QUILTER’S ART I HANDWORKS
Judy Gascho-Jutzi is inspired by artists and nature.
A VISIT TO Judy Gascho-Jutzi’s home dispels any notion that quilt making is a quaint, oldfashioned hobby. In her hands, simple pieces of fabric turn into beautiful works of art that are displayed throughout Ontario.
Indeed, this Kitchener artisan’s quilts are not for draping over a bed. They vary in size and shape, and each one is a reflection of the beauty and inspiration she finds in the natural world. Landscapes, trees and animals all take centre stage.
Even the elements that make up the quilts hold some surprises — lowly dryer lint for example. “I have two drawers of dryer lint,” she says, laughing. “It took me awhile to admit I was saving it. Then I had to admit it, and then I (even) asked for it.”
The beauty of dryer lint may be unappreciated by most, but when an artist as talented as Gascho-Jutzi sews it into a quilt to represent colour-tinged clouds in the sky, it is >>
>> transformed into a thing of beauty.
What is the secret to such creativity? “I tossed out the ‘should do and can’t do.’… Sometimes I just play around. Some days I am brilliant and I am not afraid to try something. I am task-oriented, but you have to let go of that sometimes.”
Gascho-Jutzi started sewing at an early age and made her own clothes in high school. “I have an innate understanding of how things go together,” she explains. “Sewing is something I have always enjoyed.”
She studied interior design at Georgian College in Barrie, and upon returning to Kitchener in 1975, she started a business.
“My specialty was — and is — window treatments,” she says. “Then I got into making the drapes, and then into duvet covers.”
As her career took off, she continued quilting and sewing in her free time. Gascho-Jutzi jokingly describes herself as a “bag lady.” In years past, she made and sold bags in the Kitchener Market, an initiative she recently started up again. “I wanted a bag that had a round bottom. So I made a pattern for it, and now I sell the pattern as well as the bag.”
Her first commissioned work was for the Canadian Heritage River Systems 20th anniversary in 2004. Currently displayed in Ottawa, the Ribbons of Life quilt depicts the rivers that run throughout Canada and their role in our nation’s history. In a nod to our region, one corner of the piece shows the covered bridge in West Montrose, and a closer inspection reveals many unique touches.
“This is the first time I really pushed the boat out…. I like something recognizable, but also fun and interesting and surprising in the details.” She points out the pieces of fur that are part of the fur traders’ section, and the tulle used on the voyageur’s canoe. A proud owner of a Siberian Husky, Moki, the mountains in the top right corner of the quilt are actually Husky faces raised to the sky, reflecting her affection for the breed.
The process was a challenge and a triumph. “Every piece I make I learn something from. The strips of sky were there, and afterwards everything was laid on and it flowed.”
The project also gave her the opportunity to bring together her passion for art and nature. “Stewardship of the land and the philosophy (behind it) — the whole idea of land conservation is why it clicked. I already had most of the fabric in my stash and it just came together,” she explains.
It’s probably not surprising that GaschoJutzi finds inspiration for her work when she is outdoors. The family spends time at Chesley Lake and her keen observation of the water is evident in her work. A trip to Algonquin Park last Thanksgiving weekend was “stunning.”
“Every time you come around a bend, you see a gorgeous outcropping of trees.”
A passionate gardener, she devoted many summers to turning her backyard into an oasis. But lately she admits, “My knees and back have not co-operated.”
A 2011 commissioned quilt for the Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario includes a large black walnut tree. Having studied the real thing, Gascho-Jutzi puzzled over how to mimic the texture of the bark. A colleague from the Grand Guild of Fibre Art provided the solution: shrinking fabric. The tree now has the look and feel of real bark. Perhaps more impressive is the size of her work as Encounters Along the Grand is six feet wide by seven feet tall. In the 10 years since her very first commission, Gascho-Jutzi has developed new techniques for bringing nature to life. The evolution of her work reflects her desire to allow the process to be “free flowing.” Gone are the squared off borders of her original works, for example.
“There was a time when I didn’t want to have the straight edge… . I found that you could put yarn on the edges. I like the way that it looks and you can get it done faster.”
Her works are no longer flat, twodimensional images. She has brought life and movement with designs that jump from the fabric. >>
>> A recent opportunity to participate in a project with Habitat for Humanity has encouraged her to start applying fibres to canvas, and she enthuses about the opportunity to take greater risks with her work. Using bits of copper pipe and raffia, she can even make discarded construction material beautiful.
Her creative enterprises earned her the Amy Hallman Snyder Award for textile, fibre and quilting arts for 2011 at the Arts Awards of Waterloo Region.
She fondly recalls the ceremony. “It was very exciting! I will never be on the stage at Centre in the Square again. It was very surreal.”
As empty-nesters, the Jutzis have slowly transformed part of their home into a working studio, although it was more like a sneaky takeover. “The studio was our living room. Slowly but surely the furniture disap- peared…. I got a new sewing machine and set it on a table. Two years ago the couch finally left, then I got rid of the odds and sods,” she says.
One wall is her “design wall.” There she loosely maps out her plans, making changes as necessary. The studio is bright, and extremely tidy and orderly. Plastic storage drawers store her fabrics and collected treasures.
When asked about how she maintains such a clean space given the nature of her craft, she jokes: “I knew you were coming.” But she admits that she cannot work in an untidy atmosphere. “I can’t have too much clutter.”
In an upstairs room, she has installed her larger sewing machine, which she uses for her “free motion stitching.” Instead of piecing the fabrics together, she can move the fabric around to suit her design.
A great admirer of Canadian artist Tom Thomson of the Group of Seven, she has reflected his work in some of her pieces. More prominently displayed in her studio currently is her interpretation of another favourite artist, Vincent van Gogh.
Gascho-Jutzi enthuses over the opportunity to travel to see his masterpieces. “We went to England over Christmas and decided to go to Paris… . I got to the Musée D’Orsay.” She was overwhelmed “to be in the same room as the paintings and to see the Starry Night with the harbour.”
Van Gogh’s use of colour and movement inspires her, and she creates the same magic when she uses her newer felting techniques.
Sharing ideas with other artists is invaluable to her. She belongs to several guilds, including the Grand Guild of Fibre Art, which meets monthly. “We are all like-minded. It is fabulous! You discover something new and you show it to somebody. We all ‘get it.’”
The tradition of quilt making runs deep in Waterloo Region. People travel here to admire and purchase locally made quilts and the tools and fabrics that are part of the trade. The Quilt and Fibre Art Festival, held in May, includes the famous Mennonite Relief Sale quilt auction. (Please see side bar) Gascho-Jutzi has taken part in the festival and auction since the late 1990s. This has become a family affair as her husband, well-known auctioneer Calvin Jutzi, helps out with the quilt auction.
Gascho-Jutzi’s enthusiasm for her art is contagious. And she is delighted to teach her techniques to the uninitiated. When doubtfully asked about whether someone could actually finish one of the smaller projects in one session, the answer is a confident yes! “People say, ‘I could never do that.’ There are people who have been dragged to the class by a friend…. They’re giggling away about how much fun it is.” And they leave with a finished project.
She often combines a travelling trunk show with workshops and teaching sessions, and also runs programs in her home studio.
Gascho-Jutzi is regularly invited to show her collection. The larger commissions can only be viewed on posters or in pictures, but Encounters Along the Grand is currently hanging at 50 Kent St. in Kitchener before moving to a permanent home in the Conrad Grebel College.
Her next commissioned work is still in pieces, literally. Gascho-Jutzi happily pulls out the various sections of fabric that are neatly stored in another plastic bin and muses on how best to incorporate them. Despite not knowing exactly how it will look, she is confident in the process. “When you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, then it works.”