Fiberactions

Riversong - October

2012-01-16T08:57:00.000-05:00

For this challenge, you're seeing a quilt I did a while ago. Circumstances made it impossible for me to finish the one originally slated for yesterday, so you're getting an oldie. It's one of the two that started this whole quilting journey for me. (And it gave me a chance to use a few of the thousands of beads I tend to hoard!)

This is a mountain stream near my cabin where I love to go. I can spend the day with my feet in the rushing water and forget all the things that are wrong in the world.

2012-01-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

Challenge Number 2

For this next quilt challenge we will be doing a monochromatic quilt.

Monochromatic is a color scheme consisting of only a single color or hue. A hue refers to a pure color – one without tint or shade (added white or black pigment respectively).

To have a monochromatic color scheme you start with the single base hue and then add white or black or even gray to get the different shades, tones and tints. See Wikipedia for an example.

In the Wikipedia explanation they also say that with monochromatic color schemes the energy is more subtle and peaceful due to lack of contrast of hue. Monochromatic color schemes may be considered boring unless there is diversity within the design

Distill

2012-01-15T23:18:00.001-05:00

'Distill' 19"x12" (approx.)

In response to this challenge, I chose to work with the piece of rust-and-onion-dyed raw silk I had left bundled on my front porch half the summer. Neutrals are definitely outside my usual color realm!

detail

I selected a dark navy blue-gray from my stash of hand-dyed cottons and held my breath as I cut into the stacked silk and cotton with my rotary blade with no preconception of what I was going to end up with. The shapes formed by the resulting curved piecing blocks suggested trees with bare branches, a familiar subject in my drawings.

detail

I cut a couple of leaf skeleton rubber stamps which seemed to harmonize with the organic, forest floor feeling of the emerging piece.

detail

I used my little bowl stamp as well, symbolizing the alchemy of the changing seasons with beads bubbling up from these.

detail

It was hard to stay away from using any bright color! I did add a tiny accent of red along the edge of one of the leaf skeletons. The piece is adhered with Mistyfuse to two layers of felt and clean cut around the edges. I am looking forward to the next challenge! Stop by and visit me at my blog anytime!

Cold Words

2012-01-15T13:42:00.002-05:00

Cold Words

12" x 22"

I chose pink/mauve because I NEVER go to there. In fact my stash is envied by my buds, except for the very tiny pink/mauve bin. To tell the truth, this was a very valuable exercise because it brought fully to my consciousness how important "color" is to me in my artwork. I put parentheses because I now understand it's really isn't all color...it's "my" colors. My colors are warm. Grayed colors can be added but basically I'm happiest when I working in a warm palette. Thankfully, this color bin is small and I was saved from having to work very long "deprived".

So, THANK YOU VERY much for this challenge. I was launched into a creative frenzy...I'm so appreciative of getting back to my warm world. The first piece is posted on my blog. Not yet posted are the FOUR recently completed, the one in process, the one on the cutting table and the one in my head.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Chartreuse & Blood Orange

2012-01-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

I chose two colors I've been intrigued by, chartreuse and blood orange, not a combo I usually work with but I found I had numerous pieces of fabric in my stash that would work well together.

I had so much fabric, in fact, that I was drawn to complete two quilts for this challenge.

The first, Silk Road, is silk hand stitched with silk thread, and measures 29 x 21 inches.

The second piece, Chrysanthemum, is made with various cotton fabrics shiboried over the last few years. Except the digital image, which was printed on two layers of silk organza. Finished size is 26 x 16 inches.

Lots more photos and information are on my blog.

A Color Wheel for Kitteh

2012-01-15T11:46:00.006-05:00

Like most people, there are colors I'm drawn to over and over. For me, it's bright, clear colors and I have a particular fondness for the blues and greens.

But for this challenge I decided to resurrect an old UFO and do a color wheel. The markings on the lizards depict their complimentary colors, with black and white as my neutrals.

Even the thread echos my color wheel!
Info about construction, thread ans batting can be found on my blog.

January Challenge

2012-01-15T11:40:00.001-05:00

There are very few colors I don't work in, so this challenge created a dilema until I remembered that working in neutrals has always been a challenge for me.

I looked through my stash and found strips of Seminole patchwork already made and asking to be used. The African fabric reminded me of pottery made by the SW Indians, so I used it. Just couldn't resist using rust to add some color.

Poppies

2012-01-15T10:26:00.001-05:00

Poppies 15"x20"
Orange was the challenge color I chose for myself. I added the aqua greens and purples after looking at the triadic partners on the color wheel. The three piles of fabric sat on my floor for several days until poppies popped into my mind.

The poppies are poking their heads out of a window. I embellished with beads and crystals.

I needed some black in the lower left corner to balance the black window so I added the Chinese symbols for Poppy which represents rest, beauty, and success---three attributes I wish for you all!
(first time I've posted, please forgive me if this doesn't work)

Mosaic Marble Floor

2012-01-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

For this challenge I interpreted it to mean that I was to choose colors I normally would not work with. When I look at the primary colors of blue, red and yellow, I find that I work in colors in the blue and red areas but rarely if ever yellow. I also love bright, bold colors. So I made this quilt purposely staying away from any hint of blue or red and also bright colors. I used the Stonehenge fabrics because I wanted to make a pattern that represented the mosaic marble floors I saw when I went to Venice, Italy a few years ago. These colors of ochre and browns and beige worked well in this quilt representing the floors and giving the contrast I needed for the pattern. It is amazing how I had to consciously stay away from the colors I am naturally drawn to. I used the tumbling blocks pattern from Christine Porter's book, Viva Venezia, and then added the center mariners compass.

Color Challenge #1

2012-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

I chose to challenge myself by using half of the color wheel. I tend to use the other half, blues and purples. I used my hand dyed fabrics and batiks. I tried to combine similar hues of the opposing colors in each block. This challenge reminded me of a color class I took in college.

fiberactions color wheel challenge 20" x 20"

You can see more photos and read more about this challenge on my blog

the grieving heart

2012-01-15T07:16:00.000-05:00

As my small New England community mourns the loss of two young men within the past 10 days; I put my colors away.

black - the absence of color

Black silk sateen, Kimono silk thread.

8 1/2 x 10 1/2

Challenge=Playtime

2012-01-06T17:59:00.003-05:00

A couple peeks...the appliqueThe colorful scribble quilting...and a little story about it on my blog

here

color challenge 1 sneak peak

2012-01-05T09:22:00.002-05:00

We've had some chatter amongst ourselves on giving sneak peaks of our new challenge in progress...

This is where I am right now and there is no telling how it will end.

Maybe I"ll post more progress shots on my blog.

But if not-

see you back here on the 15th!

2012-01-05T07:46:00.000-05:00

I did it!!
I can blog!
Can't wait for the new challenge.

Round Two, Challenge One

2011-11-16T22:58:00.002-05:00

Primary, Secondary, Tertiary: A Color Wheel Challenge

At a recent workshop presented by Jane Dunnewold, participants were encouraged to explore color with intentionality; to be able to provide defensible reasons for their use of particular color combinations. For this challenge, I invite us to reflect on why we use the colors we do, creating a piece that perhaps goes beyond our comfort zone using combinations of hue we’ve not previously considered. Reveal Date: January 15, 2012

A new day, a new group...

2011-11-16T15:47:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Round 2 of Fiberactions online quilt challenge group.

I want to say "Thank You" to the departing members who were with us for the last two years, for their wonderful contribution to the collected body of art quilts that Fiberactions has produced since late 2009. They are Sue Bleiweiss, Vicki Welsh, Vivika DeNegre, Judy Alexander, and Deb Hardman.

And a hearty welcome to our new members, Susan Christensen, Deb Cogdill, and Susan Freund. So now there are ten of us going forward. And our new challenge round will be focusing on COLOR, lots of it. We'll be doing color wheel exercises, focusing on specific member-chosen colorways, or anything else having to do with personal explorations of color in our work.

Thanks for joining us in creating a colorful quilting future!

Oak Structure

2011-11-16T10:01:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to see so many 'nature' quilts here this time ... my favorite subject. Surrounded by forest, it was natural for me to seek my inspiration outside my front door. My oak was made from tiny snippits of fabrics, threads and dyed cheesecloth bonded to Tyvek and heated to give it its 3-dimensional structure.

These two years have been an exciting learning experience for me. I wouldn't have missed it for anything!!! I will miss those of you who are leaving, but am looking forward to getting to know the new gals!!!

The Bee Hive

2011-11-15T14:10:00.000-05:00

Inspiration for this piece came when we found a bee hive. The structure of the tessellating hexagons was fascinating. My hexagons were made with hand dyed fabric, edge turned, zig-zagged together and heavily stitched.

Extra batting was added behind the hive to give more dimension. The trees and leaves were made from silk fibers and threads.

You can see more photos of this piece by visiting my blog here.

Leaf Structure

2011-11-15T11:39:00.001-05:00

My piece for the structure challenge is called Leaf Structure and it measures 20 x 30 inches. It's a bit of a play on words ~ most of my focus has been on eco dyeing lately, using leaves of various kinds, and having been a bit of a horticulturist in the past I've always been interested in the structure of leaves. So I created this structure of leaf prints.

The fabrics are two old cotton fingertip towels complete with original embroidery and lace at the bottoms. Eco dyed with eucalyptus leaves and rusty objects, backed with more eco dyed fabric, batted with flannel, and handstitched with rayon sewing thread.

See more photos on my blog.

2011-11-15T11:21:00.001-05:00

Structure to me means something very organized and possibly rigid. This is my interpretation. Blogger insists it must be on it's side, but it works this way too.

Structured Landscape

2011-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

I have had a fascination with the interior/exterior of buildings since I was a little kid. I have been working on a series of landscape quilts and this challenge word was a great way to continue that series. I enjoy choosing the fabrics (I used all batiks and hand-dyed) and the quilting motifs for each tree or architectural element.

You can see more photos of the quilt on my blog - Kathleen Murphy Designs

Block by Block

2011-11-15T08:40:00.003-05:00

Block by Block: The Building of a Great American City

Originally I had planned to focus my "structure" piece on a cellular or molecular level. Before I had a chance to explore that idea I had an overnight trip to NYC. Whilst downloading all of my graffiti, buildings, and interesting people photographs upon my return, I became more interested in the buildings. The NYC buildings compared to the Melbourne/Adelaide/Perth, Australia cityscapes were especially interesting. They were all built in essentially the same way, block by block. And block by block created personality, if one can attribute personality to stone, steel and glass.

Structure

2011-11-15T01:00:00.022-05:00

My initial thought at the word "Structure" was to go to the basic elemental structure of atoms, molecules or DNA. My next thought was something like framework of buildings, houses, cities, etc., but then I thought about the simple Cairn. A rock structure that is built by hikers to mark safe passages to ford rivers. The rivers in Alaska, are all glacial, & tend to be milky gray to turquoise. You can't see the bottoms, because of the glacial silt, so Cairns are set up on both sides of the river to show hikers safe passage.

All but one of the rocks are made from hand dyed & painted silk. Shibori dyed & wrapped on a pole with rocks inside until the fabric was dry, then the rocks removed, & the silk stuffed with bits of wool batting to help maintain the structure of each rock. A fusible stabilizer was then fused to the back of the 'rocks' to make it easier to handle when appliqueing to the background.There is one real rock, in a spot where there was too much of a gap in the rock applique.I put thread through a button then glued the button to the rock, & sewed it in place (ala Allie Aller's technique).

The ground was done with bits of silk & wool roving, & yarns, needle felted & stitched. The Raven, the Sentinel on the pathway, was made entirely from thread on wash-away stabilizer. The background fabric was painted with Dynaflow textile paints. The bushes were made from couched yarns, & raw edge applique' leaves, cut from my own straw dyed fabric.

I want to say thank you all for including me in these challenges. I have really enjoyed them, as well as getting to know each of you a little bit more.

Fall Interrupted

2011-11-15T00:06:00.001-05:00

I loved the term "Structure" for this month's challenge. It really got me thinking about how structured my life really is, and how I rely on certain constants to keep me on track. When those constants have changed, even slightly, the course of my life has been changed forever.

Detail

As I started this piece and was pulling the fabrics from my stash, my family structure was in turmoil. We were beginning a new school year, our state had been hit by a hurricane, and we had just received power back in our town after spending nearly a week in the dark. No power for us means no water, electricity, sewer, or refrigeration. Our structure was shaken to the core. Fast forward two months as I was quilting and binding the piece to the next natural disaster - a freak snow storm- which left our neighbors to the north in the same situation of turmoil.

I have experienced a natural disaster which change the face of a city: the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake moved not only buildings, but the city planners as they had to redesign highways and public spaces. I have lived through emotional shock waves as well, such as losing my parents, and have felt the pain of a young life cut short by a horrible accident. All of these events, whether physical or emotional, have changed me, the world around me, and my family. Some of the changes have been for the better, and others have not. But they all have left their mark on the structure of my soul.

The working title of this piece was "Fault Lines", but I am naming it "Fall Interrupted". It was inspired by a picture of a rock taken in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, at one of my favorite places in the world. This is where I go to think, to feel the ocean breeze, and to cast my troubles to the wind. You can see in the photograph where the granite is split with quartz, and where each sliver of stone has moved, its structure altered forever, by a moment when the earth moved and the strength of the stone was not enough to keep its structure intact.

This is my last quilt with the Fiberactions group. Thank you all for a wonderful experience of working with challenges and deadlines.

Fault Lines: Working Title
18.5"x18.5"

New Challenge Word: Structure

2011-09-18T09:34:00.006-04:00

noun

mode of building, construction, or organization;arrangement of parts, elements,or constituents: a pyramidal structure.

something built or constructed, as a building, bridge, or dam.

a complex system considered from the point of view of the whole rather than ofany single part: the structure of modern science.

anything composed of parts arranged together in some way; an organization.

the relationship or organization of the component parts of a work of art orliterature: the struc-ure of a poem.

Biology . mode of organization; construction and arrangement of tissues, parts,or organs.

Geology .

the attitude of a bed or stratum or of beds or strata of sedimentary rocks, asindicated by the dip and strike.

the coarser composition of a rock, as contrasted with its texture.

Chemistry . the manner in which atoms in a molecule are joined to each other,especially in organic chemistry where molecular arrangement is represented bya diagram or model.

Sociology .

the system or complex of beliefs held by members of a social group.

the system of relations between the constituent groups of a society.

the relationship between or the interrelated arrangement of the socialinstitutions of a society or culture, as of mores, marriage customs, or family.

the pattern of relationships, as of status or friendship,existing among themembers of a group or society.

10.

the pattern of organization of a language as a whole or of arrangements oflinguistic units, as phonemes, morphemes or tagmemes, within larger units.

verb (used with object)

11.

to give a structure, organization, or arrangement to;construct a systematicframework for.

Origin: 1400–50; late Middle English < Latin structūra, equivalent tostruct ( us )(past participle of struere to put together) + -ūra -ure

Related forms

de·struc·ture, verb (used with object), -tured, -tur·ing.

in·ter·struc·ture, noun

non·struc·ture, noun

pre·struc·ture, verb (used with object), -tured, -tur·ing.

Synonyms 1. system, form, configuration. 2. See building.

Canyon Revisited

2011-09-17T05:48:00.000-04:00

Yeah, a little on the wonky side ... but aren't all of mine? I did the woven panel last year and have been searching for a place to use it. 'Texture' was the perfect challenge for it. I added a small collage of hand made papers, a few stone beade, my indigo-dyed sky fabric and a whole lot of hand-stitchin' ...

Re-Purposed Texture

2011-09-15T21:39:00.003-04:00

Most of my work plays on texture, both visual and tactile. This piece is no different in that regard.

I re- purposed these thread painted flowers from some old silk decorator's samples I had. Simply, I cut them from the original background and appliqued them to my hand dyed silk dupioni. A simple black and white frame, and from there it was just a matter of adding additional texture with thread and batting...my favorite part!

I originally had planned a lace edging, but in the end...it didn't work for me, so a simple faced finish won out.

Additional details and a closeup can be found on my blog.

Texture

2011-09-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

I had a really good time working on this piece, & just finished the last stitches this morning.

I started with the idea of doing something along the lines of a Crazy Quilt, but ended up doing something that looks "Sane", but still a little "crazy".

Starting with smooth satin fabric, I made the black background, edging it with a fuzzy soft yarn finish. I made 9 3 1/2 inch squares from white wool, & put a different texture on each square. The white was too stark, so I painted the edges with some Dynaflow textile paint.

In the vacant space at the bottom I added some other textures with metallic Holoshimmer thread & free-motion quilting.....

I will post detail photos on my blog tonight.

A Visit From the Muse

2011-09-15T12:43:00.001-04:00

I hate it... or at least I did, until this happened...

A Visit From the Muse: 12 miniature prayer flags

Last week I showed my unfinished Texture piece to my art quilt group. They were uncharacteristically silent... and had very little positive to say about this pitiful experiment in "text" and "texture". I can positively say I hated it. It had no life, focus, feeling or color. It was a failure. I remember saying to my friends, "I wish I could just cut it up and use this great linen for prayer flags - that's what I had it out on my cutting table for when I started the project". The muse spoke, and I listened.

So in the interest of staying within the rules, I did take a photograph of the piece completed in its original form, but without being bound.

See what I mean? Isn't it horrid???

I then sliced it into 3" x 6 1/2" strips, folded one end over to make a pocket for stringing, and embellished each flag with wool.

The twelve finished flags are for each one of the twelve "Fiberactions" members. I pray that you all have a visit from your muse.

More information about the flags are on my Prayer Flag Project Blog.

Sunset

2011-09-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

My texture piece is called Sunset in the City. It's a whole cloth quilt of discharged black linen, embellished with textile paint and metallic paintstik. Finished size: 20x24 inches.

See more photos on my blog.

Texture

2011-09-15T11:55:00.000-04:00

With the way the internet hasn't been working here, I'm glad to be able to post this. They are upgrading which usually means a problem for a while.

This is the detail of my piece. I love adding texture to things in a restrained way. Jurors always say my work is " organized".

This is the entire piece on it's side. Blogger tends to do this to me.

textures of life

2011-09-15T11:18:00.000-04:00

Using vintage hand pieced quilt squares, a traditional three layer quilt was made. Gesso was then painted over the finished quilt, the color was added and finally outline stitched with black thread.

Only threads were used to add

the textures of life.

You may see more about this quilt by visiting my blog

Flow with Texture

2011-09-15T10:32:00.000-04:00


Flow with Texture 16" x 20"

I loved the challenge word texture, it challenged me to use some techniques (needle felting) I hadn't tried and to add some beads which I love to do. I'm donating it to the International Quilt Associations silent auction.

There are more pictures and info about this quilt on my blog.

Sunrise

2011-09-15T10:00:00.003-04:00

I had no plan for this quilt only the looming deadline to get it done. I started by pulling fabrics and finally found this golden yellow piece that had rust and olive lines that reminded me of distant trees. I also found some crinkled organza, a brown and black large onion print, a blue gray with random thin black lines and green silk roving.

I put the design together in a couple of hours and quilted it the next day. I usually don't like works that I 'throw' together but for some reason I do like this. See more detail on my blog here.

2011-09-15T09:52:00.005-04:00

Electorate in Tatters:

another of my cathartic creations. Using the challenge word "texture" as a vehicle rather than a subject, I put together this piece describing my concerns for our country.

These 13 traditional log cabin blocks represent the 13 original colonies of the US and their roughly 33% of the electoral votes (158) and, coincidently, roughly the percentage of the population eligible to vote in our great nation, that actually opts to exercise that right in national elections.

The 37 stars represent the roughly 67% of the population, undoubtedly self-described patriots eligible to vote, that opts not to exercise their right in national elections.

In this detail it's easier to see the multi-colored “logs”, created from a “haystack” of sliced fabrics. The white is wool batt. Both light and dark are dense and highly textured.

Continuity

2011-09-15T04:01:00.000-04:00

Texture is a recurring theme in my work so I was very happy with Kathy's choice of themes for this last challenge.

"continuity"

18" x 24"

Materials used: silk, cotton, fluid acrylics, rayon floss, Mistyfuse, textile foil

Close up:

sneak peek

2011-09-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

I put the finishing touches on my texture piece today and thought I'd give you all a peek:

Looking forward to seeing everyone's pieces on the 15th!

texture sneak peak

2011-09-08T09:25:00.001-04:00

We were without power for six days so it was a perfect time to add some texture to my quilt, it's not finished yet but I am loving working on it!

Kathleen

New Challenge

2011-07-18T07:42:00.000-04:00

Our new challenge word is texture. Check back periodically for updates on member's progress. And be sure to visit on

September 15 when finished work is revealed.

tex·ture

–noun

the visual and especially tactile quality of a surface: rough texture.

the characteristic structure of the interwoven or intertwined threads, strands, or the like, that make up a textile fabric: coarse texture.

the characteristic physical structure given to a material, an object, etc., by the size, shape, arrangement, and proportions of its parts: soil of a sandy texture; a cake with a heavy texture.

an essential or characteristic quality; essence.

Fine Arts .

the characteristic visual and tactile quality of the surface of a work of art resulting from the way in which the materials are used.

the imitation of the tactile quality of represented objects.

the quality given, as to a musical or literary work, by the combination or interrelation of parts or elements.

a rough or grainy surface quality.

anything produced by weaving; woven fabric.

–verb (used with object)

to give texture or a particular texture to.

10.

to make by or as if by weaving.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin textūra web, equivalent to text ( us ) (past participle of texere to weave) + -ūra -ure

—Related forms

tex·tur·al, adjective

tex·tur·al·ly, adverb

tex·ture·less, adjective

non·tex·tur·al, adjective

non·tex·tur·al·ly, adverb

re·tex·ture, verb (used with object), -tured, -tur·ing.

sem·i·tex·tur·al, adjective

sem·i·tex·tur·al·ly, adverb

un·tex·tur·al, adjective

{definition by dictionary.com]

Through the Eyes of my Heart

2011-07-15T17:28:00.003-04:00

Our word this time was "Departure" and my work fits the word in three ways. It is 16 x20 horizontal this time instead of vertical; it has very simple wavy lines for background quilting instead of my usual more ornate stuff; and I elected to make it a tribute to my kitty Harry who recently died very unexpectedly at the tender age of 4. The eyes, you will notice are a sort of hybrid...part human; part feline. There is a poem by an unknown author handwritten in the background very faintly. The quilting is very simple, I wanted the eyes to be the focus of the piece.

It is a painted wholecloth, using Tsukineko inks for both the background and the image. I used Quilters Dream "Puff" batting, and Superior's "So Fine" threads.

You can read and see more details on my blog

Departure

2011-07-15T14:55:00.003-04:00

As much as I tried to convince myself to do so, I could not depart from my underlying symmetry theme! Instead I chose to pursue another aspect of symmetry: bilateral symmetry. I added an additional limitation of working only with 3" equilateral triangles. Every piece of fabric is cut from the same size triangle that had to blend with 2 neighboring fabrics. "Challenge" was a great word for this one!

You can see some detail photos on my blog.

Departure

2011-07-15T12:19:00.006-04:00

I have always traveled. Even as a child. Being an "Air Force Brat" our family departed and arrived all over the country and sometimes outside of the country. "Departure" for me always has an aircraft image within it's definition.

I had started out on a different path...text...and had actually taken a drive to the airport to photograph what I thought would be my "departure" plan. As I worked on this imagery I kept thinking of an aircraft...not a word. So I abandoned this tack and changed course.

At the moment I am taking a drawing class at my local art center. It seemed to me appropriate to craft my aircraft by drawing it with my sewing machine needle and thread.

Departure of the Sun

2011-07-15T11:00:00.008-04:00

Departure of the Sun 16" x 20"

I had lots of ideas for the word Departure but it was this piece of fabric that determined the quilt I would make. It has a lovely spot in the dye that reminds me of the setting sun. I realized that I have only seen a sunset like this in my life a few times. I'll have to work on that.

You can see more photos of this quilt and another Departure themed quilt on my blog.

a good life

2011-07-15T11:00:00.006-04:00

My piece is constructed of vintage blocks which were stitched, painted white with artist's gesso and then watered down acrylics.

This is a traditional three layer quilt consisting of a top, batting and backing. The flowers are painted silk organza and were stitched to the top after quilting.

I saved the tattered vintage blocks from departure and gave them

a good life.

You may view more details regarding this piece by visiting my blog.

Departure reveal - 'Off The Grid'

2011-07-15T11:00:00.001-04:00

Sliced, diced, painted and more. Not sure about this one but it is a departure for me. See more on my blog here.

Patina

2011-07-15T10:43:00.000-04:00

My "departure" piece is called Verdigris. It measures 18 inches square (one departure from our norm), it contains all light colored surface designed fabrics (another departure for me), and it features overall quilting, an additional departure from my usual method of quilting.

See more photos and additional info on my blog.

Secret Garden

2011-07-15T10:39:00.002-04:00

For my first "Departure" quilt, I made one from hundreds of tiny pieces totally on the sewing machine ... not a hand stitch on it! After pinning it to the wall and staring at it for a month, I decided that it just wasn't "me!" No texture at all. So .... I choose do something I had been wanting to learn how to ... nuno felting.

This quilt consists of 6 pieces of nuno felt and a small length of commercial rose ribbon. The process was fun, but awful hard on a body with arthritis! At least I've learned that felting is probably not an art I will pursue very often!

Approximately 16x20 - Merino wool, burned silk, hand-dyed scrim and cheesecloth, sari ribbon, wool yarn, silk embroidery ribbon, rose ribbon, glass beads, buttons, upholstery trim, Perle cotton and rayon embroidery threads, wool felt and cotton batting. Hand-embroidered and hand-quilted.

A True Departure: Whole Cloth

2011-07-15T08:40:00.001-04:00

Yay, I am back, and the piece is finally photographed. I wish the texture showed up better, but that may happen after it is washed and the batting shrinks a bit.

My piece is untitled, but a true labor of love. I designed and drafted the pattern years ago, but have quilted it for the Fiberactions Challenge. I can assure you that this will be the only whole cloth, hand quilted piece that I ever make! The fabrics are a gorgeous goldenrod on the front and burnt orange on the back which I purchased many moons ago from Primrose Gradations. The thread is a dark gold (about 2 spools), and the only machine stitching is in the binding.

For this piece, I used the theme of "Departure" on several levels:

First of all, I enjoy intricate piecing and challenging applique, but chose instead to use only stitch for a whole cloth quilt. The piece was started years ago, then put aside when it was half done. I love hand quilting, just not in very large doses!

Another departure was in size: Thank you Connie for suggesting that size could be a point of departure as well. This piece was meant to be a baby quilt, and it is 48" square.

Lastly, the piece is also balanced symetrically and arranged traditionally which none of my other quilts for this challenge have been.

As with all departures, I am glad it is done and look forward to another journey in cloth.

Again, sorry for the lack of a photo, but that will be rectified on Monday.

Departure

2011-07-15T08:35:00.000-04:00

This is a Departure for me-to cut up the felted piece after it is hand stitched and beaded-scary.

Departure- Raven the Collector

2011-07-15T00:01:00.003-04:00

For 'Departure', I chose to depart from the vertical format, & did horizontal instead. I also chose to use materials not as often used in quilts, such as fused glass & Friendly Plastic. My friend Mindy does fused glass & will often trow a few scraps in the kiln to give to me. I thread painted on wash-away stabilized then stitched the thread cabochon over 3 pieces of the glass in the upper left, to hold the glass in place. Other glass is stitched as a bead or button, or glued in place.

The Raven is all thread, starting with neon brights, then stitched over with blacks..to see more details check my own blog.

Departure

2011-07-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

Hand dyed cotton, mistyfuse, machine stitched, mounted on a 18"X24" stretcher frame

I guess you could say it's a departure from what an actual purple vase filled with flowers would look like in real life.

finished

2011-07-04T10:26:00.000-04:00

and here's a sneak peek:

Working on Departure

2011-07-02T15:44:00.012-04:00

The July 15th reveal date is coming up soon, So my capable assistant Bouree and I started working on our piece. I've added wordless progress photos...just a sampling though...don't want to give too much away!

Don't forget to check back on July 15th to see the whole piece and to enjoy what the rest of our artists came up with!

Got Beans?

2011-05-16T07:30:00.000-04:00

I apologize for my late posting. I'm not sure whether my Loony Muse was playing a joke on me, or the Fates were mad at me yesterday. AT&T decided to provide no Internet connection most of the day. Thunder and lightning kept the computer unplugged until this morning.

Since all of my quilts have been heavily embellished, I struggled to think of something different. The Muse, having recently taken Carla Sondheim's "Silliness" class, reminded me that I had a quilted green bean casserole hanging around the studio left over from a crazy Susan Sorrell embroidery class. (Don't ask!) Aunt Flo was born ...

16x20 - Cotton, linen, lace, silk sari ribbon, Mardi Gras beads, glass & shell beads, buttons, deconstructed upholstery trim, perle cotton, raw-edge hand applique, hand quilted.

Next Challenge

2011-05-15T20:26:00.002-04:00

The word for our next challenge is "Departure."

de·par·ture (d-pärchr)
n.
1. The act of leaving.
2. A starting out, as on a trip or a new course of action.
3. A divergence or deviation, as from an established rule, plan, or procedure:
ordered curry as a departure from his usual bland diet.
4. Nautical The distance sailed due east or west by a ship on its course.

n
1. the act or an instance of departing
2. a deviation or variation from previous custom; divergence
3. a project, course of action, venture, etc. selling is a new departure for him
4. (Transport / Nautical Terms) Nautical
a. the net distance travelled due east or west by a vessel
b. Also called point of departure the latitude and longitude of the point from
which a vessel calculates dead reckoning
5. a euphemistic word for death

With "departure" as the theme, I'd like to suggest that if you're so inclined, you can depart from the normal dimensions for this piece but stay in the vicinity of 320 square inches (20x16). So 300 to 340 square inches.

See you all on July 15!
Connie

embellish

2011-05-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

I call my piece weathered treasures.

I started a different piece for this challenge theme and decided it was too similar to what I usually produce. I decided to go in a different direction and up cycle some of my vintage treasures and finds.

Most of the items I have stitched onto this piece have some history and meaning to me. The fabric came from a vintage Christening gown which I cut apart and very carefully quilted with 100wt silk thread. Most of the threads I used to embellish the piece and attach the items were vintage, also.

You can see more about this piece by visiting my blog.

2011-05-15T16:35:00.000-04:00

Embellish... hmm... just bought a new "Embellisher" (felting) machine a few weeks before the theme was announced... I wonder what I'll make???

The central image of "Mary's Garden" is made entirely on the felting machine. Silks, cotton lace and vintage linens were torn, cut and placed over wool batting and needle felted together. Added scraps of hand dyed papers, paper netting from potato bags, millner's flowers and embroidery were then applied, again, with the embellisher. I then flipped the piece over and stitched the picture of the dog and girl, using dark blue thread in both my bobbin and top threads. The resulting piece was then embellished onto a piece of leafy fabric which I had quilted in hot pink, and a few 3-d flowers and butterflies were also applied.

Embellish? Yes...

Here are a few close-ups...

Cityscape

2011-05-15T15:54:00.002-04:00

First I must say that "embellish" gave me pause. Maybe it was because the word is a verb and I was stuck in "noun" gear.

Or maybe it was because Mies van der Rohe's "less is more" dictum got in the way.

Or maybe it was my Grandmother saying "After you get all dressed up, look in the mirror and take one ornament off"...she sure thought less was more.

It is though these biases that I collect graffiti. I photograph interesting, anonymous markings wherever I go. Embellished walls and buildings.

I have them from the Great Wall in China, from a piece of the Berlin Wall, from NYC, Philadelphia, Melbourne and Fremantle, Australia and points in between. Most of the time I think they are interesting...if only from a anthropological point of view.

The three most identifiable images on "Cityscape" are an intricate young Michael Jackson, a hooded figure described as "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" (both from different Australian cities) and the stylized "IDSME".

Embellish (with a little restraint)

2011-05-15T15:51:00.001-04:00

Here's my "Embellish" piece. I tried to use a little restraint, as I tend to go pretty over the top with embellishing. I still had fun with it. To see the details please see my blog post.

Embellish

2011-05-15T13:30:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I actually cleaned and organized my work space! This was really a major accomplishment since I was at the point where it was a total disaster and I could hardly find anything. In one of the layers I uncovered this 'tie painted' fat quarter that I must have done a few years ago. I immediately knew I had to use it for this challenge.

I used about 15 different threads for quilting and spruced up some of the flowers with additional paint, beads, crystals, yarns and hand stitching. I couldn't stand the thought of squaring this piece since I would have lost so much of the flowers so I used my rotary cutter freehand to create the uneven look. I pulled hard on the edgers while stemming them so they would slightly ruffle. I had fun with this one.

Embellish

2011-05-15T12:34:00.000-04:00

To me Embellish means over the top with lots of different techniques used together, so piecing, felting, beading, machine embroidery and quilting with a yarn edge. There weren't too many things I didn't do to it.

Taking Flight

2011-05-15T12:14:00.000-04:00

My entry in our "embellish" challenge is called Wings. The fabric is a wholecloth fat quarter of jar-shiboried muslin, "embellished" with thread and nothing else.

For more photos, see my blog.

All That Glitters

2011-05-15T10:45:00.003-04:00

Is not necessarily gold!At first thought the word embellish triggered visions of Angelina fibers, wool and silk roving, foils, tyvek, beads, ribbons and all sorts of additives. In the end however, I decided to go with the two of my most used embellishments... thread and paint.

I started with one of Vicki's hand dyed fat quarters and fused 3 full and two half flowers I cut from silk dupioni to that background fabric. The flowers were inspired by doodles in my sketchbook. Then I painted the rest of the flowers on the background with textile paints and dry pigments; and lastly brushed a layer of Opal Dust over the whole piece.

Layered with two battings... cotton and wool, I embellished my flowers with thread. Again the stitched designs came right from the pages of my sketchbook.

The pages from my sketchbook that inspired this piece and some more photos of the quilt can be found on my blog

Embellished

2011-05-15T09:00:00.005-04:00

It had been a long time since I put so much hand work into a quilt. The most enjoyable part of making this quilt was digging into my box of embellishments I've collected over the years: silk cording, glass beads, angelina fibers, wool yarn, hand dyed floss and hand dyed fabric.

You can read more about this quilt and see a few more photos here.

Embellish

2011-05-15T07:44:00.000-04:00

It doesn't really fit the theme, does it? I actually think it does!

I had trouble with the theme being a verb for some reason so I converted it to the noun version and started my analysis there. I started defining "quilt embellishment". Of course, beads, yarns, crystals, foil and paint all come tom mind. But what's the most basic embellishment?

Thread.

But is color also an embellishment? I think so and that's how I wound up doing a quilt with only one embellishment: white thread.

Hence, a whole cloth kaleidoscope. I had to keep with the symmetry theme!

For a couple of detail shots and a little more explanation, check out the post on my blog.

Embellish

2011-03-16T08:27:00.001-04:00

embellish

— vb
1. to improve or beautify by adding detail or ornament; adorn
2. to make (a story) more interesting by adding detail
3. See ornament to provide (a melody, part, etc) with ornaments

Impression

2011-03-15T15:14:00.004-04:00

This is my impression of Venice based on a photo I took a few years ago. I just got a new book called 'Quilted Symphony' by Gloria Loughman (great book by the way) and wanted to try some of her techniques. I am not one to use a lot of fusible web but tried it on this quilt. Still not sold on too much fusible because I found quilting this seemed a bit more difficult because of the different feel and extra bulk in the fabric. I will post more about this on my blog in a day or two. Off to pick up a used or 'new to me' Bernina for our house in NC.

Impression

2011-03-15T13:24:00.004-04:00

With this theme I wanted to see how subtle the symmetry could be. I thought about archaeology and how difficult it must be to find anything while sifting and digging through mounds of dirt. Everything must seem to look the same. I eventually settled on a fossil-like image. You can read a little more about it on my blog.

Impression

2011-03-15T13:16:00.000-04:00

My Impression became and Impressionist Landscaper. It's an art style I really like.

Seeing Spots

2011-03-15T12:17:00.000-04:00

This is Dot Matrix, wholecloth cotton, printed multiple times.

The "impression" part of it is that the fabric was impressed variously with acrylic and textile paints.

I've also posted a closeup on my blog, which you can see here.

don't judge a book by it's cover

2011-03-15T10:16:00.000-04:00

because you never know what is inside.

This is a two sided quilt. The front being a weathered book of plants and flowers and the back, a page from inside.

You can see more detail photos of how I created this piece on my blog

Spring Comes Creeping ......

2011-03-15T09:09:00.002-04:00

High up on this mountaintop where I live, Spring creeps in very slowly. I go down to the valley and see the trees blooming, leaves popping out everywhere and flowers already showing up in greening lawns. I go home to bare trees and only the hardiest wildflowers starting to show their first shoots above the leaf litter on the cold forest floor. So, this is my impression of the beauty I'm waiting eagerly for. It creeps .....

Impression of Spring

2011-03-15T08:23:00.001-04:00

I can't wait for Spring. I wonder why? This has been the longest Winter. The garden is burried under mulched leaves, and drifted snow. Where the snow has melted, bits and pieces of color are starting to show through, and I can imagine what is happening underneath the mulch and dirt.

This piece was made in a day. One day of dreaming, imagining, and sewing. One day of thinking about what it means to uncover the layers beneath the surface, and exploring the theme of "impression". It is not my favorite quilt, but it was an interesting exercise in working with a theme and a new technique (reverse applique) that I had not yet tried. The fabrics include silk, velvet, commercial cotttons and upholstery weight. Quilting is in rayon and cotton.

Forest Floor

2011-03-15T07:24:00.006-04:00

I'm in transition between houses, so I'm posting quickly before getting on the road this morning.

My interpretation of "Impression" started with a background I dyed with cobalt blue and deep yellow fiber reactive dyes.

Then I used a simple foam leaf stamp and thickened discharge paste to stamp the leaves all over the background. I them cut out the trees from one of Vicki's hand dyed fabrics and fused them.

Then all was quilted. The edges are not finished...the move got in the way, but I will tend to that and my studio is back together.

First Impression

2011-03-15T06:39:00.000-04:00

I used the word impression to interpret a view I see every day in the woods behind my house. I challenged myself to piece every bit of it.

I was hoping the finished quilt would give you the impression of the beauty and calm, even in winter.

I used a combination of my hand dyed fabrics for the sky, batiks for the trees and a funky commercial fabric for the binding.

impression

2011-03-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

This piece was created by accident. I had placed this fabric beneath another one that I was painting and the paint had seeped through. When I pulled the top piece of fabric off, this was left behind.

"what's your impression?"

16"x20" cotton, paint, machine stitching

I see a waterfall splashing onto the rocks below surrounded by trees. What's your impression?

Impression

2011-03-15T00:15:00.009-04:00

I really had fun with this challenge. I just let it flow, & this is what I ended up with. I stamped textile paints on fabrics that I had painted, adding more layers & texture, then layered some of my own hand painted silk organza, & some of the woven grass & floral ribbon that I had also used for the stamping. After my free-motion quilting was done, I put the quilt over a canvas frame to finish it, giving it a very artful finish. For more details see my new blog http://coldfeetquilter.wordpress.com/

First Impression

2011-03-08T10:09:00.000-05:00

I'm really psyched about participating in this challenge. I'm new to the group so I wanted to make a good first impression. This is a sneak peak of my piece First Impression.

As Done as it Gets....

2011-03-05T18:23:00.003-05:00

My "Impression" challenge piece is finished except for the edge finishing. Unfortunately, that will not get done until after the reveal. All my stuff is packed for the move, so the edges will have to wait until I get to the new house and unpack my studio stuff.

It will be revealed on March 15th, but here is a small section of the back of the quilt.

That's all you get till the 15th!

sneak peek at impression

2011-02-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

thanks to a bit of serendipity I'll have a quilt to post for impression. Here's a sneak peek...

Impression

2011-02-14T08:42:00.000-05:00

Metal impressions were the first thing I thought of and discarded. Attaching the piece to a hanging isn't the problem, storing, rolling, folding it would be an issue. Off to the next idea.

Tiny Preview

2011-02-08T16:35:00.004-05:00

Since I will be travelling and arriving at my new home in New Orleans on our reveal day, I figured I'd better get my "impression" piece done now instead of waiting! That way I can have it ready as a scheduled post on March 15th. So here is your tiny little peek.The top is all done, now to quilt it!

Has anyone else started?

Fiberactions

Riversong - October

Distill

Cold Words

Chartreuse & Blood Orange

A Color Wheel for Kitteh

January Challenge

Poppies

Mosaic Marble Floor

Color Challenge #1

the grieving heart

Challenge=Playtime

color challenge 1 sneak peak

Round Two, Challenge One

A new day, a new group...

Oak Structure

The Bee Hive

Leaf Structure

Structured Landscape

Block by Block

Structure

Fall Interrupted

New Challenge Word: Structure

For the last challenge word for this iteration of our Fiberactions group, I've chosen "structure

".

struc·ture

Canyon Revisited

Re-Purposed Texture

Texture

A Visit From the Muse

Sunset

Texture

textures of life

Flow with Texture

Sunrise

Continuity

sneak peek

texture sneak peak

New Challenge

Through the Eyes of my Heart

Departure

Departure

Departure of the Sun

a good life

Departure reveal - 'Off The Grid'

Patina

Secret Garden

A True Departure: Whole Cloth

Departure

Departure- Raven the Collector

Departure

finished

Working on Departure

Got Beans?

Next Challenge

embellish

Cityscape

Embellish (with a little restraint)

Embellish

Embellish

Taking Flight

All That Glitters

Embellished

Embellish

Embellish

Impression

Impression

Impression

Seeing Spots

don't judge a book by it's cover

Spring Comes Creeping ......

Impression of Spring

Forest Floor

First Impression

impression

Impression

First Impression

As Done as it Gets....

sneak peek at impression

Impression