Well as you can see, I am moving ahead on this quilt. I have a good start now on the general layout and have placed the sheep in the scene in order to get balance to all the rest of the items. The sheep are a giving me trouble. I think I will have to spend some major time on them to get them to where I feel they look real. I have been experimenting with different threads and other embellishments on a sample piece and I am getting the texture and feel that I want to add, but I just am not quite there. In between I have found some new fabric I hope to add over the weekend, but it is labor day weekend and lots of things are going on in town, so it may take up all of my spare time. But I will try to find a little time in between.
I am finally making some progress. Not sure about the addition of the grasses and ferns in foreground. I am concentrating on working the trees now. Hopefully I will be able to keep itdeveloping now. The weather here is quite hot. In the 80's and very humid so it is a good time to stay in the air conditioning in my studio. Hope for more to show you once I work through the weekend.
It seems for some reason I have become too busy to spend much time in my studio. I have made little to no progress on my newest project. Even when I enter my studio just to gaze at my progress so far, I can not get myself into the creative frame of mind. Part of this is my own fault as I am a fan of the Olympics and have spent much of my free time watching the athletes "go for gold". But tonight my plan is to get back to work.Hopefully soon, you will see some progress on "Who's There?"Bob and I have decided to retire from the antique business so have put our building and business up for sale. I will miss it and all the people we have met in the last 14 years. However, it will free me up to work full time on my quilting and that is what I want to do more than anything else. With the economy the way it is it may take some time to find a buyer for our property, but it will sell as it probably has the best location of any building in our downtown. I have included a picture of last years Christmas windows.
I am beginning to get frustrated as this week it has been busy busy busy. Most everything was the usual things we never want to do but need doing nevertheless. Haircut, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, preparing for family to come home for the weekend, etc. etc. So there just has been no time to get to quilt. I did download some of the pictures I took in a victorian garden up near Manitowoc Wisconsin. Here is an example.
This past week was a hectic one. Spent lots of time working in my garden and also helping my Mother, who is 84, keep up with her flower beds. It did not leave much time to work on my lastest project. I have found that stopping in my studio and just looking at what I have gotten done so far, inspires me with some quick changes or additions that are spontaneous and fresh. It is worthwhile to pop in, even when you only have 20 minutes or so to spare. Sometimes for me, that is when I have a clear mind and look at my progress (after being away from it overnite) and see things I did not see after working on it for hours the day before. So even on days or weekends when there is just no time to spare except a few minutes, it can be very worthwhile to use that time just to observe your work. I have named this quilt "Who's There?" The reason I named it that will be obvious to you as I progress. Stay tuned! :)
I have started working on my next art quilt. I think I will name this one "Who's There?" It will have a gnarly tree with two sheep standing on the shore of a river looking up at the viewer. I have just begun so here is what it looks like so far.The tree has to end up looking really good as it and the sheep will be the focal points. I am challenged by it and hope to be able to accomplish the feel I want in the growth and age of it. Enjoy!
I have just been notified that my art quilt "A Midsummer's Night Scene" (shown above) has been accepted into the 2008 Madison Wisconsin Quilt Expo! I am thrilled. I set this as my goal this year and can not believe it is happening to me. This is the first quilt of mine to make a big show and the first quilt I have entered into a big show. I have been in my local quilt guild's show several times and in our county fair, but nothing of this size.I am so excited and honored to have been selected to be part of this show and can not wait to see my work there. Woo Hoo!The show is held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison Wisconsin September 11-13 and is sponsored by PBS and Nancy's Notions (Nancy Zieman).
