Hi All-

I am just home form my wonderful experience in Philadelphia.  I am sorry if you checked in last week and there was no post.  I did the work on Wed and tried to post from the hotel on Thur eve- but I had no success.  Sometimes the technology is beyond me.

I did enjoy the drive down to as the trees are starting to open and things are greening up the father south one ventures.  When I went for walks along the river next to the hotel I saw Dog Tooth Violets and Blue Bells.   The Van Goth Up Close Show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art was my first stop.  It was amazing!  I had only seen to of the works presented before so my eyes where hungerly looking at each work.   I have always enjoyed his use of heavy paint- but I was not prepared for the use of the  color red.  There where paintings of grasses and fields in large numbers of green tons and shades and then Van Goth would throw in one ore two thin little dashes of red!   It would wake up my eye and make me look for more surprises.  I saw lots of red by the end of the show in all sorts of unusual  places like the weave in a basked of fruit or in a shadow.   I was jazzed by the end of the show and even though I tried to look at other exhibits  in the museum- that process was useless- I was viewing  brain full.  As my friend Barbara would say of the students when we would take them to the Museum of Modern Art- I had”museum feet”- and was overwhelmed and needed processing time to absorb it all.

The Identity:Context and Reflection conference sponsored jointly  by the Studio Art Quilt Association and Surface Design Association started on Friday morning.   There was a great lecture by Bruce Pepich titled ” Museums and Contemporary  Fiber Art: Where Are We Today?”.  He held up lots of hope for a strong growing interest in fiber works as a growing field for museums.  He also noted the changing complexion of fiber/weaving departments  in art schools curriculum’s as further proof of  the change in attitude toward this art.   The rest of the day continued with more information in the form of a slide show and two panel discussions about fibers.   The evening  included a trip to the Wayne Art Center where we participated in the opening and awards ceremony of the Art Quilt Elements 2012  Show.    What a visual feast that was too.  It was great to see and talk with so many of the artists about their work and have them explain about specific parts.   I purchased the catalogue and although is does not  have the impact of the actual event- I still find I am drooling over the images.   Perhaps I was sensitized to red by the Van Goth experience- but it seemed like there was a lot of red and orange in this show too.     Saturday morning we boarded buses and started touring Fibers Philadelphia.   There where nine spots on the tour with at least two galleries in each area and  five in several.   I took lots of photos for my own enjoyment- but because I did not get permission form the artists I will not post any of them.  I was amazed at the variety of images and materials from knitted  wire jewelry to the fanciful use pin tucks for building surfaces in a fine quilt.  For the second time I went back to the hotel with “museum feet” and  image fulled head.   The Sunday morning session was a good as Fridays had been.  Sandra Snider did an especially fun bit of roll playing to the theme ” And What do You Do?”   She helped us all see how we as Artist can approach this point at the beginning of conversations and present ourselves in a more positive light.   It was great.     I then hooked up with a three other gals, one from Texas and two from Oklahoma and we went back and visited three galleries we had missed the day before.   Our last top was the studio of one of Dianne Koppisch Hricko  who’s studio is housed in the same building as the  “In the Box out of the Box”  fiber show.    It is great to see another artists studio space.

   Dianne is primarily a fabric dyer who works a lot in silk.  She is the gal in the middle of the photo.  Michelle   Lasker  is far left, Janice Filler second,   Dianne,  Sharon Hedges is forth and I am on the far right.  For a second time I went to bed with lots of new fiber images in my head.

 

I was glad to get up on Monday and go to a workshop where I would be focusing on one thing.     Cameron Mason was my teacher and the class was Beyond the Surface:Sculptural Explorations with Soft Materials.   What fun for me!    She did a great little power o point to start us off . Them we did a little sketching and she demoed some ways of working and we  all went to work.  Our first markets where in paper and tape.  It was fun to see how things would fit together.   I settled on a open pyramid type form.   I continued my exploration of openings with this project too.   After the paper was worked out we moved onto cutting the forms in  Pentex.  She made us sew them together before we went forward even though we cut them apart.  This step allowed for design changes before the fabric was added.  The fabric made for a whole new set to design decisions.

 

                                                                                                                                                                     This is one of the units half way assembled.  I stopped and fray checked all the thread ends before I sewed the last side by hand.   I think now that I used too may fabrics in the three units- but this is a beginning project and not for a serious piece.

 

This shot shows all three finished units.  The wholes where the most fun.   I sure like the shadows and  sense they are not connected to one another yet I keep playing with new set ups.  They might even make a very nice mobile too.

 

 

 

There were as many different directions to the use of the materials as there were folks in the class. Only the Kathleen, who was setting across the table and I did geometric shapes.   You can sort of see the yellow box within the gray one from this photo. It was cool.   The others were wonderful too.  I want to keep playing with this idea and I hope to do some more natural forms in the future.

                                                                                                                                                                             Several of us did not get things at all completed( note the clips and the books inside the one on the far right.    It sure was a growth experience and something we all strive for when it comes to learning.

I am sure I will be playing catch up with myself for several days before I get back into the studio- but I am anxious to do so.

 

Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol

I am a bit off balance as there was an accident involving my friend on Wed.  She fell and after stitches she is OK- but unwilling to go to Philadelphia with me.  I am sorry and I will miss her presents this week, but I understand  things change.  I am fine doing the events on my own and the excitement will just be diminished without her.    Life is really a paradox because we must act like all our plans will work as we intend, but there is always  the possibility that they will not.    So I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and just be glad that she will mend and we can share another experience in the future.

Good things happened this week too.  My friend Barbara won a second place at the Recycled Show at the Rome Art Center.  I am so very happy for her and I like this piece too.

 

 

 

I had several things accepted as well.  These little Spice Girls as I call them were all presented on the mantle piece of the gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also had two found object collages in this show.

Both were created from stuff that was from my past and mostly out of my grandmothers house. In Blue Too is  the watch that did not work even when I was young and the Hein’s Pickle pin came from the time we visited the factory in about 1958.

 

The glasses in Orange Objects  where Aunt May’s and the elephants are carved ivory from a necklace that was broken when my cousin was wearing it  at a garden party.  We never found all the parts to put it back together again.   They are both real memory pieces for me.

  I got excited by the wonderful sunny weather and cut a stamp of a tulip and made Spring Cards one day this week.  I put them in the mail this morning.

 

 

 

Progress Report: Angled Balance

This quilt is finished now.  I really like how the quilting lines run across the printed fabric lines on this surface.   It was fun to work on this one too.

 

 

 

 

 

Knot Know DMC Project #7 and Adventure Challenge

 

 

This quilt has lots of extra items after the title because it fits into to series.  I used fabric from the DMC project for the colors.  The black is the addition.  I am nearing the end of the yardage from that project.  I did however use the last bits in two other tops.   The knots make this part of the Adventure Challenge as they are my own derivative from the Lois Ericson Book Design and Sew it Yourself.    I have tow more ideas I want to explore out to that text and then I will be ready to move onto the next book in that Challenge.

Pot Shards

I am done with this quilt except for the addition of the sleeve on the back.   I did use the pottery design for the quilting patterns as I mentioned last week.   I like the final effect here and may look to pottery again as a source for quilting designs.

 

 

Paper Pieces

This piece uses  the last of Dawn’s crimson from the DMC project with a lot of tan fabric.  One of my quilting buddies gave me these paper bits that she had created in Rayna Gillman’s class.  They are all sealed with matt medium.    I have carried them around in an envelope for a couple of years and they seemed to be the embellishment that this surface needed. I have just started the quilting on this one.

I know there will not be any progress on my works this week because of the Surface Design Conference that I am going to.  But I will have lots of other news to talk about next week.    Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol

We have reached the” Ides of March”. This comes from Latin  ides… that means the middle- and the 15 is  of this mouth.  The reason we in the western world note the date is because Julius Cesar was stabbed that day.   I will admit that the mouth has been rushing along for me.   I enjoyed the waining half moon this morning as I did my daily check of the sky.   I am still a little sluggish in the morning having not made the full switch of the lost hour that day light savings time  brings.      I did start spring cleaning as this  week.   The quilter in me makes me break up the task into lots of little pieces.  So I tackled my ribbon wall on the back of the studio closet .

This is a before shot…….. then we have the after shot.   I should be able to access colors a lot better now.   I will keep at the clean up one little piece at a time and perhaps by the Ides of April I will be nearly finished.

Progress Report:     Spiraling Out

This quilt caused me some frustration this week.  I had quilted it following the spiraling action….. it was awful!   So I spent an evening removing all the machine work.    I am still not sure this is the answer for this work. I guess I will need to put it at the bottom of the stack for a while and see how I feel when I can look at it with fresh eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crimson Diminished DMC IV

I am still using us the fabric from the DMC project.  I feel I have gained a great deal form this process.  Making me slow down and not try to do everything on one work is one of the main lessons for me.   I believe this work uses the new material well and it still holds to the simple approach.   I think there is just enough fabric – mostly in Dawn’s crimson and Marty’s turquoise that I can add one additional fabric and create one last work in this series.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cycling Circuits

  I am now ready to begin to fill in the openings.   I have several  treatments  to audition.

This is cotton netting in a navy blue

 

  This next trial is  inner facing  painted in pink and rose with some of the area left white.   This treatment  could use some spark- like beads too.

 

 

This third image shows a purple plastic screening in the opening.   This one too needs some embellishment to make the whole more interesting.   I will again just have to live with these for a while before I will know what is the most effective.Golden Rounds Paper Quilt IV

  This is a full view of the  paper quilt in progress.   I am having fun doing more of the Faggotting  between the paper sections.   I have learned several things along the way here.  Number one- when cutting a curve the spacing is difficult- at least for me.  This irregular spacing, plus the uneven sizes of beads is  the second thing I learned.  And that is I must try each set before I stitch into the section across the opening.  I do like the effect!  It has been fun.    Sugar Spill

This is a quilt that uses a simple composition  a and special materials.  I played with the Angelina  adding  sequins and  felt in the mix.   It was an enjoyable exploration process.

I reflected the squares of felt in the quilting in this work.  I created a pattern that I may repeat in a future piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New work- Fire Works

  This is a new piece that I am excited about.   After playing with the Angelina for Sugar Spill, I did my  typical” What IF????” and  this new thing with fire works came into being.    I have had this strong purple fabric with the turquoise in it ever sense the DMC project got started.   But it is so intense a color that I had not used it before this time.  As you can see here I am still intimidated by it and have mostly covered it with the Angelina.   This work  also spawned a second new piece were I am trying the powerful purple fabric as a whole cloth unit.

 

 

 

 

 

Mini 4

I still have so much to learn about the photo process.  This time I did manage to  not have the flash show on the glass- but it is very tilted! I see this as room for growth.

 

Keep Creating everyone

Hugs

Carol

 

 

Button Necklace Instructions:    Carol Boyer  March 2012

Step A. Sizing the necklace:

1. Sort your buttons by size into at least five stacks.  You need the most buttons in the smaller sizes and as few as five of the biggest ones. ( but do not worry if you do not have a lot of the smallest ones- I usually do not use them too much after the first group of 5(the first two inches) and the  last 5( final  two inches) of  the necklace construction.  I usually throw in a few “Fancy” and or color contrast buttons too to add interest.  Now you are ready to begin constructing the necklace.

2.Using crochet Hook #6 start by chaining through a shank button twice( I tend to choose a color that is different from the basic color of the necklace so I can find it easily when I am wearing the finished necklace)

3. Then chain for 20”.  Taking note of this point- chain 12 more stitches slipping the last one into the end of the 20 stitch to create a loop. Now stitch over all the stitches in the loop until you have returned to the 20” section.

4. At this point chain through all the stitches back to the button.

 

5. Using safety pins- mark the 10” location on the chain between the button and the loop. (I usually put two pins here so I can easily see its location as I work back.)   Then mark with safety pins every two inches on the chain.

 

Step B Adding the buttons:

1. Using the hook and thread turn back one stitch toward the loop end of the chain.

2. Skipping one stitch then slip the hook into the second stitch and make three stitches that    hang below the chain.

3. With the third stitch slip the hook through one of the buttons form the smallest pile (you  may need to change to the smaller hook to do this process)

4. With the hook, grab a bit of the thread and pull it through the whole in the button and make a stitch with it.

5. Now Stitch back through the first stitches until you are back to the base chain.

6. At this point set aside a button of similar size to the one you just used to be used at the other  end of the necklace.( I usually put the set aside buttons in a zip lock bag that I mark A)

7. Chain into the base row, skip a stitch and chain in again.

8. Now you are ready to add the next button by chaining down three stitches.

9. Repeat steps 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 about five times or until you reach the safety pin. **

Step C Adding two buttons

1. Skip one stitch and chain down three stitches.

2. Slip your hook through the next size up button from your collection and pull the tread back through the loop so the button is on the thread.

3. Now chain down two more stitches and add a button (one of your smallest ones if you have enough to do so) in the same manner as you did the first five times.

4. Now carefully chain up the whole five stitches back to the base chain, being careful not to pull the thread too tightly so the hanging units become stiff.

5. Chain into the base row over two stitches.

6. Start as second zip lock bag to hold the matching buttons for the second two inches on the second half of the necklace. Mark this bag B

7. Repeat steps 1 to 5 under heading C adding buttons to the necklace base and to the bag as you proceed to the next safety pin. **

 

Step D Adding three buttons and four buttons

1. Skip one stitch and chain down three stitches.

2. Slip your hook through the next size up button from your collection and pull the tread back       through the loop so the button is on the thread. (This is the third size)

3. Now chain down three more stitches and add a button (one of your second sized ones.) in the same manner as you have been doing.

4. This time you chain down two more stitches and add the smaller button to the bottom before you turn and chain back up to the top.  Again be careful not to pull too much so the chain is stiff. Begin bag C with matching buttons.

5. Chain into the base row over two stitches and repeat step four.   Do this action three times.

6. On the fourth trip down you add one more button any were along the way that you feel it needs it.  I usually feel the necklace needs and extra button near the top.  Do this for drop rows four and five and you should be to the next safety pin. **

 

Step E Adding five and six buttons

1. Skip one stitch and chain down three stitches. Now add one of your biggest buttons and chain down three more and add another button.

2. Continue to chain and add a buttons in ever smaller sizes until you have five in the line.  Then chin back up the string to the base row.  At this time I also start to add a novelty button into my mix if I have any. Start a new zip lock bag.

3. Chain into the base row over two stitches to start the next addition.   You may increase to six buttons as you near the safety pin if you desire as this is the center of the necklace.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 as you proceed to the center safety pin. **

5.  CONGRATULATIONS!   You are half way done.

 

Step F Adding five and six buttons.

1. Skip one stitch and chain down three stitches. Again add one of your biggest buttons and chain down three more and add another button.

2. Continue to chain and add a buttons in ever smaller sizes until you have five or six in the line depending on you previous choices.  Then chin back up the string to the base row.  I continue to add the novelty buttons. Now you remove buttons from the zip lock bag and put them on the necklace.

3. Chain into the base row over two stitches to start the next addition.    If you increased to six buttons try to decrease to five as you near the safety pin.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 as you proceed to the next safety pin. **

 

Step G Adding three and four buttons.

1. Skip one stitch and chain down three stitches. Now select a button from you bag marked C.

2. Slip your hook through the button from your collection and pull the tread back through the button.

3. Now chain down three more stitches and add a button (one of your second sized ones.) in the same manner as you have been doing.  Repeat until you have four buttons on the chain before you turn and chain back up to the top.

4. Chain into the base row over two stitches and repeat step 3.   Do this action two more times.

5. On the fourth trip down you add only three buttons before returning to the top.  Repeat the three button addition twice.  You should be at the safety pin. **

 

Step G Two buttons

1. Skip one stitch and chain down three stitches.

2. Slip your hook through the next size up button from bag B and pull the tread back through the loop so the button is on the thread.

3. Now chain down two more stitches and add a small button.

4. Chain back to the base chain.

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 until you have reached the safety pin. **

 

Step H Final buttons

1. Skip one stitch then slip the hook into the second stitch and make three stitches that  hang below the chain.  Add a button from the bag marked A

2. Chain back to the base. Continue to do step 1and 2 until you have fie ore six buttons on the  base or you have reached the loop.

3 Tie off the thread with two knots and weave the tail into the chain.

**

**GLUE** 

I recommend that you do this every two inches or each safety pin- but you may not want to stop at the safety pins.

1. on a piece of scrap paper squeeze out a drop of white glue.

2. With a tooth pick dip into the glue and then slip the tooth pick into one of the stitches in each hang down row of the necklace.  This little bit of glue dries clear and will assure that the necklace dose not pull apart.

 

CONGRADULATE yourself and wear you buttons with pride.

It is a bit gray this morning, but the last few days have been beautifully sunny.  The planet is shifting slowly south and the sun dose shine into my studio that is on the east end of the house.   I am not changing the time I rise so I am aware of the increasing light every morning when I enter.    In a week I find I am no longer  looking at the pin wall and seeing works in shades of gray and white.   Color greets my eye and not just in the studio.  The group discussion at QEG’s and the  books on color that I have been reading  have really made me aware of its presents.   I even used my 3 in 1 color tool to make a choice when it came to color for one of my works this week.

Progress Report   Adventure Challenge-  Blue Frogs

Here is where I use the color tool.  I would not have selected the “orange”- I see it as golden brown  to add to this blue combination if I had not looked at the chart.   I love the way the frogs are created with a continuous line.  This idea is from the same book”, by Louis Ericson, Design It and Sew It Yourself. I know there will be more work with this idea.  I find it so very fascinating.

 

Spiraling Out

My continuing fascination with  the orange and blue combination has also lead to this new work.  I really think the print fabric is mostly responsible though.  I love how the artist put so many colors together and they really dance well.  Not until I though of using fabric that had very little or no print of its own did I find a way to use it.  This work is getting a texture treatment in the  form of various buttons that will spiral out  from and off center location.  I started with an enamel button that I had purchased years ago.  It has like the fabric always been such a strong bit that I have not been able to use it in the past.  I do not think it will over power this work.

 

  Sax Circles

This quilt top is an extension of the DMC project.   I added two other pieces of fabric to the combo of the Crimson and blue green to do this one and I used the same construction method I used on the last three works in that group.  I though that is needed a little kick of texture so I am adding to the surface. Years ago a friend gave me some old  pads are from the keys of Saxophones.   I  painted some blue and aqua and now I am adding them to the surface to add the interest I think it needs.   As you can see some of the pads took the paint better than others.

Cycle Circuits

This quilt is now a full top.  I like the openings and that is just a  continuing explorations thing for me.   I am to the tedious part of this project were I have to carefully add the batting in between the openings and add parts to the back by building onto the facings of each opening too.   I am much more excited about some of the other work I am doing so this keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the work stack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Rounds Paper Quilt   I picked  the paper quilt and after a bit of sketching, I started cutting away at it.  I am not sure if  I am done with the cutting- but I do like what is happening so far.    I am thinking about adding beads in the opening to do a bit more Faggoting. It is worth a try

Mini’s  Lastly I did frame two of the mini works.  I am having trouble shooting them as they do  show the light on the glass.  I have though about that as I have been working this morning and I think I can conquer that problem if I put the light source from the side.

I also want to get a little closer next time to show the detail more.

It has been a full week as they all seem to be.  I will keep looking at and thinking about color and light in the days ahead.

Keep Creating

Hugs

Carol