Day 2: FB Art Challenge

This is more information about my 2nd Day of the Art Challenge currently circulating on FaceBook. I was nominated by Pam Biswas - Thank-you Pam. For this second day of the five day challenge, I am sharing three of my quilts made for challenges with the Beyond the Borders Art Quilt Group, affiliated with the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston (QGGH).  Each of these challenges resulted with the individual quilts being assembled together into a larger group quilt which we then entered in the QGGH quilt shows.

This first piece featured is a challenge designed by Bethany Carter for the BTB about 5 long years ago (or longer? as many aspects of this challenge were discussed and debated which resulted with the "deadline" being pushed back repeatedly).  This group quilt is titled "Alice's Odyssey".

Bethany drew out the puzzle pieces in different sizes and shapes first.   We 'claimed' our puzzle piece as well as our section from the classic story "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll.  As you can see, our efforts won a few awards in our 2011 local quilt show, including the coveted Best of Show.  Click here to read more about this group effort.

I made the vertical puzzle piece of Alice growing tall before shrinking to slip into the magical garden.  My piece features several 3-d effects: a wooden door into the garden secured with a tiny brass lock, tags on the bottle on the table and on the candy on the floor, a buckle on the 'patent leather shoe' and a loose-free-swinging skirt and apron on Alice.  Here is a view of my puzzle piece while in the construction stage.  Notice that the skirt is entirely different, the 3-dimensional pieces haven't been added and more ... clearly the piece is still evolving and growing.

I named this piece "My Big Foot Alice" and often think of it as the last piece in my series of big foot quilts.  Click here to see two close-up views of details on my tiny quilt puzzle piece.

 

The puzzle quilt had its own special exhibit during the 2011 International Quilt Festival. Here is a photo of some of our group.  Left to right they are: Connie Fahrion, Hannah Mallon, Sara Sissenwein Norris, Elaine Connelly and myself.  Elaine was our leader at the time and she has since passed away.  Elaine, you are missed very much still.   

Click here to find out more about "Alice's Odyssey".  It was great fun to complete this excruciating group effort.

In this next challenge, we each had to make a quilt block that measured 8"x10" using the color "Honeysuckle" (the Pantone 2011 Color of the Year) and some dupioni silk.  The quilts were all meant to have a whimsical bird theme.  Click here to read my original blog post about this challenge.

When the deadline arrived, only five quilters turned in completed quilts which were assembled into this simple vertical quilt.  We titled our group piece "Bird-Brained Blocks".  Mine is the pink flamingo watching her egg hatch open.  We won second place in the Art Quilt category at our guild show.

For the curious among you.....

the 2015 Pantone Color of the Year is Marsala.
Hmmm, I am itching to start a new challenge with this color!

This last BTB challenge piece had to comply with only three specifications:

theme - tree

size - 20" long with any width between 6" and 12"; 

color - any but Green  Absolutely NO GREEN may be used!

I thought that using no green at all was the easiest part of this challenge.  My quilt, "Solitude", is a tree at night in the dead of a winter with no snow.  The tree is composed entirely of used coffee filters, generously donated to my project by Liz Broussard.  Thank you Liz!

Here is the full view of "Beyond the Branches",  our green-less tree quilt.  Click here for my original blog post about this quilt, which includes a list of the artists that made each piece.  Click here for an earlier post on how I created "Solitude".

I nominate Janice Daniel McKeehan to join this 5-day Art Challenge by posting three photos a day of her artwork, and nominating another artist to carry the challenge ever forward.  Janice, I look forward to seeing your lovely posts!

1st day of FB Art Challenge

Day 1 of the Art Challenge currently circulating on FaceBook. I was nominated by Pam Biswas - Thank-you Pam. For this first day of the five day challenge, I thought I would share three of my most recent quilts that Pam machine quilted for me, after which I gave each one away to family and friends.

Above is the Dannemiller quilt, given to our dear friends, Jim and Michelle, on the happy occasion of their B'nai Mitzvah.  It is made using one of Marcia Derse's blue fabrics, using innovative piecing as explained in a book by Jacquie Gering and was free-motion quilted by my friend Pam Biswas.  Click here and here for a bit more information on the making of this quilt.

This is "Fields of Blue", a quilt I made for my son Isaac.  He selected the pattern and most of the blue fabrics used in this quilt, which went together easily.  Click here for a blog post which includes a photo of this quilt on the long arm machine.

This last quilt is the smallest of these three.  I call it "Sweet Baby James" after the little boy who now owns this quilt.  James is the first grandchild of dear friends, Louise and Jim.  Click here for a blog post which details more information about the fabric used in this ABC quilt.  The pattern is my own design - made entirely with matching coordinates of the fabric line.

I nominate Sara Hochhauser to join this 5-day Art Challenge by posting three photos a day of artwork, and nominating another artist to carry the challenge ever forward.

First goal met for ALYoF 2015

I am thrilled to announce that I have met the first month's goal in the 

2015 Another Lovely Year of Finishes (ALYoF) challenge.

My goal this month was to sew on the binding, then make and stitch on a label to finish this quilt shown above.  It was to be a gift for some dear friends, the Dannemillers, in honor of their amazing B'nai Mitzvah.  I was in serious need of motivation to get it completed and ready for gifting...

Fortunately, this monthly challenge, ALYoF, was the perfect vehicle to motivate me.  I posted my goal, and finished the binding soon after.  Then next challenge was to get a blog post written and posted featuring this neat quilt .... there was a slight problem:  I neglected to take a single photograph of my finished quilt before giving it away to my friends.  Fortunately for me, they sent a few digital images earlier today so that I can post my "finished goal" for this challenge.  Aren't friends awesome?

They love love love it and may have mentioned possibly hanging it on the wall - even given its large size.  It is an oversized twin/full quilt.  I love the back of the quilt too -- the print has each of the fifty United States of America scattered across it, much like the Dannemillers and their family as well as their travels.  Click here to see the beginning blocks of this quilt which is made following Jacquie Gering's directions for improvisational piecing in her book Quilting Modern: techniques and projects for improvisational quilts by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen (specifically it is "Shattered Quilt" on pps 92-95).  The blue fabric is one of Marcia Derse's prints.  Look at Marcia's website for more of her eye candy fabrics.  The geometric quilting was free-motion, long-arm quilted by my friend by Pam Biswas.  Check out Pam's website at www.pamquiltaholic.com. 

These images of my Dannemiller quilt mark my successful completion of my goal for the January "2015 Lovely Year of Finishes" challenge.  Click here to see others that have finished their goals for the month, where I am linky #130.  You can also click here to see who entered the month with the goal of finishing something.  I am linky #62 on the goals page.

Thank you to Melissa (of http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/) and Shanna (of http://www.fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/) for hosting this monthly year long challenge, A Lovely Year of Finishes, 2015.  Be sure to join us if you are looking for some extra motivation to finish up some of your lingering projects.  The new link for February Goals will be open from Feb. 1st through Feb. 7th.....

Rami Kim visits QGGH

At the recent  meeting of the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston, our guest speaker was Rami Kim.  She shared many slides, including some of her studio, told entertaining stories, and shared many of her garments, purses, quilts and two dolls with us.

I loved the variety of techniques that she uses on her garments and purses.  Below is her "Box of Chocolates" coat and matching purse.

Each framed square uses a different fabric technique, including: piecing, folding, smocking, embroidery and more.  The many shades of brown make you hungry for a yummy chocolate treat.

 I also loved her cream dupioni silk jacket made using the classic cathedral windows pattern.  Rami is modeling this jacket with grace on the cover of one of her books.

These two identical purses illustrate how your color choices impact the finished result.  I love the many techniques used: folding, pleating and smocking.

This quilt is lovelier in person, and the story was entertaining too.  She drew this sweet face from illustrations shared by a friend writing from Korea, only to learn later that ...

 the sweet face was being used in an advertisement for a laxative.  Ahh, peaceful result, perhaps?

Rami also shared tasty quilts that feature a twisted log cabin.  Here are a view of an apple and a pear from one of her quilts.  She also brought teacups, and coffee pots made with the same twisted log cabin.  So cute!

I especially enjoyed the small folded Korean coat, Doo-roo-mah-gi, that Rami Kim showed us both on a small quilt and on a purse.  She quickly demonstrated how to piece and fold this korean coat, similar to a Japanese kimono.  It is styled after the traditional Korean costumes called Hanbok.

Rami Kim was an energetic, friendly and entertaining guest speaker at the January evening meeting of the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston.  Be sure to check out her website to see more of her creations.

http://www.ramikim.com/

Another Little Quilt Swap #9

 

Hip, hip, hurray!  Another Little Quilt Swap #9 has been officially announced.  (Actually, Kate announced this latest swap a month ago but it is not too late to join in).

Click here to see my earlier posts about previous swaps with ALQS.  I have participated many times, sometimes even swapping two very different quilts.  Kate North runs an excellent swap.  It is an easy-signup with no-guilt-attached if you fall down and are unable to complete your quilt by the deadline.  Read my previous posts or better, read the rules for Kate's ALQS #9 by clicking here.

Hope you will join this fun and easy little swap.  Or at least check back and admire all the little quilts that are being traded around the world.....

January goal

January is the beginning of a new year, and that means the beginning of the monthly challenges of setting goals and then completing them successfully in the "2015 A Lovely Year of Finishes" challenge hosted by

Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts 

and

 Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs

My first goal for 2015 is to finish binding this lovely quilt of blue slashes inset into the gray background pieces.  This piecing method is one of several featured in  the book Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts by Jacquie Gering.  It was quite fun to do and I am already dreaming up another version of this technique.  Click here to see my first few blocks made for this quilt.

As you can see, the top has been pieced and it's also been quilted (by Pam Biswas - check out her website at www.pamquiltaholic.com) but sadly it is still needing to be bound.  The fabric has been selected ...... but I must slice it into my 2 1/2" binding strips (I prefer using bias cuts, but many cut their binding strips on the straight of grain), seam them together into one long bias strip, press in half with right sides out, then stitch onto the quilt (I prefer the two-step: machine stitch the binding to the front side, then whip stitch it to the back by hand).

This is my goal for the first A Lovely Year of Finishes for 2015.  Join me with this motivational group - the challenge is to finish set goals (something I do need help with).  I am linky #62.

Reflecting over my 2014 ALYoF work

This is my year in review of the lovely finishes I achieved, thanks to the motivational challenge set by Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts and Melissa of Sew Bittersweet Designs with their "A Lovely Year of Finishes" monthly challenge.

My first month to join was February 2014.  I am linky # 148.

My goal was to make blocks to swap with my Block Builders Bee in March, and I did get my blocks made in time to swap and now have a lovely selection of scrappy red-n-white blocks sitting - wait a minute!  I've met a goal but also have a new UFO added to my pile of growing projects. I am certain these blocks may reappear in a future ALYoF goal.  Meanwhile, I did not finish these blocks before the end of February, so I did not have a finishing post ... sigh.  My first goal was not completed by the deadline.  I must admit, this set me back and months passed before I set a new goal in ALYoF.

July came and so did my renewed effort to set goals of finishing projects, or at least finishing steps in projects.  This month my goal linky was # 105.

My blog post about this quilt is here.  "Fields of Blue" is a quilt made for my son Isaac.  He selected the pattern and the fabrics that I used (I may have slipped in a few blue variations to enhance the variety...).  My goal was to finish this quilt.  My friend Pam Biswas quilted it (the photo shows her work in progress), but I am slow to add bindings.  Since the goal is to finish things, what can top the actual finishing of a quilt? 

I met this goal, and am linky #64  in the finishes post for July 2015 (no photo appears in the linky as I was stumbling with how to do linkys still).  Above is Isaac holding up "Fields of Blue" for the photo that I had planned to use.  Eli, his brother, has decided he would like a quilt like this too!  I need to get that started one of these days ... Click here for my blog post about finishing this goal.

It is exciting to finish your goal!  I immediately selected a new goal for the month of August where I am goal linky # 32.  This month's goal was focused on finishing two redwork embroidery projects.  I have been working on both of these for some time, rather sporadically too.

I had taken to bringing them to my Teacher Inservice meetings (I teach two-year-olds how to enjoy attending at preschool), but still had not completed either one.

As you can see, both now have the embroidery completed and I am linky #72  in the finishes linky party for August 2014 (I have the honor of being the very last linky that month!).  Click here to see my blog post about finishing or here for my original goal blog post.

For September, my goal is to finish a sweet baby quilt for a dear friend's first grandson.  I am goal linky # 52, or click here for my original blog post.

I had found this fabulous fabric at one of my favorite local quilt shops, Quilt 'n Sew in Katy, Texas, and wanted to make a quilt from the 'cloth book preprinted pages'.  Sweet Baby James clearly loves his new quilt (as do his English Professor parents!)  Best of all, I finished it and James is enjoying it while he is still a little baby!  There are other baby quilts actually lingering in my UFO pile (believe it or not, that is very true -- maybe I will finish one in time for the intended receiver's Bar Mitzvah ... I still have a few more years ...)

I am linky #65 in the September Finishes Linky Party, or click here for my nice blog post (which is one of my favorites).

I am on such a grand roll now.  I am loving meeting my goals and better, finishing projects!  Onto October where my goal linky is # 25.  This month I took a different direction with a goal of upcycling a pair of denim shorts, turning them into a tote bag.  Click here for more details on my blog post.

Andy, our dog, was wanting to play, as he is wanting as I write this -- so here is a short puppy break.

Andy approves of the finished tote, which is linky #28 in the October Finishes Linky Party and you can also click here for more details on my blog, where you can see photos of the funky cat-print lining and interior pockets (sshhh, don't tell Andy).

November's goal was to finish my piece for the Michael Miller challenge featuring eight pastel solids in their Spring Cotton Couture line.

I am linky # 38 in the goals linky party or click here for my blog post about this goal.

I was thrilled to finish this month's goal and I love the quilt and the quilting by Pam Biswas.  The pattern is Pot Pie by Thangles and is quite fun to sew together.

For November, I am linky #52 in the finishes party, and more information and photos is available on my blog post here.  I am sad to report that my "Mmm Pot Pie" quilt was rejected from the Quilt Con show in Austin, Texas this February.  I look forward to seeing the quilts that were selected from the over 1,000 quilts entered in this show, especially the ones in the Michael Miller challenge exhibit.  I now have a new challenge -- to get a quilt made and entered into a juried quilt show!  I have no idea how many rejections I may receive before reaching that goal, but I am ready for this challenge.

Meanwhile, my last goal of the year was to bind more quilts. This month I am goal linky # 58, or click here for my blog post.

I haven't figured out how to take a good photo showing that the quilt needs binding.  If you have suggestions, please share.

These bargello quilts are made by a brand new quilter.  Can you believe they are her first and second quilts ever?  The magnificent quilting is by my friend Pam Biswas too.  My claim to fame: I added the binding, that's all.

 
 I am linky #41 in the December Finishes Linky Party and you can also click here for my blog post.

That's all!  These are my seven goals that I set with my six finishes.  I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the "A Lovely Year of Finishes (ALYoF)" this year and plan to participate again in 2015.  My first goal - to add bindings to another quilt!

Thank you to Melissa (of http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/) and Shanna (of http://www.fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/) for hosting this monthly year long challenge!  Did I mention that there are door prizes each month for the some of the lucky ones who achieved their goals?  I was lucky to win!  This post will qualify me for a chance to win one of the grand prizes for finishing a minimum of six goals (I barely got my 6 finishes completed!) and I am linky #32 in the final year-end linky party.  Join the fun for 2015.

Another great side benefit of "A Lovely Year of Finishes" is that I am blogging regularly again.  There are so many positives that I benefit from by challenging myself to set a goal each month and to reach it.....granted I do seem to start new projects just a quickly as I finish old ones ..... but that's a story for another blog post.