Little Did I Know...

Shattered Curves

I love “Shattered Curves” and the way it evolved for months in my studio. Little did I know when I created it that it was going to speak so loudly and boldly in my not too distant future. God has a way of working through us that way, doesn't he? 

Last year was a great year for me. Venturing out to sell my hand dyed fabrics at quilt shows, “Old Alton Bridge” was published in Lone Stars III: Texas Quilts Today, “Outside In” and “Truck Quilt” were juried into the International Quilt Festival in Houston and I taught my first workshop to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists. Not to mention, my regular duties with the DAFA Annual Show and being on the board, oh, and I volunteered to be the President of DAFA for 2012-2013. It was my year of stepping out and on the path of working to build up Studio Jules.

Oh, but wait a minute! This year the path has come to a screeching halt and my best laid plans have been shattered.  My “Mr. Wonderful” was having health issues and we needed to figure out what was going on. And this, my friends, is why I haven’t blogged in two months. “Mr. Wonderful” has been diagnosed with Early On-Set Alzheimer’s. Yes, at the age where we are starting to plan his retirement in 10-12 years, we are facing the worst nightmare we could imagine. The past two months we have seen to two neurologists, one neuropsychologist, MRI’s, PET scans, you name it, we are doing it. It is a roller coaster each and every week. We are at the point of accepting the diagnosis and trying not to talk about it every day. We are getting use to making adjustments and re-thinking the future. There is so much information out on Alzheimer's and so much research work that is being done. At times it is all very overwhelming. 

So, my friends, if you don’t see posts from me as often as you would like, know that I’m still here, just other issues are taking up my studio time. And I am fighting each week to make time in the studio!

What am I working on now? Well, baby quilts. Our church just started a Baptism Quilters group and I am working with them. I have a couple of art quilts on my table and wall, but those are slow works in progress.

I'll try to post as I can, they just may be short and sweet posts about what I'm working on, or just completed.

Looking Forward

Under the Sea

This past week was very busy with work (yesterday was my last day at Soma), catching up from the quilt show, catching up from the daughter and granddaughters being here and getting organized for the upcoming week.

"Under the Sea" is a upside down mini-quilt (9x12) that spun off from my "Outside In" quilt. I haven't finished it yet, but hopefully I will sometime beading on it this weekend, definitely this next week. It is due to SAQA-TX by the 28th for the SAQA-TX exhibit of 9x12's at the International Quilt Festival. I have a sunflower quilt also and need to get busy on beading the center of it.

With so much to do this next week, I couldn't help but add to the mix a 2 day workshop with the Trinity Valley Quilt Guild. Larkin Van Horn is our guest speaker this month and is giving us a 2 day workshop on "Beading is Applique'". I'm so excited to be able to spend two days with her and learn more about beading on my art quilts.

Saturday, Sandra Sider, President of SAQA will be coming to town for critique workshops and a speaking engagement with the Dallas Area Fiber Artists. And she is staying with me! I'm so excited that I get to entertain her for a few days and bask in her knowledge and expertise. Saturday night I have invited DAFA and local SAQA members to my home for a cookout and a get-to-know Sandra evening. Our new grill has been completed, so we are going to get the chance to test out massive grilling on it and enjoy our fire pit with great conversations. If you are a local SAQA member, contact me and come for the cookout Saturday night!

Now, I must get to beading...

On Their Way to Houston

It has been an interesting week. Shipped "Sunflower with a Passion for Color" to Lowell, got busy finishing up some pricing on items that I have dyed to sell, started a baby quilt, reorganized my desk and "To Do List", was feeling accomplished with what I was getting done. Then I got an email that there is a possibility that one of my quilts may be published in a magazine. I'm not telling you which one, or what publication. I don't want to jinx it or speak too soon, but it's fun and exciting to have one of my quilts recognized and considered. So you will just have to stay tuned for the news!
So, with my feet barely touching the floor and walking around saying "Holy Cow", I packaged up "Outside In" and the "Truck Quilt" to ship to Houston for judging. I have so much on my plate right now, I had to get some things off the "To Do List", so that there is room at add other things, you know what I mean!



Have a great weekend everyone! I'm off to finish cleaning the house.

Ready to Ship

Yesterday I prepared "Sunflower with a Passion for Color" to ship to the Lowell Quilt Festival in Lowell, MA. I am so excited to be included in this show. I'm looking forward to reading the judges comments on this quilt (and hoping that someone loves it enough to buy it).
I had other big news this week from the International Quilt Association, "The Truck Quilt" and "Outside In" have been chosen to be exhibited in International Quilt Festival in the November show in Houston.
Just like a finely tuned sewing machine, there was balance in my week. The great news from IQA more than balanced out the hiccup with my Bernina! BTW, the Bernina is quilting beautifully, it just doesn't want to straight stitch very well.

Truck Quilt Finished and DAFA March Show

I feel like dancing around and singing "I did it, I did it" like Dora the Explorer (okay, you can tell I have grandkids), the Truck Quilt is complete as of this morning!
I love the surface technique of painting over the background fabric to calm it down, show the quilting of the windmill and barn and make the truck pop out.
To make sure I didn't get paint on the truck, I taped it off before I painted the background. I learned this technique from "The Painted Quilt" by Linda and Laura Kemshall. The Kemshall's also demo'd this technique on one of the Quilting Arts TV Series 200 Episodes. I can't wait to use this technique again.

The Dallas Area Fiber Artists are having their annual show at The Pointe ~ C.C. Young the month of March. Tonight is our monthly meeting and tomorrow I will hang the show. This year we are honored to also show the SAQA-Texas Mini-Quilt Exhibit from the 2010 International Quilt Festival in Houston. If you are in the Dallas area, join us for our "Meet the Artists" night on March 8th, 6:30pm - 7:30pm. If you can't make it then, make time to go my The Pointe and see the exhibit. Kathy Mayhew and I will be presenting a program on SAQA and the Mini-Quilts at the DAFA April program.

In the Meantime.....

Well, I ran out of thread while quilting the truck quilt.... I've quilted and picked out so much I've burned through an entire spool of thread. I've ordered more and am waiting on it's arrival. So, in the meantime I'm working on the patterns for my next 4 quilts. I was inspired by the watercolors I did during my workshop with Katie PM at the International Quilt Festival in Houston last year. I'm taking three of the selections I made from one of the watercolor exercises and I'm going to make a triptych out of them. I've drawn them out on clear velum, copied them and then had them enlarged to roughly 18" x 24".






I would show you pictures of the patterns I have drawn out, but my camera is on the fritz and I need to take it to the camera doctor.
Here is another one I'm working on. It was painted with acrylics during the same workshop. It looks like a flag to me.



Okay, blog time over, time to get back to my patterns!

IQF, Directions and DAFA

It has been a busy week! I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Houston at the International Quilt Festival. I was able to meet up with a network of quilters I have met through the Internet networking and workshops that we have attended. And my two-day class with Katie Pasquini Masopust was awesome. I have always walked through the International Quilt Festival with awe and wonder of vision and construction. I have total appreciation for these quilters/artists. This year, was even more exciting for me since I had a quilt accepted into the “In Full Bloom” exhibit and a mini quilt in the SAQA booth exhibit.


Through the years, I have been taking steps to develop my “style” from traditional sewing (clothes, purses, craft projects, embroidery), to traditional quilting, to art quilting, to artwork. I have felt understanding and working in all these areas would awaken my “voice” and direct me to where I feel fulfillment with my work. Like many quilters and artists, there have been many struggles, frustrations and projects that I have placed in bins for another time; I have more ideas in my head than time. I can’t go to sleep for thinking and designing, I wake up early with new designs and/or an idea for one of the projects I’m working on. Don't get me wrong, I love my artwork and the paths I am taking with it. I experience great joy in the process of each project. Creating and watching fabric, paint and thread become a visual of something real going into the abstract. And part of this process is taking workshops with different instructors. It has helped me discern the directions and methods that create excitement and that I would like to explore and work with more. This past week has really touched a place in my artistic mind that will move my “voice” into the direction I’ve been seeking and will broaden my scope of artwork. Here are some of the pictures from my class with Katie PM. I’m looking forward to finishing the projects I’m working on and move on to the next brush strokes and stitches with my art quilts. I think my new motto will be "Move over Left Brain, the Right is taking over!" Thanks Katie!




After my two-day class with Katie, viewing quilts and a tiny bit of shopping on the vendor floor, I drove home to get ready for the Opening Night Reception of the Dallas Area Fiber Artists 2010 Annual Show. It was a wonderful night with my fellow fiber artists, their friends and family. The ArtCentre of Plano is a beautiful, restored historic home in Plano, TX. The artwork hung beautifully and everyone was thrilled with the venue and the quality of work. Our Juror/Judge, Amie Adelman did a wonderful job in choosing the collection and winners of the awards. Best in Wearable Art? Well, it was my Kimono Jacket! Here is a picture of me with my “Sunflower with a Passion for Color”. I was so busy (and tired from the drive) that I forgot to have my husband take a picture of me with my “Traditional Batik” quilt and the Kimono Jacket.



It was a productive and wonderful week. The networking, learning, fellowship and challenges are all priceless pieces to the journey. Happy Stitching everyone!

"Move over Left Brain, the Right is taking over!"

Checking Off Items on the Check List

Well I've been able to check off a few things on my check list so that I'm ready to leave for the International Quilt Festival in Houston on Tuesday. Friday I ran to Kinko's and ordered postcards of the quilt I have in the In Full Bloom exhibit. Nothing like deciding to do things at the last minute!



One of the very important things I accomplished today is embroidering Hudson's name on my denim shirt. When I embroidered all the girls names, Hudson wasn't born yet and his name wasn't a "for-sure" thing. Now that he is almost 2, it's way past time to have his name on my shirt. So here they are, all 5 of my precious little bugs, well blue jays in this situation. Nickola leading the pack, Betty going along her merry way, the twins, Sadie and Shelby, the same, but different and here comes my Huddy Buddy, charging after the girls and making sure they stay in step. Oh what a precious bunch they are with their own personalities! Don't know what I would do with out them! Can you tell I'm a proud Grammy???!!

All my supplies are packed for Houston, laundry is done, but I haven't packed my clothes. I've set up times to meet my quiting buddies for lunches and dinners. Book on CD has been picked out from the library, now let's hope my CD player will work. It's on the fritz and the dealership has ordered a new radio, but sometimes it works!
Okay, off I go. Time to go cheer for the Texas Rangers, hopefully they can pull out of the two losses they've had and come back and win the World Series! Oh, and we have to join three of the grand kids for the "Monster Mile" in our development tonight!
Happy Stitching everyone!

For My Art Quilt Friends That Have Never Seen My Studio a Mess

This is for all my "Artsy Friends" that have never seen my Studio a mess. Yes, there have been complaints that my Studio is always too neat and how do I get anything done in a workspace that is so clean. Well, that's because I cleaned it before they came over and I am a little ADD about my workspace and have trouble focusing in with a clutter of projects around me. Maybe it's a case of the era I was raised in "Finish what you start and then you can move on to the next project....clean up your mess as you go...." Anyway, to "please" my friends, here are pictures of what my Studio looks like today.

On my worktable you will find several things in progress...the Truck quilt - ready to put on the background fabric (it's hanging on the work wall), supplies for Houston, Dancing Angel quilt is ready to be mounted on canvas, and supplies and samples for the mini-workshop I am going to teach Monday night at the Dallas Area Fiber Artists meeting.



Oh yes, and don't forget that overflowing backpack of supplies I've already packed for Houston! Katie PM, here I come!!!!

Okay, so I've got to get busy here. I've been listening to another book by Lisa Samson "Club Sandwich", but I think I need some good old Rock n' Roll to get me moving this afternoon and get finished up here in the Studio. I need to finish mounting the Dancing Angel quilt, get my class samples finished for Monday night and mount a display for the Dallas Area Fiber Artists Annual Show. Then I need to get dinner started for when "Mr. Wonderful" comes home from work and then the Texas Rangers are playing the NY Yankees. Tomorrow is another busy day with family and the TCU football game. Okay so Rock 'n Roll! Go Rangers! and Go Frogs!!!!

Mexican Sunflower in Batik Accepted into National Exhibit

Yesterday I received news that "Mexican Sunflower in Batik" was accepted into a special exhibit at the International Quilt Festival. The exhibit is called In Full Bloom 2010: Floral Quilts in Memory of Helen Pearce O’Bryant! I'm so excited! Gave my husband a scare with my gasp when I read the email, he was driving at the time....
If you go to the International Quilt Festival, whether in Houston, Cincinnati or Long Beach, go by and see the exhibit. The quilts are always beautiful!
With this much excitement I have had to do some work in my studio to settle me down so I can work on one of the three, almost 4 quilts I have started. I have a Dry Erase board above my desk that I have written my "Goals for 2010", so my project this morning was to wipe it down and make two columns: Goals and Accomplishments. I thought if I am able to move the Goals over to the Accomplishments column, that I will stay better focused and driven when working on my quilts. I guess is it a way to stop the distractions that I feel sometimes (everyday!).