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Archive for the ‘Art Quilting Studio’ Category

Love My Helpful Friends and the Winner Is…!

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

I finally had success with my foiling today. Jane Davila suggested Wonder Under fusible; this was seconded by Deborah Boschert. An e-mail from Jane Dunnewold suggested gel medium. Jane Davila said Misty Fuse was too light and you don’t get good coverage.

Well, I didn’t have any Wonder Under so I tried Misty Fuse, and I am happy with the result. I just wanted to get some illumination in those sections. Since I have the gold organza as the background, I didn’t need complete coverage.

So, now I can get everything stitched down. I might just make it.

Tomorrow night, Mr C and I are going to a Bruce Springsteen concert, something we have always wanted to do. I am so looking forward to rocking out with The Boss!!

Now, to the winner of the magazine. A little back story is needed, here. It is going to an old friend and not a quilter. Forty-some years ago when I was a young wife and mother in Schenectady, NY, I had the good fortune to meet one of the most intelligent and wise women I have every known. Her name is Anita. We each had 3 kids, a boy and two girls, the same ages. We used to take each other’s kids on week-ends so that we could have time away with our spouses. She was an incredible cook and put on fabulous dinner parties. I always loved spending New Year’s eve with them.

We moved on to California because of Steve’s job, but kept in touch. She follows my blog and periodically comments. I am really happy that she will be able to read about my quilting. So, Anita, are you in Florida, yet, or still in New York? Let me know!!

Rain and Stuff

Monday, October 15th, 2012

The rain is back, but it has been a weird day — warm and muggy with the rain. We even had thunder and lightening. A tree on the street below the back of our house came down across the street and caused a bit of excitement tonight.

I braved the elements and went out to get some errands done. I took my desk top computer, a Mac Mini, in for an upgrade of ram and memory. They called tonight and it is ready to pick up tomorrow. I will be so happy to have it all zippy again.

Then, I went to get my flu shot at the Kaiser clinic near me. Then across the street to the Kaiser Vision facility. I was going to get some new red glasses to replace the ones I lost last September, but they informed me that I have to have an eye exam since I had the cataract surgery a year ago. So I will have to wait until November.

I did a little retail therapy at the mall and picked up some skinny black jeans, some new jammies and a cool chartreuse sweater, on sale.

Tonight, I worked on Paige’s sweater. It is almost assembled. I just have to stitch the sleeves and add the buttons. Can’t wait to see her in it in a few days.

Exciting news! I got the proofs for my two articles for Art Quilting Studio magazine. I am blown away with how cool my quilts. look. They have one of my aspen quilts in a full page looking as if it is hanging in an aspen grove. I love it.  I have to read the article carefully – in my first check, I found a couple of spelling errors.

 

Dye Fest Results

Sunday, August 5th, 2012

I had mixed results with my dyeing. But, dyeing is never  that bad because you can over-dye, print and discharge. The piece above was done my squirting dye. I was hoping for some watery colors. I like this cobalt blue piece.

I rejuvenated a stained white t-shirt.

These two pieces are really wow! They are silk organza. I poured 2 or 3 different dyes into the baggie.

The chartreuse came out nicely.

I love, love this cheddar color.

Here is a nice golden yellow. I really needed these colors in my stash.

Here is my china red piece, followed by a reddish orange piece.

And these are just a melange of dyes.

This one was all the left over dyes.

That bit of blue/turquoise was a drip, but it is kind of cool.

I found a box big enough for the 9 quilts I have to ship to Art Quilting Studio; it is used for shipping golf bags. We need to cut it down a bit. I have them ready to go except for fixing the box.

I started quilting the Rhythm and Hues piece.

I think the variegated thread adds to the rhythm.

Here is today’s 3 x 3.

I am totally whooped. It has been a busy week-end.

 

 

August Arrives

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

It is too soon, August!! Summer is getting away from me. A new month and a new color for my 3 x 3’s. This month, I have chosen the cool color of blue-green. I did some foiling for the first one. And, here is today’s.

I spent much of yesterday and this morning cleaning up my studio, putting away magenta fabrics, pulling blue-green and procrastinating. I find it so daunting to cut into beautiful fabric – so afraid I will waste some or make a mistake. After lunch, I just did it. I have created some simple fused blocks in different sizes. This is a technique I learned in a workshop with Melody Johnson. I have not used it in a long time, but felt it would work well for the Rhythm and Hues piece.

Once I got started, I couldn’t stop slashing and fusing. I think I have enough blocks to put into a composition tomorrow.

I have been asked by the editor of Art Quilting Studio, published by Somerset, that they would like me to write two articles for them. One will be on my abstract quilts that I construct from my art cloth. The other will be about making my Aspen Quilts. I will also have some pieces featured in an article on patchwork quilts. Mine are fused, but fit that theme, I guess. I have to ship 10 quilts to them for photography. I had to arrange to retrieve two of them from the High Fiber Diet elements show. Fortunately, they were not due to be hung until September.

This is very exciting and very unexpected. I am not sure what is happening, but it feels pretty good. We have a lot of traveling planned this month so I have to get organized and work smart.

That is it for tonight. I want to watch the adorable Gabby Douglas win the gold medal in gymnastics. I think she looks like a young Oprah!!