More OPI

Working away this week on two projects: The Japanese Taupe Quilt and a "new" one -- a table runner.  The mother of my manager at The Shop bought a kit for an appliqued runner a few months back.  The kicker is, she doesn't quilt.  She just loved the runner...so she "commissioned" me to make it up for her, telling me to take my time.  I decided that it would be a good project to tackle while my brain is working on my next 15 x 15 piece.

The pattern is "Blessings Runner" from The Quilt Patch Pattern Company, and it was fully kitted except the batting and backing.  I washed all the fabrics last week -- even the small pieces -- and spent several hours yesterday tracing the patterns onto fusible web, fusing them, and cutting them out.  By early afternoon, I had the runner laid out on my ironing board:

So far today I've done all the fusing, and have begun to machine applique the piece, using black thread and a simple blanket stitch for that 'country' feel.

It's just fussy enough to sharpen my machine applique skills.  I found that if I sat doing the applique at the machine for too long, as I began to feel it in my shoulders.  I think I need to relax a bit; I expect I'm tensing up because I want it to be just right.

And there's more:  I'm having a bit of a tough time appliqueing dark-against-dark fabrics, even with my standing daylight lamp on over my left shoulder.  Hmmm...old age rearing its ugly head!

Ah well...I will persevere!  Now...before I stretch and walk to the Post Office for the mail, I'll link this up to WIP Wednesday at The Needle And Thread Network.  See you later!

More Public Education in Bed Quilt Central

Yesterday was the Annual Art Walk in Stettler, a town of just under 6,000 folks, about 43 km (26 miles) east of me.  I participated this year for the very first time, at the urging of Andrea, long-time owner of the art-and-framing gallery there.  She cuts the mats for my miniatures and carries some of them in her shop.

Let's face it; Stettler is a hard-working, ranch-and-oil-focused town on the East Central Alberta prairie.  There are more trucks than cars on the streets.  The people are friendly, salt-of-the-earth, plain-talking folks who like something to be what it is.  A picture is either a photograph or a painting.  A quilt?  That goes on a bed, thank you very much.  Most of the local quilters who experiment with wall hangings make them from a pattern or in a class.

Andrea's bread-and-butter comes from her framing and teaching, not from the artwork in her gallery -- but she's been there over a decade, and isn't going anywhere else.  She's won awards for her framing, too, and is certified in archival work, so I trust her to do a good job for me, even if its only with my mats.  She's fair on her commission, and works hard to teach the community about art.  She's a major force behind the Art Walk, and knows just about everyone in town.

Yesterday, after two weeks predicting rain, the Weatherman came through -- with clouds early in the morning giving 'way to sunshine before lunch.  This meant that all of us artists -- three painters, two photographers, one stuffie-maker and me -- could have our exhibits outside and watch over our wares in relative comfort.

In addition to the Art Walk, the Annual Heartland Quilters' Guild  (Facebook link) Show was in full swing over at the Royal Canadian Legion, the steam train was running, and late in the afternoon there was a hay-ride around the town.

The morning was slow, but by early afternoon there was a good mix of visitors on the Walk -- some young families, and lots of middle-aged and older women travelling to and from the Quilt Show.   Those on the younger side were fascinated by and interested in my work; those up in their seventies (my guess)...not so much.

One dear soul stated, "Oh -- here we have quilt samples."

Politely, I corrected her: "No, M'am; these aren't quilt samples.  They're meant to be used as they are."

 "Oh."

She then told me about someone she knows who makes 18" quilted blocks for Alzheimer's patients to fondle (comfort and calming being two very real properties of quilts, no matter the size).  I responded by complimenting her friend on her work and its purpose...and gently pointing out that this was not the case with my pieces.

"Oh?  Then what do you do with them?"

Sighing inwardly, I smiled and said, "You hang them on the wall, M'am, like a painting."  Clearly unsure about that, she wandered over to the painter's table next to me, shaking her head.

That was the most unusual encounter of the day, though one gentleman, pointing to the oil painting (landcape) in the gallery window behind me, wanted to know if I'd done that one as well.  When I explained that no, oil wasn't my medium; I 'painted' in fabric and thread, he looked confused.  A woman near him said, "See? This is her work" (pointing to my display).   The look in his eyes (despite his smile) told me he was still confused; the woman just looked at him pityingly...!

Reach for the Sky! (C) 2014

I sold nothing (I hadn't expected to), but spread the word that my miniatures were available in Andrea's gallery (I had them for the display too), and gave away several of my new post-cards, which feature my SAQA Benefit Auction 2014 piece.  One woman inquired about my doing commission work (I said yes -- though I've never done any to this point!) and she took a card.  I'm not about to bet on it...but it would be nice if she called.

Bob, an Irish-born musician, serenaded all of us with wonderful Western and folk songs, which tickled everyone's fancy, and made it a real pleasure to sit and stitch in the sunshine.   As a result, I've just about finished the second section of my planned triptych, Civility.  The stitching alone was a conversation point.  :-)

It all wound up just after 3 p.m., so I had a chance to pop over to the Quilt Show before it closed.  There were a couple of vendors -- one of which was Joan Statz, a local artist whose landscape quilts and patterns are very popular.  There was a full selection of quilts; viewers got to vote for their favourites in the small, medium and large categories.  In the 'small' category I saw for the very first time (for me; I didn't see the show last year) two hangings that were completely original in design.  One -- a city-scape -- was quite good, I thought, so it got my vote.  In the 'medium' category I voted for a throw-sized quilt that was entirely scrappy stars with tiny pieces, beautifully pieced with great colour-play and movement.  I really admire people who can make tiny 1/2-square triangles!   My choice in the 'large' category was a full-sized bed quilt in white and blue -- crisp, clean, beautifully executed; it made me smile.

Rock Face III (C) 2014 - 6" x 12"

After the show I went back to the shop, and left some new pieces with Andrea -- 3 pieces mounted on stretched canvas, two small pieces on mat board, and the two hangings that got the most interest on the Walk -- "Waiting for the Train" and my newest, "One Step Ahead of the Gulls".  We'll see how they do...

Today I'm off to a wedding in Calgary; the rest of the week, I think, will be filled with OPI...and mulling fabrics for my next 15 x 15 idea(s)...

Have a blessed Sunday!

Peaceful PIecing

May, like April, has been a month full of creative activity. On the ninth, I spent a morning in Calgary as one of three SAQA members/artists visiting a Junior High School art class while the SAQA Western Canada exhibit, "The Burgess Shale" was on display there.  Twenty-eight eager students learned about making fabric post cards, and made their own, drawing inspiration from the fossils of the Burges Shale excavation (you can read all about it HERE.)

When I got home, I had to race to get my 2014 SAQA Benefit Auction piece in before the June 1 deadline.  I made it -- as did over 240 others -- but as more quilts are needed, the deadline's been extended to June 15.  If you're a SAQA member and have yet to contribute this year...what're you waiting for?!  ;-)

My last deadline was for my 15 x 15 Group's current theme, "Nature".  I was working on it in my last post; it's now finished.  I'm expecting "The Reveal" to show up HERE any time now (i.e., by tomorrow).


So...as I did at the end of April, I've turned to OPI (Other People's Instructions) to relax a bit.  This time I turned first to a quilt I began to design in January, using Sue Briscoe's book, Japanese Taupe Quilts.  I began by cutting squares and strips for six of 24 pieced blocks I want to use in the corners and around the central medallion -- you can see them in the 'basket' to in the right of this photo.



In the basket on the left of the photo, you see a series of strips -- 2" wide by 7" long.  I'm cutting these from scraps a bit at a time till I can collect enough for a postage stamp quilt.  I admired one in a recent blog post somewhere (sorry; I can't recall where!) and in response to my query, the blogger who posted directed me to a source for a tutorial over at Red Pepper Quilts.  I have so many scraps that I trust I'll be able to fill that 'basket' with lights, mediums and darks before very long.

After prepping the fabrics for those six blocks,  assembled four of them.  This gives me 8 finished or 1/3 of what I need.






For a change of pace, I prepared one of four large blocks -- 18" square (finished) -- to go around the centre medallion.  These blocks have an appliqued "fan" design:

Although the style of this quilt is 'quiet' -- hence the "taupe" reference in the book title -- the sample of this block in the book was a bit more colourful, so I went with that thought, trying at the same time to select fabrics that wouldn't shout when set against the other blocks.

I just love these fabrics -- all from stash, some having been there for a great long time, since before I moved from Calgary (2008).

In ended my indoor sewdio work once I'd pinned the first fan to the background, ready to applique, and went outside to stitch "Mark on the Body" for the day.  Thursday was the sixth-month anniversary of my work on this piece, so I took photos outside for a change.  That post is HERE.

After MOB, I stitched down the facing on my 15 x 15 piece...and then settled down with a snack and my current book, How to Live: A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell.  It's delicious.  I've borrowed it from the library, but may have to buy a copy so I can underline my favourite bits and make notes in the margins.

Ah...a blissful finish to a perfectly lovely afternoon.

Today?  It's cool again, with a mix of sun and cloud.  Perfect for more peaceful piecing...and a link up to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday.

Have a lovely weekend!  

OPI

OPI = Other People's Instructions...and that's where I go to get a break from weeks/months of creating original designs.  I don't know if other artists do this, but I came to art belatedly, with a very powerful Left Brain, which means that my brain needs a rest in between projects.  Following the Lacombe Show there has been the predictable Post-show Slump -- deeper and darker this year because of the lack of sales.  Yard work, sunshine, extra sleep (yes, Jo!), knitting and quilting using OPI are helping to bring me out of it.

Today I

• slept in;
• did the dishes (I have no dishwasher);
• crawled under the house to check the pipes and found the likely source of freezing this past winter;
• finished raking all yards;
• hauled the bench outside for my Outdoor Studio; 
• washed the kitchen floor;
• printed a couple of inspirational photos for the next 15 x 15 challenge -- 'Nature' -- and maybe for the 2014 SAQA Benefit Auction;
• updated the Mark on the Body blog;
• knit some on an infinity scarf;
• finished a cozy mystery; and
• made two traditional blocks using OPI...

The entire project is called "Four by Four" and it was kitted out with a Christmas fabric theme.  I collected the patterns and fabric some years ago at a favourite LQS in Calgary (now closed).  It's one of three that I discovered in a drawer over a year ago and am making up in case I need a small top for something.  In the photo, the April block is on the top ("Bear's Tracks") and the May block, on the bottom ("Ducks & Duckling"):

The April block was a toughie because the background fabric is a lighter weight than the rest and with all those pieces there was some 'bowing' out of the edges.  The May block went together much more smoothly.  Oh -- in case you're wondering -- I did May's block today to get it finished because...well...I have a lot to do in May, won't be home much in the next ten days...it's just like that.  Life.

That's all the news that's fit to print (at the moment) from my little corner of the universe...Have a great week!