Goodbye 2009

End of the year, and no projects in the works! I had thought I might start a new piece over the holidays, but there were just too many happy distractions. The tree quilt our group is working on (see below) is at another quilter's home awaiting borders. I do have plans for two new pieces--even have the main fabric for one, and a pattern (!) Don't do many quilts from patterns anymore, but I fell in love with a feathered star and really want to try it. The second is another based on a photo--so far all I have done is get the photo enlarged to size. More on that later. Perhaps January will provide some snowy weekends to motivate me!

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Quick Pic

Just a quick picture so you can have an idea of the new quilt in the works. This is the center panel of a group quilt, as explained in yesterday's post. Borders are in the works. We got together today to stipple the leaves and satin stitch the branches/trunk in place. We added batting behind the leaves to give them some depth, and tried stippling with and without stabilizer on top. Putting stabilizer on top meant the triangle points stayed put so we didn't have to keep stopping and starting, but when we got done with the section with the stabilizer, we had to spend time tearing it off, carefully, painfully. So probably like the stop and start better, if we had to choose. Coming along nicely, though!

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

New Work

The only quilt in the works at the moment is a group quilt. Created for a wedding that blends two families, the design is of intertwined trees, with a branch for each family member. We paper pieced the trunks from strips of batik in a random fashion, starting with browns and ending with a different color for each branch. We pieced flying geese (geese mate for life, you know) to make one of the borders, and used the off-cut batik triangles to create abstract leaves. We solved the problem of how to attach all those tiny triangles by drawing a rough outline of the tree top on Steam-a-Seam lite, cutting the fusible web out, and applying it to the background fabric. Because it is pressure sensitive, we could keep the triangles from falling off until we were ready to fuse them with the iron. Next step: stipple the leafy area with batting behind to give it some dimension. I think a variegated thread will do nicely with the multicolor leaves. Then satin stitch the tree trunks and branches on top, add a few random "leaves" to blend, and voila! A family tree! I'll try to get a photo up soon so you can see what I am going on about.

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

I've Got to Crow!

I've got to Crow! I received a copy of Sarah Ann Smith's book, Thread Work Unraveled in the mail today, and right there, on page 73, are two photos of my quilt, "Postcard from Rajasthan" One is a full shot and the other a close-up. How COOL is that! My quit pictured in the same book with Sarah's "Bijagos Warrior", which inspired me to begin "Postcard", and quilts by such renowned quilters as Hollis Chatelain and Jane Sassaman! I'll be cozying up with the book tonight to begin reading it, but it is a super thrill to see my work in print.

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Angel Complete!

McAuley Angel finally feels done. With a drift of flowers at her feet, shaft of sunlight falling behind her, and serendipitous halo that appeared in the background, begging to be highlighted with sequins, she is embellished to the hilt. The photos in no way capture the way the light plays off of the crystals, sequins, beads and glitter that adorn her. I like the hint of chaos in the darker sky, and the swirl of roses surrounding her. She goes on display tomorrow, and we'll see if the quilters think she needs anything more!

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Still working...

Not a lot new to report--making slow but steady progress on McAuley Angel, which once embellishing began has begged for just one more thing several times--Here's hoping this final bit will do it. I am adding sequins to an arc that is suggested by the values behind her--I'll post a photo when it gets done (if I like the sequins and don't pull them all off!)

The Deep Ones baby quilt is coming together as well. Here is a shot of the completed top, although the color is more true in the post below. Next step: construct a back from the left over fabrics, then quilt!

Meanwhile, I found the fabric I want to use for a feathered star quilt based on a Persian myth, Khorshid Khanoom. It is the Hoffman challenge fabric from 2007. Once I realized it was out of print, I searched online and sent for the few yards I found. I am thinking to place her face in the center of the star--maybe something zodiac around the border. Still in the thinking phase. As is another quilt based on a photo taken in DC. Never enough TIME!!

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Quick update

Sarah Ann Smith's book is very nearly on the shelves! It is called 'Threadwork Unraveled'. I still don't know if "Postcard from Rajasthan" made it in or not, but either way, very cool. Meanwhile, a very quick update and a quick peak. We started a new group quilt at work--lots of fun techiques incorporated from things we have learned. It has to do with trees and I promise a photo when we get it done, but that's it for now! Meanwhile on the home front: McAuley Angel continues to collect embellishments--silk vines and the promise of beads to approximate the mounds of hydrangea surrounding her at this season, and the baby quilt, "Where the Deep Ones Are" a la 'Where the Wild Things Are' is beginning to take shape. Lots of stitching, not much writing!

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Finishing Up

I think we can call the Barbara Olson workshop quilt done as well. I went back (after completely quilting it) and added more purple vine quilting to the border, and quilted within the petals, mostly just on along the vein to make the trapunto pouf a bit more. Enough on that one!

McAuley Angel is ready for embellishing. I have some great silk vines and a few bead-y ideas. I do love the paint and glitter on her wings, but am still not sure about this one.

Finally, we went fabric shopping for a baby quilt for our friends who own a gaming shop/bookstore. Hubby drew up the design. The fish blocks are done. Time to get to work on the body. It is going to be a Wild Thing!







Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Bali Done

I am declaring Bali Bloom done. The comments shared last time I brought it in for discussion were excellent, and I spent a few more evenings with beads, which we know I just love (not!) but I do love the effect. Spot on comment about needing to splay out the beads as they fall onto the leaves. It really does feel complete. Don't you agree?

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Sewing with Mom

I promised photos, so here are a few. All works are still in progess, but progress is being made! Mom came up from DC this week, so I took a few days off work and beaded or sewed while visiting.
Bali Bloom is where I left it, waiting for one last row of beads (again). The workshop flower is ready for quilting--I have marked big chalk leaves behind the flower and plan to start quilting those, then see where to go. (you can see the chalk marks if you click the photo.) I've got bright green and turquoise thread out to use for quilting on that dark blue/black fabric. It is not really my style, but an opportunity to practice, and I am determined to get a trapunto effect out of something! Here I trapuntoed the petals, so let's see if the magic happens. Meanwhile, McAuley Angel waits for me. The last time I walked by the statue on Stevens Ave, she was virtually hidden by the bushes surrounding her--I thought they were roses but they are actually a white-flowered bush that looks like Hydrangea.

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Projects in Process

One more row of beads to add and THEN I think Bali Bloom will be done. Or at least ready for another round of commentary. The extra beads have added a lot--you'll see.
Meanwhile, the flower started in Barbara Olson's class is appliqued to a background, fabric from behind the flower trimmed away, polyester batting added just behind the petals, stitched using a technique I learned watching a Patsy Thompson YouTube video. The plan is to layer the whole with batting then quilt like a madwoman all over the dark blue background. In several colors.
All this has been a distraction from McAuley Angel, which is waiting to be threadpainted, trapuntoed, attached to the background, then embellished. I'm using what I learn from working on Barbara Olson's flower to help me think through finishing the angel. So it's all interwoven.
I will take pictures and post them very soon. It's been a busy month!

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Bali Bloom Returns

The consensus is No! Bali Bloom needs further beading, so it is back on the unfinished list. Meanwhile, I created a background for McAuley Angel, using the technique from 'Vase' (see Feb. 16, 2009, Invitation!) which involves tiny bits of fabric. I am at the tedious stage of tearing off the stabilizer that held all the bits in place while I quilted. You can see some of the stabilizer still in place in the photo. Once the stabilizer is off I can wash the background, then applique the angel, who awaits thread painting.

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Bali Done

Bali Bloom is finished! Or at least I think it is. I have it ready to take to the office tomorrow and see how it looks on display--and whether others concur that it is complete. Beaded several weeks while hanging out with my father-in-law watching the Red Sox on TV. What do you think? Is it done yet? Click on the photo to see a larger picture. The beading actually looks subtle in this shot!


Several of us met up for a quick trip to the Lowell Quilt Festival. We spent Thursday at a wonderfully fun workshop with Barbara Olson.We worked on flowers using very wild, vivid colors and patterns and learned design principals and an applique technique involving glue (which I am not at all fond of. In fact, in order to finish my piece I think I will need to figure out a different technique!)
But we had such a great time together and saw oh so many beautiful, take your breath away quilts.

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Angel Quilt

The angel quilt is taking shape. Image outlined onto watercolor paper, painted with watercolors, printed onto fabric, painted with fabric paint, embellished with oil pastels and glitter. The technique is from a DVD we watched courtesy of Heather, called Stitch Imagery with Kelli Perkins. Lots of fun ideas. So now I have an angel element, time to figure out how to get her onto a quilt! Here's the statue which inspired this quilt.

Quilt gallery and quilts for sale at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Let the beading begin!

Bali Bloom could have been complete, but it didn't feel quite done, so it is on with the beading! I have spent several evenings beading the center, and all the yellow anthers--almost done with that segment. My plan is to create a path of pink/purple/green beads along the edge of each petal, where it overlaps the next petal, and scatter the beads out into the background, bringing a little light to the dark green/brown background fabrics. I got some help today from a young visitor, who ably popped beads on my needle as I needed them. I could use a helper like that all the time! The pink/purple pathways are pretty ambitious, but I think it will add the sparkle I am looking for.

Meanwhile, I need to find some Bubble Jet Set so I can get to work on the angel quilt--starting from a photograph of the McAuley Angel (an angel statue in front of the Sisters of Mercy residence). I plan to paint, then print on fabric, and see where I go from there. The Bubble Jet Set is to prepare the fabric so I can print my painted angel directly onto the fabric. I am thinking of creating a background using the 'scraptures' technique I used for the floral bouquet quilts, (see post 2/19/09 Invitation!) then appliqueing the angel on top. No idea if it will work, but it will be fun to find out!

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

New Quilts

Bali Bloom could be considered complete! Here is a picture of it with the curvy border, offset bloom and background leaves. The remaining question is: to bead or not to bead? Since it is a big piece (38 x 48) even beading judiciously will require a lot of beads. I am considering it, though, where each petal overlaps the next one. Possible also in the center, a few yellow beads? What do you think? I have asked several quilting friends who caution that beading will add a lot of time to a piece that can essentially stand on its own now. I’ll mull it over a bit.

Meanwhile, I am starting a new piece, yippee! I hope this will be the first in a series based on photographs taken on the Portland Trails. If you are not familiar with the Portland Trail system, it is a wonderful network of wooded walks that wind through the city. Within steps of each trail head you are removed from traffic, sidewalks, cars and city sounds and sights. It is really quite remarkable. I began walking many of the trails this winter, camera in hand, and have several photos I am anxious to turn into small quilts. I want to think about this series as ‘Fairy Habitats along Portland Trails’, so while each will be based on a photo taken along the trail, fairies and their environments will hopefully creep into each scene. I’d love to do 6 to 12 quilts in the series—we’ll see how it develops. Here is a tree trunk and fairy wings (the fairy will be added, as will a door in the trunk.) The photo that inspired this scene was taken along University Park Trail—one of the shortest trails in the system, off Allen Avenue. I absolutely love the technique I learned from Christine Fries-Ureel for creating tree trunks from strips and scraps of diverse fabrics.

Finally, I have been asked to create a wall hanging for a co-worker that can be anything I want, any technique, as long as it includes an angel. How fun! I am researching angels at the moment, especially Victorian and Art Nouveau paintings. This could become a reason Bali Bloom gets declared complete without beads!

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

American Beauties

Sharon Mack, a Maine quilter, has put together a fun event to raise money for breast cancer research called "Bras 4 the Cause". The bras will be on display during July, and auctioned at the First Universalist Church auditorium in Pittsfield on August 1. Our quilting group split into two teams. One team created "American Beauties" pictured here, with rose petals, leaves and plenty of sparkle. The other team is putting the finishing touches on "Betty Boobs" Betty Boop eyes, a bustier, and her pouty lips--it is a stitch! I will post a photo when they get it done. Click the link for more info or to see a slideshow of the bras as they arrive.

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Cut it up!

Getting ready to cut up my quilt! Well, not really cut it up, just create a curvy border. I think I have it figured out, with help from a book by Vikki Pignatelli called Quilting By Improvisation. (http://www.vikkipignatelli.com/)
I have taken out a few stitching lines and have high hopes that once I get the edges done and perhaps put it through the wash, I will feel better about the trapunto. Here goes nothing!

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Blog to Blog

I was catching up on a few blogs and discovered that Sarah Ann Smith, a wonderful quilter/teacher living in Camden, ME had included a photo of one of my quilts on her blog! It is one of the two Tigers I exhibited at Maine Quilts last year. Check out her post! Very very cool to come across that today. We met when she was interested in including "Postcard from Rajasthan" in her book. The book (might become 2 books!) is still in progress, so who knows, the horse may yet get published.

Meanwhile, I am stalled on Bali Blooms. The trapunto is not smooth and full as I had imagined it. Hmmm. trying to figure out what to try next. Last time I was unhappy I cut a hole in the quilt. It actually worked out, eventually! Still, not sure that is the answer to every quilt-y problem! So, I'm pondering and wondering if I can go ahead and finish the binding, then return to the petals. I'm planning a wavy, curved edge--similar to "Watch Over Me" (see post below). Check back to see what happens--maybe it will look just fine with a few holes cut in it!

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Sold!

Two bits of news today. One, Bali Bloom (see April 26 post for a photo) is almost completely quilted, and the good news is the quilting seems to be helping it lay flat--I had worried about a 'wave' that seemed to have formed in the petals. I quilted the leaves and veins with various green and turquoise threads, and the background with brown thread, in a random quilting pattern. Thinking ahead now to embellishments and wondering if some beads or french knots might be in order around the center stamens.

The other great news is I sold a quilt to one of my co-workers! It is a piece I started in a class with Christine Fries-Uriel (http://www.loveabideth.com/) It is the piece with the butterfly, mentioned in the February 20 post. Here is a picture of the full quilted wallhanging, "Watch Over Me" with a fairy watching over a napping mouse. I love the curvy, irregular border, and the tree made of random strips of batiks.

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Postcard from Rajasthan

The horse quilt, Postcard fromRajasthan, returned from Deer Isle today. It was on display at the Pearson Legacy Gallery as part of a "Portraits" exhibit (the quilt got in for the guy, not the horse.) At any rate, thinking about what to do with it now--send it to Henry, who took the photo on which the quilt is based? Look for more exhibit opportunities? I think it will probably go back on the wall at the office, since there is enough space for it to hang there while I think about next steps. I'm sure I would be able to part with it if a buyer came along, which was not the case when I first completed it. But it has been on exhibit several places, won some ribbons and accolades, and it would be nice if this horse and handler found a home.

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Nothing new on the home quilting front, but wanted to update you on the quilters' group. We finished and presented a quilt to a co-worker in honor of her marriage and blended family--we used a flip-and-sew technique on the 'roses' to create a Family Bouquet, with photos in the center of several roses.

We meet this week to start Art Bras--we'll be creating bras for auction in support of Breast Cancer. We have split into two teams and we plan to create "American Beauties" with silk rose petals and "Betty Boops" using the bra as a base for Betty's face. We'll see--if we get them done I'll post a photo. Meanwhile, click the link for a visual--much easier to see one than to explain it!

See more of my quilt photos at: webshots

Progress!

Finally, a day without work or many other interruptions, so back to thread painting! I promised to post photos last time, so here are a few shots from the end of the day. I finished thread painting the flower--the center ended up much heavier with thread than the petals, which surprised me--I thought the petals were pretty intense! While I was painting little circles of yellow rayon thread on the yellow anthers, I wondered if I wasn't going overboard--what if I decide to add french knots or beads later? Will I be able to get a needle through all the thread? Time will tell.

Kate brought me a beautiful fabric she thought might make good leaf veins. Unerring eye for color! It created beautiful, subtle veins--and of course, now the leaves will need thread painting as well to keep those slender
veins from falling off. Hopefully next
time I get to work I will be able to move on to the trepidatious trapunto! Can't wait to try it, but patience, patience.

What do you think? add veins to the dark green shadowy leaves as well? Will Kate bring me the perfect vein color? Check back in a bit!

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Talking Shop

A couple of quilting buddies stopped over for lunch and some quilt talk. We discussed the Bali Bloom quilt--currently being thread painted, both to begin blending the various fabrics in each petal and to secure the many strips. The thread is a variegated pink, running from almost purple to pale pink, but it barely shows on the variety of fabrics. Would a more contrasting thread have added more drama to the quilt? What do you think?

Next will come trapunto--adding a layer of light batting behind each petal and stitching into it to create depth and dimension. Following that, the quilt can be sandwiched and quilted, then bound.

Some questions out there--Add lighter green veins to the leaves with delicate strips of fabric or stick with thread to make leaf veins? Some of those leaves are pretty large, so fabric veins could work. Square off the edges or leave them curvy and au natural? Or, as one friend suggested--2 sides straight, 2 sides curvy? Plenty of time to mull over the choices while I thread paint petals--the goal of each hour or so block of quilt time these days is to complete one petal. Coming along!

I'll post a photo next time--maybe you'll be able to discern the thread paint. If you scroll down to the March 27 post, you can see a before thread paint photo.

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Travelling Quilt

"Postcard from Rajasthan" the quilt mentioned in the March 7 post, is on its way to Deer Isle today! Here's hoping the horse and his handler are well received and maybe even find a buyer. No word yet on whether any of the floral quilts sold, but CA Hecker, gallery owner, did say if any artist wanted to leave small pieces at the Small Works gallery for a time, that would be OK, so I have inquired about that option.

Sunday, a group met for a workshop on adding hand stitching to quilted pieces--mixing in embroidery stitches, rather than hand quilting. The results are big, meant to be seen, stitches in a variety of styles and colors. Very striking, but very slow going. Always good to have another tool in the embellishment tool kit.

"Giraffes" met "Gorillas" and both have returned to their permanent home in Amsterdam, NY. They make a nice pair, although they should not be displayed quite so side by side!

Meanwhile, I am making progress on "Bali Bloom." Redid the background leaves to be somewhat lighter around the top, and fused everything in place. Next comes thread painting, which I have not done on this scale before and am excited to try out.

See more of my quilt photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/roconnorquilts

Pinned

Making progress, wouldn't you say? Each petal is complete, background and center laid out. Next steps--fuse, and add the anthers (that's the little bit on the end of the filaments--in this case they are bright yellow!) which are too small to pin in place, fuse them down and then the thread-painting can begin!

Since I start back to work next week after a wonderful 12 weeks of Sabbatical, I will have to go back to making quilting time in the evenings or on weekends. I am afraid progress on this piece could slow to a crawl. Luckily, the base will be done. The thread painting, quilting and embellishing can happen in small chunks.

Don't think I will have it ready to enter in this year's Maine Quilt Show. However, with no need to travel to Augusta to collect a quilt, a road trip to the Lowell Quilt Show, which takes place the following week, is in order.

Bali Hibiscus

I have been thinking about this quilt for a long time. I had a single, oversize flower in mind. Then a friend e-mailed photos from a trip to Bali, and this hibiscus was amongst them. From the photo I created a drawing showing highlights and shadows, which I enlarged to 36 x 44 inches. Then I went shopping for a range of pink fabrics. Since the photo was taken in Bali, I chose to use nearly all Bali Batik fabrics in the quilt. When completed, the individual petals are about two feet in diameter and somewhat fragile as they travel from ironing board to design wall to be pinned in place. Each petal is made up of 20 to 25 shapes, each cut individually and pieced together like a puzzle. The resulting petals are taking on their own life, which, while maybe not recognizably like the photo, are pleasing. I really love the scallop shape of each petal, and don't know that I would have made the connection if they were purple, say, or orange. A deep brown Batik with a subtle leaf pattern forms the ground, and several shades of green will create a crown of leaves. I am looking forward to the thread painting part--bought a special spool of variegated thread in many shades of pink to help blend the colors.

Finished

The Giraffe photo quilt is finished! The binding went on while watching TV last night. Don't you love the way the applique tree branches and three dimensional leaves enhance the photos? I especially love the one of the baby giraffe. The quilting for Giraffe was done with gold metallic thread, first outlining each photo and the branches, then filling in with vines and leaves. My daughter suggested using metallic thread when I was doing Gorilla, to suggest light in the trees. Don't you love the sparkly effect? I am a sucker for anything sparkly, of course. Leaves were created by fusing a leaf print fabric to a deep purple, then thread painting the leaves with green thread. Leaves were individually cut out, some used purple side out as shadows. As a few leaves were left from Gorilla, I incorporated them here, as one more way to tie the two pieces together.
Can't wait to see these two quilts side by side--hope they make a good pair.

Yippee!

Carolyn Hecker, the gallery owner at Pearson Legacy Gallery in Deer Isle, where the flower quilts will be exhibited (starting tomorrow!) included me in the prospectus for her next exhibit, 'Portraits' (of people, not animals.) The only portrait quilt I have is of an Indian man and his Mawari horse. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I sent off a couple of photos of the quilt (Postcard from Rajasthan, left) to see if it would fit the theme. She wrote back that the piece would be just fine. Yippee!

She went on to describe a visit to India in which the Raj at the place she stayed had Mawari horses and that she had pictures of one of his favorite steeds and is a big horse lover, herself. Small world, isn't it?

Finally, she mentioned that the flower pieces are already gathering kudos even before the show is hung, and am I sure about the prices as they are very modest! Of course, my goal is just to see them sell at this point, but most exciting to hear they are being well received.

"Postcard from Rajasthan" was modelled on a photo taken by Henry Dallal and used with his permission. http://henrydallal.com/

Giraffes

The Giraffes quilt, companion to Gorillas, is taking shape. The top is pieced and awaiting applique and thread work before quilting and attaching the free-standing leaves. A few steps in the process:

Photos printed on fabric:

Stitching one-inch squares together:

Top almost done:

I hoped to complete this piece for next weekend when I will be seeing the person who commissioned it, but I don't know that I can devote enough time to it over the week. Last night I pushed on too long and made mistakes that I had to frog stitch this morning (rip it, rip it!) Hate to have to do that again! If it isn't finished, I can always bring it "in progress" for the owner to see.

Butterflies

Sunday I'll be teaching a workshop for our quilting group. We're several friends who work together and enjoy quilting. We meet to teach each other techniques or make group quilts as gifts. I'll be walking the group through making free standing butterflies that can be secured to your art quilt. Not so good for a quilt that goes through the wash much, though!

I took a class with Christine Fries Ureel last summer, and she demonstrated this technique. http://www.loveabideth.com/index.html Here is one butterfly I made in class.

Isn't it great? It was stitched in a hoop: 2 layers of fabric, wrong sides together, topped with a piece of heavy washaway stabilizer on which you draw the butterfly. Satin stitch around the outline, decorate the wings to your heart's content with your sparkliest, brightest, shiniest threads. Trim close to the satin stitching, rinse away stabilizer and attach to quilt through the body. Very pretty!

New quilts

While I wait for new quilt ideas to gel--I'm thinking about a hibiscus bloom, super-sized, or a whimsical sunflower or perusing photos taken from my walks along the Portland Trail system--I thought I would work on a new commission. I made a small wallhanging using gorilla photos my friend had taken. She recently sent me a CD of giraffe photos and asked if I could make a companion quilt.

The technique is one I made up--I cut a variety of fabrics into one-inch squares, fused squares and photos in sections to gridded, fusible interfacing, then top-stitched with a feather stitch to secure the fabrics. The completed top was then appliqued, free standing leaves were applied, and the whole quilted and bound.

Here is a photo of the gorilla quilt. I will post photos of the giraffe quilt as I work through the process. At this point the photos are printed and set on fabric, and about 400 one-inch squares have been cut out. I just bought thread to do the top-stitching, and am building the sections.

Invitation!

My Maine FiberArts membership has opened doors again. Previously I was asked to demonstrate quilting at the York museum, and organized a group of friends to bring quilts and a frame so we could demonstrate a quilting bee. It was great fun as we got to dress up in period costumes and sit under a shade tree welcoming visitors.

Now I have been invited to submit three pieces to the first show of the Pearson Legacy Gallery at 13 Dow Road, Deer Isle, for an exhibit titled "Forever in Bloom." Artists may submit work in any medium as long as the subject is flowers. Mine, naturally, are quilts.


The exhibit opens with a Bloomin’ Bash reception on Thursday, March 12, 2009 and runs through Sunday, March 29th (Friday-Sunday and by appointment).

'Vase' is one of my pieces. Completed in 2009, 'Vase' is a scrapture, a technique created by Frances Emery and described in American Quilter Magazine (Spring, 2006). Tiny scraps of fabric and fabric motifs are layered over a base to create a watercolor effect.

If you have any questions about the exhibition or the gallery, please contact Carolyn Hecker at cahecker@midmaine.com.