The 'How I started sewing/quilting' Blog Hop

My crafting start was in 1975. I had gone to visit family in Germany and my Aunt Anita taught me how to crochet a shawl.  I still own that shawl.  I also did a little bit of sewing in Home Ec classes.  When I got married in 1980 we bought an el cheapo deluxe sewing machine.  I made some simple kid's clothes, curtains and a whole team of Raggedy Ann's and Andy's.  I don't know if any of those have survived the years.  We bought a van in 1981 and my husband wanted a quilt for the bed.  I remember seeing an article in a magazine, either Woman's Day or Family Circle, about a teacher showing how to make a Trip around the World quilt in one day.  They had torn strips of fabrics into 6 inch squares and sewn them together. (I am pretty sure it was about Eleanor Burns.) Since I couldn't find the article, I faked my way through it.  And for a bonus, I "designed" the back of the quilt using the leftover squares.  I had no idea how to bind a quilt.  I bought extra wide double fold binding and tried to wrap it around the edge and sew it on at the same time.  I am sure the fabrics were poly or poly cotton.

  
I got into knitting and some cross stitch.  I tried to get into quilting.  I had a craft book club account and had gotten some Maggie Malone books in the late 80's.  I made a block from one of the "easy" patterns.  It was awful.  I showed it to my sister-in-law (who is a quilter) and she said "that isn't an easy block, it has set in seams".  I gave up, gave her the books and went back to knitting.  About 1994 or so I was watching Quilt in a Day on PBS. Yes, she is hokey, but she really made it look like anyone could try it.  My husband bought me a quilting book for my birthday and I got hooked.  I joined Quilter's Holladay in Salt Lake and met a bunch of wonderful, supportive women.  Many of whom are still wonderful friends and mentors despite 2 major moves across state lines.  While I was living in Sacramento from 2001-2007 I discovered art quilts. California is so colorful, the shops have color, the scenery has color, the people have color.  I do still love traditional quilts but my heart is leaning towards making art.

1995

2006

In April of 2012, I was invited to participate in an art project at the local Art Center.  Icelandic artist, Huginn Arason came up with the idea of this elaborate two-sided chalkboard.  Quilters to draw quilt patterns on one side and graffiti artists to draw graffiti on the other.  Every week or two the images would be erased and then redrawn by other artists.  With the previous image ghosting through.  I was the first Quilter to draw on the chalkboard.  It was my first time exhibiting in an art gallery!  It was very exciting to be treated as an artist by everyone at the gallery.

Me and my board along with Huginn Arason

And my last photograph is the last piece I have completed. It is hanging at the Springville Art Museum in their annual quilt show.  I will be presenting a trunk show on the 14th of August in conjunction with this show, along with 4 other Quilters.

Little Hampton

I want to thank Cheryl Sleboda for letting me crash this blog hop! It has been a blast and an honor to be associated with all these wonderful artists. If you missed any of the posts, the list is below.
Aug 1. Cyndi Zacheis Souder - http://moonlightingquilts.wordpress.com/

Aug 2. Becky Glasby - http://bumblebzs.blogspot.com/

Aug 3. Cheryl Sleboda - http://muppin.com/wordpress/index.php/blog

Aug 4. Barb Forrister - http://www.barbforrister.com/category/blog

Aug 5. Jackie White - http://jabotquilt.blogspot.com/

Aug 6. Tracy Mooney - http://www.3littlebrds.com/

Aug 7. Lisa Chin - http://somethingcleveraboutnothing.blogspot.com

Aug 8. Laura Krasinski - http://laurakrasinskisartontherun.blogspot.com/

Aug 9. Catherine Redford - http://catherineredford.com/blog/

Aug 10. Sylvia Lewis - http://bunchberrystudio.blogspot.com/ ---->ME!

Memories

We had a lovely sunset!

My daughter is visiting from England.  We have been spending the week at the family cabin at Bear Lake.  It is a wonderful place.

The Bistro

We have this wonderful shade tree in the front of our property. We have our lawn chairs set up there as well as a couple of tables and chairs.  I call it the "Bistro" when we have our dinner or lunch out there. The hedge is the dividing line between us and our neighbors, life long friends of the our family. My parents bought the lot in 1965, so my siblings and I pretty much grew up there.  Things at the lake have changed over the years, but the 4 properties in our little neighborhood have been owned by the same families for 48 years.

I loved the clouds this am!

Buttercup

This little street didn't exist when we first started coming to the lake.  It is west of the main road which is behind our place.  All the Mansions, er, cabins up on the hill have wonderful views of the lake.  But I like our modest little place near the lake.

Buttercup looking towards the lake

The new fishing pond

Last year the town built a fishing pond near the Buttercup subdivision.  It is a short walk and has been very popular with the locals.

New trees at the fish pond

Since the last time we were up over the 4th of July, the city has graded a parking area and also has planted some trees.

I like the design in the wooden slats

Thistle

I have so many wonderful memories of Bear Lake.  From childhood, young adult, as young parents and now as grandparents the memories are many and most are wonderful!  I hope everyone has some wonderful memories of a place near and dear to their hearts.

I am hoping that I can find the start of an art quilt in my visit here this week. I have wanted to do a landscape of the lake for some time now.

This is my off the wall post for this week.  Check out what everyone else is up to at Nina-Marie's blog.

Craftsy is having a huge sale on fabric and yarn, from 7-26 through 7-28!

Passing through Paris

Paris, Idaho

Paris Library

Paris Post

Paris Mormon Tabernacle

New pine cone in Paris

Since I am on vacation with my daughter at the family cabin near Bear Lake, my design wall is a series of photographs.  I am taking as many photos as possible, hoping to come up with an art quilt in the batch.  I am also going to do some sketching in a notebook.  We drove up to the big city of Montpelier, Idaho to go grocery shopping.  We had to pass though Paris.  Paris Idaho that is.  Cute little town on the North end of the lake.  Some lovely historic buildings and a cute little downtown area.  This town was settled by Mormon pioneers, so the Tabernacle is a big attraction.  Up Paris canyon are the Paris Ice Caves.  We did not stop there this time, but it is a fun, free place to take kids.  You never lose sight of daylight, so those scared of underground caves (like me) will find it is a fun place to explore.

This is my Design Wall Monday (posted on Tuesday) post of the week.

My studio for this week!

Grate in downtown Grand Junction

Another grate

Art in downtown Grand Junction

I love columbines!

Love this yellow blossom

My daughter and I went to Grand Junction to visit my nephew.  We wandered the downtown area during the Farmer's Market.  There are a lot of sculptures on display and somehow I only took 3 photographs the entire evening.  Oh well.  I love the old guy in the bathtub!

We are now up at Bear Lake.  We will be here for the week.  I only brought my knitting and my camera, so that will be my work for this week!  Hopefully I will make a photograph that will turn into an art piece.  I want to do a landscape of the lake.

Craftsy has extended their class sale until Monday the 22nd of July!  And ALL classes are on sale! What a great deal!

Finishing a challenge piece.

Little Hampton

I was able to finish my piece last week and get it dropped off to the show.  It was accepted, but didn't win a ribbon. For some reason I don't have a photograph of the finished quilt, just one of before the binding got tacked down.  I am hoping to try and stop by the show Saturday morning and get a better photograph.

Appliques for the Beatles quilt

I was able to get my Beatles challenge quilt worked on.  I just have to tack down the binding and sleeve.  It needs to get into the mail ASAP, it has to be in Virginia by the 5th of August.  I have only shown a bit of my piece, I don't want to jinx it. There is going to be a book and a touring exhibit! Hopefully my piece will make the cut for both. (fingers crossed)

Hiking in the hills.

Our daughter is visiting from England.  Sunday the 3 of us and the puppy dogs took a hike up in the hills above our home.  It was a beautiful day for a hike!

Karen's Garden

My daughter and I went to my friend's house for coffee and knitting.  Her garden is wonderful!  This big boy was growing in the green house.  I wish my tomatoes were ready!

This is my Off the Wall post for this week!

Mad Dash to the Finish Line

Up next on my agenda is a trunk show.  It is in conjunction with the Springville Museum of Art's annual Quilt Show.   There are two sessions, I will be showing on August 14th in the evening.  Along with 4 other wonderful quilters from the area.  Since I am doing a trunk show I feel I should have something entered into the show.  Hmmm.  Nothing that I have finished recently is suitable. In part because one of my friends is judging and I showed her all my new stuff.  So for the last 3 days I have been trying to figure out which of my  pieces in the unfinished pile would work.  This afternoon I had an idea for a new piece.  So at 3:30pm I started pulling out fabric.  Mind you the turn in days are tomorrow and Saturday.

Backing

Who starts with a chunk of batting?

So I pull out an Art Quilt that I had entered a year or two ago.  I wanted to make sure my piece was small enough to fit in the hall where they hang the smaller art pieces.  Ok, got my size.  First thing I do is cut a piece of batting. Really, that is where I started.  Then I pulled out a fabric for the backing.

My fancy drawing

It is going to be a landscape. So I drew a pencil line for the horizon. Ok, my drawing is done!

No time to tidy up

I pulled some fabric out of the closet, then realized the ones that I wanted were piled in a basket under the junk, er, um, fabrics and scraps piled on the cutting table.

Coming together

I am not going to show any more of this piece until I find out if it gets juried in the show.

Selecting thread

I got one section quilted.  I am still digging through the thread bin to find the one perfect thread.  I think that I should be able to get the quilting done in the morning.  I need to go to Salt Laketomorrow in the afternoon/evening and hope to finish the binding, label and sleeve there.  Then I can drop it off at the museum on my drive back home on Saturday.

And then the rain came

We had a thundershower blow through in the early evening.  The temperature dropped 20 degrees in half an hour.  The clouds hugged the mountain.  I love the smell of the summer rain.

This is my Off the wall post for this week. Also check out my post from earlier in the week about a fundraiser for ALS.  Thanks!

And the Heat is ON!

Cutting table

I had planned on spending some serious time in the studio today.  Hmm.  It is after 3pm and I still haven't gotten in there.  I need to clean up the clutter on my cutting table. . .

New project

. . . so that I can start my new project!  It is for a Beatles challenge.  I do still have a month until the deadline. But I really want it done before the night before the deadline.

Wahoo!

One of today's distractions is that the UPS guy showed up.  Hmm, I don't remember ordering anything.  Wahoo!  I won a copy of People & Portraits from Katherine McNeese and Lark books! Thanks a bunch!

Random

And a random photograph to start the week off right.  This silly mohawk balloon magically appeared in our backyard over the weekend! It was quite the windy day.  Mo made us smile!  Speaking of random photographs, my friend Lisa is posting a photograph every Monday to inspire people to be creative.  

This is my Design Wall Monday post for the week.