Quilt Retreat!

We met at the Brunswick Sew Sweet Quilt shop and retreat center this past weekend.  What a fabulous place.  www.brunswicklodgingsandeventcenter.com

Fun was had by all.  We worked on our new Dresden project, finsihed (mostly) the Bird tiles, had show and tell.  It was a blast and a wonderful new place to meet and get to know each other.

One of Cheri's beautiful Dresdens

Bird tiles almost done - awesome

Joan's self portrait

Beginning of Dresden plate layout

National Park Reveal

Our latest challenge was to do a postcard of a National Park.  The "cards" were enlarged and put together in two different formats.  Half are stitched together and the other half are shown in a vinyl casing resembling a notebook page.

Sleeping Bear Dunes Natl. Lakeshore by Josie

Josie used an antique postcard for her back

Close up from Josie's postcard back

Mt. Rainier - Candy

Back from Mt. Rainier - Candy's mom sent

Joan - Joshua Tree NP

Joan's back

Judy- Biscayne NP

Judy's back

Nancy's from a photo her mom took

Nancy's back

Postcards put together in one quilt

Rocky Mountain NP - Cheri

Olympia NP - Sharon

Black Canyon NP - Cathy

Arches NP - Jane

Grand Teton NP - Klonda

Back

Rambling River Wins First Place ribbon

                                                             Here it is at the Lee's Summit Quilt Guild show with a
First place ribbon in the group category.  Way to go.   

Seeing Red displayed

We hung the Seeing Red challenge at Urban Eats today.  This is a wonderful gallery space in a great little eatery in the Dutchtown area of St. Louis.  It looks really great hanging.  Sorry I didn't get a straight on view

One Block Wonder Challenges

As a fun quick challenge we decided last October to all start with the same piece of fabric. 

Then we went on to create our own version of the One Block Wonder quilts by Maxine Rosenthal.
 We each started with a 2 yard piece divided in half lengthwise.  The fabric is by Jason Yentor for In the Beginning.

Klonda

Jane

Cheri

Cathy

Sharon

Tracy

Judy

Terry

Marsha

Candy

Self Portrait's V.3

Here is  Tracy's self portrait:

"I considered several ideas regarding my self portrait over the months leading up to the deadline, but of course never acted upon any of them. As the date approached, the ideas got simpler! The day before our reveal I decided that a happy face would be the perfect representation for my self portrait. I would describe myself as being a happy and smiling person. We went out for Mexican dinner with friends that evening and one "top shelf" margarita later I came home to complete my portrait. The face is printed on silk and layered on a white on white fabric with a swirl pattern, which is one of my favorite motifs. I enjoy exploring layering different images and am fascinated by seeing one texture used as a background for another image. Various black and white fabrics (a obsession of mine) were chosen to border, back and bind the piece. Lastly, I stamped a favorite set of words onto a tag and pinned it too the piece.

I am fun, fanciful and frivolous!"

Candy did a two sided  self portrait representing the right and left sides of her brain.  The portrait is from a photo shopped portrait that was altered to make it black and white.  The right brain and left brain characteristics of course overlap but can also be divided. 

Cheri sent this for hers:

"Earth Child"

"I'm a child of the earth,

A duo at birth,

I'm a poet,

I'm a writer,

I'm a quilter,

I'm a fighter,

A free spirit by Nature

Adventurous creator

Rule Breaker

Chance taker

Who am I?

Well don't consider me mild,

I'm just a real wild child!"

My portrait has fibers, beads, crystal and jewelry from my Aunt who passed away this last fall,

she was instrumental in shaping the person I am today.

Self Portraits

Here is Sharon's first self portrait:  "The small self portrait was completed in a 15 minute challenge to portray myself as quickly as I could using what was on hand at my table at the moment. Not over thought or overwrought, I quite enjoy this vision of myself playing with joy and abandonment in my fabric."

Sharon

 For her second one she said: 

"Every bit of this self portrait contains portions of my life. In a small school of fish, I am swimming the other way. The hair is made from the ruffles and seams of my old prom dress, the brooch was my grandmothers. There are embroidered words of who I am closest to my face, and other words of what I want to be and to have in the future further away. There are mirrors to show my reflection on life, and holes of different sizes to show my fear of not knowing what I don't know. Even not knowing, I will still dive into the future, accepting what lies ahead (the beaded silhouette). Hand stitched with seed stitch embroidery on shibori fabric I dyed, and hand beaded."

Sharon

Marsha said

"As I contemplated my self-portrait, I wanted to portray my love of reading. I've been an avid reader since I first learned the skill and it has been a constant my entire life. I printed photos on fabric for the face and hands and then added the other details with raw edge, fused, machine applique. The book titles represent other aspects of my life, including my daughter, dancing with my husband, quilting, traveling and my careers as a museum historian and a librarian."

Marsha

Judy did two as well:

Tools of the Trade

Judy's hands

"Tools of the Trade"

"My self portrait was interpreted to mean, "What I use to create". Therefore I took a picture of my tools. Transferring the photo to silk and then quilting. In the border I added a ribbon tape measure, to remember the rule. Measure twice, cut once."