"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

Remembering the Days Before Snow . . .

"Autumn in New York"

I love finding geometry in nature.  There’s a tree in our neighborhood that produces spherical pods each fall; it always reminds me of an illustration from a Dr. Seuss story.  I have seen paintings where the artist used round daubs of paint to represent leaves, and I wanted to achieve that same effect in fabric.

So I began cutting out circles from scraps of fusible-backed hand-dyed fabrics -- it’s a very meditative process, I discovered.  I fused them onto a beautiful piece of fabric from Caryl Fallert’s Gradations line for Benartex, and I quilted the whole piece with Madeira and Sulky 40-weight rayon thread.

The entire effect is reminiscent of our view of the Helderberg Mountains as we drive to the apple orchards each October for cider doughnuts (gosh, this is making me hungry!).

This piece will be on display, along with other works from the members of ARTAA (my fiber art group) at an upcoming show titled “Under Cover” at the Spring Street Gallery in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Please stay tuned for more information about the show in future posts.

Have a most creative week!

Diane

A January "Anything But White" Sale!

Quilt artist Frieda Anderson is offering a terrific special during the month of January: With every order of $20 or more, she’s including 48 (yup – 48!) 5” pre-cut hand-dyed fabric squares.


 And just look at the colors!  The fabric shown at the top of the photo is the one-yard piece of Lime/Purple that I ordered, and these are just half of the squares she sent along as my gift!  And she tied it all together with a gorgeous strip of more fabric, shown at left.  I’m in Hand-Dyed Heaven!  Visit her web site and take advantage of this fantastic, colorful offer.

And a very Happy Birthday to my “twin sister” Marilyn Rock – be sure to take a peek at her blog for more visual delights.  Have a wonderful day, Marilyn!


Diane

"It Was a Very Good Year"

I seem to be quoting Old Blue Eyes a lot lately . . .

My thanks to all of you who took the time to leave some great advice on my pre-Christmas blog post.  You reminded me of the important things to remember during the holiday season: letting go a bit, focusing on family and friends, remembering to breathe in and out.  Sometimes we just need to hear someone else tell us what we know to be true.

It really has been a very good year, and it was made even better by some recent exciting news: one of my quilts, "Dizzy," was accepted by Lark Books to be included in their upcoming publication, "500 Art Quilts," due out in the spring of 2010.  What a thrill!  I am so honored to have this little art quilt selected by juror Karey Bresenhan for inclusion in this collection.

Thanks you all for sharing in my joyful news -- and here's to a most creative 2010.

Diane