Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

Thursday, January 2, 2013  In 2011, Marcia Young parlayed her passion for fiber into the challenge of filling the vacuum left by the demise of Fiberarts Magazine.  With Interweave Press' decision to stop publishing Fiberarts , a long-standing and excellent publication, we were left with a very sad void . Marcia created a new and exciting product,  Fiber Art Now magazine .  I'd say, clearly she has accomplished her goal: "We connect and inspire the contemporary fiber arts and textiles community by featuring the most compelling work, ideas, and craftsmanship in all of our endeavors." I am honored to have been asked to write an article for the current (Winter 2013)issue. I wrote about my conversation with 5 of the artists, chosen by Marcia, from my book, The Fine Art of Crochet .  It was a great holiday present when the magazine arrived with my  article the day after Christmas! Fiber Art Now magazine The magazine, in general, is filled with rich c...

I was awakening to the world of crochet in 1972,a time of immense artistic expression through fiber arts; and crochet was not the “ugly stepchild” at the time. In fact, Ferne Cone Gellar who I admire as a successful fiber artist said in “Knitting: The Stepchild of the Fiber Arts?” ( Fibercraft Newsletter 1978), “Has knitting been slighted among the areas of the fiber arts? The very word ‘knitting’ evokes images of the little old lady in tennis shoes. Over the years, I’ve learned to ignore all those jokes.” Cone Gellar went on to publish Crazy Crocheting in 1981 and encouraged her readers to create more than bedspreads, providing ideas such as “things to play with or to display on a shelf or hang on a wall.” A photo of single crochet from bread wrappers served as inspiration.  In 1972 in her book, Creating Art from Fibers & Fabrics , Dona Meilach wrote: “Why are fibers and fabrics becoming increasingly appealing to artists? Most artists ag...

Tuesday, July 2, 2013 Art abounds in the world-class city of Chicago, my new home as of July 7! I consider gardening an art and we can thank former Mayor Daley for enhancing miles and miles of streets, medians and parkways with gorgeous plantings. In addition, businesses add to the floral profusion by sponsoring sculpture exhibits periodically among the plantings. Public art is a part of daily life as the many outdoor sculptures enhance an incredible skyline. "The Picasso" is thought of by residents as more than art; this untitled piece exudes pride and has become an icon that represents this wonderful city. Fiber art is an important component of the vibrant arts community in Chicago; and it is no surprise that I found 20% of the artists in my new book, The Fine Art of Crochet, living right here in the city. This past weekend, I was pleased to visit one of my favorite artists in the book, Pate (pronounced Patty) Connaway at a "performance" he was doing at t...

Monday, April 15, 2013 We have a fairly new magazine, Fiber Art Now , which follows in the footsteps of Fiberarts magazine. It started in 2009 as a blog called Valley Fiber Life by Marcia Young. Life goes on and I am glad that once again we have a beautiful magazine that strives to inspire and connect the fiber art and textile community like Fiberarts magazine once did!. I have been receiving my Fiber Art Now news on line for a while and have just received my first hard copy with my subscription. I am happy to be in the fiber art loop again and am really enjoying it. Since my upcoming book, The Fine Art of Crochet (June 2013), fits into the genres of fine art and fiber art, I want to be on top of the most current information as to where to share the news. Whether a single issue features crochet or not is not important to me. There is much to inspire crocheters: just the pure color that abounds is sure to inspire along with news of exhibits, shows and manufacturers who may feature c...