Category Archives: Felt Work

Childhood Memories, Drawing, Felt Work, Heron, Mayan -Leopard Priest, Scrap Happy Quilts, Thread Painting, Yellow Ramped Warbler

Quiet Week

Hello,
This week was rather quiet after a trip on Friday to pick up my work from the Broad Street Gallery in Hamilton. Wendy and I went together and enjoyed the day. We walked the fitness trail at Colgate and saw lots of great views after climbing lots of hills. We stopped at Oriseany Falls on the way home too. It rained on us at the end of the drive but we still had a good time.

Progress Report: Red-Winged Black Birds This work is 18″ w X 20″ l. The background is a mix of felted work and fabric. The reeds are all added on top as well as the birds. The male, female and adolescent are shown here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Ramped Warbler This work is 12″ X 12″. It too has a felted base with the thread drawing birds added on top. It is also a stretched work. I have lots of little bird studies done this way as I picked up 7 from the gallery Friday.

The leaves are cut from hand dyed fabric and the limb is made from torn strips of fabric and yarns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heron This work is nearly complete now. I still have eight reeds to attach and the heron too. I do enjoy thread painting.

Scrap Happy This is my third scrap quilt this year. I only need to finish the binding and quilt the big squares and this will be complete. That is about two hours of work remaining.

 

 

 

 

Mayan Jaguar Priest I am  now to the cutting and assembly of the parts of this work. It is like doing a puzzle- but backward as I have put fusible on the back of the fabric so I cut them correctly  before I iron them down. .

 

 

 

Australian Reef After looking at my pictures of the Birthday trip with Wendy last year I decided I wanted to do a reef picture. The top is painted fusible and the bottom is felted. I will start the hand embroidery next.

 

 

 

9 Square – Textile Artist Stitching Challenge This challenge is from Christine Chester. I will finish it this week I am sure.

 

100 Day Challenge The SAQA group started a challenge to make a block every day for 100 days. It began a long time ago but I am just getting on board. I started Tuesday. Two done and a third on its way.

 

Black and White plus Green This work came from a dream I had about black and white. I am going to add lots of layers of greens and metallics on the surface.

 

 

 

 

Drawing I only did a little drawing this week. One is a seed pod the other is from the oak tree over our driveway.

 

 

 

 

I love the delicate leaves and small flowers or spring oaks.

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories – Camp Life
We quickly adjusted to life in the park provided army surplus tent behind the camp ground office at Colter Bay Camp Ground. Our tent faced west.      A second tent for a second ranger faced south. That tent housed Pete Nickels, a ranger from Texas who had quite a lidrawl. We called him our Texas Ranger in honor of a TV show that was popular at that time. There was a third ranger and his wife who lived in a one room cabin along the highway. They had two Siamese cats- the first special breed I had come across.
One day early after our arrival,  we walked along the side of Jackson Lake to their home. Gene threw rocks into the lake the whole distance. I got to see my first sight of a kayak. I was really taken by it. But I was far too young to do anything more then look. We walked back along the highway  after a pleasant afternoon. We came across a young buck that had been hit and killed by a car. Mom persuaded Dad to remove the antlers- only four points and they were still furry. Then Mom spent a long time rubbing them again trees before they became clean and shinny. They went home with us at the end of the season and later got sawed into buttons with holes drilled into them. She put them on her leather jacket. I still have a few. Gene used his little ax a lot, and the day that the reporter from our home town showed up he took a photo that appeared in the local news paper of the family with Gene chopping in the foreground.
The campground had about 150 sites that were on six loops of about 25 sites each. Every day the rangers had to drive the loops and check the sites in the camp truck. They stopped and talked with campers as  needed and checked to see what lots were indeed empty.  I remember playing Jacks on the wooden floor of the station on rainy days below a big map of the campground.
We did not have running water in the tent and we used the camp ground facilities.   I recall carrying water many afternoons.   The bathrooms- one for each loop- consisted of men’s and women’s sides with four sinks and four stools in each half. One of the toilets was a new ceramic stand up design. One backed over a trough and one did not sit to do business. I got real comfortable with that system as that stall was usually empty at the morning rush because folks were not aware of how to use it.
We went to the campfire talk every week. It was at the top of a little hill and had benches made from sliced longs laying flat side up. The sight  faced the mountains. One of the Naturalists usually talked about some aspect of the park. I loved to watch the sky darken and see the light creep up the mountains until only the tops were lit by the setting sun. Then the stars came out before we started our walk home.   Mom sometimes gave us little astronomy lessons while we were there.      On Wednesday nights we went to Jackson Lake Lodge. We had gone to the grand opening of the lodge two years before when we were in Yellowstone and I still was impressed with the big two story windows facing the Tetons in the lobby. There were also wonderful huge western paintings in the lobby. I remember one of an old miner that was made up of lots of little horses that one only saw up close. It was my first encounter with optical illusion. We went to the lodge to participate in the Square Dancing. Both Gene and I got real good at following the directions given by the caller and were very comfortable with “ al-la-mand left” and “ dosie doe”. It was fun for us and it sure made square dancing at school an easy A for me later.

Keep Crating and stay safe

Carol

Childhood Memories, Drawing, Felt Work, Kites and Flowers

Exploring

 

Hello,
Despite the times spring is coming and I am enjoying my walks even more with the sunny warm weather. It did rain two day this week, but we walked in the rain anyhow. We are deep in week three of home confinement. I read on the internet that a good way to think if this time is as an “Artist Redundancy”. I am adopting that attitude as it is so very positive.   I am   also using this time to explore some new avenues.  I doing this by  participating in Textile Arts Community Stitch Challenge  for one thing.   I have finish week two’s challenge created  by Cas Holmes. I am still working away on Sue Stones challenge from week one and will post it when I am done.

I am also doing Sketchbook Revival. There are two lessons every day for 10 days in this program. The program is at an end – but I am only finishing the second half of the lesson for day 3. This one is  form the lesson by Carla Sontime.    It a paint blotch animal.   Sure opens one to creative looking.

For Charlie Ohedald the assignment was to draw food. He lead us through each step. I am sorry I did the next assignment on the back of the page and it bled through a bit.

 

 

 

 

Number 3  was Mary Beth Shaw – a Doodle painting /collage was what we were working on. She had lots of ways to make different textures with acrylic paints  and lead us through one step at a time.

 

Tamara La Port guided  us through how to do a Quickie Bird.   It is one of her specialties and lots of  fun.

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Arneill worked with us on lettering techniques. I’ll keep pushing through and posting my finished works.  Exploring new ways of thinking and playing is always good to shake one up a bit.

 

 

Progress Report: Kites and Flowers. I assembled this top this week using the gold piece of fabric from Regina as the jumping off place. The work  is all quilted with the stitch in the ditch technique. Now I am going back and doing free motion flowers and kits on top to hold it make it stronger.

Scrap Happy Quilts  I have three going at this point and squares for two more I think. The rows are all done for only three and I decided this morning to finish up these three before I go forward with the rest of the blocks.

 

 

I seem to be in a  bit of a purple  thing at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Felt Dryer Balls. Three more are done and there are three new ones is early stages.

 

 

 

 

Cowls I have made 22 of these now. I find them very calming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Masks I tried my hand at these this morning. These have non woven interfacing in the centers. I am using ribbon for ties as I do not have any elastic. Eric likes them better too as one does not have to put them over the head to put them on. I will make more as they are so simple and a good way to use the little bits of fabric that I seem to collect. I ‘m sure I can find homes for them.

Childhood Memories- The Annabergs

The Annabergs, a family of six, lived at the south end of the block where we lived. Their lot spread all the way across the end and I guess it really was a double lot. The house was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, and although I did not appreciate it at the time, it was a great house. It had ramps to go from one level to another instead of stairs. A lot of the house was tucked into the hill top and although it was two stories inside, it was very low on the out side. One could enter through the garage and be on the bottom story. One took a ramp up to the main level passing bedrooms and a workshop. One then doubled back and continued up a second ramp to more bedrooms. Each bedroom had a sink as well as lots of built- in storage spaces with lots of wood. The kitchen was in the front corner and it had a window that allowed one to see both south and west with only a small seam where the glass met and changed direction. There was a great counter top there. One time we made donuts and set them to rise on that corner counter. The great room had a stone fireplace and again, built in seating, storage and book shelves. You could walk out the great room to a beautiful patio with a brick fire place and cooking area. I remember how sad it was when the three great American Elms that shaded that patio died due to the American Elm disease.
The man of that family was the main Doctor in the little town of Carroll and his brother, the town’s pediatrician. Mrs Annaberg was a house wife. David was the oldest child and he was 18 when we moved in. I recall him trying to teach us to play Horse- a basketball shooting game with a series of shots. Each letter was a different shot with the shots being as one spelled the word Horse. David went off to collage the year after we moved in so I did not really have much contact with him. The next child was Beth and she was 16. She gave me her old baby buggy It was blue leather, and had rubber wheels. After years of my use, it went off to grandmother Ruth’s where it lived on through many other grandchildren. Beth was a cheerleader at the high school. One time she even taught me the words and moves for a cheer call “Your Pep”. I can still do it although I do not think I can do the cartwheel that goes at the end. The third child was Spencer. He was ten and enough of a kid that we played together for a while. His favorite game was “Pump Pump Pull Away”. It is a running game where the person who is “it” stands in the middle of the field and the players run from one goal line to the other. The middle person tries to catch the runners and when they are successful they join him to catch the rest. We played it as touch and tackle at different times. One time Spence broke his nose. His Dad set it as he was the only Doctor in town. Spencer wore a bandage on his face for six weeks. When that was over Spence said he was never going back to have his Dad work on him again! Because when they took the bandages off the nose was crooked- so Dr Annaberg had to break it a second time.
The last kid was Lee and he was my age and in my class in third grade. We were great friends as I was a real Tomboy. We included Gene in our play and built forts, climbed trees, and played a lot of football. I could punt, pass, tackle and catch as well as boys. Gene went on to play football in high school and was a star quarter back and tackle. Another great passion for the three of us was sledding. The Annaberg house was on a hill that fell away on the southwest corner and every winter we spent hours building sled jumping ramps with packed snow. Gene and Lee both had Flexible Fliers. They were the best sleds available as one could bend the runners and with a really steer. I recall one snowy night that Mom took the three of us to a steep street that was closed off and we spent the evening sledding down and walking up. When the evening was over and we were all cold, we went back to the Annaberg’s for hot chocolate and cookies. They were wonderful neighbors. Mom stay connected with them through Christmas cards for years. Lee also became a Dr.

Stay safe an keep creating

Carol

25 Million Stitches Project, Childhood Memories, Coral Sea, Creative Assistants, Curvie Cuts, Experiments, Felt Work, Jumping Off Place, Three Grosbeaks

New Year 2020

Happy 2020,
I hope that good things to come to all who read this blog. 2019 certainly was a full and good year for me. With trips to Mexico and Australia as the highlights. I still have lots of ideas to explore for both of those events. They are a big part of my To Do list for this new year. After giving it a lot of though this week I think my color emphasis for this year will be Red. It is not a color that I go to often although I do like it. I hope to use more and started out this week in the studio with at in mind.   A little challenge.

Progress Report: Jumping Off Place this piece is 30″w X 15″ t. Angela gave me a work pack full of goodies last spring and I finally got it all together. It is fully my own design using mostly the things in the pack plus a lot of my own stuff that I thought went along well. The packet was to be a starting place – hence the name. I did have fun.

Three Grosbeaks This work is 16″w X 15″ t. I needed to do a little free motion machine drawing this week and the birds are the result. here is a red wool base that I felted into to  build this work.    It fits into my new  Red goal.

The leaves are silk paper.

 

 

 

 

 

25 Million Stitches Project This project is 15″w X 25″l. I will send it off to the California add this week. I have an idea for a second and may do that too as I am still quite concerned about the kids separated from their parents on our boarder.   After sewing the work to my friend Sharron  she pointed out two spelling errors.  So I will be doing some reworking on this project before I send it out.  It is goo to have friend who are honest with me and will help me do a better job.

 

 

 

 

Coral Reef I am doing the hand embellishing on this project now. Building the patterns on the sea horses is fun.

 

 

 

Experiment- Lone Tree  I had the roving out for the background  of  the birds and though why now see if one can free motion work on top of it? I drew the tree on the wash- away and put a layer of nylon netting, then the roving, topping that with a second layer of wash- away.

 

 

It seems to be effective as I did so much stitching. I will place it on this rocky landscape that I created last summer in class.

 

The clouds are silk paper too made  with silk batting so they are courser.

Creative Assistants I can see the end of creating these little faces as football season is drawing to a close. There will be a few more this weekend I am sure.

 

 

Felted Landscape The Machine Felter is still out on the desk so I ma using it. I did purchase some roving at the Plow Shears show and it was a good starting place for this.

 

Then I did some felting to try a water fall like felt base.    It is not very effective yet so  I will work with it.

 

 

 

 

 

Then I tried mixing  roving with fabric to build a surface.   I feel there is potential here but is is not quite it either.      I may have gotten carried away with the color play a bit too.

 

 

 

 

More Felting As usual I was having so much fun I just kept building backgrounds. These two have not been under the machine’s influence yet. I have only hand punched them. One of my next jobs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing I have been working to improve my drawing skills  by drawing for 10 min every morning after I do my  Morning Pages.      This Thorn-bug represents about  four days with my ball   point pen.  It is a good way to start my studio work every day.

 

 

 

Childhood Memories  Geysers, Putrefied Trees and Bears

When we were in Yellowstone that summer, we visited all the Geyser Basins. Gene always ran ahead on the board walks. I remember Old Faithful as erupting about every half  hour in those days as compared to the 40 to 60 min. intervals now. But then things change. Norris geyser basin was much louder too. Growler howled so loud one could not even shout and be heard. Even in the parking lot a bus had to honk at us to let us know he was coming up behind us. Mom pointed out the sign for Handkerchief Pool- ( it was dead ) – too many folks throwing their handkerchiefs into the pool and watching them rise again to the surface had clogged it up. Mom taught us to never take anything away with us from the park except photos. “Leave no evidence of your passing” was the rule. We visited the Petrified Tree sight. It is a big tree that is about 20 feet tall and six feet in diameter. The whole thing is surrounded by a metal fence like a zoo exhibit. It seems there were three trees at one time( I later saw an old post card to confirm that ) and folks just helped themselves to a little souvenir until two were gone. We did hike the Petrified Forest trail and got to see lots of petrified trees and stumps. Mom took lots of photos on that walk and we got to touch the rock trees as well.
One cannot talk about Yellowstone with out thinking about bears. We did experience lots of “bear jams”. I remember seeing one bear family with the two cubs up in a tree. One day near the end of summer the trail crew brought a bear trap into the housing area. It was a corrugated pipe, like the kind used under roads, with metal bars welded to one end and a trap door on the other. I learned that they trapped a “problem bear “ in the cage and then released in the back country. They did tag the “problem creature” and if he continued to cause problems they would have to eliminate it. One of our trips was on a dirt road along the back side of Yellowstone Lake to the dump. We watch 8 bears foraging there from the safety of the car. I know that the garbage is no longer stored that way and trash cans are much improved. The trash  barrels are buried and all have heavy latched lids now days so bears can not get inside.
One other memorable adventure was to Cody Wyoming for the forth of July parade. Gene and I both got cowboy hats that day. Mine was red and his was black. We wore them nonstop from then until the end of summer. There were lots of horses with fancy saddles and dressed up riders in the parade. There were Indians in full regalia and floats too. In the afternoon we went to the Rodeo. I remember the sun was very hot and Dad finally bought a bottle of pop that Gene and I shared. I found the calf roping a bit cruel and rooted for the horses when it came to the bronc riding. Gene and I fell asleep on the way home. I recall Dad tucking me in and noticing that the full moon was lined up with the circular window in the door of the trailer. A coyote was howling too. It was a good day.

I hope the best for everyone in 2020 .

Keep Creating

Carol

 

Childhood Memories, Creative Assistants, Felt Work, Finger Lakes Fiber Artists, High Priest, Raw Edge Applique, Wool Rounds

November Chill

Hello,
Fall is disappearing here and we are cold with snow in the air. Good time to quilt.           This week has been full. I went to the Quilts=Art=-Quilts show on Sunday. It is powerful and I know I need to make at least one more trip to see and absorb it all. This shot is of “Crickets”, the work that won the Finger Lakes Fiber Artist Award.

My friend Joyce did a trunk show. This is a shot of her in front of her newest piece. The talk was fun. She also showed her books.

 

 

 

 

 

QuEG’s ,meant this week too. Susan shared one of the pieces she did as a result of her class at QBL with Ellen Nobel.

 

 

 

 

 

Angela made this quilt top from her father’s old shirts. She plans to do a second for her brother for Christmas.

 

 

 

Corrine continues to make great books. She had seven to share with us.  This cover is marbleized paper.

Liz spent two week in Ohio with Clair Bends and did lots of dyeing. This is dye painting with sticks.

This is a silk scree she did. I love it.

 

 

 

Progress Report: High Priests I am really enjoying do the black outlining on this work. It really emphasizes the forms and adds detail.

 

 

 

 

Wool Rounds I am stitching the circles down now. I had 55 more to stitch down  at the last count.

 

 

 

Creative Assistants I finished up these 20 little fellows this week. Now I need to start the faces on a new batch.   I like to have plenty to give away at QBL every year.

 

 

 

Coral Sea I just keep doing little bits on this project. The fancy button eyes really help define the fish I think.

 

 

 

Jumping Off Place Sense I try to work on this project every evening, it really has become my daily practice. I am still looking for a big project to fill that goal.

 

Felt project Before the leaves were all striped from the trees I pulled out all these fall colors and laid out this felt piece. A good base.

 

Scarp Happy Blocks After putting together all those scraps I just felt I had to start a new scrap happy quilt. There are 60 birth tree blocks , but only 55 of the blue ones. I will have to add to the blue stack to make the top.

Childhood Memories – Mom and the Operetta
Mom was a constant presence when I was young. One time she saved Tide box tops until we had six of them that she then sent off to for a 2 little dolls that were issued in commemoration for the crowing of Queen Elizabeth. The dolls were both alike. One I got to play with the other was set aside in its beautiful box to be saved. I do not know what eventually happened to the second- but I enjoyed playing with the one I had for several years.
My Mother had a beautiful voice and she sang all of her life. She was in the church choir until I was 14 doing many solos. I remember when she was in a Operetta at the High School in Columbus Junction. I got to go and be a part of it too. Mom wore a beautiful gold brocade dress that eventually ended up in the “George Washington Collection” at Onondaga Hill forty years later. For my part I did not sing or even have a line in the operetta , but I made daisy chines on stage every night when she sang a solo. I was thrilled. I got to wear a blue skirt and pantaloons like the pictures of Little Bo Peep. They were made from  peddle pushers that had a white cuff on the bottom with lace rows added on top. It was my fist experience being on stage and how one could alter existing clothing to create costumes.   That idea really is  something that  helped me when I did the many costumes for my students while I was teaching middle school. One never knows how experiences can and will influence one.

I am off to Australia and will miss the next two Thursdays.  The  following one is Thanksgiving.   I will be back in Dec with lots to share.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

Autumn Leaves, Childhood Memories, Jumping Off Place, QBL- Quilting By the Lake, Three Sea Horses, Topographical, Two Trees

October Cooling

1 Comment

Hello,
There is a real feeling of fall now as it has turned quite cold around here. The hardy Zinnia are still doing well and we have not had a frost yet. But if is in the air. I did some house/studio cleaning too. It seems I need to get my “nest” in order for winter. I have eliminated three boxes and a bag of stuff to pass forward for others to use. It makes me feel good to do that sort of thing.
There seems to be another thing in the air too,  because three of the groups I meet with cancelled meetings this week. Two due to low audience.   Perhaps everyone is busy hankering down for fall and winter too.

Progress Report: Three Sea Horses This work is 22″w X 16″t. Noel talked of this method of laying down roving and then putting netting over the top so one could  machine stitch on it. I tried that method on this project. The sea horses are cut from felt so there are sharp edges and then I added roving on top too. I like this technique. It is very soft, but  I think I need to work on contrast more the next time I try it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Trees The work is 18″ w X 18″ t. I started it in the Rock On Class With Cynthia Corbin at QBL this summer. This week I got busy and did machine drawing of two trees from a photo of them on Dad’d farm. It sure has the gray feeling I was having about the day.

 

 

 

 

 

Topographical I had a good time working away on this piece this week. I think two more hours of couching will complete the process. I feel there is lots of potential in this process and plan to explore it more in the future.

Past My Window- Autumn Leaves

I stared working away on this piece this week and it just seemed to take on a life of it’s own.     I started pinning the leaves I had created to supplement the ones I had made in Betty’s class on the final day.  Then I found a package of silk leaves that someone had passed my way and they just seemed to go together so I was off and pinning like a fool. It will take a long time to do all the free motion applique I think. But it is enjoyable for me.

Jumping Off Place        Angela gave me a packet called Through the Looking glass. It contained some great textured yarns and fabrics. I pulled it out yesterday and read the instructions. It is not my thing any more then it was Angel’s, but it turned out to be a good starting place. Only the organza, and little blue sequined square are from the kit. The rest I pulled from my collections. I will use the wonderful threads and supplement then with my own as the project was designed for a 12 “ square and I have gone way beyond that.

Coral Sea This work did not get much attention this week. But I did find some more felt that has misty fuse on it already so I am off and running again.

 

 

Wool Rounds I keep my hand in this project and finished three circles this week. My process is to fill in  one circle  at a  toime and every time when I finish with one stitch on a round, I have thread on the needle. I use that  thread  to do the blanket stitch on a new wool unit to tack it down. When all the units are tacked down I will move onto the next ring of stitches in the circles while still finishing off one fully.

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories Depot

My parents built their first house in Ainsworth Iowa. Mom saved the check for the lumber yard for the construction and it was $180. In thinking about the houses I lived in I realized that three of my childhood homes were built into hills with a walk in door at that level.  Two of the them had garages . The Ainsworth house faced south with a gully on the west side that slopped up to the high school where dad taught high school. When we lived there we  two trips to the train depot in town. One time it was to get a great big box that contained parts for a rocking chair with an  apple green plastic on it. I got to play in the box while dad did the assembly. That  process was mostly one of  adding the arms and legs. I love rocking in it . The second time we went to the depot, it was to pick up a shipment of 100 live baby chicks. We took them home and checked them before we drove the m to Grandmother Esters house. I remember setting next to the box in the dark in the back of the car listening to the little peeps. I think I fell asleep. Because my next memory of the chicks was in Grandmother’s basement behind a 2″x 12″ that made a short wall next to the corner furnace. They all ended up in the brooder house and later in the hen house. I’m sure I must have gather eggs from some of them in later years. and  had some of them for Sunday dinner too.

I hope everyone is enjoying fall and creating great work.

Carol

Childhood Memories, Coral Sea, Curvie Cuts, Felt Work, Hand work, Machine Drawing, Night Fire, Wool Rounds

Fall

Hello,

The world keeps tilting back toward the north and as we passed the Autumnal  Equinox this week , the light of our days is diminishing every 24 hours.  The trees are showing color now as well.
This week has been a quiet one with lots of studio time for me. I did go to Liz’s house on Friday and we dyed. She is getting ready to go to the Barn and work for two weeks so she did some pre -work with green.
I just made yardage and after washing it out, we both agree the dye is getting old and is very pale.

Progress Report: Night Fire This work is 39.5″w X 34″t. I am quite happy with this work. The high contrast in color adds to the drama of fire. Judy gave me a photo of fire burning at night and that was the inspiration. I used lots of silk paper, and organza in this work as well as the traditional cotton.

 

 

 

 

Topographical I continue to do the couching on this work. I would say it is about half done at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

Sea Horses

I got excited about felting again and worked hard on this piece. I plan to add roving to the felt sea horses too. The brain coral is yarn felted with roving.

 

Coral Sea. As one can see this work was influenced by the felting project. I have not done much work here as the Topographical piece has taken most of my handwork energy this week.

 

 

Autumn Leaves    I The season dose have an impact on my work.   So I did print another collection of leaves for this work. I am still building parts here.

 

 

New Work    I pulled a work that I started at QBL in the Rock class out and sewed down the parts this week .  I then found one of my favorite pictures from Dad’d farm of trees and started  some to add to the work.    The trees are on wash away and when I have built them enough I will then add them to the base.

Wool Rounds I finished this panel this week completing 16 of the circles. I pulled out one more pair of old blue jeans to do more rounds. I still do not know exactly were I am going with this piece, but I am enjoying the process.

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories- Stories

Memory is a strange thing.   Some things are all linked together in day units and some things I remember like beads on a string.    In doing this project I have learned that geographic and physical location  is a strong element for me to tie my memories together.    I am calling this panel Stories because I know these things happened to me,  but I think they were told or explained more than true events that I recall.  For example, I have a faded scar in a grid pattern on my left arm.   I was told by Mother that when I was very young and we were living in the trailer in Ainsworth that I fell against a heater and that is the source of that scar.  I remember a gold sweater that Mom gave me for a doll to wear.  The source she said was from the time Dad was a girls basketball coach.     It seems she knitted the sweater and added the A for Ainsworth to the front.  When she took me to the ball game the cheerleaders insisted that I set with the ball in the center circle during half time cheers.  I was a mascot of sorts.      A third event that was recorded as a photo that Mom took at  the time that I had wondered out to the barn behind the house.  I crawled over the gate and got into the pig pen and was playing in the mud with the 200 pound hogs when Mom found me.   She was horrified, and amazed that  I  did not get hurt by the animals.   I  got a good spanking , and a hot bath to remove the excessive mud- but she had to take a photo non the less.    Every time we looked at the photo album she would retell the story.     Even though I have these memoirs they are not really mine in the same way most of the things I talk about are.   They remain a part of my past that this exercise is suppose to cover.

Keep Creating

Carol

3X3, Auction pieces 12 " X 12", Label Cards, Mom VI, Puck, WAVE

Inching Toward Spring

Hello,

It has been a quiet week for me.   Sometimes we need fallow times to catch up with ones self.   I did spring clean out of the closets and that sort of thing with a big run to the Rescue Mission and I am feeling  being a little lighter.  The weather is improving too.   On my walk today I heard lots of different bird songs and noted four different flocks of Canadian Geese in migration flights north.   These things plus lengthening days of sun light mean spring is coming.

Progress Report: Shore Line This work is 16” w X 32” l.   I did a lot of hand work on this piece and it is my solution to Cris’s challenge.    The white is like the egg sack that we picked up on the beach that was the basis of the challenge.IMG_2963Then I added a little challenge for my self.  Angela gave me a box of items and I tried to use a lot of the trims and items from that box  on this piece .   The white bead like items came from her box as well as  the ribbons and shells.IMG_2964The starfish too.

Starfish II   This work is 12” X 12” and my entry for the  QSDA auction for next year.   IMG_2975I just seem to get going on theme and keep at it.IMG_2976   I used the  big  starfish that was too big for the fist work and added two smaller ones  on this piece.

 

6 X 6   These three works are my entry for the 6X6 fund raiser for the Rochester Arts Center.   I had fun playing with these small works and experimenting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 X 3 C-1   This blocks location is  the upper right hand corner  of the piece.   IMG_2993I am enjoying to process and it is going smoothly.

3 X 3 B-1 This is the next block in the series.  It is the for the center of the top row.     I am enjoying this daily practice project.

IMG_2989 Here is  a shot of all of the blocks so far.   There are two blocks that have not even been started.   They are the top and middle block of the far left row.( white here)

 Wave    This is the new background for the wave word.    The contrast is much better.   Here is a shot of the old background. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Icarus Because I cannot waste  a single thing- the old background for wave  will become the background for my   Icarus quilt.  I am taking the Aloft challenge   from QSDA and this is what I want to play with.   I am working on a drawing for the figure at this time.

IMG_2974Collection VI Mom  I was pawing through  my tins when I was looking for stuff for the 6X6 cards and came across  items that my Mon had   made and given me.   The little dog and sail boat were the bib parts on some rompers that I wore as a toddler.   So I am honoring her with this collection piece.

Puck IMG_2967   I also came across this piece and due to some more recent purchases of roving I had the colors I needed to finish up the felting step of this piece.   I intend to add some stitches to it to add detail.

Cards  The Brain I have been thinking

about the brain and how it functions of late.  Sometimes my thoughts seem as confused as this image and other times it is like one picture laid over another with no real connection.  It is  really a complex item!

IMG_2998  This card is the representation of the scattered  working of ones mind.

I will be away for the next two weeks so the next post will be  April 4.

Keep creating,

Carol

3X3, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Killdeer

Valentines Day

 

IMG_2804Happy Valentine’s Day,

I hope it turns out just the way you want it.   I received these three valentines.  One from Judy, one from  Tanya  and one form Marilyn.   I set out a parcel of them myself.  I always have fun playing IMG_2772with this shape and trying some new form of using bits and pieces of things  to create them.   I had a FAD  meeting this week and folks had stuff to share.  Nancy is getting ready to stretch this wonderful bit of stitchery that she brought back from Cuba a few years ago.     It is so very colorful.   IMG_2776Patti is knitting away on a scarf that she will give away to some homeless person.    Judy is pulling out old projects and completing them.   I love the antique fabrics she used here.     We had a good time as always.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Killdeer    This piece is 18” X  13”.    The Killdeer  were   machine drawn and then attached to the felted IMG_2809background and stretched.

IMG_2810

3 X 3- block  3-C I keep doing my daily practice on this  project.   I think this block in almost complete. Just a few more rows around some of the circles and I  will move on to the next block.

IMG_2782Nylon net scarves   I am off to visit my friend Chris at the end of March.  She sells my capture scarves  and so I cut the nylon netting to begin making some to take with me on that trip.   This shows ten  of the   cut starts and there are five more.

Scrap Happy IMG_2800I  visited Angelia a few weeks ago and she gave me a box of fabric that she no longer wanted in her stash.  I pulled these two out of the collection and cut them to be the centers of  the next scrap happy quilt.  The are in 4.5” strips now and I will add 2.5” strips of scarps to both sides and then cut them into 8.5” blocks to create the rows of the quilt.

IMG_2798Beaded Bag   I found this old project in my cleaning this week and it only needs the neck unit to finish it so that will be another of the projects that I work on this week.

Label Cards- Red      In this time of gray and while, I am thinking about color.   So I did a red card.

           

 

 

 

Beauty Awakens   I like the idea of this message.

Keep Creating

Carol

Cockle Burs- Noogoora, Dickcissels, Label Cards, Linnen Jacket, Shows, Solo Blue Jay, Totem Fox

Quiet Days

IMG_2194  Hello,

We are in a quiet winter week at the moment.     Snow and Christmas prep keep one in the house and busy.    I had several days at home working and I enjoyed them a lot.    Sat afternoon was the opening of the 12X 12  show at the Broad Street Gallery in Hamilton.

IMG_2409Sharon and I went out together and we had a good time.  Several pieces were sold but not our work.

IMG_2410 This piece is in the show along with two more  bird pieces.   I was told by one of my Social art friends that she really liked this one.

Progress Report:    Dickcissels  This felted work is 12” X 12”.    I am having a good time doing little birds.IMG_2430   The felting portion is fun too.   Then adding all the details on the birds as I build them with the stitching is a real learning process.

Solo Blue Jay   This bird work is also 12” X 12”.   ( I have backgrounds built for two more)   I tried to make the background more interesting by putting him in a tree.   The Dickcissels   are found only in meadow settings so building trees for this background was especially enjoyable. IMG_2426 I have been experimenting with putting two treads through the eye of the needle and that makes for a more complex  color mix with the feathers.IMG_2427

 IMG_2422Totem Fox    The fox its self is all appliqued down now and I am to the quilting stage.  I am trying to follow the dye lines and create grass with them.

Jacket IMG_2420The hand work on this jacket continues.    I am still feeling the inspirations from the Slow  Stitch class  I took at the Schweinfurth last month.

Cockle burs- Noogoora’s     The bur heads are all stitched down now and I am ready to do the finish work on this piece.

 

 

 

Jean’s Project

IMG_2417This is the early stage of building this box quilt.   All the little white tags are the centers of the rows and they are labeled so I don’t accidently put them on the   wall upside down when I walk back to the pin wall.  I seem to only be able to add one  or two patches at a time on this work.   Then I must look and decide what to do next.

 

Waterfall    The tree’s crown is attached to the background.   I am now ready to begin doing the rocks and water in this piece.

 

 

Label Cards -Laughter IMG_2414  This is almost a cheat as I did so little in creating this card.   But when I saw this quote I could not stop myself from using it.

Line of Sight    I enjoy how the eye is lead up and away in this  sculpture.    Lines are strong directors for our eyes.

Keep Creating

Carol

Collage Based Work, Creative Assistants, Diva Meetings, Felt Work, Label Cards, Pods, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Two Chickadees

English

IMG_2374Hello,

This is a bit different way to begin my post, but it is where I am so here goes.   I did this card in response to the   weekly card challenge and I was struck  by how what a big part of the English  language is mixed with body terms.  When we usually hear someone say ” Body Language” we are   talking about how our physical body can send signals of thought or actions, but there is another side too.   We often use body terms to   describe the world as well.    One can use the face to raise and eyebrow, eye the competition, look through shuttered lids, roll the eye,   give a fellow the evil eye or have looks that  could kill.    One can put their nose to the grindstone, or use a sharp wit, be a loud mouth,  have a sharp thong , voice an anger, or say or do something that is jaw dropping.      One can shrug things off,  or carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.    One uses the gray matter, or brain power,  can have a pea brain, be scattered brained or hair brained.     A person can laugh things off,  but heads with a fellow , be tickled in the funny bone ,  nod off or have a  stiff  spine, stiff upper lip   and some times get kicked in the  seat of the pants.      A person can get side swiped, man handled , and piss his fellows off.      Or you can give your right arm, put you toe in, split a hair, have spring in your step or a belly laugh, get hip checked, or  even  hop to work.    My mind is reeling with the whole idea.     It is a pleasant activity to think on and I am sure you will come up with things I forgot.

Corrines workThe first Tues of the month was this week so I had my meetings with  QuEGs and Divas.    Corrine shared her leather work.  Dori's  Dori   showed us her new raw edged applique quilt.   Shabby sheek is my style she told us.

Angela's hot pads   Angela has been busy too.   This project from childhood made us all smile.

She is doing  hand work on her deconstructed piece from two summers ago.    I like the colors she used.       Then I went off to Divas.

IMG_2370This is Regina’s newest thing.    She does love that Indigo- even her shirt  is dyed.

IMG_2376I also meant with my friend Tanya this week.   She makes silk scarves to sell and this is just one of her new beauties.   She had about six that were natural elements works too.   All were beautiful.

  Progress Report:   Southern Crows  This work is 45”w X 56” l.    I did the stenciling with Susan in March.   I finally put it together and did the quilting.IMG_2380I did reflective quilting around the birds and leaves and then did parallel  quilting on the rest of the work.IMG_2381

Two Chickadees This work is 12”X 12” square.      I did the birds on wash away  with machine drawing.IMG_2385   Then I added them to the surface with machine stitching.IMG_2386   I am enjoying exploring this technique  and have learned a lot about bird plumage in the process.

Creative Assistants IMG_2383   I continue to build faces with found objects and make up these little guys.   It is fun for me.

IMG_2377Cockle Burs  All the cockle bur( Noogoora) heads are all done now and they have padding behind them.   I am ready to build the branch to cross the surface and begin adding the burs now.

Felting: IMG_2392    I’ve spent a lot of time using the felting machine this week.       Built several backgrounds with little direction of where I want to go with them.    This is one    IMG_2396 is an example of this.   I believe I can find more birds  that I would like to explore and this with work may be the answer.  These Dickcissels for example.   They are ready to be washed out  now. 

 IMG_2395   I built this felted piece with a Blue Jay  in mind.      I have only just started with the machine drawing here.

Sisterhood Challenge:   Totem Fox    I have cut out the pieces and they are required to the background fabric.  ( a Judy Roberts piece)    I am ready to zig-zag around all the parts at this point.

 

 

 

Sisterhood Challenge:   Nine Patch  This challenge has proved to be a difficult one for me.   But after several weeks to struggling I have devised a way to go forward,IMG_2402 The challenge is to make nine units that go together and are independently created.   This collage of Mentos will be my soft guide for how to build my units.  IMG_2406The block are all 18” square in my case, and they all must have back and white somewhere in the square.     I have cut by bases  ( the blue)and decided  to use this black and white print as my unifying  unit.   I also pulled two other pieces of fabric that I want to use on more than one square.      It’s a good challenge for me as I am in uncharted ground as far as I am concerned.    A good stretch and  that is what challenges are suppose to do.

Card Closed MindsIMG_2372It is good to be reminded to keep the mind open – no matter where one is.

Keep Creating

Carol