Slice and Quilted

 I did do something creative this month.

I participated in a slice and quilt project with

Tommy

We were each given a 7 inch slice of a photo.

We had no idea of the rest of the photo

and we had to create a slice of a quilt.

Tommy Fitzsimmons has a more in depth

discussion on her blog today showing each

 slice side by side.

Check it out today.

www.tommythematerialgirl.blogspot.com

This was a fun piece to do.

I always liked puzzles.

Mine is on the far right.

I love the uneven bottom.

Adds interest don"t you think.

Snow dyed fabric art quilt

I got into the snow dyed fabric  to make a few art quilts cards.

Just love the colors .

Purple and turquoise.

Having another 2 hour studio open house today.

Have a great day.

Off to the studio.



Quiet Sunday Time

I found this small art quilt while sorting my studio.

It is of silk and made to practice zig-zag binding.

I love the luster's of silk and will be

working in silk this week.

Today will be a time of rest and reflection.

This week kicks off the busy Holiday show season.

Ready set and get busy

just not today.

Enjoy your week end



The road home.

                Finally finished the new art quilt.
                Fall in its most glowing colors.
                It is my favorite time of the year.
                Next art quilt will be more abstract.
                4 weeks of stitching in my spare time.
                The hand dyed threads from Artfabrik
                really make the finishing touch.

Winners at the Fair

This succulent basket was the Grand Champion and

Best of Show in Horticulture .

                         The winter scene art quilt received Reserved Champion.

         The sunset photograph recieved Grand Champion.

                     Quite a nice bunch of ribbons.
                     When I was 10 years old in 4-H
                      I only got red, yellow and green.
                      Sort of fun to grow up and do better.

                       Off to the Studio to paint today.

Its hot and steamy on Cedar Ridge.

Two weeks ago when I cleaned like crazy

I set up 2 cozy areas.

The wicker chair is perfect to sit in to hand finish my quilts.

The recliner to read and work on my laptop.

Just imagine 3 shelves of quilting books and magazines.

The perfect place on a hot summer day. 

                        I love my view from the kitchen table.
                        Quietness and tranquility of water.
                        Perfect for a cold summer lunch.
                        Now off to the studio for some create time before lunch.

Saga of today's art quilt.

Choosing the fabric. 

                                 A good start by lunch.

After lunch I got serious about the embellishment.

I couched Artfabric heaviest thread on as an accent.

The final results

                                         Put back in the frame ready to hang.

Played with the scrapes.

This will go onto a greeting card.

I will send this to New Mexico

to my newest collectors.

Love making my own Thank You cards.

I really appreciate people who appreciate art.

Purple is the color.

Up or down. What do you think?

I had some time to waste

I had some scraps laying around.

I wanted to practice finishing  the edge.

A new art quilt is born. 

                   

I love the color purple.

Whether is is silk or flowers.

                          It has been raining since 8 pm last night.
                          At least I don't have to water the flowers.
        

Art from the show

A nice grouping of art from Jasper County Art League.

Ending & beginning of another show.

Hoosier Roads & Rivers opens at the Well Cultural Center

June 24th 2011.

Abbie, Carol and I will install the show Monday.

Jasper County Art League members  will showcase their art.

The art quilt above shows the Kankakee & Iroquois Rivers

It will be part of a grouping with

 4 smaller ones that will continue the river.

That is today's  project. 

 My hand dyes threads arrived in the mail from Artfabrik.

Now I can add the hand work to the larger river quilt

I have been working on. It needs the grasses and leaves.



 I love the ducks I added. Makes it more believable.

 Andrew My 21 year old grandson helped me.
Thank goodness for the muscles.
Take down my solo show at the Wells Center last night.
The winter scene was the only one not sold of my
art quilts. I sold 10 pieces.  I think I have found my niche.
A couple from New Mexico bought 2 pieces.
Both were I think  two of my best.
I think the hand dyed threads from Laura  Wasilowski
makes them unique and special.
Thanks Laura. I always  order at the last minute
and she comes through.

New art quilt

My  work of the past 3 days finally finished.
Batiks quilted, painted, hand embroidered, free hand machine embroidery.
Stretch over a canvas and ready for my solo show in May.
Below are some close ups to show detail.

 I love how the hand dyed threads from Artfabrik added to the quilt.
Laura's Burnt marshmallow color way is my favorite.
I found an empty spool and rolled it around.
Dropped the feed days and it sewed beautifully.

 Sweet french knots add character.

Started another  one yesterday afternoon.
This one will be oak trees in the fall.

Sunday morning sharing.

Some of my landscape mini quilts.

They match the landscape outside my window.

My studio have been interrupted with a visitor.

 They also match the mood inside our house.

 I do like this fabric
it is such  good as a starting point.
I can get inspired by so little.
I love when my mind is engaged .
Creating things makes me happy.

My 47 year old son moved in unexpectedly Monday night..
So I am out of my sewing studio for a while.

Hopefully  it won't be long.
I have switched to working with collages.
I need to do 12 or 15 of them anyway.
I can do them  anywhere in the house.

My first quilt

This was my first attempt at quilting. My grand daughter Liz asked for a quilt for her wedding gift. She picked out the colors and  wanted a large square motif. I thought simple just make 12 inch square and sew them together. Well is wasn't simple but it was fun.  Three weeks later it was done. I learned a lot making that quilt. First of all not to be so ambitious but she is very happy with it. It suits her artistic nature. She is studying art education in Fort Wayne.

Day 5 of Totes

 Day 5 and only one more to go. This is Betty's tote At Easter she picked out the fabric.

The guinea hen fabric for the pocket gave this tote some personality.

I am looking forward to getting back to painting after so much sewing.

See you on Monday for the finish

Finding treasures cleaning the sewing closet

 I took time out from cleaning the closet today  to make a Christmas card for Virginia A. Spiegel. Yesterday she posted on her blog  her new Folio 2 Black Trees art and I loved the new series so I  decided to treat myself for Christmas. Check out her blog. www.VirginiaSpiegel.com

I found some treasures while cleaning the closet. I bought this old sampler over 15 years ago. Amazing what you find.  I am going to set it out with the Christmas decor. Perfect to go with the winter season. Sunday morning 10 deer were wandering around the backyard munching the grass. One Sunday last year we counted 32 deer crossing the back yard. Some reason they move though on Sunday. Think they are on their way to church?

Than I found some old sheet music from 1908 that will be perfect for a collage.  I should have cleaned the closet a few years ago. It was so bad I couldn't walk in it. My grandson helped me and made me eliminate and share I have 3 big black bags to donate so far. We will continue in the morning with the closet detail. I promised him tacos for lunch if he brought a pound of hamburger.