Welcome to the CCT Blog. It’s a challenge to keep up with the changes on the internet, but I decided it’s time to stick my toe into blog-land. For my first post, I thought I would take you along for a backstage pass.
At the end of January, I made another trip to Cleveland, Ohio to tape a couple of segments for Quilting Arts TV. When I looked around my hotel room, it looked like a bomb went off in my suitcase, spewing forth all the materials I so carefully packed for my segments . The quilts were laying around as I attempted to remove the wrinkles. I like to roll my quilts rather than folding them, but I didn’t have a good way to drag them though an airport in a long tube. Ah, well. The rest of the stuff? Well, let’s just say I didn’t quite have everything done when I left home. So what else is new…
This was my second trip to tape segments, so I didn’t feel like such a rookie. At least I had a fair idea of what to expect at the studio. Somehow I had it in my mind that taping for TV would be very glamorous. Silly me. It’s a ton of work to figure out what to say in the alloted time, come up with just the right set of steps and samples, and remember not to say the brand name for anything. After all, it is public television. I have no idea how Pokey Bolton (delightful hostess and editor of two incredble magazines) manages to figure out 13 segments and keep track of all her guests, not to mention the 13 changes of clothes. It gives me a totally new appreciation for the term “multi-tasking.”
The taping process itself is nothing short of amazing. Segments don’t get filmed in order — it all depends on who is available at what time on a particular day, and how to make the fewest changes on the set. I have no idea how they keep it all straight. I discovered that they have a magical wardrobe room that can save the day. When I pulled out my hot pink sweater and Pokey was wearing orange for one segment, we all looked at each other and said “I don’t think so!” Katherine rescued me with a perfect little jacket. She also graciously provided batteries when my camera quit. There is not much that they can’t take care of in a pinch. And thank heavens for a good make-up artist. I have to admit that she makes us look pretty darn good under all the heavy lights!
Here we are, ready to go!
The most exciting part for me is meeting the other guests. I had a delightful dinner with Jane Davila, Rayna Gillman and Clare Shipman on Sunday evening. Jane’s husband was a wonderful sport. I’m pretty sure he didn’t get a word in edge-wise with the 4 of us going on and on about this and that. I have to say that I’m very much in awe of the art that these ladies create. I feel very honored to meet them and see what they are doing.
So, the next time you watch Quilting Arts TV (or any program), you’ll have a little better idea of what happens to make those segments look so easy. You can read more about the taping and other guests by visiting the Quilting Arts Blog by editor Pokey Bolton. Enjoy the show!
Hi Shelly,
Congratulations on your new blogging adventure!
Great job,
Joan
Hi Shelly!
I love your work and am so excited about sharing it through the blog. It’s time for “our” generation to join the brave new technical world!
Have a great spring
Carol
Thanks for the great ideas. I’m getting ready to use the paintiks on a quilt and am wondering if the oil pastels will gum up my sewing machine when I machine quilt over them. Has anyone had any problems with this?
Thank you for your help with this.
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
Let me clarify that the Shiva Paintstiks are not oil pastels, they are really oil paints in a crayon form. The difference is that the paintstiks are made from pigment, wax and a small amount of linseed oil (See the Chemistry information at our Learning Center page). Oil pastels are made with mineral oil, and really are a different chemical composition from paintstiks.
Regardless, I don’t expect that either product will gum up your machine as long as it has had the proper amount of air-dry time and you have followed the heat setting instructions (if any). I have stitched over lots of paintstik color and never had any issues with my machines. I have yet to hear from anyone that the paintstiks caused them machine problems.
I have NO experience with oil pastels, so you may want to poke around to find more information about that particular product.
Happy painting!
Shelly Stokes
Hello! I was at the 2009 Seven Sisters Quilt Show and viewed two of your quilts which both seem to have “**”‘s added beside them in my program (that means, “wow, I really liked these ones”). I loved “Black and white and Read All Over” and “Mom goes to the 1939 World’s Fair”. I didn’t really have a plan for what I would do with my expo program and my *’s, once I got home, but decided to “Google” to see if you had a quilt blog, and VOILA! You do!