Category Archives: Curvie Cuts

Briar Patch, Diva Meetings, Foggy Dawn, Label Blocks, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Scrap Happy Quilts, Silver Growth, Trickle

Ice Cycles

iceHello,

Long ice cycles are one of the sure signs of spring to me.  The weather keeps shifting from cold to warm  here and that means melt and thaw and melt again.

I had lots of meetings this week.  Sat was a meeting of the Mixed Group.  It is always very stimulation and enjoyable to see the work of other artists and get their feed back on one’s own work. IMG_5183Tuesday the first of March so  both QuIG’s and the Divas meant.  Liz  found a weekly offer by Moda on   Their web sight were they publish two new blocks ever week.  She has a note book already and four blocks are completed.IMG_5184.jpg

Corinne shared her print work from our last play day at Angle’s.

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At the DIva meeting Kristen shared her shop entry for the “Row by Row “ show at

quilters corner. IMG_5186Donna shared her Bernie Sanders doll.

IMG_5189.jpg Noel showed off her piece for the “ 15” show that the Divas will have this summer.   It was inspiration to see what everyone is doing.  I am so very lucky to have such wonderfully creative friends.

 

 

IMG_5202.jpgProgress Report: Trickle    This is the forth stretched quilt that  I felted first.  For this one I did not add any thing to the back of my woven wool fabric before I felted it.  IMG_5204 This meant that it all stretch at the same rate and so it ended up much flatter.    Now I need to get the corners of the work to be smooth and flat.  It seems there is always something to learn. IMG_5206

IMG_5193Foggy Dawn      I have taken the advice of my fellow quilters from Tuesday’s meetings  on how to quilt this work and did it all in swirling patterns.   It is now ready for the facings.   

IMG_5195Briar Patch    I am having fun doing free motion raw edge applique of the leaves on this work.  I will also do free motion to add the black berries .

IMG_5198.jpgSilver Growth  I started this work because of the gift of a beautiful top that my friend Regina gave me.    The deep purple with the silver work on it at the bottom.    Now I need to figure out how to ingrate this work.

 

 

 

New Work  I have enjoyed laying out the balance of this work.   Now IMG_5191.jpgI am ready to begin the sewing step.  I will fill in the white areas with narrow strips of fabric as I always do.

IMG_5199Scrap Happy  I am to the step in this quilt  where I have put the blocks in rows.  I need to stop now and make a back for this project before I can go forward.  It will make a good quilt to pass on.

Label Block # 42  I just keep working away on these little pieces.

Keep CreatingIMG_5192.jpg

Carol

 

#3, Briar Patch, Briare Patch, Circling Circles, Coastal Color, Felt Work, Label Blocks, Machine Drawing, Parts, Trickle

Creative Power

 

Hello,IMG_5147.jpg

This photo is an example of the marks of wear and tear on the local pavement that winter seems to inflict.  The pot wholes this year are big ones.

Why should we all use our creative power?  Because there is nothing that makes people so generous, joyful, lively, bold and compass ate , so indifferent to fighting and the accumulation of objects and money .                            Brenda Upland

I find this quote a very powerful one and I really believe it to be true.  Creating takes us out of ourselves in a way and makes one feel more alive.    I know I lose track of time when I am working and I have heard others say  similar things.  When one is building something the mind will not allow you to consider destruction.    What a different world we would be living in if everyone was  creating!IMG_5150

FAB meant this week and we all enjoyed each others company.   Patti showed off her die cutting press this time.  She gave me these three little fabric birds.    Judy was working on yet another sweater.  This one is red with great patterns on it.6X6

I finished my entries for the  6X6 show in Rochester and I mailed them out on Tuesday.  I always have such fun doing these little works that the gallery sells for $20.00 each as there fund raiser every spring.

IMG_5166 I tried ice dyeing with ice cubes out of the freezer this week.  I had heard about this and it means one can work all year long.   I will do   my own comparison study.

Coastal color IIIProgress Report:Coastal  Colors III     This work is  20” X 16” .I am enjoying the building process that goeson with these pieces.  In this case I felted to begin with and then I built up layers of yarn, silk paper  ribbon and fabric bits on top.   I added a layer of batting before I started the stitching on this one to help it stay flat before the stretching.

The stitching adds even more dimension to the surface.IMG_5157  The work seems to grow under the needle as I work on it.  I like the textures too.IMG_5160.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TrickleTrickle    This work is also a felt built up piece.     It is only 12” X 12”.   I used a heavy wool for the base of this one and  built up the felting on top again.    There is no extra batting in this work and I think that because of the heavy wool.    It stretched out nice and flat. IMG_5170  I plan to do two more using this technique and  size.  Then I want to experiment with cotton fabric for the base of the felting and see how much distortion I get using that fabric as my base. IMG_5171

Circling CirclesIMG_5151  I am to the quilting stage of this project.    I have finished all the circle quilting and I am now working on the wavy part.  It is a nice contrast to the open circles.

IMG_5172.jpgParts    I can see the end of this project now too.   I have all of the camera parts stitched to the surface and I am now doing the embellishment part of this project.

 

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New Work  This is not really new work  as it is the second half of a piece I cut up.  I thought I had an idea for how to finish it.    So after studying it for a while I started working by building up a  bit of Angelina to use with it. IMG_5153  The Angelina suggested black berries to me.  My mind went off on that direction.  I made some vines to put on top and then I would add the black berries……..   But it was too much of a good thing and  so I have dropped this top back to the unfinished pile and started  a new work.

Briare Patch  This is the result.  The vines are the arched units.  They are stitched to wash away now.    TBriare Patchhe new base is not completed yet and it is under the vine unit.  I have learned to go with the flow of the work , so this will grow from the idea.  Next week there will be more.

 

 

 

IMG_5132.jpgLabel Block 41  One more block is complete and I am just pushing forward on this project.

Keep Creating

Carol

Grounded, Label Blocks, Uncategorized, William's Quilt

Paying Attention

 

IMG_4783 Hello-

I was trying to pay attention to lines  and I noticed this rather gray bit of pavement.  It is  almost a landscape in its self.   All the horizontal lines suggest it could become one without too much effort.   What I was really Leaves on the groundtrying to notice on my walk that day was how the leaves pilled up around the tree trunks.     Sometimes they are deep and  the tree seems to lean  a lot.   Sometimes the leaves and earth round the base of the tree  pile high and other times it seems to fall Tree trunk on hillaway.   Then I came across this tree on the side of a hill and found many of the roots exposed.       I was doing all this visual research for my next quilt project using leaves as the first took on a life of its own and  I could not use the silk leaves I had created.

I went up to see Sharon’s senior show in Oswego this week.   Lots of good work there.  Sharon            She explored lots   of different areas in her college work.    Sharon  will start work on her master’s degree next month.

Nancy's projectBecause of the way Nancy works I made a run to her house today to talk about the lay out of her boarders on her next project.   She really did not need me as she had done the work- but it was fun to talk about what she is doing.   I enjoy how she mixes and uses fabrics that I would never pick out to use myself.

 

 

Progress Report: GroundedGrounmded This quilt has been fun to work on.  I really enjoyed the free motion work.  Out lining all the printed leaves was a learning experience.   There were so many veins.IMG_4795 The paint I used was transparent so the leaves showed through one another.   That made the image seem deeper I think.close up -Grounded  I the background is made from Judy Roberts hand dyed fabric( the brown) and Randy’s deconstructed screen printed fabric( the yellow)  The irregular surfaces of both fabrics added interest too.        I am showing one shot of the back of the quilt  to show the machine work  with out the  color distraction.IMG_4797

Hand BagHand Bag  I also though I needed a new hand bag for the season so I pulled out this piece of Regina fabric and made myself a one. Its dark and will not show spots I don’t think.  My only regret is that I did not put a pocket on the outside of this piece and I do miss that.

 

 

 

 

 

Williams QuiltWilliams Quilt   I am building the blocks for William’s Quilt.  It will be colorful when it is complete.  I will lay it all out on the floor this week to see how the parts work together.

IMG_4789New Work   These fabrics are my loose layout for the next leaf quilt.  I will try to mix the two images from the top of this blog into one image that I can work with.  I will also be on the look out to keep the leaves around the base of this tree a little simpler so I can use the silk leaves that got me started on this leave thing from the first place.

Rock work -new New Rock Work    This is the very beginning of my next rock piece.   I am working from the same photo graphic that was taken of Dead Horse Canyon wall.   This is about a 4″ X 6″ section of the photo.    Lots more build up is yet to come here as even what it pictured is only pinned in place.

 

 

Label Block 30Label Block   This is block # 30.  So now I am one fourth finished with the creation of the blocks for his project.

Keep Creating

 

Carol

Grounded, Label Blocks, Truquoise Street Studio, William's Quilt

Moving Along

 

 

IMG_4728.jpgHello,

Our fall has been dry and crisp.  I have enjoyed my walks and enjoyed natures bounty.  It is raining today however and I will walk to the Dr with my  eyes and  umbrella open.  IMG_4729.jpg

A week ago Saturday  I went to a new group.  Lots of old friends were there and we talked and shared  ideas about going forward with a unified idea.IMG_4734.jpg  There was show and tell of course.    Anne talked about her work as did everyone else.  I really like this work that she created for a challenge project.  There was  a lot of talent in that room.

I also spend a day at the Turquoise  Street Studio last  week.    Barbara was working on a sign  for  a  Black Friday event. IMG_4736.jpg  Beth worked on two pastels.  This one of cows and another of a barn landscape.IMG_4738 Both were from pictures she took last summer on the same day.

 

Cheri

I went off to the Schweinfurt on Sunday to hear my good friend, Cheri  do a trunk show and talk.  She was very entertaining and I enjoyed seeing all her work together again.

This is also the beginning of a new month so I had group meetings to attend.

IMG_4758.jpgAt Diva’s Regina had four Christmas banners she had completed to share with us.  IMG_4759They all used Christmas carols as the themes for the blocks.  She said she will put one up and then replace it with another the next week.   All the thread she uses  makes my mind boggle.

Noel showed us  a fun nine patch she had done years ago of herIMG_4760.jpg husband to demonstrate what she was working on.  She has a cartoon of her grand daughter that she was cutting up in the same fashion to make for her a Christmas gift.  It was cute but still all in pieces.

IMG_4765Tanya came to the studio yesterday and we made silk paper.  I have more material for my rock quilts now.

IMG_4763.jpgProgress Report:   Grounded     I am to the fun part of this project now.  I do enjoy the free motion work so very much.  I am outlining the leaves- each in a different colored thread  as my quilting on this one.    I am about half way done with the process.

IMG_4767Christmas Cards   I took time to make a batch of Christmas cards this week too.  I am  finally using the great printed papers that I got from the British Museum.  Simple but enjoyable.

Williams Quilt I finally got the images transferred to fabric thisIMG_4768.jpg week.     I plan to really concentrate on this project now as  I want it finished in two weeks if possible.    The fabrics are all washed and ready for cutting.  It was fun looking for the topic fabrics on the list.   Nancy found the brownie print fabric for me.

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Label Blocks  Two more blocks numbers 28 ans 29. IMG_4774.jpg  Soon I will be one forth done with this project.   I do need and infusion of labels though as it seems I am getting near the bottom of my box.  I will just have to ask for help with this.

Keep Creating

Carol

Curvie Cuts, Dead Horse Canyon Rock Face, Grounded, Label Blocks, Stretched Works

Leaves

 

IMG_4720Hello,

Leaves seem to remain a strong interest to me.  Most of our local trees are stripped now, but as this photo shows some still have their fruit.     I am still searching out places were I can walk through the piles of crisp fallenLeaves leaves and enjoying the crunch.  I found a wall in the park where the leaves are piled deeper then my knees and I felt like I was six again as I plowed through them.    There is still lots of colors in those piles too- pinks, greens, tans, browns, yellows and purples.   So wonderful! The fact that I am printing leaves on one of my tops is part of the reason for my strong interest I am sure.

JudyThe FAB  group meant here this week and we had a good talk.  Judy finished tieing the bunk bed quilts she brought with her that day.  NancyNancy has added two of her boarders on the quilt she is making for her daughter.     It is great when we all make progress.

 

Progress Report:  Grounded-GroundedThis work is a part of the curvy cut series.   I am stamping the leaves I made last week.  The colors are not as strong on the brown as I would like.   But I feel it will work out in the end.  I am stamping from the largest stamp to the smallest.  Each stamp is a different color combination.  There is also a number increase with each stamp I am using.  I started with five of the biggest leaf and moved to seven for the next one.  I am increasing by two every time I change leaves to get a deep pile feeling.

Dead Horse Canyon Rock FaceDead Horse Canyon Rock Face   This work is going to be stretch.   I think I am ready for that step as I have done all the free motion drawing and tacking of the parts.   I am finding the small format a challenge.  There are three more canvases so I will keep putting in the effort.

New work   This work New workis one of my first pieces using some fabric from pile of hand dyed works I have been creating sense the beginning of Oct.   In this shot there are about six units.  I was happily putting them together this morning and I did not pin then back on the board every time after I pressed the seams.  That was a mistake as I put an early connection together backward and did not notice that error until I was “done”.   Now I have lots of seam ripping to do before I can go forward with this piece.

Label Block #27IMG_4724  The daily hand work goes forward on this project.

Keep Creating

Carol

Breaking Up, Butterflies For Ethel, Curvie Cuts, Label Blocks, Taffy Pull, Uncategorized

Leaf Dance

2 Comments

 

Hello,

crows
crows

As this photos shows the crows are populating the trees now.  A few trees still have leaves and watching them fall is still something I do was I walk.   The wind is the biggest factor in that process and over the course of a week I see all types of winds resulting in sorts of fall patterns.   Some leaves zip and race away from there  high homes to the ground. While others flutter, twirl and drift down.   The wind can effect the leaves on the ground too.  Some tumble across my path and others skitter, bounce and jump, while there fellows cart wheel or roll away to be caught in hedges or  cluster at the base of trees .  Some times they stack against walls  or sail across pools.      Until we get a rain the dance will fill my walks.

IMG_4660For three days this week I was a part of the Open Studio work at the Schweinfurt Art Center.

 

There were six of us in the wet studio.  Cris and Liz were at the tables near me.   Liz Patand  I learned a lot as  we had never mixed dyes for our  own use before.      The really fortunate thing was two very experienced dyers were also in the wet studio, so we had great IMG_4677brains to pick.    Pat  the woman who I had as class instructor was there doing her own thing.   And Maureen was also there dyeing.   She was making yardage. Barbara

 

 

My buddy, Barbara  was also in the wet studio   dye painting silk scarves.   She only got three done – but considering she had never IMG_4680done this before I am proud of her.   I am also in love with the rich colors she achieved.    This is my wall of work for the first day. IMG_4664.jpg    Barbara, Liz and I really got the bug and will all do more on our own.

 

 

IMG_4678.jpgFolks were working in the sewing studio up stairs in the Schweinfurth too.    Donna came down and showed us her newest paper piecing project.   Looks like new garland for her tree this year.    They were all working just as hard up stairs as we were in the basement.   It was great fun.    There was also a trunk show by my good friend Ruth at the Schweinfurth this week end.     I saw some of her work I had never seen before.  It was great.

 

 

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Liz and I spent Thursday  making more dye colors to use.  We worked in her garage  and mixed up six more colors to play with.  IMG_4684 I have fabric setting in buckets of water in my shower washing out the dye now.     Good thing I vowed I would make a piece using some hand dyed fabric I had altered every In up workmonth, and  even that many not be enough to use all of this great stuff up.  Even Liz  looked at all the wonderful dye Ethel gave me and said “ you will  go a lift time and not need to purchase any more dye.”  This is some of the new fabric that I altered.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Taffy Pull

Taffy Pull 44" X 29"
Taffy Pull
44″ X 29″

After the quilt meetings last week I did a little rework of this piece.  I IMG_4706also changed it’s orientation.   Maureen suggested I pull some of the colors out into other areas and I like what happened when I added the IMG_4707thread work to the surface.  I also intensified the blue lines.   It is a stronger piece for the additions.

Butterflies for EthelButterflies for Ethel   I am so very happy about this piece.  It is the third and last in this series  of Butterfly pieces.   I used only fabric IMG_4693from Ethel’s stash  that her children so generously gave to me.   The title is part of my tribute.    The butterflies are form the ground cloth as before.  I also added several machine drawn butterflies to represent Ethel’s being gone from my life but still strong in my memories.   No one can see memories- but they are still a strong part of me. IMG_4692

Breaking Up 16" X 30"
Breaking Up
16″ X 30″

Breaking Up     This quilt got started at QBL last summer.  I was working on the thin line thing.   IMG_4697I am feeling much more confident about controlling the width of those lines now.

IMG_4687.jpgCurvy Cut Project  I did not really get any work done on this project.  But I did  make the eight leaf stamps to use  on the surface.  Hopefully I will get to that step this week.

 

 

 

New  Work IMG_4685 This is the start of my newest rock piece.  I am going to try to work on and 18” X 24” scale for four pieces.   So far I would say it is proving to be more of a challenge then I expected.

IMG_4649.jpgLabel Block  # 26  One more done.

Keep Creating

Carol

Breaking Up, Butterflies For Ethel, Curvie Cuts, Diva Meetings, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Taffy Pull

Indian Summer

IMG_4634.jpgHello

We are enjoying a wonderful bit of Indian Summer with mild temperatures and sunny days.   Fall is here and some of the trees are striped of leaves.   But many still are dressed in colors.  I noticed as   I was swishing through the leaves on the ground that trees tend to lose there leaves from the far ends of the branches first.  That makes sense, just I had not paid  attention to that detail before.   I have managed to play a little of my favorite fall game of catch the falling leaves while walking.  I also realized I get a lot of joy out of having an acorn or two in my pocket.

The week has been a full one.   IMG_4628I visited Nancy at her home to see her newest lay out for her next quilt.   She uses bold patterns and colors  in a way that I so admire.  I know it will go through many changes before she is done.    Watching her process is great.

IMG_4629.jpgLast Friday I went to the opening of Quilt=Art=Quilts at the Schweinfurth.  I was delighted by the fact that I knew so many of the quilters who were accepted into this show-  seven to be exact.  This shot shows Cheri with her work at the opening.     I love these wonderful silhouetted works she is doing now.

At the QuIGs meeting Liz was full of news IMG_4653_thumb.jpgabout her trip to The Barn a few weeks ago.  She had a notebook that she had covered with her own treatment of Cantha.  I like what she did.  Sue Ellen brought us some raw cotton and cotton pods from her trip south.IMG_4654  I really love the shapes of the pods.

The Diva’s meant on Tue too and folks  had lots great things to share.  I got a lot of help with my works in progress.  That is one of the best things about the group.

Progress Report:  Taffy Pull IMG_4658.jpg At one point last week I thought I was done with this work.  But when I took my second look the day after in the low light of early morning- I realized it was not very strong.   So I took to my meetings.    That is the best part of showing my stuff to new eyes.  I am now working on adding more color to this surface in the form of thread painting.  It is helping.

Butterflies for Ethel IMG_4656  I am to the quilting stage of this work too.  It also went to my meetings without being completed.   I had the butterflies attached with the IMG_4655sliver thread as I did the first two in this series but did  not have what I felt was a strong enough ideas for the quilting that it needed to be complete.  Again my fellow artists came through with lots of suggestions.    Now I need to get going on the machine process.

Breaking UpIMG_4640.jpg   I am to the quilting stage of this work that I started last summer at QBL.   I was challenging myself to add slender lines to the surface and I think I was successful with that part of the idea.

IMG_4641New Curvy  Cut Work  I picked up lots of leaves on my walks this week too.  So I decided I needed a place to print there images and this is what I built to do so.  I will paint the leaves and hand stamp them on this surface.

New Work/Challenge   I am off this week end to do some more fabric dyeing and IMG_4659so I looked through the stack of older dyed stuff.  I decided I would challenge myself to do at least a quilt a month using some of the hand dyed fabric.  In this photo my  hand dyed/printed fabric in the center.   I am not sure about the next step- but I am sure going to try.

 

 

Label Block     TV news goes on every night and so does my work on these blocks.    IMG_4649  Keep Creating

Carol

Butterflies For Ethel, Collage Based Work, Earthly Fissures, Swoop, Taffy Pull

More ways to study ones composition

IMG_4598.jpgHello,

The fall colors are still fascinating  me.  I just can’t seem to look enough.  And every day the view changes.

I have a few  other ways of looking at a work to see if the balance is good and the composition on is as strong as it can be.    One is to squint.  I do this a lot with out even thinking about it.  But is is good to pay attention.  The second is to use a reducing glass or if you do not have one – to use binoculars in a backward fashion.  By making the work smaller the eye can see all of the composition at once.    You can also take a digital photo to reduce the size for viewing too.      I  do anything that helps the brain to make a good composition.  Because who wants to waste their time working on something that is not the best one can do?

 

IMG_4613.jpgProgress Report:   Earthly Fissures    I am pleased with this work.  I took it along with four other works to my photographer,  John Dowling yesterday.  Having the proper lighting and such really does make a difference.    I feel that I achieved my goal of IMG_4617_thumb.jpg creating a dark crack without using black. To do so I used  the  dark green to create the darkest area. This rock had lots of cracks in it.  I used a lot of yarn and thread to convey this feeling.IMG_4615

 

15    This work is my entry for theIMG_4609.jpg  Diva’s 15 anniversary show.  The rule we all have to follow is : fifteen  must be some were in the work and the quilt must be 15” X 15” .  I made a block using the roman numeral for fifteen- XV and then built the quilt.  The only block were you can read it is in the lower right hand corner. IMG_4611  My personal challenge was to assemble it all by hand and quilt it that way too.  I have not done either of those things  in a long  time.  I also wanted to get a little practice in doing hand quilting before I started quilting  Ethel’s quilt.  Now I am ready- if I can only decide now what pattern I want the quilting to follow.

 

 

IMG_4605.jpgScarp Happy  I finished another one of these fun quilts.  I did make it to the Ronald McDonald House this week were I left off the previous one.  I looked at the shoe box that holds the extra blocks and it is still too full so I will make another soon using old blocks.

Taffy Pull  This close upIMG_4604_thumb.jpg shows the machine work I am almost finished with on this project.    Again I let the fabric tell me what to stitch.

 

 

 

IMG_4607.jpgButterflies for Ethel     This will be the third in the Butterfly Series.   The title of this work comes from the fact that I have used only Ethel’s fabric for the background  of this project.    She had a good eye for color and pattern.    I am now ready to cut the Butterflies themselves out of the ground cloth.    After I add paint I will apply them to this surface.

 

 

Swoop    IMG_4603.jpgI lost my last curvier cut piece when I was at Pat Pauly’s work shop.   After trying to find it I have finally accepted  the fact that it is gone.  So I thought I better get going on a new piece.  And I think I was doing a bit of avoidance too as I did not feel confident about starting the quilting on Ethel quilt.

IMG_4619New Rock      This is another avoidance start.   Judy is pushing me to stretch /frame my rock pieces.    So I decided to find a little section in the photo I used for  Earthly Fissures( it is framed in white near the top).     I cut a piece of wool big enough to stretch around a 18” X  24” canvas that I have and I will begin to try to create the area in blue.

 

New Work    IMG_4606.jpgThis work is really not very new.  I started it at QBL last summer.But it had become buried. When I unearthed it this week I decided to move forward on the completion.  It is small and I think it will go quickly.

 

 IMG_4608Label Block #24    And a another one  down when it come to this project.

Keep Creating

Carol

By the Shore, Curvie Cuts, Foundations Series, Label Blocks, Name Game, Three Grand Sons

Visits

 

Unbroken Circle
Unbroken Circle

Hello,

This quilt-” Unbroken Circle”  is by my friend Sally Dutko.  I purchased it from her before I went to Indiana and I am enjoying it a great deal.   I think I can learn from  looking at the details of  this work.   I made the trip to Sally Dutko’s studio sale before I went off to Indiana.  She has a wonderful space with lots of display areas.   She is an artist I have long admired and I was fortunateSally to purchase one of her works for my self.  I will be very sorry when she makes her final move from this area.   She has given me great advice about my work in the past.

Indiana 15 057I had a wonderful time on my trip to Indiana.  Barbie is a wonderful hostess and we  did a lot during my stay.   We went to a visitors center in Nashville IN and looked at this wonderful Chihuly  among other things.   Indiana-15-013.jpg

This work, “Family Life”  by Susan Else, was a part of a wonderful show at the  Carnegie Center for  Arts and History in New Albany IN.   The works were  all excellent and we enjoyed ourselves.     Got me to thinking about some new approaches too.    Making our viewers choice created lots of discussion among the four of us.

We spent two days in Barbie’s  studio doing silk painting.  Indiana 15 063Indiana 15 076This strong scarf is her work.   Her work is wonderfully complex and she sells them at the Holiday event in town.   My work on the other hand is quite simple.   Barbie has developed this  wonderful stretch technique with pipes, rubber bands, rings and clips.  It is so very flexible that she can adapt it most sizes of silk that she wants to use just by moving the parts around.    The process of adding the guta was was easy and clean.       I have not done this type of thing in a long time and it dose require skill.my silk work

This top one came home with me as we got some work steam set on Sunday .  The second one is still in  Indiana with Barbie.  She will mail Indiana-15-074_thumb.jpgit to me when it is steamed too.

 

Hand work

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:   Hand Work   I  felt I needed to take some hand work with me to Indiana so I started this piece.    The base is a silk screen  I did a while ago.  I did a lot of couching on the surface and then added some of the slices from the jelly roll felting that I did last fall at Cheri’s Blue Moon studio.  I am enjoying the process.

Three Grand sons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Name Game- Three Grand Sons

I worked on this one before I left and again when I got  home.   I  have cut the three names into 4.5” squares and I am in the process of moving and playing with placement now.  When I am happy with that I will stitch them all together.

002_thumb.jpgCurvy Cuts – New Project    I got such positive feed on my work on “Encounters” that I had to go looking through my stash of fabric and make a second starter for a similar project.    I do enjoy cutting the curves more  every time I do it.    I have the other hand work project too so this one will not be seen again for a while.

 

Van Goth    When I went to Van gothMaine  in April I purchased a panel print of Van Goth’s Iris’s.  I though it would be a  good place for me to practice free motion work.  I tend to get excited and my stitches are not uniform in size.    So I have been doing little bits of this picture to help me build some uniformity .

Near the Shore   I am working away on this  piece.  There are lots of Near the Shorebits of different colored fabrics and yarns  building up on top of one another with this one.  I am building  rich color layers like a painter.

 

Spray Paint    When we went to visit Elizabeth she showed us her spray painted works.  They were amazing. 008.jpg  Marty and I tried it when we got home.  Control was much more difficult then we both expected- but we had fun.  I have tried to build a work using some of that material.   At this point I do not feel it is at all successful.  Even adding hand work did not seem to pull the piece together or give it the focus I think it needs.    Perhaps so input from my Diva and QuEG’s friends will help save this.   I am willing to just say it was a learning experience too.

005_thumb.jpgLabel Blocks    I have two blocks this time as two weeks have passed by.

Keep Creating

Carol

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Acanthite, Caramelized, New Iris, Oak Leaves, Out of the Dark, Out the Window, Pomegranate, Red Nebula, Yellowstone

Realisations

1 Comment

Out of the Dark closeup 1Hello,

I feel so Positive when I think about my work.  I did a solo trunk show yesterday for the North Syracuse Art Guild titled

Out the Window 16.5" X 21.5" $125.00
Out the Window
16.5″ X 21.5″
$125.00

” Your Art /My Art”.  In that lecture/ trunks show,  I compared my work to the many styles and types of work that the members use.  In doing so I really realized how much I draw from the other  art categories to get my ideas across.  I draw  directly on the fabric with pencils, crayons and markers.  I use my machine as a drawing tool too.  I  New-IrisPaint  with acrylic,water color and dye on the surface when I need to create a special effect.   I print on the surface using  silk screens, stamping and stencils to get images I want on the work.POMEGRANATEcl4  I use some weaving techniques like felting, silk papers and frapping.    I often use collage techniques to build up my surfaces with

Red Nebula 18" X 24"
Red Nebula
18″ X 24″

textures and transparencies and different already textured fabrics like velvet and satins.    I even embellish with old jewelry on occasion.   I am thankful that I get to use from all the different art areas to full fill my creative drive. I realized too that I have been using my experiences and interests to fuel my work for most of my life.   Doing a presentation like this is a good way to reflect and re evaluate oneself.

Oak Leaves 45" X 30" $ 350.00
Oak Leaves
45″ X 30″
$ 350.00

 

I now have the monster job of returning all the work back into the category packs that I store them in.     I feel so very thankful that I am working in so many ways to fulfill my creative ideas.

 

Acanthite: Foundations XXIV 18" X 23" $ 150.00
Acanthite: Foundations XXIV
18″ X 23″
$ 150.00

Progress Report: Acanthite :Foundation 24    This quilt is  went together very quickly for me.    This stone added some problems as some of the areas where a sold white.    I wanted to be sure to use velvet and now whale corduroy  on this work to show the wonderful textures they  add to the surface.  There were also lots of  cracks on the surface that added interest to this one.    -Acanthite-cl2

 

 

 

 

This shot also shows some of the chenille yarn( dark green) and some silk paper( blue- near the top).

Acanthite-cl3

 

 

 

 

 Broadcasting    I am enjoying doing the hand work on this piece.  Most of the saxaphone Broadcasting full pads are stitched down now and I am adding  beads and french knots to the surface.   I have added some reflective quilting to the surface too.    This work is going along well at the Broadcasting detailmoment with each actions leading to the next.

 

 

YellowstoneYellowstone    The ease that Broadcasting  is a great contrast with my slow process on this work.  I think I finally have the map portions the correct size and location.   I will do the paint step for that and then I will move forward.  I also realized that the piece is too pale.  Yellowstone has lots of forest and I want to project that feel too so I pulled out dark green organza ( pinned to the left) and adding that will help me go forward I hope.

 

The Blues   This work The Blues just needs time as the hand work is a slow thing.   I am playing with three of different types of stitches-  the chain stitch,  the blanket stitch and the  fly stitch.  I am varying the size of the stitches  to add interest.

 

 

 

CarmelizedCaramelized    This is a new work that is still in the shifting and  pinning stage.    I melted  the Tyvec that I painted in the fall colors last week, with the iron between sheets of parchment paper.  The melt results are so much fun because they  are uncontrollable.     Mixing them with silk paper makes me think of carmel  and melting butter.  That is were the title came from.     I am enjoying the play.

Keep Creating

Carol