.....and for the past two months

 I've been busily enjoying myself, my husband, my home and garden.....but especially my time in the stillness of hand stitching.

Confession time:  I have a problem.  The problem is not necessarily a good one nor a bad one.  It's just a problem I have of needing to finish what I start - whether a movie, a book or a quilt!  I've learned through the years to walk out of theaters when the movie isn't giving me pleasure.  I can even shut a book and return it to the library unfinished.  Yet, I haven't been able to give in to having an unfinished quilt.  

So, what started out in my mind to be a grueling task, turned into a joyous adventure.  Two wool applique quilts finished in no time....an hour here, an hour there.  

A quilt pattern....A Cottage Garden

Quilt pattern.....How Does Your Garden Grow

Add to that my newest wool applique table runner....a kit purchased years ago at a quilt show in Little Rock, Arkansas that was a bust for vendors.  I stopped and chatted with one vendor who had not made a sale in her two days there.  My heart went out to her and while I didn't embroider, I purchased the kit.  Lucky me!  

And still a work in progress that I had initially intended to finish with machine decorative stitch embroidery, but now might just do all the edging with hand stitches.  Inspired by a painting I saw somewhere???

Revisiting some art quilts from my past...this one I dubbed 'Opposites in Black and White'.

and 'Chinese Checkers' 

and some free motion thread work 

Here is 'Collette' a framed fabric art card....one in the series "Pretty Ladies in Smart Hats".

and my thread sketched self-portrait.  Funny thing is she has no mouth which doesn't equate to she has no voice! 

  

Until next time.  While I enjoy re-visiting previous projects,  I remain being one who enjoys looking forward ~

January Fabric Landscape Collage Workshop

What a treat it was yesterday to share the day making fabric landscape collages with Lynda Britton.  Lynda is an active member of Red River Quilt Guild and drove east from Shreveport to enlighten all us participants on how easily she constructs landscapes.  No heavy duty equipment required!

Here's just a sampling of what we made.  If I have the incorrect name on the landscape, you'll just have to correct me in the comments:  Remember, this was yesterday and memory isn't real sharp while out landscaping.

On the street under a blue cloud burst

Blue Bonnet Mountain



Cactus Country at Sunset

Beyond the duck pond lives a village.....

Pine Tree Island

The dessert is beginning to come together



Rugged Mountain Scape:  Maker Unknown

Peace Be With You

Summer Sailing

The Barnyard - by Theresa LeBlanc



The Dairy Barn - made by Renea Joiner  

Purple Passion



Theresa is wild about purple but looks great in red

Christmas Blasts From The Past

I make art quilts in minimal style

I like trees

  I like trees in real life and  I like them abstract

 I like raw edges that fray

I like to quilt my art

 

Christmas time's a comin'

 

 

Tis the season when all is merry and bright

 

and good cheer abounds

as family and friends gather in celebration



 

Trees to you ~

A birthday card for the kid.....

I've been puzzling all week about how to make a birthday card for the kid that's about to be four!  Well, this afternoon, I finally relaxed and let my ordinarily very expressive self come back to life.  I don't profess to be an artist, but I do like to have fun with pen and ink and my wacom tablet and photoshop.  I take the attitude that if I like it, then you must also! 

Here's how....first, do the line drawing in photoshop.  I used my wacom bamboo tablet.  The eraser tool can always take away unwanted areas, but I don't stress over lines outside the box. 

Here's an easy way to color within.  (1)  select an area of the image using the magic wand tool in the tool bar.

(2)  double-click on the foreground color box at the bottom of the tool bar and open the color picker palette.  Select a color and click OK.  The new color should display in the foregound color box. 

(3)  On the top menu bar, go to the drop-down menu edit, then fill, then select foreground color from the fill dialog box and click OK.

(4)  The section will be filled with the foreground color.   Continue selecting each  area and use as many colors as desired to make your image happy. 

Hint:  As you are drawing, make sure the drawn lines are closed.  That allows you to select each closed area to paint within.

Now print this on fabric, as I did, or on cardstock, sign your name and you have an original  card each and every time you need one! 

I found a few complimentary scraps of fabric, stitched them together then stitched Finley's picture on top of that.  I like to use the sticky sided heavy pellon to sandwich between the front and back fabric of my fabric cards.  They can then be propped on one of those little artists' easels for easy display. 

Turn The Page Part I

To see a few of my latest creations -

Heart Strings is an Anita Bradshaw original design.


And here is my original design! Dry Martini

And here is Mammy - a cross stitch I did several years ago. She's a beauty.



Trees on Lavender - fabric art cards


Straight out of the camera.....


"Turn the Page" posts may become a series....so until part II.....hugs!

Fabric Art Card "Leaf It Be"

Here's how I took one of my original, one-of-a-kind, fabric art cards entitled "Leaf It Be" and made it a background for my face sketch of the day. In two photoshop blending modes!

She's out there "Roaming the 'Hood"

I knew this morning was going to be a good one when I opened my email...a good omen for the day. Let me start from the beginning.

Sinus surgery was Thursday and it was a miserable weekend....until last night. Can you believe those Saints....I hope it puts New Orleans back on the map in a good format instead of crime and corruption. Yes, they still have that, but doesn't most every city?... Doctor appointment for this morning was a dreaded one....so much so that I lost sleep knowing it was going to be a painful one. But, I got up anyway....I've had to fore go my caffeine since all this has begun...that in itself has made me pretty grumpy. The shower and hair shampooing did a lot to put a smile on my face...I'll get to bend over to shave my legs in a few more days....in the meantime, perhaps my legs are warmer for the growing growth.....So, almost all spiffed up, I hit the sewing studio/faux office running...opened my email and there were two new ones there that showed great promise....opened the PayPal one first, and sure enough, there it was.....my balance had increased....opened the second one and it was confirmed.....I had made a sale some time during the night....probably after the Super Bowl....I'm gonna miss her. She's been a delight....when she's not out "Roaming the 'Hood", she just hangs around! I bid her fare-thee-well and off she went to the post. I hope her new owner doesn't confine her to a specific neighborhood...she likes them all.

And the dreaded doctor visit was not all that I had made it out to be....and...I can't say that I was disappointed. He squirted lanocain(or some such spelling) in each nostril, pulled the packing out of the right side...about 5 seconds it took....pulled the packing out of the left side...and I can breathe....the roots of my hair have even stopped hurting...so now perhaps I can relax my facial muscles and enjoy being pain free....doctor says I won't feel up-to-snuff for about three-four weeks....so in the meantime, I am actually enjoying not having to drive....not having to run errands....not having to lift heavy objects....getting to rest at will...life is good and I am almost well!

Thread Painted Fabric Art Cards

Here's Molly............
Monday is just the best day of the week...well, that is next to Tuesday - Sunday!

I know it...I'm vain...can't help but do a double take when my work is highlighted on a creative friend's blog. Mr X Stitch just gave me the thrill of the day. "Molly" the latest in my series "Pretty Ladies in Smart Hats"
fabric art cards was featured. I love to free motion thread paint....never know the shape of the face or the size of the hat until I cut the thread and declare the "portrait" finished!

Here are a couple more of my favorite thread sketched beauties. Yes they are!
I call this one my "heritage contradicted" fabric art card. She's native American, but her name is Willie May.



And, my all time favorite.....Callie. I really don't know how I got the most serene look in her face and in the tilt of her head. Genius was at work that day!



Check out the number one cross stitch and embroidery pattern site "on the planet."

Fabric Art Card

Meet Molly.....


I was commissioned to make a thread painted fabric art card to be named Molly. Just finished this little darling and she will be delivered Thursday. Isn't she the sassy one? I've lost count of how many I've made, but I think she is about number 15 in my "Pretty Ladies in Smart Hats" series.

I'm hoping I can get some prints of her on fabric sheets tomorrow. I will enjoy putting her pretty face in an art quilt. Yes, I make 'em and sell the originals but always retain the right to reproduce their images and use in whichever way I choose. Kinda like when you buy land, you don't normally purchase the mineral rights!

Roaming the 'Hood

Just to let you know I'm out - just roaming the 'hood - a fabric art card



Marty's Fiber Musings

Thread Painted Fabric Art Cards

Here are three newly created "Pretty Ladies in Smart Hats". It's an ongoing series so you have to stay tuned.

Sachie Claudine



And here is Glyn Ruby's newly created portrait -


And the very beautiful, Callie.....


I've also printed all of these (and more) on fabric sheets to be sewn into art quilts. More on that later. For now, it's off to yoga then lunch then quilt guild meeting.

XXX's and OOO's
Marty

Quilt Shows

Quilt Shows - I learned - Vendors - spend lots of time making items to vend - lots of time setting up their space - two days on their feet smiling and talking and selling and selling - and then breaking down the vending space - packing up and hauling it home. That's as far as I've gotten.

Unsold items are still in storage boxes. Perhaps I'll unpack someday.

I said goodbye to a good friend - Olivia. A sweet lady shared that her granddaughter's name is Olivia so this "Pretty Lady in a Smart Hat" was a must-have for her.

I also said goodbye to some of my art quilts like this one


And this one

I also sold lots of pins

And note cards

And journal covers


Okay, you get the picture. I handed out a bunch of business cards. Exposure...that's the key. Hard work followed by SUCCESS...I slept in this morning!!