Barbara Hartman - Transcendent Quilting

Our next stop on the Cross Timbers Artists' Studio Tour is at the home of Barbara Hartman.  I have my fingers crossed that it will not be busy here either and we will get a chance to really spend some quality time together.  My wish is granted and when we arrive, we are the only ones touring.  I am able to hand over the cheese from Richard Gatti and watch as she lights up when she realizes what it is.  How fun.  She then takes us into the front room where her quilt (that I JUST saw in Houston) is proudly being displayed.  It is entitled Autumn Evening and won the blue ribbon for Art-Naturescapes.  Woohoo.  I did take a picture of it while there but held onto it hoping to use it in this post as today has been planned since October.  All the stars aligned and I am able to take another picture with her in it.  Perfect.  I ask if I can touch it as no one gets to do that at Festival.  She gives permission for them all to be touched, turned over, and thoroughly learned from.  I am in heaven.

Once introductions are over, both Doug and I are bursting with questions and she says, "Follow me and I'll walk you through it since we're alone."  SCORE!  Upstairs we go (and by the way --- then ENTIRE upstairs is hers -- three rooms of quilting, quilting, quilting.) to the workroom.  She has a project laid out to show her process and how it all starts.

On the wall is a project she finished (my bad as I forgot to get the name of it) and these are the scraps from it.  She takes all of her scraps and literally chops them up like salad.  I think she needs a fabric shredder that would do this for her and Barbara is in complete agreement as she shares that it takes her entire days to just chop, chop, chop.

She then starts with a base that is either batik or one of her own hand-dyes and builds the back drop for her piece by either piecing or appliqueing.  The one she is currently working on is a beautiful paisley batik that she has added a darker batik base to and then appliqued on the tree branches.  At that point she put just the batting behind it and quilted it following the lines of the fabric to add some texture and to work as a stabilizer for the next step.  YES -- it gets all wavy and crazy -- it's okay.

Once that part is finished, she is ready to add the tiny bits.  Reaching into a bag that has a mixture of the colors she wants, she just sprinkles them onto the quilt top as shown.

And then --- just start stitching them down.  No rhyme or reason to it.  Just get them attached and keep adding until you have the effect desired for that space before moving on to another space.  Of course, you can always come back and add more later if you feel you had holes.  Kind of like decorating a Christmas tree --- there are always touch-ups.

Here is what she did in the short time I was able to watch.

I manage to get a short video but I would really rather be watching up close.

Isn't this just oh so cool?  I ask about her wall of fabric and she explains that they are batiks, her own hand-dyes, and a few hand-dyes she has bought from others.  I'm in love with this wall.

Before leaving this room, I grab a couple of pictures to share of finished and in progress works.  On the left is Reclamation:Formations and the right is Organic Matter.

I can't wait to see what these blocks will become.

In the next room, she shares some quilts with us.  Previously, I had asked how she came up with this idea and she had explained it, but I want to share it here so that the quilt it happened on can be seen at the same time.  It was 1995 and she was working on the one pictured below, Fallscape.  She had an accident and then thought, "I wonder."  It turns out that her wondering worked out for her and this was the first piece she did with bits around.

The top section is just quilted -- no bits but crazy cool.

The next one, Flowers in Orange Vase, she shares was another fun experiment.  She was using silk flowers as patterns to cut fabric out of and decided to just take the silk flowers apart and applique them on, leaves and all for this arrangement. 

Take a close look at the bits used in the border.  Now THIS I may have to try as it might be at my level.  What a fun way to finish a border and stop the waste of even those tiny pieces.  Well, it won't happen a lot for me, but an attempt may be made.  I do like the thought of using up every dime of that fabric.  Isn't the hand-dye background on both of these just divine?

The one on the wall in this room is unique as well.  She explains that she laid out a huge piece of fabric on the driveway and took a sharpie marker to it.  Doodling and playing like a child.  In fact, if I remember right, this piece is entitled Child's Play: Daydreams.   Once she had the outline finished, she came in and darkened the black with paint and stitching.  Then the open areas are filled in with a type of coloring that resembles a thick paint.  It is smooth as silk, I promise as I was able to touch to my hearts content.  Then she cut up the fabric, inserted the pieced sashings and reassembled it.  This is simply wonderful.

Her entry from last year's Quilt Festival, Out My Front Door is just stunning in all of it's fall splendor.

Other people are showing up and our private time as come to an end.  I have loved every minute of it, but it's time to share her.  Mister and I head back downstairs to see the quilts on display in the main living area.  Here is Bulleye:

Afterward:

Rescue:

Autumn Blaze:

I stop to take a peek at some of her hand-dyes and my fingers are thrilled.  Oh so nice.

The last four pictures I don't have any information on --- I know -- ugh.  However, at least we know they are Barbara's and she gets all the accolades.  Enjoy the eye candy and thanks for stopping in to share my day.  What a definite treat I have been given.

Mister LOVES