Negative Positive Quilts

I just completed these small negative positive quilts.
The quilting done with a zigzag stitch was an accidental discovery I made. My grandchildren were creating fused quilts faster than I could quilt them for them. I put Jessica’s under the needle and started quilting. It didn’t take me long to realize the machine was not doing a straight stitch. I decided it really was a great idea and have used it on everyone since.
I have framed them. I have not figured out now to take photos of something behind glass in a frame.
In fact, these images were scanned so they are much better than any photos I DO take.
Can YOU see the pattern I created?

Monet’s Garden - My Solo Show Opens In 5 Days

This is one of 4 pieces from my Monet’s Garden series that will be a part of my show “Florida Ice”.
These pieces can be hung individually in a smaller space or hung as a grouping in a larger space. They are the kind of work that puts everyone in a good mood when they look at them.
Each is a one of a kind piece of art that can not be reproduced because of the proprietary methods I have developed for creating my ice dyed tapestries.
There will be an artist reception March 16th from 12:30-2 pm. The show runs from March 16th to April 27th
The Ocala City Hall/Municipal building is located at 110 SE Watula Ave in Ocala, Florida. The City Hall is open M-F 8 am -5 pm.
There is no admission charge and there is a large free parking lot.
All work is for sale.

Still Dyeing

I don’t think I’ll every tire of Ice Dyeing.
Each piece is a new surprise. I play and try different fabric manipulations and colors on each and every one.
I can’t even remember how I did many of them when they are finished. And that is good.
When I made a quick visit to my show this winter before heading south there was a lady there who kept telling me how I should make a record of exactly how I did each one so I could duplicate it. It took me a long time to make her understand that I was creating ART and had no desire to make the same thing over and over. In fact, even if I tried there still would be many variables and each one would be different.
That is the difference between an ART Ice Dyer and a production Ice Dyer.

Embellish Magazine From Australia

Do you see anything you recognize on the cover of the June issue of the magazine?

My show Ice Tapestries and Shibori Quilts is being featured in Embellish magazine  Issue 30 June 2017!
I am excited and can’t wait to get my copy.
If you missed the show you can read about it and also see photos of many of the pieces from the show.

Ice Dye Du Jour

I have created some new ice dyed fabrics.
This is today’s one I want to share with all of you.
I never know what I am going to get when I do this as each one is a new experiment.
I couldn’t be happier about this one.

Knitting - It’s All About COLOR and TEXTURE

One of the reasons I enjoy knitting these afghans so much is that I love to work with color and use color flow in so much of my art. I am able to make these transitions because I have acquired quite a palette of yarn with more on the way.

The very first one I made was my attempt to use up some of the yarn I had. I soon had to start filling in colors to make it work. And now I have a lot more yarn than I started with!

Over the years I have refined and  improved the methods for the pieces I create. I can make them specifically for family and friends to enhance the colors they love. I no longer add fringe as it tickles you when you use them!


I rarely make them to coordinate to a decorating scheme and that is something that people change on a whim

The textures inherent in the yarns give me another way to make spectacular art. The yarns vary in weight and thickness which just adds to creating another degree of texture. I do seek out many novelty yarns in my quest as it adds even more interest.

I can also combine any and all types of yarn no matter what the fiber content.

Of course knitting (and most other handwork) is one of the most relaxing things we can do…unless it is one of those patterns we have to pay attention to for each and every stitch.

Since I only use garter stitch that is not a concern for me as I knit them.

This one is still a work in progress and I am awaiting more special yarns to finish it.
The finished pieces are soft, comfy and warm.
These are just a few of the 17 I have made to date and I am now working on number 18.

The Good Stuff

I am sharing some thoughts on how I work in this post. It applies to all of my work no matter what the technique or medium is.
Now that my show is over it is time for me to work on new pieces.
I had an very general idea for a very simple work.
It is turning out not to be so simple but I hope it will be beautiful.
I started by pulling some pieces of beautiful hand dyed fabrics from my palette of fabrics. As I work on this I am continually adding more fabrics that will enhance the flow of this piece.
These are fabrics some people might feel too precious to use!
What you say? Use those gorgeous pieces of fabric? I can’t get any more of them and what if I want them?
They will never reach their potential sitting in a drawer because one is afraid to cut them up.
Remember, it is ONLY fabric and more can be created!
The fabrics you see here are just the beginning.
It is not going to be a quick project but I hope it will be successful.
When I start something, I have a very general idea of what I want to do.
As I work I watch when is happening and change course as necessary.
It is only then that a piece can hopefully reach it’s true potential.

Time Is Running Down To See My Show

Counting Down–Only 9 More Days To See My Show- Ice Tapestries and Shibori Quilts

This is your last chance to see this ground breaking critically acclaimed show at the Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha, WI at 121 66th St. The center is open Tuesdays through Sundays 1-4 pm.

Sacred Spirits
Each piece is one of a kind.

Ice On Fire   Can you see the flames quilted on this?

Sun Fun Flower     Lots of quilting on this one too!

Mystic

My Elusive Dream

15 Flavors Of Sorbet
How many of the 85+ works in my show have you see on these blog posts? I have not shared nearly all of them on my blog.
But you can scroll backward and check how many you have seen.
You still have time to get to the show and see all of them.
A photo can never do fiber art justice but I am happy to share these photos with those of you who live too far away to attend the show.
The photos in the show book are high quality and you get an even better view.

Counting Down–Only 11 More Days To See My Show- Ice Tapestries and Shibori Quilts

This is your last chance to see this ground breaking critically acclaimed show at the Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha, WI at 121 66th St. The center is open Tuesdays through Sundays 1-4 pm.

Sacred Spirits
Each piece is one of a kind.

Ice On Fire   Can you see the flames quilted on this?

Sun Fun Flower     Lots of quilting on this one too!

Mystic

My Elusive Dream

15 Flavors Of Sorbet
How many of the 85+ works in my show have you see on these blog posts? I have not shared nearly all of them on my blog.
But you can scroll backward and check how many you have seen.
You still have time to get to the show and see all of them.
A photo can never do fiber art justice but I am happy to share these photos with those of you who live too far away to attend the show.
The photos in the show book are high quality and you get an even better view.

Ice Tapestries and Shibori Quilts- DON’T MISS IT!

Ice Tapestries and Shibori Quilts - My solo show at the Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The show is open through March 19th so you still have time to visit the AAC and see the show.

I have received messages from people who saw the show since the opening reception and they LOVED it.

Creating the work in the show was a labor of love and I hope YOU find time to enjoy it.

The Anderson Arts Center is conveniently located between Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL in Kenosha, WI at 121 66th St.
The show is open daily Tuesday-Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

Nothing like color to brighten a sunless day!

CHASING RAINBOWS 4 - Closeups

This quilt is a difficult on to show all the details on it in a full length picture.
I took 3 different photos which will allow you to see the details of the stitching and the colors more clearly.



You can see the top, middle and bottom sections in greater detail and color.

This is the entire quilt.

Precious Pieces

When I have smaller pieces of fabric that are left after cutting the big ones I do what I call precious pieces. I try unique manipulations of the fabric before I dye them. They are usually dyed in the same batch with others of the same colors.

There are so many  interesting details in this precious piece. Of course it was a surprise when I opened it up. This one will remain as a whole piece.
It’s nice to have some smaller works of art.

Miniature Works In Progress

The only thing left to finish on this miniature quilt is the binding. I think the reason I am putting it off is I know the seams of the three different fabrics on the binding have to match the seams on the border. The strips are 1/4 inch wide.

I got an ink spot on one of the borders on this miniature quilt so I removes that piece of the border. I have the fabric to replace it but have never finished it. The squares are 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch. Like the first quilt this is hand quilted with teeny tiny stitches. I don’t think I could make stitches this small anymore!

Chasing Rainbows 3–The Entire Quilt

I am so pleased with the way the colors flowed in this piece. Each one I make has called for a different way to use color to enhance the underlying fabric.

The backing I chose turned out to be a great choice picking up so many of the colors from the front of the quilt and adding a touch of fun.

Another Quilt Finished

It’s always a great feeling to finish a quilt and add another one to my list of finished quilts.

Since I haven’t named this one yet I’m calling it Quilt 416!

The pieced shibori section was made from extra parts of another quilt. I pieced them together with a satin stitch and then trimmed the edge to a pleasing shape.

I did some screen printing on the background fabric as it was too plain before I did that.

The finished piece is 16 inches wide by 14 inches high.

Another Quilt Designing Tutorial

I wanted to be sure I was pleased with the colors and the order I used them when I made our king size bed quilt.

I cut narrow strips of each fabric which I had backed with a fusible.

I arranged them on a piece of graph paper and fused them in place.

I added an additional layer of fusible to the back of this and cut and moved them to get the design.

This showed 1/4 of the quilt.

I wanted to see how the entire quilt would look so I made this to view it.

I made this viewing device from two 12 inch mirror tiles.

I taped the edges of each with clear tape so prevent cutting myself on sharp edges.

I then joined the two tiles with a piece of duct tape.

You are seeing the back of the device in this picture.

By placing the mirrors on the corner I can see the way the finished design will work if I use this as the center.

This is what it would look like if I used the opposite corner as the center.

I felt very confidant going ahead cutting all the strips to make the quilt after seeing what the quilt would look like.

This is the finished quilt on our bed.

I realize you can buy mirrors to use to do this, but they are very limited in size. For the cost of a set of those you can make several of these sets and I am sure your friends would be happy to get a set you made.

Not only can they be used to test how  quilt design will work, but they are also handy when designing blocks for a quilt.

By opening them at a 60 degree angle, rather than the 90 degree angle I used here you can also see other possibilities when you are designing.

Quilt! Knit! Stitch! In Portland Oregon August 13, 14, 15, 2015

My friend Bill Volckening took pictures of my Autumn Ombre Ensemble in the show. Thanks so much Bill, I really appreciate your photography skills.

I was impressed that the stand even coordinated with the clothing!

This is a closer view of the patchwork on the coat and shirt.

This is the description I sent for the show.

 

Autumn Ombre was inspired by my favorite season.

I used my Blue Ribbon No Sweat Checkerboard Shirt pattern for the shirt but used twice as many colors as my pattern called for.

The main fabric was a fine quality cotton sateen. The other fabrics were a mixture of 100% plain and polished cottons as well as blends.

For the coat I combined several of my Blue Ribbon patterns and made adjustments for an original design. It features the same piecing as on the shirt.

The coat was hand quilted with a polyester lining to make it easy to slip in and out of. I split batting in half and used just ½ of a layer to give it just enough shape and body.

The skirt was an original draft to compliment the coat.

 

The exhibit showcased some of the very best garments from the Fairfield Fashion Show over the years.

I felt honored they chose one of my garments to display.