"Things We Love"

This was the theme for February’s Postcard Challenge by Leah Cottam at Colorful Art Girl, and it really was a bit of a challenge for me to choose just one thing that I love.  So I followed the first thought that came into my head and selected free-motion feathers.

The design is adapted from one of Mary Nordeng’s motifs in her book, "Extreme Makeover: Feather Edition" (I just LOVE this book), and I added some of my own touches to it.  I knew I had chosen the right subject when I realized how much fun I was having while quilting it.  What a great prompt for the month of Valentines, Leah!

My husband is in the kitchen this morning, and the aroma of chocolate biscotti and pasta fagioli is filling the house.  Talk about things we love . . . 
Life doesn’t get any better than this.

(Guess who’ll be getting the Valentine card . . .)

Diane

"Another Opening, Another Show"

Has cabin fever set in?  Are you looking for something to do after the Olympics are over?  Could you use something new and colorful to adorn your walls?  If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then come to a beautiful fiber art show in Saratoga.  Seventeen artists, including many of the members of the Adirondack Regional Textile Artists Alliance, will be displaying their works at the Spring Street Gallery  located (where else??) on Spring Street in Saratoga.  Three of my pieces will be for sale at this venue, including “Aspenglow” (pictured above), and the ladies of ARTAA will also be selling beautiful note cards depicting their fiber art.

The show is titled "Under Cover", and the artists’ reception is Thursday, February 25, from 6 PM to 8 PM – won’t you join us for an evening of great refreshments and exciting art?

Diane

Feather Play II

In an effort to stick to those pesky New Year’s resolutions I made, I decided to try thinking outside the box again.  I didn’t go too far outside this time – just a little experimentation with color.  I had purchased this fabric a while ago; fashion experts would probably call this shade Soft Taupe or Wild Mushroom – I just know that it isn’t represented by one of the letters in ROY G BIV, and that it intrigued me.

I modified one of the designs from Mary Nordeng’s book, “Extreme Makeover: Feather Edition,” and once again filled the feathers with different micro-stippling patterns.  I played with the thread colors, using 40-weight rayons in a gradation of blues and purples.

When I had finished, the piece looked like it needed a frame, so I took it to my local cross-stitch shop, where the owner, Cathy, does an outstanding job of matting and framing all types of needlework.

The piece is now hanging in our hallway, but it’s headed out to a show very soon.  I must admit that I was not as comfortable playing with colors that are not in my usual palette, but I learned from the doing, and that was good for me.  And I do have more of this fabric . . .

Diane

The Postcard Challenge

"On The First Day Of Christmas"

4" x 6"

ColorfulArtGirl from California has begun a monthly postcard challenge through her blog; she wrote to tell me about it when she read about my own personal postcard journey.  I love the idea of having a prompt to jumpstart the creativity, so here goes:

The Inspiration Words for January were “bird” and “yellow” – and my mind immediately went to A Partridge in a Pear Tree (it was still close to Christmas, you see . . .).  Long ago, I had purchased a fabulous book titled “Appliqué Art,” by Stewart Merrett; in it, this incredibly talented artist demonstrates how he has transformed silks and velvets into quilted masterpieces.  I immediately began collecting all sorts of specialty fabrics, including velvets, satins, and upholstery silks, and I planned to try every project in his book.

I adapted one of his designs for a pear and added my own tiny partridge to the composition.  She seemed to need some ornamentation when I was finished, so I added a feathered crown (I’m fairly certain that partridges don’t really look like this, so I ask your indulgence).  The materials are velvets and suedes, and the picture doesn’t really do them justice – the piece glistens as you view it from different angles.  The satin stitching (yes, I abandoned my usual flat zigzag stitch) is done with 40-weight rayon thread to add to the sheen.

 This was a lot of fun –  I can’t wait to try it again.  Be sure to visit here if you'd like to join in the challenge.

Diane