A Memory Quilt From 1961: "Passing Through Barcelona"

 The Challenge group at Quilts Around The World suggested we make an art quilt that had something to do with BARCELONA, SPAIN. On that blog you will see many interpretations of this theme, everything from famous artists from that area to historical buildings. Mine is a more personal art piece of memories of a time when I was indeed "young and adventurous"!

 I used a plain piece of off white muslin onto which I transferred photos (of myself in Torremolinas, Spain...setting off on my journey...

 through Barcelona to France

and finally to Israel where I went for five weeks, but stayed five years.

There is some top sewing and some hand stitching on this piece, some added embellishments, an excerpt from a letter home at the time...simply done, but full of memories from a time that really did change my life, after I passed through Barcelona!

Sunflower III Finished at Last

I worked several months to finish this, my third sunflower art quilt.

I am excited by its 3-D sculptured flowers on a heavily textured multi layered background.

 Click on the photos to enlarge to see more detail if you like.

The fabric used for the leaves was from Dyed Candy ETSY and is hand dyed.

The rest of my fabrics are mostly up cycled from thrift stores and garage sales.

However, now I am recalling actually buying the batik and lime green & flannel fabrics new from a wonderful store I discovered in Berkeley, Ca.

 The background is torn strips of fabric sewn together then machine sewn quilted. It's stamped, painted, and heavily hand stitched. Embellishments include wool felt circles and buttons; several types of beads, and charms (tiny gold hummers and dragon flies can be found among the flowers & leaves).

 My own photos of sunflowers are printed on silk and sewn to the background.

 The bottom is cut irregularly kind of fence like...and beads hang from the bottom as well.

 Lots of hand embroidery was done throughout this piece. Lots of French knots,

straight stitches and others; as well as free motion sewing to enhance fabric designs.

 I also couched some really nice yarns I found at a new shop in Winters, CA.

 I stuffed three long stalks of fabric, bound them in hemp and hand stitched and beaded them.

 Beads came from old recycled necklaces. And some new from Michael's.

 I think I will have a hard time parting with this Sunflower Quilt. My previous two sold before they were finished almost. Both were shown in the Yolo County Sunflower Art Show. The most recent before this winning first prize. Hopefully, this one will be in that show next year.

The whole piece is backed in such a way that it turns inwards on the sides and comes down into a vase like shape.

And now I will add the story to the back with this happy ending:

My 21 yr old grandson, Mikiah, saw this art quilt posted on facebook. His first comment was: "This is soooooo beautiful!"
His next comment was: "It is for sale?"
Then he said: "How much? I'd like to support your art!"

And then I said: "Mikiah, consider it an early inheritance. I cannot take money from my grand children. So it is yours, but you have to wait one year to acquire it, as I want to put it in several shows. Then it will be yours to take home."

I cannot think of a happier ending for this art quilt.

"Indian Summer" art quilt SOLD!!!!

After the Yolo County Sunflower Art Show ended this past week I learned upon returning from our vacation that "Indian Summer" had been SOLD! What mixed feelings I get when one of my pieces goes to a new home...feelings of being honored as an artist, complimented; and then sad to say goodbye to a good friend I've lived with for a while! But the woman who bought her sent me a note saying she'd be (the quilt) "enjoyed by her family for years to come!" That made me happy.
I am tickled that both Sunflower art quilts I made for this annual show sold, one before the show started 2 yrs ago and this one at it's end. Maybe Sunflowers should be my genre! ;-)

See whole quilt here. To see more scroll back two blog posts!!!

Gossamer Spring

Gossamer Spring was made for the Quilts Around The World Group for the challenge: "Different". Things that I did new/different for my work was using crocheted flowers, zippers for stems, jewelry wire stamens and new rather than re purposed fabrics for this piece! The entire quilt was done by hand.

Hand embroidery and beading gives a rich texture to this piece.I love the three D look!

Gossamer Spring will show at the Dixon May Fair, Dixon CA May 4-8 2011;

and will be offered for jurying for the Vacaville Juried Art Show May 13, 2011.

She is for sale for $200 to be taken into possession after the fair ends and the Juried Art Show should she get in.

Size: 19 1/2" X 17"

Indian Summer for Yolo County Sunflower Art Show

2nd UPDATE: This piece SOLD after it's tour in the Sunflower Art show!

UPDATE: This piece has won two prizes this summer. First it received a third place in the Miscellaneous category with other quilts of all kinds at the Dixon May Fair, Dixon, CA; and then it won FIRST Place in the Yolo County Sunflower Art Show, Davis Ca. in the amateur adult category up against paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media and other textile pieces of art!

My first attempt to re-do an older art quilt and turn it into something very different and exciting. I took Seeds of Hope I, which won a prize at the Juried Art Show in the Vacaville Art Gallery in 2010, and let the flower grow into a sunflower for the Yolo County Sunflower Art Show this May.
I added golden petals, beads and buttons to the heavily felted flower head and fabric paint to change colors from pink to yellow!

All the new additions were done by hand.


Giving it a highly textured appearance!

This quilt can be seen first at the Dixon May Fair, Dixon, CA May 4-8, 2011;

and at the Davis Art Center, Davis, CA June 10-22, 2011.

Indian Summer is for sale for $240, but buyer must wait until after the Sunflower Show to take ownership.

A percentage of the amount will go to help fight mental illness.

Size: 33" X 16" (widest points petal tip to petal tip)

"Tea Anyone?" and "Spilling Over" art journal quilts

Tea Anyone? is an art journal quilt made up of dried full tea bags sewn on white polyester fabric! Silk neckties refurbished and embellished with beaded button centers, florist green wire stems hand sewn on black fleece with invisible thread for "Spilling Over" art journal quilt challenge on the Art Quilt Blog.

click on photo to see greater details

#8 Art Journal Quilt..."The Love Connection" SOLD in 2013

I've been collecting old neckties at garage sales and thrift stores and finally decided to start using them. I had cut some up for #2 "Home Sweet Home" art journal quilt; this time I snipped off the narrow ends of the mostly red ties to form this background and wove one pink tie through them to make my statement of free motion sewn hearts = love! Thus the title "Love Connection" I added the fat end of the pink tie for a pocket with a white handkerchief sticking out to balance the whole affair. Just in time to wish everyone a

Happy Valentine's Day!

Apples and Oranges ... GIFTED

Is there such a thing as having too many blogs, challenges, sites to post our art?

I just realized that I have posted this small art quilt on another blog of mine, another art quilt blog, two challenge sites, and face book. And now here!

But I also realize that I am appealing to a different audience in each of those places. Yes, some viewers may overlap, but some only go to one of the sites!

So, Hi! I made this for a challenge called "Opposites". Apples and Oranges came immediately to mind. For a fuller story of how it was made and how many opposites are in this 8" X 11" art quilt I am going to link you to my other blog here. (See Feb. 5th, 2011 post)

It has lots of texture and pizazz and was really fun to make! I enjoyed the day it took to do it too. Click on the photo to see more detail if you wish.

New Show: Lawler House Art Gallery

Yesterday I took two of my recent art pieces to the Lawler House Art gallery where they will hang in the show: "Text, Texture, and Tantalizing Eggs" from Feb 4-May 1, 2011.

My self portrait, "I am descended from Women Who..."

and the string of hearts "Hearts...Don't Bully" pieces...

I removed "Wired to Quilt" and "Stop Bullying Now".

I was told that many, many people stood and read the Stop Bullying quilt.

It felt good to know this!

January Journal Quilts 2011

click photo to see larger view

(I just realized I made seven but counted two #6s! Oops!)

In January I joined a group of quilters at 3Creative Studios and I vowed to make at least two Journal Quilts a month for the year of 2011. Mine would measure approximately 8" X 11".

Each comes with a story and can be found on my other blog Getting My Feet Wet through out the month of January 2011. I got on a roll and produced four to the size I specified and two smaller ones for a traveling art book and a final one near in size but to give as a gift. To see more of the other members quilts go here.

Titles from Top Left:

#1 Our Prize; #2 Home Sweet Home; #3 Can't see the forest for the trees;

Bottom: #4 Let's Face It; #5 Tropical Storm; #6 Deep Blue Sea; #7 She's Still My Gal