spark

Last year I got alot out of Jaye's Creative Prompt Project. Every friday she puts out a word for anyone to use as a creative jumping board to create and sketch. I found it very helpful in practicing sketching and somehow life got in the way and I stopped. I don't make New Year's resolutions but if I did, this would be it - to do more sketching by way of CPP. there is also a flickr group to post responses as well. She has been doing this for a few years.

Go here to check out this past weeks word - as you can see she puts alot of research into it and even if you don't sketch or create something from that word you will learn something you didn't know about that word. She is really good at this:-)

the word this week was spark and the first thing that comes to my mind is Joni Mitchell's masterpiece - Court and Spark. In my opinion one of the best albums of all time. So here is my little sketch, as you can see in the upper corner, I first downloaded a photo of the album cover, printed  it out and went by that.

enjoy!

WIP Boxing Day

I hope everyone had a happy Christmas and can continue that Christmas joy into the new year and beyond.

Mine was quiet just how I like it with a long walk with a friend and a prime rib dinner after.

(I was in bed sleeping by 8:00) woot! Woot! - the perfect day:-)

 

So today - Still working my Nepal quilt

This past week I worked on the hillside. It went from this

 

To this

 

Then this

 

And here is where I am now. I added single crochet yarn to the green grass areas and started sewing them down to the top of the green areas, then realized it looked better on the bottom :-/

Not sure if it's worth ripping out to have them all the same or not sure I even can. It's sewn on by machine very securely with backtracking etc. so probablly will leave it. What do you think? Should I channel my inner anal perfectionist tendencies that barely exist or just let the yarns lie where they may?

A quiet Moment between friends (this is a pic of one already made and sold)

It's going on the design wall for a few days to ponder over while I work on a quiet moment between friends that a friend requested. Perfect timing since I need to walk away from Nepal and go to the mountains with the dogs.

 

Have gotten this far and will play more today.

A fun quilt to make ;-)

Happy Sewing Boxing Day!

iF you are on twitter at all there are usually others tweeting quilty stuff and showing what they are doing on Boxing Day so check out

#BDSI

 

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Illusion quilt video

I came across this video from the missouri star quilt company yesterday and really like it so thought I would share it with you. Not sure if I will ever make it but I would like to. 

It takes a pack of 10" squares which I could and should be cutting from my stash but I might just be on the look out for a good sale on a pack of them. would make things so much easier.

In any case - check out the video

Zu Zus Petals

I recently adopted this sweety pie and her name is ZuZu. I'm not all that fond of the name, don't hate it, just don't love it ................. until I realized the connection to my favorite Christmas movie

It's a Wonderful Life

the daughter's name was Zu Zu!

yes, the kid was cute but come on - who is cuter!!! 

and those rose petal ears

and remember in the movie when he found ZuZus petals?

Being so happy to be in the moment!

Love that movie and love my dog who's name is now

ZuZus Petals (Zu Zu for short)

Merry Christmas everyone and try to catch this movie :-)

Christmas postcards 2014

 

Oh holy night!

 

Snoopy Happy Christmas dance - please take some time out every day to play like a dog :-)

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

 

I wish you tidings of great Joy!

 

 

I didn't mail these cards, they were given in person so was able to have great fun adding buttons and bling!

Happy Holidays to all!

 

 

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Questions and answers

I just read Glen's quilts and dogs blog and she says I am following her in a series of art blogs and she tagged me. I think I'm supposed to answer some questions - so here goes

What are you working on now?

Yesterday I started a fairly large landscape. My friend and colleague where I work is a young man from Bhutan / Nepal. He and his family came here as refugees and they just recently purchased a house so I wanted to make him an art quilt of mountains that looked like Nepal. I googled a photo and so far have the mountains. The snow covered ones in the back started out as a darkish sky blue and I stipples white paint on them to look like far away snow covered peaks. I have to do the left side which will be terraced hillside like they do in Nepal. The people there have to farm that way since there is no flat land.

 

This is the line drawing that I'm working from. I take this, then reverse it and trace all the pieces onto freezer paper, iron to the back of batik fabrics, turn under the edges, iron and then put it back together like a puzzle. It is then appliqued down by machine with invisible thread. Later after all elements are added I will layer batting and a backing and quilt it with decorative thread adding more details and texture with the quilting. I may add embellishments later. All those decisions are made as I go.

 

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I believe we are all unique so our art is also unique to each individual. I make art first and foremost for my enjoyment and to my liking. If I don't like making something ......... Well it's not worth doing.

Why do I create what I do?

I love a challenge. When I see a photo or am in a situation that I find beautiful I want to see if I can interpret that image into fabric. I've heard people say, well why don't you just take photo? Ahhh, the photo is only the beginning! The challenge is to take that photo and use beautiful batiks and add wonderful texture and design. I want you to see my quilt from across the room and want to go over and touch it and take a closer look.

God, I do so love what I do and I just hope others can find their own passion for creating whatever they find that works for them.

I hope you have found yours ;-)

This afternoon I finished this little Christmas postcard - I want to wish you all much Joy and hope you can play like a dog in the coming New Year ;-)

 

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Redneck Sewing Clapper

If you read my last post you will know that Santa Glen from Quilts and Dogs blog sent me this and I had no idea what to do with it. She said it is for piecing - whaaaat???

I finally persuaded her that I have been good this year and that I really am going to use (eventually) all that fabric that I bought last year. So she explained that it is a tailors clapper. Or the redneck version anyway. You can pay $30 to $50 for the ones sold by sewing/ tailor companies or go to the hardware store (lowes) and look for a concrete float. It works perfectly!

 

 

Go here for a video to show you how it's used for quilting blocks.

 

But will it replace that messy spray starch that I feel I need when doing turned under appliqué with freezer paper? (Something I do quite often)

 

Yes! Look mom - no starch!

 

Look at this crisp edge turned under - no starch!

 

Here is the fore mentioned mountain range with white paint stipples on to make snow covered - worked pretty good :-)

So Glen - thank you for this find, it has changed my appliqué life forever!

(Although the real thanks should be to the husband Frank who thought of this, but we won't tell him how great he is )

 

 

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Baffled

My friend Glen in Louisianna said she was sending me something for piecing. Oh! Goody! Always happy to get a new gadget. Glen is such a generous soul. She said she got a deal at Home Depot - interesting :-) something to cut with? A measuring tool perhaps?

 

Today the poor mailman had to trudge thru this to deliver

This ........... Uh ....... Hmmmmmm ......... Well .......

What in the world do I do with this?

It says it's for concrete floors. Does she think my floors need to be redone before I start piecing ? Do I iron with it? do I iron on it? Do I use it as a ruler for rotary cutting?

I have no clue

Any ideas?

 

 

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Kayaking cousins quilt

 

 

My two adventurous cousins took a day long kayak trip last summer and went to explore caves in this island on Lake Champlain. So I used this picture that they took of the island.

 

And took the feet from this picture (Facebook pic of the two cousins feet)

 

And made this art quilt!

One cousin is the camping woman of the woods type

 

And he other is alittle more girly and is a nurse in the breast cancer ward in the hospital

 

I used my new inktense pencils to make the feet - love them!

 

Amazing I get anything done after running around with my new pup Zu Zu. Here she looks like an angel but she is into everything and has chewed up half my house already.

 

This WAS a spool of aurifill thread I found on the floor when I got home yesterday.

 

How can I get mad at this cutie pie though

: -)

 

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