Category Archives: 100 day Challenge

100 day Challenge, Experiments, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Stretched Works, Trees

Spring

Hello,

We are feeling the warmth of the spring and days of longer sun shine.   My little brother died this week and that event has brought home how important it is to care for ones health.   I sometimes want to avoid my exercises in the morning and not take a walk,  but I know those actives and eating healthy are an essential part of  being able to continue my creative life.    For me that is my joyous goal in life.  With that in mind and the spring  weather, I feel I can push forward.

Progress Report: Ocean Organisms   This work is 24″ X 18 ” and stretched on canvas.    It is highly textured and has lots of found objects.  I am preparing for a solo show in Aug and the space is not conducive to quilts.

 

 

It also has lots of texture on the surface.   I crouched the urchins for another project, but decided that did not work there, so they became the jumping off point for this work.

 

Shore Line Tree Block  I finished off this  block this week.  The tree crown is all created with turkey work stitches one on top of another in various greens.

 

 

 

 

Cherry Blossoms Tree Block   I started this work yesterday . I pinned down a pink woven organza and I an building  flowers on top .

 

 

 

Block On Block  This is my experimental project.   This became my  new 100 day project.  I was trying to find a new way to use scarps, so I places several on top of one anther and stitch through them with an X or cross stich with the machine.    Then I stitched them together with the raw edges up.   It is all in the washing mashing fraying out now.  Or I hope that is what is happening.   It may be a disaster, or a wonderful success, you will have to check next week.

 

 

Pins   All the pages of fabric layered papers  are cut into the dresses of my pins.   I have started building the hair and head units.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 10 /26  I pulled these fabric for the next lap quilt.  I wanted to do something a bit more masculine this time.

 

 

 

 

Close Calls   This work is one using the crystal block that I invented.   Ready to layer and start quilting.

 

Make wise choices this week and keep Creating.

Carol

 

 

100 day Challenge, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Trees

Quiet Week

Hello,

Things have quieted down this week.  I only had to pick up my three works from the library show .   The 100 day project continues.     I did finish up  Flowering Field.  I enjoyed working on all the radial designs for this one.

 

Then I started the next piece for the challenge.    I’m calling it Red Rings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Lap 9/26   I only need to do the handwork on the binding and this work will be complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ocean Organistic   I am doing the handwork on this project  and it is slow, but present work.

 

 

 

New Crystals  This new crystal block project will have twelve blocks instead of the nine of the previous three.    I am rotating them too. Hopefully it will give a very different look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shore Line tree block    I have not put in much time on this work yet.     It will grow as I fill it in.

 

 

 

 

 

pins   I thought I would  make some little doll pins as gifts for QBL this summer.  I machine stitched down scraps and bits on water color paper and have started cutting the bodies.

I hope spring is bringing joy and delight to you.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

100 day Challenge, Experiments, Lap Quilts, Trees

Busy March

Hello,

This has been an event filled week for me.  Last Friday I went to Marcia’s on Friday with Susan and Victoria.     Kathy had two bed quilt tops she shared with us.   This one sure lifted my spirits on that rainy day.

 

 

 

 

 

The third in the Landscape series was due.   Deb out did herself and had work on both of the last two.  All the works are based on the creek behind her home.

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria presented her landscape all done in organza.  She is planning on adding more to it.

 

 

Jean is also still working on her piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mine was completed too. I plan to include my works in the trees quilt.

 

 

Susan brought along her second scroll.     I really like the colors she is exploring here.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a reception at the Cabin Fever quilt show on Sunday.   I enjoyed talking with the fellow quilters.    Tuesday was the final meeting for Social Art this season and we have a art show as a part of that event.

 

 

Rina did a wonderful paper relief.  It was all built from a map.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diana shared this wonderful painting.  I really like the colors.

 

 

 

I also enjoyed Judith’s spring piece.  The transparency of the daffodils is wonderful.

 

 

 

Progress Report: Natural Crystals   This work is 40″ X 40″ .  My quilting patter is the same as the block shapes only enlarged to fill the whole space

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Crystals   I want to try one more work using this square were I rotated the directions of the blocks.  So I have pulled these fabrics to use in that next  work.

 

 

 

 

Lap 9/26 Having finished the last lap quilt I have pulled and made the strips for the next one too.

 

 

 

 

 

100 Day work  This 100mday challenge is building.  Io try to do a blossom every day.   It is starting to fill up.

 

 

Tree Blocks -Crochet tree    These blocks are building and I am enjoying building the textures to complete them.  

 

 

 

 

 

Bubble tree   I used the bubble technique to  create the texture of the crown for this  new block this week.

 

 

 

 

 

Ocean Organics  Work is going forward slowly on this project.  I find the 100 day handwork  gets my attention first.

 

 

Block on Block  This is a new project were I am trying to use up the little bits and pieces  The seem to get cut of of lots of work.   I am layering three to four pieces on top of one another and making an X stitching across the center,  I will add them together with the seams side up and then wash it all so things fray.  It may not work – but I don’t know until I try.

Hope you are enjoying longer sun light days.

Keep Creating.

Carol

 

 

 

 

 

100 day Challenge, Lap Quilts, Trees, Vernal Equinox

Spring

Hello,

Friday will be the  Vernal Equinox and the first day of spring.   I am glad to see the sun for more of my day.     This week has been a quiet one.  On Monday I went to the Schweinfurth and helped take down the  Rainbow show.   I really like this collage for that show.

 

 

 

I always enjoy seeing what the children are doing as well as the older adults.  I had to share this Medusa as I  have done many drawings myself of this subject.  This work is by a high school student.

 

 

 

 

 

The 100 Day change for SAQA is still going forward too.   Only 23 day remain on that project.    I am building elaborate flowers  using some of the embellishment techniques from the first 50 days .

Progress Report Natural Crystals   I am to the quilting stage on this project now.  I decided to make my quilt design the same as the block pattern only enlarged to fill the whole surface.

 

Lap 8/26   This work is in the quilting stage too.    I am ready to fill in the big shapes now.

 

 

 

 

Organic Organisms   This is the newest of the to be stretched handwork pieces.  I had so much pink and purple stuff pulled for  Leaf Litter that I did not use that I decided to keep going with the same color family on this new one.

Tree Blocks  The crown is the only part done with this newest tree block.  I plan to built the stump and branches soon.

 

I hope the longer days bring us more warmth.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

 

100 day Challenge, Fabric Collage Constructions, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Hand work, Natural Elements, Trees

Spring Feelings

Hello,

It has been warm here for several days.  I notice the longer days light and I am adjusting to daylight savings time.  I went to   Ithaca with Sharon  last Friday to shop for new fabric.    Great fun  and I  only purchased some fabric for my Alexis project and back grounds.   Yesterday I was out for the FAD meeting.

I continue to work on the 100 Day SAQA projects.  I finished #2 on Friday.    I did more exploration of the fancy machine stitches here and added buttons for more embellishment.

 

 

 

Then on Sunday I started the third project made with Angela’s fabrics as my base.

I am doing fancy thread and such embellishments on this one.   I put in an hour a day on this project so I can work on other things  too.

Progress Report: Leaf Litter  This work is 24″ X 18″.    The leaves are ones I dyed in Pat Pauly’s class in the fall.

 

I  enjoyed working with Angelina and felted cut offs to fill in more on  this work.

 

 

 

Lap 7-26   This work is almost completed.  I only need to finish the binding along the bottom, so I am calling it done for this week.    All the print fabrics are from a bag full of fabrics that my friend Linda passed to me.   I made a person assignment to do several lap quilts with her fabrics as starts.

 

 

Lap 8-26   This project also started with Linda’s fabrics.   All the prints are hers.

 

 

 

 

 

Tree Series- Night Tree block This block is all but done too.  I know I have a  pearl moon that I want to add to the sky and I know I will do so when I find it again.

 

 

Natural Crystals   This is the third work using the crystal blocks.  Each block is a different layout of the fabrics, but all are facing the same direction.    It is ready for quilting, but  I have no idea of what I want to do for that yet.  Ponder time.

 

 

 

 

New Handwork   I had pulled a lot of pinks and purples for Leaf Litter, so I used them as my start for this work instead of putting them away.

Easter Pins  I went off  on a bit of a tangent on Monday and played with attaching scraps to paper with the machine.  The I cut the project into eggs and added pompoms as tails .  I will pass them out to friends

I hope  you too are enjoying the crazy weather shifts of spring.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

100 day Challenge

Catch Up

Hello,

The computer crashed in early January.     Then it took three weeks for us to get a new machine  and even now everything is a bit out of whack- but every day things are improving.   It has taken me a long time to get to where I can get back to this point.      I am a bit frustrated and I will try to go forward from this point.

I continue to do the FLFA 100 day challenge and we are now on Day 65.   I  finished all the exercises except for the ones with melting plastics that I  did not want to do indoors.  The are all in a book form now.  As  of today fifty,  I am doing small projects applying some of the embellishment techniques to some fabric pieces that my friend Angela pass on to me.

 

 

This morning I added fancy machine stitches to a  fabric collage .

 

 

 

There was a FLFA meeting in early Feb and folks had  beautiful work to share.   Bev has finished her silk applique beautiful sampler.

 

 

 

 

Julia shared this colorful work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next is a work from Jean G were she cut up an old piece and repurposed it.

 

 

 

 

 

Sharon showed off her newest work.

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria is doing a bit of rework too.  This piece has become much more complex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pat had this  new piece to share with us.

 

 

 

Susan is playing with paper paint and stitches.

 

 

 

 

Joyce is really exploring form with her basketry.  I really like this work.

 

 

 

 

 

Susan, Victoria and I spent a day playing with Angela and making more felted works.

 

 

 

Progress Report: Sea Circus     33″ X 62 ” this work used some different techniques from the 100m day challenge.   The blue white circle corals are a free motion technique mixed with tissue paper under neigh.   

The star fish are free motion on top of threads from Nancy and Marty.

 

 

 

 

 Deep Blue    this work is 13.5″ X 23.5 ” .     It was built onto of and old work that I did for the rock series.

 

 

 

 

 

I am using pompoms, buttons and beads for some of the textures.

 

 

   

 

Crystal Blocks – Pink   I did all the blocks the same in this project and just rotated their positions here.

As one can see I added a bit of hand work in this as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Black Capped Chickadees    This work is 21″ X 15″.   I did thread painting for the birds on this one.    They ae also stuff a bit form the back.

 

The berries are wrapped buttons so they are all teh same size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tree Blocks   I continue to work on   these blocks and I an enjoying the process.    I started a nigh seen   yesterday.

 

Things continue to move forward and I am just very happy that I got back to being able to post  again.

 

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

100 day Challenge, Broken Blocks, Hand work, Trees

New Beginnings

Hello and Happy New Year,

I enjoyed the holidays, but now I am into the new things this year requires.    Last Saturday was the first full moon of the year- a Wolf Moon.

I was busy over the last three weeks and I did finish up the muffler I was crocheting.  I have worn it with all my shoveling of late.  The double quilt is done and I am working on a second with that broken block.  The Tree project is going forward nicely and I am on day 8 of the SAQA 100 day challenge.    My job for yesterday was to go and pick up my work form the QAQ show at the Schweinfurth.  I also dropped of the entries for Sharon, Marty and myself for the Both Ends of the Rainbow Show.   Then I stopped at Bett Library and dropped off three works for their Cabin Fever Quilt show that opens in Feb.      So on to the progress report.

Progress Report: Polk Berries    This quilt is 29″ w X 41.5″ l.   I finished it just after I posted last in December.   The base squares are my Broken Block pattern.  I really like how they work.

The berries are made from ribbon my friend Marilyn gave me in the spring.    I really like how it came out.

 

 

 

 

 

Graffiti      This is actually a shot of the back of this quilt .   The front is done of course and it is made  with the broken block pattern that I created a last year.   I finished this yesterday and will based and quilt it next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jetsam   I can not let this technique go, especially when the Joyous Embroidery class is starting a send run.  This shot is about one third of the work.

 

 

Tree Project   This tree square was completed just before Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 I was so inspired I moved right along to do a second Christmas tree with more jeweled beads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I moved on to doing a bare tree that I finished just yesterday.     I want to try a more abstract applique tree next.

 

 

 

 

 

Pink Crystals    I am quilting this project now and will finish this week I hope.   This is my second attempt at this block .    I still have a lot to learn here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAQA 100 days   This year for this challenge I decided to do all the suggested projects in the  “Fabric Embellishing  The Basics and Beyond ” book.   I purchased the book in 2010 and never really focused on it so here goes.    I am on day  8 and so far I am only building backgrounds as the  book suggests.

 

It has been enjoyable to review process like fabric weaving  and crazy quilt squares as starters.  A new one for me is fabric scrunching.   That process involves wetting the fabric and twisting it and allowing it do dry that way.   I am still waiting for it to dry out so I can unwrap it .

 

I am feeling happy about next year and hope you are as well.

Keep Creating

Carol

100 day Challenge, Baby Quilts, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Re Work, Stretched Works

Quilt Show

Hello,

I went along with Liz and Cheri to see the Genesee Valley Quilt Fest on Saturday.     The company was wonderful and the show a good one.   I am always glad to see that quilting is thriving.   I septically enjoyed the section of the show that was SAQA work.   I got some new ideas from those works.

 

 

And Yes, I did shop and purchased some fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheri and I went to Ellen Blaylock’s lecture too.I have always enjoyed her work and I loved the two Medusa quilts that she shared with us.    This quilt is  what Ellen calls Medusa’s daughter.  It was a fun and stimulating day for me.

The Pixies and  FAB also meant this week .

My big news is Sharon’s proposal for a show was accepted and we spent a day looking at the space and talking about what we want to do for that show.

Progress Report: Shore Line Washup  This work is 21″ X  24″.   It is my latest in the works from my Joyous Embroidery  class.     I read about using Tyvek  by painting on it and then applying heat to get distortions. I  got carried away with the paint and it was too thick so it did not melt too much.   I will try again and  be more careful with the application.    I added old belt buckles , wooden beads, and yarns on top of  one of my old rock pieces then stitched it down.   This work also got some glass  beads from Cheri added to the surface .   This work  is on stretcher bars.

 

 

 Lap 5    I completed this work this week and I am pleased with the results.   It is made up of leftover blocks from the 100 day challenge.

The quilting is liner in the same fashion as the blocks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 6     I put together this piece from   more  leftover blocks .    I need to pin basted it for quilting now.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 7  One more lap quilt  top that I put together on Monday and Tuesday.   It is pin basted from quilting and I plan to tackle it tomorrow.

 

 

 

Lap 8   I pulled these fabrics for the next lap quilt.   The print at the top is a photo print fabric that I purchased on line last winter.  I love the look, but I am having a difficult time descending how to use it.  It is almost too busy for me.

 

 

 

New Work  I decided to make a neutral background in nine patch for a little challenge that Sharon presented.

 

 

 

 

Shibui    I did these at Angela’s two week ago.   They were in the wash last week when I wrote.   I wish they were a little bit richer, but then we were  playing with lots of unknowns.

 

 

 

 

Asha’s Quilt  I am nearing the end of the precut blocks that my friend Ethel made.   I contacted her daughter and asked if she wanted one.  She suggested I make a baby quilt for Ethel’s great great Granddaughter Asha.   That is what this top will become soon.

The garden is calling at this time of year too so I  have less to to apply to quilt work.     I enjoy both processes.

Stay playful.

Carol

 

100 day Challenge, Diva Meetings, Experiments, Flag Challenge, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Swoop

May Days

Hello,

We are enjoying spring here and every day there are more leaves on the trees.  Lots of flowers too.  I really enjoy all the daily changes in the world.

 

 

 

It has been a busy week for me.  There was the usual Pixie  zoom.  Susan gave us a challenge last week .  It was to make some flags.   I did two  and now I only need to add  sleeves and some weight to the bottom so they hang strait.   I will sew on buttons  along the bottom  to do that job .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Diva’s meant on Tue and there were lots of goodies to look at the meeting.

Alice had several more of her bottoms series to share.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barb is working hard on her stuff too.  She is having trouble with her shoulder so  she will have to hold off  when the surgery happens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheri is doing a bit of Collage and this is one of three musicians  she did.    I like them all.

 

 

I did do modules 2 for my Naturally Inspired class so now I have a big collections of images and natural elements to work from.

Progress Report:  Swoop    This quilt is 34″ X 45″.     I am happy with how very flat this quilt is.

 I can see that all the pressing  and the intense quilting  really dose help.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 2  This quilt used lots of bits from my 100 days prints from last year.      They are mostly consumed now .

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 3    This is an old top that just did not do what I was hopping for so I cut it down a bit and quilted it into a lap work.  I only have about a foot of work to do on the binding   to finish at this point.   It will keep someone warm.

 

 

 

 

 Lap 4  This lap quilt is made form leftovers from this years 100 day projects.   It is pin basted and I hope to get to  the quilting this week.

 

 

 

 

Lap 5   This quilt is a  made from remainder blocks form Swoop.  It too is a lap project that I have just started to quilt.

 

 

 

 

  Tyvek Project.   I took a little time out to paint some tyvek yesterday to make some new texture material to work with I wat to explore some more of the ideas  that I keep reading about.

I hope spring energy is filling your efforts too.

Keep Creating,

Carol

 

 

100 day Challenge, Drawing, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Finger Lakes Fiber Artists, Pixies Group

Home Again

Hello,

  I am back from my travels and set to stay home for a while.  I did have a good time and the Glass Flowers at the Harvard Museum were amazing.    So many and only about 25% of the collection is on display.   I just could not look enough.   Taking in all that new imagery was  exhausting to me.   I am sure some new work will come out of that experience.

Before I went away I had some adventures too. I went with Victoria and Liz to Angela’s for a bit of creative play afternoon.   We were   adding surface treatments  to our handwork.  Angela had the plaster all mixed up for us as well as the softened paper clay.      Victoria had a difficult time  deciding what pieces to alter.

 

Liz did too.       It was a fun thing to work with and I added color on top of the plaster with my piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are some of my pieces before the add on treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

Angela had been doing more felting sense out last visit and she sharded her new felted vase with us.   I really like the gradation of color her here.

 

 

 

We also had a FLFA meeting on the Saturday before departure.

This is the work Sharon had done to add to the project from the retreat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pat had a lot of new work.  This is her most recent.

 

 

Anne has finished putting together her Robin quilt  top from her class at QBL last summer.

 

 

 

 

 

Linda, our newest member, show off her finished migration piece.

 

 

Maureen is still doing handwork on this powerful piece.  It is  nearing completion she says.

 

 

 

 

Liz has pulled  out some of her older work and is ready to begin to finish this one now.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a shot of Liz wearing Pat’s spring coat that she made for a fashion show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a FAD meeting on Monday this week and Sharon had a new mini land scape to share.

 

 

The Pixies meant as usual and we are going to do portraits for the next assignment.

 

 

 

My husband and I walked to Syracuse University on Wed and went to the art gallery there.  I was wowed  by this bit of  work that mixed thread with leaves.    There were 24 leaves surrounded  by thread  and suspended  in a frame like a table top. ( yes, those are my toes on the floor below the work.

 

 

We also walked around  the little lake in Berry  Park this week.    Spring is sure here  in our part of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  B4  This is the last block I made for the SAQA 100 day  Challenge.     I am delighted to say  that I got it done before the trip.   It is 32″ X 50″.   I really learned a lot building this block with the change in curves in the center strips.

 

 

I also  had  very  good  time  with  the  quilting on this one.

 

There are enough blocks remaining for another small piece.  The challenge is over now, but I will put all the left overs into pieces.

Art 2    This work is 34″ w X 52.5″ t.   It is made from extra blocks from Art Blocks  the third of the SAQA Challenge. 

 

Doing the challenge was a good thing for me and I hope to apply the ideas from it to my future work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BV 2  This too is a second project that is a result of the SAQA Challenge.   It is created from leftover blocks from the BV Block.  This block was designed with my good friend Barbara Vural in mind. 

 

Again there are blocks remaining for another small project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing  The glass flowers were inspiring and I did a bit of drawing from some of the close ups.  This is a close up of a Lilly.

 

 

 

 

 

Swoop   I stated this quilt top at the spring retreat.  I go a lesson in how to do curves from Liz and Linda.   I am very proud of how very flat this quilt top  is and  how the curves all lie down very nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Fragments Piece    This is my piece showing the fragments that I altered at Angela’s.    The plaster dose make it difficulot to add more stitching.    I did added color on top of some of the  units   to unifly the idea before I mounted them.   The units are a result of my interpretations of the assignments in   Finding Fragments class as a part of Art Take 2 .    I am now ready to begin a new  on line class called Naturally Inspired- also from Art Take 2.

I hope that spring is filling you days with new sights.

Keep Creating

Carol

I am attaching one last glass flower for your enjoyment.