19 October 2016

Betsey's Crazy Quilt

I wrote about this project about a year ago and now I am actually starting to finish it. My girlfriend Betsey took a crazy quilt class in NY before she moved to Maine. She has had these blocks for at least 10 years and now I have the time to square them up and apply the sashing and border. Yesterday I squared them up using the 14" square of Plexiglas Betsey had cut for me. Makes it so easy and convenient. Having a square cut coats about $5. and is worth every cent.
She also applied a lot of " embellishments " which may get in my way like thick buttons, hand beading and metal coins. I am just about ready to cut the strips for the sashing and I hope to have this finished by Friday. If there isn't a Friday post, no explanation is needed (smile).


One 14" square all squared up


The Plexiglas square


The other 11 squares


Fabric for sashing, binding and I hope backing as well. I am planning a "pillowcase" backing.

17 October 2016

water soluble graphite pencils

This is my first foray into water soluble graphite pencils. I have used the water soluble colored pencils many times but I found these in a drawer (forgotten by me after "putting them away"). I have been stepping over and on acorns for weeks now. I even planted two in a pot hoping they will  grow into oaks. I brought home a pretty spray of acorns and leaves and left them on my desk until the leaves dried and the acorns popped out of their hats.

I took a cell phone picture and sat down to FINALLY draw something after months (I think) of inaction on my sketchbook workshop with the Kemshalls. My attempt is not great but better than a stick in the eye (as my partner Brian loves to say).



Kind of a mediocre sketch but at least I did SOMETHING


Both Derwent water soluble pencils and solid Grahitone sticks


These are 2 regular solid large graphite sticks and what I refer to as a "China Marker" China markers also come in colors and are like intense crayons. Butchers use them to mark on paper packages and stores use them to mark china (imagine). You could also call them grease pencils but they aren't really greasy.

14 October 2016

New issue of "Through Our Hands"

If you have never read an issue of "Through Our Hands", you are in for a big treat. They are published a few times a year by Annabel Rainbow, Linda and Laura Kemshall. The magazine is free to view online here and you can also buy a PDF download version to read at home. It is only 3 pounds ($3.82 USD) and it supports in a small way the immense amount of work involved in it's publication. You can download this seasons version to keep here.  So far I have bought all of the publications and will continue to support them. 

Have some fun and check out the free version online.



 Cover photo: Young Buck by Gladys Paulus.


12 October 2016

New book cover



I of course didn't take pictures from the beginning so you'll have to use your imagination for the pieced front. You can see the quilting lines on the batting though.


Quilting lines


Trimming to 1/8th inch


Turning inside out


Ready to press on seam line


Front of cover


Cover on book

10 October 2016

Deanna's birthday



Today is my granddaughters birthday. She is in her second year of art school at Moore College of Art and Design in Philly. I have now graduated from Amazon gift certificates to actual gifts. I hate to admit it but I am the worlds worst card sender or occasion gift buyer. I can't explain it.

Earlier this year I sent my daughter Meredith a beautiful sketchbook because she is a prodigious journaler.




This cover was a combination of monoprint and scraped acrylic paint. 

It suddenly occurred to me my granddaughter, an actual artist, might like one of my sketchbooks. So that was the start of it.


Laying out the binder board on the back of the paste paper cover and marking the 45 degree corners.


Scapes cut off will become future book marks


I still use my shells to hold my PVA.


Blurry picture of the covers being pressed under about 20 lbs of books


All pieces assembled and ready to stitch.





Adding a signature


Coptic stitched spine. So pretty and useful (pages lie flat)


A REAL card. What has happened in the universe to cause this bizarre behavior?



Wrapped in one of my acid dyed silk scarves.


On it's way to Philly

05 October 2016

That doggone square


I mean dog gone as in she ate half my square. Yes, my new puppy Kiki, now called Niki (Nicky) decided to teeth on my second square. Here are the before and after I repaired the block pictures. 




This is the puppy barricade. The square was on the worktable and I can only guess it somehow was swept to the floor. All of those cubbies are filled with fabric and other supplies. Hopefully safe.



03 October 2016

Back to my old tricks



I just love this technique. The entire piece is 4.75 X 5.75. Think I will start making a bunch of these.




All of the fabrics are my own hand dyes, batiks, deconstructed silk screen, whatever...