March Meeting 2020

fyi...I have put links in bold so you can click to go directly to a web site. 

LoisAnn was up first with lots of show & tell!!!  She's been really productive lately!  This is a drawing she is submitting for the Lake Orion Library & Lake Orion Environmental Resources Committee's 3rd Annual Green Up Logo contest!  LA plans on adding some lettering around the butterfly (e.g. reduce, reuse, etc.).  It would look great on a tote bag!  Good luck, Lois Ann!  

LA also showed her finished butterfly quilt which is applique (turned edges) and painted with Intense/watercolor pencils.  Just a beautiful piece!  Perfect for the 'Birds, Blooms and Butterfly' exhibit!  

The detail and workmanship is just wonderful.

We also discussed using different pencils as well as Gelato pastels.   You can add water (on your finger of spraying or a brush) to blend Gelato's).   We've used these often in Hilary's online class and years ago I watched several of her video's and how she will finish off her quilts, after quilting, with Gelato's.  Here are some links to those video's..  These are from 2015 but you'll see some beautiful Fern quilts she made.  You can always fast forward to see the end result.  They might be of interest to some of you or just give you ideas.  Just click on links below:
Hilary Ferns and Gelato's 1

Hilary Ferns and Gelato's 2

Hilary Ferns and Neocolor 1

Finished Ferns and  fused binding

Lois Ann made some beautiful huge flowers which will be placed on a background, of her choosing!  The flowers are stunning!!!!   Lois Ann used interfacing to back each petal and leaf.

The flower fabrics are hand dyed as are the leaves.  Can't wait to see this quilt finished!!!

Next, LoisAnn show her beautiful background piece she created, which will be used for auditioning a tree.  The background was a piece of inexpensive fabric that she covered with strips of organza type fabric.

She really knows how to enhance a piece of fabric!!

LA cut out the tree all in one piece!!!  The tree will look wonderful on this background!

This show and tell brought up the discussion of using fusible web vs interfacing (to turn edges, etc. on applique pieces).  One issue that can occur using fusible web is fraying on the edge(s) of certain fabrics, when you remove the paper backing.

I  suggested fusing Heat 'n Bond Lite on large or whole pieces of fabric.  Remove the paper backing and save to wrap excess pieces in.  Trace your pattern/leaves/flowers/etc. onto freezer paper or tracing paper; if you lay your fused fabric on top of teflon sheet, you can iron freezer paper on the front of your fabric.  Pin your pattern in place (or use FP) then cut  your pieces without worrying about fraying.  I have quite a few fused pieces that I've done over a year ago and they still retain the Heat 'n Bond!  Seems batik's don't fray much but other cottons (e.g. Kona) do fray no matter how careful you are! Ask me how I know!
Really nice to get lots of ideas to share on techniques from each of our group!



AND Kara has accepted a job at HARVARD!!!!  She still has her ""defending" her thesis this coming August in Rhode Island for her PHd" but the job will be waiting for her!!!  Congrats from all of us to Kara!!!

Carol was up next with a deep sigh!  They are building a home for sure in White Lake!  Lots of excitement and purging will be in her future!   Carol showed her finished oainted bird on canvas, which is stunning!!!  This is the finished piece!




Carol added the flowers, which certainly finishes the piece perfectly!  

I took the picture from last month's meeting just to show the difference with the addition of the flowers!!  How cool is this!

Last month and this month!

Since Carol is purging, she started off with trying to find a home for the overhead projector!  LA's home will be it's new home!   And she brought us quite a few of books for the taking! Carol shared some articles in the current QA magazine showing how to burn Lutradur,  which looked really interesting.  Another article of interest was on the use of "cheesecloth skins" in quilts by Margarita Korioth.  The article is really interesting and if you head over to her blog, you'll see the quilt where Margarita used this technique.  FYI...I remember using Lutradur, after I looked at my blog!  Geezzz  In addition to burning, we used 'disperse dyes' to transfer patterns....couldn't remember the dye!!!  UGH!

I know it's hard to read all the blogs and links I may put in our posts, but honestly, there is so much information out there and some of these artists do such wonderful work it's worth taking the time at night or early a.m. just for inspiration!   Check out some of Margarita's work...her hand work is amazing (you may have to scroll through some recent posts to get to her hand work). 

One magazine Carol brought in was called Curated Quilts.  Looks really interesting...might have to check some of these out.  Each magazine focus on a particular theme/pattern..the current one is black/white.  Not an inexpensive magazine but certainly interesting and lots of eye candy!  Thanks for all the reading inspiration, Carol!!!

Marty started off with a link to an interesting article!  You never know when you may be interested in some 'different' yarn!!

These are some cool marbling on paper that Marty did awhile back.  She's going to use them for making some type of card or even you could put them on fiber cards!  We're sure Marty will do something cool with them!

These are so unique!!!  Each pattern is different and could be applied to cards easily!

Marty shared a coloring page with us from her church.  Hope Mary picked up the rest of these...I think her grands would like to color them!

And more inspirational book reading for us!!!  Marty thought this mermaid would appeal to Carol!  Lots of illustrations inside.  A good one to pull from the library!

This is a really interesting book of hand-drawn patterns Marty shared with us. This has some really different drawings!!!!  So much inspiration!!!

So in Marty's sparetime, she'll be making a Floorquilt!!!  Not sure I'd go through all of this to put my quilt on the floor BUT we do this with the quilts we make for our children and grands!  They always end up on the floor!   It is interesting to look at the process!  Marty's show and tell for a future date???

And Marty took two T-shirts to make this hanging!!!  How cool is this!!!!  

The 'BEAUTIFUL' was a T-shirt for cancer, if I got that right.  The other quilt was from a trip to Florida someone donated to St. Luke's. 

Marty auditioned different yarns to use for the word "HELLO", which she will put on the top of the piece.  Really clever 'reuse' of clothing!  Congrats, Marty on getting back in the swing of utilizing your art talent.  Do bring this finished project next month.

Mary showed up not seeing so well after having her eyes dilated at the eye doctors!  She showed a lovely floral piece she is working on!!!  We had a discussion of how to enhance her stems to show up more.  Another good exchange of ideas from using Organza to cover, use of colored pencils or just replacing!!  We also discussed on the orientation of the piece!!  Here they are both ways!!  Another beautiful piece in the making!!

 Mary is working the voting precinct today as 'chairman'!  Good luck, Mary!!!  Keep those workers in line!!!

oops...right side is before...left is after adding pencils/Gelato's

  I showed some of my papers from Hilary's online class...we're currently working on 'redoing' some papers we weren't that happy with.  So what else to do but stamp, mono print or overdye!!

oops again!!!.the before is on the right.  Original piece was soy wax screen transferred to cotton fabric.  After, was mono printed on the 'ugly' fabric!

The 'before' was a rubbing with Gelato's pastels...nice print but too much white.  After, was overdyed with procion dyes

Left/before was a really ugly piece!  Stenciled and not sure how I got the 'hippo' on the bottom!  I mono printed on top...This really looks good in person.  I can see each section being a fiber card???

This was another 'ugly' piece.  The vases were drawn on to a screen with Gelato pastels.  We used thickened print paste to transfer onto paper.  Ugly vases but I never said I could draw!  

After side was again mono printed.  This is my favorite piece.  

I finished the knitted pinafore for our great grand daughter, Rilynn!  Just have to put on 3 buttons for the back closure.  I only had one pink button...go figure!  Marty offered some pink ones if I can't locate more!  Thanks!  

My latest knitting project is a lace shawl.  This one is a real challenge for me...I almost gave up but now I have to finish it!  Talk about a challenge! 

Oh, the red yarn you see is my 'life line'...in case I need to rip out, I can always pick up those stitches to start over again!  Ask me how many times I've done that!  HA

I was having a hard time stretching the yarn to show the shape...so think of the above knitted piece like a slice of orange!  Hope that helps!

My cardinal quilt is all finished with exception of the label.  The beaded cardinal found a home!

I received back the three 4 inch hand embroidered pieces that were accepted by Quilting Arts magazine for their reader challenge.  My squares along with 23 others will be in the upcoming magazine.  I stamped hand dyed fabric then embroidered and beaded the squares. 





Woodpecker is getting there!  I'm working on adding Gelato's to add dimension for the tree.  I still have to make his beaded feet and finish the tail but that will be done after the woodpecker is attached to the quilt.  Almost there!!!!  Not sure why the color is so distorted on the left...actually the green fabric is brighter than even the pic on the right!

Before on the left...right is addition of pastels...long way to go but at least it's a start!

We had another really great show and tell!!!  Lunch was good too!  Mary suggested we go to Honcho's in Clarkston and it was a great choice!  We all had a really good lunch, and, as usual, Carol and I enjoyed our Margarita!  Until next month.....