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!

GROUPS

This is the longest we have resided in ONE PLACE in the last ten years. Our remodeling project (aka "gut job") has kept us here in the Rogue valley of southern Oregon throughout the winter, and we now call this area home. Once finished, we'll start "gypsying" again, but for now we are planted and establishing roots. For me, I am super happy to be able to connect with the fiber art community here, and I haven't wasted any time in doing so. I love my groups.

This little frog has a mouth to catch all your scraps at the sewing machine. 

I joined the local chapter of the American Sewing Guild when we first arrived here in 2010. This is an amazing group of talented and generous women who promote philanthropy and education through sewing. The frog above was presented last week at a monthly meeting, and we had a "Make It and Take It" event last Saturday. I had a great group with me trying their hands at "raw edge applique birds".

"Make It and Take It" is a popular annual ASG event.

A local chapter of SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Association) was started here in Southern Oregon last fall. This keen group of art quilters meets once a month and we work on critiquing, encouraging, and networking. SAQA has opened up a new avenue of exhibition submissions for me. I recently received notice that one of my pieces was accepted into the SAQA show "Balancing Act" (a future blogpost), and I am working on two pieces for an upcoming Oregon show (Poetry and Cloth). And I love meeting other like minded women in this area.

Deb Runnel presented this "found object" piece at our local SAQA meeting.

Early stage of my submission for the "Poetry and Cloth" exhibit.

I've also been teaching at Sew Creative in Ashland (great shop!) and have loved putting together these classes and getting back at teaching. My free motion quilting classes have a different slant by focusing on objects, text, and borders rather than the typical stippling practice. Students seem to love it and are encouraged to keep at it..."practice, practice, practice" I tell them!

We work on these fun and personalized placemats in "FreeMotion 2".

Sew Creative also has a quilt journal group that I was immediately attracted to. Six to eight of us get together once a month to share a small journal quilt with a central theme. Store owner Karen sets the theme and also teaches us something new or presents a new product for us to try. Being a minimalist, there are many products I have never tried so I am thrilled to broaden my my scope and skills.

Journal Quilt for February (Doorway).

And then there's my ever faithful online Cyber Fibres quilt journal group of which I have been a part of since 2008. Currently we have a 60+ piece show going on in Campbell River, BC. This group is like family to me!

Last but certainly not least is the small dye group that meets once a week...Cynthia, Christine, and Lene... they are my avenue to advanced dyeing and I love to see what they are up to. Winter activities tend to focus on paper creations, and when the weather warms up, we head to Cynthia's basement for dyeing fun. I love to hangout with them during paper crafts, but join in for dyeing. Lately they went on a bookmark binge...beautiful!

Beautiful bookmarks with handmade tassels.

And let's not forget the classes that are out there to take advantage of. This weekend I'll be trying "Improvisational Circles" at Sew Creative.
I love my groups! Will I be able to "gypsy" again? (I'll worry about that later!)

CONCOURSE A, PDX

"A Path to St. Johns" by Carol Wilborn (45"x45")

Yesterday I was stopped in my tracks at the Portland, OR airport as I was bee-lining it to my flight back to Medford. The long, well-lit hall leading toward Concourse A was lined on both sides with TWO attractive fiber art displays that made me park my suitcase and take some time to enjoy these beautiful quilts. Here is info about the show along with other pieces. I was wonderfully reconnected with memories of living in this city in the mid 80's when I was working on my Masters degree. Daily I traveled over one or more of the bridges that dot Portland's skyline.

                                      

I love the night scene here.

This digital-like image title " The Bridge of Life" by Janet Murdock was particularly interesting.

Then I turned around for the next exhibit:

By this time I was needing to get to my flight, so two photos needed to suffice.

IF in the airport, head to Concourse A for a fiber treat!

BALANCING ACT

February always zips by. Here in southern Oregon, the month started out in the midst of huge rainstorms (much needed), and now we are witnessing an intense arrival of spring. I pruned my rose bush last week and now I see buds popping out. It's all happening so fast...just like time zipping by.

My head is wrapped around my upcoming trip to Alaska to visit my brother and his family after the passing of his wife Leona. She died last month and now I am finally able to head north. She was sweet and funny and was loved by all. She loved berry picking and all native crafts (beading, basketry etc.) and when I imagined making a small memorial quilt for her, I imagined small berry plants, maybe some salmon (she used to have a set net site with her mother in Bristol Bay) or the like, but what came out was a simple mountain scene. In past memorial quilts (these are small - 8"x10" - and are actually a sleeve that fits over an acrylic frame) I have added small lines to attach photos with mini clothespins, but here I just zig zagged the photo to the fabric and am so happy with it. I now have lots of new ideas for photo quilts!

My goal this year is to step in to the world of exhibitions. I have just entered my first to a SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Association) show called "Balancing Act". Here is a small slice of the piece I entered yesterday. It represents the many roles we play not just throughout our lives, but each day...balancing roles and responsibilities. Now another theme for our southern Oregon chapter is swimming around in my head...Poetry and Cloth...and when I return from Alaska I'll be making those ideas real.

The main focus this month has been our house remodel. We are in the midst of a major gutting of a 1951 house and while Tom is there working away, I am researching, shopping, being the courier, cooking lunch, and this week getting some yard work done. My own studio time is squeezed in where ever I can....sneaking in bits and pieces of sewing moments, BALANCING it all out, and eventually getting it all done, or at least most of it.

And let's not forget the important stuff...

Whether it be on Facebook, online quilt journals, phonecalls, or actual coffee dates and connections, our friends are always the best. When life may feel OUT OF BALANCE, friends always pull it all back together!

INSPIRED BY LIFE

Life is good! I recently returned from a short visit to Mexico where I experienced, once again, another amazing trip with my traveling group "Sisters of the Castor Beans". This year our group of eight went on a journey through the little advertised Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, located in the north central area of the country. We visited the capital city of the same name, two amazing "magic towns" (a tourism designation...Real de Catorce and Xilitla), beautiful rivers and waterfalls, all happy being together with good food and good laughter at our sides. The serotonin was flowing!

 Here we are getting ready for our canoe trip on Rio Tampaon.

And the Edward James gardens were amazing! This is worthy of a GOOGLE!

Beyond all of this adventure and fun, I was able to visit with my Mazatlan friends and of course my sewing ladies.

It was the first time I had seen them since our San Francisco trip, and of course they had brought lots of good food to share with us. We recounted our memories and had lots of laughs together.

I was so happy to see Paty again. She is the only one of the group who was denied a visa for the SF trip. She is the youngest and most educated of the group and the rejection by the officials at immigration was crushing to her. Happily she also received a box with a new machine and lots of fabric. Here she is holding Frances' beautiful new granddaughter, Helen.

I was able to finally divvy out the Day of the Dead fabric I acquired in San Francisco. I know they will come up with some great creations!

 Vilma and the ladies made some beautiful tops for Bev!

Once again, I said "adios" to my Mazatlan... Until next year!