Back at work

Blogger wouldn't act right this morning so I'm here in the evening.

The next to last Christmas quilt! I thought I only had this one but forgot about another one. It's on the machine ready to work on tomorrow.....maybe.



I've been working on this one. I thought I was only going to work on it for a few minutes this morning but really got into it and couldn't stop. I finished the lady and almost finished the man. I couldn't wait to start auditioning backgrounds. I kind of like this one.



The background fabric was a couple of remnant scraps I picked up a few weeks ago at the LQS. The top edge had the edge cut out like you see it. Hmmm....works anyway. The sky is a left over scrap from another art quilt I've been working on for the guild challenge. Can't show a picture of it until April. It's against the rules of the guild.

What do you think? Does the background overpower the lady? It won't be so 'busy' when I get the man in there too. Is it too dark for a background?

I've been looking for a pebbles fabric to use for the path the people are walking on. Which is the very reason I hate being disorganized. The quilt gremlins play havoc with my fabrics when its not all contained in an orderly manner.

I may come across something different for a background (as I sort fabrics) but I really think this will be the one I choose. I'll live with it a couple of days to think about it.

I was asked what different types quilts I make. Actually, I can't decide which type quilt I like best so I make them all. I make clothing memory quilts for the family of someone who passed away. I make traditional quilts. I make t-shirt quilts. And I make art quilts like the one above.

This is a quilt that started out as just an experiment and ended up being the reason I started doing art quilts. It's my very first art quilt. I plan to make another one for my granddaughter. This one is never leaving me. It's my good luck charm. My daughter will inherit it.



Another view.

So while you enjoy the eye candy, I'm going to make a few phone calls before bed.

Form not function

The quilt on the machine is still not finished. I should have it done by lunch time and get another one started. That's my goal anyway.

So after the day's work was finished I got my Form not function entry filled out. I had a really hard time getting the photos on CD. After the rush is over I plan to take my computer to a more reputable technician.

The main quilt I wanted to enter was too wide by about 10 inches. These are the three I'm entering. This one is Jack be nimble of course.

This one is Sisters and their horses.


And this one is fan dancer.



I don't enter contests expecting to win. Especially this contest. I only want to see my work hanging in the gallery next to the work of all those artists. I've never entered an art quilt contest and I'm curious about it. So I entered to help my curiosity. If my quilts are accepted I will be happy. I'll try for a win someday in the future.

Taking the pictures let me know I need to think seriously about a place in my house for taking photos and some serious time reading the booklet that came with the camera. No one can enter a quilt contest anymore without putting pictures on a cd. I think this eliminates a lot of really good quilts from people who don't do computers and aren't willing to pay high dollars for a professional photo.

Searching for fabrics

The fabrics I'm searching for is below. If anyone can help it will be appreciated.

These are the finished quilts from the other day when I didn't have the pictures. I used the circle lord clamshell on this one.

Used the circle lord square dance template on this one.


Ok, I could really use some help if anyone happens to read my blog and knows more about internet fabric searches than me. I must be looking in all the wrong places and I'm getting frustrated. I've had people searching through all the fabric stores in Kentucky while going on the shop hop this past week. There is one person checking the fabric stores along her way to Florida. No luck so far.

If anyone happens to see this anywhere, on any site, please send me the link so I can order it. It is "Naturescapes woodgrains by Deborah Corsini for P & B Textiles" I'm extremely doubtful either one can be found. I checked the P& B Textile site. I couldn't find it there either.


I also need a link for a red brick fabric to recreate this into the background behind my Victorian man and woman. If need be; I could over dye some fabric, if it represents the scale of the brick. The brick would be a very tiny scale.


Hmm....maybe this art quilt stuff is not going to be as easy as I thought. Finding the right fabrics is the hardest part of being creative. I could draw and paint the house but that's not the type of art I want to do. If I did that I could just use a canvas to paint on. I want to use existing fabrics in my art.

Ok, I'm going to stop blogging and start more searching.

What is today?

All day yesterday I thought it was Wednesday. Last night I realized it was Friday. Where does the time go? Gee I lost a couple of days that I really could have used to catch up on some of this work. No wonder I feel so far behind. You think maybe the fabric gremlins have been playing with my calendar?

I did a couple of customer quilts but failed to take the pictures. It's too dark in the studio to take them right now

Then I worked on this quilt. I did the face and hat all over again. I wasn't happy with the previous ones. I'm so thrilled with my ability to do this type quilt. I keep asking myself why I didn't start doing these years ago.

It was because years ago there weren't these kinds of paints and artsy supplies like are available today.

Today is another busy day so I will visit a few blogs then head for the studio. My SIL is going to be here for her day to use the machine.

A charity quilt

The quilt I have on the machine is going to take more than one day to complete so no finished quilt pictures today.

I thought I would share a picture or two of my current quilt project. It's for a charity auction next April during the Louisville Mayor's Derby Brunch. Lots of out of town guests will be there. Sorry about the darkness of the picture. It was late and my overhead lights need replacing.




I stopped working on the machine for the day but wasn't ready to go to bed yet so I started on this. I did the face but I may do it over before it's finished. I'm not happy with her eyes even though she is supposed to be looking back and up.

Why a Victorian couple? Because it's to benefit Farnsley-Moorman House and Landing. An old house and steamboat dock from the 1800's that has been restored and put on the historic register. These are just the characters to be in the quilt. I still have the house to work on and some type of background. A friend took digital pictures of the Farnsley-Moorman House for me to use in the drawing of templates. I'm not sure I will be able to do the house because I can't find any fabric that looks like bricks.

I may try to paint some brick fabric myself but only if I have the time after the Christmas rush is over. There is a very short time I will be able to finish the quilt. Pictures of the finished quilt are supposed to be taken in February to use for publicity purposes.

Ok, short post today. It's my daughter's birthday so we are going shopping and later out for dinner. I want to work on the machine a while before she picks me up.

Backs of art quilts?

Today I have a camera. I borrowed one for a little while. It doesn't take really great pictures but you can still see what I'm talking about in my posts.

I’ve had a desire to enter an art quilt contest for awhile now. I’m finally at a point where I believe I’m ready to enter one piece into one art contest to see what happens.

I’m starting to doubt my abilities. I've worked on this one piece using lots of shiny threads and contour quilting. The front of the piece looks really nice. I’m only showing one small section of the front for now. I’m so proud of how it looks. It’s my first piece using a combination of thread and fabric to create the look I wanted.

Some might call it thread painting while others might call it thread fusion. Regardless of what it is called, I love creating this way! I believe this style of machine quilting really shows that stitching the layers together is really art too.

Another view.

However…..

The stitching on the back looks horrible! It has pokies, flat lining, nests, eye lashes, railroad tracks, and loopies all over it. All the bad stitching that machine quilters get! See….

I didn’t realize my machine tension was out of whack. Which is why I was ranting and raving in the last post. And; the reason I simply had to borrow a camera to show the problems. I have stitched the majority of it already. I knew I had to stop working on it and do a customer quilt. When I zipped the piece off to put a customer quilt on the machine I noticed the bad stitching. Thank goodness it wasn’t a customer quilt!

There is far too much quilting on there to pick it out. I’m not even sure I could achieve the same look a second time. I can’t start all over to create the same one again because it’s made from an out of date upholstery sample. No way to replace the fabric.

So now I’m wondering if I am right. The quilting on the back doesn’t matter in an art quilt? I’ve always thought it didn’t; but, after reading some art quilter blogs I’m beginning to have doubts. I will still finish the piece and enter it just to see what happens. Maybe the judge will send me a critique with the answer to my question which is….. Does the stitching on the back of an art quilt really matter?

Troubled sleep

The clothing I bought at the thrift store came out of the wash fine. I folded and put them away until I get a chance to cut them apart.

It was a restless night for me. While at the art gallery one of the nice ladies had picked up an entry form for an art contest called “Form Not Function” and gave it to me. This contest has an entry deadline of October 20^th. It is a world wide competition. If anyone wants to learn more about it this is the web address. I’m not sure how to put it in as a clickable link. That’s something I will have to learn later. http://www.carnegiecenter.org Find the Form Not Function button at the top to click for more information.

In my sleep, I kept asking what “Form not function” means. Yes, I know its textile art. But what type of art? Does it mean the type of art that is barely recognizable as a quilt or could it be a more traditional item. Would a more traditional quilt qualify as an entry? I kept thinking how the textile artists have gained recognition in the major quilt contests over the last few years. Almost all of them now have a wall art category but do any of the “art” contests have categories for traditional quilts with really good design?

I don’t think I’m explaining this very well. Hmmm…If anyone remembers the AQS Paducah show had wall quilts that were actually painted pictures of geese in water that were quilted and entered. Those would be what I call form not function quilts.

But….would a contest like this one at the Carnege allow a wall size nine patch or t-shirt quilt with really nice machine quilting qualify as an entry? Would any of the art quilt contests allow a traditional entry? Can I go to my stash of traditional tops waiting for their time on my machine and find a contest entry among them?

What I have written may sound like I’m being critical of the art contests. Not at all!! I’m merely wondering whether I have something already pieced together I can use as an entry because of the short deadline. I do have a couple of what I call art quilts that might qualify. They are already quilted.

I have this quilt….

And this quilt….

But I’m wondering about some of my other quilts. The reason I am wondering is because it’s a juried show. There is no limit to the number of pieces you can try entering. The more entries I send in, the better my chances of being juried into the show with one of them.

Ok, enough internet time, I have customer quilt tops waiting. Vacation is over.

Naughty cat quilt

I was kind of bummed out today. I read the winner's list from the MQX show. I didn't win anything. I'm happy for those who did win but I was oh so hopeful I would win something for a change. I entered a quilt that won best of show at the state fair last year and one that got 3rd at AQS Nashville last year. Oh well.... maybe next year.

I started the day by making this cat for my friend Martha. I know... I hadn't planned to show pictures until she saw it but I couldn't resist.

Martha made the background and sent it to me about a year ago. She was unhappy with how it turned out and asked me if I could do anything to 'fix' it? The quilt has a waistline. Every once in a while I would pull it out of the project drawer and study it then put it back.



When I came across the pattern for the cat I just 'knew' it would fit Martha perfectly. She has cats. One is a grey one that she says 'has personality'. And it would fix the problem of the quilt with a waistline. Now it appears that the weight of the cat is pulling the quilt in at the center.

Don't ya just love that expression? Almost like the cat is saying 'what have I got myself into?'. Sorry about the fuzzy dark pictures. I don't get good pictures on rainy days. The quilt is on it's way home to Martha. I sure hope she likes it.  (The cat pattern is from Jukebox Quilts)