Thank you for your support and encouragement over the years.
I am looking forward to doing business with you in the future.
As ever, stay hungry and curious.
N. A. Jones |
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The Etsy Shop is officially closed. I will be posting catalogs/documents on this site to facilitate all sales of the sewn items that are listed under Constantine1983. Please look for them by early December 2015. Also, as a result of leaving Etsy, most transactions will be directed through PayPal. I forgot to mention that I plan on continuing to take Money Orders and no personal checks.
Thank you for your support and encouragement over the years. I am looking forward to doing business with you in the future. As ever, stay hungry and curious. Please come if you can make it!
I'll be exhibiting three quilts: Verdi's Wheel, Medicine Quilt I:The Pileated Woodpecker, and The Postman. Dallas Quilt Celebration 2015 Dallas Market Hall, March 13-15, 2015 Fri & Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 www.quiltersguildofdallas.org The time for seasonal shopping is at hand and I will be at the First United Methodist Church in The Colony, Texas for their Annual Harvest Craft Bazaar. The date falls this coming weekend. If you can make the date and time, please feel free to come out and visit. Other crafters will be present and the event is held both rain or shine. FYI: I will not be selling quilts nor some wall hangings. Also there are three discount bins. Anything you find in them are priced at $25. New digs for this year are a variety of hand made soft form dolls. Check out my website for details in Current Work 2014 under Dolls 2014. And as ever, stay hungry and curious.
Location: FUMC Harvest Craft Bazaar 4901 Paige Road, The Colony, Texas 75056 When: Saturday, October 4, 2014 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Directions: http://fumctc.org/about/directions/ Hope to see you there, ~N.A. Jones Just had to tell you, I've got new work for sale. The first shots are lingering under the New Work tab by Dolls 2014. I have more shots to take before posting on Etsy, but I wanted to give you heads up as I finish Santa's list for Christmas. If you are interested in purchasing before the holiday season arrives and long before I post on Etsy, just email me and I'll be glad to disclose the prices. There are also a few more odds and ends coming for Christmas to fill out the store. I'll be posting those early for perusal as well.
Have a safe and happy Summer! The long arm is set up and I'm after myself to quilt a top that has been sitting for about five years. I deserve to see it completed. Shooting for the end of the month with binding complete along with tagging. I plan on carrying it in the amount of varied stock I'll display this fall. Although the quilt will be available on Etsy after photographing.
For the top I'm shooting for a blend between custom quilting and an overall pattern. Feathers and McTavishing as it were, the blend I saw in a friends work was striking to the eye and fun to follow. I hope to render the same sense of light heartedness. Meanwhile the house templates are coming all very comfortably. I have four left and after the next two I may go straight into production. I bought fine detailed Sharpe pens to make rendering detail fun and loose. I like where I'm headed even as far as switching to muslin in the long run. I love the paper backed fabric so much that I had a memory. It was of a paper store in Dallas. The place is huge. I learned about it from Sharon Grant in book making class for graduate school. Tons of papers from around the world. I remembered that they have a selection of fine Japanese fabrics backed on to paper as well. Yes, a bit out of my price range right now for a sheet smaller than the 60" wide, $1 a yard I proffered at C&C fabric in the Harry Hines District. I'm up for a field trip eventually, but I should have my measurements down cold for the house I want to make. I'd hate to buy to little and be stuck to glue and paper to finish out neatly. Still excited at the smaller projects. Fascination machines and time to breathe. I seem to be keeping a steady pace. I'm wondering about taking time off. Maybe of one venue/style to another form of working. Just for the sake of not getting rusty. A friend to time off of art for a year he told me. That was before he looked for a job in the field. I also took a break, more of chance and circumstance, but right now I'm fearing burning out. Maybe I'm just tired and need sleep. I am looking into the wide mouth of Christmas and hoping not to get swallowed in the craft pace to meet the season game face on. I have my obligation and revamping the shop thorough broadening my perspective is one. Careful selections of task for one and keeping it all simple.
I've been taking a long cold hard stare at my studio this past year and the bottom line is I want to experiment and eventually polish for sale. From what I am discovering, the avant garde approaches I tend to take are not completely lost in the commercial arena. Sometimes they blossom and yes, sometimes they fail. In preparation for new tactics, sketches and patterns I've been developing, I'll need to create space. Thus a sale on everything in stock, listed and unlisted. Everything has been discounted to below 60% or more for the cost conscious and artisan collector in us all. The prices at the Etsy shop have been changed to reflect that.
I've got several wall hangings and quilt tops I've made in the past four years. Some are quilted, some not. I am prepping to long arm the incomplete endeavors starting in January. No custom quilting will be done, but simple overall patterns including a meander and stippling. If you are interested in a preview look at the tops, email me at [email protected]. I'll photograph everything in the trunk and post a slideshow. If you are interested, just reserve something you like by email. I'll prioritize accordingly. The tops to be quilted range from a full to a king are priced between $300 and $500. I've got more than four quilts and an assortment of smaller intimates that may interest you as well. The wall hangings will be priced under $50. Curious? Let me know. BTW: Items posted later, that are not listed in the Etsy shop can be bought via PayPal. 8.25% state tax and shipping costs are assumed by the buyer. Happy Holidays! New Produce and I'm aimin' to have it out by Christmas. Either/Or, these word totems are bound to still be fresh as we move into the New Year as well. Thus a permanent addition. If you were following on the "Research Box" Blog, I aim constructing fabric wall hangings using a large print word made in reverse applique in a contrasting two color layout. The piece is quilted and finished with tabs for hanging using a sealed dowel rod (I'm debating on using collected branches cutting them to size) and a length of thick red ribbon. From this photograph you can see that I have finished the reverse applique, pressed the front and back then it is pinned for maneuvering under the small machine for free motion quilting. I spent a few hours making templates, choosing fabric and starting the applique. Today was spent finishing the applique and starting the quilting. I'm hoping to have the first completed by mid month August including tabs, rod and ribbon. Market is cancelled for this month. When I schedule for another venue I will let you know. Meanwhile, I have a few things to post at Etsy, so be on the look out for "fresh produce". Thank you so much for keeping up with me. Your patronage is highly valued.
~N.A. Jones I'm waiting to hear back from the organizers of the Market. There is a likely chance that next weekend's venue will be cancelled. I sincerely apologize for the late announcement, but I just found out myself. If there is any changes I will be able to let you know in 36 hours. Once matters are concluded and I reschedule for a venue, I will give notice at this blog. Feel free to sign on to the RSS feed or contact me at [email protected] to be put on a permanent mailing address.
Thanks again for you patience. ~N.A. Jones Fisherman's Wharf Cap I've been tinkering with other things than sewing the past month or so. You can see the yield under Cell Line. I just got back into it late last week. I started out with a quick cap that for me is a staple during the wet and/or cold months. Perfect for Spring, Fall and Winter. The caps fits snugly if your head measurement is over 24 inches. It is a progressively fit the smaller the head size. It is primarily geared for adults. I have a few odds and ends left to prepare for the weekend of May 18-19 at the Dallas Handmade Arts Market. Namely price tags and labels. I will not be bringing any two dimension works with me. Only fabric items will be available. If you are interested in the two dimensional items, please contact me at [email protected]. So I went to the artist's reception at the new site. It is gorgeous. The site is the Scottish Rite Library and Museum. It is over 100 years old. Well preserved and the library, well I just about fell backwards. Totally smack of old men in smoking jackets and places were women and African American will never be permitted in. That was 100 years ago and well, it didn't feel restrictive in the least. I remember back in the late 1990's that building use to be a Freemason Protestant Church. There was a large statue of a man in the front wearing a cape and other regalia. That was a while ago and that building must have met so many purposes it is daunting to think it all through.
Saw many faces I knew and I said hello. The feeling was welcome and a diverse set of artists and crafters. I did find out I'll be shifting my date to May. I am waiting on confirmation. Once I do, there will be a notification here and via email, if I have your email address. If you would like to get on the notifications list, email me with an inquiry to be added. If you have time in May please feel free to come visit me, I'd love to see you. As promised, the quilt I was working on the long arm. This one is also from my earlier forays into applique and working with the modified designs from Native American trade blankets. I am still in the process of translating the woven design into piecework I can use in my quilts. The running points on either side of this lap quilt were taken form the books I studied a few years ago. I look forward to delving back into that activity soon. One real goal is also translating my sketch into quilts. Medicine Quilts, my own idea, is apart of unifying both ventures I hope to begin to make into reality sometime this year. Their are some changes going on at the Dallas Handmade Arts Market, because of this, my anticipated April venue, may change. I hope to have information for you soon. Please bear with me, because I'd love to see you. Hope you are well and continue to do something creative! Thought I'd let you know. Sabbath was a partial bust and my body is paying for it, but now on to what I wanted to say..... I finished quilting and put the binding on by machine. Handwork this week and photos will be posted. Sorry to leave you hanging if I did. Plans, just..well... changed. Back on the old track now. Keeping you abreast as ever and goodness, the quilt looks swell.
It is finished! Just took the photographs outside this afternoon. The colors maintain their relative richness through the photography. There were a few problems so I am bringing the price down to $500 plus tax through me in person. The original asking price was $695. Working with older fibers is giving me a work out in finding technique management solutions that are elegant and will preserve for some time more. About the piece: The design formed from pairing several different projects together. The peaks and valley or blades were a study from a Native American trade blanket. I must say woven design do not always literally translate into cut piecework easily. I trade several variation and three of them are in this quilt. The butterfly wings were a push towards a more graphic rendition with strong lines and bolder colors. The circle comes from a former piece interpreting neolithic goddess pottery in fabric. I was studying the pattern on a water vessel and tried to replicate it in fabric. The circle survived the first round before I put it aside to correct sizings. Lastly my drop thorax you will find in most of my butterfly quilts. It reflects my once naive understanding of what swallowtail meant. It makes for an elegant line and reminds me of a wasp. Frequently I'll interchange insect parts to build a butterfly with undulating curves and extending fluidity. This is to create a center piece with more majesty for visual appeal. As ever all materials are recycled or remnants from second hand shops and friend's sewing studios. Items are sterilized through washing and ironing. The quilting is done on a long arm using a modified feather pattern. The overall life cycle for this quilt from beginning to finish has been roughly three years. It was created during my early piecing period. After which I aggressively went after creating original designs in pattern making. I found my home in making art quilts. I have several more to prepare for the arts market and I hope you will enjoy the previews. If you have an questions or concerns about this piece, let me know by email. I will be mounting it on Etsy shortly, but I am planning for the piece to be available at the April Dallas Arts Market at the new venue: Scottish Rite Library and Museum 500 S. Harwood Street Dallas, TX 75201 Hope to see you there! It's February, supply runs are complete and I'm in the studio with the long arm. I started in on an abstract butterfly quilt today. The size is suitable for a twin bed or better for a lap quilt on a cold night. Prep time went easy and she'll be off the boards by Thursday due to intermediate plans. The date is for April and I'll have a slightly larger spot than last time. The space will come in hand and give us more room to spread out the beautiful quilts. Hope to see you a the Dallas Handmade Arts Market at the new venue! Happy New Year! I'm back in the studio after a break. My plans for this coming month is to quilt four or five quilts in time for my next stint at the Dallas Handmade Arts Market. I will have the dates set in the next few days. When I do, you will be hearing from me to let you know. Provided my work schedule and minus any hazards, I'll be posting pictures of the quilts after they are completed as an advanced showing as to what will be at the Arts Market. If they pique your interest online, come down and take a look in person.
I pulled photos, worked them and finally loaded on to Etsy. You'll also find an addition to the Yellow Tantine list. There is a black one. And of course since the last I posted here, the green Tantine is completed and also photographed. Please enjoy the spread and feel free to look on Etsy for the descriptions. All will be following me to the last minute Christmas show, so if you see something you like,speak up because it may be gone just in time for the Holidays.
What make it deep green is the color and if I can make it 80% minimum recycled. What gets factored in is batting and thread will always be a new purchase speaking health-wise and for solid construction. Also I have moved into using 100% cotton thread for construction. The days I am feeling lucky that will count for archival commissions when completing the quilting. Still polyester thread is stronger and may bear wear and tear of daily living better. Together they count for about 15% of the total piece. After that color manipulation usually mandates what goes into a piece and what accents. I could not resist the urge to make my mental plans reality. I worked a few hours today and the yield was more than I could hope for. The excitement is that I am changing my process to save money and labor. The long arm has been serviced and I have not been far apart from it determined to learn the nuances and find my groove. If I find a good rhythm in a year or so I may hang out my shingle for work. I just just have to get the tension in line and working for me better. Today was a good day for that with everything holding and a chance to practice some 101 techniques I learned on the fly from fellow quilters. Believe me it is addictive. I'm on to putting the two green Tantines together having cut the yardage down and trimmed out my other pieces. The heaving pile to the left is what I've decided to work with for the first. Below is the yardage I completed earlier today. The flow of the pattern is organic and undulating. Ah yes... before I forget Happy Black Friday to you and yours. Hope you got rest and nibbled on yesterday's leftovers. Ciao! Still chuggin away over here with a second series started for the New Year. The impetus is the Dallas Handmade Arts Market. I've got a slot for December, so I'm trying to bulk up a little bit with the purse stock while prepping the pictures for transport and sale. With that in mind I've finished two more Motley Harlequins. I will be photographing them in a week hopefully. Next on the slot to complete are two Tantines. Both of these are predominantly green though the decorative motif is multicolored in varied fabrics. Ichthyos is slotted for a second run come January or February. The motif will be changing but the size will not. If it is your favorite, don't worry, the motif is not retired. It will return with different colors another run.
With that I bid you adieu. Be blessed this turkey day, patient and helpful. Just a small grace note to say... voila! The first two are done and going into storage soon until some kind individual purchases them. I was glad to finish up but look forward to completing the other two that are cut and waiting the next stage for completion. I may not get to them till after the new year as other tasks have quickly piled up. I have a craft show that I am participating in. The last touches on sewn items have to be done this week and preparing for cooking next week will take a little time. Although I am prepared and plan to keep the kitchen in order till make time arrives. To the left are Joaquin and Nutchaser. I had Native Americans and Squirrels on my mind since finishing my last project using acorns. Joaquin is soft form and Nutchaser has a little more sturdy body. Both are now posted at the Constantine1983 shop at Etsy.com for purchase. I've also added Red Glider for sale as well. Take a peek! Purrrrrrrrrrr. The shots looked dark in Photoshop and I tried to differentiate between shades. I get here and it works well, I can see the panels that were foggy before with detail. This is the second of the run and it will be called The Motley Harlequin. I have to give this one its insides soon and photo it with the first in the garden. This one is soft with no reinforcement for the form. To me this one feels extremely feminine with its delicate florals throughout the diamond patterning. I'm happy. Hopefully the new owner will be as well. Look! See! The partridge has feathers. The inside and zipper is yet to come. And finishing touches by the end of the week. I may add in my forays that, happy mistakes do happen. For instance, this partridge was supposed to be a little bigger than a bread box. In sizing from the original I scaled up too high for my immediate expectations. This checks off number four on the list for 2014. I've conquered my soft luggage barrier. With that said I've decided to commit to making soft luggage and eventually offer up the shop for a commission to do five pieces at a price commensurate to totaling supplies, overhead and labor. I'm confidant it could work just like a healthy dose of Scotchgard to the surface of this bag. That will have to go into the notes for care and cleaning. In any case, I'll be remeasuring the original and offering that as a different companion bag to the likes of what I've got going here. That one will be softer and more able to be molded. It will not be a shape that can stand in form. In this case, it will be good for toting crafts and a small overnighter, the one below is definitely for travel and longer stays away. Maybe even good support for the teacher in your midst to carry all here supplies neatly and safely between destinations. Even a good bag to pack everything toys and clothes for the toddlers weekend at grandma's. Even a great container for everything going to the beach. Eight pockets. I'll have the dimension for you tomorrow. I got in the studio a little late today, but I couldn't tell because I met all my goals with time to spare. Four hours in, I got the pockets cut, seamed, quilted and the final cut for construction. I'm ready for tomorrow and it looks like the body will be double stitched and reinforced for support. I'm anxious to see a finished piece and looking forward to learning from each and using that knowledge to complete the run. What I like the most so far is that the bags are very tactile--almost begging to be touched and handled. Each different piece of fabric has its own quality, but when set in tandem with another, the contrast can be striking. The motifs, after quilting, even popped more off the fabric that before. The three dimensional quality is phenomenal. I'll be back in a few days to post the preliminary shots of the bag. Return for the finale! Two more flats of quilted color under my belt and I am gleeful about finishing the last panel tomorrow. Some shots you can see the quilted detail better than others. For instance, in the third and four shot, its a task to pick out the thread line, but in the last shot you can really get a sense of the design and its flow. I had a breakthrough last night and began drawing in my mind a cactus design I play with in my sketches. I decided to let it construct itself with one continuous line and the last design was born. I'm proud of it and will use it again as an all over motif on blankets. With these upcoming weeks I'll be uploading a few more items onto Etsy. Namely a few more purses, table runners and wall hanging. Be sure to take a look, you may find something worth your time and money.
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