Letting Go

Life is either a great adventure or nothing.
Helen Keller

Last week I shared with you the beginnings of my first ledger page for my online class, Ledgers-A Record of Stitch, with Karen Ruane. I had a design that I was pretty comfortable with:

This week I planned to finish up the page and move on with other projects. As I completed the French Knots on each of my crosses, I focused more and more on the circular portion of the design. My original ideas of simply stitching the two circular outlines just didn’t excite me any more. So, I began looking at what other fibers I might have in my studio that I could use.

One thing led to another and as you can see from the photo below, where I wound up with quite a ways from where I started. 🙂

My new design is much more vibrant and mysterious. I continued to explore color balance and the impact of differing proportions on composition but I gave myself permission to just let go and play. The unstructured, scattered nature of the yarn that I crocheted together to meld the blue and black carries the free form of the organic gatherings of French Knots to a more extreme form.

I left the little black circle in the lower left as information on another color balance example as this is for a ledger of design ideas. In one sense the little circle is a bit out of place. In another, it fits as it develops the progression of darkness through color proportion from the small crosses to the large circle to a final extreme expression.

You might wonder what might have been influencing me as I was working on this composition. I suspect it is the Harry Potter series where I am currently in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  Twill be interesting where my reading takes me next! 🙂

Linking as always to Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday.

Filed Under: Blog February 16, 2019 By - Leave a Comment

The Delights of Stitching

It is our choices that show what we truly are,
far more than our abilities.
Dumbledore

My grandchildren are reading the Harry Potter series. (More accurately their parents are reading it to them each evening.) I had read the series when it was published years ago but decided I had better brush up on the characters so I could discuss them with our seven year old. I really am enjoying the escape from current events that the books now offer. The above quote jumped out at me as I was reading and I had to share it. I think it rang true for me for my life overall.

Having finished True Power last week, I have refocused on my adventures with Karen Ruane. I have been following along with her and my compatriots in the Stitch Along class for six months now – that hardly seems possible as time flies in the class. I have continued to play with adorning vintage children’s dresses and now have begun what will be a cloth book of embroidery ideas for future projects. I simply love that we are free to do as we wish when we follow Karen. If an idea she is exploring resonates with us, we can try it; if not, then we can focus on what has caught our eye.

I have finally finished one dress that I suspect will find a home eventually with my youngest granddaughter as she appears to have inherited my love of dolls. I think you will recognize some of the adornments from an earlier fall post:

My cloth book is just beginning but I have put together the ‘front’ side of what will be one page in the book. It allowed me to play with some exquisite lace I picked up several years ago in the garment district of New York and to explore the rich effect created making suffolk puffs with silk.

Since I love the community of stitchers that play along with Karen, I have just joined another of her groups – Ledgers – A Record of Stitch. Here the focus will be upon creating a paper ledger of color studies and design options drawn from items that have caught our eye – whether photos, embroideries, really anything that we wish.

For my first ledger page, I chose an embroidery that I received from a group of women who stitch in their villages in Afghanistan. The color choices really appealed to me.

I am now working on a page where I am using those colors and expanding from my chosen ‘resource’ to create my own designs. It is fun to stitch on paper for a change! As you can see, I am just beginning my stitching process.

As you can see Karen’s classes definitely can keep you busy! Of course, I am also thinking about my next quilt projects — to be shared as they materialize. 🙂

Linking with NineMarie’s Off the Wall Friday blog for more inspirational ideas.

Filed Under: Blog February 8, 2019 By - 2 Comments

Honoring Nature

Wilderness is not a luxury
but a necessity of the human spirit.
Edward Abbey

As I look at the photos and art quilts that fill the walls of my studio, a good number of them are of nature — rock formations in Scotland, an Aspen tree, cypress along the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Ocean off the west of Ireland. I find my inspiration in nature, retreat to nature to re-center myself in life, and to keep in perspective how minute my presence is in the universe. When I cannot be present in nature, these images help ground me. Today I was happy to add a new image to my wall, True Power. The title comes from a favorite quote that Tom Crum used in our many workshops, True Power is energy flowing freely towards a vision. Glaciers embody ‘true power’ to me as they move purposely on their way.

I wrote last week about how what is now titled True Power came about. In the past week, a path to completion became clearer and clearer. Handstitching the water against a backing of batting flowed into appropriate stitching for the shoreline, mountains, and sky. It was a simple matter to frame the piece in an open frame once trimmed. You can see the detail work in the photo below that contributes to the overall desired effect when viewed on a wall.

I am excited about this piece and looking forward to playing more with this genre, along with my many hand stitching projects and some digital images I am currently getting printed. I think 2019 will be a fun year!

Linking as usual to Nine Maries Off the Wall Friday blog.

Filed Under: Blog January 25, 2019 By - 2 Comments

Taking Stitch to Cloth and Paper

What do I need to Learn Here?
Thomas Crum

For many years, I worked with Thomas Crum as we introduced people to what we called the Discovery Model. The premise is that as long as the questions you ask yourself in life are along the lines of “What do I need to say or do to be right?” you are not operating at your full potential. Indeed, a look at the truly great inventors over time revealed that their frame of reference in trying new ideas as setbacks and failures occurred was more typically the question, “What do I need to learn here?”

As many of you are aware, I have been exploring the art of hand stitching with Karen Ruane for a number of years…what began as an interest in learning hand embroidery has grown to an exploration of expression using stitch on both fabric and paper.

The start of my current project was innocent enough. I was interested in creating a small art quilt from a glacier photo taken on a trip to Alaska last summer. Initially I thought I would follow my typical process of drafting a sketch from a photo, fusing various fabrics to muslin to create a base and then free motion quilting to complete the art quilt. It has been a bit since I had followed that model but it had always satisfied me before.

An interesting thing though happened as I began to work on a muslin base trying out various fabrics. Nothing satisfied me. The more I searched for fabrics, the less pleased I was. I finally realized that some paper I had collected to use in projects with Karen was pretty close to what I wanted. It was time to let go of the traditional and come from discovery!

I began constructing a base of fabric and possible papers for my scene:

In the above photo, I found that a matte frame really helped give me a sense of direction. The central portions in the scene are all layers of paper while the sky and water are fabric.

I wisely did not permanently attach anything to my muslin base. The more I looked at the scene I realized that while it was a fair representation perhaps of the photo I had chosen as a base, it wasn’t what had stood out for me as I remembered our trip. We saw many glaciers in varying light and, as you would expect, varying colors of both ice and water. The glaciers as a whole left us humbled by the power and raw strength of nature that created and moved them. I realized that I needed to create an art work that captured what spoke to my heart as I had gazed at all of them rather than concern myself with reproducing a specific photo.

Once I accepted that reality, I really began to make progress with my piece. I changed some of both the fabric and paper layers and added some dabs of paint.

From there I quickly began experimenting with stitch on the glaciers. I found that a combination of seed stitch and french knot offered the effect I wanted.

This piece is very much still in progress. I currently am playing with stitch for the water. In my earlier stitching stages, I worked without a batting layer as I didn’t feel it was needed and I had given myself permission to create without being bound by the current day definitions of an ‘art quilt’. As I played with possibilities for the water on test pieces, I concluded that I will now add a batting layer to the piece as I like the textural effect the batting lends to the hand stitching for the water.

Bullion loops and running stitch

Over the coming weeks, I will be stitching in the water and then exploring how to interpret the mountains and sky. Promise an update soon!

As always, linking to Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday.

Filed Under: Blog January 18, 2019 By - 5 Comments

A Fun Portfolio Project for the New Year

A number of years ago I created a portfolio for myself using a pattern from Bernina. It was intended as an exercise in using their circle tool. A local Bernina store offered a class using the pattern so I had plenty of help on my first try.

Original portfolio

I still am using that portfolio and about two years ago decided to make versions for my daughter and son-in-law. They loved their portfolios and continue to use them. This fall I got way more ambitious and decided to make a series of portfolios as Christmas gifts.

Playing with variations

I took the basic idea of the original portfolio but decided to give myself more leeway in the design process. Rather than focusing upon circles, I took the basic form of a long rectangle and used assorted materials from my stash along with decorative stitching and some ribbons to create the outer portion of each portfolio. This decision really allowed me to have some fun with both novelty fabrics and vintage Japanese cottons I had collected over the years.

To line the insides of each portfolio, I simply chose a coordinating fabric. Using some double sided midweight fusible stabilizer to join the outer and inner sides of the portfolio and some bias binding to edge the rectangular shape, my gift portfolios were near completion. All that was left was to fold the rectangle to create the pouch and the cover sections, stitch the sides of the pouch section, and add a velcro fastener.

The gifts were a tremendous success and I really encourage everyone to play with this idea. It is a great way to use some of your stash. While I created portfolios that could easily hold a notebook or letter sized documents, one could easily create other sized portfolios by altering the size of the starting rectangle. (I began with rectangles roughly 15″x 28″). I wasn’t able to find my original instructions online but did find some references on the Bernina site for a similar idea that you could easily use as a jumping off guide: https://weallsew.com/embroidered-circles-folio

Below are images of one of the new portfolios from various views:

Wishing you a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year!

Filed Under: Blog January 1, 2019 By - 2 Comments

Tis the Season

For it is in giving that we receive.
St. Francis of Assisi

Wishing everyone the very best in this holiday season. May you find happiness and fulfillment and a path for 2019 that brings peace and comfort to you and your family and extends beyond to your little corner of the world.

My life has been very full this fall with all good things. Finding time for everyone and everything has meant reduced time on my computer. Be assured though that my studio has been busy with many projects including the one pictured below.

These tiny hats are for the Little Hats, Big Hearts project of the American Heart Association. Begun in Chicago in 2014, the project honors babies and moms in a very special way. These tiny red hats, on thousands of babies, symbolize our shared mission of heart-healthy lives for everyone. The effort also raises awareness of congenital heart defects, and what we can all do to help prevent them.

I saw a mention of the program on our local tv station and was intrigued. The AHA offers patterns for both crochet and knitting. Friends will attest to the fact that I am a dubiously successful knitter. 🙂 However, crocheting has always come naturally to me. My goal is to create as many of these little hats as I can manage in December. The hats will be handed in to our local AHA chapter and distributed to newborns at local hospitals during February which is American Heart Month.

If you would like to join in this effort, the AHA suggests contacting your local AHA representative for details on the program in your area.

Have to get back to crocheting now! You can check out Nina Marie’s Off the Wall for what other fiber artists are up to.

 

Filed Under: Blog December 14, 2018 By - 1 Comment

Time Flies

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
Albert Camus

The month of September seemed to fly by as I followed through on my new classes. Combined with a quick trip to New York, I have most definitely been busy.

My “Stitch Along” class with Karen Ruane thankfully has a 12 month timeline. I used the class as an excuse to wander the Garment District while in New York City to gather some materials to use in the class. In my spare time, I have been playing with some samples of lace and stitch and slowly developing a theme for the year.

The Visual Design workshop with SAQA is a much shorter commitment. I am in the second component of the workshop, Principles of Design, the first two weeks being devoted to Elements of Design. Each week is rich with resources through video interviews, some video chats, and links to many articles. There are no assignments as such. I have enjoyed the review of design principles. One immediate application has been in reviewing my photos from our Alaska trip. I have appreciated a bit more why my eye is drawn to particular scenes and why in culling through hundreds of photos, I have selected a few to print and perhaps use eventually in some art works.

Here are two examples where line and shape were important.

Zodiacs along the cliffs near the Dawes glacier.

Early morn view from our boat approaching LeConte Bay.

Looking forward to learning more as I continue exploring the wonderful world of fiber.

Linking to Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday blog for more inspiration from other fiber artists.

Filed Under: Blog October 7, 2018 By - Leave a Comment

Looking Towards Fall

To every season there is a purpose.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The temperatures are dropping at bit and there is even the mention of showers in our forecasts…..stores are stocking Halloween decorations (at least it is not Christmas). Hints of fall are everywhere.

This summer has been a time of enjoying grandkids, recharging energy and nurturing spirit. Earlier this month, I spent a week in the glaciers and forests of southeastern Alaska (photos will follow as I am still sorting!) but even before that trip, I knew my self-imposed sabbatical from “serious” art projects was working. When I returned from Alaska, there on my design wall was  a quilt top with batting and backing ready for quilting…… the first art quilt I have created in quite a bit with an eye to entering in some Calls for Entry. Refreshed and inspired from my travels, I set to free motion quilting my work. With my Bernina newly tuned up, the quilting went amazingly smoothly. For most of the stitching time, I listened to my favorite cellist, Zuill Bailey, on my new Sonos system and just enjoyed being back in the interpretative process that free motion quilting is for me.

Since the quilt will be submitted to a call this fall, I can’t share the results of my efforts in full, but here is a tiny peak.  🙂 

Now with fall approaching, I have enrolled in several exciting opportunities to continue to feed my creative spirit :

My friend, Karen Ruane, is offering  a new 12 month “Stitch Along.”  I have so enjoyed my studies with Karen and the community of ‘stitchers’ around the world who participate in her sessions. This “Stitch Along” is paced in a way that I can easily work on more art quilts that I am sure will emerge for my Ice Worlds series.

Here is Karen’s description of the class:

Join me for 12 months of creativity, a unique fly on the wall experience. Observe my process, my day to day, my working practice over a full year. Who knows what will crop up, what will inspire and develop over this programme. We begin with a blank page of time and fill that page, that time developing embroidered works on paper and fabric. There may be artist books, there may be delicately embroidered laces along with decorative silk surfaces. There will definitely be buttons, ribbons, sequins, beads and all manner of added titivation.

Isn’t that enticing? If you are interested in joining me in a fun experience, you can sign up  on Karen’s website.

I have also signed up for the SAQA Seminar  2018: Visual Design.  The seminar will cover four units: elements, principles, process, and evaluation with new material released every two  weeks. You have to be a SAQA member to participate, but there is no added fee for the course which promises “access to articles, tutorials, book reviews, links to inspirational resources as well as video conversations with leading artists in the art quilt field.” There will also be a Facebook group for participants with opportunities to participate in weekly live video chats.If you are a SAQA member, or thinking of joining, the seminar begins September 10. Registration information can be found on the SAQA website.

So, it looks like I am set for the coming months stitch-wise. And, now, I must get back to sorting through all those photographs I took in Alaska! If you would like to take a peek at what other quilters are up to, here is a link to Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday blog.

Filed Under: Blog August 26, 2018 By - 1 Comment

Summer Days

Inspiration comes from within yourself.
One has to be positive.
When you’re positive, good things happen.
Deep Roy

It has been a hot July and much of the western area of our country has suffered through massive fires. I recently encountered one along I-90 while driving from Seattle to Spokane. We have been relatively lucky in Spokane so far – rapid responses, low winds, and luck have kept most fires small and minimized damage.

I have been spending my summer on a range of activities with my adorable grandchildren.

Judy Cate has been off from school so we have been doing things like cherry picking followed by baking a most delicious tart.

I discovered that she has an uncanny ability to focus when it comes to  painting pottery.

When not enjoying my grandkids, I have been filling in time with stitching. My cousin Kate visited and I was able to give her a piece that I designed using bits and pieces from her childhood first communion dress.

I also created another quilt for Quilts Beyond Borders.

And, finally, while I have nothing to share photo-wise, I think I finally have an art quilt project that is inspiring me. Proof for me that a positive mind and filling my days with positive activities would eventually yield an idea for a piece that I could get excited about creating. With luck, I will work on it in August and eventually be able to share on this blog.  🙂

Filed Under: Blog August 2, 2018 By - Leave a Comment

Keeping Focus

True power is
energy moving freely
towards a vision.

June has sped by in a flash in many ways. Stitching, quilting, travels, and a bit of illness all contributed to an upside down month. 🙂

If there was any doubt that we are living in a relatively rural area, we need simply to look out our windows. Earlier this month, a patch of grass outside my studio provided a place for an afternoon rest for this grouping.

And, now as July approaches, we are seeing the first of this year’s turkey hatchlings. We will be watching them grow through till fall if past summers are any prediction.

I did take time off from wildlife viewing for a quick trip back to NY state. I found a few minutes to take advantage of the antique mall near our Victor house and search for some laces, etc. for my hand stitching. These are becoming more and more difficult to find it seems. Last visit I was not very successful, this time was better.

Inbetween trips and wildlife viewing, I continued to work through Karen Ruane‘s Create and Embellish class. This surface continues to fascinate every time I pick it up to work on it more.

I also finally finished a pouch I had been making for the past few months from some samples I received from one of my favorite stores, French General.

And, I felt compelled to continue creating quilts for Quilts Beyond Borders. I call this one “Upside Down World.” My intention was to reflect the upheaval globally that refugees face as they are forced to leave homelands and search for new lives. What you might expect to be a predictable quilt layout surprises with an ‘upside down’ turn to the pattern.

I hope that this posts finds you continuing to find a path of positive movement in your life despite the chaos that may be happening around you.

Filed Under: Blog June 30, 2018 By - Leave a Comment

Appreciating Life

Remember to
stay centered
in the moment!

These are the beautiful days here in Spokane where everyone wants to just be outside. The Spokane river is flowing rapidly, the skies are clear, and the temperatures are perfect for a walk or run…..

May has been a busy month. I flew off for a quick trip to visit family near Sedona and, as always, was enthralled with the red rock vistas.

Back in my studio, I completed one fairly simple quilt for Quilts Beyond Borders that I had mentioned in my last post.

I have another top on my design wall……..

This top grew from a 16″ square that I had made many years ago…..I am gradually using my stash to create these QBB quilts, finding the challenge a fun design effort. When exactly this top will get quilted remains up in the air. There are some very wonderful distractions whom I look forward to playing with everyday!

 

I have also continued creating hand embroidery surfaces with Karen Ruane in her latest class, Create and Embellish. Here are a couple of my favorites. I don’t have a plan yet on how I will use them, I am really just enjoying the almost zen feeling of creating them!

The coming month promises to busy too – I will be fitting in stitching around some more travel, a bit of construction on our property, and plenty of fun time with the grandchildren…..for now I will leave you with a bit of wisdom on life from the perspective of  my six-year-old granddaughter.  🙂

Filed Under: Blog May 30, 2018 By - 3 Comments

Time Passes……..

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.
Michael Althsuler

Since I last posted I have spent some wonderful time in Hawaii, begun another quilt for Quilts Beyond Borders, and continued my hand stitching adventures.

The place where we normally stay in Maui is along the coastline where some of Hawaii’s Green Sea Turtles make their home. One of my delights on this past trip was a daily conversation with some of these creatures who liked to rest on a small stretch of sand near us. They are quite wise.  😉

My latest quilt for Quilts Beyond Borders is in process. I am pleased that I devised a way to use some left over pieces from a past project in creating this quilt. I had a number of strips that I had previously sewn together and stored away. I was able to blend them with fat quarter thirds to create a simple but attractive design.The pattern came from a post on June 24, 2014 of the Fort Worth Fabric Studio Blog. When I finish quilting my piece I will be sure to share.

As I mentioned in my last post, I participated in Karen Ruane’s Embroidery School 2018 this winter. The online class has finished and I am currently creating a cloth book of my samples. Each sample has its own page and I am really loving the feel of each page. Hope to have it completed in the next month.

Pages for my sample book

I am just starting up another of Karen’s classes, Create and Embellish  where we will be creating our own cloth surfaces and then hand embellishing. Here is a sample of my first surface that I will be working on. It should be an adventure as we proceed! By the Way, if you are interested in listening to Karen discuss her work, there is a podcast interview with her here.

 

As I move forward with my WIPs, spring is making its presence felt here in Eastern Washington. Each day the temperature warms more. Our yard is always filled with wildlife and they are all celebrating the end of winter. I am totally enjoying their antics. Just yesterday, I caught this photo of a wild turkey in full glory.

I am looking forward to more time outdoors along with more quilting and hand-stitching in the coming weeks. I will be back to share again. In the meantime, I am linking with Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday so you can see what other fiber artists are exploring. She has some great suggestions for organizing if you are in the spring cleaning mood.

 

Filed Under: Blog April 20, 2018 By - 4 Comments

It’s Been Awhile

Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion
to reach for the stars to change the world.

Harriet Tubman

I have been absent from my blog for over a month. When I went to write a post in early February, I discovered that I was unable to back up my site. I am not sure what happened but, through testing, I could determine that it definitely related to my server at MacHighway.  I have been a customer there for many years and they have always been helpful when occasionally there has been an issue of some sort. This time, though, the problem was not simple. The case kept getting bumped up in the organization and finally, this past week there was resolution. It took patience on my part and research on theirs but I am grateful the problem was resolved. I did not really want to move my site and all that would have been entailed!

Just because I was off line did not mean that I was away from my studio! One project that was completed was a second quilt for Quilt Beyond Borders.

The main fabric is some Yukata cotton I bought from Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts when I took a workshop from her last fall . The intensity of the flowers against the geometric background caught my eye.

I played with the angles a bit to divide up the fabric into four quarters and used those angles for a simple quilting pattern.

While I was off line from my blog, I also spent a good deal of my free time on hand stitching. I have been in an online class with Karen Ruane called Embroidery School 2018. We have been making many samples of stitches and that has been great fun.

Each sample gets enclosed within a border, labeled, and will ultimately be gathered into a cloth book of my making that I will have for reference.

I have also been working with some random bits that have been collecting in my studio – something about the color red attracted me to them initially.

I wanted to explore some of the stitches I was learning in Karen’s class a bit more and decided to build towards a pin pillow……….

As my play continued, the pin pillow morphed into components for a possible pouch for my growing collection of fabric bits and pieces. These components currently reside on my design wall where the proposed back of the pouch patiently waits for attention.

And so, while I have been silent on the web, I have been busy. You will notice, I have no art quilts above in this post. I have had to patient with myself these few months. Creating quilts for QBB is a priority I have set for myself for 2018. It is one small way in which I feel that I can make a difference in this crazy world. The quilts go to children in need, many in refugee camps.  Alternatively, hand stitching offers me an escape into whimsy and a meditative process that, along with my beautiful grandchildren, allows me to keep a positive mind. For a bit, I wondered if I would ever make another art quilt…….it is only in the past few weeks that I have begun to feel my way back into the world of design. I sketched quite a few ideas while I was preparing for Patricia Belyea’s class. They have sat waiting and now, finally, I have begun to play with an idea I sketched and some fabrics I had purchased last fall. My other projects have had to move over a bit on my design wall to make way for a possible art quilt. Where will it go? We will have to see!

Linking up to Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday blog so you can check out what others have been doing this week.  🙂

Filed Under: Blog March 8, 2018 By - 3 Comments

Hawaiian Dreaming

Kahuna Nui Hale Kealohalani Makua
“Love all you see, including yourself.”
Hale Makua

Here in Spokane, WA, winter is in full display. It is beautiful when the sun shines but often the days are grey. My dreams turn to our beautiful state of Hawaii as I count days till I will next be there. It is one of my favorite places of inspiration for my fiber work.

I mentioned in my last post that I was working on my first 2018 quilt for Quilts Beyond Borders. As I gathered fabric and designed the quilt, I often found myself playing a Hawaiian music station on Pandora. Can you see the influence in my choice of fabrics. I have named the piece “Hawaiian Dreams.”

The quilts is made from two sets of charm packs (5 1/2″ squares). I had bought one set on a trip in November as I wanted a record of some fabric I saw. The art quilt didn’t happen but I did love the fabric. But what to do with 40 51/2″ squares?!? After playing with it on my design wall one night:

I decided to use it for QBB by purchasing a complementary set of charm squares. It is the first time I tried this approach. I actually stitched sets of four squares together in blocks to give myself a range of layout options but ultimately decided upon simply bordering the grouping of squares.

For the back of the quilt, I used some yardage that I had purchased for the contemplated art quilt. The result is quite a nice backing for the piece:

I am quite pleased with my first quilt of 2018 and the knowledge that it will be going to child in need.

 

Filed Under: Blog January 22, 2018 By - 3 Comments

A New Year! A New Start!

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Steve Jobs

Here is what my design wall looked like shortly after the start of 2018:

I had spent the first few days of 2018 focusing on an art quilt that I had been working on for a month or two. I had full size sketches, a selection of fabrics that I thought would work, etc. However, the more I pulled it all together, the more I realized that I really wasn’t enjoying the process and just wanted to be done and move on. So, I decided that 2018 would be a year of listening to my heart, my gut, my center. I packed away all the pieces, pictures, etc. and cleared my design wall. 🙂

It was a most freeing decision!  After a day or two, I pinned a beautiful hand embroidered Christmas gift my husband gave me to the wall for inspiration:

Then I began working on projects that excited me. The first was a small needle case for traveling that used fabric that I purchased last fall in Ireland and some beautiful lace I had ordered from Switzerland.

Front cover of needle case

 

Back cover of needle case

Inside of case

I am now moving forward with an idea for a pin pillow from some bits and pieces that I collected during the Fall and had been patiently waiting to stitch. 🙂

And so, my “mantra” for  2018 will be follow my heart! It is great to feel re-energized and excited to play in whatever ways feel right. Already I have another quilt project for Quilt Beyond Borders up on my design wall! Will share that with you in the coming weeks.

Filed Under: Blog January 11, 2018 By - 1 Comment

Warm Wishes for the Holidays

Wishes for a joyful holiday season!

Filed Under: Blog December 23, 2017 By - Leave a Comment

A Fiber Artist Approach to Holiday Giving

Every little bit counts!

Tis the season to share with others. It has always bothered me how after giving great thought to gifts for friends and family, I find myself often wrapping my gifts in paper that will quickly go in the trash. There are of course paper alternatives such as newspapers etc that can be recycled. But, this year I am taking a different approach.

My studio has a wall of fiber stash…..cloth, ribbons, thread that, at this point in my life, I try to use before buying new. For my Quilt Beyond Borders quilts, I use this stash. This year I decided to see if I could also use some for wrapping my gifts.

I found a wonderful site that gave me an excellent start for creating fabric bags: Longanberry Handmade. The owner of the site, Susie, lives in Los Angeles and promised that it would take only 5 minutes to make one of her bags. She was right! Her measurements are for small size wraps for things like gift cards:

However, once you have made one, it is very easy to alter size. For special gifts, any fiber artist can immediately see options for creating a fancier design — and I can imagine those with embroidery machines could enhance in all sorts of magical ways. I haven’t quilted any of my bags as it really isn’t necessary but  that would be an option too.

Options include contrasting tops or coordinating fabrics among gifts for someone.

I love this approach to gift wrapping. And, one might consider that it adds another dimension to your gift as the gift bag can most definitely be ‘regifted.’  🙂

Have fun!

Linking to Nina Marie Off the Wall Friday so you can check out what other artists are doing this week. She also has some great gift suggestions for quilters this week!

Filed Under: Blog December 1, 2017 By - 1 Comment

The Places We Go

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
Dr. Seuss

The past month has been a whirlwind of travel and play.

Early in November I was back at our home in Victor, NY and we discovered the Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame was giving a concert. If you ever have a chance to attend one of Peter’s concerts, do go. His music is timeless, his performance endearing, and his words uplifting. Towards the end of the concert, all ‘children’ were invited on stage to sing along to Puff the Magic Dragon……..you can catch a glimpse of me in the rear to the left of a red checked shirt. 🙂

Next we were on to red rock country in northern Arizona to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 100th birthday. ‘Lovey’ is an amazing woman who still volunteers at the local high school.

Jerry and Mom

In the midst of all these travels, I have been keeping up with my fiber art….a quilt went out to Quilts Beyond Borders before I left:

I have continued to play with the online activities of Karen Ruane. She currently has two groups running  – a twelve month course in creating Artist Books and a short course on creating projects from handkerchiefs. I am participating in both of these and was able to carry along a needle case project to stitch away on in my down time.

Needle case inside

Needle case front

Composition for page in artist book

I also was honored to have two of my “ice” quilts included in the November/December issue of Machine Quilting.

And so, November ends with my studio filled with holiday projects and my heart filled with gratitude at the life I have been given.

Filed Under: Blog November 25, 2017 By - 3 Comments

Treasure Trove of Inspiration

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.”
― Anita Desai

In late August, I traveled to the north of Scotland to visit the Shetland and Orkney Islands and finally a few spots in the Hebrides. I had always wanted to visit the Orkney Islands as I have collected the jewelry of an Orkney artist, Sheila Fleet, for many years. Couple that with my Irish/Celtic heritage and when my husband and I discovered our favorite travel group, Lindblad/National Geographic, had created a trip that began in Bergen, Norway, rounded the north of Scotland, and ended in Dublin, it seemed perfect for us. It was.

As is totally appropriate, before a trip begins, I never know what I will take away from it. I always hope for some special moments and this trip did not disappoint in that respect. In Scotland, we hiked or ‘Zodiaced’ in the most beautiful serene scenery that I have no doubt will be reflected in my art for the coming year.

In retrospect though, the highlight of the trip is one that I am still processing…..a visit to the Standing Stones of Callanish on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. These stones were estimated to have been constructed between 2900 and 2600 BC. There is debate on the purpose of the stones…..some say they were a ‘prehistoric lunar observatory’ while others have proposed a relationship between the stones, the moon and a distant mountain range. The stones have become a popular tourist destination as became clearly evident when our small group reached the site. We were not alone by any means! Fortunately, buses dropped off visitors at one point near the site and then arranged to pick up their passengers near a Visitor Center that was not within view of the stones. Being a patient person, and having just had a talk by a National Geographic photographer the previous day on how to handle crowded venues from a photographer’s perspective, I knew to wander and wait to see if the site would clear. It did and when I then walked within the stones, there was a moment where the mystery of the site took over. I can only describe it as a feeling of energy as I entered the circle. The largest of the stones was overpowering and I felt, for a moment, that I was in a place of great reverence. My readings since my visit suggest that the site has always been a place visited, not a place of habitation, so I would like to think it has been a place of reverence for mankind throughout the ages and I was treated to an experience of its power.

Here then are some scenes with my journey that I hope you will enjoy!

Fair Isle, Shetlands

Mull Head, Orkney Islands

Near Skara Brae, Orkney Islands

Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides

Sumburgh Head, Shetland Islands

The Stones of Callanish

 

 

Filed Under: Blog October 27, 2017 By - 5 Comments

Follow Your Heart

When in doubt,
follow your heart.

A simple trip to the Quilting Bee in Spokane to drop off JOY! for an upcoming local quilt show quickly turned my planned studio time this week upside down. As I was leaving the store, a Halloween display caught my eye.

A quick text to my daughter confirmed the images would make a perfect Halloween quilt. So, I picked out a few fabrics, did some quick guesstimates on yardage, and committed myself to sewing up a new quilt in the next few days.Soon my design wall was rearranged with ‘works in progress’ shoved over to a side while I contemplated design options. The ‘free pattern’ offered in the store was way too detailed if I was to produce this lap quilt in a few days.

I think all my efforts for Quilts Beyond Borders contributed greatly as by Wednesday I had a front and back cut, pieced,  and was assembling my quilt sandwich. 

Much to my own amazement (and selection of very, very simple big free motion quilting lines), I was able to quilt my quickie project in a day!

While the results are most definitely not ‘Houston’ standards, the most important ‘judge’ of my halloween quilt gave it a definite nod of approval.

Linking to Nine Marie”s Off the Wall Friday to see what other quilters have been up to.

 

 

Filed Under: Blog October 13, 2017 By - 4 Comments

The Cloth Shop

I am curious, I love making discoveries,
travelling, speaking with people, go shopping.
Maria Grazia Cucinotta

Another highlight of my recent travels was a few days in Dublin where I got to visit The Cloth Shop. The shop was founded in 2010 by mother and daughter, Deirdre and Sinéad. I was lucky enough to meet Sinéad on my visits. She is a totally delightful hostess.I first popped in to see what generally was available and found an exquisite selection of fabrics – but, more than that, what made me definitely plan to return was how welcome I was made to feel. I explained that I was just window shopping but it didn’t matter. They answered questions and gave me a card to be sure I could find them again. I did return and again, they were incredibly helpful. Sinéad and I chatted for quite a bit as she was as interested in my art as I was in their cloth. As weeks have passed, I have realized that  my time in the store is one of my fondest memories of Dublin.

I was particularly looking for cloth for my embroidery classes with Karen Ruane. Karen had given me The Cloth as a possible source of Liberty fabric in Dublin. And, wow, did they have Liberty cloth. One of a handful of worldwide dealers who receive liberty fabrics as they are first issued, the selection at The Cloth was amazing. I was delighted that when shopping in person you can buy as little as 1/4 metre and so I chose a number of cottons from the fall line.

What I didn’t expect were the silk Liberty fabrics available. Of course, I had to try a few of those too. 🙂

The Cloth offers many more fabrics beyond Liberty. They have beautiful Irish tweed and Irish linen, all dyed and woven locally, as well as  cashmeres from Italy, fine bead work from India and exquisite velvet and  lace. I saw some breathtaking modern Irish lace that I dream of someday going back to purchase.

If you have a moment, it is inspiring to browse their website, even better, if you happen to be in Dublin, check them out in person. You will definitely receive a very warm welcome.

 

Filed Under: Blog October 7, 2017 By - 2 Comments
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