Back at Camp!

Having a terrific time this week and next, with some sweet teenage girls at a residential camp nearby.  I was invited to help them learn quilting.  We are working on Gees Bend style, simple improvisational quilts, using a pillow turn method and tying to finish.  Here are some photos of our progress and materials and tools.  I am getting tickled watching them get so excited about these pieces.  It is so fulfilling to watch them learn and create with pride.  They have lots of donated fabrics to work with.

This is part of one camper's choices.  Her goal is to make a large, bed size quilt for her grandmother.  This will not be finished at the end of next week!
We also have sewing machines to use, both new and old.  Guess which ones have the fewest problems?

Some of the girls are total beginners to sewing.  It's a joy to watch them find success at a new skill!!

 And to see the pride in their achievements!!  The camper below lucked out and found some already pieced flying geese units in the fabric pile, but she pieced the entire top section herself.

The quilt below was freshly 'hatched' just before this photo was taken.  The girls are working hard, learning useful skills, and having fun!  And so am I.

Dinner @ Eight acceptance!!!!

My entry, Fiberarts Compulsion, has been accepted into the Dinner@Eight exhibit for the Houston IQF show this fall.  I am thrilled to be among some truly skilled, rockstar artists in this group.  The theme this year is Affinity.  Something you are drawn to, have strong feelings for.  I decided to focus on designing art quilts, which is my current obsession.

I chose a split complementary color scheme of yellow-orange, blue and violet.  I used an old iron as a reference, and designed a portrait, landscape and still life in progress on my design wall and ironing board.  As you can see in the detail shot, I quilted it with words, thinking of things I have an affinity for.  As I was quilting, I kept singing, "These are a few of my favorite things" from the Sound of Music.

I love the choice of theme, and can't wait to hear what next year's theme will be!

Excitement in the Air!

Just finished some wonderful fiber related experiences. 

1. Got to attend the SAQA regional conference, Studio to Gallery, and 2. see the opening of an exhibit, Southern Accents, in the Ruth Funk Textile Museum in Melbourne, FL.  3. Had fun reconnecting with many fiber friends (always great!)

 From there, I went on to Cocoa Beach, and  4. got to spend some impromptu reconnect time with another fiber buddy, Midge, who lives and has a studio there.  We wanted to fish in the ocean, but the conditions weren't just right, so  5. played with fabric collage instead.  It was wonderful.  AND, 6. we took a field trip to a terrific Art studio in Melbourne, called Art More Place.  7. I was invited to take some photos of the great explorations going on there in a Tracy Verdugo class. 

 Students going out in front for a group photo.  Front and center is Sherri O, the owner of AMP.

                                            It's a large, colorful, inspiring place to create!

When I returned home, I gathered some of my small Art quilts, and  8. headed to the Florida Craft Art Gallery in St Petersburg.  The Gallery director, Liz, selected 12 of my pieces to be sold in the retail area of the gallery !!  I am honored to have work in this venue!  Which gave me courage to 9. approach another gallery in a different metropolitan area of Florida!!  Fingers crossed on that one. 

AND, 10. I am in the process of scheduling a two day Art quilting workshop at the Life Enrichment Center in Tampa in July.  This is thanks to another fiber friend who recommended me.  All very exciting growth experiences for me.  I so appreciate the friendships that are helping to create all this wonderful karma!

Hybirds

I recently made a small quilt to donate to an auction for an international Art quilt group called SAQA - Studio Art Quilt Associates.  I had just come from a retreat, where people had shared some of their fabrics.  I challenged myself to use these fabrics for my 12" square auction quilt.  It was a very mixed bag of prints, including a navy with white scissors, and a navy with white bicycles.  And some beautiful feather print with gold details.  I decided on birds, and was able to make it all work together, I think.  Here is the finished, hand quilted piece:

I thought later, that I should have made a more beautiful, subtle, generic quilt that would appeal to more people, but maybe some quirky person will enjoy it.  I hope so.
To see many more SAQA Auction quilts, go to:   http://www.saqa.com/memberArt.php?ID=3325

Local exhibit - April 2015

My students from the recent City of Inverness Art Quilt class are exhibiting some of our finished work in the Lakes Region Library, Inverness, FL.  I will go tomorrow to set up the exhibit.  We are showing 12 pieces - landscapes, still lifes, portraits, room interiors.  Come and see them if you are in the area!! 

 Gotta Dance! by Marsha Millich    All hand applique and hand quilting!

Still Life by Judy Doten   Again all hand applique and hand quilting.  I'm a proud teacher!!!

Queen for a Day

Photos from my Art quilt reception at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, FL.  I was surrounded with love and friendship.  I hope everyone enjoyed my images as much as I love making them.

Solo

Excited about the reception tomorrow for my solo exhibit of art quilts.  I love that it is scheduled at the same time as the Focus on Fiber retreat, so that my fiber art buddies can attend.  We are having our usual wonderful time working, playing, getting to know one another better, and many side adventures. Will post some photos next week.  Cheers!

Wildhaired Winged Woman

I've just finished tweaking this piece.  I tend to overwork my art pieces, but I like to hang unfinished ones in my kitchen, where I can study them from time to time and change what needs changing. 
She started right around Christmas, and I wanted to give her some wild hair.  And wings.  She started abstract, and I fiddled with her until I almost lost that abstract quality.  I like her.  Here is step one:

And after quite a lot of facial surgery, highlights, and implants, she morphed into this:

My dad's doctor saw me working on her yesterday and asked if she was from The Wizard of Oz.  Is she scary?

Inspiration

I got a new camera for Christmas.  It will take quite some time to learn how to use it well.  It's complicated.  I love taking photos.  I love noticing the beauty around us everywhere.  I have a folder on my desktop full of inspirational images I've collected.  Someday, they want to be made into art quilts.  I would like to take a year off from my usual life, and work on them.  I need a sponsor miracle!!!

Looking back over these photos, I realize that each of them is a miracle.  Thank you God.