"Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent; with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play."~~Henri Matisse
I have to look through all my photographs to see what I have been up to! I recently attended my annual quilt retreat with friends from back home. We actually stay in a quilt shop that has bedrooms upstairs.
Here is the motley crew of five of us….this is for you, Robin! We missed you.
Susan...
Loraine...
Susan, a.k.a. Suznquilts....
my fancy basket of yarn....
I have lots to blog about because lots has been happening. Last week I went on a quilt retreat. I didn’t quilt very much because I usually do artsy things. Do you receive the Cloth Paper Scissors Today email in your inbox? Well, you should. I got one last week with a project from Pam Carriker. She has just come out with a new book called Art At The Speed Of Life. I was interested in doing the project on my retreat. And especially since I have just finished a 4 week online course with Pam.
Here is how mine turned out:
This journal page started out using some pictures cut from magazines. Then I began to draw over them with graphite pencil, adding color with oil pastels since I didn’t have any liquid paint with me. I used poster paint markers and other pens to finish. Not the greatest, but not too bad for the first try, I think. I also used some techniques and ideas from the journaling class.
Here are Susan and Robin from the retreat in our basement workspace. They kept a secret from me for about 3 months…the secret was that Robin, who now lives in North Carolina, would be joining us. I was SO glad she got to come. It was very good to see her again.
Our motley crew:
Yesterday, I hung an exhibit at the North Park Library in Evansville. It is on Koehler Drive off of First Avenue. Stop by and see it…I think it looks pretty nice!
Well, I’m back at home this week and getting the rest I missed getting (!) at retreat. I got the quilt finished and put the binding on (see photo from prior post). I got a new jacket model finished.
I finished stitching up 5 new bags. Here are a couple of them. These two are now posted in my etsy shop.
I had taken some layered cloth for backgrounds for new art that I did the machine quilting on. These are pieces in a series like “Flow” on my sidebar.
Some may remember some shibori dyed pieces I did awhile back with the circles on them. I played around with them with an idea I had…here’s where it is so far…
Getting away from home is helpful…like…a quilting marathon…no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry, just sewing and quilting. Everyone should do it once in a while!
Yesterday was spent in an endless round of picture taking while I tried to get good photos for jurying. I used the shots taken in the photographer’s studio as a gauge, since this particular piece didn’t get photographed there. Now I think I’m finally done with that process!
Getting ready for Indiana Heritage show in Bloomington, IN. Planning, preparation and putting in orders. It will be a bigger show than I usually do…but that will be good.
I am gathering projects together and preparing to leave for retreat with my friends from back home. This has become an annual event and is now our 4th? or 5th? Can’t quite remember! All I know is we hang out and sew and quilt for 2 1/2 days at a quilt shop. I can get LOTS done when I am away from home and routine and can just concentrate on my projects. I usually try to take things that need to be finished that have just been sitting here like…a stack and slash crazy quilt. The top was made in 1999 when I first joined guild, then I finally got it quilted (I may have finished the machine quilting at last year’s retreat). Now I will complete some hand quilting with perle cotton in the outer border, put the binding on and it will be finished! Yeh!
I have fabrics printed and layered to make more little bags, so I plan to finish those. I am working on a new little jacket by SuznQuilts to sell patterns from at quilt shows. In 2011 I have my first solo show, so I have some small pieces layered and ready to stitch…nothing like starting early! I am looking forward to a fun time with friends and getting projects finished.
In my last post I promised a picture of the jacket I finished at the retreat. It is actually a “hybrid” using two of SuznQuilts‘ jacket designs, with a twist of my own thrown in. I wanted to make this jacket just for me. Valentine’s Day is coming (not that I celebrate it that much), but I thought this jacket was a cute design, so that is why I made it.
New potato soup recipe I made last night…this one has bacon in it. Yummm…I am so stuck on potato soups right now.
Today I am preparing to pack my van so that I can leave early in the morning. Where am I going? To another quilting retreat, that’s where! It doesn’t get any better than that. This one will be held in a quilt shop that has living quarters on the 3rd floor. Hopefully I will have new finished projects to show when I get back.
On another note, I want to congratulate the new president on a fine inaugural event and I wish him the best of success in governing this great land for the next four years. May God richly bless him and his family as he embarks on the work ahead.
