I’ve been keeping quite busy lately. I’m trying to paint my art supply room ( I hate painting) as it needs cleaning out and organizing very badly. I decided if I was going to rip it apart, I should paint it too - it is all white and y’all know how I feel about the absence of color - Ack!! Notice how I completely passed over the most disturbing part of that last sentence? A whole room that is just art supplies - very scary! So, by dribbles and drabs, I’ve been working on that. I also taught a new sock class recently which had to be written and was all about the options of toes; sock toes, it was fun!

And I’ve just started another of my Toe-Up, Two at a Time on One Needle Socks class. In fact, sock knitting must be hot because one filled up so I schedule another immediately following it and it’s full too. Cool beans!

But I’m also taking an online art class with Laura Cater-Woods. It’s called Idea to Image and it’s also an artist coaching group therapy class Laura is brilliant and has really helped me clear some cobwebs in my brain.

So, I’ve just started a new piece. I’ve decided to be brave and let you see the steps I’ve done so far. First, I want to keep this as non-objective as possible for a piece that actually has objects (I just learned a new term “non-objective art” is art with no recognizable objects in it; abstract). So, I’m trying to represent the theme of the work with just color - well, so far. Think — grape vine on a stucco wall. First blush at my idea was a water color.

Then, I added a sharp black, fine line to see if i like the contrast with soft color. I do.

Then I got out my fabric (silk noil). I decided that I’m a chicken and put in a few resist lines to represent the grape vine idea. The resist is Elmer’s Blue Gel School Glue - it works very well for this.

A better look at the resist.

Then I played with color!

It’s a bit more yellow than I planned but this is only the first layer of color. Since this is a wall piece, I don’t have to worry about how many layers I add and the fabric getting a stiff hand. If this was garment fabric, I would be very concerned but - I can explore this concept without that consideration.

Off to play some more!

Deb H

Challenges - as in a ruddy challenge from beginning to end middle!
I wanted to show you a bit of what I did in my class at Fabrications. Our instructor, Laura Cater-Woods had us doing some interesting things but one of them was to try to save a WIP (work in progress) that was stalled. I had a small quilt that gave stalled a new meaning. It had been hanging on my design board for three years. Yes, I am mortally embarrassed to have actually typed that! In my defense, this quilt has been a challenge since the first piece of fabric was chosen. It’s humble beginnings were in a workshop with David Walker and I selected colors that are not in my usual palette to make me jump out of my comfort zone, Oy! Browns are not easy colors for me to work in. I’m more of a purple/green/teal kinda gal. I did manage to make a “background” fabric in some lovely mushroom browns with a touch of copper (I just mention that so you know what colors are supposed to be in the accompanying photos ;o). So, I decide my background has potential and jumped in by adding a lightening bolt, or two. Feeling frisky I added a pieced border.

Stuck! Here it sat for three years, being ignored by Moi! The center section was way too dull and had no contrast. All my contrasting colors were in the border making it too light. How to save it? Nothing came to mind… for a really long time.

So, it hung on my design wall and I ignore it.

And ignored it some more.

And some more.

Fast forward to this October. One of the suggestions for this workshop I took at Fabrications was to bring a stalled project. Assuming that the only salvation at this point was to cut it up for ATCs, I bravely packed it with all my other fabrics. Why is it, when you pack fabric for a three day workshop you pack enough for a year in the Tundra and still buy three more pieces of fabric at the LQS? This one stumps me. I digress. Laura’s talent is to make you think with out telling you what to think. She just knows how to open those little doors in your brain. She suggested I might think about cropping it - I had to chuckle; in a Melody Johnson workshop this last summer, the favorite catch phrase for the weekend was “If it’s crap, crop!” So I took out my rotary cutter…

After doing some free-motion quilting, another first and a major biggie for me, I added some sharp contrast; binding to cover the seams where I re-sewed it back together. I was delighted with the transformation! Now, I just have about 12,857 hours of FMQ to go.

Now, I know my FMQ is never going to pass muster in a judged show, but I’m doing it and it looks good enough for me at this point in time. I’m sure with practice, I’ll improve. Always the optimist, me  ;o)

I think I’ll bind it in the same narrow binding I used for contrast and call it quits. Oh…..   maybe just a few sparkly thingies  ;o)

Oh! I finally added some of my hand-dyed yarns to my Etsy Store and got the “Etsy Mini” working on my side bar (a peek and a link to my Etsy). I just hope I can get the rest posted soon. So many distractions!  :) 

I’m back from my wonderful four days of creative bliss. I learned so much and made so much progress on one quilt and a million issues that relate to being an artist. It was fabulous, it was stupendous, it was marvelous… it was legendary. OK, all gushing aside, I had a blast and learned lots. Laura Cater-Woods is a terrific creativity coach and I feel progress in my bones. But, more on that next time.

This time, I want to share my latest finished quilt. I actually finished it a week ago but it was a gift and could not be revealed until now. I started a self portrait in Pam Allen’s class last year. It looked like me. It was boring. I wanted something a bit more edgy, fun, funky! I decided I needed a more inspiring model. So, I picked my friend Cathy A. She was the first fiber friend I made after moving to Michigan. I was soooo missing the yarn shop where I had worked, my Art Quilter’s group and my Weaving group.

Then, when I was so desperate for a art quilter’s group that was NOT into traditional or Thimble Berries or Sun Bonnet Sue (ACK!) that I put an ad in the local paper and started my own, Cathy came (a long drive for her) and helped make it grow (with all the other great members) into the thriving Eye for Fiber: an art group that it is today. Then, she is the person who heads up the efforts that produce Fabrications and have allowed me to wallow in an annual fiber art retreat.

As you are working on a quilt, your mind tends to mull a bit. I realized what an effect that Cathy’s simple existence had had on my life here and poured a little gratitude into it so I could give it to her when done. Yes, it took me all year to finish it but, that’s just ‘cuz I had so much gratitude to work in there  :)  I might point out that this does not look like her. She does not have a blue face and lopsided casabas. It does reflect her fun, colorful, big hearted, and dare I say? Funky! personality.

She is also a knitter, does it show?

Blog (‘blog, ‘bläg) noun   short for Weblog  1. an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page; also called Weblog, Web log.   …or so says Webster.

Why would anybody want a “Blog”, a public diary for the whole planet to read? I’ve asked that a million times in the last few years. But, here I am… talking (via keyboard) to perfect (I assume you are all perfect  ;o) strangers.

The purpose of this Blog, at least for now, is to journal my fibery explorations. I’m hoping that with a “public” to answer to (post comments Mom, so I know someone is reading it  ;o) I may actually spend more time in my studio. Who knows, I may even organize it – gasp! Call this a motivational tool. Actually, I’ve recently re-learned the value of a creative journal. Someplace to log my experiments and accomplishments. A place to share techniques and ideas. A place to spout off when no one else will listen to me!

So, what fibery things am I up to? I’m going to Fabrications Fiber Retreat in two weeks (October 10th -13th). I’m spending three days in a workshop being taught by Laura Cater-Woods.  It’s primarily an Artist’s workshop for quilters and I’m very excited. You, of course, will hear all about it. This will be my third year in a row to attend this wonderful retreat and I can’t wait!

Meanwhile, I’ve just finished knitting a pair of socks for my eccentric daughter. Yes, I knit a lot of socks. Knitting is portable and socks are small enough to finish in a reasonable amount of time. Well, this pair wasn’t! I figure she can get Halloween and Christmas wear out of them anyway. But, knowing her, she’ll wear them more than that. These were knit from the toe-up, two at a time, by the Magic Loop method (one long circular needle). She kept saying “a little longer” until I used 200 grams of yarn with a total of three yards left over. They are Regia sock yarn in red and white dyed stripes – I’m very pleased with the way they turned out. Better yet, so is Ashland!

Lastly, the Blog itself. Isn’t is just beautiful? I’m much better at fiber stuff than computer stuff so I sent a ton of photos of my dyed fabrics, yarns and quilted items to my Blog hostess and asked her to make it “pretty”. I do believe she has done a stellar job. Thanks Gloria and Andrew! Visit them at Gloderworks.