Inspiration!

Saturday I spent part of my day at the AQS Quilt Show in Knoxville, Tennessee. I am not sure what other people take pictures of at a quilt show...but I get great inspiration from the textures created in quilts like you see here. The middle one is Renae Haddadin's awesome quilt. She received the blue ribbon for Longarm Workmanship (something like that). I got to chat with her briefly as she was demonstrating. She's a true visionary of the machine quilting world...I really admire her work. The other two pics are small portions of very pretty quilts. As I strolled through the mostly traditional works of art I was a bit uninspired. Mainly because I find having to stay within the squares confining. I much more prefer to venture outside the lines and create wonderful texture.

I found a booth that offered silk hankies, fabric paints, videos on making art quilts and the most wonderful set of books on art quilting that I've ever come across. Karen Pharr Studios (www.karenpharrstudios.com) I made a wish list. I purchased one book and 2 videos. They have proving to be great purchases and I'm loving the inspiration and stepping outside the lines. The book is called Raising the Surface with Machine Embroidery by Maggie Grey. What an amazing book. More to follow!!

Don't Cover up Your Daisies

Today is my birthday. I thought about making a card with a cake on it or candles. I opted for grass. I started with a beautiful piece of orange and some pieces of fabric that already had fusible webb on them and cut them in little pieces of grass. I playfully added them and they were flowing nicely. I used different color threads to mock the shape and create blades of grass all along the bottom reaching for the sky. I was looking forward to playing....

Then I thought - I'll add a little bunch of daisies in my grass...I used to doodle patches of daisies as a kid and thought I'd add a little patch in here. So I carefully stitched the petals and the stems and the accents... and EWE! I didn't like it. Suddenly this project wasn't so fun and I had to cover them up because they didn't look right. So I covered up the daisies and tried to make it look like it was meant to be this way. Mistake! Doing that changed the whole piece and my whole frame of mind about the piece. I didn't like it after that. I actually wanted to start over. That's not allowed.

So as this project is meant to do, I learned something. Not only did I learn that I should have gone with the flow - but that I should not cover up the daisies in my life and let them be. They are beautiful where ever they grow even if they are imperfect. God put them there for me to enjoy.

Postcard Journaling

I'm Blocked! I didn't realize it until I left a wonderful artists studio yesterday filled with beaded work, handmade books, quilts, dolls, jewelry, purses, journals and quilted postcards..I know there was so much more.

I realized I have become a little afraid in my work. I have gotten so wrapped up in my "real" job, family and chores that I have forgotten to play.

So I've begun this little exercise that is supposed to take only an hour of my day to help me be more creative and stop overthinking everything.


I'm calling it postcard journaling.

I've never made postcards before but they look like fun. Quick little projects that don't have to be perfect and I can get my "completed project" fix. Hopefully it will get me out of my box.

This is the first installment called "Just Keep Swimming"...(from the movie finding Nemo)

This started as a scanned piece of art from a child's fingerpainting, printed on fabric and machine quilted. The fish is from an obnoxious piece of fabric with fish and mermaids on it...He's better out of his box as well! I have to get some tyvec for the back and finish the edges... tomorrow is my birthday - maybe I'll make a cake!

These little glasses cases originate from my designs in Photoshop. They are printed on fabric, intricately quilted and assembled. Contact me if you are interested in making a purchase. They can be made to order. Currently they are only available for sale through this blog and at The Village Tinker, in Maryville, TN.

The Village Tinker, located at 417 W. Broadway Ave.,

across from the Maryville municipal building.

Lately I have very little time for big quilt projects. These are some textured pieces I'm working on. Adding a different thread color adds depth and luminosity at the same time.

I've been turning these into cosmetic bags of all shapes & sizes. Great Gifts!

75th Anniversary of TVA

This is one of 3 identical 100" x 100" quilts made to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Tennessee Valley Authority. It features black and white photos of memorable events and places depicting life before and after electricity was brought to the southeast in 1933. I had the pleasure of working with Darlene Bakos on this quilt and we were very proud to have this quilt displayed in the West Tower of the TVA facilities in Knoxville, TN. The other 2 sister quilts will have a life of their own. One quilt will be donated for a charity auction and the other will be donated (recipient yet to be determined). The quilt was designed and quilted by me and expertly pieced and bound by Darlene Bakos.

The Space Quilt was designed and pieced by Darlene Bakos and her sisters. I had the pleasure of playing on the surface of this quilt with many colors of threads and quilting designs.