HAPPILY CREATING

I'm charged up again with ideas and as can often happen, mental images don't always translate to fabric......  So call this one try, try again, and again.

Analyzing what's not working is useful....in this case, the motifs I wished to add

simply were not compatible in size.  Sure, I had some that were, but then they weren't 

the right color scheme.  

Common leaves were actually my first design choice, but I've gone in that direction so many times, a change seemed in order.

Ultimately, the more exotic ginkgo leaf won the design line up.  Stems are arranged and pinned in place as paper leaves are added to complete the auditioning process.

So.......JACKIE......this design choice is for you!  You spotted the red on my first post of this project when it was only a pile of fabric.  AND I know how much you love red!!!  The stems are now fused and the ginkgo leaves will be follow.

Of course the next step will be appliquéing.....so I'll pop back in with those results soon.

OPENING UP!!

Happily with the necessary precautions, people are beginning to emerge from their homes.  That means more visitors to Woolworth Walk Gallery in downtown Asheville.

And that prompted my trip to town to do some rearranging and adding of inventory.  I'd like a far less cluttered look to my allotted space, BUT....it won't sell if it's on my guest room bed at home......options, people, options!

Here's a look of what is currently on display, all except the piece (Morning Fog) over the ladder, it now has a new home.  

 

It's such a relief to feel energized again to create new work........not that I could stop even if I wanted to.....creating is like breathing to me.  

YES, I'M HERE....

 I know, it's been awhile.....the husband had a serious accident here at home.....enuff said.

Today I hope to be able to switch my duties back to playing in the studio, but indecision reigns.  Stay tuned won't you?!?

SPECIAL PROJECT

 The special project I've been working on for a month straight is now finished and in the hands of the owners.  It depicts their new home, named Kuro Kuma, 'Black Bear' in Japanese. 

KURO KUMA  - 24.5" X 19.5"

Hand dyed & batik cottons, digital printing, hand appliqué & embroidery, 

machine embroidered & quilted.

Original inspiration image

MORNING FOG

I've been obsessed with a new project..... 

Jim Moore, a friend in our car club, often shares his mastery of photography which frequently features black bears. This photo really spoke to me because it so accurately depicts our typical summer mornings in Western NC. Photo used with permission.

I set out to see if I could duplicate the feel of the image through cloth.  After so much time away lately from hand work, it's feeling right to embrace it again.

The piece came together fairly quickly, with quite a bit of tedious fabric cutting, machine embroidery and quilting.  All of which I enjoyed!

With fusing and more stitching completed, I was ready to tackle the addition of FOG.

You may not be surprised to read that I experimented with lots of different approaches.  Finally, one technique gave promise.  Thinned acrylic paint was applied to the web side of a paper backed fusible adhesive.  After drying it was fused (using lots of caution) to the quilt top.  That was followed with a sheer fabric layer.  The paint helped to tone down the otherwise a little too transparent & shiny appearance of the sheer.  

BTW - I also tried painting directly onto the sheer, but wasn't able to get the look I wanted. Additionally, I left a few areas only lightly painted to better mimic how fog appears...it's dense but not in every area.

MORNING FOG  - 14.5" X 14.5"

Batik fabrics, machine stitched, altered sheer fabric, faced edges

Now available

BLAST FROM PAST

 Blast from past....I worked for TWA in the 60's & 70's. During that time, probably 1967, Steven Stills & Buffalo Springfield flew with us. Somehow their instruments went astray & I was tasked with locating them. I remember getting this note of thanks in person, but didn't even recall that I'd kept it until we can across it in a box of old photos.

GREAT SELECTION OF JAPANESE FABRIC INSPIRED QUILTS

 Are you looking to freshen up your all too familiar decor?  Here's a flash look at just a few of the Japanese fabric inspired original wall art pieces I have available for purchase in my online gallery shop.  THESE PIECES ARE NOW SOLD BUT jump to my online gallery shop to view the current inventory.  Featured pieces vary in size, style, and price. 

FINALLY - SOME FIBER TALK

As the regular readers of this blog know, the purpose has always been to discuss and share fiber art related posts.  

Lately, I've been highlighting our beautiful mountain living lifestyle, while I continue to work on a commission piece that has to be kept under wraps until it's in the hands of the new owners.

I'm currently in my least favorite construction part of creating wall art.....machine quilting......and tackling free motion quilting which I really dislike.  Sometimes ya gotta just do it.....   However, I couldn't be more pleased with how this piece is coming together and looking forward to sharing soon.

WATERFALL TOUR

We took advantage of a beautiful summer day for another social distancing drive  on a waterfall tour.  There are hundreds of waterfalls in Western North Carolina which we personally have ignored now for quite awhile.  It's funny how when you first get acquainted with a new place, one investigates and explores everything.  Time passes and those exciting places are kinda forgotten.  This is the perfect time to enjoy our surroundings again!!

There were a surprising number of folks out and about, most following covid guidelines and wearing a mask.  In some instances the crowds made picture taking impossible.  Happily I managed some and this post will feature one of the beauties we visited. 

Dry Falls - Nantahala National Forest, Highlands, NC

YES....I said Dry Falls.....gotta wonder about that name!?!

If you follow this blog you'll know we've had a lot of rain this summer.....thus the overabundance of water flowing with thunderous noise.  There're numerous staircases that lead from the parking lot down to the viewing area where as you can see....it's a perfect place to take photos.

 Look carefully on the middle right....see someone that appears on a path?  This falls drops from a large outcropping of rocks.....allowing a path behind the actual falls that one can walk.....totally cool!!

Moss, lichen and dripping moisture make for a study in texture on the surrounding rocks.

Here's a link to help you find waterfalls to view:

A big thank you to our club buddies who organized this fun day......

BEAUTY OF NATURE

We were told by locals when we moved here that for every foggy summer morning, we'd have 1 day of snow in the winter.  I sure hope not.....we've had fog nearly every morning now for over a month as our daily rain storms continue, sometimes 2 or three times each day.

We got another 1.75 inches last night...and some good boomers....thunderstorms not very common here compared to the Midwest.  But this one knocked our internet out for over 12 hrs. 

However, I was rewarded by this glistening spider web spotted during our hour long morning 'forced march'.