SAQA Auction Part 3

"Midsummer Moon Dance" by Mary Vinovskis is my most recent purchase in the SAQA on-line auction of 12" x 12" pieces.

Here is what Mary shares about her piece: "I'm just starting to make art quilts. In this little piece I wanted to use unusual (for me anyway) fabrics to create my imaginary garden scene. I pictured an adobe wall with some sky above it, strong shadows on it and plants in front of it. At the same time I was focusing on the composition: trying to balance color placement, value, etc. The butterflies were the only way I could see to get some blue into the center of the design. The small scale was also a challenge, especially in deciding how to finish the edge -- my usual 1/4 inch binding cut off too much of the picture so I tried my first couched yarn finish."

I am thrilled with my newest piece.

SAQA Auction Part 2

This wonderful piece is the newest in my growing collection of small works. I puchased it from the SAQA on-line auction. Part 3 started today. Check out the auction at www.saqa.com.

This piece is called Beautiful Garden by Terri Stegmiller. She has many delightful pieces for sale. Check out Terri's website by clicking here. Be sure to visit her gallery, blog and see what is for sale.

This picture is posted with her permission.

Studio Art Quilt Associates Auction Success

Memoirs of a Geisha, made by one of my heroes Louisa L. Smith, now belongs to me. I purchased this beautiful piece in the on-line auction to raise money to support the mission of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA).

And here's an update on the November Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative on-line auction. My piece Blessed Are the Caregivers, shown in my previous post, was sold to SusieQ. SusieQ has informed me that she will donate my piece to the Alzheimer's center where her step dad is currently living and receiving care. I can't think of a better place for it to be displayed. I huge thanks to SusieQ for bidding on my piece.

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative November Auction

Today begins the November Auction for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Priority Quilts. This month is a special auction for pieces that relate to Alzheimer's.

My piece, Blessed Are the Caregivers, is #2391.

Please help make a difference in fighting this devasting disease and get involved by bidding on one of these pieces.

Click HERE to go to the auction page to see all the quilts.

Braving the Elements

I belong to an on-line quilt group called Quilt Art. It's an amazing resource for quilt artists. Thanks to the efforts of Linda Teddlie Minton and G. Armour Van Horn we have an exhibit of the Journal Quilts that were not selected for the Houston IQF show. This on-line exhibit is called Braving the Elements.

My Journal Quilt called Fire Dance is included.

It is worth the time to see this breathtaking virtual exhibit. Enjoy!

Healing Quilts For Unversity of Michigan

Last week I traveled to Ann Arbor to deliver seventeen art quilts to the University of Michigan. Twelve in the collection are for the cancer wing and will be hung for patients and their families to enjoy. The subjects are plants and animals used in chemotherapies. To see all the quilts, check out our website at http://www.fiberartists-looseends.com/.

Two of the quilts are based on images from U of M scientists who share their interesting work through an innovative art form called Bio-Artography. Artists Annabel Ebersole and Judy Busby made these two pieces.


Bio-artography Image by Rebecca Bernados


Bio-artography Image by Maria Morell

I want to thank all the Fiber Artists who helped created this wonderful collection of healing quilts. It was an honor and privilege to deliver them to the University of Michigan Health Care Gifts of Art program.

World's Alzheimer's Day

September 21st is World's Alzheimer's Day.

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is sponsoring the Purple Patch to honor and remember those that have this devastating disease. Learn more about how you can help by visiting http://www.alzquilts.org/.

My purple patch is in honor of my sister-in-law Susan's step father. Susan travels frequently from her home in Colorado to help her mom in Florida.

Vintage Revisited - Block Six: Mary's Heroes

I completed my last of the Vintage Revisited block challenges. This one was based on a grandmother's flower garden block. I used all the left over pieces to make the border trim. Mary Kerr is the creator, visionary and curator of this amazing project. I wanted to thank her in some way for inviting me to participate so I made this last piece for her. These photos are some of her favorite people. You can check out this inspiring project by visiting the Vintage Revisited page on Mary's website.

Journal Quilt Project II: Elements

I submitted this piece called Fire Dance to the Quilt Art Journal Project II: Elements (Earth, Water, Air, Fire) exhibit. It was not selected to travel with the exhibit. This piece is special to me because I made it while visiting Vikki Pignatelli for 4 wonderful days last July. I was learning and experimenting with her techniques for improvisational design and curved piecing. The border/binding is pleated and has little contrasting flaps sewn in. It has a lot of texture and is 3-D.

My intepretation of the Elements theme: Fire Dance shows the spirit of God in waves of energy, moving over the earth during creation. In the earth’s initial stages, God’s spirit, represented by fire (coral), the waters and air (teal), and the earth (black) are all inter-mingled while the spirit creates their form and they become distinct entities.

Teaching in California

While I was in California I had the opportunity to teach a Praise Quilt Workshop. Fourteen women from different churches in the Morro Bay area attended. I taught an abbreviated version of my Lazy Landscape class and demonstrated how I do Thread Paint Lettering and raw-edge applique. I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with women whom all share a calling to make banners for their churches. Here are two pieces.

The first piece is by Donna Ross and was made for Pentecost.

This next piece is by Judie Kirkhart and is a gift for a family member.

Thank you to Loisann Cass for thinking of this workshop and organizing it. And thank you to the Calvary Luthern Church for hosting the event.