Gram

Weekend at Grams

For several years our family and my husband's brother's family have had a work weekend for his eighty-seven year old Mother. Mind you, she can do it without us but we like to feel useful. So we weed, trim, prune, mulch and cut trees with her as the over sear. Gram is an amazing woman.

I'm going to tell you a story about her that I just love. Gram is very involved in her church. She has a great relationship with each new pastor. Several years ago she had stopped at the church to do something in preparation for a service. The minister had a truck load of mulch that he was putting out on some of the beds. Well! he wasn't doing it right, so Gram showed him how it should be done and before you know it the truck was empty. She is a mighty force with her church and her family.

Focus Meeting

Diana Pickens show two new pieces. Check out the quilting.

Below Marge Edie shows the samples for a new class.

Focus Fiber Art Meeting

Yesterday our art quilt group (Focus Fiber Art) met at Judy Simmons home located in Fletcher, NC. Focus has ten members and most live in the upstate of SC. Judy has a lovely home sitting on top of a hill. The land was once a horse farm and remnants such as fences and a barn and a few horses are still visible. Judy also has a studio to die for.

These two pieces were done by Judy

worked in the studio all day Happy!

I'm so excited I have finally been inspired to work on my Mexican quilt. I told you about the Mother and Child in my post yesterday and posted a photo. Tonight I am posting the work I got done today.

I still have a lot to go on this but it is coming together.

work resumes

For over a year I have been working on a piece that has a landscape and will have people in the forefront. For various reason this piece has been ignored. Today I started working on it again and I am excited about finally having the time to devote to his piece.

Two years ago my DH and I went to the Copper Canyon in Mexico. We were with an Elderhostel tour. This was a great tour and done exceptionally well. The weather was very cold and snowy. We were told this was very unusual. Several of the motels had no heat, normally it was not needed

one of the tours we were to go to a beautiful waterfall. Normally the bus would have driven us there, however, because of the snow the driver would not chance taking the bus up this road. The guide decided that it would be a beautiful hike. I had been sick and several of the group decided that they did not want to take the hike. We were able to stay on the porch of a crude lodge while the others hiked to the waterfall.

Everywhere we went on this trip, we were followed by women and children selling their handmade items. A young girl, we found out she was seventeen, sat on the steps and made baskets. Soon her seventeen month old child was brought to her to nurse. The love for this child was so apparent in this young womans face.

One of our guides struck up a conversation with her and asked if we could see her house. It was in the field beside the lodge. About five of us went into the house. The building was about 17' x 12', seventeen people lived in this house. The floor was dirt and stone, there was cracks in the wall where you could see light. The stove was an open barrel. I've never witnessed such poverty. When we came outside I asked if she minded if I took a photo of her and her daughter. She said no. This photo has haunted me ever since I took it and it will be part of my art work. I will have more to say on this as my work progresses.

Iris after paint and on new background

Whats on my design wall

On Friday I posted what was on my design wall. I got some inquiries about the little girl, This is a project I've been working on for over a year. Many things got in the way but I think the biggest obstacle is myself. I will get to the story of the little girl later as the piece goes together.

The other piece on the wall is an iris that I finished that day. I have since added the paint and placed it on the background ready for quilting.

Quilt Art Digest

Today Katy, a member of Quilt Art Digest asked members to post what was on their design wall today. My photo actually show three pieces. The face of the little girl is the piece that has been keeping me awake at night as well as not productive.

The small yellow iris was done for a demo at my gallery opening in Sautee, GA. I still have to paint, thread paint and quilt that piece.

The other iris is what I worked on today. I had been working with another iris pattern with these same pieces of fabric but wasn't happy with it. When I looked at the yellow iris yesterday I decided it was the pattern I didn't like. Sooo- today I changed the pattern and it went together like butter.

For those of you who don't know my work I will explain my process. I use my own photos or photos I have gotten permission to use. I make my patterns using the photos. After the fabric is cut and fused together I then paint to highlight the image. Sometimes I thread paint before I put the layers together. Other times I quilt heavily. I'm ready to put the paint on these next.

The background may not be the one I use. You might notice there are three or four pieces behind the blue. Hope you enjoy.

High Fiber Art Quilt Group

I belong to a new art quilt group located in Seneca SC. This group is made up of experienced as well as new art quilters. They are such an enthusiastic group and I am energized after each meeting. Today we decided that we would use the book "Fabric Art Workshop" by Susan Stein as a guide to trying new techniques. I am not much for experimenting, I know I should be, but I am looking forward to trying these techniques and seeing what everyone comes up with. I will show them later on this Blog. The first photo shows aclose-up of Beatrice's work.