PEACE - Man

Making patterns is a lot of fun.

You can do what ever you want.

I like that. I have never really liked it when people tell me I have to do things a certain way.
I have always liked to experiment and find my own way.

PEACE is that kind of pattern. By experimenting I came up with this design.
Peace is an easy and fun pattern to make.

If you have been following along you know that at the end of the week there will be a drawing for a give away that includes my pattern “Holiday Moments”,( PEACE is one of the patterns in Holiday Moments) the Winter Special fabric kit and a spool of Red Madeira thread.
This is my thank you for being loyal blog followers.

In order to qualify to be in the drawing for the free give away you must -

1) Leave one comment only telling me which New Year's Resolution you kept this year? If you didn't keep one, which one do you'd wish you kept?

One of my New Year Resolutions was to change my needle for every new project I started...a very practical resolution and one that was very easy to keep. I did manage to stick to that resolution, mostly...and there were no guilt trips if I didn't do it straightaway.
I'm looking forward to reading your stories!

2) Join my blog as a follower, by clicking on the link at the top right of this page that says "join this site"
 
3) That's it...no more tricks or finagling...

I thought I would share with you a few of the step outs for making the PEACE pattern.

First, of course, it is so easy when you buy my fabric kit – Winter Special - Holiday Bundle 1/2 yard of Winter Red and 1/2 yard of Grass Green fabrics for $20

I have used the Winter Red fabric for the background to PEACE.

The first thing you want to do is cut the 1/2 yard of red fabric into an 18” square.

Then fold the square into quarters and using the pattern piece, mark out a circle in the middle of the folded square.



This will be your guild for laying out your design.

• Use the 1/2 yard of grass green fabric to make the trees. 
• Fuse a 10” strip of GG for the trees. I only use WonderUnder #805 to fuse all my projects.
• Once the fabric is fused remove the release paper. Release paper is the paper that comes on the fusible web.
• Cut out three strips that are 3” wide by 18”
• Mark on one side of the fabric every 1 1/2” with an extra fine sharpie marker.
• On the other side of the strip, starting 3/4 of an inch in from the edge mark every 1 1/2”.
• Using a pinking bade in your 45m rotary cutter cut across the lines from one side to the other.
• Trim across the bottom of each triangle that you have just created using the pinking blade.
• You will need your 16 triangle trees for the wreath.

This should get you excited. Watch for more in my next post.

Happy Quilting today!

More quilts that I liked from Houston 2011 part2

I meet Barbara when I taught at Sisters this year. Such beautiful work.

This reminds me of a Charlie Harper print.

Rejection

We all experience rejection in one form or another in our lives. How we deal with rejection is the real issue.
Recently I have been rejected from several exhibits and while this hurts I remind myself of some of the following quotes from people who have dealt with this feeling of not being wanted or liked or really just appreciated. What is that feeling - disappointment, sadness, hurt, what it is I can’t define exactly.

Along with rejection are the comments one receives on their quilts when they are entered in shows. One of the first lessons I learned from my dear friend Melody Johnson was to NEVER read those comment cards that the judges write when you receive a quilt back from a show. You must always remember that judging is arbitrary and everyone brings their own feelings, aesthetics and values to the judging. If you liked the piece go forward from there.
1. I think that all great innovations are built on rejections.by Louis Ferdinand Celine French writer
2. I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going rather than a retreat. Actor Sylvester Stallone
3. I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection. Billy Joel musician.
4. I submit all my plays to the National Theatre for rejection. To assure myself I am seeing clearly. Howard Barker playwright
5. A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.
6. Don't let anyone, or any rejection, keep you from what you want. 
Einstein, Elvis, Lincoln, Edison, J.K. Rowling all failed or were rejected many things before they succeeded.
I feel like I am in really good company when it comes to being rejected and I am proud to be a club member.
Just some of my work that has been rejected one place and gone on to win awards in other venues are…

Spring’s Greeting

Shimmering Foliage

Tall Trees

Woodland Secrets
To name just a few. Thanks for listening. Tell me how you deal with rejection. I think Ice Cream is good.

Yellow Dandelions

I am once again offering one of my small art quilts on EBAY. You can view the listing here for Yellow Dandelions.

I hope you will think about treating yourself this month and find a new home for “Yellow Dandelions”, or this would make a great gift for that special someone for Christmas.

Bead it Like you Mean it

My friend Lyric Kinard has just published a very enjoyable and educational new video called,
“Bead it like you Mean it”

I just finished watching the whole thing and was truly captivated. Lyric is light hearted and charming in this video just like she is in person and it made it very enjoyable to watch her teach us the basics about beading. She shows us how to make knots and how important it is to make lots of knots. But also how to not make any knots on the back of an all ready finished quilt!! This is a GREAT tip. I have beaded a little bit here and there, nothing serious mind you, but with Lyric’s video I was actually thinking about how and where I could add some beads to my next art piece.

Lyric gives very clear and easy to follow directions along with the video close ups for even the beginner beader. She tells us what the beads are called, what needles to use and what threads are best. She shows us some great ideas of how to use each exercise she illustrates. I am thinking about adding big chucky beads on something just to be able to make the cage she shows in the video. Love this idea. I also loved the stacked beads and will use this in my next flower quilt.

I think this is a must have video for your library. I will be giving away one free copy of this fabulous DVD. Send me your comments and I will pick a number on random numbers to select the winner. Good luck!!! and happy beading.

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.

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.

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

Yellow Tulips

Each month I am auctioning off one of my little quilts on Ebay. This month’s offering is “Yellow Tulips”. This quilt is from my pattern “Tulips” and is made with my hand dyed fabrics. It is 16” x 20”, and it is lightly machine quilted. I hope you will place a bid on this spring treasure or tell a friend where they can place their bid.

Valentine Hearts

Happy Valentine’s Day XXOO

Winter is still here, but the great thing about February is that I am a new Grandmother!! I am so excited. There is another little person to love. February IS the month for love. The heart is an ancient symbol. It is possible that the symbol began as an iconic sign for the body's heart. But now, throughout the Western world, it signifies togetherness and love. I know that I have always been attracted to the shape and used it in my quilts. This month's special will include that shape. With every order, I will send you the free pattern to make the this small fused art quilt Valentine Hearts.To go along with the pattern, two of the fabrics that I use in this pattern are on sale for the month of February for $20 a yard - Summer Flowers and Pink Pulp. This is a great deal as the price of cotton has just gone up, but not my prices! You have lots of fabric in a yard and could easily make two or three versions of this quilt. One for you and one for your best friend.

Open bidding on original fused art

 

Batik Poppies©2009 16″ x 20″ (Fabric; Island Batiks and my hand dyes, machine quilted with Superior Rayon Thread) - Regular Price: $250. You pay ?

What Would you Pay for Batik Poppies?

I decided to sell some of my art work on a monthly basis via ebay.  A new monthly art sale.  It is easier to bid on ebay.

This month’s artwork is now up for auction here:

Bidding ends Tuesday evening, February 1st.

The Art – Batik Poppies.

 Each year the Poppies appear in my garden. I have a mix of red, orange and melon colors. They are spectacular to see. I am always cheered by their appearance and have made many versions of them in my art work.

After a long hard winter it is such a breath of fresh air to have blue skies, green grass and blooming flowers.

I think it is one of the perks for living through the winter – brilliant spring flowers.

This quilt was featured in Quilt Magazine April/May 2009

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.

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.