Category Archives: Hand work

Daily Practice, Diva Meetings, Drawing, Hand work, Pixies Group, Pondering

Quiet Summer Days

Hello,

I hope everyone is enjoying the after the holiday quiet.   Things did slow down a bit for me and I spent some time looking at the sky and enjoying all the greens.    I join a great Diva meeting in Trumansburg, NY. this week.   Our next group show is there and we went to see the space and get things limned up for Aug when we will hang the show.  Donna had some great new rust pieces to share with us.  She is getting really good at that I think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maureen showed off her latest work too.

There was a Pixie meeting and a Show Stitch Group Zoom meeting as well.  It is the season of lots of family and  out door activity for everyone  so I did not do much work.

Progress Report: Against the Wind     It is   54″ X 54″ .     I am all done with this work now.  I have learned a lot about free piecing and it remains a real challenge for me.  I will try it again, but not any time soon.   The quilting did not smooth it out enough for me to be real happy with it.

 

 

 

 

 

Stitched Top   I have done stitch in the ditch work on this piece.  Now I will do some hand work as it needs more quilting to be complete.

 

 

 

 

Goldfish   I started this work based on an old sketch and I am using  some of my hand dyed fabrics.

 

 

 

 

 

Pondering    This is the second in the complimentary color challenge from Jane.  I am still working through the Irene Roderick’s  book,  “Improv Quilting ” with its exercise and the units are based of her suggestions.   The black will disappear from the final top.

 

 

 

Handwork  This is the newest hand work piece using add-ons.  They are painted and heat treated Tyveck shapes.  I will continue the embellishment with beads.

 

 

 

 

Drawing   For Valerie  Goodwin’s class “Light and Lacy ” I drew up these birds to use as my first print.   I am looking forward to QBL in two weeks and seeing how we use them.

Enjoy the season and keep creating

Carol

College Life, Consider, Creative Strength Training, Explorations, Hand work, Pixies Group, Textile Artist Stitch Club

Summer Season

Hello,

I hope everyone is enjoying the season.  I am just home from my daily walk and I enjoyed the sun, sky and the green world.   Our  block party was on the week end and it was great to reconnect with the folks who live around me.  Several folks know us by seeing us walking by.  This week was the end of the month and there were fewer meetings.  I did meet with the Pixies and Textile Artists Stitch club had a new assignment so I was still busy.    I did work on  both of the pieces that I started using the hand as the beginning.

This work,  Reaching Up  is       2535443543o  X 23432439u .  I need to finish stitching on the sleeve but that is all that remains for completion here.

The second one,  Reaching Out, is all stitched together and now needs a boarder and the rest of the finish work. 

I have enjoyed using wool as the primary element in these two works.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Against the Wind

I have now layered and pin basted this work.  I hope to begin the “wind” quilting later today.

 

 Handwork Top     I have now assembled all the parts for this work and added boarders.  I need to do the pin basing and quilting on this one as well.

 

Consider  I started this work last week in response to Jane Dunnewold’s  challenge to do a work using complementary color combinations.  I mixed this idea with the exploration of the some of  suggested  piecing processes in Irene Roderick’s book “Improv Quilting. ”   I had fun and plan to to the other two complementary color combos and explore more of the suggested techniques.

New Daily Practice   I decided to challenge myself to do some hand work were I add unusual objects to the surface of some of the stained old family fabrics I have an abundance of .   This is painted and melted Tyveck with part of an old hat vail.

 

This is the last of my childhood series.  I think changing my name from Carol McElhinney, my birth name to Carol Boyer is a good marker for the end of childhood.  Susan challenged us to do this project in April of 2019 and all the other participants have long dropped away, but I am glad I did it.  There have been 162  entries.  It has been a good journey and I look forward to a new project that will engage me as much as this one has.

College Life – Wedding Day

June 7, 1969, finally arrived. I was more scared than excited. I was full of doubt, but Eric came up stairs and talked with me about my fears. I will admit I was ready to run away from the whole event, but he assured me that we would be fine and it would all work out. Then it was off to Brook Drive and my old home. The house was full of family all excitedly preparing for the church. The Dean boys seemed to be every where, helping with everything. It was my last time in my old bedroom as Carol McElhinney. That was my thought as I put on my gown. Carrying the veil, I got in the car with Mom, Dad, and Gene and we drove to the church. Kelly looked so cute in her white dress, with her new pixie hair cut and the little basket of flowers. Tracy, wearing a dress with a matching coat, was tending the wedding book at the door to the chapel. She was laughing as usual. I went into the prep room and Mom helped me with the veil and someone handed me the beautiful yellow flowers. Margaret and Ellie filed into the sanctuary followed by Kelly and Scott. Then I heard Larry’s beautiful voice singing “What is a Youth?” He was followed by the recorded entry music, Purcell’s Trumpet Voluntary, which Larry had selected. Dad took my arm and told me I looked beautiful as we walked down the aisle toward Eric, Dean, and Gene. I only had eyes for Eric and the beautiful green of the woods behind him.

It got quiet as Reverend O’Kelly started the service. Folks told me later that I was so quiet in my responses to his questions that they could not hear a thing. Eric did and that was the only thing that was important to me. It was time for the rings and Scott passed them to us. I jammed the ring on Eric’s finger when he presented it to me. “I pronounce you Husband and Wife.” We kissed each other, turned, the wedding march started, and we hurried down the isle out into the lobby. Eric dropped my hand and ran to the bathroom. I turned a little panicked to see Mom and Dad coming out and seeing me standing alone both had expressions of inquiry on their faces. That uncertainly did not last long as Eric re appeared. It seems he had stuck out his right hand and I had forced the ring onto the correct finger of the wrong. A little soap and things were fixed. “I hope its still official!” Eric said.

The rest of the reception, in the education hall of the church, was a blur of happy faces, hugs, and words of congratulation. Punch was served along with wedding cake, of course. Eric and I then opened some gifts. I don’t remember most of them, but I do recall being a little embarrassed by Eric’s joke about a cut silver waste basket and matching tissue box from Aunt Margaret. There were also red pots and pans that lasted years. Eric and I went off to the chapel for pictures and then we both changed for our trip north. Folks threw rice as we went to the car and drove away, heading to Holland, Michigan, for our weekend Honeymoon. I was excited, but I don’t recall too much except we went swimming in the hotel pool after dark one night. At one of the little shops in town, I did purchase a little pair of wooden shoes that I still have. Sunday and it was time to start for home. We took some back roads and had to make a stop just after crossing back into Indiana. There was a turtle crossing the road. We picked him up and took him to the side before continuing our journey home. Monday was the start of summer school for both of us, and the start of our life together. Reverend O’Kelly had told us to check with the court house to make sure the marriage licence got filed properly. We never did. “It’s our escape clause,” Eric said. The event must have been a good take, since fifty-three years, one child, two dogs, a bunch of cats, four moves, and several college degrees later, we’re still together.

I hope everyone continues to enjoy the season.

Keep playing

Carol

 

Bacteria Dreaming, College Life, Creative Strength Training, Hand work, Textile Artist Stitch Club

June 2022

Hello,

We are really feeling the warmth of summer this week.   I am working away in my studio as usual. Creative Strength Training offered a nice little challenge this week.  Kathy G asked for folks to contribute 6″ squares of empty bowls for her Cry of the Poor project.   I did two little pieces for her.

I am feeling much better about my project for Textile Artist Stitch Club now that I have done some real building up of the surface.   This project really reinforced my feelings of building work based on how it is looking as apposed to drawing it all out before hand.

 

 

Progress Report: Bacteria Dreaming   This project is 21″w X 30″h.   I actually had a dream about the colors for this work.    The base is linen that I was given to me by my friend Susan.

 

 

I hand dyed and printed the lighter fabric and then did hand stitching for the rest of the project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Against the Wind   I continue to build this work.  I love the process, but it is very slow.  All the birds are built now and I am only building the background.

College Life :Winter 1968-1969

On December 1, Eric proposed by asking me,“ When do you want to get married?” I was thrilled and we talked of several dates. He asked me to keep it a secret, since he could not afford a ring. He did have a plan, however. Grandmother Butter had made a deal with him that she would give him $1,000 if he did not smoke or drink until after he graduated from college. So he and Larry went to Indianapolis and persuaded her to give him the money early and then he went out and got a diamond for me. (The ring probably cost a tenth of that.) That was December 5, and I was so surprised and thrilled! We went directly to show off my “ Star of David,” as I called it, to my parents. Eric told me I floated to the front door. Mom and Dad were both pleased, too. Mom quickly went off to her desk where she pulled out a sealed envelope labeled “Prediction Letter.” It was dated August 25, 1967, and inside was a note in which she predicted that I would marry Eric in two years. My girl friends threw me a bridal shower with a white umbrella and pink flowers before the end of the month.

Eric was around for the first week of the winter term. Then he was off to South Bend and his student teaching. I worked hard on losing weight and was fairly successful that quarter. I did most of my social life with the gals in the house and put a lot of time in on my classes. One class was Ceramics II, in which learned to “throw” pots. To make a satisfactory pot and be able to fire any thing one had to throw a perfect ten-inch cylinder. When I thought I had achieved even walls and the ten inches, Dr. Reichel would test it by using a wire to cut the pot in half. If you passed, then you could throw pots to finish. I was not successful until the last week of the term. But I can still throw a perfect pot today. Art History III was my academic class, and I did the best that term as the art was more contemporary and I found that more to my liking. My physical education class was Judo. It was great fun. I still remember the teacher telling us to avoid physical action if possible and if one was attacked unexpectedly, that kicking your attacker in the shins always allowed one a chance to run away. Metal Sculpture was my last class. I enjoyed that class too. I got to be good friends with our model for the stretched lead project. Her boy friend purchased my work of her and that was my first art sale.

At the end of the term Eric and I went to our one and only live concert, a Glenn Yarbrough concert at Butler University in Indianapolis. I had most of his records and several of the poetry books that he read from, so I really enjoyed the evening.

Enjoy Summer and keep Creating

Carol

Bacteria Dreaming, Blue on Blue, College Life, Creative Strength Training, Dancers, Drawing, Fiber Artist Stitch Club, Hand work, Machine Drawing, People, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Total Loss

New Ideas

Hello,

My good friend Robert sent me mushrooms to grow  and I am delighted with them.  They are editable and ready now to harvest.   Great fun.

 

 

 

 

It’s the beginning on the month and I had lots of meetings this week.  QuEG’s and Diva’s meant on Tuesday.  Noel did a great demo on how to take better photos  and I learned a few new tricks.

 

 

 

There was also a new approach presented for Textile Artist Stitch Club by artist Sabine Kamer.   I am enjoying her unique approach  so I have started two.

 

 

 

My friend Ginny also gave me an old textile of wool that is in such bad shape that it can not all be saved.   After applying fusible interfacing  to the back so the fabric would not fray any more I cut the  hands  from  it.   They both need lots more stitch work.

 

 

There was also work to do for Creative Strength Training.     One of our assignment was to make a color wheel and then right around it our responses to each color.

 

A second assignment was to do an abstract from a free thought line work.

 

 

Progress Report: Total Loss   This work is done now and it is 34.25″ w X 41.5″ t.    I enjoyed doing the work although the subject is a little grim.

I used  silk papers and the organza I had painted in this work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue on Blue  This work also got completed this week.  It is 19″ w X 25″ t.    The circles are the liner caps from  peanuts and medicine bottles.

 

 

 

 

The background was preprinted fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

Bacteria Dreaming  This has become my daily practice piece for the time being.  I can’t seem to find a new thing at the moment.  The little circles are rubber washers that I collected at some point in the past.

 

 

 

Dancers   All the blocks are assembled and quilted now.  I need to think about what images I want to add on top and from what material they will be made.

 

 

 

College Life- Fall 1968

I am not sure how I came to the decision, but for the fall of 1968 I moved out of my family home into off campus student housing. The house was just a block away from campus and I loved it. It was a single family house that had been altered with an addition on the back. Two art friends, Ann and Susan, lived up stairs, along with Jeannie Priebe. Down stairs were a house parents’ section, a living room, and a shared kitchen. I was in the new wing on the back of the house, which had two baths and four rooms. My room had white walls and a red carpet. The other three rooms in my section changed occupants every quarter that year, so I did not get close to anyone, but it was still a good experience. The lesson I learned there was that I don’t like to eat alone, except for breakfast. Eric and Larry along with Eric Gerrard and Bill Bollinger lived across town in a house next door to the landlords, Mamma and Pappa Mayor. (That’s what we called them: he really was the mayor of Muncie!) While they lived there, Eric and I built two sets of pine bookshelves she–the first of our shared furniture. I still have one set in my studio today.

The quarter flew by. Eric and I continued our love of the movies and went to see Juliet of Spirits, The Fox and Henry the V, among other things. We cheered at lots of football games that fall as well. I did well with my grades that term and got A’s in Art Education and Educational Psychology. I got B’s in Sculpture, Art History 2 and Art in America class.

At the end of the quarter Eric went with the family to Iowa to meet the extended family. He was a big hit. Grandmother Esther like him and the Bright girls were all crazy about him. He did well with Mom’s family, too. I did suggest to him that Grandmother Rugh would likely ask him to choose the morning Bible reading. Forewarned, he had pre-selected a section from Ecclesiastes– “To every thing there is a season.” (Pete Seeger had turned that into a folk song, and currently a rock version was a big hit for the Byrds.) We think Grandmother was suspicious. He joined right in with the skeet shooting we did in Grandmother Ruth’s back yard that afternoon (though he couldn’t hit anything). That evening, he teased Tracy and me about our sore shoulders from the gun’s kickback, but the next day he was more sympathetic as he was a bit sore, too. Kelly started out thinking he was “weird,” but fell in love with him by the end of the visit.    I was glad that my family loved Eric as much as I did.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

 

Bacteria Dreaming, Blue on Blue, Daily Practice, Total Loss

Home Again

Hello,

 I am  back from a great week of work with my friend Sharron.    She opened her home to me and we shared her studio space for the week and got a lot done.  She also has a wonderful garden and we did spend time among the flowers.

 

 

 

This is a shot of her studio from the turn in the stairs above the space.   There was also a second room , her storage space and were we could cut fabric on a huge table.

We both worked on two different pieces.   Her first one was a wall hanging and the second was a set of three Dr Seuss quilts.   This is one of four panels that make up the quilt.     They are so cheerful I think.

 

I had  a pleasant  Memorial Day week end and I hope all of you did as well.  Then this week there was a FAB meeting and we had a good time talking and sharing our work.  We will switch into summer mode now and only meet once a month.

Progress Report:   Lift Time Line

I think I am done with most of the drawing of this work.  I am sure I will think of more to add with time.     I will live with it a while and then decide if I want to add color. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Burring Loss  I worked away on this piece sense I came home as it was pinned to the wall and took up  most of the space.  It was mostly in the pin up stage and I really did not feel I could  move it much with out stitching things down.   I like how it is going.

 

 

Dancers   I stared this work at the retreat.   I may make a square or two more .  The units are done for the most part.  It is not as abstract as the first two and I am not sure I like it much.  It is not so dramatic I guess.  I will finish it and move on.

 

 

Up Against the Wind  This is the second project I worked on at the retreat.  It is what is called free piecing.   It requires lots of pressing and changes as one goes along.   I like it, but it is quiet slow and there are lots of redo’s and parts that just do not make the final .  I will keep at it however and see it as a great way to stretch.

 

Bacteria Dream   This work actually started as a dream, hence the title.   It has morphed a bit however.   I am enjoying the stitch work here.

 

 

 

 

Blue on Blue  This work is nearly done at this point.   I will do a few more days of study before I add  the binding and finish the work.

 

 

 

 

Daily Practice  This is the last square that I built for this project.  I will put it together with all the others and make a quilt from it now.    I need to develop a new  project to work on every day.

 

 

 

 

There is no College Memories section this week due to a technique  problem.   I am sure there will be one next time.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

College Life, Creative Strength Training, Daily Practice, Hand work, Textile Artist Stitch Club

Spring is Here

Hello,

We are finally enjoying true spring here in central New York.   I love how the leaves are so thin and translucent.   They are as delicate as the petals of blossoms this time of year.

I had a good week as Wendy and I went for a late Mother’s day walk on Tue.  I enjoy the woods at this time of year too.  We both took lots of photos and enjoyed the time together.

 The second event of this week was the Creative Strength Training Meeting.   I am working on my Life Line for that group and enjoying it.  I  Sort of jump around as I think of details I want to add, but my first 20 years are almost done. 

I did the lesson for Textile Artists Stitch club with Salky  eccced and I am happy with the start of my response to her technique of twisting  thin strips of fabric and free form stitching.

 

 

 

 Progress Report: New Fire  New fires in the west inspire me to do new work.   This is early but you can see were the main trees will go and the house aflame.     So sad.

 

 

 

 

Bacteria    It seems to be a week of new starts for me.  It the moon headed toward fullness?     I had a dream about a new work based on bacteria so I built a base to do the stitch work on.

 

 

 

 

Daily Practice   I finished one more of my bases as apart of my daily practice.   There are only two more awaiting my stiches and then I can begin to assemble the project.

 

Slow Stitch  

 

 

 

 

 

 

College Life – Camp II

After week one there was a two week session. This alternating pattern was the story for the rest of the summer. The beauty of the two week sessions was that the councilors could and did take the kids to out of camp excursions. On my first one I took my ten year olds to a sight that was on the edge of the camp property where we set up our own tents and learned a little more wood craft. We got the fire going and the girls wrapped the potatoes in foil and we added them. At this point I discovered we had a bit of a problem. I had asked for chicken for our dinner and when I unwrapped them, I discovered that Jay had just pulled the first thing he saw from the freezer in our pack. So we had chicken necks for our meat. We just re-wrapped them and ate the potatoes, carrots and S’mores for dinner. Needless to say, I gave Jay a piece of my mind when we got home and checked the meat myself for all my other camping trips. Week three the Camper population was down and I did not have a cabin. I worked as Ellie’s assistant instead. I learned a lot about the administration of the camp that week and had a new respect for her. She told me it was easier than organizing her sixth grade classroom. The second two-week session I got moved to cabin 16 with Jo Ann, my Jr. Councilor, and a bunch of 12 year olds. We went for a float trip like the one all the councilors took earlier. The big event for that trip was the second morning when we woke up to find we were sharing our meadow with a group of hogs. I had one camper who would not come out of her tent. So I ended up carrying her to the boats while the rest of us dismantled the camp sight. We did stop on an island on the second afternoon and had fun swimming and swinging out over the river on a big rope.

I continued in cabin 16 the rest of the summer, and for my second float trip we had a different experience. The first day was fine, but during the night it started to rain. We got up in the light rain and packed the boats and headed down river. The girls did sing a lot in the morning–songs like “Michael Row your Boat to Shore” and “My Favorite Things.” But as it rained and drizzled on us all that day, spirits fell. Everyone was soaked and miserable. We were portaging over a dam at about 5:30 and not looking forward to the setting up our tents in the rain, when the camp truck pulled into the parking lot. The girls broke into the “Hallelujah Chorus” at full throat. Jay had redeemed himself. When we got back to camp hot showers and dry clothing were our first priority. It was a subdued dinner in the dining hall for us, especially as the dinner hour was over, and then back to the dry cabin and straight to the bunks and sleep. My only other camper adventure happened when one of my campers fell out of the lower bunk in the middle of the night and broke her arm. It just so happened the nurse was not in camp that night, so I ended up riding in the ambulance with her all the way to Lafayette. Between her sobbing and the siren, my ears were a bit taxed when we got to the hospital. Her parents met us there. I do not recall what time or how I got back to camp, but I did.

Now I wrote faithfully to Eric every week. But when he sent my first letter back with all the spelling corrected I was a bit angry. I wrote to him that if he wanted any more mail that would have to stop. He kindly stopped correcting–or at least I didn’t know about it.

Keep Creating

Carol

100 day Challenge, College Life, Creative Strength Training, Daily Practice, Diva Meetings, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Felt Work, Fiber Artist Stitch Club, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs)

Every Day Longer and Brighter

Hello,

The days grow and grow like all the plants that are opening and extending their limbs.   The tilt of the earth and the warmth of the sun really makes our lives worth while!     Every day I see changes in the landscape and I enjoy every walk in the world.

I drove off to Bever Lake on Sat and went to the Fibers Festival with Sharon.      We both had a good time and purchased roving.     I am now jazzed to begin a new work on the piece I want to do about the fires in New Mexico and Arizona.    We took the Swamp path after the show and saw lots of turtles sunning as well as lots of new buds.

It is the start of a new month so I had lots of meetings.    The QuEGs had a zoom meeting on Tue morning with only three of us.  I did enjoy it none the less.

Then I joined Noel and we went off to Ithaca with Terri and Cheri to the DIVA meeting.    Terri and I got a little silly before things started.   Our show was a big success and now we are planning for the fall show in Trumansburg.

Barb is trying a new approach were she is building a quilt based on one of her paintings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noel did another of her roving stitching projects that she dased on one of  her drawings

 

 

 

 

 

I did work on my Creative Strength Training stuff and also did the Textile  Artist Stitch Club work for this week.  It was stitching on paper with geometric shapes.   I used some of my Gelli plate print papers form the week before for a base for that project.

 

 

The FAD group meant Wed.  Sharon showed off her son’s   illustrations in a new book that just got published.

 

 

 

 

Thursday I spent the morning doing Gelli  plate work with Barbara again.    I was working to create stormy sky fabric for a new piece.

Progress Report: Lap # 11 I am half way through machine quilting this project now.   I am sure it will be finished by next week.

 

 

 

 

Athletes  This work is  75″ w X 31″ t.   I am happy with it, but as you can see my space is not big enough for me to hang it flat.    It has quite a different feel from Action, its partner piece.  The close up work allow you to see the blue figures I outlined from the back .


 

 

 

 

This shot of Action was done at the Schweinfurth were I could pin it out flat.

Blue on Blue    This is my handwork project that I am doing as a part of my Creative Strength Training  program .  It is what I work on during the mini Slow Stitch meetings.

 

 

 

 

Daily Practice  I work on these pieces of wipe up fabric that I have added  fused cut away fabrics to.   I have only three more pieces of fabric that I want to treat in this fashion before I start to assemble them into a quilt.

 

 

 

Sea Floor     This is a stitchery that began on a felted base.  I have been working off and on with this piece for a while.  It only came to completion with the fish that are cut from leather that Noel gave to me.

College Life- Camp week one

Reveille got us up at 6:30 and the next day began. At breakfast on Monday we passed out the campers’ class assignments. And we got ours, too. I had two sessions of Nature Crafts and then I helped with Archery for the third session in the morning. In Nature Crafts we printed leaves, painted and collected spider webs, wove cattail matts, painted rocks, along with other activities. It was fun and I think the kids enjoyed it, too. Throughout summer, I had two sessions where I taught three classes of Nature Crafts. And over the course of the summer I got to fill in with swimming, boating on the water front, and horsemanship.

At lunch, there were always announcements and singing. We sang to any child or adult who had a birthday and they had to walk around the table while we sang. Larry taught lots of fun songs like “The Grand Old Duke of York,” and “Little Rabbit Foo Foo.” It was always a good ruckus time. The afternoons the were less structured. The pool was open and a favorite of many kids. I often had that duty and for the first and only time in my life I was tan by the end of the summer. I also attribute the high number of times I was in the chorine for keeping me from getting any poison ivy that summer. Campers could also check out equipment from the sports center. When Inis had Play Ground Duty, as we called, it she always organized a volleyball game. The water front was open and kids could check out canoes and row boats to go up river for the afternoon. The trail ride was also very popular event–but hot!.

After dinner there was an event every evening. Mondays we had a movie in the big room in the main lounge. Tuesday was Olympics Night and all the campers participated events like relay races, potato sack races, three-legged races, tugs of war, and jump rope contest. Wednesday was dance night. There was a special event every Thursday. And, at the end of each day, Taps was played over the loudspeaker.

The first special event was a carnival with lots of games. Gene and Larry organized a wild game with the three ping pong tables where each player hit the ball, put the paddle down, and moved out of the way so the next person in line could pick it up and hit the ball when it came over the net. Then the players shifted to the other end of the table to wait their turn to do it again. If you missed the ball, you were out. It was wild with lots of action and laughter. It was a game that we counselors even played off and on for the rest of the summer. For the Carnival I recall a “candle bowling” game were one had to blow out ten candles from a distance. Chrissy and I ran a game with bean bags and a wooden bucket. Bubble gum was the prize.

Friday after dinner we returned to the open air chapel for closing ceremonies. Saturday morning after breakfast the campers packed up to board the busses that arrived around 10:00. The rest of the summer was alternating camp for one or two weeks each. I will talk of the special events in the next entry.

Keep Creating

Carol

100 day Challenge, Daily Practice, Diva Meetings, Drawing, Fiber Artist Stitch Club, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Lost Habitat, Pixies Group, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Textile Artist Stitch Club

March

Hello,

With the beginning of March life seems to be opening up a bit.  I have had lots of meetings on Zoom and the Diva’s even meant in person.    The QuEGs  and Pixies had their usual zoom events and I had a new Fiber Artist Stitch Club meeting.  Sharon Peoples  was our new instructor for that class and we are working on stitching photos graphic images.   I am not very far along on this project- but I am started.   One was to trace an image on tissue paper  and then stitch around it. That creates the outline of were there are color changes in the image.

I’m doing the little cross stitches to fill in the areas now.

I also started Creative Strength Training  with Jane Dunnwald  this week.   For that I did  a lesson with black and white  in response to a song.  The limited color really makes for a strong graphic.

There is lots of reading to do for this class too. So I am a busy camper with mental growth.

 

 

 

I did take time out one afternoon this week to do three little 6″ X6″ pieces for the Rochester Gallery for their annual fund raiser.   I could not believe it had been a year sense I did my last bunch .

Progress Report: Lap #7      This work has lots of my altered fabrics in it.  There  is  some  shobori  that   did  Liz two summers ago  as well as lots of printed and painted fabric.  It was a trip down memory lane to work on this one.

 

 

Lap #8    This project is a real out growth of  # 7  as these were the fabrics I did not use as central units in the first quilt.  I had so much fabric cut and stitched together for the surrounds that it seemed silly to just put them in the scrap basket.

 

 

Lost Habitat  This work is 44″ w X 33″t.     I am quite pleased with how this one finally come to completion.     It is my response  to the fires in Colorado last fall when 500+ homes were destroyed by wild fire.   Some folks  had so little time to evacuate that they did not even get there photos or computer backups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I enjoyed this working on this piece even though the topic is stressing.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Drawing This is a second Neo drawing  that  I did after watching a video on the subject.

 

 

 

Daily Practice This is the work I am doing during the news every nigh.  The colors do not look like Ukraine- but that is the main topic on the news.

 

 

 

Action  I keep stitching away on this project.   I will soon be close to the edges were  I can stitch with purples.

 

 

 

 

 

Beading  I did spend a little time in the bead box this week.   I am still using beads I got from Joyce in the fall,  but some of my own have slipped in too.

 

 

 

 

College Life:  Summer School 1967

Summer school at Ball State in 1967 was two five week sessions. I took Painting 1 and World Literature the first session. Both of my classes were in the morning and I rode my bicycle to campus so I had the freedom to come and go when I wanted. I can’t say that I remember much about the literature class except it was lots of reading as we did a book about every two days. The painting class was with Dr. Nickels, the head of the department. I enjoyed going to Christy Woods every day and finding a quiet place to paint plants and flowers in water color. I got B’s in both of my classes that quarter.

I did not have much social life as Margaret stayed away at school that summer too. I continued my work at the student center dinning service, so I did have spending money, but not much to spend it on. I think that my being a part of the Sailing Club and being a Captain kept me sane. I had lots of afternoon dates with my brother Gene to sail. We went about twice a week that summer. All that sailing led to a great connection with Dr. Kunkel for Gene. The two of them got to be real buddies and Dr. Kunkel often took Gene off to crew for him in races for that summer and several others summers too. There were several weekends where I went off and dove with the Scuba Club that summer. Now the fresh water lakes in Indiana are nice for swimming, and I enjoyed the water skiing as well–but visibility below the surface is four feet at best and not very exciting. I enjoyed the process but was not thrilled enough to purchase more equipment than a mask and flippers. Both items were lost at an outing at the end of the summer.

There was a wonderful summer program at Ball State called “Shoe String Theater” and the family took advantage of it. Dad and I went to all six production, but Mom and Gene were spotty. I saw Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Vagabond King to mention just a couple. I still love live theater and go often.

Summer school for the second session was Philosophy and an education major requirement, called Human Growth ad Development. I did well in Philosophy and got a B, but in Human Growth I was not so strong and got a C. Along with all of that, there were lots of cards and letters from Eric and a few from Larry.

I hope spring is on your door step,

Keep Creating

Carol

100 day Challenge, Collage, College Life, Creative Strength Training, Daily Practice, Drawing, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Stretch Works

Winter Continues

Hello,

This has been a crazy week as far as weather is concerned.  Snow and cold, then quite warm and back to snow again.   Old Man Winter does not want to let with out a fight.

I had one two meetings this week.  The Retired Art Teachers  Zoomed as did the Pixies.  The Creative Strength Training Class does not officially begin until the first of March, but she still has done lots of pre work with us.    We had a lesson on altering a shape based on a tool.  I selected a tape dispenser and this is my solution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being the practical person that I am I used the cut-aways  from the project plus a leftover bit of blue to create a second composition.

 

 

 

 

There was also a drawing lesson on contour drawing from Creative Strength Training  this week.  It was a slow  5 min contour drawing.   This is my solution.

 

 

 

 

My friend Joyce sent me a book “Inspired to Design” by Elizabeth Barton  and I have been working through the exercises in it too.   Of the five I have done this simplification assignment was the one I enjoyed the most.

Progress Report:   Lap 7  I enjoyed piecing together this top this week.   I will move forward on the next steps as the new week goes forward.

 

 

 

 

Lap 8  As usual I have pulled the fabric for the next lap quilt too.

 

 

 

Lost Habitat  I was disturbed by the loss of over 500 homes in Colorado due to fire in the fall.   I finally got going on my tribute to them.    The parts are just pinned in place at this point.

Action  I keep working every evening on this project.  My goal now it to have it complete by the first of April.

 

Daily Practice    This is the piece I am working on during the news  every night.

 

 

Stencil work  I ordered some commercial stencils from Stencil Girl in Dec and this week I finally got around to using them.    This is a computation of three stencils that I though played together well.

 

 

 

Bits and Pieces    I finished off and stretched this work this week.

 

 

 

 

College Life- The Indianapolis 500

I was delighted and pleased to see Eric when he picked me up from the bus station in Indianapolis. We went to Grandmother Butter’s apartment and she was her gracious, cheerful self. That also provided me with my first contact with Eric’s brother Dean. I got to meet one of Grandmother Butter’s sisters, Aunt Gretna, plus her two children, Carol and Dick, at dinner that evening, too. Everyone called Aunt Gretna Aunt Deckie, so I did, as well. It was a pleasant evening. Everyone but Carol was excited about going to the race the next day.

In those days the race was always on the 30 of May so it was a Tuesday that year.  It was gray  at 6:30 when we got up to go to the race. We all piled in the car– Grandmother, Aunt Deckie, Dick, Dean, Eric and I–and went off to the race track. It was cold when we joined the line of cars waiting to get into the track. At 8;30 we all tracked up the stairs of the main grandstand to row J in the section at the end of turn four and sat in our seats. Then the famous words came over the loud speaker, “Gentleman start your engines!” The cars growled to life and the crowd stood and cheered. The flag was dropped and the race was off. There was a new entry for the first time in 1967–a turbine car, and it immediately pulled to the front of the pack. When the turbine car passed our stands the sound was more of a swish than the roar like the other cars. Then a cold rain began to fall. The race was stopped after 18 laps and we, like most other folks, retreated to the car and waited for the restart of the race. It rained on and soon it was noon, so we ate cold chicken and deviled eggs and drank pop. We too finally deserted the track as we had watched many folks do through out the afternoon. Eric’s brother, Dean had finals to take on Wednesday we had to send him home, I called home and told my folks that I was going to stay for another day to see the race.

Eric and I went to Larry’s house and palled around with him and his current girl friend Connie for the evening. We went to White Castle for dinner. I had never had little square hamburgers before and we all had a good time. In the morning it was still gray and misting, so Grandmother decided to go into work at Wheaton Van Lines. Eric and I horsed around and talked until the phone rang. It was Aunt Deckie. She told us to look out the window and get hustling, as she was going to pick us up for the race. We hurried across town to Speedway. We were in the parking lot when we heard, “Gentlemen, restart your engines!” I think we missed seeing about two laps, before we got back in our seats. Again it was cold in the stands, but is was exciting. On the day before we had drawn the drivers names from a hat and we all had five folks we were following. Our seats were in a perfect spot to witness several wild crashes and I know I lost two of my drivers in the first one the first day. The turbine car led most of the way but broke down on the last lap of the race, and Mario Andretti won. Upon returning to Grandmothers we ate some lunch and called Larry and told him we would be picking up Connie soon. The three of us drove back to Muncie together where Eric dropped Connie off at her dorm. The Eric and I went to supper. After that we talked a bit more before he started for South Bend. I was very sad to see him go and felt that summer would be a long time, even with Summer school to keep me busy.

I am looking forward to spring and some warmer weather.

Stay safe and Create with joy!

Carol

 

100 day Challenge, Aplique, Childhood Memories, College Life, Daily Practice, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Fiber Artist Stitch Club, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors

February Fun

Hello,

I enjoyed Valentines day and my husband gave me this beautiful bunch of flowers.     I hope yours had some color too.

This week has been a week with lots of events.  On Friday I went to The SUNY Campus at Oswego with Sharon and Liz and we went to two art shows.  One was student work  and this sculpture was on that I found very intriguing.

 

 

 

 

I had  Three  Zoom Meeting s this week  Saturday was with the Finger Lakes Fiber Artists Group. Wednesday was the Pixie Meeting and then Thursday was the Sisterhood of the Scissors meeting.  It is good to see and talk my fellow creators.    There was one meeting in person and the was the FAD group.   Sharon shared a new work she is exploring.

 

After the meeting Sharon and I went up the hill to Onondaga Community College to look at the Scholastic Art winners.  She and I had both  been judges for this competition in early January.  It was very stimulating as the Jr High and High School students work was wonderful.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Child Dancing   This work is now done and it is W3543 X 294.       It is my tribute to Paul Klee.

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 6    I am now ready to layer and quilt this piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt #7   I have pulled the fabrics for the next lap quilt too.

 

 

 

Cowl # 23   I just keep playing with the yarn from Joyce and making these fun pieces.  I will pass them out at the retreat in the fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 Handwork  I am finished with this work now and it is stretched.   This is my work for the Textile Artists Stitch Club work were one made  sequins  by ironing the lining of a cereal box with objects trapped between the layers.  I need to complete the addition of the black fabric to the back  now.

Daily Practice   I got back to doing my daily practice this week.   This is my 12th piece of stitched fabric.

 

 

Action   I am adding the contrasting hand work to this project   every evening during the news.

 

 

I got a little confused and there are two illustrations for  this memory.

 Memories: College Life-Ending of Spring Quarter 1967

Things were going well with Eric during spring term too. We went canoeing several times and although it was a new sport for Eric he was quickly sitting in the back and controlling our movements. We both enjoyed the theater and went to several Drama Department events. We saw Playboy of the Western World, The Odd Couple and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf. We also went to The Mexican Folklore Ballet at Emens Auditorium where we came across Steve Coomer again for the first time. He just stop dead, looked us over, turned in the opposite direction, and walked away. We just exchanged smiles. Our next big event was a trip to South Bend one Sunday for lunch with his family. Larry and Fred Zamparelli, from Long Island, and one of their other house mates went along with us. I got to meet two of Eric’s three brothers, Mark and Scott, and his folks. I was nervous but it is was a very pleasant time. Eric’s dad cooked the meal and it was very good. So the fact that Eric now cooks most of our meals should be no surprise. Eric told me on the way home his Dad really liked me. “Why” I asked ? “ Dad wanted a girl when I was born and I am the oldest,” he said.

Eric helped me though my struggles with my term paper that quarter too. In the end he even typed the paper for me. He quickly learned I could not spell at all. His typing of the paper was one of the best presents I got on my nineteenth birthday. The paper was due that day. Eric took me to dinner for my Birthday, too, and then to the a movie. We made an excursion to Indianapolis one Saturday so I could meet Eric’s Grandmother Butterworth. She was a thin, beautiful, white-haired lady with lots of energy and style. I really liked her and we hit it off. She was an bookkeeper for United Van Lines and very independent.

Being nineteen is still a very emotional time and in early May I learned of the death of my friend John in Viet Nam. He was the only person I knew who had gone from high school into the Army. He was the second son and knew his older brother would inherit the farm, so he knew that serving in the armed services, was really his only option. I know he was planning on going to school when service was over. I wrote three very long emotional pages in my journal about him and his death. Even now thinking about it makes me a bit sad.

As the quarter ended, I was worried about how summer would affect my relationship with Eric. I was sad when he had to go home at the end of finals. There was a bit of good news to look forward to, however, as Grandmother Butterworth had invited both Eric and me to go to the Indianapolis 500 with her. In 1967 Memorial Day was still celebrated on May 30 and that fell on a Tuesday that year. Before I caught and I rode the bus to Indianapolis on Monday, my grades came in the mail. I got four Bs. One in Introduction to Teaching, one in Ceramics, one in Swimming, and one in Literature and Composition. I know I would not have done so well in the English class with our Eric’s help. I also got an A in Design class and I was thrilled.

Stay Safe and Keep Creating

Carol