Category Archives: Daily Practice

Post 300

 

Hello,

We have a house guest, our daughter’s dog Riley.  He is a good husky, but requires three walks a day.  That sure is eating into my work time.    I am enjoying myself .

I discovered this is my 300th post.    I never envisioned that I would still be writing and creating this work   this far into the future when I started it.   The first one was Sept. 1, 2011 and I have come a long way.   That first blog only had three pictures.   Now I see photos as one of the strongest parts of my posts. I was so tentative about   what to write in the beginning.  Now I am surprised and proud  of this work.  I look forward to the  postings and think about what I want to cover over the week.  It makes me pay more attention to my peers, what I am doing  and my environment.     I look forward to noting things every week.   I do not plan to end any time soon as I just renewed my domain name for the next three years.

Progress Report: Collection 2- Grandmother Mc    This work is 18” w X 31” l.  I started out with some lace that grandmother Ester had created and built up the surface with more items that where hers and represented her.

IMG_1181  She had button tin and I spent many hours stringing them for her.  Three  different ones from the collection are shown here.  IMG_1180

Perception IMG_1174  I am done adding the text  to the background with metallic threads  on this work.    Now I am doing reflective quilting around all the words.

IMG_1177Persuasion   I am still doing pebble quilting of the words for this quilt.   I seem to only  be able to quilt three words in an hour.      I have seven words remaining.

 

Rocky Shores    I am doing a Quilt University  class by Linda Schmidt.   The first lesson is on water.  I painted the sky and water and them I followed the instructions on how to make the  rocks and foam.   I am making up my own shore line.    It is all  pinned in place now and I will begin stitching next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mulberry Memories  This week I worked on the winter memories for this quilt.    Ice skating, and sledding were two of the things we did lots of those years.  Gene had a flexible  flyer and it was a wonderful sled.  We even built snow jumps for it.

 Old Barn    I just started this work based on a photo of the old barn on Dad’s farm.  It fell down before he moved from there and the lumber was burnt in the stove in that house.

 

 

Daily PracticeIMG_1184  I am now adding some lace flowers to the surface of this project.   I hand dyed the lace last summer with Liz.     This project continues my effort to use materials that I have altered with dye this year.

 

Card  It is hard some times to keep things balanced.  I often go to excess on some things.  I am trying to pay attention to this as I get older and think about the need to keep my many interests in line.

IMG_1167  I just could not seem to stop working on collage this week.   Collection,  sifting, placing  and creating a new image from scraps- it is a wonderful process in my eyes.

Keep Creating

Carol

Great Weather

 

Hello,

After several days of spring rains, we are enjoying wonderful weather.   I now need to do some yard jobs.    But any excuse to be out doors will due.    It is so wonderful with pleasant temperatures  and   almost daily changes in the environment.   There was only one meeting this week and it was of the FAB group.  I forgot my camera so there are no new images.

 Progress Report:   Ravens   This work is  38”w X 49” l.    It really came together with ease.  I made a drawing and then  added a Raven’s head to the big white areas.

IMG_1153  I enjoyed working with the limited palet.

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Summer Family- Cardinals Texture is one of my main interests, and this work has a lot of them.  IMG_1146   This mother Cardinal has the most variation in thread colors of the three.   Her position is more animated then the males.

  I do seem to be in a bird phase at the moment.

 

Persuasion I was all ready to add the words on top of this work and then I realized that the value of the text was too close to the background.  So I took them off and made some darker words( navy blue ) and brighter greens.

IMG_1142I am raw edge appliqueing them down with silver and pale blue metallic threads.    There are two threads in one needle of the sewing machine.

Perception   I could not bring myself to toss the pale purple words so I made a new background for them.   The fuchsia and pink really high lights the words that were lost on the first work..   Then I added some of the leftover navy words too.   I think that  they add interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New  Collection II  Grandmother Mc    This work is moving along.   I am enjoying going through the  old button collections and adding them to the surface.

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Daily Practice IMG_1130  This work just keeps building.

New      I seem to be fascinated by the purple and apple green colors of late.   This is a  new combination for me and I guess I am not done exploring it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mulberry Memories- Carroll   This work is moving slowly.     IMG_1149I am adding the images I painted last week on the surface.    As a child, I  lived in this house five years and there are so many memories  that I am having a hard time deciding what to use.IMG_1150

Card- Spin    Spring seems bring on a dramatic change in the outside world and  those changes  push me in a new directions.   I find that my mind is full of a wide variety of ideas.

 

Keep Creating

Carol

Spring flowers

IMG_1079Hello,

We are still here in Central New York due to the fact that Eric has been very sick with a bad cold.    He is mending now.   I have been walking and enjoying all the wonderful flowers that have burst into bloom  this week.     The May Apples look like they will bloom in the next few days.  The red buds on the tree down the street look beautiful too. The tree leaves  are filling in the sky line and soon one will feel all surrounded by them and the views will be limited again.    I enjoy the changes.

 

Progress Report: Riotous  Romp This work is 38”w X 34”l.     It is built with a curvy cut background and four copies of a cursive  word- New.     I am glad this  IMG_1109spring like work is finally finished and I am glad I re did the facings when I discovered it was now square.  I do not feel so joyous about the work as I did before I had to re do it, but feel the positive feelings will return with time.

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Mulberry Memories I keep working on  this project.  IMG_1117This week I free motion drew the  around the house and the street layout .  I also did sketchbook work of the other items and scenes  I want to use.   It is starting to come together I think.

Collection II   I am doing the add on and detail IMG_1125work on this piece now.  I like how I can mix old little bits of memorabilia with old bits of lace and ribbon from my mom and grandmothers collections.  A nice remembrance sort of work.

IMG_1111Cardinals    In working on this piece I made a tree.  But after I placed it on the background I discovered it was far to powerful in its self to work on this project.   Even lots of stitching would not diminish it enough.  So I went for simpler and added the tulip leaves to the surface.   The leaves are made from silk paper.   I will add the birds and trim next.   This is one time when my little rule about only working for  about and hour on a project helped me see a problem.  If I just pushed forward I would be taking out the first tree now.

  Two Ravens  IMG_1101  Several years ago I went to Canada with Marty.  We visited the Native Peoples Museum  in Montreal.   There I purchased a beautiful hand printed towel.  Due to the fact that Eric and I  did not travel this week,  I had more time in the studio then normal and I pulled towel( the birds) out and cut it in two.   Now I am building a top.

New WordIMG_1122  This background has now been quilted with a stitch in the ditch technique.   I will  add text on top next.     This is the cursive version of  the word “WIP” .   The letters are overlaid and graffiti like.     I do not like what the word means and the connotations that go with it, but the shape is wonderful.  I will not mention the word again as I present the work.

New Water Sky and Rocks   I painted out doors yesterday and created these fabrics.  I want to do a piece on the shore line.  I did sky, water and rocks.

Daily PracticeIMG_1120I just keep  putting in the stitches here.  I am not happy yet as seems to have no center of interest.

Label Card   On Sunday we celebrated Mother’s day.  I  do my cards on Sunday afternoon and I was thinking about my  Mom at the time.  I realized that not all women are Moms, but all women were once little girls and that is what this card celebrates.

Keep Creating

Carol

Active time

Hello,

It is great to be able to really get out of doors and enjoy our wonderful area.  Nick and Wendy took me for my Birthday outing to Buttermilk Falls state park.  We had a great time and I took  lots of pictures.   We walked up to the top falls past Pinnacle  Rock along the George trail.   Thn back north on the Rim trail.  I  found myself a little disgusted with my fellow man as I picked up tossed take out cups and other trash along the trail.    We all need to be responsible       for our world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made a trip to the Schweinfurth  to check out the Made in New York show.  I loved this work by Pat Pauly.   She really used her  own hand made fabric to her advantage.

 

IMG_1003There was a Flinger Lakes Fiber  Artists meeting this last week too.  We had a good discussion and folks showed there work as usual.   This piece is by Ruth.

Lori keeps working away too.  She told us this in not complete.  I sure like all the layers she has built up.

IMG_1006Joyce is painting on fabirc and then stitching over the work with her sewing machine.   There is lots of movement here.

Regina is building up this Blue Loon pieces with lots of hand stitches.

IMG_1011Noel showed off her “Painted Ladies.”   They all have so much personality.

Yesterday I went to the art show at St David’s Celebration of the Arts.   I have so many friends who are in this show and I had a good time.   This is Sharon’s newest work.   I find it very peaceful.   IMG_1052  Angela’s silk painted piece fit in with the feeling of spring for the day too.  This pastel by Barbara was one I had never seen before.   It is so joyous!      And lastly my friend Carol’s piece sold!IMG_1055I’m so happy for her.   It is a good art show and I enjoyed it.     I have had busy week.

Progress Report:Two New This work is 22.5” w X 37.5” long.   It is the second work using the word NEW.   The words are  done as strait lines and turned on the work was  turned on its  side.  I like the final look that way better.IMG_1062One word is made for the blue and the other ( upside down ) in rick rack.   IMG_1063It is all raw edged appliqued.

 

Riotous Romp    I am nearly done with this work as I am to the reflective quilting step now.  I only need to square it and add the facings and sleeve.

newIMG_1068This work is all assembled and now I am working out what I want to build on top.   I will do some stitch in the ditch quilting while I play with different ideas.   All most all the fabric in this work is hand painted and stamped by me.

Collection II I had such an enjoyable time with the first collection piece that I decided to do another using some of the lace that did not make it into the altered jacket project.   I only started pinning on parts yesterday so I know it will change a lot .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carroll- Mulberry Memories This work has been in incubation for a while and only this week did I get the  inspiration to move forward on it.  I remember climbing the mulberry tree so many times that I now see it as the  unifying element in this piece.  We lived in Carroll from the time I was in third grade until  when I was in seventh.   A time of great change in a child’s life  so my memories  seem a bit disjointed.     I hope the tree will give me the  base to hold all the thoughts together.

 IMG_1065Landscape    I built this landscape as a background for the three cardinals.   I am free motion quilting down the parts.  The plan is to build a tree this week and add it on top and then add the birds into the composition.

Daily Practice The hand work goes forward here and the textures are building up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Card  I like to think of my life as a single thread that ties together all my learning and experiences.   The fabric of my life as you will.

Keep Creating

Carol

PS – Eric and I are suppose to go traveling next week- so  there will not be a posting.

Warming up

 

IMG_0930Hello,

We are starting to see evidence of spring.  I am happy with the few changes that are appearing as the temperature rises.

I went to the Associated Artist Meeting on Saturday where we had a little show and tell.  This is a pastel by my friend Barbara.  I really like the m,movement she created.

Progress Report:    SAQA entry -Layers of Life    12” X 12” .   I did some additions on this piece this week and then shipped it off to the folks at SAQA for their auction.

 

NEW IMG_0911 The \blue paper pattern is my  next word work.    The word is NEW.  I am auditioning fabrics for this project here on my pin wall.

IMG_0914Altered Jacket   I am adding lace and such to doll up this black jacket.IMG_0915I stole the idea from Chico’s- the idea of embellishing a jacket in this fashion  I mean.   I need to get some of the lace and such out of the suit case where I have is stored and out into the world.

Collection   I keep adding more and more items and layers to this work.     I like where it is going .   It’s like existence- made up of may small moments.

 

IMG_0912Thread Painting   I finished the last two Titmice that  I started at the spring retreat.   I have learned that a nice balck bead eye really helps them come to life.

 

   New ScarfIMG_0920Along the same line as the ones I  made at the retreat  this   new scarf uses  wash away  and free motion stitching.   I always get nice compliments on the others when I wear them.

 

Felt Backgrounds   Now that I have all the birds done I need to build backgrounds to put them on.  So I  spent a day with Liz teaching her   how to use her felting machine and I worked on backgrounds.   I will add the branch and birds on this one.

IMG_0924   This second one is just play and I do not have a plan for it.  I was just having fun.

IMG_0926This one is the least developed.  It too will be used for the birds I think as it is also a landscape.

Daily Practice   I keep stitching away on this project.    It has a long way to go.

Card   Clutter.  It seems that more and more stuff gets thrown at us each day  and it is hard to keep the clutter under control.   Perhaps accepting that will help a bit.

Keep Creating

Carol

Still winter

 

   Hello,

The weather here continues to be cold and filled with snow flurries.  I dream of spring and hope next week will find us warmer.  Done a bit more drawing this week too.   I have been watching a video , “Interpertations ”  by  Jan Beaney  and  Jean Littlejohn, that Angela lent me and hope by following some of their suggestions I will build some better compositions and avoid the struggle I am still feeling with my Frozen piece. IMG_0863 I have been reworking the ice lines.

IMG_0860  I went  south  with Liz  to visit Regina yesterday to do some printing.  Regina always has beautiful treasures that this shot shows.  I like the patterns of these two beaded add  onus.    Regina is also doing finishing hand work on this big print she made of the Tree of Life.

IMG_0872  These are the prints that I made.

Progress Report:  Fiddlehead Ferns     This stretched work is 24” X 18”.    I built up the forest floor with bits and pieces of fabric and yarn  before adding the ferns on top.IMG_0871I used silk paper, fused backed hand dyed cotton for the leaves and frapped chenille cleaners for the steams of the fiddleheads. IMG_0870

Layers  This is my entry for the  SAQA auction.  It is 12” X 12”  and is a work built to show how one just keeps adding more and more experiences   layers on top of one another as we age.

 

 

 

Parts   I   have been building little units to work together for the last few weeks.  Now I am beginning to add them together as a whole. Another example of how I feel we are many small things added together.

Asters  I am building the flowers on the surface of this piece now.   The petals are raw edge applique and the centers are hand stitched on top. IMG_0882

FeltingIMG_0876   This is just the start of the background for one of the Black Capped Chickadees  that I did in tread painting  at the spring retreat two weeks ago.

 IMG_0887Daily Practice    This   work just keeps steadily building up  with stitches.

Cards: Relax   Time just keeps rushing forward in this day and age.  I find I often feel a bit overwhelmed so I need to remind myself to slow down and  breath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discover    One is forever changing, but unlike butterflies that graduate from a caterpillar to a butterfly  our changes are often much less dramatic and slower.

 

Keep Creating

Carol

Spring Retreat 2018

IMG_0797 Hello,

The big event for last week was  the Schweinfurth Spring Retreat.  This time I was in the dry studio as I seem to have a lot to catch up on and I did not feel I needed to work wet again.     As is the point of these little retreats we all worked away on our own challenges.  This first shot is of Linda quilting a piece for her self.  She finished it and pin basted seven more baby quilts that she had waiting.  Liz spent the time doing a mystery quilt that the guild is doing.  She was weeks behind and did accomplish a lot. IMG_0814   Nancy spent the week end building a quilt for one of grandkids.  Linda S. worked  thread painting/quilting on this owl and a hand painted sea shell.  She does such beautiful work.    And so detailed!IMG_0824Kitsy  worked away on these two projects.

One of our usual participants  is fighting cancer so we all make blocks to put into a quilt to encourage her to wellness.   Each block is to have a W on it.   Liz went a bit crazy  and did five.   I brought mine block all finished.IMG_0795

 

Maureen was  in the wet studio and she did some beautiful shobori work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I worked on more thread painting and use of wash away techniques that I learned  from the class I had  last fall.IMG_0823he branch is  from the class and made thread painted  birds to be a part of that project.       The intensity of doing the tight work  with the  sewing machine , made me tense.  So I did two scarves as a

a way to relieve that tension.IMG_0812This green one has silk paper along with yarn ribbon and sequins on itIMG_0844  The brown one has lots of ribbons and yarns only.   IMG_0849I also did drawings for several other birds. 

Monday I went back to the Schweinfurth to help take down the “Both Ends of the Rainbow” show.      I picked up and returned several of Sharon’s pieces tooIMG_0798  It has been a busy week.

Progress Report: Dill   This work is  12 “ X 12 “.   The seed heads are beads that were IMG_0842stitched on top of the thread painted dill plants, that were stitched onto a wool and fabric background.IMG_0840      Then I stretched the piece  to finish it.    I enjoyed the process.

Asters  I am to the stage where I am ready to add the flowers on to this work.  I am doing the petal’s now  and will add the faced flower centers on top of the 1/2” petals next.  All is done with raw edge applique.

Fiddle Head Ferns   The fiddle heads are all done and the background is ready for the addition of actual open fern leaves now I think.

IMG_085212” X 12”    I am starting work on my entry for the SAQA  12X12 auction.     At this time it is only tacked up.

Altered garment    After purchasing a great jacket in Florida  with lace applied to it –  I wanted to alter a jacket of my own.  I am auditioning lace on this coat now.     I  have a great collection of old lace and tatting that my    grandmother and aunts did.   I will give these works a new life with this project.    Again things are just pinned down and nothing is stitched.

IMG_0854Daily Practice   I just keep adding stitch work to this top.   They are adding up but not to the degree that I want yet.   But that is to be expected as this is only the second week. 

NecklacesIMG_0831  I stopped at Jo Ann’s this week and because I was tempted and the beads were 50% off I purchased some.   I told myself I would make at least one necklace with them using beads from my stash.IMG_0833   These two necklaces are  the result.

IMG_0850Parts     I did make two more patches for the parts project.   It is growing slowly too.

Cards:  Talk   One of the best things about friendship is talking and sharing fun, problems and pain.

 

 

 

 

 

Layers   As I age I feel like  I keep adding layers and layers of experience on top of one  another.   I wonder how much gets buried this way?

Keep Creating

Carol

April Melt

Hello,

We are deep into the spring melt in this part of the world.  Eric and I stopped at Chittagong on our way home on Sunday to check the falls.  It was  so loud that we had to yell at one another to be herd.  The  experience sure was an adrenaline rush and all we did was look and feel the spray on our faces.     Water is a powerful force in nature.

IMG_0763This week was the first Tuesday of the month so I had meetings.   QuEGs meant at Angela’s house this time and we had a lot to share.   SueEllenSue Ellen is making twin bed quilts for her nieces and nephews.   This one is for the six year old and I think he will like the bright colors.

NotebookCorrine is doing leather notebooks now and this is just one of  five that she shared.  They are beautiful I think.

Sally is doing a wonderful flower series and she had four of them to share with us. Her hand work is beautiful!

Then I went off to the Diva meeting with Noel. IMG_0769   This shot is one of her fabric collages.    She said sometimes it takes an hour to find and eyebrow  for a piece.  What a challenge.

Liesa is knitting puppets for her grandchildren.  This one sure has personality. IMG_0778

Lori is doing a class where she is making lots of samples of stitches.  This work fits her life at the moment. IMG_0780   It is good to have a reference points  for further work.

Regina took two felting workshops this month and did great projects.    As is her style she jumps into things with both feet.   I think this shawl is   beautiful.IMG_0777In workshop  2 she learned how to create a bag.  This is her design and it hast two pockets in it.  One on the inside and one on the back.     She felted the handle too   I sure am lucky to have such talented and stimulating friends.

Progress Report:   Asters

The leaves are all attached now.  I made faced circles the size of quarters for the centers of the flowers this week too.  Now I am ready to begin the purple petals for those flowers.

 

 

 

 

Dill  I am ready to add the seed heads on the tops of the plants now.  Then I can stretch   the piece and do the finishing.

 

 

 

Memory Map: Carroll Iowa   I painted the street map and the outside of the house on organza  this week for this project.  Now I need to work on the other parts and add them too.  I will not stitch anything down to the base until I have them all in place so I can shuffle them  if I need to.

 IMG_0790Fiddle Head Ferns    This project is creeping along.  I got the idea to feature  the Fiddle Head Ferns  last week at the Social Art meeting when one of the women though  my Indian Pipes were the ferns.  So I did a bit of research and they are a similar shape although quite a different color.     I dyed the white pipe cleaners  green and wrapped them part way up with a green fabric to create the young ferns.     I think it will work when I build up the background a bit more and add mature ferns too.

Daily Practice II  This work is nearly complete.     I seem to be  at a  sort of at a stand still  on this one.   So I will pin it to the stretcher bars before I stop  work to see how it appears.    I hope that action will tell me what needs more attention.

IMG_0791  Parts   I am still building little units for this project.

IMG_0788  W Block  This block is for a group project were each block is to have a W in it.  It for a friend who is battling cancer and the W is to represent wellness.      I plan to free motion write lots of word of encouragement around the letter.

 

Collage  13IMG_0782  I just keep working on on collages and sorting my paper collection.

Cards   I got a little carried away this week.   I was still so full of adrenalin when we got home from the falls visit  that I made this card in  no time.   One can never tell just what will inspire one.

    I    then rushed forward and did Perhaps  followed by Extraordinary.     Sometimes one just is  just the conduit for the  art action.

Keep Creating

Carol

Busy Week

 

Hello,

The birds are returning!   If you look carefully at the photo and follow the stratus tree  to the top you can see the little song bird who was singing his heart out one day last week.   It sure give me hope- then it started snowing again. Carol Admac  I went to the Schweinfurth this week and was delighted to find work by several of my friends including this wall sculpture by  Carol A.   It makes me happy.   There was also a Finger Lakes Fiber Artist meeting this week.     This piece is by Pat.  She is challenging herself to use only two pieces of fabric  to create a new series.  It’s a great idea.   Maureen  Maureen is doing wonderful dyeing work.  These are three of the works she showed us.  Marcia finished this wonderful piece too.  Her strong graphic images always blow me away.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Radiating Joy

This work is 38.5” w X 45” l.     It is one of the first works in this series that uses one big piece of commercial  fabric as the background.

IMG_0590  The many colors in the hand dyed fabric are strong enough  to stand out from the complex pattern.    The hand dyed is an Ethel fabric.

IMG_0592  The colors work for me and I do get a joyful feeling when I look at this piece.

 

Purple Asters    I just keep working on the vanes of the leaves here.

IMG_0570

 

Memory Map: Carroll     I have moved to  the painting step on this work and done a few sketches for the parts I want to add on top to create the piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FrozenIMG_0576 This work is going slowly as I have mislaid the photo that was the start.   I add one line of ice and then have to stop and look to see if it needs more…….  It is moving along slowly.

Dill     I am not at all happy with this piece.  The plants were done on wash away and applied to the felted background.  But the there is not enough contrast for the plants to stand out or the background is too busy for the frail dill plants.  I will get some feed back from my fellow artists- but it may be a work that needs to be tossed.

Glyph IV      I am done with the beading.  Now I only need to finish the vertical line quilting on this work.   It is very heavy with all the beads at this point.

IMG_0593New Work    I pulled these fabrics to start to build another quilt.   There are  lots of my hand dyed fabrics here that will get mixed with some commercial  fabrics .

 

Daily Practice II  I am nearly done with this project.IMG_0579 There are only a few more details I want to add and I am sure I will get them done this week.

New Work:  Daily Practice     For the next Daily Practice,  I wanted to challenge myself to work with orange and purple.   The scraps are from Zapped.  I did not change the shape of any of the scraps from that project.  I just had a good time shuffling them until I came up with this layout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collage 12    This is the newest collage.  I did some machine stitching on this work too as I had done one another a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cards: Believe  IMG_0564  I am fascinated by the flight of  birds and this hawk is a  beautiful example.    I find the fact that birds can fly amazing.

 

 

The Dancer  Movement is such and important part of  life.  And dancers do movement with such grace and beauty.  They too have my admiration.

I am off to  visit with Susan and Cris in Florida next week, so there will be no posting for the 22.   I will be back on the 29th of March.

Keep Creating

Carol