Skyswept Designs Under the Prairie Sky

Trying to welcome Spring - the weather's not helping

2009-03-11T17:40:00.001-07:00

We've been back in the deep freeze here this week............very cold and and extreme windchill warnings (-40C) at nite. I had to break down and plug the car back in as I figure I was lucky it started the past 2 days with -20C plus temps (without windchill). (-18C = 0F).

L - Taffy, R-Kelp

2 colours of Patons Stretch Sock Yarn I bought on sale at Michael's in January

I decided I should start knitting some "spring" socks in anticipation of the season...... so I started knitting a pair last nite while watching tv which lets you feel like your're getting something done even when you don't feel like doing much else.
http://http//www.patonsyarns.com/pattern.php?PID=3051 is a free pattern on the Patons Yarns site. It is one using the new stretch sock yarn I bought on my trip to Michael's in January. It is basically a ribbed tube sock with no heel....one I've wanted to try to see if I like it.

you can see the spiral starting to appear

It's a very easy pattern, based on moving over one stitch every 5th row, so easy enough to keep track of. I love the colour, that's why I picked it to knit for spring. I want to get at least one sock knitted to try on before my next trip to Medicine Hat in the next week or so, in case I want to get some more of this yarn. It's a mix of cotton, wool and nylon with elastic in it. I have several kroy patterns I use for my light weight socks usually...... all with the regular patons heel in them. This will be the first pair without a turned heel. I tend to knit plain or ribbed socks with variegated yarns and lace type patterns with plainer yarns. The patterns get lost in the variegated socks so why do the work if it's not going to show. I've even adapted a pattern to give me the best fitting socks for shoes.

My other creative work today was tracking down information and techniques to use in my Fusible Fibre Art workshop at the end of March. It was a productive day and I found lots of interesting things. I even ordered Angelina hot fix fibre plus angelina film and some other fusible products from A Great Notion in BC........ they should be here next week. I was glad to see that they carried angelina. With the exchange rate over 25% there is no way I am ordering online from the US these days.

A Squishy in the Mail today

2009-03-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

a peek in my lovely envelope from England

Today's mail brought me a lovely brown envelope from England - the result of a blog giveaway by Sandy Snowden http://sandysnowden.blogspot.com/ to celebrate her 100th Blog post. I just started reading Sandy's blog, but I have been familiar with her work for several years via the QuiltArt list.

The contents out of the envelope

Inside the envelope were a postcard of one of Sandy's pieces, a lovely piece of rusted fabric, some yummy bits of yarns, and something I'm not sure about (pink) which is intriguing me to no end until I find out what it is.

a better look at the rusted fabric

I love the rusted fabric. I think it will go in to the special fabric place in my stash until I think what I can do with it.

I called the art educator at the Gallery today to check on the status of how many students had signed up for my Fusible Fibre Art: Introduction to Fusibles workshop on March 28. We have 8 people signed up and one had paid. Laurie indicated that those who have signed up were very interested so she said to go ahead and make up my samples, etc.

While I was at the post office today, I also chatted with another arty aquaintance and told her what the workshop was about. She is going to talk with someone tonite and the last 2 spaces in the workshop may be filled.

This week my goal is to get the fabric samples made for the workshop, then I can concentrate on getting the handouts done.

Crocus Piece finished

2009-03-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

Progress

2009-03-06T22:20:00.000-08:00

I spent time today working on my swap piece (nameless as yet). This time I am writing down my steps as I do them so I don't have to rely on memory to create similar effects the next time I want to use them.

Thread painted details on petals using Madeira Rayon embroidery thread

Machine trapunto over 2 layers of Quilter's Dream Request batting

Needle felted stems and flower centres using merino roving

The next step will be to stitch the background with a variety of threads, both to achieve a flatter effect that will "pop" the flowers even more.

New Project

2009-03-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to create another fibre piece using some of the techniques I used in my fibre greetign card. I decided to use one of the prairie crocus photos I took out at the ranch about 3 yrs ago.........tons of long stem crocuses everywhere. I used my Pentax Spotmatic 35mm film SLR to take the photos. Since I didn't have a macro lens for close ups, I used my telephoto lens to take the closeup shots.

Original photo scanned

Cropped and altered photo using Photoshop Elements effects

Apparently 2 different versions of this photo printed onto
a Jacquard Cotton Inkjet sheet using my
Epson Printer with Durabrite Inks

I plan to colour the prints and thread paint and who knows what else to this piece. Still deciding what I will use to colour it with. I want to try using my box of 132 Prismacolour pencils that I got this summer. I've used the Caran d'Arche water soluble crayons before and love the effects I got using them on the silk inkjet sheets over an altered photo print.

Additional posting later on this evening - I finished colouring the 2 prints I made.

Prismacolour pencil crayons on cotton inkjet print

I wasn't totally thrilled with my results over the dark print I made. It still looks too "photo-like" . The background colouring wasn't dark enough to make the flowers stand out from it so I cut the flowers out, thinking I might use a commercial grass print I have in my stash as the background and go from there. The photo above was created by scanning the actual piece.

Caran d"Arche water soluble crayons

I was able to cover most of the shadows shown on the original print on cotton so that they gave an slight shadow. I am much happier with the background in this print. The flowers really seem to pop from this. I still think it is looking a bit too photo-like. I will wait until morning before I decide to continue with this print or do further altering to get a much less photo appearance. I miss the Kodak photo software that was on my old harddrive and would turn a photo into a line drawing with one or 2 clicks! this photo was also created by scanning the actual piece.

Busy Scanning Day

2009-03-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

I am posting a couple of pics of my charm quilt top circa 200?ish. I keep adding pieces at the bottom and around the edges but I think this is pretty much the one that is currently being hand quilted on my Hinterberg Frame.

Charm Quilt top hanging at the Canning, NS Quilt Show in early 2000's

Charm Quilt Top hanging lengthwise

from my 2nd floor clothesline in Wolfville, NS

Today was a bit of trip down memory lane........... I spent time digging out my BOXES of photos stored in their envelopes. I knew I was gonna have a major project going through them, scanning suitable ones for my image library etc. I was actually looking for some photos I took in 2006 since I didn't seem to have a copy of the one I used previously on the computer (I did digital images with it, so I know I scanned it at some point) but that was a couple of computers ago.

In the process of looking for the photos I want, I did come across photos of a number of my quilted pieces........ I've scanned them and will put them up in a gallery at some point. I'm trying to stay on track for this swap piece I want to get out by tomorrow.

Mistyfuse Arrives!

2009-03-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

It was a bit like Christmas today. My delivery of 2 bolts of Mistyfuse - 100 yds of white and 50 yds of black arrived. I was surprised by how light and small the box was. But since the Mistyfuse is so gossamer-like, I shouldn't have been. It's one the the things I like about it.

My 2 bolts of Mistyfuse in their travelling box with a corner of the white showing to show how fine it is

I bought my first package of Mistyfuse when it was originally mentioned on the QuiltArt list a few years ago. I used it sparingly, saving it for my most delicate fusing projects. I was delighted by how little it changes the hand of the fabric. For my Fractured Quilt Challenge #1 I used it to fuse silk organdy to bridal satin to create striped flower petals.

This past July I spent some time working in the Mistyfuse booth at the 1st Long Beach International Quilt Festival http://www.quilts.com/home/shows/viewer.php?page=SummerFestival where I got to meet and work with Iris Karp, the manufacturer . It was so much fun showing folks the wonders of Mistyfuse. Even though I loved using it before I went, I am so much more enthused about its possiblilties since then. I contacted Iris about getting Mistyfuse for my Fusible Fibre Art workshop at the end of March. Now that I have 2 bolts of it, I will be using it almost exclusively in my work and exploring what else I can do with it. Explore the possibilities of Mistyfuse yourself at http://www.mistyfuse.com/.

I also sent in the withdrawal of my Intent to Enter for Flatland Fibre entry today. I debated on and off most of the day about entering it into Playing with Dimensions since the Intent to Enter deadline is tomorow. After much inner debate, I think I've decided to stick to my original intent to focus on creating a body of work and restricting my show entries. Dealing with Stanza's health issues and my own has shown me how easily I can be diverted from my goals and intentions.

Decision Making Time

2009-03-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

The past week has been a difficult one for me on several fronts. Crunch time regarding my Flatland Fibre entry - push ahead and get it done (however) to make the March 4 deadline or not? Waiting for the vet to call me with results of Stanza's latest bloodwork taken on Feb 23 and decide which option to take at this point. Trying to pursue creative work/decisions while in the middle of making possbily life-altering (Stanza's) decisions is not really a winning scenario on either front.

So, with much thought and consideration, I decided to withdraw my Intent to Enter the Flatland Fibre Exhibit by the SCC (Saskatchewan Craft Council). One of my stated goals for this year is to put out my best work. When I thought about the work already put into this piece, I couldn't justify rushing just to enter it. I have been much excited about this piece from it's conception and feel that I need to take the time it needs to complete it. I have not decided whether I may send in an intent to enter it in Dimensions......... that deadline is March 4, the same day the piece was supposed to be delivered. It's the old adage, when one door closes, a window opens somewhere else.

I ams more than a little hesitant to enter Dimensions this year as the quality of work must be exceptional. This year is supposed to be about me creating a body of work reflecting my newer style. That, and I need to prep my Fused Fibre Art workshop being held on March 28. I have discovered that the delivery in person deadline is April 14 and the shipped deadline is April 9. My piece also fits in with the theme of Dimensions this year and I feel the work is quite innovative as well. So.......... more decisions to make in the meantime.

What I did discover is that I really don't want to work non-stop meeting a deadline. It's not good for me or my work. so making this decision is a big step forward for me. In other times, I would have plunged headlong, working non-stop until I had SOMETHING I could submit. This is definitely not good for me, nor for my work. I am happy and relieved to discover this movement forward in how I value myself and my work.

After making the decision to withdraw my Intent to Enter, it freed me to make other decisons as well. In March, I will make studio time a priority in my daily routine.......doing it first before the other myriad of things that can eat up time so that the studio time gets neglected and often doesn't happen. I will be working on a series of "fronts" in my life now that this past month full of unexpected events has come and gone.

Beat the Winter Blues!

2009-02-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

Today's mail brought a lovely cure for the Winter Blues. I received my part of a swap from a member of the The Thread Society, an online Yahoo group for thread junkies. My swappee is Michelle Goldsmith from NH. How can I not be cheered up by such a bright and colourful card on such a cold winter day!

Overall pic of the card approx 5x7

Come Spring - detail shot

looks like a thread painted detail attached over gold lame frayed

My part of the swap is still in progress due to ongoing deadlines and stanza drama. No hints until I get it in the mail early next week

You never know what you'll see walking thru town

2009-02-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

This morning after I finished my usual computer things, I opened the drapes in my room....... this is what I saw - I managed to get a photo before she disappeared but missed her mate as my camera isn't real speedy in coming back to take another pic.

Doe crossing the church parking lot behind our houses

I live near the downtown core of our city

Right after that I went to the W store to pick up some foil to cover my turkey with plus some fusible cotton fabric I saw yesterday and was intrigued by it. On the way home I took a slightly different route and who should I see resting in the cemetary at the top of the avenue. I realized I needed a new battery to take more pics. So I went home and got the charged battery and back up to the cemetary to take some more pics. I took a few from the fence, then realized I could drive in the cemetary so I did and got some lovely shots of the 2 of them. This is the best shot of the buck.

Mule deer buck just standing and watching me in the car. Both deer seem very used to vehicles

The deer wander in town apparently at will. I have previously encountered them between 6-7 am in the dark on a busy street while driving a co-worker home......that time is was a family of 3-4 deer. We have lots of open space and sheltered areas that apparently attract them. I think they may wander in up through the creek bed or rail track corridor.

Stanza gets her own blog

2009-02-17T11:43:00.001-08:00

I can't believe I'm saying this but today I spent time creating her own blog for Stanza. This blog is supposed to be MY creative efforts, but due to Stanza's recent health issues, there have been more posts about how she's doing to keep my online friends updated.

So, in order to have my efforts EMERGE as they come about, I've spent time moving all the posts about her over to her own blog. Those interested in her adventures can find her blog addy under Blog Links on the right side of my blog or click on here
http://www.stanzathecat.blogspot.com.

Another Sunday at the Gallery

2009-02-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

I spent another stint as the featured artist doing a demo at the Art Gallery of Swift Current. This time I was at the traditional quilt event that took place at the library the day before and announced that I would be demonstrating Fusible Fibre Art. It was a "teaser" for the Fusible Fibre Art - Introduction to Fusibles workshop being offered through the Gallery on March 28.

I ended up with 4 - 6 women from Saturday's event who got chairs and set themselves down right in front, taking notes and everything. (grin). I quickly realized I needed to get them interested without giving them all the info I would be doing in class! This is basically a casual, artist doing what they do event, not a teaching moment. I had a whole variety of fusible products that we will be using in the workshop. More, if I get to Medicine Hat to pick them up before the workshop.

I spent time demonstrating using MistyFuse on sheers and angelina. It was fun to show the ladies how it bonds so nicely to the sheers and hardly changes the hand of the fabric.

2009-02-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

Structures #104 by Lisa Call

6" x 6" mounted on a painted stretched canvas

photo from Lisa's Small Art for Sale page

http://blog.lisacall.com/small-artwork-for-sale

I received my new textile painting, Structures #104, from Lisa Call this am. I just love this piece. I ended up having to pay duty on it before I could get the package from the parcel guy, but it sure is worth it. Lisa let her blog readers know that her prices were increasing on February 1, so it gave us a chance to buy before then. I previously purchased one of her Home series ACEO's so I could own a piece of her work. I have hung it in the wall space between the two bedrooms that is about 7" wide for now so I will get see it often. I can also see it from my studio (which most ppl would use for a dining room) and it will get NO direct sunlight from any direction.

A short time later the mail was delivered (earlier than usual) with my "thanks but you didn't get the job" letter from my interview last week. I have mixed emotions. I'm glad I did well in the interview by the sounds of it since it's the first one of that type I've had in years. But, it means it's back to the daily job search before I can work on my art. On the other hand, it does give me more time to work on that art which I will need to get my Flatland Fibre piece done on time and also work on my workshop samples etc for March.

My plans for today include working through some of the exercises in the Learn to Make a Pop up Book to learn how to make pop ups.

Results may be posted later. First though, I need to design a postcard size info sheet for the gallery to put out (I offered) and that we can distribute to the traditional quilters who may be attending an event at the Library on Saturday afternoon.

2009-02-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

I spent time this morning "playing" with peltex to get the dimensions figured out for my Flatland Fibre - Off the Wall Intent to Enter Work form so I could get it sent in before the deadline at 5 pm today. Here is the link for the exhibit http://www.saskcraftcouncil.org/Fibre%203D_CallforEntry.pdf I spoke to my "muse" - Laurie Wagner, Art Educator at the Art Gallery of Swift Current on the phone prior to playing to discuss options and sizes. She always seems to suggest things I would have never have thought of in my own process. I don't always use them but they are good to consider. It was interesting to start with one idea of the size I wanted then see how it worked in actuality. Lots of folding and measuring later, I finally got a size that I feel will work well and show the work well.

Then I was off to the Library/Art Gallery building to show Laurie what I came up with. We discussed a few more options that might happen with the piece and I finally had to make notes so I wouldn't forget them.

I will say that I am very excited about working on this piece, more excited than I have been for anything in quite some time. The inspiration came about when I was making a New Year's Day phone call to a friend in Nova Scotia and describing the fibre greeting card I'd made in December for an online exchange. His comment "oh, like a pop up book" resonated with me and made me try to get it figured out as my entry for this exhibit.

I got the entry faxed off before noon using the Library fax machine, a full 5 hrs before the deadline. Apparently old habits die hard although I am working on getting things done earlier these days.

I will try and give you glimpses of the project in process as I go along, but will not put completed pics on the blog because I have realized that I can enter it in other shows that may have a clause about not it not being shown online before the show. Sorry. I am also working through a lot of techniques that I may use to teach later on. I new the fibre card was going to send me off in some new directions but had no idea where it would be taking me.

After getting the fax off and picking up some books and dvds at the library, I headed out to do some errands and wander around Walmart craft section to see what other fusible items I could find to use in my Fusible Fibre Art - Intro to fusibles workshop at the Gallery the end of March.

I found a cute little package of 5 trial size bottles of Aleene's fabric glues that will be fun to experiment with. The package was $3.96.

L to R: Fabric Fusion, Flexible Stretchable fabric glue,OK to Wash IT fabric glue, Jewel-It Embellishing Glue, and No-Sew fabric glue

There was also a Fabric Fusion fabric glue pen which is permanent and dry cleanable. It

was $2.97 for 10 ml/.34 oz

The other interesting glue product I found was a tube/bottle of Adhesive Tech A Fine Line..... the glue you can write with. I think this glue would be good to use to do delicate foiling or writing on quilts and then foiling it. It says it's great for design work on paper and fabric. It was all of #1.36 for 42 ml/1.42 oz.

I may try some of these glues while doing my Fusible Fibre Art artist demo on Sundays at the Gallery this Sunday.

2009-02-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

Today I finally got the workshop write up done for the Saturday No Sew Fibre Art workshop I will be doing at the Art Gallery of Swift Current at the end of March. We will be learning how to use the variety of fusibles on the market plus fusible embellishments, making some type of sample book for them and then spending time using the materials and techniques to create some small (8x10) or smaller fibre art works. There will be NO sewing involved so my challenge will be to find finishing techniques so a finished project(s) can be taken home at the end of the day.

It also means checking out some of the fusible embellishments I haven't yet bought or used to see if they are suitable for inclusion in the workshop. Most of that will happen after I get my Flatland Fibre Intent to Enter Work application off by fax in the next day. I will be playing with peltex today to decide on the dimensions of my piece. I'm quite excited about working on it but it seems many things are conspiring to keep me from it.

I was feeling fairly under the weather over the weekend so all this was supposed to be done then but didn't happen. Instead I spent time resting and watching movies on the puter. Obviously things were germinating in my brain since the writeup practically wrote itself this am. Amazing what enough sleep and echinachea can do for a person. That and the sun is shining away today which always helps me this time of year.

Some hand quilting comments

2009-01-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

Steadfast and Faithful c2000

approx 50" x 57" overall shot

Steadfast and Faithful is one of two pieces - the other being "Lying Fallow" - that were made to be part of "Celebrate Millenium" - a travelling quilt exhibit sponsored by the Presbyterian Church of Canada from May 2000 - July 2002 to Celebrate the Jubilee Year. It is a portrait of Covenanter Church in Grand Pre, Nova Scotia. Investigating it's history also gave me more information about my own personal past during the process. Covenanter was built between 1804 and 1811. There is lots more information about it but I won't expand on it in this post. It is a National Historic Monument and a NS Provincial Heritage Site. It is a companion piece for Lying Fallow, also part of the Celebrate Millenium exhibit. It was also selected as part of the 2004 Grand National - Constructions at the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery and the 2004 Tactile Architecture Exhibit in Houston, TX and travelled for a year before returning home.

Steadfast and Faithful was completely hand done except for machine stitching the binding to the front of the quilt. It was enlarged from a smaller photo and was the first time iit was enlarged via computer. Previously I did my enlarging using a photocopier and the cut and paste method. This meant I would often have several sizes of the same "pattern" which has come in handy on more than one occasion.

The reason I am posting about this piece is that I was chatting in QuiltChat about tiger tape and mentioned that I used to to create larger stitches in my work. It is also a method of helping quilters achieve even stitching in their work. In this piece I specificially used it to create the clapboard on the church. Had I known how long it was going to take when I decided to do this, I don't know that I would have started it! The additional stitching was done AFTER it returned back from it's 2 year plus journeys (at least 4 times) back and forth across Canada. I also requilted the trees, did the cross-hatching in the border, and added more quilting in several other areas. In all I figure I added between 60 - 100 hrs of quilting on this piece. It sure made all the difference!

clapboard detail handquilted using 12 stitches/inch Tiger Tape

close up of clapboard detail

detail of border quilting

The lower left hand corner shows some of the original motif quilting - the cross hatching was added about 3 yrs later. In the interim, I had fallen and torn the ligaments (or whatever) on the saddle joint between my thumb and index finger...........I was unable to do any hand stitching for about a year. This shows that I was able to return to my former quality of hand quilting as there is no difference in the hand stitching.

I was just remembering that I sent the intent to enter form in and a day or so later found out I was going to be moving in 6 weeks as a suitable apt had become available. It was quite the journey to get these pieces done and off to the co-ordinator. In fact, I almost didn't finish Steadfast and Faithful but decided that it's historic value to the exhibit as the oldest extant Presbyterian Church in Canada (meaning it's still being used as a church) was important enough to ask for an extension. I remember sitting in a cleared space amongst the boxes in my house and spending hours stitching to get it done. I think I even slept on the sofa cushions as I didn't want to take the time to makes a larger space to open up the sofa bed. It was an interesting two weeks to say the least. I did manage to get it to her in time for it to be shown with all the others at the World Ecumenical Conference being held in Montreal in May 2000.

Flo, thanks for the trip down memory lane!

Time to Get a Move On!

2009-01-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

Since I seem to have about a week's respite until I find out about the job I interviewed for yesterday, I am taking it as a sign that this time meant for me to get my entry for Flatland Fibre http://www.saskcraftcouncil.org/Fibre%203D_CallforEntry.pdf figured out so I can send my intent to enter by next Wednesday. I didn't plan to enter very many shows this year, wanting instead to spend my time creating a body of work. The 3D requirements for this show have intigued me, however, and seem to follow along on the work I did to develop my fibre card in December. I am a bit reluctant to share details of that at the moment as they are looking for innovative work - which this SURE is for me and I don't want someone else to "scoop" my idea. Once the intent to enter deadline has passed, I will share some pics and info with you folks as I go along.

An eagle-eyed online friend noticed that a thimble was missing from the handquilting tools shown in a previous post, so this pic is for her!

Maps, can you spot the thimble here?

A closeup pic of the type of thimble I use

I have also spent time today catching up on my "missing" blog posts. Having my laptop away for over 2 weeks plus coming back without most of the programs has meant that it's more difficult to get the pics onto the puter and uploaded. I finally decided just to use the HP program on the laptop as a temporary measure in order to get caught up.

As well, I've been thinking a bit about the class/workshop I will be offering through the Art Gallery at the end of March. I need to ruminate about these things before I write them up. I plan to do my "required" hand quilting for the day while the Thursday evening crime shows are on tv tonight.

First turn of the wheel(quilt)

2009-01-28T23:03:00.000-08:00

close up of quilting on charm quilt

charm quilt showing length of quilt and first section

I've gotten the first row of quilting done on my charm quilt and got to roll it to start on th next. One row of how many? But it is progress and I am happy to see it. I finished quilting the row as a means of de-stressing from my job interview in the am.

The job interview went ok, but it was the first sit-down interview with several people I've had in over 12 years. (I got that job) so I was a bit stressed both before and after it. I will know in 5-7 days whether or not it will be offered to me. It sounds interesting and the salary will cover my expenses. It's also a Monday-Friday job with regular hours so that should allow me time for my art and teaching workshops at the Art Gallery (which could be another source of income).

I also spoke with Laurie at the Art Gallery about the workshop(s) I might teach in March. For her publicity purposes, the class description, etc needs to be written up soonest so she can get the word out. We've decided on a title - No Sew Intro to Fibre Art. This workshop will be an introduction to the various types of fusibles, students will make samples of each plus spend time creating their own art work(s). With the gallery classes, all supplies are included in the cost of the the class. We also decided on a Saturday 10-4 class time in late March so they can explore possibilities and take home a finished project or two at the end of the day. We plan to build on this by offering other classes that use the information acquired in this one. the only skills necessary are being able to use scissors and an iron!

Sunday at the Gallery

2009-01-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

Today I was the featured artist demonstrating at the Art Gallery of Swift Current from 2-4 pm. It was a fun thing to do....... Sit there and work on your art while folks come and go. I didn't get much actual work done as I spent time talking to folks about what I was doing. One couple spent about half an hour asking me questions and me showing them some things I was doing. I apologize that I forgot to take pics until I was packing up. I may be doing another one of Feb 8 so I promise to take pics then.

Here are some of my photos showing some of the pieces I took to show a variety of techniques.

My summer show entries on display at the Art Gallery during the opening

A Time to Gather overall shot

A Time to Gather - detail shot showing some of the mixed media used in this piece

A Time to Gather was a challenge piece created to enter in local quilt show. We had a packet of fabrics to use and were allowed to add 3 others. I did a "Blomidon" piece without Blomidon - using one of my previous patterns and adapting it from that. This piece was my first "mixed media" piece and uses quite the variety of item on it including silk leaves, a real raffia basket, artificial fruit and veggies, fruit/veggie buttons and a REAL wooden picket fence (from a scrapbooking supply store). It was very fun to do. I also used some machien trupunto on the tree trunk and appliqued it on as a separate item. It was my usual hurry up and make the deadline style I used back then. I pulled into the yard of the person receiving the entries just as they were about to head out to the Guild meeting (in the nick of time!!!). That's about the closest call I've had.

My hardest decision was trying to decide what I would take to work on. When I can't make up my mind, I end up taking much more than I need. I thought I would take along some more altered photographs printed on the cotton inkjet sheets by Jacquard to try using the NeoColour II water soluble crayons and also take my yummy 132 box of Prismacolour artist quality pencil crayons to try on some of the extra silk prints I made in December to compare how I liked the results. With all the chatting I didn't get much done there. I will post more about the results of these trials in another post.

I took a number of the books I bought myself for Christmas so people could see the variety of fibre art techniques and methods.

The 2 hours flew by fast and I managed to get it packed up and ready to go by the time the library closed.

New Beginnings

2009-01-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day for my US friends and for the world as well. Barack Obama is being inaugurated today. I plan to spend that time quilting on my charm quilt and listening to/watching coverage. I have been an event "junkie" since I was young - one of the boomers who has lived the important events on radio and tv. Since I am home, there is no way I was going to miss this one. There was a lot of coverage on both tv and computer, so I brought the laptop into the living room so I could see different coverage of the event. I have only 1 channel I can get right now since I don't have cable or satellite tv - just my rabbit ears.

I also decided that I could probably get a decent amount of handquilting in as well. My new mantra is that "if the tv is on, I will be handquilting". At least in the living room. I started quilting on the charm quilt yesterday but did not post photos.

Charm quilt in the Hinterberg Floor Frame, tilted to show the intial starting area

It's been quite awhile since I've quilted on a floor frame, and it took a few tripsto the studio to accumulate the things you use while you are hand quilting. I started out learning to quilt as a traditional quilter and have spent lots of time quilting with others around a quilt frame. I don't do a lot of bed quilts, I never have. I have always been able to do fine stitching and was known for it. I plan to quilt this quilt (mine) plus one each for my daughter and one for my son - full size quilts.

L to R: beeswax to use on quilting thread, non-sharp pointed scissors, 1/4 " tape, quilting thread (from my past) and size 12 betweens - my choice of quilting needles

After a lot of thought, I decided to quilt my charm quilt with white quilting thread since that's what we mostly used when I was beginning quilting. I also have several spools of the white quilting thread I used to use back then. My quilt back is a blue and white print, so the white quilting design will let me reverse the quilt from the charm quilt front ot a quilted design blue and white comforter type one - in theory anyway.

You will also notice the uneven edges.......the bottom and top are nicer diamond edges....... I have figured out that I need to fill in the pointier edges along this side and it's opposite. I plan to turn the edges under and bind or just stitch them shut to keep the integrity of the diamond shape template and be "true" to having the one template. Trimming the edges to make a square edge would mean that there is more than one shape in the quilt.

showing the individual block with 1/4" tape marking and beginning to stitch

One of my other major decisions I thought about on and off through the years was how I was going to quilt the charm quilt. Due to the random assembly of the blocks dark medium and light elements, there is no distinct pattern that emerges. Instead, a variety of patterns emerge as you look at different spots on the quilt. I like this aspect of my quilt and didn't want to hinder it. So I finally decided just to quilt 1/4" inside each piece. I will be interested to see what the design looks like on the back. The quilting will be more visible on the dark and more brightly coloured blocks.

Stanza thinks the new quiltframe makes a great perch for looking out the window

Since I am a big meanie and don't want tufts of cat fur on my quilt, I make stanza get off the quilt when I'm working on it. She soon decides that there are other places a kitty can nap. I keep the quilt covered with a flannel sheet when I'm not working on it for two reasons:

1) the window faces east and I dont' want the fabrics to fade - I like to quilt in the natural light in the afternoon

2) it keeps kitty "stuff" off my quilt.

Stanza napping on the Ottoman - she adopted this as her own after we moved into apt

The ottoman was left in the apt when we moved in - it makes a good coffee table with a shelf on it for a hard surface; is a great foot rest when sitting on the couch but it's primary purpose seems to be to serve as Stanza's own private comfort zone!

Off to Maple Creek, SK - a trip to our vet

2009-01-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

Stanza and headed late this am for her trip to the vet in Maple Creek. We still use the vet in Maple Creek as they were recommended when we used to live in Gull Lake. They've treated us well and know Stanza so we've kept going there even though we moved to a place with several vets. I like to visit Maple Creek every now and then, it's a nice little day trip. We haven't had a road trip together since we came back from BC in October. The weather was great......warmer than it has been in ages. Should be above freezing before we head home, She settled in once we were on the highway and snoozed most of the way. Once I turned off the Trans Canada, though, she was up looking out the window and checking things it. It always makes me chuckle when she does this.

Stanza checking out what's up in Maple Creek

I spotted this over the street metal silouette which I hadn't remembered seeing on previous trips to Maple Creek. I took a number of photos of it on the way out.........wanted to make sure I got my lunch in at the local lunch spot. Because it was Monday, Currah's Bakery was closed - they make the most awesome cinnamon buns so i didn't get one of them.

Maple Creek street silouette sign

Maple Creek is nestled close to the Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial park and the rolling landscape is great ranching country. It is not unusual to see cowboy hats and boots on "real" cowboys. The first time I drove into Maple Creek I thought it was a place I'd like to live in. It is about a 10 min drive from the Trans Canada highway. I have been known to head into Curragh's for cinnamon bun(s) if I'm going by and have the time. There are folks here with the same last name as me. I ran into some of them at a local rodeo and we are not related' Too bad, they are nice folks and well known ranchers in the area.

Stanza going for a little stroll before heading into the vet office. She is looking quite thin for her

Stanza was her usual trooper self during the exam which was very thorough and included bloodwork to check on a variety of conditions. She was not impressed when they shaved her front paw to take the blood. The blood goes off to Saskatoon on the bus to be tested. Results won't be back until Tuesday or Wednesday. The vet said she had a nodule on the side of her thyroid and had me feel it. Stanza has also lost about 1.5 lbs which is a lot for an approx 8 lb cat. Her thinness at this time of year was one of the things that concerned me. She's usually putting on a bit of weight due to what I call the "fur doily" syndrome (sleeping everywhere) in the winter.

Stanza back at home with her "bandage" just before it was removed

After all the travel and news from the vet we were both a bit tuckered. I got home in time to see an Oprah show I didn't want to miss from Washington DC and stanza went off to catch up on her missing naps and rest up from the indigities she had to endure with her vet visit (they took her temp).

The first piece quilted on the quilt!

I spent several hours quilting on the charm quilt. It's a great de-stressor.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

I have been somewhat missing in action from blogging for most of 2008 due to a combination of factors. I am hoping to load some posts from my various travels (backdated) so you can see what I was up to. Since it's January 1, it seems like a good time to get back to posting about my creative activities.

Like many others, I have been encouraged by Christine Kane's blog, http://christinekane.com/blog/ to choose a word to guide me throughout the year. After much thought and deliberation I have chosen EMERGE as my word for 2009. Later blog posts will describe how I intend to use this word to meet my goals for 2009. I think it's a word that best describes what I have so far been able to set down on paper regarding my intentions for this year. I have also been much inspired by Lisa Call's blog http://blog.lisacall.com/. Lisa is very generous in sharing her thoughts and processes about her work and decision making.

For Christmas this year, I gave myself the gift of books. Books to assist me on my own journey as an artist. I may share some of those along the way. I look forward to reading them and absorbing them. I used a daytimer for years and haven't the past couple of years while my life has been in flux. To keep better track of my time, goals and work towards them, I bought a 2 page/day one so I could track where I am spending my time and where I might rather spend it. I am counting on this tool as an important one to help the organized Louise EMERGE once again.
When I write down what I want to get done the next day it means I already know where to start in the morning instead of wondering what needs to be done first.

Stanza has a more open attitude to her day however -

New Machine comes home

2008-12-31T17:54:00.000-08:00

I've had a busy year with sewing machines..... more about some of them later. Suffice to say, I've wanted a Janome 6600 for a couple of years now so that I could do the work the way i thought it should be done with less hassles. In August, when I went to pick up my Janome needle felting machine, I also ended up coming home with a Babylock Quest because the price was just too good to pass up. Now this was gonna be the machine to create on at home. It was basically an unused machine (had been traded back by a beginner for a Pfaff cuz all her friends had them). I liked what it could do.....my one hesitation was the separate bobbin case. Having learned to sew on a Singer, I am a drop in bobbin fan, although I do have the other type in my Bernina and a 1966 White Zig Zag machine and I cope ok with them. I left on a 2 month work travel stint ( as a camp cook) to the Yukon and the mountains in SE BC so it never came out of the box until October. I took it to a Gloria Loughman workshop in Fernie (that was a great experience which I hope to blog about at another time). I spent time getting acquainted with it the night before the workshop so I wouldn't be a dunce about my machine. Once home, I found myself wanting to use the Platinum Jem (my travelling machine) instead of the Quest as the work I was doing seemed more suited to the smaller machine. I did use the Quest to create my fibre greeting card and had a number of tension issues. Now I've used the 70's singer with tension issues and come to terms with it so I wasn't too intimidated by this. But it continued to break the bobbin thread when it caught on the tiny spring. I woke up one morning after Christmas and decided I would go for the trade-in offered by the Janome dealer. He told me when I bought the Quest that if i wanted to trade it in on the 6600 within 6 months he would give me full credit for what I paid for it (less tax).

So, Dec. 28 found me driving to Medicine Hat with a sick laptop (turned out to be a factory recall service job = no charge) and the Quest to trade for a Janome. It turns out that the dealer (Dueck's Sewing Centre in Medicine Hat) opted for the sewing table instead of the rolling tote to go with the 6600's. WOO HOO. I love the table. It is a great size for my small studio and I can set up another table in front of it. I spent 2 days sewing stitch samples and playing with it so I feel comfortable with it before starting any projects. I've spent 6-8 hrs just playing with it!

Christmas Gifts to ME!

2008-12-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

This year's gift from me to me is books! I started ordering books in late November to use up a couple of Chapters/Indigo gift cards I got with my accumulated Air Miles and I think I will keep doing that. I also saw some books on the Quilt Art List and the The Thread Society Yahoo group that interested me. Some I ordered from Amazon.com as they were not available and much less expensive (even with the exchange than Amazon.ca) and had sent to my dd's place and who forwarded them to me. When they arrived, I put them in the living room in a designated place (where I tree might have gone - it never did get up this year) and left them alone (it's true).

Where possible I like to buy the books from the authors on their website, since they then get the "middleman" share of the sale plus they will often autograph them to you which makes the whole thing more personal to me.

This pic shows the whole batch - altogether. Quite an assortment of technique books, inspiration books, art books, and art promotion.

These should help me with my plan to immerse myself in studio work for 2009 to further continue my journey of exploration with the tools" I acquired over the summer and fall.

These books are the ones I expect to have the greatest influence on this year's work:
From L to R, Top to Bottom:

From Image to Stitch by Maggie Grey
Digital Images by Gloria Hansen
Creative Quilts Inspiration Texture Stitch by Sandra Meech
The Painted Quilt by Laura and Linda Kemshall
Color and Composition for the Creative Quilter AND Design Exploration for the Creative Quilter both by Katie Pasquini Masopust

I confess, I've flipped through them but not immersed myself in the techniques yet. I wore a bib to prevent drooling marks though.

Among the things I want to work on this year is improving the quality of my work. These books were mentioned on the The Thread Society Yahoo group as good references and I managed to track down a couple of used copies at reasonable prices. Although I've been sewing for many years on a variety of machines, I find it helpful to have reference books to fall back on when I am trying to decide on a particular technique. These books are by Robbie Fanning:

Decorative Machine Stitching
The Complete Book of Machine Embroidery (with Tony Fanning).

I also want to work on my machine quilting. The AQS puts out a nice series of books called Quilt Savvy and I bought Diane Gaudynski's Machine Quilting Guidebook. So far it appears to be a great reference to put right beside the machine.

I also purchased the Janome Needle Felting Machine and wanted a good reference book coverning a variety of felting styles - I have seen several but this one explores quite an array of methods/styles:

Designer Needle Felting by Tery Taylor & Candie Cooper

And last, but certainly not least, I bought several books on being a studio artist, developing good creative work habits and routines to make the work ACTUALLY happen.

These include (from L to Right, top row, bottom row):

The View from the Studio Door by Ted Orland
Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland
The Creative Habit by Twila Tharp
I'd Rather be in the Studio by Alison Stanfield

I expect to be reading and absorbing these books starting with the Creative Habit before delving too much into the technique books mentioned previously.

In fact, I've already started reading the Creative Habit and will be progressing through the exercises before reading much else.

I apologize for not giving links for all the books........ they can all be found by searching via their titles or authors. I do not remember at this point which books were ordered from where. I did order both Gloria's and Alyson's books from their websites. Bpth were offering a Holiday special price that helped to compensate for the current exchange rate between the Canadian and US dollar.

Making Progress in Unpacking

2008-02-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

Here is proof I'm actually making some progress in the unpacking dept since I managed to get all the things out of my storage unit on Jan 31. This is my studio library............ so far 3 of these Ikea bookcases full of my beloved art/craft magazines and books. I know I still have at least one more box with my Singer Sewing books and then the office reference books so it will fill up the 4th bookcase. It was like greeting old friends to see them again. Very hard not to sit and browse. Found some of the newer ones I bought last year but hadn't had time to read much.

Today I also made some other progress in arranging the sewing machine cabinets in the studio into a workable arrangement. All that was in aid of getting an upended desk and table out of the kitchen, where they got put on the 31st.

Library Totes Done

2008-01-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

Another Place I Create

2007-11-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

The kitchen where I cook, creating meals that are

"good enough to eat"

Today it was back to work..... cooking in a truck stop restaurant. I try to be consistent with the quality and I'm finally getting the timing down so the things that need to be done together end up done together, not always an easy task.

The range on the right is the meat range and the one on the left is the egg/pancake one. They are NEVER turned off. We also have a charcoal grill to the right of the meat range where we cook burgers and steaks.

I take pride in making the meal look as attractive as it can, given the time and other constraints I work under. I guess we use our creativity where we can.

It can get pretty hectic at times, especially when there are 8 or 10 order slips up....sometimes each with several meals on it. It doesn't looks so tidy then.

I spent some time downloading an upgrade for my camera software so Vista now does recognize my camera. As well, I can upload photos from it to blogger, which I couldn't do before. Happy days!!!! I am working on getting my photos organized and into albums so things are easier to find when I need them. Not all the artist's creating is in the studio. It seems more and more time needs to be spent on keeping good records that are useful.

To all my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving.

So Much for Making Plans!

2007-11-21T17:51:00.001-08:00

Stanza with her first snowfall this year - she's not impressed

I, on the other hand, was glad to take a walk down by the creek and see how the snow looked, my first snow shots this year. There's something about a dusting of snow that puts one in the the Christmas mood............ Stanza decided a block was about all the walk she wanted to take this am, so I took the camera instead.

A dusting of snow turns everthing into a winter wonderland

After a nice, invigorating walk I went into the library to set up to work and discovered that the space I had booked was full of a cabinet being put together, so I went to do some photo editing in the library. When I came back later to set up, I found that one of the gallery staff was painting frames (probably for the next exhibit setting up next week). Since paint and I really do not get along due to my environmental sensitivities, it meant that my sewing plans for the day were put on hold.

This is the area I usually sew in........my sewing items are on the cupboards to the left

That's where they stayed till I put them in the car to go back in the storage unit

Instead, I finished editing the photos from the Swing Dance Ball and "played" with my 4x6 photo printer. Learned lots about what it can do as a stand alone device. I had fun with it and printed off a number of photos for the CAP interns (Community Access Program) who organized the Swing Dance lessons and Swing Dance Ball last Friday nite.

My set up for working on the computer today

If the location looks familar, it's where I was set up to sew yesterday. My new little Epson photoprinter is to the right of the puter. Just put your memory car in and print off photos. I also printed directly from my camera. All good practice things to do. Although you cant see them, I treated the library staff to Tim Tams (an Australian cookie). They are the first folks I've offered them to who actually knew what they were. One of the interns had done some schooling in Australia and brought some back. It was a nice treat to have on a cold snowy day.

I'm back at work cooking tomorrow.

Sewing as "Performance Art"

2007-11-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

Today was another day off..........so I was off to the library to work on the tote bags. It was "handle day". I spent the day making handles and attaching them to the already made bags. This time I was set up right in the middle of the library. Manisha, the librarian, said since I was making them for the library I could sew right in the library. It was an interesting experience, to say the least.

This morning they had a guest author in and lots of school children to hear him. I came after that, but there were still Grade 6 students doing a scavenger or other hunt through the library looking for clues. Some were from Gull Lake where I used to live, so I got to visit for a few minutes with some of the parent helpers along for the trip.

I got to hear storytime with the children in the afternoon, and they read one of my favourite Sheree Fitch books....... the one that has Monkees in the Kitchen. I just love the way her prose flows. Sheree went back to school in Wolfville , NS at Acadia University a number of years ago. Her son and my daughter were in the same class in grade 6 and had a "thing" for each other. We were reminiscing about that when I met her a few years ago at the Two Planks and a Passion "PassionArt" Art Auction, where she was the guest performer. It was a real treat to hear her read her own work. Some of you may remember hearing Sheree on Peter Gzoski's show on CBC.

In the evening there were a number of folks who stopped by to ask what I was doing. Many wanted to know if the bags were for sale. I just said they were a project for the library.

In all, I managed to make handles and get them attached to 24/30 bags I had made. There is still a fair size box of fabric samples. I'd like to get 50 bags made if there are enough samples. It seems like a nice round number.

Tomorrow, I get to spend the day sewing for me! YEAH!

Emily for Maplestar

2007-11-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

A Wonderful Surprise Came Today

2007-11-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

Quiltchat love quilt delivered to me today and photographed on the piano at the Swift Current Library

For a number of years, I have been part of a wonderful chatroom online, the QuiltChat room. I can't even remember how many years I've been chatting with folks there. They are a wonderful support, no matter what you are going thru, or what you need advice on. Your turn to give support or advice comes along as well. Today while cooking at work, I was asked to come to the restaurant doors... this is always done with a bit of trepidation as you never know if it is a happy or disgruntled customer. Imagine my surprise when Biff Potter, Dale Anne's husband handed me a parcel. I had to wait to open it as I had several orders on the go. The name on the parcel was a slight giveaway as I only know one Irene in Surrey..... Jemo (as she is known on Quiltchat.) I thought perhaps she was sending me a blanket to keep warm as she's been worrying about me since I left Gull Lake. Once I saw it was a quilt, I knew that tears would be involved, so I waited until my orders were all caught up before going to the staff room and opening the card and quilt. One of the other staff was in there and asked if I was ok when they saw my tears........I said yes. I was the lucky recipient of a love quilt from my wonderful roomies on Quilt Chat. I showed her the names of the folks who'd sent blocks and told her where they were from. Through the day, most of the staff who were working managed to sneak a peak at the quilt. They all thought it was wonderful that I had so many friends who would do this for me to honour my parents' passing. I will certainly treasure this wonderful gift.........Thanks roomies,you sure brightened up my day!

Stanza, determined to go for a LONG walk!

After work, Stanza (my 14 yr old Maine Coon Cat mix) and I went for a walk over along the creek, near the library and our new neighborhood. She is leash trained and has started actually wanting to go for walks like a dog in the past several weeks....... this is new behaviour. Today, she was determined to have quite a walk, I had to walk quickly to keep up with her. I kept wanting to stop and take pictures and she kept wanting to walk.

view along the creek, a skim of ice has formed in spots, giving a shimmer to the reflections
We ended up walking about a total of 10 or 12 blocks....... she was ready for more, but I wasn't, having just finished standing while working for the past 8 hours. I took a number of texture type photos during our walk, one old tree captured my interest due to the depth of the fissures in its bark.

The character in this tree bark just spoke to me today

My Temporary Working Space

2007-11-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

A compact, but functional and portable workspace

I've been very lucky since I moved to Swift Current in September. The staff at The Art Gallery of Swift Current have very kindly allowed me to use space in a back hall to set up my sewing machine to work on my Fractured Quilt Challenge top to meet the deadline (which was fortunately extended). Even with it being in a back hall out of public view, I attract some attention when library staff are passing thru or other folks hear the sewing machine going. I have tried to book the space one day a week unless my work schedule prohibits it. After the first couple of times, I received permission to leave a "bare bones" ensemble with my sewing machine, small table, clamp lamp and iron tucked away there so I could pop over and sew when I had a bit of time.

View from the front entry door looking towards the back of the hallway

In addition, the Librarian has asked me to teach her how to use a sewing machine. When I asked her what she wanted to make with it, she informed me she wanted to make tote bags out of fabric samples that had been donated to the library. These bags were to be given to children to keep their library books in. You guessed it......... guess who is making the bags. I figure that since they are being very generous in giving me the space to use, I can do this for them. So far I've made 30 bags, without the handles. The fabric samples are gorgeous and all serged so easy to sew. I try to sew one day for myself plus a 3 hr shift on another day to make bags. Next day will be a handle day! Personally, I am wondering if the kids are gonna be able to keep the bags since they're so nice.

The next pic shows some of the bags I've made so far.

The librarian and I have had one sewing lesson so far. I taught her how to thread the machine and had her do her driving test on paper a number of times to get the feel of how the machine worked. She is very enthusiastic and practiced a lot on paper. We ended the lesson with her sewing a seam. She seemed quite pleased to have reached that stage.

They are having a musical event at the Gallery on Fri and Sat nights, so I packed everything up and put it in the storage unit for now. It's a pretty compact set up.

Sorry for the sideways view, I must have taken the pic with the camera turned so everything fit in.

So, I spent much of my second day off this week working on a piece (which I'll show another time). It was one I designed on graph paper. I had to spend a bit of time figuring out how best to piece it. I was feeling a bit tired today, probably due to the constant high winds we've had for the past couple of days, so I was very cautious about cutting and sewing. Usually on days like that I sew bags (vbg). Something mindless that keeps me in the studio. I'm trying to be disciplined about making time for my sewing. In two weeks I will have my new apt and have my own space to sew again.

2007 Journal Quilt Artist Statement

2007-11-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

Photo by Linda T. Minton, Houston TX

The Sky’s the Limit

Creative Quilting Techniques used: thread painting (p. 101), Caran, d’Arche watercolour crayons used for shading and detail( p. 14), and free motion quilting designs echoing shapes of quilt design (p. 237)

My participation in the 2007 Journal Quilt Project made me stop and think about my journey........from my beginnings as a “traditional” quilter to my current self-identification as a fibre artist who has learned to try whatever technique I think will suit the piece I am currently working on. Some pieces designed in the past only come to fruition as I learn the skills necessary to complete the image I have in my head (or even on paper).

This year, my journal quilt starts out “in the beginning” – a very traditional block in the centre. To honour my early work, I have carefully pieced the Snail’s Trail block.......... it spirals outward from the centre but comes back again. It is also a variation of Square in a Square block........... one of my favourites, but it also implies being bounded by traditional ideas. This centre block is also hand appliquéd onto the JQ and hand quilted.

Gradually I “blossomed” as I started to experiment with new techniques. The petals all come out from the centre, yet leave space to return to my roots and come out again. With every new skill learned, work takes on a new depth/dimension. I pay tribute to my years in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia where the apple blossoms in the spring inspired me for years. As I continue to evolve and grow……….. THE SKY’S THE LIMIT. There are no borders or boundaries on my creativity anymore. This sky background is evocative of the endless Saskatchewan prairie skies of my youth, to which I’ve returned. The echoing, rippling outward quilting reminds me that one small ripple can lead to endless possibilities.

Entering Blogdom

2007-11-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've known for a long time that I really need to have a blog. Wanting to put a picture of my 2007 Journal Quilt online plus recent changes in my life have prompted me to do so now.

The photo of my Journal Quilt on display in Houston this year is courtesy Linda T. Minton, Houston, TX, who was kind enough to take and send the above image of my JQ on display at Houston. This was a big deal for me, just to get it finished and to Houston this year (the final year of the Journal Quilt Project).

Finishing my sleeve in my tent studio at the campground where I lived for the first two weeks of my new job, with the sleeve instructions open on the laptop. I was determined to get this done and sent to Houston this year.

Since the end of August, after dealing with both my parents becoming ill and passing away within five weeks of each other this spring, dealing with a health crisis in in late July, immediately followed by ending the contract for my previous work position; I have changed jobs, packed and stored my belongings, moved to a new location for said job and will be soon moving into new accomodation where I plan to concentrate on working more on my art and developing Skyswept Designs into a viable business. Life is too short not to be doing what I need to do.

I hope to use this blog primarily to showcase my work as a mixed media and fibre artist, letting folks know what I am working on, seeking opinions as needed, and generally putting my journey along the way in creating my work online for others to see. My intentions are to be more serious about the work I do, the work I want to do and how I go about getting it done.

I hope you'll join me on my journey and visit often.