Nellie's Needles

Favorite Quilt Revisited

2012-02-17T15:35:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of quilts that I've made over the last 18 or so years. This is my all time favorite.

Spectrum of Love - 60"x 60"

It's the one quilt I couldn't sell. Instead it's gifted to our older son and his wife so I can visit it. They ended up decorating their living room around it. I love that they love it.

It's entered in this weeks "Be My Valentine" contest on the Quilting Gallery blog. There are:

Total submissions: 31
Total countries: 6
Total provinces: 3
Total states: 20

Go here to see all of them and to cast your vote for the four entries you like the best.

To read the complete story for this quilt go here.

Finding Elvis

2011-12-31T10:51:00.000-05:00

Lee and I were in a shop in Kailua Kona, Hawaii looking at tikis.

The background music in the store was Elvis singing Christmas songs. So, of course, the subject of the king came up and Lee wondered if there were any tikis featuring his image. To Lee's dismay ... and my delight ... there were none that could be purchased. However, we were told there was an Elvis tiki in a bar called Lu Lu's at the other end of town. So we walked ... and walked ... and walked until we found it.

The king was heavily adorned with dollar bills along with everything else in that bar, but sure enough we had found him.

On the way out I spied what looked like the top of Elvis's pompadour sticking up above a partition. There was just enough room to take this photo of an "unadorned" Elvis tiki through a crack between the boards.

Our quest was complete. We had truly found the BIG Kahuna.

Mele Kalikimaka

2011-12-25T21:16:00.000-05:00

Lee and I are having a wonderful holiday here in Hawaii on the BIG island. Last evening our older son's family and we decorated a tree in the condo we're renting.

I had packed origami papers and scissors with the intent of decorating some form of vegetation to serve as our Christmas tree. We had so much fun making the ornaments that we adorned the tree in the dining area, too.

We are feeling very comfortable in our lovely home for the next 2 weeks. Lee and I have already established a routine of having our early morning coffee on a lanai outside of our bedroom overlooking the ocean to watch the world wake up. We then have a morning swim with all the family before taking off to see parts of this beautiful and fascinating island. Yesterday we purchased some plastic glasses so we can add the tradition of watching the sun set with cocktails in the pool area and another swim before dinner.

Another Scrap Quilt

2011-12-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

Just playing .....

Right now it's only a pieced top. It will get quilted when somebody needs a quilt. Making it was one of those spur of the moment projects inspired by a baggy of scraps given to me recently by Alison, a fellow Thursday bee member.

She never dreamed that I would piece all the tiny triangles she had trimmed from blocks into the squares that became the centers of my scrappy blocks. In the photo below is one of the finished blocks. That pile of trimmings from a number of blocks are now in a bag of supplies for future "ortwork" pieces.

The block in the above picture is the smaller of the two sizes made. I experimented with their arrangement on the design wall. The main point being to see the effect ... the movement ... of those white triangles.

I chose to surround the larger squares with shades of neutral fabrics to make those bits of color sparkle and stand out. The playful patterning of the white dots on the black sashing fabric with the smaller blocks in corners create a strong grid pattern that holds all those dancing triangles and sparkling colors together.

I couldn't come up with a machine quilting pattern that pleased me on this sample square. I played with couching a textured and variegated color yarn around the shapes. To carry through the feeling of playfulness, plus a nod to tradition, I left lengths for ties on the corners. Unless something else that's extraordinary comes to me before this top becomes a quilt, I'm pretty sure the couched yarn will double as the quilting.

Button, Button - 14"x 14"

Very little that I make goes to waste. The outside edge of this piece is finished with couched yarns and an array of buttons from my collection makes an art piece. It will be donated to the Smoky Mountain Quilt Guild to sell at the 2012 quilt show in March.

Paula's Quilt

2011-12-10T16:25:00.001-05:00

I had in mind for some time that my cyber friend, Paula, needed a quilt. My original thought was to make one for her myself. Then I began to think of a number of other quilters who are also friends of Paula, so had the idea to include them in the creation of this quilt gifted to her over the Thanksgiving weekend.

I had drawn up two different quilt design layouts that were voted on. Once this decision was made, each participant chose a section of the quilt to create. As for the colors and design, each artist was on her own to create whatever is meaningful between herself and Paula. The intent was to give Paula a tangible symbol of our caring about and for her ... to literally give her warmth and comfort.

Here are the individual pieces (and their makers) that comprise the quilt ...

Lisa Call (16"x 20")

Karen Christensen (16" x 16")

Lynne Croswell (20"x 16")

Gail Baar (16" x 10")

Kim Hambric (28" 10")

Colleen Kole (12" x 44")

Cynthia Wenslow (each 24" x 12")

This is one of the five sections made by me. My intent was for those segments to tie all our creations together. Take note that among my scraps are photos of Paula's art that I printed on fabric. I had fun!

Nellie Durand (16" x 8")

If Paula's other quilting friends had not joined me in this effort, the whole quilt would've been made from scraps like this. That would've been okay. However, it's a much better and more interesting, as well as meaningful quilt composed with all of our pieces.

Here's the back of the quilt ...

The backing fabric for each of the sections was an individual choice, too. I sent everyone a piece of wool bat for their section so each artist could do the quilting on her piece of the quilt. Wool batting is my favorite choice for functional quilts. The ones that I've made with it are my favorite. They are light-weight, fold up small, and somehow are "just right" no matter the season ... not too warm on a summer's night and warm enough when it's cold.

I constructed the quilt by connecting each our pieces with "butted seams" (placing the raw edges of two sections next to each other and joining one to the other with a wide zig-zag stitch on the machine). Those zig-zag stitched seams are covered with "sashing tubes" on both sides of the quilt. The narrow 1/2" flattened tube of fabric (seam pressed open on the under side) was machine appliqued on the back side to cover the zig-zag stitched seam. Then another sashing tube was hand stitched over the joins on the front side.

The irregular and segmented design of this quilt is an ideal format for multiple creative friends to make a perfect quilt for a spunky artist.

Charlie's Quilt

2011-12-04T15:19:00.001-05:00

This cuddle quilt was made as a 70th birthday present for a friend. The sashing fabric features cardinals and blue jays which are just two of the many kinds of birds that come to his smorgasbord of feeders. Charlie is also the king of flowers in our neighborhood so there are floral fabrics as well as those that are the colors of flowers in the scrap blocks.

I machine quilted the blocks with an oak leaf design in honor of the huge oak tree just outside his door. The large and small blocks are quilted in the ditch with a clear monofilament thread. A freehand loop pattern stitched with a variegated thread fills the borders and areas between the scrap blocks.

I like to piece the quilt backs with fabrics that coordinate with the theme and colors of their front side.

This is my favorite kind of quilt to make. When I have a bit of free time, or a friend has gifted me with a bag of wonderful scraps, I like to make up blocks. There is such serendipity in how the patterns and colors come together. With different sashing and corner block fabrics this could easily have been made into a feminine or juvenile quilt. I'm pleased that my choices are perfect for our male friend who's fond of birds and flowers.

Monroe Sews

2011-11-29T23:05:00.001-05:00

Six-year old great-nephew, Monroe, visited the cottage with his family in mid-August. Two summers ago he was intrigued with my sewing machines. Back then I had let him push the button to cut the threads and lift the needle at the end of seams and had told him he could sew something the next time he came. Over a period of several days this summer I had the fun of guiding Monroe in a sewing adventure that took place during afternoon quiet times. We began with this box of fabrics reserved for kid projects.

Monroe spent the first afternoon sorting through them to pick out his favorites to make a quilt for his teddy bear. He only needed twelve, but couldn't let go of a thirteenth piece.

I cut his choices into squares while he went to the beach. The next day he arranged them for the quilt top and we decided a pillow could be made from the extra one.

In the picture above Monroe is getting two blocks ready to sew together. I set up my 50 year old Pfaff ... a good solid machine with basic features that are easy to comprehend, plus a slow speed that is easier to control than my newer machines. He quickly learned how to operate it. Over the next couple of afternoons he stitched all the squares together as well as the quilting lines across the the squares. He also sewed and stuffed the pillow.

Monroe asked if his creation could be a sleeping bag rather than a quilt. Here's the front ... complete with the stuffed pillow that stays in place with velcro ...

and the back ...

Of course we had to see how the bear liked his sleeping bag outside.

Tessa's Birds

2011-10-31T23:41:00.000-04:00

My 10-year old granddaughter, Tessa, has a new cousin who had a number of surgeries at the beginning of her life.

There was a bird mobile that had captured her attention during her hospital stays. So Tessa and I made her a quilt this summer featuring birds.

To begin, Tessa drew a bird. The first one was more realistic. Her second drawing of a happy and perky one is the style we chose for Ellie's quilt.

We did a bit of sketching to determine how many birds should be on the quilt ...

... and should they be sitting on a wire? or on a hill?

After making that design decision, Tessa helped to figure out the math for the dimension of the quilt. Part of that process was deciding how big each of the 3 birds should be. She drew out the size for each one. Her drawings became the patterns.

Tessa selected fabric for each of the parts ... birds, ground, and sky ... from this drawer full.

Tessa is sewing the birds bodies ...

Her pattern was traced onto a lining fabric which was placed right sides together with the bird fabric. The lining fabric was slashed open to turn the sewn bird's body right side out to make a nice finished edge to applique to the quilt.

Tessa is positioning the birds on the quilt. Earlier she had drawn the placement of their legs with chalk for me to couch chenille yarn. I had constructed and quilted the background while she had a little beach time.

She and I are very pleased with the bird's eyes. They're beetles that were fussy cut from fabric with lots of them all over it.

Tessa is most pleased with this delightful, happy little quilt.

We both enjoyed working together to make it for Ellie. I like to think these happy little birds will cheer and comfort her for many years to come.

Here's a photo of the other side with our label. Tessa had chosen all these fabrics, too.

note: My method for writing with machine sewing is described here.

Here's a recent photo of Ellie. This happy little girl has got a thing for birds!

An even more recent picture of these two girl cousins sharing a "belly laugh" ... I love this picture.

Lillian's Purse

2011-10-26T23:57:00.000-04:00

This summer I had the pleasure of helping three children in the Durand family create projects in my studio. The first was my 8-year old great-niece, Lillian, who made this ...

"Lillian's Purse" - 11"x 12"

When her family visited the cottage in June I was still engrossed in making the small purse quilts. Lillian helped me to make several design decisions for this one ...

...which I ended up calling "Lillian's Purple Purse" ... which is also the title of a book she had recently read.

There was no hesitation when I asked if she'd like make a purse quilt. Lillian keeps a journal that she draws and/or writes in daily. She drew a picture of what she had in mind to make ...

Using her drawing as reference, I sorted through the huge pile of fabric samples that I've been working from to give her a selection of about dozen different pieces to choose from for the body, the flap, and the background.

The purses are constructed by sewing a lining and purse fabric right sides together, then turning them right side out so there is a finished smooth edge to applique onto the background. Lillian sewed those seams following the drawn lines on the lining layer with a bit of verbal guidance from me sitting right behind her at the sewing machine. Later I machine appliqued them in place as well as stitching the edge of the flap so the dark lining showed a bit.

In the meantime, Lillian quilted the background all on her own ...

There was no problem selecting the trimmings for the handle and "closure". However, when it came to choosing the yarns for finishing the outside edge, none that I thought would be good were what she had in mind. I got a "that's IT" when I came up with that variegated chenille one.

Lillian and I both signed the back ...

Lillian is no stranger to Studio North. At about 18-months she was helping her mom, Diane, with the pins for this piece created by Diane during that summer vacation in my studio.

The next two posts will feature each of the other Durand kids projects.

Fun Small Shoe Quilts

2011-10-23T12:03:00.003-04:00

I took time just before, as well as during, ArtPrize to play ... creating smaller shoe quilts with purses.

"Bleu Belle" Shoe - 18"x 18"

"Harlequin" Shoe - 18"x 18"

"Spice Girl" Shoe - 18"x 18"

"Black Lace Girl" Shoe (18"x 18")

Those four plus one more, the "Red Shoe" (forgot to photograph that one) can be seen ... and purchased for $400 each ... at Good Goods Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan.

This last one was made as a gift for my interior decorator friend who has been supplying me with expired fabric books and yardage leftovers for years. The tapestry background and framing fabric for the above shoe quilts came from her as well as the backing fabric for each of them.

"Congo Pump for Ebbie" (24"x 18")

This shoe is African themed because Ebbie and her husband had lived there and the room where it is displayed has the flavor of that continent.

I'm in the process of working on yet another smaller shoe quilt. It's a commission that resulted from the person seeing "Imelda's Dream II" at ArtPrize and the one I created for Ebbie. You'll have to wait to see and read more about that one after it's been gifted at Christmas.

ArtPrize 2011 Report

2011-10-11T21:44:00.000-04:00

ArtPrize is over ... sigh! "Imelda's Dream II" got a lot of attention and votes from among the 500,000 people who visited Grand Rapids, Michigan during those 19 days. I feel honored to have been one of 1,582 artist participants in this grand scale art event that covered over 3 square miles of the downtown, plus the botanical garden of that city, Miejer's Gardens.

Janice of Good Goods Gallery in Saugatuck hung my entry. I'm grateful that gallery is so generous to me. I was there to hand up tools and help to determine it's levelness by eye. It's surprising how much actual levelness according to a leveling tool can differ from the visual one. It's all relative to the art pieces relationship to the architecture of the building.

Between her expertise and the lighting guy who works for the DeVos Place Convention Center, it was beautifully lit.

That walkway was filled with people on the days that I spent with my piece to talk with those who were interested.

Interaction between the artists and viewers is a major goal of this event. Go here to see a video that explains ArtPrize wonderfully well.

I'm Here!

2011-08-31T21:19:00.001-04:00

Life has been full of family and friends here at the cottage since we got back from Colorado. Thought I'd better check in with you out in cyberland since I've begun to receive emails enquiring about my well being. All is well and this next weekend is the last BIG family one of the summer season. When it quiets down here, I'll catch you up with the goings on in my life.

Next week I'll be gearing up for participation in ArtPrize. You may be interested in this article in the Washington Post about the event. I'm pleased to be a part of it again.

Rocky Mountain Flowers

2011-08-03T16:47:00.003-04:00

Here are photos of some of the flowers that I promised more than a week ago.

There are wild roses blooming everywhere.

The wild white poppy flowers surprise me.

There are different kinds of yellow blossoms everywhere ...

I don't understand how these flowers can grow and thrive in seemingly arid soil and rocks.

The yellow ones above and the purple flowers below grow among the rocks along the Big Thompson River that flows past the cabin we rent. It was a joy to watch them blossom and develop over the two weeks we were there.

And, of course, the Paint Brush flowers are profuse in the higher elevations.

Back in The Rockies

2011-07-23T13:43:00.001-04:00

We left our Michigan cottage a bit over a week ago and are now here ...

The other day we drove to the top of Trail Ridge Road which passes over those mountains in the above picture. There's more snow at the higher elevations than we've ever seen at this time of year ...

Up near the top, but below the snow fields we saw two male elk with magnificent racks. They weren't close enough together to get in the same photo.

The wild flowers are profuse throughout the mountains. I heard it said that the spring ones are late while the summer ones are blooming on time, so the display is magnificent. They'll be the subject of my next post.

More About ArtPrize

2011-07-11T13:03:00.000-04:00

The announcement of my ArtPrize entry in the last post may have surprised a number of you ... those of you who remembered reading about an earlier pronouncement that this was my 2011 entry. That it was to be another installation piece featuring an early spring morning in the Smoky Mountains.

I got as far as doing weeks of research about the spring growth at a particular altitude, as well as doing two fabric studies besides the paper one above. My decision to abandon that project for now came before this second one was finished.

The thought of devoting all my time and attention to just one project for a third year. was overwhelming. I decided that what I really wanted was to be available to spend time, as well as to be available to play with my family and friends this summer.

The mountain project is not dead. Although, I think it will be a good idea if it's done as a commission project, as was "Prairie Performance". Especially since "The Lake" is still not sold even though it has received much acclaim. It's presently hanging in Good Goods Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan. I'm pleased to be able to visit it there, but I'd rather it find a permanent home either in a business or on the walls of a home that does not have the good fortune of having the view I see literally or figuratively of Lake Michigan.

ArtPrize 2011 Entry

2011-07-10T12:24:00.004-04:00

Once again, I'm pleased to announce that I'm an ArtPrize artist and this is my entry ...

"Imelda's Dream II" - 70"x 70"

Some of you may recognize it. The purses give it a new life for its debut in the ArtPrize exhibition. It had been rolled up in storage waiting for a home in a health care setting as a distraction for women waiting for "procedures." That had not happened, so it will once again see the light of day come September 21st. I hope the audience of ArtPrize goers will find it as appealing as do my cyber friends who have left comments on the posts leading up to this reveal.

ArtPrize is a world-wide art exhibition that takes place September 21 thru October 9th. This year's show features 1,582 artists from 36 countries and 43 states who will show their work in 164 venues within three-square miles of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The venue where my entry can be seen is the DeVos Place Convention Center ... the same venue that featured "The Lake" in last years show.

Fifth Purse

2011-07-09T09:14:00.001-04:00

This fifth purse is the last one made for this project. It's my favorite ...

This beaded beauty gets paired with the "Beach Ball" shoe in the quilt ...

It also goes well with the "Patchwork" shoe ...

"Kiss My Foot" ...

"Rock'n Roll"...

"Winged Foot"...

"Ebony & Ivory" ...

"Dicey"...

"Fruit LOOP"...

and "Deco Dancing"...

Fourth Purse Added

2011-07-08T09:29:00.001-04:00

This fourth purse features graceful lines and stacked antique glass buttons.

It is paired with this shoe in "Imelda's Dream II" quilt ...

But it would also go with the "Bearfoot" shoe ...

the "Winged Foot" shoe ...

as well as the "Turning Leaf" one ...

There's one more purse to go before my reveal of the purpose of this project.

Post Cards in the Quilting Gallery

2011-06-10T22:20:00.001-04:00

This weeks theme for the Quilting Gallery exhibition is postcards. Of course, I had to submit one of mine featuring my favorite subject...

The Lake - 4" x 6"

There are 34 entries from 9 countries. You can see them here as well as vote for your favorite. I wish we were allowed more than one vote, because it's tough to pick just one from this collection.

Third Purse Added

2011-06-07T15:43:00.000-04:00

This elegant purse features the tiniest antique silk covered buttons that came with the stash I was gifted at the end of last year.

It is displayed with the "Vegging Out" shoe display on the big quilt.

This purse also coordinates with the "Turning Leaf" shoe ...

the "Winged Foot" shoe ...

and the "Bear Foot" shoe ...

Again, the red-lettered shoe titles are live links. Click on them to read the posts written about them.

Stay tuned for two more purses added to my shoe quilt.

Second Purse Added

2011-06-06T15:27:00.000-04:00

Back when I was thinking pink, this purse was created.

It is "displayed" in the big quilt with the "FrOOtlOOp" shoe.

The making of this shoe can be read here.

That purse would also go with the "Pretty in Pink" shoe ...

the "Vegging Out" shoe ...

as well as the "Vamp" shoe.

The red lettered words are links that will take you to the posts written about the making of each of those shoe blocks.

First Added Purse

2011-06-05T17:31:00.002-04:00

The purse quilts that I made previously were the result of "playing" with my friend, Alicia. Initially I had planned to make envelope style evening bags to add to this shoe quilt while she played.

Imelda's Dream - 70"x 70"

I was envious until I gave myself permission to play, too. That letting loose to make those 6 previous purses with no limitations got me in the groove to more easily create ones to co-ordinate with the shoes in my quilt.

I suspect these may have ended up matched to a particular pair of shoes without my experience in making the others. I like that each purse will go with other shoes in the quilt besides the one with which it's displayed.

To read about this shoe block go here.

The other purses for this quilt will be revealed throughout this next week.

The Shoes Are Back

2011-06-04T22:33:00.000-04:00

Remember my shoe quilt? You'll be seeing more of it. Here's a study I made recently to test out the addition of purses ...

Run for the Roses - 17" x 17"

Stay tuned for more ...

Think Pink

2011-06-01T23:12:00.003-04:00

Once upon a time pink was not one of my favored colors. That is until I thoroughly explored its many shades, tints, and hues during my years of intensive color studies. Since then, I've grown quite fond of it and have been thinking pink for several recent projects.

Nellie's Purse #5

I fell in love with that shiny pink background fabric. There's a lot of strength to it and is the perfect foil to this classic evening bag made with neutral brocade and velvet fabrics trimmed with jet beads and button.

While I'm on the subject of this purse project, here's Alicia's purse #5. Go here to see the previous four each of us have created.

All these shades of pink in this bird appeal to me. You may recall seeing

her before. She's been gussied up with jewels to become a show bird.

I like pink and shades of orange together. The bird in the photo below has is building her nest of yarn and fabric scraps in her new home.

How do you feel about pink?

PS: Arrgh! Blogger has made a mess of this post. Seventeen hours after it was posted I noticed that all I had written was not published. Now Blogger won't allow me to format it the way I like it. I hope Blogger's new and improved format changes are worth the effort. I was happy with the way it was.

"Quilting Gallery" Weekly Contest

2011-05-26T23:08:00.000-04:00

I've enjoyed the weekly themed contests over at the "Quilting Gallery." It's been fun to see the quilts submitted from all over the world and then to follow my favorite throughout the weekend. On occasion I've entered to share my quilts when I have one that's suitable for that weeks theme. The subject for this week is "wildlife" and I've entered this one ...

Toonga - 37"x 40"

Toonga (an African word for adventure) was created in 2002. It is the second piece in my African series. The fragmented images symbolize my perception of Africa ... from a jungle safari to structural and native patterns. I'm fascinated by the fact that a herd of elephants can move so quietly that their presence isn't known until you see them. They're moving unobtrusively through the shadows and foliage across the midsection of this quilt.

Soooo ... click on over the "Quilting Gallery" ... take a look at this weeks collection and vote for your favorite.

Smocking - "the end"

2011-05-23T17:06:00.001-04:00

This is the last post about my smocking days ... the days when I applied that stitchery to art pieces ... the days when I was studious about color.

Purple & Orange Harmony - 15"x 12"

Shadowed Hues - 14" x 13"

The one above was juried into The National Needlework Association show that traveled the United States for one year in the 1980's. Here's a close-up of the trellis stitch cross-over patterning.

Rows of the pure hues are laid on top of and off-set over rows of muted tones. I used only DMC floss. It was a challenge to blend within a color, let alone to blend into the next hue, even though DMC had lots and lots of colors from which to select.

This one hangs above the coat rack in our front entrance.

Point-Counter-Point - 19" x 9"

My color objective for this one was to combine yellow and violet, whereas, the one at the top was focused on orange and violet. As I recall, both of these were made while I was taking a year-long correspondence color course through the Embroidery Guild of America.

I loved manipulating the smocked fabric into shapes.

Silk Fan - 20" x 14" (frame)

The thread, fan fabric, and background are all silk. I just happened to have that mother-of-pearl button to finish the bottom. The gold leaf frame was built especially for this piece by a friend's husband.

As I recall, my color objective was to keep it monochromatic by shading from pink to coral. The rows of trellis stitches were worked in a diagonal pattern across the fabric ... more playing.

This is the last smocked art piece that I created.

Untitled - 16" x 9"

I had covered a shadow box frame that was made for this piece with the same heavy gray linen that I used as the foundation fabric for the smocking. However, I didn't like the joins at the corners so it never got mounted. Here's a photo of it in process.

Then I had the idea twenty years ago to combine this smocked panel with quilted piecing. I worked on that for most of a week long workshop with Nancy Halpern at Arrowmont Design & Craft School. I had so much trouble with cutting the parallelogram shapes for the piecing that I decided I really needed to learn the craft of quilting ... that's when the current leg of my creative journey began. Before it's over, I may get this piece finished ... all the materials are wrapped up and stored away.

I thank all of you who have left comments in this series of posts. I very much enjoyed my years of smocking. During that time of stitching and teaching I learned so much about color and design. Without that experience I would not be where I am today in this amazing journey of making art.

PS: To see all the posts about smocking, click on the "smocking" label at the end of this one.

"Creative Smocking"

2011-05-17T11:47:00.001-04:00

...is another book that features my work.

One of my pieces is featured in the introduction to the book.

The combination of the lattice style smocking complemented the crinkled texture of the skirt fabric. It was one of my favorite outfits.

Another garment in this book was one of my early quilting projects.

Didn't a lot of quilters make their own version of "Jacket Jazz"? I had fun making it ... and one for a friend ... as well as helping my mother make hers. That was the first appearance of Elvis in my work. The only place I didn't fracture his image was inside the pocket. He's in the flying geese pattern down the front (I called it the flying Elvi) and his face is on a fish (called Wanda) on the sleeve above the smocked inset.

The last five years of my teaching focused on color and design rather than techniques. During that time I had applied smocking to art pieces. "Convex Dimensions" was the first.

I've previously blogged about the pieces pictured above and below here and here.

This is one of the last smocked art piece that I created.

The photo taken of the book doesn't do it justice, so here's another picture.

I just now noticed that the published one is upside down.

When we moved to Tennessee twenty years ago a new spread for our bed was needed in our bedroom. Soooo... I smocked a raw silk one.

It was beautiful and elegant in that room. However, it didn't work well with dogs jumping on and off the bed. Consequently, I switched to a washable duvet cover on a down blanket. We've gone through two of those, while the smocked spread is safely stored away.

I thought you'd like to have a closer look at the cape pictured on the cover of this book. It was designed and smocked by Sarah Douglas. It's made of soft wool flannel and embellished with many variations of the chain stitch.

There are many other wonderful projects presented in this book written by Chris Rankin published by Lark Books in 1997. For those of you who are interested, here's it's number: ISBN 0-87374-33-7

More Smocked Clothes

2011-05-11T15:09:00.000-04:00

I'm glad to hear this little memory trip hits a cord with a number of you. For those of you who are interested, here are a few more pictures of me wearing clothing that was smocked.

I especially liked blouses. The red gingham one is in the book I wrote about in the last post, as is the cocktail dress. The one pictured on the right is a gauze fabric smocked with a white cotton twist thread. I think it was crochet yarn. The one below is made of heavy cotton muslin and smocked with cotton floss.

I left the partial newspaper article in the scan out of our family scrapbooks. Click on it and enlarge if you'd like to read a bit more about what I was doing and saying about smocking back then.

The stitching instruction for the design on this peasant blouse was published so others could make it, too.

I liked to tuck those blouses in rather than wearing them loose. My trick was to tuck all that fullness into the top of my pantyhose for a sleek look. Mmmmm ... where would all that fullness hide in today's under garments?

I also liked sundresses and am glad I wore them when I could. Back then I never dreamed the toll that time would take on an aging body.

And lastly, I thought you may like to see the back of this dress as well as the hood. The fabric is a pale green slubbed cotton and the smocking was stitched with Danish Flower Thread.

Ethnic clothing is making a comeback. I see so many garments in the ads and catalogs that I would've worn "back when". I still have most all those garments. Think I may dig them out of storage to see if any of the young women in my family are interested in giving them another "go around".

More Smocking

2011-05-10T22:15:00.000-04:00

While I'm on the subject, I'd like to share more of my smocking that was published in this book back in 1982 ...

It was written by my sister-in-law, Dianne, who had introduced me to smocking. I had taken to this stitchery like a duck to water. I found it much more interesting to do than counted cross-stitch, as well as much faster to complete a project than needlepoint canvas work and crewel embroidery. By the time this book was published I had been teaching smocking for a few years. I found ways to incorporate it into the ethnic influenced style of clothing that I wore, since I had no daughters to smock for. Just about all those garments found their way into this book.

It was a peasant blouse Dianne was stitching that initially piqued my interest. My first smocking was done on the blouse I wore on the cover of my workbook. I loved that style as well as doing the smocking, so I made a number of them. This one features a design concept that I developed ... plaid smocking.

These two nightgowns are variations of the round yoke style for the raglan sleeve style of the peasant blouse.

The adjacent page has the "map" for the stitch placement on graph paper to make that particular design. Graphing of smocking designs was another concept that I developed.

The cocktail dress in the center is one I made of a silky synthetic jersey knit. It was the first project to which I added beads and stitched with a thick shiny synthetic thread ... a departure from 3 strands of cotton floss on cotton fabric.

The one on left I made as a wedding dress for a friend's second marriage. It's made of silk satin backed crepe and stitched with silk twist thread.

Dianne and I both made dresses from the published pattern she designed. They have hoods that you can't see in the photos. Fun to wear!

I designed and constructed the sundress on the left for my friend, Alicia. She did the smocking, though. The one in the center was one of my favorites and I wore it for several summers. The pretty one on the right was my experiment in coordinating a smocking design to the border print in the cotton fabric.

I wore this gingham blouse with a denim skirt or white slacks.

I still have the child's blouse and would've liked my granddaughter to wear it. However by the time it fit her, she had developed a different taste in clothes.

Here are thumbnails of those garments in color ...

It was fun for me to revisit this part of my life through this book. I hope you enjoyed it, too.

Smocking - A Trip Down Memory Lane

2011-05-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

The post I wrote about being happy to be a mother started a trip down memory lane. In retrospect I appreciate that it was a beneficial time to be a mother. Society accepted broader roles for women, plus many of us had the choice of staying home with the kids or working outside the home. I attribute satisfaction with my motherhood to being an at home mom with the luxury of having time, money, and energy to pursue my interest in needlework. The beginning of my serious involvement was when the boys were about 8 and 10 years old. Initially, it was teaching classes around my dining room table. Eventually, that expanded to evening courses at the local college campuses and then to workshop and lecture tours around the country and Canada. As the saying goes, "If Mama ain't happy, nobody's happy". The balance of my home life and involvement in the needlework world made me happy.

During my "prime time" years (mid 70's through the 80's), English smocking dominated my life. I taught the technique in 6-week long classes on three Milwaukee Technical College campuses. The photo above is the cover and introduction page of the book I wrote. It's in a workbook format that reflects the 6-week session for beginners. I had intended to write another for the advanced class, Series II, but never did. My husband and best friend posed in the photos with me to save on modeling fees.

During that time I also wrote booklets as well as designed kits (Christmas ornaments and Easter eggs) and clothing patterns for smocking. Those were produced and published by a company called Little Miss Muffet. This one for doll clothes is based on the most popular smocked outfits for children.

The models are the first two dolls in what ended up being an extensive collection. I named them after my niece and nephew who's mother, Dianne Durand, had introduced me to this beautiful needlework skill. Dianne owned and ran the Little Miss Muffet company. She and I along with several other young mothers founded the Smocking Arts Guild of America* (SAGA).

There were also two books that included the patterns for doll clothes. "Book I" featured the "Kalico Kid" doll family.

The storybook tale of the Kalico family takes place during the Great Depression. In the story a well-off aunt sends a box of cast-off clothes to her sister, which was my inspiration for making these garments.

"Book II" features the Fischer Price "Best Friends" and Sasha dolls that were popular back then ...

The back cover featured the matching dresses I had designed and made for the little girl who lived next door to us. Here's the centerfold picturing all the outfits offered.

It pleases me to see these books listed on eBay now and then. It's a secondary market, because they haven't been published for many years ... about as many years as I haven't been smocking.

*I'm happy to report that SAGA is still going strong even though none of us founders are involved. The way I see it, that's akin to good parenting ... we each gave many years of work and devotion to establish a good foundation so it could survive and thrive into the future.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T21:08:00.001-04:00

I'm happy! I've been a happy mother since my older son was born back in 1966 and my younger one two years later.

1968

I was happy with my boys throughout their childhood.

1978(?)

Even through their teenage years.

1985

I very much enjoyed their young adulthood.

1991

I'm happy being the mother of these two fine grown men.

2010

I'm happy to be mother-in-law to their wives.

2009

And "Granellie" to their children.

2009

I wish all of my friends who are also mothers and my daughters-in-law a joyous and peaceful Happy Mother's Day.

Lake #69

2011-05-04T11:39:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've added to my series of 100 lake quilts.

Lake #69 - 19"x 14"

All the fabric pieces it's composed of came from the scrap bag on the right in this photo.

There are quite a few people who save their scraps for my "ortwork" quilts. This bag is special in that it came to me through my friend, Tone Haugen-Cogburn. These scraps are from her student's projects made in the workshop she recently taught at the John C. Campbell Folk Art School in North Carolina. Collecting them for me was initiated by Julie who reads this blog. To see the projects from which these scraps came, as well as photos of the school grounds, go to Julies photo album.

The two boxes on the left in the above photo have scraps separated out from the bag for two projects. The bottom one is for an upcoming project that needs larger pieces, while the top one has the size and color of scraps to make lake pieces. Here's the state of this lake piece midway through the process. Yarn and wool roving are added to the scraps to give definition to the clouds and crests on the waves.

It was made as a house present for friends who used to live near Lake Michigan. We spent the night with them in Hendersonville, North Carolina on our way to South Carolina.

That spot isn't where it's going to "live". We took down an art piece so I could show her how to hang "Lake #69".

We stopped in Asheville to visit our favorite galleries, New Morning and the Blue Spiral ... and yes, we bought something, but it's still in its wrapping so there's no photo. But I do have a picture of a car we saw in traffic on the way from one gallery to the other.

There was a stoplight, so I got to speak to the driver. She had "beaded" it herself. What a hoot!

Paperdolls at the Royal Wedding

2011-05-01T11:57:00.003-04:00

We were at an annual 3-day gathering with a bunch of friends during the time of the royal wedding.

Before going Lee and I had the idea of making paper dolls with our friend's faces.

Each friend was presented their paper doll wrapped with an invitation to the wedding.

The day before the wedding we had fun dressing our "mini-me's" for the big event. We ladies created outfits from the colored papers and fancy trims that I had brought for this project.

The guys got to choose from different outfits that I had printed from a paper doll book featuring Chuck and Di's wedding. In fact, all our doll's bodies are theirs, as well. You can see that book on the corner of table next to Lee who is gluing metallic trim to the braids on his uniform.

These paper dolls were featured as the center piece for the table. Here's the first night's table decor.

One of the ladies celebrated her birthday the next day. The bouquet of roses from her husband was perfect for us to gather around in our finery. That couple had the honor of standing next to Prince Philip and the Queen.

The last day I lined all the dolls up for a group shot.

In reality, we ladies donned hats the day of the wedding.

I had worn the pink feathered one during the very early morning ceremony. Lee wore his best Elvis necktie with his night clothes.

Later in the day we dressed more appropriately.

Well, I did anyway.

....................................................

The frivolity of our tongue-in-cheek play with the royal wedding was a welcome distraction from the devastating weather raging through the south. All of us had personal connections and worry for what was going on "back home" and to people we cared about who lived close to where those tornadoes touched down.

Lee and I came home to find many of our trees nearly stripped of their leaves, those leaves piled several inches deep all over the ground, marble sized dings in our newly painted siding and Volkswagen, broken outside light fixtures, and screens full of holes. Thank goodness we were spared broken windows, downed trees ... and tornado touchdowns.

"The Lady With Pink Lips"

2011-04-23T17:25:00.002-04:00

I am so excited about this new art piece that arrived today. We looooove her! She fits in perfectly. It's as though Paula had created her just for us ... just for that spot on the end of a cabinet in our dining room.

"Lady With Pink Lips" 24"x 30"

by Paula of Self-taught Artist

She is even MORE than we expected. I knew there was a depth created by the build-up of the puzzle pieces she is created from. However, the dimensional aspect is even better than I imagined. The texture and funkiness of it being made with those puzzle pieces very much appeals to us.
The metal base her face is mounted on was a pleasant surprise. As you can see, that background color couldn't be better for where it's hanging.

Already, we cannot imagine that spot without her.

Paula has a lot of work listed on her Paula Art Etsy site. Her wall art pieces and some sculptures, too, are listed for prices too good to be true. She's has a situation in her life that does not allow the space, nor funds, to store these fabulous pieces of art ... so go check it out.

We have been fans of Paula's work ever since I discovered her blog and could not resist having a piece of her amazing art created from "found objects" hang in our home. I first wrote about her and that particular piece here. Our son ordered two of her clocks. He and the friends who were gifted one of them are happy with those wonderful, functional pieces of art.

Early last summer I was thrilled that Paula began making vases out of heavy metal pipe.

They are perfect for our outside tables. These won't blow over with a gust of wind off the lake as has happened several times with glass vases. Also, they are a great size to scatter bouquets among the serving dishes on our rather narrow picnic tables. So check those out while you're at her Etsy site, as well. There are a variety of sizes as well as colors. They are useful for more than just vases, they make great containers for art and writing and sewing supplies. The large ones have even served the purpose of a waste basket and an umbrella stand.

We very much like having Paula's art decorating and functioning in both of the places we live. Plus, it's a "smile" to see it hanging in our son's home, as well. Thank you, Paula.

Purses - #4

2011-04-18T20:19:00.000-04:00

This one is my favorite ... so far.

Nellie's Purse #4

I looooove those polka dotted Guinea Hen feathers that Alicia brought. They're sewn onto a strip of fabric. I cannot imagine them adorning clothing ... or even a functioning purse. The cat's face is a lone earring that was part of my favorite pair once upon a time.

Alicia loves paisley. Quilting it is beyond her sewing skill, so I got to do that part. The flap is velvet and it's decorated with a silk knotted cuff link.

Alicia's Purse #4

A Couple of More Purses

2011-04-17T20:06:00.001-04:00

This time I used one of those beautiful silk fabric samples for the background ...

Nellie's Purse #3

The purse is made from two textured synthetic fabrics chosen from a whole book of just green ones. The fabrics in the clutch bag that I made (featured in the first of these posts) came from that book as well. Alicia's purse #3 features one of those green samples, too.

Alicia's Purse #3

The velvet flap is from a book of just velvets ... all plain with no patterning. You'll be seeing more of those.

I'm still struggling with titles for these beauties. Any suggestions are, and will be appreciated.

Two More Purse Quilts

2011-04-16T11:52:00.000-04:00

The silk decorator fabric samples are sumptuous. I love them, but there's no place for them in our decor ... nor is it a"style" I would have in my wardrobe. I'm glad there are no limits in dreaming up ways to make art with it ... especially these fanciful purses ... or should these be called "evening bags"?

Alicia's Purse #2

Alicia decorated hers with nearly 100 year old silk ribbon roses saved from her mother's wedding dress plus a silk fabric covered button from my mother-in-law's clothing.

Nellie's Purse #2

My thanks to those who left comments on the first post about these purses. I'm serious about my request for your input of titles on my purse quilts ... Alicia has no desire to name hers. I like Susan's suggestion for "Sow's Ear" (as in "you can't make silk purse out a sow's ear) and think it may be the title for the one pictured above.

Purses - A New Project

2011-04-15T18:23:00.001-04:00

During my absence from Blogland, I was getting ready for the annual ten day visit to Tennessee of my friend, Alicia. And then, it was a whirl of activities and fun with her ... a day in the mountains, pedicures, shopping, two parties, and a new project ... purses. Here are the first ones we made.

Alicia's Purse

Nellie's Purse

These are small wall hangings that measure about 12" x 11". The background as well as the purse materials are interior decorator fabric samples. We spent the better part of one day outside taking a bunch of fabric books apart so we could more easily mix and match our choices. The purses are decorated with buttons and trims from my stash of "stuff".

I want to title my pieces. So far, the only thing I can think of for this one is "Going Green". I'm open for suggestions. So if you have one, please leave it in a comment.

During this next week, I'll post photos each day of the rest of the purse wall hangings we each created.

More Spring!

2011-03-29T19:06:00.000-04:00

Since I last posted spring pictures the flowering crab apple trees have been giving us a show.

That's the one in our yard. The white flowers under the tree is Candy Tuft ... it is just beginning to blossom. I like that it's an evergreen ground cover the rest of the year. And the pansies are beginning to bloom their little heads off after very little show through the winter.

There are a number of lighter pink as well white crab apple trees in the neighborhood.

These trees loose their blossoms one petal at a time. It looks as if it snowed under the white ones.

The Red Bud trees have just begun.

They are one of my favorite trees. If anything ever happens to the crab apple in our yard that's what what will replace it.

I'm very fond of their delicate small blossoms.

That particular red bud tree is on the golf course. We get to enjoy it from our patio as well as on our walks with the dog.

Yesterday late afternoon when I took this picture, the light was such that the trunks of the evergreens were violet as well.

And then there's the grass ... or I should say grasses. The fairways of the golf course have Zoysia grass which turns brown with the first frost, but greens up within a few days ... that will happen soon. The grass on our grounds and most everywhere else stays green all winter. Right now the dandelions and violets growing in it are making a wonderful show.

This patch on a sunny hillside has the light blue violets. There are purples ones elsewhere on the grounds.

I love spring and am looking forward to what's still to come ... the dogwoods and azaleas are the next to make a spectacular show.

More About the SMQ Guild Show

2011-03-27T15:57:00.000-04:00

A slide show of all the quilts in the show is now posted on the guild's website. Click here to see it.

I took photos from the slide show to fill in the gaps of the missing pictures for the special award winning quilts in my previous post. So you may wish to reread that post.

The quilt that gets the viewer's choice award is determined at the end of the show when the votes are counted. "Morning Glory Madness" by Joann Webb, Grain Valley, Missouri is the winner.

Joann wrote this about her quilt in the show booklet, "The three dimensional floral Garden City Gateworks blocks led me to create my vision of an iron trellis with climbing morning glories in the setting. It is appliqued and quilted by hand".

Special Award Ribbons for 2011

2011-03-25T00:35:00.005-04:00

The Smoky Mountain Quilt Guild Show began last Friday and went through the weekend on the campus of Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee. I was again in charge of the special award ribbons. This involved inviting talented members of our guild to create some of the rosettes and then my printing and constructing them. My time at the show was limited this year and I didn't take as many photos as I would've liked.

The "Best in Show Wall Quilt" was awarded to Peggy Garwood of Fairfield Glade, Tennessee for "Simple Gifts". The award money was sponsored by the SMQ Guild and the rosette was created by me.

The "Best in Show Bed Quilt" was awarded to Linda Roy of Knoxville, Tennessee for "Redbud Ramble". The award money was sponsored by the SMQ Guild and the rosette was also created by me.

The "Hand Workmanship" ribbon was awarded to Peggy Garwood's "Best In Show" wall quilt. It's rosette was created by Linda Roy and the award was sponsored by Tuesday Bee of the SMQ Guild.

The "Excellence in Machine Workmanship" ribbon was awarded to Rose Remund of Loudon, Tennessee for her "Blue and Yellow Miniature Sampler". I made the rosette and it's sponsored by Quiltbee's Long Arm Quilting.

The "Surface Embellishment" ribbon was awarded to Beverly Hertler of Red Bank, New Jersey for "Seasons IV-Toward Winter" which also won 2nd Place in the Art Quilt category.

The special award rosette was created by Tone Haugen-Cogburn and the award sponsored by the Cherry Pit.

The "Traditional Design" ribbon went to Pat Kuhns of Lincoln, Nebraska for "Solitaire". The rosette was created by Loretta Painter. Loretta also sponsored this award.

I created the rosettes for both of these ribbons.

The "Novice Quilt" ribbon was awarded to Kathy Dittmaier of Townsend, Tennessee for "Wyatt's First Trip to the Playground Mimi". It was sponsored by the Mountain Creek Quilt Shop.

The "Scrap Quilt" ribbon went to Donna Wiffen of Oak Ridge, Tennessee for "Scrap-Happy Nine Patch". The award was sponsored by Gingersnap Quilts.

The "Innovative Design" ribbon was awarded to to Judy Freidel of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas for "The Landing". I created the rosette and the award was sponsored by Thursday Bee.

The "Just for Fun" ribbon went to Bonnie Ouellette of Seneca, South Carolina for "A Little Birdy Told Me". The rosette was created by Sheila Raun and the award sponsored by Linda and Pete Claussen.

The voting public awarded the "Viewer's Choice" ribbon is determined at the end the show. "Morning Glory Madness" by Joann Webb of Grain Valley, Missouri quilt got it.

I designed the rosette.

The "Judge's Choice" ribbon was awarded to Tone Haugen-Cogburn of Maryville, Tennessee for "Mirror of Eri(n)sed". I created the rosette and the sponsors were Gene and Christine Glazer.

I'm pleased to add that my entry, "Unraveled IV" was awarded 1st Place

in the Art Quilt Category.

That was totally unexpected. I thought that if it were to get any recognition at all, it might be the "Innovative Design" ribbon. I expected for it to raise controversy more than anything else with reactions such as, "You call that a quilt?" I understand it got a lot of attention. If you'd like to read how this quilt developed go here.

PS: A tutorial for making award ribbons is here.

Spring Is Sprung!

2011-03-17T22:18:00.001-04:00

Ornamental Pear trees are the first to blossom in our area.

The flowers last hardly a week. In the meantime these solid white trees are glorious.

This beautiful Red Tip tree/shrub looks like this now, too.

The red parts are new leaves sprouting from the tips of the branches. This plant looks deciduous, but it's an evergreen. It, too, will have sprays of tiny white flowers in about a month. Both this and the Ornamental Pear trees were new to me when we moved to Tennessee. I still marvel at them, as well as all the other shrubs and trees that either remain green throughout the winter or burst with blossoms in the spring.

And then there are the maples ...

... marvelous maples!

This wonderfulness is just the beginning. The flowering crab trees will be blooming by this weekend. Then before we know it, the Dogwoods and azaleas will create a full bloom wonderland. Spring is wonderful most everywhere, but I've never experienced such an abundance of spring flowers anywhere else that I've lived.

Mountain Sunrise Study #2

2011-03-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

The first fabric study* is complete...

17"x 13"

There's a lot about it that I'm not happy with ... mainly that there's too much pastel work. Working in this small scale I find it difficult to make the fabric patterns and pieces "read" the way I want them to. Here's a photo taken of it earlier in the process ...

... before I got out the pastels ... before a lot of the middle and fore ground details were added.

Working through this first one has helped me to more clearly see the range of hues that I need to be gathering from my scrap bags. I'll again be going through those first two that these bits and pieces came from.

Here are the fabric and paper studies together.

I already see changes I want to make to the composition. There'll be time for another fabric study before we have house guests next week.

*The paper/pastel study is number one.

My Plan for ArtPrize 2011

2011-03-09T11:44:00.002-05:00

Since ArtPrize 2010 ended last October, I've been tossing around the idea of creating another BIG installation piece for its next competition/exhibition. The big question in my mind was whether I had the stamina and the desire to put all my efforts into another humongous 9' x 7' art piece. The answer is YES!

Last week I printed out reference photos and did a lot of cutting and pasting, as well as pastel work to make a paper mock-up of what I have in mind ... the Smoky Mountains on a spring morning.

11" x 8.5"

I love mountains as much as I do Lake Michigan. This one features the Smokies, which is only an hours drive away, but there's a strong influence of the Rocky Mountains in my feeling about doing it. In fact, quite a few of my reference photos for the perspective of looking down as well as up nearby slopes were taken in Colorado. I've spent the last 20 springs in the Smoky Mountains, so that range is featured in this piece.

Finally, my schedule and studio are clear of other projects and obligations so I began a small fabric study. I had determined how the composition is to be sectioned for 25 panels on the paper mock-up.

I sketched in the divisions on the army blanket that serves as the bat ... keeping in the spirit of recycling materials for my "ortwork" technique.

I got just so far before I ran out of dark green scraps from the bag on the table. Another bag was brought in from the garage to dig for and sort out possible bits and pieces to continue with this piece ... and for the next larger study with more details I plan to make before work begins on the BIG one.

There's lots of digging through many big bags in my near future.

Another "Quilting Gallery" Entry

2011-03-04T14:12:00.001-05:00

Waiting In New Orleans - 19"x 23"

This is the third weekly Quilting Gallery contest I've submitted to. The theme for this one is "People and/or Face Quilts" (click to see gallery). There are 17 quilts from 7 countries. So click on over to see some wonderful quilts and vote for the one that you like best.

To read about the making of my quilt go here.

"Unraveled V" Finished

2011-02-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

Four hundred and forty-eight ... that's 448 ... knots later, plus 28 shisha mirrors and yarn edging sewn in place ...

and this piece is finished ...

Here are before and after pictures ...

The knotted strands hang "skinny" ... there's a more controlled quality to them than the unknotted ones in the "before" photo. The shisha mirrors have the effect of bubbles floating in the depth of the background. The bright slashes of color on the rich dark background with the mirrored "bubbles" and the loose yarns floating off the surface creates a drama that I find amusing.

"Unraveled V" In Process

2011-02-26T12:23:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to get back to working on this one. Those sparkling squares of silk on that upholstery fabric background have been a siren while number IV was being finished for the upcoming SMQ Guild quilt show. Lengths of the most intensely colored of the four yarns were pinned in place to get a feel for how they'll drape.

I chose this yarn because it had a tighter twist of the four plies. Most of the wool, or wool-like, yarns have a looser twist that makes them too fluffy and fly-away for the effect I'm after. My favorite is the heavy and thick drape of the silk sari yarns. I'm playing and exploring options at this stage.

After couching those pinned yarns in place, I could see that the coverage of these thin yarns weren't what I had in mind. So back on the design board where another line of yarn was pinned across the center of the silk squares. I'm loathe to pick out stitching unless I absolutely have to. Also, I very much liked the fact that those silk fabric samples just happened to echo the woven squares in the background fabric. That additional row of yarn helped. However, it still wasn't the coverage I had pictured in my mind.

Soooo... I "unstitched" the bottom half of those that already had the yarn couched around them and cut the squares in half. I would never have guessed that I'd like these shapes and their arrangement better than my original plan.

Now there are enough edges for the couched yarns to hang from for the coverage I have in mind.

Unraveled V 18" x 40"

The shading of the yarns didn't work the way I intended. Each of the four yarns have different lengths for their colorways. I had expected them to be the same, or at least close. In spite of that, I'm pleased with the result. There is a gradation from strong to weak intensity of the yarn colors as the eye moves down the piece, which was my intention when I selected these yarns.

Since the above photo was taken all the loops have been cut. I'm busy knotting the ends to give the yarn tails a bit of weight. I also have an idea about adding something more. Come back in a day, or two, to see this one finished.

Ready For the SMQ Guild Show

2011-02-24T18:28:00.002-05:00

I finished sewing the buttons in place ... but not outside on the deck because the weather turned a bit cool. The yarns look a mess as a result of working on the piece while it lays flat.

I flipped it over to hand-stitch facings to the three raw edges.

A hanging sleeve was also stitched in placed on the top edge.

Unraveled IV - 24" x 48"

Last evening all the clothing tags were over-painted with a mixture of gold metallic pigment and acrylic gloss medium. This coating lessened the contrast between the bright white ones and the background. In the photo above a light is reflecting off the surface of some. In reality those reflecting the flash of my camera appear like the ones at the top of the piece. All the labels have a soft sheen as well as a glaze of gold to give them a commonality. They are now truly secondary to the loose yarns on the surface. The initial reaction is no longer, "Wow! Labels." The lettering draws attention to bring the viewer in for a closer inspection. The buttons add visual "punch" as well as a more regular rhythm to the compositon. I knew they belonged on this piece, because I missed them after they were removed in preparation for sewing them on. The one thing these photos don't show is the depth of the loose yarns. In the lower half the "hanks" extend an inch and half out from the background fabric.

I'm pleased with the resulting piece and look forward to it being in our upcoming guild quilt show.

PS: This piece was awarded 1st Place in the Art Quilt Category.

Woo Hoo!

"Unraveled V" ?

2011-02-20T16:42:00.001-05:00

Last evening I put together the beginning of another possible unraveled piece.

The colored squares are old silk noil fabric samples that had come from the imported fabric shop owned by my mother-in-law. The background is a left-over piece of upholstery from an interior designer friend.

I had purchased the yarns with the intent of using them for this unraveled concept. I want to control the flow of intensity from pure colors to neutral. I'm still thinking about the pathways for doing that.

Instead of beginning another unraveled piece I should be getting started on my entry for this year's ArtPrize exhibition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is forming in my head. But I am so enamoured and excited about this newly discovered concept. From experience, I've found it's best to stay with a project while the proverbial "iron is hot". There are plenty of long hours of just plain work involved in crafting fiber art. So I'll dig out some batting, find a backing fabric, and enjoy this "rush of infatuation" for another few days.

In the meantime, this afternoon was good outside on the deck for finishing the sewing of the rest of those buttons on "Unraveled IV". If this spell of warmth continues, I'll be out there hand stitching bindings over the raw edges on its back side as well as a sleeve. Then it will be finished and ready to be delivered on March 9th for our Smoky Mountain Quilt Guild Show. That show will be at the Maryville College campus from March 18th through the 20th.

PS: Patty inquired in the previous post's comments as to whether Elvis makes an appearance in "Unraveled IV". His image doesn't, but his name does.

Time For Buttons

2011-02-19T23:02:00.000-05:00

Over the holidays I was given a collection of old buttons by a cousin of a friend. It was a big grundgy box holding some treasures. Among them were about 100 silk and wool fabric covered ones. I pinned 91 of them in the open spaces between the labels.

To keep track of this button arrangement, I used Press'n Seal to store them by rows. I tore off a long sheet, positioned the buttons by rows, then folded the Press'n Seal over and pressed it together between the buttons. A Sharpie pen was used to write the row numbers on the top sheet.

Today was beautiful and I didn't want to spend it in the studio sewing those buttons on. I set up to work out on the deck.

A working surface was created with a piece of fabric affixed to a PVC pipe quilting frame. I just needed something to support the quilt while sewing the buttons on.

These wonderful old cloth covered button don't have shanks. I cut a length of polyester buttonhole twist thread, The thread was brought up from behind the quilt, threaded through the padding on the button back, then the thread needled to the back side.

All the buttons in a row were positioned in this way. Then I folded over the quilt to tie the thread lengths together with an overhand knot. I prefer this particular knot because it can be tightened close to the surface by sliding the needle down the loop of the knot.

All was going well ... until I dropped a button. Of course, it would slip between the cracks. I spent half an hour fishing it out. Luckily the needle was stuck through the back. I don't think I would've been able to see it eight inches down in the dark without the glint of it. Taping a magnet to a length of thread finally fished it out. Whew! There were no more buttons of this size.

So I did what should have been thought of when I was setting up ... put a sheet over all those cracks waiting to swallow precious buttons.

I hope tomorrow is as nice so I can finish sewing outside.

All Unraveled

2011-02-18T11:18:00.000-05:00

24"x 48"

... and that pile below is what I've unraveled from the base fabric as well as what is trimmed from the warp and the added yarns to shape the bottom. This part is done, but I'm not finished yet. Stay tuned for more.

New Sofa

2011-02-15T15:45:00.000-05:00

Woo Hoo! We have a new sofa! It's upholstered with a micro-fiber that I'd swear is a brushed suede if I hadn't seen a separate piece of the fabric.

About twelve years ago we had gone looking for a replacement for this one ...

We ended up getting it reupholstered because there were none that we liked enough to spend so much money on. Recently we did a bit of furniture rearranging which exposed the raggedy rattan on the end of this couch. So two weeks ago we went looking again. There's a lot of over-sized furniture out there, but we also saw quite a few "normal" sized sofas. As I recall on that long ago shopping trip, everything we saw was just too big with wide armrests.

It came this morning and I've had fun playing with decorator pillows and moving art pieces around to accommodate the shape and color of this new piece of furniture.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T22:55:00.000-05:00

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Two layers of card stock with a heart shape cut away in the top layer. Hand-painted silk and padding layered in.

Metallic thread couched around opening.

Metallic silver Sharpie pen.

4 valentines made for my grandchildren.

Back To "Unravelled"

2011-02-10T23:54:00.002-05:00

Unraveled IV - 24" x 48"

I'm still excited about my newly discovered concept. This is where I am in the process of creating number four. Most of the clothing tags are couched to the raw silk base fabric. More yarns will be added as that part is finished. I've controlled the colors and values in this piece following this sketch.

Here are close-up photos of each section ...

top section

center section

bottom section

There's a lot more work before it will be finished. This will be my only entry in our guild's show that takes place in mid-March.

PS: I'm honored to be on Sharon B's Pintangle "Time for the Letter N" list. Check it out. I'm in good company.

Say "Cheese"!

2011-02-07T12:35:00.000-05:00

GO PACK GO!

Now you know where my loyalties lie. I'm wearing one earring from each of the two Packer sets that I own. We even have an actual "cheese head", but it was left at our cottage in Michigan ... if we had only known ...

My husband did have the foresight to purchase this towel when we were in Milwaukee during Christmas time.

For the past two weeks he's been wearing a different Packer shirt everyday. He says he'll be wearing each of them again for the next two weeks. He's a HUGE Green Bay Packer fan. His first paycheck from his first "real" job was used to purchase 2 sets of tickets to become a season ticket holder. The next year he purchased two more season tickets. He still has them, although they're now in our grandson's name. The waiting list for buying season tickets today is 955 years!

We're celebrating by listening to the Pack's past glories on this old vinyl record I dug out of storage last week.

A BIG Woo Hoo for the Packers and all my fellow cheeseheads!

"Interpret This" Group Wrap Up

2011-02-02T15:41:00.002-05:00

My year of "IT" challenge pieces

Over this past weekend each of us members in the "Interpret This" online group wrote a final post summarizing our participation in this year long challenge to interpret a photograph each month. Go here to read an overview of what the challenge entailed. Then scroll down to read the individual posts. It's interesting to see the particular piece each of us chose as the one that best exemplifies our year's work and to read about discoveries (both personal and technique-wise) as well as how this experience impacts current or future work. The comments at the end of each post makes for an interesting read, as well.

If ever you receive an invitation to participate in a group that offers the opportunity to stretch outside your comfort zone, I advise you to take it. It's a chance to go in directions that you may have not considered if it weren't for the challenge from an outside source. I'm glad I accepted this one.

PS: One of the members, Karen, had to withdraw due to time constraints. Go here to see her submissions.

Unusually Shaped Quilts

2011-01-28T18:43:00.001-05:00

The Quilting Gallery Blog has weekly exhibitions of themed quilts submitted by readers. This week's theme is "Unusually Shaped Quilts". I entered this one ...

Marriage - 24" x 38"

This piece was made to celebrate the union of marriage between my nephew and his bride in the year 2000. Two shapes join together, yet each retains its identity. However, a new shape, patterning and coloration is created where they intersect. The technique is reverse applique through as many as ten layers of fabric. It is mounted on a foam core board cut to the quilts shape.

Click on over to the Quilting Gallery see all 17 entries submitted from 5 countries that includes 3 provinces and 6 states. Be sure to cast a vote for your favorite quilt before Sunday at 11:59PM.

Teacher's Quilt

2011-01-24T23:08:00.000-05:00

Back in November my daughter-in-law, Terra, called for advice about how to involve children from two classes in creating a quilt for their teacher who's expecting a baby in February. I advised her of several methods for drawing pictures on fabric, which included special crayons and paints, as well as type of fabric. She shopped and experimented. After deciding on what would work for this project, she spent class time, with the aid of the school's art teacher, to guide the kids in drawing pictures for individual blocks of the quilt. During the holidays, she and I had the pleasure of making those drawings into this quilt that's just been presented to the teacher.

She is thrilled with the gift of this two-sided quilt ... the orange bordered side features one class of student drawings while the brown polka-dotted bordered side is made up of the other class's.

My twin grandsons, who are two of the students in this teacher's classes, helped with the heat setting of the drawings into the fabric as well as ironing the fabric chosen for the sashings, corner blocks, and borders.

If the construction hadn't been complicated, I would've had them sewing as well.

All the vertical rows of blocks for both sides were first sewn together. Then the quilt was constructed with a "flip and sew" technique. This is a method that is a lot easier to do with a one-piece backing fabric, the batting, and the pieced rows for the top. It was a challenge to align the rows for the front and back with the batting sandwiched between. Finally a photo was taken as I was sewing the last rows onto the quilt. In the picture below you can see me pinning a row in place. It's lined up with and being pinned to the rows of blocks on the front AND back sides.

My next step was to turn all this over and then to pin the corresponding row of blocks right sides together to the other side of the quilt through all the same layers. Then I machine sewed a seam through those four layers of fabric with the batting sandwiched in the middle. I decided to construct it like this because I could figure no other way to quilt it that would keep the blocks on the front and back aligned with each other.

This presentation is the first time the class got to see the result of their creations. I think they're pleased as well.

Untangled

2011-01-21T17:58:00.001-05:00

First, thank you to all who left comments on my last post. I appreciate your suggestions and observations. Between those and input from one of my Thursday Bee friends, Deb, my problems with the smaller clothing tag "unraveled" piece have been "untangled".

14"x 24"

I resolved the problem of the labels/tags not being cohesive by over-painting the white ones, or their white parts, with a watered down blue acrylic paint. This softened the high contrast ones so they now blend with the others which keeps them all on the same visual plane. My eye now sees them as a group, rather than individual spots. None are shouting and vying for individual attention, but I do feel "invited in" to inspect the more interesting labels.

And then there are the buttons ...

Some of my buttons

My friend, Deb, had brought buttons and beads to Bee for the project she was working on. I love buttons and have an extensive collection of my own. Since buttons were on my mind, I was reminded of them when I looked at the painted dots on the black background while I was over-painting the labels. So I got out all my colored plastic ones and pinned a number of them on the piece up on the design board. That's the point where I am now.

What a difference these changes have made! The buttons not only add a liveliness to the composition, but extend the association of the labels to clothing. I may add "buttonholes" to the painted and printed dots to carry that idea even further.

YEAH! Now I like it. In fact, I like it a lot and am enthused to finish it. I think its title may be "Untangled".

Back To Unraveled

2011-01-18T23:31:00.002-05:00

More than a week ago I had couched the black-and-variegated color-twisted yarn to the piece with the clothing labels.

Whew! What a massive mass/mess of yarn!

Cutting the ends of the tied knots at the corners of the labels in the top rows cleared out a lot of the tangled bulk.

This twisted wool yarn is lighter in weight than the sari silk yarn used in my last unraveled piece. Consequently, the falls made with the wool hang more full and fluffy which covered up the labels in the bottom rows. I experimented with stringing beads on some of the strands to weight them, but decided that touch was "too much", so they were cut off.

The fluffy falls weren't my only problem. I don't know how I overlooked the fact that the continual vertical spaces between the labels were more important than the horizontal ones. Those are the channels where the falls hang ... DUH!

I ended up cutting many of the wool strands rather short to eliminate the bulk as well as to showcase the labels. Working with this deconstructive process is tricky. It's one snip at a time with lots of studying between cuts.

14"x 24"

I can live with that much "peek-a-boo", but I'm not crazy about this unraveled piece. It may not get finished. I am still excited by this concept and have laid out labels on this piece of raw silk for my next one.

24" x 36"

The placement of the labels is a bit rough in this initial layout, but note how the vertical spaces between the rows get wider in the bottom half. Also, I'll be couching silk and silky textured yarns on this one.

Snowy Tennessee

2011-01-15T20:37:00.000-05:00

We've had snow on the ground for over a week which is a rarity. Wonderful ice sculptures have formed in the rain bells that recently replaced the drain pipe next to our front door.

Kids have been sledding out on the golf course as well as building snowmen. Finally the snow has begun to melt and those snowmen are looking like this ....

I haven't yet made these too cute to eat cookies. I found them at the Truly Custom Bakery site which has instructions.

I did, however, make this nest of mice to share with my quilting bee friends for my birthday.

You've most likely seen previous posts where I've featured these cuties a couple of times. There are a couple of things I did differently this time. Their ears are toasted pine nuts instead of slivered almonds. The almonds make really cute oversize ears, but they're very fragile and prone to breaking. The other addition I've made is to place each mouse on a really good chocolate square. It made for more than one BIG bite ... it took at least 3 before there was only a tail left.

Moon River - IT Reveal

2011-01-14T13:00:00.001-05:00

Moon River - 13"x 17"

fabric, netting, yarn,

oil stick pastels, paints,

machine stitching

There were a couple of events that led me to the idea of interpreting Barbara's photo of weeds along the Mullet River in Plymouth, Wisconsin under moonlight.

One was the winter solstice in mid-December and the other was this piece that was the result of "just playing" (read about it here) earlier that same month.

Moonlit - 11"x 16"

Reveals of the final challenge for this particular Interpret This group began yesterday and continues through Saturday (three each day). Go here to see all the pieces inspired by that one photo and to read the process of how mine was created.

Another "Unraveled" Begun

2011-01-09T23:51:00.000-05:00

I think the clothing labels that I've been collecting for years will work well in this concept. So I spent an afternoon sorting a box full by size and color to come up with this.

The background fabric is a black geometric print that I had colored with oil paint sticks a number of years ago.

I think a black yarn twisted with a subtle variegated colored one will combine well with the spots of color in the fabric as well as the labels.

The basic elements work and I'm excited about the possibilities.

PS: That hank of variegated brown/pink yarn is pinned to my design wall so I won't forget about considering it for a future "unraveled" piece.

Another Birthday for the King!

2011-01-08T11:12:00.001-05:00

Elvis would be celebrating his 76th birthday today.

In our house, he is celebrated everyday. This year he replaced Big Bertha in the cozy corner of our kitchen where our female Sheltie (whose name is Presley) dines. This piece is collaged with Elvis paraphernalia by my husband who is an obsessive Elvis fan.

PS: Bertha did not leave the building. She had gotten dressed up for the month long king's birthday party at the Farragut Folk Life Museum (click to see that post) a year ago. On her returned home she retired to a cozy rocker with a view in the living room. I'd like to say she deserved the "upgrade". But the fact is, she lost her place to this piece that was finished while she was partying.

HELP! Elvis is taking over our home .....

Another Birthday!

2011-01-05T15:56:00.000-05:00

Yikes, my birthday is here ... AGAIN!

There seems to be less time between them with every passing year. It seems as though I had just begun my 50th year. Can hardly believe this day is the beginning of my 70th.

I like this greeting sent to me by my niece, Sarah.

I count myself to be luckier than Elvis, who'll be missing his 76th birthday this coming Saturday. I'm lucky, and thankful, to be fairly healthy and to have the time and energy to create art.

Unraveled

2011-01-02T14:56:00.001-05:00

New Years Day was spent cutting loops, tying knots, and couching the edge to finish this piece.

Unraveled II - 13"x 23"

At least, I think that's the title. "Unraveled" may be what I end up calling the series. I know there will be at least one more.

This may look just as you remember it from previous posts, so here's a side-by-side of it mid-way done and then finished.

It's now a bit more tamed, but still retains a wildness to the mass of yarn. I left some of the loops, but most are cut so the sections would hang in a less messy more contained way. I wanted to expose more of the background fabric to help the eye make a visual connection ... that those loose yarns could be the same as those woven in the ground fabric.

I'm pleased with the result. I love the shiny, bright, pure colored silk rectangles played against the coarse, dark, muted background that seems to be unraveling.

Happy New Years!

2011-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

I'm back in Tennessee, Christmas decorations and gifts are sorted and put away, our house is clean and orderly, and most importantly my studio is clean and organized with cleared work spaces.

I'm ready to begin another year of creativity. Now to decide IF there will be a major project that will be my main adventure. If so, WHAT will it be? In the meantime, I'll be playing with several "mess of yarn" projects ... starting (or is that continuing) with the one over my left shoulder.

Wishing all of you out there a happy New Year filled with creative adventures!

Big Mess of Yarn

2010-12-13T20:46:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist stitching the silk sari yarns onto the rest of this piece.

Untitled - 12"x 18"

That's a lot of looped yarn. Now to decide how much of it will stay ... how many will get knotted ... whether all the loops get cut It will stay pinned to my design board until I get back from up north after the holidays.

Seeing it up there now, I think it may benefit by having a border to frame all that wildness. I look forward to the adventure of taking this one to completion.

Messing Around

2010-12-10T12:41:00.002-05:00

I really don't have the time to mess around with this.

However, this newly discovered concept excites me. So I went digging through fabrics and yarns last evening instead wrapping presents. The background is a heavy upholstery fabric sample and the rectangles are silk fabric samples that I rotary cut free-hand to get irregular shapes. Then there was the time it took to sort through a drawer filled with variegated yarns. I found three balls made from the cloth of recycled saris. How perfect is that? Shadows are an added bonus element on this piece that does not appear on that first one.

Now, I've really got to get those presents wrapped before anymore playing. All of my holiday chores must be completed before I fly out of here next Wednesday. But I think I'll find the time to couch the rest of the yarn in place. Then I can take the piece with me to play with the knotting and cutting of the yarn.

Mess of Yarn

2010-12-09T00:37:00.002-05:00

The piece that's pictured in the previous post (when it was covered in a mess of looped yarns) is finished.

Untitled - 11"x 12"

I had cut the loops and then began tying by two together at the corners of each colored rectangle. I had done this and trimmed them for nearly half the piece while watching TV.

My intent was to use the old tradition of yarn tying a quilt in a contemporary way. The problem was that this was beginning to look boring. Besides, I was missing the yarn lengths with their wonderful gradation of colors. But I had gone too far with tying and clipping those ends short to make a good composition. It hung on my design board all day while I wrapped presents. After supper I got the idea to cut the top part away. This balanced that area of knots with the clipped short ends with the part that I hadn't yet tied and cut. I knotted the corners of a few more rows. But rather than clipping the yarn to make small neat knots, their lengths were graded from those short ends to the long uncut ones. I tamed those longer yarns by combing them with my fingers. I love it!

Here's what became of the top part that was cut away ...

two postcards

The above pieces are part of a little challenge that I set for myself to see how I could create very three different pieces using similar backgrounds for each.

The idea was spurred by my Thursday Bee group. One of our members, Pat Blankenship, donated a large amount of bonded Batik fabric scraps for us to play with. We were instructed to bring a pre-quilted foundation on which to create a design from Pat's scraps.

I had just sorted through the trunk full of my UFO's and came up with three quilted pieces that I had cut away this art quilt. The orange/rusty/green background had been quilted before I cut "windows" to drop in the three focal pieces.

Regeneration - 60" x 34"

Here are two of them ...

.... and the pile of Pat's scraps I brought home to continue playing.

And finally, here's the first one begun that day at Thursday Bee.

Moonlit - 11"x 16"

And the second one created while taking breaks from the aforementioned messes.

Posies 11"x 16"

I enjoyed "playing" with these. It's playing that keeps creativity fresh. I'm excited about the loose yarn technique I stumbled upon. I suspect you'll be seeing a bit more of it in my future work.

Messes

2010-12-07T19:28:00.000-05:00

Since getting back to Tennessee in mid-October, I've been dealing with messes. The first and biggest was the painting of our condo complex.

That included drastic pruning of all our shrubs even before we were unpacked.

After the painting was finished then it was cleaning up the garden beds and getting the pansies planted ... then getting the many, many pieces of outside art in place. That helped clear the mess inside the condo.

This is just the entryway courtyard. I kept thinking the painting crew was finished, but they'd show up to do, or redo a bit more. That necessitated moving stuff out of their way.

There's also a patio and upper deck with just as much art and sculptures that went through the same thing at least once.

In the meantime, my studio kept getting more stuff piled into it that needed to be sorted through and put away. I could hardly walk through the room. Also, during the summer the hardware holding two shelves of books in my supply closet had given way. That was a HUGE mess in there. I couldn't bear to have anyone see all that, so I took no photos before it was all sorted out and put in order again.

It hasn't been quite all work and no play. We took off on three trips ... each for about four days at a time. Also, I was spurred to do a bit of playing by my Thursday Bee group.

Right now this piece looks to be a tangled mess, a reflection of my fall. I hope to find time in the next few days to tame it. In the meantime, I must figure out Christmas stuff and get packages wrapped and mailed before I fly north next Wednesday for the holidays.

Interpret This - November Reveal

2010-11-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

It was a struggle for me to get started with this one. This photo of a cottage in Sissinghurst, England. features an idyllic setting that is almost too perfect ... too idyllic ... too pretty.

After much study of the photo and a lot of pondering, I found it was the patina of the aged wood that very much appealed to me.

Narrowing my focus to feature just the door let me get "into" composing a piece to meet the challenge... let me enjoy the journey of interpretation.

"Door of Yore" - 13" x 17"

fabric, tulle, oil stick pastels,

water color pencils, pastels,

and yarns

Go here to read the details of the process and techniques I used to create this piece ,,,, as well as see the results of the other members interpretations. There will be 3 reveals on 3 days beginning with today.

A Mended Quilt

2010-11-09T21:20:00.000-05:00

You may recognize this silk quilt I had made as a Christmas present for my friend in 2007 ...

The original areas where it's green had been constructed with old silk that had "shattered". Darn! That had been the perfect color and foil to the bright pink and orange prints. Also, I hate mending, but this is one quilt that really needed my personal attention.

It's now been replaced by sewing a new and modern soft green "silk cotton" over the top of the old silk. The seam allowances had been pressed under on all the newly cut border pieces. Those were then machine appliqued with clear mono filament thread on the quilt top just outside the seams into the edges of the pink silk prints and binding.

For the quilting I followed my original quilt lines by free-motion sewing with the back side face up ... which meant putting the fancy variegated silky thread in the bobbin while having the plain beige thread set up on the top of the machine.

I'm pleased with the results and the quilt in now on it's way back to my friend in Milwaukee. To read the post written about the creation of this quilt go here.

"Interpret This" October Reveals Begin

2010-10-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

Saratoga Spring Fountain

13"x 17"

fabric, wool roving, yarns,

tulle netting, oil stick pastels

My interpretation of Judith's chosen photo for the "Interpret This" blog is the second one to be revealed today.

Go here to see more detailed photos and process details for this piece as well as to see Barbara's, which was the first reveal posted this morning. There will be reveals by the blog members each day through the 30th.

Cow Tipping

2010-10-23T23:02:00.000-04:00

When our friend, Alicia, came for her annual holiday at the beach during August she did a lot of tipping of this paper mache cow sculpture while giving it a new coat of many colors and patterns.

I had given Alicia several pieces of scrap muslin for cleaning brushes and wiping up paint. Those treasured paint rags hanging to dry on the clothesline will find places in my future creations.

We got the idea for this project while Lee and I were visiting her in Milwaukee. She had taken us to see a painted cow at an upscale art/craft shop. We were tempted to buy that very expensive piece until we recalled that we already had a very nice, but rather plain spotted cow sculpture at the cottage. Our thanks to Alicia for volunteering her talent to turn our cow into a "funky art" piece.

We are greatly pleased ... and hope she's looking forward to painting this cow's calf next summer.

ArtPrize - Making Music

2010-10-18T10:59:00.001-04:00

There were a number of ArtPrize entries that featured music. This one, "Accord", by Bree Gomez exhibited outside at the Grand Rapids Art Museum was voted into the Top 25.

The description written for ArtPrize is:

Accord is a dynamic and engaging sculpture comprised of strands of light that are interwoven within a metal structure. Upon investigation, a sonar beam emitted from within the sculpture captures movement and converts it into recognizable tunes such as the violin and flute. The lights (strings) then respond to the sound generated by movement. By utilizing the captivating medium of sound, light and metal, Accord provokes interaction and dialogue.

The sound component of Accord enables those with limited mobility an opportunity to communicate using sound.

Here are young viewers interacting with it to make their own music complete with a light show ...

Another sound sculpture was "The Benchmark Experience" exhibited along the river front at DeVos Place by Scott Naylor. It was voted to be among the Top 75.

There was "soft" rock'n roll music piped from the speakers above each molded chaise seat which housed the woofers so you could feel the beat. For me and Lee it was a welcome respite to get off our feet and to enjoy a "moment alone".

It, too, lit up at night ...

My favorite making music ArtPrize entry was "Street Pianos ... Play Me, I'm Yours" by Luke Jerram. It, too, was voted into the Top 25.

Play Me, I'm Yours has reached almost three quarters of a million people in cities stretching from London to Sydney. Sites are found where there is an existing hidden community or where we feel a piano may be values (park, bus stop, bridge, etc.) Each piano has a local custodian - someone who works in a shop or opub next door. It is an unpaid job, keeping any eye on the piano, covering it if raining, and reporting major problems or issues that arise. Pianos are placed to target specific parts of the Art Prize perimeter, reaching different sections of society. The pianos can be played by anyone, anytime or used for concerts, lessons, sing-alongs, street parties, charity events, music videos - whatever! A Street Piano website accompanies the project and documents everyone's creativity and contains films, photos and comments posted by the public, connecting communities and also providing maps of piano locations. Pianos are donated to a good home after the completion of Art Prize.

There was lots of participation ...

Colleen Kole and I enjoyed this fellow's street corner concert.

Lee surprised me with a rendition of "Chop Sticks" on this one placed outside of DeVos Place.

ArtPrize ... One of My Favorite Entries

2010-10-16T21:02:00.000-04:00

A most intriguing ArtPrize entry was this small livable dwelling constructed with salvaged materials.

Here's the artist's information:

Brent Ahmicasaube embraces his Native culture by creating functional art using salvaged materials. His father,an artist, taught Brent the trade of skilled carpentry while beautifying several 'fixer uppers' in his youth. Brent studied Fine Art at Michigan State University and Lansing Community College. For almost a decade Brent has been restoring historical homes and commercial buildings (Heritage Craftsmen). He currently lives in Grand Rapids with his wife and son in the home he restored and renovated (containing salvaged pieces of over 100 homes).

And more pictures of this house exhibited at the Douglas J. Aveda Institute in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Note the bowed out wall on the sides.

How about those hand rails? and risers?

It's a 500 square foot one-room charmer with a sleeping loft.

I could see it as a backyard studio ... or a wonderful guest house.

Interpret This - October Teaser

2010-10-14T18:58:00.000-04:00

It's time to be doing more than just thinking about what I'm going to do with this month's challenge photo submitted by Judith for our online "Interpret This" group.

I'm still thinking about this one. However, cropping will very much be a part of it ...

... and not necessarily what I've pictured here.

ArtPrize ... and the Fun Is Over

2010-10-12T16:01:00.002-04:00

This year 1,715 artists from 21 countries exhibited. 450,000 votes by 31,014 registered voters were cast over a two week period. I'm pleased that my entry, "The Lake", exhibited at DeVos Place got a lot of them to be ranked among the top 75 vote getter's.

Here are three YouTube videos taken by SteveKaterberg that present an overview of what ArtPrize was all about. I especially like the bits of conversation by the viewers he included. Enjoy!

ArtPrize ... and the Fun Continues!

2010-09-30T21:49:00.004-04:00

Earlier this evening the ArtPrize entries voted into the Top 10 were announced. Mine was not one of those. However, I'm very happy to say "The Lake" was voted into the Top 75. There are 1,713 entries in this exhibition. Woo Hoo!

It pleases me greatly that my art piece is so well received. There has been a steady stream of viewers through my venue, DeVos Place, which is a conference center in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Most stopped to study my piece. Many were surprised it was NOT a painting.

Men, women, and children were intrigued. An occasional viewer, most of whom were men, would lean back against the rail and contemplate for a while. The few I asked what they were thinking, responded to the effect that they were enjoying "a moment on the beach". One of the comments I liked hearing was, "I keep expecting the beach grass to move."

Several kids asked for my autograph. Over the weekend there were kids who were intrigued enough to stop and watch me demonstrating my "ortwork" technique.

One of them convinced her grandmother to see the art in DeVos Place without her so she could stay and make her own lake piece.

It's been a wonderful first week. The ArtPrize exhibition runs through October 10th. I'll be sharing some of the other entries in future posts.

Interpret This - September

2010-09-27T13:00:00.003-04:00

"Nelliephant" - 23"x 17"

fabric, tulle, yarn

oil stick pastels, watercolor pencils, ink

Go to the IT link to read more about my interpretation of this photo of a fence in Indonesia taken by Debra.

PS: ArtPrize News! At this point in time my entry, "The Lake" is one of the top 100 vote getters! Woo Hoo!

ArtPrize ... and the Fun Begins!

2010-09-23T20:44:00.002-04:00

Here's where I was 24 hours ago.

Waiting for the ArtPrize opening reception at DeVos Place to begin. This was the only opportunity to get a photo of just me in front of "The Lake". I loved the steady stream of people, many who marveled this was a textile piece rather than a painting. There were even some who were surprised to discover that it was twenty-five panels instead of one big piece.

Thanks to Colleen for taking this one. It was wonderful to see her and other friends as well as everyone else who came.

I'm pleased with this piece ... that the kind of day at the beach I pictured in my mind comes across ... a perfect day between storms. The strong waves rolling to shore are the result of a storm that's already passed while the clouds on the horizon are building another storm to come ... a reflection of weathering the storms of life while appreciating the changes those turbulent times bring ... and most importantly, cherishing the time between.

And then the word spread about Elvis "swimming" in the piece. Some people even came back again to find him. The most obvious of all the images is in the center of this panel.

Here are some of my favorite panels of "The Lake".

"The Lake" 9' x 7'

PS: I'll be demonstrating my "ortwork" technique on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from noon to 5:00pm at DeVos Place in Room A.

"Prairie Performance" Revisited

2010-09-18T21:10:00.000-04:00

In early August we stopped at the New Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Illinois on our drive from Milwaukee, Wisconsin back to our cottage in Michigan.

We had lunch in the hospital's dining room ...

... in front of "Prairie Performance".

When Lee had gotten up to clear his tray, a woman at the next table said, "Let me tell you about those flowers. They're what is planted outside around the hospital." I replied with a big smile, "Thank you, I know. I'm the artist." She got all excited about my being there and told me she sits as close as she can for her lunch everyday. Then she pointed out the Elvis she had found .... one that I had forgotten about. Another diner joined in saying much the same things. I pointed out a couple of more Elvis images to them.

Above is the view out the window that is perpendicular to the wall where "Prairie Performance" is installed. If you look closely, its reflection can be seen in the glass.

I took a walk outside with my iPhone camera.

I also took photos of the interior garden, "The Healing Courtyard." Quite a few Cone Flowers had been planted there.

Since then, friends from Hawaii also stopped in Elgin to view my art while on this trip to the states. Here's Kawiki on his cell phone asking Lee for guidance to find an Elvis image.

ArtPrize Installation at DeVos Place

2010-09-13T21:51:00.000-04:00

I am so grateful to Janice from Good Goods gallery for all her work in getting my textile installation, "The Lake", on the wall of DeVos Place. That is the convention center in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan and is my venue for the ArtPrize exhibition that begins on September 22nd.

Go here to see the video taken midway through by Eddie Tadloc, the ArtPrize Administrator for DeVos Place.

9/11 Remembered

2010-09-10T21:54:00.000-04:00

To read about this quilt created for the people of New York City go here. My intent was and is to let them know how much we feel and care for those who lived this tragedy.

At the Gallery

2010-09-07T21:23:00.000-04:00

During a recent weekend I was one of three textile artists featured at Good Goods Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan. Dawn Edwards (on left) who makes fabulous felt hats is demonstrating felting to a customer (on right).

Sandra Adams who is the third featured artist is watching with me. Sandra's medium is also felting and she, too, had a table out in Good Good's garden for demonstrating her techniques that result in scarves ... scarves that I would hang on a wall as art, rather than wear.

I demonstrated my "ortwork" collage technique in the upstairs gallery.

Above I was composing a small lake piece. The foundation of which was made up of cut-offs from "The Lake" installation piece.

Two were completed that afternoon. Each was purchased almost before I could get the back signed. In fact, the first one was gone before I thought to take a photo. Here's a picture of the second one.

"Piece of The Lake" 8"x 8"

Speaking of a piece of "The Lake", two of the five rows of my ArtPrize entry is hanging in Good Good's Gallery until next Friday.

Next Sunday all 5 rows will be installed in DeVos Place ready for the BIG exhibition that begins September 22nd.

Interpret This - August Result

2010-08-31T13:49:00.000-04:00

"Under the Bridge" 13" x 17"

Fabric, tulle, mono filament thread,

oil stick pastels, inkjet printing

Even though my life has been hectically full for the last two months, this challenge piece had been in my mind often. It was physically begun and finished in one day. Go here to read about the process to create it, as well as to see all the other interpretations of this photograph submitted by Beverly of "Fiberhart"

Bear Lake Revisited

2010-08-11T10:42:00.000-04:00

Bear Lake up in the Rocky Mountain National Park outside of Estes Park is one of our favorites. This photo was taken in 2006.

In 2008 I made this quilt, "Bear Lake" from that photo. Click here to see the posts about its creation.

Bear Lake - 45"x 34" (2008)

In the photo taken on this trip, you can see the big rock from which the previous photos were taken.

The brown trees are the result of Pine Needle Beetle damage. Each year we see more brown trees on the east side of the park. The damage is much greater over the Divide on the west side.

Enjoy these photos of the trail around the lake.

There's been quite a bit of rain leaving big puddles on the trail. This is a captured reflection in one of them.

... and another photo taken this year of the scene featured in the quilt.

Rocky Mountain Gorge

2010-07-31T11:45:00.000-04:00

Since I shared photos of the top of these mountains I'm in for three weeks, here are photos of one the many gorges between them. This one is the St. Vrain Gorge that runs between highway 7 and Lyons, Colorado.

It's all downhill from here. Lee didn't touch the gas peddle once.

The St. Vrain River runs through it.

I don't know what happened that I got this shot. It portrays the feeling of wonder and awe of this magnificent geography.

The Top of The Rocky Mountains

2010-07-27T14:20:00.000-04:00

These are photos on Trail Ridge Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park taken with my iPhone. Enjoy!

2010-07-21T12:07:00.002-04:00

Here is where work stopped until I return to my studio in August.

That's when the beach grass layer will be added to the base layer of sand in the bottom row of panels.

I'm pleased with the wave action.

The kind of day I thought I wanted to present, the idyllic summer one with a storm brewing on the horizon, has changed. All those waves are present from a storm that has passed AND there's another brewing on the horizon. It's become the break between. Just like what we've been experiencing weatherwise ... just what life can be.

ArtPrize Featured on CBS Sunday Morning

2010-07-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

Just in case you missed this episode on CBS Sunday morning yesterday as I did. It's gives you a good idea of what ArtPrize is about and why I'm so pleased and excited to be a participant this year.