Sunday, December 11, 2005

Bichon puppies



Here is reason number 2 for finding no time to quilt. New Puppies! Poor Mom, Allie (short for Allez-Vous Mademoiselle, which means "You go, girl") Ready for Christmas, these gorgeous little pups keep me busy just playing with them. And they all need a bath, but that will have to wait till next weekend. But I practiced on my Millenium today and pinned a baby quilt to complete. Now, off to do it...

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Holidays


And why haven't I been quilting? The holidays are here. Between decorating and parties, there has been NO TIME. Here is my Christmas tree. It usually takes a week or so to complete, but that's because I won't get up on a ladder higher than the second step so i am at the mercy of my daughter's free time. The red,white and blue room is my guest room and has been decorated in that color scheme for years, and after 9/11 I collected FDNY and NYPD ornaments and hats to add to my collection for that patriotic tree. It is my little bit of honoring the national tragedy. A hand-quilted panel is on the wall. The hall is decorated with purchased embroidered panels surrounded with lighted garland. It lights up the way to the restroom facilities. The family room tree is done with stuffed animals. I started that when my grandchildren were small so if they knocked it over, it wouldn't hurt any of my ornament collection. There's more, but those are the only pictures at this point,
But I did complete Quiltswap and sent by Abstract Exchange off to the UK and was delighted to receive my Sunny Side Up quilt. I will post pictures when I take it off the wall at work where my coworkers demanded it stay for a week as it adds quite a bit of sunshine to our office. And I went to the quilt store to fondle fabric and pick up a few things. So I'm off to my studio to do what I love....

Monday, November 14, 2005

Art Quilt Tahoe



Okay,back from a wonderful week at Art Quilt Tahoe. No snow, except in the higher elevations. But Bears!!! I only saw a cub, but there were 2 cubs, the mother, brother and a grandma hanging around the Squaw Valley Lodge. My roommate Ellen walked right into the mama bear's path! I know Ellen was more scared...

My computer design class with Caryl Fallert was so amazing. She is one of the most giving teachers. The quilt on the top of Caryl and her great grandmother is done with pictures digitally manipulated. So beautiful. So, I got home and tried to do something I had done 20 times in class... I seemed to have lost my memory! But I kept at it and was able to complete the very simple design of a quilt for my grandson. His brother got an appliqued dinosaur quilt for his 6th birthday and I am already a year late with his. I am using the star image and importing my pictures of the 55 Charlie Brown statues that were created and placed all around Santa Rosa. I finished that part tonite. Now I have to print them outand stich them together...

Melody Johnson's quilts are so luminescent! I took many pictures, but I'm sure they are all on her web site. And the quilt on the bottom is my favorite that was in her class. I really covet her matchsticks.

Tomorrow... the new machine!!!

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Why theh Sky is Blue Challenge



My entry into Why the Sky is Blue Challenge from the Quiltart list. Anyway, the sky is blue because it reflects the color of my friend's cat, Skye's Eyes! Hand-dyed silk/cotton blend and commercial fabric fused and machine quilted. I don't post much because of time constraints, but have enjoyed lurking with the sky family. I have been busy creating another African-inspired wall hanging that was inspired by a carved banana leaf scene I purchased at PIQF. Picture to come later! Big things happening as I have a solo exhibit coming up and am preparing for that as well as expanding my teaching schedule to include a wax pastel class. I need a gardener, cook and maid so I can spend all my time doing what I love! Now, to work to pay the bills... Darn!

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

To Houston!!!

Rising from the Depts has been approved for and is on its way to Houston. Hooray!!!

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Rising from the Depths


Here's my latest. A tribute to New Orleans and the wonders of Mardi Gras. Spiral quilting depicts the hurricanes fury other quilting depicts the many buildings that are damaged. I hope you will enjoy it at Houston.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

8th Deadly Sin - Ignorance is NOT Bliss


Ignorance is my choice for the 8th deadly sin, a challenge created in the QuiltArt quilt list. The whole exhibit is now touring the Mancuso shows and I've been told the exhibit is drawing large crowds who study these messages in cloth. That was exactly my hope when I created my quilt. The fact my quilt is on tour is good for the ego, but even more, it allows me to express my ideals and, hopefully, make the viewer think and learn.

Ignorance detail


Details cite war, the holocaust, poverty, racism, discrimination and more...

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Who have we here?

This is a piece I was working on for the Quilting Arts Portrait Challenge. It didn't start out like this... Why does a white woman make a black face? I felt it delved into the mystery of who I am... Not sure it worked, so I continue to search for who I am.

A great accomplishment of which I am justifiedly proud is the gathering of $1200.00 in donations for victims of the Katrina hurricane by conducting a raffle of one of my quilts (see below). Congratulations Genie Becker for winning the quilt! Donations went to Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. Then I shipped 3 boxes of quilts to Houston to Karey's Operation Comfort! It is a great feeling to be able to help in some small way as we are so far removed geographically.

An aside, have you updated your emergency supplies? Go to the Red Cross web site for a comprehensive list to guide you.

And then a possible reward and ego booster as I had three quilts juried into the O'Hanlon Center for the Arts exhibit in October!

The three more quilts submitted to the Sebastopol Center for the Arts Botanical Challenge. I have SO much to learn about entering these exhibits... stay tuned.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Purple rain


A chance of rain this weekend has me freaking out. No more lazy days languishing by the pool Right....
This piece is from an Xtremes Art Quilt group color challenge. Of course I drew purple. The "Prince of Purple Rain" came into my mind. Detail of the top of the piece in the post below. Detail of the bottom of the piece on the right. Hand-dyed and beaded velvet base anchors the piece. Hand made beads "rain" down onto the base and splash into the velvet. It is one of my "Rock Stars" series.
Katrina donations are doing great. So far $400.00! (See raffle post below) Pass the word and send the checks! Don't forget to comment -- it is easy!

Purple Rain


Oh no! It is too soon to rain. It is only September and we haven't even had an Indian Summer yet. We haven't even had much of summer yet. This is a detail of a color challenge I participated in my Xtremes Art Quilt group. It is painted pdf cotton with an organza/velvet ovelay.
Just a note that the Katrina raffle is going strong and the dollars are coming in from my friends, family and co-workers. Thank you all! Wait to you hear what is next!

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

hurricane relief ongoing

This is another watercolor crayon wall quilt done with the Caran d'Ache neocolors. But my main reason for posting is to note that I have raised over $200.00 so far with my quilt raffle (see below). Habitat for Humanity and Red Cross will be the recipients of the donations. You too can help!

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Marin quilt show

This is just one of the wonderful quilts Diana Roberts entered and placed in the Marin Quilt Show. Congratulations to Diana who got at least 2 first places. Geri Congdon won the "5'" challenge with her wonderful beaded fish quilt. You go girls! I was amazed at the work of April Sproule, although, I shouldn't have been. I have followed her progress for several years. She is amazingly talented. And to the woman who made the carousel horse that was phenomenal from the back as well as the front... well, I'm sure she won the Viewer's Choice. I certainly voted for her (although I cheated and put an entry in for one of April's works also.) Don't forget to purchase a raffle ticket to aid the hurricane victims (see below).

Katrina raffle

This 57 " square quilt has been made as a raffle item to help the victims of hurricane Katrina. I was able to raise almost $500.00 for the tsunami relief effort by raffling a quilt. That is WAY more than I could have afforded to give on my own. So, even though I contributed money to the Red Cross, I decided to make a quilt specifically to help the Americans in southeast USA. This is a large lap quilt, oriental fabrics in the lavender-purple range with many different flowers depicted. The quilt is machine pieced and machine quilted and I added a hanging sleeve in case someone would want to use it as a wall hanging. Raffle tickets are $2.00 each, 10 tickets for $15.00. Please help if you can. Make checks to The Red Cross. Each donation will be matched by Karey Bresenhan of International Quilt Festival up to the amount of $10, 000. That doubles your donation! Send checks to Cathy Ortelle, 50 Old Courthouse Square, Suite 200, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. And I thank you!

Petaluma Quilt show challenge


The quilts entered in the Petaluma Quilt Show
Challenge are going to go on tour. This is my entry.
These soldiers epitimize the African culture of hunting and protecting. The center panel was purchased from the Quilt Show organizers. Those entering the challenge were to interpret their panels as they saw fit. I, of course, purchased the last panel available, but was determined to enter this challenge. I heavily quilted the panel, added curved piecing of African fabrics on both side and mimicked the quilting of the circles on the black borders. Although it didn't win, I received many wonderful compliments. And I entered it and got it in on time!

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Congrats graduates

Charlie Brown gives a high five to those graduating... from anything or anyplace ...to anywhere else.

iris detail

Detail of the painted and quilted iris. Love the texture...

quilted iris


Here's the finished piece texturized with quilting. Detail to follow....

Painting flowers


Here's an image of an Iris created with the Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelles with no quilting.
Here is my Simple Still Life, done with Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelles. Not quilted yet, but the quilt police haven't shown up at my door yet. These are fun to play with and I will upload some finished pix of other pieces I have completed.

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Charlie Brown

I live about 15 miles south of Santa Rosa, CA where Charles Schulz spent most of his life creating Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the gang. The Charles Schulz museum is located here. There are now 55 Charlie Brown statuettes around town, decorated by local artists (unfortunately, fiber artists were not contacted) that will be auctioned off later this year to benefit charity. Great idea. If the rest of the "gang" will be decorated in the future, I am working to see that fiber artists will be included.
So, it has taken me awhile to figure out this blogging thing. I hope I have it down now. I am working to fit in Simple Still life by the deadline. Ideas are many. Time is limited. Stay tuned.

55 Charlie Browns around town