BASKETS, BASKETS

I've been creating fabric bowls.......a bit time consuming but satisfying to simply stitch and stitch, around and around.....

LADY BUG PARADE

Don't you just love Lady Bugs?  They are just so darn cute.....I think they should have their own parade!  This piece is available, can ship to anywhere in US.

 LADY BUG PARADE - 13” X 13"

$175 - includes shipping in US

Artist hand-dyed cotton background, commercial fabrics, machine appliquéd, hand embroidered, and machine quilted. Wrapped on a canvas frame & secured in a black wood frame without glass.

DETAIL

SUNFLOWERS AT DUSK

This new work really shines with the hand-dyed vintage napkin as the background. 

 

SUNFLOWERS AT DUSK - 13” x 13"

AVAILABLE

Hand-dyed vintage napkin, appliquéd motifs,

beaded, hand embroidered, & enhanced with machine stitching. Wrapped on canvas frame & secured in a black 

wood frame without glass.

A GIFT!!!

After seeing the small Poppy art quilt I created using an ice-dyed linen napkin, my pal Francie Ginnocchio (quilter extraordinaire and quilt book author) sent me a gift of a napkin she'd dyed that never got worked into one of her pieces.

Naturally, I'm grateful and inspired.  I had hoped to utilize all of it, including the beautiful embroidery found in one corner, yet it really needed to be stabilized.  So I decided it will be mounted on a canvas covered frame.  I began by adding Pellon light-weight non fusible stabilizer to the wrong side and machine stitching.

Here's the beginning.....

CONTACT

 This is sort of a personal message.....Kelsey I read your comment and we too miss seeing you.  I tried to reply to discuss your project but there is no contact info for you.  

If you wish to chat, there's an email link on the right column of this blog.....just email me a note so I can get back to you.

THE REVEAL

 Guessing time is over....it's now "Margarita Time".

MARGARITA TIME - 18" X 26"

SOLD

Artist ice-dyed, microwave dyed & some commercial batiks.
Machine appliquéd, beaded & bound edges & machine quilted.

WERE YOU WAITING??

 Have you been waiting for the reveal? Heck, you have better things to do. As is typical with art quilters....a new idea popped into my head and I decided to lengthen the patchwork background. Now things are cookin'.........you'll never guess but do keep watching!

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!

 There has been numerous posts regarding the new 505 Glue Stick.  It sounded so promising, esp. for small items that you may not want the mess of using a spray adhesive, or it's cut out and fusing is a hassle.

So, I purchased one.  First of all....it's EXPENSIVE - $10 (from Amazon) for this 4" stick which is a huge mess to use on small items.  And it's not even 4" of product.....the empty space in the bottom of the container is about 1/2" - 3/4" deep.....

Perhaps some of you have had good experiences...I'd love to hear about them.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

 

UNITED WE STAND - 44" x 29" - made by

Mary Stori

HOT - GOOD TIME TO CREATE INDOORS

 It's 6:40 AM and it's 78 degrees already....going up to 110......I can NOT even wrap my head around these numbers.

Good day to stay inside and create.  Here's the first addition to my patched blues background.  Doesn't look like much....esp. anything whimsy....but I believe it will......

Safe travel to those who are on the move for the holiday....we will be hunkered down......just like a good old-fashioned Wisconsin snow storm...only this is CA in July!!

Our indoor thermometer read this at 6:45 PM last night....ignore the calendar/time on the instrument....clearly we haven't reset it yet.

MOVING ON.....

As much as I am tempted to continue on floral themes....I have to scratch another itch!

So, I've spent the last couple of days piecing a background using Indio dyed linen (a thrift store find that my friend Kate shared with me) along with ice-dyed cottons.  

I'm calling it finished even at this rather small size of about 18".  I'm not a piecer, it took way too long to do this little bit!  It used to be fun, but now I'd rather appliqué.  However, it will make a wonderful backdrop for a inspiration that smacked me in the face.

I'm still deciding the orientation, but I KNOW the next step will be appliqué and perhaps back to my whimsy creations of years ago.

Check in and see what comes next.

TRUMPET LILY

 This flower thing could get out of hand....every street in our community is named after a flower. My newest piece is made mostly with hand ice-dyed cottons. SOLD

"Trumpet Lily" - 13" x 13"

I must also share today's happy dance. The gal who purchased my previous piece, "California Poppies" sent me a video of her opening the box that arrived today for its reveal. What a thrill to see someone so delighted and in love with my work! Made my day for sure!!

WOW!

The delightfully quick sale of my last project, 'California Poppies' has helped to get my creativity geared back up.  This moving thing sure had me down and floundering.

The name of my new town is Roseville.....obviously flowers are the focus everywhere. Our community's road's names are all floral based......daily forced marches bring me new ideas and a recognization that I knew so little about flower varieties.  Trumpet Lilies have caught my attention.

Here's the beginning of a new piece......keep watching won't you??

CALIFORNIA POPPIES

 What a delight to create a small piece with my new inspirational surroundings!

I ice-dyed this linen handkerchief numerous years ago and couldn't bring myself to use it....now was the time.

And ta-da......it's finished.....

CALIFORNIA POPPIES - 13" X 13"

Ice-dyed linen, ice-dyed cottons and some batiks.

Machine appliquéd, thread painted, hand embroidered, & machine quilted.  Wrapped onto a canvas frame and secured in wood frame.

Available for purchase. - NOW SOLD

HOW SOON I FORGOT......

First let me say, I know it's been awhile since I posted.....really I do nothing much here except continue to settle in which means multiple appointments to establish new doctors which always leads to more appointments for tests and procedures.  Such a hassle!!

However, I did have a little free time to start a small project using an ice-dyed linen handkerchief.  My inspirations have shifted from the Blue Ridge Mountains to my new environment.  Poppies have caught my eye.

In my enthusiasm to get going, I (dah) totally didn't think through the process.  I traced a poppy shape on tissue paper which normally I'd pin to a piece of stabilized fabric. Then simply sew over the traced lines.  In my haste, I decided to avoid having to stitch around pins and did a very light application of wash out spray adhesive instead.  Of course the paper was impossible to remove.

Back to a sensible approach which honestly I haven't used in YEARS......clear washout stabilizer.

Once stitched, I trimmed the excess film away and soaked it in water to dissolve.

Now that's better...honestly, what on earth was I thinking previously!?!

Stay tuned for the reveal of this small California Poppy piece.

 

THIS AND THAT

 Yes, we are STILL getting settled...sigh.... Even after selling excess stuff for 2+ months before leaving NC, we still have more than we can use. BUT, because I've collected antiques for over 50 years....it's hard giving up items that one has stripped to its bare wood and refinished.

Here's a look at some wood carvings I've repurposed.

Also I did a bit of sewing...made three mini notebook covers using small pieces of ice-dyed silk noil that I couldn't bear to part with.

LITTLE PROJECTS

 Having a bit of fun making bento bags.....simple once the folding/sewing steps are understood.  Great projects for those special fabrics you have been saving!

A LITTLE GELI PRINTING

 Yeah, I got my hands dirty with two new friends doing some gel printing.  It's HOT here....next 3 days temps. will be over 100.....good grief.  So we got started early, 8:00 AM and puttered till just before noon.  Paint started to dry nearly as fast as we put in on the plates....time to stop.

My goal was to create some background pieces to use in small landscape work.  Mission accomplished.  

I got so busy and focused I didn't take any photos till I got home and laid out my treasures.  Thanks to Michelle and Mary Lee for including me.

UPPER CRABTREE - TRIPLE CREEK, NC

 Hurrah......my commission project is now finished.  The clients live in NC, near our previous home in the Triple Creek Meadows Community. They requested me to capture the scenery of the area.  Their view of the Blue Ridge Mountains is similar to ours.....

So here's the quilt, plus a photo I snapped from our front porch.

Upper Crabtree - Triple Creek Meadows, NC

52.5" x 60"

My entire inventory of quilts in my online shop have now been repriced.  Now that I am no longer associated with a gallery, I don't have to match their pricing which included a hefty commission.  Take a look and see if you might be interested in any of the pieces.  

FINALLY HANGING DECOR

Moving required so many necessary tasks that it's taken awhile before we could get to what I consider the fun stuff.  For instance, insurance, auto registration, CA driver's license, all new doctors....(still working down that list), simple things like towel bars and hooks, paper towel holders and on and on.....  

All the wall decor has now been unwrapped.....most is still piled on the floor or dining table...but progress is being made.....making it more and more 'our' house.  

This may be of zero interest to you, but as a kinda diary of this monumental change in our lives.....I'm documenting some of it....delete now or take a gander....

Our small laundry room was a challenge since no cupboards come with new houses here.  (Weird?!?) Well, not strange because the quote to match what we have in our kitchen....came to over $8,000.  So instead, I purchased a school locker for mops, elec. broom etc. (had it painted blue)....then hung some other vintage pieces.  I have a wooden wall mounted drying rack that will finish off this room when I can get 'the husband' to hang it.   Having ceilings 10' tall is kinda a challenge for decorating.  Everything looks so skimpy!

This entry hall is really the second section of the front entrance and is big....really big.  My antique pie safe is dwarfed in the space.  Directly across the room I'll hang a quilt, but need to hire someone to do it.  The wall is 10' tall and 122" wide.  Quilt is 72" x 90" long!  I love the spacious feel of this house but good grief why would they have such inaccessible areas in a 55+ community where none of us should be on ladders!!!

This vintage corner cupboard was made by 'the husband's great grandfather....we believe it was made either in Denmark or Wisconsin.  Unfortunately, the guest room has the only corner in this entire house that will accommodate it.  One of my pieces from Woolworth's has now been hung, though I'm hoping to sell it.  But first, I need to dig out more quilts to find one to better coordinate with the room.

In an alcove in that guest room, I've hung some family memorabilia.....really old photos of the Stori Concert Hall and the Menomonie House (the family's boarding house & hotel).  But the  real treasure is 'the husband's' father's Athletic Hall of Fame certificate from UW Stout.

As is often the case.....our power room has no windows.  To make the space feel less closed in, I hung a bunch of crackled painted mirrors that I'd made for our previous home's man cave bathroom.  They work well here too, but perhaps I'll be on the lookout for more old mirrors to transform.

More to come in the future if you can stand it.....

A DAY OF HONOR!!

 LEAST WE NEVER FORGET -

 UNITED WE STAND - 44" X 29"  BY MARY STORI

Due to our recent downsizing plus no longer having to pay commission to a gallery......my quilts are priced to sell.  Contact me if you are interested.....This piece has been published numerous times.

COMMISSION - MAKING GOOD PROGRESS

 I'm still working about 6-8 hrs. most days on my commission project. 

It's been awhile since I posted a progress photo....it's a big piece, appx. 54" x 62".......given my much reduced studio space, it's been challenging but I am enjoying developing new ways of working.