Quilting Project

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 can communicate with one another without sharing a common language.   I have taken some photos of the work and will share them on my blog once we have all of them.   We are having a break over the holidays and will resume in January to complete the project.   This is where the machine savvy stitchers will take over.   I have discovered that I really enjoy teaching and encouraging women's creativity.

I found out last week that I placed second in two categories and third in two categories in the annual Hike the Highlands photo contest.   Soon as I have some free time I'll post the photos here on my blog.  Or you can see them on the Hike the Highlands Cape Breton website.

I am also presently working on a piece to submit to a calendar contest.....I hope I can finish it on time.  I have only two weeks to go......and there's still all that Christmas shopping, decorating, cleaning, and cooking the holiday dinner....

Exhibition at Wabi Sabi

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 yarns and felting materials.  

Peace Quilt Project

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 and we got right down to work.   They are eager and enthusiastic and had lots of great ideas for their squares.   Some of them do not speak English and spoke through interpreters.   We started by creating a design on paper.   Some of the women had already researched and brought in copies of their ideas.   I think they will create a lovely message with this quilt.   Shirley and I are very excited about this project and I will ask if I may take pictures as we work and put them up on my blog.  

I am particularly excited because I started quilting 15 years ago when someone asked me to make a square for a women's strength quilt (which was to be donated to a church that welcomed the most vulnerable and needy of the community).   As I created my square thinking about where I found my strength as a woman I was won over to the creative process of creating an art quilt.   At the time I didn't even sew (in fact I hated sewing).   I haven't stopped sewing since that time.    I wonder if any of the women in our group will go on to become quilters.

Before we could finish the quilt, our organizer went away to work for Amnesty International so we finished our individual squares and mine still hangs in my hallway (and brings me strength).  I brought it in yesterday to the workshop to show the women.  I hope it will inspire them.   Here is a photo of my first quilt.

Glebe Craft and Artisan Show 2010

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 Third Avenue in Ottawa.

Here is a preview of some of the work I will be displaying.

My New Site

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.

Time to Finish UFOs - The Day Lily

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 last winter.  I used some hand-dyed fabric that I had dyed in class last fall and added some ready made batiks.   After many many hours of hand stitching I was done but I couldn't decide on a frame so I set it aside.  I tried black, white, various shades of colour......but was not happy with the result.   I didn't want it bursting out of the background but had pictured it more photo-like -  a bright center framed behind a light or dark coloured matt but I didn't want to use a regular matt and frame.  With input from other artistic folks, I decided on a creamy matt-like inner fabric frame and a narrow contrasting outer frame.   I chose a dark green for the outer frame that was present in the background.   I also found the perfect fabric for the backing that was covered with orange-red lilies. Here is the finished piece.  It's not very big, maybe around 12" x 12".

And here is the back.  I just need to add a sleeve.  It was very labour intensive but I am glad that I persevered.