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Summer’s Ending

 

Mill SightHello,

As the nights get shorter and a few bits of color are starting to appear in trees one is reminded that summer is fast coming to an end.    I went off to Mill Sight Lake along with  other FAB gals for a weekend of talk and quilt work.   We did swim in the lake too, but due to a much needed rain on Sunday we did not get any boat work in.      We talked and discussed all sorts of things including the projects we where working on.  Patti made Pillow cases and Judy and  Nancy worked on Disappearing Squares- a block with lots of possibilities. IMG_6261 The food was great and we had  a good time.

Progress Report: Deep JelliesDeep Jellies   This work is 37” long and 41.5 “ wide.    I did stay true  to my vow to do hand work on it every day for and hour and it got done this week.   I sure enjoy the mixing of the orange and blue.IMG_6279 The dyed blue green lace and the deep blue ribbons  represent the  parts of the jellyfish that capture the food and pull it into  IMG_6281the center so digestion can begin.    IMG_6282  I still find the idea that these colorful fellows live in total darkness.

Tall TextTall Text  This quilt is 49” long and  32.5” wide.    started this project in Rosalie Dace’s class at  QBL.      I did reflective quilting in the negative spaces  around the text in this work.   IMG_6269IMG_6273It has been a good week to finish things up as I  prepare for my  travels.    I like to come back with a clean studio as I am sure I will get lots of new ideas on this trip.

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Far Off Forests  Far Off ForestsI am now done with the free motion work on this piece.  I need to get new stretcher bars to finish it as the machine work has so distorted it that it will  not stretch to fit the ones I have.

 

 

 

 

 

Ethel’s Scrap Nine PatchIMG_6290  I inherited this box full of leftovers from Ethel.   I took it on the camping  weekend.  I had one idea about how to use these colorful pieces but the other gals have convinced me to make a nine patch quilt with them.

IMG_6274.jpg   This is a shot of all of the parts I put together  over the weekend that I am now ready to cut into 5” squares and mix with solids for this project.     I know I would not have done it in this fashion without the influence of the other gals.

 

 

 

 

 

Label Block # 75  Label Block #75 I only got one block done this week.  I have several near completion though so I will keep my numbers correct.

I will be traveling with Marty for the next  few weeks so the next post will be Sept 15.

Happy Trails to you as well.

Carol

Work Week

FawnHello-

I saw this young fellow in the cematery on my walk this week.  Later I watched in horror as he ran across Comstock Avenue  dodging cars  and into the woods behind Manley Field House.   Good luck Bambi!

This week was one where I got a lot of studio time and although I have not finished much I feel good about what is going on.      Uneventful  weeks are good for reflection I find.   In class with Rosalie Dace at QBL she stressed the importance of Values in our work.  Now I have heard that many times but I just never really got the concept.   One of my fellow class mates showed me how  to see it more clearly and although I have not got the whole idea yet I am seeing what they both meant.

IMG_6234  Here is a photo of a group of fabrics that I think work together.  In color they seem to have a wide range of values. ( this is were my eye needs training) because when the same fabrics are viewed in black and white it is easy to see there is very little middle value in this collection.   So now I need to go back in to the stash and fine a few more  pieces in the middle range like the grayed oranges to have more values in this work.

 

B&W1  It is good to always be growing.

Progress Report:Going Deep  Going Deep  I added the backing to this work after I stretched it yesterday.    I really enjoy the building up of the layers of these wool based projects.   This is the first one where I do not have a canvas under the fiber piece and I think that allows for more a feeling of buoyancy.   IMG_6242The thread build up on these works takes a lot more time then I think  will when I start.  But the final effect is well worth the efforts.IMG_6244  Sometimes it only takes such a small bit of fabric or yarn to really add color to an area.   It is like building a puzzle with flexible pieces.

IMG_6248Deep Jellies   I am still doing the hand quilting on this project.  I have been putting in an hour a day on that process- but it is a big quilt so I have about one third of it done now.

Tall TextTall Text   I started this in Rosalie’s class.  The top is all assembled now and I am in the quilting stage.  I am doing reflective machine work around the  cut up letter units with variegated thread. IMG_6247  I think the textural interest will add a nice dimension to the work.

Ivy Wall     Ivy WallThis is an early stage for this work.  The butterfly will all be done in thread painting with the machine.  The image is mounted on organza with tear away stabilizer on the back.   I did the brown leaves as a rubbing with pastels  last summer.   IMG_6252There is a little machine work at the bottom so I know this technique will work.

Far Off Forests- wool work   IMG_6256     From this corner one can see that it only takes a  small scarp to build up an area with a different color.

New WorkNew Project  This is my current three challenge piece.  It is all one unit now and I am pondering ways to quilt is as well as the way I want it oriented.  This shot is exactly upside down from the original,  But some how it works better for me.

 

 

 

 

Label Blocks #73 and #74

IMG_6236.jpg  I am pushing my self to get a few blocks ahead as I know I am going away for a three weeks at the end of August.

Keep Creating

Carol

Full Summer

Hello,

IMG_6207Summer is proving to be hot and dry here in central New York.    I am still washing out fabrics form Carol’s class at QBL.IMG_6224.jpg      The top half of this photo is stuff from the class.    The bight bottom half is what I did at the play day  meeting of the Mixed group on Sat.  We did discharge work and paint printing due to the water shortage.   IMG_6194 The day started out with Pat showing us the simple process of using watered down bleach to remove color. IMG_6193.jpg We watched and then went to work applying the knowledge.

 

This shot is of Anne and Anne working out in the sun.

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The drying lines quickly filled with beautiful fabrics.IMG_6195

Not all of us worked out side.

 

 

IMG_6197.jpgPricilla and I both  work away in the barn with  paint  and acrylic ink.     I did my printing with shaving cream and inks.   I tried using shaving cream and water color too- but it ran when I heat set it as I sprits it with water. IMG_6223 The yellow is ink and the red is water color and it ran.   I was experimenting and when one does that there are no guarantees.

 

IMG_6225.jpg   I was very successful with the other pieces  however.          The fabric was beautiful and   we had fun.

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_6205.jpgYesterday  I went off to Susan’s and played.    She was busy cutting stencils and working on a big layered project.

 

 

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Sally was there as well doing paper clay figures.     She is marring the paper lay with drift wood to create her figures.

 

Regina was doingIMG_6203.jpg hand work on her projects that are due for a show by the 29th.  I did hand work on my Deep Jellies quilt.  We talked and worked all day and everyone made progress on there various projects.    It is good to work with others some times.

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:   Deep JelliesIMG_6220.jpg I did a lot of quilting on this on Wed.  and I tacked down the fuzzy orange around the big jelly fish. IMG_6221   I made an assignment for myself  to do and hour on this every day for the next few weeks.

Class project  IMG_6233  This project  along with three others also need hand work attention so that is part of the reason I though I should start to dedicate an hour a day to hand work.

IMG_6232.jpgFelted Wool works   I keep moving forward on these projects.   The gold one is ready for stretching.  This close up is just one small section of it.

 

IMG_6229.jpgGoing Deep  This blue wool one is almost done too.  I discovered that it is longer then my stretchers so I will lose about six inches of it.  Again I am learning.      I do not know how much the wool with shrink when I do the machine workIMG_6228.jpg  because this green one will not fit the stretchers already and I have just started the machine work on it.

 

 

 

 

 

New workIMG_6219  This is my new three challenge piece.  I  have barely started it  so there is not much to see yet.  I do like using the collage as my starting place for work.  Looking with more intensity seems to stretch me more then my typical approach of responding to what is on the pin wall all the time.

IMG_6222.jpgLabel Block 72  And the beat goes on with this project.

Keep Creating

Carol

QBL 2016 Plus

Hell,

So much has happened in the last weeks it is hard to know where to start. IMG_6051.jpg  Quilting by the lake was as wonderful as ever.  I helped hang the quilt show for QBL on the Friday before.            We started out with a empty  gym and over the course of the day filled it with beautiful quilts.   IMG_6052.jpg    This shot is of a special exhibit is of work by Debbie Heaps.  She did one of the little lectures about her work IMG_6090.jpgduring week one where she explained her process and philosophy  of quilting.  It was great.

 

 

 

I had a class with Carol Southerlund called in the Thick of It. IMG_6060.jpg  She is a strong teacher with lots to share.   The first day she sent us out at noon  to find images that we enjoyed.  I got hooked on the patterns and shapes in car tail lights. IMG_6078_thumb.jpg These images turned into the inspiration for our foam stamps.  We did them in both positive and negative.

 

 

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This is a shot of my work space on the third day.

 

 

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My good friend Regina was seated behind me.

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There was lots of work going on .  Carol showed us how she built her steamer to fix color in cloth on Thur eve.  IMG_6108_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

Masks

 

 

 

 

She also showed us how to discharge fabric.  This   is a shot of part of the class wearing out masks.  One can never be to careful when it comes to using chemicals in dyeing.

 

My friend Sharron worked in Independent  Studio.  IMG_6111.jpg This is her sixth summer of working on six Dear Jane Quilts.  She is doing the triangle boarder blocks now and she assures me that they will all be done by next summer.

 

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Friday Evenings at  QBL is show an tell form the classes were students hold up There work and   the teacher’s explain what they did.

 

IMG_6126.jpgRandy was in Valerie Goodwin’s class and did many little  works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are two other  parts to the final evening.  There is a raffle and my friend Ethel Whittamore gave me one of her unfinished quilt to put into this project.   I finished it and put it in the raffle as she requested.IMG_6146.jpg The money goes to the scholarship fund.   Sally Davis won the quilt.  She was an old friend of Ethel’s too so I am sure it went to a good home.

 

The teachers also altered bags that are then auctioned off to add more money to the scholarship fund.

 

It was a good week and I went home tired.  IMG_6140_thumb.jpgIMG_6141_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I unloaded my car with the dye stuff and packed it again for week two and my class on Pattern, Rhythem and Repetition with   Rosalie Dace.

IMG_6155.jpgLike week one there were lectures.   John Kubiniec talked on Monday and showed all the quilts that are in his new book Spin on Drunkards’s Path.    The book came out this week too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nancy Bailes also did a talk for us. IMG_6157.jpg She will be teaching her

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

techniques next year.  I am so happy for her.

 

 

Rosalie started us out with some paper work were we built our designs.  IMG_6158_thumb.jpg  She spent a lot  of time talking about value and I think I have a better understanding of it now.   This is a lay out on my desk of light , medium and dark values  that is considered for my piece.

IMG_6160_thumb.jpgThis shot is of my work space on day  two.

 

 

 

 

 

Again Regina was seated behind me.  This is  an early shot of her first piece in Rosalie’s class.IMG_6163.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name_thumb.jpgI got involved   with Graffiti again  in this class and did my name in two colors on different backgrounds.IMG_6164_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_6167.jpgI then sliced them up and reassembled them in this pattern.  It is all put together now and I am pondering how to quilt it.

 

 

 

 

At the  end of class we had a short critique.        John was in the class and this was his work for the week.

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Regina and I also  took down the  part of the quilt  show.  That process always make me feel sad.    IMG_6169.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is how it looked before we started.  In the end it was just a gym again.

 

Week two ended with the same pattern as week one.IMG_6174.jpg   Here is Debbie with her top and Jean Riley too.  IMG_6176.jpg

 

Again the teachers did bags and made more money for the Scholarship fund.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sat. morning I got up and went to Ithaca to take down the Diva 15 show. IMG_6181.jpg I had great help so it did not take long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are two of my woks that were in that show.

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Briar Patch was in it too.

 

I feel I am still recovering but I did go to both the QuIG’s  meeting and the Diva meeting on Tuesday.

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Noel was in Rosalie’s  Transparencies  class the first week   This is one of her works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori started this work at QBL.   LOris-work.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lieass-work.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liesa  did this work for her living room wall.

 

Maureen is doing free motion machine work on her work now.  It is fun.Maureens.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susans.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan shared her Bronte sister dolls with us.        The Diva group is so diverse that it is always exciting to see what  folks are doing.   I enjoy it very much.

IMG_6185.jpgLabel  Blocks #70 and 71     I did manage to keep at this project  and made progress.

 

Keep Creating

Carol

Preparations

Hello,

This week has  been a quite one and most of my efforts have gone toward preparation for two weeks of Quilting By the Lake.  That begins on Sunday.  But I begin helping with the hanging of the quilt show on Friday.  I will be taking a dyeing class the first week so I have spent a lot of time pulling things together for that and soda soaking fabric.    I am looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.    There will be no blog post for the next two weeks do to my Generational Whispersclasses.  The next post will be Aug 4.

Progress Report: Generational Whispers

I put in a lot of time on this piece this week.  I started out by taking Gwen off  and re drawing her.  Then I put her on again.IMG_6026  There are still some stitching wholes, but I will remove them with water.

 

IMG_6027 The I went forward to add Wendy and Alexis.  I am going to rework Alexis a bit so I will not show her at this time.

Garden GateGarden Gate The quilting step is going along nicely now.  he paper patters help me keep the size correct with this one.IMG_6048  I can also add the design beyond the print on the fabric with the paper stencils.  They are  made of paper and  getting rather shabby now. It is a good thing I only need to make two more copies of them before I begin the fill in quilting.

 

 

Sweetheart Tree Sweetheart Tree     This is the saved work I started altering last week.    With the quilt work complete the piece got its blossoms.   The plan it to add beads in the green and blue to the centers.IMG_6033  That will add another texture and build a focal point in each flower.

Deep JelliesIMG_6035  The hand quilting is going slowly forward on this piece.   It has been too nice out doors in the evening to set inside and watch TV so I do not put much time in on it.

 

 

Going Deep Going Deep This felted work in building nicely.  It is the only one with a title too so that is why it is listed separately.    This is still a very early stage.

 

 

wool workWool Work     This piece is nearly complete.     I have not formulated a title for it however.     That will happen before I stretch it.

IMG_6046  Wool work III .  Again no title yet.  This one is at the adding fabric on top stage.  They are mostly just pined in place.  The two greens hanging off the bottom are possibilities.

Wool work IV  is stillIMG_6037 at step one without any fabric added at all.

IMG_6029.jpgLabel Blocks #68 and #69  I tried to get a head on this project this week as I know I will not be around to do this type of hand work.

Keep Creating

Carol

Diva 15 Show- plus

 

AnneHello,

This week has been a full one starting with the opening of the Diva 15 Show.    This work is Anne’s and it sure looked great on the gallery wall.  I think the whole show was a wonder of our diversity and talent.  IMG_5944.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sally’s piece just glowed on the wall with its bright colors.   I enjoyed the large number of people who visited and talked with lots of them.  There where fellow quilters of course and lots of younger folks too.

IMG_5945Maureen really showed off her shobori with this piece.   The evening went quickly and  I  had a good time.

IMG_5947  This is Alice’s entry for the 15 wall.     It is one of the works that has sold already too.    She also has a show at the Earlville  Opera House this month.  The 15 wall was a big draw as the display took the entire back wall of the space.  IMG_5949.jpgCindy’s little work was a real gem with all its machine worked movement.Noel's work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was espically taken by Noel’s piece because it grew out of  a play day she and I had with Susan last summer.

 

Susan's

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan’s work looked good near the food table and I heard lots of positive things about it.  I feel the opening was a success and the whole show is as well.

This is also the fist week of the month so, I had meetings.  The QuIG’s  had lots of nice work.   Angela is making great progress with her felted pieces and  Liz keeps putting out her little blocks every week too.

The Diva meeting is doing more critique work so  not a lot of pieces were/are completed .  Only  Regina has a big display of her Black and White studies.   IMG_5958.jpgThe were based on paper sketches she did in a class.  But all the fiber work she did in isolation.   They were so strong and went she changed their orenatation there were big changes too.   I find them dramatic and can hardly wait to see were she goes with these ideas.

Blue IrisProgress Report:  Blue Iris    This work is  39″ l X 34” w.     It features the Sachiko panel of course.      The Japanese characters are scattered around as I felt they went together.   I ended up making a panel for the back with the translations on it.IMG_5976  That seemed like the simplest way to transmit that information.   IMG_5975This panel is Luck.

 

IMG_5974  This panel is Good Health.    This is another Ethel project as she had all of this fabric sorted into a little bag.  The Sachiko was not  even started so I feel this is more my work then many of the other projects of her that I have completed.

Garden Gate  Garden GateI am now ready to start the quilting on this project.    I am using the orange print as the basis for the quilting patters.  They are so complex that I drew them in paper and cut them out.   I will now stitch around the paper patters in the non printed areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Generational Whispers    Mom   I took this work to the Diva meeting and got some good direction from my fellow art quilters.   I stitched down Mom  and myself yesterday.   I decided that  Gwen who was the only person in profile did not work soSelf I took her image off the surface and will re do her.  Sometimes  errors are made – “Rumpus” as Susan calls them.- They lead to growth.

 

 

 

 

 

Woll works

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wool works    There are no titles for these wool pieces yet.   But this on is the oldest of the four and it has the most machine work on it.    There is a lot of distortions of the wool as the machine work is added.   IMG_5984  All four of these works  are  based on rock structure photos.   This one is from on of my visits with Marty.   I am not staying with the colors of the rocks- but I am trying to keep with the dark and light patterns.   I enjoy this step and I like how the threads, yarns and bits of fabric build up the surface.   IMG_5977.jpg The first two are built on a tweed wool  base. This piece has  a great deal of silk fabric  built up on top of it.  Beth gave me a bag of silk scarves last fall and I finally got into it and I  am having a good time using them.

 

 

WoolThis wool piece is done on  a black felted wool skirt that I cut up.   Building over the dark color sure makes the wool roving glow some how.    This piece  only has about and hour’s worth of work at the sewing machine in it at this point.

IMG_5982  This  wool piece has not had any sewing machine work done on it.  The roving has only been punched into the skirt felt.  This is an example of step one for all  these    wool projects.   I have not worked much on this project as I usually run out of time before I get to it.

New WorkIMG_5966  I do not seem to do well when the pin wall is blank so I started another  3 Challenge piece.      It is in the fabric/color  selections stage.IMG_5967 Here is the collage that is the inspiration.

Label Block # 68  Block # 68Week another square.

Keep Creating

Carol

Openings

 

IMG_5923.jpgHello,

Summer is blooming all around my house.  I love all the color that surrounds one this time of year.

Have you crossed over from the room  to another  and  then stopped cold -not remember what you were in search of.   It happens to me all the time and then I read  that is a common thing.  The scientist studying the brain have determined that this is part of a self protective alert system man kind has carried from his early IMG_5920_thumb.jpgdevelopment.   Moving from the inside of a cave to the out side world meant that one had to clear the brain of all distractions to be aware of the new environment.  The same is true of going from the protection of a forest out into a meadow.    These clearing  or emptying of mind  the may have meant the difference between life and death to our ancestors.    So the next time  you forget why  you went to the living room forgive your self and chalk it up to old mental protection processes.

No ClueProgress Report:  No Clue    This project is 50” l X 41.5” w.    It fits in my three challenge too.        Snow dyed and direct dye painted fabrics where used in this project.  IMG_5938 It was based on a collage and it has some of Ethel’s fabric in it.  The quilting lines run parallel to the edges of the  color changes in this work.   IMG_5940

Generiational Whispers   IMG_5934.jpgThe faces are starting to be applied to the surface on this work.  A few of the lines are new to the portraits but many are just drawn over the machine lines that were  on the organza.  This person is my grandmother Ruth.

Blue Iris IMG_5930   I just used reflective quilting on this project.  I  have labels on the back noting what the oriental  symbols mean.    I am still quilting.

WeedsWeeds    I am still working away on the flower heads on this project.   There did not seem to be a lot of time  for hand work this week.   I am enjoying working on the discharged fabric that Randy made.

IMG_5927.jpgNew work    This top is almost complete now.    The quilting pattern is the new part of this challenge.   The big orange print is rayon that is backed with iron on inner facing so it will not stretch.  It was a gift and was a pair of bib pants in its last life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wool projects    New WoolI have started adding silk paper, yarn and fabrics to the surface of this project.  This is my favorite part of the process.     IMG_5941My friend Tanya gave me some of her unused stretcher bars last week so I put three sets of them together and started more wool  projects.   This is the early stage of one of them.  I start out laying roving in patterns and then felt it down.  The next step is the layering of more material on top to add the texture.

Found  ProjectIMG_5935  This project was in the bottom of a basket of UFO’s.  I was  frustrated with  this project last fall.  But looking at it with new eyes now -I see a  direction to go with it.

Label Block #67  IMG_5942.jpg    Another block done.

Keep Creating

Carol

Summer has begun

 

Fox GloveHello-

I spent Monday, Summer Solstice, at Susan’s.  The wonderful Fox Glove is from her garden.  We were experimenting with adding  color to fabric.  Susan being more systematic  did a lot of different studies.  IMG_5897  I did rubbings with chalk and paint.  This example is of one of my  early works.   Susan’s daughter Rebecca worked up stairs and completed a quilt top.IMG_5900.jpg  Then she tried another color combo of the same block and this little work is a corner example of that. I like how the high contrast creates a glow effect here.  It was a good day and I enjoyed myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dappled SunshineProgress Report: Dappled Sunshine  This three challenge quilt is done now.  It is 58” l X 45” w.   I have not worked this big in a long time.  There is pebble quilting in the orange areas and strait quilting in the tan and brown areas.   IMG_5911I used some very old altered  fabric like the cream with lines of paint at the top of this photo.  The area under the brown strip is ice dyed from this spring.   There is also some canvas in thisIMG_5912  and a print I did in paint using a doily as the resist.

 

Deep Jellies- close upDeep Jellies    I have started doing hand quilting in the areas of solid  blue in this quilt.    I like the contrast.   It will be a slow project too as there is lots of blue.

 

 

No Clue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Clue    I keep trying this work with different orientations every time I work on it.  The machine quilting is going forward and I have quilted about half of the pink areas at this point.IMG_5919

 

Blue Iris  Blue IrisI have now completed the top assembly of this work.   Ethel had collected all the fabric in one bag.  I have put together  all  the squares and done the lay out.     Now on to the quilting step.  Great fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_5908.jpgGenerational Whispers    I continue to work away on this project.  I re drew Alexis’s head because it was too small.  I decided I did not like my drawing of Gwen so I re did her too.  I took this work with me on Monday and got some help from Susan about how to move forward on this challenge.

 

 

wool workWool work The base is mostly down on this work.  I will start to add in fabric and yarn this week.

 

 

 

 

New work  IMG_5906This work got buried under the other stuff this week and did not get any attention.  That sort of thing happens when one has so many projects going on at the same time.

 

 

block # 66Label Block #66  I just keep plugging away on these.

Keep Creating

Carol

Flowers

 

Butterfly Days

 

Hello,Butterflies

These beautiful paper butterflies represent the happy feelings I feel for this time of year.  Patti cut them with her press cutter on Wed when the FAB group meant.  I have seen some live ones too, but I am not fast enough with my camera to capture any images.  They seem to represent the slow easy time  we seem to be in now.   IMG_5872  We had our last FAB meeting until Aug as we  all  agreed that travel and family will now fill our days for a while.

I have learned that when I am unsure of what I need/want to do next I tend to start a new project.  The result of this is I have lots of new projects going on at the moment  and only have a Scrap Happy quilt finished this week.  That project too represents my feelings of unease, because scrap happy’s are  also fill in projects.    I have made 150 of these scrap quilts and they require no thinking on my part.  But they do keep my hands busy and  allow me to think through what is upsetting/ blocking  me with other work.

IMG_5888Progress Report: Dappled Sunshine   I finished the pebble quilting and the line quilting on this piece this morning.   I am now ready to add the facings and finish this project.    It will be done by next week.

Scarp Happy 150  Scrap Happy #150I have no home in mind for this quilt, but I am sure it will go to a worthy cause.

new Scarp Happy  IMG_5878  When I put together the center blocks for the last scrap happy I also made extra blocks.  Enough to make two more actually.   This one got put into the row form this week.

IMG_5881.jpgGenerational Whispers  The grandmothers and great grandmothers got drawn on to organza this week.  I know this was part of the stress I talked about as I do not feel very sure of myself when it come to do portatures. IMG_5882    My machine drawings  are human but not good likenesses of the folks they represent.  I have decided to let that be that way as only a few people know the subjects any way.  I will add a second layer of machine drawing when I attach them to the quilt surface.

Deep Jellies  IMG_5886.jpgThis work is also causing some stress for me.  I love the colors and the textures of the jellyfish themselves.   I am just unsure about the movement of the tentacles and how I want to quilt on this project.IMG_5884    There are lots of little design decisions in this piece.

IMG_5876.jpgWeeds    I am happily to the detail part of this project.  I like doing the hand work that defines the weed heads.    Three done and a dozen to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wool work IMG_5877  This is the biggest machine felted work I have ever done and it too is very slow work.  I finally got stretcher bars with out any canvas on them and that is what this work will be used on.   I am not even done with the first layer, so there will be lots of color changes.

 

 

New top    IMG_5880.jpgThis in the newest piece that it based on a collage.   It also has Ethel fabrics and some I have altered, so it fits my personal challenge.  I think the the title will have something to do with angles or irregular cuts.

 

 

New Work IMG_5873   My friend Tanya gave me the wonderful big orange print fabric I am using in this piece.  It is in the real early stage.

IMG_5874.jpgLabel Blocks #64 and #65   I did double duty on the blocks this week.  It is so pleasant to set out doors after dinner and work in the evenings.   I hope  summer is bringing delight into your life too.

Keep Creating

Carol

Spring progress

 

PansiesHello,

We are enjoying the colors of spring even though the temperatures are a bit chilly. Nancy's Blue birds These pansies are from Sue Ellen’s garden.  All three of the groups I meet with meant on Tuesday this week.  I was exhausted when I got home.   First was the FAB meeting in Judy’s Book markGarden until the rain hit us.  Nancy shared her progress on the Blue Bird quilt she is building for her Mom.  It is growing beautifully.

Patti blessed us all with a wonderful felted book marks.     It is a great bit of felting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I was off to the QuIG’s meeting.  Sue Ellen had a wonderful curved challenge on her pin wall.  IMG_5837 She rotated and changed position of parts so I know this is not the final orientation.  It will be fun to watch how she changes this work.   Angela is working away with her felting projects toward Linda'a workher show next winter.  She showed us her sketches.  Linda is working with how to create Sea Grape leaves.    She showed us a bit of her school glue resist dyeing too.  I love the colors   Liz continues to do her two blocks a week challenge and she showed us six new ones.IMG_5842It will be on playful quilt when she is done.

Barb's workBarb showed off another of her tributes to her ancestor works with this lovely little quilt.  I think the way she is presenting the old lace hand work is very strong.

IMG_5841This piece  is one of Sally’s wonderful little works.   She also shared some very nice pillow cases and bags she had made for her grand daughters.   It was a good meeting.

Alic's FoxesThe off to Diva’s.  Alice shared her newest work with a tribute to musicians. Sharon's Piece Sharon showed off one of her altered print works and I really like the texture.  She also shared two works that were giving her problems and asked for suggestions.    I am sure she will solve the problems with time and work.

Lori has been stitching away on her tundra pieces.  This time she also brought along the source of the idea for this work.  It is great.IMG_5850   I am so very glad I belong to such a diverse and talented group.

Progress Report: Purple Passion Purple PassionThis work is 45.5” l X 31” w.      It is based on a collage and after some long study I feel could go back and try to represent the collage again.  I got so involved in the assembly process that I lost the simple color break up of the original work.IMG_5868  I do feel like I am getting better with the technique part of the assembly and quilting  however.IMG_5870 I enjoyed adding the sparkle of the metallic fabric to this work.

 

 

Dappled SunshineDappled Sunshine   I have just started the quilting on this work.  It is another of the bigger pieces so it will take a while for this to be completed.

IMG_5854Deep Jellies   The jelly fish are getting tacked down and I am building in the details with machine stitching and the couching down of various yarns.   It too is rather large so the getting it under the arm of the machine is tiresome and I seem to only be able to work on it about an hour before I feel I must put it aside and work on something else.

Generational Whispers   Generail WIspersThis too is a monster quilt.  I must have been in an expansive mood for a while.   The faces, life sized,  are drawn on wash away  and are of my grandmothers.   IMG_5853  I am planning to free motion draw them on organza and build the next generation on top of the organza and below  them on the work.    I am dealing with a bit of fear here too as I do not know what I am doing……

Weeds   This work is part of the wiggle cut series.Weeds  I am slowly hand stitching in the stems of the weeds and will add the heads in time.  I only work on this piece in the evenings and only after the Label Blocks and other hand work is done, so it is another slow project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leftovers IMG_5861  This work is just made from sections of Dappled Sunshine that did not work in that piece.  I will use it as base to experiment with some ideas I  am trying to work out.

new workNew  work  This is a new piece based again on a collage.  I am learning a lot  about how to use angles in my work with the collage stuff.    This piece fits my three challenge too.  My dyed work are the big purple units and the red and blue sections are some of the snow dyed I did last winter.  Ethel’s fabric is the turquoise and  and pink stuff.

 

 

Label Block # 62  label block #62I just doggedly  keep at these blocks.

Enjoy spring and Keep Creating

Carol