I hope holiday preparation and events are just what you want and need. At this time of year it is so very easy to get drawn in to doing too much. As I looked at my calendar for this week I realized there was an event of one type or another every day. I also knew I could not keep that pace up and enjoy the season so I really have cut back. Next week is much simpler and I am sure I will fill it none the less with little things that make the holiday a wondrous one- but this time I will choose with care what I do.
Last Friday I helped Cheri put up a new show in her shop Imaginings Art and Antiques. It was a delightful way to spend a winter day. This first picture is of Alice Grant’s curtain frame fiber work. Cheri put it around a mirror and yes that is me behind the camera in the reflection. Most of my work hung together. For this event I am displaying only work that in a stretched or framed fashion. The show will be up in Cortland on Maine Street until the middle of January. It was an honor to be asked.
A second event this week was the FAB meeting. FAB is a mini group of fiber artists- and although we have agreed on the title there is still dicussion as to just what FAB stands for… could be Fiber Art Bunch, could be Fantastic Artistic Babes or any other set of words that can be plugged in. I am not going to worry about that too much, I am just glad we are getting together to grow and support one another. Nancy was the big winner this time as she has finally completed her quilt for her daughter. It is chinnal and flannel with a post card type message in the center to her daughter. She even found a fabric with a stamp on it for the corner of the post card. Nancy and the quilt are off to India for Christmas.
Progress Report: Flight
I feel this quilt really flows across the surface. The quilting was especially enjoyable on this work as I added extra swallows that are in just the quilting. I tried adding eyes on the birds with embroidery thread, but somehow that looked to flat to me so I added black glass beads instead. Their sparkel adds a feel of life to the work.
There are some quilting lines that are just flow lines that could be interrupted as wind or flight lines.
This last shot shows the center of the quilt and also shows how I did not use a pure brown for the birds in some cases, but added a modeled brown to the work.
Transversing- Foundations Series IV
I am so very happy with how this quilt finally turned out. There are lots of different materials represented in this piece. I showed the painted back last week. I used some rust dyed fabric, lots of apolistory fabric, silk paper, wool and eye lash yarn on this top. It is fun for me to play with all the textures.
I did lots of free motion work on this one too. I think that adds to the flow of the work as well as holding all the fabric to the surface.
There are lots of little units on this work and I feel it is one I can look at a long time.
Foundations Series V This new member of the Foundations series still does not have a name of its own. The images I am using has water flowing between the rocks so I think a title will come out of that the more I work with the top. This one also has some rice paper in it. What a different texture that adds.
Foundations Series VI For this one I wanted to work a little smaller- its 28″ X 23″. My friend Tanya gave me some small fabric bits last week and I really like them. So I used them as the jumping off point for this. The fabrics plus a second section of the water and rocks photo work well togehter. I also used part of a silk shirt she gave me at the same time( the cream green fabric at the bottom). This is still in the pin up stage without any stitching so it may change a lot before I get to that step.
Swallows Last week the shot showed the quilt still in the construction stage. I took this close up of one of the sections as I have started to quilt it. I am out lining the birds first and will build the rest of the quilting out from those points. There is not full shot of this work because I dropped my camera and it landed on the barrel of the lense. Now the shutter will not work. I had not put the wrist unit on and for that I am paying dearly. I am not at all happy with this new development, but have no one to blame but myself. I will not post next week unless I get the camera repaired. If the cost is prohibitive I will have to ask for a new camera for Christmas. Please keep watching.
Daily’s As this shot shows I am still working away on the Daily’s. It is good to have a little daily required to work at this time of year. That keep me on track so when I can get back into the studio is is easier to get going again.
My hope is that all find the joy and peace this season has to offer.
Keep Creating
Hugs
Carol