Happy New Year’s Eve

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice.
t.s.elliot

 

This is the last day to get a free 1/2 yard of fabric with every $30 or more order.

And now is a great time to order your new 2011 Calendar!!

Darcy Berg

My friend Darcy Berg is offering some workshops. I hope you can find time to take one.

 

Contemporary Art Quilts, Art Dolls, Photography
website:  www.darcyberg.com

blog:      cleverturtle.blogspot.com

 

Walks in the Woods

Everyday, unless there is thunder and lighting, George and I walk in the woods. Today was no exception. It has been very cold here in IL for the month of December, but we still take our walks. Today the high was 27 degrees. It is very pretty in the woods in the winter. The trail is still very white, no dirty mud yet, and crisp and hauntingly beautiful. Today we saw many FAT squirrels running up the trees as we approached and lots of bird activity. I wonder how the birds stay warm? I guess their feathers keep them warm. I heard and was able to spot a red headed woodpecker. We have two varieties in our little woods. You can often hear them but not always spot them up in the trees. I love to be able to see them.

Even in the dead of winter there is still green in the woods. Some of the late autumn foliage gets caught unawares and is “frozen” in the green stage of decay.

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The color happiness scale

I saw this in the Cosmo magazine while waiting at the doctor’s office.

I must be the happiest person out there. I ALMOST Always wear green.

Machine Quilting Unlimited

 

Covergirl. This is my quilt Woodland Treasures on the cover of Machine Quilting Unlimited Magazine. This is my second cover of a magazine and I am so excited. It hits the stands now. If you don’t get this magazine you should. It has great information and articles about MACHINE QUILTING.

Happy Holidays

I hope you have a very merry holiday season.

Thanks for a great workshop!!

A couple of my students have recently sent me photos of project that they did in classes. I always like to post student work here are two.
At Houston Quilt Festival I promised to send you a photo of the quilt I started in your class in Dallas in September 2008 (if I remember the date correctly!) and finished almost a year later, so finally, here it is!
I had such fun that day in your workshop! The result is a special little quilt that now hangs in my Mom’s room at the nursing home where she lives. For my leaf “pattern” I used leaves from a tree planted by my father’s students in his memory: a green ash, because he was a plant physiologist and had done research on the ash. Since the tree is on a northeastern university campus and we are here in Texas it’s a little reminder of my father.
Thanks for a great workshop!!  Ragi

Thanks this is really lovely, I love the quilting in the piece and I am sure your mom loves it too.
I have completed the small wallhanging - Blue Trees - that I started in the class with you at Houston. Anne P.

Nice job Anne.

Material Ways at the Fine Line

 

 

From the community

Material Ways

 Fine Line Creative Arts Center

Woodland Treasures by Frieda Anderson

Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles will host “Material Ways,” an exhibit of art quilts created
by Illinois and Wisconsin regional members of the Studio Art Quilters Alliance (www.saqa.com). The show will take place in Fine Line’s Kavanagh Gallery from January 8 – February 19, 2011 with the opening reception scheduled for Saturday, January 8th from 1:30pm – 4pm. Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday from 10am until 5pm.

Art quilts to be featured are contemporary, one of a kind, pieces created by artists working with their own hand-dyed, painted and embellished fabrics. Each quilt reflects personal experiences of everyday life and the beauty of the natural world. Local artists represented in this show are Laura Wasilowski and Frieda Anderson of Elgin, BJ Parady of Batavia and Stephanie Nordlin of Poplar Grove.

Fine Line Creative Arts Center is an educational center devoted to helping individuals nurture their creative energies. It provides year-round classes in a wide range of media including weaving, knitting, crochet, machine knitting, dyeing, jewelry, glass, blacksmithing, pottery, painting, drawing, printmaking and papermaking. Visit www.fineline.org for more information.

Making Krumkake

My husband’s grandmother was Norwegian and his grandfather was Swedish. When I first met his grandmother she was so excited to have a granddaughter that lived in town and wanted me to do all kinds of things with her. She taught me to make the traditional Scandinavian cookies Krumkake. She was so cute I just loved her and was glad to go over to her house and make cookies with her. She got out all her equipment and I was amazed to see her begin to hand whipped the whip cream that goes into the recipe, she was in her 80’s at the time, she won’t let me do the whipping I had to just watch. She did let me make the cookies about half way through the process.  I bought this Krumkake iron the first year we moved into our first house. I bought it at a Lee Ward’s store.

Notice it says Nordic ware in the upper corner. By the way mine never look like that and my guys don’t like them with whipped cream in them, they like to eat them plain.

This is the recipe that I wrote down that day. It is over 30 years old. I guess I should write a new one, but I am a such a sentimental person. There is a different version of the recipe on the other side. I have never made it.

As in most Scandinavian recipes there is a lot of butter, sugar, eggs and cardamom (spice like nutmeg).

And like many Scandinavian recipes each cookie is made one at a time. Yea know it is cold in those countries they have nothing to do on cold winter days but spend all day making cookies.

This year I was distracted while I was mixing the recipe. As I was making the cookies I noticed that they seemed very runny and were turning out very crispy. It wasn’t until I was half way done making the cookies that I reread the recipe and realized that TWO sticks of butter is NOT a half a cup. OH very buttery KrumKake this year.

HO HO HO Merry Christmas.

Christmas ornament

Years ago when I used to "make" Christmas gifts I made up a slue of these fabric strip Christmas trees. This one has decorative stitches to emulate garland and is flat with a pin on the back to be won as a decorative pin on your cloths. I also added beads as lights and the angle button on the top. I also made this design and then stuffed it and put a ribbon on the top so they could be hung on your tree. The design is from Quilters Newsletter Magazine sometime in the 90's. It is a great little gift and so easy to make and use up all kinds of scraps in the process.

Christmas Bears

Did you notice this little guy next to the poinsettia's  I used to make all kinds of Christmas gifts and this little bear was one of those. I made dozens of these out of velveteen as tree ornaments and then gave them as gifts. 

This is the only one that I have. The ears, eyes, paw ends and heart are all made out of ultrasuede.

Here is the pattern.
You can make these too.

Christmas greenery

My mom is here visiting for a month. She loves to have fresh flowers in the house. So we bought some beautiful PINK on pink roses at Costco.

She had delivered from a catalog nursery these gorgeous "Winter Berries". They are tall and rich in red color. They have held up so well not dropping their berries at all. The berries are still firm and gorgeous after two weeks.

And of course what Christmas is not complete with out the pointsetta's. This basket is nice and low. So many times they take up so much room.
It is lovely to have fresh flowers in the house. I should do it more often.

September October November December

My favorite time of year is the fall. I love to see the leaves change color, I love the crisp cool sunny days and I love to wear autumnal colored clothes.
The quilts featured in my last four months on my 2011 calendar reflect all of that. I  often gaze out on the horizon here in the mid-west and marveled at the vast expanse of farm fields and field grasses. My eye is captivated by these scenes. These quilts are a direct response to that.

Blowing in the wind

Field Grass

Illinois farm  fields

On the way home

I

May, June, July and August

I have become obsessed with Jack in the Pulpits. I can’t wait until spring when they will reappear up in my little woods. They are so elusive,romantic and primordial.

On my calendar for 2011 the months of May, June, July and August I have featured just four of the versions of this woodland plant.

The Forest Floor, silk 14” x 14” $125. Email me if you must have this quilt.

Woodland Treasures 12” x 12”. One of my newer patterns.

Wild Blue Jacks II 16” x 16” also one of my newer patterns.

Hiding in plain sight 12” x 12” silk and cotton.

I hope you are staying warm and cozy and listening to all that wonderful holiday music, while you are making cookies and hot toddies.

2011 Calendar

It seems so odd to be saying 2011,it sounds like the far off future. It makes me think of a reference in a movie, not next year, but it will be here in just 22 days. I have to say that 2010 was a very good year. My middle son and new daughter in law are going to have our first grandchild in 2011. It’s a boy and that seems so appropriate. My oldest son got married in a beautiful ceremony to a wonderful woman who fits right in with our family.  Work is good and life is interesting. I hope you can claim the same.

Speaking of 2011, my 2011 Calendar is ready. It makes a great gift for your quilting buddies or a present to yourself for your studio. Here are the first four quilts featured in January, February, March and April.

Duluth Trees II inspired by a teaching trip to Duluth MN

Winter pines inspired by the dessert in NM

Feathery Pines my favorite color combinations blue and green, the pines and background are made with silk.

Pines at Sunset using some of my “wicked” fabric for the background and border. I love this fabric.

Fabric to Dye For

I had the pleasure of working with Linda Teufel a few weeks ago when I taught at her guild in OH. She is a wonderful person and editor of Dragon Threads Publishing. This week she is offering a give away of my book "Fabric to Dye For" over on her blog.

If you have ever wanted a copy of my book and haven't had a chance to get one yet here is your opportunity to get a free Holiday gift for yourself. You can go to the Dragon Threads blog and register for a chance to win a copy of my book "Fabric to Dye For". Good luck.

PAQA

Today was our monthly PAQA meeting in Glen Ellyn IL. It was as usual a very fun and educational meeting. Usually in December it is packed with members who haven’t made it all year but manage to come for the annual holiday sale. This year however was very lightly attended and we didn’t even have snow or ice or storms. However those of us there had a fun time as is attested to by my good friend Laura Wasilowski who not only led us in song, but also modeled how a Christmas tree skirt should be worn.

Judy Coates Perez’s Christmas tree skirt featured in the Quilting Arts gift issue.

Laura can’t say she doesn’t have any holiday outfits.

It's a dogs life

I have often said here on the blog, "It's a dogs life" and George certainly proves that.

My mother is here visiting for a month. She gets cold, so she sits in this chair with one of my "sofa" quilts and a little pillow to prop her up. She is only 5' 2". When she vacates George takes over. Head on the pillow and everything. I hate to disturb him.

He always lays on what ever fabric is on the floor waiting to be ironed. I truly believe he is NOT color blind.

One of the two quilts that I have made in his honor. Georgie Porgy Puddin in Pie, Pie for my Birthday.

My friends know how I adore this little hound dog, and one year for Christmas Judy Coates Perez made this tree ornament for George. Notice the dog bones and squirrels in the border. It is truly a dogs life.

SALE

I have uploaded a sale page on my web site that you might want to check out. I will try to update it daily with new pieces. I really need to make room for new items, so please help me clean my shelves.
Have a very merry holiday season.

These are just a few of the items on the page.

I call this wicked fabric. Just four pieces left of this fabulously textured fabric.

I have about ten shirts that need to find new homes. These are all different sizes and makers. They normally sell for $48 but for you, what a deal.

Sohpie’s Toes Sock

I just bought some gorgeous yarn from my friend Emily Parson. This is for my sister for Christmas. I love this yarn. It is my favorite to make socks up in. You can check out Emily’s other offerings here at her Etsy store.

Audubon’s Fabulous Fibers, a review

BJ Parody wrote a wonderful review of The Audubon’s Fabulous Fiber show at the Audubon Musuem, Henderson, KY. You can read it on her blog at http://bjparady.com/blog/.

I have two pieces in this show.