A Little (very little) Work in Progress

I've started work on a small quilt for Alzheimer's Art Quilts.  It's been a long time since I made one, mine have all sold, and I felt like it was time.  I decided to quilt the background before doing the applique this time, and finished this square spiral, which I hope will complement the design.   Back tomorrow with more to show, maybe.

My flamingos did make the Hoffman traveling exhibit again.  They will be in Group C, which goes to the Mid Atlantic show, among others.   This makes a seven-time streak, which pleases me quite a bit.

Other news:  I had pieces of both big toenails removed because they tend to grow in along the side of the nail bed.  As surgical procedures go, this is minor, but a pain (literally) nonetheless.  It's been over a week now, and they're still very nasty.  I will spare you pictures of that!  Just a little complaint to throw into the mix...  Otherwise things are good.  Thanks everyone who came to visit after my long time away.

Hello Again

I never thought I'd be one of those people who say, "I can't believe how long it's been since I posted," but here I am.  No interesting excuses.  I've been traveling, doing family things, entertaining house guests, and trying to keep ahead of the Center of Entropy which is my house and yard.  Thank those of you who emailed to see what was up with me.

On the family front, my grandchildren came for the Memorial Day weekend, and here they are using Grandma's glue and fabric scraps to create a multi-media work of art.

And in the housekeeping area, I'm gradually moving part of my stash to this old cabinet my husband salvaged from the chemistry labs.  If it's good to re-purpose fabric, it should be equally good to re-purpose furniture, even though the resulting studio doesn't look like an article from Quilter's Home.

The only thing happening creatively is this little piece for Alz Quilts.

Ami Simms is speaking at our guild tomorrow night, and in preparation, everyone drew a crayon from a basket and is challenged to make an Alz Quilt using that color predominantly.  My color was red orange, and as you see, I'm barely within the rules.  Art has a mind of its own, right?  The binding will be orange, and the backing too.  Maybe that counts.

I hope there's a good response to the challenge and a large turnout for the meeting.  It's terrific that we're having an outside speaker, and especially such a notable one.

Framing

I recently prepared some pieces to submit to a local art gallery and decided to frame two of the small ones to set them apart from hot pads. I know there are different ways to frame fabric art, but this is what I did. I was happy with the results.

I bought an inexpensive frame with glass, removed the glass and all paper filling. I discard the glass because I don't care for the look of fabric pieces behind glass. Then I cut a piece of foam board the size of the frame. I like to use foam board instead of a mat board because I think it's easier to cut and work with, but it is a bit too thick to go back into the frame easily. I solved that problem by cutting and peeling back the layer of cardboard on one side, right where the little doo-hickies that hold the cardboard backing go. That makes the board compress so that it will fit into the frame.

Then I used temporary spray adhesive and pins on the corners to hold the piece in the correct place on the foam board. Then with a long heavy needle and strong thread, I made a tiny stitch through the board and the piece, trying to hit the ditch where the binding is attached. I repeated this stitch around the edges, tying the ends. The stitches and the cuts in the foam are hidden when the original backing of the frame is replaced.

Then the foam board goes back into the frame, the backing is replaced and the holders are twisted back in place, and here it is. Not too bad, relatively easy and inexpensive. It also has the advantage of not damaging the piece in any way, so you or a future owner can change your mind.

After posting, I realized I had an earlier, briefer post on this method, and had credited the idea to Deborah Boshert of Deborah's Journal. She should have credit for the idea, but I take credit for shaving down that foam board! Although it still takes muscle to force it into the frame, this helps a lot!

1,000 Quilts To Houston

Ami Simms is taking 1,000 Alzheimer's quilts to Houston again, so if you're going to be there, pay a visit.

The June Alzheimer's Quilt Initiative Auction is underway, and my quilt Not Your Grandmother's Flower Garden is being auctioned. An interesting feature of this month's auction is the little autograph quilts. There's one with the autograph of former First Lady Barbara Bush, and several with autographs of the cast of NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me show, and one with the autographs of lots of well-known quilters. Take a look.

May Alzheimer Quilt Auction

I'm thrilled that Ami Simms has chosen two of my pieces, Bleeding Hearts and Crazy in the 70's, for this month's auction on The Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative. There are particularly good quilts this month: some beautiful miniature traditional ones as well as mixed media art quilts. Go admire, and maybe bid, starting May 1!

In addition to the monthly Alz Quilts auction, Collage Mania, part of Virginia Spiegel's Fiber Art for a Cause is having their preview now. Bidding for those wonderful mini art quilts and collages begins May 5. You'll recognize many of the artists, and these pieces are definitely worth looking at. So you can pick your cause and your quilt style in the next ten days!