Full Moon Shining

In this time of transition of work, I'm reclaiming time in the art studio.  I've just finished up a long term substitute teaching assignment.  I was working in a special education room with three other lovely teachers and many children flowing in and out through the day.

I had small groupings of students and each set had lessons that I gave each day.  Most of the students were third and fourth graders. I went into one student's first grade classroom to give support.

I grew to love those students and the flow of the schedule.  It was mornings Monday through Friday. I had my last day with them a week ago.  Now, each day as a substitute teacher could be in Middle School special education, physical education or teaching English Language Learners--and yes, I did all of those roles last week!

I have to have my agility and flexibility pants pulled on. 

And here's an art quilt  that just went to the Lanesboro Arts Center in Lanesboro, Minnesota.

Acrylic painted on muslin with machine stitching. The paint is metallic and that gives a shine to the art.

 Close up detail

The back of the quilt.

Art Quilts

There has been a bit of creating going on in the studio lately.  Here's what has been happening.

Courage and Love
Collage art quilt
Playing with bits of fabric and arranging them and stitching them.  Inspired by Maya Angelou.

Close up of the poem: Courage is the most important of all the virtues because
                                    without courage, you can't practice any other virtue
                                    consistently.                                           Maya Angelou

Last summer as my arm was healing from a bike accident, my occupational therapist suggested that I draw and paint to help encourage the mobility and healing. And to help my spirit.  I painted three small painting of girls on the beach.
These three painting then turned into art quilts as the result.

You may see more of my artwork in the Gallery at Breeze on my Skin. These art quilts may be viewed in person at the Lanesboro Art Center. Enjoy.

Modern Quilt Studio

 Modern Quilt Studio was a vendor at the Minnesota Quilt Show 2019.  They hold workshops and attend many shows and conferences around the world.  Find out where you may see them next or take a class soon on their calendar.

Minnesota Quilt Show 2019 Rochester

The Minnesota Quilt Show was last week in Rochester, Minnesota.  I'm an art quilter that is working to get back into her art. I went to the show last week to be inspired and take in the beauty of these amazing artists.

 Piece by Piece by Peg Lindberg

 The Minnesota Contemporary Quilters' 2019 Challenge was Songspiration.  A few of my favorites are shown here with the artist's name and inspiration..

 Moon Rise over Lake Superior by Mimie Pollard

 Close up Moon Rise over Lake Superior

 Debbie Boyles inspired by a photo she took on the Lennon Wall in Prague and the song "Imagine," by John Lennon.

 Kelly Swenson inpiration the song, "Here Comes the Sun."

Fun quilts that take inspiration from music.  Hmmmm, it gives me some ideas. More art coming soon.

Amaliya's Quilt

My daughter had her 35th birthday on Friday.  Wow, amazing and wonderful and I can't believe that time goes by so quickly.

She's been asking for a quilt, gentle suggestions or requests since she turned 30 year.  I thought this was the time to get one created for her. Its made up of colors and designs that I thought she would like and appreciate and ones that I chose for color and softness.

The size is 52" x 66".  It is called "Fly and Soar."  It is made with all cotton fabrics that I stitched together and machine quilted the three layers together.  I finished it on 3/23/2018.  She'll receive this gift of love on Sunday.

Here are the top and bottom of the quilt before it was quilted with the batting in the middle:

My studio space is rather small.  To the left off this picture is my sewing machine and to the right is the ironing board.  The lay out table has two arms to make it larger or smaller depending on need for size.  When the table is full size, I have to squeeze around the table.  My sewing machine table also has an extension table to allow for quilting larger pieces.

Some pins to hold pieces in alignment.

Sewing the tiny berries in the middle section.  I call this machine drawing.

Back of the quilt with the quilting creating a design.

 The hand embroidery was on an old dress of mine that I up-cycled for this quilt.

Lots of good work and love in creating this quilt.

 Quilt detail

Back quilting detail

I love you, Amaliya Rose.

Thankfulness and Sharing

Autumn Flowers 
13.5" x 16.25"

Petal images embedded in cotton,

Machine stitch drawing 

October 2016

It’s time to say “Thank you.”  Thank you for the air that I breathe.  Thank you for the hands that love to create.  Thank you for a body that loves to move and sense joy.  Thank you for the gift of thinking and being able to learn and change my mind or shift my thinking to more kind ways.

On a using hands and head note:

I’ve given myself a little time to get to my art studio to create.  'Autumn Flowers' has its origins in flowers long past.  By putting the pigments of the petals in the cloth and stitch drawing, the energy of the flowers live on.  

 

Details of Autumn Flowers

 

If you're curious to see some of my small art quilts up close, I'm sharing a few at the Winona Arts Center's Holiday Show on December 3, 2016, 9am -4pm.  The Winona Arts Center is located at the corner of Franklin and 5th Street.  You may also  see other art in my gallery on Breeze on my Skin. 

Hope to see you there!
 

Stitching A Photo Montage Quilt

This little photo montage quilt was begun by my students and teachers of Bluffview Montessori School in the spring of 2010.  The classroom  E2A--Upper Elementary Classroom A with myself as the lead teacher and assistant teachers, Susan Krageschmidt and Jena McCullough teaching children in 4th grade through 6th grade.

 The picture on the right is the students with our dragon puppets that we made with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre , HOBT who worked with the students for a one week residency.  The students designed and created cooperatively with the help of two HOBT artists, these large puppets and then preformed a story about the importance of water for the whole school.  It was very exciting!

Close up of two students giving a report.

Some of these students, I see around town.  Some are getting ready to graduate from High School in the spring.  What amazing students; what amazing times.  This little quilt measures 14" x 14.75".  The students helped with the stitching.  I completed the quilt today with the binding and the hanging device on the back to hang it on the wall.

At my current school, Ridgeway Community School, we had a most amazing residency with In the Heart of the Beast and created a play called Pete's Great Adventure.  Check out what happened!

Season 10 Great River Shakespeare Festival Quilt

Ideas and plans to create the Season 10 Great River Shakespeare Festival Quilt began in February 2013. Seven local artists, artisans, stitchers, and sewers, Dee Cipov, Connie Larson, Mary Kaser,  Kathy Seifert, Mary Alice Anderson, Margaret Kiihne, Mary Lee Eischen and Rob Thomas  came together around a large dining room table at Margaret and Ray Kiihne’s home.  This is a simple story of the quilt coming together.  There were many hours of work, gathering together, discussion, laughter, and time that went into this quilt.  

 

           Margaret Kiihne and Dee Cipov

                     Connie Larson, Ray Kiihne and Dee Cipov

Three additional artists Jeanne Oost, John Baird, and Zachery Wagner agreed to create blocks for the Season 10 Quilt.  

 

                               Jeanne Oost and Zachery Wagner

                                   John Baird

People came forward with design ideas: Kathy Seifert, Connie Larson, and Jeanne Oost.  After much discussion, a design was chosen that would include a center medallion and 10 blocks measuring 9.5” finished squares to surround the center.   Sashing strips would be added around the blocks.  It was decided to create a queen sized quilt.  Guidelines and parameters were considered for balance, design, and artistic beauty.

                  Dee Cipov, Kathy Seifert,and Mary Kaser

                Photo credit Rob Thomas

Photo credit Rob Thomas

   Mary Alice Anderson, Mary Lee Eischen, and Margaret Kiihne

   Photo credit Rob Thomas

The artists who lived at a distance were sent costume fabrics from the previous season’s plays and invited to create a block. The discussion was involved.  Some of the discussion happened via e-mail and telephone.

              Connie Larson, Dee Cipov, Kathy Seifert, and Mary Kaser

            Photo credit Rob Thomas

       Stitching the final binding  Photo credit Rob Thomas

 A design decision was made to use solid colored cottons as sashing around the blocks and as part of the border. Kathy Seifert and I agreed to take swatches of the blocks fabrics and find solid colored fabrics to compliment the costume fabrics used in the blocks. 

 

Many discussions about the center medallion happened.  It was suggested that we create a rosemary plant image to honor Rosemary Ingham, the costume designer and co-founder of the Great River Shakespeare Festival.  She graced the Great River Shakespeare Festival with her talent until her death in 2008.  I agreed to work on the rosemary design alongside Kathy Seifert.   I created the drawing.  Kathy provided the expertise about the applique technique.  Over one weekend, we put it all together.  Then the rest of the quilt could be assembled.  

                                          
                                     
                                  Kathy Seifert 

  

                      
                    
                  Rob Thomas

Season 10 Great River Shakespeare Festival Quilt 2013 
86" x 96"

Raffle tickets cost $5.00 for the chance to win the Season 10 GRSF Quilt.  They are available at the downtown box office or from any of the makers.  Drawing for the quilt is happening at the Callithump, July 30th, 2013 at the Performing Arts Center on the Winona State University Campus. 

Learn about all the events of the Great River Shakespeare Festival such as plays, free concerts on the green before the plays and more.

Thank you to Rob Thomas for taking group stitching photos on the day of the finish binding. All other photos on this blog post were taken by Mary Lee Eischen.

See you this summer around the festival.