Category Archives: Collage

Cold January

Hello,

It is cold here in upstate NY.   Were I live we did not get much snow, but a lot of wind.  There are lots of limbs down here.   Friday was a very nice day however and I made a trip to the Schweinfurth to deliver my Three Witches work for the Both Ends of the Rainbow show.   I also delivered the work to two other folks .   I made a stop at Artistic  Impressions and dropped off some work for her.   On the way home I delivered nine lap quilts to a nursing home.    Then last stop, was at the Bette Library were I left three quilts for their Cabin Fever Quilt show in Feb and March.  It was a busy day.

I went to Barbara’s opening on Sunday.  It was great and lots of folks were there.   She however was not and is still under the weather.     Hope she gets well soon.

The Pixies meant as usual and Robert had some wonderful images to share.

I continue to work on my Finding Fragments class work .    I have added stitch work to both of these collages and have ideas for more .

 

 

 

I started the SAQA 100 day challenge for this year on Monday.   I decided to challenge myself to make four new block design over the course of the time, putting in 25 days on each.  I  want to make the blocks in three sizes and mix and match them  in the final work.     Today is day 4 and I have six blocks arrange in this photo.   They are twice as long as they are wide so they can be arranged in may ways.

Progress Report:  Tidewater Pool  This project is nearly complete.  I only need to decide how I want to finish it- by binding or framing.    I am anxious to start the next too.

Ethel 2   All the rows are attached to the back now and I am ready to do the boarders that I cut yesterday.

 

 

Past Times   I have not quite got the lace stitched down for the second block for this project.  But i am moving along.

 

 

 

Joyce Project   I uncovered this project when I was deciding what work  I wanted to take to the Cabin Fever Quilt show.  I have decided to finish it for Joyce for her Birthday celebration later this spring.   This is her great grandmother’s  wedding travel dress and cape.    I am only appliqueing it down at this point.

Pillow   I finally got going on this long over do project to do another letter for the series.  It will become a pillow.

 

 

 

 

Valentines    Some Angelina came in the mail this week so I had to play with it.   I mixed it with roving and I made some raw material to cut up for Valentines this week.

 

I hope everyone is warm and well.

Carol

 

 

Moving Along

Hello,

I like this time of year as I seem to find things are clammer and I get a lot done.   I made it to the Pixie meeting this week and got back to the Finding Fragment class with Shelly Rhodes.

 

 

 

The lesson yesterday was about building a base of fabric and paper.   I collaged a bit and came up with five I liked.   I will keep up this work more carefully I hope.

 

 

I also decided to join the SAQA  100 Day Challenge again.   That starts on Monday the 15 and goes until April 24.   I decided to design four blocks and work on each one for 25 days.    I also decided to render each  the block  design in three sizes so I can mx and match them in my final work.     This is the the block( really a rectangle)  with the three variations.  This is a shot of the  cut up  block ready to trace onto the fabric .

Progress Report: Ethel 1   I finished this queen sized quilt this week and I am quite pleased with the results.  I think it will be the raffle quilt for our nationhood art trail in Aug.

 

 

 

Lap 1  I finished this on Friday last week and immediately  started a new one.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 2    Sense I decided to do the new SAQA  challenge, I thought I really Ott to use the prints I made for last years challenge in my lap quilts.   So I got this top done yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

Past Times ( formerly Age of Elegance)   This block is all stitched down now.   I like how the lace adds to the work.

Tidewater Pool  I am enjoying working on this piece as much as the first two.   I decided that the base was too big so I cut it in about half  and I started with this .

 

I have been working on it for about an our every day and this is were i am now.   This one has more found objects form the shore than the first two.

 

 

 

 

 

Branching Out    Last week this top was two tops that were related.  So I thought I would merry the two of them with vertical cuts and flipping of the images..   Well now I am not so sure that was a good idea , but the job is done.  I have decided to set it aside and perhaps in time I may see a future for it.

For Joyce  My friend Joyce just had her 90th birthday .  Because it is so close to Christmas she has decided to celebrate in May instead.  Several years ago she gave me this cape and dress that were her grandmothers.  I have decided to get the piece done for her celebration.

 

 

 

I hope that all is well and you are safe and happy .

Keep Creating

Carol

Quiet Time Continues

Hello,

I continue to find I have wonderful stretches of time to finish up the nesting I seem to find myself in at this point.  I spent three mornings this week pulling all the fabric off the shelves in my 12 foot closet and refolding and arranging them by color.   The closet is only four feet wide so I can’t show you  all, but I feel really good about getting that done.  I have lots more clear space on the  surfaces in the room now and I can find what I am looking for too.  Of course I uncovered  special stuff I wanted to work with and finish up.  So I have lots on new inspiration to move on.

 I did do the Textile Talk from SAQA this week and meant with the Pixies too.  I did a Praying Mantis for my  collage insect this week.

 

 

 

 

I also spent a day with my friend Marty, and two other gals came to visit as well.   Sharon borough along her newest piece.     I really like the feeling of depth she creates.

 

 

 

 

 Progress Report: Imagine  I finally decided on a title for this split complanate  piece.    And I have moved on to the quilting stage.

 

Scrap   I spent time making blocks of some of the squares I cut last week.   The progress is slow as I only work for an hour every time I work at it, but I find that system works for me.

Felt- Blue Sea    The sea weed got stitched down and the big fish got eyes  this  week.

 

 

 

 

  I made brain coral for this project this week.   The process is slow  but I like the effect.  I learned it years ago and it is from a process used on some hats in the past.  I will add a tutorial on the process.

I also tried to make some sea horses for this project using the roving and stitching process from my QBL class.    I like the results,  but the color does not work for me and they are all swimming in the wrong direction for this work.    So I have raw material for the next one.   I also did a star fish for the Joyous Embroidery class  and it will be a part of the new piece too.   The background is one of the fabrics that I painted for the  Embroidery class.

Basket   While I was doing all the sorting and such of the fabrics I found this silk kimono yarn and decided to make a basket to hold some of the raw materials for various projects.  I started yesterday and I like how it is going.   This is only  about half the base.

 

 New Lap  With the sorting I found lots of fabrics that I want to use as jumping off places for new lap quilts.   This is the stuff for the next one.

 

 

I hope the season is bring you new joys.

Carol

Beginning Fall

  Hello,

The moon was full last week and already it is waning to less then half- the time is flying.     Because I spent 32 years of my life teaching School and  fifteen years before that attending school, I always see Labor Day as the start of fall and new beginnings.    My life is full of everchanging patters as are most folks.

It has been a busy week for me starting with the opening of the Members’ show at the Schweinfurth last Friday evening.  It was glorious and full of the work of many friends.

The Quilt Divas were well represented with this work by Thresa  as a starter.

 

 

 

 

 

Mary presented one of her African pieces.

 

 

 

 

My old fellow art teacher, Carol, entered one of her metal sculptures.   I love the shadows here too.

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria  showed a wonderful new conglomerate sculptures .  She always dose such delicate work.

 

 

 

 

Liz was proud of her quilt too and was asked to explain  her process by  a passing visitor.

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a Diva meeting this week were Barb shared her hand dyed pieces from QBL.

 

 

 

Alice showed off her newest quilt too.

 

 

 

 

 

  I am at week three of  the Joyful Embroidery  Class.  We were introduced to the teachers favorite stitches this week.  Because I like to work big  I did two  a samplers along with the class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pixies also got together on Zoom this week.  They all survived the hurricane with mostly downed frons and small branches.  The storm  came a shore  north of them.   This is my newest collage with a Katydid as my insect.   We seem to be staying with the insect thee for a while longer.

Progress Report: Earth Works    I think I am done with this work, but I can’t decide what way is up so I can’t add a sleeve.   I did tap Sharon’s  brain as to how to get a good frayed edge on the piece, but I had already done the quilting so I could not use her method.  But it is good to know there is more than one way to do it.

The blue lines on top are adapted from the tangle of power cords on the floor of my class room at QBL.

 

 

  Ethel Scrap  I came across the box full of scraps that Ethel had started.  I think most of the strips she originally cut have be incorporated by now and I am working with mostly my own narrow units, but I have decided  to push forward and complete several more bed quilts with her stuff.    These are the  Mini squares  that I completed this week.

Felted project   I started working on the top layer of this project this week.  First I made some thread painted/roving fish in the method we explored in Amanda’s class at QBL.   ( the little blue ones at the bottom)  After cutting them out, I cut some bigger ones from some of the metallic fabric that Noel gave me.    I am so lucky to have such generous friends. Then I made the sea weed  from some metallic yarn in the stash.    It is ready for some stitch down and additions I think.

New Split Compliment    Marty kindly gave me the beautiful red yellow fabric I was looking for to start this last of the Split Compliment projects.   I though I would try some additional shapes with it too.  In the past I have used the precut curves as my start, but there were none of them among the colors I am using this time.

 

Linen Shirt     I am still working away on adding handwork to this shirt.  It  got lost and the time to wear it is almost over.   So I am pushing forward on the area around the neck.

 

Handwork   I listed to the SAQA lecture on Wed and worked on finishing up this bit of hand work at that time.

 

 

 

As the days grow shorter and the weather cools I am sure I will put in more time on my art.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

Enjoying Quiet

Hello,

I have been home and doing my own thing this week.    I seem to be getting ready for the seasonal change too and doing lots of house things.  Even got busy and washed windows this week.

 

My collage for this week is of Thornbugs.  I did have  a Pixie meeting on Wed and I am happy to say my Florida friends were   mostly south of  the hurricane and although Susan did evacuate, she suffered no real damage.

  I stated my  Joyous Embroidery class with Fleur Woods this week.    I will be starting my second project for that class this week end.

   

 

 

Progress Report: Lap # 14     I need to finish the binding on this project and move on.

 

 

 

 

I did enjoy using this fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

Earth Works    I have  added more layers on this project .    Now the cream will be the last one on top.    I do intend to add some lines as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Scrap work   I just keep building with these pieces and the scrap box gets smaller too.   This is four blocks of four.

 

 

 

 

 

 Pillows     I seem to be on a run with doing pillows and I finished up this one were I featured one of Percale’s perches.

 

 

Then I put together this black and white one yesterday.   It is made from the free motion machine drawing class stuff of two years ago at QBL.

 

 

 

Handwork   I uncovered this bit of handwork this week and put some time in on it.  It may turn into a pillow too.

 

Enjoy the changing weather and stay safe.

Carol

 

 

Fall in the air

Hello,

As the photo shows we are beginning to see signs of a seasonal change here in Central New York.     This week has been one of cool nights and pleasant days too.  I seem to being doing lots of cleaning of the nest in prep for the winter as well.  It has been a quiet one for me with only a Pixie meeting yesterday.

I did a second Dragonfly collage  as my insect study this week.

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Lap # 13   I had fun making this lap quilt as I had a good friend in mind as the recipient the whole time.

 

 

 

 

 

The silks that I used in it were from another friend too so it was a double joy..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rework project   I did this work for a gal last year.  She intended to frame it, but changed her mind so she brought it back and I added quilting and made it into a wall quilt.  I will add the sleve this eve and be done.

 

 

 

Earth Works  This quilt is moving along slowly as I must trace and cut each piece that builds on top so they fit.   I do like how it is growing though.  I am developing a labeling process along the way so I can keep adding layers.

 

Ethe Scrap This project got put away for a while and only resurfaced a few weeks ago.  I just keep assembling the scraps and making new squares.  This week I decided to start pairing the scarp squares with solids that will be used to build the blocks for this work.

 Felting   This project got pushed to the side for a while and resurfaced this week when I had more time.   I like how it is going too.

 

 

 

Raven Pillow    I did this needle point years ago and like so many things just got put away.   When It resurfaced I decided to make it into a pillow.   It got completed this week.

 Handwork  I am enjoying outlining  the printed images with this little project.   It sure is a “no think ” project.

Enjoy the changing season and

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

Moving Forward

  Hello,

The cone flowers are fading and  the Rose of Sharon’s and Black Eyed Susan’s are in their glory.   But I did spot these few leaves that are pointing toward the fast approaching fall.    I can’t believe we are in the middle of  Aug already.     It was a busy week for me  with a Finger Lakes Fiber Artist meeting on Sat.    It was very stimulating as usual.    I am always amazed at the wide creative expressions in that group.

 

 

Liz showed us her wonderful hand work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joyce shared several baskets and a doll she had created.

 

 

 

Deb had a Cubist style  set of portraits to share.

 

 

 

 

 

Susan has finished assembling the top she was working on at QBL.  It is a cut up and rework of an old project.

 

 

 

 

 

Joan is doing  wonderful painting mixed with great fabric collage quilting work here.

It was a great meeting.

I also had a Pixie meeting this week and we had a good talk.

 

Progress Report:  Lap # 12     This is the first quilt in a long time that does not have any of the fabric that printed for the 100 Day Challenge in it. 

 

 

 

 

 

I did use lots of stuff that I had altered though.

 

 

 

 

Reggie’s Quilt   At QBL, Reggie specialized in assembling  blocks that she had picked up over the years.   She gave me this top all put together and I  did the quilting.  I am working on the binding now and plan to add it to my lap quilt stash.   My granddaughter has agreed to take them to the nursing home were she worked for me to go to folks in the wheel chairs there.

Elizabeth’s paintings   When Marty and I went to Maine to visit Elizabeth Bush she gave us both some of her little canvas paintings.  “Use then as you please ,”she said.    I finally decided to turn them into cards to mail to folks.

 

 

College Insect – Praying Mantis    The pixie subject of Insects to Animals in still in effect  so I continued my study.  This collage is done with a ball point pen drawing on top.

 

 

Jeans   The work goes on with this project.  I thought I could use the machine drawn flowers that I had purchased from Amanda on the jeans, but their is not enough contrast.

 

 

 

 

 

 So I saved a blouse that had a big black spot on the front with the flowers and continue to add stitches to the legs.

 

 

 

 

 

Handwork Napkin   I worked on this while I listened to the SAQA lecture on Wed.  It was a good talk and I am finished with the handwork on this project

 

 

 

New Work I was fascinated by the bark on one of the trees at QBL  So I took a lot of photos.  The bark pulled away and split as the tree grew.     I though I could use that idea as a jumping off place for a quilt and so here goes.   First I pulled the fabrics I want to use.

 

 

 

Then I started cutting and pinning.   You will have to stay tuned to see were this goes.

Keep Creating

Carol

Art, Garden and Sustainability Trail

Hello,

Our neiborhood had its first be event on Sat.  The weather was beautiful and the day stayed cool.  I set up my booth  and my first action was a trade with a fellow crafter.  I got a beautiful piece of pottery and she got a quilt.

I had a very successful day I think as I sold 19 little works.

 

 

 

I had a FAD meeting yesterday  and we spent the whole time out of doors enjoying Patti’s garden and all the birds at her feeder.

 

 

 

 

 

I also had a Pixie meeting yesterday.    For that I had completed a Celtic R for Robert’s pillow.   All the pillows went into the mail yesterday too.

 

 

Progress Report: After Effects  I finished this 34″ w X 42″t piece yesterday. I stared this at QBL and  I added more trees after I got home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 11 I am almost done using fabrics that I printed for the SAQA 100 Day Challenge.

 

The big orange on tan are the prints I did for that project.

 

 

 

 

Pillow.     This pillow got completed this week.  It too is a whole cloth print I did on the 100 Day Challenge.

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 12  I stated a new lap quilt as soon as I moved to the quilting step this week.

 

 

 

Collage – insect  The Pixies have an assignment for the month of Aug and it is to use Insects in your art.  I did my first collage in a few weeks and I drew my insect on top.

 

 

 

 

Handwork    Amada suggested in class that we apply some hand work to the surfaces we created.  I did start this the last day of class. I think the handwork is done now.  I think I will apply it to a surface to feature it on a bag or something.

 

 

Jeans   I also purchased some of Amanda McCarvour’s   machine drawn flowers  and decided to apply them to a pair of my favorite jeans that are starting to show wear.  I have added some blue jean patches too.

 

Summer Time

 Hello,

 

It is full summer time here.    I enjoyed Fireworks along with my friends  and was out doors a lot this week.   I went to the Towpath quilt show on Sat and  enjoyed the work of many hands.

 

I got to see Noel’s  pieces for the group challenge.  Participants got a line from The Night Before Christmas” to illustrate.     I think she did a great job.

 

 

 

 

  There was lots of wonderful work.  I was fascinated by this quilt where  the artists had added ink tense color to her embordered work.   It was a great show and there were lots of good pieces.

 

 

 

I also had a pixie meeting this week.  We are challenging  ourselves to use letter or text in our work this month.   I did join the SAQA Strolling Along  45 day Challenge on July 1 too.  I am using Prepared as my first emphasis.

Progress Report: Prepared   This is the 5th in the Split Compliment series.   It is all assembled and ready for quilting at this point.

 

 

 

Collage    I did my collage work this week as usual.   This is were I did my Letters for the Pixie challenge with this orange work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did add some drawing with this second collage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Beach   I have decided that this work is complete now.  I only need to add a sleeve and labels  and it is done.

 

 

 

 

 

Scrap Happy    Our nationhood is having a Art and Garden show in early Augusts and I told them a few month ago I would donate a quilt for them to raffle off.  I had forgotten about that commitment until I saw the advertisement.   it has taken a bit of a effort, but the blocks got assembled and put into rows this week.  I will make a back and put the work together this week as I want to have it done before QBL on the 16 of July.

New Work  Sense I can see the end of a the Prepared work, I pulled some more of the printed fabric from the SAQA 100 day challenge pile and that was the starting point for the colors  for this project.

Enjoy the summer.

Carol

 

 

 

Home from Maine

Hello,

I had a great time in Maine visiting with old friends.     This is a shot of the view from our lunch table on the first day of summer.    Elizabeth was a great hostess and both Marty and I enjoyed talking old times with her.

She generously gave me a quilt to take to QBL to sell to raise funds for the Scholarship Fund.    It is a real beauty I think.     We also had lunch with an old friend in Portland on our way home.  The final stop of the trip was at The Clark museum to view the Edvard Munch show there.  It was great!   It was a show of his landscapes and most of the work was new to me.  We spent two and a half hours in the exbibit.   We then went off to look at the perinate show.  We walked in and then looked at each other and declared we were visually “full”.     So we got in the car and drove west.  We talked of the show on the way home and I am so glad we had a chance to view it.

I had a Pixie meeting and a FAD meeting this week too.  It has been a busy two weeks for me.

Progress Report:   Conflict     The work is 43″ w X  32″ t.     This  work is finally complete.  I struggled with the orientation of this work.    With the help of my FAD friends I finally settled on what you see here. It is not the way I constructed the quilt, but I too like this direction.

 

 

 

 

Hands All Around This work is 60.5″ w X 38″t.   I am delighted with how this work finally  came out.   I ended up quilting only the negative spaces of white in a reflective manner. I am thankful for the use of many of my quilting friends hands to do this work.        I am off to get a professional shots of it on Sat.

 

 

 

 

Lap quilt #10    I also managed to put together this new lap quilt in the last two weeks.   I am building a steady pile of them to pass forward in the fall.   I still have a few pieces of fabric that I printed for the 100 Day Challenge to use  so there will be a few more in the future.

 

 

Collages    I did my play with paper on Tue this week.   These pieces are more exploring  with silhouetted figures.  I also attached some of the paper with the sewing machine for extra texture here.

 

 

 

Sense I am working on my own without instruction I am really free to do what I want in this area.

 

 

 

 

Scrap Work   When I helped  empte Ethel Whittemore’s studio, ten years ago, I brought home a big box of pre made squares and many strips  that were one to three inches  wide that she had cut and not used.   I have already created five queen sized quilts from that box .  Earlier this season I pulled the box out and I am now putting forth and effort to assemble all that remains in the box.   I may be at it a few more weeks , but I can see the bottom now.

Felting   I did put in a little work on this project this week.  I am now sorry that it is so large, but I will keep working away.

 

 

 

 

 Blue Beach  I am feeling like I am nearing the end of this project.   As I see it now only a few more hours remain here.

 

 

 

 

New work   This is the next work in the split compliment series.   I also added a second challenge to myself by trying to use as may of   Liz’s the precut arches and curves  as possible.    I am enjoying the process.

 

 

I hope all my readers enjoy the 4th in ways they see fit.

Carol