Monday, December 5, 2022

UPCYCLING

 My creative side has been side-lined due to caretaking responsibilities. So with limited time, I decided to upcycle a few traditional, somewhat faded wall quilts, made back when I was still hand quilting everything. This one was made into bookcovers for my gallery inventory.






Thursday, November 24, 2022

THANKSGIVING 2022

 Happy Thanksgiving ..........


Wednesday, November 23, 2022

WINTER BIRDS

Sometimes a comment in passing can spark an idea.  This 14" x 10" monoprinted small art quilt will be a holiday gift for a friend.........and since I don't think she reads blogs, I'm safe to share it here.

The silver/blues acrylic paints are metallic, adding a feeling of depth to the sky.  A few other couching, applique & embellishing touches and it was complete.

It's always fun to give a surprise....something I'm going to do do more often!!



Wednesday, November 16, 2022

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN

 Our Fiber Frenzy group met this week to play with some cutting equipment.  I've seen both of these machines in use previously, but being old school never gave much thought of owning either. But as they say, timing is everything.

In the past I've mentioned my nagging shoulder issue.  So after another cortisone injection & a frank discussion with my doc....I can no longer ignore it for much longer if I want to avoid more damage requiring rotary cuff surgery and an unacceptable (to me) recovery period.

So......I need to reduce the stress on my joints.....I'm hoping Santa is reading this.....

Kathie gave an in-depth demo of her Brother Scan 'n cut machine.  Here's an overview of the function that would most benefit ME to own one. 


We scanned in some of Susan's designs.  They were edited to make the best use of her fabric and saved in the machine's memory.

Next her fused fabric....fused side up, was fed in & the cutting function was initiated.
After removing the excess fabric.....here's the cut motifs.
This is the tree I scanned & cut....it would have taken me so long  to trace and cut.....this is done in minutes with accurate cutting.  WOW!!!!

Judy shared her Accuquilt die cut machine.  In preparation for a largish quilt I'm planning.....and with stacking help my pals, 5 layers each packet were cut into about 300 - 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles.

A view of the machine, the carrier that covers the foam die cut plate.

I don't do enough patchwork to justify this tool, so I'm really grateful for the generosity of Judy and my fellow Fiber Frenzy friends.  This would have probably taken me two days and way too much stress on my shoulder if cut by  hand.



Tuesday, November 15, 2022

ON THE FENCE

I dislike winter and cold so much I'm skipping them and going right to celebrating spring/summer with this new little piece. SOLD

ON THE FENCE - 22" x 16"
Patchwork background made with vintage indigo block printed cottons, by hard to find, Da Gama 3 Cats printed in England and South Africa. Motifs are appliqued cotton prints. Hand embroidered and quilted. Bound edges with fabric hanging sleeve attached. 

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Noooooo

 What a shock......no clue this white stuff was even a possibility for our Sunday morning......boooooo  hisssssss.  Truly, I can not tolerate snow or cold weather.....I'm going to hibernate ......see you all in the spring!



Thursday, November 10, 2022

EXPERIMENTING

 I've spent some time, too much time, figuring out and creating some rather flat fabric bowls.....one 16" and the other two 13".  Decided since each took about a day to make.....how is that possible you ask?  Putzy is all I can say......  In the end they will not be an impluse item to be added to my gallery space......time vs material = in the red profit margain for what I can expect to price them.

Thought you'd like to take a look anyway........in case you think I've been a couch potato!





Wednesday, November 9, 2022

MARVELING AT NATURE

 Marveling at nature...What looks like a snow covered lake is actually fog that hangs in a lower valley. It often moves up through our mountain valley, appearing like a white sheet being pulled over one's head. Fascinating..... And look at this darling birds nest I spotted on the road this morning during our 'forced march'....





Tuesday, October 25, 2022

WITH THE WIND

I've been busy......Fall tourists have been good for business.  And that means I've been hard at work creating new pieces.  Hope you enjoy seeing this one.

 WITH THE WIND - 41" x 50" © Mary Stori
                                       Now Available                                                         

Authentic Japanese cottons, pieced, appliqued, quilted with metallic thread. 

Edges bound, hanging sleeve attached.

       
DETAILS

BACKING


Sunday, October 16, 2022

READY FOR FALL VISITORS

The reason many folks visit our area is to enjoy the stunning scenery ablaze with fall colors.
Here's a view from our property looking West at about 8:30 AM
And like so many we hop in the car and drive the historic Blue Ridge Parkway.....this trip takes us to Lake Toxaway for our car club's Oktober Fest celebration.
My good pal and booth mate Judy Simmons, at Woolworth Walk Gallery in downtown Asheville, has her booth ready for fall and holiday shoppers....her work is stunning and many pieces feature eco-printed art quilts.  Be sure to check out her large selection of hand dyed silk scarves too. As well as a large selection of handmade cards.  

 I too am prepared for visitors, hoping one of my pieces will get a forever home.  If any of the work you see in our booth catches your eye, you can contact either Judy or myself....or better yet go directly to the friendly staff at Woolworth Walk   828-254-9234 who can provide further info. They are happy to check on availability, send detail photos if needed, and can carefully and efficiently ship any purchased work directly to you.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Friday, October 14, 2022

ESCAPE TO JAPAN

 After appx. 72 hrs. on this piece.....it's finally finished......Way too much time spent tying off thread ends......




ESCAPE TO JAPAN  -  45" x 45" -  Authentic Japanese cottons, pieced, appliqued, and quilted with metallic thread.  Bound edges & hanging sleeve.   DM if interested in giving this piece a forever home.

Thursday, October 13, 2022

HOW WE GOT OUR CIVIL WAR CABIN

 Internet pal Robbie asked me to elaborate on our small civil war cabin .....shown in the previous post.

It came about after we moved to NC from a home in WI that had a 4 1/2 car detached garage, and a 2 1/2 car attached garage.  Clearly the now 2 1/2 car garage was not adequate for the lawn tractor, hand mower, plus a zillion other garden and 'boy toy' pieces of equipment.

I had recently visited a Southern Living model home in nearby Sandy Mush, NC.....about 30 mins. as the crow flies, but at least an hr. by car.  (Oh the winding roads through the mountains we have here!!!)  On that property was a stunning shed being errected by a small company that seeks out old log structures.....disassembles them, numbering all the pieces and then sells and reassembles them on customers properties.  This small company was literally about 15 mins. from our house (if you knew where to look).

'The husband' couldn't bring himself to purchase a metal shed or any of the other premade ones available at big box stores and before I knew it....we had bought a disassembled (said to be pre-civil war) small cabin.  The artisan who built it for us was outstanding.  He would not stand for the idea of setting it on concrete blocks.....so he sourced local stones and built the foundation....no motor, all dry stacked.  It was fascintating to watch....like putting odd shaped blocks of a quilt together!!  He even made hinges out of old horse shoes and hung a single rusted mule show upside down over the doors.  He used vintage tin for the roof.   




This is how it looked the day it was finished.....back in 2007.
Note the old piece of leather that covered the hinged door handle!!
This is what our home looked like just after moving in the summer of 2006.  You can see why a log cabin was so appealing to us.  We now wish we'd have found a bigger structure.....though it probabably wouldn't have been afforable as this entire process was very labor intensive.
 
In 2019 we had a complete redo on the front porch/deck/railing and roof.  I had always loved the idea of a log home...though was educated enough by then to know I didn't want a total log home....way tooooo dark inside.  Ours is log sided and that's bad enough.  The amount of maintance & cost is astonishing.  This update was done with material as maintance free as possible.

So there you go Robbie...the tale of our antique log cabin......


MICROWAVE- WAVE ICE DYEING

Oh what a beautiful day ......microwave ice-dyeing with some buddies.......how's that for immediate gratification?

Funny though....I was aiming to create some reds and oranges......guess I have to try again....poor me......

 


Tuesday, October 11, 2022

FALL CAME OVERNIGHT

Ahhhhh....the beauty of fall.....snapped this photo of our civil war log cabin (used as a garden shed) as I began my afternoon walk with Sooty (our 10+ black lab rescue dog)....who has taken to becoming a statue when she doesn't want to walk any further.   


Monday, October 10, 2022

OH THAT JAPANESE FABRIC!!

 Late summer/early fall had me worried that the economic downturn in this country was affecting the tourist industry in our area. Which of course affects my art quilt sales....selfish as that sounds!

I'm happy to report it seemed to be just a pause because I'm as busy as ever. Though my large Japanese art quilts aren't my favorite projects, they continue to be of interest. My inventory was tapped out so I've been working like crazy to get more underway.....here's a layout of fused to be appliqued blocks.

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

HARMONY IN NATURE

 

“HARMONY IN NATURE”-  23.5” x 18.5”  © Mary Stori

SOLD

Mono-printed, gradation dyed, indigo dyed cottons, appliquéd, 

embroidered, & densely quilted.  Faced edges, fabric hanging sleeved attached.

Monday, October 3, 2022

WORK CONTINUES

 Other demands have kept me from working on my newest piece as much as I'd like, however it's slowly growing. More motif additions coming..... I'm really liking this one!




Tuesday, September 27, 2022

NEW LANDSCAPE ART QUILT IN PROGRESS

 Using a combination of mono-printing, microwave-ice dyeing, indigo dyed cottons.....a new Blue Ridge mountain landscape art quilt is underway.

I'm currently adding some base stitching to provide texture.  Next I'll be creating the focus applique that for now are motifs dancing in my head.  Stay tuned.....


Tuesday, September 20, 2022

FELT FELTED VESSELS

A special friend (thank you Janice) recently gifted me a huge bag of wool.....that was roughly formed into batting.

The fiber can often be suitable for wet felting, so I thought I'd try. With considerable man handling, I managed to make a couple of vessels. The texture is bumper than usual, yet because of plain appearance of the wool, I love the character it provides. 







Friday, September 16, 2022

TREASURED FRIENDSHIP

  The list of reasons my 25+ long career in the quilt industry has brought such joy to my life is long.  But at the very top is the enduring, deep friendships that have developed.  

I met my pal Jackie for the first time in 1996.  She was the instructor coordinator for Quilt Colorado.  We bonded immediately!  I was fortunate to be invited to teach at this outstanding quilt show/conference many times and Jackie and I picked up our conversations as if we had only taken a breath.

Surprises out of the blue are simply the best.....today this adorable wool pincushion arrived.  Superbly made by Jackie "to honor our friendship".  How heartwarming is that?!?  Quilt friends are the best!!!!



Wednesday, September 14, 2022

WHISPERING BAMBOO


"WHISPERING BAMBOO" - 41” x 50"  © Mary Stori

SOLD

Authentic Japanese cottons, pieced, appliquéd, densely 

quilted with metallic thread.  Fabric hanging sleeve attached.


Friday, September 9, 2022

FIBER FUN WITH FRIENDS

 Happily our PTA (Professional Textile Artists small group) is back meeting monthly after the rude interruption caused by Covid!   Each member is responsible for organizing one meeting a year.  Numbers are drawn at our Dec. meeting, then the months are selected starting with the lowest number.  Oh this saves so many unnecessary last minute emails.  Some of our favorite gatherings are simply in each others homes.....we met at Dort's this month.

As always we laugh, munch, sip, and are exposed to many new tips, tricks and information.

Lynn recently bought a cutting machine and did a little demo......these units are getting more and more popular esp. for those quilters who create a lot of patchwork quilts.  (Judy left, Lynne right)



Connie shared a quilt that she'd been demonstrating hand quilting on at our well know Folk Art Center, located along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  She's a wonderful ambassador for the group.


Barbara got us all buzzing with her scrappy patchwork piece made from precut patches from a give-away table at our local guild.  Several of us took good notes (necessary at our age) as a possible project for our 15th (I think) annual March 2023 retreat.  What a colorful, cheerful small quilt.......best of all, the seams don't need to match....my kind of patchwork!!


We have very generous members in our group and I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end from 3 thoughtful gals. - Barbara knit me a pair of socks....LOVE, LOVE.  Connie brought me some horsetail.....a plant we enjoyed growing along our river home in Wisconsin....and I still have a dried display of this unusual plant in our great room, though it's getting ragged.  And Janice shared a huge bag of wool that is perfect for wet felting, unbleached, and not combed enough for many other projects.....I can hardly wait to get my hands wet and soapy......




Thank goodness for great fiber friends!!!!