Sunday, October 01, 2006
1 down, 2 to go
My first class at the aRThOUSE went swimmingly. At least, from my point of view. I hope everyone feels like they got their money's worth. We gelled, and fused, and rubbed and...I'm talking about the collage stuff. What were you thinking?.... Yeah, and even though everyone decided it's not their favorite thing to endlessly rub paper off the back of images, I think we all went home with at the very least some images on fabric that they can incorporate into something mahvelous at a later date. Chelle even got a head start on an actual piece o' art! The next class is oct. 21st. Sign up! It is a great experience. If nothing else, how fun to spend a few hours gabbing and rummaging though someone else's scraps of fabric and imagery?
I've been busy busy busy this weekend. I cleaned the house (sort of) taught a class, went to the TACA art festival at Centennial TWICE, imagined, designed, and produced a quilted wallet. Ohmygush, it's sooooo cute. I'll post the pics tomorrow. Jason had to pry it out of my hands because I just held it and looked at it during at least 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy this afternoon. I also painted 2 small paintings. More on those later, too.
Now to read my creepy Ghost Hunters book before I go to bed. It's about the history of paranormal study, and how some really smart and legitimate people like Mark Twain had experiences with spirits. It's really freaking me out. And i love it.
Labels: sharing
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Quilts on Parade
My mama came down from ole' Missouri to see me, and to see the quilts at the American Quilt Society Expo in Nashville. And it was a great time. Ma brought my cuz Lynn with her, who, incidentally looks more like my mom than me, and was a virgin Nashville visitor, so we really took the tour around town. Opryland Hotel, Mafiaoza's, the aRThOUSE, the Bluebird Cafe, and Radnor Lake. I love showing new people the city. I see different things everytime. Maybe I'll post a "This you gotta see" list sometime.
The quilt show yielded some lovely purchases. Among them this quilt frame for only $75!!! That saved me and ma about $15,925. It's like a long arm frame but for the average machine, so NO BASTING!! My fingers are saying thank you right now. I mean, literally, my hands are saying "thank you" because I'm typing those words. Get it? Anyway. We both wanted a long arm, and I think this will help me, er, we in our common goal to take over the quilty quilt world. And she doesn't know it yet, but my little Bernina, Wanda, will love it! No more stuffing her throat to within an inch of her life, and still trying to move a quilt "freely".
Oh, and I bought the most fabulous Japanese patchwork book. I'll take some photos and post it soon. It's mostly in--well--Japanese, but that's okay. Who reads destructions, anyway? Not this girl. No sir. I'd rather spend my precious little crafty time making a little camera pouch with quilted accents just to realize that the very last corner is poking out in a most un-appealing way. There are some hilarious "english" interpretations. I equat it to how we sometimes throw around or stitch a French word or Chinese character, thinking it's tres`chic. But this book says things like "It's easy to use, being so cute." I don't know why, but that is totally cracking me up.
On another note, everyone...I mean EVERYONE....must go see Little Miss Sunshine. Jason and I were laughing/crying for a SOLID 10 minutes at one stretch. I can't say enough about it. Go see it. Right now!! Rilly!
Labels: sharing
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Inspiration..
Listen up, people! i've got a new digital camera, and I know how to use it! I'm going to be taking much more lovely pics from now on. Here is an example.
Doesn't everyone just love zinnias? They're abundant and easy to grow. I'll have to incorporate them into a painting, quilt, something. 
I'm between projects right now. I should say I'm betweens inspirations right now. I guess I could work on those darn quilt blocks for my ole' round robin quilt. Actually, I did hand-piece my very first block yesterday.Jason and I took a little detour to Crossville, Tennesse to visit his lovely grandmother. Also a quilter, I must add. So we chatted around her kitchen table for most of the day, which I adore. Most people's real life and their history is much more interesting than anything you could read. And she's got some great insight into the lives of those around her. Enough gushing!
Here's a pic of myself & Jason today at the the local greasy spoon. It's on Hermitage Ave., near downtown. I swear I moved to the south for the biscuits!! One of those open 10pm to 1pm place. Delectable. Definitely greasy, but with a 98 health score rating!! Very important!
Labels: obsessions, sharing
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
News! of the Exciting type!!
I had a meeting yesterday with the aRThOUSE Nashville, it's on 12th Avenue, and I'm going to be on the fall roster to teach some classes. I love to teach, and since I (not so) secretly am trying to recruit a quilting group for those under 80 years old, it's great news! I'll keep it posted on here the exact classes, etc. once they are officially on the aRThOUSE's website. I do know that I'm teaching 2 workshops--Fabric Collage and Fabric Printing--like what's in the pic above. And later in the fall, I'll be teaching a beginning quiltmaking class. Hooray! Keep checking up here, and on the aRThOUSE's website, for class info. They're super nice people there, and have a great gallery, as well.
Labels: handmade, sharing, try again, who I am
Monday, July 31, 2006
Primavera?
Here is the monstrous project I've been working on. I guess I was in a very "life is a never-ending circle" kind of mood. Also, I just wanted simply to make something pretty and flowery and leafy and birdy. Without anything having to be its' own self when it comes to color. It's like spring...my way. What is with the way I keep saying "my way" today? I must be having a bossiness crisis. I'm having a birthday in less than 2 weeks, so maybe it's old lady persnickedyesque behaviour sneaking up on me and my normally well hidden internal head-mistress.
It's hand-dyed and printed cotton in the background with cotton digital images printed and cut out and machine appliquedmachine appliqued on the foreground. I found lots of royalty-free images from Clipart, then imported them to Photoshop and tinkered with color and filters, printed them on pre-treated cotton ironed to freezer paper, and voile`. Simple, right? Hardly. I spent 3 weeks working on printing out all the teeny tiny pieces. The entire work is 16 inches by 46 inches. I intend to do some top-stitching and then stretch it on canvas stretchers. I've been thinking about this work for a while. It feels good to get it out of my system. And although I really love the way it's turning out, I can't think of any other ideas in this same vein. I think I'll go back to farm scenes for a while. Well, first I have the following things to finish:
1. Baby quilt for Elizabeth Catherine Newell
2. Circles quilt (It's a full-sized monster that I haven't touched since I don't know when)
3. Quilt blocks for my round robin quiltt
4. Screen printing with all the expensive supplies I just bought
updating my website before my magazine article comes out
5. Updating Etsy shop. (Not sure it's really worth my time, but who knows)
6. Write my proposal for classes that I want to teach at the aRThOUSE on 12th avenue.
7. Make a present for my parents' 30th wedding anniversary before it's their 40th, or they kill each other, whichever comes first
I'm too tired to type anymore. More soon!
Labels: a little something, sharing
Friday, July 14, 2006
Round Robin Bliss
Here are first, my blocks for my aunt's quilt. Second, my blocks with my fabrics. All the crafty ladies in my family joined forces and agreed to sew at least 2 blocks a month.
Here's how it works: I picked out 10 fat quarters, sewed 2 block for myself out of those fabrics. Then, I mailed these 2 blocks and the remaining fabric to the next person in line. The next person sewed 2 blocks out of my fabric, in her own style, then mailed them on, with whatever fabric is leftover, to the next person. We went from Mid-Missouri, to Nashville, to East Tennessee, to New York, to California. Whew! My blocks are tired from all that travelling! I'm so excited about them. I really need to sew 2 more blocks--then I'd have 20. Any ideas what I should use to set them all together? I can't even decide if I want it to hang on the wall or use it as a lap quilt. I guess I'll figure it out after I sew it all together. If I spend too much time on it, I probably won't want to use it as a functional thing. We'll see.