Hello Readers,

It is full winter here in up state New York.  Lots of snow all around and cold to keep one inside and working in the studio.  We are set to get a big snow storm tomorrow so I look forward to even more  Occupassion- Linda Twichell’s new word for the work and play approach that I feel when I am in the studio. (One cans see she put occupation and passion together to get this new word)

I went to my creative quilting meetings on Tuesday this week.  I enjoyed talking and seeing what my peers have been doing too.  Alice has been working with some fantastic Zebra fabric that a friend had passed to her.  I enjoy her playful style.  Cheri had some wonderful canvas work that she has been doing too.  I am only sorry that I shot this image from the side and not strait on.  This quilt was created after her trip to Ireland and is of a  area where Fairies gather.    I enjoy this group as much for there support as for their diversity.  One gal is making a fabric book for her grand daughter.  She does an excellent job printing on fabric I think.  Then my camera battery died so I do not have any more photos of the many other exciting projects shown.   I should know to carry the spare battery  with me, I guess that this is the lesson.

 

 

Progress  Report:  Rusty Words 

This piece was to be one of my two allowed entries for the Text Message contest- but it is too slender.    I though I had allowed enough for trimming- but I guess not.  I stamped letters on interfacing ( the white)in three colors so the words are really lost.  I like the final effect even though it will not fit the show.

 

 

Madam Peli     is the volcano fire goddess of the Hawaiian Islands.   I really had fun doing this quilt even though I did not get it finished in time for the goddess show.  I am still playing with the wavy edges on my work.   That plus the color really made me think of magna flowing up from the earths core- therefore I just pushed the idea to get my goddess feel by adding the organza arms and  hands.   I used a bit of the painted wonder under on this work as well to show how it looks and to give a feeling of the transparency of fire sometimes. The organza hands and arms sort of give the feel of spirits or steam in the volcano itself.   I used copper metallic thread here  to promote the fire feel.

Soy Wax Project          Last week I had not washed the water solvable thread out of this fabric.  Now that step is done and the soy wax was washed out with hot water and them ironed.  I really like how this looks.  Although I am eager to use it I will wait to start until I have shown it to my friend Ethel before I cut it up.   Mean while I have done a few sketches in the sketch book of   ideas for the sewing step for  a second or third project using this technique.

  DMC Challenge- Purple Tree         After finishing up Twilight Trees last week I was ready to begin the DMC challenge.  I started with the three fabrics I had selected because if it turns out too disastrous I could always pitch it and start again.  I have a full yard of my own colors  and only  a half of the other two gals stuff.      Shifting to this more complex tree has proven to be more difficult than I expected.  Getting the slender strips is not the problem- it is getting the cuts to fit together in the way I think they should that is proving to be the problem.  I feel I am really growing from this project.   I m glad I have not put off starting and that I have a long time before the final is due.

 

Tsunami Wash Up      This  project got framed yesterday.  I wanted  to finish this because I was having a little show for one my friends who had had given me many little plastic items that  I used in this project.   The red is from one of the plastic bags that our news paper comes in.  The big yellow  pieces are cut from a plastic bottle.

New  Project – Stamped Out    I started this project because I trying to add paper into my tops for additional texture.  I captured stamps between two sheets of nylon net.  Then I added additional stamps on top of the captured ones and put all of them on a blue fabric.     I put it all together in my usual manner and I am ready to assemble the units.  They may get shuffled before I do the final.  It has proven to be a fun bit of assembly for me.

 

  Wonder Under- second application.  I am still still fascinated by the wonder under that I painted last week.  So when I realized that I had finished with the Tsunami Wash Up work and that was the only hand work I had going- I though I would  use this.  I will just embellish with stitches on the fabric that had the Wonder Under ironed to it.  In looking at the fabric I think I will add beads to the surface as well.

 

 Auction Piece   SAQA has a 12″ square block auction every year to raise funds for on going projects.  When I read about the call for entries I decided to start my work  for this year.    I spent some time looking through my stash and found some small printed fabrics  and decided to use them as my starting off place.  By the end of the afternoon I had a piece I was happy with and so I put the little top together.  I know it is not due until April- but I always liek to have things done ahead of time.

I am really into Occupassion at the moment.  I hope winter is doing that for you as well.

Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol