Category Archives: Experiments

Experiments, Felt Work, Finger Lakes Fiber Artists, Lap Quilts, Scrap Happy Quilts

Summer Worming

Hello,

Sorry this is a bit late, but my week has been full of events- not all quilt related.   Yesterday, the Sisterhood of the Scissors meant at the Rochester Memorial Museum to view their annual show .   This metal fish  from   that show. really caught my eye.

 

I also loved this wonderful pen and ink drawing.

 

 

 

 

This painted piece was  one of the ones of my favorites.   So much color and so beautifully done.

 

 

 

 

 

In the section of the museum of” works out of storage”- I came across this work.       It is made from spools.   The artist provided viewers that made the images right side up too.

 

 

 

Ann showed off her newest vest at our meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier in the week I went to the Finger Lakes Fiber Artist meeting.    There were eleven  gals present.     This work is by Linda and is 12″ X 12″.

 

 

 

 

 

Deb is working on flowers .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joyce is still playing with her new love – branch weaving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joan is working big and pushing herself in new directions.

 

 

 

Jean M did some rework of her project from the last meeting.  This final result is great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jean G reworked  her tree piece too.    The rotting tree trunk is much more distinguishable  now.

It was a good meeting and we all seemed to have a good time.

 

 

 

 

I learned that my daughter is using her  scrap happy quilt as part of her camping gear.    What a nice complement.

 

 

  Progress Report: Experimental Challenge # 2 This is my solution to the challenge that we are doing at Marcia’s.   It is 12″ X 12′”.   Two more works to do in this challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 16-25    This work is pin based and all ready for quilting.    I enjoyed using more fabrics from Pat’s class on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 17- 25   I have only laid out the big block centers for this next lap quilt.

 

 

 

Shore Line   I just keep working away on this project.   It is building up nicely.

 

 

 

 

Blue Blossoms    This is a close up of one of the dragonflies  on this work.     I am mixing felt work with embroidery here and like the effects. I am pleased with how it is coming along too.

The other thing that has take up my time is my, is my planning and packing for my two week at Quilting by the Lake.     I have Independent Studio  week one.  That requires a lot of time and thinking on my part as to jut what I want to do and I am not quite certain.   Secondly the class I wanted to take is not going as the teacher is ill.  There for I got to choose an alternative and I selected Express Your True Self with Sheila Frampton-Cooper.   That meant that I had to put aside all the things I had collected for my chosen class and pull out a new batch of materials.   I am sure I will enjoy this one even thought it is not what I was anticipating.    I will report on all of it after it is over in Aug.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

 

Experiments, Felt Work, Hand work, Lap Quilts, People, Plants, Re Work, Scrap Happy Quilts

Holiday week

Hello,

I hope all enjoyed the 4th in their own way.  We went to dinner and fireworks with friend’s.     It was a cool and beautiful evening.

Not a lot going on this week but work in the studio.

Progress Report: Lap 15-25   I am all but done with this project.  I only need to finish the binding on the side and bottom.  This is a successful use of some of the fabric from Pat’s dye class from last month.    I am glad I can use it in this fashion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robin Pillow   I finished this project this week.  Not really sure were I will put it as the couch does not need any new ones, but I am sure it will find a home.

 

Scarp Happy 2-25   I made this quilt for my own bed and I am sure I will enjoy it this winter.   The old one is getting a bit thin.

Lap 16-25   This project was made with fabric that I purchased on the Canada Trip.   It was fun to use mostly material that someone else selected for a change.   I will mix the remainder with my own selections next time.

 

 

 

Lap 17-25   I pulled these fabrics for the next lap quilt. Again I am trying to mix my prints with commercial  stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shore Line   I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to these high textural pieces.   This one has plastic fruit bags and silk paper on it too.   Only a few buttons and such so far.

 

Blue Blossoms   While I had a the felter out,  I made some flower forms too.   I am ready for some handwork on this one I think.

 

 

Experiment    At the family picknick we had lots of soda and that  lead to several of those plastic carrying units.  I just could not seem to toss them aside, so I did a little play them as the starting  unit. I crouched with two strands of yarn in a free motion form around  them.   They are interesting- but not sure what to do next…    Got to live with them for a while I guess.

Enjoy summer  and  Keep playing

Carol

 

Experiments, Felt Work, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Re Work, SAQA, Uncategorized

Canada Trip

Hello,

  I am posting today because I will be off to Mill Sight Lake tomorrow.

The trip to Quilt Canada was wonderful.  There were so many inspirating works I hardly know where to start .  I am glad we had two days to absorb all the pieces.

 

 

This three part work won best of show.    It sure is a subject that is close to my heart.

There was lots of work with wool this time.   I really liked this sampler with the use of rick rack  as the edging of the circles  was also a nice touch.

 

 

One could also see the Modern Quilters influence.   There were several pieces like this in the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This work was so quiet among all  the bright colors that many just walked past it.

 

 

 

I was impressed by this work because it is all machine drawn.   I can’t imagine how many hours it represents.

 

 

There was also a limited fabric challenge  show .    A pink print, cream print and a black print were the required pieces one had to use.   This one is specular.

 

 

 

 

I found this work to be inspiring as well.   So many layers of depth here.   I am sure lots of careful planning went into it.

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a SAQA show and I found it very inspiring as well.    This work used paper as a base with organza as color on top.   It is a quilt as it is three layers.

 

 

 

 

 

The SAQA exabit had a 3-D part too.   Wool and corduroy were used in the stump part .

 

 

 

 

This work was called Save Our Wetlands .   The turtles were stamped blocks and  the quilting was the words of the title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   I did go to  Sue Sherman’s Lecture Activist Art: Let Fiber Art Do the Talking.       She had beautiful work and the strong  point that I took away from  it was try to do it with humor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liz  came prepared for rain, but we did not need it.    I am very glad I went and I am inspired with new ideas to explore.

 

 

 

Monday was our day to meeting at Marcia’s.  We did share our first solutions to the Experimental Challenge, but I did not take any photos of that.    Liz worked on her little houses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nancy shred a pieces that she   purchased and did some repair work on .  Its a real beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

Jean has been dyeing with grapes and had some glorious fabric to show for that effort.

 

 

 

Progress Report: Distracted 

This quilt is 24″ X 42″ .   I enjoyed working on Spot on so much I just kept playing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pat’s Posies- Lap 13-25   This lap quilt came out of my first attempt at using the fabric I made in Pat’s dyeing class.  It is difficult to use with print fabric as it is so strong.     I mixed it with some old fabric from my fist class with Pat about 15 years ago and solids.

 

 

 

Lap 14-25      This one is all pin based and ready for quilting now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Re Work     I was working with textures here and mixed painted and melted Tyvek,  roving and beading for this piece.

 

 

 

Scrap Happy 2-25   I started to put the rows together on this  work this week.   I like the two center blocks, but they may get a little lost with all the prints.

 

 

 

 

New work     At the SAQA conference, one of the lectures encouraged us to look closely at the world and use that as a starting place.  I took a photo of a Sousaphone  at the Ringling Museum, and  I used that as my jumping off place for this one.  The fabrics are mostly form ones I purchased at the Canada Show.   Lots of work to do here.

 

Experimental  Challenge #2   After the meeting at Marcia’s I felt inspired to move on the next piece of the challenge.  So I picked up the second base I had made and felted roving mixed with Angelina on top.

 

 

Necklace Squares   I wanted some handwork for the seven  hour bus trip so I cut squares of various sizes from 2.5″ to 5″ and folded them as was suggested in the article  in  Quilting Arts .   I have lots of squares to fold and stitch, but I’m started.

 

 

 

Alpha Lapis Galaxy   Having the Feltre out, I thought I might try adding organza to the surface of this work.  I am happy with this, but I can see that practice will give me better control next time.

It’s been a busy two weeks and I enjoyed it.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

Collage, Experiments, Pixies Group, Re Work, Scrap Happy Quilts, Stretched Works

Cold

 Hello,

We are really feeling winter in Up State New York at the moment.      Got  8 inches of new snow this morning on top of the 16 from the day before.    Temp is 22 degrees with a wind that makes it feel like 7 degrees.  It  melted one day and then it was back to cold.  I know it is much easier to deal with than the fires in CA  so I am thankful.   Sorry for the folks who have lost so much!

It has been a full week for me.  On Monday I spent the day at the Schweinfurth helping take down the   the QAQ show along with Barb, Donna  and .    It took  three of us to take down many of the big quilts like this one.

Then on Tuesday I helped judge the Scholastic Art program.   I did  Animation and Film as I have done in past years.   It is always fun to see what the kids are trying out.      I had a Pixie Meeting and listed to  the Friends of Fiber lecture on Wed.

 

I keep working away on my Making Connections  class.    I made these two little sketchbooks to use in class  and I did some drawing as well.   I am just completed the third section in Module 2.

 

Progress Report: Scrap Happy   I completed the second quilt that I started at the Sisterhood Retreat in the fall.     I have no plans for this project, but I am sure the opportunity will appear.

My Year    I am done with this quilt now, but it is too large to pin out flat in my studio so I will have to wait until later to take a good shot of it.

 

 

Purple Jacket   This project is done now.   I made the mistake of not trying it on until this point – and it is too small for me.    I hope I can find someone to pass it onto.

 

 

 Autumn Tide Pool  I have finally completed this project.      It too is a rework of one of my projects from the stone series I did years ago.   I added some polished stone disks that my friend Carol A gave to me years ago.

  I really like all the different textures in this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 Poinsettia    I made a bit of a self challenge .  That is to experiment a bit more.    In an old copy of “Quilting Arts Magazine”,  there was a n article about using  Caran D’ache wax pastels as a drawing tool to add color to a surface.  Then one was to  apply water with a brush to the work to create a water color effect.   I tried it this week.    I then ironed the works to set the color and did free motion drawing on top.    I am nearly done with this project and enjoying the play .  It is stretch on some old stretcher bars.

Collages    I am still being faithful to the idea of doing two colleges every week.      This one is called Irises, and I used some to the Sharpie markers that Laura gave me for Christmas a few year ago to  add more definition to the piece.

 

 

This  second one  is drawn from a photo that I took in CA while we  were waiting for the though truck.

 

 

 

 

 

Pillow & Pincushion  I finished stuffing the pillow and pincushion this week.  The fabric in the pincushion came  form my trip to Australia with my daughter five years ago.

Envelopes    It is January and I took down the calendars for 2024.   The images are so beautiful I like to make them into envelopes to send  letters in.    All are cut out  and half of them are folded.     I am in the middle of the process and will add a white sticker to write the add on each one  next.    It’s my little bit of recycling.

I hope you are safe and warm,

Keep Creating.

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, Collage, Experiments, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Re Work

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

Childhood Memories, Drawing, Experiments, Finger Lakes Fiber Artists, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Nine Play, Pixies Group, Re Work, Tide Pools

Winter Solstice

  Hello,

We have reached the end of the earth’s elliptical trip around the sun for one more time.   It is a tine for the return of light here in the norther hemisphere. The long winter nights will now begin to shorten once again.    I also see it as a time to begin reflecting on the events of the last year and star thinking about what I want to do differently in 2024.

This last week included a FLFA meeting for me.  I do enjoy seeing that creative group of gals and the work they do.      This work is by  Julia.  I feel she is really beginning to “speak ” with her own voice.

 

 

 

Bev is doing some wonderful silk work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pat is working away too.

She is really a printing crazy lady.

 

The Pixies also meant this week and everyone is busy and happily preparing for  the holidays.

Progress Report: Spores    This work is 18″w X 32″l.   It is another work that came out of the Joyous Embroidery class.   I made the tubes and stuff them with thick yarn and then couched them down.  The pompoms were another suggestion from Flur.

The painted parts in the  background is my own too,

 

 

 

 

Split  This work is 53.25″ w X  58″ l.    I started this work at the Sisterhood Retreat last month.   I put it through the wash to encourage more fraying of the torn and raw edges.

I really like texture and the feeling of depth they layers create.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap #21  I am to the stitch in the ditch quilting step now.  It’s about half done.

 

 

 

Scrap backs  I am working on building backs for the Ethel Blocks now.  I think one of the units is nearly big enough to start layering the first quilt together.

 

 

 

 

New Nine   I am starting a new quilt that is  a broken nine patch design.   This is in the early stages and even not all the blocks are built yet.

Or perhaps I should say broken at this point.

 

 

 

 

Linen Shirt   This  project only gets attention when there is no other hand work that needs doing.   That  happened this week so I put in time.    I am doing the flowers and French Knots on the shoulder area and across the back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tied Pool 2   I got a lot done on this new highly textured piece this week.   Starting with a old rock quilt as my base  others makes it easy and fun for me too.   Pompoms again and the frapped circles are some I made in the  Joyous Embroidery class as well.    She also encouraged us to use old bits of handwork that had no use any more.  The green lace  came from an old pillow case.   I painted it and used it in a seahorse  work this fall.   This little bit remained and I recall seeing a bit of sea weed in a tide pool when I visited Korine years ago.

 

 

Christmas Balls   I decided I wanted to decorate some new  balls for our tree this year.     At the RATS  ( Retired Art Teachers ) meeting a few weeks ago , Beth described what she was going to teach at the YMCA class and I took what I remembered and created these fun balls.    I made some as gifts too.

New Work   Last week I was working a project using a technique that was only described to me.   Well,  I think I did give it the college try- but it really is a disaster!    There are so many wrinkles and parts are not fitting together at all.   Not having the true instruction means I am flying blind.

 

 

  So I have decided to admit that I don’t get it and abandon the idea.  There are always mistakes very now and then.

 

 

 

Food Memory. 

Scramble

My Mom was a “stay at home Mom” until my brother, Gene went off to first grade. All that time she was always busy with one project of another . I remember her making and printing silk screen plant images on fabric that she made into kitchen curtains. She painted two big murals in the house in Carroll too. One was in the bathroom in the basement and a second was over the sink in the kitchen. For Christmas she was scenically busy. One yare she mad a little church out of sugar cubes and icing with a foil roof. That project was around for years. One of her seasonal traditions was to make Scramble. She would get out the blue speckled roasting pan from Thanksgiving and fill it with a mix of Rice Checks, Corn Checks, Wheat Checks, Cherrieos, mixed nuts and pretzels. She added some other ingredients and cooked it all in the oven, taking it out to stir occasionally. When it was done she put it into foil lined boxes and wrapped it as gifts to the neighbors. We al ways had some too. Her other seasonal cooking thing was to make chocolate fudge. There was always the candy thermometer and lots fussing with that project. I loved the smell of the house when she was doing that project, and the eating of it too.

Enjoy what the season brings your way.

Carol

 

 

Drawing, Experiments, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group

Busy Season

 Hello,

I am enjoying the season and I hope you are too.    The wreath that I was working on last week got finished and is hanging on the front door.    I missed my only zoom meeting with the Pixies this week because I was off at my granddaughter’s college graduation instead.    With the packages wrapped, cards all written and set  and with  all the decoration up , I can listen to Carols and enjoy the merriment all around me.       I have done a lot in the studio and enjoyed every min.

Progress Report: Hand Out This quilt is 38″ X 50 “.  It is made up of left overs from my previous hand studies.       I did lots of hand work one the negative areas of this work and I machine quilted inside the hands .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 20 I finished the binding on this protect last evening.  There are lots of old experiments in this project.    Printed blocks, painted blocks , and one were I experimented with markers too.     These project’s are a good place to try things our on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lap Quilt #21   This is the next top all assembled and ready for layering and quilting now.

 

 

 

 

 

Ethel Squares  I am working on creating backs from leftovers for this project.   The stack on the right is backs that I have started for the five quilts.

 

Spores     I work on this project  as my handwork while I watch the news at night so it goes forward slowly.

 

  Split  I am ready to add the textured cream units on top now.   .  Then I will begin to quilt it.

 

 

 

 

 

New Work    This project is again my attempt to apply what folks have told me about a new process.    I do enjoy trying out new things.

 

 

 

Pudding  

The years we lived in Columbus Junction I grew from six to eight. I loved the house that my folks and Grandfather Howard built there. Along the east wall of that dwelling was a long row of windows that faced east into a deep gully full of old trees. I enjoyed watching the seasons changes from our dinner table there. One of my favorite desserts was chocklet pudding that Mom would some times make. She served it in yellow Melmack bowls. There was a thick skin on the top of the pudding that I would carefully scoop into along one edge of the bowl to create a little arch that looked like a little head in a dark pudding bonnet. I would then add a bit of milk into that opening and joyously eat my dessert.

Enjoy what you can of this season.

Carol

Drawing, Experiments, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group

Weather Wonder

Hello,

The weather has been amazing here in central NY.   I helped with the park cleanup on Sat and was in my  tee shirt most of the time.   We pulled lots of grape vines out of the trees and trimmed out dead wood from around bushes.  Then on Sunday I went down to Buttermilk Falls and walked the rim trail with my grandson.    That was very tiring and I learned later that the climb along the river was equilivant to climbing 24 flights of stairs .  No wonder I got a little winded.   It was very enjoyable though.

I had two Zoom meetings this week.  The Pixies and the QuEGs.   Always good to catch up with folks and share.

The Joyous Embroidery class is going well too.    I did make paper clay bits to attach later to my Tide Pool work.   They are still too wet to paint, but tomorrow they may be ready for that step.

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Lap # 15    This quilt was completed on Monday and I sent it off to Mike yesterday.  I only had a strip 24″ long left over form this project.

 

 

 

 

Lap #16  After I had finished  my last lap quilt I got busy on a new one.  Only  need to  add in these last four  units  together and this top will be done too.

 

 

 

Basket  This project is all done and already function as a collection are for some smaller stuff.

 

 

Drawing  Susan has sent us off on another little challenge.  She is asking us to write a bit about a food memory and illustrate it.   I have vivid memories of Mom making popcorn on Sunday evenings that we ate while we watched TV.

 

 

 

Puppets I am making paper puppets as a part of center pieces for Social Art .  These figures are going to be put on sticks.  They represent the 9  animal symbols of the Tribes of the Onondaga Nation.  I have yet to draw the Eagle and then I will be done.

Nine Play In that between time of sleep and full wakefulness, I had an idea for a new quilt.  These are the colors I am going to play with.

 

 

 

 

Blue Sea  I made new seahorses and added them the to surface this week .  Now sure how I want to finish it so it is waiting.

Enjoy the fall.

Carol

Chickadee, Childhood Memories, Daily Practice, Experiments, Lap Quilts, Re Work, Scrap Happy Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors, Textile Artist Stitch Club

Looking

Hello,
I hope spring is knocking at everyone’s door.  Somewhere I read the line “ we live in an unending rain fall of images” and I can’t get that idea out of my head. It is so very true. This world is so full of visual stimulation! We have all learned to filter out lots of it however. I now set in my studio surrounded by, a lamp, a bookshelf full of boxes full of threads , baskets, jars and glue sticks.  There are cups of  pens, pencils and paint brushes marauds of other things, but due to my focus on writing this I really do not record any of those objects at this moment. How much else do me miss by our tunnel vision? Or is it just a learned self defense due to the over stimulation? I know that I approach my walks with an open mind and search out differences from day to day, but most of the time I just label what I see in my head and do not really look. There is a local grocery store that overwhelms my vision every time I visit. So many colors, shapes and textures that my self defense is to make a list and only purchase what is there. That is my intent when I go in but…..I still can not pass through the store in less than an hour as I always find something new that I did not see before and become distracted. It is a wild wonderful rainfall of ever changing images that we live in.

This week I had only two Zoom meetings and a visit from my daughter. Good to catch up on all fronts. Wendy came with some fabric that she wants me to turn into curtains.

I did make some new print blocks this week with fun foam and a wood burning tool that some one gave me.  I was in the 60’s out side so I took advantage of the temperatures and worked outside were the fumes would blow away from me.  I will print them tomorrow.

I continue to work away on the coral reef for the Textile Artist Stitch Club project. I think is is about a forth done now. I am enjoying the process although it is slow.

 

I did the final work on this stitch project from earlier.   I really like  how doing my hand work personalizes this type of project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress report- Black capped Chickadee This little 10″ X 10 “ piece is done now. I enjoyed working on it.

 

The leaves are commercial and from a friend.

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt #6 This work is 37″ X 47″ . I enjoyed playing with lots of commercial fabrics this time.

 

 

 

 

 

Three Sisters -Rework In all the quilting and re squaring such this work shrunk a bit. It is now 36″ X 36″. All the black out lining really does help I think.   This project is my response to the Sisterhood of the Scissors Picasso Challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scrap Happy I started a new one this week. I think it will go to my grand daughter as I have not made one for her in a long time.

 

 

Poppy Fields This whole cloth quilt is moving along slowly. I am getting really good at free motion circles though.

 

Daily Practice I am on my third piece of fabric for this project. It is going well.

 

 

 

New Work     I started a new pieces this week using nine different pieces of related fabric.    I wanted them all to be 20″ squares- but some of the fabric was not that large so I just added to the edges to make them that size.    I am now in the process of cutting the pieces and reassembling them.   This is pure play.

 

Childhood Memories- Summer School
Another big change that came at the end of eight grade was a summer change. We did not build a house or go spend the summer with the grandparents. Mom was working on her doctors degree and Dad was teaching summer school at Ball State. “We have to go to work and so do you.,” they said. So Gene and I both went to summer school at the lab school, Burris. WE were in school from 8 in the morning to noon. Gene was in the fifth grade class and I took typing and Industrial Arts. I did learn the location of the key and I don’t need to look at the key board when I type, but I never got any speed. For the last two hours I was in the industrial Arts class. I love the floor in that room as it was all made from 2X4″ that where set on end and all the little half circles were pointed up. I just thought that was cool. I started out the summer by working in the photo lab. I learned how to develop film and how to print my images. I also did a few mono contact prints. At the middle of the term I moved into the wood shop. There I got to use the lathe and I made three tapered candle sticks that Mom proudly displayed in our living room on the coffee table that sat by the front window.
The second summer, between Freshman and Jr. year I took Chemistry. It was a four hour class and we covered that same amount of material every day that was covered in a week during the regular school year. There was lots of homework for that class. It was also the first time in my life that I fainted. I recall getting a very warm feeling and my vision closing in from both sides. Then a blank and I sort of came too I was being carried down the stairs to the nurese office. I could feel the movement, and hear what was being said, but I could not open my eyes or talk. It was frightening. Mom came and picked me up from the nurses office and we went to see Dr Ball. No one came up with a real reason for the incident. Except to say they though it was heat and dehydration. The only other time in my life that I have fainted was when I was getting my wisdom teeth pulled at 21. I fainted in the chair and as a result I learned I was pregnant with Wendy.
The third year between Jr. And senior year I took Music appreciation and Art. Music was great fun as the class was very small, only 12 of us.The teacher taught us how to create our own little Mnemonic devises to recall the titles and composers of the works we needed to identify. It really helped and I can still recall some of them. I got to know one of the boys in the class well. Michel Sears and I went on a couple of dates too. He was a fascinating person as he was the first person I had ever come in contact with who was an orphan. He lived in the hospital dormitories with his older brother who was doing his internship at Ball Memorial Hospital. Michel was a real intellectual and he introduced me to Ann Rayn. I read Atlas Shrugged that summer and we had many conversations about that book. He and I were setting on the edge of the patio on sunny afternoon and playing chess when, after pointing to the grass and then the red squares on the board, he asked me. “ Are those both the same color?” He was color blind and that was a real shock to me. He carefully explained what he though he was seeing and I felt a bit sorry for him. Michel’s brother finished his internship in early October of my Senior year and they moved to Kansas. We wrote a few letters at first, but then lost interest or at least lost the connection. I wonder how his life turned out.

Stay safe and keep looking,

Carol