IT'S GROWING.....

YES, it's growing.....struggling to find enough multicolor prints that work together. Though it appears the goal is a color wash quilt.....actually it's not.....stay tuned to see what I have planned.

JAPANESE FABRICS ARE CALLING ME

 It may not look like it.....but I do have a plan......let's see if it's going to work......

SOME STIRRINGS OF LIFE AGAIN

 Many of us are worn out by these last 6 months.....so I'm trying to focus on the positives.  Life hasn't returned to normal (will it ever??) but signs are pointing to our resilience.

Woolworth Walk Gallery, downtown Asheville, NC, where my pal Judy Simmons and I display our fiber art has seen a slow but steady return of shoppers helping to support the local small businesses.

I'm thankful to an unknown visitor who has given this piece a new home.

MARSH AT DAWN   20" X 15"

Hand-dyed silk noil, batik cottons, appliqued and machine quilted. 

 

 

FALL IN THE MOUNTAINS

This summer we've seen more fog in our mountain valley than ever before. It's an amazing sight to watch a fog bank come rolling up the valley as it slowly encompasses our house.  

On the 2nd 'Forced March' march of the day, with rescue black lab Sooty.....I spotted this beauty.....hummmm a broken heart reflecting all the drama that our country is enduring?

This is a fiber blog, I don't do political statements or lecture about social significance....but today I want to say a word about 9/11.  Hard to believe it's been 19 years.  Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news.  My story isn't any more or less important than others, but it's an especially memorable day for me.  It was the first of 2 days that I was a bone marrow donor (which was via stem cells) for my identical twin sister at the City of Hope in CA.  It had an enormous impact on my life.

TWO DAYS - 6 BOOKS

 It's slow going this book cover making......but the relaxed pace is also very enjoyable.  Two days = 6 book covers......

** update - from left to right....#4 (indigo) and #6 green with floral applique - SOLD    Covers are made using a variety of fabrics. Techniques include hand resist acid and indigo dyeing, as well as ice-dyeing.  They feature Ultra-suede (& 1 ribbon) spines and ties, coordinating cotton linings, and each is filled with a lined composition book.  8" x 11" 

I'll be adding these to my gallery inventory soon, however for a short time,. if anyone is interested in doing a direct purchase....holler.

JUST PUTTERING

 I'm back to making covered composition book covers for my Woolworth Walk Gallery inventory. It's crazy that it takes me longer to select and cut the cover fabrics and lining combinations than it does to sew them. A nice change of pace from creating art quilts.

The lovely floral design was given to me by my pal & Woolworth booth mate, Judy Simmons, she used it as a sample in her machine needle felting class. I cut it from her base fabric and turned it into an appliqué motif for this felt book cover.

Back cover

GIRLFRIENDS SHARE FABRIC.....ISN'T THAT GREAT!!! 

RED GINKGO LEAVES

 "Red Ginkgo Leaves" is finished! I sure appreciate all the wonderful comments on my last post. Unfortunately, adding a narrow grey border to the quilted piece at this point wasn't feasible.

                                          

Next I attempted to incorporate grey piping or a flat flange to the edges, however, the addition of only a narrow strip of grey simply had no impact. In fact, no matter what fabric I used it became distracting.

 RED GINKGO LEAVES - 12.5" X 30" 

SOLD 

So I decided to bind it to provide a pronounced visual stop for the eye, rather than using a turned facing.

                                           

DETAIL

I'm very happy with the piece. I'm even more pleased and totally flattered to announce it's been purchased by a skilled fiber artist who has maintained a studio at Ginko Gallery in Oberlin, Ohio. I first met her as my student on one of my quilt tours/cruises and she's traveled with me countless times afterwards, becoming a good friend. As I said, I couldn't be happier..... thank you Nancy!

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Getting to the finish line.  I had planned to echo quilt this project, but after the outline quilting was completed, that idea was scratched for fear of interrupting the background design too much.  All the squares and large rectangle were quilted in the ditch instead.

Another early decision was to finish the edges with a facing, rather than bind it.  But after viewing the piece on my design wall....I began to consider adding a grey piping, and then binding.

Now I'll be digging out all the grey fabrics I have to find one that's suitable. Of course I don't have enough of what I used for the branches.  Isn't that always the way.  

Let's see what happens next!?!

ADDING HIGHLIGHTS

Stitching away to texturize the ginkgo leaves......enjoying the process!

 

WORK IN PROGRESS

 Honestly 2020 can't end fast enough for me....more health issues have slowed down process on my ginkgo leaf wall quilt. But happily, it's back on track (as am I and 'the husband'). The machine applique is completed & machine embroidery to enhance the leaves is next.