IN CONVERSATION WITH CATHERINE NICHOLLS

Catherine Nicholls is a painter, writer, teacher and quiltmaker. Born and raised in Vancouver B.C., her work is often inspired by the stories and legends she heard as a child growing up on the Pacific Northwest coast of Canada. Catherine uses paper and textiles to explore her thoughts and ideas and says "I teach, observe and never stop learning. This work is more than what I do. It's what I am". A talented artist in her own right, Catherine is also one third of the popular Thr3Fold Journal team along with Linda and Laura Kemshall. She is currently a member of the exhibiting textile group SIX and a tutor for the online centre Design Matters.

We were delighted that Catherine was able to participate in a brief interview before dashing off to the UK for the much anticipated launch of Thr3Fold Journal Issue 04.

CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS STUDIO: Have you ever held a traditional 9-5 job?
CATHERINE: Sort of....I ran my own interior design business for years (lots of years!). It was 9 to 5 as long as you add a few hours before 9 and about another 4 hours after 5!

RWSS: If you had to choose another career what would it be?
CATHERINE: Travel writer.

RWSS: Early bird or night owl?
CATHERINE: Early mornings for walking and thinking and evenings for stitching.

RWSS: Dogs, cats or.......
CATHERINE: Dogs.

SEDNA

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

SEDNA DETAIL

SEDNA'S HUSBAND
PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: Favorite place you've been or lived?
CATHERINE: Whitehorse, Yukon.

PAST AND PRESENT

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: Do you do anything special for your birthday?
CATHERINE: I tried to do nothing, but it didn't work.

RWSS: Best dessert?
CATHERINE: Tough question! Anything with chocolate.

ROBINIA

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: Who's on your i-pod?
CATHERINE: Eric Bibb, David Gray, Chris Rea, Jim Byrnes, Joe Cocker.

RWSS: What book have you read recently?
CATHERINE: There are two I keep reading - Drawing the Line by Michael Baldwin and Hundreds and Thousands by Emily Carr.

RWSS: Favorite quote?
CATHERINE: "Be a maker of things". Bill Reid.

BONES OF THE SALMON

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: What inspires you?
CATHERINE: People

OPEN MINDED

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: Best advice you've ever received?
CATHERINE: To get out of my own way and let it happen.

RWSS: Worst advice you've ever received?
CATHERINE: I ignore bad advice!

RWSS: What do you do to unwind?
CATHERINE: Garden, walk, knit, stitch, paint.

FIFTY SPRINGS

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: Are there any of your own pieces that you can't bear to part with?
CATHERINE: Nope.

RWSS: Best part of your day?
CATHERINE: Early morning walk in the forest with the dog. It's my time to plan the day and all things seem possible.

OLD GROWTH
PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: I'd be lost without.........
CATHERINE: Friends.

CHRONICLE

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: What would you like to be remembered for?
CATHERINE: Sharing what I do with everyone who's interested.

RWSS: What's on the horizon for......
CATHERINE: Inspiration!

RWSS: What would you do with a few extra hours each day?
CATHERINE: Paint and draw..........and maybe sleep a little.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE NICHOLLS

RWSS: Any words of wisdom?
CATHERINE: Don't sweat the small stuff.

Catherine's work has been featured in Quilting Arts Magazine (Volume #30 - Dec/Jan 08) and more recently in the Quilting Arts Workshop series. Her CD Legends of the Pacific Northwest shares the traditional stories and art forms that have long served as her inspiration.

LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Catherine currently lives in Vancouver B.C and works both in Vancouver and the UK. To learn more about this artist and to view more of Catherine's work in detail, we invite you to visit her brand new website and gallery at Corvid Creations.

SIX

THR3FOLD JOURNAL 04

IN CONVERSATION WITH LAURIE SWIM

A native Nova Scotian, Laurie Swim is a talented, socially conscious Canadian art quilter. Her works grace many private and public collections including The Museum of Arts and Design in New York and the City of Toronto permanent collection. Strongly influenced by her heritage and the landscape that surrounds her, Laurie's quilts are colorful and full of texture. The use of light and color in her detailed realistic applique work is absolutely stunning and she tells a story with every piece she makes. Laurie began initiating large scale community-made quilts with volunteers in 1995. One of her largest pieces, a 7 ft x 20 ft work titled Breaking Ground: the Hogg's Hollow Memorial 1960 was designed for installation in the York Mills Subway Station in Toronto, Ontario.

LAURIE SWIM

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS STUDIO: Early bird or night owl?
LAURIE SWIM: Neither. I like to start my day about 8 in the morning and be asleep before midnight.

RWSS: Dogs, cats or.........
LAURIE: I grew up with dogs and am fond of them, but they tie you down. I am more of a cat lover. We had a cat a few years back. I watched him get hit by a car and die. We live on a busy road and I don't want to go through that experience again.

CAT SPRUCE SURVIVOR
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: Mac or PC?
LAURIE: PC

RWSS: Right or left handed?
LAURIE: Right.

RWSS: Favorite place you've been or lived?
LAURIE: Outside of Nova Scotia, I have fond memories of my 8 month stay in Denmark in my mid twenties as a weaver's apprentice.

BYGONES

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: Favorite quote?
LAURIE: "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from god." Kurt Vonnegut.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: Best advice you've ever received?
LAURIE: When I began writing my first book, The Joy of Quilting, I was living in Toronto and my green grocer friend, an older man in Kensington Market reminded me that this was something I wanted to do and to remember to enjoy myself. I have often recalled that sentiment when the work gets tough.

RWSS: Worst advice you've ever received?
LAURIE: I am sure I have received some but can't recall any one thing that stands out. I tend to go with the philosophy that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger or at least make you make better choices next time.

MERMAID'S PURSE

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: Have you ever held a traditional 9-5 job?
LAURIE: When I first started out, I did some waitressing but never a traditional 9-5. I have always tried to survive by my art.

RWSS: If you had to choose another career what would it be?
LAURIE: It has been a long time since I have even thought about alternatives. I started out in the disciplines of Fine Arts: printmaking, sculpture and painting. I have pretty much ended up there as well. The difference is that I use fabric as my medium.

RWSS: Are there any of your own pieces that you can't bear to part with?
LAURIE: There are some such as the small work, Passing Through, which portrays my niece as bridesmaid running about on our wedding day. It is the image on my business card. Mostly I try to think of my art pieces like offspring. They have to grow up and must find their own way in the world.

PASSING THROUGH

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: Do you do anything special for your birthday?
LAURIE: Not really. This year was my 60th, but winter prohibited a big celebration with family and friends so we are trying for this summer instead. It also marks my five years as a cancer survivor.

RICHARD'S PEACE

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: Would you consider moving back to Nova Scotia in 2004 an important point in your journey as an artist?
LAURIE: Yes, returning to the environment I know best after many years away has given me great focus and inspiration for many years to come.

THE NET MINDER
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: Best part of your day?
LAURIE: In seasonal weather, sitting on the porch with my husband, watching the sun set over Sand Cove here in Blue Rocks.

A FAREWELL

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: I'd be lost without...........
LAURIE: My husband Larry and my son Jake and oh yes, my artmaking!

RWSS: What is the most rewarding part of being an Art Quilter?
LAURIE: You never know where it might take you.

STONEHURST FISH STORE II

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: What's on the horizon for........
LAURIE: For the next while, it is preparing new work for the series Land, Sea and Memory for exhibition at the Mary E Black Gallery in Halifax and del Mano in Los Angeles in 2010.

BLUE BOATS IN BLUE ROCKS

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

RWSS: What would you do with a few extra hours each day?
LAURIE: More artmaking, more reading, more writing and more walking.

RWSS: Will we see more large scale community quilts in the future?
LAURIE: There is one in the mix. Plans are being made for creating the Halifax Explosion Memorial Quilt over the next few years.

RWSS: Any words of wisdom?
LAURIE: Never hesitate to ask for something you want. You will never know the answer unless you do. If yes, you win. If it's no, you are then free to move on to the next thing.

END OF THE DAY

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIE SWIM

Rags to Riches is Laurie's third book and is like taking a walk with the artist for a twelve year retrospective of her life and times. In it, she tells the stories behind her pictorial quilts, how she achieves them, what they mean to her and what inspires her. Each copy is signed by the artist and includes original sketches and photographs.

THE QUILT AS ART

RAGS TO RICHES

Laurie has been the Eastern Canada Regional Representative for Studio Art Quilt Associates and is currently available for workshops and lectures. To learn more about the artist and her work we encourage you to visit her website www.laurieswim.com.

FEATURE PRESENTATIONS

Our Feature Presentations this week include a couture Designer Pillow, hand dyed silk Shibori Ribbon and the book 'Designer Needle Felting' which features contemporary felted projects with designer flair.

FEATURE PROJECT
Created as a "Thank you" gift for our talented web designer Ivan Meade, our feature project was inspired by his favorite period photo of Salma Hyack.

SALMA HYACK

First, the image was printed onto a sheet of EQ Printables Premium Cotton Satin Inkjet fabric. For stability we then bonded it to a piece of flannel backed cotton using the ultra thin sheer fusible Misty Fuse. The image was then "framed" using silver and black silk fabric as matting. This was bordered by a row of 1/4" velvet piping and a fine row of beadchain trim. To accentuate the pleating detail of the photo, we incorporated silk Shibori Ribbon in color Cool Ash as a secondary border along with another row of piping.

A beautiful crushed black velvet was chosen as the primary fabric and a silver colored silk was used for the inset gusset on each side to create the boxing effect. Silver bead clasps and black ribbon complete the detailing.

The finished pillow is 18" x 18" square with a boxed down and feather pillow fill.

We were very pleased with the completed pillow. Ivan was thrilled with his "Thank you" gift and it now rests on the "best seat" in his studio!

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEADE DESIGN GROUP

FEATURE PRODUCT
One of our favorite products is silk Shibori Ribbon - luscious 4" silk ribbon that is Shibori hand dyed and pleated.

What is Shibori? Shibori is the collective term for tie-dye, stitch-dye or pole wrap-dye. The most common English translation is "tie-dye" but it is more aptly referred to as "shaped resist dyeing".
Silk fabric, or in this case ribbon, is tightly wrapped around a cylindrical tube - most often a PVC pipe. The fabric is "scrunched" down on the tube and once secure can be dyed in a multitude of colors. The tight folds act as a type of resist and the beautiful striping effect is the result.

We chose to use the color Cool Ash in our Feature Designer Pillow project. Our online store currently carries twelve different colors of Shibori Ribbon and we will be adding eight additional new colors in the next few days.

COOL ASH SHIBORI RIBBON

FEATURE BOOK
Authors Terry Taylor and Candie Cooper introduce contemporary styles and easy techniques in this hands on guide to Designer Needle Felting. This colorfully illustrated guide shows how easy it can be to get eye-catching results on everything from wonderful wearables to whimsical home accessories. From Shibori Felted Scarves to the bold black and white Bubbles Pillows, twenty five innovative projects will introduce you to the exciting technique of needle felting. All the basics, including information on wet and dry felting, are fully covered.

DESIGNER NEEDLE FELTING

IN CONVERSATION WITH LAURA KEMSHALL

Laura Kemshall lives and works in the heart of England and the landscape that surrounds her home is a constant source of inspiration. Surrounded by a range of arts and crafts growing up, it was textiles and in particular the influence of her mother's work which inspired her to pursue her ideas in that media. Laura is an artist, an author, teacher and painter who sews, quilts and loves her creative life. Along with Linda Kemshall and Catherine Nicholls she has co-authored and published the acclaimed book and cd series of Thr3Fold Journals. Laura is directly involved with the online courses offered through DesignMatters and is also a member of the exhibiting group 'Six'.

LAURA KEMSHALL

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS STUDIO: Morning person or night owl?
LAURA KEMSHALL: I can be both - if I'm working on something that I'm really inspired by I'll stay up late stitching or drawing away while I watch a movie on TV.

RWSS: Dogs, cats or ........
LAURA: Cats, no question.

THE TRICKSTER'S PRIZE
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: Mac or PC?
LAURA: PC. It's a great tool, but I spend too much time in front of it.

RWSS: Have you ever held a traditional 9-5 job?
LAURA: I don't think anyone would ever hire me to do a proper job! While I've got lots of patience to do the things I want to do, my attention span for everything else is very short!

SALTMINE II 2004
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: If you had to choose another career what would it be?
LAURA: Archaeology.

RWSS: Do you do anything special for your birthday?
LAURA: Birthdays usually revolve around spending time with family and friends and good food.

RWSS: Best dessert?
LAURA: Hmmmm....this is a tough choice. I have an extremely sweet tooth, if only savoury food made you fat I'd be as thin as a stick as I could quite easily give that up entirely. When it comes to pudding I find it much harder to resist. If Tiramisu or Creme Brulee are on the menu they'd usually be among my first choices.

PAINTED PEAR I
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: Favorite place you've been or lived?
LAURA: I haven't covered that much ground so far, but all the traveling I've done I've really enjoyed. There's still nothing like getting back home though. For all its faults I do love England, we have wonderful galleries and museums, great music, pretty countryside and good food.

RWSS: Who's on your i-pod?
LAURA: Neil Young, Kings of Leon, Verve, Nirvana, The Kooks, REM.......

SOUND OF YOUR GUITAR 2007
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: What book have you read recently?
LAURA: I don't get time to read much fiction, only on holiday and the last one of those was too long ago to remember! We tend to have a lot of non-fiction books around the studio though. At the moment I'm reading Couture Sewing Techniques by Clair Shaeffer.

RWSS: What do you do to unwind?
LAURA: I know it's bad, but in the summer I could happily sit in the sun for hours. I like doing all sorts of things, shopping, cooking, going out for a good curry...... all the usual. Although sometimes we have stressful and tiring days, because we enjoy it, what we do isn't really hard work, not like some people in the world have to face.

RWSS: Best advice you've ever received? Worst advice you've ever received?
LAURA: I suppose the only person I listen to is my Mom, but she's always let me do my own thing anyway.

RWSS: Favorite quote?
LAURA: I've been thinking about this one all day and I can't think of anything, so I guess that means I don't have one!

RWSS: What inspires you?
LAURA: Everything I've seen, read, heard.

INSPIRATION
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: Favorite medium to work with?
LAURA: When it comes to textiles I love quilting. If it's art work, then oil paint is my latest favourite.

MORPHEUS'S GARDEN 2001
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: Any indispensable tools or equipment?
LAURA: I don't tend to go in for gadgets, as long as I've got my sketchbook or some paper, a few paints, sewing machine I'd be ok.

RWSS: Are there any of your own pieces that you can't bear to part with?
LAURA: It sounds mercenary, but I'd sell most things for the right price. I once sold a sketchbook, but I won't do that again, they are more valuable than money to me. There's one quilt I've made that's not for sale, but it's so personal I don't suppose anyone else would want it either!

SKETCH BOOK
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: Best part of your day?
LAURA: That's never the same two days running so it's tough to answer. There's always something different to look forward to and something surprising that happens.

RWSS: I'd be lost without........
LAURA: So many things.... but none of them are actually things....it's the people around me, my pets, the life I'm lucky enough to lead. It's always the intangible that's the most important.

RWSS: What's on the horizon for..........
LAURA: I don't plan very far ahead. I know some people have these 5 year master plans. That's not for me. I prefer to see what happens and let things evolve a bit more naturally. Linda and I are always working on lots of different projects. Lately it's involved lots of writing and developing of our website.

RWSS: What would you like to be remembered for?
LAURA: Just being good at what I do .

BLACK AND WHITE FEATHERS 2006
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: What would you do with a few extra hours each day?
LAURA: More of everything! I've got a list of things to do that's always way longer than the day. If I live to be 100 I won't get through it all!

RWSS: Any words of wisdom?
LAURA: Do what you want to do and do it with conviction!

LACE AND GOLD 2008

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA KEMSHALL

RWSS: We had the pleasure of viewing Laura's piece 'Lace and Gold' when it was on display in Vancouver last fall. The detail and stitching on it are absolute perfection!

We encourage you to visit Laura's website Design Matters to view more of her works or to perhaps enroll in a class at the online centre. Other publications by Laura and Linda Kemshall include the 'The Painted Quilt', Thr3Fold Journals 1, 2 & 3 and the dvd/cd set 'Explore The Painted Quilt'. The much anticipated release date of Thr3Fold 4 will soon be upon us. For more information please visit our Coming Soon page here.

THR3FOLD JOURNAL 04

THE PAINTED QUILT

EXPLORE THE PAINTED QUILT