Category Archives: Owl

Happy Kwanzaa

 

Hello,
I hope the holidays are being filled with joy and delight for all of you. Kwanza begins today and for those who celebrate it, enjoy. This time of year one  takes stock of all the people who mean something to each one of us. As I write each holiday card I think of old friends and miss those who are on longer part of my life.

This week was full of many for me with lots of family events and for that I am truly grateful. I did finish Nick Quilt on Tues eve so I really meant my goal.


Progress Report: Owl quilt for Nick This queen sized quilt proved to be a struggle when it came to appliqueing the owl down. It is difficult to roll the quilt tight enough to fit under the arm of the machine and still be able to turn it to do the machine work. Nick and Haily did seem to like it however.

 

 

 

 

 

Small God      This work is 23″ W X 28.5 “ long. I found the blue woven fabric when I was pulling fabric for the back of Nicks ‘s Owl and set it aside.

So it did not take long to add it to the sides of the already stitched piece.  I did the drawing for this work over two years ago.   Sometimes I just have to wait for the fabric to show up to complete the task.

 

Scrap Happy I just keep inching along on this project. I surely will finish it soon.

 

 

 

 

 

25 Million Stitches Project

I am working away on the figures now and only need to add the work HOPE in the center of the circle and complete the figures.

 

 

 

Creative Assistants These little guys just keep rolling off the work table. I will need to stop and count sometime soon.

 

 

 

Childhood Memories: Yellowstone Critters
Mom was a continuous explore and   constant teacher. We learned the wild flowers in Yellowstone just like back in the Junction. I could quickly identify Bear Grass, Fire Weed and Shooting Stars. We walked up the high way one day and spent the afternoon exploring a lily pond. Gene just wanted to throw in rocks, something he seemed to driven to do with any body of water. One day we saw a solo Buffalo in a small meadow off the road. Mom charged us to take note of how high the buffalo was in relationship to a small tree there. On a later day we stopped the car and walked across the meadow up to the tree. I realized that my sense of scale was way off as I could only reach the branch that seemed to be level with the buffalo’s hump, if Dad boosted me a bit. They are very big animals!

On one of our outings we saw a Porcupine. He was very shy and ran away before Mom could get a photo.

One of our hikes revealed a Fire Ant mound. The nest was built of pine needles to help it suede water, Mom said.  The mound also made it possible for some of the aunts to weather the winter.  The mound  was so tall it reached about Gene’s waste and was three feet across. The bite of those ants hurt a lot too.
One of our outings  was up to a fire lookout station. The station was above the tree line and one could see across tree tops and peeks in all directions. There was a large brass device in the center of the room that cold be turned in any direction with a little window that the ranger then lined up with smoke so the fire could be pinpointed. The Range also gave us his binoculars and pointed out a Balled Eagle nest with 3 young all brown birds in it. They do not get white head feathers until they are three years old.   They were only six weeks old he told us.    Yellowstone  was a great experience for me as a kid.

I am stating to think about my goals for 2020.

Keep Creating

Carol

Working Away

Hello,
With Christmas fast approaching there are always lots of craft fairs in our area. I went to one and purchased these wool dryer balls. They are a great way to speed up dryer time and fluff up the clothing just like lint sheets- but no waste. They work well.

Progress Report:   Owl   Quilt – Nick’s Christmas   I am assembling the base and quilting that part now. The quilting is all stitch in the ditch.

 

Scarp Happy I finished the back and I am now flip quilting all the rows together. Only have a few left.   I will do a diagonal quilting pattern on top to make even more connections.

 

 

 

Jumping off Place This work got berried under other projects and only came to light again this week. I want to add some buttons for emphasis and think I will finish soon.

Creative Assistants I did watch a lot of football this week so I finished up 25 more of these little fellows. More are in various stages too.

25 Million Stitches Project My good friend Cheri alerted me to this project to note and bring to the attention of others the fact that there are 25 million refugees in our world at this time. I continue to be worried about the children that our country has separated from their parents and this is my small contribution to  that  awareness  and to other aspects of this problem. I started my contribution last eve. If you are interested in participating the email add to find information is AQUinfor@comcast.net

 

Childhood Memories Base Camp in Yellowstone
Dad was stationed at the South Gate Ranger Station  in Yellowstone so that was where we parked the tailor for the summer. There were four families there plus a barracks full of young men who were the trail crew. They also tended the horses that were in the meadow in the day time and in the barn at night. Two of the families were permeate ranges. They lived in a three story duplex that the park service provided. There were three stories because the snow became so deep in winter that one could only escape from one of the upper stories through doors on those levels. The Children- all boys- five of them were home schooled. Across the dirt road on the meadow side sat our trailer and the smaller camp tailor  of the Jaquin’s .    We where  the  seasonal ranges families  and there was no housing provided at that time. We did not have electricity or running water.  (Welcome to how most of the world lived for hundreds of years.)    Mom had to hall water and the out house was down the road a bit and closer to the barracks. There was running water there and the barracks had indoor pluming so we never really crossed their paths. Mom had to use a wash board to do the laundry. With on way to keep food cold we only had real milk and fresh meat on the evening after we went to West Thumb and visited the trading post. We did drink a lot of powered milk though.  Because there was no  electricity and running water meant that Mom had to boil water on the Coleman stove for baths. We had a big stainless steel tub that we used for that. But I only remember doing that a few times . More often we went off to secluded section of the Snake River down stream from some geyser activity and went “swimming” there with soap. Mom often washed my hair there as well. It was great as it was warm and very clear. There was electricity available as Gene discovered the first night we were there. It was dusk and  he and I where catching June Bugs. He ran into the electric fence and it knocked him to the ground. He was more surprised then hurt. The fence was there to cage the horses and we had not noticed it when we parked the trailer. Later that summer we ducked under the single strand of wire and went into the bog part of the meadow. I was fascinated by the fact that one could find frogs in all stages of development from tad polls to two and four legged  little frogs with tails ,  all at the same time in the small horse hoof  pool wholes in the bog. The bog turned into a small stream just south of the barn. Jay, Gene and I played in it the first week or so. We built dams and such. No chance of getting lost as long as one stayed in the stream bed or next to it ,  so we did wander far. That all ended when a bear went through the camp area. Mom could not find us at that time and after that we had to be within hearing or eye sight of the camp for all our unsupervised play time. With only seven children and me the only girl,  it was a bit wild. We played hide and seek, tag and various other made up games. There was a big Marian of smooth rocks left by the glaciers that we used to play King on the Mountain on too. The rocks were all rounded so there were no sharp edges to get too badly hurt on. There was a big sand box near the big house and as kids we played there a lot. Gene had a toy we called a Trunner Rucker. It was a toy version of a road building bit of equipment. It was deep green and consisted of a cab unit with a trailer behind that had a crank on it so you could rise the bed and dump out the contents. It was a popular toy in that sand box and we played there a lot.    One day when Jimmy got angry with me and brook a glass jar on top of my head. I was banned from the sand box after Mom picked the glass out of my scalp. My first experience of “might makes right”. Dad tried to explain that even though it seems I was being punished –  sometimes it was better to avoid a conflict.     I just felt” wronged “and things between me and the boys were never the same. Mom did build me two tents- one out of a green army blanket and one out of a red Indian blanket to compensate.   It was fun but lonely.
We did eat a lot of peanut butter and canned meat that summer but we did get fresh fish too. One early morning the rangers took all the kids fishing on Yellowstone Lake. The kids mostly played on the rocky shore and only reeled in the fish that the men caught. Each child got the limit of 3- Cut Throat Trout. I remember being very proud. The eating was great too.

 

Hope everyone is preparing for the holidays and enjoying the time.

Keep Creating

Carol

Busy Time

Hello-
As the photo shows I am still sorting my images of Australia.

I have been busy this week with a Finger Lakes Fiber Artist meeting. We added a new member to our group and I welcome her. Her work is very personal and this quilt is about her concern for a friends lung cancer.

 

 

Angela shared her second quilt for her brother that is constructed with fabric from her fathers old shirts.

 

 

Noel showed two baby quilts and her new excoriation work with pears. She is expanding her knowledge form her QBL class- one on the many qualities I like about her.

 

 

 

 

Pat just completed this big work.

 

 

 

I also spent time at the Quilts = Art= Quilts show. This was my second visit and I was attracted to new works this time. This work is by Shannon Costly  if Marco Island Fl  and is called Emerging.   The white words are “cut through”   the quilt and only connected with thread.    I love how used color and negative space to convey her message.

Progress Report: Bed For Kids- Scrap Happy I put in a lot of time on this to finish it on Tue.

 

I am glad I have done the build work with scraps so that this quilt only took two weeks to complete.

 

 

 

 

Pink Windmill This work was what I started at Sharron’s earlier this fall. It too went off to the Beds project on Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 


Owl- Nick’s Christmas quilt I have built the back of this quilt and I am now assembling the rows. I hope to get to work on the owl piece for the top soon.

 

 

 

Creative Assistants These guys have served as my hand work for this week. It looks like I need to add the arms and hair so I can complete these guys.

 

There are two Childhood memories this week in my attempt to catch up.


Childhood Memories- 6th Birthday

In my family we always celebrated birthdays with candles and cake. One time Mom made angel food cake and inserted a little doll in the opening and made the cake frosting her gown. Mom did special parties when one was 6 and again when one turned 13. I’ll do 13 later. For my 6th birthday I had six guests all from the neighborhood- Billy, Susan, Sally, Doug, Anne and my brother Gene. The theme was Out of this World. The party hats were red vinyl with red crepe paper manes and two antenna with a ball on the end of each. The party favors were little forest green clothespin men with red ta-bards that sported a lighting strike. The were set in marshmallows to stand up.

Mom made a cake shaped like a space ship. The base was the usual cake tin and the second layer was baked in a domed Pyrex bowl. It had pink frosting with gum drops on it for lights. I got a big tricycle for my gift from Mom and Dad. It was red and white with a huge front wheel. I really loved it.   I spent many and afternoon  riding  it in the basement or up and down the driveway.

Childhood Memories – 1948 Ford 

As a kid, I did not pay much attention to cars until we got a used 1948 Ford. It was a ugly faded shade of dark green. My parents took it off to the garage and had it updated. The visor over the front window was removed and it got a new coat of paint. The Sunday before it came home we visited the car at the garage. The windows were taped with paper and the wheels were protected, the smell of paint was strong in the air and the ugly duckling was now yellow on the bottom with white on the top. It looked great! It was the car my parents used to pull a rented air stream from Columbus Junction,Iowa to Yellowstone National Park for that summer. I was seven. Mrs Mc Donald across the street gave  us a box of cookies the morning we left. Mom carefully dulled them out and made them last the whole trip. She also used the top of the box to keep track of the mileage. I recall smuggling down on the floor with my head resting on the lump- (drive shaft) and falling asleep on that trip. Later that summer we used the cookie box to create a diorama. Sand was on the bottom with short branches for trees, wolf liken for bushed and peeled corrugated cardboard became  the log cabin. Mom arranged a trip away from South Gate every weekend Dad had off from his guard duties. The car got a lot of use. On the first trip out of the park we went to Silver City- a soon to be tourist attraction. We walked the town and talked to the man who was running the press.    He was printing  hand bills for a show that evening at the opera house. We decided to stay . It was a Melodrama and great fun. I had never “Booed” or thrown peanuts shells at a villain before. When the show was over it was too late to drive home,so we stayed just out side of town sleeping in the car. Dad proceeded to pull the back up from the front seat and lay it down between the front and back seats. We were sort of flat and all four of us slept that way that night. In the morning Dad put the seat back in place and we drove away.
My only other memory of that car was going home. We were pulling the trailer over the centennial divide and the car did not like the work. The engine overheated.  Dad stopped the car and we all got out. Dad carefully removed the radiator cap -jump back just in time to avoid a scalding eruption. We had our own “Old Faithful” with lots of steam! After it cooled Dad filled the radiator with water from a canvas bag that hung on the front of the car. It was mostly down hill the rest of the way home so it did not happen a second time.  It was a good car that sure provided me with lots of memories.

I hope everyone is enjoying the season and is not stressed .

Keep Creating,

Carol

Florida Holiday

the shoreHello,

I am home from a week in Gulfport Florida.  I really enjoyed the new sceanry .    There was so much to lookSplit pine at my eyes could hardly take it all in! From the shore with lots of bird forms to the sky and the plant life- I was a shooting fool when it came to taking pictures.    I just love how this split pine looks and I am  sure it will turn up in some work at some time. gorman  Then  there was all the art.   We went to a show of work by  Geoffrey Gorman.  He builds  wonderful found object sculptures of animals and birds that include wire and canvas that he has aged with rust.   His work was wonderful.

Susan took me to an opening at the Florida CraftArt IMG_2621Gallery, where both  Oiseau Sisters had pieces.  This shot shows Susan with her birds.  She and I played in the studio every day.    I did Gelli prints with Lora on Tuesday.  I used one as a base  when we went to drawing on Wed eve.    Susan and I designed and then startedmy stencils a flag project.    We each made six stencils and printed two of each.  These are my images. At the end of the week we traded one of each of our images for one of each of the other person’s works. IMG_2656 Now we will both work on the flags as we see fit and when we meet again at the June Diva meeting we will compare how each of us has altered all the images.   We designedOwl it to be an open exploration project- trying new materials and techniques.   It will be fun I think.

I worked away all week on this owl stitchery project.   It is nearly complete now.  I had intended to work on a piece that I brought form home, but I did not do a stitch on it.  The first day  Susan pulled out one of her bins  of fabric and I got inspired.  Something about some one else’s materials I suppose. Nancy and her project

Tuesday was a FAB meeting and after a month of not seeing folks we had a lot to talk about.  Nancy is making great progress on her bed quilt( this shot shows the center section folded up  as it is all the stripes. ) Now she will build  more images on top.

 Progress Report:  Boiling Point

Boiling Point 16" X 20"   $225.00
Boiling Point
16″ X 20″
$225.00

This project went together quickly just before I left.  I am still using the fabric collage technique thatClose up 1- Boiling point I used with the Foundations Series, but it not based on any stone this time.    I also did all the work on canvas this time and then stretched it around to the back of the stretcher bars before tacking.  This first close up is near the center of the work.    I used  red, rust, gray and dark green velvet in this work as well as satin and silk fabrics.    The more I play with the layering and folding of the various fabrics the close up 2 of Boiling pointmore I enjoy the process. This second shot is near the middle on the right.   Boiling Point cl 3 A little copper paint adds fun.

 

 

Raw edges here add another texture to the mix,

 

 

Name Game close upName Game 1- Carol     I cut  the work  into 6″ square and then reassembled it.  I am only going to show this close up this week  because the only step that remains for completion is the facings and I will complete them for next week.

 Owl   I amIMG_2688.jpg showing the completed owl that I did in Florida as I am going to send it off to the framers this week and OWL close up 1shooting through glass is as strong as a strait shot.  I really enjoyed working on this.  I tried lots of varieations on the fly stitch on this work.    The vanes in the leaves are fly stitches all connected to one another. Owl close up 2  The tree bark is that same stitch on its side and interlocked with its neighbor.  The wing tip is shown here and it is made from a pair of textured panty hose.  The pin feathers on the chest are woven copper ribbon that has been tacked down with open fly stitches.   The claws are made from fake leather that was frapped.     The found Owl close up 3objects that started this whole work are the chroched  rings that are the whites of the eyes.  The orange is a bit of bias tape and the black is a sequin held in place with a french knot.  The beak is created from the same fake leather as the claws.

 

Memory Map- Canyon de Chelly Canyon de Chelly     I am still strugling with with were this project is going.   But I feel closer then before.  Adding Spider Women’s towers ( on the left) will help anchor the work I think.

Nail Casting cl 1Nail Castings

I am still fasinated  by the shapes of these plastic parts.  I enjoyed tacking them down with lots of different types of stitches.    the shapes just tickled me.

Keep Creating

Carol