Illusion 1

It always feels good to finish a piece and like what was created. Illusion1 is part of the Urban Texture series that will be shown in in Edmonton at the McMullen Gallery and than later in Winnipeg at the Mennonite Museum in September. Illusion 1 is the only piece going to Edmonton. The inspiration for it was a photo I had taken in Winnipeg of the Canadian Wheat Board Building and I manipulated it in Paint Shop. The technique I used to make it is called whole cloth quilting and it was dyed, stitched and painted. I don't care for bindings so if I can get away with it I like the pillow slip method to finish the quilt. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This time it did work nicely and the piece hangs straight.

Of course I had to play with the finished photo in the Kaleidoscope Kreator program and have come with up with some new inspiration that I may be able to use in another project( some day).

new toy- Kaleidoscope Kreator 3

I really don't have the time to be playing but after seeing the KK3 on the Quilting Arts TV program I thought what the heck gota have it! Yes it is fun and a great time waster. I'm not in to cute crafty stuff so at first I thought maybe I wasted $50. But after playing with photos of my own work I can see where this program will be a very good designer tool. I think work using photos of people and animals are a bit creepy. When it comes to landscape and flowers one really has to work the design but using samples of needle work I did get some very inspiring pieces that I could take further.

tree bark

Unknown flower

Hot air balloon

free style ribbon embroidery

more embroidery

Fashion -1908

I continue to work on the pieces for the "Urban Texture" Exhibit but in between drying dyed fibers and short breaks I work on the next Exhibit that Articulation has set up for next year and that is "Women Rock." Our inspiration is from Banff and the Rockies. I will be in residency at the Leighton Studio at the Banff Art Center in March for 3 weeks to work on my research and some of the pieces. As I prepare the work I'm am looking at a number of different angles to pull from and one is the fashion of the early 1900s. I have been reading a bit about Mary Schaffer (http://www.peakfinder.com/) a woman explorer of the area and I can not image trekking threw the Rockies in what the women of that era wore.
I have a small collection of old needle art magaizines and just happen to have one displying patterns for Blouses. Not sure where this is going yet but thought I would share some of the patterns.

squirrels,birds and red nails

So much for my plan to blog a couple times a week. The thought is there but not the time and I often wonder what to show and tell. I am busy working on work for "Articulation's"next exhibit which is in April at the McMullen Gallery in Edmonton then will travel to Winnipeg in September to the Mennonite Heritage Museum . I 'll have pictures of the finished work at a later date.
I'm always experimenting with something, for the last week it has been with dyes and I am happy to report the samples look good. I did take some time out this morning to experiment with my new camera. There was a male Cardinal in the cedars that I was trying to get a shot of but with no luck. And the Chickadee was a bit difficult

They barely stop long enough to get a really good shot. This one is a bit dark.

Now this little guy never moved except to stuff more seeds in to his mouth.

And then I went and had a manicure and had the nails painted brilliant red just for a change of pace.