Art and Soul

Art and Soul is a one night art show with 1/2 the proceeds of any art sold going to a local charity. This year it's Echo, the lake Champlain education center and I just finished 5 art quilts to hopefully be selected to enter in the show. Since I put my H(art) and soul into all my quilts, this show appealed to me. They need to have something to do with Echo's mission which is to educate people about the lake and the area around it. So here's what I came up with.

The waterfront near burlington, that little lighthouse is sort of a landmark down there.

 

Lake Champlain - camping is a great way to enjoy it

 

The lake again with a bear - we've had a lot of bear sightings around here lately

 

I know, this is not the ocean - it's Vermont! But did you know that just a few million years ago this area was covered by the ocean? And sea urchins were all over the place.

 

And my personal favorite - the sand dollar.

 

Wish me luck with the art and soul show and if that doesn't work out, I'll be putting in my etsy shop.

Quilt On!

 

Purple sea urchin shell

Would you know what this was if I didn't tell you?

If you've ever walked a beach to collect shells and were lucky you probably have a few of these in your collection as do I. Problem is, what do you do with them? So in the box they sit. At least this one can be hung on the wall.

 

Here's a close up. I used Leah Day's ocean current quilting design and probablly stuffed the thing to much because it was a bitch to quilt around. I did learn to use the closed hole free motion foot since the open one kept catching on the shell.

This was my inspiration photo, not exactly the same but if I wanted exactly the same I would just hang the photo on the wall now wouldn't I?

 

This was very different but I had fun and that's what this quilting business is all about , don't cha think?

 

Quilt On!

 

WIP WED - what the hell is it?

I have an idea

First I painted this

Then began quilting it like this

White ,thread change and a purple marker

Then added this dark thread and may have screwed it up. At this point last night I stopped, needing a fresh start. I may just thread paint the darker so you cant see the under fabric much, or try to make the screw up a shadow somehow? I know this is a wierd one.

And no I did not hijack this vehicle. I am not crazy or drunk (well maybe alittle crazy). You will see when it's done ;-)

Any guesses?

Hint #1. I'm going to cut a hole in the middle and applique onto a dark background.
Hint #2 - think beach

Wool landscape

I'm linking up at Nina's off the wall Friday. Check out all the very creative quilters linked up there every Friday.

I've been experimenting with some of the felted wool I've been collecting.

 

This is a simple little landscape of lake Champlain where I live.

Wool is really good for appliqué, it doesn't fray once it's washed and shrunk and since its thick you don't really need to use batting.

 

Disadvantages include the limited colors you can find , it doesn't take paint well and my quilting stitches seemed to sink in so it's hard to see. I did try a thicker thread just below the mountains and it stood out more (note to self)

I tried melting some sheer fabric and then tacking it down for leaves but don't really like it much.

Any suggestions on tree leaves?

Hmmm, I just thought of the lazy quilters post last week showing her dryer lint from felting all her wool.

Wonder if that would make leaves / foliage?

Hmmmmmmmmmm :-)

 

Quilt On

 

Snowy April afternoon update - finished it!

 

Decided to add some yarn for foliage and it gave it that extra oomph needed. A vintage button from my grandmothers button box finished it off.

Now I can link up to Friday finishes :-)

 

WIP Wed

I have lots of things in progress and nothing finished, but this is WIP Wed - right? So I'm right on track:-)

This simple Lake Champlain landscape of the Burlington waterfront is almost quilted. I may want to add a tree or something yet but will decide after the quilting and trimming. I love that sky/ water fabric.

My twitter friends helped me decide on this yellow for a moon, but the red sky is just..... Well red

So I threw some paint on there to blend it, just a little. Still wet here, may be different when dry but so far I think it's better, not so "in your face"

This morning I started playing with some of the wool - haul from last week. I cut off just a sleeve from each coat, one pant leg to make it more manageable. We shall see what becomes of it. Experimentation shall ensue later today :-)

Well, this is taken later, since my original post couldnt be posted because of technical difficulties. Embellishing could be fun on this:-)

And of course my biggest work in progress is the beautiful "summer girl". I've learned she's a digger and I now have lots of holes all over my backyard , some of them with various dog bones and toys buried beneath. Thank you to my friend, quilter, blogger, and dog trainer extraordinaire - Glen for her advice.

Her blog Quilts and Dogs is a really good blog to follow by the way. She has this wonderful sense of humor that makes me smile.

I would link her blog here but I'm using this free app called craft draft since blogsy is crashing and I dont see how I can link with this. Google quilts and dogs - youll find her and youll be glad you did :-)


Quilt On!

wool - haul

Something drew me to the local ladies auxillary resale shop yesterday. I don't go there much but my car had the fabric antenna out and next thing you know, I'm parked in front. I look up and outside is a whole line of winter clothing all hung up neatly in a row with a sign saying

ALL WINTER CLOTHING MARKED DOWN TO $1.00 TODAY!

well, did I have some fun :-)

I got 12 100% wool coats, skirts and pants to felt for projects. All good quality - why the buttons alone would be worth a buck! The fuscia skirt on the top is a suede for a purse or bag. I also got a London Fog hooded raincoat in my size for me to actually wear as well.

So now I'm looking for ideas and patterns to make stuff with felted wool. I want to do some pincushions to sell at the quilt show in june or some othere sewing related wool felted item.

any ideas?

I found a cute owl pattern and a cute one using a tuna can

trouble is, I should finish up about 4 other projects - (sigh)

nah, what's one more project in the works ...... or two .... or three :-)

Quilt On!

WIP 3/27 a quiet moment

 To celebrate the new member of my family

(the left is my collie - her highness Abbey)

to the right is the newly adopted 

princess summer

(a nova scotia duck tolling retriever, we think)

Isn't she just the cutest dog on the planet?

I am making a new "Quiet Moment Between Friends" quilt with of course, a collie and a NSDTR. The pup on there could be a lab or any number of dogs with floppy ears like that but I know it's Summer and that's really all that matters:-) I'm working on making a pattern of this design, so will probablly be making a few of them - they go pretty fast and you get to play with sky batiks - weee- heeee :-)

 It's all done but the binding - should I do the same color as the border (left) or the inner border (right)

remember it will just be an inch or so showing - just the binding. I can't decide - what do you think???

 Putting the final touches on the

summer solstice stonehedge quilt. 

This thing has been fighting me all the way as some quilts do. When quilting down the meditator, the needle crushed and mangled her hands. 

OK, so she shall remain handless to protect the innocent, quilter (that's me)

So I need to cover up the mangled destruction and tried this flower but not happy with it. Maybe I find something, some "found object" as they call stuff that you find that's cool and just can't throw it away.

I'll look thru my "lost one earring so I'll keep this one just in case" box or button box or there's always the hardware store. I will find something that is so cool you will not know it's covering a mangled bloody hand.

Except you of course :-)