Quilting Spirit

Hana Sunrise

2008-05-02T06:21:00.003-10:00

Quick peek at the latest commission: Hana Sunrise.

I'll post a whole lot more this weekend!

Commission Complete

2008-04-06T19:14:00.004-10:00

"Maui Fire" was delivered last week to my client in Wailea and they loved it! I am working on a second commission for them right now. I'll show pictures of that piece (bamboo on silk) as soon as it's complete.

Commission Sneak Peek

2008-03-11T15:32:00.003-10:00

I'm currently working on a commission! Here's a sneak peek.

Art Maui Opening

2008-03-11T15:09:00.008-10:00

"Unconscious Convenience"

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from the Art Maui 2008 opening. Without going into a lot of detail, suffice it to say that last week was no bowl of cherries around here. Thankfully, this week is looking a lot better!

Many of you are probably looking at the quilt and saying, "What the ????" Well, this quilt has been on the drawing board for a little over 2 years now. I am a big proponent for the reusable bag cause, brought on by the distressing way our island is suffocating under a layer of this useless tool of convenience. You can see the real life version of this quilt if you are on Maui and drive up (or down) Pulehu Road in front of the dump. The quilt is stitched to a background frame of pipe and chicken wire to imitate a plastic bag blown up against a chain link fence.

It's quite outside the usual box for me. It's not pretty, but it's not supposed to be. It's something I feel very strongly about and wanted to translate into a quilt. There's no denying that my work is inspired by my environment; this is just a different perspective.

Two other quilt/fiber friends are also in the show. At left is Kathy Kastles' "Young Leaves" quilt. It has a commanding presence in one corner of the gallery. I don't have a close up, but the center medallion features beautifully painted Geishas - many translucent layers give it incredible depth and richness. The outside background is artfully machine quilted with bamboo and palm leaves.

Nancy Meyer's quilt, "It Could Happen to You" tells the story of the many "faces" Nancy wore during her bout with breast cancer. During the opening there were three little girls, probably ranging in age from 9 to 12 or so, who were standing in front of Nancy's quilt arm in arm as they looked at it. I tried to get a picture of them but they hurried off too quickly and I missed the moment.

We finished the evening off with dinner at Mama's Fish House and were treated to this spectacular sunset view:

Got a Date for Me, Dad?

2008-03-05T09:02:00.002-10:00

Please don't get the idea that this is a regular occurrence at our house!

Bruce recently finished this great little kitchen seat and table, and I finally got the cushions done last week.

This morning Cody hopped up on the seat and sat himself next to Bruce uninvited. The little computer cursor caught his eye and this is what resulted!

We're going to have to sit on the ends of the seats for awhile to discourage this from happening again but, you have to admit, it is cute!

More About Art Maui

2008-02-28T10:56:00.002-10:00

The Maui News printed a quick recap about Art Maui in today's paper. Turns out that 566 pieces were submitted and 125 were selected for "the island’s most prestigious competition and installation of its artists’ work." Read the article HERE.

Be sure to read the Fact Box for more information on the juror, Wayne Levin, and his thoughts about jurying. One of his comments that makes me feel especially good to be part of the show this year is at the end: "Some art may work on two or three of these levels, but for me it need only communicate articulately on one level to be successful.”

The opening reception is on Saturday afternoon, so I will take pictures and report back later.

I'M IN!

2008-02-22T09:49:00.003-10:00

What do fabric, plastic bags, chicken wire and galvanized pipe have to do with a quilt? They are all part of "Unconscious Convenience," a piece I entered into Art Maui this year, and I GOT IN! The back of the quilt features newspaper printed on fabric that I showed in the blog post HERE.

I don't have any pictures to show, yet. I didn't have a suitable place to hang it to get one before I dropped it off on receiving day. The show opens on March 2, so I'll post pictures then.

This piece is far off the usual path for my work, but it's something I've had in my mind to make for over a year now. It's not pretty but makes a serious statement about our environment suffocating under a layer of plastic bags. It has a lot of personal meaning for me, so I am thrilled it was selected.

After I finish more "pretty" stuff, perhaps I'll pursue a few more environmental pieces.

I Want to Change My Header!!

2008-02-13T12:57:00.002-10:00

I made this new header for my blog and I can't get it to work! I thought all I'd have to do is upload a new picture to the header. It's not working! Can anyone help?

Roots

2008-02-04T12:48:00.000-10:00

I had a very productive weekend in the studio. My Art Maui entry is coming together and I had time to make (and finish!) two more gift quilts.

I started quilting 20 years ago and my first project was a Dresden Plate wall hanging. I'm proud of my roots in traditional quilting, since it's through these quilts that I honed my skills as a quilt maker. I'm happy to have that "toolbox" of skills to fall back on when I need them.

Baby quilt #2 using the disappearing nine patch pattern. I love that pattern for quick and easy quilts.

As I was cutting up various pieces for this quilt I was left with some very small scraps, including some strips that were only 1" wide. Since I couldn't bear to throw them out (another traditional quilter value!), I decided to whip up a little doll quilt for the baby's sister, who just turned 4.

This mini log cabin is made with that assortment of 1" strips and just 12 simple blocks.

Although my art quilts have taken me down a completely different path, I still get a thrill when I see a beautifully made traditional quilt, especially an old antique. Doing these quick gift projects satisfies my "traditional" genes.

And speaking of scraps, here are some leftovers from a recent project:

And what does chicken wire have to do with quilts? Stay tuned and find out!

Viewpoints Gallery Opening

2008-02-04T12:29:00.001-10:00

The Celebration of Hawaii show opened on Sunday, January 17. I managed to get this shot of Honu III before things got too crowded. There were a lot of people there!

This is third year for the show and it keeps getting better and better. One interesting thing I noticed this year is that there were many more large scale pieces than in previous years. I don't know if that's necessarily true or just the way the show was hung, but that's how it appeared to me.

Honu III is swimming away at the close of the show - he sold on January 31! Turns out that January 2008 was the most profitable month for the gallery on record. With all of the beautiful art, it's hardly surprising. There were several pieces I wished I could have taken home, including this lovely pastel from Kit Gentry. The photo does not do it justice...it is framed by a mat of lovely green raw silk that changes from gold or green depending on the angle.

The opening featured Hawaiian prayer, chant, and dance. Here is a shot of the crowd from outside the gallery. The day started out raining like crazy, but it cleared at the last minute and everyone had a wonderful time.

We ended the evening with a sunset dinner at Kula Lodge. Nice!

Sneak Peak

2008-01-28T14:35:00.001-10:00

Another little snippet of something I'm working on right now - all thanks to the "Disappearing Nine Patch" I posted about earlier. This works well in a small format too; these blocks are about 2" square, finished.

I'll show you the completed project next week!

Back of New Quilt

2008-01-28T13:56:00.001-10:00

I'm working on a new quilt for an upcoming show. Although I can't show you the front, I can show you the back - this is "newspaper" fabric that my friend Joan printed for me. It is interspersed with a black and white "chain link" fabric. It is fused to muslin, then I zigzagged over all of the raw edges with white thread.

I love this! It is so fun. It has me started on an idea for a whole series (of maybe two or three quilts).

Celebration of Hawaii Show at Viewpoints Gallery

2008-01-02T18:31:00.000-10:00

I received the email version of the postcard for the upcoming Celebration of Hawaii show today, and guess who's on the back?

Honu III! The show opens on Sunday, January 20, in Makawao, at Viewpoints Gallery.

I've decided that Honu III is going to be the last in this design, but not the last of the series. I have other ideas for sea turtle quilts - I just have to take more pictures and do more sketching. I'm also working on a second quilt for the show - a single flower version of my Night Light quilt - but I've got a lot of work to do in a short time.

If you are visiting Maui during the show, please drop by for a visit. It runs through Tuesday, February 12.

Quick Baby Quilt

2008-01-02T06:54:00.000-10:00

I needed to make a baby quilt for a boy, and fast. Thankfully, I stumbled upon Dying to Quilt's blog with easy instructions for creating a "Disappearing Nine Patch" quilt.

I used an assortment of red, blue and gold fabrics and started off with 5" squares to create this quick little quilt.

A suggestion - for a cohesive look, keep the same color in the center of your nine patch blocks - that's what makes the little gold squares seen here. I think it would be great to go completely scrappy, too, but with smaller squares, maybe 3"?

Thanks, DQ, for the inspiration and instructions!

Christmas Day

2007-12-27T06:42:00.000-10:00

Well, I knew you wouldn't believe it until you saw it! Even Bruce says he figures there aren't that many quilter/hunters out there.

On Christmas afternoon Jeff, Bruce's brother, took us pheasant hunting up on Haleakala, with my nephew, Keoni. It was a beautiful day - cool and a little cloudy, just perfect for the rough hiking.

Keoni took this picture of Bruce and me while we took a short break in one of the ravines we had to cross.

We only saw a total of four birds - two roosters and two hens - and Keoni was positioned to get the roosters. They were long shots but he got them like a pro.

Here is a picture of the guys with De-Man. He is an awesome dog and it was neat to watch him work. He was doing his job and having a great time.

Is this a picture of a happy dog, or what?

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas.

Best wishes for a happy new year, too!

DELISH!

2007-12-20T06:40:00.000-10:00

We tried this Sparkling Ginger Cocktail for a dinner party on Tuesday, and it was great! It's featured in the December issue of Gourmet magazine.

I've never tried Prosecco before, so when I saw this I thought it would be fun. The ginger syrup adds a nice, refreshing zing to the drink. The recipe says it makes enough for 10 cocktails, but we actually came out around 8. So if you are making this for a party, plan accordingly.

Finding Prosecco on Maui was a challenge, because it's not available at any of the local grocery stores. Asking for it only resulted in blank stares. I lucked out, though, at Hawaii Liquor Superstore in Kahului! When a man approached me and asked if I needed help finding something, I asked him for it and I thought he said, "We have Port." I said, uh, no, "It's a sparkling Italian wine." He laughed and said, "Yes, I have four." Oh. I guess I need my hearing checked! He was very helpful and went on to explain the highlights of the four he had in stock. When I said it was for a cocktail, he said to go with the least expensive since the ginger would overpower some of the more delicate nuances.

I'm looking forward to trying them all by themselves in the future.

Paying it Forward

2007-12-17T07:31:00.000-10:00

I caught this on Susie Monday's blog and the giving spirit is growing on me, so I'm offering this:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. (Actually, you will receive mine before the end of February!)

When you leave your comment, please also do one of two things: leave your post address or e-mail it to me.

I will send small textile hand-made-by-me gifts to the first 3 people that leave a comment requesting to receive the gift and are willing to continue the Pay it Forward tradition on their blog.

Christmas with All the Trimmings

2007-12-17T06:52:00.000-10:00

I am going to make THIS for our tree next year. Scroll down Kristy's "Two Lime Leaves" blog and check out her peppermint yo-yo garland. I think it's darling. I KNEW I'd find a reason to buy that damn yo-yo maker after all.

Oh, right. In my spare time. Turns out there probably won't be much of that next year. Looks like 2008 is filling up already!

Mischief Afoot

2007-12-12T18:28:00.000-10:00

There are some interesting goings-on around here! I can't reveal them right now, but will in the next week or so.

Besides, what would the holidays be without a surprise to mull?

Quilting Arts Magazines for Sale

2007-12-08T11:33:00.001-10:00

I'm taking a cue from Robin and selling my collection of Quilting Arts Magazines on eBay (click to take you to the listing).

Since I work in such a small area, I am constantly moving stuff around. Well, I'm tired of moving this stuff! I've got a collection of art, quilting and fiber books for sale on Amazon.com (see post below), and a fabric/fiber collection for sale, too (see previous post).

If you're interested in adding to your collection of Quilting Arts Magazine, this is a great way to do it!

Gorgeous Jewels for Your Next Project - SOLD

2007-12-08T11:25:00.003-10:00

I am cleaning out my studio this weekend in preparation for the new year (be sure to see my other items for sale at Amazon.com in the previous post). This is the fabric and yarns/fibers I chose for my class with Carol Taylor, but I'm not in love with the project. The next best thing (I thought) would be to offer this grouping for sale. There are 18-9"x11" squares (approximate), three skeins of gorgeous hand dyed fibers, and a set of 1" strips in coordinating colors.

Penny, I see a fabulous project in your future!

Quilting Books for Sale

2007-12-08T10:35:00.000-10:00

I cleaned out my studio this morning and have several things to sell. I've listed a huge pile of art, quilting and fiber related books on Amazon.com in my storefront:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/index.html?ie=UTF8&sellerID=AAFONPXQR6Z6E

On most of the listings I am the lowest price seller. Check it out and see if there's something on YOUR wish list!!

Here's an alphabetical listing of titles:

Artists Journals & Sketchbooks (Perrella)
Beading on Fabric (Van Horn)
Collage for the Soul (Harrison & Grasdal)
Collage Sourcebook (Quarry)
Creative Correspondence (Jacobs)
Creative Habit (Tharp)
Diamond Quilts & Beyond (Krentz)
Everyday Matters (Gregory)
Fusing Fabric (Beal)
Mixed Media Explorations (Taylor)
Pieced Curves So Simple (Fleming)
Thinking Outside the Box (Cummings)
Thread Magic (Eddy - original Fiber Studio Press edition)
Twelve Secrets of Highly Creative Women (McMeekin)
When Quilters Gather (McDowell)
What Color is Your Slipcover (Daikeler)

Thanks for checking it out!

More From Art Quilt Tahoe

2007-12-07T06:26:00.000-10:00

One of the best things about taking a class from Carol Taylor is that you get to work a lot on value. This is an area that is so important, and one I don't think anyone can get too much of!

This is the start of one of our class projects, with my fabrics sorted out. I eventually added more of the very dark fabrics on the left and refined the other piles as I went. Not every fabric here made it into the quilt. I moved away from the blue accents (like the fabric at the bottom of the second pile from the left), and more into the purples, which I loved with the browns and blacks.

You basically work from light to dark as you go along. Here's a snapshot of the start with the lights into the medium lights.

I think I mentioned it in a previous post, but this whole process really makes me want to reorganize my fabric according to value. I know I have real gaps in the very lights and very darks (like most quilters do). And since my work requires good value emphasis to be effective, I think it would be helpful. The only real problem I face with the reorganization is that I really don't have the room to spread out and do a good job with it. That and the fact that it would probably take me at least 2 weeks of valuable studio time to do it.

More lights into mediums and medium-darks. Although this quilt is fairly small (about 18"x54") it is a long process to get the value placement correct. As a class, we took most of a day to get our pieces in place on the foundation.

Here's a look with the third and fourth pieces, nearly finished. After I had the four base pieces up, I went back and added a lot of accent pieces to further enhance the look of the quilt.

I started my couching in class on the last day, and have about half of it completed. I need to get it finished this month, since I am giving a PowerPoint presentation at our guild meeting next month on my experience at Art Quilt Tahoe and I want to have the projects there for everyone to see.

If you have a chance to take a class with Carol Taylor, grab it. She is an inspiring, patient and knowledgeable teacher who will encourage you to make your best effort!

Stormy Weather

2007-12-05T11:08:00.001-10:00

And I'm not kidding! We are getting some heavy rain and wind up to 60+ mph. We are huddled at work waiting for it to pass. Power is out on most of the island and ours has been flickering.

See the red? That's over our head right now. Looks like we have a flash flood warning in effect until 12:00 p.m. today.

We're waiting it out. Look out Big Island!

BINGO! Wins!

2007-12-04T10:41:00.001-10:00

Remember when I posted about working with the book "On the Surface"? Well, this was the project I was working on at the time.

The theme for Art Quilt Tahoe's challenge this year was B-9, or Be Nine, or Benign, as it was their 9th anniversary. As soon as I heard the theme, I immediately thought of BINGO!

The title of this quilt is "B9=BINGO! Everybody Wins at Art Quilt Tahoe." The background checkerboard is woven and embellished with silver, black and red decorative threads. I stamped the BINGO card and the red markers are hand painted stainless steel washers. I couldn't find round clear glass or plastic markers, so I improvised based on a suggestion from my friend Joan. Thanks, Joan!

I had to Google BINGO to find out what the correct number layout was - in case you are wondering, it's 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 45-60, and 61-75. Did you know that the mathematician who developed the bingo cards actually went crazy?

My quilt won first place and $100 in the challenge at AQT!