Recently in Fiber Art Category

Time to work on my projects is fit in where I can around the busy schedule with the grandboys. Today I had a few hours alone, so I worked on my next piece which is due on the 15th. I spent days finding my voice in the prompt, and then a scramble to pull fabrics and seam the pieced parts. I cut out big flowers, first heaping them as a bouquet at the bottom, and then finding a balance as a chunky border on that great Kokka green background. I will move this and adjust that, add something new, change a line and add feathers. This is the beginning of it's 'becoming'....

Our latest collaboration and next pattern is under the machine being quilted, as new ideas are swirling for the next project. This one gave me moments of grief when I switched to metallic thread in the outside border...I broke 5 needles in 15 inches of stitching...and eventually figured out that if I slowed down to a snail's pace and took the curves of the loops slowly, the machine (and I) was happier.

This piece was Amy's response to Creative Therapy catalyst #112. It awaits quilting...

This piece is my response to the Creative Therapy catalyst, "What Was Your Childhood Like?" The public library in town was my favorite place where I spent many many hours. That grand building held so many possibilities...I remember when I was finally old enough to peruse the 'adult' section. I wanted the structure of the building to look childlike, with the colors of those wonderful stained glass windows. The books are selvage edges of fabric. The little embroidered flower is a bit of my mom's hand work. I machine quilted, and hand stitched the bird's tail in gold thread.

Posted on the Creative Therapy site this week.

I have to admit that placemats haven't always been standard fare in my house. There is a drawer for them, just as there is a drawer for tea, a drawer for coffee, a drawer for kid cups, and one for kid snacks. The drawer that houses the placemats and cloth napkins, however, also now holds batteries. With the rate we use up batteries in the Wii and with the way my wireless mouse sucks up batteries, it's with a sigh that I admit I get in that drawer for batteries far more frequently than I do for the placemats.

There is irony in that fact that we've made so many placemats in the last year, especially placemats featuring birdhouses. Placemats seem to speak to the heart of home decor for many people. It wasn't until we each opened a placemat from Opal last year that I realized the charm and whimsy a placemat can bring – the smile to go along with the nourishment of food and drink.

These three placemats were made specifically for their recipients, but you can see the wonder of them and the ways in which a placemat can reflect a personality, young or old.

This is one of our latest projects which I quilted yesterday. Using our pattern, A's Cranes, with a pirate theme, we created a happy kid's quilt. Choosing the perfect color for the binding is next.

Opal and I both have art up at Creative Therapy this week for a catalyst (#76) that let us work on a project we've "been meaning to work on." It was nice to have a bit of a breather and work on something free-form. I was traveling during the span of time right before this was due. The applique was a perfect piece to work on. Opal's raw-edged crow... is stunning.

Thank you for the support and encouraging words from those of you who came by our booth last weekend at Art By the Bay on Camano Island in Washington, and especially those who braved the cold and rain on Sunday. We had the most colorful booth at the show. Our birdhouse placemats were a hit. In fact, we sold all of them and took special orders for others. Our pattern for A's Strips was popular for the quilters, and our quilted art totes found new homes. And I smiled when I saw someone walk by with one of our quilted coffee sleeves on their espresso drink....

This is our booth before it was set up,,,,10 feet by 10 feet, with a climbing rope hanging right in the middle.

Still not ready, but almost...these are some of our items we had on display.

Everyone commented about our soft colorful Dream Pillows.

Today, the day after, we are busy completing special orders and planning for the upcoming shows.

This is my response to the Creative Therapy catalyst #61..."What Do You Put Off Doing." I wanted to see the possibilities of blooms and flowers in my yard. I show them around the periphery only. Gardening is one thing I put off doing.

The little flower triangles were rescued from the floor of my friend's quilting studio. I layered and quilted them around the center panel. I quilted wiggly rows with seed beads to show my attempts to grow things. 8.5" x 10"

Yesterday we had a day of sun with not a cloud in the sky. Islanders hoped it was a sign of warmer and drier days to come. I've had in my mind to photograph our totes together. As I got settled out on the deck, the totes arranged and perfect for a photo, the rain started. I did get the photo, and you can see drops on the deck. These Here2There totes have bird art and bird houses worked into the design. These are ready for upcoming shows and sales.

This is a peek at our collaborative tessellation quilt which is still in progress. Here I have just sewn on the binding. After this photo, I did more quilting on the shapes. I'll post photos of the finished quilt soon.

Other Here2There projects continue to be worked on both here and there. With each piece, Amy and I both say that it is the best one so far...and now, we have said that many times. But really, this one just may be best one...until the next one anyway.