Category Archives: Sisterhood of the Scissors

Annalise, Creative Strength Training, Explore, Fish, Hand work, Koi Joy, Leaf Pile, Machine Drawing, Meandering Mind- Examine, Poem Tree, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Back to the Studio

Hello,

I am glad to  finally home for after a lot of activity.  I am also delighted to say that the little Christmas Cactus cutting that Liz gave me in Aug is blooming.    This fall has been a  full and exciting time for me.

I went to the opening of the Quilts=Art=Quilts show on the 29 of Oct and it was a delightful show.  I was just so happy to be in again and could not believe it when I won the Judges Choice Award  for my piece Action.  My friend Ellen won Best of show and friend

 

 

 

 

 

Pat Pauly won the Finger Lakes Fiber Artist award for Best Embellishment.    I was floating on air all the way home and still can’t quite believe it.

 

 

 

There was a Diva meeting at the beginning of November and we added a new member to the group, Denise Cooperman.  She is a feltier and I love what she dose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barbara also had some wonderful new stuff to share with us.  She had a great sale as a part of the Ithaca Art Trail.

 

 

 

 

Then I went off to a five day Sisterhood of the Scissors retreat.   The event the year before involved a lot of “give aways”  of raw materials- yarn and beads.   So this year we got finished work back.  I gave folks cowls and Ann gave us neck scarves.  There were also necklaces. We did show and tell  as well as lots of work.

 

Joyce made   all three of these dolls and the basket during our time there.  She takes the prize for being the most productive.

 

 

 

Ann did hand work all five days and made great progress on this beautiful  landscape.     I worked on the next three tops of the Meandering Mind Series.

Marcia created a new jacket form some of her Perilla fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

Then last weekend I went off to a three day Fall Retreat at the Schweinfurth Art Center.  It is such a fun and stimulating event for all of us.   Most of the same folks were there again. 

Ann had been inspired by what I was doing at the Sisterhood Retreat so she tried it.  This is her start.

 

 

 

Sharon was working away on a piece from one of her photos from her late summer trip to Montana.

I think is it a strong piece and I love the high contrast.  We sure had fun and I made progress too.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Koi Joy  This work is 39″ w X 43.5″ t.   This is the last of the koi series I think.   I have enjoyed doing them and playing with the metallic  fabrics sure has been a learning experience.

They   tend to fray out very quickly and I had to do fray check along many edges .  There is leather behind the button eyes.

 

 

 

Leaf Pile   I am working away on this project and being away from it has helped me see that it needs more color contrast  to really build a center of interest.   Perhaps a yellow leaf  instead of the red one that I have pinned there now.  It’s value is too close to the greens.

 Meandering  Mind Series -Examine  This is one of  the three tops that I created at the Sisterhood Retreat.  With this phase of the series I am using tints and shades of the complementary colors  without any naturals.    I pin based all three of them this week and I am now ready to quilt away.

 

 

 Meandering  Mind Series -Annalise   This is a second exploration in this series using the Orange /Blue commentary combination.

 

 

Meandering Mind Series- Explore  And this is the third.  I am having fun using solids in this new construction method.  I also have another idea for several more exploitations along this line.

Three Witches  I have started to add a branch to the background of this work while I think through how I want to complete it.

 

 

 

 

 Play  I was not ready to quilt on the Meandering Mind series last week so I looked again at the Paula Kovarik work from last summer.  One of her challenges was to cut up an old work and reassemble it.  I played at that idea for an afternoon.   Great fun.

 

 

I also took four of her exercise and put them together to create some new pillows.

 

Poem Tree   This is one of the works I started at the Fall Retreat.   I was still feeling connected to the free motion work for Paula’s class and this thought came to mind.   I am liking how it is coming along so far.

New Hands  At  both retreats I took lots of photos of people’s hands  to start a new work like the Action project.  It is a different type of challenge as the bigger format creates a new way of thinking.  I have already learned that open hands read a lot better in black and white then closed ones.

 

 

Susan’s Doll    The emphasis last month for  Creative Strength Training was  form so I used that idea as my push to finish off this doll that Susan started .

I am looking forward to getting back into a studio work routine that will help me move forward through the holidays.

Keep Creating,

Carol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creative Strength Training, Curvie Cuts, Deconstruction, Idaho, Koi Joy, Maneuver Series, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Home Again

Hello,

   I am back in Syracuse after my wonderful adventure with Marty from Sandpoint  Idaho  home.

 

 

I stayed in this wonderful tower room in her son’s house and enjoyed their company before our dive began.

 

 

 

 

We drove south along the Wind River range the first day.    I love how the trees are so distorted by the wind .

Then up into Tetons to look at the park.  Both Jenny Lake and Jackson Lake were as smooth as glass and reflected the Mountains beautifully.   I was a little distressed to see the low water level   marks as  global warming shows it impact on the planet.

We crossed the continental divide and stopped to enjoy the view east across the up coming great plains.

We drove across Montana and Nebraska and noted the changes in vegetation.  We did see a Bald  Eagle, Buffalo and lots of Prong Horn Antilope among the sage brush.  Crossing Indiana,  we stopped at Nappanee at a Dairy Queen for ice cream and enjoyed the sights .  Inside were a group of older Amish women all dressed in blacks and browns with little white hats.  The weather  was so beautiful we went out side to eat on the patio were we came across some teenagers, also Amish.  Three girls in pastel dresses were seated at one table and three boys in pastel shirts and brown pants at another.  The women left the Dairy Queen and got into a dark car and drove away.  A little later as  we ate our ice cream the teens also departed. One girl got on her bike and peddled west.   Then two boys got on their bikes and went east.  The third boy also on a bike crossed the high way and went north. Then the last two girls got into the buggy and went east.    Marty and I finished and we too got into the her car and went east.  We did not see the kids again.

We notice that as we went east it seemed like there were lots of beautiful trees with lots of color in Ohio and Pennsylvania.   New York also had color.  But what we noticed most in New York was the large number of gray and silver cars we saw.

Progress report: Koi in the Kelp    This work is 39″w X 35″ t.     I enjoyed adding all the button eyes and  sequins to the surface to embellish  this work.

 

 

 

 

Koi Joy   I started this work with a curvy cut system that I enjoy as a background.

 

 

 

 

Deconstruct ( Maneuver series)

This top is all assembled now and I am thinking about how I want to quilt it.

 

 

 

 

Maneuver Series-  New

 I now am deciding if I want to do blue and orange tints and shades next or  red and green.

 

 

I think now I will take both sets of colors with me on the Sisterhood Retreat next week and work on them.

 

 

 

 

 

Book  For Creative Strength Training the element is form.  So in the Slow Stitch group it was suggested that we might make a book as our 3-D example.    The inside pages are made with interfacing and   I have mounted some of my 6″ blocks on some of the pages.

I  have  also   started  several new 6 ” texture pages to add to this work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Susan’s Doll  I did hand work in a meeting this week and worked on Susan’s doll by adding legs.

 

 

 

 

 

Three Witches    I am to the point were I am adding in more shading into the work.

 

As I mentioned I will be off at a  retreat next week so it there will not be an entry  until  for a while.

Keep creating

Carol

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing, Hand Out, Hand work, Pixies Group, Reaching, Sisterhood of the Scissors, Three Witches

Beginning of Fall

Hello,

It is September and I see that as the start of fall after so many years  of beginning the school year at this time.   This milkweed seems to be agreeing with me as it has started to change its summer color for the fade of fall.  The seed pods look good.

I had a mixed week with only the Pixie meeting this week, and a Dentist an Dr appointments.

The big event was a field trip with the Sisterhood of the Scissors yesterday.  We me meant at   the Memorial Art Gallery on the University of Rochester Campus.   The show was Ubuhale, and it was of seed bead work from seven women from an area in South Africa.     The works were all large mostly  8 Ft by 10 ft and all done with beads.    By the end of the show one could easily identify the work of each artist.

 

 

This gal did not mix her bead colors much, but I love the effects she got.

 

 

 

This woman liked trees and even in her work with the cattle she had a tree as part of the composition.

 

 

All the works took about a year to produce and they were specular!

We all went away  happily inspired.

 

Progress Report: Coy Fish    I finished the binding on this work yesterday evening  and I am now ready to begin the hand detailing.  I did the applique with a metallic thread and a gold colored thread both fed through a big eyed needle.

 

 

 Frenzy   I have built all the fish I want to use on this piece.   But in taking this photo I realize they really do not work for what I wanted to say.    Back to the drawing board…

 

 

 

Reaching    I added the spider web and have started on the leaf forms here.

 

 

 

 

 

Hand Out  I haves started to stitch down the leaf shapes on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

Three Witches   I keep filling in the hand stitching on this piece.   Again the photo helps me see were I need to add more shadows.

 

 

 

 

Drawing    This is the drawing for the third witch.  I think she strikes the correct note for the work.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt    I have done all the stitch in the ditch work here and I am now adding free motion work in the big areas.

 

 

Cut away blocks    I keep exploring with this technique.  I am doing two blocks every day so this is just a sample.

I hope everyone is enjoying the close of summer and ready for a new school year.   Stay safe.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

Consider, Contemplating, Creative Strength Training, Drawing, Finger Lakes Fiber Artists, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pondering, Sisterhood of the Scissors, Three Witches

Busy Summer Time

Hello,

  As the title suggests I have had a full week.    I ran the Finger Lakes Fiber Artists meeting on Sat.  We had a lot to talk about and share.   I am  sharing  this  work of Bev’s because I think  she   took  a real  chance  here  when she burned the edges  of  this  work  with  a blow torch.   The  effect  really  works.

We had a lively and productive meeting.

There was also  a Creative Strength Training on line meeting , a Pixie meeting and a meeting of the Sisterhood of the Scissors.   I have spent a lot of time setting at the computer.    In addition to that I spent a day at the Schweinfurth helping take down the Fiber Arts show on Tue and I went with Sharon up to 1.000 Islands in Clayton on Wed to pick up her art work from the show there.     Its all been very stimulating,  but it sure eats into my studio time.

  Progress Report: Circling Circles   This work is 69″ w  X 64″ l.   I have stitched lots of circles in this piece and feel it is stable at this point.  It is most certainly a bed topper  piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spider’s Weds  I am done with the hand work on this piece now.  I think I want to frame it  as it is so very fragile.

 

 

 

 

 

Contemplation    I am all done with the quilting step on this work now.  I started to square it for binding when I realized  that I wanted all the works in this series the same size and I did not know how they would all trim down yet.

Consider  I am almost done with the quilting on this work.   I think I have about one more hour and it will be done.

 

 

Ponder   I have taken a page form my class with Paula for the quilting on this piece.  She called these bump quilted l stitch lines fence posts.

 

 

New Work   I pulled these fabrics for the next lap quilt that I hope to start this week.

 

 

 

 

 

Three Witches    I did this drawing to prepare for the stitching of the second witch.    I have transferred the drawing to the surface and I have started the stitching.   I just keep adding stitches to this.  It is building slowly as hand work always does.

 

 

 

I am enjoying all the activity of summer and hope you are as well.

 

Keep Creating

Carol

College Life, Creative Strength Training, Drawing, Fiber Artist Stitch Club, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Winter/Spring

Hello,

This week has been a wild one with lots of weather changes. We had snow  and it was beautiful now it is shirt sleeve weather and the spring flowers are up.   The temperature changes sure keep one on ones toes.

I had lots meetings this week as seems to be my usual pattern of late.   I zoomed to Sisterhood of the Scissors, Pixies and  Fiber Artist Stitch Club.   I watched the  Stitch lecture and new assignment , but  because I am still not finished with the last assignment I decided I will not do this one.  One does need to say “No Thanks” every now and then.    My cross stitch of Nick is coming along slowly.  The hoop is distorting it a bit – but I think I can iron it back into shape when I am done.

The Creative Strength Training ( CST)  is still overwhelming me a bit, but I am trying to keep up.  I did two of the drawing assignments this week and  read lots of old posts as well as making it to the weekly meeting.

 

 

I will catch up I am sure and it is a challenge – something that I need and will provide me with new growth. 

 

The emphasis this month is line and for this one I just played.

 

 

 

For this one I started a line from the top of the page and squared it of and then exited from right.  After each line I turned the paper 90 degrees.  I used all 10 of the green markers that I had in my stash.

I did go to the Schweinfurth  on Monday and help dismantle the Both Ends of the Rainbow show.  I also picked up my work and the work of two of my friends .

Progress Report: Lap # 8   I stared a new lap quilt and I like how it is building.  The one I was working on is to the quilting stage and I discovered that one of the blacks is rotten so I am dismantling part of it to do the repair.

 

 

 

Action   I continue to add stitches to this work and I am feeling good about how it looks.

 

 

Cowl # 26   I try to knit a row or two every evening so I make progress on these works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

College Life- Fall Quarter 1967

The fall quarter started with five new classes and lots of activities. I had two Art class and I enjoyed them both. One was Design II with Dr Griner, who later became the head of the art department. The second was Weaving. I loved that class with the exception of loading the loom. I quickly learned to do the warp for several projects at once. This meant that I had to be very careful with my measuring and the actual threading process, but it also meant that I could cut off the first project and go directly to work on the second. My physical ed. class was Tennis and Eric and I played several times that fall, so I got some extra practice in. Practical Science was my science elective that term and it again was a 8:00 class. I enjoyed it as it was designed for non-science majors. The teacher kept it light and some what entertaining. My final class was English. It was a bit of a challenge and the fact that Eric was in the class also added to that feeling. Eric says he got a B, and I just managed a C in that class.

At this point I stopped working for Food Services and went to work for the Art Department in the tool cage of the Shop. The hours were regular and I really liked working with Red, the man who ran it. I checked in and out tools for student projects and showed folks how to use some of them. Helping Dad with the building of all those houses as I grew up really paid off. I could also work on my own projects when I was not too busy. I learned who among my peers were the ones who put things off until the last minute.

Eric and Larry did not live at Barney’s that year, but found digs a bit farther from campus in a wonderful old ornate concrete block house with a sort of turret, so we called it “The Castle.” It had three porches, one on the front, with the turret, one just out side Larry and Eric’s room, and one on the rear of the house. There were two floors; the boys lived down stairs, and a young married couple lived up stairs. Fred and Denny occupied the front room. Eric and Larry’s room was just behind the entry way, and down the hall was the kitchen. I think there was another room on the back corner but I am fuzzy about that. I hung out in that house  a lot that year and had a few adventures.

Football was a big part of my life that fall, too. Eric and I went along with Dad to Anderson one Friday evening to watch my brother Gene play. He was so versatile that he was on offence and defense. Muncie Central won the game. Eric and I attended the college games too. The first one in the fall was on the old field south of the physical plant on campus. It was fun and I yelled my head off as usual. The second game we went to was homecoming. There had been a parade, of course, which we watched from the front porch of “The Castle,” and the Central Band marched in it, but I did not recognize many of the kids any more. The game was played in the new Stadium west and north of the main campus. It was very impressive, with a half of a bowl set up in cast concrete. The visitors sat on wooden bleacher across from the home team. (The bleachers were replaced two years later to be like the west side.) It was a glorious fall afternoon, and Ball State won- 56 to 7.

100 day Challenge, Aplique, Childhood Memories, College Life, Daily Practice, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Fiber Artist Stitch Club, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors

February Fun

Hello,

I enjoyed Valentines day and my husband gave me this beautiful bunch of flowers.     I hope yours had some color too.

This week has been a week with lots of events.  On Friday I went to The SUNY Campus at Oswego with Sharon and Liz and we went to two art shows.  One was student work  and this sculpture was on that I found very intriguing.

 

 

 

 

I had  Three  Zoom Meeting s this week  Saturday was with the Finger Lakes Fiber Artists Group. Wednesday was the Pixie Meeting and then Thursday was the Sisterhood of the Scissors meeting.  It is good to see and talk my fellow creators.    There was one meeting in person and the was the FAD group.   Sharon shared a new work she is exploring.

 

After the meeting Sharon and I went up the hill to Onondaga Community College to look at the Scholastic Art winners.  She and I had both  been judges for this competition in early January.  It was very stimulating as the Jr High and High School students work was wonderful.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Child Dancing   This work is now done and it is W3543 X 294.       It is my tribute to Paul Klee.

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 6    I am now ready to layer and quilt this piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt #7   I have pulled the fabrics for the next lap quilt too.

 

 

 

Cowl # 23   I just keep playing with the yarn from Joyce and making these fun pieces.  I will pass them out at the retreat in the fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 Handwork  I am finished with this work now and it is stretched.   This is my work for the Textile Artists Stitch Club work were one made  sequins  by ironing the lining of a cereal box with objects trapped between the layers.  I need to complete the addition of the black fabric to the back  now.

Daily Practice   I got back to doing my daily practice this week.   This is my 12th piece of stitched fabric.

 

 

Action   I am adding the contrasting hand work to this project   every evening during the news.

 

 

I got a little confused and there are two illustrations for  this memory.

 Memories: College Life-Ending of Spring Quarter 1967

Things were going well with Eric during spring term too. We went canoeing several times and although it was a new sport for Eric he was quickly sitting in the back and controlling our movements. We both enjoyed the theater and went to several Drama Department events. We saw Playboy of the Western World, The Odd Couple and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf. We also went to The Mexican Folklore Ballet at Emens Auditorium where we came across Steve Coomer again for the first time. He just stop dead, looked us over, turned in the opposite direction, and walked away. We just exchanged smiles. Our next big event was a trip to South Bend one Sunday for lunch with his family. Larry and Fred Zamparelli, from Long Island, and one of their other house mates went along with us. I got to meet two of Eric’s three brothers, Mark and Scott, and his folks. I was nervous but it is was a very pleasant time. Eric’s dad cooked the meal and it was very good. So the fact that Eric now cooks most of our meals should be no surprise. Eric told me on the way home his Dad really liked me. “Why” I asked ? “ Dad wanted a girl when I was born and I am the oldest,” he said.

Eric helped me though my struggles with my term paper that quarter too. In the end he even typed the paper for me. He quickly learned I could not spell at all. His typing of the paper was one of the best presents I got on my nineteenth birthday. The paper was due that day. Eric took me to dinner for my Birthday, too, and then to the a movie. We made an excursion to Indianapolis one Saturday so I could meet Eric’s Grandmother Butterworth. She was a thin, beautiful, white-haired lady with lots of energy and style. I really liked her and we hit it off. She was an bookkeeper for United Van Lines and very independent.

Being nineteen is still a very emotional time and in early May I learned of the death of my friend John in Viet Nam. He was the only person I knew who had gone from high school into the Army. He was the second son and knew his older brother would inherit the farm, so he knew that serving in the armed services, was really his only option. I know he was planning on going to school when service was over. I wrote three very long emotional pages in my journal about him and his death. Even now thinking about it makes me a bit sad.

As the quarter ended, I was worried about how summer would affect my relationship with Eric. I was sad when he had to go home at the end of finals. There was a bit of good news to look forward to, however, as Grandmother Butterworth had invited both Eric and me to go to the Indianapolis 500 with her. In 1967 Memorial Day was still celebrated on May 30 and that fell on a Tuesday that year. Before I caught and I rode the bus to Indianapolis on Monday, my grades came in the mail. I got four Bs. One in Introduction to Teaching, one in Ceramics, one in Swimming, and one in Literature and Composition. I know I would not have done so well in the English class with our Eric’s help. I also got an A in Design class and I was thrilled.

Stay Safe and Keep Creating

Carol

Childhood Memories, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Moving Forward

Hello
We are enjoying the cooler weather that comes with fall. I delivered 19 lap quilt this morning to one of our local nursing homes for wheel chair folks. I did not get to see anyone except the receptionist, but I am sure they make it to great homes. I came home so inspired that I started another one.

On Sunday I went to the Associated Artist reception for  my friend Rosha.  She dose collage and drawing.

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, I went with some of the members of Sisterhood of the Scissors group to the Arnot Museum in Elmira, New York.    We went to see the Excellence in Fibers show, and it did not disappoint.  The works were in deed excellent.

 

This work is From the Golden Earth by Race Brumer.   I found it to be fascinating.

 

This is Terry Mangots’s comentary on global warming.

There was also a pixie meeting this week. Pixie meeting.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Day Dreaming I am enjoying do the work on this project as I move forward. I am ready to add centers to the poppies and stitch down the petals now.

 

 

 

Line- Basic Elements Series This is the base unit the first pieces in this four piece series. I will try to make the quilt work by using only lines on the surface.

 

 

 

Journal Jacket As I come the end of yet one of my daily journals I found this old project in the stack for the next journals. I use to teach this as a day class in guilds.

Drifting This is the project that I took with me on our trip west. I am filling in the back ground now.

 

 

 

Lap # 20 I am ready to do stitch in the ditch quilting on this project now.

 

 

 

 

Lap # 21 This one is the newly inspired lap quilt. It is always good to have a project in the works.

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories – Family Trip

In August the family drove to Iowa again. We spent a couple of days in Morning Sun, where we went to a family birthday party for Sharon Bright. I really enjoyed the home made ice cream. We did not have that at home in Muncie at all. Then we spent a day in Grandview. That day was really silly as somehow we got to fooling around with instruments. Gene played the trumpet and then Doug tried to out do him by playing two at once. Grandpa Howard even got into the spirit and played. I remember Grandmother Ruth just shaking her head and laughing. The next day the Bells, along with Grandmother and Grandfather, and our family drove went west with us to the Black Hills and Badlands South Dakota. It took two long days of driving to get to get there. One day we stopped and visited a mine. Then we panned for gold another time. We took another afternoon and just explored the Badlands. I remember the kids all stayed together and someone found a petrified saber tooth tiger scull. The teeth on the sides of the skull were about six inches long and curving up from the jaw line. It was bigger than a football and quite heavy. We all took turns carrying it before we decided to put down in a spot that we couldn’t miss and get it on the way back. That plan did not work and it was lost to the next explorers. We then went on another two day long drive to Mesa Verdi. I remember Kelly had a little paper bag tiger puppet that she put on her hand and told us stories from the front seat. Mesa Verdi was amazing. I loved the underground shelters that the men had built for special ceremonies. We could not go back among the buildings and I wondered how dark it was and if the passages between homes like we would have in a cowered town. The ranger told us lots of interesting stuff and I marveled at the poll ladders. The ladders were made with a single tree/ poll center with limbs and short polls added slicking out the sides to climb up to the cliff top. One had to be agile to do that I thought. We then drove farther south to Brice. The colors of the layers of rock sediments were wonderful. We all marveled at the Hoodoos. They are the many stone pillar like formations in the park. Grandfather was very happy to see them. I remember Gene, Russell, and Doug running down the trail, whooping with the Hoodoos Kudos rising up on both sides. It sure made for wild echos. The other thing I recall from Brice was feeding the chipmunks potato chips at the Natural Bridge on Rim Road. It was then time to turn for home. All I recall was 3 long days of driving get home. It still was a great trip [and I enjoyed it thoroughly].

Stay safe and Keep Creating

Carol

Childhood Memories, Curvie Cuts, Enamel Beetles, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Working Away

Hello,
Fall is making its selp felt in central New York with cooler nights and sunny days. I noticed these little mushrooms on my walk this week.
It has been a very busy week for me.

Saturday I went off to the Manilas Library and helped hang the Associated Artist fall show. I put in my Granite and Silver piece.

 

 

 

Liz and I did another progressive dye. I have lots of naturals this time.

 

 

 

I had three meetings this week. FAB meant at Judy’s and I knitted the whole time. The Pixies’s and Sisterhood of the Scissors meant virtually. It is always stimulating and I come away with lots of ideas.

 

 

Progress Report: Enamel Beetles
I worked on the Enamel Beetles by adding stitched grass, stitching down the beetles and adding eyes. Each little step takes time.

Lap # 18 I just keep working on these guys. I need to assemble the parts now and do the quilt work.

 

 

 

 

Tattered Memories I put in about an hour every evening doing the beading on this piece.

 

 

 

Shoes I could not get Elizabeth’s shoes out of my mind so I painted my own this week.

 

 

Childhood Memories- Gene

My brother, Gene started his Freshman year at Storer Junior High School at the same time I started my high school career at Muncie Central. Gene played on the football team and he was very good. He took it very seriously. When  he in was in the eight grade he won the county Punt, Pass and Kick Contest.    For is his prise, he won a full  football  uniform with the Colts logo.   They also took Dad and Geen to a Colt’s football game.    I went with Dad to several games that first year and many when Gene  played at the high school. He played quarter back some times and also tight end. He almost always played the full game and he got good at kicking field goals too. By the end of his Senior year his knees were shot. He did toy with the idea of being a kicker  in college, but decided against it.   By the time he was a parent, he would not allow his son to play at all, but he is still a big fan.   Gene also got his paper route that year freshman year. He delivered the Muncie Morning Star so he had to get up between 4:30 and 5 in the morning to stuf, rap and fold papers for delivery. He delivered on is bike and was really good at hitting front doors with the papers. The morning paper was a seven day a week job and he did his collections on Saturdays. He seemed to have lots of money after that. Late one night he and one of his buddies borrowed car  and went for a joy ride. That incident might have gone unnoticed if they had not run out of gas. To solve that problem they stole some gas from a farmers machine tank. The farmers dog altered the farmer who called the sheriff. The boys got arrested as they tried to return the car. Dad had to go pick him up form the station. Mom got me up so we were in the living room when they got home. Dad made Gene tell the whole story. When ever Gene tried to justify his actions- Dad stopped him by saying-” that’s an excuse. ”     For Gene’s punishment, Dad made his give up his paper route and he was grounded for six weeks. I remember his “sleeping” a lot during that time. The relationship between the two them never really was the same either.
The Senor year was the first time I had to really think about my future. I knew I was going to college- it was just were. I took the PSAT’s in October. The SAT’s were given in the big study hall- room 200.   There were  about 100 kids,some from Burris and some from s South Side too. I came home exhausted. Margaret and I had a date to go canoeing that afternoon so we did. It was a short trip that time  as she was tired too. In March  I finally got serious about the were question. I thought about Greeley Colorado, and the University of Iowa, but decided they were too far away. Purdue and Ball State were both close enough and so I filled out applications. Dad had always been a night owl and was usually up when I got home in the evenings. I’d stop many times and talk with him. We talked about my evenings sometimes or perhaps people. He helped me dissect and understand the “Why” for folks actions and some of my own. In the spring, Margaret got a new Orange Mustang convertible for her 18 Birthday/Graduation present. It was very cool. She and I went in her new car to the open house at Purdue the next Sat. It was so much fun  and I had just about decided that I wanted to go to school there when Dad and I one of our late night talks. He started off by saying it was, “My Choice,” but he wanted to offer me a deal. He said he would pay me the money for Purdue’s room, board and tuition beyond Ball States cost to use as I wanted, if I stayed home and went to Ball State. I decided that was a good deal. I do remember Dad being a bit upset as Ball State’s price increased  that fall of 50% to $50.00 a quarter. I spent the money I saved by living at home to purchased IBM stock. That grew of course and in 1970 I sold it and used the money as a down payment on our first house.

Stay safe
Carol

 

100 day Challenge, Childhood Memories, Daily Practice, Granite and Silver, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Poppy Field, Scrap Happy Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Inching Forward

Hello-
I hope everyone is doing well as we head into the last few weeks of Aug.    I am just working away one day at a time on my projects.   Sometimes that is all one is doing.    My big excitement for this week a quick trip down to New York City by bus with Liz to see the Virtual Van Gogh show.   I really liked the interactive “rooms” that were set up so one could go into the paintings.   Liz and I got silly and she tried to throw me into the insane asylum at one point.   It was a beautiful experience  and I enjoyed it very much. We walked a few blocks from the display to the World Trade Center Memorial and enjoyed that as well. We followed that by a quick trip back north to the bus terminal and back on the bus at 5:30 for the rid home. It was all a bit of a whirl wind trip but is sure was wonderful.
I had two Zoom meetings this week too. One with the Pixies and a second with the Sisterhood of the Scissors. Bother were good stimulations for me.

Progress Report: Poppy Field This work is 34.5″ w X 43″ l. I made the big poppies at the bottom out of wool roving with thread drawing to hold it all together. The centers are yo-yo’s with beads added to the centers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granite and Silver The Silver Maple leaves resting on the granite are a great contrast.    The idea is from  a old cover of Adirondack Life magazine. I painted the base with a rubber band brush to get the texture and added nylon net to create shows on the stone, with the leaves on top.   It is a very shallow image.

 

 

Scarp Happy I am having fun doing the rows for this project.

 

 

 

 

Lap quilt # 16 I started to do stitch in the ditch quilting on this work today. I am sure I will finish it soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap quilt # 17 This is number  two on the   current assembly process.   I like building the units and then uniting them.

 

 

 

 

100 Days Project I am up to day 71. Today is actually day 73 so I am behind myself I will need to do a few extra later today.

 

Daily Practice This small wipe up rag will be done soon.

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories- Christmas 1965
We enjoyed a bit of rock hunting at a ranch and then drove on to Big Ben National Park. The camping that night was in a very empty campground. Lots of evergreens in the area and almost every other tree supported a bit of mistletoe. Christmas morning started with a good breakfast and a few gifts. I got a ID Bracelet that I had been hoping for and a beautiful hair piece. I then realized why Gene had wanted a lock of my hair in Nov.     I wore the hair piece a lot when I went back to work as it was a perfect color match.      We    then hit the visitors center, were they had a hug Century Plant decorated with Christmas balls. We went on from  to get our first view of the Rio Grand. The shore was sandy, the water was muddy and there were steep bluffs on both sides. We saw fossils imbedded in the canyon walls. We walked down the canyon a bit and came upon a young man who would take one across the river on the back of his burro for a dime. So on Christmas day we all rode across the river on the back of a mule. We climbed the bluff toward a small village. In the process we were “ attached” by a bunch of bambinos” selling rocks. Grandma and Grandpa both purchased a pockets  full  of useless rocks, but I am sure that the process made the kids day. The town was dusty and very poor. There was a small open school building, scattered mud huts and a saloon. It was sad. The next day we went east and visited a country store. Dad brought us all soda pop that we enjoyed in the heat. We cross the Rio Grand a second time- this time by row boat. On the Mexican side were steps up the bluff and we emerged into a more substantial town. First we came across some men making pack saddles. This village had streets that were packed dirt and many more buildings. There were lots of active people doing business. There was a small church and a water pump in front of it. There was a wooden school house that I went into. There were benches and a chalk board but nothing else. I had my sketchbook and soon tried out the little bit of Spanish I could remember from 3ed grade on some children. Some how I got to asking them their ages. I would write the number and then turn it into one of the cartoon characters that I had created for my Honor Society speech. The kids were thrilled and I folded pages and tore them out and gave them to the kids until I had use all my paper. I didn’t  see much of the town, but I did have a good time.    That night we camped again in Big Bend in a different camp ground. The following day we drove east out of the park and crossed the boarder a third time on a bridge this time. The town was very prosperous. We did lots of shopping there. I perched a famous Mexican Bandit Marionette that wore a sombrero, black flannel suit that sported a white zig-zag trim down the legs and had a six shooter in each hand. Mom purchased me a beautiful turquoise and purple poncho that I loved.    Grandmother got all three kids sombreros. As it turned out, I think our younger cousins, Casey and Curtis ended up with them when we got back to Grandview. My favorite purchase was a guitar that I got for $6.00. I spent hours trying to learn how to play it. But the thing would not hold tuning. The neck kept bending under the pressure of tuning to the point were the strings and the neck were so far apart that one could put there index finger between the strings and the frat board at the bottom and not touch either surface. After our shopping we returned to the states and drove north. Our Next stop was the Alamo. Gene and I had seen the movie and were a bit disappointed. It was much smaller then I expected and being in the middle of the city with big tall buildings all round made it seem even smaller. It sure made me realize how much Hollywood played with reality. We continued north and stopped at Platt National Park, one of the nations smaller parks. It was too cold to wade in the river, but Gene and Danny threw lots of rocks in the river. Crossing Kansas and Missouri we arrived back in Iowa. Dad and Mom went to see Grandpa Merit, but Gene and I did not. Then it was another 12 hour day drive back to Muncie and School the next morning.

Stay safe

Carol Boyer

Childhood Memories, Curvie Cuts, Daily Practice, Dark Mystery, Drawing, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Lap Quilts, Saturday Afternoon, Sisterhood of the Scissors, Textile Artist Stitch Club

Busy Week

Hello,
This week had been exciting because I had two meetings where we meant face to face.    What a relief as we all get vaccinated and the governor  lifts the restrictions  of  Covid.    I did not realize how much one reads body language. And  in these meetings,  there was no talking over one another either. The first meeting was with the Quilt Diva’s. We meant in the Schweinfurth after picking up our work form the Members Show. We did business and then shared our work. Alice has been working with clay and these are her “obers” .

 

 

 

Barbara had a real nice piece. I brought home five works for other artists that live here in town and will distribute them all back to their owners by tomorrow. There was also a Pixies meeting on line and it was up lifting too.

 

 

 

The second meeting was with four of the FAB group here at my house. Again we all had a lot to say and enjoyed our selves. It is so nice to set out doors and enjoy each other and the garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I worked on the Textile Art Stitch Club project. This week she showed us how to add punch needle texture t our work. I also finished up my Blue Fox from the last assignment this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Saturday Afternoon This work is 36″ X 34″. I learned a lot about yarn applique doing this project. It is a skill I need to work at I think.  The project is an answer tot eht Picasso Challenge by the Sisterhood of the Scissors.

 

I used some of Grandmother Ruth’s hand made lace for part of this project.

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 13 This project is made up of many of my hand altered fabrics. I made the stencils earlier this winter and printed them with acrylic paint. This is the fabric of half of the stencils I printed at that time, so there will be another similar piece in the near future.

Green Base I got an idea for another leaf project and built this curvy cut base to support that idea.

 

 

 

 

 

Dark Side of the Moon( formerly Dark Magic) I decide that the old title was not the mood I wanted to set for this work. I am hand quilting around the featured woven sections of the kimono at this point. This will be a slow project as I am not a fast hand quilter.

 

 

Daily Practice This is gong smoothly. I think I will finish this strip in the next two days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Horsetails   After showing this work to the FAB group  and thinking about it, i decided it needed more.  So I took out some of the stitch work and added the sun to this piece.  I am now in the process of assembling it.

Drawings for Pixies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories- Summer 1963
>
> Summer was always a busy time. I did attend summer school in the mornings, but the afternoons were mine. Mr Mc Daniel’s, the band teacher, also kept us busy. We did have practices and activities. It was so hot that many times we would play out on the front lawn of the school under the big oak trees. The  band  also marched in the 4th of July parade . It was a much smaller event then what I was familiar with from Grandview. We participated in the county fair and the band had a white elephant sale for that. Many of the kids manned the booth and we had fun afterward on the rides and such. There was also a Cake Walk that we ran one of the days. For that I baked a Cherry Cake- my favorite. The money we made went toward our summer field trip to Detroit. We left on a Friday morning and rode the bus to the city. We played a concert in a city park in a band shell that afternoon.    For that we did not wear our uniforms, but all dark shorts and white shirts.  I still remember being hot.   I went to dinner with a group of fellow band members and had my first commercial pizza. Someone persuaded me to try an Anchovy. That was a taste surprise. I shared a hotel room with three other gals and we talked late into the night and did not sleep much it seemed. Saturday morning we went to a rehearsal of the Detroit Sympathy. It was informative. In the afternoon we all went to see “How the West Was Won” on a wide screen movie theater. I really enjoyed the movie and purchased the record of the sound track when I got home. We then all piled into the bus and rode home. We sang a lot and it was quite late when we got back to Muncie. Grandmother and Grandfather Cocklin were visiting and we all went to church the next morning. I do not recall much else about that Sunday except we made homemade ice cream. Gene and I went off with the grandparents on Monday to Iowa for two weeks before Mon and Dad joined us. It was a great time. We got to see all three families of cousins and spent a lot of time with the Bells. Casey and Curt Dean were little boys with lots of energy and fun to play with. They only visited tow days and then went home with their mother Aunt Shirley. I did baby sit for Aunt Barbara one day out on their farm. I remember climbing the apple trees with cousins Timmy and Tom along with Gene. We also played space travel using their beds that were built into the wall under the slope of the roof. We pretended the Radiometer was our power source. That evening I went on my first date with cousin Danny. He was a year older and had a car. We added one of his friends and drove to Muscatine to the fair grounds. His buddy brought me French fries and we all rode the Ferris Wheel together. It was a good time. What I remember the most was the time spent with the Bell family. Tracy and Kelly came into Grandmothers one day and we played dress up in the play house. Then the girls stayed the night and we played with the ice skating paper dolls that grandmother had. One day out at the Bell farm we played war in the trees hoses. We loved the goldfish-carp in the house tank and we fed them oatmeal. The fish were about eight inches long. Cousin Russell got stung and I learned he was allergic. His Mom rushed him off to the Dr to get a shot I think. Another day we spent the day playing board games. I fell in love with Trade Winds- a game with little ships that had to collect barrels of rum, doubloons and gems stones. I asked for that game for Christmas, but Mom never found it. One afternoon Aunt Marce took all five of us off to Wild Cat Den State Park. We all had a great time running the trails and hiding from one another. We came home exhausted from that fun afternoon. One night the Bells took Gene and I to play miniature golf . It was a great time and Doug ended up with the best score. It was a great time with all my cousins.

Please stay safe and be Creative

Carol