Working with my own hand dyed fabrics my goal is to create vibrant colorful and whimsical fiber art collages that delight the eye of the viewer and draw them in for a closer look. Each piece I create begins in the pages of my sketchbook where I make several rough sketches of the imagery that I want to work with. Beginning with a small sketch gives me the freedom to explore combinations of the images and colors before cutting into any fabrics. My small sketches are enlarged into full size cartoons that allow me to adjust the scale of the images and then the actual construction of the piece in fabric begins.
I work with professional fiber dyes using a process that uses a minimal amount of water to add color to the cloth I use in my fiber art collages. Dyeing my own fabric allows me to maintain a consistent color palette and I really enjoy that full circle feeling of starting with plain white cloth and using it to create something that vibrates with color and makes you smile when you look at it.
Sue Bleiweiss is a full time artist living in Massachusetts. Working primarily with her own hand dyed cotton she creates vibrant colorful art quilts intended to delight the eye of the viewer and draw them in for a closer look. Her latest book, “Colorful Fabric Collage” (Interweave Publishing) will be available Spring 2015. Sue has published an extensive array of articles for several internationally popular fiber and craft magazines and has had her work featured in numerous books. Her work has been exhibited internationally and resides in private collections all over the world.
RESUME Books Colorful Fabric Collage: sketch, fuse, quilt The Sketchbook Challenge: Techniques, Prompts and Inspiration for Achieving your Creative Goals Creative Ways with Books and Journals Creative Ways with Fibre&Stitch
Additional work featured in: Women Who Come to the Table: Selected Work from Dinner at Eight Artists Adventures in Mixed Media by Jane Davies Creative Paper Quilts: Appliqué, Embellishment, Patchwork, Piecework by Terri Stegmiller 1000 Artisan Textiles:Contemporary Fiber Art, Quilts, & Wearables by S Salamony & G Brown
Television & DVD Quilting Arts TV 2 episodes in series 1200 Quilting Arts Workshop DVD: Coloring Book Fabric Collage – released 9/2013
Magazine Articles Quilting Arts magazine February/March 2015 International Quilt Festival Quilt Scene Magazine 2013/2014 issue Quilting Arts magazine December 2013/January 2014 Quilting Arts magazine October/November 2013 Quilting Arts magazine April/May 2013 Cloth Paper Scissors Studios Magazine, Summer 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2010, Fall 2011 Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine Nov/Dec 2010 Altered Couture, Winter 2008 & Nov 2006 Belle Armoire, May/Jun 2008 & May/Jun 2007 Bound & Lettered, Winter 2010 The Crafts Report, Sept 2006 & Oct 2004 Crafts N Things, Jan 2010 & July 2009 Get Creative, April 2009 Handcrafted Volume 6, 2010 Handwoven Magazine, Sept/Oct 2007 (2 articles) & Jan/Feb 2007 Quilting Arts Gifts, Nov 2007 The Quilting Quarterly, Spring 2009 Sew Somerset, Winter 2009, Jun 2008 & Feb 2007 Somerset Studio, Jul/Aug 2008 Somerset Wedding, Feb 2007
Interviews International Quilt Association Journal Spring 2014 Art&Soul Radio interview with Lesley Riley Artist Spotlight interview with Lyric Kinard Creative Mojo with Mark Lipinski July 2012 Tap-in interview with Susan Tuttle Artistically Speaking Blog Talk Radio Featured Artist on the Artsy Shark Blog Podcast interview with Rice Freeman-Zachery about the Sketchbook Challenge project
Exhibitions Off the Hanger: Form and Surface – View Arts, Old Forge NY October 2012- December 2012
Juried Shows How Does Your Garden Grow, 2014 Whistler House Museum of Art, Lowell Mass Reflections 2014, Dinner At Eight – IQF Market & Festival Houston Texas World of Beauty, 2014 International Quilt Festival Houston, Texas 2nd place winner for Tutti Frutti City Skyline in the art whimsical category
Exquisite Moments 2013, Dinner At Eight – IQF Long Beach, IQF Market & Festival Houston Texas World of Beauty, 2013 International Quilt Festival Houston, Texas Honorable mention winner for Tutti Frutti Main Street in the art whimsical category It’s raining cats and dogs, Festival awareness project 2013, IQF Market & Festival Houston Texas
World of Beauty, 2012 International Quilt Festival Houston, Texas Honorable mention winner for Tutti Frutti Village in the art whimsical category Tactile Architecture, 2012 International Quilt Festival Houston, Texas Rituals 2012, Dinner At Eight – IQF Long Beach, IQF Market & Festival Houston Texas
Infinity Art Gallery 2011 Fiber Arts Show, Jurors: Diane Chaudiere, Jae McDonald, Hilde Morin Fantastic Fibers 2011, Jurors: Freda Fairchild, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Judy Schwender One Passion, Many Voices, Juror: Jane Dunnewold – February 2011, Artworks, New Bedford MA
Volusia Wrapped in Fiber, Juror: Pamela Allen – March 2010 Gateway Center for the Arts, Florida Images, The Best of Today’s Traditional and Contemporary Quilts – Lowell Quilt Festival 2010
Professional Affiliations Studio Art Quilt Associates – Juried Artist Member and MA/RI Regional Representative International Quilt Association BERNINA Brand Ambassador
Media Gallery
72” x 33” hand dyed cotton, machine quilted40" x 40" hand dyed cotton, machine quilted40" x 49" hand dyed cotton, machine quilted31" x 33" hand dyed cotton, machine quilted40" x 37" hand dyed cotton, machine quilted33" x 45" hand dyed cotton, machine quilted72" x 34" hand dyed cotton, machine quilted
