Challenge question is thought provoking, this is something I will have to think about. I love the colours, was hoping for something light to brighten up after all the rain. Pink is not my favourite colour to work with so using that will be a challenge in itself. Need to finish April first not much left and will post to flickr soon.

Oh boy, I love this new palette. *S*

And the May challenge question is one that is always on my mind. Maybe I can finally put it into some focus.

I've been scratching my head over this question for some time now! I am doing a lecture on May 20 about "what do we call ourselves" : quilter, quilist, art quilter, fiber artist, textile artist..and yikes I have not done the notes for it yet !! Thanks for more grist for this mill !

Love the colors this month, Sharon, and the theme is one I've been thinking about for some time now. What DO I call myself?

This is going to take some real work to depict from a design perspective.

As always, very interesting.

Hmm Sharon, this is a hard one, I used to call myself a cloth doll maker, then I knitted, but that wasnt art, then a textile artist as that covered a multitude of things. Mixed media artist? Actually I dont think I am an artist at all, but I do get cross when people use the term craft in a rather derogatory way, after all you spent years becoming a craftsman in the old days of guilds and a Master Craftsman was indeed some one to reckon with. Artists seem to think they are above craftsmen, but most of those only dabble in paint! I do this too but I dont think I am an artist. I think more thinking is required.

Wow Sharon! What an interesting question! I will post my first thoughts on my personal blog so as not to fill your comments page too much.
Hooroo,
Christine.
http://missmuffettwo.blogspot.com/

Hi,
love the colorway! As for the topic i guess i'll have to open my private can of worms :)

neki desu

Oh my goodness, I may have to resort to the color bar this time. However the pastel palette will be a challenge for me, We will see ---Will use the next hour while I walk, to see what my brain can conjure up.
www.comequiltwithme.blogspot.com

This time I will go for the colour option and try my hand at canvas stitching. In ten years of stitching I never had a needle case. I think it is time to make myself one.

How did it get to be May 1? I was just thinking I could set aside another project and get my April (not to mention March) blocks done in time. So, I was surprised to see the new guidelines.

I do like this new color scheme - I have admired that block before. Maybe I should post the unembellished blocks so you know I'm still thinking about Taking it Further.

Oh the perennial question I have pondered with ever since I started my fine art textiles course. This was always a hot topic but then the fine art course seemed to know where it wanted it's student's to go. It's a fine balance between art and craft and the cross over is always ultimately there. The boundaries have been blurring for many years but we are all still not sure when we are making; or at least I am not sure. It's a compromise isn't it? Do we make and hope to sell as an artist or do we make and hope to sell as a craftsperson? Is the difference in utility? Will your quilt be too good to put on a bed? Do you hope it will be admired as wall art? But then what do we make of Tracey Ewin's unmade bed? I don't know where this is going to take me Sharon this month but it certainly will be an interesting journey. There are just too many questions and not enough answers in all of this. I don't know whether there is a straight answer and then trying to interpret it in a piece of work well, is this going to be asking too much, I just don't know. I suppose we will see. You certainly have set us a hard one here. Cheers Tricia

Well, I guess since this is such a tough one, no one else has commented yet. But I've been doing some initial thinking and have posted my thoughts on my blog for today
http://justenoughtime.wordpress.com

Artists and Morning Glory colors! I call myself an artist who sees and paints morning glories. More later.
http://www.fairy-crafts.blogspot.com

You have chosen another topic to make us think Sharon and I love those colours! I've just joined your Studio Journals course and I'm determined to make the time to do all the work.

Artists and Morning Glory colors! My own version of this. (more later.)
http://www.fairy-crafts.blogspot.com

I know what I call myself... explaining why might be a little more difficult to articulate. Hardest of all will be to portray it visually!!! This may be the month that I cop out and do the color challenge!

Well Sharon, I've read this May-challenge twice and I still don't feel any bubbles coming up. "What do you call yourself and why?'; I think I have to chew on this for a while...I haven't thought about this before, always doodled around and doing as I please around my workingtable. Sometimes traditional quilting, sometimes wonderfully experimenting with all kinds of techniques...maybe I want to blend those two together in time, I don't know...thank you Sharon my mind's beginning to crack ;-), I'll show you all with what I manage to come up with!

Ah, Sharon, you once again hit the nail... I even deleted my "About" in the blog since...I found it so hard to describe myself. So, thank you once more for this challenge and the challenging questions. I will face them this month.

Hi Sharon,

What wonderful colors you selected for this month's challenge. I uploaded a chart for everyone to use - if they'd like - shading from dark to light. The chart is on my blog at www.dianem.wordpress.com Enjoy everyone!!!

I've posted some initial thoughts on this topic on my blog. Again, you've given us much to mull over.

I call myself a maker of stitched textiles. "maker" ... because it locates me in the larger community of those who work in ceramics, metal, wood, etc., with the commonality of using the hand to translate inspiration into a tangible object. "stitched textiles'...because it is a broader term than embroidery and gives more emphasis to the ground material.

Hi Sharon,
I have tried repeatedly to past my finished April TIF links on your April TIF post comments. All I get is an error page that says "discarded". I notice that other people don't seem to be having a problem commenting.
Thanks,
Juanita

Hi again,
Since I was able to post my comment here, I wonder if you could add the following to April's list of comments:

Updates for my April TIF piece are here:
http://flyingcolours1.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-tif-part-ii.html
http://flyingcolours1.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-tif-part-iii.html

Juanita - your comment came through OK and is published so perhaps it was temporary glitch. Not that I can do anything about it as the behind the scenes stuff is out of my hands

Interesting question ... For months comment on my blog my point of view ... I believe that as the subject who was first the chicken or the egg ... things tastes ... are difficult to define,,, Merlou Ponty try to clarify it .. but it is very hard to clarify and understand ...
http://nelapx.blogspot.com/2008/02/arte-artesania-artistami-opinion.html

My gosh Sharon, this is something I've been wrangling with for a while now. I'm thinking if you bring it up and I've been thinking about it lately, I must need to answer it. Will put more thoughts on my blog
http://www.barnyardchatter.blogspot.com

Wow! what a thinking question this one is!

http://nelapx.blogspot.com/2008/02/arte-artesania-artistami-opinion.html
Interesting question ... For months comment on my blog my point of view ... I believe that as the subject who was first the chicken or the egg ... things tastes ... are difficult to define,,, Merlou Ponty try to clarify it .. but it is very hard to clarify and understand ...

Interesting question ... For months comment on my blog my point of view ... I believe that as the subject who was first the chicken or the egg ... things tastes ... are difficult to define,,, Merlou Ponty try to clarify it .. but it is very hard to clarify and understand ...

My opinion
http://nelapx.blogspot.com/2008/02/arte-artesania-artistami-opinion.html

http://nelapx.blogspot.com/2008/02/arte-artesania-artistami-opinion.html

you can read about the February 13

I got mine finished and posted early this month for a change. I combined it with my Fast Friday Fabric Challenge.
Betty

Q: What do I call myself?
A: weird
LOL
the term "Textile artist" covers a lot of things ... so I tend to use that one a bit, seeing I dabble in a lot of creative things, and most of them are textile related.

btw, I MAY find time to do this one ... I want to find time to do this ... but I have still not done January, Febuary, March or April yet ... sigh ...

I describe my quilting work as 'fibre art' or fabric art. An artist described it as 'fine art quilts'. Because I have always loved to sketch and paint, I describe myself as artist.

Hi Sharon,
I have my choice for this and last month on the blog!
http://stitchandmore.blogspot.com

Dear Sharon,

I have posted a few comments. Unfortunately my schedule has prohibited me from participating in this year's challenge.

I wanted to respond to the "makers" label, which has now transferred to distinguish those in the visual arts. The new term is "object makers," which defines those who still use their own hands as opposed to those who pay fabricators, or those who are in the growing ephemeral categories such as performance, video, media and time arts. I rather bristle at the label frankly. But on that note of changing label and definitions - in the new Sculpture magazine the first three articles are on artists who could be said to be Fiber artists, as opposed to sculptors. I had noticed a growing trend in the last five or so years of placing artists whose large-scale work use incorporates techniques and process that are typically used in fiber applications, suchas wrapping, sewing, weaving, tying, in the Sculpture category - interesting indeed. The artists in the May Scupture Magazine are inorder of appearance: Cathy de Moncheux, Andrea Loefke, and Anne Wilson.

Again, thank you for all your investment of time and knowledge. I always love to read your blog. Sincerely, Lenora

Oops, sorry for all the typos.

Judith: I really like your description of "maker of stitched textiles".

Sharon: You are really making us think once again. Obviously this is a timely topic and theme. 'Can't wait to see how everyone depicts it.

I had the same problem as Juanita. My April challenge, and why it's late, are on my blog http://outofthebasement.blogspot.com

I just posted my reasons for referring to myself as a textile artist on my blog. It remains to be seen how I'm going to interpret it all visually!

http://sewingmagpie.blogspot.com

I've never felt a strong need to identify myself with a label but then I have a career that I tend to use as a public label when one is needed and I'm not out there working to exhibit or promote my handwork/needlework/fiberart/whatever. Long ago when asked I came up with "I make things" and that has stuck most. I think in a way I gave up trying to get others to understand what it is I do and why so I just have ignored the issue.

Last week I was at the Embroiderer's Guild of America Great Lakes Regional Seminar in Madison, Wisconsin and the keynote speaker at dinner was a quilt artist--a lovely woman whose name I have totally forgotten, for which I must apologize. She showed her progress in her quilting and designing over many years. But she began her talk with a discussion of how she identifies herself. Her interesting take on it is that she is "recovering." She's recovering from being afraid to call herself an artist (she's not quite there yet in her own mind), she's recovering from not taking her work seriously, she's recovering from guilt at taking time to stitch rather than clean/spend time with her family/do laundry, etc. There was a lot more to it but it was an interesting twist on the issue.
Marjorie

Although I've mulled over the difference between "craft" and "art", so as to defend myself mentally against the attacks of some of my high falutin' teacher friends, I've never felt much need to answer the question of "who" I am in the fiber world. (Very important question in other areas of life though) I think the "why" of stitching is much more relevant question. Anything that consumes many precious hours of my week should be of value, and my hours with a needle bring relaxation, joy at seeing a concept take form, unstressed mental activity, and occasionally even a finished product.

Thanks so much Sharon, for both the May Challenge and for accommodating my request for pink!

I've matched up DMC floss colors to your palette and posted it on my blog. I'll talk about my theme for the concept in the next couple of days.

Thanks again!

Pam
http://www.kittyandme.com/

Great question, no idea what the answer is short of inventing a new word to cover all that I do, my thoughts are on my blog and I'm sort of thinking about using the colours at the moment, however I may still change my mind.:)
http://travelfibreandthread.blogspot.com/

I'm going with the colors again, as planned. I've got my crazy quilt block on Flickr. Now the fun begins!!

Pretty colours this month Sharon. I'm going to be late though as I have a lot of work due by the end of the month. Hope to get May's challenge done in June.

I think I'm back! I posted my initial thoughts about tif 5 here: http://tenar72.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/thoughts-of-tif-5/
By the way, thank you for the thought-provoking theme, Sharon!

I had to skip April, life in the way. I think I will be using the colors again, finally some I absolutely love. Not sure if I will do some embroidery or quilting.

I've posted the supplies I'll use this month on my blog http://focus-on-fiber.blogspot.com
I call myself a Fiber Artist, because it covers all the different things I like to do. Sandy

Thanks for the totally EXCELLENT challenge this month, Sharon. First thoughts posted on my blogspot at...
http://fibrefan.blogspot.com/