3-D Wall Hanging

My group in Melbourne, SUFA, extends a couple of challenges each year that are included in their yearly exhibit at Boutique 4 Quilters.  The exhibit begins February 1, and runs through the entire month.  I am unable now to exhibit because I have moved away from the region, but I decided to focus on one of the challenges, and boy, was it a challenge!  I picked several pictures I had taken of a Bird of Paradise plant as my inspiration. 

 I began the project with brown fabrics in the background, and quilted them in straight rows about a quarter inch apart on my batting. 

I then began making each leaf separately by fusing two pieces of fabric together and satin stitching around the edge, but I found that I didn't have the dimension in the piece that I envisioned, so I decided to add 24 gauge jewelry wire to each piece under the satin stitching. 

 It took some care so that my machine needle didn't hit the wire, but I was able to guide it easily underneath the stitching using my walking foot.  The wire gave me the ability to form each individual piece the way I wanted to, without making it too stiff.

 I also joined two pieces of fabric in this piece and added the stamen inside it.  The white piece is made by thread painting on a piece of stabilizer and adding the wire around the edge with a small satin stitch. 

 The stems of the leaves were made the same way you would make piping, although I hand stitched the fabric around the cord, rather than making a tube on the machine and turning it.  Many of my tools are still in storage, including my turning tool, and I had lots of time to do the stitching!  Here I am auditioning the pieces on the background before making them permanent.

 This is the finished piece.  I finished it by sewing the backing on three sides before I added the leaf elements, and after the plant was assembled on the background, I inserted a piece of Timtex inside the sleeve to give it stability.  Then I hand stitched the bottom closed.  I like the 3-D effect and may consider doing another project in a similar fashion. 

Snow, Wonderful snow!

We are having the first snowfall of 2014 and the second one for the area this winter.  It is beautiful, but bitter cold outside, so I am staying inside and working on fiber projects.  Here are some pictures of the white stuff, as it was coming down.  Unfortunately, the snow is dry, so you have to have bare hands in order to make a snowball, brrrrrrr!

and double brrrrr.....

Beautiful, right?  And cold, trust me.  Maybe I'll take up cross country skiing!  Can't do THAT in Florida!

A Prayer Flag Surprise for Christmas!

I have been missing my fiber art group in Florida since I have moved away, but they are the BEST group of ladies anyone could hope for.  Case in Point:  I received  a package in the mail with hand crafted prayer flags from each of the members of the group!  I was totally BLOWN AWAY.  I had issued a challenge to them after I made my prayer flags, but in my wildest dreams, I never expected to be the recipient of flags made by them.  Here are the flags I received ( I have their permission to share them with you). 

This first one is made by Jill Bunker.  She is a great one for using silk screened designs, so her pieces are always original and one of a kind.  And I love her use of black and white.  She has added some dimension to her piece with small, plastic-like bubbles (not beads) on the circles in the flower head.  Her messages are:  Believe, Patience, Love, Peace, Wisdom, Inspiration, Happiness and Serenity.

The flag above is made by Linda Geiger, a new member to the group and a wonderful doll maker.  Her message is to Follow Your Bliss, and she has fabric beads plus gold beads to embellish her flag, with metallic gold thread stitching down the word, Create.  (I would guess the background has been ice-dyed)?

Gabriele diTota made the flag above, with her message of Peace.  A gold painted candle lights the way.  The background fabric is alive with vibrant colors!  A tiny taste of the talent of this new fiber art quilter, who has recently had works in SAQA exhibits traveling the globe.

This next flag is made by Marlyn Foell, and it calls for Peace on Earth.  Marlyn has used yarn, papers, glitter paint, and palm tree charms on her piece to make it uniquely her style.  I am amazed at the definitive styles evident in each of the flags, which makes them all the more precious to me. 

Ann Lorelle sent this offering which calls for you to Listen and Hear.  Written in smaller letters on the flag are:  Clarity, Value, Healing, Unity, Peace and Understanding.  That about says it all, eh? 

This very colorful flag is made by Lynn Greenberg, and consists of pinked commercial fabrics laid down on a marine-blue background.  The message on the back is:  Florida Memory for you, which is exactly what it evokes.  Beautifully done.

Mindy Marik is another new addition to the group, and she sent along this prayer flag, in vibrant yellows, oranges and reds.  Her message is: Protect Us From Evil.  You can check out some of her imaginative and talented work on her website, www.mindymarik.com

Pam Chamberlain, another wonderful doll maker as well as accomplished art quilter made the above flag which states, Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all Women!  (And all fiber artists, no doubt!)  Pam placed her sentiment on the back of a commercial fabric, folding the right side over to the "back" side: very clever. 

I have included two photos of the last, but certainly not least, flag, made by Susan Rienzo, (of www.susanrienzodesigns.com),  because it needs to be seen in its entirety.  Susan's signature style is to sew colorful strips of fabric onto a background fabric.  She has recently started doing marvelous landscape scenes of a tropical nature.  Here she has curved the strips onto the background and let them hang over the edge, and has placed all sorts of round objects, including washers and plastic rings tied to the ends.  Her message is: Dance, Dream, Sing, Believe, Peace and Celebrate....

I can't tell you how very much these offerings have meant to me, and I will add them to the prayer flags flying on my property.  Each flag exhibits the talents and imagination of the person who made it, making it an extremely personal and treasured memory for me.  I hope you enjoy seeing them and that perhaps it might spur your creativity to make prayer flags for your space.  Let the wind blow over the flag to carry the sentiment to all corners of the earth.  A small, meaningful gesture to add to the whole of humanities' dreams and hopes in this new year!  Blessings and creativity to all!!

A Plethora of Postcards

During this past year most of my supplies have been in storage, and my working space has been limited, so I have done a bunch of fabric postcards to keep the creative juices flowing.  Most of these have been sent to friends for birthdays, etc, so they are no longer in my possession, but I will share the pictures of them now.  The one below is made from my rusted fabrics (a favorite theme this past year), some painted cheesecloth and hand stitching.  BTW, hand stitching on rusted fabric is challenging to say the least!

The postcard above was also done with rusted fabric, with reverse applique black fabric on top.  Again, the hand stitching! 

The postcard below was done with a weaving technique I have used on several quilts.  I love the curved lines, and of course, I used rusted fabric and black fabric. 

The next fabric postcard was inspired by a book I purchased, "Radiant Landscapes".  I used turquoise fabric in the background, with rusted fabric for the diagonal accent, and a palm tree in the foreground.

The postcard below was done using all commercial fabrics.  I added metallic gold paint for accent and hand stitching, including french knots.  Instead of satin stitching on the edge, I did a straight stitch about 1/4 inch from the edge and then pinked the outside edge to finish it. 

The next card was made with some marbled fabric in the background I made using shaving cream and metallic paint.  I then added a stenciled leaf and hand stitching, as well as some eyelash yarn for accent. 

And here's another card using my rusted fabrics.  This one has sheer fabric that was rusted on top of the black fabric, and a cotton rusted fabric under the black fabric on the opposite side, with a gold cord couched down the center.  The sheer fabric had a dot print on the original piece of fabric. 

The next one was made with all commercial fabrics, rough cut and free motion stitched.  I again used the pinking shears for the edge. 

I often try new techniques on postcards to see if I like the results.  This next card was an attempt to use a printed fabric as a 1/4 inch seamed accent on black fabric.  I found the size of the postcard difficult to vary the design enough to make it dramatic.  However, I think it is a technique I may try on a larger scale sometime. 

I have just completed another 8-9 more cards, 6 of which will go in the mail next month for birthdays.  I will post those cards after they have been sent. 

Prayer Flags!

I was inspired by a recent article in Quilting Arts Magazine about prayer flags.  There was even a flag made by Martha Wolfe, who has made several fantastic flags.  So I set about creating my prayers.  The first one was for HOME:

We recently moved to a new home, closer to family, so my prayer is for family, security, protection, comfort, warmth and acceptance. 

The next prayer is for LOVE:

I added some sequins on this one, and they really sparkle in the sunlight.  The flags are a finished 5" x 8", and I used a single piece of fabric, without backing or batting so they would easily flutter in the wind.

Next comes PATIENCE!

This is something I can really use and as they say, I need it NOW!  All my supplies, except for a small handful of fabrics and paint, are being stored in boxes until my studio can be built.  It's frustrating to try to create, when everything you need is in a box, somewhere in the back of a cargo container!  The flag says from seed to sprout to fruit.  Nature has no trouble with patience, does she?

The next flag is DREAM:

What are your dreams about?  Is it for success, love, acceptance, better health, or do you dream of a far away place?  Whatever your pet dream, may it come true!  I included some hand stitching in several of the flags, always a meditative exercise for me. 

Flag number five is for HOPE:

This one holds special meaning for me, as I have several friends and relatives who are dealing with cancer.  I have real hope that they all go into complete remission, and never have to deal with this horrible disease ever again!  And that goes to all who might be dealing with ill health; hope is there for all.

After HOPE comes JOY!

JOY! JOY! JOY!  The joy of a beautiful day, of a walk in the woods, of a piece of special music, whatever or wherever you find your joy, may it be in your life daily!  I find joy everywhere, in creativity, in LIFE!  Find your joy, and hold it dear.

Next comes WISDOM:

Ah, WISDOM!  It comes from knowledge, common sense and experience.  And there is so little of it in the world!  As the prayer of serenity goes, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." 

After WISDOM, comes RESPECT:

RESPECT!  There is precious little respect nowadays.  Respect for oneself, for others, for property.  Respect for life itself.  Where did it go, and how did we lose it?  More importantly, how do we reclaim it?  Let's bring more respect into our lives.

The next flag is for HEALTH:

Good health is a rare commodity, and something everyone could use!  May good health fly to you on the wings of the dragonfly, to stay with you for all your days.

Next is KINDNESS:

Learn to be kind to yourself, no one is perfect, forgive yourself and others.  Kindness goes hand in hand with respect, learn to foster both. 

 Prayer flags usually hang in sets of 10, and right after I finished my 10 flags, another one had to be completed as I found out a friend had a negative result from a breast biopsy.  That flag shouts GRATITUDE!

I am grateful for so many things, not only my friends' positive result, but also for my many supportive artist friends.  We all have so very much to be grateful for, and for all of us I exclaim, THANK YOU! 


I had a blast creating these prayer flags.  They are so quick to do, and I didn't need any of my stored supplies to do them!  I hope to make more flags, maybe using some sheer fabrics for the next group.  Here are the flags all together as they are hung between two of our large oak trees.  I love the way they add color to the landscape, and they carry these prayers in the wind, which is plentiful here in Oklahoma! 

Why not try your hand at making a prayer flag?  You needn't make a set number.  Every prayer is heard, and we could all use more prayers in our world, don't you think? 

New Postcards

I have moved to my new home but am unable to unpack all of my fiber supplies for lack of space, so they are still in boxes in the back of a cargo container.  I won't be able to unpack until my studio is built, probably some time next year.  So in the meantime, I have very few supplies and I am keeping busy making postcards, which I send to friends and family for birthdays.  Here are a few of the new ones:

The above postcard has some dyed cheesecloth to simulate water and several commercial cottons as background mountains. 

This postcard was inspired by a technique from Gloria Loughman's book, Radiant Landscapes.  I used a copy-write free image of a palm tree in the front, and my rusted fabrics as the background. 
I'll post some others, as I send them out; I don't want to share them here until I've sent them to the birthday people. 

SAQA Online Auction

I belong to SAQA, which is the Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc.  Each year members donate art quilts to be auctioned off to benefit the association's many endeavors.  I have entered quilts for the past two years and this year's auction pieces are wonderful. 

The auction begins on September 9th at 2 PM EST, and runs through September 29th at 2PM EST.  Check out the selection of art at http://www.saqa.com/gallery-mini-detail.php?ID=2379  There are several pages of quilted art, each 12" x 12".  There is a page explaining the bidding process,  and if you click on a specific piece, it will take you to a page that gives some additional information by the artist.  Here is the piece I have in the auction this year:

The piece is titled Prairie Dawn and can be found on page 2a.  I hope you will visit the site and take part in the auction, the works are innovative and beautiful and a great addition to your art collection!