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.