Workshops
Wearable Art Workshop: Tell Your Story in a Circular Vest
Workshop Description:
This 2-day advance wearable art workshop, nationally and internationally exhibiting fiber artist, Patricia A. Montgomery will instruct participants in traditional African American quilting design and construction techniques to create a circular quilted vest illustrating personal stories. The African American quilt tradition is characterized by vivid color palettes, strong contrasting color combinations, asymmetrical and strip piecing, uneven and large quilting stitches, the use of hidden protective charm symbols, large design elements, appliqued figurative image and interpretations of Anglo-American traditional patterns. The wide range of styles, design elements and construction techniques are most often employed to illustrate historical and cultural event of the quiltmaker’s life. With Patricia’s guidance, participants will turn their ideas into a one of a kind wearable art vest.
Workshop Preparations:
1. Create a rough sketch of your idea – it can be a photograph, landscape, or abstract design with a lot of colorful shapes
2. You design is fused to your main fabric. Prepare 8 different colors of batiks or printed fat quarters with wonder-under or use scrap fabric that has wonder-under on it. This fabric will be used for your design. Select bright and bold colors that are exciting to you.
3. If you are using digital images printed on fabric – prepare your images and text in advance
4. Cut out 1 yard of wonder-under fabric in 1” strips used for the arm hole and edge of your vest
5. Wind at least 6 full bobbins for your free motion quilting design
6. If you are planning to use a pattern quilting design, please practice it first
Please feel free to contact me in advance at 510-366-1242 or email at PAMontgomery11@gmail.com with any questions regarding your design idea.
Your vest can be made from a special fabric such as beautiful Batik; Ethnic or Recycle fabric.
Day One:
· Introductions
· Participants will take the following measurement
Bust – Waist – Hip – Back Width
· Create a tissue pattern from the above measurements
· Mark your tissue pattern with the back width measurement and 12” for the arm hole to form a H.
· Try on your tissue pattern to make sure that it fits before your fabric is cut out
· Cut out your main circle fabric and fuse to light weight canvas or muslin fabric
· Design and add the personal story to the circle vest via wonder-under
· Complete the Design
· Start free motion machine quilting
Day Two:
· Complete free motion machine quilting
· Add fusible interfacing to your lining fabric
· Fuse lining fabric to your top
· Cut out your arm hole
· Use your 1” strips on the arm holes and the edge of your vest
· Finish off your binding edge with a decorative stitch
· Add your frog closure or large buttons with snaps or attach a chain loop or make button holes
· Share your wearable vest with workshop participants
Lectures
Honoring the Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement
Presentation on Unknown African American women stories and contribution during the Civil Rights Movement.
2019
- The University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
2018
- San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles to the Northern California Women's Caucus for Arts, San Jose, CA
- Sacramento Textile Guild, Sacramento, CA
- Diablo Valley College Art Gallery, Pleasant Hill, CA
2017
- International Quilt Festival, Special Exhibition, Houston, TX
- San Marco Gallery, Archbishop Alemany Library, Dominican University of California
2016
- Two Lectures at the Brick House Gallery & Art Complex, Sacramento, CA
- African American Museum & Library, Oakland, CA
Artist Talks at Installation Projects at Day of the Dead Exhibitions at SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
Mythical and historical stories on various alters from 1999 - 2018. The following alters:
- Seeking Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness that America Promised - collaboration with artist Michael Ross
- Prayer Alter for the Healing of Slavery in America
A Creativity Life
Slide presentation of my creative journey from a painter and sculpture to a textile artist of Wearable Art.
- The University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC