Hand work, Lap Quilts, Machine Drawing, People, QBL- Quilting By the Lake, Scrap Happy Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Working Away

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Hello,
I am feeling like things are really starting to go well now. Summer is in full swing and I am doing well. This week I went off to the Schweinfurth on Monday and helped dismantle the show along with lots of other gals. It was fun and tiring. When I left the job was almost complete.

I went to Marcia’s this week too. There were only six of us but we still had a good time. Nancy showed off her simple cover all.

Susan worked on one of her projects from QBL. She cut and printed the chair stamp in class and tells me she plans to use it in another project.

Progress Report: Liberties Lost This work is 24″ w X 34″ l. It is my second entry for the Justice for All??? show at Art Rage in April. I am pleased with how it has come out.

I may go back and darken some areas, but I think I need to let it rest for now.

12″ X 12″ This is my entry for the SAQA NY/NJ challenge. We are suppose to challenge our selves with this work. I decided to keep it keep the colors simple and see how many different materials and textures I could play with and still have it work. It was a fun exercise for me

Lap 20/ 26 This is another of the works were I used pre existing strips to create it. The box is no longer overflowing, but I think there will be another one of these before I have nearly empties it. Susan has agreed to take them to the nursing home were her mother is when I am ready. That is wonderful!

Scarp Happy blocks I got busy and made these blocks for the next scarp happy that I want to create at the Sisterhood Retreat in October. It is a big enough space I can lay the rows out and see how they will look so that is what I intend to do.

Portraits from QBL I emailed Lynn and she helped me remember what Luke Hanes had said about finishing up our portraits. I spent the afternoon yesterday doing the free motion work and now I am ready to move onto the background.


Sisterhood Challenge On Friday we were talking about the Sisterhood Challenge and Deb reminded me that handwork was suppose to be a part of the final- so I had to pull the project out again. I got the “Bling” part of the assignment- but not the handwork so I decided to make the silver part of hand stitched stars. Now I think all the stars will need a second row of stitching. Got to see how it goes.

Life is full and good.
Keep Creating

Carol

Hand work, Landscapes, Lap Quilts, QBL- Quilting By the Lake, Trees

Moving Along

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Hello,
I am feeling like I have my feet back on the ground now. I do get so much from QBL and it so exhausting too.
My big adventure for this week was a little trip to Homer to see the Rock Garden show at the Art Center and spend the day with Cheri. She had lots of great work on the wall. Exploring faces is her goal of late. I really like this work of her friend Liz. I think it looks like her too.

Terry also had a great piece in this show. We enjoyed our time to just talk as well.

Progress Report: Lap 19/26 I am still trying to use the extra edge pieces that I have created for other lap quilts. I think there are two more quilts in this style in the box. I only need to sew down the binding on this work now.

Lost Liberties I stitch down the flame and the broken tablet this week. I am working on the tree lines now. I hope to complete this project this week too.

Tree Blocks – Joshua Tree I finished up this work while I was in the Pixie Zoom meeting this week. I am getting close to the end of the blocks for this project. I think I will need to add a bit to the earlier blocks as I seem to have gotten a bit more elaborate over time.

Sorrel Cactus I started right away on the next block when the previous one was finished. I do so enjoy hand work.

Cross Lake I stared this at QBL in Valerie’s class. I am almost finished with this project. It needs a label and a bit on the binding.

Wildfire The wildfires are haunting me as we seem to have smoky skies almost daily here. Not having any more Judy Robert fabrics to use as my starting point I created one of my own yesterday. The colors are not as rich, but the challenge is to make it work.

Keep Creating
Carol

QBL- Quilting By the Lake, Shows, Trees

This year’s QBL

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Hello,
I got home from the two weeks of Quilting by the Lake last Friday. It was a good time as usual. It is aways so much fun to reconnect with old friends. I think I made a few new connections too. I had class With Luke Haynes week one. He dose fun work and a self portrait every year. He helped us all through exploring doing self portraits. I still need to do the stitching down and make a quilt out of mine. I was surprised at how much it looked like me in the end. We then went forward to do a second one. I am still struggling with that one. Some how I got the glasses out of alinement and that messed p the whole face.

My friend Thresa was in the class and this is her self portrait. I think it is great!

So too was Ellen. i love her background choice. We had a good time and all learned a lot I think.

Week one we auctioned off the quilt that I helped cut parts for last two years ago. Last year at QBL Kathy pass out bags of parts to folks and they assembeled them and returned the finished blocks. The money raised goes for scholarships and the quilt raised $350. Kathy put them together and quilting them over the winter. This year she is just asking for 6.5″ squares from folks. I am sure she will get some wild work.

Week two was Transparencies with Valerie Goodwin. This class was small with only 10 of us, but it was great too. This first transparency is Victoria’s work. She is having fun playing with her rooster image.

I did these two works. The Black and White is made from pieces Valerie provided for our use. The landscape of the lake is all my own creation. I had pre-sent her the water lilies and just tried to build a home for them. I would do it a bit differently if I could re do it. The flowers are too harsh.
I am still playing catch up with myself, but I am feeling like I an getting my feet on the ground. It is alwasy so very stimulating and I come home full of new ideas and things to think about.

On Monday I hung my Solo show at Piet Library in Syracuse. The set up there dose not work well for quilts so I used only my beaded work as it is mostly stretched on foam core or stretcher bars.
This show will be up until August 28.

My other excitement this week was meeting with Lawyer Emily Larson-Hatch to get approval to move forward on a wall piece for her office. This is the drawing. Now I need to purchase the fabric to do the job.

Progress Report: Lady Liberty I am moving forward on this project now and feeling good about it. This is my work on the torch.

Tree Blocks: Palm Tree – Joshua Tree I finished the Palm tree block before I went off to QBL. Then I tried to work on the Joshua Tree while I was there. But I was usually too tired to put in the time in the evening. It is moving along nicely now.

This entree is so late because I was having trouble with the computer. It seems access to my email, where I collect the images, was unaccusable yesterday.
Keep Creating
Carol

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Lap Quilts, QBL- Quilting By the Lake, Trees

Movening Forward

Hello,
Summer is a busy time! This week I spent three days preparing for a big house party here and then another day doing clean up.
We have been in this house for 50 years and so we celebrated. Needless to say that except for doing a lot of studio clean and organizing, I did not do much this week. I did pull materials for QBL that starts on Sunday.

Progress Report: Broken Blocks- Sisterhood of the Scissors Challenge 2025-2026 This work is 50″ X 58″. I enjoyed working on this after I got going. It is a different pallet for me and I liked that.

Lap 18-26 This top is all done now and I have even pin basted it. I will not get back to it for a while as QBL will take all my time.

Palm Tree Block As you can see I only worked a few min. on this project. I am off to Marcia’s Makers tomorrow and I intend to spend the day at this then.

Enjoy your next two weeks as I am sure I will too.

Keep Creating,
Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts, Trees

Summer

Hi,
Summer is in full swing and everyone is very busy. I had a stomach virus for three days last week and so I stay home and did not get much done. I missed most of the 4th of July events. I only watch fireworks on the television. Being ill sure makes on appreciate their good heath!
We are putting lots of effort into preparation for out annual July Birthday event on Sunday. We are mixing it with a celebration of living in this house for 50 years. Today, we will put up the assembled cabinets in the laundry room. Tomorrow the yard clean and organize will be our goal. Sat will be food prep and finish up. It will be fun to see everyone.
Progress Report: Lap 18-19 I did set at the machine a bit yesterday and added to this piece. It may not be finished before I go off to QBL, but I am Okay with that.

Broken Blocks I have pressed the back in preparation for layering and assembly. Again, this may on may not get attention as the yard and so many other little things are demanding attention.


Tree Block- Palm Tree I seem to find more time to do handwork as that is a sit down activity I can do in the evenings.
I am off to hold up cabinets while Eric connects them to the walls.
Keep Creating
Carol

Drawing, Felt Work, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Trees

Adirondack Trip

Hello,
Last weekend I went up to Marcia’s camp on Chase Lake in the Adirondacks. I enjoyed the dock and did my morning pages there every day. We had three wonderful days of good weather and good times. On Friday we went out and did a bit of shopping.

One of our stops was a basket makes and we all purchased great baskets from her. We visited two jewelers and the others spent there as well. Our last stop of the day was the sweet shop for ice cream.

Then on Saturday we took a dirt road north to Old Forge and went to The View to see the displays. We were not at all disappointed there either. The Members show included this awe-inspiring felt work. There were several other felted projects to and I am sure I will do some work in a similar direction. There was also a wonderful tryptic by our friend Divina Roddie. So good to finally see one in real life.
There was also a solo show that was inspiring. Then Victoria and I took a long walk on Sunday morning before we started home. The whole time was relaxing and very pleasant.


Progress Report: Lost Libertys I was away so much this week that I did not make a lot of progress, but the flag as a binder is all sewed down now.

Tree Block This was the only project that I took on the trip so I finished it. I intended to make a cherry tree- but the French knots looked more like apples so that is what it became. Sometimes the materials have a mind of their own.


Color Challenges – Green This was the color word for this week and I just started doodling in the sketch book for this one.

Broken Block backing I used leftovers from the front for this backing. The starter fabric is the Sisterhood Retreat Challenge fabric. None of it is visible here. It was a challenge for me as I usually don’t use this pallet of gray and pale rose. It pushed me to look at my stash of neutrals and so I pulled some out for the next lap quilt.

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Lap 18/26 AS you can see I have done very little on this project so far- but I think it will go together quickly.

I have to add this shot of a power line full of sneakers that we passed under on our travels over the weekend. It was/is very impressive as it stretched across the highway! I can’t imagine how many hours and dollars it represents.

Enjoy the 4th, stay cool, and be creative.
Carol

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Busy Summer

Hello,
Summer is officially here and I am off and running. We saw this beautiful Heroin in the pond we pass on our morning walk. He is inspirational when one considers that the city is on all sides and it was mid morning when the picture was taken.
I have been busy since I last posted. I went to Marcia’s and worked along with friends on my stitching project. Then Last Thru I went with Victoria, Susan, Zaza and a bus load of other quilters to the Vermont Quilt Festival. There were lots of quilt displays and wonderful lectures. This is a shot from the Modern Quilt Guild of Vermont. There was also a wonderful collection of antique quilts that focused on Cheddar orange. Linda S had a quilt in the SAQA display along with lots of other wonderful works.

I especially enjoyed this little study. My love of birds on power lines mixed with crows really got to me. I attended lectures both days we were there and enjoyed them a lot.

Susan, Victoria and I all purchased some clothing too. Victoria got a cute summer dress and I got a light quilted blue jacket. We all had a good time.

Then on Saturday we had a FLFA meeting. It is always exciting to catch up with all the doings of that diverse group. Jean M showed off some of the pieces she dyed in Pat’s dye class from a few weeks before. She did very well epically considering it was her first time dyeing.

Maureen continues to add to her handwork piece. She declares that she feels it is complete now.

Susan had finished stitching down the letters for “Black Lives Matter”. She wants to add so I am sure it will be back here in the future.

Linda had finally finished her Holding Hands quilt. The double image is great and her thread work is amazing here. Her work is always so very concise and she really works to make the thread do her bidding.

Anne has added more to her top. I really like the hand rows and her change in scale really makes the work exciting I think.

Victoria surprised me with this great top. The colors and patterns are so delightful and enjoyable.

Bev built this great piece. The tree is high relief and made with burlap. Her work is out of the ordinary. It is a good group and I always come away inspired.

Progress Report: Shoreline Wash Up This work is 18″ X 24″. I have enjoyed working on all the create4d textures here. The blue veggie bags are a gift from Marcia. I am building this for my solo show in Aug.


Liberty Loss This is part of my entry for the Justice for All show next year. I have been struggling with how to express my concerns about how things are going.

Weeping Willow Tree Block I enjoyed working on this block. I think I only need eight more to finish this step.

Sisterhood of the Scissors Retreat Challenge: Broken Blocks Now I am only posting shots of the pieces I am using to build the back of this quilt as it is suppose to be revealed at the retreat in Sept. The front uses the same fabrics built as broken blocks. They are all assembled into rows to be stitched down on the batting and backing when it is done.

Color Challenge for the Pixie Group- Lavender and Yellow The pixies are doing a color challenge every week. Susan selected Lavender for the first week. I decoded to take this challenge as a color drawing instead of a fabric piece.

Robert selected yellow last week and I selected a Dandelion as my drawing subject.
Have a good week
Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts

Silk Screen Workshop

Hello, I am spent three days this week in a workshop with Pat Pauly doing silk screen printing with dye. She really packed a lot into those three days. It was a lot of work and I got a lot of fabric printed. Having three quilting friends in the class added to the joy too.

This shot is of three of my products. I have not started to wash anything out yet, but I will get there soon.

The weekend also included the opening of two exhibitions at the Schweinfurth. T3%+!LE$-The Language of Fiber opened on Saturday evening. It is full of many wonderful works This one called Canadian Prairies spoke to me. It is a very diverse show from the Surface Design Association.

Up stairs in the Davis gallery was the exabit Sa:gwa’yo Gayogho’:nq? Cayuga People, We Return. It too has wonderful work on display. I really like Art of Peace. There are so many corn husk figures with beautiful bead work, it really made this work for me. This exabit also has a lot of variety in the types of works presented. The shows will be up Until Aug 15 and i encourage folks to visit if possible.

Then on Tuesday I went off to the Quilt DIVA meeting with Cheri and Donna. It is a wonderful group with lots of variety there too. Maureen is nearing the end off her stitch work on this pieces that she hand dyed. There are lots of details on this piece.

Donna is playing with paper mâché’ and doing head gear with this horse head. She says this is a very early stage. I find it entreating and could easily get pulled back into mask making with challenges like this one.

Alice is doing posters at the moment. She has always like collage and this is a good example.

Denise had three of these paper Kamona’s to share with us. She is also working on a piece for the SAQA show on Touch. She is always taking chances and tiring new stuff.

Barb delighted us with this great Slot Canyon quilt. She sure uses color well. She had three other examples work she is doing. Barb is nbe iof the most productive folks I know.

Cheri shared some of her dyed fabric from the print dye class of teh weekend.
She also shared these wonderful machine drawn and painted faces.

Anne is having a bit of fun doing bed quilts. I love the patters and colors she is playing with in this work.

Progress Report: Lost Liberties I have been so busy that I have not done a lot of work this week, but I did add some drawn texture to teh three layers of landscape I have put into this work. I will use quilting to enchase it too.

Night Tree Block This block only needs the last bit of branching on the lower right and the shadow and it will be done.


Shore Line Wash Up It is building ever so slowly.


Lap 17/26 I am doing a second one of these using strips that are leftover from previous lap quilts. I sure seem to be working in similar color families.

New Block After being away from the pin wall for the three days of the workshop, I realize that the curved block was not working well. So I pulled more fabrics that I though would work and I plan to use one color several times in a block and see if that helps the design.

I hope you are enjoying spring.

Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts, SAQA, Trees, Uncategorized

Moving Forward

Hello,
It has been a quiet week with family and yardwork being where most of my energy went this time. I am also pulling materials for a three day silk screen workshop that starts tomorrow.
Progress Report: Lap 16/26 This work is nearly complete. I have a little quilting and the binding to do and it will be done. Nice bright colors for the gloomy day I started it.

Night Tree I am enjoying working on this block. Making lots of fly stitches for the branches here. I hope to get so inspiration for the next tree block soon.

New Block I drew out this block a few months ago and then put it aside. I came across it again this week and blew it up and did the drafting of the templates. I like the block parts- but this sample block has too many different pieces and graphics to be effective for me. I will try something else with this one later.

Shoreline Wash Up I keep working away on this project. It is starting to feel like it is moving in the direction I want. I am still not thrilled with it so I glad that I will have my mind in a different place during the workshop this weekend- I hope that brings me back to this project with fresh eyes and I can see where I want to go with it.

Fungus There is my play with the SAQA Fungus Challenge, I am fooling around with caroche around the plastic units that hold soda bottles to create some interesting high relief forms for that purpose. It is a pure experiment and it seems to have a life of it’s own. But I enjoy it.

Liberty Loss I’m moving forward slowly on this project. added the purple mountains and trees this week. The fields of grain are pinned in place Too. The city will complete the background I think.

Enjoy the season,
Carol

Creative Fiber Collage Artist Carol Boyer