Progress

I am plugging along on Walk in the Woods 2. I got all the background quilting done this weekend. I am always blown away by how much difference all the thread makes to the look of a piece.

And, I got the background matte pieces cut and sandwiched. I'm using a mid weight non-woven stabilizer and black felt instead of batting. I ended up doing some surface design on part of the matte, then I'll quilt to add focus to the motifs. 

I am getting lazier and lazier about getting out my laptop to post- we'll see how this one turns out, since I'm doing it on my iPad. In the meantime, have a good (and hopefully creative!) week!

A week later, and I can say I won't be using my iPad to post, unless it's a short post without pictures.   I can't control the placement of the photos in the app, and I have no clue how to edit my photos to make them smaller on the iPad.  So posting will continue to be done on my laptop.

It's Snowing . . . and Dyeing

Our storm, however, wouldn't hold a candle to the Nor'easter that's pounding the east coast.  It's supposed to snow overnight, but I don't think we're going to get more than a couple of inches.  I decided I couldn't wait for the new stuff, so I found some old, icy snow that was clean enough to use.  So this will probably be more like doing ice dyeing than snow dyeing.

After all my experiments with the grays, I needed some color.  Liza Anne brought some gorgeous snow dyes she'd done to the last meeting of the Utah county art quilt group I belong, and they were all about color.  She had one emerald green piece that was stunning.  So we'll see what I get with these.

 Sabrecon red and gold yellow- I think on a couple of Pimatex fat quarters.

 Cerulean blue, and a green made with the same blue and lemon yellow, on Radiance.  That's the luscious fabric that is silk on one side, cotton on the other.  Can't wait to see how this one turns out!

Bamboo/cotton fabric with bright blue and Sabrecon red dyes.  I haven't dyed a lot of that fabric, but when I have, it has been gorgeous.

 A yard or so of Pimatex, with Cerulean blue and lemon yellow.  I swirled this one before I put it in the container, we'll see what effect that has.

A couple of rectangular silk scarves, with Sabrecon yellow and fuschia.

The Sabrecon dyes were gifted to me several years ago- from what I was told, they could be as much as ten years old now.  I figured this was as good a time as any to use them up.

I'm going to throw a couple of pieces of unknown cotton on the bottom of a couple of the bins, just to see what happens.  The bins are all covered in plastic, sitting in my cool studio.  So now we wait.  I figure it will be at least Monday before everything is melted.

I had another lovely surprise related to 'Walk in the Woods', which I entered into the Weaver's Guild show in Salt Lake and had the thrill of winning an award.  I subscribe to an online arts magazine (15 Bytes) that covers the arts in Utah. They have an article on the show in the current issue- imagine my surprise to read a mention of my piece!  They didn't include it in the photo gallery, but it was nice to get a mention.  Hopefully this link will take you to the article- for whatever reason, Blogger does not want to cooperate!
http://artistsofutah.org/15bytes/13feb/page6.html

And, I have the trees section of the second in the series about half quilted.  I am happy with how it is coming along, and already thinking ahead to the next step- the machine embroidery.  I'm thinking of using a heavier thread than I used on the first one- but I'd have to find the thread, and do some samples!

A busy week at work, then the last long weekend of the winter arrives.  I'm hoping to make lots more progress on the trees quilt, and have some gorgeous hand dyes to show off!

I'm linking this to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday post- make sure to go over there and see what all the other artists have been up to!

Weaver's Guild Show

Last Friday, DJ and I met his sister and went to the Weaver's Guild show in Salt Lake.  I wanted to see my piece along with all the others that were entered!

The show is at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, a multi-purpose venue.  The gallery itself is in a nice, well-lit room.  I thought the guild did a very nice job of setting up the show.

Nice to see my piece hung, with the award information right there!

I loved the silk dress that was right next to it.

 

Hand dyed silk, of course- and it was gorgeous.

Being a weaver's guild, there was no lack of useful and utilitarian items.

I loved this rug made from Pendleton wool yardage selvedges.

This bobbin lace was exquisite.  I learned that my sister-in-law had tried to learn bobbin lace from the maker of this piece.

Loved the scarves!

This piece was done by another Surface Design member, Diane Hauerter.

And I thought this copper weaving was stunning.

All in all, I thought the show was well done, and I'm honored to have won an award.

I also managed to spend some time in the studio.  I had some charm squares, and put them together with white sateen to come up with this small modern quilt.  It will probably end up with Shannon- she likes the fabrics much more than I do!  

 

It reminded me of why I like improvisational piecing- but at least I know I can still piece with precision!  Now I just need to get it quilted- we'll see which I find less stressful to do, this one or Walk in the Woods 2.  But there's no doubt I'll be quilting on something this weekend!

Hope your week is a creative one--

Insanity

is what my hands were thinking for the last couple of days.  I got the piecing done on the next Walk in the Woods, and decided I wanted to keep the uneven edges.  So I spent several hours turning under and basting all those raw edges.

You can get a peek of my latest Tangled Textiles challenge piece in the upper left corner- but you will have to visit the Tangled Textiles blog tomorrow to see it, and all the other creations from the group.

 I'm already thinking about what background matte color will work best with this piece.  Thank goodness for PSE!  I figured it would be easier to audition background colors on the computer.  I'd originally thought a deep, dark red would work--

 

but I'm not sure about it.  So I tried a dull green--

 

and a dull olive green--

and a brighter gold--

 I even tried a grayed blue--

 In the end, I think I've tentatively decided that this dark brown works the best- it makes all the colors pop, rather than sapping some of them.  Two and a half yards of cotton are stewing in a dye bucket right now, to be washed out shortly. We'll see if I still feel that way when I can see it all in person, rather than on a computer screen.

Which color background do you think works best?

Whoo Hoo- I'm Celebrating!

Because I just got word today that 'A Walk in the Woods', which I entered in a Salt Lake show sponsored by the Mary Meigs Atwater Weaver's Guild, won the Surface Design Association Award of Excellence!!  I am ecstatic!

We'd planned to go to the opening reception where they gave the awards, but a snow storm rolled in that night, cancelling any travel plans.  However, I will get to have an image of the piece on the Award Gallery of the Surface Design Association website- talk about exposure!!

What a wonderful way to end a cold, dreary January day!!

It's Coming Along. . . .

I got some more work done on the second Walk in the Woods, and I am happy with what is going on.

I am also liking the irregular edges, and while I am piecing I'm thinking about ways to keep them in the finished quilt. I still don't have an answer, and probably won't until I start trying ideas out.

In the meantime, t'm trying to catch up on two seasons of Downton Abbey with Hulu. How did I miss out on this when it started- it is my idea of perfect TV!

A Walk in the Woods series, Part 2

The background strip sets are completed, and now the magic begins.  I started insetting the trees today, and love what is happening.

On the left is the darker strip set, which I've just pinned next to the lighter one that I am working with now.  I'm planning to use the darker strip set on either end of the lighter, like you are looking into the trees with a shaft of light coming through the canopy.  I have a long weekend, so it would be nice if I got all the trees inset before I head back to work on Tuesday.  We shall see!

I did some snow dyeing a few years ago, and have never used the fabric.  Several of them seemed perfect for this piece, so I included them.  And with all the snow we have, I decided to use up the dyes I've had in the studio frig with some snow.  I even scored a basket to hold the fabric at Saver's- it's supposed to be a grill basket, but it will never see food now!

I have three pieces of fabric in this batch, using cool colors.  Tomorrow I'll do three or four more pieces, using the yellows and red dyes I have.  I may look at my dye powders; if I have any mixed dyes, I may make up a little bit to use for this since the mixed dyes split in such interesting ways.

I will probably be posting more 'foodie' items- with Sean here now, it has been so much fun exploring out of the ordinary eateries.  Maybe next time I'll show you what we ate for Shannon's birthday lunch!

I hope you are staying out of the cold, and finding to to be creative!  I'm linking this to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday blog- make sure to look at all the other creative artists that are there.

Strip Set Series

I started another piece in what I hope will be a series, inspired by my visit to Michigan with my son Ian last fall.  I want to make this one larger than the last, and perhaps  be more thoughtful or intentional in my value or color choices.  Here's what I have so far.

I am trying to capture the sense of the woods in the glorious colors of autumn, answering yet another question- what if I change the palette I use?  This is my first step in that direction.  I wanted one with lighter values, as the colors might appear in broad daylight.  I also wanted a set in a slightly darker set of values, as they might appear in shadowed light.  I'm hoping the two pieces will play well together, although I expect I won't have that answer until I start cutting again to insert the tree trunks.

So many other artists have used strip piecing in their work, I often think I am crazy to believe that I can come up with something unique.   I continue because I love the way of working- it is therapeutic for me, relaxing, and works well with my preference for an intuitive process rather than one in which the whole piece is planned  before the needle or scissors ever hit the cloth.  I'll continue to ask the "what if" questions, continue to play with those touches that have my unique imprint on them.  Along the way, I hope to create work that speaks to me, speaks to my vision of the world I live in, and speaks to others.  

And maybe along the way, I'll find it becoming easier to write about the creative process and what it means to me!

Resurfacing. . . .

It has been an eventful three weeks- a lot going on in our home, and I just couldn't summon up the energy or time to blog about it . Now our home is starting to feel more organized, I'm trying to wrap my head around the idea of a new year and keeping my focus artistically in the midst of all the change.

My oldest son was laid off his job in Florida a couple of months ago, and was unable to find another. So he packed up everything, and he and brother Lance spent three days driving all their possessions to Utah. Marly and Michelle are visiting her family in Colombia til the beginning of March, then they will fly to Utah. I suspect it will be very different here once the three year old arrives! We are working hard to get the house cleaned and organized before their arrival.

In the midst of all this, we did have a lovely Christmas. I am the ecstatic owner of an iPad, and I also received a cool set of snow shoes to help work off all those holiday calories.

I've already tried them out on the Bridal Veil trail where I used to take Sadie to walk. I haven't been out since- our air quality the past week has been terrible with an inversion setting in.

Shannon gave me a cool little piece from Ikea- I think it will be perfect to use when sewing therapy strips. I love the retro color!

Once the dust had mostly settled from Sean's arrival and getting the truck unloaded, I have spent a bit of time in the studio. My local art quilt group met the day after New Year's, and I came home with a neat little piece that started with a couple of therapy squares. It is now on my design wall while I try to decide how to finish it off.

 

 And, my Blue piece for Tangled Textiles is now done- but no looking at that one til the end of the month.

Tomorrow I am back at work, trying to get settled into a routine in the midst of all the changes. I'm hoping (and planning!) for a lot of excitement and creativity. I wish you a New Year that brings the desires of your heart, good health and happiness! 

Firsts!!!

I did not go near the studio this past weekend.  I had to work part of Friday, and Saturday Shannon and I had Plans.  Yes, Plans with a Capital P.  The times they are changing in Utah!

The western states, with a few notable exceptions, have never been much for public transportation other than maybe woefully slow bus systems, and Utah was no exception.  The Olympics in 2002 helped start the change- they did rebuild a lot of I-15 through Salt Lake, but they also started Trax, the electric train that ran from downtown Salt Lake to the southernmost suburb in the Salt Lake valley, Sandy.  I remember all the nay-sayers and their belief that we were throwing tax money down a rat hole. Trax now has a spur that runs up to the University of Utah, one that goes into West Valley City, and another into the southwest suburbs.  In April, a spur out to the airport will open.  It has made Salt Lake an easier place to move around without a car.

Then five years ago, a commuter rail line named FrontRunner opened between Ogden, the large city about an hour north of Salt Lake.  It made a commute between the two metro areas much easier than driving I-15.  When I heard they were planning to extend FrontRunner south, I was ecstatic.  I have very vivid memories of traveling all over Europe by rail when I was younger.  It was a lesson to me- it was possible to live somewhere without a car, something that was pretty much impossible in Southern California where I grew up.

I have been watching the construction for the past three years, and all that anticipation came to fruition this weekend.  FrontRunner to Provo officially opened on December 10, two years ahead of schedule.  And to get people to try it out, they ran trains to Salt Lake from 10 am to 10 pm on Saturday, December 8, free of charge.  Shannon and I were there by 10:30 am!!

We had to wait about 45 minutes to get onto a train- the line was long, and they only allowed about 100 people on each train in Provo, to allow for passengers boarding in the three stops north of Provo.  This is what the line looked like from inside the train.  Yes, it was a cold and snowy day!!

The inside of the trains is very nicely appointed, with free wifi and some seats with tables where you can set a laptop.  They are quiet and smooth.  I got this picture of the winter scenery, somewhere in north Utah county.

But riding the rails was not the only reason we waited in the cold to get the train.  One of the things I have most missed about California is Trader Joe's- a unique "grocery" that is a foodie's idea of heaven.  I never thought we would get one in Utah, because of our insane liquor laws.  Every Trader Joe's I've ever been in has a large liquor and wine selection, so I just didn't think they'd open a store without it.  Well, apparently they do- because our Trader Joe's opened in Salt Lake on November 30.  To say I was happy about this is an understatement of vast proportions!!

Shannon and I got to Salt Lake about 12:30, with both of us hungry.  We had lunch at Jason's Deli at the Gateway, a large shopping center (also developed for the Olympics) close to the train station.  Then we hopped on Trax to downtown, changed trains to go the U, and hopped off right by Trader Joe's.  Best of all, the Trax ride is all in the downtown free ride zone!!  

Yes, the parking lot was packed- one more reason to go here on the train!  And yes, it was snowing.  Who cares??

The store was packed, even a week after opening.  Everyone was in good humor, patient, and talking about how happy we are to have this piece of foodie bliss in our midst.

I walked out with dark chocolate sea salt caramels, dried Montmorency cherries, sweet and spicy pecans, candied pecans, Jojo's (TJ's version of Oreos, only mint), cookie butter, peanut butter, sparkling Chardonnay grape juice, and a vial of saffron at a ridiculously low price .  Shannon got a panetone in addition to a lot of the same stuff I did.  She was happy to find grade B maple syrup- again, at a ridiculously low price.  I'll be getting some of that when I return.

I'm going to have to figure out how I can get some of their frozen food items home on the train- wondering how I can turn a suitcase into a rolling freezer container without rendering it otherwise useless.  All in all, it was a totally satisfying day- with free transportation to boot!

Done!

I finished the quilting on the background matte for Walk in the Woods 2 this weekend, and got the quilt sew to the matte.  All I have left to do is the label and sleeve- and, since I am planning to enter this in a show in Salt Lake in January, I won't be slow about those!

The quilting on the matte that bothered me when I started grew on me as I did it.  I may do it a little differently for the next in the series, but I'm happy with this one.  And if you are wondering, the matte is intentionally longer on the bottom.  I quilted a combination of leaf outlines and straight lines on the matte.

Last weekend we went to a couple of craft fairs.  Most of it was stuff that held no interest for me, but one vendor grabbed my attention immediately.  She had an entire booth of hand-sewn small quilts and pillows.  After a lot of deliberation, I chose this one- I couldn't resist that shot of chartreuse!

The quilt is entirely made by hand- as far as I can tell, using reverse applique and no or a very thin batt.  As for where it comes from,I'll just quote the information I received with the quilt:

The amazing story of Lila Handicrafts began perhaps thousands of years ago when women in the desert area of Pakistan started making beautiful textiles and quilts.  Patterns and colors in the cotton were passed down from mother to daughter produced time honored practical and beautiful quilts called rallis.

In 2004, men and women in the small village of Tehsil Diploh, Sindh in the far southern part of the Thar Desert formed a cooperative to make and sell their rallis.  They are from the Hindu untouchable group  and had very few opportunities to make money in a rural area.  Through the internet, they reached Patricia Stoddard who had written the first book about rallis.  The rallis from Lila Handicrafts were first sold at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market in 2006.  Since then, they have been sold every year.  They were even featured in "O" Magazine in 2010!

Originally, the money from the rallis was used to provide a primary school for their children.  In August 2011, a terrible flood hit the entire region affecting about 6 million people.  Selling their Lila rallis provided the families with some funds to rebuild their lives and continue in their good efforts.  Special thanks to SHINEhumanity.org for their help in sustaining and rebuilding the community!  For more information see www.ralliquilt.com or www.ralliquilt.com.uk.

I love being able to buy a beautiful piece of fiber art, and helping a community in a poor part of the globe at the same time.  Once I get a sleeve sewn on the back, it will be a wonderful shot of color in my home- and a reminder of how women throughout the world find both joy in creating beauty with fabric, needle and thread.  

I'm linking this post up with Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays.  Go look at all the other creative spirits linked up there!

Quilting the Frame

We had a very low-key, relaxed Thanksgiving weekend.  We didn't even cook, but went out for dinner.  I've managed to find some time in the studio, working on the frame for the Walk in the Woods piece, and starting the next Tangled Textiles challenge.

I am liking doing these small pieces.  I have no excuse not to finish them, and hopefully make all the mistakes on the small rather than a larger piece.  Here's where I'm at with the frame so far--

I thought I'd continue the lines of the trees at the top, using a variegated thread that looked like it would blend it with the fabric.  Instead, it has a pale part that really stands out, at least to my eye.  I'm not sure I'm in love with the effect, but no way I'm ripping it all out.

I've done some free motion leaves on the rest of the frame, and in order to balance the other three sides with the top, I'll have to quilt the closely spaced lines between the leaves, also.  

Not a lot of work left on it, but enough that I won't finish it this weekend.  And I'm making mental notes of the parts I want to change when I do this in a larger size.  I think I'll limit the quilting on the frame to leaves, in a solid color thread that just blends in with the background.

I'm still considering how I will finish the edge of the frame.  I may do an envelope finish, I'm kind of leaning in that direction.  But I haven't eliminated the idea of finishing that edge like the central piece, with the rattail cord.

In the meantime, I'm also working on another small piece in an entirely different palette.  But that one will have to wait.  Have a creative week!

Pumpkin White Bean Chili

I haven't done a foodie post in awhile, and this chili I made earlier this week was one of the best cold weather dishes I've made in a long time.  It was absolutely scrumptious!

I have been following a number of food bloggers for awhile, and have been surprised at the number from Utah.  This Pumpkin, White Bean and Pork Chili came from Foodie Crush- and the recipe is here.  Add a dollop of sour cream in your bowl of chili, and you will be in foodie heaven.

I used a small sugar pumpkin, but it would also be good with butternut squash instead.  And I used spinach instead of kale, knowing that my family would prefer the less chewy green.  It only takes a couple of minutes of cooking after you add the spinach, and it is ready to serve.

If you don't want to use pork, shredded chicken or turkey would probably be just as good.  The seasoning is simple- salt, pepper, and cumin, which gives it a nice smoky flavor.  Add a loaf of crusty bread, and you have a simple, quick cold weather meal.

Walk in the Woods, Again

I spent a lot of time in the studio over the long weekend.  I got this small study completely quilted, and then spent time doing hand and machine embroidery.  I am really happy with how it turned out!

I quilted heavily in the green pieced areas- all straight line, with a variegated King Tut thread.  I'd planned to do some free motion on the tree trunks, but when I saw how my straight-line quilting made the trunks stand out and look almost dimensional, I changed my mind.  Then I did some machine embroidery, and topped that with hand embroidery in colors to give some pop.  I loved the effect it created.

The quilt is bound with a zigzag stitch and rattail cord.  I like this much better than yarn, it gives a cleaner and sleeker look.  I think the piece needs to be bordered some how, so I started auditioning fabric for a 'matte', something I learned from Jean Wells' books.  I found the perfect piece (in the top photo), which I plan to quilt before sewing Walk in the Woods 2 on it.  I'll be thinking about how to quilt the matte to best show this off.

So many things about this piece work for me.  I love how the heavy quilting softens the piecing lines, and makes the tree trunks stand out.  I love the effect I got with the machine embroidery, and will be experimenting with this a lot more.  And, I love the pops of color from the hand embroidery.

One more note: I have FINALLY mastered French knots!  I have tried to do them many times over the years, never successfully.  Today, after watching two video tutorials and one book, I finally figured out what I was doing wrong.  The French knots on the bottom of this piece were the final design element I wanted- crunchy texture to remind me of the crunchy leaves underfoot in the woods.

I'm really glad I did this small study, I'm already thinking about how I can take what I learned from it and make something similar in a larger size for a show next year. 

I am linking up this post with Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday.  Make sure you go take a look at what the other artists have posted!

This and That---

I've had a lovely extra-long weekend, despite the weather.  I managed to get most of the grocery shopping done Friday morning, braving the storm that left our back patio looking like this when I woke up:

By afternoon, our street looked like this--

It snowed fairly steadily all day Friday and most of Saturday; we finally got a break Sunday, then today was sunny and cold.

All that white stuff made it the perfect weekend to spend time in the studio.  I got my second small Walk in the Woods piece quilted, embroidered (machine and hand), and bound.  I am really happy with how it turned out!  I learned a number of lessons- or, better yet, had some things that I'd 'known' before from all my reading reinforced with this 'doing.'  

While working on the last bits of embroidery, I started thinking about the next Tangled Textiles piece, due in January.  The theme is 'Blue'- a word that I chose because it can be interpreted as a simple color study, or by referencing one of the many expressions or meanings the word has.  I'm leaning towards one of the expressions, but who knows, that could change.  As I sorted my embroidery floss after finishing Walk in the Woods 2, what color am I most lacking in?

The color is lousy in the photo, and I can't seem to get it right with PSE- but it was pretty obvious to me that I need lots more blues in this stash!

I will have photos of this latest piece posted later in the week.  In the meantime, I will be trying to stay warm!

Walking in the Woods

I managed two walks on the river trail this weekend.  The weather has been glorious here, in the low sixties with gorgeous blue skies.  The best of the colors are behind us, but there is still plenty to see.

The first day, I noticed this wasp's nest in a tree- previously hidden by the tree's leaves!

Today I saw this bird's nest, safe and secure in a couple of large limbs.

Isn't that blue sky gorgeous against the white tree bark?

I've also been in the studio.  I am determined to find a way to interpret this photo I took in Michigan in a way that makes me happy. 

I am going for the restful tones of green against the vertical lines of the trees.  The leaves were just starting to turn when I was there in September, so I chose fabric that would reflect the colors I thought I would see at the height.  Here's what I have pieced--

I am going to try some wonky machine embroidery, and add hand embroidery at the end.  I'm hoping that will help tone down some of those yellow areas that just jump out at me. The quilting will be simple and linear.

I'm already thinking about the next one.  I'm thinking I will limit the number of green fabrics, and bring it accents with thread- embroidery and quilting.  That will help take care of some of the issues I had with all those piecing seams!  In the meantime, I am having fun with these. They are small enough to do quickly, and I'm hoping one of them will be good enough to develop into a larger quilt.  It does feel good to be working this way!