Category Archives: Circle Challenge 2

New Beginnings

 

IMG_7166Hello,

In the deep cold we are experiencing now, I think of the wonderful warmth of spring and the new beginnings that  a new year makes on consider.  New sketchbooks, new book keeping,  and new calender’s are  all part of the new start for 2017.    I am working on choosing a new word for my focus this year too, but  have not decided quite yet.  Sue Ellen at the QuIG’s  meeting was thinking of spring too with this new Hosta leaf pillow she shared.  The machine work is wonderful.     The Diva’s also meant this week.  Because of the show that Donna is hosting for us there IMG_7190was lots of talk and work for that event.       I served as transport for work for Noel and Regina's workSharon  as both  could not attend.   Sharon kindly gave me a little gift in the form of one of the book marks that she makes for her booth.    I like it. Regina has been doing a lot of indigo dyeing. ( look at that pile)      Cheri's workCheri had two new pieces for the show as well as to share.    She also does such nice little surprises for the backs of her quilts that I am sharing one of those too.IMG_7173

 

 

Ruth's waveRuth got into a traveling trunk show for SAQA and  she showed us the new wave she did just for that.   I like the waves out to sea too.   Then there is the wonderful foam under the wave.   It is really a strong work I think.  IMG_7169

 

 

 

LLieseLliese   had a wonderful piece to share with us as well.    This piece is much bigger than she usually works.

I hung my Solo Show yesterday with the help of Steve and Lynne.IMG_7177  Preparing for this was a good experience for me as I got to really look at the body of work.    I have been on this earthy foundations work for about three years now.  We hung 21 pieces and I took 24 home with me that we did not use.  I like having a choice. My work    It is a beautiful place to display and I enjoyed doing that step too because of the wonderful help.

more work

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circle Challenge 2Progress Report:  Circle Challenge 1    I am pleased with how this turned out.   All the parts seem to work together for me.

 

 

Circle Challenge 2 IMG_7188  This second challenge has different colors in some of the strips and the rotation is different.  Three additional colored circles remain but the parts of the solid yellow circle have been dropped and replaced with four triangles.  I am ready to do the bead work now .

Name GameName Game Wendy and Mark  I am all done assembling the strips of this work now.   I made the back the other day IMG_7186 and I am now ready to add the batting and begin quilting it.

Three Jacks  Three JacksI have finished the background of this work.  Then I did some research followed by some drawing.IMG_7185  The paper patterns are enlargements of the sketch.  I still have one more to do as you can easily see.   I could not find the color fabric in my stash that I wanted to use so I had to purchase the green on Tues at Quilters Corner when I was there.

Bird BlockBird Block   I am playing with some leftover bird cuts from the Bird land quit here.   It is always  a little challenge to see if the remainders can become something on there own.    I am thinking now that I will balance the birds with some free motion  bushes based on this sketch book drawing.IMG_7184 They have such a light feeling that I feel they can balance the heavy birds on the left.

 

 

Label Block  # 101  Block #101I am working away on these little blocks.  Only 19 more to build now.

Keep Creating

Carol

Numbers

Christmas CatusHello,

We are racing now toward the end of 2016.    In thinking about the end of the year  and closing my book keeping, I become very aware of numbers.   Because I am still enjoying Ethel’s fabrics I only purchased  38 yards of fabric this year and most of that in half yard units.    The first  for the  Label Block project for this year was block # 34.   This week I completed block # 100  so that is  67 blocks  for the  year.  A bit more than one a week.   I make pillows and  fill them with the cut off bits of batting  from the trimming and squaring off of  quilt work. This year I completed   9 pillows.   I donate quilts to almost every organization that asks for them and this year I gladly gave away  13 to such deserving origination’s like Ronald McDonald House, the Art Rage Gallery and my local Public TV station.   I am still ahead in that game as I completed 59 on my own creations.     I use lots of thread in my work and this year  and  I emptied   65 spools.   I was a part of  5 quilt shows and I am looking forward to my solo show in January.     I participated in 4 challenges.   A good way to stretch ones self.       I was rejected from 7 competitions.    But I keep trying.     I wrote and posted  37 blogs this year too.  This year has been a full   one with lots of  things going on in my quilt life.  Looking back,   I feel that 2016 has been a good one for me and I hope you can say the same.  I hope that I can face  2017 and handle the challenges it presents as successfully as I did this year.

Aunt Shirley's QuiltProgress Report:   Aunt Shirley’s Quilt  This work got shipped off  to it’s new home on Monday.  I hope it gets to my Aunt before her birthday Jan 2.

 

 

 

 

 

Cotton Candy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotton Candy   This work is  12” X 12”.     It seemed to take me a long time to get to this little work.  I just kept shuffling  it to the bottom of the pile.  The colors are so very different from what I am working with at the moment.  But once I decided not to try to make it into one of my rock works it was easy and enjoyable.  I will try again for rose quarts later.

 

Name GameName Game- Wendy and Mark This work has gone through a major change sense last  week.  I added Mark’s name- (he is Wendy’s husband)- because the Wendy section was not enough.   Still it is not something I look forward to working on.  But I felt the same way about the one I did last summer where I used my own name. Perhaps that is the nature of this project. I am still shuffling  the strips at this point.

Dead Horse Canyon  Dead Horse CanyonI have been calling this wool work 1 for the last few weeks.   That just does not cut it so I selected a name.    This name comes from a childhood play area near my then home in Carroll Iowa.    I have been thinking about it a lot of late and though this could be a tribute to all those memories.

 

 

New workNew Work This is the newest rock based piece.  I used gabardine for the base and I also added fusible inner facing  to the back.   That extra body has some real strength.   I really like how it is not a warped as the wool piece above.

IMG_7149Circle Challenge 1   I have finished the hand  circle  quilting on this work now.  I am ready to add the facing and finish it off.

Circle Challenge 2Circle 2   With the end of Circle Challenge 1 in sight I put in machine quilting work on this one.  I now feel I need to work on the layout for the third in that series now.

 

IMG_7158Scrap Happy  I am working with the scraps from Ethel’s box this week.  She had a whole stack of batik samples and they are all 5” square just like the ones I made for my quilt in the fall.  So I am using them with some old and  new 5″ squares for this new top.

Label Block  # 100  LABEL Block #100As the big Spiegel  label  ( upper left corner) shows I am still using labels that are not all current.  I just enjoy the process.

May the new year bring you joy and creative times.

Carol