Category Archives: Limber Loss

Amended Squares, Limber Loss, Paper Quilts, Slight Slip, Twinkeling Tracings, Uncategorized

Feb 9, 2012 Active Week

February 9, 2012 admin 1 Comment

This last week has been an especially active one for me. It really started last Thur evening. My friend Barbara had encouraged me to enter an art show with her. The title of the show was “Figurative Art”, and she remembered some of my older quilts with figures in them. So I pulled the work and went to Rome NY to the Arts Center there with Barbara two weeks ago and entered my work along with her. To my delight I was accepted and the reception was last Thur eve. Again Barbara made the drive to Rome and went to the reception. The show although small, only forth pieces was very strong for a first time show in this venue. Barbara had all four of her pastels accepted and won a fist place ribbon for one of her works.

pastel on right Barbara on left — Barbara at show with work

I had two pieces in the show and got an Honorable Mention for my piece “Gals in Green.” After the awards ceremony I was approached by a fine couple who really were drawn to the work. We talked a bit and they later informed me that they had purchased my piece. I was/am so excited by this I still can not believe it has happened. I did not know how validating it can be to have a stranger be so taken by your work that they wish to poses it. I get all sparkly inside when I think about it.

quilt with green stitched figures — Gals In Green

Tue was the other big day this week. I am fortunate to be a part to two different Art Critique groups. They bot consist of about a dozen women and bot happen to meet on the first Tue of each mouth. One meets at noon and the other in the evening. Not only do they become a goal post for the completion of work on a monthly basis, but they also are great places to get feed back on work in progress and stimulation for new ideas. At the noon group- called Quilt Exploration Group or QuEG’s for short we ended up talking a lot about color. This grew out of my showing all the DMC challenged together.

The color interpretation element alone is one of the most complex elements of this project. The Crimson has created three interpretations here showing various hues and values. The same can be said of the other two colors. I am excited about the idea of working on this aspect of my work with others over the next few mouths.

The DIVA group is the one that meets in the evening. I was really excited by Cindy’s work. She uses big swatches of color with such confidence and power.

Here is an example of one of her new pieces. I like how the muddy brown that represents the flood waters passes through the work.

Ruth also had a great piece at the meeting. She is creating cell like shapes with silk and her quilts are wonderfully rounded shapes with openings.

Ruth and one of her cel quilts — Ruth with one of her cell quilts

The other person’s quilt I want to show from the meeting is a part of Sharon’s quilt. She is doing this huge work to hang in the chapel of the cancer unit of the hospital. I will add her web sight to the blog when she posts it and you can checkout the total work there. This is only a shot of the crown but you can see the hands of the children are woven into the branches in a beautiful fashion.

Mulit colored tree crown with childres' hands amoung the branches. — Healing Tree

All this activity has my brain going at a fast pace. Now to get a little sit down time to work at the machine myself.

Progress Report

Adventure Challenge- Sand Bar

I created the background of this work for the Bias project. But it was too soft. So when I was looking to try a second Adventure Challenge I started out with it. I saw the Yo-yos and like the idea. I added the beads as well for additional texture. I need to finish tacking down the facings and the sleeve and this quilt will be complete.

pale background with spring green yo-yos on top and beads — Sand Bar in progress

Pillows- Twinkling Tracings

2 pillow cases in the Twinkling tracings style — Beth's Pillows

I created these two pillows to go on the white leather couch to accompany the Twinkling Tracings quilts that I completed in early Jan. I used the extra fabric strips to make the surface. The blue lines are similar to the ones on the quilt units only much narrower. I will deliver these this eve.

Paper Quilt I am continuing to work on this paper quilt. I do not have a title yet, but feel it will be something with flowing water, because it makes me see a river pattern and the paper “rocks” created from the wholes continue that feeling.

The purple is a ribbon that I am thinking about adding in the cracked sections of this work. I am having fun on this piece even if I am very unsure about were it is going.

Valentines I love to get hand made valentines so I like to make a few to send to friends. I cut a stamp of hearts from an eraser on Monday and stamped some white fabric with it that day too. Yesterday I collage some net, ribbon and the stamped images together for my cards. They will go into the mail on Friday.

hand made valentine sin red and white — Valentines 2012

I hope you all have a Happy Valentines day too. Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol

Adventure Challenge 2012, and Brugundy, Black, DMC Challenge, Limber Loss, Paper Quilts, Re Work, Slight Slip, White

Jan 26, 2012 Power

January 26, 2012 admin

This morning I blew a fuse and lost the power in the studio. What a way to make one come to a halt. As I sat in the pale light that came through my bay window on this gray day, I was suddenly aware of how much I depend on this magical stuff we call electricity. I was in the middle of sewing a seam so the stop really make me take notice. How many items were on before it happened I asked myself? The sewing machine of course, the two Ott lights on the desk, the two power bars of three lights that are over head, the iron, the two spot lights from taking pictures for the blog, the extra heat unit in the studio, and the light in the laundry room downstairs is also on this line. And did I leave the light on in the closet when I went for fabric, I wondered? That is a high demand, I thought, and some of that is unnecessary as well as a bit lazy on my part. So I went around the room and turned off things- including the sewing machine as I like to always use the switch to start it, and went down to the basement to throw the fuse in the box. In the process I discovered that the light for the area leading to the fuse box is also on that circuit and it was on because that leads to the laundry too. I do not think that I have more items then most folks, but I do think I need to be more mindful of what I am using. If the problem had been caused by a source that I could not fix my day would have really been stopped. So with that in mind I will try to use power carefully, remembering to turn things off when not in use and keep in mind what are the consequences of its loss. Electricity is a powerful material that one can easily take for granted until it is taken away. So to keep the magic of Electricity in my studio I will be a better steward of its use.

Progress Report

DMC Challenge- Limber Loss and Slight Slip

I finished up Limber Loss this week. I still need to do the pressing, but I am happy with the look. It continues the theme that was started with Amended Squares.

I like the way the units all work together here. In the detail one can see the metal additions. They are the units off the bottom of candles that allow the candle to float. In this case I trimmed off the points that stick into the wax. You can also see the close alignment of the bugle beads to create the circle

Slit Slip is coming along nicely too. I have completed the quilting and I am almost done with the facings.( you can see the last ones on the bottom. I plan to use beads between the two units to connect them and create one big irruglar shape with it.

Re Work – The Moon She Called Me

I have given lots of works away this year as a part of my Project Divest , but there are some works that I am finding in that process that need a bit of sprucing up. So I have saved them to do just that. This old piece has been hanging on the back of the door for mouths. I decided to add a moon to the surface of the work and add some additional quilting. Here is were I am sorry to say that I have not taken enough photos so the progress is not documented. I am still learning. I made several moons and they have been rejected-Too small, too transparent, too busy and finally I created on that I was happy with. This Moon is water marked satin with dark fabric underneath and lots of free motion quilting on top.

Adventure Challenge- Black,White, and Burgundy

This is another case were the the act of creating go away from me. I was having such a good time crating a background that it got far too complex. When I realized this I just kept going, but it will have to end in a different fashion as I do not want to use the bias strips on this surface, there is far too much action for that to work. I am still using the three colors that I had selected last week.

Black, White and Burgandy — Black, White and Burgundy

Adventure Challenge- Bias Bound

This is the top I will apply the bias strips too. It is much quieter and I hope I can make it work. The same three colors are still in use. I an thinking that I will cut it down a bit too. But I must make the visual decisions visually.

Paper Quilt

I had started this paper quilt last week. I think I am going to call it Crannies. But I still need to think on this title. At the moment it is cut and there are a few openings. This is and in progress piece.

I have lots of options for this at this point and I am still running them around in my mind and on the pin wall.

I plan to spend a lot of time in the studio this week and hopefully make progress on many fronts. I hope to get the post from the 5th of Jan fixed this week too. Every entry gives me more confidence and helps me do a better job I think. There is still a long way to go- but each mistake is a part of the growth process.

Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol

Adventure Challenge 2012, Amended Squares, Button Necklaces, DMC Challenge, Limber Loss, Slight Slip

Getting Started January 19, 2012

January 20, 2012 admin

It was so very cold this morning and still dark- I so wanted to stay in bed…….. But others needed rousing and the day would not do its self, so I rolled out and did the morning rituals. Still unexcited I then off to the studio. I had a “no mind” project to work on- the Scrap Happy quilt. So I stared by sewing on the pre-pinned row of blocks. Before I knew it I was sewing on the last row and an hour had passed. My mind was fully engaged in how I wanted to attempt the problem that was on the pin wall. I realized I had won against the winter doldrums……” Just DO IT” as the saying goes. It really dose work- that plus stopping on a project were the next step is obvious really dose not hurt either.

Progress Report

Pink Button Necklace

This project is now done. I am working on getting the instructions completed too. They will go up as a tutorial when that is finished. My goal is to have that complete by next Thur. I am still cleaning up details and I know I need to write read, re read let some time pass and check again before I put up instructions so it takes me time to do it correctly.

Adventure Challenge

Last week I talked about getting inspiration from some of my older books, and I think this will be a fun thing to do. I decided to use the Louis Ericson book Design&Sew it Yourself for the first project to try. I selected to do some work with bias strips. I loved the look of the frogs in the book so I sort of started with that in mind. But the material I selected- a black and white print was far too busy for the fancy work of the cords to show up. Perhaps later I can try that. So I built a background of light green, with a pale purple and white strip across it. Then making a visual decision visually, I decided that this did not show off the bias to its best advantage and created a new color combo to use the strips on. This works a lot better for my eye. So I will build a new platform for the bias work using these fabrics.

Blue Fantasy

I have been working on this quite little piece for a while. I hold onto fabric for a long time as I made the marbleized fabric in a class at Quilting By the Lake before 1985.

I enjoyed applying the bead work and french knots to the surface to enhance the marbleized area. It is now a completed work. I like the horizonal format and the close color palate.DMC Project

There are several quilts in this project that I worked on this week.

Amended Squares is the oldest one. As the pictures shows I have done a lot of the machine quilting and some bead work here. I feel that it is complete at this point.

This sloution is far less clutterd than the first attempt with this lay out. I am still very close to the works and find they both have strong points. I do feel that this one is a better place to work from for the next two in the series however and so I kept the others similar in feel and simplicity.

Limber Loss is the next one in the series and they are Marty’s colors and her lay out of the pieces. I think it is a fine complement to Amended Squares.Limber Loss is in the bead application process.

Slit Slip

This is the third in the revised DMC series. I really altered this lay out one- but I followed the rule 5- If you want to do it- DO IT. I am plan to join the two units with beads in the opening….. I hope I can pull this off successfully.

Paper Quilts

I enjoyed my work with the openings on the paper quilt that I worked on last week that my mind went running in a new direction with that concept. So I painted up two more colored paper piles and built two addition surfaces to work on. No titles yet but that will come as I play with the work. I am enjoying the process.

I hope the week will be a good one you.

Keep Creating

Carol

A Few Fishers, Amended Squares, DMC Challenge, Limber Loss, Paper Quilts, Sphere systems

Adventureus…Jan 12, 2012

January 12, 2012 admin

I have been working away in the studio as usual this past week. One of the things that I was finishing up was the commission- Twinkling Tracings. The last step in the studio when I am doing something as large as this one is, becomes the flattening step. I do the ironing thing of course, then while it is still a bit damp, I lay it out on the floor on top of a sheet. I put a second piece of fabric on top and then place my big cutting matt or 3 matts in this case, on top of that. The final bit is book stacks that cover the whole area of the quilt. I had almost all the books from my studio shelves on top of the quilts. It was quite a sight- but I did not think to take a photo….next time. Anyway, when I started pulling the books off the quilt and re-shelving them, I realized I had not looked in some of the books in years. So I paused, spread the covers of ” Design &Sew it Yourself” by Louis Ericson and Diane Frode, a book I purchased in 1988, and my mind was off and running. This book is directed at clothing embellishment- but the same ideas can be applied to fiber work. I decided that I would be adventurous and try to use these ideas in some of my new works for this year. I am in a different place then I was when I got this book- so it will now be used in a different fashion. The Adventure Challenge will be to pull a technique from the old books( I saved five as I was re-shelving) and combine it with a concept or idea that I am thinking about using in my art over the next year. Now I love books and have a big collection-I got five new fiber and art related books for Christmas. So I am not sure how much of a commitment I am making, but the adventure will be stimulating!

Progress Report

Paper Quilt-A Few Fishers

close up showing details of gold sequin waste two partial openings and one added circle — Close up A Few Fractures

blue and purple paper quilt with gold cirles and openings — A Few Fishers- Jan 2012

A Few Fishers is the name of this new paper quilt. This first shot is a close up of the center area were you can see the painted paper and fabric as well as the sequin waste. You can also see the cut paper circle- pale purple- that was added and two of the reflective circles. The two openings have painted ground cloth behind them so you do not see the wall behind the quilt. The second shot is a full view of the final work. I need to add a hanging bar to this for total completion.

Scrap Happy-

Red and White

I am always working on what I call my Scrap Happy quilts. These are all full sized quilts that are made up of scraps from other works some of them are failed experiments. I just save the scraps and such in a box and when it is full I will assemble all the scarps into big sections that I then cut into 2.5 inch strips. The strips are then applied to both sides of a 4.5 inch strip that is cut into 8.5 inch blocks. A Roman Strip of sorts. The blocks are them arranged and built into a quilt. I build these to give away as fundraisers for organizations that I support and to give as gifts when I think someone needs a cozy wrap.

DMC Challenge- Circling Galaxies- Amended Squares-Limber Loss

This is the one going project were the limits were set by the three participants.

blue green backgrouns with turqupise strips and crimson blocks on top — DMC Carol's layout

1.Each of us chose a color-Crimson, dark Turquoise and I chose blue green.

2.Size limit 18″X24″- with at least one irregular edge.

3.If you want to do it – then do it.

We each purchased material to fit the color choices in amounts to make three tops. We selected the location of the parts and pinned them to the selected back ground color. Then shipped our selection off to the other two. Extra fabric was shipped as well.

Circling Galaxies

This one is my fabric selection so I started with it. I liked using lots of texture. I do feel that there is a lot going on in

this piece so I will try it again and try to be simpler with the presentation. There is always more than one solution and I am pron to try to put too much into a piece if I am not careful. I learned a lot about the irrugler shape challenge with this project.

1. Keep it simple

2. Make the protrusions at least an inch long

3. Press the corners and cut the binding at a 45 degrees

Amended Squares

Because I had a lot of fabric left over I tackled the problem a second time. I was going for a much simpler solution with this effort. I also wanted to use some unique metal candle floats that my friend Dorla had given me earlier this year. I liked the shape and thought they would work well with the triangle metal sequins that I had.

Blue green background , turquois strips and crimason squares- second approach — Amended Squares

This is a shot of the metal candle floats. They are sharp and I hope that they do not tear up the material.

Limber Loss

Cromsin background with tuquois rectangle and blue green square — DMC Project Marty's layout

This is the layout of Marty’s fabrics for the DMC projects. I am trying to stay in the same feel as I did with Amended Squares for this one as well and so I have cut and assembled it in this fashion.

Crimson turquoise and blue green squares top — Limber Loss- early

I am ready to trim this and start embellishing. I think I will use the metal candle floaters again- but see if I can change the shape a bit by trimming off the edges.

Capture

turquoise and pink quitl with 3-d parts on top — Capture

This is a quilt I am amending. The 3-D additions are plastic units that have big purple beads in the centers, and all of this is trapped under pale purple nylon net.

blue background with pink plastic and purle bead under nylon netting — Capture - close up

The close up shows better how the beads are under the nylon netting. But I am still not sure this is how it will remain.

I seam to have lots of stuff in process at the moment and that is true. I may not get back to some of the problems quickly but I am sure that with time I will do so.

Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol

Cre-8

Category Archives: Limber Loss

Feb 9, 2012 Active Week

Jan 26, 2012 Power

Getting Started January 19, 2012

Adventureus…Jan 12, 2012

Creative Fiber Collage Artist Carol Boyer