Category Archives: Scrap Happy Quilts

Birds, Hand work, Sandpipers, Scrap Happy Quilts

More Sun Shine

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Hello,

I am enjoying the days of more light.   It is nice to get up with the sun.   That will all change again on Saturday when we go to Daylight Savings Time.   But just the thought of more day light  is cheering to me.

Wendy and I went swimming on Thursday  last week and stopped at the Betts Library to check out the Cabin fever Quilt show on the way.   My piece, Blue Spanish Eyes  is a part of that show.

 

 

 

I also  included had my “Hand Out ” piece in my entries for the Betts show.  All the hands in this piece are drawn form photos I took of fellow quilter’s.

 

 

 

 

I was impress by this work too.   It has such strong colors.

 

My only other event  was  to the Pixie meeting.   I have decided not to include the meetings in my beginning topics.

 

Progress Report: Lap 4-25  This lap quilt was the big  thing I finished this week.     Sometimes one just needs to put in the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5-25     I did start this new lap quilt this week.     I sure enjoy these little projects that are judge free.

 

 

 

 The Tide’s Out     This project is going well.   I only have about  a 8″  section to complete and then it is off to the framers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandpipers   These fellows are all hand colored.   Now I am juggling then around on the background before I stitch them onto the surface.

Handwork  This work is done at then point.   I don’t have any goal for what will happen to this work.   Sometimes it is just about the process.

 

 

 

 Suit Case  My old suit case  is wearing out and it is too big to be a carry on, so I purchased a new one.   I like to identify them with squiggle paint, so there in never any doubt who’s case is mine.    It also means that when I travel in a group, folks get so they recognize  my piece and will often pull it off the caracal for me.

 

10″ X 10″  I want to contribute to the Art Rage auction so I have cut these two 1)” squares to embellish for that purpose.

Judy’s Banquet   Judy gave me an old prom dress and I am cutting it apart to use in this new quilt.

 

 

 

 

 

New Handwork     Having finished up a handwork project, I quickly pulled out a new one to work on.

 

Scrap Happy 1-25   I started a new scrap happy  project this week.   Now all the blocks are cut.

 

 

I hope folks are enjoying the longer day light hours and using them effectively.

Keep Creating

Carol

Balance, Birds, Collage, Collections II Grandmother Mc, Drawing, Hand work, IV, Machine Drawing, Perception, Persuasion, Pixies Group, Ravens, Rocky Shore, Scrap Happy Quilts, Spring Spin, Summer Family - Cardinals

Calm Winter Time

Hello,

For me this week has been very calm.   I did do the Textile Talk on Wed and  zoomed with the Pixies, but beyond that I mostly caught up with myself.      A bit of a fallow time and one can always use that.

Progress Report: Scrap Happy   I did the quilting on this project this week and now it is complete.   This one had lots of leftover blocks  in it.

 

 

 

Valentines      I finished up all of these on Tue.  Now I am ready to add the address  and mail them.

 

 

 

 

 

Purple Jacket II    I am making slow progress on this piece.  the back of both sleeves as well as the jacket back need to be completed now.

 

 

 

California Burning: the Victorian    I finally got to the free motion stitching on this project this week.      I need to build the hedge and the background and it will be able to complete it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tide’s Out      The progress on this one is slow.  I feel good that I am now working  from the center towards the top edge  at this point.  So one is looking at it up side down at the moment.      I try to do a little on this every day.

Cut & Print  I was unhappy with the “film” on this project so I took it off.  Now I am ready to rebuild that so  I can connect the parts.

 

 

 

 

Collage/ Drawing   This first collage with a drawing on top is called  Teton’s Slopes.    I am learning a lot about how the types of papers I use effect the markers and colored pencils.    I also think I will take a photo of the collage before I start to draw on top  next week.

This second collage drawing is called Snake  River.   I am using a book of images from the Tetons as my starting place for the works.

 

 

 

 

Handwork   I did not spend as much time as usual watching TV this week, so not a lot of progress was made on this piece.  I am always glad to pick it up and stitch when the news is on.

 

I hope you are enjoying the joys of winter and staying warm when you are at ease.

Keep Creating

Carol

Applique, Balance, Birds, Collage, Collections II Grandmother Mc, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), IV, Lap Quilts, Perception, Persuasion, Pixies Group, Ravens, Rocky Shore, Scrap Happy Quilts, Spring Spin, Summer Family - Cardinals

Moving Forward

Hello,

This is the time of year when it seems like I am just inching forward.  I keep being pulled in so many directions,    I’ll just load the dishwasher, and then go to the studio.  Or I open a drawer and decide it needs to be cleaned out, and then I’ll go to the studio.   So when I get to the studio I see  I need to put away the remainders from the last project and I need to write that Thank you note…   on and on it goes and the day it done and I have not done any real studio work.  I will admit that I did a trunk show for The Thumbstall Quilt Guild on Tuesday night and that did take a lot of prep time.   I related quilting like learning how to read.  You learn the letters( how to cut the shapes) then how to make words( making blocks).   The next step is reading books( like putting the quilt together).   Hopefully the Librarian shows one that there are   many different categories of books:  Like mysteries, romances, plays,  comedies,  poetry and nature text to mention a few.  I related the different types of books to  the many different techniques one can use to create  quilts.      I think they enjoyed the narrative as well as the work.     I still need to put the quilts away in there proper groupings so I can find them the next time I am called upon to do a quilt talk.    I also went to the Associated  Artists Group this week and made it to both FAD and Pixies.   In between that the battery in my car died so when I feel like I have done little or nothing this week, I need to remind myself that there were lots of distortions along with the laundry, shoveling  and …

One other little note, the purple  sweatshirt jacket that was too small for me fit Judy perfectly, so I set it home with her.

 

Progress Report: Scarp Happy I got this piece all put together this week.      The machine step of the binding is in process now too.   I’m working on the hand step of that process. Then  I will need to do additional quilting to complete the job.

Tide Pool   I attached the punch needle work and I am in the middle of adding the yarn  puffs now.   Still lots to do here, but I am enjoying the process.

 

 

 

 

Lap quilt  I started this new lap quilt this week.   When I look at this  I realized  the California fires are effecting me  subconsciously

 

 

 

 

   

New fire   I did indeed start a new fire piece  with one of my last pieces of Judy Roberts fabrics for my base.     It is basted now and I will start the fabric collage work on top this week.

 

Collage/Drawing        In my on line class, Cass challenged us to mix drawing with our collage work.   I can see it is a lot more challenging than I expected .  In my own analogous, I think I need to keep the collage a bit simpler.   But making mistakes is a part of the learning process.

Keep Moving

Carol

Collage, Drawing, Hand work, Pixies Group, Re Work, Scrap Happy Quilts, Stretch Works

Winter Beauty

Hello,

We are really into winter now with lots of snow and shoveling.   One can see changes almost daily from additional snow or interesting melting and wind blown patterns.    I love how the snow can out line the trees some times.   I had to stop and take this photo on my way to a luncheon this week.   Just lovely if one take the time to look .   So  slow down a bit , keep your eyes open and find the beauty of this time of year.

 

Monday this week I helped Sharon and Victoria hang the Trifurcation show at La Moline.

This is Sharon’s newest piece an  it is part of the show.      I really like the shadows it casts to make the work appear more complex.

 

I sent four works off   to the  6X6 fundraiser for the Rochester Art Center yesterday and I meant with the Pixies too.    In addition I listened to the Textile Talk on   Wed.     The weeks just seem to fill up.

 Progress Report: Poinsettia    This work is 12″ X 17″.   It got stretched   and finished this week.     It is a great way to mix drawing with stitch work.

I think I will try a bit of this with some of the work I am doing for the Find Connections class.

 

 

 

Blue Tide Pool   This piece came home form the framers on Wed.   I am very happy with how it came out.     The silk cocoons and hand felted shells are the most unique items on this one.

There is some real shells and coral bits Mom collected  too.

 

 New Tide Pool  I just had to start another one of these works.   I am having too much fun building up the surface  and Ideas keep filling my head.

 

 

Cut& Print   This work has been pinned to the wall for two weeks.    I just could not figure out what was wrong with it.   Then while going through a stack of fabric, I came across this little strip fabric and knew immediately what was wrong.   The  black strip I made was too big to represent the wholes in film.   I think the images need to be on black too.     I am glad I did not push forward, as  I am sure I will be much happier with this solution.

Collages   I have to do collages for my Finding Connections class  so the emphasis is a bit different this week.

 

 

 

 

She is encouraging us to use fabric so I used the cut offs from one of the tide pool bases in the second two works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing     I am following through on the second little assignment Cas Holms  gave us for that class and doing a 15 min   drawing study every day in the sketchbooks I  made.   I ‘m having fun.   Playing and exploring is why I Create.

 

 

 

Handwork      I laid out this new fabric collage to do handwork on this week.   The malty colored shapes are all cut aways from one of the  scissors works.   I just loved the fabric and could not bring myself to toss it.

Second Try- Purple Sweatshirt Jacket   When I went to the Rescue Mission with two bags of stuff this week I also popped into the store.     I found a second purple sweatshirt- much larger this time that I will   use to make a second attempt at creating  a jacket.

 

 

New Scrap Happy   I started assembling the third set of rows that I started at the Sisterhood retreat in the fall.   The next Scarp happy will  be a ways off I think.

 

 

The work is enjoyable and I sure find ways to keep at it.

Enjoy the season  and Keep your eyes open.

Carol

 

 

Collage, Experiments, Pixies Group, Re Work, Scrap Happy Quilts, Stretched Works

Cold

 Hello,

We are really feeling winter in Up State New York at the moment.      Got  8 inches of new snow this morning on top of the 16 from the day before.    Temp is 22 degrees with a wind that makes it feel like 7 degrees.  It  melted one day and then it was back to cold.  I know it is much easier to deal with than the fires in CA  so I am thankful.   Sorry for the folks who have lost so much!

It has been a full week for me.  On Monday I spent the day at the Schweinfurth helping take down the   the QAQ show along with Barb, Donna  and .    It took  three of us to take down many of the big quilts like this one.

Then on Tuesday I helped judge the Scholastic Art program.   I did  Animation and Film as I have done in past years.   It is always fun to see what the kids are trying out.      I had a Pixie Meeting and listed to  the Friends of Fiber lecture on Wed.

 

I keep working away on my Making Connections  class.    I made these two little sketchbooks to use in class  and I did some drawing as well.   I am just completed the third section in Module 2.

 

Progress Report: Scrap Happy   I completed the second quilt that I started at the Sisterhood Retreat in the fall.     I have no plans for this project, but I am sure the opportunity will appear.

My Year    I am done with this quilt now, but it is too large to pin out flat in my studio so I will have to wait until later to take a good shot of it.

 

 

Purple Jacket   This project is done now.   I made the mistake of not trying it on until this point – and it is too small for me.    I hope I can find someone to pass it onto.

 

 

 Autumn Tide Pool  I have finally completed this project.      It too is a rework of one of my projects from the stone series I did years ago.   I added some polished stone disks that my friend Carol A gave to me years ago.

  I really like all the different textures in this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 Poinsettia    I made a bit of a self challenge .  That is to experiment a bit more.    In an old copy of “Quilting Arts Magazine”,  there was a n article about using  Caran D’ache wax pastels as a drawing tool to add color to a surface.  Then one was to  apply water with a brush to the work to create a water color effect.   I tried it this week.    I then ironed the works to set the color and did free motion drawing on top.    I am nearly done with this project and enjoying the play .  It is stretch on some old stretcher bars.

Collages    I am still being faithful to the idea of doing two colleges every week.      This one is called Irises, and I used some to the Sharpie markers that Laura gave me for Christmas a few year ago to  add more definition to the piece.

 

 

This  second one  is drawn from a photo that I took in CA while we  were waiting for the though truck.

 

 

 

 

 

Pillow & Pincushion  I finished stuffing the pillow and pincushion this week.  The fabric in the pincushion came  form my trip to Australia with my daughter five years ago.

Envelopes    It is January and I took down the calendars for 2024.   The images are so beautiful I like to make them into envelopes to send  letters in.    All are cut out  and half of them are folded.     I am in the middle of the process and will add a white sticker to write the add on each one  next.    It’s my little bit of recycling.

I hope you are safe and warm,

Keep Creating.

Carol

Balance, Birds, Collage, Collections II Grandmother Mc, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), IV, Perception, Persuasion, Ravens, Rocky Shore, Scrap Happy Quilts, Spring Spin, Summer Family - Cardinals

New Year 2025

  Hello and Happy New year- 2025

I can’t believe we are starting the  second quarter of the 21 century. Time has a powerful way of constantly moving forward even if we are not paying attention.    Our worry about all the computers crashing  when Y2K hit seems so silly now.  I’m showing my age.  So many demands on all of us I guess.    I spent my morning closing my books on 2024 and setting up the book keeping for this year.  Doing that always make me take stock.

It has been a somewhat quiet week for me with  FAB  the Pixie meeting  and me stating a new class.    Making Connections with Cas Holms  is my new challenge for  this year.    I am looking forward to her approach to exploring what is close at hand.

 Progress Report:    My Year   I did finish   the quilting and stitching down the binding this week.  Now to get the sleeve added and labeled.

Collage     I did my usual two works this week.

I am trying to do more drawing a a part of the process .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scrap Happy    I am doing the binding on this queen sized quilt now.  Each side takes more than an hour so the process is slow.

 

 

 

 

 

Purple Jacket     In the  newest issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, there was a article about a using a sweatshirt for the base of a jacket.   So I thought I would try it.       This is my back.

Autumn Tide Pool       I am making progress on this project.   I sure seem to enjoy adding all the little buttons and beads to the surface.

Stay safe.

Carol

Collage, Natural Elements, Pixies Group, Scrap Happy Quilts, Tide Pools

Holiday Times

Hello,

I like many others celebrated the holiday yesterday with my family.      We all ate too much , opened gifts and enjoyed each others company.     For our house we made some great new memories.   I hope you can say the same.     I did do a bit of work this week and the Pixies meant.      I have made a little resolution though, to try to act more quickly on items I read.   We will just have to see how long that lasts.

Progress Report: Collages      I did spend my Monday afternoon working on collage.  Setting a specific time for that seems to help me stay on track there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steampumk   Doll       This gal is the partner for the one from last week.   She has an old spice tin for a body. long springs for arms and old shoe horns for legs.       It was a fun diversion.

 

 

 

 

Autumn Tide Pool      I am making great progress on this project.   The handwork just takes time  and because I cannot do it in the TV room it is always slow to completion.  But I do enjoy the process.

 

 

 

My Year    I have started the quilting of this project now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scarp Happy      I laid out and assembled the rows for this project at the Sisterhood Fall retreat. This is the second of the three.    I gave the first to my daughter for Christmas. I am also doing work on assembling the  pieced back for the last one.

 

 

Altered    Jacket   In the newest  issue of” Quilting Arts Magazine” , I was untriaged by  Bethanne Nemesh’s article, Yarn Couching Couture.    So I purchased a jacket at the local  thrift store and this is my solution.

 

 

 

New Project     In the same issue of “Quilting Arts Magazine”, was a second story by Mary Schwarzenberger  called It all Began With a Sweatshirt.   So I also picked up a purple sweatshirt at the thrift store.   These are the fabrics I have pulled to try to use on that project.

I am having fun and that is an important part of why I do the work.

May the New Year bring your  goodness and joy.

Carol

Collage, Hand work, Pixies Group, Scrap Happy Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Fall Retreat

  Hello,

Friday was the last Super Moon of this year.    It is also know as a Deer Moon or a Bever Moon.    I took this a dusk.     The Schweinfurth  Fall Retreat was last week end  as well.  It was a great time.   There were lots of old friends and a lot got done by many folks.

 

 

Sharon   did most of the work on this new Heroin quilt.  She still needs to finish up the actual bird, but I am sure she will do a great job on it too.

 

 

 

Liz asked for and received contributions from everyone  for her quilt.    The piece has lots of new memories in it now.   It is all pinned and she needs to do the hand work to finish it .

 

 

 

 

 

Marty got a dozen blocks done for this new work.    This shot was taken Friday.

 

 

 

Lourie did a lot of work by laying out a different   possible top every day for the three days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Janet finished her top assembly  on Sunday afternoon.

 

 

 

 

This top was completed on Saturday and she was well along the way on her second one by the end of the day on Sunday.

It was a great time for all of us.

I made it to the Textile Talk this week and  I had a Sisterhood of the Scissors zoom meeting .

 

The Pixies had a Green Collage Challenge  this week.

Next week the color is yellow.

 

 

 

 

 

I did a second so  I could use some of the Geli Print paper in it.

 

 

 

Progress Report: Scrap Happy  I finished this queen sized work this week too.  It will be a Christmas gift for my daughter.

 

 

 

Autumn Cuts      I have filled in only one of the shapes so far, but them I was away for three days this week

 

 

 

 

Bleaching Coral   I put in the time on this one this week.  I like how it is filling in.

 

 

 

 

Cut the Cord   I worked on this at the retreat.   I was not at all happy with the background  and so  I have built a new one that I think will work a bit better.

 

 

I am still quilting on it.

 

 

Cut and Print  I printed all the blocks at Angela’s a few weeks ago.  Now I am trying to build film( the stuff at the left )to fill in the blocks.  I am  not sure this works yet either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Year    I pulled out this set of blocks this week and now I am ready to put them together.      I have four more blocks and I have not decided if I want to include them or not…   Got to live with it .

There will be no Blog next week as it is Thanksgiving.   I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I hope that you feel that way as well.

Carol

Applique, Drawing, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, SAQA Blocks, Scrap Happy Quilts

Moving Forward

Hello,

  Lots of action and  progress  this week.

Liz and I went to Marcia’s for a play day   Friday.   We sure enjoyed the talk and folks and lots of stories and such.   Marcia is making slow progress on her work.

Jean is working on a self portrait challenge and she is doing an Andy Warhol type thing.

 

 

 

 

 

Deb finished her piece for the Falling Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went go off to the SAQA New York New Jersey meeting on Saturday.  It was real informative and I got so see  several old friends.    Cynthia  did a great presentation on the up coming  regional challenge –  Oxymorons.     I am rolling that around in my brain.   I think it will be a good one to work on.

 

Then we did Show and Tell .   It’s always fun I think.

Jean shared her Zebra quilt with us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joan put up one of her works.   There were many more , but I did not get permission to put them up on the web at the meeting, so I will  not share them.

The Pixies meant on Wed and shared ideas too.   I will put up my answer to the collage challenge in the progress report.

Progress Report: Lap 7

I worked away on  this piece this week and now I only need to finish the binding.  I plan to do what while I watch the news this evening.

 

 

 

 Scrap Happy    I added three rows of boarders this week and now I am doing the hand work on the binding.  This is a Christmas present so I am not in a rush.   I will additional quilting across the square to help with the suage of the project.

 

 

 

 

SAQA Auction Block    I finished the hand quilting on this project yesterday.  I know that the call for new pieces will not be until next year,  But I was playing and now the job is ready to ship.

 

Bleaching     I did not put as much work in on this piece this week as i usually do.   But I am happy with how it’s going.

 

 

 

Drawing      I got busy with my ball point again this week and this is the result.   I love to draw old people.

 

 

 

Autumn Cuts   The progress is slow, but I enjoy the handwork.   I try to limit the different types of stitches.

 

 

  Collages-  Hatching       The pixie Challenge for this week was to do a collage and use blue in it some where.  When I saw the blue eggs I knew   this was it.  ( I know too,  that Cardinals do not have blue eggs- but this is what I had)  I also have a little personal challenge to use something I have Gelli Plated  printed in the works.      The brown leaves fit that part of the bill.  Play Time    is a second work  that follows my two rules and I had fun with it as well.   The blue printed on black is the Gelli plate work  in this one.    When I get going they just go together for me.

 

 

 

 

Glove Nine Patch     I finished the quilting on this block at   Marcia’s on Friday.     I don’t have to think much when I do this step and I enjoy the process.

 

 

Pillow      I finished another pillow this week too.   It is made from an exploratory piece form my class two summers ago.

Have a creative week.

Carol

 

Collage, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Scrap Happy Quilts, Stencels

Changing Light

Hello,

The world shifted just a bit when we went back to standard time.   I always have  a time of adjustment doing that shift.  I am not real happy to find the sun going down at 4:30.     It is beautiful none the less.

On Saturday I went to the opening of the Quilts=Art= Quilts show at the Schweinfurth.

  This show  is a real winner!   I was so overwhelmed by the work and the many people I new and talked with that, I did not even enter two of the galleries.    Good thing I will be going back for the Fall Retreat and two trunk shows by friends.    This work is by Michelle Browne and called The Landscape Becomes her.    I like how she used and old quilt that almost gets lost in the work on top.

 

Roger Blum did this work called Greenfield.    His use of transparence makes  it  look like a painting to me.

 

 

 

 

 

This work is by Valerie Goodwin, my old teacher.  She is really exploring the use of the cut machine work a lot in  her  art.

 

 

Laurie Paquin, my friend from QBL entered this strong piece called Composition 4.   It is also on the front of the Schewinfurth mailer this month.

 

 

 

 

I was fascinated by this work by Sheree Rasmussen called  The Landscape Within.   I found all the bits and pieces really drew me into the work.

 

 

 But  thinking on the title I can see how one could picture that world in this fashion.

 

 

There was also a Pixie meeting this week.

Progress Report: Lap #5  I got busy and finished this one this week.   The stack  of lap quilts  is getting big,  so I will make a run to a nursing home sometime soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap #6     This top is all pin based now and I have done a little quilting on it .   I am getting to the bottom of the stuff I printed for the 100 days project from last year at this point.

 

 

 

 

Bleaching Coral    I am making progress on this project as I have put in a little time every day.     The roving with machine work is a little disappointing as it really sinks into the background.   But things are bound to come out less then satisfactory when you are experimenting .

 

Scrap Happy    I got busy on this project  this week and all the rows are stitched  to the backing.  I even put two pieces of boarder on it.

 

 

 

 

Autumn Cuts      I just keep stitching away on this one.    Sometimes it only gets a little attention at the end of the news.

 

 

 

 

 

Tutti Frutti Collage   I kept self promise  to myself and did  a collage this week.    The catalog’s for Christmas  fruits were on the desk and many parts of pages ended up in this work.

 

 

Printing  I finally printed the foam stamps that I made in June.   I am not sure if they are done or need a second stamping over the top.    I need to live with them a bit longer to know the answer to that one.

 

 

Enjoy the seasonal changes and keep Creating.

Carol