PART 2: ANDREA TSANG JACKSON : : 3RD STORY WORKSHOP

I hope everyone has had a chance to recuperate from heavy sugar consumption this past Easter weekend... because I have something pretty sweet for you! The second part of Andrea Tsang Jackson's (3rd Story Workshop's) interview series! Sit back, relax: we're going to start at the beginning...

1. What is the very first thing you remember making as a kid that you were really proud of?

In Grade 3, my friend and I made this picture of a butterfly and a flower out of tissue paper. It was outlined in pencil a big sheet of stiff paper (she probably drew it; I wasn't that great at drawing). We then "coloured it in" with little squares of tissue paper that we moulded on the end of pencil and glue onto the paper. The tissue paper stood up and the final look could be likened to a high-pile hand-hooked rug. It was in the end probably a couple hundred pieces of tissue paper. We got to stay in during a few recesses to finish it, because our teacher knew it was going to be an impressive piece!

2. You came to quilting when you were expecting your first child in 2011. What did you make? (Do you have a photo of it you'd like to share?)

I made a fairly traditional looking quilt with a gridded layout, sashing and borders. It was a block that I designed that depicted a crane, but one of the 12 cranes flew the opposite way to all the others. I had no idea what I was doing and I only visited one quilt shop and a chain store to gather my supplies. I hadn't a clue about the modern quilting movement. The back was sort of improvised with the leftover fabric and more "modern."

3. Are you self taught? For starting quilting in 2011 your work is very impressive, what has your quilting journey been like?

I am a self-taught quilter, but I have had extensive training and experience in the design fields. I think that this background has given me a relatively fearless approach to quilting. Anything can be made, it's a matter of whether it's worth making and how it should be made.

It's been two years since I started quilting seriously and I have learned so much in that time. There is a glut of information online to learn from, which is wonderful. I've learned so much from my guild mates, as well. The trickier part is determining what should be taken into my practice and what information or techniques are not for me.

Surrounding myself with community has been integral in pushing me forward; an encouraging word goes a long way and it's very motivating. I certainly would not have pursued quilting with such gusto had there not been people to back me. My journey has been entwined with people, both quilters and non, and that makes it worthwhile and enriching.

4. When did you start making patterns? Do you do wholesale?

I started designing patterns in early 2017, a year after I joined the MMQG. There were some people that had asked for patterns for the Gemology Collection I had launched and I thought this would be a way to add a different revenue stream to my work. The first patterns I designed were a set of four gemstones. Funny enough, the day after I release the last of the series, Princess Cut, Kat Jones' Bling won Best in Show at Quilt Con. I have since released three more paper-pieced patterns, which were spurred from commissioned works and wonderful clients. Later this month, I will release my first traditionally pieced pattern, Banner Year.

I am doing wholesale right now, mostly to shops in Canada.

5. What's next for you? Any exciting projects you can tell us about?

Currently, I am working on an exciting collaboration with award-winning singer-songwriter Meaghan Smith. I have gotten so much out of the local, Canadian and international community of quilters that I wanted to honour these people in a special way. Quilters are special people with such generous spirits, both with their work and their encouragement of each other. Meaghan, whose mother is an avid quilter, is writing a song about the quilting community and I am designing a quilt pattern to accompany the song. It will being crowdfunded through an IndieGoGo campaign. The project will be launched in late spring and to keep tabs on it, you can sign up for my newsletter HERE

6. What would you recommend for our playlists. Songs or podcasts. 

1) My favourite podcast is 99% Invisible. I think everyone should listen to it so they can understand how design influences every aspect of their lives. I have often said that design is only noticeable when it is extremely good or extremely bad. The vision for my professional life is that people will understand design and how it makes the world better, not prettier.

2) Wow in the World is an entertaining science podcast for kids with loveable characters Mindy and Guy Raz.

3) Since I am working with Meaghan Smith, I listen to a lot of her music. Well, to be honest, I listened to a lot of her music before I started working with her! Her current songs are all commissioned works through her "Our Song" project. They are very meaningful songs that honour, commemorate, and celebrate real people and relationships. Get your Kleenex out.

 

ANDREA TSANG JACKSON :: 3RD STORY WORKSHOP

Perhaps you've seen her work in the pages of UPPERCASE magazine or in an issue of Curated Quilts for her "Log Cabin A". Or was it in Quiltcon 2018 issue for her "Everyone's Got an X"? Wait, maybe you heard her on Modern Sewciety's (episode 124) podcast. But then again maybe you first found @3rdstoryworkshop on Instagram. That's how Andrea landed on my radar. Her feed is pretty darn dreamy.

3rd Story Workshop named after her attic studio, Andrea embarked on an incredible project that won 1st place in the Group or Bee Quilt category at Quiltcon 2018. I saw it in person and it was jaw dropping so I think we need to start with that...

1. In 2017 you completed The Here and Elsewhere Bee (compiling nearly 1,200 immigration stories) as an Artist in Residence at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

      A) How did this project come about?

For a few months, I had the idea in my head that everyone should know what quilting looks like today. When I saw Libs Elliott's Unity quilt from New York Design Week in 2016, I thought that a public, collaborative quilt would be a great vehicle for that. In early 2017, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 put out a call for proposals to engage their visitors in an art project that would respond to an exhibit they had on display. The project was selected through the proposal process and I had the opportunity to make the idea become a reality.

      B) The project was inspired by the children's story book "Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt".  How did you come across this book and can you describe your "ah ha!" moment, when you knew you had to do this project?

I had a friend introduce me to the book in 2016, which I had never encountered before. It was such meaningful story and I thought it would be a great way to do a modern spin on a traditional quilt block. When the call for proposals came out for the artist residency at Pier 21, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity. I thought that this would be an excellent way to build a collaborative quilt and to relate visitors' experiences at the museum to their own personal story.

      C) I would imagine the project and stories were quite emotional. How did that affect the work. And you?

It's amazing to think of what is behind a single little 5" or 2.5" block -- the people whose lives were turned upside down because of war, in search of opportunities, in the quest for a more peaceful life. People come to the Canadian Museum of Immigration often on pilgrimages to honour their family members that risked a lot to make a better life. When they came to my little studio in the museum, they had just absorbed an intense amount of information about Canadian immigration. But here was where they made it personal; they paused to think about what brought their families to Canada whether it was 300 years ago or 2 years ago. And yes, it was emotional: "My grandmother raised me; she came to this port when she was a little girl. And the life I lead now is a result of that moment."... "My father was 15 when he had a gun put to his head, and asked, 'Are you with us or against us?' My choices are along the lines of, 'Should I get this car or that one?' What he went through was all so that I could have freedom." The weight of what's behind the quilt is tremendous.

The emotional impact of the piece really hit home that what I'm doing as an artist isn't only for my own self-fulfillment. The project really forced me to turn outward and see how the work and the process could affect people's experiences. This project made me realize that for me, interacting with the public is an important part of what I will do from here on in.

2. When did you move to Halifax in Eastern Canada? Where did you move from? How has that move affected your work?

I was born and raised in Ottawa, which is also where I made my first quilt and had my first baby in 2011. We moved to Halifax a year later for my husband to pursue a graduate degree. It was not until early 2016 that I joined the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild and that's how I started quilting seriously. I had no idea about the modern quilting movement before that, nor had I encountered other quilters. The community of people that I have met here and that I have since encountered online has been a huge motivator for my work. To understand the range of voices represented and how I fit in the quilting world has been informed by jumping into the MQG world.

(Check out Andrea's ETSY Halifax Map/Darthmouth 12" x 12" quilted map and post cards!)

3. Do you do all your own quilting? 

Mostly I do, but The Here & Elsewhere Bee was the first that was too big for me to accomplish myself, so I had Sheri Lund of Violet Quilts to do it for me on her long-arm. Moving forward, I will most likely do my own if it is a one-off artistic work, but if it is a pattern sample or something of the sort, I'll have it long-armed by someone else.

4. What makers tool could you not live without?

I wish I could tell you that it was more of a physical tool or notion, but I'm pretty reliant on Adobe Illustrator to make my designs come to life. It allows me to design and test ideas quickly without the commitment of cutting into fabric. I can work out how to cut the fabric and how much I need so I that I can execute a design relatively smoothly. Using Illustrator allows me to design with very few limitations -- which gets me into trouble sometimes when I'm actually sewing and creating, but I'd rather feel freedom first and then deal with the tricky bits later.

5. What's your favourite colour? What's your least favourite colour? And why for both.

I have a lot of favourite colours and they are all neutral! Black, white, grey, navy, metallic gold. I like that they go with so many other colours and in the way that I imagine them, they are decidedly modern. Moreover, when colour isn't central to the visual impact, the forms and shapes come through more clearly. These also never go out of style.

My least favourite colour is brown, but I love it when it's from a natural source like wood, leather or cork. Again, form can show through when it's a natural hue. Another one that I dislike is purple. I just don't know how to go about it. With it being this year's Pantone Colour of the Year though, I'm coming around to it by seeing its applications. I am just not sure how it will have lasting power.

6. What book are you reading right now? 

Confession: I actually... dislike reading. For someone who went to school until they were 26, I am extremely slow at it and it frustrates me. I've taken to podcasts and that way I can keep my hands busy while taking in information. I will likely be getting into audio books soon.

AND A LITTLE SNIPPET FROM NEXT TUESDAYS NEWSLETTER, PART TWO WITH ANDREA ...1) My favourite podcast is 99% Invisible.

*All photos are by Andrea Tsang Jackson or Deborah from @debisthinking

 

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE!

It took me by complete surprise! A week ago I threw up a picture of this quilt on Instagram. Honestly I rushed it a bit because I wanted to get to Natalie's pattern give away. Um... it kind of exploded. Melody Miller (the designer of fabric I used) posted it on her Instagram feed, as did Latifah Saafir (the designer of the Glam Clam pattern I used). I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who liked and commented on it. These two ladies, Melody Miller and Latifah Saafir, I totally have designer crushes on. For them to repost the photo was very generous. Again, thank you for all the love. I really appreciated it. xo

Now on to announce the winner of the Hungryhippie Sew's pattern giveaway! Congratulations... We have TWO winners picked randomly by Natalie's daughters, @nikistorr and @ohsobrooke!!!! Yay!!!! ...ALSO! Natalie is doing a HUGENORMOUS giveaway this week on her blog: a bundle of brand new sewing and quilting patterns, sewing notions, fabric fat quarters, and possibly a vintage Magnum PI poster! But she's not promising the poster, because she loves him. To enter just leave a comment. There might also be an interview *blush* with moi. 

Guess what else we have to celebrate! Snap to Grid is in stores!!! Yay!!! It was in Hawthorne Threads newsletter last week! And check out The Cloth Pocket store's mood-board! So RAD right ?!

And as tradition would have it, RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR PLAYLIST: selected by Natalie's daughters Awolnations - Sail (Unlimted Gravity Dubstep Remix)

 

PART TWO :: NATALIE SANTINI FROM HUNGRYHIPPIE SEWS :: PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Part two with Natalie. She's a speed demon of a sewist, maker of bags, garments, quilts and patterns... and if that's not impressive enough she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro this past summer.  She blogged about the experience HERE. Yeah, she's kind of my hero. I wish you could hear her laugh in person... it's contagious and she has a wicked sense of humour (one she's passed on to her kids, check out their photobomb in the third photo)! Okay here we go...

Less of a question and more of an instructions: You are my hero when it comes to being prolific. Go to your closet right now and count how many handmade clothing items you've made. It's okay, we'll wait... OMG I just don't know... I've given a lot away, sold a few, and lost some. My goal is to wear nothing but hand made, every day. I have SERIOUS issues with the apparel industry- morally and from a sustainability standpoint. I know fabric probably isn't loads better---but at least I won't be throwing anything out quickly. At least I'm "doing" and learning, appreciating the work involved. Plus it makes me feel a little medieval. 

I highly recommend watching the documentary on Netflix titled The True Cost. It made me really rethink my consuming.

If you had to pick one piece of fabric that defines who you are, what would that be? This is too difficult! I have to say, Jennifer Paganelli's fabrics ALWAYS make me happy. I am drawn to bright, happy, fun pieces. I like so many though! Everything Cotton and Steel, I mean Beauty Shop is blowing my mind right now I love it so hard. I love Rashida's ships and lemurs and --well, everything.... Can I say "I PLEAD THE FIFTH?" 

 If I were describing my soul, I'd pick ballet slipper pink satin-- I'm a Pisces and super sensitive, though I try not to show it and probably overcompensate with faux toughness at times. I'm keeping it real here, because I think a lot of people do this. I can't be the only one. 

What's your favourite sewing tool? My Simplicity Bobbin winder. I go through bobbins like 'Yur Mom.... it's redic.

What are three books that have made a HUGE impact on your life? Ok so you know I'm like the crazy book lady, right? Do you know how many people tell me I have "too many books"?! So this question is impossible. I will say the top 3 from my mind: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, (changed how I think about Africa completely, a 180 degree turn around)--- 

One Yard Wonders by Yaker and Hoskins, (taught myself to sew with that book!)-- and BIG Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Also anything by Brene Brown. Yesss. Those two women are Goddesses.

Honorable Mention: Little Girls Big Style by Mary Abreu--that's how I learned to garment sew, along with Rae's blog (Rae Hokestra of Made by Rae).

What are three songs everyone needs on their playlist? I'm a music nerd, I like a bit of everything from big band tunes, Ella FItzgerald to Ja Rule to Paula Abdul -I mean Straight UP! BUT--my playlist always has these artists:

1. Sarah Mclauchlan EVERYTHING but especially "Do what you have to do". Oh em gee. The lyrics on her songs are pure poetry. The piano playing, the strings, it's just absolute magic... "What ravages of spirit, have conjured this tempestuous rage..."

2. A Momentary Lapse of Reason by Pink Floyd changed my world, I'll name Learning to Fly here. --- I remember the moment I put that album on and everything happening that day, (I was 14)-- the lyrics are so clever in every song. "Fatal attraction ...is holding me fast...how can I escape, the irresistible grasp?...That's how I feel about sewing YO!!!!!! Sung in a British accent. HELLO! You can't top that.

3. Weezer- Say it Ain't So. (It IS so.)

Now join us over at Instagram (starting November 14 at 9am PST) and enter to win one of Natalie's PDF patterns - your choice! See, what did I tell you, Natalie Santini = amaze-balls!