Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Postcards - Working 4" x 6"


I've discovered I love working in the 4" x 6" format.  It is perfect for design exercises and small compositional experiments.  I began years ago in the Beyond the Borders art quilt group exchanging birthday postcards with members.  Many of the early cards I received are framed and at the beach cabin.  Today, I still create and exchange them.  Below are a few of my favorites from friends, followed by some I have created over the years.  Some I would have posted were never photographed.




  A Dog for Connie              Linda Teddlie Minton
 
 
  
 
Peacock's Feather
Susan Fletcher King
 
 
 
Untitled                                    Nancy B. Dickey
 
 
  
Untitled                               Mary Ann Littlejohn
 
 
  
Sand Art                         Elizabeth Ann Broussard
 
 
 
Heart in Hands            Beth Johnson
 
 
 
 
                                                                                            Spatial Elements                                            
 
 
 
 
Abby                                       
 
 
 
Beginnings in Time 1                                      
 
 
Beginnings in Time 2                                     
Both property of Mary Ann Littlejohn
 
 
 
 
Sound Effects                                                 
 
 
Happy Birthday, Derek                                  
 
 
Aurora Borealis                                              
                        Property of Peter and Tory Fahrion
 
 
Beneath the Surface         
 
 
 Jazz Hot                                                        
For my stepmother, Jean A. Thompson
 
 
Studio Work                       
 
 
Happy Birthday, Abby        
 
 
Words on the Surface         
Susie Monday-Class Scraps
 
 
Happy Birthday, Mary Ann
 
 
Life Force                           
Property of Daniel B. Doherty
 
 
A Terrible Affliction                                     
 
 
Garden Nemesis
                 Property of Yvonne Black                  
 
 
 
 

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Putting the Zen in Zentangles




The design exercise this month in my new art quilt group close-to-home was to do some Zentangles.  Don't know what that is?  Remember the doodles you used to do in the phone book while waiting for a call to connect?  I always thought of them as meaningless meanderings.  The Zentangle people had a different idea...doodles that could be art!  In doing them, I discovered they are a great way to draw without knowing all the ins and outs of drawing...really good for beginners as you don't even realize you are drawing...just doodling around.  I also know why they put the Zen in Zentangle.  Hours felt like minutes, completely engrossed in the doodle.  A few of mine are shown below.




Flower Doodle                          Fig. 1
 
 
 
Zio Inspired Doodle                 Fig. 2
 
 
 
Squirrel Fish Doodle                                     Fig. 3
 
 
 
 

In Studio with Abby & Missy



Sewing with "the girls" is always too much fun, especially when the girls are my own grand-daughters, Abigail Marie and Elizabeth Anne.  Throw in some fabric squares donated to the cause by friend, Mary Ann, and, Voila, you have a quilt top!  (see Figures 1-6 below).  While they made a quilt top, I worked on a dress for Abby's American Girl Doll (Fig. 7).  She is leaving the pattern for me so now I have to make more, of course!



Getting a Lesson               Fig. 1
 
 
Sewing Blocks                  Fig. 2
 
 
Consultation                                Fig. 3
 
 
Pinning Rows to Sew     Fig. 4 
 
 
Pressing Finished Top    Fig. 5
 
 
Mission Accomplished!                       Fig. 6
 
 
Abby and American Girl Doll  Fig. 7
 
 
 
 
 
 


Saturday, June 14, 2014

SAQA Donation



I am very proud to be a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates.  Each year they ask members to donate a small 12" by 12" work to be sold at auction (see www.saqa.com for details).  Below is this year's offering, Much Aloha  (Fig. 1) and Night Garden (Fig. 2), last year's donation.

Much Aloha is a surface design work created on silk using my own drawn and hand-cut stencil, soy wax, brayer and string, and acid dyes with instant-set acrylic dye overlay to create greater depth of color in certain areas.  I'm definitely an explorer working with soy wax resist as it is something I only get to do a few times a year, however, the stash is growing and I feel I am now beginning to get some positive results. 

Night Garden is an "improvisational happening" (begun with no clear idea of how it would look when finished) created using my own painted fabric and Kona cottons collaged on with raw-edge applique.  I call this method of working, flying by the seat of my pants.  It is my favorite way to work though it can sometimes be exasperating if I bog down in the development stage for too long.




Much Aloha   2014               12"x12"         Fig. 1
 
 
  
 
 
                                      
                            Night Garden 2013     12"x12"            Fig. 2 
         

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Design Wall Fun



It has been a long time since I tried my hand at setting blocks from a block challenge but I recently had that opportunity through Sew Pieceful Bee, a group I joined this year to re-connect with old friends.  The blocks were made by members of the Golden Triangle Quilt Guild in Beaumont, Tx.  Figures 1-2 are two versions Dot Collins and I worked on one morning using the blocks and 6" red fabric squares provided by all of us.  I wanted to pursue an idea of using white strips in the sashing to connect to the white background of most of the blocks.  We agreed to cut the fabric squares down to 4" squares and insert random size strips.  I went a step further and created a cross block to be used at the corners again using random-sized strips (Figure 3).  I also used red fabric squares in the corners (Figure 4 and white squares in the corner (Figure 5).  Tried a group red/white diagonal row set using the variations (Figures 6-9).  My personal favorite was the last one...seemed woven.  I have no idea if any of my ideas for set/sashing will make it to a finished quilt.  I was just happy I got to play with them on the wall!
    



Square in Square Set                                 Fig. 1
 
 
 
 
Vertical Set 6" Block Sashing                       Fig. 2
 
 
 
 
Block Set with Irregular Size Strips and Cross-Block Sashing-Fig. 3
 
 
 
 
Block Set with Red Fabric Corners in Sashing-Fig.4
 
 
 
 
Block Set with White Fabric Corners           Fig. 5
 
 
 
 
 Diagonal Rows-White Corners                     Fig. 6
 
 
 
 
Rows-Red Corners                                         Fig. 7
                          
 
 
 
Rows-Strip Corners                                       Fig. 8
 
 
 
 
Rows-Cross Corners                                     Fig. 9