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Archive for the ‘12X12 challenge’ Category

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Got Rust?

Monday, September 20th, 2010

I used some of my fused skinny bits to create this fiber sketch of a forest. I like it. I think it has possibilities for a larger version.

Here are the results of my rust dyeing. A caveat – the pole was so corroded that I could not scrunch the fabric for traditional shibori.

I did the blue-green fabric and a plain white.

Tonight, I overdyed  the white silk with a paler shade of blue-green. I think I will like it a lot. I hope I can combine the two fabrics in the challenge piece.

I spent a lot of time stitching down the pojagi pockets on Allegro. I am getting to close to this piece and am starting to have a love/hate relationship with it. I must finish it – tomorrow, I hope. I first basted the pockets and then zigzagged them down to prevent fraying.

The SAQA auction started today. My piece, Entwined Roots is in the first group of quilts.

The price today was $750.   Tomorrow, the price goes down to $550, then $350, $250, $150 and $75.  Unsold work will be placed on the SAQA website for a month and then returned to the artist. Here is a link to the quilts, if you are interested in supporting SAQA and getting a nice piece of art.

You might notice the new buttons that I have in my sidebar. I got an e-mail from Wikio telling me that I could show my overall ranking for my blog. They have me in the craft category. I don’t know if there is a quilting category. There is a needlearts category. The buttons will change as my ranking changes. It will be embarrassing if it goes down! LOL

Posted in 12X12 challenge, My creations, rusting fabric, SAQA, Sketchbook Project, Surface Design Techniques | 3 Comments »

A Busy Week-end

Sunday, September 19th, 2010


So what has transpired since I last posted? I finally am feeling normal after my pesky virus attack. I got my hair cut and the color freshened – that made me feel better.

I got a rejection letter from Quilts=Art=Quilts. I was disappointed because I really like that show. I was in it two  years ago. I know that shows like this one are very dependent on what the jurors are looking for and I think it will be a more abstract show this year. Anyway, I have two quilts to enter in other shows.

Last night we had a wonderful Eucharist at Trinity to celebrate the harvest season. It was set to the music of Neil Young and was very inspiring. I may be in my 70s, but I am not stodgy about changing things up.

You may be wondering what that photo up there is. Well, it is a rusty pipe that Mr C saved for me when he tore up the old irrigation system in our front yard. The theme for the next Twelve x Twelve colorplay is rust and blue green.

I thought I would try doing some shibori rust dyeing with the pole up there. So I soaked some silk fabric in vinegar and water and wrapped it around the pole. Then I sprinkled it with salt and wrapped it in plastic. Now, I wait.

I am almost finished with Allegro. It is all basted. I just need to do the final stitching of the pockets and trim the seams. It is going to be a difficult piece to  photograph because of the transparency of the organza. Here is a detail.

We have been having strange weather. Long, warm sun breaks and rainy downpours. The temps have been mild so it is easy to take. Hope you had a good week-end, too.

Posted in 12X12 challenge, My creations, Spiritual Life, Surface Design Techniques | 5 Comments »

Great Week-end & a Book Cover

Monday, September 6th, 2010

We had so much fun this week-end. Saturday afternoon, we parked our car at the cathedral and took a nice walk down to Art in the Pearl. The weather was perfect for walking through the city. I had my camera and got some nice photos.

We hadn’t been for the last couple of years. We really enjoyed it. The art seemed better than the last time we went. Here is a 3-D aspen piece – tree art always catches my eye.

I loved these sculptures.

In one area, they had work that was a collaboration of artists working in different media.

The little dangling things are fabric with printing. I guess the other part is ceramic. This piece was ceramic with basket weaving.

This guy didn’t get juried in, I guess, so he set up business out of his truck on the street, next to the venue.

We stopped by our favorite garden art store, Dig. I saw this galvanized table on sale, but Mr C was not in to buying me a cool table for messing around on my studio patio!!

We went to a wonderful restaurant for dinner, Genoa, which is small and the service was impeccable. You pay a fixed price for a 5 course Italian dinner with wine pairings.

Yesterday, we went to the movies and saw The American, the new George Clooney movie. It was intense and wonderful. I recommend it.

And now, here is a little tease – the cover of our book! The book is due for release in March 2011. I hope the time flies by. You can go to our Twelve by Twelve website and join our mailing list to receive updates about the book.

Posted in 12X12 challenge, Out and About in Portland, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Deconstructed Lorikeet

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Here is my Twelve X Twelve quilt in the colors of lorikeets, the color theme selected by Brenda. I didn’t have any fabrics in these colors, but the wool roving fit the bill perfectly. I wanted to do machine felting, but I broke the attachment so I decided to try nuno felting.

Here is the process.  I had a large towel, a piece of bubble wrap, a piece of tulle. I started putting down the roving fibers, starting with black.

Then, I added the colored roving, making some circles and linear sections.

Next, I dampened the piece with wate with a bit of detergent mixed in.

Then, you add another layer of tulle and bubble wrap. This is then wrapped around a rolling pin.

You rock and roll this for 100 times, unroll it, turn it once, roll it up, rock and roll, etc, etc. The piece is then squished and and squeezed in a bowl of hot water, until it is felted and the size you want it to be.

When it was dry, I attached it to a piece of 12 x 12 inch felt as a base. Then I had the fun of stitching and beading. Here is a detail shot.

This was fun, especially for this theme, but I don’t think it will become part of my repertoire! Now, be sure to go over to the Twelve by Twelve blog to see what the others have done.

Posted in 12X12 challenge, Felting | 6 Comments »

A Cool Day

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

I have a short blog tonight. I have been working most of the day to finish my lorikeet quilt for the 12 by 12 reveal tomorrow. So be sure to check back to see what I have done. It is quite wild and a departure for anything I have been doing lately!!

Above is my fiber sketch for today, done in cool colors. It was cool enough in the house today to warrant having the furnace on, but we put on layers. However, when I was down in my studio, beading, I had to turn on the heat so that my fingers could move. This weather system is supposed to pass and we will have weather in the 80s for a few days. Here is some interesting Portland weather facts. We had high temps in the 70s and the 90s for this past month, but not in the 80s. However, the average temperature was 80!

Posted in 12X12 challenge, Sketchbook Project | 3 Comments »

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