Two new Pieces featuring the octopus

You may remember that in September I printed these guys/gals up at the Nature Printing Society's Workshop in Oregon.  I  am finally getting around to quilting the prints up.

The first piece is called "Octopus" - very original title, I might say.  It was a practice piece that turned out just fine.  It's a small one - 10 x 10."
 
The second images: the whole piece and a detail - is called "Strange Beauty" measuring 39 x 16.5."  The free motion stitching is part of a poem by Algernon Charles Sin-Burn.  I've sewn a pocket in the back that holds the whole poem.

The Wee Fella

"The Wee Fella" is a fabric portrait of Max, my grandson.   The piece is 23" x 24."  He's one adorable baby, if I say so myself.  Same technique as in my other portraits.  I used my own hand dyed fabric.

New work

I almost gave up on this self- portrait as the materials I used were very thick and I kept breaking my needles while machine quilting.  A fiber friend suggested a larger jean needle and voila - it's done.  I'm not really crazy about it up close but do like the view from a distance.  Obviously I need to work on the portrait thing some more.

This is my other adorable grand dog, Baxter.  My son-in-law took this picture which I just had to use Ellen Lindner's technique on.  A technique that is perfect for hairy dogs.  This one is 22 x 30" in size.  Makes a statement.

A Bird of a Different Color

I've been working with a new raw edged applique technique introduced by Ellen Lindner http://adventurequilter.com/ in her ebook Double Reverse Applique.  It's a bit tricky at first but the technique has its place in the Artquilt World.  "A Bird of a Different Color" began as a photo of some flowers I became enamored with while at a botanical garden in Jamaica last Winter.  It's 22 x 31."

Another Heron Monotype

"Vibrant Blue" is done. It's another of my monotypes on a shiny white fabric. How I love to monotype.

Some work done, yeah

The first two images began as monotypes on fabric. I added the borders and machine quilted them.

This is the end result of the brayer work I uploaded the other day. The quilting on this may not be evident but it's there. I'm hoping the last two get accepted in an upcoming art exhibit titled "Reflections." I'll let you know.

One Among Many is Finished

All finished.

Been working

I've included some pics of the products of my fun playtime while out with Marlene, my sister, in California. There's distressed felt beads, friendly plastic, polymer clay: molds, faces, buttons, beads, etc. My sea turtle piece is in progress. Then I've included a pic of printed grape leaves on my very own dyed fabric. I'll be quilting that later and some extra leaves to make a 9 x 12" piece to hang in a local artwalk. Of course I didn't print just one but 3 altogether. How I love to print leaves. And lastly, another completed sunrise/beach wall hanging. That's the second of 3 completed. I love my beach scenes as well.

Yesterday's work

I just checked yesterday's post and noticed I forgot to write about my plans of the day. Jeez, my mind runs away from me in many directions.

I did some finishing up - backs on the beach pins and added turtle beads and embroidered sea gulls. I took photos of the gyotaku and pelican wall hangings. I made a small piece using scanned beach treasures. I tried using fusible peltex instead of 100% cotton batting. The piece certainly came out flat but it was difficult to quilt over some thick, bulky seams. Think I'll use that peltex for postcards. I've started 10 SeaMaid pins - 4" mermaids - faces and hair like my Wonderfully Wacky Women pins, adding some beads to clasped hands. Examples of SeaMaids and SeaTurtles in photo.

Today, I'm designing a small memento for my brother and his wife - they're celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary shortly. I'll finish up the pins. I want to make some pirate postcards for the Shrimpfest. Pirates are BIG in Fernandina, especially during Shrimpfest week. And I still want to print brightly colored leaves - maybe. I get extremely hyper prior to shows, especially Shrimpfest.

I've included a photo of the scanned beach treasures. I put the finds in a plastic tray and scan them, print on specially treated fabric, add borders and quilt. Easy but very stirring, I think.

A new beginning

I'm taking a baby step in the world of the Internet. I've been asked by many art show visitors if I have a web site. The answer has been "No, but it's on my list of things to do." The web site is not up, but thought a blog might be a baby step towards that end.

I spend much of my day while at home in my seaside art studio - a beautiful space where my sewing machine overlooks the beach, sea, horizon. I am so fortunate to be able to live and work in such a beautiful environment.

I love fabrics and fibers. I have to make art. I love to play with new techniques. Come play with me.

I hope to share my latest creations and techniques.