Hanging Small Quilts

Here are several ways to display a small quilt. Options include:
Fast Finish Triangles
Tradutional Quilt Sleeve
Split Sleeve
Hanging Ring
Picture Hook
Plain Back
Use a picture frame

Art Quilts Displayed at Houston

Have a look at the 1,077 Art Quilts that were dontated in aid of Alzheimer's at the Houston Quilt Festival this past October.

Check these out!

Another busy day! It started out with constructing two more smaller images, setting in windows and planting flowers (in the fabric garden). I have finally photographed all my Pisci Fantasticus so they are ready for the Craft Fair.
I've also been looking at some interesting web sites. For example, have you ever heard of a zentangle?
Also check out:
Quilting Tips
Tutorials and Freebies.
Shadow Trapunto & lots of quilting stuff from Romania.
Art Quilts

Christmas Craft Fair

This year, the 2009 Fine Craft & Design Fair or its old name of the 'Christmas Craft Fair' (Craft Council of NL), will be held at a new venue: The Arts and Culture Center, St. John's. 10 days - 2 fairs running from November 4 - 8 and November 11 - 15. Free Admission!! Some venders choose to do the 10 days, I didn't! I will be there for the first half.

This is a very busy time but the end is near!

The Butterfly Project

I belong to the St. John's Guild of Embroiderers'. The summer challenge 2009 was to embroider a butterfly. 1,500,00 children perished in the Holocaust and in an effort to remember them, the Holocaust Museum, Houston, Texas, is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies. The butterflies are scheduled for exhibit during Spring 2012. The following poem was the inspiration for making butterflies. The picture below shows some of the butterflies made by members of the guild.

The Butterfly

The last, the vey last,

So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.

perhaps if the sun's tears would sing

against a white stone...

Such, such a yellow

Is carried lightly 'way up high.

it went away I'm ure

because itwished

to kiss the world good-bye.

For seven week I've lived in here.

Penned up inside this ghetto.

But I have found what I love here.

The dandelions call to me

And the white chestnut branches in the court

Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one.

Butterflies don't live in here, in the ghetto.

Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942

Born in prague on January 7, 1921.

Deported to the Terezin Concentration Camp on April 26, 1942.

Died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.

Fibre Lace Scarves

Since the weather wasn't great, I spent the whole day in my studio. I finished the Christmas tree felted art cards and started two more fibre lace scarves. The one in the photo was done awhile ago. As you can see, this one is reversible. I like to use lots of different yarns in each scarf so whenever I travel, I search for unusual yarns and fibres. One of the places I frequent is Romni Wools in downtown Toronto. What a fabulous place for yarns and fibers! Yarns with lots of glitz and glitter usually catch my attention. Locally, Wool Trends has a nice variety of yarns.

Machine Felting

I spent the afternoon experimenting with my felting machine. The Fine Craft & Design Fair is in two weeks and I decided to create some Christmas Tree art cards. The first thing was to make a base fabric. I started with green craft felt and laid lots of decorative yarns across horizontally. These were then attached to the base by needle felting with the machine.


I made a triangle template to use as a guide to cut my trees from the needle felted fabric.

Tree trunks from a thick brown yarn was added last.

Linen with gold threads was used as a background for the finished tree. This was mounted on a blank card.

New Work

Here's a couple of new images, in a series, that I've been working on. Cotton batiks are used for the 'clapboard' and window trim. The batik fabric a thinner but tighter weave and works well in this application. The window pane is made from two layers of grey organza fused with Misty Fuse and put on a black piece of cotton. Satin stitch was used on the window. The bushes are made from green organza that was stitched with free motion zigzag stitch. The daisies were hand stitched in a hoop and attached to the background giving a 3 dimensional appearance. The pink lupins were stitched using free motion on pink organza and attached to the backgound. These pieces will be matted and framed. They will be at my booth at the Fine Craft Design Fair, St. John's, November 4 - 8 at the Arts & Culture Centre.

I use a number of different fusibles in my art work but the misty fuse is soft and works well with organzas and other light weight fabrics. Whenever fusibles are used, stitching is added. Years ago I made a wall hanging for my sister for Christmas. As time was flying, I decided to do a wallhanging using all fusible interfacing. The piece was beautiful! Several years later, as I was helping her pack up to move, I came across this same hanging. Most of the pieces were falling off. So much for fusing! I made up my mind that in the future, anything fused would also have some stitching to hold it in place. I think it was a very wise decision. Who knows what affect climate has on fusible interfacings.

Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador

I've been a member of the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador for about 9 years. The first piece I ever exhibited, Field of Daisies, was in the Annual Member's Exhibit, 2000. Since then, I have had pieces in various exhibits at Devon House. To see some of the works of art, and read about the artists, go to the Artist Profiles on the Craft Council site. I tried to make a link to it but had no success. For information about the gallery and shop, please take a moment to read about them on the web. Devon House Shop and Gallery is well worth a visit!

Iceberg Art Cards

Here lately, I've been making a series of 'iceberg' Art Cards. The 'iceberg' is made from painted dryer sheets and stitched onto hand painted backgrounds. The background is interfacing that goes on the tops of drapes. It can be purchased by the metre at Fabricville. I used acrylic paint. Each art card is unique. In the spring of the year, icebergs float along the coast of Newfoundland.

Quilt Shop in Chicago

The last time I visited Chicago, I came across a very unique quilt shop called Quiltology. I was looking for unusual batiks at the time and found some there! I was impressed with the quilts on display and the selection of fabrics they carry. Check them out. I have used some of the batiks in the making of my Pisci Fantasticus (fantasy fish).

Free Motion Designs

I found this wonderful site full of free motion quilting designs. Leah Day decided she wanted to create a design a day. I must say, she has done quite a job so far! In fact, she has also created short video clips to demonstrate her techniques.

Killer-Works

I was asked today about one of my 'favorite web sites', Killer-Works. It didn't seem to fit with the things that interest me. It is my daughter's web site and is one of her current projects. Jill is a graduate of TUNS (Technical University of Nova Scotia) with a masters degree in Architecture. She has designed sets for CTV, Discovery Channel's Daily Planet, etc. Check her profile on the killer-works site!

new photos added

I've just added some new photos to my Flickr page.

Cheongju International Craft Biennale

The Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Korea, is one of the largest and most prestigious craft exhibitions in the world. This year, Canada has been selected as the guest country. In all, fourteen Newfoundland and Labrador craft makers have their work represented at the Biennale, either in the Exhibition, for sale in the Marketplace, or both. The Biennale is open from September 23 until November 1, 2009. This project is managed by the Canadian Crafts Federation and provincial craft councils across Canada, including the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador .

I was contacted by the craft council late last year and asked if I would like to have some of my work for sale in the Marketplace. I was thrilled to be asked! But what a lot of work! I did get my 'stuff' ready in time. Some of the things requested were: fibre lace scarves, evening purses, wearable art pins and shimmers. I've included a picture of one of my maple leaf art pins. For all my pins, I create the base fabric so that even though the shapes may be the same, no two pins are alike, each is one-of-a-kind.