New Year's Burst

As with counting down the end of the year, I've been counting to the time when my bulbs will open. This one is a few days old, and now I wait for the others to burst. I want my new year to unfold, not just happen all at once.

This Just In

Nature abhors a vacuum. So, when I took down the piece I'm now quilting, these bits stuck to the wall. They'll have to wait till I've quilted, and then I might, just might, pay attention to them.

Settling For This

After cutting and moving these parts around, I've settled on this. Now it's off to quilt the final. Mind you, it's a warm up for the next work. This is just me getting started.

Tea Time

A friend stopped for tea tonight and I got to spread out the four little works that will travel this summer to Quilt Surface Design Symposium (QSDS) for their challenge. They're almost finished.

A Day at the Design Wall

It's time to try variations with the blocks that have developed. Or maybe tomorrow I'll cut it up more.  Think it best to sleep on it.

Cleaning Up

This basket of scraps was to be tossed, then I thought better. It'd be a good exercise to sew them and 'slash and burn' a bit. If I'm not partial to the fabric, then there's no loss in cutting them up. Now I can play with design.

Giving

What do you gift a fabric lover at Christmas? A round tablecloth -- bright, graphic, lively --  for the next gathering. Because I didn't have one, and they knew that. To  host the next bright, graphic and lively event. Merry Christmas all my blog visitors!

Christmas Eve

Who's woods these are I know, they belong to us all. They are in Washington Grove near Cobb's Hill. They are mine for just this moment, captured here in stillness, and then I release them back to those who will walk here next.

Mr. Darcy Must Be Invited

I've ordered a bit of snow for the atmosphere, and let as  many candles as I cared to clean. Tonight was a break from the routine to host dinner with friends. But no Mr. Darcy.  Just the local clan.                         

Paper as Fabric

A stop at the Bevier Gallery today and quick look at "gowns" student made in the CIAS Foundations class at RIT.  I wasn't able to get up close, but even from afar could see paper behaving like fabric.

Solstice Light

The morning before the solstice, the sun rose behind these maples, and the dark sky did tricks and wonders, changing each leaf to a lit candle. I'm always happy to see the winter solstice, and to welcome the return to a longer day.

Sewing in the Blue Light

A chance to catch up on shows I've missed and a chance to sew the facings down on my quartet for QSDS. Might as well, before the company shows up, and I'm on.

The Shape of Things

I don't often post more than a single image, but I had to compare the stuffed cats and the real cats (not mine, btw.) The stuffed cats have just the bare minimum needed for me to identify the cat shape. Not easy. Stuffed stuff at the Ontario Antiques Mall. Fun.

Workin on a Chain, Gang

Block makers are familiar with chain piecing. But that's not what I do. But I did some chain facing today, which was fun. Now for the hand work which involves sitting.

Under the Needle

Bit of quilting, just to keep it all together. The quilt, that is. Me? Life is quiet, just like the snowfall we've had these past days. Nice.

Full, Now Empty House

Concert night in the packed house at Eastman Theater for Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Mozart's Jupiter. This is a look back, when all was cleared and it was time to go home.

Too Many Cookies

I've made these Cucidate for the last, oh, fifty years. Today I made this year's batch, and managed to 1.) eat a dozen or so and 2) forget to post last night. So, here's to forgetting, and I'll check in later this eve!

Middles

I've taken apart that yard and made five small 12" x 12" works. They look so cleaned up with that frame around them, it's a quickly cut mat to edit. And to see if I like the composition. I only need four, but I like choice.

Beginnings

A yard of cotton that I've printed is the start of 4 small works for a QSDS challenge. I've started to cut it apart, and work up four small pieces. Stay tuned.

I'm Home

We finally got some snow. This I know cause I've looked out my back door. Which means I'm home. You know I travel (a lot this year!) but I'm hunkered down, home, looking for fun. Distract me from my studio, and invite me over,  you hometown chums.

Single Leaf

Joe Cunningham sent me a pic of a leaf via FB. It hung around my design wall, and compelled me to make this interpretation. It'll be (perhaps) the last of this year, which is fine.

'Splain Yourself

Rochester Contemporary gives artists in their member's show a chance to speak, admit to how and why they do what they do, and basically 'splain themselves. Which I did. My audience is now enlightened.

Little Heart

Saturday afternoon (that's tomorrow) I'll be checking on my "Little Heart" that is at the Rochester Contemporary art center and speaking, along with many others, in their "The Day the Artists Speaks" program. Always, always thought provoking. You can find me where you see this.

Soften the Edges

Piecing gives a very definite edge to s shape, and in this case, I was looking to soften that line a bit. So, in a style that mimed a drawn shadow, I used stitches to blend and obscure the edge.

Line Up

I omitted the different types of threads for quilting my leaf, and stuck to just cotton. Switching to the domestic machine, an old Bernina from the late 80s, I quilted it atop my cutting table. Switching from left to right foot, it was easy to quilt standing up.

Checking on My Family

This Sunday's talk was also a chance to revisit the Quilts=Art=Quilts exhibit at the Schweinfurth. My work "Water, Earth 5" is at right. I kind of miss seeing it around, but I know it'll be home early January.

Body of Work

Yesterday's lecture by Bev Kondolf at the Schweinfurth Art Center featured work that is fluid, both for the piecing -- which she loves -- as well as the quilted stitch. Plus they are just cool to see one after another after another. Take in a lecture. It's always great to hear the why.

The Best I Can Do

Facebook, Twitter, you name it. They've all better shots of tonight's Supermoon. But this is mine. Moral: work with what you've got. Then make something of it.

Day Off

Got up, went for a hike, then tackled painting the living room. No reason, other than A) it was Saturday, and B) I had the urge to paint something. Color choices to the left and right. Left won.

Let's Not Argue

My work "Little Heart" is dead center here, and I would like to think that these two were discussing the finer points of my color and stitch. But my guess is that they were just enjoying the opening at Rochester Contemporary tonight, and which gallery to next tour.

Giving Up, Giving In

This was loaded on the longarm, but after a few hours of fiddling, I abandoned the sewing (skipping, sewing, skipping along) and pin basted the rest before taking it off the machine. I'll use my little bernina to finish. I'll tackle the skip another time.

Odd Request

On my Thanksgiving day walk with my two grown kids, I caught sight of this painted hydrant. In unison they said "For your blog, mom." So here it is. Now on to other things.

Why Do We Love Lights?

An unusual, freaky, warm end of November had me fill my bare willow branches with string lights. Why do these lights, no matter where I see them, raise my mood? The escaped moon is on the left.

Ready to Quilt

I'll need to trim this, square it a bit, before I put it on the longarm to quilt. Somehow, I feel I need to finish before I start another. And I'm ready to start another.

Window Works

I live in a small cape coddie, where the wall space is taken up by windows. So, after finishing the facing and sleeve, I wanted to see how it looked with normal furnishings. In the dark of winter and no curtain, it's a good solution for now.

Introspection

After Thanksgiving , I've hours driving home. Enough time to ask of the problems ahead -- with this church as a metaphor -- shall I fix it, save it, or leave it for someone else? Good thing there is a bit of blue sky in the background.

Burchfield's Birches

Last month I was happy to see Charles Burchfield's painting, all grays and browns, at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo. The perfect mood to welcome the next season of cold, fresh air.

Giving Thanks

I get to spend Thanksgiving with these two -- now grown up women -- and will not tell them they were once just two goofy kids in different stages of gaining and loosing teeth. For all of you out there, may you have fond memories of days gone, with hope for those days ahead.

Packing to Go

This is the Harvest Tart from the Silver Palette Cookbook that will travel with me to Thanksgiving dinner. Except for the slim portion that was needed to taste test. There will be more food that we need.

Giving Thanks

A lovely friend sent this photo of a banner that I made long ago in 1977. I remembered that I was smitten by a book called "Banners and Hangings" by Norman Laliberte. I so loved the designs in that book, and had forgotten all about that period of my art work

Dog Barking I've Seen

Looking back on October's visit to Denver's Art Museum and this hemp and newspaper construction by Gugger Petter from 2008 "Dog Barking at Two Women." There was fiber work tucked in almost every gallery it seemed. What a joy to find it all.

In the Middle of It All

It was a full house, and a chance to see old and new friends today at the Schweinfurth Art Center. I brought my first and last quilt, with lots from the past 36 years between. Never did a true trunk show until today, and I guess it went well. Thanks for all who were there. Lovely to see you!

Lecture and Water, Earth 5

This is part of the Schweinfurth's Quilts=Art=Quilts show, and tomorrow I'll be speaking there. I've packed 3 suitcases and will try to condense 36  years of my work in about an hour's talk. Come see how I do it! Sunday in Auburn at 2:00.

Early Morning

Even with a perfect workspace or studio, sometimes the best place to sew is at the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee.

All Bundled Up

I've made a list (you know I make lists)  of works for my talk at the Schweinfurth Art Center this Sunday. I want to take them all. But I have only an hour. Okay, I'll do the highlights. You can hear me Sunday, November 19 at 2:00.  Here's the link to the Quilts=Art=Quilts show: http://www.schweinfurthartcenter.org/programs_specialevents.cfm

Off the List

I keep lists. Lists of lists. One item that had been there for a while was to recover my chairs with my own "paintdyed" canvas. So, check that off the list. Move to the next item.

Progress, Slowly

The leaf continues to be built, albeit slowly. The little picture of a leaf is in the upper right corner. My guide.

It's Written in Stone

Before my hike today at Taughannock Falls, I started at the overlook to the falls. Looking down at the barrier was this mass of graffiti. If only I could quilt lines like this. That would be the way to break a solid surface.

Plug and Play

With the design pinned to the design wall, the pieces (with the freezer paper templates ironed to the back) start to fill out the drawing. I've added in veins for this leaf, and mocked in the background fabric. It is always fun to see it become defined, instead of the blobby shape  I use for drafting.