Category Archives: Hand work

Bog Log, Broken Blocks, Hand work, Landscapes, Lap Quilts

Camping 2

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Hello, I made a second trip up to Marcia’s Camp over the weekend. We had as good a time on this outing as before. Nancy joined us this time so there were five of us. Marcia’s big van held us all for our outings. She is a gracious hostess and a great guild.

Our first stop was a walk to a bog. It was not a long way and there were hundreds of mushrooms along the trail. I am really full of ideas about how to finish up my Fungus project now. But the trail was steep down to the bog with lots of roots. Going back up was much less fun, but we all made it.

The next stop was The View to see the Adirondacks Watercolor Show. Lots of beautiful works of art there.
We had a very good time.

Before I went to the Adirondacks, I took down my show at the Library. They were very kind, but it was still a bit of a let down.

I got home to learn that two of my works were accepted in the Quilts Unlimited Show at The View. Polk Berries and Canadian Wildfires will both be on display there. I am delighted. So I will be making another track to Old Forge in the near future.

Progress report: Sisterhood Challenge I can see the end of the handwork part of this project. I worked on it while I was at the zoom meeting for the Pixies this week. I am glad to stay connected with them. There are only three more stars to outline on the project.

Broken Blocks II I did the slice, shuffle and reassembly of the blocks for this project this week. The arrangement of the blocks after they are made takes as long as the creation step for me.

Blog Log Not only did I see lots of fungus on the bog walk, I found my title for the work. The foreground is mostly laid out as far as a base is concerned. I will add to it as I go of course and work on the background as well as decide on what I want in the background this week. I have lots of photos to inspire my work now.

Emily’s Project Now that I have all the greens I want to use in this work I can really move forward here. It is going along nicely I think.


Tree blocks Each little stitch moves this work forward. My being away meant it did not get much attention this week.

Enjoy the holiday this week and keep creating.
Carol

Broken Blocks, Collage, Experiments, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Machine Drawing, People

Quiet Summer Days

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Hello,
Things have slowed down this week with only one event. I only went to Dryden with Cheri to a postcard party. About 20 folks got together and made postcards. It was fun to make collage cards with others.

I did a little playing with candy foils too. Saw the idea in a book I was looking through and tried it. Fun, but I have no idea of what I want to do with them. For now I will put them in the embellishing idea book.

Progress Report: Self Study 28.5 X 33″. This is the project that I started in Luke Haines’s class at QBL in July. I will keep using his idea to cut details with an Exacto knife and using a glue stick to put pieces in place before stitching. The glued small pieces were easier to free motion around.

Lap Quilt 21/26 This is the newest one in my push to use up the strips made for other projects. The box is not full any more, but I think there are still two more of these types of quilts in there. I will give away eight this week to make space.


Sisterhood Challenge I am continuing to work on this project and it is moving forward. No rush here as it is not due until Oct.

Let’s Play Kathy gave me a guitar neck and I though it would make a great hanging bar so I am making a quilt to go with that idea. On revaluation this morning, I feel the body of the guitar is still too big, so I will cut it down before I go froward.

Broken Blocks II I purchased a charm pack when I went to the Vermont Quilt show and I decided to revisit the idea of cutting and reassembling units to create a work. Here are four of the 22 rectangle blocks.

Lichens This project is moving forward, be it slowly. I did felted the log this week and I am planning the ferns to go around it now. I do not seem to have a clear vision of where I am going here, but I will keep moving on.

Emily project I also put in a little time on machine drawing some of the characters for this project. A two inch block is not a lot of space to work with, so it is slow going for me. The pink will wash out of the image when it is done.

I hope summer is bringing you joy.
Keep Creating
Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts, Machine Drawing, People, QBL- Quilting By the Lake, Scrap Happy Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Working Away

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Hello,
I am feeling like things are really starting to go well now. Summer is in full swing and I am doing well. This week I went off to the Schweinfurth on Monday and helped dismantle the show along with lots of other gals. It was fun and tiring. When I left the job was almost complete.

I went to Marcia’s this week too. There were only six of us but we still had a good time. Nancy showed off her simple cover all.

Susan worked on one of her projects from QBL. She cut and printed the chair stamp in class and tells me she plans to use it in another project.

Progress Report: Liberties Lost This work is 24″ w X 34″ l. It is my second entry for the Justice for All??? show at Art Rage in April. I am pleased with how it has come out.

I may go back and darken some areas, but I think I need to let it rest for now.

12″ X 12″ This is my entry for the SAQA NY/NJ challenge. We are suppose to challenge our selves with this work. I decided to keep it keep the colors simple and see how many different materials and textures I could play with and still have it work. It was a fun exercise for me

Lap 20/ 26 This is another of the works were I used pre existing strips to create it. The box is no longer overflowing, but I think there will be another one of these before I have nearly empties it. Susan has agreed to take them to the nursing home were her mother is when I am ready. That is wonderful!

Scarp Happy blocks I got busy and made these blocks for the next scarp happy that I want to create at the Sisterhood Retreat in October. It is a big enough space I can lay the rows out and see how they will look so that is what I intend to do.

Portraits from QBL I emailed Lynn and she helped me remember what Luke Hanes had said about finishing up our portraits. I spent the afternoon yesterday doing the free motion work and now I am ready to move onto the background.


Sisterhood Challenge On Friday we were talking about the Sisterhood Challenge and Deb reminded me that handwork was suppose to be a part of the final- so I had to pull the project out again. I got the “Bling” part of the assignment- but not the handwork so I decided to make the silver part of hand stitched stars. Now I think all the stars will need a second row of stitching. Got to see how it goes.

Life is full and good.
Keep Creating

Carol

Hand work, Landscapes, Lap Quilts, QBL- Quilting By the Lake, Trees

Moving Along

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Hello,
I am feeling like I have my feet back on the ground now. I do get so much from QBL and it so exhausting too.
My big adventure for this week was a little trip to Homer to see the Rock Garden show at the Art Center and spend the day with Cheri. She had lots of great work on the wall. Exploring faces is her goal of late. I really like this work of her friend Liz. I think it looks like her too.

Terry also had a great piece in this show. We enjoyed our time to just talk as well.

Progress Report: Lap 19/26 I am still trying to use the extra edge pieces that I have created for other lap quilts. I think there are two more quilts in this style in the box. I only need to sew down the binding on this work now.

Lost Liberties I stitch down the flame and the broken tablet this week. I am working on the tree lines now. I hope to complete this project this week too.

Tree Blocks – Joshua Tree I finished up this work while I was in the Pixie Zoom meeting this week. I am getting close to the end of the blocks for this project. I think I will need to add a bit to the earlier blocks as I seem to have gotten a bit more elaborate over time.

Sorrel Cactus I started right away on the next block when the previous one was finished. I do so enjoy hand work.

Cross Lake I stared this at QBL in Valerie’s class. I am almost finished with this project. It needs a label and a bit on the binding.

Wildfire The wildfires are haunting me as we seem to have smoky skies almost daily here. Not having any more Judy Robert fabrics to use as my starting point I created one of my own yesterday. The colors are not as rich, but the challenge is to make it work.

Keep Creating
Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts, Trees

Summer

Hi,
Summer is in full swing and everyone is very busy. I had a stomach virus for three days last week and so I stay home and did not get much done. I missed most of the 4th of July events. I only watch fireworks on the television. Being ill sure makes on appreciate their good heath!
We are putting lots of effort into preparation for out annual July Birthday event on Sunday. We are mixing it with a celebration of living in this house for 50 years. Today, we will put up the assembled cabinets in the laundry room. Tomorrow the yard clean and organize will be our goal. Sat will be food prep and finish up. It will be fun to see everyone.
Progress Report: Lap 18-19 I did set at the machine a bit yesterday and added to this piece. It may not be finished before I go off to QBL, but I am Okay with that.

Broken Blocks I have pressed the back in preparation for layering and assembly. Again, this may on may not get attention as the yard and so many other little things are demanding attention.


Tree Block- Palm Tree I seem to find more time to do handwork as that is a sit down activity I can do in the evenings.
I am off to hold up cabinets while Eric connects them to the walls.
Keep Creating
Carol

Drawing, Felt Work, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Trees

Adirondack Trip

Hello,
Last weekend I went up to Marcia’s camp on Chase Lake in the Adirondacks. I enjoyed the dock and did my morning pages there every day. We had three wonderful days of good weather and good times. On Friday we went out and did a bit of shopping.

One of our stops was a basket makes and we all purchased great baskets from her. We visited two jewelers and the others spent there as well. Our last stop of the day was the sweet shop for ice cream.

Then on Saturday we took a dirt road north to Old Forge and went to The View to see the displays. We were not at all disappointed there either. The Members show included this awe-inspiring felt work. There were several other felted projects to and I am sure I will do some work in a similar direction. There was also a wonderful tryptic by our friend Divina Roddie. So good to finally see one in real life.
There was also a solo show that was inspiring. Then Victoria and I took a long walk on Sunday morning before we started home. The whole time was relaxing and very pleasant.


Progress Report: Lost Libertys I was away so much this week that I did not make a lot of progress, but the flag as a binder is all sewed down now.

Tree Block This was the only project that I took on the trip so I finished it. I intended to make a cherry tree- but the French knots looked more like apples so that is what it became. Sometimes the materials have a mind of their own.


Color Challenges – Green This was the color word for this week and I just started doodling in the sketch book for this one.

Broken Block backing I used leftovers from the front for this backing. The starter fabric is the Sisterhood Retreat Challenge fabric. None of it is visible here. It was a challenge for me as I usually don’t use this pallet of gray and pale rose. It pushed me to look at my stash of neutrals and so I pulled some out for the next lap quilt.

‘


Lap 18/26 AS you can see I have done very little on this project so far- but I think it will go together quickly.

I have to add this shot of a power line full of sneakers that we passed under on our travels over the weekend. It was/is very impressive as it stretched across the highway! I can’t imagine how many hours and dollars it represents.

Enjoy the 4th, stay cool, and be creative.
Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts

Silk Screen Workshop

Hello, I am spent three days this week in a workshop with Pat Pauly doing silk screen printing with dye. She really packed a lot into those three days. It was a lot of work and I got a lot of fabric printed. Having three quilting friends in the class added to the joy too.

This shot is of three of my products. I have not started to wash anything out yet, but I will get there soon.

The weekend also included the opening of two exhibitions at the Schweinfurth. T3%+!LE$-The Language of Fiber opened on Saturday evening. It is full of many wonderful works This one called Canadian Prairies spoke to me. It is a very diverse show from the Surface Design Association.

Up stairs in the Davis gallery was the exabit Sa:gwa’yo Gayogho’:nq? Cayuga People, We Return. It too has wonderful work on display. I really like Art of Peace. There are so many corn husk figures with beautiful bead work, it really made this work for me. This exabit also has a lot of variety in the types of works presented. The shows will be up Until Aug 15 and i encourage folks to visit if possible.

Then on Tuesday I went off to the Quilt DIVA meeting with Cheri and Donna. It is a wonderful group with lots of variety there too. Maureen is nearing the end off her stitch work on this pieces that she hand dyed. There are lots of details on this piece.

Donna is playing with paper mâché’ and doing head gear with this horse head. She says this is a very early stage. I find it entreating and could easily get pulled back into mask making with challenges like this one.

Alice is doing posters at the moment. She has always like collage and this is a good example.

Denise had three of these paper Kamona’s to share with us. She is also working on a piece for the SAQA show on Touch. She is always taking chances and tiring new stuff.

Barb delighted us with this great Slot Canyon quilt. She sure uses color well. She had three other examples work she is doing. Barb is nbe iof the most productive folks I know.

Cheri shared some of her dyed fabric from the print dye class of teh weekend.
She also shared these wonderful machine drawn and painted faces.

Anne is having a bit of fun doing bed quilts. I love the patters and colors she is playing with in this work.

Progress Report: Lost Liberties I have been so busy that I have not done a lot of work this week, but I did add some drawn texture to teh three layers of landscape I have put into this work. I will use quilting to enchase it too.

Night Tree Block This block only needs the last bit of branching on the lower right and the shadow and it will be done.


Shore Line Wash Up It is building ever so slowly.


Lap 17/26 I am doing a second one of these using strips that are leftover from previous lap quilts. I sure seem to be working in similar color families.

New Block After being away from the pin wall for the three days of the workshop, I realize that the curved block was not working well. So I pulled more fabrics that I though would work and I plan to use one color several times in a block and see if that helps the design.

I hope you are enjoying spring.

Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts, SAQA, Trees, Uncategorized

Moving Forward

Hello,
It has been a quiet week with family and yardwork being where most of my energy went this time. I am also pulling materials for a three day silk screen workshop that starts tomorrow.
Progress Report: Lap 16/26 This work is nearly complete. I have a little quilting and the binding to do and it will be done. Nice bright colors for the gloomy day I started it.

Night Tree I am enjoying working on this block. Making lots of fly stitches for the branches here. I hope to get so inspiration for the next tree block soon.

New Block I drew out this block a few months ago and then put it aside. I came across it again this week and blew it up and did the drafting of the templates. I like the block parts- but this sample block has too many different pieces and graphics to be effective for me. I will try something else with this one later.

Shoreline Wash Up I keep working away on this project. It is starting to feel like it is moving in the direction I want. I am still not thrilled with it so I glad that I will have my mind in a different place during the workshop this weekend- I hope that brings me back to this project with fresh eyes and I can see where I want to go with it.

Fungus There is my play with the SAQA Fungus Challenge, I am fooling around with caroche around the plastic units that hold soda bottles to create some interesting high relief forms for that purpose. It is a pure experiment and it seems to have a life of it’s own. But I enjoy it.

Liberty Loss I’m moving forward slowly on this project. added the purple mountains and trees this week. The fields of grain are pinned in place Too. The city will complete the background I think.

Enjoy the season,
Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts, Shows, Trees

Noticing Nature

Hello,
Nature is really all around me of late. This family of Canada Geese crossed our path as we walked yesterday. Then this morning we saw a skunk in the back yard and an open blue Robin’s egg on our walk. I love the great things that appear in Spring.

I went to the Art Rage gallery on Thur even and enjoyed the show on Plastic in Our World show. This use of detergent bottles was my favorite.

Last Friday Cheri and I went to the Genesee Valley Quilt Show in Rochester. FLFA was well represented. These two works are by Bev.

Jean won two first place ribbons for her work. This piece looked really great and the washboard musician from last fall was the other pieced. My Plastic Silverware was part of the NY/ NJ SAQA show too. We had a great time and saw some old friends on this trip.

Progress Report: Lap 14/26 I need to finish the quilting and add the binding on this work. I will do that today so I am showing it for the last time today. I will make another run to the nursing home on Tue and it will be gone.


Lap 16/26 I pulled all these bright colors for the next lap on a very gran and gloomy day this week. They cheered me up.

Night Tree I appliqued the moon on this next tree block. I will stitch the tree in this week.

Liberty’s Loss I am struggling with how I want to do the background for this piece. I seem to be a bit overrun with ideas. I may just have to do them and make the decision visually. Sometimes that is the only way to go forward.


Doll Pins I played with applique by adding scraps to water color paper and doing free motion stitching on top to distract myself from the Liberty project and made some more bodies for the pin project. Sometimes distractions helps.

Blue I need to do this handwork at my desk because of all the beads and such so it does not get attention on a daily basis, but I am making progress on it.

I am enjoying spring and I hope you can say the same.
Keep Creating
Carol

Applique, Hand work, History, Lap Quilts, Trees, Uncategorized

New York City Trip

Hello,
I hope you are enjoying spring. I am now home from a three day trip to NMYC with my daughter. First stop was the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It was inspiring, haunting and informative. Some parts were beautiful and others brought me to tears. They have done a great job with the whole thing including information about the other two sights. The two exterior pools representing the buildings were beautiful as well.

From there we walked to our hotel in Chinatown and checked in so we could drop off our back packs as we had packed light. Then off to the National Tenement Museum. There we took one of the five different tours they offer about the early livers of immigrants in this country. Ours was about a 15 year old girl’s immigration from the Irish Potato Famine and her life here. The tour was in an actual old Tennent building- three rooms 250 square feet, fifth floor without running water. That was only in the well on the ground as well as the out houses for all the building. That space was shared by as many as ten people. It was fascinating and when the guild told us there were 62 layers of wallpaper on the walls- I was amazed.

We did a lot more locations on Thur. Started out at Castle Clinton- the first fort that was built in NYC during the revolutionary war.

Next stop was at the Museum of the American Indian. Again good history lessons and beautiful examples of tribal clothing, pottery, basketry and living implements.

There was also a wonderful exhibit of modern native American art glass makers.

We moved from there to the National Monument of the Negro Cemetery. This sculpture is made from a study of three skulls that were exhumed and then reburied. We got another history lesson. We then walked back to Chinatown and visited an old Jewish Synagogue- that is now a museum. The same area had one been populated mostly by Jews when they first migrated to the US. It too was full of history and beautifully done.

After dinner we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Lots of people were there and lots of vendors selling tee shirts and other travel trinkets.

Friday we donned our backpacks and walked to the subway where we rode up to 153 street. We got off there and walked to the Hudson River. First stop was Hamilton’s Grange, another Natural Monument. We watched a great movie about his life. We did not tour the house as it did not open for tours until noon. Wendy is on a quest to visit all the National Parks and Monuments- there are 433.

So we then walked along Riverside Dr south 20 blocks to Grant’s Tomb. The visitors center there had a great film and was full of info too. I’ve filled in lots of gaps in my knowledge on this trip! We walked from there back to another subway stop and rode down to 42 street and did Time Square. It’s a real visual overload and very crowded event in the afternoon.

Went to the Port Authority and caught the bus to come home. We walked over 19 miles over the course of our three days and I’m still a little tired.
I am slipping back into my home life feeling glad and thankful for it.

Progress Report: Confused This work is 43″ X 52 “. I enjoyed working with the metallics on this project.

Crow Calls I started this at the retreat and only got back to it this week. It is 20″w X 16″ t. I tried a new mounting technique were it is taped to the stretched canvas. I feel a bit like it is cheating, but I will reserve juidgement until I see how it holds up over time.

Lap 12 I seem to be really rolling along with these lap works of late.

Lap 13 For this lap quilt I used only leftover strips from old lap projects. I have lots more and will do this again as they are fast projects.

Lap 14 For this work I used some of the hand printed fabrics form my dye class at QBL three years ago.

Lap 15 Here is the next lap project. I used some old wipe up fabrics from print projects for this one. I now have seven completed so I will be making a trip to a nursing home soon to deliver these.

Cheery Tree Block I finished this before the trip.

Stenciled trees Block This project was my started to get back into being home.

New Project I can’t seem to go to long without a hand project. I sure love playing with texture.
Hope you are creating with joy.
Carol