My First Shady Grove

I am going to be re-posting a few old posts as I get ready to vend at the Crazy Quilter's Quilt Show in Mukwonago, WI next weekend. If you are new here, welcome! I thought you might like to see where we came from before we ended up on our farm in rural Wisconsin.

This is the home we left behind. It was our first home, a small cottage with a lot of character and wonderful flower gardens. This home was built in an oak and walnut grove after World War II. Prior to the development of this neighborhood this was a popular picnic spot. People would take an excursion train from Chicago to spend a day in the country. Naperville was a small town of 6000 people when my parents settled there in the early 1960's.



Here is what sits in place of our old home. I had to back up 30 feet to fit it all in the shot. It takes up every square inch of lot allowed by the city. It is a beautiful house but not my idea of a home. The neighborhood we used to live in has changed drastically. Every third house has been replaced by a mansion. The population has grown exponentially. It is now the third largest city in the state of Illinois with a population of more than 144,000 people.
This is where you can find me now. We have a small farm on 76 acres. Here is our old farmhouse. My workroom is through the window. The view is amazing! Note the hydreangea bush on the left. It is just starting to bloom. I had no idea that these bushes grew so high. It comes up to the windows of the second story, and it is still growing!

Updated note April 2nd 2010: I am making another guest appearance today on Carmen's Blog, Carmen Rose Prose. Carmen is an artist after my own heart. She claims to have Art AD/HD and I sure can sympathize with that affliction. Her works are amazing. She is an accomplished art quilter who dyes her own fabric. She paints glass, writes poetry, makes jewelry and you should she the "Art of a Woman" exhibition that she put together! Oh My...

And speaking of Oh My....I recently worked on a special order of hand dyed velvet for Susan of "Plays with Needles". She mentioned that she would be posting something about her new velvets but I never imagined the post she would dream up. It brought such a big smile to my face. Go there and see...and take some time to look around. Susan finds so much beauty in the world of textiles, of life through a camera's lens and in her own artwork.

April Fools

April Fools!!!

I'm not where I'm supposed to be today. Candy Glendening of Candied Fabrics is visiting on my Dye Candy Blog and I am a guest on her blog.

I have been following Candy's blog since last summer. She has such a creative mind and writes wonderful tutorials. I especially enjoyed her tips on lighting, both for photography and her art show booth. Her hand dyed silk scarves and bags were the first of her wares to catch my eye. I love the machine embroidery details on her Going Green journals & Clothing.

You can see the process of how she dyed the fabrics in this picture here. It has been so much fun trading places. Thank you Candy!

Flora

Today is reveal day on the Art Quilts Around the World Blog. The theme for this challenge is "Flora"

In February I had a chance to take a class with Beth Wheeler and Lori Marquette about Altered Photo Artistry. I learned SO MUCH about my Photoshop Elements program, which fabrics are good to print on, printers and inks. There was even a little bit about rust dyeing. I really enjoyed this class and plan to play with this technique again and again! The possibilities are endless.

I took this photo last summer at our farm in Southwestern Wisconsin (in the US). This is the nodding thistle or musk thistle. Although it is classified as a noxious weed in many states I always looks forward to seeing these flowers each summer. They are so complex and interesting. Click here to see all the other quilts from this challenge.

Spring is Here

It is hard to believe I was finishing the last of my snowdyes only 5 days ago. Spring is here in Wisconsin. The robins and bluebirds arrived the day after all the snow melted. It is such a pleasure to be outside and listening to birdsong again.

Karen is hosting a giveaway on her blog. Click here to follow the link for a chance to enter.

Retreat!!!

Patsy had a few spots open up at her Homestead Cabin Retreat last weekend. My mom thought we should jump on the chance to get away and sew. It didn't take any convincing. I even took a few extra vacation days from work. We finished piecing one of the two quilt tops we started at the retreat last March.

My sister and her husband own a cabin that was built in 1934. These quilts will be a perfect fit for the era and decor of the cabin. My sister, the non quilter of the family, designed these quilts using Electric Quilt after receiving a quick tutorial.

Mom and I arrived early and stayed late. We had the retreat to ourselves on Thursday and Sunday nights and into Monday.

I also spent some time sewing mini quilt blocks for my jewelry. I'm trying to get a jump on 2010 stock before the weather turns nice. Next week my fabric shipments arrive and I will be dyeing lots of fabric in preparation for a quilt show in April.

Right before we headed home I was able to get a shot of this gorgeous pileated woodpecker. What a treat! Thanks for a wonderful weekend Mom.

Flora Preview

Here is a preview of the art quilt I have been working on for the Art Quilts Around the World "Flora Challenge". I love the way this project is turning out and I can't wait to show you more. Reveal date is March 31st.

Missing in Action

Yes, it is true. My blog has been sadly neglected as of late. I have been keeping myself so busy that it has been hard to slow down enough to find the words to write an intelligent blog post. I have traveled to vend or retreat every other weekend since the start of this year.

My day job is in the construction industry. I sell commercial roofing products. Last year new construction starts were non-existent. The majority of the business we received was in the public sector. Because of the downturn in business I have had 10 furlough days since Christmas.

I have been working hard to supplement my income with sales from my hand dyed fabrics and miniature quilt block jewelry. Since mid December I have dyed over 300 yards of fabric and sewed 100 tiny quilt blocks to make into jewelry as I restock the art galleries that sell my work. I also dyed 6 dozen velvet & silk scarves to sell at the local retreat and art gallery. I added 10" velvet sample sample packs for embellishing and needle felting project to my Dye Candy shop (currently for sale here)

I also started and completed a play quilt for my new nephew. Photos of the quilt can be found on my Dye Candy Blog in these posts: Machine Quilting Close Up and Cornflower Blue Play Quilt.

I have tons of photos taken and four tutorials ready to write. The travel will stop soon. I just have one more weekend away and it is at my favorite quilt retreat with my mom so what could be better? I know my husband misses me but he is very supportive of my incessant need to create and I love him for it.

With Gratitude for a New Heart

Look what came in the mail just before Christmas!!! The heart and cuff were created by Jackie of Dog Daisy Chains. I am such a huge fan of Jackie's work. Everything she creates has such a vibrant appeal to it.

Almost two years ago I purchased a lovely barrette from Jackie. I wear it when I am working at the art gallery and at quilt shows. I have even dyed clothing to match. This cuff goes beautifully with the barrette.

The heart was given as a gift to my mother who recently had heart trouble for about 6 months. The problem was corrected by 2 minor surgeries. The first surgery failed and there was a 3 month wait before they could do another. I am happy to report I have a brand new mom. She recovered quickly and has more energy than I have seen in years.

Jackie, thank you for the beautiful pieces! We will treasure your work.

Visit Jackie' blog Dog Daisy Chains and her Etsy shop Dog Daisy.

Out My Studio Window and Around the House

Last week another storm added a new layer of snow to the valley.

Deer tracks in the snow. Food is getting harder to find.

The deer have taken all the apples they can reach from the trees. They are trimming the bushes near the house and visiting the bird feeders.

The temperature is rising this week. A hoarfrost on Wednesday melts as the sun hits it, raining down ice crystals.

The air is damp in the evenings creating pastel sunsets.

Mandala Quilt

Happy New Year! I'm just back home from a few days with family to celebrate a belated Christmas. There was a new baby to snuggle and my son and his fiance flew in to join in the fun.

While I was traveling I put the finishing touches on my Mandala quilt.

The theme of the recent Art Quilts Around the World challenge was Mandala.

I used some of my favorite hand dyed colors, fuchsia with a touch of orange, an olive/chartreuse blend, golden yellow and two purples. I love quilts that have a "touch me" appeal to them. I used a purple hand dyed velvet to add texture to the quilt.

Click here to see more Mandala Quilts