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                  

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 

         

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