Category Archives: SAQA

Hand work, Lap Quilts, SAQA, Trees, Uncategorized

Fall is Here

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Hello,
We are seeing fall colors in this part of the country. The sky’s have been gray many days, but the trees don’t seem to mind. I had a quiet week with on events except the Dr appointments and PT. Keeping the body in shape takes more and more time as we age.
My good news for the week was learning that my contribution Flight, to the SAQA auction, sold.

Progress Report Lap 26/26 I did 8 lap quilt tops at the retreat last week. Now I am doing the finish up.

Tree Blocks I got all excited when I realized I only had three more blocks to make to finish the piece. So I laid out all three when I got home. This is the first using dotted Swiss as teh base form.

This is the second using cut up felt to define the crown of the tree. I sure have enjoyed making each tree in a different manner. It has been sort of a techniques record/ challenge for me.

This is the last one and I used organza to built the tops of the forest of trees for this one.


Emily’s Project I am excited to be doing the quilting of words that describe the practices types of law cases that it deals with as the quilting. I like doing cursive as quilting.


New Work I know this doesn’t look like much at this point as it is the base. I want a natural beginning for my next piece for the Art Rage show. I found a quote that I want to use and that is want I want to feature.

Protest on a Stick This idea popped into my head and so I exactitude it. I really love it when an idea comes so easily- and that is a real thing for me.

I hope you are enjoying fall.

Keep Creating
Carol

Hand work, Lap Quilts, SAQA, Scrap Happy Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors, Trees

Home Again

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Hello,
I arrived home yesterday from the Sisterhood of the Scissors fall retreat. We have been going to Keuka Lake for 6 years and it feels like home coming. The weather was fine with rain only one day, so we did walk every day and did tons of work.

Every year one of the group chooses a fabric for a challenge. This year there where three rules.
1.the fabric had to be recognizable.
2.there had to be some ” bling”
3.there should be some handwork as a part of the project.
They were due and it was fun to see how others used the fabric that Susan selected last year. This is my solution.

Joyce did hers in 3-D. Her bling was teh handwork she added.

During the week she did this scarf weaving. Nice job with great colors.

This is Susan’s challenge project. Her bling was beading in the center of each circle.

She worked on a puff quilt for her mom during the retreat time. This looks luscious to me and it is so very colorful!

This lovely green print is the challenge fabric for next year selected by Cheryl our newest member. Ann will also add a quote for us to respond too as a part of this year’s challenge.

We also had a bit of show and tell. This is Ann’s work- the Block Head Challenge for this year. Very handsome, I think. She has challenged us to Do the Block Head by MODA challenge for this next year as an extra as well.

Ann spent the time doing handwork on this pieces that she had hand dyed a few years ago. Strong start I think.

Za za shared this beautiful top. Her use of gray as apposed to black for the filler is really nice. She spent a lot of time putting bindings on work at the retreat.

Deb worked on a portrait of her grandson and the dog.

This was Cheryl’s first year and only her first quilt. It is a very strong start! I hope she continues to quilt.

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Progress Report: Bog Log This work is 38″ X 34 “. I worked away on this project at the retreat. There is lots of handwork as well as free motion on here. Joyce let me use her markers on the Puff Balls so they look more realistic.

I enjoyed creating the shelf mushrooms too. They were made with interfacing and paint.

Scrap Happy I arranged and put together these rows of blocks for the next scrap happy quilt. I will have to make a back now.

Tree Block quilt I trimmed up all the blocks that I had created at the retreat and discovered I needed three more to completed this work. Back to work.

Tree Block When I got home I got busy and layed out a new one. I worked on this during the Pixie Zoom meeting yesterday afternoon.

Emily’s quilt I had finished the top and the back before the retreat. There I had access to four tables for a few hours when I first arrived so I got it pin based in that time. I did not get started quilting until I got home because the throat of my travel machine could not handle the size. I will move forward on this now.

Lap Quilt Tops I had lots of left over 2.5″ and 4.5″ strips from previous lap quilts so I decided to bring them along and make tops out of some of them. It was fun and I now have a very reduced pile of strips. I think I could stretch one or perhaps two more out of remaining strips- but I will concentrate on finishing up these first.

Being back at my normal life I am sure production next week will be back to normal. It was enjoyable to have no goals but to work from the time one got up until one went to bed.

Keep Creating
Carol

Bog Log, Hand work, Landscapes, Lap Quilts, SAQA, Trees

Moving into Fall

Hello,
The days are getting shorter and the sun is moving north. I now see the sun coming up directly through my east facing door. By the end of next week it will be beyond that point.
This week was quiet except for my meeting with Emily about the commission. I was excited about the chance to show off the work I had done, only to discover the afternoon before that I had made a big mistake in my thinking and all the stitched work had to be taken out. I am back on track now. I did a lot yard work this week and had a few Dr appointment so I did not get as much done as I wanted. Next week is full meetings so studio time will be limited next week too, but that’s the way it is sometimes.
I was delighted to discover that my 12″x12′ quilt “Flight” was featured in an add for the SAQA Auction.

Progress Report: Broken Blocks II I started the backing of this quilt this week. I am making it out of leftovers. I like to use my fabric wisely.

Bog Log I am moveing forward on this project and I made these ferns yesterday. I have more to wash out, but I don’t have a big enough foam board to wash them out on. I am moving forward on the clutter on the forest floor too.

Tree Block I think this is the last block for this project as I now have 30. I have not laid out any of them yet. Nor have I trimmed them to size, but that will happen.

Pillow I finished up this pillow this week. It is stuff with thread and cut away parts form other projects.

Lap 22/26- Yellow Challenge Susan of Pixies challenged up to use yellow last week and so I did a lap quilt with that in mind. This week the challenge is to use Red. I don’t think I will have time to do a quilt this week, but I will do something.

Quilt on a Stick Challenge At Marcia’s camp two weeks ago’ Victoria suggested that we do a small quilt on a stich like they do at the Minnesota State Fair. She shared great photos and we agreed it would be fun. So this is my drawing of a 8.5 ” X 11″ of the project. I am moving forward on this one as I want to share it with the group on Wed when the Sisterhood of teh Scissors next meets.

I hope you are enjoying the season and making wise choices.
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

Lap Quilts, Paper Quilts, SAQA, Shows

Busy Week

Hello,

This week was a really busy one.  I started out by going with Liz to Marcia’s for our  monthly  get together last Friday.    It proved to be a very active and full day.

 

 

 

 

Joyce started  us out by showing us her new toilet paper roll noted books from the workshop that she took.   They are fun works.

 

 

 

 

Nancy had talked about making a paper quilt last month and I recalled having taken a workshop on that over twenty years ago so I dug out some example’s of our procerus.

 

 

 

 

Nancy ‘ s  work was much more concise approach.   Like the colors she chose too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nancy  was also working on a quilt for her daughter done with birds made with pieces from the Perilla Kibbe collection.

 

 

 

There was also a bit of dress up in the day, and  Victoria and Joyce had a good time.

 

 

 

Victoria  did  work away on her project for her niece.   She is nearly ready to sew things down now.

 

 

 

 

 

Susan did hand work  on this pieces she had started a while back.  She is quilting in now.

 

 

 

 

The landscape project project # 2 was due  and   Liz had a painted piece to show.

 

 

Deb worked on hers  while she was there. Her works are all based on the stream behind her home.

 

 

 

 

 

I showed my piece.

 

 

 

 Then Quilt= Art = Quilts opened on Saturday.     So many wonderful works I am glad I will get several times to visit .     I was epically taken by this quilt by  Sheere Rasmussen.     It is so rich .

 

 

 

 

This work by  my friend Lourie Paquin was special to me because at the Fall  Retreat last year, Liz challenged her to use only things in her scrape  bag.  This is the result.

 

 

Her second entry : Where tree Bong-tree Grows , won a prize.

 

 

 

 

 

I went to the banquet and  Lecture in the evening and sat across form  Janice Chiaffredo , who created this wonderful piece.

 

This, to my surprise, is a paper quilt by Wen Redmon, titled The  Sacred Gift.  Sort of funny how paper quilts have resurfaces in so many places of late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was impressed by this whole cloth work by Brent Mc Gee.  It is called Apollo and Python.    He talked about it at the Artist talk on Sunday afternoon.

It is a  powerful show and Encourage everyone to see it.

My last adventure for this week was a trip to Old Forge to see the Quilts Unlimited show at The View.    This work has so much detail.  I was not good a taking notes at this event.    But this work did win fist prize.

 

 

 

Sharon S had two works in this show.   I enjoyed this  little Poppy work.

 

 

 

 

Jean G’s Leporid  was a part of this show.   I still really enjoy the tail sticking of f the edge on this work.

 

 

 

 

 

My Victorian Burning got into this show.

 

 

The SAQA Contrast show was also up in a second gallery.

My Plastic Silverware was a part of this as   well.

 

 

 

This Supreme Circus is also a pat of this traveling show.

 

 

There was not a lot of time in the studio this week but I did make a little progress

Progress Report:  Crystal Blocks   I worked away on this project this week and all the blocks are built.  I am still playing with location, but I feel I will start to assemble it soon.

 

 

 

 

Lap 23 /25    This work got a bit of attention this week too.   I am half way through doing the pin basting at this point.

 

 

 

Shore Line   I started this piece last week with the punch needle portion.   I arranged the sew and fused portions and started the texture step.  The the buttons and beads shown here took an hour to add on.

 

 

 

 

 

Spinning out   I don’t think this title works for this any longer.  It seems to take on a life of its own under my finger tips.    I will keep working and see where it leads me.

 

It has been a full week and I am looking forward to a calmer one next week.

Keep Creating

Carol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applique, Circle Challenge, Felt Work, Fish, Lap Quilts, SAQA

The Leaves

Hello,

Fall is in full color blast here in central New York.   The shifting light bubbles that once filled my walking path have given way to a different colored carpet of yellows, golds orange and red leaves.   They come tillering down to dance in front of me down the walkways.   And my favorite sound fills my ears-  the crunch of my feet as I shuffle through the colors.    There is a wonderful magic in fall that I truly love.

Progress Report: Hollyhocks and Hummingbirds  This work is 37.5″ w X 48″ t.     I am quite happy with how I feel when I look at this work.    I finished and added the hummingbirds this week and I made a few bees to the work as well.    I hope to enter this piece in the SAQA Pollinators challenge.

 

 

 

 

Moring Meadow  This work is  19″ w X 12 t.   I read about using your sewing machine on soda cans and so I tried that.  The centers of the tall purple flowers are that experiment.  It works Okay- but the process  does really dull the needle.     I don’t really see any special use of this technique, but I will keep it in my mind for the future.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 23-25   I came across this fabric painted cloth that my good friend Barbara V did years ago when she and I were playing in her class room while we were both teaching.   I though it would make a great center unit for a lap quilt and so I am working toward that end.

 

 

Handwork – Fish

 I felted the background a while ago.  When I cam across it again this week, I pulled it out and started this new piece.

 

 

Crystal Blocks   I started playing with this idea at the retreat a few weeks ago.   The block is based on  a high relief sculpture that I observed at the Rochester show  this summer. (below)

 

 

At the retreat I did a first draft of this block.    It was awful .    So I reworked the pattern.  This new rendition is  square and lays flat  so I am having fun playing with it now.

 

 

 

Spinning Out   I have started to attach the circles to the surface of this third work I started at the retreat.    It needs more build up I think.

 

New: shore line or tidepool     I am ready to begin and new one of these highly texturized pieces.   So I started with some punch needle parts this  week.

 

 

I got a little silly one day and stated making little witches.  the heads are paper clay with a stick in the center for the body to be built on.      I used pipe cleaners for the arms and legs .  They sure made mounting the little gals on brooms easy.

 

 

The brooms are made with a brown trim wrapped around a squire.       I had a good time making dolls again.

 

Keep your eyes open and Enjoy the changing season.

Happy Halloween

Carol

 

 

 

Diva Meetings, Experiments, Hand work, SAQA, Scrap Happy Quilts

Close of Summer

Hello,

I know that Labor Day is not really the end of Summer, but 28  years of teaching school and it is a hard habit to break.   So I feel like I am heading into fall and all the joys it holds.

I went to the opening of Contrast- Oxymorons,  SAQA NY- NJ   show with Marty on Saturday, at the ROCO gallery in Rochester.    It was exciting for me to not only be a part of the show, but to also see all the interoperations.   Jean had a good piece with great silhouettes  of elephants.

 

 

 

 

Cynthia, had a very political piece of  “Small Crowds”

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really loves this work titled “Head over Heels”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denoise had a wonderful felted work in this show.

 

 

 

 

My work Plastic Silverware was a part of the show too.

 

 

 

 There was a fun Artist talk as a part of the event and I enjoyed that as well.

 

 

On Tuesday I took Liz to the Rock Garden show and  the Diva meeting that Cheri held.     There was lots of exciting work by my friends.  Cheri had complemented a second feather pieces from Pat’s dye class.

 

Donna had several good works.  I like this paper Mache’  Alligator head  that I liked a lot.

 

 

 

 

Denise had some great handwork on one of her dyed felted pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barb is going great guns with lots of work too.     I really like the movement here.

 

 

 

Then I stopped at the  Edgewood Gallery   yesterday and saw this colorful work.

It has been a busy week.

 

 

 

Progress Report:   Hollyhocks and Humming Birds       This work was formerly called Sumer.  I have changes the flowers as I did not think the organza showed up well enough.   I am much happier with the taffeta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scrap Happy 2-25  I am now adding the binding to this work.  Next step is do the extra quilting that I like to add.   bed quilts get lots of washings so I want it a bit more stable.

 

 

 

Tropical Waters   I am now  ready to finish this work up.  I am done with the stitching and ready to face and hang this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exploration 2     I have started doing the quilting on this project.    Progress.

 

 

 

Square Beads    I only have about 20 more of these fabric beads to stitch and I will begin to string them.   I am looking forward to that step.

 

 

 

The weeks are full and I am enjoying them.  I hope the same for all my readers.

Keep Exploring

Carol

 

 

Curvie Cuts, Fabric Flowers, Hand work, Lap Quilts, Machine Drawing, People, SAQA, Shows

My Walk

Hello,

We are enjoying a very pleasant cool spell here in central NY.   A  little rain made the Goldenrod bend over a bit, but they are still flying their flags of yellow.   The sparrows are busy arguing with one another and  the blue jays  make their raspy calls every now an again as we walk.   I am seeing evidence of  little squirrel feasts   in the form of acorn and walnut remains on the street.   I often see them running down the power lines from one tree to another as I chase my own shadow down the hill.   Even the apples are starting to add a little color to their skins.    Fall is definitely around the corner here.

I went to the opening of the Rock Garden Art Show on Thursday last week.    Some great work.  This is a quilt that Cheri started in Pat Pauly’s dye class earlier this spring.     Cheri had her wonderful felted flower piece and several prints too.

 

 

 

Robin, who Liz and I meant in Florida in the spring, was also a part of this show.   Her big life sized ceramic  women are very powerful!

 

 

 

 

 

 Progress Report: Under Grand    This quilt is 35.5″w X 42″ t.   I started this work at QBL in Sheila Frampton Coopers class.     It is my interoperation ow what I saw when  I looked under the Grand Pinto in the classroom.

I enjoyed working with the curves and using orange and blue together.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap # 19  I am having a good time with the fabrics form Pat Pauly’s dye class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap 20  More of the product form the dye class here.

 

 

 Protesting Sisters   I have been struggling with how to move this project forward.  I got a little help from the Pixie group yesterday.    I still do not have a real clear vision – but I can see hope here now.

 

 

 

Summer Delights   The next SAQA challenge is Pollinators.   I have decided I will do flowers as my starting place.  I read about using organza and doing free motion with it.   So this  is really a self challenge to see if I can do this to my own satisfaction.   So far so good.   It has a curvy cut background too.

 

 

Tropical Waters    This is my newest handwork project.  I used plastic news paper bags that were pressed between typhoon sheets as my bottom layer.   Then I added  some blue vegetable bags that my friend Marcia gave me and I was off and running.  I am enjoying this work and plan not to add any buttons and limit the beads I use here.

 

 

 

Class 2    This project is also form Sheila class.  I used this  pieces to explore and play with the new techniques she was teaching.   The top is now ready for the next steps.

 

 

I hope you are enjoying the end of the summer season .  Yes I still a see Labor Day as the end of summer just as if I was still going back to the classroom.

Keep Creating

Carol

Birds, Creative Assistants, Hand work, Lap Quilts, SAQA, Shows

Summer Progress

Hello,

 

The  days are running a head of me and I can’t believe we are  moving so quickly.      Last Friday I went to Cazenovia Artisan’s with Liz  to see Sharon Souva’s solo show.   It is wonderful.  She told me last night that this work has sold.   I am so happy for her.  There are lots of other wonderful  works still for sale,  including this one .     She is doing so very well.

 

 

 

 

On Sat I went to the retirement party   for Donna Lamb.   She is leaving  after 25 years of leading the Schweinfurth forward.      She has moved the Art Cente in amazing ways and I will miss her a great deal.  I ,  along with Susan and Liz’s help produced this giant Creative Assistant to present to her at that event.

 

 

 

 

My other big excitement came in the mail in for form of the Catalogue for the Elements Fire  show.    It is exciting.   I was also in the  SAQA journal – again about the show.   Published in two places at one  is a real high.

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Sparrows  This piece is 38″wX 52″ l.     I am pleased with the final result here.   I tried to use the quilting to show the wind action around the birds.

The four color stencil proved be be a bigger challenge than I expected.    I am glad I did it however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap #19   I made great progress on this piece this week and now I am doing the binding.

 

 

 

Lap#20  I hare a real running start on this project at this point.   The colors are sure a contrast  from the previous one.   Again I am using fabric from Pat’s Class here.

 

 

 

 

Shore Line  I think I am nearly done adding to the surface of this work.   I will live with it a few days and then decide.

 

 

 

 

 

Scarp Happy # 2- 25   I got busy and started assembling this pieces this week.   With out a definite person to deliver it to I am a bit slower to act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAQA Auction Piece 

I see that the SAQA auction stuff is getting going again so   I finished up this work to ship this week.

 

The week has been a full and exciting one.

Keep Creating

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