Ideas for Art Quilts

I love to make little art quilts by theme.  One series is for shops.  Quirky, little, gingerbread type shops.  Kind of like in these drawings.

They get attached to one of these "blanks" I prepare before hand, either by embroidery, or applique.  Then they are embellished some more, sometimes.

Here are some of the shop names, and some of the things they sell, or services offered.  Please add your ideas into the mix.  The more the merrier.  Share what you make from these ideas.

• Stacks:  pancakes, newstand, bookstor
• The Beaten Path:  drums, landscaper, wools & looms, shoes
• The Bone Yard:  ribs, dog stuff, junk yard, chiropractor, dog vet
• Bloomers:  girl stuff, flowers, etiquette lessons
• The Cover Up:  quilts, publisher, newstand, window coverings, awnings, umbrellas, tents, weavings, makup, yarns
• The Feathered Nest:  home, maternity, birds, baby, aviary
• Free Holies:  Mexican food, donut shop, recycled clothes
• The Grinder:  coffee, grist mill
• Jingle Jive:  psychiatry, holiday, advertising, DJ, records
• Leaves:  teas, tea shop, travel, tickets, paper, gardening, calligrapher, books
• Links:  internet cafe, hot dogs, hardware
• Loco Motion:  model trains, art quilts, psychiatry, dance
• Pidgeon Post: parcel shipments, stams, aviary
• Portions:  restaurant (healthy), weight managment
• Promises to Keep:  scrapbooking, quilting, bank, weight management, chapel, lawyer
• Shadows:  playhouse, puppets, photographer, curtains
• Shady Business:  sunglasses, arborist, lamps, windows, awnings, outdoor umbrellas
• Shutters:  hardware, windows, photographer, gates & doors
• Snaps:  baby apparel, cookies, photography, notions
• The Sod House:  garden nursery
• The Spinning Wheel:  pottery, automotive, travel agency, wool
• Tall Tales:  sails, books, library, signs, flags, pets
• Thing-A-Majigs:  woodshop, hardware, nottions, 5&10
• Waves:  flags, hair, boats, swim wear, beach stuff
• Whispers:  cats, kites, shapel, tea shop, book store, library, antiques
• Who Buoy:  boats, fishing supply, boy stuff

Please add your ideas.  I would love to have more.  Thank you to my daughter for adding some of these.

January

January is half gone, and half remaining.  Already a lot of new things having been worked on.  Some old ones too.  New challenges, new swap, and new ideas.  There seems to always be more.  I hope to continue instigating creativity.  To that end, I'll post a few themes for series or piece.  Add the ones that come to mind.  Consider it an invitation to (a) snowball (fight).  Hee, hee, hee.

Today's themes include a copuple of sayings.  May they begin as mental visual images.  May some crawl out of the mind's recesses.  Please share a photo to illustrate, your thoughts, or your creations any time.  Jump in.  The water's fine.

Old wood to burn,
Old books to read,
Old friends to share.

Turning Point

Waiting ("Patience is not about waiting.  It's about how you act while you are waiting.")

Hey Diddle Diddle, Right up the Middle

Pose (a question)

Bearing Fruit (are you bearing fruit?)

Harold may have had a purple crayon, but I've got (a) purple....

Early in the Day

Heart Beats

Whispters

Paddles

Left Overs

Hand Me Downs

Making Do

Waggin' Tails

Hot and Burning Through

Money's Falsehoods

Counter Balance

Fire Flies