Soggy Sewing

Saturday, October 6th is the 16^th Annual Friends of Pets Quilts and Creations Quilt Auction!  This popular auction features animal themed fiber arts of all types and benefits the community spay/neuter assistance program . Friends of Pets provides vital animal welfare and protective services for abandoned animals with respect, compassion and integrity and is staffed entirely by volunteers and supported by donations. For the last couple of years I have wanted to donate a piece for the auction but always missed the deadline –but not this year! Thankfully, Ruth Q. reminded me via email it was that time of year and I was able to make two pieces. “Pets are a Girls Best Friend” is 20” w x 14” h and “Dog Breath and Friend” is 22” w x 25” h. Both are original designs that I used the applique, fusible web method of quilting. Each piece is embellished with fun, free-motion stitching and is ready to hang.

 Should you find yourself in Anchorage bid high and bid often at the Friends of Pets Quilts and Creations Quilt Auction!

Saturday, October 2, 2012

University Center Mall

It’s been easy to be in the nice, dry studio working on projects since it’s been RAINING outside most of the week (month). Between record high destructive winds and now flooding throughout most of Southcentral Alaska it’s made for a soggy, blustery fall. These photos below are from our friend Carol P. on the Kenai River and showing the flooding where we would normally be fishing this week… the entire dock which normally is about 3’ – 4’ ABOVE the river is now under water along with the fire pit area. The good news is that the lodge sits on much higher ground above where these photos were taken but still there is a lot of damage across the state. 

Our thoughts are with our friends in Seward, the Kenai Peninsula and Talkeetna, all who have experienced property damage due to the increased rainfall.

The inset photos were from Labor Day weekend where the dock sits high above the river with the boats tied up below. With the flooding the river is up and over the dock into the fire pit area. That's A LOT of RIVER!

Born To Be In The Wild

Kenai River, Alaska

In 2009 I thought for sure we were going to have the big “Princesses and Banditos Part Deux” blowout birthday party like we had for my 40th. I even blogged about it in "Born to Be Wild."  As it turned out I just wasn’t up for the cleanup, set up or post throw up hang-over. I chose to spend my big FIVE-OH day with my family on the river FISHING! That's not to say I didn't celebrate and my sweet Daddy-O didn't keep my little red drink cup filled! It was the perfect way to spend the Labor Day birthday weekend –including waking up to fresh, French Press Kaladi Brothers Coffee and a Fire Island Bakery birthday cake that my sweetie surprised me with on the dock for breakfast –all while my line was in the water!! What a good way to roll into 50. 

 My fishing boys. Thanks for a GREAT birthday, family! 

xox

Olive Dog wasn't too happy to have to be tethered to the cleaning table... whenever we had a fish on or there was a SPLASHING COMMOTION she wanted to DIVE into the river and bring the fish out herself!

HOW ABOUT SOME ART MAKING TIME!

 For my latest Art Cloth pieces I’ve been experimenting with using different art papers and various types of glues, transfers and fiber paints. Each of these pieces of cloth are 14” x 14”.  The fabric is 100% cotton batiks from The Quilted Raven and The Quilt Tree. The higher the quality of fabric the better results I have. These fabrics are beautiful to work with.

 For this blue fabric piece I hand tore the white art paper and painted Mod Podge on top of the paper directly to the fabric and let it air dry. I'll sew it into a mini-art quilt wall piece.

 This piece has several layers of art papers. The first layer of the woven art paper I actually used a zig zag stitch and stitched it to the fabric. The birds are artist transfer paper and then hand colored with acrylic fabric paints and colored pencils.