News

Hey Folks,

Quick note: some good news: our group piece (our being Martha Ginn, Julia Graber, Cathy Reininger, and Rita Warnock), "Mississippi Ag Museum in Bloom," won First Place in the Friendship quilt category, and Best in Show-Small, in the recent Pine Belt Quilters Show in Hattiesburg, MS. I'm enclosing a photo of the quilt at the show.

We also got a letter about the quilt published in Quilting Arts Magazine. The page is copied here (you can zoom in to actually read it):

Finally, my "Self Portrait in Quadrants" from the No Girls Allowed Show, was featured along with several of the other quilts from the show, in the final issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. The spread is enclosed here:

Finally, if you didn't make it to A Quilt Journey, you can still see many of the quilts via A Quilt Journey Continues, with opening night on Oct 27 from 6-8:30 p.m. in The Yellow Barn Community Arts Center on the MGCCC Perkinston Campus in Perkinston, MS. The show is free and open to the public.

Happy making!

More Quilts

Here are a few more quilts which are available for purchase and will be seen in person at the show starting July 22  from 5-9 p.m. (gallery talk at 6). For address, see poster in previous post.

Also, please note I consider most of these quilts for the wall, not for use on the bed.

"Sea Monster Tentacles?" 50" x 50", 2014-2016

commercial cotton fabrics, cotton and rayon threads

A repeat of an original block I created as part of a

Block-of-the-Month with Mom (Violet Newby):

she created six blocks, I created six blocks,

all using flowers-of-the-month as our inspiration.

This uses the Primrose block and I wanted each 

of the four blocks to represent a time period

because of its fabrics: some are 30s fabrics, some 

Civil War, some contemporary, and some from

an undetermined time.

Long-arm quilted by me 

Thank you, Rena

$1200

"What Cowboys Dream Of," approximately 70" x 90", 2009-2010

commercial cotton fabrics, hospital gown, cotton threads

Another Block-of-the-Month where Mom and I 

alternated blocks: we each chose traditional

blocks and then gave them a little twist.

Mom's version of these blocks are in 

black, white, and red (and greys).

I wanted this to represent what a cowboy

might dream of; it incorporates a poem of mine,

as well as a journal entry about photography,

and other stuff, in its Seminole-pieced border.

I quilted it on a long-arm machine

Thank you, Sharon.

$1500

"Brocade Minimalism - Red/Green," approximately 30" x 40", 2014-2016

commercial brocade and silk fabrics, rayon threads

I'd wanted to create something using brocades solely for a while, 

and also wanted to feature the seams turned to the 

front of the quilt, for quite some time. I love

the elegance, the richness of the fabrics, in contrast

with the roughness of the fraying seams.

The binding is a silk plaid I think I got

from a friend, Solveig Wells, who passed

away a few years ago. She is a great artist: https://www.facebook.com/465290450180/photos/a.10153436273340181.1073741827.465290450180/10153436285775181/

$450

"You and Me, Around the World,"    70" x 70",  2012-2013

commercial cotton fabrics, cotton threads

This quilt, using my Kaleidoscopic Four-Patch design, is meant

to represent a range of folks, all dancing together in joy.

It was long-arm quilted by the talented Rena Krol.

I also like its 45 degree sashing: see the Hulk?

$900

"Woodpecker Fountain," 8" x 10", 2015

commercial cotton fabrics and hand-embroidered cloth, cotton threads

I'd received this gift of these embroidered cloths from a friend,

Sandra Cassibry, http://sandraecassibry.blogspot.com/, and

wanted to use them in a quilt.

I'm a member of Southern Fiber Artists, and as part of their

quarterly challenge, we had to make a quilt using blue and a bird,

so this is my iteration. I wanted to hand-quilt it to give it

a more personal, hand-touched, feel. 

$100

"Purple Bargello," 24" x 36", 2013-2014

commercial cotton fabrics, cotton thread

I've always dug Bargello quilts since I'd made one

for my friends Gail and John back in 2008. It's

actually a simple process that yields cool results.

I wanted to work monochromatically, here.

I quilted it on my home sewing machine.

Bargello is a process actually originating in

Florence, Italy, in embroidery.

$125

"Hand-dyed Focus Fabric," 12" x 12", 2013-2014

over-dyed commercial cotton and silk fabrics, cotton thread

This is the fifth and final (?) in a series of five Focus-Fabric quilts I made (the design is a riff on Mom's original design), but uses fabrics

I over-dyed at Rena Krol's and on the porch of my old apartment in

Gulfport. 

It's quilted on my home sewing machine. I like the wonky

butterfly fabrics which lends the piece a playfulness I enjoy,

though it still looks pleasantly formal, too, Springy!

$175

"Hand-dyed Triptych,"  27" x 30",  2012-2014

over-dyed commercial cotton fabrics, cotton and rayon threads

I'd wanted to work in a triptych format for a while,

and also wanted to use some of the fabrics I'd dyed.

I wanted to focus the work on the fabrics themselves, along

with a formal focus on shape: triangle, square, and circle,

so the piece is deceptively simple and complex at the same time.

I dig the jazzy plaid border which echoes Piet Mondrian: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Mondrian.

I quilted these on my home sewing machine.

$350

I hope to see you at the show! 22 July is the opening, then the show runs 23-29 July, from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Again, if you're interested in purchasing any of these, email me at:
whynottryitagain (at) hotmail.com with "quilt show" in the subject line.

Marcus

A Quilt Journey: show information

Here's information about my upcoming quilt show, to be held 

22-29 July 2016 in Gulfport, MS. 

A Quilt Journey 

An exhibition of fifty quilts created by J. Marcus Weekley over the past thirteen years, will have its opening reception 22 July 5-9 p.m. Then the show will be open 23-29 July from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Weekley will give a gallery talk at 6 p.m. the evening of 22 July.

Where: 12090 New Orleans Ave. N., Gulfport, MS 39503 (next to Krol Electric, behind Goodwill in Orange Grove)

The show is free and open to the public. Quilts will be for sale, and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

For more information, please contact Marcus at whynottryitagain (at) hotmail.com or 228-213-3781. 

Brief Artist Bio:

J. Marcus Weekley began quilting in 2000 with his mother, Violet Newby, who taught him numerous sewing skills before he actually attempted to make a quilt on his own in 2003-2004. Since then, Marcus has developed a unique voice in quilting: predominantly original designs, some echoing traditional patterns, each conveying contemporary, personal messages through fabrics and threads. His quilts have shown in international, national, and local exhibits at venues ranging from The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY to The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK to The Bay Oaks Guild Show at St. Rose de Lima Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Marcus also works as a college English teacher, a story-teller (poet, fiction writer, and screenwriter), and a photographer. You may view samples of Marcus' work at his blog: www.whynottryitagain.blogspot.com. Marcus has lived in coastal Mississippi off and on over the past eighteen years, and he currently resides in Gulfport.

Tell your friends and neighbors; spread the word!

I'll be posting more photos of some of the quilts soon!

I hope to see you there!

Quilts for Sale! Get your fresh quilts for sale!

I'll be having a quilt show come the end of July, and will begin posting quilts which will be for sale there.

If you're interested in buying one of the quilts, please email me at: whynottryitagain (at) hotmail.com with "quilt show" in the subject heading.

Also, please note I consider most of these quilts for the wall, not for use on the bed.

"Desert Cactus II," 70" x 70", 2010-2012

original design, paper and machine pieced,
has over 3,000 pieces in it, long-arm quilted
shown in two national and one international shows

$1700

"Atomic Circles," 50" x 50," 2009-2014

original design inspired by Kumiko Sudo's
book about Japanese kamon (family crests)
machine applique and home-machine quilted

$1200

"I Can See Why," 18" x 24", 2015

based on a screenshot of Edward Burns in Confidencefrom a series exploring depictions of masculinity in television and film
machine applique, couching, and home-machine quilted

$250 

"Self Portrait Applique Challenge," 50" x 50", 2013-2015

original applique designs representing symbols of myself:
star-gazer lilies, luna moth, a lyre, dogwood blossoms, swans, a shield,
sword, and bow, a platypus, and a basket full of fruits with a chickadee
and swath of leaves;
created as part of challenge from Bay Oaks Quilt Guild
hand applique, machine pieced, long-arm quilted

$1500

"Self Portrait as Strawberry, by Moonlight," 24" x 29", 2015

created as part of a series using the self-portrait genre to poke
fun at myself; also uses a shirt I wore frequently
machine applique, home machine quilted

$300

"Self Portrait in Quadrants," 50" x 50", 2012-2014

created as a challenge from Bay Oaks Quilt Guild
I wanted to create not one, but four self portraits and join them
each represents a different aspect of myself:
a contemporary self portrait, my thumbprint,
a childhood portrait, and a verbal portrait
machine and hand applique, machine pieced, chenilled, home machine quilted
shown in two national shows

$2000

"He stared at everything...," 18" x 24", 2015-2016

based on a screenshot from Wild Reeds (a French movie)
from the series about masculinities in television and film
machine applique, couching, home machine quilted

$350

"Brocade Helix," 38" x 80", 2015-2016

I'd wanted to work with revealed seams and brocades
together for a while, so I created this minimalist piece;
you can see my Japanese influences in this work also.
machine pieced, long-arm quilted

$800

"Self Portrait as Sapling, Charred," 17" x 24", 2015-2016

from the series of self-portraits mocking myself, this one uses a child's shirt
purchased from Goodwill; I intended the quilt to make a statement
about how explorers destroyed indigenous cultures in the U.S.

$300

"Over the stillborn calf...," 12 1/2" x 12 1/2", 2008-2014

created as number one in a series of five miniature quilts using Mom's Focus Fabric design
it incorporates a haiku of my own; the reason it took so long to finish is because
I didn't know how I wanted to quilt it until 2014; I ended up creating individual flowers
for each block, quilted on my home sewing machine
machine pieced, machine quilted

$200

Quilts for Sale! Get your fresh quilts for sale!

I'll be having a quilt show come the end of July, and will begin posting quilts which will be for sale there.

If you're interested in buying one of the quilts, please email me at: whynottryitagain (at) hotmail.com with "quilt show" in the subject heading.

"Desert Cactus II," 70" x 70", 2010-2012

original design, paper and machine pieced,
has over 3,000 pieces in it, long-arm quilted
shown in two national and one international shows

$1700

"Atomic Circles," 50" x 50," 2009-2014

original design inspired by Kumiko Sudo's
book about Japanese kamon (family crests)
machine applique and home-machine quilted

$1200

"I Can See Why," 18" x 24", 2015

based on a screenshot of Edward Burns in Confidencefrom a series exploring depictions of masculinity in television and film
machine applique, couching, and home-machine quilted

$250 

"Self Portrait Applique Challenge," 50" x 50", 2013-2015

original applique designs representing symbols of myself:
star-gazer lilies, luna moth, a lyre, dogwood blossoms, swans, a shield,
sword, and bow, a platypus, and a basket full of fruits with a chickadee
and swath of leaves;
created as part of challenge from Bay Oaks Quilt Guild
hand applique, machine pieced, long-arm quilted

$1500

"Self Portrait as Strawberry, by Moonlight," 24" x 29", 2015

created as part of a series using the self-portrait genre to poke
fun at myself; also uses a shirt I wore frequently
machine applique, home machine quilted

$300

"Self Portrait in Quadrants," 50" x 50", 2012-2014

created as a challenge from Bay Oaks Quilt Guild
I wanted to create not one, but four self portraits and join them
each represents a different aspect of myself:
a contemporary self portrait, my thumbprint,
a childhood portrait, and a verbal portrait
machine and hand applique, machine pieced, chenilled, home machine quilted
shown in two national shows

$2000

"He stared at everything...," 18" x 24", 2015-2016

based on a screenshot from Wild Reeds (a French movie)
from the series about masculinities in television and film
machine applique, couching, home machine quilted

$350

"Brocade Helix," 38" x 80", 2015-2016

I'd wanted to work with revealed seams and brocades
together for a while, so I created this minimalist piece;
you can see my Japanese influences in this work also.
machine pieced, long-arm quilted

$800

"Self Portrait as Sapling, Charred," 17" x 24", 2015-2016

from the series of self-portraits mocking myself, this one uses a child's shirt
purchased from Goodwill; I intended the quilt to make a statement
about how explorers destroyed indigenous cultures in the U.S.

$300

"Over the stillborn calf...," 12 1/2" x 12 1/2", 2008-2014

created as number one in a series of five miniature quilts using Mom's Focus Fabric design
it incorporates a haiku of my own; the reason it took so long to finish is because
I didn't know how I wanted to quilt it until 2014; I ended up creating individual flowers
for each block, quilted on my home sewing machine
machine pieced, machine quilted

$200

Painting Fabric with Mom, a Couple New Quilt Tops

Hola! Good Evening (or Night, depending on where you're hailing from).

Mom and I painted fabric today (learned it from Rhonda Blasingame) for some secret projects (and because it's fun).

Also, I'm including some recent work as part of my goal to complete a quilt top per week for 2015.

Here are a couple photos of painting, then the tops follow:

This is the finished version of some blocks I'd started last month.
About misrepresentations of God.

This one isn't done yet, but I like it already: it's make-it-as-I-go, and I didn't know where I'd end up. I started with the four-patch kaleidoscopes.

Miniature versions of Amish quilt tops I'd completed, but four of these sewn together. I dig how spicey it is!

Recent Work

Happy Morning!

Some new quilt work here, as I'm a little behind on my goal for the year of completing a quilt top per week. I'll still make it if I'm consistent.

First up, a top I've been mulling over for quite a number of years. I think the original design idea came to me about six or so years ago, if my calculations are correct! See journal entry soon.

I'd completed a Stacked Chinese coins quilt called, "Klee's Garden," and wanted to do another Chinese coins quilt, but with the coins stacked at an angle within the framework of a rectangle.

I didn't embody those ideas until recently. Here is the result (unnamed as of yet). It's about 40" x 50".

Next up, I'd been percolating about a series of word quilts, which focus on one word, or on the same word repeated and rendered in different fabrics to convey their meaning, somewhat like Ed Rusha's paintings: http://www.sfmoma.org/explore/multimedia/interactive_features/18

This one, a series of six repetitions of "God," depicts representations of God. I've made it super-huge in the photo so you can see the fabrics better.

Each of the rectangles is about 12" x 18" or so, fused, going to be machine appliqued down, then pieced together and quilted.

Finally (for this post), I was working on another "Self as..." portrait, this one a dragon fruit. I picked the head first, then the shirt, then the background, which isn't exactly how I've done the others. I usually choose the head, then the background, then the shirt.

I like the color combinations. It's about 14" x 18".

That's all for this time, folks.

Thanks for reading.

Mo Fam