Category Archives: Poppy Fields

100 day Challenge, Blue Butterfly, Broken Blocks, Childhood Memories, Daily Practice, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Poppy Fields, Smoldering

Quiet Times

Hello,
Summer keeps putting forth her bounty. I was captured by these forming apples that I noticed on my walk today. It seems like the blossoms were on the tree just a few weeks ago. It has been a quiet week this week with only the Pixie meeting. Even that was short one member due to the fact that she is in the hospital. We are all sending good vibes in her direction for a fast recovery. This week however was one with lots of studio time and so I finished up lots of work.

Progress Report: Blue Butterfly This work is 37″ w X 50″ l. I changes my mind on this work after I had started it. I like the hand altered fabrics to much that I decided to add the butterfly on top turning it from a lap quilt into an wall piece. I did the insect on wash away so that the fabrics would still show through. Then I added more quilting after watching Joe Cunningham’s Face Book post were he was suggesting that the quilting was an additional design space to use to add interest to ones work. So I quilted in more butterflies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoldering This work is 33.5″w X 40″l. This work in my sad response to the new 80+ wild fires burning in the west. It is so heart breaking.
I hand dyed the smoldering ground fabric last summer. It did not work in my piece on the wild fires that I did last year, so this time it was my starting place.

 

 

Fallen This work is 30.5″w X 43″ l. I thought this work was finished last week, but after a second hard look I realize it did not do the job. I added the dragonfly to make a strong center of interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt #13 This work in 37″ w X 52 “ l. I keep making these fun small quilts to use my altered fabrics and explore techniques. I applied Joe’s idea to the quilting here too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 14   Broken Blocks (Tutorial )With is work I was playing with a limited color pallet and 14 basic blocks for my start. After stacking the blocks into two stacks I sliced them diagonally.

 

 

 

Next step was to shuffle the units and recombine them. I repeated that step holding two blocks out of the process. These last two blocks were sliced in half vertically and set aside.

 

 

 

 

After sewing all the units into blocks again I lined them up into four rows, I added a half block into each row so there were no vertical seam lines.

Then I connected the blocks into four rows and then into a top.

 

 

 

Lap Quilt #15 I am building a new lap quilt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poppies I continue to make more blossoms for the project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New work I decided I wanted to do a new leaf quilt. I built this whole cloth base to look like Granite. I used one of the brushes that I made earlier this year as a part of the Pixie Challenge to do the painting. Great fun.

Daily Practice I finished two more units this week.

 

 

100 Days I am now at day fifty two. It is still a fun challenge.

 

 

 

Drawing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adolescence Summer 1965

The summer after the hospitalization   sunner was a bit quieter then in the past. I did summer school but not as much swimming and such as the summer before. I did enjoy my time with the band gang. Summer band was a bit different as the group participated in more competitions. We even won a first place in one of them. We did the county fair stuff as in the past too. In Aug Gene and I went to Iowa for a few weeks before Mom and Dad. Grandmother Ester took us off to a different church camp then in the past as it was only a morning thing. In the afternoons she and I worked on sewing up some new clothing for school. She helped me make three dresses that were all the same pattern but with validations in fabric, neck openings and sleeves , they appeared different. I remember helping Grandmother Ruth clean out the Flour House that was at the back of Aunt May’s house. It was called the Flour House because when the train went through town flour was stored in the building. The building was snug and full of old stuff. One of the treasures was a horse drawn sled. Grandmother said it was the sled that Grandfather Howard took her out in at Christmas time to see Hailey’s Comet and purpose to her in 1911. There were was a strange electronic devise that we called “the Brain Machine”. Grandfather had taken it in trade for gas during the depression and the man never retrieved it. The cabinet was mahogany with two electrodes on the top. When one opened the folding doors on the front they revealed a series of nobs and dials above each was a little screens containing numbered dials with little needles that one could adjust when the thing was plugged in. On the doors inscribed on brass plates were the instructions on what dials to adjust for different illnessnesses, like headache, back problems, arthritis and rheumatism. And of course brain illnesses. One was suppose to put a finger from each hand on the electrodes and get a mild current/ shock to cure you. Mom said she was sure it did nothing- except excite one into believing things were better for a while. I got to take home some old photos albums full of old tin types that Grandmother told me that again, they were traded for gas. There was a collection of old Iowa auto licence plates from 1933. She said grandpa Gast had purchased them to patch the barn roof and these were the leftovers. I still have one.
We went from Grandview north to Wisconsin and on into Minnesota to do our family vacation in the land of 1,000 lakes. We had the canoe and we rented a second for the water part of the  trip. We were along the US and Canadian boarder, crossing back and forth several times. For the whole week we did not see  or hear another person. It was wonderful with lots of portages and camping on islands. The moss on the ground was about four inches thick in places and sponge. Gene and Dad both had fishing permits so we ate lots of fish. We saw many red squirrels and a flying squirrel too. I loved the many calls of the loons that we heard mostly at dusk and dawn.   For the first time I really saw the Milky Way and believed that there were more stars in the sky then one could count. There were lots of insects too- but not a lot of misquotes. It did rain on us one day and so we spent the day in the tent lounging and reading. We hiked to several water falls as well. The water was cold but we did swim a bit every day or so. It was a very calm and quiet week and what I imagine the whole country was when the native americans were its inhabitants . Our trip was the week of the Watt Riots, but with our insolation, we only learned of that disastrous event when we got home.

Have a good week and there will be no entry for next week as I will be away.

Stay safe

 

Carol

Birds, Childhood Memories, Curvie Cuts, Daily Practice, Lap Quilts, Poppy Fields

Quiet Times

Hello,
It has been a quiet week here. I spent one day working on curtains for my daughter’s camper and then I delivered them to her. She was delighted. I had two Zoom meetings, one with the Retired Art Teachers and the other was with the Pixies. Both were fun and enjoyable.   I did a little yard work one day as the weather is so delightful.

Progress Report Lap Quilt # 8 This quilt has lots of my altered fabric in it. I especially enjoyed making the reconstructed screen printing with the petro glyph type images on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poppy Fields I feel I am now finished with the tree in this piece. The leaves really fill it out. I now need to tackle the grasses and steams of the poppies.

 

Shattered I have finished the quilting on this piece and now I am working on the facings. It is a 3X3 piece.

 

Coral Reef This work keeps growing. Not a lot this week as there were only two meetings, But each stitch helps it along.

 

 

Crows I drew two more crow  this week.   The stenciled birds I did to add to the first two,   were to strong to work with the drawn ones.  The one on the left is only about half done. I like to build the dark’s up slowly so they are exactly where I want them to be with the intensity I am shooting for .

New Work- Oak Leaves This is my new venture for the week.   The base is a curvy cut .   As always it is changing under my fingers I envisioned it a lot closer to the drawing from last week. But I don’t have many browns and orange organizes.

 

 

 

Daily Practice This work is moving along with it’s daily attention. I am sure I will move onto a new base some time soon.

Childhood Memories- Travel 1962 Florida

Our Christmas trip in 1962 was to Florida. We went to the Atlantic shore first. The ocean was very active and a bit cold , but we did swim anyway. We then drove across the state and viewed the Gulf. It seemed much calmer as I remember it. Where we were  along the coast, I am not sure, but it was a lot less developed and there were lots of different plants. One really had to stay on the trail as the vegetation was thick and there were lots of sharp leaves, twisting roots and grasses. Then we went a bit inland and north to Wiki Watchie Springs. I recall loving the performance of the mermaids with all the wonderful color and movement. When Eric and I took Wendy in 1974, it felt like it was much modernized and slick.. There was new seating too.   The family  continued north and visited a restored historical Southern Mansion. We did the guided tour. The rooms were large with lots of doors with lots of details, making us aware of the wealth it represented. I think I liked the Spanish Moss hanging from the trees that lined the drive the most though. The next part of the trip was a study in contrast as we drove north. Dad liked to take side roads and we came across a poll Church in one remote corner. There were no walls and logs for benches. Across at the front of the seating was a log cross. The roof was supported by cut saplings that were “Y”ed at the top to support cross saplings and on top  of them it was  covered by more leaved branches  lying a contrasting directions  to provide shade and protection form rain. Dad said it was better then nothing, but not by  much in my mind.
We continued driving and come upon an abandoned sand stone swimming complex. There was a front bath house of sorts and behind was a beautiful sand stone swimming pool. It was spring fed so it was still full of fresh water. There were leaves in the water too as well as tad polls . One could see the remains of diving boards that we stayed away from. The swim that we took that afternoon was lots of fun.        As we continued north we saw many farms with soil so poor that the only crop they could count on was more rocks . Dad called them Rock Farms. The houses looked very run down even to my eyes.   When we went arrived at a bigger city we went to the grocery to stock up. Mom discreetly pointed out the beautiful print flour sacks along one wall. In the car she explained that folks would wash out the sacks when they were empty and make clothing from them.
Mom always joked that one day she would write a book about the Restrooms she had visited and this trip provided a memorable one. At  a gas station in the middle of what seemed like nowhere to me, we asked to use the bathroom. “That’s be out back.” the attendant said. “ Don’t mind the cats.”   Around behind the station was a gray weathered wooden out house, with cats all about it. The door would not really close and there was no “paper” of any kind. The door handle was a knotted rope thought he door with a loop on both ends.  The building just sat on flat ground without a pit below the whole. There was no evidence that it had ever been used before we entered. In a day or so the evidence that Mom and I had stopped would vanish too. Dad talked about how it was not that long ago that most folks lived like what we had seen those last few days. Those experiences really made me grateful for living in the time and place were I did live.

Stay safe  and enjoy Spring

Carol