Designer Stitches

Rain

2012-02-13T09:53:00.000-05:00

In my youngest's art class they had to illustrate a poem. His piece made the art teacher's blog!

http://artovertime.blogspot.com/2012/02/rain.html

It's a little hard to see all the detail in the photograph...but it's filled with all kinds of cool Zendoodling. I especially like the sun! And in the raindrop on the shirt are the words of the poem.

Great job Will! Congrats for having your work selected for recognition!

Featured Artist Friday - Rose Wenkel, Burlington, NC

2012-02-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome again to Featured Artist Friday! This week I'd like for you to meet Rose Wenkel, another of my fellow Cosmic Cow Society members. Originally from New York City, Rose came to North Carolina in 1972 where she raised her family. Then at age 50 she went back to school to get her degree in Graphic Design, after which she worked in advertising until she retired.

Art has been a major part of her life in one way or another for the past 30 years. In addition to running an ad agency, over the years she has painted and taught classes in oils, watercolors, and mixed media. Rose says, "Upon retiring I went back to my paints and brushes once more, giving me an outlet for the many more years of creative thinking still unexplored."

Having lived in seven states and traveling extensively is reflected in Rose's paintings. She explains:

"Often drawing from the many inspiring sights and experiences in my life shows in the diversity of subjects, while the bright colors reflect spirit and personality. Although primarily an oil painter, I often switch to watercolors and like to experiment with mixed media, finding new way to express ideas in art.

The one thing that ties my work together is color, bright bold colors that draw the eye and evokes feelings of all kinds."

And oh is that true! She uses rich, intense, saturated colors that just draw you in and keep your attention. Whether it's a soft dreamy piece or a bold abstract, Rose's use of color embodies her energy and joy for life.

Her work has sold locally, throughout the eastern US, in Italy and England. To see more of her gorgeous paintings please visit her website, or The Cosmic Cow Society, or ArtistRising

Buttons

2012-02-08T12:41:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl and my mom wanted to keep me occupied, she would pour out her button jar onto the bed and have me find certain ones. My favorite button to hunt for was the apple button. I happily would dig through all those buttons, letting them run like sand through my little fingers, until I found the apple, then I'd hide it in the pile and start all over again. That jar was one of the best "toys" ever!

Amazingly when she passed, that button jar was still part of her sewing things and I was happy to give it a place among my own. Once again I poured out the buttons and hunted for the apple...it was still there!

Isn't it funny how so many memories can be found in a simple little jar?

Buttons weren't just a tie between my mom and I. My dad often told stories of his first job as a teenager working in a button factory where the buttons were made of bone. They really did make use out of everything back then, huh?

So it seems to me, in remembering my family ties to buttons, a bit ironic that I have become a button maker myself....clay, polyclay, and plastic. Each one individually handmade and unique.

Of course, I had to make some apple ones...

I will be selling these, my hand dyed fabrics and more at the upcoming Forsyth Piecers and Quilters show March 16-18 at the Village Inn and Conference Center in Clemmons, as well as on ETSY, just as soon as I get my shop set up.

I think Mom and Dad would get a kick out of me being a button maker! What's the old saying...? "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree"....

:)

Featured Artist Friday - Carole Donovan, Graham, NC

2012-02-03T08:00:00.047-05:00

This week's Featured Artist is Carole Donovan of Graham, NC. Carole is a fellow Cosmic Cow Society member and a truly fascinating person to know. Originally from Australia, Carole moved to the US where she worked as a cartographer in California before retiring and moving to North Carolina in 2004. Always the adventurer, she enrolled at Alamance Community College to fulfill her dream of becoming an artist. In spite of her years of experience with drafting maps, she said the transition to fine art did not come easy to her at first, but she persevered, finding her passion for painting. For her painting is "one of the most distinctive, attractive, and gratifying forms of art."

Her pieces are diversified and the contrasts between the subject and the colors are sometimes subtle, sometimes bold and striking. She began with watercolor and went on to the other mediums to test the contrast of the layered colors and what she could get from them. Although oil takes a long time to dry, she says it produces such fine blending that it is her preferred medium to work with. Sometimes she will work on 2 pieces at a time so one can dry a little before continuing on it.

I particularly love her bold use of color and strong graphic style. She says, "I do enjoy using all the mediums and hope that my personality comes through in each piece I do."

Knowing her as I do, I'd say she succeeds at that quite well! She is lively and fearless and full of joy. You can't help but smile just being around her. Her paintings have that same affect on me....I think you will agree!

Carole is a member of the Burlington Artists League and Gallery and the Artists of the Cosmic Cow Society of Greensboro. She is also an instructor of watercolor painting at Twin Lakes Retirement Center. You can reach Carole at caroledonovan@bellsouth.net or by phone (336) 227-1338.

Sparky Says...

2012-01-28T22:20:00.000-05:00

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR MACHINE!!!

(Photo borrowed from Lisa)

No, that's not my machine. Though it could be...poor Bernie, I've neglected getting him in for his yearly tune up. My friend Lisa is a Bernina technician. She gets to see our machines all nakey and linty and everything. She has a great post here that is a must read about what not to do when you think you're cleaning out the fuzz. Read it...it could save your machine!

I need to listen to Sparky too, before Bernie coughs up a hairball....

Featured Artist Friday - Phyllis Hinton Haile, Roaring Gap, NC

2012-01-27T08:00:00.003-05:00

This weeks featured artist is Phyllis Haile of Roaring Gap, NC. Phyllis creates works in clay as well as oil paintings and we met during a recent salon at the Yadkin Arts Cultural Center. I'm always fascinated by clay pieces. Clay is one of those media that requires great skill and vision to bring out its full potential and Phyllis has both of those things. Her work is very organic, featuring the things of nature that inspire her.

She explains:
"Whether I am working on functional ware, a decorative vase or a carved sculpture, I am inspired by nature. I look out of my studio windows and enjoy the birds darting in and out of the trees, blooming plants, and at the end of the day, a summer sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains. Nature gives me peace and I want to transfer this in my work"

Garden Lady
available at Little River Gallery in Sparta, NC

Garden Lady
available at Little River Gallery, Sparta, NC

Originally from Missouri, Phyllis studied Commercial Art at University Central Missouri, as well as oil portraiture at Minnesota River School of Art. Phyllis lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota before moving to Roaring Gap in 1996. Widely exhibited since 1989, Phyllis' beautiful works have won numerous Purchase, Best of Show, and First Place awards. She is a member of the Yadkin Valley Craft Guild in Elkin, NC, Associated Artists Winston-Salem, Yadkin Arts Council, and is a founding member of the Little River Gallery in Sparta, NC.

You can find her work at:

Little River Gallery of Sparta
33-A North Main Street; Sparta, NC 28675;
12-4PM Thursday, Friday, Saturday 336-372-3007

Yadkin Arts Cultural Center YARD
226 East Main Street
Yadkinville, NC

Yadkin Valley Craft Guild
126 Main Street
Elkin, NC

Associated Artists Winston-Salem
301 West Fourth Street
Winston-Salem,NC

Phyllis can be reached at
P.O. Box 436
Roaring Gap, NC 28668
email: phaile3008@charter.net

How Divine

2012-01-25T20:34:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to announce that I am now one of the fiber artists contracted to create clergy stoles for C and M Designs! This opportunity to combine faith and fabric to enhance worship experiences is so awesome... I hope that as these unique pieces make their way out into the world that many people will be as blessed by them as I am in creating them!

My first piece: The Burning Bush

A combination of hand dyed, ice dyed, and commercial fabrics. The reverse features hand painted and hand embroidered gold crosses set in a royal purple batik.

God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush...on fire but not consumed, standing on Holy ground. I chose a fabric for the bush that represents to me the ancient, never changing presence. The ground as it progresses down the design is broken, just as humankind lives in a broken state in need of God. Present in every level of the ground are slivers of intense blue, representing the living water of God's grace.

The Burning Bush

Detail (front)

Reverse side

This piece (and future ones) is available exclusively through C and M Designs. Please visit their website for purchase inquiries and to see other works available.

http://candmdesigns.biz

Featured Artist Friday - Jody Pounds, Yadkinville, NC

2012-01-20T08:00:00.022-05:00

This week's featured artist is Jody Pounds of Yadkinville, NC. Jody is a glass artist working in mosaics, which I find to be so very beautiful! I have a special love of glass work. My past experience with stained glass was in the Tiffany style - cut, copper wrapped, and soldered - which I did for about 7 years several many years ago before art and fabric collided in my world. But what Jody does with glass is quite different and very intricate. I've seen her at work and the process is just fascinating. She explains:

"I create art by taking hundreds of tiny pieces of stained glass and fitting them together into a mosaic. The variety of colors and textures in the glass provide me with an endless palette and I find that I am most often inspired by the glass itself as each piece of glass is different. The colors can be both vibrant and delicate and I find that the glass speaks to me - until I can’t resist picking it up and smashing it and then putting it back together, my way.

"In Flight" by Jody Pounds

She continues:
I have been creating mosaics since 2001 when my loving husband gifted me with an antique stained glass window. I fell in LOVE with stained glass and knew that I would find a way to create with it. At that time in my life there was no chance of taking any formal stained glass classes so I did a lot of research and basically taught myself the art of mosaics. In 2010 I opened my professional studio, A Mosaic Moment, on the campus of the gorgeous new Yadkin Cultural Arts Center in downtown Yadkinville, NC. My studio is located in the YARD (Yadkin Artists Residing Downtown) and from there I create and teach. I also work part-time for the Yadkin Arts Council so my days are overflowing and wonderful."

Jody is a dynamic person full of energy and great ideas! She creates everything from windows to wall pieces, functional pieces to public art. Please visit her website to see more of her beautiful works in mosaic glass!

(Pictures provided by the artist. All rights reserved)

Wherever the Four Winds Blow - A Commissioned Memorial Quilt

2012-01-18T12:24:00.001-05:00

I recently had the honor of creating an original art quilt as a memorial tribute to Harold Myers, commissioned by his daughter Lauren. It was such a wonderful process. I first met with Lauren last summer to look over the materials, which were her father's silk shirts and ties, and to talk to her about who he was and the things that inspired him in his lifetime. He loved mandalas, and she had several that he had sketched. He had collected some beautiful silver pieces with lovely engravings. Paisleys were a common motif in his ties. The number 33 was significant to him. He was also an extraordinary musician, a concert pianist, and what was especially inspiring to me was the CD of his performances that Lauren gave me to listen to as I worked on the quilt. That is a CD which I treasure and will listen to often!

After pondering all of the things Lauren shared with me about his life and her memories of him, I created Wherever the Four Winds Blow, named (with permission) after one of his original musical compositions.

I created the design on my computer using my AutoCAD program, largely to simplify the process of repetition and spacing of the various motifs. A unique feature of the design is that every measurement within the quilt ties back to the number 33 or some division of it, and the overall size is 33" x 33". Another nice thing about using my CAD program was the ability to copy elements and offset them to get the seam allowances. (I would guess that EQ does that too, but my background is architectural design so I use what I have and know :)

The ties were deconstructed and backed with fusible stabilizer and the elements of the quilt pattern were printed onto card stock to use as templates:

I also used printouts without the seam allowance as templates for pressing under the edges of each piece. Oh yes, the entire portion of the quilt within the circle is hand appliqued with silk thread. That was a lot of little stitches!

Once I got to the background and borders I was able to machine piece, still using silk thread.

One of the other unique features of the quilt is the inner border, which is a custom fabric printed with a musical score composed and handwritten by Mr. Myers. I'm not showing any close ups of that to protect it from any would be copyright infringement out there in cyber land, but it turned out really great!

I tried to keep the quilting fairly simple to show off all of the beautiful fabrics and make the paisley motifs stand out. In the background I used a metallic silk thread to quilt a filigree-like stipple, to honor his silver collection.

In the many hours that I worked on this project I feel like I got to know a remarkable man and someone who was quite a kindred spirit. I was very pleased to present the finished quilt to Lauren when she was in town for the holidays!

Sawtooth in the News

2012-01-16T10:24:00.000-05:00

This morning I headed out bright and early to do a Surface Design segment on Fox8 News as part of their feature story on Sawtooth School for Visual Art. It was so much fun!!

I'm glad I couldn't hear what the anchors were saying, because I would have busted out laughing at the prospect of printing someone's face this way! :)

The Surface Design class is just one of many that I teach there; there is also Soy Wax Resist, Shibori Dyeing, and Silk Scarf Taste of Art classes. Dates and times are in my side bar and also online at Sawtooth. Enrollment for winter classes is going on now, so I hope you'll call them and sign up soon! Sawtooth School 336-723-7395

Featured Artist Friday - Kathy Brusnighan, Greensboro, NC

2012-01-13T08:00:00.158-05:00

This week's featured artist is Kathy Brusnighan from Greensboro, NC. Kathy is a remarkable painter whose work evokes emotion and a sense of the Divine. Working in oils, acrylics and mixed media, Kathy creates pieces that blend light and imagery in a captivating way. She says, "I love color and emotion...I love trying to capture and convey an emotion in a painting...more than just a pretty scene." Currently she is working on new pieces that are abstracts and mixed media exploring mystery and spirituality. "I want to glorify God and my paintings encourage and bless the heart...bring peace, comfort, joy...all of the wonderful emotions we were given to explore", Kathy explained.

Widely exhibited with her works in private collections all over the world, in 2010 Kathy was asked to display her work at an area hospital during December. She was overwhelmed with the response from patients, staff, and visitors who were moved by her work. Seeing that art could be a factor in bringing comfort and healing, she founded Art with Purpose and gathered 16 artists to present a traveling group exhibit "Courage." Debuting last fall at Circa Gallery in Asheboro, NC "Courage" will be seen in many hospitals and galleries across the Piedmont for 2011-12. Future exhibits are already being planned.

I am blessed to have Kathy as a friend and fellow Cosmic Cow Society member! I hope you enjoy her work...you can find more about Kathy and see more of her work on her website.

(photos provided by Kathy Brusnighan. All rights reserved)

OUTTA HERE!!

2012-01-09T11:37:00.001-05:00

Last week was a particularly stressful one. Among other things my schedule got all flip-flopped about and the Friday that was overbooked ended up open. That turned out to be the best part of the week! When Bonnie called and said she was making a last minute decision to go to our bee's quilt retreat, and said "come with me!" I JUMPED on the chance! I hadn't planned on going...just too much going on and trying to watch the budget. But things have a way of working out so off we went!

See the little brown bag at the far right? That's my clothes. The rest of it? That's the important stuff! :) Projects packed...I'm ready!!

We had to make a stop at the Super Target in Moorseville before we hit camp, and that turned into a gigglefest that is probably recorded on the store's security system. On the way to finding what we were there for we stumbled onto some sock monkeys...these danced and sang, so of course we had to push all the buttons....

and more sock monkeys...

and more... (I adopted these)

Oh what fun!! We did actually get what we went for, then headed on to Camp Dogwood for our sew-fest. Our bee has been going there for several years now, thanks to bee member Carolyn. She always coordinates our visits there. (Thanks Carolyn!!)

Once there we set up and went to work. For three glorious days 11 of us sewed and laughed ourselves silly. We all got lots accomplished and our sisterhood bonds were strengthened.

Martha Claire and Muriel Laura P, Lisa, and Mrs. Goodneedle

The view from our workroom (awesome!)

Sock monkeys approve of Lisa's quilt (left)...........and mine too (hexis)!

This is my Christmas quilt. I started it here, oh, a few years ago, and now it's FINALLY a top! Just needs borders and it's ready to quilt.

Bernie, Sparky, and a funky chicken. What more could you want?

This is my Storm at Sea, started at a FPQ workshop with John Flynn, now ready to quilt!

Another of Lisa's gorgeous quilt tops. I lost count of how many things she got done! She sort of blew my mind when she started her Storm at Sea...

Can you believe this????

I sure am glad I went!! Thanks a million Bonnie for getting me there!! You're the best! :D

There are more great pictures on Mrs. Goodneedle's blog, Bonnie's blog, and Lisa's blog ...hop over there and have a visit. I'm truly blessed to have such amazing quilt sisters!

Featured Artist Friday - Thomas Rice

2012-01-06T08:00:00.004-05:00

Welcome to a new feature of my blog: Featured Artist Friday! I'm beginning this series with Atlanta artist Thomas Rice. He's incredibly talented - oils, watercolors, sculpture, and is a much sought after landscape designer. He's also the husband of my husband's cousin. :)

In December at the Fridy family reunion we were treated to a viewing of two of his works en route to their new owners. One was this really cool copper wire sculpture portrait. My photo doesn't begin to do it justice...it's three dimensional and that doesn't show well here against the white wall, but trust me, it is an incredible piece!

The other piece was this fabulous oil portrait:

Thomas has many photographs of his work on his webite. Hop over there and enjoy!

Sew Day!

2011-12-27T15:48:00.001-05:00

'Twas the day after Christmas when all through the house,

The quilters were sewing with nary a spouse.

Shelby was tucked in her bed nice and warm,

While Lisa, Bonnie and I sewed up a storm!

Photo ~~swiped~~ borrowed from Lisa

I played the hostess and they were my guests,

Down in my basement....it was the best!

We set up machines, ironing board and three chairs,

And sat down to sew away all of our cares!*

When all of a sudden there arose a slight clatter,

I threw open the bobbin case to see what was the matter.

And what to my bewildered eyes should appear,

But a great big lint ball and thread wad, I fear.

First lint brush! Now oil can! Next, rotary blades!

On triangles, snowballs, and UFO I made!

Not hidden on shelf, but to the design wall**

Now stitch away, stitch away, stitch away all!

Bonnie sewed a gazillion HS triangles!

Lisa's yummy Snowball

I worked on my Storm at Sea UFO

Armed with chocolate and lattes, a healthy lunch too,

(and we had Christmas cookies, oh yes, quite a few!)

With a whole day to play, we had lots of fun,

I was sad when at day's end the sew day was done.

They packed up their cars with their projects complete,

Then scooped up Miss Shelby (that dog is so sweet!!)

And I heard myself say, as they drove out of sight,

"Happy Sew Day to all! Next time...overnight!" ***

(*actually there were to have been four chairs, but our friend Laura lost her beloved dog that morning and couldn't come. Our hearts were heavy for her)

(**really, it's laid out on the table. The old design wall is down and the new one isn't up yet...But who's getting technical here. It's poetry! Sort of... )

(***we have a weekend retreat coming up with our bee...but I don't think I'll get to go -waah!!)

Holiday Wishes

2011-12-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

From my home to yours,

Wishing you the best of the holiday season
and many blessings in the year to come!

May you always be surrounded by the ones you love.

I'm Still Here

2011-12-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

...and I can't wait to catch you up on all the stuff that's been happening around here. It's been production central, getting things ready for the Deck the Halls sale at Sawtooth and the Winterized Wonders art fair at my boys' school...decking my own halls getting ready for Christmas, and all the usual flurry of activities that go with...processing another contract for a guild lecture...and on and on. I have photos to upload and stories to share. And all of this will be forthcoming.

But meanwhile...life has dealt another harsh blow to Virginia Tech...my Alma Mater. And my heart is breaking for them...the officer senselessly slain and the family he leaves behind...the university population reliving a trauma from which I can only imagine was just maybe beginning to heal, if it ever really can from something so horrific as what they endured just a few short years ago...a young man so broken that he would commit such an act. And for what? Why? So many unanswered questions in this season of Peace on Earth.

I grew up in the town next door. My parents owned a business in Blacksburg. I spent four years learning and soaking up college life there. I worked both an internship and post graduation position in the Planning Department. It's a part of who I am and where I came from.

It's so easy to think that things like that happen "somewhere else"...but reality tells us that it can happen anywhere.

Please keep the Hokies in your thoughts and prayers. It's a great school.

And pray for peace.

Great Info

2011-11-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

So...I'm stuck home, recovering from some dreadfully nasty virus (flu? plague? IDK) instead of being in Black Mountain on the annual fall quilting retreat. Bummer!! I'm going to miss that time with my quilting buddies!! I have so much to do but it will have to wait, and that's OK. Meanwhile I did make it downstairs to my desk today (yay!) and found a GREAT email post from Alyson B. Stanfield's Art Biz Blog in my inbox. Her guest Fiona Purdy writes about how to handle requests from charities for donations of your art. It is quite brilliant!

You can read about it here.

It really made my day. I get a lot of requests. I have a big heart. I want to help everyone that I can. And I've made a lot of art donations. But I don't want to go broke. I don't want my work to be devalued by a low bid. And the fact of the matter is that no matter how you've priced that piece of art or what other pieces of your work have sold for in the past, the only thing you can write off on your donation is the cost of materials. Not your stated price for the completed work. Not the value of your time to create it. Not even the price it brings at the charity fundraiser. Most people probably don't know that...including the ones requesting your donation.

Fiona has a wonderful way to make it a win-win situation. Really...go read her post! What a great idea!

And if you aren't already a subscriber to Alyson's blog, you should be! She's great at helping you find your way through the twists and turns of being in the business of making art!

Catching Up

2011-10-19T11:50:00.000-04:00

Things have just been hopping around here lately! What have I been up to? Let's see...

I've been teaching...

Altered Surfaces - rust dyeing, stamping, discharging, and gelatin plate printing

(Here Deb and Lynn show off their awesome creations!)

Silk Scarf Dyeing...

I've been making clay buttons...

which have now been glazed and fired and I need to go pick up :)

I've done 2 festivals...

One the weekend of the hurricane and one the weekend it turned cold and rained! LOL! Yes, outdoor festivals are a hit or miss kind of thing. I can't say that it's been a highly successful adventure yet, but it's been on my list of things to try and I want to do a few more before I make a final judgement on their feasibility as part of my studio business. I don't like the unpredictability of the weather...

After all, gallery exhibits are climate controlled! I've had two openings in recent weeks...

"Courage"
This is a traveling exhibit curated by my friend Kathy Brusnighan (seen left). A gift to the community, these inspiring and encouraging pieces debuted at Circa Gallery in Asheboro, NC on Sept. 15 and will be exhibited in hospitals and galleries throughout central NC through the end of 2012 where the exhibit will conclude at the Center for Creative Leadership. For more information on the exhibit and a schedule of locations visit Art With Purpose.

We all had a great time at the reception! Thanks Circa Gallery for hosting us!

(my piece is in the lower right..."Consider the Lillies (Even When the Sky is Falling)" hand dyed fabric collaged to canvas with dimensional flowers)

"Faces"

Another fun reception! This show is at Sawtooth in the Davis Gallery and will run through November 17.

My pieces from L to R:
"Rest" and "Relaxation" (stacked)
"Sam" (daughter of a longtime friend)
"Faith", "Kay Oss", and "Clara T." (whimsical)
"How Do You See Me?" (interactive, changeable piece)

I've been hard at work on a memorial commission piece...but I can't show it yet...

The boys and I enjoyed an evening at the Dixie Classic Fair. My favorite part...the fancy chickens!

And of course, there have been lots of soccer games...

And baseball games, including a FUN! trip to Myrtle Beach for a tournament at The Ripken Experience!

Well, that's it in a nutshell!
(Did I mention I love coffee?)

:)

Color Me Proud...Uh Huh!

2011-10-01T20:17:00.000-04:00

It didn't take long for the youngest to have his sketchbook assignment chosen for the teacher's blog, seen here . This one was illustrating song lyrics of their choice. I think the Zac Brown Band would approve.

The youngest is really getting into colored pencil drawing, which fascinates me. See, in my earliest creative days I was totally into crayons and color, but once I started formal art lessons I was all about pencil drawings. The regular kind - black and white. And ink. Stippling was my most favorite there. Well, until I started painting I guess, and then my love for color kicked back in where it's been happily ever since. :)

Anyway, I'm really enjoying seeing all of the posts on Art Over Time! I love seeing what the kids are doing in middle school art. I hope you will pop over there and have a look through for yourself.

Meanwhile, here's another assignment by the youngest for your viewing pleasure:

Yep. Mama is proud of her boys!!

You're Invited

2011-09-15T12:30:00.002-04:00

FACES
An exhibition of Portraiture
September 22-November 17, 2011
Davis Gallery at Sawtooth School for Visual Art

Featuring work by;
Jeffrey Cates
Steve Childs
Karen Fridy
Betti Pettinati-Longinotti
Tom Ogburn
Mark Spangenberg
Mary Bailey Thomas

Artists’ Reception; Friday, October 7 from 5-7pm.
Gallery Hours: Mon - Fri 10-7, Sat 10-2
336-723-7395 http://www.sawtooth.org/

Like Mother Like Son

2011-09-02T17:32:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited that both of my boys are taking art class in school this year! It was a given in elementary school, but in middle school they have to choose it as an elective. They both did this year and they both got it. They both got the same teacher, but in different class periods. I'm impressed with the fact that there are two art teachers at their school!

The eldest's first sketchbook assignment can be seen here on his teacher's blog. Yes, a big grin came to my face when he told me she chose his work to post.

Squeeee!! :)

Cue the William Tell Overture

2011-08-29T15:50:00.013-04:00

Haven't had time to post in a while...classes, vacation, more classes, field trips to IKEA in Charlotte(fun!!), art fair. Oh, and back to school stuff!! Seriously, August should have at least one more week added to it. I don't know how I managed to cram it all in! :)

And...I've been working on this:

She got her hair today. I'm just giddy over making progress on this one! It's done with my hand dyes and will be in the "Faces" exhibit at Sawtooth Gallery in Winston-Salem. Opening reception is September 22. I'll have other pieces in the show too. Some yet to be made. I have three weeks.

Meanwhile, I have another piece in the works for the "Courage" show which opens on September 15 at Circa Gallery in Asheboro. I have two weeks to finish it.

And I'm working on a commission piece too.

<: O
(It may be a while before I post again...Wish me luck!! And please send chocolate!)

* Footnote: the piece for "Courage" is finished and delivered! Yay!

Meanwhile...

2011-07-21T17:11:00.000-04:00

I have a bad habit of going for long periods between posts... but I have good excuses! Really :)

I've been busy this summer teaching Kids and Teen Camps at Sew Original and it's been lots of fun! There were two "I Can Sew!" camps for kids, one teen camp and today wrapped up the kids "I Can Quilt!" camp. I'm utterly exhausted...in the best way possible. It's been great sharing the love of all things fabric with these kids!

I managed to get some photos of Quilt Camp...enjoy!

Prior to camp the girls picked out their fabrics, which I pre-cut for them so we wouldn't have to deal with rotary cutters and the accompanying potential hazards thereof ... :)

They learned the joys of chain piecing...

Row piecing...

Borders...

The joys of pin basting...just look at these happy campers!

Then it was on to the quilting. These girls were FEARLESS!!

Sew girls, sew!!

And look! TA DAAAAA!!!!!

All that's left to do is flip and stitch the binding to the backside and sew on the labels. I should have taken pictures of the labels...they were so cute!! They each designed their own.

I'm so proud of these girls. They worked hard and had fun!

New Leash on Life

2011-06-21T17:27:00.003-04:00

If you remember from these posts, earlier this year I started a program called Creature Comforts to make pet beds using quilters scraps that would benefit the Forsyth Humane Society and its related programs. Last Tuesday my sons and one of their friends went with me to the New Leash on Life graduation ceremony in Winston-Salem. New Leash on Life, or NLOL, is a program where qualified inmates in the NC prison system are paired with dogs who need training. Working with volunteer professional trainers, the inmate trainers work intensely for 8 weeks teaching the dogs basic training, agility, housebreaking, and socialization skills. At the end of the training period they celebrate their achievements with a graduation ceremony and the dogs who have found forever homes are presented to their new owners. A few days later a new class of dogs comes in and the training begins again. This local chapter is sponsored by FHS, and there are about 20 other NLOL programs throughout NC.

There is a great video about the program here.

At this session's ceremony I was honored to present NLOL with 5 large pet beds for their ongoing use! It was so inspiring to see the work that goes into training these dogs...I asked one of the trainers how long each day they spend with the dogs and would you believe the answer? 8 - 10 hours a day! And let me say, these dogs are smart and well behaved...the perfect fit for a new forever home.

I love this program and how it fits so well with the mission of Creature Comforts. Everything - dogs, inmates, and yes, even fabric scraps - finds new purpose. Like I said in my presentation, I truly believe that everything - and everyone - has a purpose. Nothing is just for throw away.

photo courtesy of S. Belcher

Here we are unloading the pet beds! I'm so excited to be making this delivery!

Program coordinators and a trainer greet the new owner of one of the dogs :)

The trainers showing off the dogs' new skills...they were really good!

Gifts for some of the program coordinators, made by an inmate. These were carved out of soap and are really neat. I wish I could show the face of the trainer who was presenting them...he had the biggest smile!

A lot of work from a lot of people went into making these first 5 beds. Even my oldest pitched in helping chop up scraps for the filler! Knowing that there will be that much less stuff in the landfill and that what would have been thrown out has now been put to a good use makes it all worthwhile. It may be a small thing, but just think what would happen if more people did something, even if it's just small?

The next production focus will be beds for use at the FHS adoption center. Stay tuned! :)

Back to It...The Rush is ON!

2011-05-29T14:27:00.000-04:00

I can't believe June is almost here! It's going to be a busy month...I hit the ground running June 1 with the installation of the Cosmic Cow Society group exhibit at the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center , opening reception June 3, 5-7:30 PM. Also opening June 3 is the faculty exhibit at Sawtooth from 5-7PM. Pass the clone please! :)

From there it's full steam ahead with shipping work to Sacred Threads and then making final preparations for teaching Summer Art Honors at Sawtooth and 3 kids/teen camps at Sew Original. I can't wait!! I love being around all those creative young minds! I may be the teacher, but I always learn from them as well. Be on the watch for lots of photo postings!

Throw in there some Elementary School graduation celebrations (how did my baby grow up so fast?!?), and other end-of-school-year festivities, and before I know it, it will be July!

Bring it!! It's going to be a fun summer!!

(image from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net )

Time Out for Some Family Fun

2011-05-23T15:51:00.003-04:00

The recently promised photos of the Ornamental Fiesta class will be forthcoming...I would have finished two in class had I not driven to Asheville without Bernie's power cord! DOH!! Hard to do the sewing part without that, huh? Oy. I was able to borrow someone's machine to do part of it, but I still need to satin stitch the edges, stitch down the metal, and do the embossing. I will say though, that it was a really fun class and I can't wait to show them off!! If you ever get a chance to take a class from Judy Perez, don't miss it...she is a great teacher :)

Meanwhile, this past Friday was my husband's birthday...and not just any ordinary one, it was the big 5-0! He was in Minnesota all week on a business trip and flew home on his actual birthday. I started to have the crowd at the baggage pick up area sing to him, but he's not one for calling attention to himself and I figured he might just jump on the conveyor belt and ride right out of the building. So, I refrained. :) We did, however, stop at Bibb's, one of his favorite BBQ restaurants, for dinner on the way home.

The real celebration came Saturday night. We hosted our "Grub Club" and extended the guest list with his parents, brother, sister, niece and two surprise guests - his college buddy and wife - whom we hadn't seen in about 11 years! He had no idea they were coming! He came home from our youngest's baseball game and there they were. It was great! It was a night of Italian feasting with homemade raviolis, pasta Alfredo with chicken and sausage, salad straight from my garden, fresh NC strawberries, and more. Good food, good friends, good conversation all night, and kids running all over the place!

Coach Jim prepares to blow out all those candles...

On Sunday we spent the day at the Winston-Salem Dash game...it was hot but fun, and they won! Go Dash!

Even the sky was showing love...see the heart? :)

It was a great birthday weekend!

What the ????

2011-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Blogger seems to be doing wacky things with my photos...all of a sudden they are showing up as little empty boxes! You can click on them and pull up the image but you don't see anything in the post. Any ideas what's going on??? HELP!!

Fun with Ink!

2011-05-16T14:52:00.002-04:00

I've been having the most fun!! My guild - Forsyth Piecers and Quilters - booked a Tsukineko Ink workshop with the brilliantly talented Judy Perez, held this past Saturday. I've been wanting to learn what to do with these inks for a while now, and have been looking for an opportunity to have Judy here for a class ever since we met a couple of years ago when she was in Winston-Salem on a personal trip. When I saw Asheville on her calendar I jumped at the chance to book a class in Winston-Salem, only 2 hours east of Asheville.

It was 6 hours of bliss! :)

In this class Judy teaches two different methods for working with the inks, and she provides images to work from so you don't have to get bogged down in trying to think up something. It was a relaxed, really fun day! Look what we did!.....

Judy (right) giving tips to Joanna White

OK, we didn't do these...Judy did! Aren't they amazing?

This is my first test piece...learning to get the feel of it using the Fantastixs

My second pieces, done mostly with the Fantastix. I call them "Alien Fruits" I was in a playful color mood :)

This is Fred, my seahorse. I love him madly! He is what I created in the afternoon using paintbrushes in the second technique Judy taught. Be on the watch for Fred to turn up in a future art quilt...

Asheville is hosting Judy's Ornamental Fiesta class and I'll be heading up there for that this week, so tune in later for more pictures!

What Can I Say...

2011-04-27T10:36:00.059-04:00

...it's baseball season! Which means between eldest son being on the school team and a travel team, and youngest being in Little League, not much else is getting done around here! We have games pretty much everyday at one place or another. I do love it and I know these days will all too soon fly by and I'll wonder where they went.

I have been doing some major cleaning and reorganizing in the studio (I know, I know...again?? Will it ever end? LOL). The nature of my interiors business has changed and evolved over the last few years. Where before it was necessary to have a big library of samples, now everything is available on line. I can pick specific items per project and have just those samples sent to me as needed. I just don't need all that stuff taking up space to do what I do in that part of my life.

So, I've been purging and rearranging, making use of that shelf space for fibers classes supplies, and dyeing supplies, and beads... the net result being that everything is about to finally have a place and my worksurfaces won't have to be a catch-all anymore! It's a miracle!! With past clean up efforts I've gotten it to a workable point and then jumped into a project and messed it all up again before I really got it all the way clean, This time I'm pushing myself to GET IT DONE...all the way. I might even be able to take and post some pictures soon. :)

Hannes, the Amazing

2011-04-21T08:27:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful surprise this morning to read this post by Hannes. He is truly handsome...and he has a big heart too. Thanks Hannes!

:)

Creature Comforts workday

2011-04-07T13:48:00.001-04:00

Yesterday the lovely and talented actress and comedienne Sarah Barnhardt of The Dueling Butter Knives virtual comedy blog joined me and my CSE (Chief Sorting Executive) Holly during our workday for Creature Comforts. We had a great time, well...cutting up!

Thanks Sarah, for helping get the word out! You are now a rotary cutting expert. :)

A new class has started with New Leash on Life and I'm behind on production! My goal is to get 5 beds to them ASAP. The chopping-fabric-by-hand-thing is quite time consuming and slowing me down. I know they make industrial fabric shredders but that's not financially feasible, and I've already tried using my paper shredder. That didn't work! Embossed the fabric, which might come in handy at some point for an art quilt, but it was no help for the task at hand. So, if any of you out there have ideas, I'm listening!

A special thanks to Sew Original for hosting this first open workday and being a scrap collection center, to Shelby, the most beautiful Shih Tzu ever, for modeling the pet beds, and a HUGE thanks to my bee-mates from Miss Bee Havin for having not one but TWO chopping parties for this project so far!

The next workday is scheduled for April 15, 10-12:00 at Sewingly Yours in Lewisville. It's tax deadline day...bring your rotary cutter and mat and take out your frustrations! Or, celebrate, if you happen to be getting a refund! :)

Teaching the Teachers

2011-03-31T10:43:00.000-04:00

On Monday I had a wonderful opportunity to teach a Fusible Fabrics workshop to art teachers in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County school system. It was so much fun! I took in tons of fabric choices, some already fused and some not, a bolt of fusible web, some examples of my work and several issues of Quilting Arts flagged with sticky notes of some of my favorites. A couple of them had used fusible web before but it was new to others. As always, I love seeing how people react to using fabric as an art medium! One of them said she felt like a kid at Christmas! That's how I feel about it too :)

Here are some shots from the day. I didn't get a picture of all of the pieces, but everyone did really good work! What's really exciting for me is that they will take what they learned back to their classrooms and the love of fiber art will spread.

Enjoy!

Guess What!?!

2011-03-16T20:13:00.000-04:00

I'm on page 26-27!!!!

http://62.128.151.219/Library/A1rgo4/AsheboroMagazineMarc/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=

VVBG! :)

Hurry! Don't Miss This...

2011-03-16T08:56:00.000-04:00

Time is almost up! PAQA-South has made the "receive by" date a "post mark date" to give as many people as possible an opportunity to get their work entered.

The Professional Art Quilters Alliance-South (PAQA-South)announces its eighth Annual Juried Exhibition of Innovative Quilts: ARTQUILTSmovement

Movement evokes moods as varied as the individuals contemplating it. Rhythmic strains of music, the flow of language, lithe dancers, or public change and social advocacy; all are examples that encompass the meaning of movement. Are you startled by a sudden movement, drawn in to the quickly moving plot of a good book, or feel the pulse of your heart as bloods flows through your veins? Military maneuvers, the inner workings of a watch, and a well-oiled machine all portray this basic necessity of life: movement. We invite you to share your interpretation of Movement in quiltart form.

Exhibit Opens: May 20, 2011

Postmark Deadline for entry: March 19, 2011

Entry Fee: $15 for PAQA-South members, $25 for non-members for up to three works submitted.
Prospectus here: http://www.artquiltersouth.org/

Size Limitations: No larger than 40 inches wide and 60 inches high.

Contact: AQtransitions@gmail.com with questions.

Note: ARTQUILTSmovement will be judged via unenhanced digital image, only.

The PAQA-South International Juried Exhibition: ARTQUILTSmovement will open in the Allenton and Siemens galleries of the Durham Arts Council of Durham, NC.

May 20 – July 24, 2011: Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC

http://www.durhamarts.org/facility.html

It is possible that the show will travel, so please be sure to check the entry form as to whether or not you give permission for your piece to travel with the show, should it be chosen.

Up and Running

2011-02-28T12:05:00.000-05:00

Having enjoyed my little 'vacation' (NOT!) I'm happy to report that I'm back up and running! And just in time for a busy weekend...

It was part 2 of my Surface Design class at Sawtooth. Last week students learned rust dyeing and stamp making; this week they learned discharging and my favorite, gelatin plate printing! Two things I love about teaching: I get to share what I know AND I get to learn from seeing what others do with the techniques. They always amaze me! Here are a few shots from the day's fun...

Discharging...

Look how cool!

Discharged pieces processing...

Sandra and April creating

Lots of fun as usual!

And what better way to spend the rest of the weekend, but to fill it with baseball! Saturday night we went to the Wake Forest game and Sunday afternoon the oldest had a middle school scrimmage tournament. Yes, it's still February, but you'd never know it by the temperatures lately. It was a gorgeous day!

The season is off to a great start!

Yes, it was a wonderful weekend and I'm glad to be back at it again. I hate being sick...I'm a most impatient patient! When I was leaving class Saturday I looked up and saw this...there was peace over the city. Who could ask for more? :)

Derailed

2011-02-22T14:31:00.000-05:00

Darned thing about viruses is that they seem to be rather contagious. And, it seems, I got in the pathway of the one making the rounds through my house (or maybe it got in my way), so I missed the Cosmic Cow Society meeting, the Beecassos meeting, AND the Clemmons Guild meeting! BAH!! BAD VIRUS!!!

Fortunately Gail and Penny collected the pieces for the upcoming Beecassos show, and Kathy was able to tell the Clemmons group about Creature Comforts, so I can just focus on getting over this crud and getting my son over it as well. I'm thankful for my friends stepping in to get things done while I've been knocked off my feet! Playing nurse and patient at the same time is not much fun.

Ah, Spring...I know you are just around the corner! I'll be so glad when you are here to stay :)

Getting Behind Myself

2011-02-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

Whee!!!!

I've spent the week as a "single mom", as DH has been in Minneapolis on business. It's been a real juggling act with overlapping sports events for the eldest, basketball practice for the youngest, and playing nurse to the eldest who succumbed to another sinus infection paired with some mutant virus (thankfully NOT flu!) and has been out of school for the last three days. Needless to say, not much else has been accomplished this week, but we have enjoyed some priceless quality time together. I'm looking forward to that incoming flight tonight and hearing all about the adventure out west, and hopefully returning to a somewhat normal routine next week.

Tomorrow and next Saturday I'll be teaching Surface Design at Sawtooth which will be loads of fun, and Sunday will be the monthly meeting of the Cosmic Cow Society. Tuesday I'll be heading to my Beecassos meeting to pick up the pieces for our upcoming exhibit Beecassos unzipped at Chelsee's which will be showing during the month of March, and I'll also be visiting the Clemmons Guild to talk about Creature Comforts. As soon as I catch up with myself I'll be posting an update on Creature Comforts with some pictures from our initial sew day meeting. I'm very excited with the response to that program I've been getting from my local quilting friends!

So....Stay tuned! Meanwhile, I'm going to go outside and soak up some of this 72* weather!

Bernie's New Pal

2011-02-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

My friend Lisa surprised me with a gift of this uber cool lamp today. It's so me...funky and red! The accent colors in my studio are red, lime green and black and this little task lamp is the perfect fit. Bernie loves it too...it outshines his built-in light. It's bendable, so I can position it where I need it but it doesn't get in the way. The base is weighted so it won't tip over no matter how far I stretch it.

What a nice surprise!! Thanks Lisa!! I wish I could have taken a better picture of it, but all of the mess in the background would have detracted from its awesomeness.

It Works!

2011-02-03T09:07:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to report that THIS works quite well!

Sew Day!

2011-02-02T09:33:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday the gals of Miss Bee Haven got together for a fun day of creating in the barn. Nane, our fearless bee leader, has the most awesome studio space in the upper level of her newly built barn, next to their historic log cabin in the woods. It's so peaceful there!

We worked most of the day on the string block quilts that are being made for the Neuro trauma unit at one of our local hospitals. String blocks are so addicting! There were 5 of us piecing and 2 tearing the paper foundations away, and at the end of the day we had one top ready for borders (go MR!), enough blocks for 4 more tops, and extra blocks going to start a fifth. This unit at the hospital has 10 beds, so we are well on our way to providing them with enough comfort quilts to go around.

Also known as the "Troll Sisters" (you had to be there...it's a funny story how that name came to be), we each have a troll to watch over us as we create. Mine, of course, has lime green hair :) Bonnie found a bunch of these trolls on one of her many trips...we missed having her with us this time, as she was on a whirlwind of a tour across the country teaching.

Here our mascot for the day, Zorro Kitty, inspects MR's quit top. He approved it, 2 paws up. I love how these block go together. You can use any fabric anywhere, and with a common color used in the middle of the block you end up with a fabulous result! Bright, colorful...just the thing to bring some cheer to the patients who will receive them!
--------------------------------------------------------------
PS. All of the quilts will be washed before they go to the hospital! :)

The Ultimate in Scrap Quilting...

2011-01-25T19:37:00.000-05:00

In every quilter's life there comes an end to the fabric food chain, whether your style is coordinated or scrappy. Those last bits and scraps usually end up in the trashcan but now you have a chance to recycle them and help abandoned animals in need!

I am starting a program called Creature Comforts and am asking for your throw away scraps! As long as it is washable and without paint, fusible web, etc., no size is too small. In fact, small is good! These will be collected and used for stuffing in pet beds which will be donated to the Forsyth Humane Society, and if we get more than they need we will continue to find NO-KILL shelters and foster care providers who can benefit from having them.

So be green and start saving those scraps‼ If you are local to my area you can bring them to Sew Original on Robinhood Road in Winston-Salem, bring them to any Forsyth Piecers and Quilters Guild meeting, or email me to arrange delivery karen@kfridy.com . We will also accept yardage donations of muslin, denim and twill for making the linings and outer covers.

If you live too far away and don't want to mail your throw aways here, then please consider starting a program where you are with your favorite quilting group! It will help our furry friends and it will keep stuff out of our landfills.

Plus it will make you feel really good inside.

:)

Now in a Mini

2011-01-22T07:43:00.002-05:00

I popped into my local big chain fabric store yesterday to buy a chunky zipper for my current project (posting to follow upon completion) and saw this:

Is that not just the CUTEST thing ever?? It's a teeny flat sole iron. It was on sale. I had to adopt it. Who could resist? Those are 2.5" strip blocks you see there and I thought this little iron would be the perfect helper to keep beside the machine instead of jumping up to go to the "big iron" every time. We'll see if it works. If not, it's just the perfect size for surface design printing, or if nothing else, it would be the perfect studio paperweight. :)

I put that spool of thread in the picture for scale. It's Superior Threads "The Bottom Line" and I LOVE it in the bobbin. There are 1,420 yards per spool, it's a 60 wt. polyester, and it will fill up a bobbin that will last for a good while. Running out of bobbin thread is a big pet peeve of mine and this takes care of that quite nicely! It's also a nice weight for applique. No affiliation, just a happy customer.

Well, back to work...I have pressing matters to attend to!

Can't.....stop....!

2011-01-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

Making string blocks, that is. :)

My "traditional" bee, Miss Bee Havin', is planning a sew day soon and we will all be bringing 8.5" string blocks to make quilts for the local hospital's Neuro Care Unit. I already had some wonky strips cut from the border of my batik BOM (um... blocks circa 2008? As soon as I get it quilted I'll be posting pics...it is SO ME!! And it's the first bed quilt I've made just for myself. It will be my retreat/travel companion :) But I digress.

Anyway, so I've been happily sewing away today. This is my kind of piecing...sew, flip, sew, flip...no seam matching! No rules! Perfect sizing when you trim it up! What could be better?

:)

Snow Dyeing 101

2011-01-11T14:04:00.000-05:00

When the weather turns cold and the sky starts making snow it's very tempting to stay in, sip a hot drink, and quilt away. But if you try this I promise you will want to be out in the snow, scooping it up and squealing with delight at the results!

Here's how I do it: (if you have safely worked with fiber reactive dyes you can skip ahead to the fun part!)

First and foremost - SAFETY...always! I use Procion MX fiber reactive dyes. They are micro-powdery and you do not want to inhale them! Working in a draft-free space, you should use a respirator, long rubber gloves, and I also use a small cardboard box lined with damp paper towels to catch any dye powder that may fall when adding it to the mixing container. Keep a small/medium size bucket of water nearby for rinsing your tools and gloved hands as you work. NOTE: any tools you use for dyeing must not return to the kitchen! I bought a set of measuring cups and spoons at the dollar store that I keep in the studio. I also picked up some bottles at my local beauty supply store that have a capped tip top. They are meant for hair dye, but they work perfectly for this. They have measurement lines on the side for water level, and they make it easy to shake mix the dye as well as squirt apply it.

These safety measures apply to any kind of dyeing. So also does the way I prep my fabric for dyeing. I use 100% cotton, usually premium Kona. I pre-wash with Synthrapol, and pre-dry as well so that any shrinkage happens before I divide it up. Lesson learned the hard way...I once pre-cut fat quarters and when they came out of the wash they were slim quarters... :) Anyway, once I've done that I measure and tear whatever sizes I wish to dye. I tend to work in FQ's, but not always.

Next, the fabric goes into a soda ash solution for an overnight soak. I keep a large 5 gallon bucket (with lid) of this solution ready to go at a moment's notice. When I'm ready to dye the fabric, I wring out the excess solution back into the bucket (gloves on!) and can keep using it and adding to it as the level goes down from use. I mix about 1 cup of soda ash to 2 gallons of water and mix well. Use your gloves here too! If you want to be really precise you can use pH test strips...aim for 10.5

For snow dyeing I mix the dye a bit stronger than I do for regular dyeing, simply because the snow dilutes the dye as it melts. So, for 8 oz of water I might use 1-2 T of dye powder, depending on the color I'm trying to achieve. I'm not a formula dyer...I just do what the muse tells me to do. I like surprises! As soon as I have measured the powder into the container of water I immediately dunk my measuring spoon into the rinse bucket. If you've never dyed this will be a surprise...the powder is so fine it doesn't look like any is on the spoon, but the water will tell otherwise! Make sure to dry your measuring spoon before using it again.

Mix the dye solution well so that all of the powder is dissolved.

Now to the fun part!

Using whatever container you choose (I use plastic dish pans, again from the dollar store. I love that place!) simply place your fabric in the bottom - I just scrunch it up, 3-4 FQ's per tub - and pack snow to the top of the container. It's fun to imagine what your neighbors are thinking when they see you bringing snow into the garage :)

Fabric in the pan (ping pong work table optional)

Snow packed in

Once the snow is packed in the tub, simply squirt the dye over the surface of the snow. I like to use 2 colors, one going in one direction and the other crosshatching the first. One color works too, as would three. Play! See what works for you.

Dye squirted on

Now comes the waiting. I leave this just inside the garage near the door where it is coldest for at least 4 hours. Then I move it into the studio to continue melting. It looks a bit like a snow cone, but DON'T EAT IT! :) In fact, it's a good idea to make sure this is out of reach of pets and young children. It looks yummy and they don't know better.

I'm melllllttting!!........

Once all of the snow has melted I let it sit and batch for several hours allowing it to reach room temperature. Sometimes it sits for a day or two. I'm a mom...sometimes other things need my attention.

Then comes the not so fun part...Rinse, rinse, rinse!!!

I don't have the luxury of a utility tub, so I just start filling up the washing machine with cold water and carefully dump in the contents of like-colored groups of fabrics (blues and greens go in together, reds and oranges separately, etc.). I will run them through about 4 rinse cycles until the water is pretty much clear. Then they get a full cycle wash in HOT water with Synthrapol with 2 more rinses. Into the dryer and then a good ironing and voila!

Snow dyeing is lots of FUN!!!

Snow Dye Results and a New Year!

2011-01-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

Just before the turn of the new year I snow dyed (previous post). There was a bit of a delay in photographing some of the results because on a whim we decided to go here for the last half of last week:

This was the view from the house on the Intercoastal Waterway on Oak Island, NC where we rang in 2011. Well, most of us. SOME of us decided they couldn't stay up! No not me...I was the liveliest one of the bunch. I won't name names... ;)

It was a nice get away even if the fish weren't biting.

Now that we've returned and I've washed, dried and ironed, I thought I'd post a few of my snow dye results. I think I dyed about 5 yards or so, so this is just a small sampling, but I LOVE how they turned out! Serendipitous dyeing is the most fun to me...usually the surprises are good ones. Aren't these yummy? Each one is unique...

This one reminds me a bit of this :)

And one last thing to share that always makes me giggle when I drive by it...this is on the way to the beach. Click on the picture to see the unique offerings at this little shop. One of these times I'm going to have to stop there...

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that 2011 has lots of good things ahead!

Snow!!

2010-12-27T13:06:00.000-05:00

I remember having them growing up in Virginia, but I can't remember one since I've lived in North Carolina...a White Christmas came to us!! It poured all day and through the night. Beautiful!!

The boys spent a good bit of yesterday out in it sledding, building snow forts, and having a snowball fight between our yard and the neighbors to the side. I stayed in and made hot chocolate :) And...preparations...

Today it's my turn to play in the snow!

Results in a few days.....I think I'm going to like this winter. We rarely get this much snow and never this early! I'm thinking I'll get a good bit of snow dyeing done this winter.

Christmas Wishes

2010-12-23T13:16:00.000-05:00

As the year winds down I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has stopped by here to share in my creative journey. It has been a year full of blessings and opportunities, of cherished friendships and new discoveries. I'm looking forward to working towards some new goals for 2011 and hope you will continue to visit and see what fun stuff I get myself into!

From my studio to yours, I wish you the best blessings of the holiday season!

Let the Festivities Begin!

2010-12-03T15:27:00.001-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year...and with it comes a blizzard of activity! Since my last post I have had LOTS going on...

First, an exhibit opening with the Cosmic Cow Society at the Gallery of the Arts Underground Theatre in downtown Winston-Salem. What a great evening it was! Not your typical art opening...we had a band - West Trinity - play music sets (not just background music), had a "Small Talks" session where each participating artist had 28 seconds to discuss projected images of each of their featured works, and we had door prizes too. It was a fun event! This exhibit runs through the end of December...stop by and enjoy some wine or coffee and of course, the ART!

Then came a rush to finish up and deliver items for Sawtooth's annual Deck the Halls gallery showcase. I had to laugh..the lady checking in my inventory asked me if my sewing machine ever catches on fire! I'm a little surprised it didn't....I had over seven pages of inventory! The sale runs through the end of December and there is something there for everyone....pottery, fiber, jewelry, paintings, ornaments, you name it. All made by local artists and very affordable!

Here are just a few of my things...

5 x 5 Minis

Wool geode, fabric and glass beads

necklace

16 x 20 "Rest" and "Relaxation"

(details)

These pieces are painted and distressed Tyvek, paper clay faces, glass beads, and hand stitched silk mounted to painted canvases. The overall pictures are the best color...my camera evidently wasn't in the mood for detail color!

Then of course there was the yumminess of Thanksgiving to celebrate...I roasted a turkey, made sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole and my mom's famous rye biscuits, along with chocolate ribbon pie and pumpkin pie (OK, I bought that one ready made)...DH made his famous boiled custard, which for you non-Southerners is like eggnog without the spices and bourbon, very vanilla-y and sweet ...a family favorite. And, despite having set a beautiful fall table at my house, we hauled all of this yumminess to the in-laws to feast! They made all kinds of things to add to the bounty. It was a great celebration...one that earned me a trip to Quiltville to have a sew day with Bonnie and Lisa on Saturday! Woohoo! I got lots done and had a blast!

Then the kids got sick and so did I...ugh! But we won't dwell on that. Everyone is on the mend. :)

Meanwhile, Lisa and I made it to Sawtooth's Deck the Halls preview night and it was AMAZING! I did take my camera, but was so busy drooling over all of the wonderful offerings and filling up my basket with Christmas presents that I never got it out! I will share one of my purchases though:

Gorgeous blue and white pottery...and I'm sorry, I don't know the artist. If someone will email me I'll add it to the post. These are for me...the rest of my purchases are gifts for other people, so no peeking!! :)

And so December begins...with lots more to do! There are halls here to be decked (almost done), cookies to bake, parties to attend, presents to finish (stay tuned for some future postings on this...once the recipients have unwrapped!), and the list goes on...

I love December!!

Of Heart and Hands

2010-11-13T20:19:00.004-05:00

Once again I headed out to a wonderful event sans camera, so for your viewing pleasure may I direct you to Mrs. Goodneedle's blog to see the beautiful quilts on display at the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center. These quilts are the works of our bee, Miss Bee Haven and the exhibit is quite beautiful! Thanks Nane and Lisa for all your work putting this together!

Old Tyme Day

2010-11-10T08:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my friends Martha Claire Henzler and Bonnie Hunter very graciously volunteered to help me with the quilting station at Lewisville Elementary's Old Tyme Day, a day of hands-on Early American history lessons for the third graders with things like candlemaking, blacksmithing, tin punch, and of course QUILTING! It was a fun day!

Bonnie was smart enough to have a camera on hand...hop over to her blog to see what we did!

Ooooohhh!!.....???

2010-10-15T13:20:00.000-04:00

I bet you're thinking....ooooh! She's been rust dyeing again...how pretty!!! You know I love to rust dye. I love the uncontrolled, serendipitous results...I love how adding tannin to the mix makes color changes happen...

BUT NOPE!

I'm not rust dyeing....

EEEEEWWWWW!!!!!

This is what happens when water fountains go bad...and no one knows...and it's summertime...and really, really hot. I got to measure this 3,000 sf space to draw up plans for a total gutting and renovation. Thank goodness for the laser tape!! And you thought interior design was all glamour! Heehee! Not this time.

But you know, if you get past the ICK factor and look at it really up close, it is fascinating....and pretty. I would love for my rust dyed fabrics to look like this. Just, not with all the ICK!!

Circa Gallery

2010-10-13T09:54:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I drove to Asheboro, NC to pick up work from my Cosmic Cow Society group show at Circa Gallery. It's a really fun gallery with an eclectic mix of works from North Carolina artists and I'm happy to report that I am now one of the artists they represent! They have a good assortment of my small works...perfect gift items for the upcoming holidays. So if you are in that area, stop in and have a look. There is something for everyone there...you will love it (all of it, not just mine)!

:)

Taste of Art

2010-10-08T22:31:00.000-04:00

Tonight I taught silk scarf dyeing at Sawtooth's Taste of Art. This class is a 2 hour make and take where participants can bring in snacks and beverages and enjoy a creative, fun night out. I'll be teaching it again on October 22 ...come join me!

Aren't these great?

This group knows how to have fun!!!

Oops!

2010-10-07T14:29:00.000-04:00

I knew I was behind on posting, but gracious!! AUGUST?? It is October now, right? ;)

Well, as usual I've been booked solid with all kinds of fun and the last month FLEW by in a flurry. I taught a Shibori class, got my latest interior design client open for business (pictures soon!) and started drawings on 2 new projects, had 4 art exhibits - 2 solo, 2 group - with one more on the way, one art fundraising event, several baseball tournaments and homework with my kids, and I even had a birthday which seriously, I forgot until I was reminded!

No wonder I'm humming the tune to "The 12 Days of Christmas"...and re-writing the lyrics...

Ah, but it's all good. And I promise, I'll get back to something that resembles regular posts. With photos even!

Meanwhile, news of the upcoming:

* This Sunday, October 10 is the opening reception for "Uncommon Threads"...a juried fiber art exhibit at the Davie County Arts Council, 2-3:30

* Taste of Art at Sawtooth - silk scarf dyeing, tomorrow night and October 22...a fun, relaxed 2 hour make and take class. You can bring wine...everything else you need is furnished. See Sawtooth's website for more info.

*Old Tyme Day at Lewisville Elementary School is coming up in November. This is always lots of fun! The third graders get to experience hands-on activities all relating to life in Colonial America, and of course, my station is quilting :) Groups of 8 rotate through each station. I give them a brief talk about quiltmaking from that time, show them my antique quilts, and then they get to work around the frame adding their own stitches to a whole cloth. It's sometimes hard to get them to quit when it' time to move on to the next station! Seeing their enthusiasm makes my day.

* In January I will be presenting "Color Works" at the Forsyth Piecers and Quilters Guild (my guild!) on 1/10. I'll be talking about how to use the color wheel when planning projects and showing examples of what works and how to punch things up when something just seems "missing." I'll have a mini trunk show as part of the lecture too.

There are a few more things in the works, so stay tuned. I'll be back before a month goes by this time! (And if I forget, hop over to Facebook and remind me!)

:)

News of the Day

2010-08-27T14:50:00.000-04:00

I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself here today!

Pat's Jacket

2010-08-11T08:44:00.000-04:00

Last week I taught the afternoon "Funky Fashion Redesign" teen classes at Sawtooth and Pat Mauck taught the morning session. Pat is an excellent weaver and seamstress (she teaches weaving there BTW!). She took my Surface Design class back in January and on the last day of classes last week she brought in this GORGEOUS jacket that she made using fabrics that she discharged. I had to show it off...(covet, covet, covet...)

Jacket by Pat Mauck - front

Jacket by Pat Mauck - back

Thanks Pat for sharing your work!! (Did I mention how GORGEOUS this jacket is?!?! My photos don't begin to do it justice)

Summer Art Honors - Part 2

2010-08-10T07:10:00.000-04:00

In the previous post I shared the work of my first set of students in the Summer Arts Honors program at the Sawtooth School for Visual Art. I also taught the second session and this group was just as much fun.

Once again we

Rust dyed... Stamped... Discharged... and Gelatin plate printed...

and then the students used their fabrics to create art quilts. At the end of the session they exhibited their work in the student show. I think you'll agree...they did a great job!

This piece is by Xavier, a combination of 2 rust dyed fabrics with the roses cut and fused.

He had never sewn anything before but looking at these stitches you would never know...

He also did some really cool discharged pieces that he wanted to keep whole

(the view is looking down into the vignette we had...the darker piece is laying on the counter and the red one is on the wall)

Next is Phoebe's piece, which she did as a two sided piece. I really like the discharged image

This is Emma's piece. I love her black and white cat stamp!

This piece is by Grace. She wanted to create the feel of water. I thought it was a timely piece, in that it speaks to me about the oil spill in the Gulf with the rust dyed bubbles, the paw print, and the discharged streaks. Not sure if that was her intention, but that's the beauty of art...each viewer finds meaning.

This is Alex's piece. I love her composition and the edge treatment she used.

It was so much fun to watch everyone's creativity at work. At the show one mom said her student started out hesitant about my class as it wasn't her first pick, but that she came home every day and talked about nothing else...it turned out to be her favorite one! Seeing people get excited about the possibilities of fiber art is what it's all about.

2010 Summer Art Honors at Sawtooth School - Part I

2010-07-05T15:23:00.018-04:00

From June 21 to July 2 I had the pleasure of teaching 'Surface Design - Fabric + Art Quilt' as part of the Summer Art Honors program at the Sawtooth School for Visual Art. This program, coordinated with the Forsyth County school system, is for artistically gifted middle and high school students who have been nominated by their art teachers for participation. Classes in every conceivable media are included in the curriculum and I was thrilled to be able to share my love of surface design and art quilting.

During week one students learned:

Rust Dyeing...

Several methods of Stamp Making and stamping on fabric...

Discharging...

(and this first one I found particularly interesting...it started as a solid pink fabric but when discharged it became this blue line banded by white that I thought was just the coolest thing ever!)

They learned how much fun it is to do Gelatin Plate Printing...

And they learned the tips and tricks of using fusible web.

During week two each student evaluated all of the fabrics they created in the first week, and selected what pieces they wanted to use in their art quilt. We used fusible web and fusible batting so minimize the amount of sewing required. Some of them had experience in sewing and some did not, but everyone learned some basic hand sewing skills. Since we met in the fibers studio, there was a wall full of every colored thread and weaving yarns to choose from for stitching materials. My only criteria for them was size limitation (based on the piece of batting they received, about 18 x 22), that it be constructed of three layers held together with stitching, and that a recognizable piece of fabric from each of the surface design techniques that they learned be incorporated. Beyond that, their vision and imagination was the limit! They all did a great job!!

This is Lynda's piece...love the hand bead work and the discharge pattern. She loves to do hand sewing and actually pieced her fabrics together.

This is Nicole's piece...love the coffee cups, indeed, music to me! She did a nice job of balancing the use of her fabrics and color placement.

This is Rachel's piece...love her use of color and depth of image layering on her stamped fabrics

This is Kati's piece...her rust dyeing turned out very cool as did her alien stamp, and she did a great job using hand stitching to create texture

This is Clarissa's piece...an experienced sewer, she used some machine stitching in her piece in addition to hand work. Love how she used her fabrics to create this landscape (And she plans to hang it in her dorm next year when she goes off to college)

At the end of the session all of the student's work was displayed and an open house reception was held in their honor. It was so inspiring to see what everyone in the program created!

It really was fun to work with these kids. I'm thinking there are some new additions to the art quilt world now, don't you?

Mercy

2010-07-01T22:55:00.006-04:00

I have just been flat out snowed under!!! With lots of good stuff, mind you, but running at a breathless pace none the less. I'm wrapping up my first session of teaching Summer Art Honors at Sawtooth, have been juggling between 5 and 6 interior design jobs at the same time, preparing and installing my artwork at Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, juggling kids at home with one playing All Stars baseball and yes, even donating my body to science! Whew!!!!

The class for SAH has been lots of fun and the students did some great work. Tomorrow we will finish up and then they will have a student open house show of all of the art that has been created over the last 2 weeks. I can't wait!

I will be posting all about the class with photos of the amazing things they have done. But in the meantime, I am looking forward to tomorrow afternoon sewing with 2 of my "troll sisters" which is guaranteed to make my sides hurt from laughing. It will be a welcomed and much needed break (even if it's technically a productive one).

:)

PS- game 2 of the All Stars tournament is Friday night....GO SWFLL!!!

Road Trip Footnote

2010-05-13T13:35:00.002-04:00

Check THIS out!

(woohoo!)

:)

Road Trip!

2010-05-09T15:20:00.029-04:00

Last weekend I packed up my wares and headed to Blacksburg, Virginia to be a vendor at Fork and Cork. This was my first go at tent selling, and while sales weren't anywhere near what I had hoped, I had fun and learned a lot. This was also a trip home for me. I grew up in the next town over and my parents had a business in Blacksburg. I went to design school there at VA Tech. So naturally I was hoping to run into some people I knew from way back when, and I did. I got to see my childhood best friend/neighbor and her daughter and it was like stepping back in time...talk about a "little me", her daughter looks exactly like my friend did when we were that age. It was fun catching up!

At the close of the festival I packed it all back up (with generous help from my "tent neighbors"...THANKS Dr. and Mrs. G and daughter!!!) and headed to Roanoke to spend some time with my Aunt June. My Aunt June who is a fabulous QUILTER! :)

When I was growing up Aunt June and her family lived in Wilmington, NC and I usually only got to see them at Christmas. But I've long admired her sewing and handwork. She is the one who taught me how to do a proper blind hem when I was little and spent my sewing time making clothing. Among the many things she made I especially remember two beautiful quilted and trapuntoed pillows she made for my grandmother one year. Back in my young, single days living in Myrtle Beach and then after I moved to Winston-Salem, I would go spend a week with her when I had vacation time. Every morning when I would get up (after sleeping in of course, it was vacation after all) she would have already been up, done some gardening, and would be sitting at her quilting frame stitching away. Granted, at the time I had no real interest in quilting (gasp!) but I credit her with planting the seed that years later would sprout up in me and provide me with some of the most rewarding fun of my life!

She came to visit me one Christmas when I had just started my first attempt at making a quilt. It was a table runner and it was so bad I never finished it. The piecing was good, but the fabric choices were NOT and I had started trying to hand quilt it using high loft batting! LOL!!! I didn't know any better at the time. But she was so gracious and encouraging and I kept at it.

Anyway, I got to her house around 8:00 Saturday evening, and after catching her up with the latest and telling her about the festival I took a long hot shower and crawled under one of her wonderful quilts, drifting off to one of the best night's sleep I've had in a while.

This is hand appliqued and hand quilted. and it was her FIRST QUILT!! It is meticulously done and I laughed when I found that out. I told her I would not have wanted to be in a "My First Quilt" category with her in a show!

Sunday morning we had a trunk show of the quilts she still has. Like all of us, she has made many, many quilts that she has given as gifts over the years. But she still has a great collection and I was glad to get to see them. The really neat thing I found out is that my grandmother also quilted. All the time I knew her she crocheted, and the things she made were amazing. I never knew she quilted, so seeing those quilts was a special treat and threaded another tie between the three generations of us.

This one is so beautiful in person...a pale blush pink with cream appliqued flowers and vines. My photos do not do it justice!

"Matthew's Mountains"

This quilt is made of hand embroidered state names and flowers and is hand quilted.

These are some of my grandmother's quilts, either made by her or started by her and finished by my aunt:

Typical of quilts of that era, these were made with clothing scraps. It makes me smile to think that some of my dad's shirts may be in there!

After lunch with Aunt June and my Aunt Hazel who also lives in the area I had a hand quilting lesson. It will take a lot of practice before I consistently get the tiny little stitches that she does, but I learned a couple of things that made immediate improvements to what I had been doing. After a trunk show of all my festival wares I packed up and sadly said goodbye. I wish I could have spent more time up there.

Guess I'll just have to schedule another road trip! :)

Time for the Hokie to Fly!

2010-04-23T18:36:00.004-04:00

He's finished!!

Isn't he handsome?

Meet Hokie Pokie Dot II...he flies off to his new home in Virginia tomorrow morning. I'm going to miss him... (but it sure will be nice to be able to park in the garage again!)

My How Time Does Fly...

2010-04-05T13:12:00.018-04:00

And BOY have I been BUSY!! OK, I know...what else is new? ;) Lots of irons in the fire over the last month and a half...a fun workshop with John Flynn, a visit from a dear friend and her daughter from Atlanta, I hosted my quit bee (my mostly traditional quilting buddies), attended a Beecassos meeting (my fiber art buddies), entered an art exhibit at First Christian Church (hanging thru April 16, Country Club Road in Winston-Salem) and two exhibits with the Cosmic Cow Society (read more about this at the end of the post!), went to a trunk show by Alex Anderson (her show Simply Quilts was a daily must have for me back in my beginning days of quilting...what a thrill to get to meet her in person!), have been prepping for my first go at a street festival...and it's baseball season for my boys!

Whew!

Oh yeah, and I've been finishing this:

Meet "Happy Scrappy Cat"...my piece for the Forsyth Humane Society's Art Unleashed 2010! She stands about 30" at her tail (including the base, which is on casters) and will be clear coated with an automotive grade finish, so she can be either an indoor kitty or an outdoor one. She is playful, and doesn't shed. And yes, she's covered in a gazillion tiny custom quilt 'stitches'. :)

The official event kick-off is May 15 at Tanglewood Park. After that the cats and dogs will be "fostered" at various businesses in downtown Winston-Salem and then be auctioned off at the end of the summer. For more details visit the FHS website (and yes, they will take proxy bids!)

She is being kept company for the moment by this guy:

This is a preliminary peek at "Hokie Pokie Dot II"...he stands about 5' tall and, well, he makes me feel skinny standing beside him! This is a private commission and is a variation of one I did for the Blacksburg Partnership for their "Gobble DeArt" event. They are coordinating this commission, so I haven't met the owner, but I hear it is a Virginia "official." (Cool!)

I've painted 3 coats of burgundy and 4 of the orange...now I have LOTS of dots to fill in. Thank goodness for blue painter's tape and my scrapbooking circle cutters! Oh, and of course I have to do the eyes too. He looks a little freaky at the moment. Scares us sometimes when we go out into the garage!

Back to the Cosmic Cow Society...we have an opening reception for our April/May exhibit this Sunday, April 11 from 2-5 at Bartlett and Mitchell on Friendly Avenue (down from Guilford College) in Greensboro. This exhibit is a benefit for the local Autism Society, with 20% of sales going to them AND Mitchell and Bartlett will match those funds. This is the piece I have submitted:

Titled "Rising", it is discharged, hand and machine quilted, hand beaded, and mounted on a copper metallic canvas. This picture is a bit wonky...I was running out the door with it when I remembered I hadn't photographed it...so it was shot in haste. What doesn't show is all of the black on black hand stitching on the mountains. I like the way it turned out...come see it in person!

So, that's what I've been up to, and why I've been absent in blogland. Thanks for stopping by and catching up!

That's what it's all about... :)

Art Unleashed 2010

2010-02-24T11:03:00.004-05:00

I've been happily painting away on my piece for Art Unleashed, a fundraising event for the Forsyth Humane Society. Artfully painted cats and dogs will be on display in downtown Winston-Salem during the summer and will be adopted at the auction gala later this year. This is their 3rd Art Unleashed and I have had the privilege of creating a piece for each event. New to the event this time will be the inclusion of other animal related works of art in addition to the sculptures.

Near and dear to my heart, FHS is where my beautiful Lucy came from...the inspiration for my last piece for them.

Stay tuned...more progress will come!

The White Heron

2010-02-15T08:11:00.005-05:00

On Friday of last week I took a drive across the state to Dunn, NC to meet with the owner of the White Heron Gallery. Twice rescheduled due to snow, I was glad to finally make the trip! The gallery is a renovated two story 1930's house with great architectural details. (click on the link and then click on the white heron to see pictures) Still a work in progress, it is scheduled to open in just a few weeks. The owner, Adelaide, is an absolute delight...one of those people you feel like you've known forever. She is an incredible artist herself, and has a great vision for the gallery.

I'm pleased to announce that she will be carrying my work!

It SNOWED!

2010-02-09T10:10:00.012-05:00

Here in Piedmont NC we rarely get snow. Ice, sometimes, but even that comes around only once in a while (thankfully, because it usually knocks out the power). Oh, but THIS year, we got SNOW! Not just once, but so far, twice! And not just the two-flakes-are-falling-quick-run-buy-bread-and-milk kind of snow, but honest-to-goodness-cover-the-ground-and-then-some kind of snow. Look at my driveway...Beautiful!!

(OK, I know my northern friends are experiencing SNOOOW, so this will not look like much. My heart goes out to you...some is good, but 2'+ is too much!! I used to live in the DC area and I can't imagine!)

Anyway, we had a blast sledding and watching the dogs romp about. We took a walk under the full moon which lit up the night, casting shadows of the trees. The boys even enjoyed an outdoor breakfast of hot cinnamon rolls and cocoa. And then...

I dyed.

I'll admit, when I first saw that technique in Quilting Arts I didn't give it much thought. Looked fun, but at the time it was published snow was not a consideration here. However, being inspired by those on the QA list who had tried it, I thought I might as well take advantage of this rare appearance here. And it was FUN!

I pre-soaked my scoured fabric in soda ash solution, then bunched it up in dishpan tubs, about a yard per tub. While the fabric was soaking I prepared my dyes (Procion). I like to use squirt bottles which I get at my local beauty supply store. Then I scooped up snow from the driveway, covering the fabric almost to the rim of the tubs and squirted the dye across the snow.

(I'm sure my neighbors were wondering...though they should be used to my driveway productions by now - rust dyeing, painting giant Hokie birds...)

I let it sit in the garage for a while, then moved it inside the studio so it could start melting...

Here it is all melted...pretty! I let it sit overnight to batch then did the rinse, repeat, and hot water / Synthrapol wash and....

TaaDaaa!

I'm thinking it might be OK if it snows again...just a little! :)

2010-01-28T10:50:00.005-05:00

I am thrilled that my art quilt "Every One Fits In" made for Art Now for Autism 2009, was selected for the logo of Breaking Traditions 2010! Curated by Lynn Krawczyk, Breaking Traditions is a traveling exhibit that brings awareness and raises funding for worthwhile causes.

It is an open call art quilt event. I hope everyone will consider participating...you can find out more about the event here.

The deadline for entry is not until August 21 (receive date) so you have time to get creative!

Sawtooth School

2010-01-24T15:55:00.015-05:00

For the past two Saturdays I have had the honor of teaching surface design at the Sawtooth School for Visual Art in Winston-Salem, NC. We did rust dyeing, stamp making and stamping, discharging, and gelatin plate printing...and we had FUN!! These ladies were very open to learning new things and getting messy...my idea of the perfect way to spend a Saturday.

Everyone came up with great stamp designs!

Randi working on her silk scarf

Laura's gelatin print from real starfish (cool, huh?)

Pat discovers the joy of gelatin printing!

After having time to learn and play with each technique, everyone had a chance to alter a silk scarf as well as something they brought from home. Lynn and Toni did t-shirts and Randi gave a linen shirt and pants that were headed out the door a brand new look. Pat discharged two t-shirts using some oriental stencils she brought in. Denni altered one of her husband's old shirts, sort of in a spirit of humor, but it turned out really cool! She also altered a gridded piece of fabric to look like Spanish tiles. Laura had even done her homework and created a completed art quilt with the stamp she created in week one!

It was such fun to see everyone's creative gears turning, hearing "oohs" along the way! I just wish my camera battery hadn't died on me!!! Hopefully I'll find some photos in my email of everyone's projects so I can post more here. (hint,hint!) :)

* Edit - you can see more of Laura's work here (thanks Laura!)

I will be teaching this again May 8 and 15, so check the Sawtooth website for registration information and come join the fun!

And I promise, I'll charge my camera... :)

Here Kitty Kitty

2010-01-13T09:18:00.005-05:00

Hokie bird has a buddy! This one is for the Forsyth Humane Society's Art Unleashed fundraiser.

I've always wanted a cat in the quilt studio. :)

Hangin' with a Hokie

2010-01-06T10:05:00.006-05:00

So, this is who I'll be spending time with over the next couple of months...

Yes, he's that big :)

I'll be painting and transforming him, then he will fly off to his new home in Northern Virginia! First thing to do is sand and prime. Stay tuned...I will post progress pictures along the way.

Surface Design Class

2010-01-05T18:38:00.009-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

Start your year out with some fun...

Sign up this week for my surface design class at Sawtooth School for Visual Art in Winston-Salem, NC! Class is Saturday, Jan 16 from 9:30 - 12:30 and Saturday Jan. 23, 9:00 - 2:00. Come learn and play with rust dyeing, stamp making/stamping, discharging, and gelatin plate printing...it's going to be a blast!

Simply click the Sawtooth link and register...but hurry, time's running out!

Winding Down...Winding UP!

2009-12-27T17:38:00.008-05:00

I can't believe that the year is almost over! Where did it go??? It seems like this one in particular went by at an unbelievable speed. Perhaps it was the constantly (over?)booked schedule...but that's pretty much the norm in my world. It was a great year for the most part, though it had some sharp spots in it. Normally I would call them 'rough spots' but these were downright sharp. Nevertheless, good things come out of every situation if you are willing to look for them, and having found the good, I press onward to embrace what the new year will bring.

For starters I have to get going on my fiberglass sculpture commissions. One, a 5' tall Hokie bird (ala VA Tech), which will arrive at my house this Saturday - weather permitting. The other, a cat for the Forsyth Humane Society's Art Unleashed fundraiser, due to arrive sometime in January. Both will be artfully painted. Stay tuned for postings as I get them underway. Deadline for both pieces is April. I have done several commissions like this in the past...the trick this time is that, being winter, I will need to fit them into my studio instead of the garage. That means the first thing on the agenda is to clean up and make room! :)

In January I am teaching my first class at Sawtooth School for Visual Art (Winston-Salem, NC)on surface design...Saturdays 1/16 & 23...covering rust dyeing, stamp making and stamping, discharge dyeing, and gelatin plate printing. Click here if you want to join in on the fun!

In March I will be teaching an original Easter table runner pattern at Sew Original (also in Winston-Salem)...more info on that will be posted closer to time.

I also have booked 2 small solo shows, which I am excited about. They are both local and later in the year, giving me time to create new pieces for them. I am a bit undecided on what other shows I will submit for this year. PAQA South has ARTQUILTS:illuminations coming up and I have a couple of pieces started that I want to submit for that one. My guild has a show this spring that I will put some piece into...it's always a great show. Beyond those two I still have to decide. I have committed to a street festival in Virginia in the spring, and there will be venues to arrange for the Beecassos, next year's Deck the Halls, more classes to teach, new galleries to explore, and .....oh yeah, my day job!

The new year is full of possibilities...I guess I'd better get busy!

Happy New Year everyone...make it the best ever!

Getting Close to Christmas!

2009-12-17T19:01:00.004-05:00

December has flown by so far...lots of baking and visiting, concerts and reunions, decorating and preparing...in the fun, busy heart of the season it's easy to forget to slow down and just reflect.

Finding a moment, I looked back at this...and I still love it!

Snow is in the forecast - it just might be a white Christmas after all!

:)

Hokies, Kitties, and Floor Plans, Oh My!

2009-12-08T14:28:00.006-05:00

Within the span of about a week I have been commissioned to paint a 5' tall fiberglass Hokie Bird for someone in Virginia, I found out that I've been selected to paint a fiberglass cat for the Forsyth Humane Society's Art Unleashed 2010 (my third time with them!) and I just got a call for a 1,400 sqft space planning job. I'll find out at the end of this week how I did at Sawtooth's Deck the Halls holiday sale and I am scheduled to teach a surface design class there in January (16th and 23rd... covering rust dyeing, stamp making and stamping, discharge dyeing, and gelatin plate printing...FUN!). Some of my things had sold out when I was there on Friday and I took another load in on Saturday, so I'm looking forward to finding out how it all did.

All very welcomed good news!

art + quilt

2009-11-21T16:53:00.007-05:00

I'm so excited! I have received my signed copy of Lyric Kinard's fabulous book art+quilt Design Principles and Creativity Exercises...available at your favorite LQS or directly through her website or blog (where you can get a signed copy too! Just click the word blog and it will link you to it)

Lyric is a fellow PAQA-South member and one of the most talented, generous people I know. Her book takes you through lessons on the elements and principles of design, exercises in creative composition, and concludes with ways to effectively analyze and critique work, including several examples of her own pieces and where she sees her successes and lessons learned. Lots of great information!

I'm particularly fond of page 99...I have 2 of my quilts published there! They are the result of an exercise in choosing a principle and an element, then creating a piece in 30 minutes. It was an eye opening experience for me...I usually spend a LOT of time on a piece and this showed me the possibilities in working smaller and faster.

NQR

2009-11-16T09:26:00.012-05:00

NQR...that's "Not Quilt Related" for my non-fiber art readers!

Though it was inspiring on many levels and I imagine there are elements that will make it into a future piece or two... guess where we were this past weekend?

Here's another hint...
Yes! Charleston!

Beautiful, elegant, historical Charleston, South Carolina.

*swoon and sigh*

Guess where we slept?

That's right! Aboard the USS Yorktown! Our Scout pack traveled for an adventure weekend, and with several hundred other Scouts from other areas we learned the history of the ship and it's aircraft, saw an amazing movie about the Blue Angels, and even had a hands-on science lesson about the ecosystem of the area. The boys learned how to measure salinity and how the level of that affects aquatic life, and they gathered plankton and studied it under a microscope. Someone had even scooped up a tiny jelly - smaller than the tip of my little finger! We explored the ship,viewing the many artifacts and exhibits aboard, and yes, we ate and slept much like the original seamen would have done back in the day. Only 8 women came from our pack and we were given officers quarters...so we only had to share rooms that would accommodate six. The boys and men, however, got the enlisted quarters and slept 60 or so to a room, with bunks stacked up to 4 high with not much room in between. Quite the adventure!

The timing of the trip, being so close to Veteran's Day, made it all the more special. God bless our Service men and women! Because of their sacrifices we are free.

Woo Hoo!!

2009-11-08T20:07:00.004-05:00

"Rising Above Adversity with a Clear Conscience" (seen on the right) just won 3rd place in "Uncommon Threads", a juried fiber arts exhibit at the Davie County Arts Council!!!

The award came with a check! That's a first for me. A fun first.

:)

Big News!

2009-10-11T22:35:00.008-04:00

In another one of my "why not?" moments I decided that if I'm going to design patterns for the classes I teach, I might as well publish them. Sounds like a good plan to me...see what you think!

My first offering: Falling Leaves

Complete with photo illustrations of the process, this pattern is available for $12 USD.

To order, please visit my website at www.kfridy.com

How I Dyed

2009-10-04T21:31:00.007-04:00

A few people have asked how I got the results with my adventures in dyeing, so I thought I'd post it here.

First, the color dye....I used Procion dyes and you can see in the set up photos a few posts down that I just used a card table in my garage, some quart size zip-top plastic bags, an old shower curtain pole suspended over one of my kids sleds (a trick I learned in Robbie Joy Eklow's first book) and bottles I picked up at the beauty supply store that are supposed to be for hair dye (long tip squirty bottles). First I pre-soaked my PFD fabric in a soda ash solution, squeezed out the excess back into the soda ash bucket (use gloves!), then either bunched it up in a bag or draped it over the pole. Next I mixed my dye colors using all the necessary safety precautions - respirator, gloves, etc. - straight into the squirt bottles, then proceeded to squirt the colors of choice either into the bags which got mushed about to distribute the color(s), or across/down the fabrics draped on the poles. I even threw one FQ into the sled (drip catcher pan), which turned out to be one of my favorite ones! I left it all to batch for a few hours, then did the 'rinse,repeat' until the water ran clear, at which point I gave it all a good hot wash in Synthropol (colors separated), more rinses and then dried and ironed it all. I know there are dyers out there who have controlled formulas for achieving consistent results. Fascinating to me, but I'm not one of them! I think it's fun to just say 'what if'...that's how I approach most of my work. I mixed the colors until they looked yummy and from there I played.

For the rusting...the first few photos were done by fan folding the fabric, wrapping it around a decorative, unfinished metal stair picket, and then wrapping that with unfinished floral wire. I covered it in plastic wrap and left it outside for a day or two. The last photo was done with metal washers in various sizes tucked into the fabric folded multiple times. In all cases I pre-soaked the fabric in a white vinegar/water solution, mixed about half and half, squeezed out most of the liquid, then proceeded as described. I washed the final products in hot water and Synthropol. Sometimes I soak the end results in a salt water bath before I do the final wash.

It doesn't take a great lot of space to do. Time, yes. Which is why I only processed about 6 yards in this session. But it's all really easy and fun to do!

Give dyeing a try!

Oooohh! Part 2 - Rust

2009-09-28T18:20:00.007-04:00

More fun dyeing...this time with rust!

That's my most favorite one of all!!

Ooohhh!

2009-09-21T17:14:00.004-04:00

Dyeing is fun...here are a few of the things I did

Wait 'till you see what I did with RUST!!

Dyeing...

2009-09-14T17:44:00.007-04:00

...as opposed to the alternative spelling.

I spent all day yesterday in the ER with my DH (nothing life threatening, thank goodness! Just a 4mm kidney stone...ugh). And after fighting two weeks worth of my allergies turning into cold turning into bronchitis I finally dragged my own self to the doctor today.

I hate being sick.

This is my way of fighting back...

I'll post the results in a day or two...once the antibiotic has kicked in... :)

SOLD!

2009-09-10T08:33:00.005-04:00

I just found out that my piece "Jelly Ball" has sold! It was hanging at Associated Artists in Winston-Salem, NC ...a great place to shop, BTW :-)

Scroll down the page and have a look. It is in the right side bar.

What a fabulously good bit of news to start my day. I'm going to grab a cup of coffee and float on cloud nine for a few minutes...then it's back to work!

September Classes

2009-08-15T21:10:00.006-04:00

I'm going to be teaching at Karen Gray Design in September! Her shop is located in Reynolda Village in Winston-Salem. I was one of her first customers (click on that link...isn't her shop GORGEOUS!?) and I'm excited that she is starting to offer classes there.

My classes will include Fun Fusing, Bowled Over (fabric bowl), and Fabric Journal. More information is available on her blog.

I hope you will join me for one - or all - of these fun classes. Remember, Christmas/Hanukkah/ Kwanzaa will all be here before you know it. It's never too soon to start thinking about creating special, one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list!

Also, I am very thrilled to have been asked to teach at the fall meeting of North Carolina Quilters on September 18 and 19 at the Haw River State Park Conference Center in Brown Summit, NC. We will be rust dyeing on Friday, and I have designed "Falling Leaves", a fall table runner, for this event which I will teach on Saturday. Come join the fun!

Art Now 2009

2009-08-01T16:58:00.022-04:00

This is the piece I have created for this year's Art Now for Autism fundraising event. It is 8 x 9.5" and incorporates paint stamped puzzle prints, teeny wonky strip piecing, commercial batik, printed text on fabric, FMQ, and a hand painted and gloss varnished puzzle piece using Lumiere paint, sewn on with hand dyed floss.

I knew I wanted to incorporate the puzzle pieces in some way, but otherwise I just set about creating. I love when a piece comes together without much preconceived notion of how it will finish.

This year seems to have been an especially trying one for my friend whose son has Aspergers. He will be starting 6th grade in a few weeks...middle school. The time in life where friends start to move in new directions, some going to this school, some going to that, some going to others. My friend worries about how her son will adjust...that's a big transition for any kid, where they leave the security and familiarity of elementary school, the place of friendships nurtured since preschool, and seek to find their way in a whole new realm. Where will he fit in?

I thought about that for a long time...it's like a puzzle. Where do all the pieces fit? Is there a place for all of them?

Think about the hardest puzzle you have ever done. It takes time to sort it all out and to begin to put the first pieces together. Some of the pieces look exactly the same...some look like they couldn't possibly belong. Yet, the picture cannot be completed without all of them. And usually the most unique ones are the ones everyone wants to find. At our house there's always a race to find them and to be the one who gets to put the last piece in place.

So this year's creation gives voice to my reflections. The size is a little off "standard"...the strip piecing goes this way and that...the puzzles pieces are scattered and there's no telling yet where they fit. But in the end it all comes together.

And I know him...he will find his place too.

:-)

Be sure to click on the Art Now link above, or scroll down the blog until you see the Art Now logo in the right hand column. There's still time to contribute if you want to help out, and it's not just for fiber art! Also, hop over to Colorful Art Girl's blog for a fantastic giveaway celebrating this event!

Unexpected Gifts

2009-07-31T19:33:00.009-04:00

If you know me, or have been visiting here for a while, you know that I have a thing for butterflies, particularly Monarchs. Well, last year I also had Swallowtail caterpillars visit my parsley, so I decided we'd put one in the bug box and watch it do its thing. Within a couple of days it had gone into the chrysalis stage and we expected to see it come out a few weeks later, just as the Monarchs do. But we waited... and waited...and waited, and it didn't happen. I figured that something had gone wrong, and I really intended to clean out the box, but somewhere in the chaos of life the box got pushed into a corner and lost behind some other stuff.

A couple of weeks ago I came across the box and thought "Ugh! I never cleaned that out!" but again, something else got my attention and I didn't do it. Imagine my surprise a few hours later when I went back to the task and found THIS!

We took it outside, hoping to take some close up shots as we took it out of the box, but it was ready to go and off it went. Pretty amazing.

Isn't that how life works sometimes? You're sure something is going to happen and you wait... anticipation fueling your excitement, only to feel disappointment when what you thought would happen seems destined to never be. But then, WOW! The unexpected happens and you realize that some things are just out of your hands, they happen when the time is right for them to be. The simplest things can teach us so much.

The other cool thing came to me one morning recently when I came into the kitchen WAY earlier than I had planned. The dogs wanted out, and they wanted out NOW...didn't matter that I was sleeping. But again, what an unexpected gift:

Rainbows on my table! If I had been even 10 minutes later I would have missed it.

I love surprises...

Traditional

2009-07-12T21:21:00.008-04:00

A couple of weekends ago my "traditional" quilting buddies gathered for another one of our in-town day retreats. It is always a lot of fun! The last few times we've done this I've worked on art quilts, trying to meet deadlines for shows. This time I opted to work on my batik BOM blocks (from last year!) and this quilt will be for me! YAY! This same group goes on a couple of out-of-town weekend retreats a year and everyone brings a quilt from home to put on their bed. Other than the queen size quilt I sleep under - and I can't take that one...hubs would be left at home uncovered -the only other ones I have are the construction tractor quilts I made my boys when they were younger. Now, granted, I do love construction and all (ties to my day job) but I have felt a little silly with that on retreat! So, if I can keep working on this new one I will have something that is "me" to travel with. It looks a little muted in these pictures, but it is really BRIGHT!

Here's where I started the day...auditioning setting fabrics and cutting sashing...

And by the end of the day I had an almost completed top. I still need to add borders, which I'm still contemplating. Hopefully I won't take forever to decide....

These are 12" blocks and yes, there are only 11 in the quilt. I did do all 12, but I thought one of them just didn't fit with the rest. It has a future as a Christmas pillow. :-) I have to give a shout out to my friend who helped me do the math on the setting triangles to keep the bias in the right place. Thanks Lisa!!

Honored

2009-07-09T14:12:00.002-04:00

It was thrilling enough just to have been juried in...now this (scroll down the page on the link, you'll see what I mean). I'm speechless!

:-)

Renewal

2009-06-15T20:31:00.010-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been rough...the kind of weeks that sear the very edges of your soul. I've been overbooked, under rested, stretched too thin with my back up against a few too many walls and a painful dose of conflict thrown in for good measure. So, having found myself with an unexpected free hour I decided to take a long, leisurely stroll through Reynolda Gardens. I haven't done that in a very, very long time, but I used to go there often in my younger, single days and sit on this very bench to contemplate life and refill my spirit.

This was a gorgeous day, with the sun shining but not too hot. Being late morning there weren't many people there, so it was a perfect respite from the load. I took the chance to play with my new camera and had a great time looking for beauty and inspiration. Of course, here, one does not have to look far...it is all around.

There is a huge formal rose garden, one of my most favorite parts, and the roses are just coming into their own. Cliche, I know, but it really does help to stop and smell them! It takes time to meander through the pathways and really see each variety. On past the roses, the vegetable and herb gardens are progressing nicely. I can't imagine the number of hands it takes to tend it all.

I laughed out loud at this one...we do grow some unique things here in the South. And to think, I had mine the hard way....

I happened upon this bridal shoot and it was so beautiful I couldn't help but snap a shot myself. What a perfect setting to capture those special memories! I hope I didn't distract them.

I wonder if anyone has told her about the children's garden? :-)

My last stop was to wander through the greenhouses. I love them almost as much as the outdoor gardens. Lots and lots of cacti with their great textures, and the most amazing collection of orchids. I took more pictures than would be practical to post here...suffice it to say that the time spent there was just what I needed. I came away refreshed and renewed with a big collection of new photos for inspiration.

I especially loved this orchid...it looks like an angel...

Beecassos

2009-06-04T09:01:00.011-04:00

The Beecassos are having their second exhibition of unique art quilts at Chelsee's, on Trade Street in the Arts District, from now through July 1. First Friday is tomorrow night so come on out and see what we've done!

That's my work on the cover of Community Arts Cafe (insert squealing, clapping and cartwheels here!!) Click on the link to read more about the Beecassos, and to learn more about arts in the Triad.

Spring for Art!

2009-05-27T15:24:00.008-04:00

The last two days have been a flurry of activity as I have been designing the hanging of Associated Artists Spring for Art. Mark your calendars for this Friday, May 29 beginning at 7:00 and join us for our spring fundraising evening of fabulous food, wine, music, and of course ART. Lots of it...over 100 amazing pieces! Tickets are available in advance by calling the gallery or may be purchased at the door.

Here's a little sneak peek...one of my entries, "Fire Tree" which is needle and steam felted wool, soy silk and Angelina fibers, hand beaded and stitched to canvas.

Arts in Education - the final workshop

2009-05-21T13:58:00.008-04:00

My last workshop for the Arts in Education program of Associated Artists was held at Southeast Middle School, where we did Positive/Negative surface designs on fabric. Positive, by adding to the surface with fabric paints, and negative by taking away from the fabric with discharging. It was a small group, but we had fun and I had creative kids who did a great job!

I have really enjoyed presenting these workshops. Having art in the public schools is very important to me and I'm glad I got to be a part of this Arts Council grant program.

Angelina Art

2009-05-13T19:16:00.004-04:00

This fun little piece was made by Wanda Norman, who took my Awesome Angelina class at Sew Original in Winston-Salem, NC. It is titled "The Midnight Sun." Nice Job Wanda!

I will be teaching the class again at Sewingly Yours in Lewisville, NC on June 20 from 1-3. It is a fun, no machine required, hands-on class.

More Arts in Education

2009-05-05T16:37:00.006-04:00

Recently I was invited to present another workshop as part of the Arts in Education program through Associated Artists. This time I went to Glenn High School in Kernersville, NC and as usual I was very impressed with the work I saw hanging in the classroom, and equally so with what the students did with their fusible expanded square designs. Take a look at these...

Aren't they terrific!? I had a great time...those kids are so creative!

Channeling Rayna

2009-04-28T16:18:00.017-04:00

Today was my turn to facilitate the monthly meeting/workshop for the Beecassos, my local art quilt group and we did gelatin monoprinting, inspired by Rayna Gillman and her book Create Your Own Hand-printed Cloth (it's one of the best books I've purchased, and you can get your very own signed copy from her site, so go over there and get one!) We had sooo much FUN!

Why gelatin, you might ask? Well, you know how much fun it is to eat...it's even MORE fun to play with it! Pure JOY. I could spend days printing this way...

slime green...wonder who did that one? :-)

We used all kinds of things to create patterns and texture. I gathered lots of different leaves from my yard...long leaf pine, maple, oak, strawberry, dandelion, ferns, and I even realized after years of battling this noxious weed mess that I can't get rid of - don't know what it is, that it actually has perfect leaves for printing! I did stop short of using the poison ivy I found (reminder to self, go spray that!). We also used pool noodles, thread spools, straw, netting, bubble wrap, a potato masher, a spatula, foam stamps...lots of stuff. Did I mention how much FUN we had??

Rayna, wish you could have been with us in person!

Autism and Art

2009-04-24T15:37:00.005-04:00

I just received this in the mail today:

I trust I will be forgiven for any copyright violations by scanning this postcard...you see, Zac is my nephew. From a very early age, even when he was still mostly non-verbal his artistic gift was evident. For a long time he would only draw on a white board, but with patient guidance from his teacher he moved to paper in the form of spiral bound blank pages. The first time my sister-in-law showed me his drawings I was blown away. He understood perspective and scale without ever having been taught it at an age where stick figures would have been the expected norm for any child. In particular I remember a series of drawings, each of the same scene, but as you turned the page in his book each scene would be as if you had walked further and further into the drawing. It was amazing.

I am glad he has been able to continue developing his artistic abilities. I think they far outweigh any autistic limitations. How cool that his work was chosen for the postcard for World Autism Awareness Day!

I am so proud of him.