Flu Be Gone

The only thing worse than having the flu is needing to take care of your kid throughout the night who has the flu while you also have the flu. The chills hit me on Tuesday, followed by muscle aches, light sensitivity, loss of appetite, fever dreams and just being flat out on the sofa with my Great-Grandma’s wedding ring quilt and a cup of crushed ice. What a horrible way to spend Spring Break! It seems like we are awake for about 20 minutes then back out for an hour, awake, then back asleep, both Gus and I watching way too much TV while we are trying to readjust our sleep cycles. Derek has made several trips to the store for Sprite, popcicles, soup while trying really hard to not catch what we have. Thankfully today, both Gus and I can actually sit up and could eat popcicles for breakfast and are finally a little better and not worse.

Fortunately, before I got the flu I was able to finish my two Red Poppy quilts. I want to donate one of the quilts to the 2012 Charity Ball to be held at the Hotel Captain Cook on May 12 for the special Art Section. I used the TAP transfer paper to iron on poppy images to 100% cotton then embellished each flower with the dryer sheets I mentioned in my last post. I drew the leaves and stems onto different colors of green fabric using an applique method and free motioned stitched additional line details. For further embellishments I added small black glass beads to the flower centers.  

This Red Poppy Art Quilt is 15" wide x 28" tall.

This Red Poppy Art Quilt is about
10" wide x 20" tall.

This Weather is for the Bad Witch

As if Alaska’s record breaking snow wasn’t enough, now Anchorage has been plunged into a deep freeze with temps from -5 to -20, cold even for South Central Alaska! I can’t complain to Kristen up in Fairbanks though, her temps are regularly -20 below and they saw it drop to -40 below this week! All this winter weather has made me a bit fussy because it’s too damn cold to really be outside enjoying the beautiful snow and getting some much needed, regular exercise. I actually LIKE the winter and if you think I’m grumpy –whoa, you should be among some of Anchorage’s drivers! With the cold snap I thought this week was the perfect time to work on another art quilt with the Wizard of Oz theme fabric I found in a clearance bin. Only this week I didn’t add the good witch on the art quilt just added the legs and ruby red slippers coming out from under the old farmhouse!!

This was the first "Are You A Good Witch or a Bad Witch I" I created. It's about 14" x 18" art quilt using cotton fabric, free motion stitching, bead embellishment,  and digital image transfers. 

"Are You A Good Witch or a Bad Witch II" about 12" wide x 21" tall (not measuring the legs and ruby red slippers) art quilt using cotton fabric, free motion stitching, bead and button embellishment,  and digital image transfers.

All of my samples, sales sheets, price lists and positive thoughts are with my sales rep company, Karen Sobolesky and Company this weekend at the 2012 Alaska Wholesale Gift Show. If you are a qualified buyer there is still time to register and the show is being held at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, Thursday 1/19 3-7pm, Friday 1/20 10:00 am – 6pm, and Saturday 1/21 from 10:00 am – 5pm.

Art Cloth Fun

After purchasing some beautiful 100% cotton Batik fabric from the Quilted Raven, I was inspired to make some 12" x 12" Art Cloth. I've had several requests from loyal customers for Art Cloth panels that they could sew into small art quilts, pillows and wall hangings. What an opportunity for me to fling some paint around the studio! I made a mess, cutting out custom foam shapes, altering my rubber stamp collection and trying various acrylic paints, fabric paint, Jacquard inks, FW Acrylic Artists Inks. After painting, printing and stamping in layers, I heat set all of the cloth. The pieces where I used high intensity glitter paints, I think, turned out the best. I'm working on the custom hang tags now and the panels will be available at the Quilted Raven!

I need to get the studio cleaned up and add an extra table for Kristen's sewing machine. She's coming home tomorrow for the Holiday break and my studio is going to look like Santa's workshop because we're going to be knee deep in team ART MAKING!

One place I forgot to clean up yesterday was the bathroom near my studio where Daddy-O found my large, rubber halibut and other fish molds floating and soaking in the sink when he went to shave this morning! Thankfully he's used to life with an artist!