More mosaics and a new project!

 Chris had said she had an idea for a group project we could do, so we decided to discuss that this month. 
Her idea is based on an article she saw in the American Quilter magazine last year.  It was about a "sliced photo" quilt made by a group of ladies from Oregon made.  Their quilts, the "Klamath Basin Vistas", can be seen here.

So now we are in the process of finding a picture that appeals to everyone.






It was sort of a busy meeting, with everyone working on something.

Beth had her stitchery supplies handy.  Poor Beth had one of those blue markers not wash out.  It's been ironed, but if anyone knows how to get it out now, leave a comment!!!

Mary Ellen was sewing the binding on a quilt she made for a friend, which has to be finished for the Holidays.
I'm sorry I wasn't thinking when she showed it, but it's just as well- wouldn't want to ruin anyone's surprise!









The only show and tell was Mary Ellen and Martha had finished their trees from the class most of us took with Wendy Butler Berns last month, when she visited the Museum Quilt Guild.

Martha's

Mary Ellen's

The rest of us were working on the mosaic self portraits, since the girls who missed it expressed an interest in trying it.
Here is Kathi's "work in progress"                                       

                            And her finished picture!
                      (doesn't it make you smile?)
















Susan's piece is a statement on the almost constant migraines she suffers.












A better look at Susan's.

 Chris finished hers at home, so we weren't able to take her picture next to it.  The ornament earrings are because she is a Christmas baby.

















Martha did another one just to play.  The suggestion of a face needs work- or a nose- don't you think?

October meeting: Self Portrait Collage Night

We had our usual show and tell to start the meeting.

Mary Ellen couldn't wait to try the leaf pounding technique shown in the current Quilter's Newsletter Magazine.
















Lori is getting into the Halloween spirit.
















Beth went right home after the last guild meeting to try the stitch and slash technique Kathi demoed.  (that word just looks wrong!)








Martha was inspired by a picture seen on Facebook to suggest we all try making self portraits using magazine pictures instead of fabric. (If I can find a link to the picture, I'll come back  and add it)  Found a post with the picture here!

 First, we all had fun tearing pages out of magazines, cutting out things we found interesting, or useful and passing around hair and facial features as we went. 
   

 Then it was on to the serious business of laying out our treasures to create our portrait.  Thanks to Beth, we had music to create by!

Mary Ellen was the first to finish.  And didn't she do a wonderful job???

Martha went for a slightly less realistic portrait.
















Elaine channeled Picasso for hers!

 Lori found so many meaningful words, she decided not to fill in the face.  I love that her words show strength and empowerment!

Beth tore her paper, and made the mosaic look more successfully. She declined to put her real face in the picture with this.  It is not a good likeness. 

Emmy used a map as her skin, cat's eyes and luscious lips!







Aren't they all fun?

Mandala Challenge

Karen Reisdorf, of Blue Pearl Yoga, invited the ArtCGirlz to visit her wonderful space a few months back.  She challenged us all to make a mandala after sharing some information about the art form with us.  Here are the quilts created as a result of that challenge.

 Chris Kuehl's  "Sun, Sand, Surf"  was inspired by two vacations this year spent by the ocean.  It is machine/ paper pieced and quilted, thread painted and embellished with leaf metal and crystals.

 

Mary Ellen Casey's  "Om Mani Padme Hum" (O Jewel in the Lotus Flower) was inspired by a commercial print.  Batik fabrics, thread painting with silk and metallic thread.  The center of the flower is embroidered with silk yarn to signify the complexity of the potential which is the focus of the path to enlightenment. 

 The title comes from an article by Laurel Fishman. It "signifies not only the jewel of man's divinity living within the lotus (the cosmos) but also the jewel of cosmos divinity living within the lotus(man).  In other words, the mantra is saying, "I am in you and You are in me"; thereby  stating the unity and brotherhood of all beings, as well as their inner divine potential."

Elaine Ross's "Where Words Fail...Music Speaks" began as a circular patterned piece of rust-dyed fabric and a music theme.  Music is a relief from the stresses of life, so the word "peace" was stenciled around the musical motifs in the center.   Rust-dyed cotton fabric, fabric paints, inks and beads. Machine pieced and quilted.

Kathy Everett's  "On Wings" was created with the help of Julie Brandon at Red-Dog Enterprises, where the image of wings, which really speaks to Kathi, was printed onto cotton.     Machine quilted, hand stitched. Embellished with reflective crystals.

 Susan Rathbun's "Oops- Lemonade" was to be ice-dyed with the colors radiating from the center, then a grid of intersecting circles created with a washable glue technique.  The breeze that scattered the dye powder and dried the fabric too quickly created blobs of color instead.  So she got lemons and made lemonade! Ice dyed cotton fabric and hand sewed beads.

Elaine Ross also made this small piece, "The Butterfly Within".

 The eye travels to different parts of the Mandala as the colors of the thread weave in and out on the background. Crystals add points of light. Sadly, the quilting doesn't show up very well in this picture.  Machine Quilted, Variegated Rayon Thread, Crystals, Appliqué

Bethany Anderson, "Talk in Your Sleep"  Acrylic paint on canvas

Bethay Anderson, "Wellington"  Acrylic paint on canvas

Bethay Anderson, "Ship and Compass" Acrylic on canvas

Martha Lorshbaugh's "Zendala Mandala" was created using templates and a pattern by Jan Krentz.  The fabric is carefully cut to create the kaleidoscope/ mandala design.  The quilting was designed with techniques from a "zentangle".  When a zentangle is created within a circle, it's called a zendala.  Cotton fabrics, rayon thread.  Machine pieced and quilted. The design can be seen here.

Lori Anderson's  "Healing Shadows" uses photo transfer, applique, couched & hand sewn embellishments,  thread painting with free-motion quilting.




Sadly, the exhibit at Blue Pearl Yoga did not go as planned.  If the exhibit reopens, we will post updated information.

A very fond farewell

Sadly, one of our favorite ArtCGirlz is relocating in August.  We all wanted to show her how much we will miss her, so we had a little party at TF Brown's.











Mary was the only one who had show and tell- another piece inspired by Anne Brauer.  She used the batik strip at the bottom as her color inspiration. 









Mary also shared some information on Tapping, which is a technique used for stress relief.  It can also help overcome those mental hurdles we all feel when starting a project that is a bit out of our comfort zone. 
Additional information can be found at these sites.
http://www.emofree.com/ 
http://eft.mercola.com/

Mary also had lots of good information on  mandalas to inspire us for the challenge- due in September. (has ANYONE started theirs yet?)
There are tons of pictures online if you google "mandala quilt project"

Martha thought this site with "zendala" templates might also be helpful.  (scroll down, then click on any of the weekly challenges.)

After dinner, there were a few gifts for Mary.

Chris made a card for the occasion, so it was sort of her show and tell.

 Mary Ellen thought the name of this was appropriate for someone undergoing the stress of moving and starting a new job!

Kathi's card gave us all a good laugh.  It says:
I hope we're friends until we die and then I hope we stay ghost friends and walk through walls and scare the shit out of people.






Kathi gave Mary this skirt. 
Mary wore a dress Kathi admired and it inspired her to wear a skirt recently.  So this is a way to share that memory.  (Plus it's really pretty!)













And, of course, what's a party without chocolate?!!













Mary promises to join our meetings electronically if possible.  But we still say Best Wishes and we are truly going to miss you!

A new challenge and some yoga

For our May meeting, we did something completely different, thanks to Mary Ellen's suggestion.  We visited Blue Pearl Yoga, where Mary Ellen takes classes.  The owner, Karen Reisdorf, had expressed an interest in doing an exhibit of our work in her wonderful yoga space, where she is hoping to someday have a small gallery.                                                                                                                        




  First we took a tour of the space, which was formerly used by the Masons.

We all loved the color in this room.  Sort of a taupe, which made us all chuckle a little.

Kathi wants to live in this area, with the fabulous stairway in the center!

Karen presented us with a challenge for the exhibit, using a Mandala as our inspiration.  She shared a presentation she has done for other groups on the topic and the variations of mandalas. This wall hanging was in the room pictured above- sort of a perfect example.
So now we are letting ideas percolate for the project.  In September we will present them to her for display in the "taupe" room.









The last two blocks for Michael's quilt were presented to Kathi, just in time for his homecoming (today!!!). 

Sharon's block- all done by hand

Mary's block

Most of us didn't bring anything for show and tell since the yoga class began shortly after we arrived.
Mary brought her Ann Brauer piece, all finished and attached to the background quilt. (that is an excellent finishing technique!)

Mary Ellen is finishing this piece for her son's office in Rochester.

Many thanks to Karen for her time and the exciting challenge. Come back in September for the results! 

April Show and Tell

Lori had a bottomless bag of goodies to share!  She has obviously been keeping herself very busy.  This butterfly was a kit with the design already carved into the foam beneath the fabric.   

These are walker bags for community service at guild, using fabric she was given.  Lori is learning to make buttonholes for this project!

(if the spacing is weird it's because blogger is behaving badly today and I am not in the mood to do battle to fix it.  Sorry!)

The bag was made with fabric sent to her by a guild member. 

Lori is doing a lot of handwork these days.  The "Bug" was a gift for her husband.

 And she has caught the "hexie" bug.















This is only one of the amazing little photos on fabric Lori bought from a man in Australia after seeing his work on facebook.  His website is amazing- and there's free shipping!

Finally, Lori did go home last month and try the Ann Brauer technique!

Kathi laid out all the blocks she has for the Michael's quilt.  Don't they look great all together.  We had lost track of who is still working on one.  We know there will be at least nine blocks.  Kathi is ready to start putting it together for Michael's return!

 Elaine framed her Ann Brauer piece on a second quilt.  Take a look at the circle quilting she did- very cool!

This was Elaine's entry for the "Winter's End" show by RAFA last month.  It was nice to finally get a good look at it!
 It was inspired by this little poem.















Elaine and Kathi took a class with Julie Brandon. This piece is made from the fabric Elaine had printed at the end of the class.  It's something different to everyone who looks at it, but we all liked it best this way up.  (good thing since that's how Elaine likes it!)  She hopes to add some beads to it just for a little sparkle and definition.






Mary Ellen is doing a round robin.  The fabric she used is so close to the original fabric we all thought it must have come to her with the block, but it was just hiding in her stash!  This is why quilters require such large stashes!

 Deciding to try her hadn at a "modern" quilt, and wishing to use up some scraps, Mary Ellen made this striking quilt.  I had once again forgotten the name of the pattern- something liked connected or entwined??  The binding will be made with strips of many of the scraps.  ooooh!












Another Anne Brauer piece.  Mary Ellen had wanted to try setting in a circle.  It's wonderful isn't it?  a Taupe moon.  Too bad the quilting doesn't show in this picture.











Kathi's Ann Brauer piece is still deciding what it might be.  Not planning her strips, she ended up using a repeat of 6 or 8 different fabrics.  It reminded a couple of us of those old rugs we all used to have.

 Kathi led another photo transfer workshop with her fiberistas.  These are a couple of the pieces she did there.

 The finished piece to be a gift for a retiring friend.  The pattern, including the vinyl used to lay out the pieces, is up for grabs, as Kathi does not plan to do this again.







Kathi took a "craftsy' class with Carol Ann Waugh called Stitch and Slash.  Here she is showing us how you use a seam ripper to cut away one or more layers of fabric that has been sewn with circles and lines.

And here is a somewhat better view of the piece.

Emmy brought one of her books to share with us.  The cover is a tile she got for $1 somewhere.  Each page has a way to attach photos or other memorabilia. 

 Emmy has finally realized why they are called "New York Beauty" blocks!

 Emmy is also doing some hand piecing.  She had always wanted to try Cathedral Windows.

I had forgotten to bring this into the meeting, but this is my Ann Brauer piece, made into a small purse- about 8 inches across the bottom.
(my brain is misfiring lately.  I'm blaming the weather)