The Rock, a Logcabin Plus a little more

This is a small artquilt The Rock. I used techniques in it inspired from 3 different quilt artists. It was my 3rd attempt to make the rock of Jesus' tomb in fabric. The hand is a miniquilt - with batting and quilted separate then appliqued onto the piece. I debated how to duplicate the drape of the fabric on the angel's arm in fabric - DUH!! = till I thought - just use a single piece of fabric and fold and drape it!!!

One more piece to mystory behind this piece: Growing up - school pictures would often get stuck into the corner of other photos already hanging on the wall. I always thought if it was important enough to hang on the wall - then it was important enough to have its own frame. So - adding God's word to this piece - I wanted to create a strong contrast between the ultimate importance of His word and the unimportant way it was added. Not having a frame I could stick it in - I added it with a piece of torn masking tape. BTW, the tape and the 'paper' with the bible verses on it are all fabric.

I have just finished taking a class at Quilt University with Carol Miller. I made enough blocks from the class to make this quilt top. There are 5 different logcabin blocks in it - so it is my logcabin sampler. I will add plain borders to finish it as a kingsized quilt. I learned some great tips in the class and highly recommend it!!

A painted slate from several years ago. I was so pleased to discover a technique to 'paint' the shadows of quilting.

Picture take from our front porch in West Virgina. I learned to LOOK UP while living there - watching the sky and storms moving across the valley. That low cloud was boiling up from or reaching down to the Potomac and Cacapon Rivers.

Just a funny picture of our 3 jack russells. Our 'unfaithful dog Muttli' (remember the cartoon Penelope Pittstop?) - is in the middle - My Dad has commented when seeing her lay like this - that her back end looks like a turkey needing to be trussed.

Gotta Go Gammill

Quilting for a friend. Just wanted to share some details of some of the quilting, above and below. I really enjoyed working on the pink quilt above - I have some pink in my stash - I have got to get it out and make a pink quilt now, too!!

More Work from Word Series

This piece started on a sketch pad - which doesn't happen very often in my sewing room - and the verse....If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you....John 15:7. I chose a two color pallette - the complements yellow and purple.
I have been trying to lose weight - dieting for two months I have lost 4 pounds....whooppeee - so I am throwing in 3 mile power walks. While on a power walk last week with my jr Feerless we walked thru a cemetary. At one end is a small wire fence with older silk flowers piled inside. I chose to recycle 2 purple sprigs. My husband now teases me about stealing flowers from the graves. Some of those flowers along with glass beads embellish this piece.

This is Word #12. A very good friend has a birthday this month and I have made this piece for her. But I haven't sent it to her yet - so taking a chance that she won't see it here first! It is stitched with beads and weird things stuck in under the binding that I hope will make her laugh and the verse .... A friend loves at all times.....Proverbs 17:17

This is Word #11...Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. Isa 26:3

I started thinking what am I going to do with 52 'coasters' my table tops will be covered 3 deep by the end of the year. After a visit to my father in Texas and seeing the cute appliance covers he had made for his kitchen - I added additional fabric to the back of this one to make it long enough to drape over that ugly toaster oven in the corner. This piece is not quilted yet - but it already cheers me in the morning.

This is Word #2 made the 2nd week this year - but just now being posted. It is a wholecloth, measures about 14x24 and to make the words I AM the background is filled in using a pigment pen writing many of Jesus' words that told who HE is.... I AM the way the truth and the life - no man comes to the Father but by me. John 14:6

In the old testament, God told Moses...I AM THAT I AM; and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM had sent me unto you. Exodus 3:14. Throughout the bible, God reveals his character by further stating......I AM...

On the Design Wall

Discussion on QuiltArt right now about what is on the design wall. This is a piece I started on a whim where I have taken some commercial fuschia fabric and made an 8point star from the design of the fabric. I am playing with options to 'hide' the lack of points on my star.

To celebrate the arrival of hummingbirds - which should happen very soon now - I painted a few onto the wallhanging. After this current (and I hope final) cold snap leaves Savannah - I am going to hang a hummingbird feeder outside. If I can see a hummingbird in the panhandle of WV by the end of March - I fully expect to see one in southwest Tennessee by the middle of March!!

Word #10 and #9

#10 in my Word series. More than one article in Artist's Magazine has given the advice to 'paint what you love'. In looking at quilt art, I find myself drawn to those pieces that are 'collages' if you will, of bright color, contrast and shapes. So I have been attempting to make these types of pieces - and failing.

So I feel I should go back to my first love, painting nature. Word #8 included a painted rabbit. This piece I used pictures taken at our home in WV of a Swallow-tail butterfly on azaleas. The butterfly and azaleas are painted with the Tsukineko inks and markers. I let the painting lead me to the color scheme of strong primaries - with a little green thrown in. I also broke the rule of design - put like items in odd numbered groups, 3 or 5. I used 2 groups of 4, just to see if it was irritating - like I used to sprinkle salt in the sugar bowl just before my sister 'sweetened' her cereal. That WAS irritating - but groups of 4 are just fine.

Again on this piece I used a paper printed with the verse captured in angelina fibers. I am really enjoying the shine that the angelina fibers add - and by photographing in natural light - you can see that shine in both of these pieces.

Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in thy word. Psalm 119:114

This is my piece for week 9 of 2009 - Word #9. About 2 years ago I did a selfstudy of color theory. I found many of the 'rules' of color theory to reflect God's glory. For this piece, my attempt was to show how black enhances, strengthens those hues next to and surrounded by it. Much as going thru tough, dark times in life , suddenly the small everyday items in our life are made sweeter and more meaningful. (I feel this attempt fell well short of the mark.)

Imagine how dark and tough it was for Mary and Martha to lose their brother Lazarus - knowing the Son of God, knowing their brother was loved and a friend to Jesus. Many people know the shortest verse in the bible - Jesus wept. But please know, He wasn't weeping because Lazarus had died. Why shed those tears when He was going to raise him from the dead? Jesus wept - in sympathy for Mary and Martha - knowing their tears. And He said to them, Said I not unto you that if you would believe, you should see the glory of God? John 11:40

That is a verse of high contrast - the tears and sadness of laying their brother in the grave - and the high worshipful glory of seeing their brother walk out of that grave.

Word #8 & Happy 50th Barbie

Just discovered that Barbie is 50 this year! EGADS! one of my favorite toys as a kid has been around for half of a century! And after this last move to Tennessee, I can't seem to find mine!!
Jamie Lee Curtis allowed herself to be photographed at 50 in the buff for AARP and in clingy lycra for all to see her all. I figured it was time for Barbie to show all too. And, please, Mattel - she is now 50! She has a problem with chocolate - so she is no longer long and thin. Her thighs actually touch now.

At 40, she had to come down off her toes! So sorry, no matter how 'sexy' they may be, 3" heels hurt!! And of course, in her 40s she had to do the Jennifer Aniston hairdo - didn't we all? As you can tell by now - this piece was done purely for fun! Not quilted yet, though. Still thinking about adding an aging Ken!

Not quilted yet - but this is the 8th in the Word series. The rabbit is hand painted with my favorite inks - in red and yellow, an attempt to 'stretch myself' whatever that may mean. I like the effect alot. The verse is Psalm 4:8 and one I use when sleep eludes.....'I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for Thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety'.

Word #7 - Hummingbird

More logcabin blocks from scraps. I no longer use threadsavers - I keep strippy scraps by the sewing machine - and build these small scappy logcabins while working on REAL projects. Sewing a round to one of these blocks acts as a threadsaver.

After 3 were built - I saw the flower in them - so had to add a hummingbird. March is almost here - almost time to set out the feeders again - yippeee!!