tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41071166130856021752012-01-27T13:37:48.451-05:00JUANITASAUVEARTQUILTS: With fabric and paints I capture landscapes, people and ideas, designing colourful, one-of-a-kind hand-stitched wall hangings. Inspiration is everywhere around us. My work tells a story - about me, about my world, and my ideas and values.juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.comBlogger1141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-79836412245172853732012-01-27T13:33:00.002-05:002012-01-27T13:37:48.458-05:00

 I don't know about everyone else but I have heard enough from politicians lately (from any country)    about the economy and their solutions to it and I find myself practicing deep breathing, meditation, tai chi, doing sudokus, sewing, and now doodling to help me remain calm - reminding myself - 'do not panic'.   When the Sketchbook challenge announced their theme is doodling this month, I had

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-35728660721900661942012-01-25T20:28:00.000-05:002012-01-25T20:28:04.029-05:00

Fog on Micheleen's Path This is my month for finishing pieces and here is another.  I worked on this one for over six months, using paint,  applique, embroidery, dyed cheesecloth (trees and foreground), beads, stones, pearlized paint, layers of tulle and strips of tulle for the fog.   I stapled it onto a stretched canvas and mounted it in a floating frame.  I still feel like it is missing

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-22204436122207112702012-01-23T14:20:00.000-05:002012-01-23T14:20:13.711-05:00

Voila! My new sewing machine. So this is what purchasing a sewing machine does to you.  I've suddenly started to think of practical things to sew.   Actually someone in our fibre arts group gave us each a collaged business card holder a couple of months ago.   I thought of it when I was trying to decide what to give a friend for her birthday.  She has been getting work done on her house

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-9566570967540612652012-01-14T14:44:00.002-05:002012-01-15T10:39:43.066-05:00

I need to thank Neville Hamilton for the inspiration for this hand stitched piece.   Before Christmas he purchased one of my pieces as a gift for his partner after they saw it at my open house in November.   At the open house we had discussed my upcoming exhibition called 'Pathways' .  It just so happens that he is an excellent photographer.   When he came to pick up the artwork he brought me

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-86410058668791726522012-01-12T12:41:00.002-05:002012-01-12T17:02:17.581-05:00

First, an acrylic painting of a lighthouse in Prince Edward Island.  And here are photographs of some interesting lighthouses from different locations within Canada.  A few are surely going to be part of a quilt someday.  I hope I was correct with the locations.  Please let me know if I am mistaken.   There were a few whose location I had not recorded. Lobster Cove Lighthouse Rocky Harbour NL

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-29128728274271745542012-01-08T17:04:00.001-05:002012-01-08T17:04:55.191-05:00

I have always had a fascination with lighthouses and have photographed many of them over the years.  Some of them have found their way into my fabric art.   Here are a few examples. This one was of beach huts on the beach at Suffolk.  I posted this one previously as part of a tryptych. This is a larger piece showing the lighthouse at Rocky Harbour Newfoundland.  My friend Joyce grew up living

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-2103537528103916822012-01-01T16:09:00.002-05:002012-01-01T16:34:30.101-05:00

I have been part of the blogging world for over 2 years now and have learned so much from other bloggers.  I feel like I have a whole raft of online 'friends' whose lives have touched mine.    Happy New Year to all of you! While I have not made any New Years Resolutions, the beginning of the new year is a good time to take stock, looking back, reflecting on where I am right now, and looking

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-5275209375440169982011-12-27T20:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T20:00:24.853-05:00

A few weeks ago I sold one of my favourite quilts.    It was inspired several years ago by a chant we were singing in my women's choir.                     "The earth is a woman and she will rise                                    We will live in her" The piece is named  'The Earth is a Woman'.   Hand stitched and hand-quilted with applique, embroidery, gemstone stars, and sequins, it is 34" x

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-42856774972267970682011-12-17T13:54:00.001-05:002011-12-18T13:40:22.951-05:00

At my last fibre arts group meeting some of the members showed us holiday cards they had made.   So I got an idea.   I had picked up some blank cards which were all coloured in soft greens and coral patterns.   So I designed a fabric landscape using these soft colours.  I cut out some deer from a photo I had taken and some trees and glued them onto the landscape.   Then I copied them with my

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-71725570847665715672011-12-08T20:23:00.001-05:002011-12-08T20:54:36.427-05:00

A few days before my open house I ordered a few mats for my 4 x 6 landscape miniatures.   I wanted a 5 x 7 mat with a 4 x 6" opening.  When they arrived I realized that I had ordered the wrong size and my mat openings were 3 x 5".     So....when life hands you lemons.......I quickly made up a few 3 x 5 minis - a size I hadn't worked with before.  I loved the results - especially with these

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-41929657697226331952011-11-29T12:21:00.002-05:002011-11-29T12:37:36.208-05:00

My open house was successful and I really had a good time talking to visitors about my work.   It is always interesting to see the pieces that people choose as their favourites.   I have favourites of my own but they weren't always the ones that dazzled others.     One simple piece that I did with reverse applique called "Rooster" was a great hit with the men who came.  It was my son's

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-68087520604360273542011-11-26T17:53:00.001-05:002011-11-26T17:54:51.435-05:00

Tomorrow afternoon I am holding a fibre art open house at my home.  All the pieces are hung, the refreshments almost ready and the house is clean except for a last minute vacuuming.   It is amazing how much more critically I see my home when strangers are coming.   Also amazing is how dirt can hide in small corners, how many nail holes a wall can accumulate and how cluttered things get over time.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-10996484329325979882011-11-17T14:59:00.003-05:002011-11-18T00:16:45.128-05:00

I am close to completing my berry picking piece.   Here is a sneak preview of parts of the quilt.  I'm not ready to reveal the whole piece yet.   This is one piece I will be exhibiting at the Textile Museum in Almonte Ontario next summer.     It was inspired by a photo of my son and I in the Gatineau Hills which his father snapped while  I was showing my son some hidden blueberries amongst the

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-74561559043528290202011-11-14T16:50:00.001-05:002011-11-14T16:54:30.721-05:00

While I have been wearing out my fingertips from hand stitching my Gatineau Hills berry-picking piece, I have found some relief in making more bookmarks and art cards.   What fun to create tiny landscapes with fusible, fabric and a pair of sharp scissors.    Here are a few more with plastic sleeves and tassels attached.                              I cover the backs with colourful fabrics.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-52829674805363936412011-11-07T13:25:00.001-05:002011-11-08T00:10:15.835-05:00

Here is another of my stitched watercolour pieces.   It is a scene from Ingonish Ferry,  Cape Breton, NS.   First I paint with Caran Dache watercolour crayons and pencils onto fabric then I use tiny stitches to quilt through 3 thin layers.  I finish by adding a matt and frame.   This piece is 4" x 6" matted to 5 x 7.    They are great to do when I need a break from the larger pieces.   Another

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-82249838591171676252011-10-21T21:09:00.002-04:002011-10-21T21:12:17.356-04:00

Here are some photos of my hiking trip to Cape Breton in September.  We think this was an immature bald eagle.  It was perched on a tree and allowed us to take many photos before flying away. To arrive at this spot we had to climb a steep trail, parts of which were so steep that there were ropes strung along the side to hold onto.    The view from the top of Meat Cove Mountain made it all

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-92103328130713842892011-10-21T20:46:00.000-04:002011-10-21T20:46:42.198-04:00

Two weeks ago my computer got a virus and shut down and refused to boot up.   After 12 (!!) days in the shop it was returned to me without virus this week.     However I had to re set my emails, reload up stuff, re-connect my printer etc.   And for a few hours I thought I had lost all my photos (some are backed up, some not).    Anyway they seem to be in the computer (but not where I left them!!)

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-31089391903947457402011-10-04T11:54:00.001-04:002011-10-04T11:59:28.738-04:00

While nursing my back injury I haven't been able to do much stitching (not to mention bending or lifting or much of anything else).   However, since I seem to be more comfortable standing than sitting, I used the kitchen counter to fuse and cut fabric and experiment with making bookmarks and cards.   I ordered some plastic bookmark covers and tassels from Crystal Clear Bags Canada Inc where I

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-20632855264384097722011-09-22T09:44:00.003-04:002011-10-04T12:04:08.780-04:00

Well I am back from my hiking trip in Cape Breton with some new ideas.  Unfortunately I injured my back (not a hiking accident) and may be taking it easy for the next few weeks.  Hopefully I can still stitch a bit and plan some new work.   The hiking was good with some difficult trails and the weather was mostly sunny except when the tropical storm passed by (that was some hike up at Cape St

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-23872029966428322812011-09-08T17:42:00.001-04:002011-09-08T17:48:09.000-04:00

  I've been making some progress on "Through all Kinds of Weather: The Relationship Path".   Still not sure of the title since so many relationship don't weather the storms and this little embroidered couple are just starting down the path, so who knows.     I stitched the path with multicoloured threads and the couple in black.  I added some lightning to the stormy sections (purple and grey

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-22641960891529372332011-09-05T12:42:00.000-04:002011-09-05T12:42:28.453-04:00

A friend of mine recently returned from a trip to western Canada and surprised me with some lovely fabric from an award-winning quilt shop in Canmore Alta called the Sugar Pine Company.  She is not a quilter herself but was impressed by the lovely art quilts on display there.  Just another reason for me to take a trip west.  She brought me their brochure and another flyer about "Canmore Quilt

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-64296122186322592592011-09-04T21:08:00.000-04:002011-09-04T21:08:49.196-04:00

To prepare for an exhibition next summer, I am spending most of my time this year working on my 'pathways' series.    I am still working on my 'relationship path' and foggy 'mickeleens's path pieces ( the latter has already a zillion stitches!).    I have also spent time on another piece showing my son and I blueberry picking in Gatineau park which I already love (it's from a 34 year old photo).

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-41690736979194473312011-08-29T21:10:00.000-04:002011-08-29T21:10:34.108-04:00

Still on my 'Pathways' theme, I had an idea for a quilt about weather so I gathered up some  sky fabric, painted some more and waited for inspiration.    Since I often think in terms of music,  soon the words "through all kinds of weather" came to mind - and my quilt became about relationships (this is how my mind works).    I started piecing skies with sunrise, blue skies, starry skies,

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-71141072262266306262011-08-27T12:59:00.000-04:002011-08-27T12:59:32.953-04:00

I am writing this entry in orange today as a tribute to Jack Layton, the leader of the official opposition (NDP) in Canada who passed away this week.   His funeral is today.   Many Canadians, whether we share his political views or not, are saddened by the loss of a man who has consistently fought for the rights of all Canadians.   He has tirelessly supported the poor and marginalized of our

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-25458257684225063712011-08-27T12:31:00.000-04:002011-08-27T12:31:46.614-04:00

Here's a photo of my black eyed susans painted onto fabric.   I don't worry about a lot of detail because the stitching will take care of that.  I think I will add the backing first and stitch through the layers.  I haven't quite decided whether to add batting or not.   As I said before it makes the piece a little thick for framing under glass.   But it does add some contours to the design when

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-13799640027396934092011-08-23T21:28:00.000-04:002011-08-23T21:28:02.386-04:00

Recently, I completed a few 4" x 6" 'pictures' painted on fabric.    For subjects I chose a photo of the Tablelands in Newfoundland, an amaryllis, a scene of kayaking down a river and some black-eyed susans.  First I painted the scene/flower on white cotton fabric with caran d'ache crayons, water soluble pencil crayons or setacolours then I heavily embroidered or stitched them with tiny stitches.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-22972973900974262482011-08-21T13:18:00.000-04:002011-08-21T13:18:44.112-04:00

Here is my latest - inspired by my visit to the gannet colony on Ile Bonaventure in the Gaspe.    I decided to use pigma pen and my new water soluble pencil crayons to draw and colour in my gannets doing all the things that gannets do (see previous post of gannet photos and info).     Then I hand-stitched them on a watery background and embroidered on each 'photo'.   It seemed appropriate to

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-27374610593996095732011-08-09T17:06:00.003-04:002011-08-09T17:08:23.268-04:00

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-32874419574228951922011-08-09T16:22:00.001-04:002011-08-09T16:24:23.963-04:00

Well I am almost finished organizing my space and starting to feel more creative - It always works!   I am still working on my gannet piece and have gone back to this foggy, Newfoundland piece to do some more stitching.  Another pathway, I think I'll call it "Fog on Micheleen's Path".   This is a 'before' photo (before stitching that is).   I started by painting the background and faraway trees,

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-33865077335134330442011-08-04T00:55:00.000-04:002011-08-04T00:55:30.320-04:00

I have almost completed the re-organization of my workspace and storage area and have started planning a new piece.   It is inspired by a gannet colony we visited on Ile Bonaventure and I am calling it "A Gannet Family Album".   Gannets are kind of goofy-looking birds when walking - with their blue eye ring and matching blue markings on their feet.   Their faces look painted on.    But they

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-25517123814417028562011-07-26T15:25:00.001-04:002011-07-26T15:30:28.706-04:00

I don't say this often but I need inspiration.   I have just spent 10 days on a whirlwind tour of the Gaspe in Quebec.   We combined camping and bed and breakfasts.   In 10 days we hiked, went on a whale-watching tour, kayaked, toured les Jardins des Metis (a wonderful garden - I'll post pictures soon), took a boat to Ile Bonaventure to see the gannet colonies, ate a lot, drove a lot, got wet a

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-55233591116179084512011-07-12T14:26:00.002-04:002011-07-12T15:39:58.524-04:00

 I've been stitching away at my raccoon/zentangle/embroidery piece.  It's slow going but very soothing and portable.  I am using the word 'zentangle' loosely.  It's probably not strictly a zentangle but more of a doodle.  Here is the progress so far.  I had to extend the picture somewhat because I wanted the finished size to be 8 x 10".    It is really good practice in stitching.   I can see

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-80874169694651005232011-07-09T00:55:00.001-04:002011-07-09T00:56:50.169-04:00

I recently completed a few 4" x 6" pieces which I sent to be judged for a postcard exhibition.   Some were stitched while others were drawn with markers.   One piece was inspired by photos of a mother raccoon and her babies sleeping in my elm tree.  Mom had gotten tired of having 4 little ones jumping, grabbing at her and sleeping all piled on top of her on a hot summer day.   Soon, I saw her

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-66376993834927323022011-06-30T12:26:00.001-04:002011-06-30T12:28:19.321-04:00

This second piece that was submitted for jurying by photo is one that I worked on for over a year.    In a previous post, I showed one of my photos taken in Cape Breton that was published in the Toronto Globe and Mail.     This piece was inspired by that particular spot.   As part of Hike the Highlands we walked the Jack Pine Trail, stopping for a rest at squeaker hole.    I was taking photos of

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-24306945991356235572011-06-25T17:12:00.002-04:002011-06-28T14:04:01.388-04:00

Last month I sent submissions to Lowell Gallery in Massachusetts to be juried for an exhibition.   The theme was "The Sea".   I was keeping them under wraps but they were not accepted so I will post them.   This is the first piece - a whimsical look at getting away from it all.   Connie Kaldor wrote a song several years ago called 'Wanderlust' about how, every once in a while, a woman's gotta

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-70458025531299692802011-06-21T12:28:00.001-04:002011-06-22T17:09:19.758-04:00

A few weeks ago, I sent some photos to the Globe and Mail.  They were asking for photos taken in Canada's National Parks.   To my surprise they chose a photo that I took in Cape Breton National Park and it was published on Thursday, June 9 in their Travel section.   This photo was one of the inspirations for a piece called 'The Sea is Our Mother' which I submitted to an exhibition recently.   It

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-26471389839505296332011-06-19T12:44:00.003-04:002011-06-19T12:52:56.023-04:00

Ta Da!!  All year I have been working on a piece commissioned by a friend.   She owns a condo in Mexico and wanted me to create a piece showing the view from her balcony there.    She will hang it in her home to remind her of her piece of paradise.   We decided we would create a piece using brilliant folk art colours and set the scene about 200 years ago, the way things would have looked back

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-57349229961354492312011-06-10T10:14:00.000-04:002011-06-10T10:14:07.054-04:00

As you can see my flag counter is showing only a few visitors.   That's because I was working on a new addition to gadgets and somehow lost my flag counter.    When I tried to get it back it would not recognize my pertinent info (probably because it was inaccurate) so I had to re-register.  I have sent an email for help but I am afraid that my stats are gone forever.   I just loved seeing the

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-50201444191822228682011-06-03T12:01:00.002-04:002011-06-03T12:15:21.292-04:00

I finally finished my mosaic lizard (iguana?).    It still doesn't have a name - any ideas?  This was a challenge piece with two friends to use a mosaic design.   I haven't seem their contributions yet but I will post them too.   I started by drawing a lizard in my sketch book, colouring it with pencil crayons, and dividing it into squares.  Each square was to represent 1 inch.   Then I prepared

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-53367993892978846212011-05-29T20:08:00.001-04:002011-05-29T20:12:07.867-04:00

Here are some hand dyes I purchased from Elaine Quehl at the Festival of Quilts show.   The photos don't begin to do them justice.   The colours are so vibrant and one of them looks like a Monet painting.  I am thinking of using it as background fabric for a 'friendship garden' quilt.  So far it's just an idea - more on that later.   I just love the shapes and shadows in these lovely fabrics.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-87074297848191829882011-05-28T00:10:00.002-04:002011-05-28T00:18:24.190-04:00

Recently my online landscape quilting group had a challenge.  The theme was fantasy and I created this eerie forest scene complete with fairies and butterflies.  This piece began its life at a workshop on layering and translucency at Fibreworks in Kingston with Susan Strachan Johnston.  When I started out, it was going to be trees, beaches and a giant snail (don't ask) but that didn't work out.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-12275861537740976392011-05-27T13:51:00.002-04:002011-05-27T13:57:16.438-04:00

The Festival of Quilts exhibition went well.   Both pieces of my work were exhibited and the Out of the Box booth looked fabulous!   Then suddenly with  spring came a flurry of paperwork.   I am having a solo exhibition in the summer of 2012 and needed to prepare information about the exhibit and complete my contract.   Then I finished up a couple of pieces, completed an application and photos

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-67678867480864533122011-05-02T19:09:00.002-04:002011-05-02T19:11:24.531-04:00

My Prairie Sky piece is complete.  I posted a photo of this one as a work in progress a few weeks ago.  The sky is painted satin and I finished it pillowcase style without a binding - a first for me.  I am very happy with it.   Very appropriately, we are having a celebration of the Prairies in Ottawa right now with music, dance, theatre and art.    I have attended two events so far - a classical

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-21860918610178844572011-04-25T21:13:00.001-04:002011-04-25T21:15:13.284-04:00

        Here are photos of my friends' beautiful orchids. Click on the pictures to see a close-up view.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-3354713597921838652011-04-23T18:21:00.004-04:002011-04-24T00:26:48.350-04:00

I have spent the last two weeks completing Prairie Sky and working on my commissioned piece (which is in its final stages).   In between I am quilting my mosaic reptile a few rows at a time.   I started by drawing a small picture of a lizard/iguana,  colouring it in with markers and dividing it into small squares.   I counted the number of squares on each side and decided to make each mosaic '

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-21498548805704758282011-04-10T17:24:00.002-04:002011-04-10T18:28:25.928-04:00

After borrowing Mickey Lawler's book - Skydyes - from our Fibre Arts Group Library in February, I got inspired and  I decided to dye some fabric with Setacolours.   I had some motivation (besides playing) since I am starting a mermaid piece and wanted to use hand dyed skies and water.   Of course it required first purchasing more colours of dye and some good white cotton fabric.   A couple of

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-68516083080053625632011-03-22T17:28:00.002-04:002011-03-24T10:25:21.557-04:00

Ever since I first heard Jody Benjamin's song about the prairies called Infinite Blue, I have been visualizing a panoramic piece with rolling hills, prairie fields and lots of sky.    In the cold of January I decided to give it a go.    I started by painting my sky on a piece of satin with caran d'ache crayons and water.  It took a couple of tries before I got the sky I was looking for.   Then,

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-77532928522528021262011-03-22T00:12:00.001-04:002011-03-22T00:21:24.603-04:00

For several weeks my friend Shirley and I met with a group of immigrant women to create a quilt.  The theme is 'what does peace mean to you?'     Some of the women have sought refuge in Canada fleeing war torn countries.  The lucky ones came here with their children but others had to leave family members behind.    Some had lost family in wars.   Many carry the scars of war and oppression. They

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-63973258200365731982011-03-20T18:23:00.001-04:002011-03-20T18:29:59.704-04:00

I am way behind on my blog posts but I have been busy - working, quilting, singing, attending a workshop, and volunteering.   I will start with our tryptych.   Several months ago I blogged about some of the challenges Shirley, Iris and I have been working on.    For this one, Shirley drew a quick sketch of beach houses by the sea in Suffolk England.  She cut the pattern into 3 pieces, each 6" x

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-86331294553498370012011-02-02T19:58:00.000-05:002011-02-02T19:58:31.189-05:00

Last month I created a piece for the Quilting Arts Magazine Calendar contest.   It wasn't chosen as one of the finalists but was an interesting exercise to do.   The theme was 'feeling pet-ty' and I chose to do a scene from the forest near my home.  It is a protected area and the animals know it!   Chickadees eat seeds out of our hands.  Porcupines sit in the trees.  Quite regularly we are

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-29108152629747045152011-01-20T18:13:00.001-05:002011-01-20T18:29:10.018-05:00

The women are almost finished their squares for the peace quilt wallhanging.   They have given me permission to post pictures here on my blog.  Some pieces still need a few finishing touches - a beak, some lettering etc.   Tomorrow we will meet to decide how to assemble and finish the quilt.    We have women from many countries working on this wallhanging - Iran, Korea, Lebanon, Nigeria, Rwanda -

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-23504519052512241762010-12-18T00:22:00.002-05:002010-12-18T00:27:13.789-05:00

We have just finished our fourth session in the quilting project and several of the women have finished their squares.  They have created some lovely pieces with doves, trees, tranquil scenes and words of peace.     I can't wait to see how it will look once we assemble the quilt/wall hanging.     Shirley and I are enjoying working with these wonderful women and I am again made aware that people

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-73972535243519903272010-11-29T17:26:00.002-05:002010-11-29T17:27:24.983-05:00

Ten members of our fibre arts group, Out of the Box, are presently having an exhibition at Wabi Sabi on Wellington Street in Ottawa, Canada.  The exhibit runs till January 4, and tomorrow, November 30, we will host an open house with tea and goodies.   Anyone in the Ottawa area who is interested in seeing our work is invited to drop by between 3 and 5 pm.  Wabi Sabi is an interesting shop selling

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-39618714436908733142010-11-27T21:27:00.001-05:002010-11-27T21:28:46.992-05:00

I had a very good show last week in Ottawa and now a friend and I are involved in an interesting new venture.   I was approached to help out with a quilting project where 12 immigrant women from many different countries will each make a square for a quilt symbolizing what peace means to them.    The finished quilt will hang in an immigrant services organization. I met with the women yesterday

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-8661110734142829362010-11-15T13:48:00.001-05:002010-11-15T13:50:34.872-05:00

This weekend I will be exhibiting my art quilts at the Glebe Craft and Artisan Show.    I will be introducing my new fabric art cards and photo art cards.   I also have a series of 4 x 6 miniature pieces.   If you live in the Ottawa area please drop by for a visit. The show takes place November 19, 6-9 pm, November 20, 10 - 5pm, and November 21, 10 to 4 pm at the Glebe Community Centre at 175

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-34573955702425118882010-11-04T10:43:00.001-04:002010-11-04T10:49:20.894-04:00

I have a new site on wordpress that my son set up for me.  It is still in the development stage but I have managed my first post.  I'm still trying to figure out placement of pictures etc.   Please bear with me until I figure out all the intricacies of the site.  I invite you to visit.  Just click on link for 'juanitasauveartquilts' in my favourite links at right.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-60989338671791211152010-09-24T11:04:00.001-04:002010-09-26T10:42:15.150-04:00

I'm back from Hiking the Highlands of Cape Breton.   We had a lovely time as always and I'll share some photos once I have time to download and edit. But now it's time to start finishing up some unfinished work in preparation for upcoming shows etc.  This one is called ' The Day Lily' and started with a photo of a beautiful vermilion coloured day lily in my garden.   I worked extensively on it

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-65905195960656192212010-09-07T13:14:00.002-04:002010-09-07T13:31:29.252-04:00

This just about summarizes the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland.   We were amazed at every turn of the path.  At times we thought we were going to walk right over the edge into the ocean below.   We saw and heard whales from our perch on the cliff tops.   There was a large pod of orcas off the coast in August and the radio and TV channels had several reports about them - it was an unusual event

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-67001316486519623522010-09-07T12:47:00.002-04:002010-09-07T12:48:57.928-04:00

I have been working on some 4 x 6s and 5 x 7s for an upcoming show in November.  Here are a few of the finished pieces mounted on 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 matts.     For the trunks of the trees in one piece and a few of the rocks in another I have used my rusted fabric from our experiment this summer.  I am really having fun with these small fabric pictures.  It's a break from the larger ones that I have

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-47381004058073102162010-08-23T13:55:00.001-04:002010-08-23T13:57:49.997-04:00

I just returned from 10 days hiking the East Coast Trail in Nfld.   It is a fabulous trail!    We hiked around 87 km of trail in weather ranging from hot sun to cloud, fog and pouring rain - even a thunderstorm!   We saw several whales as we walked along the cliffs and even saw a pod of orca whales - who were seen attacking a minke whale the day before we spotted them.   I'm glad I wasn't a

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-27177625939135700692010-07-31T23:55:00.001-04:002010-07-31T23:56:31.626-04:00

In my last post, I forgot to include a picture of the wine bottles wrapped in fabric - all ready for the rusting to begin.   Inside the fabric is a layer of steel wool.   Just add water and wait........Shirley tended them all week keeping them damp. ready to rust!  only 6 days to go. When we removed the fabric it was a mess of wet smelly bits of rusty steel wool.    Taking it apart was a bit

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-16337180512056177042010-07-26T18:44:00.001-04:002010-07-26T18:46:39.918-04:00

It's been such a busy summer I 've hardly had time to blog.   My friends and I have been playing with setacolour dyes on fabric, just painting on the colour, throwing on some salt and waiting to see what happens. This last one was completed by Shirley previously. This is a photo of Shirley and Iris watching our work dry. Shirley had purchased a rusting kit recently so she invited us over

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-78494211971158500492010-06-29T11:05:00.004-04:002010-06-29T11:10:27.412-04:00

No blogging for over a week and now I'm posting twice in 12 hours!!  I hurt my wrist last week and was unable to do much for a couple of days.  Happily it's back to normal and I was able to complete this piece which I call "Flower Power Revisited".    Starting with a flower garden doodled with Tsukeniko inks and a comment from my friend that it was shaped like a flower power bug, my design turned

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-83830762616138032122010-06-29T00:34:00.003-04:002010-06-29T10:20:09.791-04:00

Here are the completed grid design pieces from our latest challenge.   Shirley, Iris and I each took an 11 x 14 stretched canvas and designed a piece of fabric art, fitting it into the back of the canvas.   The only other rule was that we had to use a grid design.   We came up with totally different pieces. Shirley's piece is an interesting array of doors.   She used shiva paintstiks and a

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-76635898252175268122010-06-11T19:34:00.001-04:002010-06-12T00:01:07.875-04:00

In my next post I will show you photos of our last quilting challenge - using a grid composition (I have already posted mine). That project completed, my friends and I got together yesterday to decide on our next challenge.   Shirley had asked us to bring 3 magazines with us.   She proceeded to place them in a bag and asked us to each pick a number.  Then we had to reach into the bag, choose a

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-60807925165870041662010-06-06T22:13:00.001-04:002010-06-07T20:25:39.602-04:00

I'm finally getting around to blogging about the concert I attended last Sunday night in Ottawa.   Cathy Miller, the singing quilter, writes beautiful songs about quilting  - historical songs that bring tears to our eyes, like The Rajah Quilt, and very funny songs like 100 Ways to Hide your Stash.  Her husband accompanies her.  Every quilter in the room (and their partners) had tears in their

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-26294902390065985222010-05-27T14:46:00.002-04:002010-05-27T15:11:19.217-04:00

I have been working all week on my flower garden project.  In an earlier post I described how I used inks to doodle a flower garden.   My 'garden' has become the basis of a piece I call "Flower Power Revisited".  I cut up my garden to make a VW beetle car and some sixties flowers.   Thinking about the whole 'Peace, Love, Freedom, Happiness"  theme I used Shiva paintstiks and made stencils of

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-19072889935040401822010-05-18T16:23:00.001-04:002010-05-18T16:25:26.028-04:00

I recently attended the Common Threads quilt show in Ottawa and saw some lovely quilts.   I also purchased this great Ghanian and Tanzanian fabric from KallistiQuilts.  Years ago, I began a piece featuring three 'traditionally-built' African women dancing joyfully.   But I never finished it because it had several structural problems - due to bad planning.   At the time I used solids for their

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-71482924863580055912010-05-06T12:55:00.000-04:002010-05-06T12:55:45.599-04:00

This time I started with a photo of trees in my favourite forest - the Greenbelt.  Around it I stitched rectangles of fabric representing grass, trees and brush, and a pathway.    I painted several larger trees on lutrador with Tsukeniko inks, caran d'ache crayons and fabrico markers, cut them out and fused them on.  I used shiva paintstiks for the sunlight.   Then I mounted this inside the back

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-58637990870459333482010-05-06T00:24:00.002-04:002010-05-06T00:46:32.792-04:00

A  few posts ago, I described the process of creating this tree as part of a challenge to design a piece using a grid composition.   When I came to the step where I needed to cut the piece into rectangles and re-assemble it, I just couldn't do it.  I loved the tree the way it was.   The theme was supposed to be 'What is a Tree' and I would use a combination of parts of this tree and fabric photos

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-6432688358249697782010-04-30T00:23:00.001-04:002010-04-30T10:05:43.104-04:00

Last week I completed and mailed out my first fabric postcards to members of my online quilt group.  Most of the recipients have received their cards so I am going to post photos.    I needed to make three with musical themes and the next three were cards which represented each of our countries (since we had 4 countries represented in the exchange - Canada, Ireland, South Africa and US).    Since

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-37149315859957309192010-04-23T20:53:00.001-04:002010-04-23T20:53:51.122-04:00

Michele Gagne created these wonderful beaded dolls and gave me permission to post them on my blog.   There are over 50 hours of work in each piece.  Michele plans to create one doll for each season.  Can you guess which seasons are represented here?   Michele is a great quilter as well.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-60914628257347220522010-04-18T23:54:00.001-04:002010-04-19T00:22:11.434-04:00

I watched the Juno awards tonight (Canadian Music Awards) feeling like the young have taken over.....and I loved it!!  I was especially impressed by K'Naan the young Somali Canadian rapper (Waving Flag).   I saw him last summer at Bluesfest and knew he would go far.   Another great performer was Drake, another rapper who also won some awards.   I have to admit, I like rap when it is poetic or

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-39705624628300016642010-04-13T17:47:00.003-04:002010-04-13T17:51:26.217-04:00

In an earlier post (March 18), I showed you a picture of the landscape that I created for an online landscape class on the Quilting Weekly website.   If anyone is interested in signing up with Quilting Weekly, you can get a 50% off coupon for your first class by signing up on the website (click on logo at right) and emailing Chris (chris@quiltingweekly.com) to let her know that you were referred

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-78758851283094454992010-04-13T17:34:00.000-04:002010-04-13T17:34:08.540-04:00

I just finished reading today's post from The Bitchy Stitcher.   She posted a glossary of quilting terms - and I'm still laughing.   If any of you haven't checked her out yet and you need a laugh - get on over to her blog.   It is too funny! 

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-79169748212364546312010-04-02T12:00:00.003-04:002010-04-02T12:18:39.121-04:00

In my last quilting class I had the opportunity to purchase fabrico markers, shiva paintsticks, and Tsukineko inks.   All week I have been playing with them (and my water soluble wax crayons) as I work on my postcards.  I learned not to use too much water with the inks (my first attempt ended up to be a solid dull gray colour as the colours mixed).   I also tried to let each colour dry a little

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-39534609779172390152010-04-02T00:44:00.002-04:002010-11-02T13:08:32.051-04:00

Last Saturday was our last art quilt class with Elaine Quehl.   Elaine shared lots of information with us about exhibiting and selling our quilts, quilting organizations, and gave us several internet links.   I am committed to exposing my work and her generous sharing of information was greatly appreciated.   For years I have quilted while working full time.  Quilting was my passion and my outlet

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-30744789216197107942010-03-19T17:41:00.000-04:002010-03-19T17:41:35.799-04:00

The quilting weekly logo is now working.  If you click on the logo it will bring you to the Quilting Weekly site.  Yeah! 

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-43384224986531781092010-03-18T14:51:00.002-04:002010-03-18T23:10:05.644-04:00

My online quilting class has been posted on the Quilting Weekly website.  It consists of step by step directions complete with lots of photos and a pattern to create a landscape quilt.  I am posting my completed piece here so you can get a look at it.  If you are interested in learning more or purchasing the lessons you can go to the Quilting Weekly site.  I have posted the address in my

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-28191602061657751972010-03-18T00:26:00.004-04:002010-03-19T17:38:29.150-04:00

I feel like there should be a drum roll!  Here are our completed wallhangings for our first quilting challenge.  We chose a photograph of an underwater scene laden with shells and seaweed.    We  wrote several colour compositions on slips of paper and pulled them out of a paper bag.   Shirley got black and white, Iris got monochromatic and I got analogous (colours next to each other on the colour

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-62821965914601464822010-03-14T20:36:00.001-04:002010-03-14T20:36:46.851-04:00

I am still working on my Kuan Yin quilt and have finally reached the point where I need to start fusing my pieces to the background.  She is still missing hands, her willow branch and blue bottle of the essence of life..... also her creatures which I will add at the end.   But here is the pinned version thus far.   I painted her face with artist pencils which I will heat set with a hot iron.  

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-81408392225422863652010-03-08T11:57:00.000-05:002010-03-08T11:57:58.230-05:00

I want to wish everyone a great International Women's Day.  I hope you all can celebrate in some way.  I'm going to spend my day playing with inks and fabric crayons. And I want to celebrate the fact that I have just had my 100th visitor since I set up my flag counter.   Yeah!

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-77277414943334532482010-03-07T12:34:00.002-05:002010-03-08T14:52:18.375-05:00

As promised, here is a photo of a Japanese Wallhanging created by my friend and quilting buddy, Shirley Santos-Pedro.  Here is how Shirley describes her quilt. "It is called 'Torii Gates in Ueno Park, Tokyo'.  The dimensions are 36" x 48".  It was started in February 2009 as part of a class for Art Quilting taught by Elaine Quehl.  The indigo fabric was bought in Japan and the pieces were parts

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-17591542278483766572010-03-05T15:53:00.000-05:002010-03-05T15:53:50.834-05:00

I just spent the day working on fabric post cards for my online quilting group swap.  It's the first time I have tackled this and I love it!  It's a musical theme which fits right in to my interests.   I have chosen song titles as inspiration for the pieces.  I started with the fronts and fused all the pieces onto a background which is also the frame.  Next I will sew a little, then fuse the

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-90491943623471556722010-02-28T23:58:00.004-05:002010-03-01T11:00:55.670-05:00

My online quilting group has had several interesting discussions recently.  One referred to the convict ships which took hundreds of thousands of women (against their will) from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland to Australia and other countries in the 1800s.   It reminded me of a song written by Cathy Miller (quilter, musician, songwriter) called The Rajah Quilt.  It tells of the women sent

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-44001637119987982372010-02-27T11:30:00.003-05:002010-02-27T12:33:06.020-05:00

I haven't blogged for awhile because I have been sidetracked with the Olympics.  I've even started thinking about a sports-related quilt.....it's all about the quilting! I had a class in surface design last Saturday and played with Shiva Paintsticks, foils, Tsukineko inks, artist pencils, Fabrico markers and these great Caran D'Ache wax pastels.  I'd better start selling my quilts soon so I can

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-17939988265163229842010-02-15T20:50:00.002-05:002010-02-15T20:53:18.902-05:00

I just found out today that my bald eagle photo won for best fauna in the Hike the Highlands photo contest for 2009.   I also came second and third in the scenery category.   Here are the winning photos.   I feel a quilt coming on..... Hike the Highlands is a most wonderful 10 day group hiking experience which occurs every September  in Cape Breton Island.  The bald eagle was along the Coastal

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-47061567226594424302010-02-15T00:31:00.002-05:002010-03-05T10:56:49.710-05:00

Last Friday some quilting friends and I went on a road trip to a great quilt shop on the Akwasasne reserve.  I was able to find some background material for my 'Kuan Yin' quilt (which had been at a standstill while I tried a zillion fabrics for background).   I found other great fabric too - all on sale.   We also purchased some fabric for our quilting challenge.   All the way there, my friend

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-50209045802426328012010-02-07T16:07:00.001-05:002010-02-07T16:10:33.703-05:00

It's February already.  A whole month into 2010!   Blogging really makes me think about what I am accomplishing - and am I having any fun yet?   This week I finished my lessons and artwork for my online landscape quilting course and sent it off to Quilting Weekly.   I'll have more to say about it soon but right now I am just resting on my laurels.  It was such a learning process for me because I

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-71219569985419679522010-01-29T12:30:00.003-05:002010-01-30T00:31:05.249-05:00

I haven't posted for awhile mostly because I have been working more hours at my paid work this month.  I have also been busy finishing my latest work for the online class I will be instructing and completing the lessons for the same.   I am happy to say that the piece is completed - just the sleeve and info tag to complete on the back.   I'll be keeping this one under wraps for awhile. I got

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-78976793106460218972010-01-11T15:42:00.002-05:002010-01-11T15:49:22.365-05:00

I finished my Grapevine piece last week and here it is.   It was a monochromatic piece I did for our quilting class for an exercise in using a pattern.   I decided to have the grape leaves flow out over the border as they do along the wall of my house.  It was a fun piece to do.  Now I am tackling a large quilt of Kuan Yin, mother of compassion.   I have read articles about her and looked at

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-8135234878851047722010-01-08T20:02:00.003-05:002010-01-08T20:06:32.816-05:00

Before Christmas I brought my Water Lily piece to the framers.   Here is the finished piece.  I am happy with the effect of the double matt and the faint greenish hue of the frame.  I just loved the subtle pastels in the fabric I used for the petals.  If you'd like to see a close up just click on the picture.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-36245400779101121482010-01-04T12:21:00.008-05:002010-01-05T00:52:07.567-05:00

                                                                                              Here are some photos of the snowy conditions one week ago when we were out snowshoeing.  We saw deer, a noisy raven and a woodpecker.  Since then it has snowed almost every day.   So, since I worked all morning, we are heading out cross country skiing this afternoon.   But the temperature is -18c with

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-89365260491041883552009-12-31T17:56:00.001-05:002009-12-31T17:57:47.271-05:00

Not too much quilting but lots of eating and socializing!   Yesterday I invited several women friends over for a post christmas dinner and to watch the movie 'Julie and Julia'.    Of course, I had to cook a Julia Child recipe.....I decided on - what else - Boeuf Bourgignon!!    It took a lot of preparation and a strong constitution on my part because I eat very little meat especially beef.   I

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-3396056323497470222009-12-28T21:03:00.001-05:002010-01-02T00:53:28.049-05:00

Well, after all the shopping, cleaning, cooking and eating, we have made it through another Christmas.  Everyone loved their gifts including me.   I have lots of fun gift certificates that I can use in my favourite art supply, quilting, and book stores.....They know what I like!   I was looking forward to some snow shoeing and skiing and was disappointed when the weekend brought freezing rain.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-24953594182310963092009-12-16T14:38:00.001-05:002009-12-16T14:59:12.223-05:00

I haven't been able to renew my connection with  Flickr photostream (to show thumbnails of work) but I have been able to add slideshows of both Flickr and Picasa photos at the right of the page.   Holiday planning and work have taken over my time recently though I did get out skiing and snowshoeing this week.....but little time to quilt or blog.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-15219834541516066782009-12-04T17:53:00.004-05:002009-12-10T12:29:04.167-05:00

I think I have outsmarted the computer gremlins by adding a direct link to photos of my work.   Just click on picasa or flickr link at right of page.

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-43594515509723098952009-12-04T14:29:00.002-05:002009-12-04T14:38:23.366-05:00

Since there seems to be some difficulty in showing my flickr and picasa photo galleries (see big empty spaces at the right of this screen:-) right now and since it is such a grey day outside I decided to upload some cheerful autumn pieces and hiking scenery to brighten your day and mine.  Hopefully the photos will reappear soon on their own since I have done all I can to repair the problem. I

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-21070508777974302862009-11-29T16:46:00.007-05:002009-11-30T00:09:03.670-05:00

I have been busy with three different pieces in the last few weeks.   I have just finished two of them (see photos below).  With "The Bench",  I simply finished it by binding the edges instead of creating a fabric frame because I plan to frame it.  I think its simplicity calls for a frame.    In the case of "Water Lily"  I used the same white fabric with muted pinks, yellows and blues for the

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107116613085602175.post-29243891059780024752009-11-28T17:29:00.003-05:002009-11-29T00:44:14.460-05:00

Last Saturday's class with Elaine Quehl was an exercise in dyeing fabric.   Elaine gave us very clear step-by-step instructions, we worked hard all day and, like magic, here are the results.   I was very pleased when I finished the process (rinsing and washing) at home the next evening and saw my beautiful fat quarters.   Here are some photos of my earth tone colour wheel and a few fat quarters

juanitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103720777736955232noreply@blogger.com0