SOME FAVORITES

Here are a few favorites from the Houston show that really caught my eye. Enjoy!

This piece was quite large (maybe 4'x5') and I loved the colorful shading on the bear's underside.

A sweet and simple composition, yet quite complex.

I was intrigued by the reds on top of the gradated background. This one was pieced, unlike mine that are a one cloth dip.

This was well worthy of the ribbon. Great perspective and color and vibrancy.

Great closeup detail!

Another great closeup...so subtle!

This simple piece captured a southwest feeling.

Just numbers!

This small piece was full of life despite being a rainy day!

This five piece of the Sedona rocks was amazing!

FOUR HOURS IN HOUSTON

I just returned from a great week in Texas where I visited good friends, reconnected with long lost ones, explored the city of Austin, skirted the storms, and made a quick visit to the International Quilt Festival in Houston. My quilted piece "My Circle of Life" was included in the SAQA exhibit there and I was able to view it, along with the thousands of other amazing creations that filled the George R. Brown Convention Center.
With only four hours, I focused mostly on the exhibits, and just made a quick pass through the marketplace. There I reconnected with an old friend from Gustavus, Annie Unrein, who owns byannie.com. Back in the exhibit hall, I wandered among incredible pieces and snapped photos of my favorites.
So little time...so much to see. It was amazing!

ALL DRESSED UP

What is it about this piece that fits with the theme "All Dressed Up"? Look closely.

It's been ages since I've participated in my Cyber Fibres quilt journal group. This theme has been brewing in my brain for awhile, waiting for the perfect time to execute. The time arrived this week.

I had a much more complicated piece planned, but when I fused the first eight pieces that filled in the mandala form, I knew it was time to UNcomplicate. Less is more right?

I knew "buttonizing" was going to finish it off. I played with black buttons and white, and white won out...they popped more. 

In my world, buttonizing IS a word. It's definitely a verb and it's what I do a lot of. 

Now if you're still wondering about the theme, just look carefully at the black shapes and it will come to you.

WALKING FOOT NOVICE

After all these years, I finally decided to conquer the walking foot. I've had two of them in my closet, encased so well in their small Bernina boxes, just sitting and waiting for me to use them. It's kind of embarrassing actually...but not anymore! 

I've been on a circle kick lately and just finished these two table runners. The top one was seen with my normal foot etc. but the one at the bottom was seen with my walking foot.

I easily found a video on You Tube and in less than three minutes I was off and running. It was a bit jerkier than with my normal foot but I just focused a bit more and soon things smoothed out. I sewed the edges of the table runner without one little crinkle or pleat!

I'm so happy to have a new tool and technique under my belt.

CONCRETE AND GRASSLAND

I just entered this 38" square mandala into SAQA's upcoming exhibition. Here's my kindergarten art skills at their finest!...at least it appears that way, but it really wasn't all that easy. The foundation was a nine patch of blacks/grays, then I basted a grid of white thread for guidelines to align my pieces, which helped immensely. I loved the look of the big stitches running through and decided to leave them in.

BACK AT IT

Finally I have a sewing station up and running. It's been a wild and hot summer, and we survived!

This piece ( 20"x20") is going to a friend who need a pick me up. I used Barbara Ramsey's circle technique and just added more filler pieces. The fall colors sing to me!

CATCHING UP (AND CATCHING MY BREATH!)

I can't believe I haven't posted in over two months. Life has been crazy and leaving me little time for extras like keeping up on my blog. I have been trying to put in time at the remodel project, and then we were off to Canada for three weeks in May. We paid our final farewell to beloved Refuge Cove. It was a bittersweet visit, connecting with friends and also some of my "Cyber Fibre-ists". We had a show at the museum in Campbell River and my visit was timely to pick up my pieces at the close of the show. I was so happy to hear that we were booked again next April in Sidney, BC. I'll be there!
After our trip, I was wild to get back to creating. That's how it is with me...I just have to have that creative outlet! My first endeavor was a total disaster when I ironed on a square of foil that already had fusible on the back - instead of becoming a lovely moon in a star filled sky, it was a massive square of silver that couldn't be erased. Oh well, I say! Next I was off to work on a journal quilt I'd been thinking about quite a bit. My format is mandalas and I put one together to fit the theme "Whispering Shapes". Now I know this was a stretch, but I want to try my hand at a series of mandalas and this theme was the best fit for the finished product.

 My next mandalas will have as their themes "Breakfast", "Found Objects", and "One Hue". Maybe I'll find the time.
Today I registered two pieces for the Oregon SAQA show "Poetry in Cloth". They will be on display at US Bank in Ashland during July and August. I would be happy to be selected for the Oregon exhibition but there are some amazing quilters out there!

And at the top of this post is the piece I will be mailing later this week to SAQA's exhibit "Balancing Act". I love this piece.
Our remodel project is totally consuming but I carve out little snippets of time to sew. I can't say I'm thankful for the super hot weather we're having, but it does keep one inside, and my default location is the studio. Yesterday reportedly got up to 105 (horrible!) but I was able to sneak off to my studio and let all those outside projects GO. Yes!