Hello friends,

Spring is coming to our part of the world as I see more and more green.  Even this bit of stain glass green caught my eye yesterday and I have looked at this many times and not really seen it.   I like all the patterns created from the siding on the opposite wall as it sifts through the glass.   Green is one of the colors that scientists tell us the human eye see more variations on than any other color.   It sure seems that landscapes have lots and lots of greens in them and why I think I noticed the small flecks of green on a bush across the street yesterday when I went out for the mail.  The grass seems a bit greener this morning  too even though it is gray and raining here today.    Green was my mothers favorite color and she wore lots of it.  There was even an apple green couch and a green plastic covered rocking chair in the living room in one of the first houses I remember.  It is a color that I do not seem to have a lot of in my stash.  But as I kid I remember being a bit frustrated by the limit of greens in the crayon box.   I am just glad that Green is starting to fill up my world again.

I helped my friend Nancy this week work on the quilting of her new quilt.  She is new to quilting and did not come to the quilting through traditional paths- but jumped in with both feet  staring with a animal applique quilt for her grandson several years ago.  This time she put her unique point of view into a work using channel and flannel.   It makes for unique challenges and I love working with her on it. ( the green stain glass is behind her)

This week  I went off to the Turquoise Street Studio and worked with the pastel gals too.( look at all the greens in Pat’s pastel box).   They were all getting busy for a workshop this week  and having lots of fun.   Beth and Pat both did  finish up work on old projects and color exercises.  Barbara on the other hand was making what she called “Skins” of various mediums and color on wax paper that she could later peal off and apply to paintings.   I did hand work on my Brass Bits piece.    I am  using decorative stitches  to apply the brass bits that Sharron sent me last fall.  The top of this image shows a bit of copper knitting that is used to keep slugs off of plants.   Texture is my thing.

Progress Report:  Cracked Up  I did free motion quilting on this work this week.  It was enjoyable to let the patterns on the printed fabric be my starting place for this piece.   The piece  has its facing’s machine sewn on and I will get the hand work done soon.Slicing Through : This work got attention this week too.  There is that green again, but this is Marty’s blue challenge fabrics with my solid green added.   I am still a little shaky about were this is going.  Sometimes the materials seem to be telling me what to do and I tend to follow the muse when that happens.  Usually that is not a problem- but in this case the challenge has a size limit and I am well beyond that already.   I see challenges as places to really grow in new directions so I am going to go with this and see were it leads me.

Untitled  This work is  still   in flux.   I have done all the piecing and I am OK with that part of it- but some how it is not satisfying-right -or something….   I am discontented.    I have pinned various metallic ribbons, wrapped pip cleaners and such on the surface  to see it that is what it needs, but still I do not feel like I have the answer.   It may just need to be folded up and put away a while – like the Purple Trees work from March 14.   It’s not a creative block-  it more discontent……I will not let this stop me- time will help.

Auditions   These  colors all work together and I have pinned them up to look at and think about them  for a new top.  I am  very comfortable with blues and they may help me move forward with the” problem children”  that I just mentioned.

Scrap Happy I am working away on this project too.  I want it done by Monday when the woman for the Prevention Network comes to pick up a quilt for the spring auction.  I always like to have two works done so she has a choice.  This shot shows two rows that have been sewn together through the batting and the backing in the flip quilting method.   The blocks are roman strip with centers of red and blue star prints.  The two side bars of the block are made up of scrap pieces- that is were my name for the work comes from.    I find these quilts are what I call ” no  brainers” as I have made so many that I do not need to think much about the process to complete the task.

Be on the  look out  for Spring.

And Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol