CATHY MILLER – SINGER & FIBRE ARTIST
For almost 50 years Cathy has made her living as a singer/songwriter, teacher, and concert promoter. She caught the quilting bug in 1991 when she was hired to write music for a play about quilting and it changed her life. With the launch of her first album of quilting songs in 2000, she began a 23-year career as “The Singing Quilter”, which took her and her husband all around the world and led to 5 cds and a songbook on the topic. During that time, she evolved as a quilter and now focuses on art quilting and landscape abstractions. She currently serves as President of the Victoria Quilters’ Guild in beautiful British Columbia. This project was inspired by a set of cards called “Oblique Strategies” created by Brian Eno for use in recording studios.
CHRISTINE KNOX – FIBRE AND FINE ARTIST
I first began quilting when my daughters were small, about 30 years ago. I took a long hiatus after making 3 bed quilts. Finally, once I retired from working due to a medical diagnosis of Mitochondrial Disease. I began quilting once again. Once I did, I quickly discovered my love of landscape and art quilts instead of traditional bed quilts. Although that doesn’t mean I don’t make them anyway.
Also, as a way to create awareness of Mitochondrial Disease, I started a project called Mito Quilts of Hope. This project is intended to enroll other quilters to make green quilts (the designated color of Mito) to donate to children and adults with Mito. We have sent out over 225 quilts thus far. Part of the project is also to create awareness of this rare genetic disease and provide comfort to the patients receiving them.
I’ve been a creative person all my life, I began drawing at the age of 10. In recent years I began doing commissions of people’s pets, nature and animal paintings. My preferred medium is artist quality colored pencils. In the last few months, I have returned to painting with acrylics. If you wish, please go to my website, www.christineknox.ca
At 10 years of age, my godfather taught me to knit and crochet. I’ve also explored almost every kind of textile art over the years. Clothing sewing and alterations, embroidery, cross stitch, bargello, fabric painting, rug-hooking, tatting, and needlepoint to name a few.
CHARLANE SIMPSON –
It all started with my mother coming home with an old Treadle Sewing machine to use as a ‘feature piece’ for the front foyer of our new home. I checked out this mysterious ‘feature’ discovering the movable parts and was thrilled to pieces that this ‘thing’ had potential. So, began a fascination with fabric, machines & various techniques.
This fascination travelled from my experimenting teens to producing costumes for local Theatre to designing a line of Fashion Aprons and to the countless and untold experiments along the way.
In my retirement this fascination continues with my current interest in blending various materials and fabric together creating and sculpting tactile pieces in bright and energic shades.
Not every piece goes exactly as planned which I find exciting, and I do experience a ‘stuckness’ from time to time. Now that the Creativity Cards are available to consult, I feel the ‘refresh’ button is within reach kick starting that creative flow we all crave.
Happy Sewing my creative friends.