Category Archives: 3X3

3X3, Along the Shore, Creative Assistants, Finger Lakes Fiber Artist Group, Label Cards, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), small god, WAVE, Word Forms

March Begins

 

IMG_2917Hello,

As the photo shows we are still having winter here.  The first day of March it did snow and it is alternating between sun shine and snow fall around here now.   The deep blue shadows that the sun creates on the white surface never seem to lose there wonder for me.

Along with a new month there are meetings.  The Finger Lakes Fiber Artists meant on Sat.  This is a shot of Marcia’s quilt.   We had a good meeting with lots of decisions about our future.    IMG_2885Liz has now finished quilting her school days quilt.   Angela is taking a class on line dealing with felting.  She has learned how to mix the fibers and now she can create any color she wishes.   IMG_2889Beverly  shared this beauty that is full of her hand dyed fabrics.   Marla shared her rug hooking project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pat finished this new big piece.  This work is  the newest piece in  her series using only two fabrics that she has created.   I think it is very powerful. IMG_2896Mary shared a work she started in a workshop on silk work.  She altered it to fit what she wanted to express.  IMG_2905QuEG’s meant on Tues.  There were only three of us but we still found a lot to share.   This is a shot of Corrine’s newest book cover.  IMG_2909She also shared this beautiful scarf that is  felted work on a sorry base.   She had a whole collection she had purchased as gifts.   The idea is worth some exploration.   Angela   had her Sax keys piece that she hand quilted.  It is a whole cloth quilt that she created in a class at QBL two summers ago.

IMG_2906   This is a felted and stitched book jacket that Angela did too.

The Diva’s also meant on Tues.  Regina showed us this new top that she had created from three prints that she had made in a class at QBL2 .    IMG_2912She also shared this work with indigo she has made with a stamp on top.   IMG_2915 Joan shared some collages that she is building in prep for a new work.   It was a good meeting, even though attendance was small at this gathering too.

  Progress Report: small god – Zapoteck    This little quilt is 23” w X 32”  l.   It is based on a sculpture that I saw in Oaxaca at the ruins last month.   IMG_2932  All the parts are appliqued down with a wide satin stitch.   I may created some more work from my photos. of other sculptures.

Shore Line This work is coming along nicely.  I must have it done before the 20th of March so there is a little pressure.

IMG_2918Wave   This is a good example of how one can see in a photo problems one can not realize  when looking at the subject under natural conditions.   The picture clearly shows  that there is not enough contrast between the words and the background.  I could not quite see that in reality.   So I have pulled out new pieces for the background and I will redo it.   Finding something new to apply to the quilted background however may prove to be more of a challenge.

Creative Assistants IMG_2921  I finished up 15 more of these little guys for this summer.

Snow Dye   The snow dyeing resulted in these beautiful fabrics.

Starfish IMG_2923I keep doing the knots on the star fish.  I think this one is ready to   face and apply to the background.

3 X 3 C-2  This square is mostly complete now.    This bit of Daily Practice is going very  well.

3 X 3 C-1  IMG_2939 This square is about half done at this point.   IMG_2943 The process is very calming for me.

Label Cards: Bird Song   Despite the snow,  I have heard lots of bird songs when I have been out of doors of late.   It is encouraging.

StretchingIMG_2947  I like to stretch my mind and keep it limber.   And I would disagree with this statement for the most part.   But I have been know to take on more than I really should by stretching the idea too much.

Keep Creating

Carol

3X3, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Label Cards, SAQA Blocks, small god, WAVE

Final Day of February

 

IMG_2849Hello,

I know I though that I would not be posting today, but due to the heavy wet show Liz and I stayed home instead of going off to a play day.    Regina said we would try again later in the spring.  IMG_2850     I did take advantage of snow and dyed some this morning .    After the last batch came out so pale I really added more dye this time.    I will post the results next week. FAD meant yesterday and Sharon had a lot to share.  She is doing a commission  of six quilts made from a woman’s clothing .   I’d say it was a big challenge.   This is the first.

Progress Report: Starfish II IMG_2861I continued to work on this second  starfish piece.this week.    The first is all packed and ready to ship to the SAQA auction  some time next week.     I may or may not finish this work any time soon as it is not due until next spring, but I always like to have a little project that I can pick up and work on  if I need some think time.

small god I finally got going on this piece.  It is based on a photo that I took in the museum at Monty Albume on my trip to Oaxaca.  I have drawn out all the patterns  and now need to cut  them out in fabric  and applique them on top.

IMG_2855Wave  I am ready to start a new text piece.   The word pattern is done( the white with green lines)  and I made all these blue and aqua curie cut sections to cut the words from.

3 X 3 A-3  Tuesday I finished this block.   So I moved  right on to the next block.

3X3 C-2    This is the fifth block so I am half way along on this project now.  I was a bit panicked as I thought the completed project  was due at the end of March- but I learned it is not due until the end of May.   IMG_2867I am enjoying the process.

Capture ScarvesIMG_2875I got busy on some new scarves when I realized that March is starting tomorrow.   I am off to visit with Chris, the woman who sells these for me and so I need to have some to pass her way.  These still need the fabric neck units added to them.

 

Label cards: Little Know Our world is so very vast I feel overwhelmed some times.  There is so much I do not know about so many things.   One needs to keep exploring and expanding one’s mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sewing OperationsI was writing out the steps for how to use the sewing machine for the girl scouts and I realized that there are many little operations in doing simple sewing events.   This is a card to honor that idea.

Keep Creating

Carol

3X3, Auction pieces 12 " X 12", Label Cards, Quilt Surface Design Assassination, Shore Lines

Winter Week

A A SatHello,

This week was a quiet one for the most part.   I did go to the Associated Artists meeting on Saturday and  enjoyed Julia’s talk about her collage technique.   She mostly paints textured papers and uses them to create her her work.   Her talk was informative.

IMG_2812We had a snow storm  this week so I did snow dye.   IMG_2816It was not  a real successful.  The yellow was power as I have used in the past.  The other colors were mixed liquids  and they did not take so well.   Too much dilution after soaking through the snow  I think.   I always think experimenting is worth while  however,   one always learns something- even learning what does not work, increases one’s knowledge. Tanya's Paintings

I had lunch with Tanya this week and she is working on Yupo paper with inks.   It sure make a bright splash of color in this dark time of year.

Progress Report:   Starfish  This little work is 12” X 12” and is what I want to send off to the QSDS  auction this year. IMG_2839  I added the French Knots on the starfish  to give it the texture  I was after  and add color.    IMG_2841

This work spawned another in the same vain.   I enjoyed doing the starfish so much I started a second. IMG_2827I see now that the starfish is too big for the background so it will have to find another home and I will have to build a different one for this project.

Scrap Happy  I did finish up the  quilt  that I was doing for  the Bed for Kids project and I passed it on to them on Tues.  In doing the back for that project I discovered  that I had a lot of material for making backs and so I decided to make another top to use up some of those pieces.   Angela had given me a box of fabric that she no longer felt she would use.    I pawed around in that box and came up with two fabrics that I though would make nice center blocks for this project.   I like the fruit ladies print  and the green batik she gave to me.

Shore Lines  Last March when I visited Cris we took a walk along the shore  and saw an egg sack of some sort and created a little challenge.  I am starting to respond to that challenge now.   The egg sack looked a little like the white unit on this piece.

3 X 3  C-3  This block is at a good stopping point for now.   Working in this segmented fashion   is difficult for me.   I find that I want the units to interact with one another and the whole and so I decided this one was complete for now.  When I get them all done I will look at the whole and make decisions about what if anything is needed to complete the project.

A-3  This is black 3 in column A.  It does not touch the other block pictured so it is difficult to see how they relate to one another.  That is part of the difficulty/challenge of working this way.   The process is   good for me I think and I am working excitedly on it

IMG_2836Label Card  Live Now    I think this message is good for all of us.   Life is short so do not put things off.

Keep Creating

Carol

PS   the post next week will be on Friday as  I will be away on Thursday  – weather permitting.

3X3, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Killdeer

Valentines Day

 

IMG_2804Happy Valentine’s Day,

I hope it turns out just the way you want it.   I received these three valentines.  One from Judy, one from  Tanya  and one form Marilyn.   I set out a parcel of them myself.  I always have fun playing IMG_2772with this shape and trying some new form of using bits and pieces of things  to create them.   I had a FAD  meeting this week and folks had stuff to share.  Nancy is getting ready to stretch this wonderful bit of stitchery that she brought back from Cuba a few years ago.     It is so very colorful.   IMG_2776Patti is knitting away on a scarf that she will give away to some homeless person.    Judy is pulling out old projects and completing them.   I love the antique fabrics she used here.     We had a good time as always.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Killdeer    This piece is 18” X  13”.    The Killdeer  were   machine drawn and then attached to the felted IMG_2809background and stretched.

IMG_2810

3 X 3- block  3-C I keep doing my daily practice on this  project.   I think this block in almost complete. Just a few more rows around some of the circles and I  will move on to the next block.

IMG_2782Nylon net scarves   I am off to visit my friend Chris at the end of March.  She sells my capture scarves  and so I cut the nylon netting to begin making some to take with me on that trip.   This shows ten  of the   cut starts and there are five more.

Scrap Happy IMG_2800I  visited Angelia a few weeks ago and she gave me a box of fabric that she no longer wanted in her stash.  I pulled these two out of the collection and cut them to be the centers of  the next scrap happy quilt.  The are in 4.5” strips now and I will add 2.5” strips of scarps to both sides and then cut them into 8.5” blocks to create the rows of the quilt.

IMG_2798Beaded Bag   I found this old project in my cleaning this week and it only needs the neck unit to finish it so that will be another of the projects that I work on this week.

Label Cards- Red      In this time of gray and while, I am thinking about color.   So I did a red card.

           

 

 

 

Beauty Awakens   I like the idea of this message.

Keep Creating

Carol

3X3, Diva Meetings, Forest Flock, Label Cards, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Sandpipers

Upcycle

Hello,

It seems like this time of year one tends to do a bit of clean out and reevaluation.  I found lots of my friends using what they had to make new work this month.

I  spent my Saturday  last week working as a part of the Bed for Kids project here in town.  Sadly there are many children in our community who do not have beds.  So this group is working on bedding as a part of the goal to meet this need.  I started this quilt and the top is almost complete now.   It is made of a project that was passed to me.   Many other women worked on creating pillow cases.  Girl Scouts and a girls basketball team also showed up and created polar fleece no sew blankets.   It was a lively and fun project to be a part of.   I also contributed 13 quilts to this worthy project.

Both of the groups that I belong to meant on Tues.   At QuEG’s , Sue Ellen showed up this top that she created  as she tries to work down her stash.   IMG_2715Dori   is doing hand work on this witches hat to  use up some of her trims.    IMG_2716 Victoria is also using up available materials.  She is cutting up all her angora sweaters that have small wholes and making a throw with them.   Susan is  going through her scrap bag and building units with raw edge applique and embroidery.  She has also set the limit of using red and turquoise as her main colors  for this pursute.   I think limiting like that  can make one be very creative with other tools.   Liz continues to happily quilt away on her  school days piece.   IMG_2727  And Sally is making cards with one of her new sewing machine patterns.  She is also experimenting with water soluble colored pencils that she had on hand.   I like the directions she is exploring.

At Diva’s, Alice  shared her new  series.  She is experimenting with India ink painting on fabric.   To good effect I would say.    IMG_2736 Regina in her wonderful way completed  this indigo piece  this month.   She really challenges herself I think.   Both meetings were full of inspiring talk and interesting works.    I came home all fired up again.

 

Progress Report: Forest Flock    This quilt is 39” w X 35”l.    I have been enjoying doing the thread painting of birds for a while and this time I tried doing them for a quilt.   IMG_2765 It is a bit different type of approach for me but I like to mix my techniques.   IMG_2766  The more I play with this process the more I seem to enjoy it.   I keep learning little things with each attempt  too.   With  these birds, I  explored  not only using the the  two layers of wash away but  a layer of nylon netting in the middle.  I had noticed that   the  shapes I had created before could easily  be distorted in the pinning and drying stage.     The nylon net seemed to make the work more solid  and helps  to avoid that  distortion problem.    Now there may be a time when that is undesirable desirableIMG_2768 but now the  nylon netting   really helps maintain  the shapes  that I am building.

 

IMG_2744Sandpipers  The birds are attached to the shore now and I am doing some intense looking as I am not really happy with the appearance   of this composition.   It seems to need something in addition.  I will study it over the course of the next few weeks and hope that I can find a solution that I am happy with.

 

3X3   This is blao B-3.  The third block in row b.   I finished it for the most part and placed block C-3 next to it so I could make connections.IMG_2750  Pressing and  a little more work should do the trick.   The I went ahead and worked on block C-3.IMG_2752I have been putting in about an hour  every day on this project.  

Label Cards: Tied Up  This week I realized how I get myself in worry knots about nonsense.  Being away from the studio and  such  helped me get a better perspective.   I hope I can continue to recognize  the unimportant things and let them go.

Color Wonder In this gray time of year I am always surprised by a sudden splash of color.   I could not get the pink nose of  my a friends dog’s nose out of my mind so I made this card to remind myself to look  with care at the world around me.

3X3, Label Cards, Sandpipers

Oaxaca Adventure

Airport ArtHello,

I had a wonderful time in Oaxaca Mexico.  Susan was a great guide and the city was a visual feast.   Every where one looked there was art.   This pony sculpture was at the airport and shows a modern twist on the Alibris’s we usually connect  with this area. I did visit a family workshop where they did that beautiful work.  As one can see here the  painted  detail is amazing.

Susan, Carolyn  and I went to many museums.  We did the Print Museum Indigo 9and the Fiber Arts Museum the first day.   There was a great display of Indigo stilt walker costumes   there.  The museum also had a  display of hand stitchery on shirts from the areas in the state of Oaxaca.    Each area had a unique style of clothing with unique stitching patterns.     I found  that  specially interesting after my slow stitch class last fall.     Each language group has a unique style.   Susan and I went to the  market and it too was a visual bombardment.    Susan’s land  lady brought her fresh flowers every day  and after this visit I can see why.    We had lunch at a Chocolate bar that day.    The shake was delightful, tasty  and very filling  along with a chicken burrito .IMG_2637This shot shows how big the drink was.

IMG_2648I took a day trip to the ruins at Monte Alban  and enjoyed the wonderful carved images  and buildings.    The guide explained a lot of history  and was very knowledgeable.    I was epically taken  by this little god image in the museum  and think he may be a jumping off place for some new work. ( this shot is life sized) IMG_2674 The tour took us to  a village that makes Black Pottery.   Many villages in this valley  specialize in one type of craftor another.   This woman who is in her late  80’s has a sure hand and a good eye.  She stated doing this type of work   nearly 68 years ago  so the fact that she does it all by eye and does not use a prepared pattern is understandable.

Cutting at Susan'sSusan and had a play day.   I  cut some of the organza we got at the market and made stencils. 

 

Susan worked on her long Lincoln and Washington projects.   The garden in their compound  was beautiful.   Poinnsetta 2I had never seen Poinsettia that were 10 feet high before.

IMG_2711I drew almost every day on this trip and this is a banana plant Susan’s  garden.

We visited the Stamp Museum one day and there was a good display of work using a big stamp as a base   for artist interpations.   Stamp collageI liked the idea of using stamps as units for a collage too.   There was also a large collection of stamps from all over the world for ones viewing.   It was a great museum. w

We went on a field trip to the Print Studio/ Museum  too.  It was an old  weaving  factory, that  has now been  converted for artists   studios.  The display space was huge and there where over 100 huge prints there.  Text Print 1Many were woodcuts that were done  on 4’X6’  sheets of plywood.   Old woman and reflection Big windows and reflective glass made taking photos very hard. Grafitti 1  I did like how their definition of prints included stenciled graffiti.    These were done on the walls of the gallery and were pristine.      There was also a wonderful  video  show in the gallery upstairs from a South African artist.Wood cut 1This woodcut block was also a part of the show.

Susan and I went to the Museum of Modern Art and saw a wonderful show of collaborations.  An artist was paired with a craft person  and  they filled a room of the gallery  with their collaborations.  A weaver and embroider were paired for the text exhibit.     Colloabation stitchersThe results were wonderful.  This    second paring  was  of women appliques and  a  poet.   I went in search of the stitchers works and purchased one of my own to bring home.

Dyed YarnWe  took another fiend trip to a village that specialized in woven rugs.   This shot shows hand dyed yarns drying on a balcony.       The men did most of the weaving and were very pleasant.   His loom was huge and as the photo shows he did it all standing.      There were rugs everywhere even  in this village – even in restaurant  where we ate lunch.  Church walls 2 We spent time in their  local church too.  It had just be restored and in the process it was discovered that may stones from the native  temple that was destroyed for the church construction were reused in the building of the church.  I love the mix  and the fact that the restoration left the  underling stones exposed.Church walls 1  

I went on a tour of the Botanical  Garden in Oaxaca  on my last full day.  It was very informative and  beautiful.  Epically when we learned that it was only 35 years old.  Elephant treeI really  like this Elephant Tree and

this tree they call the Rock Crusher. The roots are amazing.   The guide  said it was going to be cut soon as it was destroying the old abbey wall that surrounded the garden.   I took tons of photos here  and enjoyed myself.   Later that day Susan and I visited the Museum of Oaxaca and had a good history lesson.   It was a wonderful trip and so very colorful.   I am very glad I went- especially when I got back to cold central NY.

Progress Report:  3X3  This is block 2C of the 3X# challenge.    I am currently doing my daily practice on this block.     I took this one and block 2B with me to Oaxaca to work on  while I was away.

IMG_2691This is a shot of the whole background with all nine parts.

 

IMG_2692This is block 2B, the center of the 3X3 set and it is more or less complete.   As I build other squares there may be overlap that needs to be added.

 

Forest Flock  I am to the point where I am stitching down the birds with the sewing machine and making that the quilting IMG_2611step  of the project.   The trees are also part of the quilting.

 

Lily IMG_2706  I painted this  lily on pillion with Susan on one of our play days.    It was one of the flowers that her landlady had brought to her.

IMG_2707Sweet  Peas    I painted these with Susan too.   I added the background  color yesterday.

Sandpipers   I finished the thread painting of the three birds yesterday and they are washed out and drying now.   I go inspired to work hard on them after receiving payment in the mail for the sale of Black Capped Chickadees at the Associated Artist sale.

IMG_2713This is the shore background for the birds.   It is a felted background.

Jeanne’s QuiltIMG_2702All the rows are now built for this project.   I will move on to the next step now.

Label Cards Joy    One day while I was away Susan and made cards.   I used one of the many colorful magazines I had picked up to create these three cards.

 

ShootIMG_2697 They represent what was on my mind at the time.

Land  It was a great experience and I am so glad I went.

Keep Creating

Carol

3X3, Forest Fire, Label Blocks, Rocky Shore, Totem Fox, Waterfall

January Joys

 

Hello,

This work Sun Skies 24” X 35”,  along with thirty of my other experimental pieces was hung in the gallery at May Memorial on Genesee St yesterday.   That is why I did not do the post.   I spent all day on Wed preparing for that hanging by pressing, making labels and  fixing my hanging units to work in that space.   I really like more than a week to prepare for a show and that was all I had this time.   IMG_2551  One does need to take the opportunities when they arise .      This work is Ice Crystal Forming.

Progress Report: Totem Fox This work is 20” X 27”.   It is my solution to the Totem Challenge by the Sisterhood of the Scissors.   I tried to keep the color range limited like the native Americans do with their totems and at  the same time make the work my own. IMG_2582I feel like I did so with this machine appliqued work.    I found all the hand quilting to be very calming during all the rush of the holidays too. IMG_2583

 

Rocky Shore- Elements Series I This work is 15.5” X 19” and the first in the Elements Series.    I was following the online class instructions and although the body of the work was done long ago I did not get to the finishing section until last week.   I faced the first one that I finished Gathering Storm  as she suggested.  This one I used the small binding method but could not do the sheer ribbon technique that she suggested because I did not have the materials. IMG_2561 I will apply the technique to a later work. IMG_2562

 

 

 

 Forest Fire- Elements Series 3  This work is 17”X 21”.   With this one the finishing was to be done with a binding that changes color as it went around the quilt.  I  think in this case that was a strong idea as having an orange strip at the top of this work surely would have limited it. IMG_2565I enjoyed using Angelina for the spark in the fire and  the painted organza too.IMG_2566 There is a little silk paper in this work as well.

 

Waterfall- Elements Series 4  This work is 18.5” X 22”.  It too has Angelina and silk paper in it.    The big tree on the left is made with yarn, bits of fabric and nylon netting.   Some of the smaller stones where made with squeeze paint on fabric- one of the lesson’s from the class.IMG_2570 The  finishing   of this work includes a  binding with  a beaded element for a bit more sparkle .IMG_2571  I learned some new tricks to apply to my collections of effects and I am glad I did all the projects.

Jeanne’s Quilt IMG_2552 I just keep adding to this work and it keeps growing.  I hope to get to the  side this week and then only the flaps will remain

Forest Flock    All the little red and gray birds are finished for this project.  I have drawing and started the blue and gray ones as well.  ( they are at the bottom)

IMG_25583X3 Challenge   Now that I have finished the Totem project I am ready to move onto this challenge.   The rules include making nine little quilts that go together into a bigger piece that is 3X3.   All the blocks need to contain some black and white as well.   I have decided to make my blocks 20”X20” and use this black and white print.    This will change with time but I think those elements are set.

IMG_2554Knitting  Because I have not gotten far enough along on the 3X3 challenge and I have no other hand work I knitted as my hand project this week.

 

Label Cards: Dream   I had to use this Fortune  Cookie  as it made me laugh.  Dreams do not need to be big ones, but they can grow.  It is most important that one dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 Hope , like laugher and honey is a comedy that we need more of  in this world.

Keep Creating

Carol