Camera Findings

Miss Pumpkin

This is Miss Amelee Rose.  She prefers the recliner.

This is a detail shot of a quilt haning on my wall.  It has special meaning.  These are the jewels of our family tree.

Another detail shot of the same quilt.

This little fellow was stuck inside the screened patio.  He was freed as quickly as he was stuck.

A pen & ink with colored pencil, mixed media piece.



Doodling Days

I have been doodling and a couple of items are being investigated for future potential.  The first was supposed to look like a tree.  It does not.  Not even close.  What it reminds me of is, when you shave wax colors between a folded sheet of paper and iron it.  Then when it melts and squishes everywhere, you open it while it is warm and see an abstract.  I drew the design for a fold, where it was pinned and cut out.  I like the idea of an abstract quilt resembling a squish of colors.   

As you can see, I auditioned the background fabric, before settling in on the safety of a complimentary color.  It will have circles.  I've filed my digital image of the drawing concept in a file, where it is good and safe, and I cannot find it...yet.  The circles are yet to be decided, but it will be either solid black,  or solid white.  I may make them from yo-yos (a quilting technique), Yo-Yo Delights (an embellishment opportunity), or some quilting technique (applique, reverse applique).  I have a large black and white check, which will be used to anchor my squish.  However, I absolutely refuse to make this with ninety degree corners.  We'll see how it grows.

The blue doodle began strictly as a doodle.  When I managed to create the ameobic shape smoothly and enclosed, it was easy to add the circles and color it in.  The three circles at the root were the final set to make an odd numbered sets of circle for visual satisfaction.  The circles remind me of leaves, rather than flowers.  That had nothing to do with the color they ended up with.  The colors were chosen simply.  Blue because I have too many blue pencils, and it is my favorite color.  The lime and coral were chosen as good companions for the blue.  Green was analogous, and the coral complimentary.   Once it was colored completely, w/o smudging and smears, it was a good enough piece to sign.  I was thinking trees.  It demanded to be a splash, and now it is my splash tree, titled simply Splash.

These funky arms ended up on an envelope as well.  It was early, and no coffee yet, lol, but I got a quick pic as it went out the door to be mailed.  Sorry it is so fuzzy.  You can still see the doodling.  It will give you enough of an idea.  You can do these fun things too.  Use markers, colors, pencils, whatever.

Another Quilt Finished

Whew!  A baby gift quilt is finished.  One thing about traditional quilts, they are pretty, tactile, useful, but boring to make for me.  I love the finished look.  Below are three images of the finished quilt.  Black is an unusual color for babies, but one we should explore more of.  Science has proven the higher the contrast, the stronger a babies eyes develop.  This is a fun way of incorporating black.  I love this green with black.  I think black makes colors pop far more than white.  In this case, success was achieved. 

This is an ABCs quilt, that does not forget the power of the mark.  Look at the border, and you will see reference to this.  As an artist in many media, it speaks to the importance of the arts working with education.

Tropical Palms

I am working on several projects at once.  One of them is this tropical palm tree quilt.  You can see how the palm fronds are being created.  There are more plants to add on the left, trapunto, and stitching, to name a few things this quilt needs before it is finished.  It is 38Hx29.5W at this point.  The size will finish differently.

Creating

For the past month, and then some, I have been creating right and left.  Here are some of the things I am working on, or have finished.

In February I made valentines.  This had an antique flavor.  It uses upholstery fabric.  It is all hand stitched embroidery, and machine quilted.  Part of a private collection.

This next valentine has a door.  Adding the unexpected makes it a surprise for the recipient.  This is also hand embroidered, machine quilted, and part of a private collection.  The first pic shows the front, then the door open.

The elephants were part of a drapery/upholstery trim.  I just happened to have the right beads to go with them.  The copper corner indicate there is a door, and were from a scrapbooking store.  When you open the door you see...(sorry it is sideways).



I have done a couple of traditional things.  There was this quilt for my husband.  Since we are from Texas, and miss it very much, he wears cowboy boots and hat when he can.  I think he's hot when he does, and could not resist celebrating him, and his service in the navy.  It is only a top.  I look forward to the piece being quilted and bound.

I also learned how to zip this block out from a current magazine.  I cannot remember the title, or I would credit the publication, and the author.  This was the test block.  I am working on a black and bright green baby quilt in the same pattern.  I will post pics of it soon.

The anchor fabric scorched incredibly easy.  There is more of the fabric, so I will keep going.

This piece is called Tough as Leather.  I am not sure who the lady is, but I know she was my maternal grandfather's mother.  I wanted to preserve the deugerotype print.  The image is from around 1870-1890.  Where the portrait was taken is as unclear as who she is.  The broken strap hints at the title.  The qualities of leather would probably describe the qualities of this woman.  Life may have seem well improved to her, but from our 21st century, you had to be tough as leather to live through those days so long ago.  I am happy to welcome her into our family.  This piece is in the artist's personal collection.

I love doing trees.  This one is in progress.  No working title has even been decided.  We shall see what it ends up as.



As part of a challenge to make zentangles, through a fiber exploration group, I made a couple of one inch pieces.



I have been adding yo-yos to a quilt.  There are two of these.  One has fabric repeats, and one does not.  They grow slowly, but they grow all the same.

I have also been working on a quilt for my daughter.  It seems there is no fabric available to make the outer border...yet.  I love the zing of the colors, and the pic cannot do it justice. 



This is not nearly all I have been up to.  I have made lots of other quilt tops, quilt squares, and lots of embroidery.  I've also done some collage work, photography, and embroidery.  I need to take about another dozen photographs to update you on those.  Check back.  This blog will be kept up with once again.  See you later.

Pin Weaving again

With so many fibers around, another opportunity to get some out of my way by pin weaving is one of my projects today.  When the computer allows, I'll post pics.  It is denying access at the moment. 

Free motion quilting will be another. 

A failed attempt at paper fabric resulted in unmalliable materials.  Instead, I'm going to add more layers, cut into bits, and varnish, varnish, varnish.  With a couple of holes, they will be paper buttons.  Funky buttons.  Now that is a new concept.

Lots' to do today.  Move as much forward as possible.

A new page!

Look a new page.  It is of art quilts from prior to 2011, with 2 exceptions.

A group discussion about jambalaya is becoming a quilt called Jambalaya Journey.  Hand drawn and cut, very slowly, this trawler is returning with the bounty to make a big pot of jambalaya.  I have to applique him down, and add the ingredients (somehow), to complete the quilt top.  Here though is what the trawler looks like.  The pattern is copyrighted, and my own. 

Finished

Finished this original tree applique, I designed years ago.  I don't know what it will become a part of.  This part is finished.  Now on to other SFTF (seeds for the future, as opposed to UFOs).

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.

Creativity

I've been creating in fiber works.  Pin needle weaving isn't the fastest technique, but oh the beautiful things you can come up with.  It required some ingenuity to create a surface to pin to.  A large foam rubber stamp's back made the perfect small surface, 3x3".  The technique learned will be added to a new fabric journal.  I will add a pic, when it is situated on its appropriate page.

A few Yo-Yo Delights added to another tree quilt moves to the quilting stage.  Already the next tree quilt is sketched and waiting to begin in the wings.  For today, I will get this deep fuscia and olive tree piece quilted.  This one too will be added complete to the posts later, or tomorrow.

Here are both projects incomplete.  These are not UFOs (unfinished objects), but SFTF (seeds for the future).  Will they grow something creative in you?

The roots will be corded quilting, to enhance the batik.