Design wall Friday

I am in Paducah KY at the AQS show. We have been having a wonderful time, even with the threat of flood.

I am going to show you a few of the quilts that caught my eye at the Pavilion. All these quilts started out on a design wall.

Fanciful Stitches

Be sure and stop by my blog on Tuesday May 3rd and leave a comment. I will be post an interview with Laura Wasilowski about her new book Fanciful Stitches. If you leave a comment on that day I will pick one lucky winner to receive a free copy of her book. You will love it!!! I do.

Laura Murray

My friend Laura Murray is so creative. Laura loves to come up with new ideas using paint sticks and her line of stencils. I was visiting with her in her booth before the show opened today and she was showing me how she is using her stencils and paint sticks to create tiled designs by building them up in layers. It was fasinating. The possibilities seem endless, different colors, different designs, cutting them in halves and quarters, you can make the combination's go on and on.
Laura also has a product called the Star Builder. This uses her stencils and paint sticks to create endless stars.

I love going to the quilt shows and seeing all the new ideas and fun things we can do with fabric and a little imagination.

The way it is

I, like many people, think there is way too much technology in our lives. I think this picture illustrates that well.

Laura was working on her computer and then checking email on her ipad!!!

PADUCAH

Laura and I are  in Paducah.

It rained all the way down highway #57 yesterday. When we arrived in Paducah we found out that the city was in the middle of a flood warning/watch.  The city of Paducah has erected the flood gates. They also made the AQS people move the main quilt show from the Convention Center, which is on the wrong side of the flood walls, to the new Pavilion, affectionately known as the giant marshmallow, which is on the right side of the flood walls. Initially we would have been in the main Convention center but now we are housed, along with the prize winning quilts, in the giant marshmallow.

Today it is sunny and hot outside, just the way we like it here in Paducah in the spring time. I hope if you were planning on coming to the show that you don’t let a little threat of rain keep you away. We are all set up and ready to go. I know it will be a fun show, because it always is.

Spring Rain

Spring Rain is a quilt that was designed after a trip to Paducah. By the way I am on my way to Paducah right right now!!
I will be in booth #1905 ArtFabrik/FrieStyle, and I certainly hope you stop in and say hello if you are at the show.
Each year when I drive to Paducah, KY for the big quilt show I am inspired by the drive down highway 57. When you leave Chicago it is still cool weather, it hasn't really become warm springlike yet.

As you drive down highway #57 it begins to really feel like spring, often it is raining, spritzing really, and the grass is getting greener and the redbuds are starting to bloom and by the time you get to Paducah spring has sprung and the dogwoods are in bloom and daffodils and tulips have popped up everywhere. I think it is one of the reasons I love the AQS show so much. I love the feeling of spring when you are there.

If you want all of the directions for this quilt, they were published in Fons and Porter magazine in Sept/Oct 2009.

Blog give away

Come back and leave a comment Tuesday May 3rd for a chance to win Laura’s book! and tell your friends!!!

Design wall Friday

My good friend Laura Wasilowski has shared a photo of her current design wall.
Laura and I will be driving to Paducah on Monday we will have our booth - #1905.
We are on the main floor, against the back wall. I hope that if you or your friends are in Paducah that you will be sure and drop by and say hello. I will be taking lots of pictures of guests in the booth.


Laura’s comment about her wall is “Lots of quilts ready to bind but no time to do it!” My design wall is seldom used to design a quilt. Instead it serves as a photo wall or as a place to store small quilts that are in process. The little quilts are pinned up with notes saying: to be steamed, stitch this, needs machine stitching, or needs photo. It's like a quilt bulletin board.The three on the top and the one in the middle are from her series “Tools of the Trade”. Laura has a very fun view of the world.

When making a large quilt, I occasionally pin the quilt up on the design wall. That's when I get that nasty shock that says the loaves of bread are sliding off the table! (see image of Penelope's Art)


Won’t you be the next person to share your design wall? I’m looking forward to seeing what you are working on.

Fanciful Stitches

Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts Blog Tour is happening now. I am going to be giving away a free copy of this really fun and creative book on May 3rd. So be sure and stop by and tell your friends.

Other artist who are also doing the tour; you can try to win at each stop along the way
Annie Smith  http://simplearts.com/blogs  April 19
Melody Johnson http://fibermania.blogspot.com/  april 23
Jane Moxey  http://moxeymusings.blogspot.com/ Arpril 24
Lyric Kinard  http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/ April 25
Judy Coates Perez  http://judyperez.blogspot.com/ April 26
Linda Teufel  http://dragonthreadsopenbook.blogspot.com/ April 28
Jane LaFazio  http://janeville.blogspot.com/ April 29
Susan Brubaker Knapp  http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/ May 2
Frieda Anderson  http://friestyle.blogspot.com/ May 3
Connecting Threads http://quiltwithus.connectingthreads.com/ May 4

Hidden World

I still like to piece quilts, I try to piece at least a few quilts each year although most of what I make is fused.

“Hidden World” - 33” x 53” was made last year. It is made with what I fondly call “wicked” fabric. I had all these fabrics laying around for months and one day I just started playing with them and “Hidden World” appeared.

I love the colors and the patterning in the fabric. Sometimes you just have to play.

Artist Monday - Crushed

I am deeply disappointed today.
My quilt “Springs Greeting” was recently in a show with several other of my quilts. This was a regional show put on by a group I was a member of.
It was returned to me dirty. But not just dirty it had grease marks on it in six separate places on the yellow silk flowers. Whoever packed it, either dragged it or let it rub up against something in the process of rolling and packing it. I have been able to remove the grease with careful cleaning but it has discolored the silk somewhat in a few places.
This quilt has won several awards over the last few years and has been a favorite of mine. I am devastated that one of my treasures has been basically irreversible damaged. I do carry insurance on my quilts and quilting equipment and I may put in a claim on it, but it will not repair or return the quilt to me in pristine condition.
Yes, I have notified the person responsible for the damage, but again that only makes someone else feel bad. I am sure they did not do this intentionally.

From now on I will be shipping my quilts rolled in white fabric and will include instructions on how to handle them.

George

 

I just love this picture!!

Yesterday while walking in the woods we happened upon a young couple in a very compromising position. I think I was more embarrased than they were. ohh

Today I off to the Art Institute of Chicago with some SAQA buddies. I know I will be inspired!

Design wall Friday

I keep hoping you guys will send me what’s on your design wall.

This is what I have been working on for the past couple of weeks. I will have three new patterns debuting at our booth  #1905 in Paducah they are -

“Sister Trees” -

inspired by the landscape in my neighborhood. This little quilt which is 12” x 14” when finished is so bright and happy you just have to smile.

“Star Lilies” 14” x 17”

Inspired by the Star Lilies that I have planted in my garden.

“Field Poppies” 14” x 17”. Also inspired by the flowers in my garden. I love the poppies.

Come on send me some pictures of what’s on your design walls. Send it to frieda@friestyle.com

101 patchwork projects

I have an article in the upcoming issue of 101 patchwork projects for Quilting Arts. It is about making cards with left over fused scraps. I hope you have an opportunity to get this very nice BIG issue. Here are a few cards that didn't make it in the story.

Trilliums

30” x 40”
The Trilliums are starting to come up in the woods. I LOVE these woodland flowers. This is the first quilt I made of their image.
Here are a few more.
pattern


When I first starting making this design, I used my rainbow stripe fabric. It just takes ONE yard of rainbow stripe to make this wonderful woodland design. It is my favorite, of my patterns.



This is how trilliums really look in the woods. Notice all the dead leaves that they are growing up out of? These are white oak leaves. I love them, and put them in a lot of my pieces.

Daffodils

I always tell my students to send me pictures of their pieces after they finish them. I taught at the Macon County Conservation District in Decatur, IL in early March, and Brenda, one of my students just sent me a picture of her finished piece. Job well done.

The real inspiration for this quilt. These are blooming right now in my yard.

Artist Monday

I want to share with you an artist who I think is doing some wonderful work.

I went to my quilt group this last Wednesday, I belong to PAQA a group that meets in the Chicago land area. I don’t get there very much because of all the traveling that I do. SO, I really enjoy it when I get to go and see all my quilting buddies.

My friend Darcy Berg was there with some wonderful art for sale. I had to buy this little quilt from her, it was too wonderful. It is mounted on a painted stretcher canvas. It measures about 5” x 5”. It is a picture  that she took and then manipulated in Photoshop. She then printed it on fabric and added more interest and detail with paints and thread. If you would like to see more of her work please go to her website.

If you live in the Chicago land area she will be teaching at the following venue:

Shibori: Dying Texture into Fabric
June 14, 21 and 28, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

and

Photography Meets Art Quilt
Tuesdays 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
August 2 - 23, 2011

Here's the link to the Hinsdale Center for the Arts: http://www.hinsdalearts.org/

Darcy Berg
http://www.darcyberg.com
http://cleverturtle.blogspot.com

Design Wall Friday

This is what I have been working on this week. I have three panels. The first one is sewn together and ready to start machine quilting. It measures 36” x 24”. It is made with silk/cotton blend background fabric and cotton fabric for the prairie grass. When I get all three quilted I will show the whole unit.

What is on your design wall? Do you want to share it? Send me a picture and I will post it here next week.

Organic Leaves

I teach a design class called “Laughing Leaves”. Originally I called the class Organic Leaves, but it didn’t really seem to take off. So I changed the the name to “Laughing Leaves” and pop it was a hit. Here are some examples of students work over the years. I am always delighted and amazed with the ideas that they come up with. This class is as much fun for me as it is for the students.