Summer is here and relaxing

Just a note to my blog friends, the summer time is for having fun.  While I think spending the day in my sewing room is the best kind of fun (other than going to lunch with friends), I am going to slow it down a bit.  So if you don't see an entry don't worry, the fall will have lots of fun stuff to talk about.  Take care.

Houston Here I Come!

 

Leaves of Costa Rica

Great News!  I just received notice that my Leaves of Costa Rica will be in the Houston Festival this Nov.  A friend and I are attending the show so this will be lots of fun.  They even give you a ribbon to wear, that says  Finalist.  At least that will explain the grin I will have on my face. 

My Johnny Appleseed in Sebastopol is included in the West Coast Wonders Exhibit and that too will be at the Houston show as well as in Long Beach.

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement.  It is scary to create something and then put it out into the world.  You feel very protective of each piece and your feedback is so very valuable. 

Johnny Appleseed in Sebastopol

Almost Done with Challenge

No Name - MAQ Challenge

 
This piece has changed and it's been quite a trip. First I completed the center with beads, couched gold thread, and paint.  Looked okay but rather ordinary, so I decided to add a background.  Still ho-hum.  It needed curves but since the challenge selected was "Whole Cloth and Beyond" I wasn't sure a pieced border would qualify.  Great news, the other challenge option was "Illusion of Motion"!  Off I went and added the curved boarders using the Joan Dyer's technique.  But wait, the cotton batt had been cut off.  Well, I won't go into detail, but the additional batt had to be added by hand and the facing became the backing.  The final piece will have curvy edges for the top and bottom and the quilting lines will be extended over the border with beads.  This was definitely a challenge and I will have a difficult time answering the question of --
                                     "How long did it take you?".
I have to figure out a name so if you have any suggestions - let me know.

The Before Pictures

Some of you have mentioned that you enjoyed seeing a piece develop.  Seeing it start at one point and watching me struggle!  Well, here are two projects I am currently working.

First is the MAQ Challenge - Anything but panels.  There are five of us.  We chose a picture of sunflowers on a blue checked table cloth.  The picture was divided into five section using curved lines. (We didn't want to make this too easy)  We all agreed to not make pink sunflowers but that we were encouraged to use our own techniques.  This is just one of the sections.  Doesn't look like much but since I now have the "engineering of the process" done, I feel like I can really go to town.  Just need to settle down and dedicate some time.

Second is also a MAQ Challenge that is due at the end of this month!- Whole Cloth and Beyond.
My whole cloth is more of my Sharpie work.  I made a stencil design and  added some fabric paint.  The quilting gave me trouble.  The circles were so pretty that I was afraid that heavy quilting would cover the watercolor movement of the piece.  Cathy helped me with this and made several suggestions that spurred me in the right direction.  Of course I had to add beads and might add more.  As you can see, I am auditioning a couple of colors for a separate background.  At the last MAQ someone suggested that a black background would show off the work on my Leaves.  Since I can't really piece this whole cloth, I will just make a separate background piece and see if that works.

More to come later this month.