Gerber Daisy

Having some problems with piccassa. So, I had to make this a separate post.

The last week has been below freezing and I thought it would be the demize of this Gerber Daisy. However, even with 5 inches of snow it is still holding it's head high. Can you believe it!

Gerber Daisy

BLOGGER'S QUILT FESTIVAL

This is my entry for the Blogger's Quilt Festival. Thanks Amy for doing this for us. It is a joy to see all the other quilts.

This is the 4th in a series of horse quilts which I had the honor of hanging at our main library during the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky. I named it Three Friends.

It is made with my Stained Glass Applique technique, but I attempted to stylize this piece. Perhaps I will play with that technique some more in the future. I thought I was finished with horse quilts, but when I went to see Secretariat a couple of weekends ago I think I have to make one more. That was a wonderful story and some of it was filmed in Lexington.

Tigger

Finally, I have something finished.

This quilt is for my sister Marcia, and I made it from a picture that I found on her Facebook page. I haven't posted the whole quilt yet as I want it to be somewhat of a surprise when she actually receives it in the mail.

My sister is an animal lover. I think she has 4 or perhaps 5 dogs, plus various cats as well as she raises birds that she
sells. Anybody that gives of themselves that much is ok by me. I hope she will be very surprised by this gift!

I made this quilt using the Stained Glass Applique technique that I have been working in for several years now, and it is a technique that I teach over the internet, as well as to various groups. You can check it out by clicking on Serindipity 2.

Tee \shirt Cutting

As you know I have been playing with the idea of cutting up old Tee Shirts. I tried a number of techniques and this is one that I am pleased with, and wanted to share it with you. This white tee shirt was very old, very big but because of that I had room to cut and tie. I am kind of a stickler for fit, so not every old tee shirt will work. The other thing I found is that every tee shirt stretches differently. So, if you want to try this you will have to experiment a bit.
It is so much fun to take something that you thought you would never wear again and turn it into something current.

Recycling !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before I started quilting, I loved to make clothes. In fact at one time I started my own company and sold my own designs. I also have a hard time getting rid of things that I haven't worn for a long time. So, what better than to think up an idea that will make that piece usable again.

Here is a perfect example. I have a number of these sleeveless tees. So, I simply slit it in the front and used a knit stitch to anchor the center cut.


One thing that must be remembered with any kind of knit is not to pull on it as it is being stitched, as it will stretch and ruffle the edge you are working on. You will also have to experiment, and find a stitch and thread tension that will work on your machine. Knits can be tricky. Be sure and use a needle that is desinated for knits .

I'm having fun with many new ideas and will share more later.

SHOW AT LIBRARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well the time has finally come and my horse quilts are on exhibit at the downtown library. They will be there from now on thru the 31st of Oct.

The World Equestrian games are being held in Lexington, Ky this year and I was so pleased that the library choose my quilts to hang at this special time. If you are in our area please drop by and take a look. Along side me is Vanessa Wright who is a wonderful equine photographer. By the way, all the quilts except In Memory of Barbaro are for sale.

Unknown

PUP PICNIC

I know this is my quilting blog, but I also love dogs as you can see from some of my quilts.

Anyway this last Sunday I went to a fundraiser for many of the humane societies in this area. It was soooo much fun to see other peoples animals and also to see those who were up for adooption. They had contests for the dogs. Like the ugliest, or the longest. They also had contests for dogs that love to perform with frizies. That was so much fun to watch.

This little lady just captured my heart and if I didn't already have two dogs I would have taken her home. However, they said her previous owner had given her up because they could no longer take care of her. She probably is about 12 years old and I wish I could remember her name. She just wanted someone to hold her . So, I just thought I would share her with all of you. She really touched my heart.

Butterfly Stencils

Some of you know already that I love Butterflies, but many do not know that I am a stencil addict. For quite a few years now I have been dying tee shirts and then stenciling on them.

So I thought I would share the very first tee shirt I made, and it is still one of my favorites.

Stencils can be so addictive and I have cut hundreds of them simply out of FREEZER PAPER. Yes I said freezer paper. Not nearly as expensive as using plastic templates. How many times are you going to use a stencil anyway? Perhaps several times, but let me tell you that a freezer paper template gets stronger with use.

So, on my next blog I am going to offer one of my Butterfly stencils to the 10th person who asks and also to the 20th. It will be absolutely free, all you have to do is ask.

So, ladies I am also going to advertise this on my Facebook site later in the day, so be quick. Along with the stencil I will also answer any questions you might have if you have never stenciled. Be careful, it is very addictive.

Creativity?

I finished my last two projects and they are hanging in a show for a month.

What now? I'm not sure, sooooooooooooo, I'm thinking it would be interesting to share each others techniques for getting the creative juices going. Please comment and perhaps we can help each other.

What do I do? I dig thru my binders of ideas, I look thru my photographs, I get on the computer and look at other peoples work, I think about options until my brain is so full of images that I dream about them. So, confusing------------ to many ideas. How am I going to decide which images I am actually going to use?

So, I get busy with something that I have already drawn a pattern for, and just dig in and start. I can alway keep the other images in my mind, while I am working on whatever I am working on.
I know that eventually, if I trust in the process it will become clear which direction I want for myself.

For me, it is a frustrating process and sometimes painful. But for those of us that are creative it is a necessary thing in order to activate the creative process. At least we don't have to go to the extreme of cutting off one of our ears.

I look forward to hearing from those of you out there in blogger space.

FACE BOOK

I now have a facebook account. Actually, I have had one for some time, but I didn't really know what I was going to do on it. This is all new to me, but I am trying and I am actually learning little by little. So, come join me. I am also going to set up a business Facebook so I can post pictures of new quilts with patterns. It is called Serindipity, but at this point there is nothing on it.

I have a quilt showing at the AQS show that opened today in Knoxville. I went last year but could not get away this year. The quilt that is in the show is Mother's Love and if you go back sometime you can get a glimpse of it on this blog. It is a horse with her baby.

I finished my last horse quilt, and now I am going thru what I'm sure all of you have gone thru, trying to figure out what direction I want to take. So, I spend my time looking at pictures, and quilts that have won in other shows, also going thru binders of ideas that I have collected. It is painful. No other way to describe the feeling, and I am possessed, thinking about it a great deal of time. I have learned not to push it, and I will eventually get very excited over something new. Then the ideas will just come pouring out of me.

I have two new internet students that will be starting very soon. That is so much fun for me as I can teach anywhere in the world. Who would have thought that would be available in my lifetime.

FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the last in a series of horse quilts. (At least for the time being)

The name of the quilt is called FRIENDS.
Those of you who follow my work know that up to this date my quilts are very realistic.

I wanted to try something that was a little more stylized and this is the result.

It is made using the Stained Glass Applique technique but in this instance I did a whole lot of decorative quilting on each section.
It is going to be in a show called Quilts with a Kick that is held each year in Berea, Ky. which is a wonderful college town about 35minutes outside Lexington. Berea college is a free college, where students have to work to earn their tuition. There are also quite a few well known artists that live and work in the city.

I don't have a small pattern for this quilt, but I hope to do so in the future. In the mean time please click over to Serindipity 2 and take a look at the patterns I do have, and perhaps if you like the technique the Internet classes are always open.

Butterfly Wings

Here is my new piece that I talked about earlier. I'm really pleased with the end results. I named it Butterfly Wings. I guess you all know that I love butterflies, since I have made so many quilts and also offer a number of butterfly patterns.

If you want to take a look at my patterns simply click on Serindipity 2 on the left side of this blog.

This is an adaption from a book called Quilted Symphany by Gloria Loughman. I took some of her ideas but inlarged everything and used the Stained Glass Applique technique that I always work in.

I really enjoyed trying some of her techniques, but I must say that they are very time consuming. Luckily a lot of the individual pieces I was able to do the maching stitching on before it was put together and that made things easier. All in all it was worth the time and I learned a lot from her. I highly recommend purchasing the book.

FINALLY FINISHED

Here is a new piece. Back in October I attended a workshop with Jane Sassaman, and this is the piece I designed. She has you take three shapes of your choice and make a design from there. I found it hard at first because I am used to making my own designs on paper first and then transfering them into a size that I want. This way you don't see your design until after you start cutting into fabric. A little nerve wracking at first!

I'm not sure I would have finished it, but I was the receipent of a scholarship thru the State organization KHQS, and along with that scholarship I wrote an article and have to give a presentation at the upcoming Get-Away this month.

In retrospect it was a very learning experience. Some of what I will use in future projects, and I really enjoyed getting to know Jane. She is a very warm and giving person.

I'm finally back in the swing once again, and will have some more new things to share in the next few weeks.

By the way, Please check out my new site which shows pictures of quilts that I have patterns for sale, plus it described the procedure to sign up for the Stained Glass Applique internet class. It is called Serindipity 2 on the side bar.

FESTIVAL ENTRY

This quilt is named Mother's Love and is the latest in a series of horse quilts. I live in Lexington, Ky. and in late September and October we will be hosting the World Equestrian Games. I have made a number of quilts and they are going to be featured in the Main Gallery at our main library during the time that the games are going on. The technique is called Stained Glass Applique. I have been teaching the technique and also offer the class on the internet.

Another!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I almost missed this one.

What I was trying to say in the blog before that this Butterfly quilt was the outstanding quilt of the show. Here is also a close up as all the edges are turned. The colors were so striking!!!

Last of the Prizewinners !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This quilt is so cute.
This quilt was the star of the show, as far as I am concerned, and so visual.

More Winners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

They win every year, and their work is a cut above. They are a couple, and make their home in France, I think!

This year there were a lot of quilts that were made by two people. I wish AQS would catch up with the times and make another catagory for people who want to do what they are the best at, and then farm out the quilting to someone that is really good at that, and especially when they pay someone else to quilt their piece. Not really fair to those of us who do both.

ANOTHER WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This quilt was very nice, but personally there were other quilts that showed better. Although I'm sure the quilting and the piecing were exquisite!