Part of the Whole...

 

Do these look like flowers, or trash, or both? Well they are. Or at least they would have been trash if members of the Fiber Art Bee hadn't recycled plastic packaging and bags into flowers and cut petals that are all on their way to New York. That's where fiber artist Natalya Khorover will soon be installing her "Hothouse" exhibition filled with repurposed plastic. Natalya spoke at a recent quilt guild meeting via Zoom and shared the story of her quilting journey along with her innovative techniques. Natalya makes "art for earth's sake" and sews many items like single-use plastic, used dryer sheets, and old linens into her artwork. She makes beautiful stitched works while calling attention to plastic pollution. Visit her site at the link above to learn more about her and see some of her astonishing art quilts, installations, and "ransom art" pieces. You'll see intensive hand and machine stitching on plastic substrates, and I think you'll be amazed! While I may never have an installation of my work or complete a large impactful project, I will often take an opportunity to be part of a collaborative effort- to be part of the whole. Natalya invited us to send her some flowers and be part of her exhibition this fall.

Another group I belong to will be putting together a collaborative quilt composed of 6" blocks made by members. The Florida Quilt Study Group invited members to contribute a block in any design and in fabrics of their choice. One dedicated member will assemble the blocks into a quilt to be displayed at FQSG events. I wanted to make a block reminiscent of a vintage quilt and am a fan of the 1930s embroidered edge designs. This is my miniaturized version of a '30s Butterfly block. Being part of the whole means having the enjoyment and privilege of making a small element. Just the ticket!

I'm sure you've heard of Quilts of Valor- the volunteer organization that has a mission of providing quilts to members of military service and veterans in thanks for their service. More than 300,000 quilts have been awarded in the 20 years the organization has existed. We have volunteer Cathy Washburn, an active dedicated member of Country Road Quilters in Ocala, who leads members in making these quilts for the organization. She prepares kits of pieces that members sew into blocks, and eventually into completed quilts. Cathy is planning an award ceremony at the guild for this November. This is one of the blocks that will become part of the whole. So while none of us can do everything, all of us can do something... and that makes a difference!

Burnin' Daylight...

 

Our neighbor is a cowboy who turned 80 years old recently. He had a bad horse accident a few years ago, but he's back in the saddle now. He's also a big John Wayne fan. So when I saw this Riley Blake panel I knew it would make a wonderful quilt project for his birthday. There just happened to be a set of Log Cabin quilt blocks in my quilt closet that I thought would enhance the rich colors in the panel. So really, the quilt came together quickly and easily. That was a good thing, too, because his daughter mailed us an invitation to a surprise birthday party for him. She did a great job, because he really was surprised!

Longarm quilter Debra Johnston chose what I thought was an interesting and effective quilting motif to use as she finished the quilt before I bound and labeled it. A friend from guild told me that the backdrop for this image is Monument Valley where a number of John Wayne westerns were filmed. Burnin' Daylight was one of the best-known John Wayne (The Duke) quotes according to an internet search. Well, it was a super-simple quilt project, but our cowboy friend is very, very happy with his quilt!

True Blue Quilting ...

 

These large quilt squares are the result of a fabric dyeing class I took a couple of years ago. The methods we used to manipulate the fabric produced the radiating designs that I find so appealing. Instructor Cindy Lohbeck led a class of about 25 members through every step, from folding and clamping to immersing the fabric bundles into a dye bath. And she did it all in a convention center classroom that had brand new carpet! We had strict instructions on what to do if even a tiny drop of dye landed on the carpeting. I believe we made it through the class with the carpet unscathed! Pretty impressive. Anyway, I transported these lovely, but still wet, squares home (again, without any mishap in the car's interior), then rinsed and dried them. And there they sat, in all their glory, in my fabric stash. Every now and again I'd get the squares out to admire them and consider how to combine them in a quilt. My plan was to make a quilt-as-you-go project (QAYG). I'd layer the squares with batting and backing, free-motion quilt each square on my sewing machine, and then join them together with narrow fabric strips to make the large quilt. It's a manageable way to handle machine quilting, and I always need practice at that skill. The quilt is reversible, which is a bonus. The reverse side, shown below, was made using commercial cotton fabrics in the same blue family as the dyed pieces. 

The dyed squares might be still sitting in the closet but for a fun project our local quilt guild came up with. It's called The UFO Project. Members were invited to list 6 unfinished quilt projects they want to complete in the coming year, and submit the list to our leader. She would then draw a number from one to six, and set a completion date two months hence. Our task would be to complete the quilt from our list that matched the number she drew and have it ready for show-and-tell on the appointed date. What a great motivator! Happily, I got to work on "True Blues" and finished it in time. There was an excellent response and 15+ members participated in the big reveal. Everyone felt good about getting a long-abandoned project across the finish line. That same night, our leader drew the next number and we have another UFO to bring to life. My next one is a project started in a class at the last big quilt show I attended before large events shut down in 2020. Stay tuned!

Soft Stuff...

 

For some reason, I'm always drawn to these cut-and-sew fabric panels. This one is "Marmalade" the cat, one of the Toys From the Attic collection made by Cranston Fabrics. I sometimes find them on our guild "free table" when someone is weeding out a fabric collection. That's where I found this one, and home it came with me. I finally decided to sew, stuff, and complete the cat. She's round and soft and quite huggable. I'm not sure where she will go to live, but I'm sure someone needs Marmalade as an easy-care companion!

A smaller silver tuxedo cat on the same panel is this one- "Licorice". Licorice has a new home already. He's gone to live with a friend who recently lost her lovely gray cat just prior to moving into an assisted living facility. I weighted the bottom of the cat with doll beads so she could use it as a door stop if needed. However, she was delighted with the cat and declared he'd have a place of honor on her bed. I think this cat has a pretty face and a more realistic gaze than the larger Marmalade.

I'm not alone in my fascination with these printed panels. At one of our recent Florida Quilt Study Group meetings, a feedsack vendor was selling this book by Gloria Nixon. It has the history of stitch-and-stuff dolls from the late 1800s and includes many photos and examples of them, many of which were offered as advertising premiums. Kathy Cray, leader of the group, collects these historic doll panels and sometimes includes them in her work. You can see a wonderful example in her "Grocery List Quilt". It was on display at the New England Quilt Museum, and featured on The Rogue Quilter blog here- just scroll down to find the quilt. It features several iconic  figures such as The Jolly Green Giant and Mr. Peanut. It's a fun one and worth a look!

And in other "soft stuff" news- two groups of quilters volunteered to knit or crochet small infant hats to be delivered to a maternity hospital in Tanzania this fall. A friend asked if I could help her meet the goal of having 300 hats for the trip. I don't knit or crochet, but I know many quilters who enjoy both of these crafts in addition to quilting. And they have generous hearts, too. Between the two guilds I asked, members made more than 150 of these little hats- half the goal. Quilters always step up!

And Then There Were Three...

 

At last I've completed the final three Ice Cream Sundae pincushions! It took some time, but they will be going to their new homes soon. Making these cute sewing tools began with one I made as a donation for our guild's quilt show. You can see that one in this post.

With just fabric scraps, embroidery floss, beads, fiber-fil, and an ice cream dish the pincushions are a fairly simple project to stitch. I'll be happy to send them on their way and put away the supplies at last. They've been "watching" me from the beading corner of the sewing room, waiting for completion.

A handful of glass marbles add some sparkle in the dish and a bit of weight to keep the pincushion balanced. They are actually quite fun to make as I always enjoy picking out fabric scraps and matching beads. You can see the other two in this post.

Another project that's waiting in the wings is a whole forest of trees similar to this one. Cutting and sewing each block follows a formula and yet each one has some improvisational twists so they look different. Another fun project that's getting closer to the finish line and I'll share it here soon!

Just Things...

 

There's been a bit of a lull in my sewing room lately. A big quilt is in the works, but not ready for viewing just yet. So I like to fill in the time between sewing projects with my dabbling attempts at art journaling. Fun resources for that include classes by artist Alisa Burke. I gave her 30-day technique class "Earth Inspired" a try. I previously enjoyed her class on hand-drawn mandalas, so I jumped right into this project that incorporates one as part of the activity.

It gave me a chance to work with acrylic paints and to try my hand at hand-lettering. What I found that I really liked though, was the idea of using flaps and fold-outs to hide or reveal parts of the journal spread. On this one, the mandala opens out to show a solar system and to reveal some written thoughts about the sun. 

So in the same vein, I loved making this project. Again, the big shade tree opens up to show more of the forest.

And it, too, has some space for journal writing. I do like the "more" aspect of using folds and flaps in journals. Lots of fun to do.

Meanwhile, I used some scraps to dress up some plain lined journals. Adding snippets of fabric and stitching them down adds a color accent and makes me want to use these journals.

I've developed the good habit of taking notes on a variety of topics, but a bad habit of writing them on post-it notes, scraps of paper, or whatever is handy. So my notes are pretty disorganized which makes it hard to go back to find information. Maybe with these colorful journals I'll grow into a better practice of keeping notes in one place! I found the idea for these in a book titled "Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts" by Joelle Hoverson.

I set aside the scraps trimmed from the big quilt I'm working on by stuffing them into the empty tissue box seen in the upper right. Then I sewed an old t-shirt into a pillow shape, stuffed it with the scraps, and added a fabric cover to make a pet beds- actually there were enough scraps for two of them. The soft beds go to the local humane society via our quilt guild's community service coordinator. I have a few other small projects going on, so I'll be back soon with more!

Spring Is in the Air....

 

                         

As the song goes, "Every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man!" This little Pomeranian was a big hit at Bark Fest held in Lake Norman, North Carolina, recently. He is a snappy dresser for sure! It was a brisk day, but just right for all the dogs and their friends who attended Bark Fest. If you love dogs, you'd have had a field day at this fun event! I sure did. Our son Lee organized the event to introduce his new venture- Carolina Real Food for Dogs. I flew up to attend and help in his booth. It was the highlight of the year to date, and I had the best time.

                                            

Meet grand-dog Winston, shown here entering the grounds before Bark Fest opened at Langtree Village Complex at Lake Norman. He's much the reason Carolina Real got started. Winston had some health issues as a pup that were not responding to conventional vet treatment. Lee decided to make Winston's food  himself in order to address some of the ongoing digestive concerns. Look at Winston now- very healthy and fit, beautiful coat and muscling. Several friends asked to try the food for their dogs who also responded well. Lee, along with his wife Carin, has been part of the health and fitness industry for people for many years. He decided to take his experience and knowledge in a new direction to provide a product for optimum dog health. A healthy gut helps make a healthy dog after all.

                                        

So Lee attended a dog food convention to learn more, took a college class on business start up and courses on dog nutrition, worked a job in a restaurant kitchen for several months to sharpen his commercial food skills, and hired formulators to adjust his recipes to meet federal standards. Now that the product samples have been distributed at Bark Fest and well received, he is gearing up to launch production later in 2022. An exciting venture! Here are the Carolina Real workers- Lee, Carin, granddaughter Brooke, and me.

                                                

One of the vendors at Bark Fest was Trish Dole Photography. She had a cute Spring backdrop and took photo portraits of the dogs on site. She donated part of the proceeds to Carolina Boxer Rescue, the charitable organization selected to benefit from the event. If you have a few minutes, visit her site by clicking on her name above. She put together the cutest video of some of the dogs she photographed that day. Turn up the volume, the background song is a toe-tapper. I've watched it a dozen times already! (Photo by Trish Dole)

                                            

 Merchandise like neck scarves and leashes were featured. But some of the vendors offered dog services like Carolina Pooper Scoopers. They'll do the yard and grounds clean up for you. Who knew that was a thing? This is my daughter-in-law Carin and grand-dog Winston stopping by for  visit. 

Carl's Closet was well stocked with colorful neck scarves in holiday and other themed prints in sizes to fit every dog. I had a hard time deciding between the turkey and the avocado prints. (Photo by The Peaceful Paw)

And The Peaceful Paw, also a sponsor of Bark Fest, had wonderful smelling and therapeutic essential oil sprays, shampoos, and salves for dogs.

                                                                 

 Not all of the vendors were in pop-up tents. This one brought her mobile van. There are two tread mills inside and Muddy Dog will come to you to exercise and/or rehab your dogs. What a great concept. 

Here's just one of the tail-wagging swirls of new friends doing a sniff-and-greet.

Birds of a feather- these two big fellas had a meet up at Bark Fest. I believe they are a New Foundland on the left and a Mastiff on the right.

Dogs of all sizes and breeds were in attendance. Some had a chance to play in the adjacent dog park off leash. Everyone got along remarkably well. I call the little bull dog in the photo above "The Rabble Rouser". He was in the middle of every group of wagging, playing dogs I saw. He must have had a long nap after the event- I know we all did. There were only two potential mix-ups that seemed less playful, but they lasted only a second before they got shut down. So it was a very peaceful festival. Dogs sure know how to have fun. 

                                     

Hope you enjoyed your tour of Bark Fest!