Long Time No Blog

Geeze!!! I can't believe it's been over a month since I've blogged about anything.
Things have been very busy at the Dimpled Quilter household. My son is getting married the end of this month; the yard needed cleanup; and the gardens needed tending. Besides, I'm not one to sit inside when the weather is gorgeous outside.
As my creative studio resides in my third floor attic space, when the weather is hot and humid, it is unbearable to do anything so, I catch up on my reading, take classes, and generally enjoy the summer months.
The pictures above are some of the beauties in my garden this past month. The peony is a prize winner named Charlie Rose; an old world peony with a great fragrance. The next picture is of Angelica; an herb with both culinary and medicinal purposes; it stands presently 4 feet high. The last pictures is of a global Alli um; part of the onion family.
On creative front, I have enrolled in an online class give by Judy Coates Perez regarding Color Theory. I admired her work from the Quilting Arts DVD and look forward to taking this class. Check out her website and blog http://www.judyperez.blogspot.com. I really like her attention to detail and her specific instructions. Her class starts on June 23 and is currently filled but she promises to offer additional classes at a later date.
My challenge to read this summer will be to finish World Without End by
Ken Follett. It is a continuation of the Oprah book club's Pillars of the Earth.
I promise to be a more current blogger but summer is here and I don't want to spend it inside in front of my computer.

May Days

I love this time of year. Everything is turning green and the early perennials are in bloom. The bleeding hearts along the side of my garage were a gift from my husband many years ago and every spring they make me smile. They tell me winter is finally over and spring is really here. The other side of the garage plays host to my evergreen shrubs and epimediums which produce very tiny yellow flowers at first bloom and in fall their leaves turn a bronzey gold. My backyard flower garden will contain various hardy perennials blooming periodically from spring to fall. The walnut trees provide some shade in this garden, but allow the early blooming perennials enough light in early spring. My oriole feeding in the center of the garden has already attracted a pair of orioles. I hope Mother Nature co-operates this spring with no more frosty morning.

Garden Favorites

I'm really into spring. The colors of the garden, the blossoms on the fruit trees, the sounds of the birds; however, it's the yard work that throws me into a tizzy. Winters are long, (or so they seem) and I can never really clean up all the leaves that fall before the first snow. So, that makes quite a bit to do in the early days of spring. Raking, hauling manure to fertilize the gardens, trimming the bushes and cleaning up the outdoor furniture tends to become an endless chore. I want to go out to the garden centers and pick up my annuals but I know that tender plants are so susceptible to a frost that I must wait until at least May 15 before planting. In my younger years I would head to the garden center at the first signs of warm weather. Now, being a bit older, perhaps wiser also, I know that I must be patient.
I do have some color in the garden now with my beautiful hyacinths. They are scattered around the yard and provide that much needed beauty of spring that I so crave. So, patient I will be, and continue the yard cleanup with thoughts of sunshine and warm and sunny days.

More pics from IQA Chicago

The above are some of pictures of quilts I took at the IQA show in Chicago. Though I took over 60 pictures of different quilts , these three quilts are my favorites. The first one is Fatal Attraction by Sandy Curran; the second is Turbulence by Diane Firth (can you believe each of those strips were torn then sewn to create the concentric circles); and the bottom quilt is Twilight Dance by Charla R. Gee ( love the colors of this quilt). I also enjoyed the SAQA exhibit of quilts but they were off limits to photograph. As I review the pictures of these truly superb quilts I marvel at the artist's techniques and their attention to detail and choice of colors.

When telling the uninformed about my trip to see quilts at an international venue such at IQA, many vision the quilts their grandmothers and great grandmothers made. When I show them my pictures they are left speechless. I do love the traditional quilts and many traditional patterns, but my heart leaps when I see these quilts; contemporary, artistic, and innovative. Traditional quilts may warm the bed at night, but these artistic wonders warm my heart.

IQA Classes

While attending the IQA show I was fortunate to take two wonderful classes from two very creative and innovative teachers. The first class involved making a purse from Tyvek. Yes, tyvek, the building material used by home builders to moisture proof a home during construction. The teacher, Tricia Spitzmueller, http://www.triciaspitzmueller.com showed us varied artistic uses for this material and how much fun it was to experiment with this recyclable . The first picture above shows the sample purse. It is fun, durable, and so light weight, it's hard to believe you are even carrying it around. Thanks Tricia, I really enjoyed your class.

The class on Friday was presented by Lisa Engelbrecht http://lisaengelbrecht.com

a master at calligraphy. Even though it may take years before I perfect my skills with ink pen and paper practicing this art, she made the class fun. I personally think she was extremely generous with letting us use different types of pens, inks, paints, stamps, and other creative materials. The second picture is a project done by Lisa which appeared in Quilting Arts Magazine. I know I will have fun continuing my practice on canvas of using inks and paints. She has a DVD which can be purchased at her above listed website.

Attending classes at this IQA show is exhausting but nevertheless it gives you a chance to try things you may never have tried before, and with the help of teachers as listed above, it is always a delightful experience

Chicago Memories

I'm finally back to somewhat "normal" after a whirlwind 4 days at the IQA show at Rosemont, near Chicago. It will be difficult to fit in all my memories in one blog but I will attempt to start out by saying that it was exhausting but I had a great time.

One of the events I attended was the Bernina Fashion Show luncheon. This is one of the entries of the show called A Snowflake's Journey by

Donna M. Brown. It was gorgeous; a wool cape embellished with wool fibers and a silk sheath overlaid with machine embroidered lace and Swarovski crystals. It literally takes your breath away. There were over 43 garments in the show each as beautiful as this one. However, this was not the only fashion show I attended while at the Quilt Show. On Thursday, I went to the Surviving Project Runway luncheon sponsored by Cloth Paper Scissors and Quilting Arts Magazines. If you have ever watched Project Runway on Bravo you can just imagine what fun I had being a participant in the afternoon shenanigans that followed the luncheon. I don't want to give too much away, but if you have the chance to attend the luncheon at the IQA Longbeach Show, please do not hesitate. I never laughed so much in my life. In my next blog I tell you about the classes I took from some very good and patient teachers.

Chicago, my kind of town

Leaving today for a trip to the International Quilt Show at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. I've been looking forward to this trip for quite some time. IQA puts on a fantastic show in the windy city with over 800 quilts on display and 400 vendors setting up shop. It's a mini version of their big show that takes place yearly in Houston in October. It's a chance to see traditional and art quilts in one venue and it offers the a chance to take classes with famous teachers well versed in varied aspects of quilting. The wealth of information is staggering. At this show, as in Houston, the very gracious, Karey Bresenhan, hosts a get together with SAQA and quiltart members which includes the traditional tiara parade. Meeting with other art quilters at this get together is the highlight of the trip for me. My mind explodes with ideas by just talking with this very talented people. Of course, I do also enjoy the shopping at the vendors on the convention floor. I guess you could say "Chicago is my kind of town".

The Library Ladies

Every Monday a group of quilters meet at my local library. We range in ages from 50? to 85. Though we differ in our choices of quilting, fabric selection, and techniques, the things we have in common are community support and a love of quilting. We share ideas, family news, and offer a hug to one another in trying times. Each of us brings something different to our Monday get-togethers. On the first Monday of each month we have a potluck lunch and the food is delicious.

Once a year our group is asked to display quilts and other quilting memorabilia in the main library and display cases. This year my faithful quilting companion, Charlie the chicken, is making his debut at the library show.

I'm drooling

Just got my copy of "Studios" a special publication from "Cloth Paper Scissors". I'm drooling. Pokey's studio makeover is to die for. What peaked my interest the most was that creativity can evolve no matter how small or large the space you set aside as your studio. It's that place where you are in your zone and where your imagination has no limits.

Besides a look at other people's studios, there are suggestions on organization, budget storage ideas and fun projects.

This morning I decide to do one of the projects in the magazine. It showed how to make a yo yo pincushion. The instructions were easy to follow and the possibilities endless. I used some scrap odds and ends and in about 2 hours, I finished the project. It was fun.

You can still order "Studios" from "Cloth Paper Scissors" at http://www.quiltingartsllc.com/ I'm glad I did!

New Art Work

The dust bunnies are gone and I'm back to creative pursuits. I copied the above picture from the Quilting Arts DVD featuring Judy Coates Perez. I then painted it with fabric paints, quilted the background, water colored the mat (it was white) and framed the piece. It hangs in my quilt studio. I call it "Bird on a Limb". I just love the colors. Painting on fabric can be challenging. It takes time and patience and a steady hand (no Starbucks here). It also gave me an opportunity to break out my water color crayons and play. I've used oil paint sticks before but never ones that were for water color. I think I'm in love. Time to find some watercolor paper and play!

Spring???

Haven't posted in a while as I've been busy "spring cleaning". There isn't much to say except that when the patina of dust encompasses your creative space, it's time to get out the "Pledge" and disperse the dust bunnies.
Did I mention the word "Spring"? It's beginning to feel like I'm stuck in that movie "Ground Hog Day". The calendar says Spring arrived on Thursday, but somehow I'm caught in a time warp. This morning, March 22, I took the above picture of my bird feeder. Does it look like Spring to you?

Lessons from Rejection

Art is subjective; at least that's what I'm telling myself today. My entry, Michigan Summer, was not picked as one of the quilts to be displayed at the International Quilt Show in Chicago via "Quilting Arts Magazine". Feeling a little rejected right now, but not totally dismayed.

It was a fun quilt to do and I learned quite a bit along the way. The process of picking a subject for the theme, looking for suitable materials (remember it was a paper quilt) and the tricks to assemble the quilt was a learning process I could not have experienced unless I had tried. What is that adage " It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved" or in my case "It is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all".

There will be more creative challenges along the way and I'm hoping that next time I will approach the subject matter with the same amount of enthusiasm as I did this time. The end result is not the lesson; it is the experience of doing.

A hint of spring

Can it be? A sight for winter weary eyes; daffodils peaking up from the ground and the first glimpse of new green grass. I think spring is not far away. I took these pictures today as we are expecting more SNOW tonight.
Additional good news: my friend who ended up at the sewing machine hospital is back home and fully recovered from a bout of thread freeze. Hurrah!!! Now, back to my creative endeavors.

Experimenting with Technique

A very good friend of mine got sick last week and needed emergency treatment immediately. I'm lost without my friend and it will probably be 12 days before any diagnosis is made. It happened all of a sudden. We were together in my attic/quilt studio and my friend suddenly froze up and was unable to move without my help.

Yes, my good friend of 10 years, my Janome 4800 sewing machine, is in the shop for repairs. I am lost without my trusty machine, which has been worry free until last Thursday. I'm hoping for a good prognosis.

There has been a good outcome to not having a sewing machine at my disposal for over a week. It has given me the option of experimenting with different techniques of mixed media. Some of the experimenting was messy and didn't work out; others were tons of fun and will probably be incorporated in future projects. The picture above shows some mono-printing using transparencies; making fabric paper; foiling; combining Angelina fibers with stamps and other objects; and my favorite thus far: painting and stamping on tyvek. Each of these techniques needs more practice on my part, but they have been fun to do.

Sixty-one and a day

Today I'm Sixty-one and a day. Yesterday was my birthday. Yup, made it through another year and hope for many many more.
What makes my birthday so special? That's an easy answer. . . family, good friends and sunshine; and I had them all yesterday. Don't you just love those tulips which I received from my DD. And even though it was cold outside, I was able to capture a little sunshine to brighten the day. Thank you everyone who remembered my special day with cards, gifts, dinner, and flowers. I love you all.

Good Things in the Mail

Trudging down a slippery driveway to get to the mailbox in winter can be a real drag. The fancy catalogues that filled my mailbox during the holiday season are absent and because of e-mail all that is left are bills and junk mail. However, last week I received a real treat.

I had placed an order in December for a DVD of the PBS television program of Quilting Arts TV. It came last Thursday along with an order of some lucious wool pieces from Moondance Designs. Now that will brighten up any perma-gray sky and a bout of winter doldrums.

Eye Candy

Recently I did a little thread shopping. Nothing makes a quilt more a quilt than beautiful threads used in the quilting process. I was at my local quilt shop http://www.ericas.com/ when I noticed these beauties. They are Wonderfil thread sets and were on sale!! I plan on using them with my embroidery machine and also for thread painting. My DH can't believe I get so excited about thread. But, what does he know; he is not a quilter. Enjoy the eye candy.

Thoughts of Spring

You ever watch those movies where two explorers are out at the ends of the earth, like the South Pole, and the winds are blowing, and the temperature with wind chill is about -35 below? I can now sympathize with these explorers. Not at the South Pole, but right here in the southwest corner of Michigan. It is brutal outside. Even my dog, a shephered-chow mix, refuses to go outside. Winds have been blowing continously at 20 to 30 mph since last night and the temperature has dropped from 10 to 2 degrees in just 2 hours. This seesaw of weather can leave one depressed and wanting nothing more than a cup of hot cocoa and a nap.
To a creative artist it does give you the opportunity of burying oneself in their work. The variety of colored fabrics, paints, and photos can transform any dark, dreary, and cold winter day into thoughts of spring. The photo above, taken during a walk in the woods with my dog, acts as inspiration and can be just the thing to get those creative juices flowing again. Mother Nature is never boring, but sometimes we grow too impatient with her.

Paper Quilt Challenge

Are you up for a challenge? I am. "Quilting Arts Magazine"http://www.quiltingartsllc.com is doing a paper quilt challenge for their upcoming show this April in Chicago. The theme is TRUE COLORS. Since "Quilting Arts Magazine" and their sister magazine "Cloth Paper Scissors" are two of my favorite reads, I've decided to take up the challenge and make a 12" square mixed media paper quilt. Not an easy task for a left brain individual but something that is fun if not frightening. It gives me a chance to play without constraints. No rules, just let your creativity flow.
As not to reveal too much, the above is a picture of a portion of my progress thus far. All I can say is that the theme is a diversion from the cold and snowy weather outside my front door.

BRRRRRRR!!!

This is the answer to what to wear when going outside in frigid weather. Yesterday the temperature outside was 8 degrees with windchill at -20 below. My DH needed to shovel our driveway from 5 inches of snow. He dressed appropriately; a little scary, don't you think?

Quilt Studio Companion

Most of the time before the creative side of my brain can function, I have to be in the "ZONE". It's a time when I can focus and be without distractions. That usually means, shutting the door to the attic studio, turning off the telephone, turning on some great WAUS classical music, and shutting out the rest of my world. Unfortunately, sometimes, being in the zone can be a lonely endeavor. But, I am not alone. I have a creative studio companion called "Charlie". Charlie is a chicken made from a pattern by Eleanor P. Bailey. The bright colors of Charlie can perk up any dreary day and put a smile on my face. Every creative place needs a mascot, your silent partner when you are in the "ZONE".

Inspiration

Sometimes on those depressing Midwestern winter days when the skies are permanently gray and it's rainy, it good to have something that inspires you to create. I have a collection of kimshee jars filled with threads, ribbons, floss, buttons and rubber stamps. The colors of ribbon, thread, and floss are bright and colorful and just looking at them makes me smile. They represent endless possibilities of things to make and inspire me on those dark, and dreary days.

Work in Progress

My current undertaking is to finish my wallflower quilt. I embroidered several flowers onto some hand dyed fabric from Cherrywood Fabrics. I love the look of this cotton; it looks like suede! I needed some additional yardage as the original pieces of fabric were purchased in Chicago several years ago as a scrap bag. There are presently 12 or 15 embroidered center blocks. Haven't decided on whether this will end up as a wall hanging or a large bed quilt. During the dreary days of a "perma-gray" winter, it's nice to work with some bright colored wildflowers.

A New Year Resolution

The holidays are packed away and I'm into an organizing type of mood. I've cleaned up the quilt/art studio and even my work table is empty. As I go through some of the UFO's of last year, I often wonder "what was I thinking". Art is a "try and see", "success and failure" pursuit. Not every thing I start ends up as a masterpiece and everything tried should not fall into that category. Failure is part of the process. It is the doing that is important. Inspiration comes slowly and from different aspects of life. The hard part is putting the inspiration in a viable art form. Ideas constantly swarm in my head but sometimes get stymied along the way. I think this years resolution will be to see the glass has half full instead of half empty. After all, art is a process of self-expression and it is the process that is important, not the end result.