Remembering Heidelberg

This month has been a blur and I'm now on my way to Houston Int'l to create more memories.   I need to give some major kudos to my earlier in the month visit to Heidelberg, Ontario, Canada.  BIG thanks to Marilyn Farguhar (?sp) for so efficiently hosting this 3 day ( 2 workshop) glorious experience with some incredibly wonderful students.
I was lucky to receive these pics within the last week.  

The pics I took were too far from the subject to show off their work... ARGH!  Is my mouth always open?

Such great fun.. THANK YOU CANADA!!  ( I hope I didn't break any laws... I brought home and pressed a perfect red  Canadian maple leaf.  ;-)

Long Winters Veil at Houston International 2013

One more of my pieces... one that is very personal... will be shown and honored at The Houston International show next week.  Long Winter's Veil is about my feelings toward the winter's cold in the mountains where I live in Southern, California.. yep in snows in sunny Southern California.   I live in a narrow rock-sided canyon at the snow line of Mt Baldy, Ca.  There, it seems the cold of winter hangs  over the landscape like a  chilling veil. The winter is much longer it seems than the calendar dates suggest. This piece was originally created in 2012 as an exhibition piece, but had never been submitted to any competition til Houston.  I like this piece alot and decided it was worthy of submission.  This piece will be for sale at the IQA booth.

 Hope you see it and I see you there.  Blessings and peace to all as the holiday season begins to ramp up.

Double click on photo for enlarged view.

Lecture Subject in Houston

Next Wednesday evening is the premiere night of this years Houston International Quilt  Festival at George Brown Convention Center. This Festival is so large it uses the ENTIRE convention center.  I am not nervous or anything ( LIE).   In the hour before the Festival doors open, I will be giving a lecture discussion with a sizeable number of attendees.   The subject? ... the creation of this very quilt which is also in the show.

I usually work from my own photos.... but in this case, this quilt  came from several years of oggleing (?sp)  a photo  in a gallery exhibit in Mexico. After annually visiting this gallery each summer for 7 or more years, 2 summers back I happened upon the  photographer visiting the gallery as well. We struck a deal. I purchased a (fairly pricey) photograph in trade for being authorized to interpret this image as an art quilt. I felt the joy of these 2 little village girls the entire time I worked on this piece. It is entitled "Best Friends" in line with what these 2 young ladies are!

 Interpreting anothers work requires original artist authorization and acknowledgement in competitive entries.  Because such work is acknowledged NOT to be totally original, know that using anothers work as a source is often not as competitive as an original image of the art quilters own doing.  BUT... in this case, it just didn't matter to me as I loved the joy in the faces of these 2 young girls. Friendship is more valuable than MONEY!

This is a good sized piece (35 x 48) on display next week in Houston Click on photo for enlarged view.

 (c) copywritten image - (c)Tomas Spangler original source photo

One Class Before Departure

Today at The Orange Quilt Bee Shop.... Students created their own unique version of Father Christmas... Some  coats were red,  some lime green, several blue... each one completely different than the other.  What a nice day.  I dropped supplies off at my studio as I went for home to pack my clothes for the Lake Tahoe Getaway!   Think of me sewing and laughing.... thats my whole plan for the week with friends.

This particular sample is one presented to my British friend Hilary. I was her secret pal for last Christmas.  I have another secret pal for this year. ;-)   Happy Quilting all!

Someone has to go to Lake Tahoe

I say it might as well be ME!  I am teaching a fun Father Christmas Class on Saturday, then hitting the road early Sunday a.m. headed for the South shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe.  I can hardly wait.

Sewing and visiting with quilting buddies!!!   Nothing much better than that!

Mixing It Up in Free Motion

Over the last couple weeks I've been posting samples of linear fillers ( ones I called  Stitches that Stabilize) , samples of curving/circular fillers ( I called  Stitches that Harmonize) , and angular fillers (I called Stitches that Move Your Eyes).  Now I want to combine some of one or more types to create  some other interesting options.  So here we go:

This is one of my personal fun favorite fillers comprised of curvy scrolled in and out  rectangles, squares , and angles.... whatever it takes to fill the desired space.   

This one has no name... maybe (Wacky Scrolling) .

The is one has some curved edged angles and lines useful in representing air or slow moving water flow. I begin with one stitched line to create general  flow direction.  

Then add  exagerated 'echo' lines til the area is filled.. Notice the distance between lines... while somewhat echoed... are purposely not the same distance one to the other all the time.

Another fill I use often is Directional Meandering made up of lines and hairpin turns.   It works nicely  in vertical and horizontal orientation.

I know this looks strange but years ago I used this to meander fill a painted asphalt  schoolyard .. and I ended up liking it for other things.  I didn't want a traditional meander.. too many curves... I didn't want a linear filler, and I didn't want an angular one either so I made up one with a little of each . No name for this one either.  

This one is a bit linear though mostly curvy... but I like it and call it a Curved Veil.

Assuredly there are many other fillers... I even think of others as I type... But I have filled up my little sampler so be it. 

 I'm thinking of doing a class like this on The Panama Cruise next year. It would be fun for students to take home a "library" sampler of stitches to use in future projects. For those reading and already planning to take that cruise.. Let me know what you think of this idea. The World of Quilts Travel Link is above on the left if you want to see more info about the cruise.

Stitches that "Move Your Eyes"

Back home and continuing on my sampler on different types of  free motion fill quilting patterns.  I recently addressed  categories of stitches that Stabilize... and  then those that Harmonize .... so will stay with the rhyming theme and call this one Stitches that Move Your Eyes.  I'm speaking mostly of angles here so here are a few ideas that suggest something is moving... something happening.... movement energy is present.
Flying geese surely move so this is a filler using that age old quilting motif.  This seemed to warrant a bit of pre marking to keep me on track when I stitched.  I used a frixion pen for pre marks and will remove markings with a dry iron setting matching fabric ( in this case silk).

 Then as I stitch, I can make minor corrections from the original markings.

Parallel or stacked angles show movement but also stabilize a bit.

An angled maze

A Tangled web

I might not use this often as it is pretty out of control... but a  somewhat boring area of a quilt that needed some energy.... maybe so. 

I'm packing to travel today but do have 1 more Mixed Stitch category  that combines line types for interesting effects.  Happy Quilting all.

Demo of Faith

I love doing portrait classes.  We had a great day yesterday at our class in Heidleberg. I always do a portrait demo in this class and this one is of a young girl named Faith. I loved her piercing blue eyes in her photo and her loose hair style. I'm grateful I got to demonstrate painting her image.

Not only did we have a wonderful class... we had great lunch hosted by our 'leader' Marilyn (standing)

Headed to Heidelberg

I'm so excited... I have the next 3 days as the guest speaker with a group of art quilters in Heidelberg. Ontario, Canada. I hope I have something to share and add to their own tool belt.

This looks like a quant friendly town.  The surrounding geography is quite south for Canada and is adjacent to the great lakes.   Apparently, they have a beer by their name.
I don't drink beer but would  give it a try to check this out.
This little bird pic is said to be from Heidelberg.  If so, I hope to see one live.

Little Miss Trinity Quilt

Sew Much happening.  I got home from traveling for a few days and finished quilting this sweet image for a  baby quilt for a new baby girl named Trinity.  I LOVE her name.  The finished quilt headed in the mail today to Arizona to hopefully snuggle the sweet baby child of mommy Robyn.  Great Grandma Peggy Huerta is a happy "GREAT" friend.  Click on photo for enlarged view.

Baby girl's name is quilted in the upper right corner of the central image. .. " Little Miss Trinity"

A finished Quilt Top for my Wanabe Group friend

I was the last for a shared work rotation basket for my Wanabe Friendship Group pal Carol Brodie. I'll deliver it to Carol later this month.

I love the word DONE!!!!

Mid Valley Quilt Guild, Salem Oregon

President Lisa Encabo runs the morning meeting....   The guild is big and has both an evening and daytime meeting each month. Really nice people in Salem, Oregon...   'Sure hope to return someday!

This new member is certainly not a new quilter..  lovely!!

 Click on photo for enlarged photo view