I've Been Busy!

I've finally gotten out of my slump and have been busy this week.

I finished some minimees, this time, instead of mounting them on canvas or mat board, I made them into little quilts and I have to say I like them very much!

12" x 12"

City Street

c 2011



And a detail:

Watery Wonderland:

Watery Wonderland

12.5" x 13"

c 2011

And a detail:







And a landscape:

12" x 14"

Evening Song

c 2011

And a final detail:



I've also been dyeing. I got some gradation dyeing kits from ProChem and it's really been fun. These kits have only 3 colors of dye and will dye 30 fat eighths plus one yard. It's really an experiment (to me) in color mixing. I followed the directions to a tee for the first batch, using Tangerine, Sapphire Blue and Boysenberry from a kit called "Flower Garden." The three colors alone were gorgeous, but look what happened when they were mixed:

 I loved the colors, but I wasn't happy with the big blobs of white. So the next time I wet the fabric before putting it into the cups, and I dyed fat quarters instead of fat eighths. This kit was called "Sea and Sky" and produced some much calmer and cooler pieces:

AND I have an announcement to make! My work will be hung at Jittery Joe's (on the east side of Athens) for the month of July. I know, it's not the Met, but it's a start and I can't wait! If you're in the area, stop in and take a look. Jittery Joe's is on Gaine's School Road, in the Publix shopping center next to Chick-Fil-A.

Thanks for stopping by!







"Capturing Nature" Class at the Dragonfly

I know I haven't been very good about writing lately. No good excuses, just haven't done it. The last fun thing that I did was teach a class at the Dragonfly Quilt Shop in Watkinsville GA.

I had 9 students and it was great seeing what they all came up with. Some were independent from the start, choosing a different flower than the day lily that I had planned. I love that and encourage it for my students. Some had a hard time creating, hmm, let's say "a less than structured" art quilt. That's great too, and something else that I encourage. I like to tell my students to leave their perfectionism at home, it's time to play and have fun. And we did have fun!

I have photos for 8 of the 9 students and must apologize to whoever I left out. I also have to apologize for not remembering some students' names. I knew I should have blogged about the class the next day, or some things are bound to be lost in the deep recesses of the little bit of mind I have left--never to return!

Enjoy these photos that I took early on in the class, during the construction phase and before the stitching began:

Isn't it fun to see how their personalities come through? That's just one of the reasons why I love teaching! Not to mention the instant camaraderie and the fact that I ALWAYS learn from my students. It's just a win-win situation!

Bye for now. Hope to be back soon.

A New Pattern

I am so excited--I published my first pattern! If someone had told me a year ago that I would be writing and publishing patterns, I never would have believed them. Funny how things happen.

AND, I've already sold some to my fabulous local quilt shop!

AND, my friend, Anita, is taking them to the Mobile, Alabama quilt show this weekend. Am I a lucky girl or what?!

What started out as a photo of a single gerbera daisy, became this:



an art quilt. And, when I decided to do craft shows and needed to make some things to sell, it became this:

I've had so many positive responses to my table toppers/placemats, but don't sell a lot of them. At our own quilt show in March, a lot of people asked for a pattern. So, here it is and here I am, in a place I never thought I would be, but one that feels good.

My next big project is to open an Etsy Store. I'll let you know when I'm all set to go.

Oh, and if you're in the Atlanta area on Friday, I'll be at the Artist's Walk in Marietta, in front of Doodlebugz--hope to see you there!