Category Archives: Along the Shore

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

Blooming

 

Hello,Flowers

My world is really alive with blossoms now.  Blue bells, buttercups, violets, lilacs, as well as many I do not know the names of carpet the ground.  Flowering crab apples and tulip trees color the air.  The dandy lions are are in seed and they join the  Oak, Maple and Beech as they dump there pollen on the wind- my world is awash with wonderful sensations.    I am enjoying spring.

IMG_5765  I did a little ice cube dyeing this week.  I wanted to play with some oranges and that is a color I do not seem to have a lot of in my stash.

Blue StoneProgress Report: Blue Stone This work is on stretcher bars and is 24” X 36”.     It is based on a photo of a rock face that I took a few years ago in Washington State.IMG_5755 I enjoyed working up the color changes with yarn and threads on top IMG_5753.jpgof the scrunched fabric pieces.  There is nylon netting, taffeta  and silk paper in this work as well as a bit of flannel.  I sure like mixing my textures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along the Shore   Along the ShoreThis work is 20” X 15”.  It started with the photo image that Ethel had transferred on to fabric.   Not knowing anything about the setting I got to invent it to suit myself.   IMG_5769I painted the edges of the photo on the fabric so it would have a softer edge  and stitched across the edge as well to make it blend into the  top.

The quoteIMG_5768 is from Vincent Van Goth.  I find it to be very true for my life.     Creating the pine tree branches  was an enjoyable process for me as I have always been attracted to them.IMG_5767

 

Memory Map JunctionMemory Map- Columbus Junction  I am working on the details of this piece now.Adding the plants in the garden is just one part of this process.  I am considering adding a bit of text to this work.

 

 

Purple Pleasures Close upPurple Pleasures   I am to the quilting stage on this work now.  Deciding to quilt triangles was a good idea, but it is very slow work with lots of stops, turns and starts.   I am trying to use the triangles in the piecing as my guides, but sometimes I am just filling in with that same shape pattern.

IMG_5762.jpgLion King-Coming Home  I have added the masks to the bottom of this work.  Then I put the stamped lions on under that  boarder.  I think I am now ready to begin quilting on this work.

New Work IMG_5759  I want to do a entry for the Layered Voices Challenge for SAQA.   This is my base, using Valerie Goodwin’s base construction method.  I  am now  ready to tack down the open edges by hand.  I am also gathering images of my mom and  my grandmothers to use as a part of this work.

IMG_5748Deep Jellies  I saw a beautiful image of Jellyfish on the web and I was captivated by it .  I started a piece based on the wonderful use of color and texture from this image.

Label Block #58 Block # 58  Working away on these little blocks sure reinforces the idea that the whole is bigger then the sum of its parts.

Keep Creating

Carol

New Growth

 

PansiesHello-

I am delighted by the amazingly fast changes I see in nature every day.  A leaf may be two inches across on Tuesday and by Wed morning it is doubled.IMG_5739 They all look so transparent too.  It is wonderful!

This week has been a quiet one, with only a few events and most not related to quilting.  I spent a rainy Friday afternoon planting trees with the  Cornell extension and  neighborhood association .    One even got planted across the street and I can view it outside my studio window.

Ice on VincentProgress Report:  Ice on Vincent  After a lot of steaming and pressing this quilt is finally flat and finished.  I really enjoyed working away on this piece.   This time in addition to adding a sleeve to the IMG_5726_thumb.jpgback I have added a pocket with a copy of the images that it is inspired from on it.  After Sharon came and took pictures of my work and the inspirations for a talk she was giving I thought it might not be a bad idea to keep all that stuff together.

 

IMG_5709.jpgI used lots of different colored threads build up the texture of the  areas in this work.      There is also a lot of thread painting to make areas  work too.IMG_5712I liked working with the organza’s for the ice although it does fray a lot.

 

Blue StoneBlue Stone   This work is now ready for stretching.  It is the biggest one I have done that to.   It will be a 24” X 36” surface with a inch and a half deep warp around the edge when it is done.

 

 

 

Wine and CheeseIMG_5723.jpg   This piece is finally done as far as stitch in the ditch is concerned.  Now I am going to do some free motion drawing in the form of wine bottles and glasses as well as cheese in the larger areas to make it complete.  The white is paper patters that I will use to do this task.

 

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Lion King- Coming Home    It has taken me longer to do the hand work on this project then I expected.   I discovered that the head needed a stuffing all it’s own so I had to remove it and a take out the embroidery and do it a second time to get the effect I wanted.

 

 

Memory Map; Columbus Junction    I added lots of details on this piece this week.      This shot is of the little dressing table that I had and a little cabinet that my grandfather Howard built for me.IMG_5715IMG_5717  This section is of the memory I have of Grandfather Howard reading Alice in Wonderland to me every day after lunch before I walked back to school.   He was helping Mon work on the house at that time.

Label Blocks # 56 and # 57  Label Blocks #56-#57 Due to some miss counting no my part I discovered that I had five more blocks then I thought.  Good news in my book.     I also got busy- spring energy- and finished two this week.

Keep Creating

Carol

May Days

 

IMG_5688Hello,

This wonderful little blue flower filled in the neighbors front lawn and made me smile on my walk yesterday.  They are so small only about a fourth on an inch across and so plentiful.   I wore a smile for a long way down the street were it was refreshed several times as I came across several more mini fields of the little blue bundles.Norma

I have had a full week with three days of Quilting Retreat at the Schweinfurth and the meetings of both QuIG’s and Divas.  The retreat was great stimulation.    It was good to see old friends and to see all that folks were doing.   Norma was making hostess gifts.  One of the five she did is in the background of this shot.  IMG_5651  Susan was quilting away at pieces that needed that to be completed.  Great colors here.

IMG_5654.jpg Sally was piecing and assembling a one block wonder that was based on a fish print fabric.  Watching her do the arranging of the blocks was wonderful because  every time I looked up the  work looked different.

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Nancy G. did hand work on one of the row by row projects and this  little quilt of NYC.

 

 

IMG_5663.jpgLinda L used the retreat to add boarders and based a big quilt of 110”x 110” that her sister had asked her to finish.     She had to crawl around on the top of the tables to do all the basing in the center.  LindaThe work is wonderfully complex and will look great on the bed when it is complete.

 

 

Victoria worked with the fabric she had created in Pat Paulie’s  class IMG_5667.jpgin the fall.     This shot is of one of the early layouts.  She made lots of changes before the retreat was over.  I love the bright colors.

Janet

Seated behind me was a gal named Janet W.  She made her fist quilt at the retreat.  I sure enjoyed working with her too.  I think she is hooked.

Lots of wonderful things were going on at the  QuIG’s  meeting too.  Both Linda and Angela were showing off pictures that are going to be inspirations for new work.IMG_5676   Liz is still working away on  the Splendid Simple Blocks project.  Liz's projectgGetting a new pattern every three of four days,  is  that is only a 8” block  is very  doable she says.   She also is working away on big projects too.  I just love this whole silk cloth work that she intends to start quilting soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Most of the Diva meeting went to talk about the up coming show that will open on June 3.  Ruth did a great job with the post card.

 

NoelNoel is doing service project quilts for the  Tow Path guild.   They are beautifully colored.

It is really great when folks  bring works in progress.    That is what  Anne  did.   This  is  a Water quilt anne she shared with us .  She asked for suggestions on how to quilt it.    Now how she quilts chooses to do  this will be interesting to see.

 

 

Lori's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori also brought a project that is in an early stage.  She  has felted, fused   and already added paint to the surface.  All this before she begins to stitch on top.    I  am looking forward to watching it grow over time because I already love all the texture.

 

 

 

Ice on VIncentProgress Report:  Ice on Vincent   This quilt is in the stretching/flattening stage.  I got help from Nancy Bales at the retreat on how to get it flat and now it is drying after a lot of steam ironing.  Hopefully I will get a back on it this week.

 

Blue Stone   I am still building Blue Stone Close upup the surface with stitching on this work.  I like this process,but it  is very slow and tiring.   Only about three more hours of work until I am done…… I think.

 

By the Shore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along the Shore   This is another of Ethel’s  UFO’s I am completing.   This is also my hand work project for the time being.

 

 

 

Wine and Cheese

Wine and Cheese I stared this project to relieve the pressure that all the free motion work on Ice and Blue Stone were creating in me this week.   I did use a lot of the fabric that I had altered in this project.  Most of the commercial  orange is Ethel’s  material.

 

IMG_5703 Memory Map- Columbus Junction  I did not  do a lot of work on this project this week.  I did add the spring flowers however.  I like the Jack in the Pulpit the most.  The Dutchman’s Britches are well shaped, but I wish they were a bit whiter.  Perhaps I will add some paint to the surface.

 

Lion King –Cherrywood Challenge     At the retreat I started this  project.  I had purchased the kit at the Chicago Quilt Festival when I was visiting with Sharron.    IMG_5649  First I did a little research and some drawing.

IMG_5650Then I stated building up the background.  One of the limits on this challenge is to use only the Cherrywood  fabrics.   The pack  was two shades of gold and dark brown  fabric. Most of the piece is to be from these fabrics.   The background is one of the gold’s.  But it is not the full 20” that is required on a side, so I added the gray at the bottom.IMG_5657That is were I will put the masks when they are done.       At the end of day one I did the loin’s body.  I was tired and it was made backward.     Fixing that was the first job of day two. Lion King  I then made the main and stopped working on the project because I want to do the face with  embroidery work.   The whole thing is not due until July so I can take my time.

 IMG_5660New Work  Before I left home I had pulled out all my purples to do a new project using this collage as my starting point.   It is early in the building of this work but I feel I am staying with the feel of it at this point.

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IMG_5690.jpgLabel Block # 50  I will take help were ever I can get it.  The label at the top “ worker pant” is from my grandson.

Keep Creating

Carol