Inspiration

Very inspirational....now what do I do with it?

Confetti

 

Forty-eight APNQ members from all over the region were invited to create, in fabric, their interpretation of Living Colour. Artistic expressions and construction techniques of unlimited variety were used for this theme of "Living Colour". Their creations became APWQ's seventh invitational traveling exhibit, which made its debut at Quiltfest 2008. All quilts are 24" x 36" in either vertical or horizontal format.
The auction closes on Friday. This is a wonderful chance to purchase one of my quilts and donate to a great organization.

Artist Statement
My quilts are colorful, graphic, vibrant and joyful!! Realism or abstraction are used as befits a theme or concept. I enjoy the challenge and excitement of translating my vision into quilts.

Techniques & Materials
My own hand-dyed and painted fabrics, machine pieced and quilted.

I am pleased to announce that I am a finalist in the Pacific West Quilt Show to be presented August 24-26, 2012, at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center, Tacoma, Washington. The piece titled Queens Court will compete with 200 quilts entries from the 18 US states and Canadian provinces of the Pacific West region: Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, The Northwest Territories, Oregon, Saskatchewan, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Yukon. Over $25,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to winners in ten categories.

The Pacific West Quilt Show is open to the public from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Friday and Saturday, and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday. For more information, please visit the website at www.apwq.org.

The Quilt Show's at Island Quilter

Katie Pedersen, Modern Quilter was the featured quilter in the Island Quilter's Gallery in May. Katie is a Modern Quilting Instructor at Sew Katie Did. She says "I enjoy creating bold, colorful and functional quilts to be used and loved. I alternate between improvisational and traditional techniques to fuel the creative process. Each quilt is a learning experience and impacts the creation of the next. I feel like I have a few lifetimes of quilt designs in my head... probably because I sew faster in my head than in real life!
When I am not sewing, I teach local quilting classes focusing on improvisational technique and the importance of color value."

Check out her book: Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen


PS. More quilts done in the modern style are featured in the gallery in June.

Saturday classes at Quiltworks Northwest

Spaces still available at Quiltworks Northwest

Borders: The Final Chapter - June 16 from 10:30-1:30 PM
Pieced borders add something special! They can change the look of a quilt and add a wonderful finishing touch. Learn to add grace, spontaneity or sophistication or any effect you desire to your quilt. Solve the mystery of designing and sewing borders to fit your own quilt. Remember that with good planning a pieced border can be less work!

A Fine Line: Creating the Quilting Design - June 16 from 2-5 PM
Do you have a project that could use help with the “what, why & how” of quilting? Discover the elements of winning quilting designs and how to apply them to your tops. We will explore whether to hand or machine quilt, selecting, fitting and marking quilting design, all about thread, and the basics of batting and basting. The emphasis of this workshop is the creative use of the quilted line. Learn to successfully finish all your projects. This informative workshop is for both traditional and non-traditional quilters.

A Lecture with Gwen Marston

 Recently the quilt shop, Quilted Straight, in Port Gamble hosted a Gwen Marston lecture. Traveling from here to there is a bit of an event so I gathered a few friends and we mad the trek. Great lecture, a good time was had by all!

I love the way Gwen quilts her quilts!

APWQ - Living Colour Auction

The final 21 quilts of the  Living Colour Traveling Exhibition will be offered and sold to the highest bidder.  From the comfort of your home, you'll be able to bid on this final group! 

Living Colour is the seventh traveling exhibition by The Association of Pacific West Quilters. This collection has traveled the country and been viewed by thousands of quilters, quilt-appreciators, and art lovers.  The entire 48 quilt collection can be seen on our website.
Confetti By Melody Crust

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn is an organization that cultivates creativity on the Palouse by providing studio space for artists to work in and sell their creations, a place for local artists and fine craftspeople to sell their work on consignment, a venue for local performing and exhibiting artists. The state-of-the-art facility has been transformed from a former dairy barn.


Loved the 'fence'! What a great idea for a quilting design!

Eastern Washington, Idaho have a lot to offer

 Visiting quilt shops out of my own area always offer surprises. Like the poster for the Clearcreek Quilters Quilt Show in Orifino Idaho.

Raffle quilt Assembled by Julie Huffman (hope I win!)

The Wild Hare Quilt Shop in downtown Orifino, what a treat! Nice shop, friendly staff, and lots of fabric!
Wild Hare Quilt Shop
222 Johnson Avenue
Orofino, ID 83544
(208) 476-3358

Things to see in the canyon

The country is amazing. Rugged rock walls and grassy slopes rise from the water, as you delve into the surging whitewater while it pulses through Hells Canyon. Where boulders and rock slides have rolled into the river, to find the biggest rapids in the Pacific North west.

Between rapids, the Snake River follows a scenic path: there we saw Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.  

The Kirkwood Historic Ranch is an area rich in river history from early Native American occupation to pioneer ranching life. The historic ranch offers a taste of canyon life in the 1930s with the original ranch house, bunk houses and other out-buildings.

On the river near Dug Bar, the visitors center of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is as beautiful as it is remote.

Copper Creek Lodge at Hells Canyon

Rustic wilderness with the comforts of home - that's the Copper Creek Lodge, 70 miles upriver and deep in the wilds of Hells Canyon. Swim and sun at the river's edge, explore the back country on nature trails, or read in the shade of the Trees of Heaven.

Savor the serenity of nighttime in Hells Canyon where the moon and stars are jewels on black velvet.



And the bear ate our lunch! Sometime in the night the bear decided he wanted our lunch, so he climbed on the boat and ate it!

US Mail boat

We took the weekly US Mail boat that delivers the mail by boat to the handful of year round residents that reside in Hells Canyon. Hells Canyon is a 10-mile wide canyon. It is North America's deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet and part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.

In 1806, three members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition entered the Hells Canyon region along the Salmon River. They turned back without seeing the deep parts of the canyon. It was not until 1811 that the Wilson Price Hunt expedition explored Hells Canyon while seeking a shortcut to the Columbia River. Hunger and cold forced them to turn back, as did many explorers who were defeated by the canyon's inaccessibility. There remains no evidence in the canyon of their attempts; their expedition journals are the only documentation.

The early miners were next to follow. In the 1860s gold was discovered in river bars near present-day Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, and miners soon penetrated Hells Canyon. Gold mining was not profitable here. Evidence of their endeavors remains visible along the corridor of the Snake River. Later efforts concentrated on hard-rock mining, requiring complex facilities. Evidence of these developments is visible today, especially near the mouth of the Imnaha River.[6]

In the 1880s there was a short-lived homesteading boom, but the weather was unsuited to farming and ranching, and settlers soon gave up. However, some ranchers still operate within the boundaries of the National Recreation Area.

Stitches & Petals Quilt Shop

 Visited the local quilt shop Stitches & Petals. Nice bright and cheery shop with wonderful quilts on the walls!

Village Mall

872 Troy Road Suite 120, Moscow, ID. 1 (208) 882-5164

Spring in the Palouse

Life is always an adventure, my husband Charles and I decided to make a quick trip to the Palouse.

   

The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes. Situated about 160 miles north of the Oregon Trail, the region experienced rapid growth in the late 19th century, and for a brief time surpassed the population of the Puget Sound region of Washington.The region is home to two land grant universities, the University of Idaho in Moscow and Washington State University in Pullman.

 

Having been in this part of the world many times, we took a quick visit to the WSU (Washington State University) grounds to visit Ferdinand's Ice Cream Shoppe, the university's gourmet ice cream shop, features old-fashioned ice cream and soda fountain treats, exclusive ice cream flavors, gourmet coffee and espresso drinks and of course, award winning Cougar Cheese.

Best ice cream ever!

 

Quilt Show - It's all about red and white

 My favorite color is red! Funny how this favorite influences my work.

Sometime I just have to sew!

The best thing about my job is the sewing! I love the feel for the fabric, seeing what happens when I sew two fabrics together, the texture that I can get with the thread.

Living Colour auction goes live

Living Colour is the seventh traveling exhibition mounted by The Association of Pacific West Quilters. With the phrase “Living Colour” as inspiration, quilters and fiber artists used an intriguing mix of images, techniques, and styles from traditional to contemporary in their interpretation of the theme. This collection has travelled the country and been viewed by thousands of quilters, quilt-appreciators, and art lovers.
Now, from the comfort of your home, you can make one...or more...of these fantastic quilts your own. The entire 48 quilt collection will be sold in two auctions - see the groupings on our website. Group A runs from May 10-22 and Group B will be held June 8-22.

Cathy Erickson Washougal, WA Autumn Moonlight Photo by Merrill Grant Artist Statement On an autumn evening, beauty can be found in even the smallest corner of the Japanese Garden. Techniques & Materials Adobe Photoshop was used to manipulate one of my photos from the Portland Japanese Garden. The design was then translated into fabric. Fabrics used are hand-dyed fabrics by Judy Robertson and Jeanette Viviano, as well as a commercial batik. I also used a hand-dyed silk/cotton blend, and hand painted fabric. A multitude of colors of thread were used. The techniques used are machine appliqué, micro-quilting, machine quilting, hand appliqué, and beading. Sometimes I like to make a double-sided quilt. The backside of this piece is equally beautiful. Donna Cutler The Lily Pond Photo by Mark Frey Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Artist Statement This is my first exhibition of any kind and my first piece to be exhibited. This quilt was inspired by a small pond in our garden - it was covered with water lilies and framed with grasses, flowers and climbing plants. Techniques & Materials Commercial and hand-dyed cottons; rayon, metallic and Laserbrite threads; free motion embroidery and quilting. Charlie Petersen Equinox Photo by Mark Frey   Port Townsend, WA  Artist Statement  I strive to learn something with each piece I make.    I was so impressed with the colours of fall in Eastern Washington and Idaho - I tried to convey the sense of swirling winds and leaves, offset by grey skies and dark evergreens.     Techniques & Materials  Stacking, cutting directly into the fabrics, and repiecing. Materials were cotton fabrics, cotton/poly quilt batting and rayon thread.

APWQ

Quiltworks Northwest, Bellevue WA

Stitching Through the Layers is  available at Quiltworks Northwest in Bellevue WA.

Looking for a great workshop? This is the only shop in the Pacific Northwest where I can be found teaching on a regular basis. Great place to buy fabric and all things quilty. Fun knowledgeable staff,  Bernina machines and service. A wonderful selection of beads.

I'll be there with A Fine Line, Creating the Quilting Design and Borders: The Final Chapter, June 16, 2012.

Journal? Who me?

 Someone asked me the other day if I keep a sketchbook or art journal?  In what ways?  How does your sketchbook influence your work?  What techniques do you use in a sketchbook?  I had to think about it for a minute and decided the answer was yes, but not in any traditional sense of the word. I do not have one book that I draw or doodle in, I do have note books full of ideas or things that interest me.

And of course I have photos, hundreds of them. I love this digital world. All my photos are filed under things like quilt ideas or thread easy to find with a touch of my computer. Here is a photo I took in Savannah last year, a wonderful idea for a quilting pattern, just sitting in my files waiting for just the right quilt!

Central Asian Ikats

Colors of the Oasis
Central Asian Ikats
March 15–August 5, 2012
SAAM Tateuchi Galleries

Exuberant clothes were a common sight in the oasis cities of Central Asia. During the 19th century, patrons wore rich colors and mysterious designs on a daily basis. Their encouragement led to a flourishing use of ikat, a labor intensive process that requires many stages and layers of experience to complete. Positioned as a trading center where goods and people flowed in from India, China, Iran and Russia, Central Asia fostered an aesthetic that made the most of overlapping influences.

This exhibition will recreate a sense of walking into a crowd of cosmopolitan clients who wear robes of distinctive boldness. As an English visitor (William Eleroy Curtis) wrote in 1911: “Everybody wears a coat like a rainbow… No matter how humble or hungry a man may be, and even if he has but a single garment, it is made of the most brilliantly colored material he can find.” Over 40 robes will provide a vision of the oasis crowd. Some feature sharp graphic designs of rigorous abstraction, but others favor delicate harmonies with flowing floral motifs. Scorpions and Arabic script, paisleys and European florals, jeweled tassels and cypress trees swirl together in a design pool that reflects oasis life.

—Pam McClusky, Curator of Art of Africa and Oceania

Seattle Asian Art Museum
1400 East Prospect Street
Volunteer Park
Seattle, WA 98112-3303
206.654.3100