Last Up On the Wall

Since I'll be teaching here and there, I've offered my Studio 301 to a friend till mid-May. I'm hoping that she'll take advantage of the space and can treat it as a 'residency.' I've got plenty to do in the days that I'm home between gigs, and getting this top quilted is one of the tasks at hand. 
 

Art Tour with Music, Too

Nancy Wiley's exhibit had one more day to be seen at the Little Cafe, and I took time to get over tonight and take in her paintings. She is both a painter as well as a sculptor, with diverse talents. A fine jazz quartet made it easy to slow down and study the work, and yes, I've picked out what I'd love to have.
 

Envy is Good

I'm always curious to see what shows up in the quilter's stash at design workshops. This fab stripe fabric had me returning to look at it again and again. You know I've been caught up in printing stripes, and this had such energy and workability. When I get a chance to print again, I'll try one with this in mind.
 

Quick Look Back

My Des Moines 'Dozen Ways' workshop took place in "big sky" country, and we had "big room" space to work in as well. I can't remember when I've had such a glorious classroom to spread out, so well lit, and easy to move around. It was a joy, and I believe the DMAQG knows how lucky they are. 
 

Great Art Quilters

 It was a good day to try out a Dozen Ways to design art quilts. The DesMoines Area Quilt Guild were quick and clever. Thank you for the hospitality that was top notch!

The New Big Leaf

 I think we all had a good time putting together the New Big Leaf pattern here with the Des Moines Area Quilt Guild. Great diversity in fabrics made for spectacular outcomes. Such a welcoming group!

Iowa Quilt Museum

An unexpected treat Monday was a visit to the Iowa Quilt Museum. Thanks to Eva Marie for the lovely winding-road drive across the Iowa landscape, we found our way to Winterset and the charming home of quilt history. It had works exhibited from various quilt shops -- the expertise of Iowan quilters.
 

My Short Hand Notes

I'm an image kind of girl, and I have taken to adding text with the edit feature on my camera. This is to let me know that the top I'd like to use for this new-to-me table needs to exceed the dimensions I've noted. That'll come when I've got a break in the action this summer. Meanwhile -- noted.
 

Where I'll Leave Off

I'm so close to the finish line, but packing and closing up the house is near, so this will have to wait for me when I return from Des Moines. I'm looking forward to sewing and designing with the Des Moines Area Quilt Guild, as well as a bit of forecasted warmer weather. It'll be fun to see what happens!
 

Here Comes the Sun

Happy New Spring! A look back to the International Museum of Folk Art from Santa Fe for this delight. The works there are rich in motif, color, pattern, and yes, whimsy. I got in a short walk today, but didn't see any of these critters. It'll have to climb out of the 30s for that to happen. 
 

Night Out

Mountain Stage was here in Rochester, NY, to record a live broadcast for air in a few weeks. My part was easy, just be the audience. This finale had all on stage but a couple, and a good mix of all genres of music. I had a great time, and am lucky to be minutes away from Kodak Hall and what it has to offer.
 

Shameless Self Promotion

Might think all I do is shameless, but there are a few wee times I'm not. This is. I'm looking forward to this Island Art Seminar, and since I'm the keynote speaker, I'll be there in a big way. And, bonus, it'll be sewing and design. I'll anticipate loads of commercial fabrics, but hey, bring along the crazies if you want. I am.
 

Two Walls, Same Motif

In my Printing Under the Influence class I asked the crew to start two pieces with identical motif hits, and then finish them differently. Mine are now talking to each other on the design walls. I'm set with the right, still canoodling the left. Finally made it back to the studio for a short while today.
 

Not What It Seems

Wendy masterfully printed this using a humble post-it note for the motif. She changed it, reworked the spacing, and of course, gave it the colors of Santa Fe, our mantra for the week. I'll be back with MISA this September, but Bar Harbor, where it'll be the colors of the sea, because, Maine!
 

Snapshot of Santa Fe

You know I love leaves. On a night to explore, I had the chance to be driven to the historic part of Santa Fe, meander along a stream, and see why it is such a special land. So, leaves, of course, caught my attention. I don't know when travels will send me to return, but I did love the colors of Santa Fe this year.
 

Travel Gods

My early departure from Santa Fe to the airport of Albuquerque was not enough to make time for the next two flights to get me back home to Rochester, so a diversion to Philadelphia (above) took me to visit family. My next opportunity will be Monday for getting back home. Then back to my list!
 

Gathering and Goodbye

Our full house gathered outside for a final portrait, and then this one too. It was a wonderful week in Santa Fe, working with such talented printers. I'll work with Madeline School of the Arts this September in Bar Harbor, and hope I'll have as much fun. A fond farewell to Santa Fe and lovely memories here.
 

Work Week Wonderful

Our spacious room in Santa Fe let everyone have distance to think, recalculate, and maneuver printing techniques for the week. We had few distractions, and there were times when quiet prevailed. As well as some good laughs. Perfect for a weeklong group of printers and their expectations. 
 

Worm Moon

An apt picture fill in for the full Worm Moon is this graphic of the ever growing Chicago airport. I love the sepia tone, the aerial view -- as if we had the pilot's view -- that I found in the airport this week. Part of a series that showed the airport's timeline growth. 

Hooray for 5,000! Posts

Well, kids, we made it to 5,000 consecutive posts. Ok, I think there was a handful of hiccups, but still, that's the number since I started about 13 1/2 years ago. This blog was a personal challenge to do some thing every day. Each day. I've learned so much about writing and editing. And met friends along the way.

 

Excitement

We really do have fun in the workshop. Day two was starting to print with silk screens, and Carl tackled a print from yesterday with more motifs. There is so much to try out, we do exhaust our energy, but then, it returns after we see the results.

Colors of Santa Fe

The MISA workshop started today with beautiful  colors that surround this region. We're fine-tuning scraping and rubbings on cotton cloth using thickened dyes. Exhausted, yes, but willing to return to do more? Hell yes. Wait till you see what happens in Bar Harbor this September.
 

A Different Light

We're delving into color this week, and it started with the Albuquerque airport. I can't help taking the color, forms, and light that is taken for granted. I hope each day is as nice as this one. We'll see.

 

New Travel Sidekick

My big silver case has traveled its last carousel ride. It's been replaced! I've outfitted the new roly poly with red tape polkas. I may have to go bolder as the ambient light in baggage is not good. I'll spray paint when the weather warms.
 

Lotusland

As I was tidying up for company and First Friday, I happened to redirect some fabric to the design wall and this showed up. I'm fond of it, so we'll see how it shakes out. I've left it there for the week I'm gone to Santa Fe, and maybe the studio elves will have a go at moving thing about. 
 

First Friday Fun in 301

Our studio building, once a shoe factory, now houses a restaurant on the ground floor, as well as a violin shop and four floors of artist's studios. Many open their doors to the 'crowds' on the first Friday of each month. I'll be here in Studio 301, not back on First Fridays till June. So, hey, see me while you can!
 

Just Fabric

At the end of the virtual workshop "Printing Under the Influence" I had a pile of first layers. Many times they need little printing, only adding a background or fill. I like this one and I'll bring it to my Santa Fe printing class with MISA next week. If I have room in the suitcases.
 

Flat Seams Good

A seam pressed flat will allow me to have all the images flat on the 'page' as opposed to the rise that comes from pressing to one side. An experiment learned long ago from a talented teacher. It gives me the greatest range of application when choosing the final quilting. Anyway, here's something never to be seen.
 

Leftovers

A few hours in the studio gave me a chance to compose this smaller work. The bits are the discards from the last larger piece and I thought it would be a good challenge to limit the fabric choice to that scrap pile. It'll finish at 42" high.

Together at Least

This is one that spins well. I've taken the photo of this on my phone and turned it around. Seems fine in any orientation. But since I've built it in this configuration, I default to this. It reminds me of someone throwing a bouquet of flowers, landing on the ground. Tonight I loaded the longarm and hope to find time to quilt it this week.
 

Darkness Falls

Having a birthday in February was always a great excuse to party mid the cold and gray. This weekend I managed a few hours in the studio, but when returning home, found no energy for the office work. There was solace in the print studio for a couple of hours, happy with that.