You may have noticed that I am actively avoiding Step 2 of Plan B. You know, the part where I actually paint something. Instead, I was kind of enjoying the simple black and white outline.
While I was looking at the image, it made me think of my mother-in-law, “Grandma Ellie” to our daughters. This picture was taken years ago in her front garden. That’s when my mind connected the two ideas: Grandma Ellie’s garden and the Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt block. I wondered what the image of the two girls would look like in front of a Grandmother’s [ ... ]
Blog Archives
May 16
2013
You may have noticed that I am actively avoiding Step 2 of Plan B. You know, the part where I actually paint something. Instead, I was kind of enjoying the simple black and white outline.
While I was looking at the image, it made me think of my mother-in-law, “Grandma Ellie” to our daughters. This picture was taken years ago in her front garden. That’s when my mind connected the two ideas: Grandma Ellie’s garden and the Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt block. I wondered what the image of the two girls would look like in front of a Grandmother’s [ ... ]
Category: work in progress
4 Comments
May 15
2013
Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to present a trunk show to my own quilt guild, the Miami Valley Quilters’ Guild.
I have been a part of this quilt guild since around 1997. I have been so blessed to be a part of this guild. They bring in top name quilters and have great workshops. They have a terrific library of books that are available to borrow. I learned much of what I know today because of those teachers and those books. Many of my quilts have been a direct result of [ ... ]
Category: my quilt guild, teaching
2 Comments
May 13
2013
I took the first step of Plan B today. I really wanted a different look for this quilt, and I’m not exactly sure if I’ll be able to pull it off, but that’s not going to stop me from trying. I’m hoping to create some beautiful, but controlled, watercolor washes. My initial attempt was dismal, but I’ve got a couple of ideas I’m going to try. Thank you to everyone for your suggestions, too! I really do appreciate it. I know I have lots to learn, and there are so many new products available to us now that it’s [ ... ]
Category: work in progress
2 Comments
May 11
2013
I started painting yesterday. Let’s just say, it didn’t go as planned!
This is not quite what I imagined. I wanted a watercolor look, but I haven’t been able to control the bleeding. Hmph! I suppose I could cut it out and fuse it to a background fabric. I’m not ready to quit yet, though. I’m going to try again today. I might try a different technique today to see if I can still get the effect I want. If all else fails, I will resort to the paint, cut and fuse approach.
Just for fun, I thought I’d show [ ... ]
Category: work in progress
6 Comments
May 10
2013
Fear is rearing its ugly head again. Isn’t that how the saying goes? I grapple with fear every time I think of making a new quilt. I think many people do. That’s why it is comfortable getting a kit and simply following the instructions. Kits are low risk. Everything is worked out for you. But really, what is there for me to be afraid of? It’s just a piece of fabric. I’m going to do some painting today. If I mess it up, I can over-dye it, cut it up in strips and piece it into a quilt, or [ ... ]
Category: work in progress
2 Comments
May 05
2013
Yesterday I started drafting a new quilt. I use the term “drafting” because this grid method is a systematic way of enlarging a photo to the size that my quilt will be. This is a pretty low-tech approach that anyone can use. It doesn’t require any special equipment. Just a ruler and pen and a big piece of paper, or in my case, several pieces taped together. I get easel pads from Quill.com. Each piece of paper is 27″ by 34″. I get the ones that have a 1″ grid of light [ ... ]
Category: portraits, work in progress
6 Comments
Apr 27
2013
When it comes to digital pictures, are you confused by pixels, DPI, and resolution? You’re not alone! I’m pretty much just a point-and-shoot photographer. I like to assume my end result is going to be great. After all, it looks great on the 2″ screen of my camera. But honestly, just about anything is going to look pretty good at that size. The problem is when I need to view or print out that image bigger — much bigger. Let me try to explain why.
First, a few definitions. Simply put, a pixel is just one unit or one “building [ ... ]
Category: tutorials
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Apr 20
2013
I’ve always been interested in textiles of all types, especially historical and ethnic needlework. I’ve spent hours in many a library pouring over books trying to learn as much as I can about just about anything I can get my hands on. Because of that deep interest, I was so excited to learn about the Textile Art Alliance (TAA), an affiliate group of the Cleveland Museum of Art. I was even more excited when they invited me to come to speak for their members. On Wednesday, I shared [ ... ]
Category: portraits, teaching
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