Life's Interesting Path

Last month on the Art Quilts Around the World site,  I revealed a photo of my quick study for A Road Less Traveled.

Nothing could be truer about my life. :)

Here is a peak at one of my portable design walls:

Elmo has taken over, not to mention two sock monkeys who are sitting on my cutting table awaiting finishing touches. My art quilts are out circulating in various shows......a new digitally based one hangs patiently and silently on another design wall awaiting stitching, while a whole piece hand dyed piece sits longingly by my sewing machine, started but put aside.

Between travels to granddaughter and Christmas getting closer and closer, my 'road' is setting priorities for projects never intended for the art quilt circuit. I have no doubt that everything on my walls and tables will be completed. My choice is simply to enjoy the mix and embrace every moment of this crazy ride.

Linking to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Fridays, so you can check out what others are doing.

Experimentation, Explore, Excite

The letter 'E' is very much on my mind this week. 

• Experimentation - I realized that I never shared my finished challenge quilt for the Art Quilts Around the World Out of Asia theme. As I have mentioned before, I am using these challenges as a vehicle to stretch myself a bit and experiment with new ideas as well as use some techniques that I don't usually use in my art quilts. The experimentation in this past challenge was definitely some hand stitching. 

• Explore - My fascination with hand stitching has grown since the Out of Asia challenge. My dear friend, Margaret Blank, suggested I look into the work of Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn. After viewing a YouTube video of their work, I ordered their DVD, 'In Stitches", which is introducing me to many exciting stitches. I expect that I will be exploring this magical world quite a bit in the next few months.

• Excite - Later this week I will be off to Norway and a trip to the Arctic. We are calling the trip a celebration of our 40th wedding anniversary (actually later this summer). In December 2011 we traveled to Antarctica and so began a fascination with glaciers and ice. It seemed fitting, having glimpsed the southern most region of our globe, to take a peak at the northern counterpart. This is most exciting. I expect to return with many, many photos and totally inspired to continue my series on ice.

Since I will be off the internet during most of this upcoming trip, I expect that this blog will be silent till later in June. Hope that everyone has a great month!

Week of Odds and Ends and Asking for Feedback

This has been a week of 'exploration'. Part of the time I have been working on challenges for Art Quilts Around the World. One is due at the end of this month - Out of Asia - and the other at the of July. Since I won't be able to stitch very much in June, I decided to get a head start on that challenge. While I can't share my finished challenge for Out of Asia until May 31, here is a glimpse that I had posted to the group.

I am using both of these challenges to stretch myself - try methods I am learning or don't tend to use much so Out of Asia had some piecing, traditional applique and a bit of hand stitching.

I also spent part of this week playing with a small version of a print that I am thinking about making a larger art quilt from. Curious for any thoughts on it! This version is quilted and I have been adding some beadwork in the darker areas to see how I like it. I am fairly undecided on if I will make the bigger piece. My tendency now is to continue with the beading. I am fully aware that there is a stage in all my work where I tend to dislike it. That is usually the time to put it down and let it sit. Often, when I go back to it, I can see more merits. Sometimes, I just plug away and, in the end, wind up liking it more than I thought I would.

Finally, I am doing the prep work for a piece that I plan to work on this summer. I would love some opinions here between the two views for this piece. I have already blown the first up into full size but find myself hesitating. I am now leaning towards the second view which places the bridge further back in the landscape, has more of the landscaping to the left of the bridge and more of the pond and its reflections and less of the trees. The difference is subtle but I tend to be really fussy.

As you can gather from this post, it has been a different sort of productive week - laying a lot of groundwork. To get a glimpse of what others have been doing this week, check out Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday.