CAREER HIGHLIGHT

I'm over the moon with this news.  The University of Wisconsin-Stout has acquired 15 of my most notable wearable art garments.  They will be archived in in their Apparel Design and Development Department with their permanent historical collection of garments.

It's hard to believe that the contents of 2 large boxes span over 25 years of creating wearable art.

These pieces are the best examples of my passion...most were made for specific prestigious invitational or juried shows such as the Fairfield Fashion Show which put wearables on the map.  Included too were pieces made for the AQS/Hobbs Fashion shows and numerous pieces from my book "The Wholecloth Garment Stori".

Instead of going into detail for each and their significance......I hope you'll just enjoy seeing a variety of the pieces.  Some are pictured as worn by professional models for the Fairfield Fashion Shows.

MOTHER OF THE GROOM ENSEMBLE

MR. McGREGOR'S GARDEN - AQS/HOBB'S FASHION SHOW 1990

QUEEN OF HEARTS - BEST OF SHOW - AQS/HOBB'S FASHION SHOW 1993

AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN

KODAK MoooMENTS

IF I WERE A HOLSTEIN I'D WEAR MORE THAN SPOTS

VINEYARD REFLECTIONS

ARE THE STREETS IN HEAVEN REALLY PAVED WITH FABRIC?

SPINNING AROUND THE WEB

ONE O'CLOCK JUMP

FROLICKING IN BLACK AND WHITE

Click to these links to see what other artists are sharing this week:  Nina-Marie's Off The Wall Friday & Sarah's Whoop, Whoop Friday.

QUILT SHOW AND GUILD PINS

Who have thunk it?!?  After spending nearly 6 months finding homes for my dear friend's quilting treasures, I am far more cognizant of the amount of 'stuff' I have.....and thinking now might be the time to see if anyone else might treasure them.

Going through my walk in storage (quilt supply) closet....actually looking for a tin of old buttons (which I never found), I came across 1/ 1/2 pounds of quilt show and guild metal pins.  

What memories came flooding back as I picked through them.  After 25+ years of collecting, intending to do something clever with them....they were still in a small storage tin.  So, I offered them for free on two of the sites that provided so many sales for my friend's fabrics/quilts etc.  

Well...what do you know.......I was inundated with quilters eager to have them. So off they go to Puyallup, WA.  The recipient and me both have smiles on our faces.

MOUNTED WALL/TABLE TOP ART FOR SALE

After the recent revamping of my space at Woolworth Walk Art Gallery, I decided to eliminate the (mostly) embellished and mounted pieces at this location.  The small works of art can be displayed on the wall or small easels as seen in the last photo.  Unfortunately, curious shoppers tend to examine the work and it's often not replaced properly.

These gems are among the most fun (for me) and interesting work I create, but it's important to have a venue with the appropriate display area.  Perhaps you'd like to give one a home??  

Each piece is finished with a carefully hand sewn fabric backing and hanging device. A folding wire easel will also be included with every purchase.  A variety of mixed media techniques have been utilized to create the background fabrics as noted.  My signature bead work is also featured.  Price for each is $75, unless noted.  Priority shipping is $10 each, however shipping can be combined if purchasing more than one.  Adjustment billing will be confirmed before invoicing with PayPal.  

The holidays are coming.....consider checking off your gift giving list with one or more pieces.  Email me using link on right side bar.

 Agate Inspired - 8" x 8"

Marbled cotton, hand embroidered bead and agate embellished.

Elements - 8" x 10" 

Ice-dyed silk noil, hand embroidered, hand beaded

Example of hand applied fabric backing on all pieces.

Focus on Nature - 14" x 11"

Deconstructed screen printed silk noil, hand embroidered, bead work and embellished agate.

Detail - beaded agate

                               

 Lightening At Sunset - 8" x 8" - $55

Deconstructed screen printing on silk noil, custom laser cut steel, hand applied steel beads.

 Purple Agate - 10" x 8"

Marbled cotton, hand embroidered, bead work and embellished agate

The Color of Fall - 12" x 9"  - $40

Ice-dyed & mono-printed wool, needle lace leaves

Japanese Maple - 14" x 11" - $60

Deconstructed screen printing on silk noil, appliqued hand-dyed fabrics

NEW BEGINNINGS

It's been a very busy week so far.  The hurricane mess is behind us and we are all wishing the best for those affected so badly by Florence!

Our 2+ month exhibit at the NC Arboretum has ended.  We are so pleased with the success of this our 3rd show at this beautiful place.

It also means it's time to freshen up my space at Woolworth Walk Art Gallery in downtown Asheville.  So today, off came everything from the walls and new pieces/new arrangement were hung.  

Yup, I should have had an extra set of eyes....the lower piece to the left of the ladder needed to be lower....but hanging by oneself has its challenges, happily for the most part the pieces are straight!!

Fall tourist season will begin ever so shortly.....may they find their way to the lower level of Woolworth's when they stop by to see the original charming working soda fountain!

See what fellow artists have been working on this week:  Nina-Marie's Off The Wall Friday, Sarah's Whoop Whoop Friday.

GOODBYE HURRICANE FLORENCE

Good riddence to Hurricane Florence.....really, it was thankfully sort of a non-event.  We lost our internet most of yesterday afternoon and into the early evening but otherwise we fared well.  Of course our hearts go out to those so severely impacted.

A tad over 3" in a little over 24 hrs.

It was so moist this morning....this stand of ornamental grass was covered with tiny water droplets....beautiful.  Now back to normal life...if there is such a thing!!!  Thank you to all who sent well wishes....it was certainly appreciated!!

HURRICANE REPORT FROM THE MOUNTAINS

It's hard to believe that 6 hours away from the coast, we'd experience any impact from Hurricane Florence, even considering how big it is. Naturally, one's heart goes out to all those who are truly coping with the storm.

We started getting a light but steady rain about 4:30 PM yesterday, 20 mins. later it stopped.  Sometime over the night hours it began to rain again....still light with moderate winds. Our county has declared a state of emergency as rainfall predictions are said to be very high which will cause flooding, mud slides, and downed trees.  Thankfully all is well here in our Upper Crabtree mountain valley at 3,200 feet elevation.

 This isn't to say we've taken the warnings lightly....our two tubs are filled with water.  WHY?  Because we have a well and when the power goes out.....there's no water....among other negatives it means no toilet flushing!

All our devices are charged.  We have food on hand that can easily be heated on a camp stove, propane canisters for our Coleman lanterns, our outdoor furniture is tied down.  Now we are hoping none of these precautions will be necessary.  I get VERY crabby when we are without power....so it may be character building time if it comes down to that.

OH DEAR...WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?

After having the nerve to share the drama I was having with my troublesome quilt, you dear readers came up with so many good suggestions.  Thank you for taking the time and brain power to connect.

Carole of "My Carolina Home", a talented blogger who freely shares so many clever quilt techniques, not to mention all things "Carolina", suggested replacing my original lower left block with a darker one to help balance the two large blocks. Seen in this photo. Good grief, I can't believe I didn't think of it....brilliant...thank you Carole!!   I didn't go quite as dark as the other two because it seemed to create a bulls eye.  Hard to believe given the impact of the other two blocks, but that's the way I read it.

 I had already decided to add black circles to the corner squares...a motif found in so many Japanese designs.  It helped to add more black, plus it set off the outline of the two rectangles by its omission.

It still needed additional color balance and I thought that could be accomplished by adding a dark border.  Oh dear....now the rectangle on the lower right looks very odd.  Perhaps I should have left well enough alone!

My now - 10:30 PM decision (way past my bedtime mind you) was not well thought out and I could kick myself for not waiting till the next day.  I opened seams and added 4 more corner squares in the center of the rectangles.  Already regretting that rash move I went to bed....again wayyyy past my bedtime about midnight.

Overnight the quilt didn't miraculously fix itself.  But after giving it murderous looks in the morning, I folded back about half of the width of the border and it looked better.  I may decrease it even more.  But first I have to applique all those circles...yuck...however that will give me time to think this through before I again jump the gun and sandwiching the piece too soon.

Say tuned....

Linking to:  Nina-Marie's Off The Wall Friday, and Sarah's Whoop whoop Friday.

HURRICANE FLORENCE

Thank you everyone who took the time to reach out to me wishing us well as Florence heads to NC.  We are about 6 hrs. from the coast so our impact is expected to be lots of rain and wind.  The biggest worry we have is loss of power.  I'd like to say I'll treat that as a character building moment/s/days perhaps, but I will whine for sure.

I can report I drove round trip 50 mins. each way to Asheville today, most of it on I40 and there were lines and lines of power trucks heading south.  Seriously.....convoys of 10 + and then another grouping and another and another.  

We've become such a critical and complaining nation lately.....it's heartwarming folks to know that help is already on the way for those impacted.  Of course, the problems will be bigger than just loss of power but clearly advance aid is in the works for one aspect of the recovery!  

TOO STUBBORN !!!

 DRAT.....why didn't I listen to that little voice??  Now I'm not only second guessing....I'm struggling to find a way to make this new piece work.

 My biggest sellers are the Asian style patchwork quilts I've been making (who knew??)  They are totally not in my normal wheelhouse but I can't ignore their success.  So, here's another one and clearly I didn't have the right fabrics to do what I wanted.  I can't tell you how many different sashing fabrics I tried.....

 Because the two bigger blocks are quite a bit darker, I went with black. After that decision was made, the blocks were rearranged on my design wall and I liked this look and actually considered using an off white.  But again, the concern over the two bigger darker blocks led me back to choosing a two tone black print.

My piecing process is probably the slowest anyone has...but I find it so much easier to keep track of the patchwork that way while having half an ear and eye on trash Bravo TV shows!  I cut strips and position them, take them down one block at a time, sew, press and put that block back...ya I know.....why not chain piece....??!?

 So....all along I KNEW those dark blocks didn't work but I kept talking myself into using them, wanting the diversity instead of using blocks all the same size.  Too stubborn and now regretting it!

 Yup, the more I did, the more I realized this didn't work....big sigh.

 To help balance the color contrast I added black circles in each corner square.  Perhaps that helped but not enough.

Now, compare this last photo to the one above. Oil pastels in about 4 colors were used to lighten the two larger blocks. I'm trying to talk myself into saying this is okay....but know it isn't.  I'm guessing my 2 AM thought will confirm my current instinct....to add a larger black border or ditch the two bigger blocks and go the more boring route...blocks all the same size.  

Dare I ask...what do you think?? 

FIBER JUNKIES - SEPT. MEETING

The Fiber Junkies met this month at Judy's home.  Her fabulous studio with excellent lighting and plenty of table space for everyone, plus a outside deck for the messier work is such a perfect environment.

 We start with coffee and morning treats faithfully brought by Denny....and launch right into show and tell.  Our newest member Susan dazzled us with this SAQA Global Exhibition book "Dusk to Dawn" where one of her pieces is featured and will be traveling with the exhibit for 3 years.

 Denny was our go-to leader this month.  Here are a few of the examples she brought to provide inspiration for our day of mono-printing.

Not only did she bring these samples, she had handouts, all the prepared dyes, spray and squeeze bottles to apply the dyes, and a big array of items to texture our prints.

 None of us had done this specific approach to mono-printing before, so Denny graciously demonstrated the steps she uses.  She begins squirting mixed and slightly thickened MX dyes onto Plexiglas.

 ....and more.....

 Next, dry fabric (which had been prepared with soda ash) is pressed onto the glass.

 Now she begins adding more color......first with a spray bottle containing mixed dye that has not been thickened.

 She moves it around using a textured paint roller.

 .....Now more dye....

 This is such a clever idea to add texture...it's an electric coil from a kitchen stove that no longer worked.

When she was satisfied with her design......

....It was wrapped and arranged in a coil with sheets of blank newsprint. 

....Placed in a turkey roaster which was located on Judy's deck & filled with a small amount of water.  Once covered, it was left to steam about an hour.

After steaming, the fabric was unwrapped and soaked in water with a few drops of dawn.  BUT....darn it.....do I have a picture of her finished piece?!? Nope....as usual we work in a very frenzied environment......ideas flowing, all talking at once.  Our pieces will return at show and tell next month and I'll be sure to share the results.

 We were all delighted with the left-over paper.  Gen works almost exclusively with paper now, so this and more went home with her.  We look forward to next month when she returns with what she's done with them!

 I have to admit.....I had no success at all.....here's a landscape piece I was attempting.  You can see it again on the last photo...middle piece of fabric.

 My goal was to create some background fabric.....specifically marshes/ponds.....but failed on both accounts.  Of course over-dyeing may save them.

My three uglies....of course cutting them to use for patchwork is another possibility, rather than over-dyeing which is my current thought.  

Next month we will again be doing transfer paints/dyes......in the meantime....

I'm seeing the end of the quest to find homes for my friend's quilting treasures.....  I have three newly made quilts left.  2 are king size...the other is big too 89"x89", all beautifully pieced and custom machine quilted.  Look for them in tomorrow's blog.....I'll post them for the final time with hopes that someone will give them a home.