CREATIVE PLAYDAY

Last week I had an entire day free without any appointments, obligations, or errands to run.  So I did what any quilter would do with a free day.......be creative and have fun!!

But before I even got started in my sewing room I got my exercise clothes on and went to the gym.  For me that's the best way to really start my day off right and to recharge my batteries.  Plus, when I am on the treadmill for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, I use that time for designing, planning, thinking. Even though I don't write anything down, I can remember a lot of different things I thought about.

When I got home an hour later fully energized I was ready to start working on a project I had been thinking about for awhile.  Previously I had used a photo of my two grandsons, Preston and Davis, and tried several different creative apps on my iPad until I got an image I liked.  Below are the two pictures I started with:

Next you will see the resulting picture from merging these two photos together:

I then used the photo above and changed it to black and white and removed some of the tree.  I printed the new black and white picture and with a felt tip marker I outlined the parts I wanted to use as an appliqué. Then I cut each piece out.  I fused wonder under to the bottom of different pieces of fabric and pinned the cut-out pieces on the fused wonder under. Then I traced around each piece and cut it out.

I had printed the tree image separately on a piece of Transfer Artist Paper (TAP).  I had purchased the package of TAP several years ago and hadn't used it until this day.  After printing the tree image and rereading the instructions that came with the TAP, I realized I was supposed to reverse the image BEFORE printing it.  Oh well.....no problema!  I quickly reversed the image of my grandsons so I could correctly place my appliqué pieces.

I chose a muted brown marbled background fabric.  I placed each appliquéd piece on top of the background using the photo up above with all the pieces cut out as my guide.  This was all fused down with my iron.  I used a black Copic marker to draw in the boy's faces and outline their clothing.

The next step was to place the TAP with the tree image onto the appliquéd background piece.  Following the instructions I ironed the TAP, then carefully removed it to reveal the black tree image on my appliquéd pieces.  Not all of the TAP transferred to my liking so I used the Copic marker and added more branches to the tree, marking directly onto the fabric.



All-in-all I'm pleased with the results, and glad that I finally experimented with the transfer artist paper.  I will definitely use it again in a future project when I have another "creative playday"!

HOFFMAN CHALLENGE 2015

Mayan Sunrise

           

HOFFMAN CHALLENGE

Every year when I go to the Road to California Quilt Show in Ontario, CA, I always enjoy seeing the Hoffman Challenge entries.  It's amazing to see all the different design ideas used to create the quilts on display.  I always thought about entering the contest but never followed through.  That is until the 2015 challenge.

I was once again at Road to CA in January of 2015 and I was looking at the 2014 Hoffman Challenge entries.  I happened to notice the flyer announcing the 2015 challenge and pictures of the challenge fabric, Pomegranate Gold.  Something about the colors and print spoke to me immediately and I thought, "I'm going to enter the contest."  When I got home from the quilt show that evening I took out my pencil and sketchbook, and while I watched tv that night I began sketching several preliminary designs.  

I thought about these designs for a few days and then went to Rosie's Calico Cupboard quilt shop where the Hoffman Challenge fabric and coordinating fabrics were sold.  Within a short span of time I had decided on a final sketch, begun cutting out my patterns and fabric, and I was well on my way.  

I had gone to the quilt show the last week of January and the deadline for all entries was July 17, 2015. That may sound like a lot of time to make a quilt but I also had a life to live with appointments, obligations and the usual stuff we all do regularly.  I knew I had to use my "creative time" wisely.  And that is exactly what I did.  

I hit a few small snags along the way and had to make some minor revisions as well.  And I'll admit to using my seam ripper to painstakingly rip out tiny free-motion stitches that I absolutely did not like and couldn't leave in.  My revised stitching turned out much better than the first attempt.

My quilt was finally finished, mailed, and received an entire month before the deadline date.  In August 2015, I received a letter telling me that my quilt was accepted into the 2015 Hoffman Challenge and would be in one of the twelve trunk shows touring the U.S. for a year.  I was SO EXCITED!  I was able to see online where my quilt would be shown and it was going to be close to my home twice during its year tour.  Some of my friends went with me to the Temecula Valley Museum in Temecula, CA to see my quilt and the other Hoffman Challenge entries traveling with my quilt.  Even though it didn't win any ribbons, it was very special for me to see something I made on display in a museum, and to know wherever it was going to be shown others would see it too.

After a year I welcomed my traveling quilt home for good.  I received a special participation certificate with all the places across the country where it had visited, as well as a booklet with pictures of all the 2015 quilts chosen.  

Just like I do time and again when I travel afar, my quilt finally came back to the love and sanctuary of home.

SHOPPING FOR HANDICRAFTS & TEXTILES  ABROAD, PART ONE

Over the years of foreign travel I have purchased an assortment of local handicrafts and fabrics from around the world.  I always enjoy seeing the craftsmanship of talented, artistic people.  When I decided to write this story I realized I have bought enough foreign handicrafts to share in several stories.

Part of traveling with OAT is visiting people’s homes and sharing a cultural exchange.  Over the years I’ve had home visits on every OAT trip I’ve taken.  Sometimes local drinks and snacks are served, many times lunch or dinner is served.  On my first big international trip to Peru in 2003, we were visiting the home of a local villager.  While there I bought the following home-made doll, all sewn on a treadle sewing machine.  She resides in my sewing room and is a special reminder of my first taste of adventure travel.

PERUVIAN CUY!

This journal was purchased on an OAT trip to Turkey in 2008. I was attracted to the design on the textile cover.

This small sketchbook was purchased on an OAT trip to Israel and Jordan in 2009.  Once we left Jordan and crossed the border into Israel we made a visit to the town of Lakia.  There we visited a Bedouin women’s coop, “Desert Embroidery.”

This mola cloth was purchased from a Kuna Indian on an OAT trip to Panama in 2009.  I picked this particular piece because I wanted the edges unfinished so I could see all the different layers of colored fabric.

My OAT trip to India in 2015 was one of my best shopping trips!  I will be sharing more Indian handicrafts and textiles in another blog. The following 3 items are from India.  I bought this wall hanging because of all the hand needlework, design, and bright colors.

This black tunic is so heavily hand embroidered with green yarn that it caught my eye right away.  With so many items now machine-made; to find a garment so finely embroidered is impressive. The person who did this all by hand must have spent hours doing so. The knots on the reverse side show the authenticity of the workmanship.

Just returned from my morning workout at the gym, thought I'd show everyone my new shirt.  Love what it says!

HOW TO JUMP-START THE DAY

Five mornings a week I jump-start my day by doing the same thing.  Yes, my morning coffee is definitely one of those things, as well as breakfast, something I never skip.  Once I've refueled my body it's then time to get it moving and energized.

And the sure-fire way to do that is to go to the gym.  I never thought I would say this, but, "I absolutely love working out!"  I feel so powerful and strong when I am working out.  I also feel a sense of positive energy coursing through my mind and body.

I always start my daily workouts with a vigorous 30 minute walk on the treadmill.  That really gets my heart ticking fast.  When I get off the treadmill I work out with free weights as well as machines.  I work my upper body and lower body on alternate days so the muscles have a chance to rest.

When I am done with machines and weights I get down on a mat and work on my core.  I wish I had known just what a "core" is and how important a strong core is when I was much younger.  I could have saved myself years and years of back pain.  A strong core helps in day-to-day activities, maintaining good posture, a healthy back, as well as balance.  

I had no idea what a core was until I needed physical therapy many years ago for my ailing back.  Physical therapy taught me exercises to strengthen my core.  As we worked together on these exercises week after week, it became easier to hold in my core for longer periods of time.  My back eventually felt better and I no longer needed PT.  

But like most new things learned, if you don't continue practicing what you learned you will forget how to do it.  And that's what happened to me over time.  It wasn't until years later, after I had been in and out of physical therapy for my back that I vowed to myself that I would take control of my body and well-being and try everything in my power to keep my back healthy and my body strong.

And that is exactly what I have done.  When I finished PT two years ago I joined the gym in my neighborhood, Fitness Quest 10, and I've never felt stronger, better, more positive, and overall happier than ever.  Yes, holding in my core has now become second nature, something I do without even thinking about it.  I know the proper way to climb stairs, sit down and get back up, lift something heavy, and bend over.  

I also learned the importance of stretching. The final part of my daily workout is to keep my body from getting knotted up. I perform several stretching exercises before leaving my house, and at the gym I go through a series of stretches on my mat at the end of a session.  

My entire workout from beginning to end is only one hour.  That's not much of a sacrifice to start my day off invigorated and ready to go the distance.

This was outside of Ventura, driving from San Diego up to Pismo Beach, where we spent the night and had dinner with friends. The yellow wildflowers on the hillsides were beautiful!

Me, Allison, and Jamie in our classroom at Asilomar the next day.

ASILOMAR CONFERENCE CENTER - 

EMPTY SPOOLS SEMINAR

I just spent the past week at Asilomar taking a class from Rosalie Dace, who is an outstanding teacher.  The class was called "Dancing on a Tightrope," and it was about taking a risk with your work.  We each made an abstract art quilt based on a photo, an idea, or anything we wanted.  The first few days were spent working on small, experimental pieces.  Every morning and every afternoon the class of 23 brought their chairs to the front of the classroom where Rosalie would talk about a multitude of topics all pertaining to art and quilting.  Her hands-on demonstrations were enormously helpful, as well as all her tips and vast knowledge of abstract art quilting.  After a week I discovered that I really do enjoy creating abstract art quilts as much as I enjoy creating literal art quilts.

Practice exercises the first couple of days.  First attempt (in the middle) was pretty awful!  We were to try to use fabric and embellishments for added texture, and to think abstractly without a sketch or plan.

The start of my main quilt, a work in progress.

In the middle of the week, when there is no evening program to attend, the group of friends I am with go out to dinner.  This year we used Uber to take us from Pacific Grove to Carmel and Vesuvio's Trattoria.

Enjoying happy hour wine and food (not served yet) on the rooftop patio.

The accountants!  (our very own CPAs)

Waiting outside for Uber to pick us up and take us back to campus.  Four very "happy" quilters!!!

SMILE SHOES!!!!!