Category Archives: Truquoise Street Studio

Button Weed, Curvie Cuts, Felt Work, Label Blocks, Little Jellyfish, Pods, Pond Water, Truquoise Street Studio

Going Forward

May 18, 2017 admin

Hello,

We continue to go forward into the wonders of spring. I love all the smells that assault my nose as I take my daily walk. Some flowers are fading, but others Like Spiraea, and Lily of the Valley seem to quickly take their place and demand the attention of the bees.

I went off to see the art show at St David’s last week. It was very impressive and with so many of my friends represented I really enjoyed the powerful work. This is one of Sharon’s new works. I like how she is building up the surface and overlapping the leaves. Carol had two sculptures in the show. I know she struggled with this one.

Barbara had two pieces as well and this one is a part of her street seen series. Beth had two pieces too and both of them had red stickers on them. She was delighted with the sale news.

My Friend Angela had work in the show too. I learned later that this piece sold too. It is always a powerful show with lots of interesting work. I am delighted for my friends.

I went off to play with Beth and Barbara on Thursday afternoon at the Turquoise Street Studio. They were both working away on pastels as is there usual thing. It is fun to work in a parallel setting.

Progress Report: Button Weed This work is 16” X 20”. I enjoyed working on this piece as I have good memories from the Iowa farm and picking these weeds. We use to use them as noise makers when we did Indian dancing. I was always taken by the fact that they where such a strong spring green.

Pods I keep working away and finding new ways to embellish these little pods. It is fun to find homes for the last few odd beads and buttons that I seem to have lots of.

Pond Water I did hand work on this project at Turquoise Street. I am adding the gold units now. It is very calming almost meditative work for me.

Iris This project had proved to be a challenge. I made all these iris blossoms and then discovered that they just got lost on my background. I guess there will be a second one in this grouping. So I built some in blue and purple for the actual project. I am ready now to go back in and build up this flower with more detail and color.

Curvy Cut Jellyfish This project is moving forward. I really like the shapes of these jellyfish. I have had to really challenged myself with I could how to build them up to get the effect I want. I am sorry that the dark centers get lost with the many layers of organza.

Brown Back I found a use for the back I made last week already. I am ironing down all the cut-a way’s from the fusing I use in my work.

Red Scarf I keep working away on these works. They are fun to build, but they do take a lot of time. I will add the soft neck unit when I have all the nets filled. Only three more to complete.

Wool Brown I am a little beyond half way along with the felting of this work. I will do the free motion work on top when that step is complete.

Mixed I am all done with the felting here and ready to add the stitches on top.

Label Block # 121 They just keep on coming.

Keep Creating

Carol

Crow Calls, Label Blocks, Pods, Samurai Romance, Truquoise Street Studio

New Growth

April 21, 2017 admin

Hello-

Spring is fast upon us here in central New York. From the blooming of the trees to the lots of green sprouts across the ground it is here. Not having to always load up with hats and gloves is a very freeing feeling. I went off to visit with Regina this week. She did this wonderful piece with a snow dyed background and then she hand painted the grapes and leaves on top. It will be wonderful when she is done. She also showed off her machine work. The more I learn about this process the more I respect the gals who do it. There is or can be lots of computer programing in the process as well as all thread and color selection that goes on. It looks to take a lot of skill to me. We also did silk paper and had a long and good day.

Then I help Judy and Nancy work on the basing of Nancy’s Blue Bird quilt. There are lots of hours of machine drawing left on this project and I am certain that the end result will be a beauty.

I spent Thursday afternoon in the Turquoise Street Studio with Beth and Barbara. They are both working on there entries for the St David’s Show next in two weeks.I did hand work all afternoon and enjoyed the conversation.

Progress Report: Samurai Romance This work is 18.5 “ X 37.5 “.

I did four different techniques for adding textures to the surface for this work. I really like using foil and will try to keep that in mind as I go forward with new works.Foil can be added to paper, wool and interfacing. I have only applied it to fabric in the past. With each project I seem to be doing more and more free motion work too. It is also a powerful tool to use the machine as a drawing tool.

Pods I was doing some sorting and found some unique and beautiful buttons in my stash. They come in packs of five- but I am still going to use them as part of the embellishment of these pods. I cut quite a few more this week but there is still the fabric that I created in all four colors left so there will be lots of these to pass to folks at Christmas time as well as plenty to keep for myself.

Guatemalan Top This top is all done now. I will be sure to wear it at QBL this summer so show off how to use some of the great needle work.

I think Pricilla will be glad to see how I used the embroidery I purchased from her too.

Crow Calls I am working away on this project. I am adding the crow in flight to it now as the trees are mostly full of birds. I am almost out of the suede too so when that is all gone I will stop.

Iced Leaves I am making slow progress on this work. I have cut and embossed some of the copper leaves I want to use. I have also started to stitch down some of the fabric leaves too. I will admit now that it is spring I do not seem to have the drive to work on this I had earlier in the year.

Tan Rock This background is all done now. I have done some research and some drawings trying to decide what plant life I want to add on top. I am still in this part of the design stage.

Red Rock The same can be said for this red rock face.

Label Block # 117 The stitching keeps going forward on this project. I did a lot of hand work on the pods so not as much extra time was put into this project this week. I still meant my goal of completing one more block.

Keep Creating
Carol

Columbus Junction, Ethel's Trees, Green Grass of Spring, Label Blocks, Memory Map Quilts, Out the Window, Second Wall, Stretch Works, Stretched Works, Truquoise Street Studio, Uncategorized, Watakoo Wall

Spring get away

March 31, 2016 admin 1 Comment

Hello,

Before I left for Florida I was a part of a second show at Turquoise Street Studio on the week end. I even sold a piece and I am thrilled by that. Barbara is so kind to share her studio with us and help us all benefit from that experience.

The photos tells the story of how I started many of my days when I visited Susan and Carolyn in Florida. The sun rises were wonderful. The light was truly “golden” as Barbara says. A big reason for my trip was to see their show. I went through the door and was stopped short by the visual impact. There was so very much to see I could not get myself started. I think I was fortunate to have seem some of the work before or I think I could have been truly overwhelmed. In trying to decide my favorite I was struck by the variety and the powerful use of color. I really like this altered Barbie that has become a god. Carolyn’s Swing Clocks with the moving feet made me smile too. This picture is only two of seven different variations that were presented. Some works were small and intimate and others were bigger than life size like this red dress. I liked Susan’s piece that was based on Little Red Riding Hood too because it had so many parts that were all fascinating all by them selves and also worked together. It was a full and delightful experience for me. We went to the building next to the gallery and saw a second exhibit of the works of the collage faculty and staff. I was taken by this wonderful small weaving. Susan told my it was by the director of the gallery were their work was on display.

Susan and I worked in the studio every day too. This shot is of Susan painting on Tyveck for her project for the Diva 15 Show. We worked with wood and fabric as well and had a lot of fun. We went for a morning at the beach as our way of celebrating Easter. The day was a perfect one for our ramble with a clear blue sky, white sands, crisp ocean smells and a cool breeze.

I found so many fascinating patterns and textures that I took over 75 pictures. But I decided that this shot of Cyprus stumps is my favorite. They almost look like they could walk the shore them selves. I had a great visit.

Progress Report: Watakoo Wall This is another in my stretch works. I am getting better at trimming back the corners enough that they lay flat now. It seems I learn a new trick with every one of these projects. I put lots of fabric bits on the surface as I build up the effect I am after. This one even has some “plastic twist” on it to give it a bit of a punch. It has silk paper as a part of the texture and color as well.

Second Wall This work is a partner to Watakoo Wall. Both are from the same photo, but a very different part of the rock face. This is a very early stage and I am sure it will grow and change as I work on the surface. It seems to cry out for some light at the moment.

Out My Windows I am to the fun stage of the work on this piece. I am doing the free motion drawing part and I always enjoy that step. I did all the dark purple squares yesterday afternoon. They are all night views across the roof tops showing the bare trees.

Green Grass of Spring This work is another of the pieces that is based on a collage. It grew and changed a lot as I enlarged it from the 5”X7” card I did the collage on. I did try to keep the tones of light medium and dark in the same areas however. I have it layered together and it is ready for the quilting. I am just looking and thinking about that step at the moment as I have no real clear idea of how I want to do that.

Memory Maps:Columbus Junction I started this work after talking with Susan before I went off to Florida. She mentioned how much she liked one of the other Memory Map works and I realized that I had not done all the pieces I wanted to do in that series. So after checking my list of possible subjects I selected Columbus Junction the home that I lived in from Kindergarten to the end of third grade. Then I did a list of possible subjects and began some drawings. I built my base and then started working on top. This shot is of the map section with our house being the square with the blue roof. This shot is of the upper right hand corner of the work.

Ethel’s Trees I inherited lots of Ethel’s unfinished work and this is one. I am sure I will not not put my stamp on all of her pieces, but using it as a starting point is a good challenge for me. This started out as only the brown tree painted on the white cloth. I added the gray painted “wonder under” to build up the land and then found this second Ethel cut tree yesterday. I need to live with this work to know were to go from here. The gray tree is not stitched down so it may move before I fuse it down.

Label Block # 45 I worked on this as I waited for the connections flying back and forth. I did not want to get behind while I was away and the activity does not require a lot of attention and its small so it travels well. Susan gave me a new batch of labels so I have more to work with.

I am going off to Chicago to the Quilt Festival and a visit with my Friend Sharron Evens on Wed next week so there will be no posting for April 7. It will be another double shot when I get back.

Keep Creating,

Carol

#3, Blown Blossems, Label Blocks, Scrap Happy Quilts, Truquoise Street Studio

Snow Marks

February 10, 2016 admin

Hello,

As I look more carefully for marks I see them every where. These marks on the deck were the snow has fallen through caught me eye on my walk today. I like the dark light contrast of these marks too. I will be out of town for a few days starting tomorrow so that is why the post is early this week.

I continue to be part of lots of shows. This shot is of my work and that of Mimi at the Associated Artists of Central New York show that is hanging in the Manlius Library for Feb. I also have work at the Turquoise Street Gallery until Feb 15.

Progress Report: Blown Blossoms This little work went together quickly when I got going. I tried doing the free motion drawing on batting and thick upholstery fabric. It worked well, and I may try that technique again. The red fabric is some I created in Pat Pauly’s class last fall.

The brown and orange print I did a few summers ago in Independent studio at QBL. I developed the quilting pattern from the floral print fabric. That came from another friend.

Coastal Color III I am ready to stretch this piece now. This time I did the free motion work on top of the felted step with the addition of batting behind the whole thing. It worked great and did not warp much at all. Thank goodness I have lots of friends with lots of helpful ideas to help me solve the problems that I create for myself.

New Scrap Happy I finished the scarp happy piece from last week and started to assemble this new one. This is just the first six rows of the top and only half of that is shown in this photo. It will be my contribution to the local Public Television Tel Auc in the spring.

New Work This work is based on a collage that I did last week. It has already taken on a mind of its own as it is twice the size I intended it to be. I am having fun with it non the less.

Label Block # 39 I got more labels from a friend through the mail this week. It is fun to get goodies that I really want to use . She sent enough for a whole block of just her contribution.

Keep Creating

Carol

Grounded, Label Blocks, Truquoise Street Studio, William's Quilt

Moving Along

December 3, 2015 admin

Hello,

Our fall has been dry and crisp. I have enjoyed my walks and enjoyed natures bounty. It is raining today however and I will walk to the Dr with my eyes and umbrella open.

A week ago Saturday I went to a new group. Lots of old friends were there and we talked and shared ideas about going forward with a unified idea. There was show and tell of course. Anne talked about her work as did everyone else. I really like this work that she created for a challenge project. There was a lot of talent in that room.

I also spend a day at the Turquoise Street Studio last week. Barbara was working on a sign for a Black Friday event. Beth worked on two pastels. This one of cows and another of a barn landscape. Both were from pictures she took last summer on the same day.

I went off to the Schweinfurt on Sunday to hear my good friend, Cheri do a trunk show and talk. She was very entertaining and I enjoyed seeing all her work together again.

This is also the beginning of a new month so I had group meetings to attend.

At Diva’s Regina had four Christmas banners she had completed to share with us. They all used Christmas carols as the themes for the blocks. She said she will put one up and then replace it with another the next week. All the thread she uses makes my mind boggle.

Noel showed us a fun nine patch she had done years ago of her husband to demonstrate what she was working on. She has a cartoon of her grand daughter that she was cutting up in the same fashion to make for her a Christmas gift. It was cute but still all in pieces.

Tanya came to the studio yesterday and we made silk paper. I have more material for my rock quilts now.

Progress Report: Grounded I am to the fun part of this project now. I do enjoy the free motion work so very much. I am outlining the leaves- each in a different colored thread as my quilting on this one. I am about half way done with the process.

Christmas Cards I took time to make a batch of Christmas cards this week too. I am finally using the great printed papers that I got from the British Museum. Simple but enjoyable.

Williams Quilt I finally got the images transferred to fabric this week. I plan to really concentrate on this project now as I want it finished in two weeks if possible. The fabrics are all washed and ready for cutting. It was fun looking for the topic fabrics on the list. Nancy found the brownie print fabric for me.

Label Blocks Two more blocks numbers 28 ans 29. Soon I will be one forth done with this project. I do need and infusion of labels though as it seems I am getting near the bottom of my box. I will just have to ask for help with this.

Keep Creating

Carol

Daily's, Oak Leaves, On the Raod to Dry Falls, Truquoise Street Studio

Open Studio November 21 , 2013

November 21, 2013 admin

Hi ,

Welcome to all the new followers that have signed up this week. 32 new folks were added to the subscription list and I am quite flattered.

This is a shot of the Turquoise Street Studio wall with work by Beth Houston Barholdt and Barbara Vural. They are having an open studio this eve as a part of Third Thursday. I was asked to join them and I have work for sale as well. I know I should have posted this bit of news last week- but I did not think of it. I will try to keep my eye on that ball in the furture. So as that bit of news suggests I have been busy getting ready for that event. Tagging, matting and framing of little works really take a lot longer than their size suggests.

On Tuesday, I went along with the other gals who are part of FAB- our mini group, to see the Quilts= Art= Quits at the Schweinfurth Art Center. We spent two hours looking and talking about the work shown there. It is always so inspiring. Then on the way home we stopped at Patchwork Plus and did a little shopping. Nancy and Victoria both purchased material, while Patti and I purchased other things. We had a good full day and I went home with my mind spinning in many directions.

I started working on Christmas Cards this week too. I stitched down green silk scraps from the Oak Leaves project on top of green triangles. Then I added a star and squeezie paint balls to the trees. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Oak Leaves 45" X 30" $ 350.00 — Oak Leaves
45″ X 30″
$ 350.00

Progress Report: Oak Leaves This quilt is complete now. I had shown it to the gals in FAB at the last meeting and they suggested that I add something to the bottom left hand side. This work hung on the design wall all week and finally yesterday morning it hit me that what it needed was a little bit of suggested green leaf fromation from another branch. So I added it. I really like how the silk leaves are fraying with time on this piece. That added texture plus the wonderful shadows created by the overlapping leaves, especially were they cross the frapped branches, are enjoyable to me. I have never used silk in this fashion before and think there is more exploration for me in that direction. I do not have any more silk at the moment so it will have to stay at the dream/ imagination stage for now.

On the Raod To Dry Falls 29" X 39.5" $290.00 — On the Raod To Dry Falls
29″ X 39.5″
$290.00

On The Road to Dry Falls This is the lost top that I mentioned last week. I had started it at QBL. I used some very old material here- the yellow, orange and white in the center and left sections- and some more recently altered stuff. The cream and green at the top on the right and lower left is from the discharged play day I did with Marty last spring. I also used some of the silk paper on this work. I am enjoying the process of free motion attachment of yarn( the white lines) as well as the sewing/quilting lines for texture. I am getting better at stretching the silk out to create more of a web like effect too.

This quilt also has some hand painted fabric in it. Well that many not exactly be hand painted as this light sections is really a wipe up cloth- but I do not know how else to describe it. Nothing is trash to me I guess.

Daily’s The Daily’s continue to be joy for me. This week’s collection seems to be a mixture of crazy and control…. I am not even going to guess what that says about my mind. There are only a few more prepared blocks using the black circles and red squares….. So there will be a change in something by next week.

Keep Creating

Carol

Adventure Challenge 2013, Hand Bags, Purple Trees, Truquoise Street Studio

Feb 28, 2013 Time is flying

February 28, 2013 admin

Hello,

I can not believe that this is the end of February already. It seems like we just celebrated New Years a day or two ago. I am busy as everyone else seems to be. This week has been one with lots of travel in it. I went off to the Turquoise Street studio on Friday last week and spent my time playing with decolorant. It was especially cool as the stuff I used not only took the color out of the fabric, but added a new color in its place. This first shot is Barbara applying the decolorant to a foam block. I enjoyed the exploration of the process and did it again with Ethel on Wed. One of the nice benefits is I am using lots of foam stamps that I had created but never touched before. There is also the fringe benefit of when someone else uses the stamps they sometimes put things together in a fashion that I had not considered. Its a great learning experience for me too. Beth and Pat were there too all working at pastels. We all seem to benefit from working in parallel. It was a fun day.

Progress Report Growing Up
I really enjoyed working on this project. There was lots of shifting of the horizontal lines as I went along and I think that I will try to change that in the furture by doing more basting. It was so much fun doing the pod shapes of the plants that I really did not notice the shifting until I looked at the work again at the end. So that too is something I need to work on- more looking!

Gearing Up

When ever someone gives me an interesting object or thing I usually hold it for a while and then most times it becomes a part of a work of my art. This quilt is an exception. Barbara used the gear stencil on felt on one of the first play days. She then painted the gesso red. She did use some of the stuff that she painted, but this red felt did not get used and she passed it on to me- that become the jumping off point for this quilt. These little adventures often lead me in directions that I might not have gone under my own direction. After Barbara’s gift I made some gear gesso fabric on canvas so I added it to this quilt as well.

Blue Fuse This project is nearly completed. This is another project that I would not have started except for the influence of a friend. Ethel and I painted fusible web in January and I started this project because of that event. My friends sure help me explore- and I am grateful. I decided to add different sized boarders on it to help with the balance of the piece. I added a solid back and the quilting that is only on that boarder area is all the work that will go all the way through the piece. I enjoyed the process even though I do not think this is what most folks do with painted fusible web.

Tropical Day Dreaming
This quilt has some gesso stencil work on it too. The white on the turquoise is gesso and the multi colored areas are as well. It has been so very cold and snowy that I have wanted to be in a warm place- so playing with these colors helps. I have started quilting this in a pebble type of pattern with nylon threads.

Purple Trees I am still struggling with this project. I do feel like I am getting better at the control of the work however. The learning curve on this one is real slow for me. I am glad I have the time to work through this problem.

Blue, Blue, Blue

This top went together rather quickly in two days. I wanted to feature the square that is pinned to the top and I have an idea of how to do just that. It is dyed paper with a wax resits on top. That makes it very stiff and I can not add to the surface with additional drawing and it will not stick to other papers. Sewing is the only answer. Now I need to find the time to work at it.

Stump Men felt project. I am still working away on this project. The faces are becoming more distinct with the continued felting I think. I may need a bit of feed from my peers as I am reaching the point where I can not really see what to do next.

Hand Bag Anne gave me two hand woven belts from Pure at the last DIVA meeting. I decided to use one as a handle for a bag and this project is the result. I seem to always need a new bag and this will do the trick for a while.

I hope that spring will soon be greeting us with flowers and showers.

Keep Creating

Carol

Purple Trees, Scrap Happy Quilts, Truquoise Street Studio

Feb. 21, 2013 Longer Days

February 25, 2013 admin

Hello,

I really fell we are moving out of the depths of winter as the days grow longer. I was awakened this morning and the golden pink light of dawn was spreading across the quilt. I

wear glasses and so when I looked at the window to see the sky I not only saw the beautiful color, but also the fuzzy dark lines of the maple branches against that sky. It is oh so wonderful to wake up in light again. I watched the color of the sky change from that golden pink to pure gold and then lighten to a lemon hue to pale blue before I moved from the soft warmth of the bed clothes. The sky has changed over the course of the day and now is a velvet gray with snow falling again. I still feel pleasantly pleased when I think of the color of the dawn of today and know there will be more coming.

BF21Pat&Barb — Pat,with Barbara in the background

This week I went to the Turquoise Street Studio on Friday and played with my pals. The others all worked in pastels, but they include me any way. I really like the atmosphere and I do get work done. I am still playing with gesso on fabric, felt and cardboard this time. I was thinking that I could add the felt or cardboard on top of the Gear shift quilt in a fashion similar to what Barbara was doing with her paintings- but that did not work. I will use them on cards or something else. I never feel anything is a loss when one is exploring and playing with ideas. I also put in a little time creating some small works for the Six By Six project. That is a show where you make small works that are all six inches square and sell for $20.00 each. I did a little fusing for this project- something that I have not been doing much of lately. It is a great way to explore and use little bits of fabric as well as little bits of time.

Progress Report: Gear Shift
I am in the middle of quilting this piece now. I left the circles that I am using as templates pinned to the surface to show how I do them. For smaller circles and little shapes I cut the shape into a old photo- that way I can see exactly where the stitches are going. For the bigger shapes I cut the circle and pin it so I can see the area around the out side of the shape. I use this same method for any irregular shape I am quilting.

Growing Up
I was feeling the gray snowy effects of winter the day I started this work. I am quilting it using the growth lines as my starting points and filling the surface with the nobs of new growth at the end of the lines. I am sure I will finish this quilt this week.

Blue Fuse
This is a detail of more of the hand work I am doing on this top. I am trying new stitches and keeping the color limited on this one.

Purple Trees

I am still struggling with this work. This shot is what I greeted me on the pin wall this morning. The last work or yesterday. I really only like the tree on the far right and feel that I may abandon the other two and start for that point. I think it is important to show my failures as well as my successes because they happen to everyone.

The Tide Is In
This is a top that I came out of my frustration with the tree work. I often play when things are not going well. I also wanted to use some of the felt gessoed fabric and the some that I had painted on Friday at the studio.

Scrap Happy Project

This is the sot of the blocks for the Scrap Happy Quilt I am working on for the TV Auction our local Public station does every spring. The big colored areas show the center of the roman strip of the block. There will be two different row patterns using an alternating lay out. So there is not top of bottom to this quilt I will turn the second row in the opposite direction when I put them together. I do enjoy making these quilts.

Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol

PS – sorry- I though I pushed the publish button on Thur and only when I checked today did I catch my mistake. I will try to stay on top of things.

Purple Trees, Truquoise Street Studio

Feb 14, 2013 Valentines’s Day

February 14, 2013 admin

Hello Friends,

Happy Valentines Day to you. I hope the day brings you joy. In elementary school the day was always full of tension. I always love the decorating the shoe box with red and white. I liked punching out the cards and- my favorite part of inserting the heart shaped suckers, but I did not enjoy the actual party at school because it always seemed to bring disappointment of a sorts- Anti climatic I guess. Now days I indulge myself and make cards to send to my girl friends and I am getting to do the part I always liked the most any way. I made about 30 of these hand drawn and painted hearts in various colors from orange to turquoise. This is the only one I did not mail. I enjoyed the process the part that is most important to me anyway.

This week has been full and enjoyable. I went off last Friday to play in the Turquoise Street Studio again. Beth played with pastels and paint in this work. She also flattered me a bit by using the graffiti stencil of her name at the bottom. Barb played with paint and is working away on her project the recycle show in two mouths. I continues to work with paint on fabric. This shot shows my Pomegranate stencil work. I still do not have a clue as to how or what this will become- but I like to have lots of raw material about so when an idea strike I am ready. I think this play day has become a weekly event for a while as I am already set to go again tomorrow. It is good to work with folks around you even if we are not all working on the same thing. Barbara and I went to Rome along with another artist friend on Monday with work for the figures show. She did really well in that show last year and I did too. It is important to have your work out in the world I think.

Progress Report- Stamping Out
This quilt is complete now. I had fun with the quilting as I tried to keep the stitch pattern in irregular square like shapes like the actual area around the stamps. The cream silk is a bit wavy and I think the next time I use silk I will back it to avoid this problem.

Blue Fuse I am glad to have this little bit of hand work to play with as I just got a new book-” Free-Form Embroidery ” by Judith Baker Montano. Her work is directed toward landscape. I just love how she uses the stitches and I am playing with learning them on this piece. The chance bits of colored fuse makes the process less intimidating too. I know a few but even the simple blanket stitch can be treated with irregularity according to Ms Montano and I am loving it.

Evening Trees This is the DMC Challenge project so far. This is only a working title as calling it DMC sounds silly even to me. I am still struggling with the slender inserts. I like the process and feel I will get the hang of it the more I do it. I am not happy with this composition so you can be sure that will change before it is done.

Summer Festival This is my newest play quilt. It all started with the big print fabric. I have carried it around for about a year. I needed a shot of sun shine during those snowy gray dark days last week. This fabric did the job- I find it so light and cheerful. I still have quite a large chunk of the print so I think there will be a couple of more quilts that start with the fabric too.

Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol

Bird Goddesses, Goddess Series, ISIS quilt, Madum Peli, Motherhood Maze, Truquoise Street Studio

January 31,2013 Opening

January 31, 2013 admin

Hello Friends,

Here in central New York the wind is blowing up a storm as a cold front from the north hits a worm front form the south. Trees are bending and swaying and some tree limbs have blown down. The snow has been blown horizontally off and on this afternoon. I am glad to be inside working in my studio today!

The Opening was Sunday afternoon and it went well. I was delighted by the many friends that appeared from all parts of my life. My daughter and grandson appeared early in the afternoon and my husband along with several of the folks that he works with near the end of the event. My friends from school, from Social Art and fellow quilters also showed up to support me and enjoy the wonderful banquet that the director provided. I was delighted to discover that I have now sold two of my works, the second being the Kachina Sun quilt that was on the post card. It can be very affirming for an artist like my self to sell a work to a total stranger.

I think that Spider Woman’s Spires looks really strong on the brick wall background too.

The placement of Motherhood Maze so it is seen from the doorway as you enter the dinning area makes it one of the first works you see. I think I talked about it more as an individual piece then any of the others. I am still flying high from the experience.

Progress Report: Play Day
Barbara invited me to the Turquoise Studio to have a play day on Thur last week. We were working with gesso- stenciling and stamping with it . I put on it on fabric and felt and Barbara mostly applied it to stretched canvas. After the gesso was dry in the afternoon we painted the surfaces. The gesso resisted the paint a bit and that changed the color as well as the texture. I was so excited by the results that I created a top with some of the altered fabric already.

I am calling this Eventide. I used all of one of the turquoise felt pieces in this as well as a second painted piece. The white is the pure gesso. The turquoise felt has been painted with purple and blue acrylic paint.

Pepe’ I started this quilt before the show but did not get it finished. It too is a goddess quilt as Pepe’ is the Hawaiian goddess of the vocano. I have started the quilting with a copper metallic thread in a swirling pattern. But the thread kept breaking so I put the thread on the bobbin and I have been quilting from the back side. It is just a little scary to do it this way but the braking is not happening now. The ghost like color changes shown here in this close up come from using painted fusible web that I painted orange and brown. I keep learning new tricks along the way and that is exciting for me.

Painted Fusible Web I went off to my friend Ethel and had a second play day this week. She and I painted the fusible web. I did blue, orange and yellow, black and a pink gold pieces. I do not know where I will use most of this but it did the trick for the Pepe piece. I sure had fun and one can never have too many tools in the creative tool box.

Soy Wax Resist This was another thing Ethel and I played with. We had both read about this technique in the February/March issue of Quilting Arts Magazine- issue 61. The article is by Susan Purney Mark. We followed the instructions and did the sewing step first . Then we painted with soy wax on the mountains and tried not to get the wax in the valleys were the tread was. The next step was to paint in the dye in thous valleys. It is batching now so the final images will not appear until next week. This second shot shows how the dye penetrates to through the batting to the back. The dye will all wash away as the batting is synthetic and the dye will not adhere. The same batting can be reused for a second try of this method. Ethel and I plan to do just that.

Tsunami Wash Up I have been hand stitching down mostly plastic objects like the ones I have seen in photos of the plastics that have been washing ashore on the west cost do to the Tsunami last year. We are really polluting our environment and events like this really play that up. We have too much plastic in our lives. It does not break down into reusable materials like natural objects. So were does it go? Sure it gets broken and ground into smaller and smaller bits. Sometimes birds and fish eat it. What are the effects on those creatures? Do we end up with it in ourselves when we eat sea food? How dangerous is that? What are the long term effects? I do not have any answers, just lots of questions.

Keep Creating

Carol

Cre-8

Category Archives: Truquoise Street Studio

Going Forward

New Growth

Spring get away

Snow Marks

Moving Along

Open Studio November 21 , 2013

Feb 28, 2013 Time is flying

Feb. 21, 2013 Longer Days

Feb 14, 2013 Valentines’s Day

January 31,2013 Opening

Creative Fiber Collage Artist Carol Boyer