Category Archives: Wendy and Mark

Challenge III, Circle Challenge IV, Five Jacks, Label Blocks, Name Game, Three Jacks, Wendy and Mark

Word of the year- Value

 

CarmelizedHello,

This is a shot of Caramelized from the  Foundations show at May Memorial.  The opening was Sunday and there were about 100 folks there. Shot of show I was thrilled by the  positive  response.  I even sold one of the works.   It is a great space to show work as the walls are nice warm wood and the space is very large.

IMG_7230  Rosalie Dace gave me this card of gray scale and pushed us to lay out our fabric for a project from light to dark to see the Values in class last summer.  I feel I have not paid attention to this idea enough in my work so VALUE will be the word I concentrate on this year.    I plan to make a poster with that word on it to hang above my pin wall to help me keep the idea front and center.

IMG_7247   I also made a little promise to myself that every time it snowed more than an inch this winter I would do some snow dyeing.  This is the first batch.  I love the wild patterns and the color mixes.   It snowed again this week and that next batch is reds and pinks.   They are drying on the line now.

Wendy and MarkProgress Report:  Wendy and Mark- Name Game   This quilt is 50.5” X 45”.    It is the main reason I am doing  the word Value- because I feel this does not work as well as it might.   IMG_7243The shapes are strong and I like how they play together- but there just does not seem to be the vibrancy that I was hoping for.  IMG_7246    One needs to expect that there will be second rate work sometimes.  The important thing is to learn from the mistakes.  It will be a fine lap quilt.

Circle Challenge II Circle Challenge II This little work is 16” X 19.5”.   It flows well.  I am enjoying the challenge of using machine and hand quilting together as well as the bead work.IMG_7235

 

IMG_7236The projects are small enough that I get to move onto the next idea quickly.

Circle Challenge III   Circle Challeng IIII really like the darks that are a part of this one.   The addition of the triangles also makes this one more interesting  I think.   I am ready to add the hand stitching and feel that this time I will fall back to normal quilting thread.

IMG_7228Circle Challenge IV   I did the circle on this base before I really did the hard looking at the Challenge III.    It laques the  power that the dark gives the work in the other piece.  I will keep that in mind as I add the additional shapes to the surface.

3 JacksThree Jacks    These are my Jacks for this project.  When I got them done and drew the leaves I realized they would cover too much of the background I had built and its power would be lost.  So I created a simpler back ground for these Jacks.IMG_7224  This is still not simple- but I think I can make it work for this project.

 

Five JacksFive Jacks   So Three Jacks became Five Jacks.  The flowers are much smaller and they dance along the bottom edge of the rock face I had designed.    It is ready to be stretched now.

 

IMG_7239Bird Square   I   started playing with the the few little birds leftover from  a previous project.   It is at an early stage and will change with development.

Label Block 102  Label Block 102I just keep at these little squares  and they keep getting completed without much effort.   I am starting to think about what will come next when this project is done in about 18 weeks.

Keep Creating

Carol

PS. One more shot from the show.Show

Circle Challenge, Circle Challenge 2, Diva Meetings, Label Blocks, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Three Jacks, Wendy and Mark

New Beginnings

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IMG_7166Hello,

In the deep cold we are experiencing now, I think of the wonderful warmth of spring and the new beginnings that  a new year makes on consider.  New sketchbooks, new book keeping,  and new calender’s are  all part of the new start for 2017.    I am working on choosing a new word for my focus this year too, but  have not decided quite yet.  Sue Ellen at the QuIG’s  meeting was thinking of spring too with this new Hosta leaf pillow she shared.  The machine work is wonderful.     The Diva’s also meant this week.  Because of the show that Donna is hosting for us there IMG_7190was lots of talk and work for that event.       I served as transport for work for Noel and Regina's workSharon  as both  could not attend.   Sharon kindly gave me a little gift in the form of one of the book marks that she makes for her booth.    I like it. Regina has been doing a lot of indigo dyeing. ( look at that pile)      Cheri's workCheri had two new pieces for the show as well as to share.    She also does such nice little surprises for the backs of her quilts that I am sharing one of those too.IMG_7173

 

 

Ruth's waveRuth got into a traveling trunk show for SAQA and  she showed us the new wave she did just for that.   I like the waves out to sea too.   Then there is the wonderful foam under the wave.   It is really a strong work I think.  IMG_7169

 

 

 

LLieseLliese   had a wonderful piece to share with us as well.    This piece is much bigger than she usually works.

I hung my Solo Show yesterday with the help of Steve and Lynne.IMG_7177  Preparing for this was a good experience for me as I got to really look at the body of work.    I have been on this earthy foundations work for about three years now.  We hung 21 pieces and I took 24 home with me that we did not use.  I like having a choice. My work    It is a beautiful place to display and I enjoyed doing that step too because of the wonderful help.

more work

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circle Challenge 2Progress Report:  Circle Challenge 1    I am pleased with how this turned out.   All the parts seem to work together for me.

 

 

Circle Challenge 2 IMG_7188  This second challenge has different colors in some of the strips and the rotation is different.  Three additional colored circles remain but the parts of the solid yellow circle have been dropped and replaced with four triangles.  I am ready to do the bead work now .

Name GameName Game Wendy and Mark  I am all done assembling the strips of this work now.   I made the back the other day IMG_7186 and I am now ready to add the batting and begin quilting it.

Three Jacks  Three JacksI have finished the background of this work.  Then I did some research followed by some drawing.IMG_7185  The paper patterns are enlargements of the sketch.  I still have one more to do as you can easily see.   I could not find the color fabric in my stash that I wanted to use so I had to purchase the green on Tues at Quilters Corner when I was there.

Bird BlockBird Block   I am playing with some leftover bird cuts from the Bird land quit here.   It is always  a little challenge to see if the remainders can become something on there own.    I am thinking now that I will balance the birds with some free motion  bushes based on this sketch book drawing.IMG_7184 They have such a light feeling that I feel they can balance the heavy birds on the left.

 

 

Label Block  # 101  Block #101I am working away on these little blocks.  Only 19 more to build now.

Keep Creating

Carol

Circle Challenge 2, Cotton Candy, Dead Horse Canyon, Felt Work, Label Blocks, Name Game, Uncategorized, Wendy and Mark

Numbers

Christmas CatusHello,

We are racing now toward the end of 2016.    In thinking about the end of the year  and closing my book keeping, I become very aware of numbers.   Because I am still enjoying Ethel’s fabrics I only purchased  38 yards of fabric this year and most of that in half yard units.    The first  for the  Label Block project for this year was block # 34.   This week I completed block # 100  so that is  67 blocks  for the  year.  A bit more than one a week.   I make pillows and  fill them with the cut off bits of batting  from the trimming and squaring off of  quilt work. This year I completed   9 pillows.   I donate quilts to almost every organization that asks for them and this year I gladly gave away  13 to such deserving origination’s like Ronald McDonald House, the Art Rage Gallery and my local Public TV station.   I am still ahead in that game as I completed 59 on my own creations.     I use lots of thread in my work and this year  and  I emptied   65 spools.   I was a part of  5 quilt shows and I am looking forward to my solo show in January.     I participated in 4 challenges.   A good way to stretch ones self.       I was rejected from 7 competitions.    But I keep trying.     I wrote and posted  37 blogs this year too.  This year has been a full   one with lots of  things going on in my quilt life.  Looking back,   I feel that 2016 has been a good one for me and I hope you can say the same.  I hope that I can face  2017 and handle the challenges it presents as successfully as I did this year.

Aunt Shirley's QuiltProgress Report:   Aunt Shirley’s Quilt  This work got shipped off  to it’s new home on Monday.  I hope it gets to my Aunt before her birthday Jan 2.

 

 

 

 

 

Cotton Candy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotton Candy   This work is  12” X 12”.     It seemed to take me a long time to get to this little work.  I just kept shuffling  it to the bottom of the pile.  The colors are so very different from what I am working with at the moment.  But once I decided not to try to make it into one of my rock works it was easy and enjoyable.  I will try again for rose quarts later.

 

Name GameName Game- Wendy and Mark This work has gone through a major change sense last  week.  I added Mark’s name- (he is Wendy’s husband)- because the Wendy section was not enough.   Still it is not something I look forward to working on.  But I felt the same way about the one I did last summer where I used my own name. Perhaps that is the nature of this project. I am still shuffling  the strips at this point.

Dead Horse Canyon  Dead Horse CanyonI have been calling this wool work 1 for the last few weeks.   That just does not cut it so I selected a name.    This name comes from a childhood play area near my then home in Carroll Iowa.    I have been thinking about it a lot of late and though this could be a tribute to all those memories.

 

 

New workNew Work This is the newest rock based piece.  I used gabardine for the base and I also added fusible inner facing  to the back.   That extra body has some real strength.   I really like how it is not a warped as the wool piece above.

IMG_7149Circle Challenge 1   I have finished the hand  circle  quilting on this work now.  I am ready to add the facing and finish it off.

Circle Challenge 2Circle 2   With the end of Circle Challenge 1 in sight I put in machine quilting work on this one.  I now feel I need to work on the layout for the third in that series now.

 

IMG_7158Scrap Happy  I am working with the scraps from Ethel’s box this week.  She had a whole stack of batik samples and they are all 5” square just like the ones I made for my quilt in the fall.  So I am using them with some old and  new 5″ squares for this new top.

Label Block  # 100  LABEL Block #100As the big Spiegel  label  ( upper left corner) shows I am still using labels that are not all current.  I just enjoy the process.

May the new year bring you joy and creative times.

Carol

Aunt Shirley's quilts, Label Blocks, Wendy and Mark

Holiday Season

 

Judy's treeHello-

I am in the holiday spirit and enjoying the fun.     I like the lights, the trees, the great smells,  the bright packages and the candles.  Folks seem to be happier too.    This tree is Judy’s and it is always lovely.  Mother Nature is doing her part as well. Tree with snow All the trees were outlined in white this morning when I got up.  I sure like that look too. We had a FAB meeting this week.  It was good to see folks as we seem to only meet once a month now days.  Nancy had  been working away on her mother’s Blue Bird quilt and it looks great.IMG_7108She Circle Challene1has appliqued down all the  big  sunflowers now.  They look so happy.

Progress Report: Circle Challenge 1   This project is getting hand attention now.   I have completed adding the big beads and I am now quilting  big circles.IMG_7126  This is slow progress.

Circle Challenge 2 IMG_7123Because I am impatient I laid out and did the top for the second one in this challenge.   I have only stitched the shapes to the background.     I have several ideas about how to embellish this one.   There will be some color changes in the next one as I am out of some of the fabrics already.

Wool 1Wool 1 I have not touched this work in a few weeks so I really came back to it with clear eyes this week.  The colors need to flow together a bit more for me to be really happy with this one.  There is lots of distortion at this point too.  More free motion work will help that part.

 

 

 

 

IMG_7119.jpgPinks    This little work has not been touched in an even longer time than wool 1.  It dose make me feel like spring or cotton candy.    The spring thing is not a good sign as winter only started yesterday.

 

 

 

Wendy layout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name Game- Wendy and Mark   I am in the early stages of this new project.  These two sections are Wendy’s name on the top and the negative space on the bottom.   Mark layoutThe Mark sections are laid out the same. They are only pinned to the surface and not stitched down yet.  After that is completed I will stack the four parts and slice them into units and mix the pieces and put them back together.

 

 

 

Aunt Shirley's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aunt Shirley’s quilt    This is a scrap happy quilt for my Aunt.   It is a small twin as the first one I gave her was too  big.   I hope this dose the trick.  It is a bit quieter than most scrap happy’s because   she asked for  lots of greens for her quilt.   I need to add quilting and do the binding then it will be done.    I gave away  a scrap happy today because my daughter needed one for her one of her clients.   Now I need to make a new one for the closet so I am prepared for  the next request.

 

 

IMG_7117.jpg Label Block # 99   This block went fast as the labels were so very big.  Only 21 more to complete.

I hope the joys of the season bless everyone’s, days.

Hugs

Carol