have to say that Andy Warhol is by far top on my list. He was a man before his time and now is revered for it. He created art from commercial images and famous faces and now he has become what he created. When I look into my life though I would have to say that my mom probably takes the cake for being my inspiration. She has been through so much in life and never gives up or settles for anything less then what she wants (when she knows what that is.) She has never allowed me to give up on my dreams and hopes and I hope that when I become a mother I am at least a tiny bit like her so that my children never give up on what they want.
ReplyDeleteWell, I definitely want to comment for a chance to win, but it's a really tough question for me. I've only been quilting a few years. I cannot for the life of me remember what, or who, prompted me to start. Artistically, I've never felt particularly gifted. So, while there are painters and other artists I love and admire, none inspired me to be artistic because I didn't think i had enough in me. Most recently, I have just been inspired by generous people. I have given away far more of my projects than I have kept. I love making donation quilts for kids and local charities. Every time I see someone that has made one, it inspires me to keep at it.
ReplyDeleteI guess my inspiration comes mostly from every day people. And what they inspire in me is simple compassion and generosity and a desire to bring those traits to everything I do.
I hope that's sufficient!
Well Jess I cant name one person because it changes daily some days its my daughter when she does something that's a little more difficult for her or some days its a customer trying something new. Im not ever really brave and am inspired by those that are.you are also some one that some times inspires me with your new adventure.when I read your posts here and on Instagram it makes me want to try those hard things I want to do but have been putting off. Thx for being an inspiration and making us look at those around us for inspiration
ReplyDeleteSome days, I think my biggest inspirations are people whose work I admire, like the quilters, designers and artists whose blogs I check in the mornings. Other times I think it's folks who do amazing things for charity. I think that charity is a matter of huge importance in gaining wisdom and becoming a good person. Then, some days, it's folks who endure hardship and difficulties with a smile on their face and an energy I can't mirror that amaze me. But most days, honestly, it's my kids that inspire me. Seeing things through their eyes and knowing they are my responsibilities makes me want to be a better me. So, I exercise, to be fit to play with them and to be healthy and be there for all their adventures in the future. I quilt, so they have warm hugs from me, even when my arms are unavailable. I sew, because that dress in my 7 year old's head makes her feel like a princess when it comes to life. And, I go on playdates and outings, even when I'd rather stay home and sew, because it lets them meet people and experience the world. They inspire me to do more, work harder and be better, and I love them for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm inspired daily by the quilter and hand embroidery bloggers. The bright and beautiful fabrics and stitches! I have been so inspired that just this year, I will start my own quilt! I've been hoarding fabric like mad, although I need more piecing practice before I cut into the "GOOD stuff!"
ReplyDeleteI take a lot of inspiration from my grandmother who sacrificed so much to provide for her family. Memories of her laugh and her perseverance make me smile everyday.
ReplyDeleteWhat a tough one—so many to admire, too little time. Georgia O’Keefe—she did what she wanted to do and loved the colors of New Mexico. I’d love to write like Willa Cather and Anne LaMott. Beethoven—a miracle to create one of my favorite pieces, “Ode to Joy,” having gone deaf. My husband of 34 years who helped me finish school and let me have a whole lot of children and took care of us. My daughter, Merete, who, after being diagnosed with MS said, “If I ever need a wheelchair, it’ll have some fast wheels!” My daughter Asha who at age 2 when I cried giving her insulin injections told me, “Don’t cry Mommy; it’s not you, it’s the shot.” My Tiera who is frustrated with the societal inequality in the world and internalizes it all so thoughtfully. My Halla, who can make me laugh like no other. Annie is also my hero; she took her life at 24, two years ago, and I miss her more than ever. She just couldn’t deal with the pain anymore. But her death made my belief in God even stronger because the feeling is great that I will see her again. She told me to make quilts—it does give me peace and comfort and I enjoy so much giving someone else a piece of the love that I’ve had with my family. And the ladies in my “In Mother Words” writing group for mothers who have lost children; they know the endless pain and leap of faith it takes to go on.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I look close to home to find my inspiration. My family. My Mom and Dad always encouraged me to reach for the sky in my aspirations and never told me I couldn't do something. Well, most things... They weaved creativity and love into everything we did as children and I hope I can do the same for my son. My husband challenges me in my design by making me think outside the box and he keeps me in check when I try to cut corners and my son challenges me to think creatively in more ways than I ever could have imagined... from making pirate belts to getting him to eat his veggies. Thanks for asking that tough question. It's been fun to read about everyone's inspirations.
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog and store tonight! I moved to Austin from MD less than 2 weeks ago and your shop is close to where I'm staying. I'm so excited I found you! I'm visiting tomorrow morning, assuming the kids are cooperative. Anyway, my biggest inspiration overall would have to be my maternal grandmother. She came to the US in 1960 from Cuba with my grandfather, mother, and aunt, and just a little bit of money hidden in her wooden purse. She learned a new language, worked several factory jobs, and eventually re-earned her masters in education so she could teach in the US as she did in Cuba. I think she taught me to sew, though I was so young I can't really remember. She made my prom dresses. She also is a pretty decent artist and knitter, though I didn't know it until I was an adult. She's very strong and opinionated and I just love her! She endured so much for her family. She is an inspiration, not just artistically, but emotionally and mentally as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's taken me a few days to think about who my inspiration is, but I've also just barely begun to know her: my daughter Eleanor is due in December, and as one might deduce, our relationship is pretty new. She's powerful for being so small, and showing it by inspiring me to become a better person for her sake, for her dad, and for the world where she'll grow up. She's inspiring me to look to our shared history for remnants of an old story we all carry with us, to look for a little corner of a big patchwork where I can pick up and keep adding on bits and pieces, here and there, to something both ancient and yet just begun. She encompasses all of my inspirations, from my aunt and my mother to my grandmothers to our ancestors whose quilts hang around us at our home and which keep us warm. She's inspiring me to continue the work of another stitch, another addition, another combination, in hopes that the future is an improvement on the past, in honor of those passed and for Eleanor's sake as well as my own.
ReplyDeletein life, i am inspired in some weird way by my grandmother - and i say weird because we're not exactly close in proximity or relationship. yet i find that when we spend time together, she's got a wealth of stories and adventures i get so wrapped up in! she was a nurse for most of her adult life, and i am one at present - again, not because she directly inspired me, but with that similarity, i think we're drawn to one another. we speak the same language, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI am inspired by my son, my husband, my precious niece and my patients. They all help me see the blessing in each day and encourage me to take time to do things that make me happy!
ReplyDeleteI majored in Art History in college and have so many artists that I love. However, I am mostly inspired by ny 16 month old daughter. I know that is so cheesy! I will say that like Basquiat she has nothing that hinders her style. She has not been taught to "color in the lines" or color even on the paper actually. She dances to music in the grocery store and finds the most odd things interesting. Seeing life through her curiosity has inspired me to learn more about things I am interested in. I taught myself how to sew on a machine two months ago and made a quilt. It was a great experience because quilting has no rules. I am able to make it all up as I go. The more I learn about quilting, fabric design and patterns, the more I am inspired by those artists! I am so grateful for Instagram, blogs and the internet. I can see others' creations to inspire my own ideas!
ReplyDelete