Olympic Fever/Quilting/Deer

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 invest in some of these great products.

I am working away at my three projects  - my orange lily, my goddess quilt, and our quilter's challenge.   The last one is coming along nicely with an underwater scene in blue, blue-violet and blue-green.   I plan to use lots of embellishments for this one.  My goddess is starting to take shape but I am so hesitant to take the next steps - fusing the pieces to the background.   This week I will attempt to move forward with it.   My lily is almost finished being stitched, just the pistils and stamens to add and then the frame.

We finally got some real winter weather two days ago but it only lasted one evening with a wild snowstorm (which I had to drive in to get home from work) then started to melt overnight.....what a strange winter we are having in Ontario this year.  We have snow on the ground but nothing like we usually have.

Out for a walk in the woods, I photographed the antics of the local deer - far too brave for their own good. One is snitching food from the bird feeder, another licking a birch tree (yum), one stood up on its hind legs to reach some tasty tree branches, and another is eating some food people had left for them (!!).  It had a choice between dry bread and veggies and guess what it chose.  One was a young male and you can see the spots where he lost his antlers and new ones will soon start to grow.  Click on the photos to see close ups.  Enjoy.

Teaching a Landscape Class and Having Fun

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 needed to record every step of my progress.  I think exercises like these can help us develop our skills and think about why we do things the way we do.  A very interesting procedure.   Now on to my next project(s).

Last week I spent the evening (till the wee hours) at an annual party hosted by some musician friends.   It was a treat to be around so many talented musicians getting together and performing all over the house.  I managed to play along on my drum for several hours.   I never miss her party and remember one year I brought a friend, and as we moved from one musical group to the next my friend remarked "this must be what heaven is like!"  I agree.

Yesterday I walked in the woods and got some great photos of deer who are far too brave for their own good!  We have had less than our usual amount of snow this winter while all around us storms are swirling.  It means less cross country skiing and snow shoeing but more walking in the woods on packed down trails.  I'll post a photo of my deer soon as I download them from my camera.

time to blog

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 together with a quilting friend last week and we watched a couple of quilting videos - one from Katie Pasquini Masopust and the other was the work of Leni Levenson Wiener.   Both were very inspiring.

 This week I also started a new piece - an orange lily - and am presently agonizing on how to present it - the background, surroundings, framing etc.   I tried a different technique of fusing the lily pieces onto the  muslin  background then cutting out just the flower and trying it on various backgrounds.                                          

 

Here is the beginning of my lily before I cut around it and placed it on several different backgrounds searching for just the right one.   I plan for it to be framed inside a small square with a larger frame surrounding it just the opposite of my last piece 'Grapevine' where the leaves continued over the frame.  I want the colour to jump out from behind the frame.   My problem is visualizing the background and surrounding frame.  I tried the rules of colour, I used my own intuitive eye for colour - still no luck.  I know the right fabric is out there somewhere - and probably in my stash.    Does anyone else go through this kind of creative agony when designing a piece?

My quilting friend and I have made ourselves a challenge.  Choosing a colour scheme out of a hat, we will choose colours, and complete a piece using the same photo as inspiration but with our different colour schemes.   I got 'analogous' and she has  'achromatic'.   It will be fun to see what we come up with.  Oh, and each of us will give the other one of the colours she has to use.   Lots to do......and I haven't forgotten 'Kuan Yin" - still in the planning stages.

I have to say that my heart is breaking for the people of Haiti and I just hope that they will get the help they need over the next few months.   I have seen and heard so many heartbreaking stories and stories of bravery. Their plight is never far from my mind.   I feel so fortunate to live in Canada in a solid home with food to eat and the opportunities to foster my creativity.    I hope everyone who can, will think about contributing to the organizations who are in Haiti caring for its people who already had more than their share of suffering.