Category Archives: Hand work

100 day Challenge, Collage, Hand work, Pixies Group

Set Backs

Hello,

Today I want to talk about having set backs.   It is unrealistic to think that every piece one works on will be a success.  Everyone who plays on a team  knows that with every game there will be a winner and a looser,   That certainly dose not stop the players from preforming to their best.    With creating the ends are not so clearly defined.   Many things are good or okay, and only a few are specular.  As the creators, we keep trying none the less  just as athletes do. Then there are short falls and a few specular failures.  It is all part of the game.  On occasion out side influences come into play.    This has been my experience this week.   I have been working away on the Wedding Travel Dress Project for my friend Joyce for a while.  I carefully stitched down the cape and dress top that were originally made in 1909.  This week I started to stitch in the words to tell the story.  I have tried to be very gentle with the old materials, but I had to admit that they were truly falling apart.  I accepted  defeat having only done one line.  I can see that the silk will not hold up until I am done.    With  more and more of the support cloth of brown is  appearing as the old  pink silk falls away, the dress will lose it beauty.   I sadly told Joyce of my decision  on Tuesday.    She was so very gracious about the loss.

My second let down this week had to do with not making my own goal.   When I started the SAQA 100 day challenge, my goal was to design  and complete four quilts, each taking 25 days.  ( the gold is the first quilt)   Each of the four quits was to be made with a block I designed that was repeated three times in three sizes that worked together. This system I learned from my friend Liz, is call a “motif”.    ( the right shot is the motif in the largest block )

Well I think I bit off more than I can chew.   The first one was successful and I made the goal.  This second one however has proven to be a lot more difficult.   What I did not know and have learned, is that the triangles, although they look similar are  easy to put together incorrectly.   This week I have spent as much time ripping out seams as I have putting them in.

 Today is day 46 and I have only completed one block of the smallest motif at this point.       So again I must admit that I will not make the set goal.    I think the project is worth completing so I am not admitting defeat about that part – only the time limitation.   When I design the next block I will take far more care in the shape of the parts.

This week I only had a Pixie meeting and the Noel’s Needle Work meeting.    Liz spent part of the needlework  meeting working on her Finding Fragments  project.

 

 

 

 

Noel shared these fish, her sister made for her.

 

 

 

 

 

I did stop to talk with Adam for a bit on Tuesday and he honored me with this necklace that he had made.

 

 Project Progress: Three Trees   I have been doing this little hand project over the course of several week.

Barbara Blocks II   I am doing the free motion quilting on the second quilt that I made from some of the leftover blocks from the Barbara Blocks quilt project.

 

 

 

 

Ethel 4 I am adding the rows together on  this project.    I only have three to go and then I can move to the boarders.

Collages   I had a good time working on collage projects this week too.

 

 

 

 

 

Can you find the blue face in this work?

 

 

 

 

I used one of the  Sea Grape leaves that Chris brought up form Florida for Barbara’s  floral arrangements for in this one.

 

 

 

Coral Shores   I am having fun with a very limited pallet with this one.  I am also discovering how many little trinkets I have in my collection of stuff.

 

6X6   It is time to ship the 6X6  pieces and sense we can donate 4 this year  I am making one more.  This is not complete.

 

 

 

Finding Fragments Works I am adding texture to some of the pieces that I created at Angela’s play date last week.   I am not done yet.

Stay safe and warm

Carol

 

 

100 day Challenge, Coral Shore, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Finger Lakes Fiber Artists, Hand work, Pixies Group, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Active Week.

Hello,

   This week has been a very busy one for me.   Last Sat was the FLFA meeting  and although there was snow and attendance was low(only 5 of us ) we had a really good discussions and enjoyed the art that folks shared.

 

 

 

Maureen had a beautiful hand printed work that she is stitching on at the moment.

 

 

 

Sharon is getting ready for her show at Baltimore Woods next month and so she is doing natural landscapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria is working away as usual with this wonderful piece were she is using some of my Grandmother’s night gown in the piece.

 

 

 Susan has put together the top she was working on at the Fall  Schweinfurth  retreat.

 

 

 

 

 

We looked again at the Both End’s of the Rainbow show and I noticed a work from Therese that had not caught my attention before.  That is the best part of second trips to shows for me.  I get overwhelmed and it is fun to discover new things with a second look.

 

 

 

FAB meant on Tue  and Sharon had another work for the show that she shared with us.

 

The Sisterhood of the Scissors had a zoom meeting on Wed morning  and Pixies meant on Wed afternoon.

 

 

 I put in a little time on Chellie Rode’s class in preparation  for a play day with Angela.     This is one of the projects from that class that she has nearly  finished.

 

She along with Liz Victoria and I were all in the class and so we had a good time  playing with cola pens and inks making marks.

 

 

This is my sample.  We decided to do some stitch work on our pieces and get together in six weeks and add the plaster step on top .    It is so much fun to explore things together.

 

 

 Progress Report: Ethel 3    This bed quilt is now done.  I plan to start to assemble the fourth this week end.

 

Barbara Blocks II     I am only at the beginning of the quilting on this project.    It is the last project I tackle at the end of the day and many times I run out of time before I get to this one.

 

 

 

 

Coral Shore   Pulled out another rock piece form the past to rework for the Joyous Embroidery series.  I deiced to split this one in half and make a diptych with it.  I added the punch needle parts I  made last week on the top and started to do the embellishments around.

 

 

QSDS 100 day challenge BV Blocks    This week I am working on the middle sized blocks.   I have six fully put together and many other parts connected one to another.

Handwork    This little project is going well.  I am sure It will be completed this week as I only have the flowers to finish.

 

 

 

 

 

Past Times  This set of gloves got a ring and now I am ready to start the next one.

It has been a fun filled week and I hope the same can be said for my readers.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

100 day Challenge, Collage, Felt Work, Hand work, Pixies Group, Re Work, Shows

Busy Week

Hello,

This seems to be a very busy time for me.  I started off by going to the Both Ends of the Rainbow Show at the Schweinfurth last Thru afternoon. I always like this show as it reminds me of the fun of teaching and the rich amount of work that is being done here in central NY.   I was surprises by this bit of felting done  by a middle school student.     I enjoy looking at the student projects and trying to figure out what the teacher’s assignment was.

 

  Many of my friends were well represented.     There was these two wonderful works by Marty.

 

 

 

 

 

These two works   are by Sharon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And these works are by     Anne, (   the top brail  piece and Noel’s is the Santa work.     It is a delightful show.

 

 

 

 

 

Then things settled down for me and I enjoyed Valentines day  by meeting with Noel’s Needle Work group.     This work is by one of her friends.

The Pixies also meant on Wed.

 

 

 

Then this morning I  and meant with Joyce to get some information for the wedding travel dress project and got to see some of her wonderful water color experiments.   Her granddaughter has asked her to  design some possibilities for the wedding invitations.   What a supreme compliment.

Progress Report:  Barbara Blocks    This quilt is 32″ 32″.      I really enjoyed working on this project and it ahs helped me process the loss of my good friend Barbara Vural.

 

 

 

 

 

Barbara II   Doing my usual thing I made more blocks than I needed for this project  and so I put together a second top.  It is all pin basted and ready for quilting now.

 

 

 

 

Ethel 3   I have not made much progress on the quilting of this project this week.  The quilting the diagonals across each square takes lots  of time and  these queen sized works are a bit difficult to move under the machine arm.

Tidewater I I think this work is complete at this point and I only need to face it now.

 

 

 

Past Times  I too this project to the Noel’s Needle Work meeting and made great progress on it.

 

 

 

 Collage  I put in a bit of time on collages this week and finished up three.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Finding Fragments Class has really encouraged me to continue to add materials and stitches on paper works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Tides 1 & 2     After finishing up Tidewater II, I pulled another old work and decided to use it as the base for the next work as a rocky shore line for  the subject.     This old work called Whip Shot Hill  has been cut in half and will become a diptych.    I plan to work on both pieces along side one another.

 

 

  I have started with the punch needle step in a very muted pallet.

 

 

 SAQA 100 day project  Day 23    I have designed another set of three blocks that are three different scales with the same shaped  pieces.   This shot is the pattern before I cut up the biggest block,

 

 

 

   I am  using the snow died fabric as my starting  color point. ( dyed it this year after the first snow fall  of the season)   At this point I only have two of the biggest block ( 12″ X 18″) assembled.  This shot shows the blocks with the pieces flipped .

 

Handwork  I intended to use  this bit of handwork as a part of my entry for the  SAQA  raffle piece.  I an not so sure  of that idea now.  I plan to finish and then make a decision.

Keep Crating

Carol

 

 

100 day Challenge, Collage, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group

February Begins

  Hello,

We had a light snow earlier this week.  It reminded me of how I use to use days like this one to teach drawing a tree to my students.  I would pass out gray paper dark crayons and a white one to each child.   Using one of the dark colors they were instructed to start an upward line that began a little ways for the bottom edge to moving vertically and stopping about an inch from the top of the page.  Starting again at the base the next line was to run up the paper touching the original line and “Y’ing  off near the top of the first line.   Repeat the second action on the opposite side of the original line.    The next set of lines was to begin  again from the bottom only this time there should be two sets of   “”Y”  on on top and one below the branch.   Line set  four started at the base and went up about one third or less  of the trunk then was to veer hard  slightly upward to the right or left  depending on the side of the trunk were the line began.    The students were then told to add more lines starting at the base and  “Y”ing  the branches  to fill in the tree.   Now I would also tell the students that the snow rested on the top of the branches and so they also needed to add  a white bit on the horizonal portion of the trees.    These drawings although very similar were always beautiful.     The kids trees got more interesting and personal with observation and time.   It was a good jumping off place for them however.

This week was quiet and my only trip away from home was to visit with Angela.     She took  the Bits and Pieces class too and this is one  of her works from that on line class.   She gave me some valuable  feedback on my work and I am doing some corrections now.  Angela is also working a lot with felt and took a class on line were she learned how to make vases and lamps.  These are impressive I think.

 

The Pixies meant as  usual  too.

 

 

Progress Report: Ethel  3 I keep working away on assembling this project.  I have five rows added and seven to go at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 3    This work is pin basted now and ready for the stitch in the ditch quilt work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tidewater II   Angela and Liz gave me some good advice on how to go forward with this work yesterday.   I am excited about it.

 

 

Barbara Blocks  This is my SAQA  100  project  with the top all assembled.   I decided to call the work Barbara Blocks in memory of my friend.   I am sure I will make the 25 day dead line for this now.  I also plan to try a second arrangement as I have lots of blocks left over.

 

 

Past Times  I finished another block for this project.   I will add more handwork to the blocks before I put them together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentines.   I only need to do the message inside to completed these cards.  I will mail them next Wed.

 

 

 

 

Collage   This work is part of the Bits and Pieces  class work.  After seeing what Angela was doing with hers, I was inspired to finish off some of the stuff from the class.   This is the first.

 

The days rush past and I try to pack them with lots of creative work.   I hope your days are similar.

Stay safe

Carol

 

100 day Challenge, Collage, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group

Barbara

Hello,

I write with a heavy heart today as one of my best friends died yesterday.  She enriched my life so very much,  We both taught Art int he Westhill School district,    I did middle school and she taught high school.    Many was the evening when we would meet  after school and have a little dinner and then go to her class room and play for several hours.  We painted, drew, dyed and explored anything we could think of to try with our kids and for self enjoyment.  She was a great leader and she ran Art club at the high school. As a part of that she took students to NYC for the Columbus Day weekend for many years and because I knew all the students too I got to go along as a chaperone.    She provided the students with a rich experience there.   After arriving and getting the bags into the Edison Hotel , she would gather the kids together start. Her first act was to give them all a hotel card so they could always find there way “home”, and a map of the city while she made sure they understood that they should never go any were alone.  The next instruction was to find the hotel on the map and tell them to mark it’s location.  She followed that by saying our first destination is Museum of Modern Art at 11 W 53 street.   When they had found it she would. then select two students to lead us here.   I usually walked near the front of the group and she did he rear.  When we arrived she would direct them to an exabit and we  would do it together.    Now we had seen many of the works before, but hey were often surprised by how work looked in reality.   She then would allow the students to wander the museum and we all collected at an appointed time and go to a second exabit that usually involved a second bit of map use and walking.  At about 4;30 or five she would pull them all together and remind them of staying in groups of at least two and say ” Make your own way back to the hotel and have dinner.  Be ready to go to the theater and meet us in the lobby at 7:30.      The evening was usually an  off Broadway show , but we did do the Empire State Building one time and took a boat tour around the Island one year.   Saturday morning we crowed into a bus and went down to SOHO . Stop One was Tower Records.    Then we would visit gallery after gallery.  I recall seeing an exabit of work were very thing was made of Chocolate.   It had among many other things, a life sized chocolate moose head along with chocolate playing cards and chess pieces   too.  One time we visited a show of tattoo art .  That was mostly drawings of pieces and lots of photos of the images on bodies.  Every visit it was different.   She would allow the students to explore on there own  in the afternoon telling them to meet us at the McDonalds to catch the subway at 4:30.   After the subway ride it was dinner on your own with the meeting again for the theater in the evening.   I got to see Meet Me in St Lewis, Into the Woods, and South Pacific to mention a few.   Sunday was always the Metropolitan Museum.      After handing them a map of the museum Her instruction was for them to visit at least three galleries of their choosing and then they were free to spend the rest of the day as they chose be it exploring Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, shopping- what ever, but be in the  hotel lobby at six with dinner in hand ready to get on the bus to go home.    On the bus ride home she would talk with each student about the exabit they had visited in the Met as her follow up.   It was always a great experience for  the students as well us.    Barbara and I traveled on our own too. We went to a Maine and visited her college roommate and drew int the Maine woods and the rocky sea shore.  We went to California to visit her sister and had a good time exploring there as well.  We traveled with  retired teachers to Turkey and Greece.     She introduced me to pastels  and water color as well as encouraging my fabric work.    Her fearless approach to the world was always in inspiration and I loved her like a sister.  I will miss her greatly , and I am so very thankful she was in my life!

The week was full of other action for me too.  Associated Artists had a meeting on Sat.    FAD meant here yesterday and Sharon had a new a bit of work to share with us.

Noel has just started a stitch group too, and I went to that.  I also made it to the Pixie meeting yesterday too.

 

I am working away on Finding Fragments.  I  have started the stitch work on this collage.

 

 

 

 

The SAQA 100 day project is on day 11 now and I have made some blocks.    These are the middle sized ones and they are 12.5 X 4.5.   I am ready to cut the pieces for the smallest ones in the set now so the real fun will begin later this week.  I think now that I will call the blocks Barbara Blocks in honor of my friend.

 

 

  Progress Report: Past Times  I added a  pair of gloves to this square this week.   A new square got started as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Tidewater II  I am going to try to not go so overboard with the textures on this one and just have more space.    I did make some felted “Kelp ” for it however.

 

Ethel 2     I only need to finish the machine quilting on this project and it will be complete.

 

 

Valentines   The shapes are cut and applied to felt.  Now I need to mount them on the cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 Lap 3  I have these pre cut squares of woven purple and so I decided to use them as the focus for the next lap quilt.  I gave Judy two to pass to her friends on Tue.

 

 

 

 

 

Snow Dyeing.   One of the other gals in the 100 Day challenge was snow dyeing and with all the snow we got on Monday I decided to do to the same.

 

 

 

Sense I was inspired by the 100 Day gal, I decided to use the fabric from this experiment as the jumping off place for the colors for the next 100 Day squares.

 

100 day Challenge, Collage, Felt Work, Hand work, Pixies Group, SAQA

Cold January

Hello,

It is cold here in upstate NY.   Were I live we did not get much snow, but a lot of wind.  There are lots of limbs down here.   Friday was a very nice day however and I made a trip to the Schweinfurth to deliver my Three Witches work for the Both Ends of the Rainbow show.   I also delivered the work to two other folks .   I made a stop at Artistic  Impressions and dropped off some work for her.   On the way home I delivered nine lap quilts to a nursing home.    Then last stop, was at the Bette Library were I left three quilts for their Cabin Fever Quilt show in Feb and March.  It was a busy day.

I went to Barbara’s opening on Sunday.  It was great and lots of folks were there.   She however was not and is still under the weather.     Hope she gets well soon.

The Pixies meant as usual and Robert had some wonderful images to share.

I continue to work on my Finding Fragments class work .    I have added stitch work to both of these collages and have ideas for more .

 

 

 

I started the SAQA 100 day challenge for this year on Monday.   I decided to challenge myself to make four new block design over the course of the time, putting in 25 days on each.  I  want to make the blocks in three sizes and mix and match them  in the final work.     Today is day 4 and I have six blocks arrange in this photo.   They are twice as long as they are wide so they can be arranged in may ways.

Progress Report:  Tidewater Pool  This project is nearly complete.  I only need to decide how I want to finish it- by binding or framing.    I am anxious to start the next too.

Ethel 2   All the rows are attached to the back now and I am ready to do the boarders that I cut yesterday.

 

 

Past Times   I have not quite got the lace stitched down for the second block for this project.  But i am moving along.

 

 

 

Joyce Project   I uncovered this project when I was deciding what work  I wanted to take to the Cabin Fever Quilt show.  I have decided to finish it for Joyce for her Birthday celebration later this spring.   This is her great grandmother’s  wedding travel dress and cape.    I am only appliqueing it down at this point.

Pillow   I finally got going on this long over do project to do another letter for the series.  It will become a pillow.

 

 

 

 

Valentines    Some Angelina came in the mail this week so I had to play with it.   I mixed it with roving and I made some raw material to cut up for Valentines this week.

 

I hope everyone is warm and well.

Carol

 

 

100 day Challenge, Collage, Experiments, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Re Work

Moving Along

Hello,

I like this time of year as I seem to find things are clammer and I get a lot done.   I made it to the Pixie meeting this week and got back to the Finding Fragment class with Shelly Rhodes.

 

 

 

The lesson yesterday was about building a base of fabric and paper.   I collaged a bit and came up with five I liked.   I will keep up this work more carefully I hope.

 

 

I also decided to join the SAQA  100 Day Challenge again.   That starts on Monday the 15 and goes until April 24.   I decided to design four blocks and work on each one for 25 days.    I also decided to render each  the block  design in three sizes so I can mx and match them in my final work.     This is the the block( really a rectangle)  with the three variations.  This is a shot of the  cut up  block ready to trace onto the fabric .

Progress Report: Ethel 1   I finished this queen sized quilt this week and I am quite pleased with the results.  I think it will be the raffle quilt for our nationhood art trail in Aug.

 

 

 

Lap 1  I finished this on Friday last week and immediately  started a new one.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 2    Sense I decided to do the new SAQA  challenge, I thought I really Ott to use the prints I made for last years challenge in my lap quilts.   So I got this top done yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

Past Times ( formerly Age of Elegance)   This block is all stitched down now.   I like how the lace adds to the work.

Tidewater Pool  I am enjoying working on this piece as much as the first two.   I decided that the base was too big so I cut it in about half  and I started with this .

 

I have been working on it for about an our every day and this is were i am now.   This one has more found objects form the shore than the first two.

 

 

 

 

 

Branching Out    Last week this top was two tops that were related.  So I thought I would merry the two of them with vertical cuts and flipping of the images..   Well now I am not so sure that was a good idea , but the job is done.  I have decided to set it aside and perhaps in time I may see a future for it.

For Joyce  My friend Joyce just had her 90th birthday .  Because it is so close to Christmas she has decided to celebrate in May instead.  Several years ago she gave me this cape and dress that were her grandmothers.  I have decided to get the piece done for her celebration.

 

 

 

I hope that all is well and you are safe and happy .

Keep Creating

Carol

Explorations, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Raw Edge Applique, Re Work

New Year 2024

Hello,

As 2024 begins some have asked me what are my resolutions.     I am not into doing resolutions.  I do like to set little goals for myself, but all the emphasis at this time seem to imply something is wrong with one.   I am just not convinced that is so and as a result I don’t do the resolution thing. The time we are living in is stressful enough without  adding personal guilt to the mix.   So I am starting a fresh calendrer with the same attitude that I start any new month.    And I plan to fill each day in happy pursuits of my own choosing.

  The FAD group meant for lunch  this week instead of a regular meeting.  It was a nice change.    The Pixies were reunited  again yesterday too.  They are such a diverse and stimulating group, that I had a good time as usual.

I finally got back to work on Finding Fragments this week.    She had exercises that mixed drawing and painting of fabric for us to do.    I plan to keep moving forward with the assignments at this point.

Progress Report: Tide Pool II  I finished off this work this week and I am so inspired that I plunged directly  into the next one.   I love all the textures and found objects.    I did not get it done in time for the show of the class work, but that is not the real impotent thing for me.   I used the pompoms she encouraged us to create and the frapped work as well on this project.

 

 

 

Orange Peelings  This work is   53″ X 35″.    It is built on a split nine patch but that is totally lost in all the fabric that I fused down on top.

 

 

 

I really enjoyed making the rime of the orange peels using the zig zag stitch in the free motion mode.

 

 

 

 

 

Ethel 1    I got going on Saturday on this project.   I am starting the boarders now and liking how it looks.

 

 

Lap 1- 24   I am quilting away on this project at this point.  I have decided that I will use the remaining prints from 100 days of last year as my starting point for the next lap projects.

 

 

 

 

 6X6  I finished up two of the little works for the Rochester  gallery sale this week.  One more to go.

Tidewater pool  This is the base for the next in this one going tide pool series.  It is really big and all the beads add a lot of weight. I think I will cut it down and make two bases from it.

I also started the punch needle work for it this week.

 

 

 

New Nine – Age of Elegance   I have cut nine solid squares in pastel colors that I want to use as bases for a  bit of hand work.   I have some beautiful  old hand made lace and a box full of gloves  gloves.  Both represent a by gone area. So I decided to put them together and honor them with this project.

Branching Out   I did a bunch of drawings at the Sisterhood Retreat in  November and one of the gals was quite taken by one of them.  So I used it as a jumping off place for this new project.  I drew the subject on the solid burgundy and cut it out.  As I did so I realized that I liked the cut away negative pieces too. so I found a simpler background in similar colors to the one I was using and pinned the cut ways  to it.  Now when I get them both   all sew down I am thinking of ways I want to combine the two pieces into one unit.

I hope you are enjoying the New Year in ways that suit you

Keep Creating

Carol

Childhood Memories, Drawing, Experiments, Finger Lakes Fiber Artists, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Nine Play, Pixies Group, Re Work, Tide Pools

Winter Solstice

  Hello,

We have reached the end of the earth’s elliptical trip around the sun for one more time.   It is a tine for the return of light here in the norther hemisphere. The long winter nights will now begin to shorten once again.    I also see it as a time to begin reflecting on the events of the last year and star thinking about what I want to do differently in 2024.

This last week included a FLFA meeting for me.  I do enjoy seeing that creative group of gals and the work they do.      This work is by  Julia.  I feel she is really beginning to “speak ” with her own voice.

 

 

 

Bev is doing some wonderful silk work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pat is working away too.

She is really a printing crazy lady.

 

The Pixies also meant this week and everyone is busy and happily preparing for  the holidays.

Progress Report: Spores    This work is 18″w X 32″l.   It is another work that came out of the Joyous Embroidery class.   I made the tubes and stuff them with thick yarn and then couched them down.  The pompoms were another suggestion from Flur.

The painted parts in the  background is my own too,

 

 

 

 

Split  This work is 53.25″ w X  58″ l.    I started this work at the Sisterhood Retreat last month.   I put it through the wash to encourage more fraying of the torn and raw edges.

I really like texture and the feeling of depth they layers create.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap #21  I am to the stitch in the ditch quilting step now.  It’s about half done.

 

 

 

Scrap backs  I am working on building backs for the Ethel Blocks now.  I think one of the units is nearly big enough to start layering the first quilt together.

 

 

 

 

New Nine   I am starting a new quilt that is  a broken nine patch design.   This is in the early stages and even not all the blocks are built yet.

Or perhaps I should say broken at this point.

 

 

 

 

Linen Shirt   This  project only gets attention when there is no other hand work that needs doing.   That  happened this week so I put in time.    I am doing the flowers and French Knots on the shoulder area and across the back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tied Pool 2   I got a lot done on this new highly textured piece this week.   Starting with a old rock quilt as my base  others makes it easy and fun for me too.   Pompoms again and the frapped circles are some I made in the  Joyous Embroidery class as well.    She also encouraged us to use old bits of handwork that had no use any more.  The green lace  came from an old pillow case.   I painted it and used it in a seahorse  work this fall.   This little bit remained and I recall seeing a bit of sea weed in a tide pool when I visited Korine years ago.

 

 

Christmas Balls   I decided I wanted to decorate some new  balls for our tree this year.     At the RATS  ( Retired Art Teachers ) meeting a few weeks ago , Beth described what she was going to teach at the YMCA class and I took what I remembered and created these fun balls.    I made some as gifts too.

New Work   Last week I was working a project using a technique that was only described to me.   Well,  I think I did give it the college try- but it really is a disaster!    There are so many wrinkles and parts are not fitting together at all.   Not having the true instruction means I am flying blind.

 

 

  So I have decided to admit that I don’t get it and abandon the idea.  There are always mistakes very now and then.

 

 

 

Food Memory. 

Scramble

My Mom was a “stay at home Mom” until my brother, Gene went off to first grade. All that time she was always busy with one project of another . I remember her making and printing silk screen plant images on fabric that she made into kitchen curtains. She painted two big murals in the house in Carroll too. One was in the bathroom in the basement and a second was over the sink in the kitchen. For Christmas she was scenically busy. One yare she mad a little church out of sugar cubes and icing with a foil roof. That project was around for years. One of her seasonal traditions was to make Scramble. She would get out the blue speckled roasting pan from Thanksgiving and fill it with a mix of Rice Checks, Corn Checks, Wheat Checks, Cherrieos, mixed nuts and pretzels. She added some other ingredients and cooked it all in the oven, taking it out to stir occasionally. When it was done she put it into foil lined boxes and wrapped it as gifts to the neighbors. We al ways had some too. Her other seasonal cooking thing was to make chocolate fudge. There was always the candy thermometer and lots fussing with that project. I loved the smell of the house when she was doing that project, and the eating of it too.

Enjoy what the season brings your way.

Carol

 

 

Drawing, Experiments, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group

Busy Season

 Hello,

I am enjoying the season and I hope you are too.    The wreath that I was working on last week got finished and is hanging on the front door.    I missed my only zoom meeting with the Pixies this week because I was off at my granddaughter’s college graduation instead.    With the packages wrapped, cards all written and set  and with  all the decoration up , I can listen to Carols and enjoy the merriment all around me.       I have done a lot in the studio and enjoyed every min.

Progress Report: Hand Out This quilt is 38″ X 50 “.  It is made up of left overs from my previous hand studies.       I did lots of hand work one the negative areas of this work and I machine quilted inside the hands .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 20 I finished the binding on this protect last evening.  There are lots of old experiments in this project.    Printed blocks, painted blocks , and one were I experimented with markers too.     These project’s are a good place to try things our on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lap Quilt #21   This is the next top all assembled and ready for layering and quilting now.

 

 

 

 

 

Ethel Squares  I am working on creating backs from leftovers for this project.   The stack on the right is backs that I have started for the five quilts.

 

Spores     I work on this project  as my handwork while I watch the news at night so it goes forward slowly.

 

  Split  I am ready to add the textured cream units on top now.   .  Then I will begin to quilt it.

 

 

 

 

 

New Work    This project is again my attempt to apply what folks have told me about a new process.    I do enjoy trying out new things.

 

 

 

Pudding  

The years we lived in Columbus Junction I grew from six to eight. I loved the house that my folks and Grandfather Howard built there. Along the east wall of that dwelling was a long row of windows that faced east into a deep gully full of old trees. I enjoyed watching the seasons changes from our dinner table there. One of my favorite desserts was chocklet pudding that Mom would some times make. She served it in yellow Melmack bowls. There was a thick skin on the top of the pudding that I would carefully scoop into along one edge of the bowl to create a little arch that looked like a little head in a dark pudding bonnet. I would then add a bit of milk into that opening and joyously eat my dessert.

Enjoy what you can of this season.

Carol