Forgot to share...

I almost forgot to share the quilt we made for the 20th Anniversary of Storytellers in Cloth.  As I mentioned in my last post, this group of women have been getting together once a year to quilt and enjoy one another's company for the last 20 years.  I was invited to join just in time for their 15th anniversary celebration, 5 years ago.

In prep for the 20th Anniversary, they asked all of the 50+ women to make a block that would go into a quilt to commemorate the occasion.  Most were asked to make 6 1/2" blocks, 5 (including myself) were asked to make 18 1/2" blocks to serve as medallion blocks.  We were all given one fat quarter of either blue or yellow fabric and we were allowed to add other blue or yellow fabrics, but nothing else.  The blocks could be embellished, but the embellishment could not protrude more than 1/2".

Well, here was my contribution....  I used my Silhouette Cameo cutter to cut the letters, so much easier.  I love my Cameo...

And here is the entire quilt...  51 - 6 1/2" blocks were submitted, by 46 quilters, plus the 5 medallion blocks.  It is amazing how the piece just shines, considering we all took the design to a different level..

Fire Dancer Wins at Quilts Unlimited!

So while my last post was about the show, I forgot to let you know that Fire Dancer was awarded the NQA Ribbon for "Best Use of Color". I was jumping for joy, right along with the dancer in the quilt.

At the reception last month it received wonderful comments from viewers, as did my two other quilts in the main exhibit.  

Interesting enough, even though I added some shading to "On Pointe" to highlight the fact that she was casting a shadow on the floor, with the bright lights of the gallery, only I knew the shading was there.  Guess that piece comes back into the studio when she comes home for a bit of a touch up.... 😌.

My latest piece

I have been so busy lately...  summer is family time and we spent all but 10 days in July on the road.  From my son-in-laws family lake house in Fiddle Lake, Pa, to Puerto Rico for my husband's fathers family reunion, with a little vacation time added on to the end, to a week in Vegas for work.  It is a wonder I found anytime to quilt, but I did.

I actually was able to finish a piece I started at the CQQ Retreat in April.  She doesn't have a name yet, but she is 95% complete.  I may add a few dimensional while flowers falling off the overpass and I still need to do a label (nut I need a name first)...  but other than that she is done.  I even did some tinting on her to add shadows and depth in her back and arms.

What do you think?

Oh...  looking at the picture I realized I never added her earring!..  ok, so maybe 94% complete :-).

Enjoy!

Life... why must it always get in the way...

So, I know most are probably thinking I stopped blogging, but honestly that is not my intention.  But it seems I have spent much of the first half of the year on the road and then heads down on deadlines for one show or another.

So I won't bore you with a long update, but I will share some of my work from the past few months.

just pics, no long verbiage for now... but I am hoping to do better going forward.  Yes, I WANT to blog more :-)...

 The result of all of my experimentation on my Silhouette cutter:

Currently on display at View's exhibit "For the Birds" in Old Forge, NY

I have two others that I've finished this year, but can't seem to find a picture of those.

Here is one that I started at retreat in April, but haven't touched since...  guess I need a deadline to get me moving on it :-)

Ok, lunch break is over :-)  Hope you enjoyed!

I couldn't wait!

Well it worked!  See my last post for the background to this statement..

Now I get to move on to the fun part....

Woohoo!

Art can be humbling...

I was in a business meeting for work last Thursday, when I received an email telling me I had won 'Best Innovative Style Quilt' for Let's Here it for the Girls at the Mancuso, NJ Quilt Fest.  As you can imagine I was ecstatic.  I was sitting in Chicago, but couldn't wait for the weekend, so that I could see my quilt hanging in all it's glory in New Jersey.

Well, I am happy I had those 3 days to bask in my glory.  As always, the show had some phenomenal quilts hanging.  My notification email for the award had said that the judges felt that the competition was extremely tough.  But as I walked the show floor, I was amazed at the talented quilts and the big name quilters who I had gone up against...  oh my.  I didn't even rush to find my quilt.  I decided to take my time and appreciate all the other work, because surely they had made a mistake and I had maybe received Honorable Mention.

One of the reasons I like this show is that the quilts are usually so varied, and this year was no different.  Artsy quilts hung next to traditional, big next to small, hand next to machine...  In all, the workmanship spoke for itself.  These artists put their heart and soul into these pieces... surely, mine won't look as good, or as professional.  I quilt at night, after work, after dinner, after all the other things have been taken care of.  I quilt for me, not for judges...  I experiment with all different types of techniques and yes, sometimes, I say to myself, it is 'good enough', knowing it isn't perfect.

It is funny how all these thoughts rushed through my mind as I walked the floor.  Almost as if I was preparing myself to be disappointed.  And then I saw it.  My quilt...  my ladies, on the dance floor for all to see.  And YES, there was my ribbon as well..  BLUE for first place in a particular category.  As always, I watched the people as they approached.  Almost as expected, their eyes seemed to gravitate to the other 2 pieces handing next to it....  see I was right, it didn't deserve that ribbon....  then all of a sudden, they turned around...  they stopped and looked and took out their cameras.  They noticed the finely tuned bodies of the dancers, the realistic effect of them in front of the back-drop as a result of the trapunto, the 3D flowers that had been scattered across the stage in accolades.  They chatted amongst themselves and read the description and the quilters name.  At that point, I felt it was alright to step forward, to comment that I was the quilter.  They congratulate me and ask questions about the piece. As they walk away, I breath.  Ok, that wasn't so bad.  I survived, I belong....

No this isn't the first time I have won a BLUE ribbon, and no it isn't the first time the competition was tough, but it always seems to amaze me, that others enjoy looking at something that I created, and for that I am humbled.  I quilt because I enjoy it.  It brings me peace.  I think it is wonderful that others get some joy from merely looking at it as well.

For that, I say Thank You!

Renee

Playing with my Silhouette Cameo cutter

I tend to doodle a lot.  Some doodles are just that.  Others are more complete.  Some stay on the scrap paper, others get done over and over again.  Some get added to my sketch pad, others go in the garbage.

But this one doodle has been intriguing.  It has made it from the back of an evelope, to a piece of paper, to my sketch pad, to being done again in ink, to being scanned, to being cut on my Cameo.  I am not quite sure it is ready for prime time yet, but I do think I know where I am going with it.  Can't share it just yet, but when it is ready, I'll let you know.

In the meantime...  here are some shots of that innocent doodle along the way...

This is the fist sketch (cleaned up with a lot of eraser) done on the back of an envelope

Next I traced it into my sketchpad...

 

The Cameo didn't like the glare from the lead in the picture, nor the thickness of the lines.  I kept getting a double cutting line, so to eliminate it, I had to color in the positive space with a permanent marker.

  At this point I was ready to take another picture and import it into the Cameo.  I had already spent over 8 hours trying to get a good clean trace of the circle medallion.  Luckily, there were no issues with the trace this time, so I sent it to the Cameo and prayed....  and it WORKED!...

Neck I have to size it.  This is about 5" and for my idea to work, I don't want it bigger than 4".  But now at least I know what to do.  Oh yeah, I am going to eliminate those tiny inner circles.  My goal is to cut about 20 of these out of felt, and it will never cut those tiny circles cleanly....

Wish me luck!

Retreats... Great for the soul... And the creative juices!

So twice a year for the past twelve years I have had the pleasure of spending a long weekend with anywhere from 45 to 55 wonderful woman.  All quilters of course!  This past weekend was no exception.  

How is it, that when you get a group of woman this large together, that the experience is always wonderful?  Our leaders of course!  Originally started by Claire Oehler of the then Country Quilters in Somers, NY, and now organized by Claire and two of her former staff, Nancy Mirman and Noreen Lippolis, these 3 ladies are a class act.  The weekend is organized, full of fun and just plain fantastic.  From the little gift bags they provide, to the activities planned for the weekend, there isn't a detail missed. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention two of their main 'weekend ingredients'.  The setting... Interlaken Inn in Lakeville, CT a wonderful boutique hotel nestled it the CT countryside and Mary Gay Leahy, who always has wonderful fabric treats for us and offers great tips and technique demos throughout the weekend.  It is no wonder we all walk around smiling and laughing, it is a wonder we actually find time to quilt. But quilt we do.  I will let these pictures speak for themselves in that department.

Enjoy the show...

First my works in progress and then some of the works by others...

Now photos from show and tell and as I wonder the three rooms we sew in...

Hope you enjoyed... Until next spring!

Renee

"Which Path would you Take" wins First Place, Wall quilts at Northern Stars show 2014

As you can see from my last post, I am catching up on my blogging.

The 2014 Northern Star Quilt Guild show was a good show for me.  I have won many second and third place ribbons at this local guild show, but I have wanted for many years to see one of my pieces hang on the 'blue ribbon' wall.  So I was extremely pleased to see this piece do so.  

Lucky for me, the person who brought this piece at the gallery exhibit was happy to let me enter the piece in a few shows this year.  This was the first show and it made me proud.

Besides, this first place ribbon, "Paisley Inspirations" was awarded a third place ribbon in the same category :-).

It was also nice to see a good friend and fellow Pelham Quilters guild member, Donna Chambers, also on the blue ribbon wall for her Umoja piece.  "Umoja, Goddess of the Sea"  won first place in the People, Places category and Best of Show, Small Quilts.  :-).  

The Art of Quilt Making, by the Pelham Quilters at DMA Gallery

I can't believe this is still sitting in draft.  This show was in April.  My sincere apologies, but this has been a crazy year.  I lost my mother in May.  She was 87 and lived a good life, but she was suffering and it wa very hard to see her in such pain.  She is finally at rest and reunited with her true loves, God and my father... The best husband in the world according to her :-).

Once I got myself out of my slump, it was time to focus on my daughter's wedding and her wedding quilt.  She was married on August 31st and was a lovely bride.  But that is for another post.  

So this is a show that 5 women in my local guild, Pelham Quilters, had in a local gallery, DMA Gallery.  Unfortunately the gallery closed shortly after the exhibit closed, but for us it was extremely successful. 

Opening night was packed and then the gallery held a book signing (first two pictures below) for two local authors, that also brought folks in to see our work.   

This is "Umoja, Goddess of the Sea" by Donna Chambers. 

Here is a local artist viewing one of my pieces, "In the spotlight". 

Donna is discussing her artistic process in the making of "Fashionista". 

The curator, Lynnette, welcoming everyone during the opening reception.  You can see my kimono inspired piece "Pathways" hanging in the window, and a part of one of my woven pieces, "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" on the easel.   My piece "Sista Chat" is hanging on the front of the pedestal from which Lynnette is speaking.  

The next three pieces were made by guild member, MaryAnn Ciccotelli.  

Here I am, thanking everyone for coming and sharing some back ground on Pelham Quilters, and the five exhibiting quilters.

These three pieces are by guild member, Sandra Parrott.

This is my most recent piece, "Which Path would You Take".  I was very pleased that it sold during the opening reception.

Here's Sandra, in front of one of her small pieces, "Tumbling Blocks".  

To the left you can see a corner of MaryAnn's quilt and on the right is my parrott piece, "Jungle Paradise".  

This is another of Sandra Parrott's work.  She does wonderful small art quilt pieces.  

I know it is late, but I hope you enjoyed seeing our show.  I will have a solo exhibit in January 2015 at Etui Fiber Arts in Larchmont, NY.