Windows of the Soul....

Pink
Artist

Love
Squared

Part II


As a continuation of the Love Squared project, Monica doled out the squares that were left over after making Love's dress to 20 artists. We were each instructed to make a 10x10 art quilt out of the squares dealt us. Upon completion, our little art quilts are to be forwarded back to Monica who is going to attach them all to create one large art quilt. Cool.

I spread the squares I received out on a worktable in my studio and let them sit for a few weeks, rearranging them most times I walked by. I played with them off and on trying to decide what to do with them. I was getting frustrated as I could not decide which squares to feature - so I decided to feature them ALL -- each square being a window into the soul, into love, loss and hope of its creator.

I used a piece of black and white fabric as the base, and tore pieces of black and white batik into strips (leaving the edges raw and frayed - alla Jude!) which I then couched down to form a grid. I layered each art square onto two pieces of either hand made silk fusion, and/or hand painted fabric or silk for dimension, then stitched around each set with perle cotton or embroidery floss for texture. The plan was for the grid to be the front of the piece.

The dream hand (which I already showed you) has one solitary square (rounded off) for the orb in the center. I think I will give Monica artistic license to make the decision as to which side should be the front and which side should be the back to best suit the cooperative piece best.

Eventually cooperative art quilt will be sold with all proceeds once again going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. We may get a chance to see somewhere prior to the sale. If that occurs, I'll be sure and let you know.

The little quilts are all due to be in Monica's hot little hands by December 1st. I'm a bit ahead of schedule (for once). I'm looking forward to seeing what the other artists do with their squares. Inasmuch as there is quite a variety of artists participating in this project, it will be fascinating (stylistically speaking) to see what each individual artist does with his/her selection of squares. I'll keep you posted as this wonderful project progresses.

Breathe deep - nourish your soul with this beautiful Autumn day.

It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Christmas......

No - it hasn't started to snow here yet (although it's almost cold enough at night to snow!) BUT - it's still beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Recca studio, as its full of bags, boxes and bolts of fabric.

It's been a busy week as I've been getting prizes finished and mailed out for the Pink Artist Project, as well as I am almost done with my 10x10 art quilt square made from the left over Love Squared squares. I'll be posting a picture of that as soon as I finish putting on the finishing touches.

I've also been clipping coupons and shopping for gift "supplies." All the patterns, have been purchased and studied to see what supplies were required. I made my list - Fleece, minky, flannel backed satin, flannel, thermal knit, elastic, etc., etc., etc. I don't know about you - but I can't stand running in and out of stores. I like to make my list, buy all the stuff, sit down and start sewing. No interruptions. Interruptions to make trips to the store for forgotten items and/or notions makes me crazy. As Sabrina would say, it's a "fun sucker" - it just sucks the fun right out of it for me. So I make sure I get everything the first time out.

It's also been a busy week as the North Carolina State Fair is in town which we spent the day at Monday, AND one of my favorite Quilt Shows (the Durham/Orange Quilt Guild) too place last weekend in the historic Tobacco Warehouse District of Downtown Durham.

At the quilt show, I treated myself to some really cool black and white Australian fabric (Paula turned me on to this fabric when she sent me some pieces of it a month or so ago.) I love the graphic nature of the design. Love the dots. I also spoiled myself and bought a gorgeous "Shaker" pin cushion. Made with birch wood, copper nails and filled with white sand, it's very heavy and I absolutely love it. Merry (early) Christmas - to ME!!

I have been checking in on you and as always am inspired by the creativity and love that you put into all you do. In fact, I'm so inspired by YOU, I've got a few things in the works for some very special blog friends, AND a Christmas"y" give away or two!

Autumn Leaves......

I can't wait to get outside. The weather here in North Carolina has been so beautiful, but with yesterday being the first day I could use my studio again, I just had to stay inside one more day and honor the day by painting with Lumiere in fall colors, before begining the outside chores.

I made this journal (based upon Sue B's padfolio pattern) cover as a runner up prize for the Pink Artists' (Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation) charity drawing of the beautiful, Love Squared art doll. In addition to the grand prize of Love Squared, there are tons of cool runner up prizes also made by the Pink Artists. You can take a look by going here.

These padfolios go together relatively quickly, and depending upon how much time you want to put into it by handpainting, beading, embellishing, etc., come together quite nicely.

For this one - I picked out a wild fall batik for the lining, and for the cover, I took some fabric out of the "ugly bag" to paint. (it makes me happy to be able to use ugly fabric by painting over it!)

I painted the cover with Lumiere metallic paint mixed with some acrylic. After it dried, I loaded up a leaf shaped rubber stamp with a ton of paint and stamped it. I really like "loading up" the stamp because it leaves an "imprint," (rather than just stamping on the surface.) I like that additional textural element. Once that dried, I sewed the three sandwiches of outer fabric, Peltex and inner fabric (batik) together with a satin stitch. Once the cover was put together I stitched on a silk leaf I painted with metallic paint, layered that with a bone leaf button, and put a handmade bead on top of that. I then braided some yarn and secured it with a wire laced with beads. I've got a few more in the works wherein I'm piecing the covers, rather than painting - whole cloth.

Today I'm going to switch gears and begin working on Jean's big block applique piece. She picked the Alabama Cotton Boll block to be done in red and green on white. I'm really looking forward to slowing down (physically and mentally) and doing some hand stitching.

Girl-Gone-Thread-Wild.....

This gal's blog gets my vote as the not only the "best named" but most "aptly" named blog. Monica - you're lucky I didn't think of this name first!

We had a little tete-a-tete a while back and I have been holding off posting the pictures until I needed something cool to post. I've been finishing off those %*(!)@#$(#! placemats (still sewing on that %*(!)@ octogonally shapped 1/8 binding (ewe!). I'm on the last one. NOT my favorite project. AND no progress on Starry.

So in lieu of anything out of my studio, or Sabrina' s edge of the world (as she has been too busy talking on the phone with her - um "boyfriend!" to create lately)... feast your eyes on this eye candy from Wild Girl.

I could pick Monica's stuff out of a line up of hundreds of artists. It's so different, so wildly

textural -- and so uniquely her own. Go check out the "collage effect" pillows she just made. They are amazing! I absolutely adore them. Girl-Gone-Thread-Wild I've got to make Sabrina a few of those -- and they would be great for her to give to her girlfriends as gifts. I'd really like to give them a try and make two for the chairs on my front porch to add an interesting element up there as Katie's windchimes and the stained glass mosaic table I made are needing some serious company.

You may or may not know -- Monica is the artist who faciliated the Pink Artists' making of the Love Squared Doll I posted about a while back (a group of which I am proud to be a part.) Love is going to be featured in the autumn issue of Art Doll Quarterly set to come out August 1st and will be up for auction August 1 through October 15th - with all proceeds to be donated for the fight against breast cancer.

Over on the right-hand side of my blog you will see the "pink artist" button. Click on it and it will take you to Love Squared and the information for the auction. We are all so proud to be part of this meaningful project. It's very exciting.

The weekend fast approaches! I don't know about you , but I'm gonna work on my "vacation tan." Gettin' ready to head out to Colorado in a week and I always like to go with a tan. Most people come back from vacation with a tan -- I like to GO on vacation with a tan. It makes my vacation clothes look sooooo much better. Shallow -- I know!

P.S. Monica, vous êtes le meilleur. Art dessus

P.P.S. Keep an Eye out for a New Contest. Details Real Soon!!!!!