disrupting the familiar
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disrupting the familiar
Over the past six months, the sisters took a step back for a much-needed “creative pause.” This time has been one of rest, exploration, and inspiration—a chance to recharge and refuel our artistry in ways that go beyond the thread and fabric. During this pause, each artist dove into personal projects, travels, and new experiences that have sparked fresh ideas and perspectives. We’d like to share the journey and the unique ways they’ve rekindled their creative fires, weaving new stories into every stitch.
Our artists know that creativity needs room to breathe and grow, much like a seed planted in fertile soil. Studies have shown that taking intentional pauses can lead to renewed inspiration and innovative thinking, as time away helps the mind make new connections and form fresh ideas. Embracing this, each artist paused to let her imaginations wander, nurturing the creative energy that fuels her art.
I have been the “Face Woman” at Kellogg Sisters for many years. I have loved Making Faces, and even though I made them for sale, they also helped me work though many personal joys and sorrows. Having been a Journal Quilter for 20 years, I knew I would always make pieces that helped me process my own life through fabric and color. And, I had a feeling for some time that many of my own pieces were ready to transition to something else.
When I considered taking a creative pause, I only knew that I wanted to cut up my old Journal Quilts and stay flexible about what they wanted to become. I wanted to consistently create and to be open to being both
serious and playful and to expand my use of color and texture to push the boundaries into what I didn’t know.
A few months in, I realized I was creating a project / exhibit/ experience that was focused on climate disruption. That was a surprise! It has now become a project called Wayfinding: Unraveling the Path to Resilience. So far it includes 50 fiber art pieces for an exhibit planned for Fall 2025.
For many years I have talked about letting fabric and the mystery lead my work, while never quite being able to get completely out of my own way. Common questions have been: Is it good enough? Does it make sense? What is the deeper cut?
This creative pause has let me experience the magic that is created when I commit to listening and letting the project and each piece have their own voices. I have learned to trust the process even when I had no idea at all what I am doing.
Hover over the boxes to see the transition.
My joy in crafting dolls—in the likeness of a child or adult dear to me or an imaginary sister to keep company during hard times—has taken a pause. I’ve delighted in photos from recipients of the ‘little sisters’ and watched as my granddaughters crafted their own ‘little sisters’ dolls for their friends.
I mostly have enjoyed consignments – someone dear to you to translate into a likeness.
My hands have stitched quotes for family birthdays—on napkins or table runners. I am a fast stitcher with no regard for form or formality. I admire the precise hand of the long-lost artist in the quilt below, but I tend to add layers of thread in the shell or send the sentiment of words in my rough translation of a quote or saying.
I have gathered my moods or emotions through stitches or drawings or on quiet walks, collecting rocks, seeds, shells, and bits of bark from a fallen tree. I’ve been saddened by the second wave of disease of the American Elms in Kansas and the collapse of a 100-year-old graft on an ancient Beech tree in Massachusetts—symbolic of the climate crisis. I march forward in anticipation of this election, and I am heartened by our moods as we grow older and our grandchildren grow into adults. Winter slows the outside demands on my time and frees my hands for this good work that calms me in these uncertain times.
I work largely behind the scenes at Kellogg Sisters, pushing just as much paper as I do fabric. This pause has allowed me to tidy back-office procedures and to make more time for creative pursuits.
With great pleasure, I “co-created” a few quilts this year, which means the giver or recipient contributes ideas around favorite themes. I love the design and color challenges created. A “UFO” is an unfinished object in quilting lingo, and this spring I finally finished a queen-sized quilt made of two-inch blocks. While I have always loved the precision of patchwork, I’m not a strong quilter, so I’ve been working on small pieces to improve that skill.
Always up for trying new things, I made a Shaker-style box (guided by a professional) and stamped flatware (guided by Pinterest).
I was renewed by the Kellogg Sisters pause because it both allowed me to have fewer “have to” demands, and it helped create time for more “want to” experimental projects. Bef
De-construct/ construct/ re-construct became the pause’s theme. First, I emptied out my studio and had furniture built to fit my needs. I then became interested in seeing my old projects and the projects of others in new ways. I cut apart a quilt block my grandmother made, one that I “quilted” before I knew how to quilt, and turned it into an off kilter wall hanging that evokes memories of the little girl who used to sit at her mother’s machine and play. My next project, made from pieces of five quilts, evolved into an illustration of our time of political hatred.
I am currently experimenting with map making. I resurrected an old pattern of New York City. The work was mesmerizing, calming and focused on detail.
The gardens beckoned me outside in early spring to late summer. Only the medium changed as I again deconstructed / constructed and reconstructed with dirt rather than fabric.
Inspiration and news from the Kellogg Sisters crew.
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