A CHRISSY CRISIS NEW YEAR'S WISH

 As they say....a picture is.......

It's Chrissy Crisis, still wearing her mask and waiting for 5:00 PM somewhere for someone to fill her glass.  Like the rest of the world, she's anxious to say goodbye, farewell, never to return to 2020.

If you are a long time reader of my blog, you'll know all about Chrissy - who willingly takes on any crisis big or small that I may encounter.  She's been needed ALOT this year.

If you are new to the blog.....you can catch up on Chrissy & the adventures of the Spritzer Sisters (my two person quilt guild) here.  And..... continue looking for more posts all through March and April by referring to the label lists on the right column.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021 - FROM CHRISSY AND ME......  

DESIGNING WITH GINKGO LEAVES

If the batik blank slate posted yesterday wasn't enough to inspire me with it's gorgeous ginkgo leaf print.....add to that a tone on tone green/blackish ginkgo print and some fussy cut leaves..... 

Let's see how these designs can marry into one piece.  Stay tuned.

BLANK SLATE

 This is what is called a 'blank slate'.....getting back in the creative groove.

THE STORI FAMILY

This is a fiber blog.......therefore I purposely don't share very many personal details.  Today I'm making an exception.

Our family has been busy ever since learning the before-now, unknown genealogy of the Stori heritage.  Apparently, they were a very important family who had a hand in the formation of Switzerland……with a family crest and all.  It’s been verified by reliable authorities…..who knew!?!?  Details of the origins of the family and the symbolisms of the crest are fascinating.  Among other tidbits, the Stori’s apparently were citizens of Zurich way back to 1265.  

After the recent discovery of our family crest…..little Christmas elves went to work.

'The husband' had a whole bunch of embroidered patches made and mailed to various family members.

I had numerous 9” x 11” weatherproof plaques made for our immediate family.

DIL Kelly was the most creative, she had a wood carver in Russia (artist found on Esty) create a wood carving.  It's larger than it appears in the photo. 

               NO, I am not making a quilt!!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

            FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS..... MERRY CHRISTMAS 💚💚💚

MY FACING TECHNIQUE

 Our small art group group has been meeting via Zoom.....not ideal but still very inspiring and wonderful to have this monthly connection.

Recently the subject of facings came up...several of us shared our methods.  Each has its merits and probably negatives as well.  

Since so many of us are 'home alone' for this holiday season and perhaps have spare time to play, I thought I'd share my facing method. It's a combination of several I've used over the years.....read on....

You should be able to enlarge the photos by clicking on them.

PICTURE THIS QUILT IN YOUR HOME

IMAGINE THIS QUILT IN YOUR HOME       SOLD

BAMBOO AT DAWN - 35" X 41" - Japanese cottons, colorwash style patchwork, hand cut bamboo motifs, machine appliqued, quilting executed with metallic thread.  

GO PACK GO!!

 Though I'm basically boycotting the NFL, except for the Packers....the game will be broadcast here tonight.  It's a rare opportunity for Packer fans in this area to watch the game live.  So.....as the saying goes.....GO PACK GO!!!! 

QUILT INVENTORY IDEA

My quilt making excalated from a hobby in the early 1980's, to 30+ years working at the professional level in the quilt industry.  There are my 7 books, a DVD, tapes of TV shows I've appeared in, file boxes of magazine articles and other publications of my work, boxes of slides and photos, but this is way too data intense for the only 'mildly interested family' to read!

Recently I had my online gallery shop: https://marystorishop.blogspot.com printed as a quick reference, not only for personal use but current customers to review the 222 one-of-a-kind art quilts presently on that site.  As of this writing, 52 are currently available and 170 have been sold.

I selected Prestophoto.com to work with due to the ease of being able to edit & condense my website's information, revert it to a PDF, and then with a few clicks get a book in production.

This is the result.....I'm so pleased with the quality, price, & speed of production.  There are a few things perhaps I might have done differently, like organizing the photos by year.  However, it was never intended as a library book, it's a visual reference book for potential buyers of my work and eventually my family.  

I'm so happy with it that I'm now organizing volume 2 to consist of another 100+ quilts. These were made for family/friends which were not included in volume 1.  Additionally, there are scads of quilt competition pieces, workshop & book samples created before digitally documenting my work.  Unfortunately, many images are still in photo format, as well as slides from years of presenting slide lectures to quilt guilds and at conferences,  Some have been transferred to digital, but only as needed, so I have my work cut out for me. That's why I'm only concentrating on art quilts, none of my garments.  Most of that collection has been acquired by the University of Wisconsin's Fashion Design Department.

Perhaps this approach might interest some of you to create a record of your work that can be easily accessed in one (or two) books.

Book Front Hardcover

 

Example of page layout....most feature 2 quilts but many have 4.

Back cover

Linking to:  http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com

PACKERS DID IT AGAIN!!!

HURRAY......THE PACKERS ARE BACK TO BACK NFC CHAMPS.....

EVEN SOOTY, OUR RESCUE BLACK LAB IS A FAN

 

MOONLIT GARDEN

After two weeks of steady work, the last stitch has been added.  This style is not my norm but I'm very happy with this piece.  Maybe it's the peaceful feeling it imparts after such an anxious filled year!

MOONLIT GARDEN - 19.5" X 32"

AVAILABLE HERE

Original design made with Japanese cottons, fussy cut motifs, appliquéd with metallic and invisible thread. Faced edges and prepared for hanging.

DETAIL

DETAIL

GO PACK GO

 It's been awhile since I posted about 'the Pack' as we lovingly refer to America's favorite team......  If you are a fan you must check out the latest and best ever Charlie Berens You-tube homage to Lambeau.

You will not be disappointed....it's how every Packer fan is feeling.

     GO PACK GO          GO PACK GO

LAST ROW OF QUILTING

AHHHHHH.....the last row of machine quilting....yippie. 

With the aid of a walking foot and painters tape, the vertical quilt lines are straight and pucker free.

There's always a happy dance when it's time to square/trim the quilt edges and they are nearly dead on straight and even!!  Goal - to have the facing, hanging sleeve, and label completed before the 4:30 PM start on Sunday of the Packers game.

MY LOVE OF AGATES

On our morning forced walk, I noticed this small frozen puddle.....gosh it looks just like an agate doesn't it?  And of course immediately I got the urge to bead embellish again.  Here are two pieces available in my current inventory for the surface design lover.  Holler if interested.

Purple Agate - 10" x 8"

Hand marbled cotton, hand embroidered and beaded.

Wrapped on canvas covered frame.

Focus on Nature - 14" x 11" 

Deconstructed silk noil, heavily beaded, & hand embroidered.  Wrapped on canvas covered frame.

DETAIL

MOVING RIGHT ALONG

 Applique completed using metallic thread.....always a humbling experience.....

Now....onto quilting...... My mental deadline.....by the end of the weekend.

SLOW START PROJECT NOW IN HIGHER GEAR

 Though it's always rewarding to share a completed project, as a long time instructor I know the importance of understanding that creating art is a process. Sometimes designs fall into place as you imaged, other times it's a struggle to pull it all together. The work goes on......

SLOW START

 I'm kinda bumbling around, trying to get something started.....and this sure isn't very exciting.....boring actually.  Let's see what can be done to give it some life....stay tuned.

FIRST SNOW - BOO HISS....

 2020 GO AWAY!! It's Dec. 1st. and our beautiful weather has morphed into this.....our first snow. The wind is wild and it's strewn our porch furniture everywhere, despite having it all bungee corded down!!

PASSWORD KEEPER

Are you drowning in passwords?  Little scraps of paper stuck here and there doesn't cut it anymore does it?  I discovered some snap-in buckles among my buttons stash and came up with this organizer.

I saved one for me and the rest will be added to my Woolworth Walk gallery space.  In this season of gift buying, please consider supporting small business, no matter where your small business is!

 

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY REMINDER

 I can not tell you how true this is.......use the link here to visit my gallery shop....oh and consider shopping!!!

BEADING AGAIN

 Almost my entire career in the quilt world centered around sharing my love of embellishing through my books, magazine articles, lectures, & workshops.  Beading on fiber was my favorite subject.  

Yet, I rarely bead anymore....not because I stopped enjoying the process, but because my focus now is creating wall art to sell.  Sadly, (and I don't get it) beaded fiber work is a slow seller here.  

The yearning to bead continues, so a few days ago and I decided to add some dazzle to one of the composition book covers I sell....the results are below.  It's not quite as in your face, rather it's more subtle due to the close color scheme.

WINDSWEPT

Quilt artists who create original work tend to agree that quilt designs  develop best when you 'listen' to the quilt.  It's a statement that sounds like new age mumbo jumbo.....however it's true.  I worked with this general design once before where the focus was koi fish.  It didn't work!  

In all my nearly 40 years creating original pieces, only twice have I given up.  One was actually a wearable art garment and the other a wall quilt that eventually got cut up in order for parts of it to be utilized in another quilt.  I'm very determined once I begin a piece.....happily I became immediate best friends with Windswept...... Hopefully someone else will too and give it a home.

                                      WINDSWEPT - 13.5" x 24.5"

                                            AVAILABLE HERE

Japanese fabrics, hand dyed cottons, eco-print linen, appliqued & hand embroidered with metallic thread, machine quilted, finished with faced edging, prepared for hanging.  **Free shipping for Christmas 2020

DETAIL

WORTH THE EFFORT

 6 stitches forward, 4 back!! Metallic thread is challenging to hand stitch through several layers of fabric because it tends to shred off its core. The results can be worth the effort though.

FALL COLOR DRIVE

Our car club had to postpone our Carolina Fall Color Drive recently due to bad weather.  Our new date was pretty much colorless, but not in good cheer.  Everyone was delighted to see masked friendly faces.

Our drives always include potty stops.....which can be challenging now since covid has closed so many locations.  Luckily the facilities at Caesars Head State Park were open and there was room for all 26 cars to park.

The views are incredible........

Beautiful blue skies, beautiful vehicles, weather was warmer than we expected and far more comfortable without the ever present mountain  winds.  We went on from there to a social distance picnic lunch at Table Rock State Park.  I totally neglected to take pictures.....but won't forget the wonderful day!