Wearable Art or at least wearable!

Here is another instance where I can hear my Mother laugh!  I have avoided sewing for most of my life.  Mom always was there to teach me, but for some reason it just never clicked.  I mostly made fabric rags.  Well here I am and with the help and patience of several friends I can actually wear the product.  And there is more!  Soon on these pages you will see a truly amazing sweater!  Anyway, I find this somewhat enjoyable and am starting on another art jacket for another Rachel Clark Exhibit.


First is my coat from a pattern by Indygo Junction - Amy Barickman #IJ885.  I had to narrow the sleeves and eliminate the pleat because of the fabric.  It should be fun to wear this winter.

 

Fall Jacket

Second is a sweater that I bought because of the pockets and zipper, but then felt it was too plain.  At a Needle Arts meeting last year, Claudia Knous gave a presentation on her beautiful felt pieces.  I just had to have one.  It was felted leaves that you would wear around your neck and shoulders.  Loved the piece but didn't like it on my neck!  What to do... so I combined the pieces and I do hope that Claudia doesn't mind the liberties I took with her work.  But now I have something I will wear for sure.

Just a note.  You might have noticed the new bar at the top.  It indicated how many of you kind people review this blog.  I was shocked and so pleased at how often it is reviewed!  Don't worry, I have no idea who you are.  In another area, a map displays in which countries/states visitors reside.  I hope to find friends all around the world and you can help.  If you have an out-of-country friend, please forward my blog site.  It will only take one per country!  Thanks again for your visits and I hope you are all enjoying your own creative journeys.

Lincoln Internal Medicine Exhibit

Sharpie Demo

Several months ago a good friend suggested that I join the Lincoln Hills Art Association and what a great idea that was!  So far I have won a prize (including money), shown at Mina's in Lincoln, and gave a talk on my Sharpie Pen art work.  All for the low price of membership.  Thank you to the officers and members that are so generous with their time.

This next month the Association is showing at the Lincoln Internal Medicine @ 801 Sterling Parkway.  I'm not sure you can just wander around to look at the art, but one of my Sharpie pieces is in the exhibit. 
You have most likely seen it before, but it is a good example of the technique.

Raspberry Flowers

Sunflowers & Me

Preliminary MAQ Challenge

Well, I am back and fresh off a great week of sewing at Tahoe.  Did the majority of the work on the MAQ Challenge.  Next step is to put all the pieces together and figure out how to make it my own.  That is always the quest.. to make it my own.  It does drive you to push the borders and find something just a little different.

We had a wonderful time on our trip back to Colorado and saw such beautiful country.  Lots of inspiration, really fun co-travelers and too much food.  Hope you all enjoyed your summer and are ready for more fun this winter.  I know it is 95 outside but you have to think ahead.

If you have the time, you might want to see the Blue Line Gallery in Roseville.  The show is photography but with a great twist and a lot of imagination.  Try to see this gallery when you can.

I'm getting excited about Houston and my two pieces that will be shown.  It is sometimes hard to imagine that this has happened.  It just pays to dream and try.  After all I wonder how many people just thought about entering and then talked themselves out of it. Lets all make a pack to not let ourselves talk in a negative voice.... to just go for it.  Eat that chocolate, drink that wine, enter that contest, just have a great time.

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.