Creative Cue 4: Rolling

Here is my interpretation of this week's Creative Cue word...rolling.

Did you know if you participate in Three Creative Studios Technique of the Month, that you have the chance to win a prize? Here is a peek at the first prize offered. You'll find the techniques for this program here.

Happy Weekend!

Contemplating Rulers

I was doing some online ruler browsing recently. I've often wondered if a larger ruler would be a good addition to my toolbox. As you can see in the photo below, the largest rulers I own are a 12.5" square ruler and a 6" x 24" ruler. One of the largest square rulers I saw online was somewhere around 20" square. Wow! That's big. I have to wonder if that size is a little awkward. But I would also wonder if it isn't a great ruler for squaring up quilts.

So I'm curious as to what your largest ruler size is. Do you have a mega-large rule in your toolbox? If so, do you use it a lot or a little? What size is your largest ruler?

I got a new sketchbook today. I ordered it online as I had never seen one like this in my local store.

And here is why this sketchbook is so great! It's 12" x 12"!

This is the perfect size sketchbook to draw my quilt designs for the Twelve by Twelve group or when I make this size of quilt for other things....like the SAQA One Foot Square auction. And do you know what's even better than having a sketchbook like this?

Having two!

Finally!

I have been needing to update my etsy shop for what feels like forever....and today I finally was able to get it done!  I feel so good.  I added 11 new items to the shop and these three were included.  In case you want to go check out the shop, you can get there with this link:  http://stegart.etsy.com

In other news, I recently took over the position of regional rep for the North Dakota/South Dakota SAQA region.  I hope I can do a good job.  We are a very, very, small region in terms of membership, with only four total members at the present time.  So if any of you out there who are reading this, live in ND/SD, would you like to join?  If so, or if you have any questions about SAQA, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks to all of you for your totally wonderful comments on Shades of Red.  You warm my heart!

Shades of Red

This quilt is finished, all except for the hanging sleeve and label. I basically created this over the period of last week, working on it whenever I could grab a minute or more here and there. I snapped a quick photo of it laying on my cutting table, so it's a bit wonky. I really need to get a free day so I can take a few "more professional looking" photos of some things I need photos of.

Thank you to all of you expressing congratulations on my blue ribbon. I'm just thrilled to have received it.

I also wanted to revisit the topic of reading blog posts in a feed reader such as Google Reader. I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea...I don't choose to not follow a blog that is shortened because of any personal issues I have with that blogger or their blog. I would be more than happy to spend time following them in my reader if they chose to share their full posts. The issue is about "my time". That's all! I have to pick and choose how I spend my time and clicking over to everyone's blog to follow them is one thing that I have modified so that I can have time for things I deem more important. Please don't read that as "I don't like you" or "Your blog is not worthy of my following it".

One reader mentioned that she couldn't understand why shortened posts were so offensive that I'd stop reading them. I want to say that I don't find it offensive at all. I never felt it was offensive, just more time consuming. I think it is each blogger's ultimate decision on how they choose to share their blog posts. I totally understand that. I'm just telling you what works or doesn't work for me. Also, I do take the time when I "have the time" to occasionally click around on others artist's blogs, to see how they have decorated their blog and to see who they follow, etc. I do enjoy that, it's just that I don't always have free time to do that.

I do hope I haven't upset anyone with this discussion. I basically just wanted to discuss it, that's all!

On Track

This week's Creative Cue word was track. Here is my quick drawing on that subject.

This weekend there was a quilt show in town. I thought I wasn't going to be able to go to it because we were supposed to have a winter storm. Luckily there was a lull in the storm action and I was able to go to the show today. I have a quilt hanging in the show. The quilt I have there is Waiting, which you can see here on my website. I was thrilled to walk up to it at the show and find a blue ribbon hanging on it.

While at the quilt show I usually can't resist purchasing some fabrics, and here is what I came home with today. I was in an orange mood. That teal fabric is one I'm using in one of my block of the month quilts and I was starting to get low on it. Now I will have more than enough to finish the rest of the blocks in the BOM. I'm sort of liking the teal with those oranges too!

Below is my progress on the collage quilt I've been working on sporadically throughout the week. I shared a bit of it in the previous post.

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on the issue of shortened blog posts in feed readers, such as Google Reader. Many of you didn't know how to check to see if your blog appears shortened in feed readers. I can only tell you how to look if you have a Blogger blog, as I am unfamiliar with the other blog hosts and their settings.

In your blog's Dashboard, click on Settings. Find the sub-heading labeled Site Feed and click it. Look for the section labeled Blog Posts Feed (it should be at or near the top). Click the drop-down arrow to the right, there will be three choices for your blog post feed. None - Short - Full. If it is set to full, then those who follow your blog in a reader, such as Google Reader or Bloglines, will be able to read your full posts without having to click to your blog. If you make a change on this setting, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Save. Hope that was clear as mud! Have a great weekend.

New Collage Quilt

I started on a new collage quilt. I've put the bluebird quilt aside for now. I shared that quilt a few posts ago. I have been very busy lately with some DIY home type projects, and I haven't had the time to really work on the bluebird quilt. I don't like doing that type of work when I only have a few minutes here and there...so that is why I started this collage quilt. Funny how some activities are easier to work on with limited amounts of time.

I've started with the free-motion quilting on this piece. And, YES, I checked the back before I started stitching. Didn't find any stow away scraps.

This morning I was reading through my list of blogs that I follow. I do this in Google Reader. A very handy tool! Anyway, a couple of the blogs that I have on my list to follow have chosen to share only a small portion of their blog post. They have set their blog settings in such a manner so that I can't read their entire post in my reader. Why do bloggers do this? Are they wanting me to click over to their blog to finish reading? Here is how I feel about this. I don't like it. I know it's their choice because it's their blog, but I personally don't have the time to click to everyone's blog to read their posts (I do take the time to click to blogs when I want to leave a comment), that is why I use Google Reader. I actually will unsubscribe from blogs who do this, or not subscribe to a blog that does this. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Do you have your blog set to only share the first couple of sentences with readers? Why or why not? Do you subscribe to blogs who share just the first couple of sentences with readers? Why or why not? Thanks for your input!

Update: Many of you are wondering how to add the "Next" button to your browser bookmark bar, as described by the first comment in this post. While logged into your Google Reader account, you'll see at the top to the right, is a link called "settings". Click that. When you get to the next screen, you should see a link labeled "goodies". Click that. Read the section labeled "Put Reader in a Bookmark". This area describes what you need to do. The bookmark bar is the area on the browser window near the top underneath the line of text that gives the web address or URL of the web site you are on. At least this is how it appears on my Firefox screen. Your browser bookmark bar may vary from mine.

Page 407

There I am in the new book 500 Art Quilts....page 407.

The quilt they selected of mine for the book is a paper quilt and the quilt is coming across a bit dark on the page. Here is where I first posted about this quilt.

My book arrived yesterday and last evening I flipped through the pages and just loved all the wonderful quilts that were in it. I enjoyed how Lark placed some of the quilts on facing pages. Some of the quilts were occasionally arranged on facing pages by similar theme, and also by similar colors. One page spread that I love because of how the colors of the quilts coordinate is pages 312-313. And another page spread I enjoyed was pages 336-337, because the two quilts shown have a leaf theme and the colors are quite similar. There are many instances throughout the book with this type of thing going on and I found it enjoyable. I hope Lark considers doing a series of this book theme, perhaps every few years.

I completed my next quilt for the Twelve by Twelve group. The theme this time around is blue and white and black, chosen by Francoise. All along I was constructing the quilt my goal was for a February 1 reveal. Well I recently found out that our next reveal isn't until March 1. Oh well...I don't mind that I finished early.

While I was working on my blue/white/black quilt...I was doing some free-motion quilting on it and at one point flipped it over to snip some threads and found this:

Argh! I hate it when that happens. Some blue fabric scraps stuck to the back of the batting and I didn't notice them before stitching. Well they are now cleverly hidden within the depths of my quilt as I was about to sit there and pick out those threads to remove them. Have you ever done this? This wasn't my first time doing it. You think a person would live and learn, but nooooooo!

ToteTuesday

Virginia Spiegel is holding another fundraising event, continuing her dedication to raising funds for the American Cancer Society. Through her Fiber Arts for a Cause, she raised over $190,000. This year the fundraiser is another great idea, totes filled with all sorts of goodies for fiber artists.

ToteTuesday, a Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, will open Tuesday, February 2 and continue through March. It’s a fundraiser AND a showcase for everything that is fun and creative about the fiber arts.

ToteTuesday will feature themed totes filled with unique, beautiful, and inspiring items from the worlds of fiber arts, knitting, art quilting, mixed media and surface design.

The totes will be filled with many things, including original artwork, autographed books, hand-dyed fabrics, discharged, rust-dyed and painted fabrics, beads, gorgeous yarns, handmade journals, fun and useful materials/tools for mixed-media and surface design, certificates for online classes and much, much more.

There will be an auction from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. every Tuesday with a required opening bid with additional bids requested in $10 increments. There will also be a Go for the Gold! price if you can’t wait to own the tote AND want to be a champion supporter of the ACS.  All donations will be made by credit card to the ACS through the FFAC donation page. You will receive an immediate receipt. All shipping is FREE to buyers.

You can check out some of the tote themes on Virginia's blog. A good friend of mine, Peggy Schroder, is putting a few totes together for the event. I've donated some items for the totes Peggy is putting together. Be sure to join in on the fun starting February 2!

ToteTuesday logo designed by Jeanelle McCall of http://www.fivespoongallery.com/

New Stuff To Do

There are some new things to do over at Three Creative Studios.

First up is the new Block of the Month. This is Block 5 - January Block and below are my two versions of it.

Vicki created a fabulous placemat set made with the blocks from the Block of the Month. You'll find the directions for that on the free projects page.

Also, there is a new monthly technique (Technique of the Month) to play with. Look at these great projects that Sue made with painted batting. You'll find those instructions here.

Have fun and enjoy your weekend.

Initiative Reveal

The Stepping Path

20" x 16"

Today is the reveal of the "initiative" quilts for the Fiberactions group. Click over to the blog to see the quilts. This is our very first group reveal...I'm very excited.

Creative Cue 2: Heel

Here is my sketch for this week's Creative Cue. Note the hairy legs. I didn't use a model with this, except for sometimes glancing at my foot for contour/shape help. I didn't look at my legs when adding the hair!

500 Art Quilts

A few months back I received word that a quilt I submitted to this new book was accepted.  Yay!

I learned that the book will be available at the end of January, much sooner than the original release date of March.  Yay!

I can't wait to see the book.  There are 363 quilt artists with work featured in the book, so I'm betting a great variety of fabulous art.  Yay!

You can find the book at Amazon.com. Yay!

In other news, I got an email today that my quilt that is at Road to California, did not win an award.   Oh well!  I'm just very happy that the quilt was accepted in the first place.  Congrats to all the quilters who did win an award.  I think at some point the Road to California web site will post photos of the winning quilts, maybe after the quilt show.

Block of the Month Prize

Have you made the December Block of the Month at Three Creative Studios?

If so....GREAT! If not, you still have until Friday (1/15) to get it made and your block photo uploaded to the Three Creative Studios forum in order to be eligible to win this prize pack:

Contents of the prize pack:
Hand dyed fabric pack from Vicki Welsh, Handmade box by Sue B, Blended Quilt Backgrounds by Jean Biddick, 2 1/2 yard package of Mistyfuse, Artgirlz wool felt cone, assorted wool felt beads, fabrics from Kumiko Sudo Four Seasons line, 2010 Somerset Studio Art journaling calendar, and assorted machine and hand quilting threads.

Are any of you going to Road to California, (January 14-17)?  I wish I was, but it's not to be.  I do, however, have a quilt hanging in the show there.  The quilt in question is Stirring Thoughts.  If you are going, I hope you have an enjoyable time.

Sketchin' & Paintin'

My good friend Sue, sent me a sketchbook to use for my Creative Cue sketches. When I opened the package that arrived yesterday, I found a bonus sketchbook. You rock SUE!!!



So I opened one of the sketchbooks and started with my first Creative Cue theme. The word this week is "east".



I chose to sketch a scene with the sun rising in the east. I decided to give myself some loose rules for my Creative Cue sketches. I would do them in pencil. I wouldn't worry about perfecting them. Just get my idea down on paper and go with it. Don't worry about tweaking and perfect lines, etc. I scanned my drawing into the computer and photoshopped it so that the sketch would show up good. Sometimes pencil lines don't come across well.



And here is my progress on the bird quilt. I've laid down the base colors so far. Next I need to start adding some details, shading and highlighting.


Hope you have a great weekend!

New Work

Here's what is next on my agenda:


The background for this quilt was pieced and quilted a while back and I'm now getting around to adding a focal design.

I have been working on getting my website updated as I had a few quilts to add to it and I finally got all that finished yesterday. I think I added 8 quilts to the gallery. I also changed the quilt that appeared on the front page and I updated my resume. Feels good to get that done. Next up I need to get some things added to my etsy shop. I have been meaning to do that for a couple months or so and just haven't gotten around to it.

Melon Slices

Well, this quilt is finished. I imagine you are glad as I've shown it enough lately and it's time to move onto something new.


Okay, maybe it's not totally finished. I still have to add a hanging sleeve and label. But the front side is finished. I've officially named it Melon Slices. It measures 34" x 34". I am really happy with the fabric I chose for the binding. A black and white stripe. Here is a close up:



In other news....today the first Creative Cue word was announced. You can read all about it here. I already have an idea of what I will sketch for this cue. Now to just get my sketchbook in hand. It'll be here soon, I had to have a new one that would open flat for scanning. A big thank you to my personal sketchbook maker.

Also, Three Creative Studios has announced a new monthly free project called Technique of the Month. There will be prizes too. You can find out more about this here.