Art Quilt Show in Honeoye Falls

I am part of the Rochester Area Fiber Artists quilt show in Honeoye Falls.  I took a group of friends to see the show today - but was hindered by a very large bridal shower going on in the room.   It boggles my mind as to why they thought having a 50+ person gathering with food (in hot chafing dishes) along the wall under the quilts was a good idea.   We could not even get to see the show - in a space for which we paid to display our work.   So, I am posting a few favorites over several posts - for my friends who didn't get to enjoy the show!

 Kathi Everett's Ice Crystals and my "Then....the Crocus"....displayed on the stone wall together.

 StephanieFerris  - Warm Whispers.

 Liz Scott - Spring Equinox - digitally printed onto fabric and machine quilted

Marcia Birken - Early Mountain Spring

The beading on this is outstanding!

Mary Louise Gerek - Teal Spring.   This quilt is also based on a poem written by a local poet from Rochester, NY.

Comfort Quilt for a dear friend!

A member of our ArtCGirlz group, and very dear friend of mine, is about to enter chemo treatments this week.  Our ArtCGirlz did a card shower for her one week - each of us (10 members) send a card a day for 5 days in late January.   Yesterday we presented her with a quilt our group made for her to use during her treatments.

Made from all batiks - her favorites are the color purple and butterflies.   (Yes, we often joke we are twins).  Each of us made a block - some made 2.   None of us knew what pattern or color block the others were making - yet look how balanced this quilt is.   One girl sewed them all together, another basted, I did the quilting and another put on the binding.   I quilted the name of each member into the block(s) they made.   I so enjoyed quilting this - I felt I definitely became a part of it and it a part of me.

This is a block I made that we didn't need, so it became the label.   I "googled" caring hands image and found this graphic.   One of the girls ,machine embroidered all of our names onto the label.  With caring hands - she will soar to new heights!    The love and energy in this group was so apparent yesterday - despite the sadness we all feel, it was a very positive day!

L'Autumno - A Winner Quilt

L'Autumno by Elaine Ross

This is the quilt I created for the "Nature Behind Bars" Challenge exhibit.   The quilts will hang at the Genesee Valley Quilt Show in June and then possibly become a traveling exhibit to major quilt shows.  In preparation, the quilts were judged by a professional judge and 4 prizes were award.   I am THRILLED to have won "Best Interpretation of Theme".

The quilt is based on a photo I took at Longwood Gardens in October of 2011.   I had the photo printed onto fabric by Julie Brandon - http://red-dogenterprises.com/.   I then printed part of Vivaldi's Four Seasons music - the autumn movement, aptly named "LAutumno" onto sheer organza and layered that over the very top of the quilt.

I love Longwood Gardens at any season of the year - one of my "favoritest" places to visit.   The quilt honors one of those seasons.

All-County Chorus Concert with my Granddaughter

Yesterday (Saturday) I had the privilege of hearing my Granddaughter's All-County Chorus Concert.   This group is made up of the best from 13 schools in Livingston County.   I am always so thrilled to watch my grandchildren perform.   On Facebook, someone thanked their father and said he should be proud of what he started.   I immediately thought - hey, what about me - the music major - the one who supported their mother through all of HER musical activities.   Then I was reminded that I was supported by a mother who made sure I had a good musical education.   In reality, we can take credit for very few things our children/grandchildren do and become, for much has been started way before us.   We are just a part of the thread that goes through our family!!!!   So, I say with humbleness - well done Sammy Renee, I am so proud of you and proud to be a part of what makes you so wonderful today!
P.S. - she is the one who turned and posed (unbeknownst to her) at just the right time for me to take the picture!!!

Window Photo at Olive Garden - Possible quilt????

I saw this photograph at Olive Garden - and had to have a picture.   I love the window and the perspective.   Not sure I could duplicate it in fabric, but I sure do like everything about it....the gradation, the circles, the colors.   Maybe I should just enjoy it as a photograph!!!!

I have learned it is from a building in Rome known as The Pantheon.  I understand the hole is called "The Black Hole" featured in "Angels & Demons".

Quilt Guild Retreat Weekend

 This past weekend was my guild retreat at Camp Asbury, Silver Lake.   For 3 days, 28 of us sewed and sewed and sewed.   The best part - is we were fed well and didn't have to prepare or clean up from meals.   It was gray this weekend, so we didn't see the pretty colors of the lake we saw last year. 

My one totally finished project - my X- Bag Purse - Made with fabric showing musicals and also a lighter "music" fabric.

I got a good start on my first row of the Round Robin Quilt our guild is doing.  Mine will be Christmas themed - I did 4 12 inch blocks and will pass this row, along with a 6 inch strip of my main Christmas fabric on to the next person to create a row of her choosing, using some of Christmas Fabric.   There are 5 people in each group, I will end up with 5 rows to put together as I choose.

The Old Italian Block from Anita Grossman Solomon's book.   I started this last year at retreat..........and didn't work on it again all year.  Still not sure I have enough blocks done for a lap quilt.

Finally - circles.   I had a pack of 5 inch charm squares - tropical print themed.....I finished several of these.   Will end up with 40 squares.....then to decide what to do with them!!!!

Ice Dye Fabric Challenge Quilt - Lenten Banner

In my ArtCGirlz art quilt group, one of our members does a lot of snow/ice dyed fabrics.   She brought each of us a Fat Quarter with the challenge to create something out of it.

This is the FQ I chose!   I immediately saw Stained Glass church windows!

 This is the quilt I created using her fabric and my idea!

 I used Angelina Fibers to create sparkle/shimmer in the stained glass windows.

 I wanted to try thread sketching - basically drawing an object freehand, using the needles as a pencil.


Finally, I have made several pulpit banners for my church.   They requested a lenten banner (I wonder how they knew I'd have lots of purple fabric - the color of Lent!!!!!!)

A simple quilt - a cross with the Crown of Thorns.

Snowstorm NEMO in WNY

Strange name for a storm....and while we had more snow than we've had in the past couple of winters, it really was mostly "just winter" in WNY (not like the East Coast).  I took a few pictures this AM, but the cold is worse than the snow I think.    I have a collection of grasses - delicate little things that blow in the wind, but are much stronger than we realize - to hold the weight of several inches of wet snow!!!

 This one is quite buried under several inches of snow!

 The stalks and seed heads - I leave them all winter and cut down in the spring.   Good for color, texture and feeding the birds.   Thankfully they don't appeal to the deer!

 Look at the snow cap on this delicate little grass!

 Love this pic - the gentle arching of the grass and the covering of snow!

 My tiny little 3 foot high Japanese Maple Tree

The top of the Rose of Sharon bush - just above the fence top!

Then....the crocus!!! Another one done!

In my previous post, I posted a picture of this quilt in progress....it is now finished.   My entry, "Then...the crocus!", for the Rochester Area Fibre Artists show at the lowermill.com gallery in Honeoye Falls, NY.   These will be on display for the month of March!

"First a howling blizzard woke us;
then the rains came to soak us;
and now before the eye can focus
....crocus!!!"   by Lilje Rogers

               
This poem was the inspiration for this quilt.   I have always wanted to interpret that poem in fabric and when the theme for this show was announced as "Winter's End" - I knew it had to be done.  The feeling for me was the stark white and lack of color we all feel during the winter ....and can't wait for it to be over.   I think we are all surprised by that first little crocus that comes up - even though we know to expect it.  

There are over a dozen different "snow" fabrics, for all different fabric types.   Some of the birch trees are photos printed on fabric, the others are just fabric.  The quilting in the back is a shadow of birch trees, to contract the rolling, waving snow.   There is also a lot of bead work - not visible from a distance - but a surprise to the viewer who looks up close.

Three lone crocus - hint at spring's arrival (fabric and beads).

The poem by Lilje Rogers is printed on an organza overlay - due credit given to the author.

While the quilt is almost exactly what I envisioned from the beginning, and did go together fairly easily once I got started, I had trouble starting it.   All pieces in this exhibit must be for sale.   I don't do this to sell - it is an avocation, not a vocation.   If I create and then someone sees it, wants to buy it, and I want to sell it....all well and good.   But it is never my driving force.   I really had to work to put that mentality aside and just create.   However, the fact is.....I really am NOT ready to sell this yet!

Another show quilt almost done.... Winter's End

My RAFA (Rochester Area Fiber Artists) group is getting ready to hang another show in Honeoye Falls.   The theme for this show is "Winter's End".  I have had a poem by Lilje Rogers that I have always wanted to interpret into fabric.....

"First the howling blizzard woke us,
Then the rain will come to soak us,
And now before the eye can focus....
Crocus!

This is it so far (you can tell it isn't done by the batting on the edges and the pins at the bottom.  This is pretty true to my original concept - all snow and just a "pop" to indicate the crocus!!   The poem is printed on organza overlay at the bottom - with appropriate credit given to the author.  

Almost done.....................  some more beading, a crystal or two, facing, sleeve and label.   Really - it is almost done!!!

Museum Quilt Guild Literature Challenge - My Big Reveal

So, our guild meeting has come and gone, all the challenge quilts have been turned in and I can now reveal mine. 

 

Butterflies and Bottle Caps

from the book by the same name!

Our challenge was to pick something from literature - it could be a book title, a scene from a book, a picture, an idea.........anything.   On the very night our challenge was announced, a friend of mine on Facebook posted about this book.   Since I love anything "butterfly" - an idea immediately took hold.  The premise of the book is that the main character has "butterflies for hair".   She feels she is different and strange and wishes she were like everyone else.  

Her mother is constantly reassuring her that she is beautiful and someday she will know it!!!



She tells her that "One day you will see how beautiful you are - one day everything about you will be free to dazzle".

Then she meets a girl who has "bottlecaps for hair".  

That girl wishes she had butterflies instead and the girl with butterflies likes the sound of bottlecaps - the sound they make in the wind.   They become instant friends and realize they are beautiful in their own way.

Some other detail shots -

The hair is all butterflies, individually cut from fabric, fused down, stitched with metallic thread - and some metallic butterfly beads are hiding there also.



 This is a butterfly button (actually 2 buttons) I made from clay, formed in a mold and baked.

 There are several dimensional butterflies on the quilt - this one flew out into the border.

 A butterfly bead landed on a bottlecap.

The bottlecaps were a long process of finding the right kind of cap - available only on beer bottles now apparently.   My husband was my very willing supporter in that venture!!!!   :)    Then they were painted, holes drilled, attached with perle cotton, anchored top and bottom with beads.   Some bottlecaps do dangle while others are more secure.   The circles for her hair are cut from silk fabric and fused, some are inked around the edge.

These quilts will hang in the local Richmond Library in the month of February.   Once they are all up and hanging I will get pictures of the rest and have them here to share!!!!  

Creating - not Revealing yet....

I have been working and creating on my quilts, just can't reveal any of them here.   I have 3 challenges underway - none can be shown yet.   Saturday we finally reveal our guild Literary Challenge.   Can't wait to see what book everyone has chosen for their inspiration and how they interpret it.

Meanwhile, my beautiful amaryllis - with 9 flowers, is no more.   But I have lots of photos of just how beautiful it was.   I've never been successful at keeping them to bloom a second time, but I'm going to try again with this one.

 This one looks like a tree, for goodness sake!

 I love close up shots.......right into the center of the flower!!!

Amaryllis & Challenges

I mentioned yesterday I was working on my guild literature challenge.   Here are 2 teaser pictures!



 

You had to guess butterflies would be involved!

Circles?    In the same quilt as butterflies????

Finally - nothing to do with my guild challenge quilt - just a picture of my Amaryllis plant - 2 stalks, 6 of the 8 blossoms are opened!   I've never had one with this many flowers.   The box said it was "Candy Apple" pink - not so much!   But, it still is pretty I think!



Blog Posting Frustration

For whatever reason, my blog site will not seem to let me upload pictures from my photo album.   No clue as to why......the usual buttons are not there to access.

I have no pictures really, because although I have been working very intently on a quilting piece, I can't show it until the guild challenge is due on the 19th of this month.   I'm all but done (sleeve & label) which is really early for me to be done 2 weeks ahead of time.

The title of the challenge is "literature" - we can use anything from a book - cover, photo, scene, title, printed passage - pretty wide open challenge.   The evening of the day it was announced, a friend of mine posted about a book on Facebook - I had never heard of.   But, I liked the title and I set out to find it - which was no small feat since it is out of print.   But, I did find it, and I have pretty much been able to accomplish what I envisioned!!!!!

Now, if I can ever get this Blog (or perhaps my computer) to cooperate.......you will someday see pictures.