Happy make-it-and take-it participants at the C&T Pulbishing booth

A few links to photographs of  my make-it-and-take it at the Anaheim CHA Trade Show
Fabric postcard on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
C & T's Publisher makes a postcard
A few of my postcards on loan to their booth

This was the first time I had done something of this nature.  It was a great learning experience for me.

New Year---New Words for the Year

Jenny Williams of Quiltart suggested selecting a word for the year. I chose two.

Explore try new techniques and methods of working

Challenge Challenge myself to work harder, smarter, and push through my fears and blocks.

Fast Friday Challenge

This is my first attempt at the Fast Friday Challenge and it certainly was not as fast and spontaneous as it should have been. I used a photo from the Herschel telescope as my inspiration. The photo has an "open copyright". It can be seen at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8284650.stm. I was attracted by the layering and luminoscity and wanted to try using Lutrador which is new-to-me.

I used black Kona cotton, which was painted with a mix of Stewart Gill, Jacquard and Setacolor paints (I rapidly learnt that Setacolor transparent does not show up at all on black without being mixed with white.) I had black heavier weight and white very light weight Lutrador to work with. I painted the Lutrador with Mettallic Jacquard and Steward Gill paints, and then used both a textile tool and an embossing heat gun to melt the Lutrador to make it look "airier." I quilted the background with monofilament and metallics, and tried facing it (the first time I have done a facing) before stitching on the Lutrador. The Lutrador became fragile as I heated it. I wanted a slightly 3D look. .

A few Updates

Firstly I am uploading some samples from my city and guild course. The water picture was the inspiration for the crazy patch sample, and the bars were inspired by a window at the Great Synagogue in Budapest. The churn dash was a mandatory block.

Long Overdue update

Time for a long overdue update. I am now Dr. Susan having finished my dissertation. Meantime this is a photo of one of my latest creations using Ricky Tims Rhapsody embroidery designs.

2007 Journal Quilt

FINALLY-----I can now unveil my 2007 journal quilt. The mandatory size was 17" X 22" and it had to include at least three techniques from the book Creative Quilting. Mine includes hand beading, hand and machine applique, machine embroidery, couching, needle felting, photo transfer onto sheer, fused sheer fabric, painted fabric, and a few other things.





This is my write-up on it:

The Three Mitzvot of Jewish Women

Creative Quilting techniques used: photo transfer on sheer fabric (p. 198); wool roving (p. 86); beading (p.216)

My participation in the journal quilt projects for the last four years has enabled me to grow as an artist. By working in a small format, I was less fearful about using “good” fabric and I became more willing to experiment with different techniques.

This year I chose to illustrate the three mitzvoth (commandments) which have been entrusted to Jewish women as a vehicle to create three vignettes using different techniques and to help teach others about a few Jewish customs. The three mitzvot entrusted to women are Challah (the making of bread and the separation and burning of a small piece of the dough to remind us of the offerings in the Temple), Nidah (the laws of family purity including the use of the Mikveh—a ritual bath whose design has not changed since Old Testament times), and Hadleek (the lighting and blessing of candles on Friday nights and Jewish festivals.) The acronym for these is Chanah----the name of a pious woman who prayed fervently until she bore Samuel.

Hadleek is illustrated with candles with beaded flames---as the lit candles become the centerpiece for Sabbath and holiday dinners, and a Kiddush cup to hold wine which is blessed before the meal. Mikveh’s are used after nightfall at a prescribed time during a woman’s menstrual cycle as part of the laws of family purity. They are also used by both men and women as part of conversion to Judaism, and at other times to indicate a change of state from “impure” to “pure.” A woman using it for family purity spends a long time preparing for the immersion, then emerges “like a bride” to re-unite with her husband during the rest of the month. The photograph taken by Lloyd Wolf, author of Jewish Mothers and Jewish Fathers is used with the author’s permission.
On Friday nights and Festivals Jewish dinner tables are adorned with two loaves of Challah, braided bread. Two loaves are used to represent the double portion of manna received on those days. Wool roving was braided and felted to represent the bread, and the portion burnt as “Challah” is represented by the ball and flames.

Broderie Perse assignment

This is my broderie perse assignment. The leaves were stamped onto PFD fabric using a foam stamp cut from real leaves. They were then appliqued onto a light green background.

Eleanor Burns goes wild

This is my shop sample for the Beyond Beginning Quilting class Its' El'Ementary taken from Eleanor Burns book.

More C and G exercises

These are some of my leaf prints on paper and fabric, and some pastel stencilling from the same leaves.

What kind of flower am I

I am a Nasturtium What Flower Are You?

"You are more than what you seem. Outwardly, you are a confident person with just a little bit of a temper. Inwardly, you are someone who needs some serious TLC and attention."