A Year of Blackwork

I have been participating in A Year of Blackwork, from Peppermint Purple SAL Group (facebook group), which is 52 weeks of a free stitch-a-long. This is my stitching so far:

• Needle n' Thread free blackwork patterns  
• Blackwork Embroidery
• Blackwork Freebies on Pinterest HERE 
• Russian Blackwork        
• Blackwork Charts

Enjoy!!

From 2008: In All Its Glory

Easter has silently crept upon me! Yesterday, I realized that it's next weekend. Where does the time fly. I wonder how many of you have all your Easter Projects finished and in use? Me, I don't have anything to put out at the moment. With no studio yet and most things still in boxes, I'm managing to keeping up with production orders and not much else. I am chief gopher for studio renovations which is important.

I posted this textile seascape, In All Its Glory, on Instagram and FaceBook today:

Now check out a few links:

• For all the scrappy quilters out there, check out SCRAPtistic on Persimon Dreams
• How to make a Craft Bag 
• Free Easter Patterns at the Quilt Gallery   
• Easter Baskets and Eggs Tutorials 

Enjoy!!

Spring in Nova Scotia

It was another beautiful spring day here in Nova Scotia. I spent the morning in Dartmouth, the afternoon in Bridgewater and the evening in Brooklyn (near Windsor). Not looking forward to the cooler temperatures home at the end of the week.

I hope your projects for Mother's Day are well underway.

To my non-facebook friends, here are a few links I found from Facebook Posts:

• 14 Quick-Sew Gifts for any Occasion  
• Sewing Instructions for Quick (and less quick) Fabric Baskets 
• Embroidery Tutorials 
• Bernina Zippered Rulerwork Bags 
• Round Robin Collection - Free Quilt Patterns 

Crossing the McKay Bridge after lunch, I managed to take this photo of a very large container ship heading into Halifax Harbour.

    

Saturday Stuff: tutorials. freebies . . .

There were quite a few patterns listed on Facebook and blogs the last couple of days, so I decided to list some here.

• I know this one is from 2015, but patterns are good anytime. These are the Top 10 Sew Can She Tutorials for 2015. There's tons of stuff on this site! Check out the Picnic Tote free sewing pattern. I do like this shape for a tote. 
• Patchwork Posse has 33 Cute Lunch Bags You Can Sew. But these may also be used for other things too.
• Stitch by Stitch has a Fabric Book Cover Tutorial
• Ellie Travel Case Tutorial   from Fabric Mutt     
• Show off Saturday   

Enjoy!!

Here's a Journal Cover I made a few years ago.

Jill Thirza Cooper - Artist

Today, I'm highlighting some of my daughter's paintings. Jill Thirza Cooper lives in Chicago, IL with her family. She has a framing shop and art gallery called Forte Framing and Gallery. Jill is a design professional with an undergraduate degree in computer science and environmental design and a graduate degree in Architecture.

She has painted the Chicago skyline in various sizes and different times of the day and night. This past week, she posted the one below, on Facebook, and it sold. This one has a very colourful sky - a happy piece!

The swimming woman is my favorite. I saw it when I was in Chicago in April.



Most recent and just sold as well as a print of it.



Embroidery on Pendants

Since Mother's Day is tomorrow, I thought I'd post a few Fibre Art Pendants with embroidered flowers on them.

Also, one of my heart pendants has been highlighted today on Face Book by the Craft Council of Newfoundland Labrador. Thanks for the extra promotion of my work. The scarf is also one of my creations.

Here's the caption copied from Face Book:

What a lovely way to say "Mom, you are pretty great!" Come in to see our full selection of these

beautiful fibre pendants and scarves by St. John's crafts person Judy Cooper

Day 5 - Art Challenge, Last Day

Day 5 - Art Challenge. Today it's mostly structures. These pieces have all  been on exhibit.

'The 'Row House' wall hanging is an older piece and was purchased by the provincial government as part of the art procurement.

'Gower Street', 'Back Yard' and 'Quidi Vidi' were commissioned pieces that are in Nova Scotia.

The Fishermen's Museum, English Harbour West, is based on a photo I took a couple years ago. Each piece of 'clapboard' was stitched on one piece at a time.

'View From The Rooms' is a large textile piece based on a photo taken from the 4th floor of The Rooms. 

I challenged friend and avid quilter, Linda Coolen Smith to participate​. Linda is a member of a modern quilt guild in Halifax. Her work is beautiful. However, Linda emailed me back saying she participated in the Art Challenge last week. I thought I had gone through her posts but . . . In any event, please visit Linda's blog to see her wonderful quilts. I met Linda (had lunch with her and another quilter) last summer when I was in Nova Scotia.

Row House Wall Hanging

Gower Street - commissioned piece

Quidi Vidi - commissioned piece

Back Yard - commissioned piece

Fishermen's Museum, English Harbour West

View From The Rooms

Day 4 of Art Challenge

It was a fish day on day 4 of the facebook Art Challenge. These are all textile pieces I have created over the last few years.
Red Fish was purchased by the City of St. John's a number of years ago. It was one of the first 3-D pieces I created.
The tea cozy is in a private collection. I did part with this one.
Flow is part of the Province of Newfoundland Labrador archives. They own several of my pieces.
The Deep was on exhibit in Nova Scotia but not here in Newfoundland. We decided to keep this particular piece.

Red Fish

Tea Cozy, side 1

Tea Cozy, side 2

Flow is a large piece with over 250 fish stitched onto the background

The Deep hangs in my livingroom. We couldn't let it go!

Day 3 - Art Challenge

It's day 3 of the Art Challenge. Here's some 3 - D pieces I've made over the years. The Garden Sewing Box was the winner of Original Design, EAC - Embroiderers' Association of Canada, Inc., also winner of Award for Excellence in Craft for Technical Mastery (2005), Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, and was published in the 2nd. edition of Needle Pulling Thread.
Next is my Under The Sea Sewing Portfolio. This is the 2nd one I've made. The 1st was in an exhibit and is in a private collection.
Treasures of the Sea, won the Award for Excellence in Craft for Innovation and Design (2003).
Pisci Fantasticus are stuffed fish made from batiks. They are at Devon House Craft Shop, Craft Council, St. John's.
Today, I challenge artist friend, Caroline Clarke to display her wonderful art pieces.

Each side is different.

Day 2, Art Challenge

Today is day 2 of the Art Challenge on Facebook. Here are three of my textile landscapes (earlier work). The rocks are printed from my computer on silk, cut up and hand appliqued to the background. The skies and water are hand dyed. At first glance, they look like paintings but as you get closer, you can see the dimension. The first one is called 'In All Its Glory' and was on exhibit at the Grand National Quilt Show, Waterloo, Ontario, 2002. I kept that one but the others have been sold.
Now it's my turn to challenge another fibre artist, Anne Lucas, of Foggy Rock Fibres, to show her work over the next 5 days.

Day 1, Art Challenge on FaceBook

I was asked to participate in the 5 day Art Challenge on Face Book. So for those of you who aren't on Face Book, here's what I posted yesterday:

My friend, Rhonda, has challenged me to participate in the Art Challenge on Facebook. I'll start day 1 with 3 early pieces.

Voyage of Discovery was designed and created to celebrate the 500 years of John Cabot's discovery of Newfoundland. I made two of these. One is hanging in Bristol, England and was delivered on the day The Matthew set sail for NL. The 2nd one hangs in my dining room.

Cod Fish (3-D fish) wall hanging was made for an exhibit and is in a private collection.

Field of Daisies has 115 tiny hand embroidered daisies, done in a hoop, stiffened and then added, one at a time, to the landscape (private collection). This piece was inspired from a workshop I took with Valerie Hearder early 2000 when Val lived here in NL. Thanks, Val!

New Fabrics Arrived!

A few post ago I mentioned winning some fabrics and a pattern on several blog hops. I received the Liquorice Hoffman Bali Pops from Linda's Quiltmania on Monday. Thanks, Linda, they are just perfect and will be used in future landscapes.

Today, 4 fat quarters (Batiks) arrived from Flare Fabrics, a Canadian Company, specializing in quality batiks, bold cottons and flannels. The batiks are top quality and the colours I received are just perfect for making my 3-D fish. I won these on face book! Also check out their blog. Thanks bunches for the fabrics!

UK Art Quilts

UK Art Quilts is a new blog started this September. They have been very active on Face Book and because many of their members requested a group or a website, decided to do the blog thing! Photos of spectacular work from some of the members can be found HERE. I've also spent a little time looking at some other blogs & websites (mostly British) that are quite interesting. Grab a cup of something and enjoy these!

Painted Quilts by Annabell Rainbow
Cath Stonard Textile Art & Stitch Cloth Colour
Contemporary Quilt is a specialist group of The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles. Check them out!
The Dyers Hand
Jill Taylor - Third Age Musings
Sally's Stuff (Australia)
Occasional Jottings & 12 By the Dozen
Cas Holmes

TAST

TAST - Take a Stitch Tuesday, from Pintangle started on Tuesday. I had forgotten all about it. Now I have to scramble to do up some fabric to use for a stitch sampler. For a list of participants in the 2012 TAST with links to their blogs, go here. There's lots to see. Also, check out TAST on Facebook.
The first stitch for 2012 is the fly stitch. Go here for Sharon B's dictionary of stitches. The Art of Threads has a video of making this stitch (scroll down).

Fly Stitch from Stitch Magazine

If you are interested in doing some embroidery, Needlecrafter has a lot of free designs as well as a stitch dictionary, to get you started.
Enjoy!

Skinny Taste Recipes

I was catching up on Face Book and one of my friends recommended Skinny Taste Recipes. I had a quick look and it looks promising. I realize this site isn't about textile art related 'stuff', but we all have to eat and if it tastes good as well as been low fat - then it's ok!  The photo shows a super moist low fat chocolate cupcake.

Check out one of my previous posts for cup cake related stitching.

Enjoy!

Tale Town

Tale Town: A Facebook Game for readers just reached their goal and then some. Check out this Face Book game.  Play the video! Who knows, you just might like it!

Congratulations to the team!!