Gift Bag Challenge

Last night at the Lake Norman Quilters meeting, we unveiled our challege pieces. This is mine and it is of a wysteria vine. The rules were you picked a gift bag out of a trash bag and you had to use the colors in the bag but not necessarily the photo. We got the idea on a trip to the AQS show at Nashville last summer. It had to be no smaller then 8 1/2 x 11 and no larger then 36 x 36. We had roughly nine months to complete them.

This is my bag.

A close up of my piece. I used fusible applique and thread painting.

The photo of my own wysteria that I used to make the piece.

Michele

Memories of Jane

I participated in the EPU II Cultures in Cloth Challenge on the Quilt Art list and this is my completed piece. I decided to focus on the culture of women in a family and dedicate it to my grandmother. Being a cultural "mutt" of sorts, my family did not cling strongly to one particularly aspect of our geneological background (German, French, and Irish are the ones I know of). But being from Berks County, PA, where there is a strong Pennsylvania Dutch (or German) Heritage, and very close to Amish country, some of our traditions, especially food, reflected both of those cultures. The distelfink birds represent this as they are symbols of luck and good fortune and often seen in Hex Signs on barns in the area. The wording in the middle says "There is a thread that connects us all. Mother to Daughter. Generation to Generation. Woman to Woman."

The Pagoda is a symbol in Reading, PA, my hometown.

The photos are each of four generations, one when my mother was a child and the other with my daughter as an infant.

The jewelry piece in the right hand corner is one of my grandmother Jane's earrings. When she passed away there was an extensive collection of jewelry and a lot of clip earrings. I thought this piece would add a personal touch to the piece.

The connection I have to my mother and grandmother is the strongest and I believe that the culture of the women in a family helps to shape each new generation and is the best vehicle for passing down tradition.

Michele

Nunofelt Scarf

Yesterday, my friends Susan, DeLane and I headed to Winston to take a Nunofelt class with Vicki Clontz of Annie's Keepsakes. It was a labor intensive process but we had a great time. The first photo shows me applying Merino wool to my silk scarf.

Here is an in-process photo.
Here I am rolling my scarf. We did this probably 2200 times.
This is my finished scarf still wet.And a close-up of it drying in the driveway.

Vicki was to teach this class to the Lake Norman Quilters in August but it didn't happen. I was actually in the process of teaching myself this technique when Vicki made the offer and I'm very happy she did. We got to see what it should look like when it's finished and when it's not (very important). I will definitely be doing this again. Thanks Vicki for a great class!

Michele

Yes, I'm Alive

I saw some girlfriends on Monday for a "grown up playdate" and I was immediately asked where I've been. Well, last week we traveled to PA for a visit with the family and a wedding. And the week before that I was sick. So my productive juices have been seriously curtailed. Throw in a busy week with the Charlotte Guild and an unfinished Fast Friday Fabric Challenge and that's where I've been.

Now for the splaining, the mosaic photo. I was visiting some of my favorite blogs and Stephanie on Novablossoms had a the mosaic and how she made hers. I had wanted to do this when I was working on the Studio Journals class and didn't so I thought today was as good a day as any.

And be sure to visit the Fast Friday Fabric blog. I joined this group (as did my friend, Judy Whitehead) and I'm really enjoying it. The rules are the fourth Friday of the month, a challenge is issued and we have a week to complete the piece. Due to my guild responsibilites and then leaving, I didn't finish mine yet but I did get the top done.

That's about it for now. Trying to get back in the mode. Traveling, especially by car, always wipes me out, plus her highness isn't sleeping well (shocker). No dancing pictures of Natalie because she doesn't cooperate. Imagine that! Hopefully, some wedding pictures soon. She didn't cooperate there either so I didn't get many of my own pictures. And a photo of what I made at my playdate.

Michele

A Little Bit of Fall

This is my favorite time of year! Everything is still green and the afternoons are warm, but gone are the sticky, HOT days of summer.

So, I was inspired. I saw these foundation pieced leaves in a magazine (which one escapes me at the moment) and copied them in a variety of sizes. I then made the corresponding areas to make it all fit.

We've had some excitement here in the last few weeks. Jason finally left Chip Ganassi Racing after 5 years and a lot of turmoil. In June, they laid off 70+ and we decided he needed to seriously look elsewhere. Once his driver made the announcement that he was leaving, Jason knew he needed to get out while he had an offer. So, this past week was his first at Petty Enterprises. In addition to the team change, he will no longer be on the road so for the first time in the 8 1/2 years that we've been together, we will both be home. A REAL LIFE! His being around is still a novelty to Natalie but hopefully that will wear off. He still goes on Sunday to change tires and now we root for Bobby Labonte. He is also working with his brother, which is proving to be entertaining.

Michele

New Doll Finished

Here she is finished. I still don't know what to name her so suggestions are appreciated. Her pashmina was originally going to be a jacket but the paisley was overpowering. It is lined with the same velvet as her top and there is a pipe cleaner in it so it stays on her. Notice the bead fringe on her sleeves.
Feet and shoes are definitely something I need to work on. Her feet are ugly, no toes, and the shoes posed a problem for me. Nothing I can't handle.
The pattern on her dress is taken from the paisley on the pashmina fabric. I only did the front because eventually she is going to sit. I bought what I needed to make her a chair but long story short, don't go quickly into Michael's with Natalie. It's never quick. So I didn't get what I needed but I have it now and it will be made soon.
Here she is standing.

I saw a bracelet with inspirational words on it in a catalog but I couldn't justify several hundred dollars for an artisan quality bracelet. I saw these beads at Michael's and figured I could make my own.

Do One Thing Every Day

I found this chart during a trip in Indiana. It was an obscure needlework shop found by accident while heading to a hobby shop. (Obviously this was a trip where either I went and was bored, or stayed behind, alone, and bored.) I ran in, while a car full of men and Natalie waited. I found this in the bargain bin and aside from the whimsical cat, I was drawn to the statement, "Do One Thing Every Day That Makes You Happy." I put it in the "do real soon" bin and set about finding the specialty threads. The whole time I worked on this it made me smile and reminded me of what I'm really all about. I am a creative person. I am an artist. I need art to survive or I am miserable. Literally. If life gets in the way and I can't work on something, I am miserable, even venturing into the witch (with a b) arena.

In my former life I was creative through writing, not because I didn't like art but because I didn't think I was very good at. So, I became a spin doctor if you will. Someone who made the mundane sound exciting, someone who took the bad and made it sound quite refreshing, someone who took a person of questionable character and made him sound like a lovable, ever-so-lucky, down-to-earth everyone will love him kind of guy. I also wrote poetry, still do actually, but not in the same proliferation. It filled a hole in me that I didn't know was there. Until I found quilting.

Now, this little piece is something I can see everyday and remind me of what I am and want to be. I have morphed so to speak in the last few months. I'm venturing out and doing things I'm afraid of and even thinking long term. I feel empowered because every day I do one thing that makes me happy.

Michele