FORWARD!!

There's so much negative news lately, it's good to have some positives! 

Thanks to a long time blog follower my newest piece "Ode To Summer" is heading off to its new home.  Thank you Kris & Jim!

Spring and perhaps now even summer seems to have been cancelled (which is truly a state of mind.....I'm working and our family is all doing well).  With that said, I'm looking forward to unrestrictive fall with no drama!  

I've spent about 18 hours hand wet felting a bunch of acorn "bodies" to marry with found acorn caps that will be added to my fall inventory at Woolworth Walk Art Gallery.  This view sure doesn't appear to have taken such a long period of time....but wet felting all those small wisps of wool roving fibers into a shape that holds together certainly is.

 The next step will be securing them together, packaging, pricing.....etc.  I love having goals!

ODE TO SUMMER

I'm beyond upset........I accidently switched my gallery blog to draft and in an effort to switch it back (you can't) then somehow I deleted the whole thing.  So for now any quilts for sale will be here on this blog.  I'm trying to decide if or how to rebuild the gallery.....sooooooo annoyed!!!!!  Don't ask if I backed it up...nope....didn't know that could even be done.....huge sigh.

UPDATE:  NO, unfortunately Blogger can't help...gone is gone.  But a big thank you goes out to blogger friend Carole  at From My Carolina Home, who steered me to the Wayback Machine website.  I was able to recapture some of my data, unfortunately it only goes back to 2016.  I have a lot of work ahead of me and will concentrate on relisting work in my current inventory that's available for purchase.  Whether I'll document the large number of pieces already sold is to be decided.

UPDATE DAY TWO:  Again with a huge nod to Carole.....and 10 hrs. on the computer....I've rebuilt my online gallery shop.....now open for business again.  Online sales are even more important now given the meager number of shoppers we can expect to visit the Asheville galleries.  

ODE TO SUMMER - 14" X 18.5"

SOLD

Hand dyed cottons, hand embroidered, machine appliqued & quilted.

MAKING HEADWAY

Moving right along on the folk art wall quilt......

 Layout is pretty much decided

 Fusing and appliqué completed with the addition of leaves.  I've been stewing about how I want to treat the background fabric......

Started adding french knots but after about 45 mins....it only took me 4 to remove them all!  What's next......more experimenting for now...stay tuned.

DAUNTING TASK

Like so many quilters, my stash won't run out before my time ends.  This is despite the fact that I haven't purchased commerical fabric in years.....literally probably about 10 years!

So, as I ponder what my next project will be, I decided to concentrate solely on utilizing these gorgeous Primrose Gradations fabrics. Before I began dyeing my own fabrics, this company was my favorite source.  Unfortunately, back in the early 1990's, most did not have stable dyes.  Each and every piece that would be used in any work that would be washed, mainly anything other than an art quilt needed to be treated, rinsed, rinsed, and rinsed some more.  Dried and pressing took tons of time for the gradation 8 pack rolls of 6" squares.

After shuffling this pile around for an entire day, I decided the preparation to make the large lap quilt project I had in mind was too daunting (at least for my current mood). 

Ha.....this is what I came up with instead....the beginning of a small flower art quilt....which of course didn't put the slightest dent in the pile of fabrics. 

Surely the galleries won't say closed forever and even though I already have a stack of unsold work, here I am...making more!   Consider visiting my online gallery and bring one to your home (link at top).

BLUE HERON FEEDING

New work completed....

BLUE HERON FEEDING -  9" x 12" x 3/4" deep

SOLD

Hand painted, ice & indigo dyed cottons and sheers.

Hand embroidered. Wrapped on canvas frame.

BLUE HERON ART QUILT IN PROGRESS

This small piece continues to be developed.....as usual, changes are part of the process.

BACK IN THE GROOVE

Beginning....it will be a small piece mounted on a canvas covered frame.....lot's of work still to do.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Celebrating the best job in the world......being a Mom.  We were blessed with one child.....and got the jackpot which doubled when he married the best DIL a family could wish for.  Now the family has expanded to two great grandchildren.....I'm counting my blessings today!

BLOCKING QUILT

Gosh darn, this quilt seems to be taking forever!  Finally the binding is hand stitched in place and it's now dry after blocking. I used a lot of authentic Japanese polished cotton prints that tend to stretch no matter how careful I am.

In the future I am determined to remember to use some spray starch to help prevent distortion, which in this case only happened during the quilting process.  I quilted with metallic thread which may also have contributed to the problem.

The quilt measures square but I'll have to work on a few of the lower far right strips a little more. Several seams aren't quite straight and they bug me! Of course my photo is a bit cockeyed...it's hard to get a good shot standing over the quilt. I've been told I'm overly fussy about the quality of construction, yes I am! 

IN A HAPPY PLACE

Trying to get back in the groove and gosh, it feels good!  Using some of my vast collection of Japanese fabrics for this new wall art quilt which went from........ 

 ......this..........

 ......to this.......

.....to this completed quilt top..... The lighting in my studio is very spotty so this photo is unevenly lite....big sigh.  The next step of course is to sandwich, quilt, add the binding sleeve & label.  I plan to quilt it with brass metallic thread......come back and see the finished quilt.....soon....