GEE'S BEND STYLE

Years ago when I was active in Garden Club, we were getting ready for a Flower Show.  I wanted to do a piece with sharp clean lines that was like the Japanese style called " Ikebana".  When I told the director of the show that I was doing an Ikebana piece, she quickly corrected me and said that I was doing a piece in the "Ikebana" style.  I couldn't call it "Ikebana" because I had not been properly trained in the method.

So this little quilt I have done is in the "Gee's Bend Style".  It is a rendition of an original Gee's Bend quilt called "Rooftop".  Since I am not a Gee's Bend quilter, I must say it is in the style of Gee's Bend Quilts.  The fabrics I have used came from Windham Fabrics and have a wonderful brushed cotton finish.

                                                                 
This is a small throw size that could be used as a table cloth.


                                                                                 -sandi

A SINGING BIRD

This is a tea towel that my sister gave me.  I just loved this thought.

There was a bird on the towel but no tree!  The fact that this is all in black ink made me want to add some color.

So I rounded up some extra green hexies and made a few brown hexies.

I added the "tree" and appliqued the hexies onto the towel. 

Now it looks better but I think it is still a little bare in spots.

Okay, now I am happy!  It has some red to give another little pop of color.

This tea towel will look really cute as a wall hanging in the breakfast room with this table topper.

Hexie happy, I am !!!


                                    -sandi

CHRISTMAS SWAP - MODERN STYLE

I am participating in a Mini Modern Christmas Quilt Swap.  I kept to a very traditional green/red palette.  This was fun to design and then to make.

I am using solids for the trees and a tone on tone of silver/grey for the background.

Here is my sketch for the start of the quilt.  Some modification always takes place after the first sketch.  Take a look at the quilting idea.

There are some obvious changes to this idea.

The quilting was fun to do.  The little serpentine stitching at the bottom might make you think of snow drifts???

Quilted and bound.

Up close look at the quilting in the trees.  Just a little wonky for interest.

I will show some pics of the back with the label and the corner hangers.  Also, I chose to use matching thread in the bobbin for the colors so there would be no light dots show up on the trees.

Okay, now that it is finished and I know  it is supposed to go to someone else, I am having a little withdrawal already missing it.  Maybe I will just have to make another for myself.

Heather and LilBit think we need another one for our house!

                                         -sandi



 

CITA COLOR CHALLENGE

This is another special exhibit from AQS Quilt Week in Des Moines, Iowa.

 

This exhibit was from the Central Iowa Textile Artists.  CITA came into being in 2013, when six people with an interest in textile arts decided to meet on a monthly basis to encourage and challenge each other. 

Today there are 13 members of this artist's group.  Of the 13, three are now published authors, four have pattern companies, six teach classes in various techniques, two have hand-dyed fabric and/or clothing companies, and all are award-winning artists.

 

 

COLOR CHALLENGE

All 13 members of CITA participated in this color exhibit and are listed below with the pure color they were challenged to use as the focus of their quilt.  They could use the tints, tones and shades of this color as well as small amounts of other colors.  The focus colors were taken from the even numbered cards in Joen Wolfrom's Ultimate 3-in-1 Color Tool (colors based on the CMYH of today's printers).  Each quilt is 15" x 30" and designed without a visible binding so when hung side by side there is a continuous flow of color from one to the other.

 

The art work on display represents numerous techniques which include piecing, painting, hand dyeing, machine quilting, hand embroidery, free-hand machine embroidery, applique, beading, and couching.  Textile fibers in these quilts include cotton, silk, wool, and polyester.

 

 

My photographs are not the greatest but I wanted to share these with you because I was so inspired to work in a color challenge that I might give myself or find some friends who are interested in doing the same project.

 

You might check the list and google some of the artists.  I found a couple of their websites and some are on Facebook.

 

 

 

-sandi

 

 

MORE QUILTS FROM AQS - DES MOINES

These are some of the entries in the Modern Quilt Challenge AQS Quilt Show at AQS Quilt Week in Des Moines, Iowa.

MALIBU
Colleen Wootten

MODERN VIEWS
Victoria Findlay Wolfe

MODERN QUILT MEDITATION 1
Ann Lepak

WARM OR COLD
Marina Kontsevaya

QUIETUDE
Anita Karban-Neef
 

COLOR BLOCK
Tone Haugen-Cogburn

GALACTIC OSCILLATIONS
Nancy King
 

PINK ' PLEATED
Jean Larson

POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Diane Heimel

THE ROAD TO LOVE
Elizabeth Dackson

SOCIAL NETWORKING
Phyllis K. Campbell

CURVE SAMPLER
Cheryl Costley



CATTYWAMPUS CORNERS
Margaret Williams

MID-CENTURY MODERN II
Serena Brooks

BREEZY
Nancy Baker

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Thelma Bearden

 

WHITE PLACES
Beverly Bird

These are not all of the entries, just some that I liked.

There were 112 entries and 30 of these were chosen for a travelling exhibit at the upcoming AQS shows for the next year.  Some of the quilts shown here were included in the 30 chosen.  Look for this exhibit at the AQS Quilt Week that you attend in the future year.


                                       -sandi

TILLY TOURIST IS CRUISIN'

It was an absolutely beautiful day to be out on the Tennessee River and I headed down to take the lunch cruise on the Southern Belle Riverboat.

 

I picked up my ticket.

 

I boarded with the other passengers and found my table.  Then I started taking pictures

I thought this was a cool shot from inside the cabin.  Sorry about that lady's head.  :-)

 

I never grow tired of seeing this view of the river with the bridges and the boats and the shoreline.

 

And Lookout Mountain in the distance.

 

The Hunter Museum of American Art on the Bluff.

 

Delta Queen Steamboat is docked on our river shore.  She has not been seaworthy for a few years now.  She serves as a hotel.

 

Our world class Tennessee Aquarium and the seven fountains in tribute to the Native Americans on the Trail of Tears.  The steps that are wonderful for sitting on and enjoying the scenery.

This could go on and on, but I will stop here and show you a quilt that I made that is my tribute to the town where I have gown up.


This is a Row by Row quilt called "Dreaming of Home".

The bottom row is the native flowers; the next row up represents the river with the fish; up another row is my little cottage with trees of our four seasons.  Next to the top row is representation of the mountains and the birds and fowl; and the top row is the beautiful sky with the sun just like we had today on the River.

Hope you have enjoyed cruisin' with me today!  It is obvious it doesn't take much to entertain me.  I just enjoy hearing history and tidbits of information about my town.

                             -sandi