Alphabetica - a new exhibit and a fiber art coloring book

The members of FiberArt NorthEast have created a spectacular new exhibit called Alphabetica. Each artist made one (or more) letters of the alphabet using fiber art techniques. The complete alphabet has now been turned into a coloring book!


If you would like to order the Alphabetica coloring book, please click on the image below.

FANE Alphabetica Coloring Book

By Fiber Art North East

The debut exhibit of this new series is at the Mahopac Public Library Gallery, a light-flooded space on the third floor of the library, overlooking the lake. The exhibit is on display from November 1-30, 2017 with an opening reception on Sunday, November 5 from 2-4 pm.

J is for Jack in the Pulpit by Barbara Sferra

Artist Trading Block challenge

After reading about Artist Trading Blocks on the Gelli Arts blog and becoming completely inspired by the idea of a six sided collage, Jane issued a challenge to the FANE members to make a block or two. We cut our blocks 1.75" x 1.75". These are the outstanding results! Bravo for creativity!

Martha Buhl

Judy Gignesi

Cindy Green

Carole Hoffman

Nancy Mirman

Fran Osinoff

Sonia Rieber

Barbara Sferra

Linda Stern

Joyce Sullivan

Paula West

Christine Wilhelm

Architectural Elements at Etui

Every year our group, under the wise tutelage of our leader, Jane Davila, puts on a show.  Previously the exhibits had been at the gallery in the Mahopac Library, a very good spot with a large reception room.  It seems that that space has become so popular that they will only allow a group to exhibit every other year.  We had to come up with a new venue.  Many ideas were thrown around and then Jane's friend, Julie Saviano, was about to open a new fiber shop in Larchmont, NY. called Etui Fiber Arts. It would carry some fabrics, yarns and other fiber related items and would have a small gallery in front.  It sounded perfect. And it was!  We decided on the theme of Architectural Elements and the size was restricted to 14" wide by no more than 20" high.  There would also be some pedestals and some members opted to make freestanding pieces that would fit into narrow wooden stands.

Julie will put up a new show every month so this one will come down at the end of this month, April. It is a lovely show and well worthy of a visit and you may even find something to purchase in this wonderful new shop.

Here are the quilts, in no particular order:

Venice Window by Barbara Sferra

Rapunzel by Sonia Rieber

Long Nook Beach by Carolyn Spiegel

Portal by Claire Oehler

Venice Threatened: Acqua Alta 2013 by Paula West

Sunrise, Sunset by Nancy Mirman

Green Door by Gail Ellspermann

Opportunity by Jane Davila

Windows on My World by Donna Chambers

Lloyd Wright or Mondrian by Judy Gignesi

Ancient Architecture by Martha Buhl

les fleurs de coin by Vivien Zepf

New York City Windows by Cecelia Leiseroff

City Breeze by Natalya Aikens

Stone Bench by Carole Hoffman

Chrysler Building: Tower Lights and Elevator Door by Joyce Sullivan

Gateway (Red Gate) by Christine Wilhelm

Tuscan Window by Cindy Green

Grandeur by Ann Louise Lyman

Outside the Box by Barbara Drillick

Favela by Norma Schlager

Access by Nike Cutsumpas

Just Knock, I Am Here For You by Renee Fleuranges-Valdes

Built by Kathi Jahnke

Featured Member - Donna Chambers

Welcome to a new feature on our blog - Featured Member! One or more times a month we will be featuring a member of FiberArt NorthEast, showing examples of her work, and answers to a list of interesting questions that were posed to our group.

Our first featured member is Donna Chambers. You can find more of Donna's work on her website.

What is your favorite technique to employ in your fiber art and why?

I love working in raw edge appliqué .  Raw edge appliqué quickly pushed me to experiment with fabric Mosaics.  I use small squares, strips, rectangles and triangle bits of fabrics placing them as if they were ceramic tiles. It's very intense and the effect is powerful.  Once the piece is free motion quilted it takes on a painterly and a dimensional look.

What inspires you?

I am inspired  by many things.  Fashion, Fabric, Metallics, Color, Texture and  a real good challenge.

What skill, tool, or technique do you plan to master next?

I am currently taking a crazy quilt workshop. Can't wait to learn and experiment with the many hand embroidery stitches.

What other art media do you work in (past or present)? How does this inform your fiber work?

As a teenager I was blessed to work in the Ossining textile art studio of famed textile artist Vera Neumann of Vera Scarves. I know I got my color sense from her, she loved brights, texture, she always worked in groups and she always had a theme.  What I learned from her is priceless.

I am a professional goldsmith/jewelry designer by trade since 1980, I manufacture and sell to stores  throughout the the US.  My jewelry is also influenced by texture and color as well as  my fiber work plus metallics.

What advice to you have for someone just starting in fiber art?

I encourage those starting in fiber arts to play a lot in materials of all sorts, take workshops and get yourself involved with an artistic group of people and let it rip.

Kimono Inspired

This past weekend our FANE group had another fabulous exhibit as part of the Northern Star Quilter's Guild annual show.  We were in a separate room at the end of the hall.  It was a great space with plenty of room for the kimonos on their stands to be displayed and ample space to walk around them.  Our wonderfully talented leader, Jane Davila came up with this idea, as she did our Totems last year.

I was amazed at the diversity that was displayed.  Each artist had their own interpretation.  The only "rules" were that it be made to a specific size and that it would drape over the wooden stand.  Some were quilted, some were sheer, some were surface design, some were painted, some used paper, some were multilayered. Each one was a reflection of its maker and all were stunning.

I had seen most of the pieces before the show, but I still gasped in amazement when I walked into the room and saw them all together on the stands. 

So now I give you all of them in their great glory.  If I know a little about the process, I will include it.

Be sure to click on the pictures for a bigger view.

Andrea Shedletsky-Color Play Andrea used silks and batiks with her impeccable machine piecing.

Barbara Drillck--Ao To Shiro No Kimono  Barbara studied in Japan many years ago and used some Japanese fabric.

Barbara Sferra--Untitled.  Barbara poured paint over scrunched fabric to achieve this effect.

Carole Hoffman--Icy Damask  Carole used a piece of fabric that she had snow-dyed.

Carolyn Speigel--Night and Day side one

Carolyn Spiegel--Night and Day  Side Two

Cecelia Leiseroff--Foo Kimono

Cindy Green --Prana (Life Force) Mother Nature's Tunic This had multilayered sheer fabrics with many surprises such as feathers, dragon flies, fish and snakes.

Claire Oehler--Rainbow

Donna Chambers-- Tribute to Cheryl side 2

Donna Chambers--Tribute to Cheryl  side 1

Frances Osinoff--Untitled

Jamie Horikowa --Anger and Confusion  Jamie's was one of the few that was quilted and she used her lovely shibori fabric.

Joanne Lubchenko--Untitled

Jane Davila--Invisible Light

Joyce Sullivan--Vines

Judy Gignessi --Midnight   Judy used sheer "prom dress" fabric that had sparkles as her base..

Natalya Aikens--Under/Over Natalya  Natalya is famous for using recycled things in her work.  In this piece she has sewn on plastic shopping bags and has printed photos on sheer organza for the sleeves.

Nancy Mirman--Untitled  Nancy has used handmade paper for some strips and has felted roving onto silk for the center panel.

Paula West--Sakura  Paula has used Japanese printed fabric for her piece.  Side 1

Paula West-- Sakura --side 2

Renee Fleuranges Valdes  Pathways-- Renee's piece is another one that has beautiful quilting.

Sonia Reiber  Flowered Kimono

Mary Ann Healy--Kimono Gone Tutu  This one made everyone smile.

Viven Zepf--Shards  the body was painted and stamped and the sleeves are open-work.

Nike Cutsumpas--Kimono Foliage Nike also used sheer fabric as as base for her beautiful leaves.

Lynda Long--Mother Hen

Martha Buhl--  White Crane Spreads its Wings

Norma Schlager Indigo Shibori  Norma used shibori fabric that she had made.

We didn't know how we would come up with something that would equal last year's very successful Totem exhibit, but I think we sure did.  How will we ever top this?!