More FMQ fun

Inspired by my "W", I had the idea to create a new FMQ sampler:

2 layers of batting (wool over low-loft cotton), the same Robin's Egg blue face and Kona Snow back.

I marked the outlines of the letters, as well as the border frame edges. Then I just got to stitching!

Just like the "W", I mixed different filler stitch designs. On this I also used a variety of straight-path edge designs in the border.

This is approximately 30" x 15".

The back looks good too!

Lisa Call Exhibit

Spent last week in NYC for work. We started each day at 7:30 and went until 9 most nights. It was an intense and productive week of work. But highlighted by quilts!
I did get to the City Quilter. And I saw an exhibit by one of my quilting heroes, Lisa Call.

a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

Rich, velvety colors. And stitch detail to die for.

Stuctures #115, my favorite

Detail of Structures #115. Look at the stitches!

I have been a fan and follower of Lisa's for several years now. She posts a lot about treating art as business, which is so crucial to success.

She and talks about taking care of yourself in order to make art. (I need to learn this lesson!)

Lisa is so strong at working in a series. Each of the quilts was unique, yet they hung together as a beautiful, cohesive group. No, these are not ALL the quilts! Go, see the show! 

I found these quilts to have a very strong, quiet presence. Beautiful, just beautiful.


My pictures do not do the quilts justice. (Lisa granted me permission to post my photos of her quilts. Thanks Lisa!)


The show runs through October 20.

Completed! (1 of 3)

Here is "Aurora":

23.5" by 23.5"

I am so enamored of multiple layers of batting. On this I started with a base of cotton batting and then 2 layers of wool batting (the last of my wool stash, must obtain more!)

I love the dimension and poof it gives.

*Why yes, if you look close, you will see dog hair used as an embellishment! LOL! We jokingly say there is an additional dog work of fur every time we sweep!

I have been exploring stars a lot this year. It is still not out of my system, you you will notice from the next 2 completed quilts! This star is made of batiks, a paw-print and Kona Snow solid. FMQ in the solid and border is 50 wt white Affinity thread, the thread in the batik areas is 40 wt variegated YLI thread.

The Transit of Venus

Tuesday, June 5, will mark a rare event, the movement of Venus between the Earth and the Sun. This is a rare astronomical event, occurring every 243 years. I am hoping for clear skies, to be able to use my eclipse shades to see a bit of this event.

In honor of this event, I have named this art quilt "Transit of Venus". It is 21" by 21" square. It is being donated to the Stokes County Arts Council, for the upcoming auction "Wine, Bid and Boogie". I hope it the bids for this are high!

Corporate Art quilt!

I had to travel out of town last week to visit a customer. To my delight, their lobby had a fabulous art quilt featured at the entrance! It was made by an employee, and there were others hanging throughout their offices.

detail

This was the only one I had time to photograph, but isn't it a beauty?

More Carol Taylor

Permission to photograph was granted at gallery

I love "The City Quilter". I try to visit every time I am in NYC. Such a great LQS!

Great fabrics. Prints, batiks, panels, felt, patterns, books.

And now that they have expanded, more of that, plus gallery space! Awesome!

It was truly a treat to see these quilts up close. Here is an example of "direct" inspiration. By that, I mean, I want to make more quilts!

Mid-week peek!

Lucky me! When I dashed into the City Quilter yesterday, not only was I amazed at their newly expanded space, I was delighted by their exhibit of art quilts by Carol Taylor! The show is:

“Explosions of Color” at the ArtQuilt Gallery, NYC

The show opened on Sept 8, 2011 exhibiting 37 of her quilts on display.

It will run until October 29, 2011. The gallery is located at 133 West. 25th St. NY, NY.

AWESOME!!!!! More pix to come! I can not wait to get home to SEW!!!!!

Another UFO bites the dust

I made this art quilt top quite a while ago. I had it hanging in my studio at our previous home. It just needed to be quilted and finished. I did just that!

I had a lot of fun free-motion quilting this one. 36" by 48" made from my hand-dyed fabrics.

What kind of quilter am I, today?

Following on the heels of the traditionally inspired Twister quilt I showed yesterday, I let my art quilter out to play. And here is what she came up with:

"Forest for the Trees"  60" by 38"

And a detail of my random FMQ:

I designed this to hang over the head of our bed. I am not necessarily a person who loves the color green (and all its shades and derivations) It just seemed right. We will enjoy it for a while, then I will give it to our son.


Sometimes I like traditional, sometimes modern. 


These are my quilting loves (not in any specific order):

Layer cakes, charm packs, fat quarter bundles
Holiday fabrics (especially Halloween!)
Batiks
My rotary cutter
My Viking Sapphire AND my Baby Lock Quilters Quest
Singer Featherweights (don't have one, but really want one!)
Barn quilts
Small guild shows
Large guild shows
Quilts as public art
Quilts on my bed
Quilts on my sofa
Dogs on my quilts
Extra uninterrupted time to quilt!
Classes, both taught and taken!
Sew-ins
Clearance bolts
Space-dyed (multicolored) thread
Quilters

Next up, I will be a holiday quilter!

Eye Candy

Selections from my LQS challenge show. Lots of pretty going on!

 

on a roll..

Another completion! 

 Daydreams

This is a small (16"x18") art quilt for a challenge at my LQS (Sewingly Yours). We each received a small pice of fabric to design a quilt around. My fabric is the orange mottle fabric. I love orange and this fabric is so bright. It was fun to work with no set plan in mind. 

I pieced the background and appliqued the sun. The free motion was so fun. My new Baby Lock is awesome!

This is also a Viewer's Choice show. Maybe I'll get some votes!

One from the archives

This is a tiny (8" x 10") art quilt I made for Mom and Dad several years ago.

I made a transfer of an old photo of my Dad (he's the littlest one) with 2 of his brothers and added machine applique and an early attempt at free-motion quilting.

Mom keeps it on the wall at one (!) of her machine. Her Gammill Vision was delivered yesterday. It is awesome! It has a camera so you can see the back of your stitches, and an FM radio receiver! I played on it a little. It is a dream machine!