ULTIMATE PLAY DATE

Yippie......along with two buddies.....the car is packed....

 .......and I mean packed to the roof top.......

As we set off for Folly Beach, SC for a few days of ice dyeing....along with some simplified shibori painting.......

 After a 6+ hr. drive we arrived at Kate's place.  This is her stunning view off the back screen porch.

 The tide was up.....creating a perfect setting for this sea grass. 

The ocean called us too.....

....and the evening came before we knew it.  Of course we were busy before the sun went down......  In the next post I'll share our assembly line ice dyeing process.  Come back and visit....won't you??

NUNO FELTED MINI

One of the reasons I love working with Nuno felted wool so much is because once a section is made....it's pretty much ready to use as a background.  Unlike cotton patchwork where the prep. is the design! 

 Earlier this year, our small fiber group (Fiber Junkies) spent a day Nuno felting.  I ended up with 1 large piece which I cut apart at home and refelted the edges of each to provide a finished appearance.  

 I'm now working on one of the smaller pieces that measures about 9" x 7".  For a piece this size, I'm breaking my own rule of always beading in a hoop or PVC frame.  You may notice that it has been stabilized.  I used Pellon's non-fusible lightweight interfacing to add strength and prevent distortion. 

Both hand embroidery and beadwork will be featured with no particular design idea in my head.  I'm just going to meander around on it and see what develops.  Of course that may (probably will) mean some 'unstitching' is also ahead.  Overall, I find that to be a very relaxing way to spend the evening since I'm not in any way in control of the TV remote!

Detail

Please check back and see how this little guy develops.....

I'm linking to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday  and Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Up Friday

PTA SHOW AND TELL - AUG. MEETING

Despite end of summer vacation schedules, nearly all of PTA members gathered for food, chatter, and show and tell.  My camera did not cooperate well, so I must apologize for the poor quality photos.  But, I hope you enjoy them never-the-less.

 I posted this charming basket quilt awhile back.  It was made from 'block of the month' squares won by a PTA member at our local quilt guild. Our group put them together. 

 Member Mary has been feeling poorly lately and since it was her birthday and since SHE was the one who won the blocks....we presented it to her at our meeting.  As you can see....she was very touched.....  Isn't this what quilt making is all about??

 Lynne made this stunning wall quilt using rusted fabric.  She enhanced the fabric by over painting it....which included the addition of the grey highlights.  It was inspired by a photo she took of local rock formations.  Believe me....in person this piece is a stunner!

 Dort has been on a fish frenzy lately.  Her work will be featured in a solo show at the NC Arboretum in early 2014.

 Here's another one......

 Gen....the master of all things made with a needle, has been knitting away.....this vest is a gift for her husband.

 She is so modest about her knitting....but we all covet the socks she makes!

 At one of our last meetings, Barbara was purging items from her studio. Kate gladly accepted this quilt top.....took it home and completed it....

 She likes to 'practice' her long arm quilting skills......looks to me like she has already mastered them!

 Here's another quilt made by Kate.  Believe it or not....she was shocked to have photo requests for this piece, saying it was 'nothing'.....  It will be a donation to our guild community quilt project.  But it is certainly NOT nothing!!

 Barbara blew me out of my chair with this beauty.  Made with silk.....some fusing and hand applique.  She's an excellent hand quilter.....and we all await that next step.

 Barbara also treated the entire group to a large stash of upholstery samples that were gifted to her.  Gen got an early sneak peak and whipped this wall piece up.  I LOVE it......so clean, so visually appealing, just the right combo of neutrals with dashes of color in all the right places.

Detail

After each monthly meeting I depart with such gratitude that I have these talented friends in my life.  Whether you sew & share your love of quilting with one pal or 10.....don't you agree they enhance your creativity and give you a reason to keep stitching?!?

ATELIER ON MAIN

I'm doing some bragging about my family today. AND.....I'm beginning to think all the quilts, dolls, stuffed animals etc. that I made for the family offspring has helped to generate a love of fabric for at least one!

 My niece Jenna and a good friend opened Atelier on Main, a bridal and special occasion dress shop in downtown Stoughton, WI.  

 To say I was impressed with absolutely every aspect of this well thought out successful enterprise is an understatement.

 The innovative marketing they are doing is amazing. For instance...look at all these prom dresses....many in the style of the roaring twenties. And what is the theme of prom this year.....just guess.

Jenna's older sister is getting married next April.....and this is her dress.  How lucky she is to have her sister in the bridal business!

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT SEWING

Living in a tourist destination area....we should be taking more time to enjoy the many recreational opportunties. Well, finally we did.

 Many of the hiking trails are not a stroll in the park.  This would be considered by some hikers that are hardier than I, to be groomed....I call it just darn dangerous if one isn't paying attention.

 This one is a relative short hike.....taking us only about 90 mins. but it was a bit challenging since we didn't have our hiking sticks with us.  (DAH!)  It was early in the day so it was still chilly and the haze hadn't burned off quite yet.

 We started at a welcome center located off the Blue Ridge Parkway West of Maggie Valley.....huffing & puffing our way to the top of this knoll/mountain.....  Imagine our surprise to find only this lonely bench in a small clearing.

 Going back down was even more treacherous.  Yes, this is the trail...with stone 'steps' still slippery from the dew.

But oh my.....the views were worth it......  Note to self......do this more often!!!

SUN QUEEN

I'm back from a little get away and found some spare time between loads of laundry.  Here's the completion of the 'ugly duckling' that I blogged about last week.  

SUN QUEEN 12" X 12"

AVAILABLE HERE

Artist hand dyed felted wool, commerical woolfelt,

featuring a beaded fused glass cabochon.

PATCHWORK PUTTERING - PART 2

Admittedly, I'm not much of a piecer......I was in the past, but not so much now.  Therefore, big blocks that deliver big impact are my choice for patchwork.  Click here to see part 1 of the making of this quilt.

 Also, being an "A" type, very organized personality....I'm not comfortable sitting and stitching block after block without assigning them their 'place'.  I decided to make only a few blocks at a time....positioning as I went along.  Of course that's not the most efficient way to sew but it works for me.

And in no time....the lap quilt blocks were made.  Yes, I did rearrange some!

Straight line horizontal quilting on my home machine completes this commission piece.  Okay, I'll admit....I had fun....

PUTTERING WITH PATCHWORK

Someone asked me if I had turned to the 'dark side' and gone 'Modern'...referring to the look of what I consider refreshing simple blocks with ample negative space of the current new patchwork trend.

Actually, if you've been quilting as long as I have, you'll realize that most of the designs are not new at all.  However, the limited number of patches in the typically large blocks, the use of solid fabrics, and perhaps the updated color combinations does give that impression.  But, think Amish style quilts.....their dynamic visual impact is similar.  I'm thrilled that this new trend has reminded me that it's not necessary to cut a zillion patches to create only complicated patchwork!!

Because I have more free time than I did in the past, my attention has been drawn to the overflowing closet of cotton fabrics.  My love for the last 6+ years has (and continues to be) working with felted wool...yet, using some of this other stash is compelling as well.

However, I almost dread getting out the older hand-dyed fabrics, knowing most of them will bleed.  Well...it has to be done....so out comes the Synthropol to treat and remove the excess dye.

Piles and piles of now stabilized but wet fabric await.....

 ...the next step was to press everything.  Frankly, a job I dislike....but I had lots of "Housewives" (with all their antics) on my DVR.....so the day went quickly.

 I'm now pairing the fabric with the large stash of batiks gifted to me by my friend Helen.  

Check back tomorrow to see more on this subject.....

UGLY DUCKLY - PART 3

Have these blog reports become a tease??  Really, they aren't meant to be.   It's rare for me to 'see' a mental snapshot of a finished piece and then sail through the construction process.  More often it's 3:00 AM thoughts that help evolve a piece to completion!  And that's what you are seeing....

I'm not complaining....in fact, if it wasn't for the struggle and challenge, my interest might wane.

 Well...here's my 3:00 AM thought last night.  Actually, if truth be told....my 1:00 - 2:00 & 3:00 AM ponderings.  I really truly thought this piece wouldn't survive the rest of the day!

It's amazing how 10 minutes & some cut pieces of paper changed the entire design.

Luckily, a piece of my hand dyed wool was just right for these petals and perhaps will save this ugly duckling.....

Unfortunately, I'm going to leave you hanging here as family commitments will prevent me from working on it for a few days.....  I'll post a picture when I complete it.

Thanks for hanging with me during this process.....  I'll bet you all have had your own struggles and then found methods of working through them as well.  Do share!!

UGLY DUCKLING - PART 2

Call me stubborn....I wasn't ready to give up on the design.  Perhaps this isn't a virtue, but I must admit in all my sewing years, I have abandoned only about 3 or 4 projects.  Sometimes my best new pathway is found by working through the ugly ducklings.

I'll often take a photo and view the piece on the computer to help direct me to the problem and then, hopefully the answer.  In this case, I wondered how the piece would look if I drastically trimmed the edges, to highlight just the cabochon.  

I 'almost' convinced myself it would work.  

But, before I took that step, I decided to permanently secure the patches together with machine stitching and bead the cabochon. 

Clearly that wasn't the miracle I was looking for either.  In desperation, I grabbed the leftover trimmings from the original wider 9 patch sections and arranged them on the piece.

Is this the answer????  Again NO!!! But wait.....I do NOT give up easily.......and I have another idea.......check in here tomorrow....