Crazy for Quilts

Cherry House Quilt Completed

2011-06-19T06:20:00.000-07:00

I finished this last summer but never got around to posting. I lost a dear friend and didn't feel much like posting. Now I am hoping I have my mojo back.

My sister-in-law has a gift for decorating. Cherry House's design worked wonderfully!

New Quilt Commission

2010-06-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my husband and I traveled by car to Alexandria VA where we visited my husband's brother and his wife. They have been working on remodeling their beautiful townhouse and I might add with wonderful taste! My SIL loves muted greens blues/camel/silver. Her kitchen made me think of a sequin dress, with its beautiful gray, black silver shimmery glass tile. Wow! I was very inspired.

Their bedroom upstairs is still under construction but they had chosen the wall color. Beautiful deep dusty blue. I had taken my swatch book. Robert Kaufman has a Kona cotton solids swatch book that I think I purchased from Hancocks of Paducah maybe? Anyway, before I left I was inspired as well by a blog called Cherry House Quilts. I love what she is doing with solid fabrics! I want to do that too! (I made our King size quilt from solids found in a local quilt shop) But I haven't done anything since beside start collecting more solids

Anyway, I am totally in love with Cherri House quilts. She has a book out called "City Quilts". I ran to the store the same day to buy it. I took it along to VA and what do you know! My SIL has been trying to find a quilt and wants me to do a version of City Shops. I can do this!

I am signing up for the process pledge. I hope to really document the making of this quilt and some others on this blog.

Amish Encounter

2009-06-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ken and I went for a walk down our little country road. We know most of our neighbors on our mile except for the people who bought the property across the road from us. As we started out, we saw an Amish buggy approaching and we all waved, smiling casually. We continued on wondering if they were the new neighbors or others. On the return we saw an Amish couple on bicyles. They stopped to chat and we found out that indeed they are the owners of the property. They built the house as a get-away and or retirement home. I get-away we thought?!!!! (I wish we had a get-away place) Anyway , they said they only live 15 miles away and it only takes an hour and a half to get here! :-) Ha! I talked to the lady whose name was Ida. I couldn't help thinking she was such a gem. I told her I was a quilter and was she? Well she said she tied her quilts but her mother had quilted. (Later Ken told me he found out this couple had raised 8 children. No wonder she didn't have time to quilt!) She offered to come over and quilt with me sometime! Now what to put in that frame...

EEEE HAAAAA!

2009-04-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

We hve new internet cababilities! I can now post pictures! Wow! Stay tuned!

perception vs intention

2009-02-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading a post by my good friend at school whose son wanted to make a "different kind of valentine box". He chose to make a serpent box and my friend posted pictures of her dad and son working on it. I was a spectacular effort. As I read the comments, however, my friend said that her son's teacher was less than complementary about the box and he was crushed.

I am a teacher as well and I try really hard not to say anything to discourage young people's artistic afforts. Sometimes it's hard. I have heard kids sing solos that I'm sure Simon Cowell would have made merciless comments.

I know that perception and intention can often conflict. I recently had a student that was having a hard time getting going on his instrument and I got a note from his mom saying that he thought I had given up on him. I felt so bad. I had NOT given up but simply wondered if he had given up on himself. I had had several kids quit band recently and thought he would be next. My ego was wounded. His perception of himself was skewed.

After getting the parent note, I gave him a big pep talk and he returned the next week able to play his instrument better than he had ever done. The kids and I cheered for him and he was so proud. I pronounced him a player and now he is. His mom is very pleased.

Was I at fault? Centainly not intentionally. All I can do is go on and learn my lesson. All kids need support all the time for their efforts. So do adults.

Success vs. Failure

2009-02-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

Today I read a post by Luann Udell that made me stop to think. She was lamenting the fact that she had met her goals and didn't know where to go from there! She has done some pretty remarkable things art wise and I guess she's probably scared because of the economy. Can't blame her. I wish her well. She writes an amazing blog posts too.

The really interesting part of her post regarded our ideas about success and failure. The best part about art is that when something goes wrong sometimes the thing that went wrong can become the most successful part. Several weeks ago I was polishing a polymer piece that would become a pin, when it shot out from beneath the buffer wheel and the tip broke off. Of course this had been my favorite piece of the series. However, instead of throwing it out I patched it with some scrap clay that contained silver leaf. I was really pleased with the results! I plan on repeating that happy accident on other pieces! Sometimes art just happens!

Down and out but still inspired

2009-02-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

Friday I was just plain sick. I took the day off even though I hate missing. It was one of those days when the kids would have said Mrs. M. are you sick? As I laid on the couch I slept to the drone of movies and watched several of my art and or quilt movies that I've seen dozens of times before. I went to bed with Nyquill and other assorted prescription drugs.

I woke up today and still felt pretty bad . (Sinus infections are usually worse in the AM.) This afternoon I got out a DVD tutorial on Square in a square. I'm all reved up to try to make lots of traditional quilts. (Maybe they won't all be bed quilts but at least I could use them for samples and for lapquilts.)After being inspired, I'm feeling so much better this afternoon that I even walked the dog. (He's snoring as I write this) Maybe I'm on a quilt cycle now. But yet the clay becons.........

PS My husband sat down with me last night and discovered my art pictures are too big to post, so I will have to fix that before anything gets put on here.

Transition

2009-02-05T16:51:00.000-08:00

How do you know when it's time for a change? I recently had a meeting with some rather brilliant women teachers preparing a unit on "change". They discussed stories the children will be reading along with the thematic.

I started thinking about how I am always on the lookout for ways to tweak my life, work, and hobbies in order to stay true to what is important. I've gone through some major changes in the last 10 years and I would do it all again because I feel I'm getting closer and closer to more possibilities.

I continue to work more and more with the polymer clay. I have several series going because I keep changing how I work. I've been thinking about getting my clay pieces "out there" and have been wondering where to sell and what series to promote. My art mentor and good friend advises that I go with "what I want to be known for". That phrase stopped me in my tracks because that sounds pretty big. Something inside me says go with the folk art. My mentor also advises to go with the pieces that tell a story.

Of course I may still change my mind!

This picture is a painted quilt. It sold when I was taking a workshop about photographing work. That was a nice ego boost.

Cyclic Enthusiasm

2008-11-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

I am so excited by what I'm working on right now artwise! I have been making polymer clay jewelery again. Does anybody else go from one craft to another thinking this is it I can do this thing until I die? Well, my excitement goes full tilt in a cyclic fashion. I go from art quilting to rug making to polymer clay. It seems when I learn something new or discover something new I'll think OK I AM GOING TO DO THIS AND ONLY THIS. I secretly want to be Mozart but tend to be a jack of all trades. Is there such thing as master of all?

craft confusion

2008-08-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

I attended a rather prestigious rug hooking show in nearby Sauder Village yesterday.Wow. Rug hookers are really serious about their craft. There was a category of original rugs that ranged from portraits to realistic images of nature and animals. I found myself asking why? Why rugs? On the other hand why not! Quilters have been serious about their craft as art for quite some time.

I have been obsessed with art quilts and have followed the progression since the mid 90's. I have worked very hard to find my own creative voice and also satisfy my curiosity of other arts and fine craft. But, I found my self asking if there is really any point to the shows, recognition etc. outside of marketing?

Like the quilt shows, most of the attendees were spending more time with the vendors rather than the show itself. I found the same circumstances at the big international Chicago quilt show I attended last spring. More time spent shopping than looking.

Oh,yes, I was an avid shopper too. In fact I bought a rug hooking kit at the quilt show and that lead me to a lesson and the local rug show I just mentioned. I certainly spent my share of the day with the vendors.

I guess at the end of the day, many of us want to make our own versions of art or craft. We go to the shows and buy the stuff and in some cases follow the careers of others in order to be a better artist or craft person. I think though, from now on, I'm more inclined to go to shows held in museums and places that are more like a gallery. I'll certainly not be tempted to bring home a car full of supplies!

By the way, this is the site of a rug hooker that I like best so far, Deanne Fitzpatrick<http://www.hookingrugs.com/>

She is fabulous!

Here We Go!

2008-07-11T06:15:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how easy is it to get one of these blogs started! I went trought the steps with the intention of helping an artist friend get hers going. So far so good. I guess it's only fair that I begin one of these myself so that I can share intesesting visuals with others. I have a daily ritual of sitting down in the AM and reading several blogs. Hopefully now I can connect with them and see what happens.

My professional life is within the realm of the performing arts but I am increasingly interested in all things visual. Currently, I'm workiing on polymer clay jewelry and painted art quilts. Yesterday I took another big step (for me) in picking up a consignment agreement for a local gallery. My goal is to ease out of my current employment at some point and be able to work on my art full time (with retirement plan in place.)

At this point, I'd like to post snippets of work and things I'm looking at. I'll be adding pictures as soon as I know how to do that! Ha! Stay Tuned