Category Archives: Hand work

Blue Beach, Circulation, Curvie Cuts, Diva Meetings, Hand work, Take Off, Uncategorized

Under the Weather

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Hello,

I am suffering a sore throat at the moment.  I caught it from my husband and I am not real happy about that.   I really don’t fee too bad, but I sure do not want to pass it on to anyone I know so I have canceled a few things already.     Before I became ill I had a busy week.  Friday Liz, and I drove to Palmyra to help  Marcia sort and price items for the Perilla sale in June.    There are a lot of her beautiful coats that are for sale.  Liz and I both priced fabric  and we all talked the whole day.   It was a good time.   I will post more about the sale as it gets closer.

I made it to the Diva meeting  and it was very stimulating.   We are working on a  group project and that took most of the meeting time.   We are doing a group banner for Together Women Rise. Then we did do show and tell.  Cheri is doing some great printing.   I really like this approach.

 

 

 

 

 

Denise went off for two weeks to an artist in residence program and came home with three wonderful fiber works.   They all have so much texture and color.    They are felted wool plus so much more in the way of fabrics and stitching.

 

 

 

Mary is still  working through some of her purchased fabric prints that she  got in Africa.

I made it to the Zoom meetings this week too.  The QuEGs  meant on Tue, the Pixies meant on Wed and I did the Schweinfurth Art Talk with Nancy Crow yesterday.

 

 

Progress Report:  Together Women Rise-  Equal Voice.   This is the start of  my project for the group.  I have cut the figures and will keep building on this through the month.

 

 

 

Circulation   This is the second in the Split Complement Series.   As the photo shows I am to the quilting step of this one now.

 

 

 

 

Circus Grounds  I am also doing free motion quilting on this project.   This is the last of the SAQA 100 day challenge.  I found that without the requirement of   daily posting I do lots other projects instead of focusing on this one.

Blue Beach  I just keep adding buttons to this surface.   I am beginning to feel like I am near the end.

 

 

 

 

 

Take Off  I am working away on this project and drawing the more Terns in take off mode.   I am using inktense pencils to add the details.

 

Hand Work    This is the on going project that I only pick up when every thing else is “done”.   I did work on it although the Pixie meeting this week.

Creative Assistants     I finished another batch of these little guys.   Each completed one is closer the end of the process.

I hope no one else is under the weather and that  enjoying spring is your main goal.

Carol

 

100 day Challenge, Color Study, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Felt Work, Hand work, Machine Drawing, Nebula, Pixies Group

Warmer Weather

Hello,

We are really feeling the warmer temperatures here in the north east.  I even left the window open all night last night.  Very refreshing.   It has been a fast change as last weekend  I did not remove the electric blanket when I change the sheets because I had needed it the night before.  I sure have not needed it for the last three nights.  The buds are popping out on the trees and there are lots of small  tender green leaves on things as we walk.  The birds of all sorts serenade us  as well.  It is a glorious time of year.

I have been busy with lots of meetings.   The Pixies meant on Wed. and   the FAD group meant here this week too.  We spent the whole time out on the patio  enjoying that wonderful temperatures.  Sharon shared two of her newest winder field pieces with us.    Yesterday I went off to Marty’s new digs and spent the day with her.   She  is playing with fabric to make landscapes.  I think they are wonderful.

 

I am ready to begin a new piece for the SAQA 100 day challenge.   We are on day 90 already.  I sure have enjoyed doing the work.

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Titers in the Ring   This work is 40″ w X 50″ t.   It is #6 in the SAQA 100 Day Challenge pieces.   The tigers are the stamp and I also hand dyed the green lace that I used here.

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Beach  I am enjoying adding the buttons to this work.  I think I am beyond the half way point now.

 

 

 

 

 

Circus Parade  This work is also part of the SAQA 100 Day challenge.   I used all the Chinese Zodiac creatures that I made in this one.  I started free motion quilting  on this this morning.    This is quilt # 7 in this series.

 New Series- Split Complements #1 Blue- Yellow Orange- Red Orange   Titled:  Analyzed Appearance        I felt I needed to keep up the color exploration so I moved on to Split Complements.  I think I will do one primary and the two variations on its complement for this series.  I started with Blue and used four shades of  that base  color with this piece plus white for contrast.

Nebula   I did this felted piece as a response to the demonstration at the  Associated Artist meeting two weeks ago.  The demonstrator was going to toss the colorful material she had peeled away from the surface of her work.  I picked it up and felted it into this piece.  I finished the beading yesterday.  Only need to frame it now.

Take Off    I have put so much of my time into abstract work of late that I thought I would start a piece with subject matter.  So I built this curvy cut background.  I plan to add sea guls taking off on top.

I hope you are enjoying pleasant weather were you are .

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

 

100 day Challenge, Diva Meetings, Drawing, Hand work, Meandering Mind- Examine, Pixies Group, Purple Impinging, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs)

April 2023

Hello,

There were lots of meetings this week as it is the first week of the month.  The QuEGs  had a Zoom meeting and although the attendance was low we had a good time.  The Diva’s had a real productive meeting too.

This is Ann’s  piece based on her trip to Yellowstone last summer.

 

 

This is Cheri’s work for the up coming show at the Unitarian Church in Ithaca.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noel is honoring her grandmother with this piece as the gloves were created by that lady.

 

 

 

Next is the work of  Terri

 

 

 

 

 

I love this felted work that was then cut up and put back together again.   The artists is Denise.

 

 

 

 

 

The Pixies had there usual meeting yesterday as well.  This fun painting is by  Laura.

 

 

 

 

 

I continue to do the SAQA challenge and I am now working on a piece I call  Circus Parade.    I also listened to the SAQA Lecture yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Revival is over as far as presenting new material, but I am still playing catch up.  This portrait was directed by Irene Ruby.

 

 

 

 

This water color fox  was directed by Tamora Laporte.   This is the second year she has been a part of this program.

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Imagine Purple    This work is 37″ w X 44″ t.   It is the last of the monochromatic series.   I  have learned a lot about color doing this group of pieces and they do look good together.

The metallic inserts were a fun addition as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tigers in the Ring  I am quilting circles on this project.   It is one of the SAQA 100 day works .   I place the paper circles on the surface were I think they are needed and then machine quilt around them.  I am using the for different sizes as you can see to add interest.

Blue Beach    I just keep stitching away at this project.   I got lots of positive feed back on it at the Pixie meeting  as I was stitching on it during our Zoom meeting.

 

New Work   Sense I finished the monochromatic series, I have decided to try some Split Compliments.   This is the first one using primary blue and yellow orange and red orange.   I am using the shades and tints of the all of the colors too.

 

 

 

Stay Safe and Keep Creating

Carol

100 day Challenge, Collage, Creative Assistants, Felt Work, Green Collection, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Purple Impinging, Shows, Stretched Works

Spring Growth

Hello,

It has been a full week for me.  One of the event that I Zoomed was a review of a fiber art show that I did not get into.  I found it very interesting that only 17 pieces were accepted and over 400 were entered.  That says a lot about how difficult  the judges job was.   The Judge talked and went into great detail about how she considered what selected.   I did not feel badly about not getting into the show even before I listened but,  it did make me think about why one dose enter competitions.   It sure is a boost to ones self image when one gets accepted but dose it really say anything about ones personal direction?     Three of the artist who were in the show also talked about their work.  They were all young and I think they need the acceptance and encouragement of being a part of this event far more than a person like me.  I am established and although I love a challenge, I know who I am.  That has great power in its self.  For those young women who are new to the fiber world it is far more difficult  and important.    I hope I can encourage them to grow into there full  potential and self confidence.   So why do I enter?  Well I think it is a self challenge and a motivator to keep on my own toes about what I do.     Going forward is important even as one ages.

 

I was in the Social Art Show this week( no judging).   This shot is of my friend Victoria’s work and several admirers.  I  got lots of positive feed on my work,  “Three Witches”.

 

The Pixies meant and  we had a lot to talk about.    Laura had taken photos of Susan’s work in her yard sale last week.  I like Susan’s playful style.  Everyone had their say about the week

We are one day 72 of the 100 Day Challenge for SAQA and things are moving along.   I am building up a top with my Tiger prints from earlier this year.

 

 

 

 

I am also doing the Sketchbook Revival and having great fun  as color is the emphasis this year.     One lesson was on mixing water color backgrounds with lettering.

 Several were  collage projects.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Green Collection    This work is 48″ w X 61″l.   It is one of the 100 Day Challenge lap quilts.    I was still in the spiral mood when I free motion quilted this work

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Mushrooms    This is a felted stretched work that is 22″w X 16″ t.   I have been working on it for a few weeks and had the most trouble deciding on what size to make it.  I did cut off quite a bit and I think that was for the best.

 

 

 

 

 

 Purple  Imagining   I am nearing the completion of the machine quilting on this project.  There are lots of little sections  here.

 

Blue Beach   I just keep adding buttons to the surface.   I am doing lots of looking at the surface too.

 

 

 

 

 

Creative Assistants   As you can see I am ready to put arms and backing on a new batch of these guys.   I am making progress on them although it is slow.

Enjoy the longer sun shine days and keep creating.

Carol

 

 

 

100 day Challenge, Aplique, Creative Assistants, Explorations, Felt Work, Hand work, Purple Impinging, Re Work, SAQA, Sisterhood of the Scissors, Understanding Orange

What I See

Hello,

I just had cataract surgery on my left eye yesterday and that has alerted me to how our eyes effect what I see.   Through the eye with the new lens things seem clearer and more blue that the yellow brown that I now see through the right one.  It makes for a bit of a fuzzy mix at the moment.    I have not has the reaction that one of my fellow artists talked about.  She found that she hated the color combinations for some of her past work.  So far that has not been the case with me.   The body seems to be adapting.  It is an amazing machine!

This week I made it to the Sisterhood of the Scissors and the Pixie’s Zoom meetings.  Both were enjoyable .  I also made a trip to the Cabin Fever Quilt show were I had three pieces.    This is an old work that is hand appliqued  that I did for my Dad.   It is double bet sized  and I had pulled it for my solo show to start with,  but found it was far too big.

 

Sharon was demonstrating on the day I went to visit.

 

It was fun to watch her cut each branch and then place it before fuzzing it down.     She then machine stitches over the work too.

 

 

 

 

This is an example of a finished work.

 

 

 

I am following the SAQA  Materials Matter series and this week it was on Wool.  That got me fired up to do a little felting.

It is always good to have places to do handwork.

 

 

 

The  SAQA  100 Day Challenge got attention too.   I cut new stamps  and printed one set.

 

 

 

I realized I was  getting tired of printing on white so I pulled some different old work and printed on top of it  for some of  these.

 

 

 

 

Then I selected two from this purple/yellow group to be the jumping off place for the next little project.

 

 

 

 

 

I even got some of them cut yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Understanding  Orange   I am  only putting in about an hour a day on the  hand stitching so it is slow going.

 

Purple Imaginings   I finished assembling the top of this work  and it is pin based now.  I have not decided how I will quilt this yet so it is just waiting.

 

 

 

 

Creative Assistants    I finished off  16 more of these little guys this week.  There are only 15 in the shot because the last one would not fit on the box top.   There are lots of others in various stages too.

 Rework Project     In my fooling around this week  I decided to add some new surface design to this quilted piece. I had removed the old stuff a few weeks ago.   It is started, but as many things I am not sure were to go from this point, so I will let it set for a while.

 

Keep your eyes open and stay safe

Carol

 

 

100 day Challenge, Donuts and Wholes, Felt Work, Fiber Artist Stitch Club, Finger Lakes Fiber Artist Group, Hand work, Meandering Mind- Examine, Pixies Group, Purple Impinging, Understanding Orange

Staying the Course

Hello,

I  hope you all had the type of Valentines day that you enjoyed.  My wonderful husband got me these roses.  I love how the sun light was on them at the end of the day.

The Finger Lakes Fiber Artists meant on Saturday.  We had a great meeting.  The show and tell is always the best. Pat showed her new work saying that the new studio is so large that her work is expanding too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maureen is working with paint on canvas now as well as her dyeing.

 

 

 

Sharon had a new winter fields piece that is very quiet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Jeanne did a specular graffiti piece  for the Sisterhood challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

Deb had a nice little work she was finishing for her Husband.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Joyce brought her wonderful dolls and her new baskets.  She is working like mad at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the meeting I went with several others to look at the Both Ends of the Rainbow show in the main gallery of the Schweinfurth.      Sharon  had these two pieces in that show  that is up until  March 12.

 

 

 

I also had my fall piece, Leaf Pile in the show.

 

 

 

There was also a Pixies meeting as usual and we had a good time as well.

I keep working on the  SAQA 100 Day Challenge. 

 

I selected two fabrics that I had  printed and built a small quilt using them as my start units.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made special units like the triangles to add a bit of spice.

 

 

 

 

I finished the assembling and started quilting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The quilting gave me the idea for its title.  Donuts and Wholes is what I am going to call it

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Understanding Orange   I am doing handwork on this piece now.  I enjoy this step in a a different way then when I am creating the top.     I will add more machine work when the hand step is done.

 

 

 

 

Purple Imagining  This is the last of the monochromatic series.   It is always slow going at the beginning of the layout process for me.

 

 

 

 

Textile Artist Stitch Club Workshop   I pulled this work out again this week and I intend to complete it.   I think I can do that with a bit of effort

 

 

 

 

Handwork  This piece got berried  under the 100 day project stuff and only resurfaces when I put the paints away.   I think it is nearing  completion too.

 

 

 

 

New Work- felting   I got out Val Holmes book ” Creative Recycling in Embroidery ”   and  got going on some shapes that are not rectangles.  I was really searching for my silk, ( and I did find it) but I got side tracked by the colors of the wool roving in the cabinet.   Now I have two new works to  play with.   I plan to get out the feltier tomorrow.

Stay safe and keep Creating

Carol

100 day Challenge, Blue Horizons, Briar Patch, Creative Assistants, Crow Calls, Envision, Forest Flock, Meandering Mind- Examine, Pixies Group, Presume, Thread Painting, Understanding Orange, Wool Rounds

Opening +

Hello,

  The opening on Sunday was the big event of the week for me.      I was happily pleased by all the folks who came to support me.    Two of the gals in this photo came from over from an hour away  and that was a big surprise.   

 

 

 

 

 

My daughter and youngest grandson came as well .   He is over six feet and makes me look really like a small grandmother.

 

 

With this show I tried to show old work and new as well as show all the different techniques I use. This work in the show is my first Fire piece and it was done about 25  years ago.

 

I put this work in the show to show off my applique skills and my handwork.

 

 

 

 

Granite Grannies is and example of a work that is both painted and dyed.  I did free motion drawing to out line the faces.

 

 Calling Crows is a work that won Judges Choice at the Adirondack Quilts Show a few years ago.   I did it after being awakened by crows at 4:00 in the morning when I was staying in Auburn.

  This work is called Forest Flock.  I machine drew all the little birds  and then appliqued them to the background.  The dark  tree is made from an old black skirt that I felted.

 

 

Briar Patch is a work that came about because I was playing with metallic threads and they suggested shinny berries to me.

 

 

 

Lastly I included the last three studies I did this fall as a part of the Explorations series.   I am in a new phase of this same self challenge now.

 

 

 

 

There were more works in the show , but I did not include them all.  The pictures show of the show were taken by my daughter, Wendy.

There was a Pixie Meeting this week and we shared lots of ideas.  I am continuing to work away on the 100 Day SAQA challenge. Friday I printed these images .   The images on the bottom  are new and the ones on the top are the new blocks over an existing image.

 

I printed new images on  Saturday.

 

 

 

 

I did a Rabbit to celebrate the Chinese New year of the Rabbit

 

 

 

Tue I printed the new images

 

 

 

 

 

Wed I cut these new images.   I decided to do  a Rat as the Chinese symbol because that is my year.

 

 

Today is the twelfth day and an even one so I printed .  One the left are the prints them selves and on the right are them used on top of  another printed image.    I am having fun and learning things so I feel good about this project.

Progress Report: Blue Horizons  This work is 34.5 ” X  38″. I enjoyed doing the handwork on this piece and finished it on Tue.

The   free motion process is also  fun for me.   I have fun dreaming up  images to machine draw.

 

 

 

 

Presume    I am still in the hand work stage here.  I am out lining the metallic’s  like I did on Forbidden Fruit.

 

Envision   I finished putting together the top for this work on Monday.  Then yesterday after pin basting it I did some stitch in the ditch work to stabilize it  so I can do the hand work here.   I am just thinking about the the pattern the hand work will take at this point.

 

 

Understanding Orange  I have just begun this top.  It is number 5 in the Monochromatic Studies of the Meandering Mind series.  I will start using purples when this one is done.

 

 

 

Creative Assistants   I finished off 22 more of these little guys this week.  This  is the most recent bunch ready for the paint and pin backs.   I hope to do a few more faces and add bodies before I complete the batch.

I hope that my readers are stay safe and enjoying the season.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

Creative Assistants, Envision, Forbidden Fruit, Hand work, Pixies Group, Presume

Pushing Forward

1 Comment

Hello,

 All my efforts at the moment are to prepare for my solo show that gets hung on Sat.   This is a shot of the post card.  I addressed and mailed out  30 on Monday.  I am excited even though it seems to have taken over my life of late.   I have 18 pieces that I have prepared labels and polls for at this point.   I will spend most of Friday doing one last press of them so they hang  as flat as I can make them.   I have a nice mix of new things that have never been shown any were and a bit of a review of older work.     I will polish up the artist statement and be all set I think.   I also pulled work for the Cabin Fever Quilt show at the Betts Library that opens in early Feb.    I only have three pieces in that show and I have very little work to do except turn in my art for that show.   Koi Joy(  at the right)  is one of my entries for that one.

 

The Pixies were the only group that I meant with this week so there was not a lot of outside in put.  I am glad however as I had plenty to keep me busy.

Progress  Report:  Forbiddin Fruit   This work is 35.5″ X 55.5 “.  It is the first in the mono chromatic  works although it is also my entry for the Red competition for Quilt Surface Design Isolation  that is due at the end of the month.   I did a lot more hand work on this then I intended at the beginning, but the work called for it so I pushed forward.

 

 

 

Blue Horizon    This is the second in the mono chromatic series that is a sub set of the  Meandering Mind series that I started in the Creative Strength Training class.  I am doing free motion work and hand work on this piece too .

Presume    The green work in the mono chromatic series is all assembled now and pin  based.   I am learning a lot about color with these challenges.

 

 

 

Envision  I started working away on this piece on Tue.  Still playing with curves and the mono chromatic thing and having fun.

 

 

 

 

Creative Assistants  I pushed myself to get hair- my third step in the construction of the tribe done this week.  Each of these bags holds about  35  bodies so  I have lots of faces to do now.

 

Handwork  Its time for the Rochester  6X6 show stuff so most of my efforts in the hand department are going in that direction at the moment.  Two are done and two to square and bind.

Finish up  I added the binding to this work so it is done now and I can go on to other things.

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing   I enjoyed the on line drawing class this week.  This is my response to the   Bird- House”  challenge.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

Annalise, Blue Horizons, Creative Assistants, Drawing, Hand work, Presume, Scrap Happy Quilts

Into the New Year

Hello,

I hope the new year is treating you well.   I am moving forward with my many projects and working hard to prepare for my solo show that I will hang on the 14 of Jan.      I spent Tuesday judging for the Scholastic Art competition.  I helped judge Film and Animation this year.    There are lots of great  programs going on and the work was strong.

The Pixies meant on Wed.  I am playing with the new markers that Laura sent me  and shared my image’s with that group. 

The FAD group also meant this week.   Sharon generously gave all of us one of her hand made scarves.   She also shared her newest work in progress.   We had a good time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am doing a five day drawing challenge as well and enjoying that too.   It is good to stretch out those mussels some times.   The assailment for this one was ” Bunny,  Flower”.

 

 

 

 

I stopped at my friend, Barbara’s to drop off a lap quilt for her and she surprised me with a gift too.  She gave me two boxed of her fabric to use or pass on.  What fun.

Progress Report: Forbidden Fruit    I keep stitching away on the extension of the curves that I built into the work.   I am moving along , but it is slow.

 

 

 

 

Blue Horizons    This work is all layered and pin basted.  I did stitch in the ditch quilt in  a few places, but it has not gotten any attention beyond that this week.

 

 

 

Presume   I got going on the mono chromatic color scheme thing with greens this week.  Most of the units are built now and I only need to put them together  so I can move to the next step.

 

 

 

Creative Assistants  I did lots of faces this week and added the backs and arms to those little dolls.  They are turned and stuffed now too so I can add the squeezie paint to them today and  then the pin backs.   All the body bases now have their trim so I can move onto the hair step with them now.

Scrape assembly   I just keep putting in the hour a day on this step of this project.  I can see that there is less in the basket- but it still seems very slow work to me.

 

Handwork   I did a little handwork during a Zoom meeting this week and this is the result.  I think it will go off to the Rochester 6″ X6″ show later this year.

 

 

I hope that the new year is only presenting the types of challenges you want to deal with.

Keep Creating

Carol

Annalise, Blue Horizons, Creative Assistants, Forbidden Fruit, Hand work, Meandering Mind- Examine

Happy Holidays

Hello and Seasons Greetings,

I hope everyone celebrated the Solstice in their own fashion.   We sat with our tree, listed to carols, drank eggnog and talked of past days.

After the frantic week I had last week it was good to have a much calmer one this week.  I only had Creative Strength Training and a meeting with the Pixies, both of them are virtual.     My packages are all wrapped and under the tree and I can now just relax and enjoy the season.    My wishes for everyone are good health and quiet happiness.

Progress Report: Sea Dreams    This work is   45″ X 35″ .      I like how the the fish blend into one another even though there are several different taffetas.

 

 

 

The striped eye buttons are from my friend Sharron.   They are leftover from when she owned a quilt shop.

 

Annalise ( Meandering Mind Series  # 6)   This is the last of the series using  complements in tints and shades  without naturals.  I am having fun doing the hand work on this project now

Forbidden Fruit ( Meandering  Mind Series 2  # 1) This work is all assembled now and I am ready to size it.   Then I will begin to quilt the work together.    This is my new challenge using only one tint and shade of a color.  Red in this case with black, white and metallic.  I think the metallic is an over flow from the fish work.

 

Blue Horizon ( Meandering Mind Series 2 # 2)  I just started this one yesterday.  I am still using only tints and shades of blue this time and the metallics, but I think I will stay with just one light and no black.   Navy blue is strong enough.

 

 

Creative Assistants   This is the latest batch of these guys.  I came across an old sketchbook drawing of the inspiration   for the first ones.  The page was dated 1991.    I can’t believe I have been making them sense then.    Thirty one years is  long enough so I have decided this will be the last tribe I build.     I sure have used lots of little  junk to embellish them  and celebrated  lots of events with this work.    Stopping will free up lots of space on my shelves when I pass forward, or trash some of the items that I hold on to to create them , let alone the time.   It will be a sad/happy ending.

   Dog Scarves Project   A friend asked me if I could make a small quilt out of her dog’s scarves.  He passed away and she want to remember and honor him.   I am working away at it.

 

Hand Work  I always have a project were I can do hand work and this is the latest.   It is early , but so far I have only used wool thread.

 

Stay safe and enjoy the season

Keep Creating

Carol