Hello,

It is really spring when the dandelions begin to bloom.   I see more and more every day.      I have enjoyed my last two weeks and my mind is full of all sorts of ideas and happy memories.    On the Tuesday before I left I went to a FAB meeting at Judy’s house.   Everyone was full of news and even though there were no new projects we had a good time.  Then that same day I ran off to a QuIG’s meeting in Sue Ellen’s studio.      Sue Ellen is still working on her tree theme series.    I really like all the hand work she put into this work.     Linda is experimenting with Yupo Paper and ink.   She sure got  some fine results.    I think I purchased some of this stuff a while back, I wonder what I did with it.   Sally took a class from Noel were she made this wonderful rose and then built a great evening bag with the knowledge.   We had a good time.

Then on Wed.  I flew off to Chicago to see my friend Sharron and go to the Quilt Festival.    She picked me up and we drove around the city in her wonderful new  2015 Mustang.  I was stopped cold when I opened the door and this logo appeared at my feet.  Techknowledgy is every where.    The Festival was wonderful.  The quilts were amazing.   Such strong use of color and texture as well as wonderful patterning and breath taking images.    I do not feel like I can post any of them on this sight –just believe me.  We did go to the dedication and delivery of Quilts of Valor.  It was so moving I found myself with tears running down my cheeks.  Later Sharron and I spent time at that booth working on blocks and we both finished six for some future Veteran’s quilt.     We came home with tired feet and a pile of goodies. This is only my pile.  Sharron had one as big.     She has a wonderful studio with a full wall of fabric.  Her own Quilt store  I would say.   She is still working away on her six  “ Dear Jane “ quilts.    She has all the centers doneand is a little beyond a third of the way around all six with the triangles  in the boarders.     I am sure she will finish this year and they will be amazing!  Again I am not going to show them here as she has a show in mind that needs to keep the images off the net until they are shown there.   Sharron also has a second passion and that is her Christmas Village.  It is set up in a space that was once a dinning room.  It is electrified and has a train that moves through the display.   Most of the building have lights inside as well.  I just kept looking and looking .She told me she has been collecting parts for over 30 years.     I sure can believe that .  What a delight for the kid in all of us.

On Monday I went to Ithaca and took down my solo show at the Briar Patch.   The staff did not want to see it go, but all things must end .  Anne has someone else lined up for the next two months now.

Progress Report:   Ethel’s Quilt    This quilt was designed cut and partially assembled by my quilting buddy Ethel Whittamore.    She asked me to finish it and then pass it on to Quilting By The Lake for there raffle in July.  The Raffle money goes to the scholarship fund for the   classes at QBL the following summer.     I did finish the assembly and started doing the hand quilting like Ethel always did on her quilts.  But I was unsatisfied with my work so I sent it off to an Amish woman I know who does beautiful   handwork.  The results came back and I was delight and she got the cash for a new calf.      I was so excited when it came home that I took it to a Diva meeting  were Cheri asked if she could take it to be shown at the YMCA Central New York Quilt show April 8 /9.    I said yes and now it it home with me in all its glory.  I will enjoy it for a few months before it goes off to QBL and its new home.

Riverwood This work is 31” X 49”.   It meets all three of my monthly challenges. The orange and yellow fabric is some I hand dyed in a class last fall.   The silk and the browns are from Ethel’s stash.   The design is based on a collage I created.    There are always alterations when one  goes

from 3” x5” to a larger from.   I liked  using a limited pallet  working with a the bold print against a smaller scaled area.   I am also enjoying using the faced shapes to add another detention to the surface.

Out My Window  This quilt is 38” X 41”.  I hand painted the big white sections.      They are all views of things that I saw out  different  windows in my life time.   This shot is of the barn yard I could see from my bed room in Iowa.   All the dark purple blocks are machine drawn trees and most of the other areas are leaves or clouds.

New Work -Ice on Vincent     As I mentioned before the quilt show was inspiring and  so I started this work  based on a photo I took earlier this spring of ice along Vincent St.  It is a close up and I have already done some major altering of it as I have put down the fabrics.

New Work   This is an early shot of the beginning of a new piece.  I want to do another stretched work, so this  piece is 26” X 50” .   It is based on a shot I took in Washington State on a trip with Marty.    I am doing it all in shades of blue instead of gray.

Label Blocks # 46 and # 47

Two weeks- two blocks.  I did a lot of the work in the airport waiting for the plane.   The beat goes on….

Keep Creating

Carol