Image Transfer Party!

Today, at Fiberistas monthly meeting, I showed the girls how to do an immediate image transfer using Golden's Fluid Matte Medium. I did another bird as the demo. Sue shared one of her own pictures of a rose with me and Julie let me have a butterfly image. I love each one! We had a blast with this.

Beth used black and white and I love them. They have a nostalgic feel.

Diane's image is very cool. Looks good in color and B & W.

Julie used a copy of a picture she took of this precious little girl. I really like the edges and some crackles she got in it.

Frances had great success using a magazine image. The top image is of a bunch of canoes. Her turtle looks great too.

Terryn used a pic of her handsome dog.

Val had awesome steampunk images. I believe she said they were once free Dover images. I covet them!

Julie had success also.

Sue used one of her own flower image and a cool B & W tree image.

We all ended up having successful results. We did realize that the weight of your paper copy makes a difference. A thinner paper is better than a heavy paper. Diane used Kona cotton and her transfers came out great, so a canvas or duck cloth not necessary. Ink jet images work, not just laser jet copies. We all liked the vintage, aged quality when not all of image transfers. This a quick, gratifying way to transfer an image to use in art quilts, mixed media or even scrapbooking.
Lunch with Diane, Julie and Val spent talking about creative idea's and endeavors. Always inspires me. I love talking "shop" with minds that work as openly and varied as mine.
Last stop, the bead store! Picked up some unique beads and baubles.

Dear Tim Gunn,
Who is responsible for choosing the designers in the current season? They did not do a good job. The only interesting designer, Michelle, is on the hook right now. Patricia? Really? no. Mustache man? no.
Enough with the team challenges too.
Sincerely
Kathi

I will be visiting Jenn in Tennessee soon. I don't know how long Micheal will be stationed at Fort Campbell, and Paducah is 45 minutes away, so to the big quilt show we will go!

Mela is growing! My granddaughter is growing, Melissa is really showing. Sophia likes to lay on Mela! Last night, while Sophia was in the bath, she told Melissa that there is a duck that talks in the shower and he knows daddy and Melissa. Hairspray turns your hair to glitter and makes you a princess. Daddy is going to buy a pink house and build them a zoo in the yard. I love child chatter! When Melissa was little, I would sit in the bathroom with a cassette recorder while she was in the tub. I would ask her questions and sing songs. For a long time she would listen to them before bed. Great memory.

Michael is winding down the deployment. He will be home by the end of May!

I have learned:

1. I have been known to buy a new car when I need tires. Yes. I have done it. I needed new tires on my Trailblazer, so I car shopped. No deals to be had, although I did like the Chevy Traverse. I got new tires yesterday. 
2. New boss in, old Bad Bad Boss moves on. I should never have to see him again, or feel the prickly hairs stand up on my neck when he is in the building. Justice.
3. ROCO 6" x 6". Anyone, from anywhere can make art and sell for a good cause...ART. 
4. Love is.... Remember those little cartoons in the newspaper in the 70's? My mother had some on the fridge. Michael found a cute one and sent it to Jenn. 
5. Fabric Journey by Ruth B. McDowell. .50 cents at the monthly library book sale. 
6. Bansky. Art Attack. Cool.

RRRR

I made the mice row on top in this round of the RRRR on HGTV massage boards. I found a pattern for an 8" mouse on Fons & Porter, then drew up my own PP pattern for a 6" block. My hand dyed fabrics from the class with Val Schultz last summer, were the perfect colors! Mailed off to Tonya today and received the next round.....red with black & white fabrics. 4" blocks. 12 of them. Thinking~!

Last month in my little art quilt group, Mary Lee showed us how to do the 3/4" strip piecing Anne Brauer is doing, a quilt as  you go thing. Of course Anne Brauer's quilts are a study in color and value. All the girls in my group spent time laying out their design. I couldn't wait. I just started sewing strips in a repetitive pattern. This is about 24" long, 4 strips to an inch. I love the texture. Now that I have that out of my system, I will try to lay out something that is actually using the principles Anne uses. Martha made a cool bag from her piece.

I have been doing some crazy quilting on the Boho bags I started last year. I entered them in the GVQC quilt show at the end of May. When I pull out a CQ piece, I am reminded how much I love the creativity in them. I better get moving! I also entered the lab piece that isn't done either.

I have learned:

1. 2 years, 10 months to retirement~
2. Call the Midwife. Very good. On Netflix too.
3. Dyngus Day/April Fool's Day. Both April 1st. Interesting.

Caring Quilt for Lori and Mela in Utero!

   My little art quilt group, ArtCGirlz, made this quilt for one of our own. From top left, Mary Ellen, Susan, mine. Second row from left: Elaine, Betzh, Martha. Third row: Mary Lee, Susan, Emmy. Fourth row: Chris, Sharon, Martha. I sewed them together with the black sashing, Martha basted it and Elaine quilted it. A real collaboration. We thought it was very interesting that the quilt ended up having 2 stars, the 2 butterflies, 2 linear blocks, 2 hearts and of course, Susan's 2 T blocks. Lori loves it and it is comforting her when she needs it.

Meet Mela Ann Zaporowski! It's her first picture. I am amazed by this! Her eyes are open, her sweet little lips are formed, and a button of a nose. She looks serene. Melissa is providing Mela's first "apartment", and apparently she loves it. I cannot wait to meet her, hold her, in less than 4 months! July 28th due date. You can already see she is beautiful and ready for us!

Yesterday I went to see my Ice Crystals quilt hanging in the show at Lower Mill Gallery in Honeoye. When Elaine, Martha, Mary Lee and I arrived around 11:00 AM, there was a shower going on in the room. We couldn't see most of the exhibit and worse yet, hot, steaming serving containers were placed on a table directly in front of two quilts. Disappointing and surprising that an art gallery would carry out such a plan.
We soothed and abated our woe's by indulging in Tom Wahls and Chestnut Bay Quilt Shop. Burger, fries, homemade root beer and fabric!

I made a few quilting stitches in Bullseye. Oh no. Unsightly bearding from the batting. Having spent over two hours basting this, I don't relish the thought of doing it again. I will try quilting with silk thread, using Thread Heaven. Maybe the thread will glide through all layers, leaving batting inside.

I have learned:

1. In my 34th year of employment, I have become the first female Executive Board Member on my union local. Of course I was the first female Stockkeeper in this local as well. Much to learn. Look forward to it.
2. Mela is 22 weeks this week. I loved being pregnant. I love seeing my daughter pregnant.
3. Caponata. Yummy Italian made with eggplant, tomatoes and onion. 

Bullseye

Bullseye. Kind of wonky..love it. I hand stitched the wool pennies last year. The cream wool was an old coat from Sally Ann's, the black wool from a skirt and the red was 100% wool I bought and felled. Using a circle sheet I bought at a quilt shop, meant for applique, I traced out the cirlcle's on freezer paper. I ironed the freezer paper to the wool to cut out the shapes. It's an easy way to cut the circles. Since I love hand stitching, all the time spent sewing the stacks was a joy.
I actually took pictures of the stacks wonky, then aligned nicely. There is something in me that finds comfort in messy! I wasn't comfortable with the neat stack...it wasn't me. I had to do the wonky bullseye.
After each stack was sewn, I machine stitched each one to a black Kona cotton square, then sewed the squares together. The addition of the cream and black mitered border was the finishing touch on the graphic quality I was looking for.
I spent a couple hours today, basting this upright on my design wall. A friend, Mary Low, had let me borrow a few of Gabrille Swain's DVD's. One of them showed how she does this. Kneeling on the floor is not good, so I knew I had to try this. I love it. I will only baste this way from now on.
This is going to be the firs quilt I hand quilt. When I look at the hand work involved in the stacks of wool, I cannot see machine quilting as an option. Hoping my lessons from Cheryl Doodie and her stab technique are familiar enough to look good.

Last year I thought I was done with knitting. I hadn't knit in a long time. I even gave away my yarn stash to Melissa's fiance Dave's mother. A few months ago I wanted to be productive, but didn't want to think of what to do next on any of my fabric pieces. I got out needles and found some yarn and knit again.
Sally Mellville's knitting books are wonderful. I love this sweater coat.

It's knit in garter stitch, which I normally don't care for, but the yarn I have works in garter.

Lion Brand Amazing in Ruby. Yummy.

Craftsy.com is an awesome site. I purchased, on sale, Carol Ann Waugh's Stitch and Slash class in December. Today I watched my class for the first time. I can go back and watch it over and over too. I love that! Carol's style suits me, in that she doesn't see any mistake as insurmountable. I highly recommend the class to everyone. It is a technique that could lend itself to traditional and art quilters. It could be used in garments as well as home decor as she shows you. I have done something similar to this from the Quilting Arts magazine. (I should check to see if she wrote the article). I can't wait to layer up my fabrics and start stitching and slashing!

I have learned:

1. This, the first day of Daylight Savings, is my least favorite day of the year. Losing an hour of precious non-work time sucks.
2. This video is from the 90's. It was just reposted on a forum I belong to. Watch it for the quilts and the music. The chartreuse courthouse steps, with the Milk of Magnesia pink center quilt is awesome. I want to make it!
3. William & Mary. Netflix. Like. 
4. Once an Eagle. I picked it up for Michael. I started reading it this afternoon. 
5. I love bread. I am a carboholic. Challah bread is so good on so many levels. I love the layers, and the chew. I gave a loaf away so I wouldn't eat it. Now I want it! BJ's tomorrow. Need. 
6. Mela is the current name on the block for my granddaughter due in July. I like it. It is a Polish name. Dave Zaporowski is Polish. Mela Zaporowski. I still like Olivia. Her initials would be O.Z. That would be cool. 
7. Lindsey Stirling. Violinist. This is spectacular. Phantom of the Opera. Watch her other videos. Watch this now! 

Yellow Lab Collage to Print on Fabric

I took a class with Julie Brandon, of Red-Dog Enterprises a few months ago. It was my introduction to the world of large format printing onto fabric~! We spent the first hour paging through magazines, cutting images that appealed to us, then making collages on playing cards. I loved this part. (I loved it so much, I made more at home after the class!) I came away with 3 collages, one of which was this lab piece.Julie scanned it into PC and we played with the image and manipulated it in Photoshop. The white  in the background didn't translate well when he was printed on a yard of cotton fabric, so I decided to cut him off the background and piece my own background of improvisational pieced stars using Marcia Derse fabrics. I love how her fabrics markings work with the yellow lab!

I am going to take Julie up on her offer to let me use her longarm and quilt him. I plan to put him into the Genesee Valley Quilt Club show at R.I.T. end of May, beginning of June.

Yesterday my Fiberista group met to have some fun with embossing powders, pearlescent powders and embossing onto velvet with stamps. Terryn led us in a demonstration and then we just had at it! I really loved the black embossing powder on fabric. I can see this as a useful tool on a piece in the near future.

These little bee's are so cool. I embossed them on a vintage linen napkin.

These stamps are Tim Holtz. Love.

I have been obsessed with hexi's for months now. I love making them. I love sewing them together. I found this dress from a fashion show. Cool!

I have learned:

1. The RAFA opening at the Lower Gallery Mill in Honeoye was a success Thursday. I missed it as I was still sick and in bed by 7 PM. Dave, a co-worker, and his wife Tina, went. Tina sent me this pic of my piece hanging on the stone wall.
2. Five days after starting amoxicillin for bronchitis, I woke up with hives on my neck and chest. Apparently I am allergic to penicillin's now. 
3. On the Menu, my cow piece for Nature Behind Bars, won Curators Award. Thank you Val & Julie.

Row by Row Round Robin

I am involved in a Row by Row Round Robin on HGTV message boards. We each make our first row, a 12" x 48" row, then include a bit of one fabric to be used in each subsequent row by the other quilters. This is Nicki's. She made the large blocks, I made the 8" block row for her. The red is her common fabric. I added a cranberry, a green and a gold with a speck of metallic. It is the Japanese X block. Love it. Mailed to Tonya today.

My row is the bottom Union Jack block, with the 8" row that Tonya added. I love the NY Beauty block, and I love what she did with the one turned a different way!
I have started this same RRRR with my guild. I hope a few of them get over here to see what we have done.

I have been down with the flu the last week. Much sleeping. Much coughing. I was hallucinating from the prescribed decongestant when I called my Dr saying I felt "outside my body" (true story) I cannot take those kinds of meds. The amoxicillin has me breaking out in hives all over my chest and shoulders. (unknown allergy) It's been miserable. Hoping I take a good turn soon!


Tomorrow is the opening reception at the Lower Mill Gallery in Honeoye. I would like to be well enough to attend. We are to have dinner afterwards in the Rabbit Room.

I have learned:

1. Retreat at Asbury Manor in Silver Lake was fun by all accounts. I slept half of the time there with this illness. I did feel comforted that all my friends were but a text message away from me should I need anything!

Jenn's Deployment Countdown Project

This is Jenn's deployment countdown project. It's a vintage frame. She painted the glass with chalkboard paint and has been x-ing the days since Michael left for Afghanistan on September 4th, 2012. It's a work of art. I love it. When the countdown commences on Michael's return, she will seal it and it will hang as a reminder, a true work of art.
Quilt guild was great, as usual, yesterday. Val Schultz & Julie Brandon have developed a program on collaboration. These two quilters have collaborated on two award winning pieces in the past year. One was juried into Houston's quilt show and won a ribbon, while the other quilt was in one of the Mancuso shows and also won a ribbon. Collaborating is exciting to me. I love to see what other's have to offer. I have been involved for years on HGTV message board & round robins and crazy quilt exchanges are a couple of the things I have collaborated on. Very inspiring program. Lunch with Martha, Mary Lee, Elaine, Julie and Val after meeting was the dessert of the day!

The horse head is fused! I started free motion quilting him down, but after work is not the optimal time for me to do that. I will finish it next weekend at our annual guild quilt retreat in Silver Lake. This is for Barb, who just retired 2 weeks ago from NFG. She has two horses, a lifelong dream realized.

In my continuing excitement/addiction with printing to fabric by Red-Dog Enterprises, my latest piece. Julie printed Sophia's face onto silk a couple weeks ago for me. It is simply luminous on silk! While she was playing with the pic, she came upon this fractured imagery. I love the triptych idea. I appreciate her compositional assistance. I lack the computer skills to do something like this. Love it!

Jenn gets a newsletter each week from Army family support. This was in the newsletter this week!

I have learned:

1. 11 degrees. So so cold today. 
2. Melissa is 18 weeks along. Feeling good. I loved being pregnant. Very intimate time with your unborn.
3. 2 years, 11 months and 4 weeks to retirement!!
4. Reading a Tom Clancy book. The Teeth of the Tiger. Happy to have found a new author to read. 
5. No. 7 Serum from Target. This was recommended to me a couple years ago. I love the feel of it on my dry skin.