Hello,

As the drawing shows the leaves are really showing themselves now.  I am surprised and delighted by the changes that are occurring around me.  One day you can see into the neighbors back yard the next it is screened from view with tiny little leaves that will only thicken.    Its so wonderful to behold.

This week has been as full as they all seem to be.  I taught the stencil workshop last week and it went well. This photo is of Linda, Angela, Corinne and Liz looking at books for ideas for their personal stencils.    I provided everyone with a stencil of their name in a graffiti type layout.  I did this so they could all have something to work with at the beginning.  That meant that I could  give the instruction on how to use the oil stick at the start and then  everyone could work at their own pace.  The second  shot is of Linda’s stencil with several colors of oil stick and lots of over lap.   They quickly went on to creating their own stencils and working with them.   This photo is of Angela’s stencils.  The orange one in the upper right   is of a Hawaiian  petroglyph.   The blue is painters tape that we used to keep the stencil in place while we used them.

The other big event for me this week was hanging the Diva Quilt Show at  Kendell in Ithaca.   This shot shows Sandi Holland adjusting a piece.  There are 41 pieces in this show representing 13 different artists.  It is a visual feast.  There is so much variety in technique and color that I am always amazed at how well they all work together.  It is a real group effort to put up the show too  and I am very thankful for  all the help.  This last shot is of Liese and Sally as they add the tags and check on final details.Progress Report:   The Lost Buckle  This quilt has gone through some major changes sense the last time I posted it.  ( Check  April 4th).  It was called Cracked Up  and when I was all done with the facings and such it did not appeal to me.  I let the work hang  on the pin wall and decided that the square format was part of the problem. So I tried various ups and downs and blocks of portions of the surface and then cut away a strip.  This shot shows the cut.   I bound the sides and changed the big section.  It needed a focus point so I added an old shoe buckle – one remaining form a set that was lost by Aunt

May at a dance in the 40’s.    It was such a treasured item that it was  in the jewelry  box I inherited form my grandmother years later.   I feel this is a good way to honer that value.      The remaining portion of the quilt was on its way to the trash when  the dentist made a comment about how important smiles were to his business.   So I used the remainder  to make a banner for his office.  He will get in in a few weeks when I go again.

Before the Buds   I am making progress on this piece although the strong desire that prompted this work a few weeks back  ago when I could hardly wait for buds to open is now a reality.   I am machine drawing the thread tree down and adding branches as I go.  It is fun and I like how it is coming along.

DMC Marty’s Challenge- Slender Cuts    This is the second of the mono chromatic color challenge fabric unit works.  I enjoyed the personal part of the challenge were I was trying to learn how to do the slender cuts.  I feel confident with there use now.    There is also more exploitation possible with this technique.  With the three works in this challenge I learned that I like to have  more color in my work and that light, medium and dark still need a punch to work for my eye.  As  Dad always use to say” You learn something form every experience- Even if you only learn what you do not like!”

Thoth:  I cut this stencil at the workshop last Friday.   This is one of the prints I made .    I did three.  the best  will be a part of the new Egyptian  quilt I had pinned to the wall last week.

I hope spring is  filling your heart with joy and delight and that the creative juices are flowing for you too.

Keep Crating

Carol

PS- Sorry this got a late post.  I always re read the post after a few hours and then publish it.  I went off to dinner with the gals and there were two who were home from a trip.  We talked late and I simply forgot to sit down at the computer when I got home  hit the Publish button.