It's Been Very Merry

Just back today from visits with family in South Carolina and then western North Carolina.  We had a blast, but it is good to be home.  We got Kasey out of the kennel today, and she is a fluffy golden ball of energy after her grooming.

The visit with the grands was so much fun.  Loved spending some time with them. 

We had great weather on all the days we traveled, but it rained a little on Christmas afternoon.  Lily borrowed Melissa's new umbrella to get in a little bike riding.

When we went to visit the McBrayers in Rutherfordton, NC,  we got to see lots of little great-nieces and nephews.  I was finally able to meet Lindsay's new baby, Kaylee (and that's little Jada looking on).

Kaylee seemed to like her new quilt!

Charlie got a new quilt, too, but it is an art quilt.  Here is Sunday Drive.

I began this quilt back in May in a Faces and Figures workshop with Pamela Allen.  It took me forever to ladder- stitch with embroidery floss around all the raw-edge applique. 

Some of the tiniest bits are fused, and the figures are zigzagged with invisible thread.



The deer and turkey were cut from commercial novelty prints, but everything else was just cut with scissors freehand.  That way it is personal, and reflects "the hand of the artist."

I used dupioni silk for a few of the Christmas trees and also for the Gator. 

I quilted it on my Gammill.

On the back label, I did a photo transfer of us on the Gator in the same location, but in the photo we are driving away.

It feels so good to get a project done- especially one that has such personal meaning for us.  And in time for Christmas, too!  I have two other-hand-made gifts that I will share next time.

Wishing everyone the peace and joy of the season!



Landscape Quilt with Cassatt Palette

 In my last post, I described the lesson of choosing fabrics in the palette of a famous painting.  Here is the art quilt top that I made yesterday to continue Lesson One in my latest online class with quilt artist Pamela Allen.

To utilize the dark rich palette of the Cassatt portrait, I attempted to create a mountain barn in the late afternoon when the last rays of the sun were striking the leaves on the trees and goldenrods near the barn.  I plan to quilt in the boards of the barn and more trunks and foliage.

If you read my blog frequently, you may notice that the barn scene resembles one we pass regularly on our Gator rides across the mountain. 



It is fun to create art that has personal meaning!   I am looking forward to stitching this piece and finding a place for it in our tiny mountain cabin.