The goat quilt is finally finished! It seems like everything takes so long now with so much else going on. I put in the last hand stitches on the binding yesterday evening while watching TV.

It measures 20 x 27.5″ If you scroll back to June 13 you can see the original photo that I was working from.

The background fabric is a piece of home dec fabric, a sample that I’ve had a long time. I liked the geometric qualities that it had. I had nothing that gave the feeling of the chain collar but I think the red is dapper. Just right for this country kid come to town for the 4-H Fair!

Close up of the eye. I LOVE that fabric in the eye and use it a lot for animal eyes. I will add a little white for sparkle so I guess it’s not quite finished after all!

We ordered the tile for the floor yesterday and have a couple of more sub-contractors to schedule which is part of the reason I am so behind. It’s sure not like on TV where everything gets done in a hour!!

A few years ago, I took this picture at the 4-H Fair of an engaging young goat looking for attention. I thought it might make a nice subject for an art quilt.

But then David Taylor made a prize winning goat picture quilt and I filed mine away, not wanting to seem to be copying.

Now, however, I have decided to go ahead with it. His is an Alpine goat done in applique. Mine is a Nubian, pieced. A goat is a goat, no one holds the copyright on goats as far as I know, except maybe God! But still, I expect someone will say I copied his idea even though I took my own photo before he made his quilt, so I consider mine to be original.

It’s about half done, so stay tuned!

“Longhorn Splashdown” 47.5 x 33.5″ Done at last!

It took all day, but the top is done and the paper is removed, ready to layer and quilt.

This is a scene that I saw driving to Arkansas last summer. My camera was not handy enough to grab a photo – really, it was only a second in time- so even if the camera had been already in my hand, the moment would have been past. So this is from a sketch from memory, and captures the scene as I remember it.

I had been searching for a speckled fabric for the Longhorn for awhile, even bought a piece of hand dyed  in Lancaster but the one I ended up using was already in my stash! A combination of 5 or 6 different fabrics make up the water.

At this point the piece measures 51 X 36″. I’m having a hard time coming up with a name and decided to read Prairyerth for inspiration – nothing yet!

In looking back over the month’s entries, I see that I started this piece I am working on now, on the third of April. I felt like it was going slow, but less than three weeks working part time is not so bad. I think I will finish the top today! Then I will show it to you, so stay tuned!!

The acceptance letter for Mon Grand Pere to go to Denver National arrived yesterday along with notification that the SAQA “Points of View” exhibit including “the Old Homestead” will go to Art du Quilt in Morzine, France in July!  This is that quilt’s second time in France, having been there in 2006 in Lyon, while I, on the other hand, have never been there at all!! Click on “Events” on the left for a listing of all of the venues where my work can be seen now and in upcoming shows.

I completed the drawing for the new work yesterday, transferred it to the freezer paper and did all of the tic marks, so it is ready to go! But first I need to wash all of the fabric that I bought in PA and make a New York Cheesecake for tomorrow!

I spent most of yesterday morning working outside, it was such perfect spring weather. I spread fertilizer on the flower beds and pulled weeds and removed fallen leaves just in time for today’s rain. It was very gratifying to see that everything I planted last fall survived the winter and is emerging. The Hellebore White lady now has eight blooms!! The daffodils are in full bloom and the Snowdrops are finally finished and drooping their seed pods to the earth, to hopefully spread the patch larger for next year.The mulch with Preen that I spread last fall around the newly planted blackberries and perennials really did it’s job!  The only weeds to pull out were sprouts from grass roots that didn’t get removed. I will be buying more for sure!

I have started the drawing for a new work for Houston which has a deadline in May so that will be my focus for the next month or so. It’s always exciting to start a new project!

I recently received an unexpected surprise in the mail – two yards of beautiful hand dyed fabric by Judy Robertson! Thank you Del! When I looked at the yellow and purple one, I saw wonderful reflections and knew it needed to be water. I wanted something to divide it and considered a heron, but ended up with this sailboat, even though I know nothing about boats. Abject apologies to any sailors out there! I do know that a sail boat has a thing at the bottom of the mast to hold the sail, but this one may be wrecked. It does seem a bit wonky.

It is only 12 x 12″, machine pieced and machine quilted, and will go to the annual Studio Art Quilters Associates Benefit Auction which takes place on-line in the fall.

The whole little piece is cut from the one fabric, the main backgound from the area that first impressed me with the effect of a reflected bit of land and the boat and it’s reflection from another section. There is no seam between the boat and it’s reflection which meant I had to piece in a v-shaped bit of yellow at each end.

There is still quite a bit of the fabric left to make it’s way into other quilts, perhaps flowers.

There was a nice article in the Sunday paper yesterday about me and my quilts that did NOT start out with “Not your Grandmother’s quilts” as so often is the case with art quilts. That’s a GOOD thing! If you want to actually read it click here.

The only thing I wish had been added,  is that the photo cited was used with permission of the photographer.  But all in all, I think the reporter did a fine job!

Saturday I had a Machine Quilting class at Prairie Pieces which is about an hour away that was very well attended – we were really stacked in there! A great group of ladies and we had a lot of fun in spite of a few machine problems. Added bonus – I found some great fabrics to start replenishing my “rock”fabric that the mountain goat project ate up!

Yesterday I began the 12 x 12″ piece for the SAQA Auction.  I’m hoping to get it finished today as tomorrow I plan to take my Bernina in for it’s annual checkup while I am away to PA and the AQS show next week. Busy, busy!!

http://cjonline.com/life/2010-03-13/womans_quilts_make_the_cut

Well, I had good intentions, but when I went to take pictures yesterday my camera batteries were dead. My spares, too! In the meantime I was unable to get my website to open, so I wasted a lot of time for nothing. Some days are like that! But today everything is working as it should.

Moving on, I did manage to get some work done on the spring burning piece which is coming along nicely, but slowly.

Drifted    23 X 15″

This little Kansas winter scene was made so that I would have an entry to the next Topeka Art Guild Gallery exhibit, “Wonderland in White”. It uses only three fabrics, the hill closest to us, using the backside of the fabric of the hill behind, plus a printed batik and the sky fabric.  The snow fence is a bit of a plastic onion bag and the fence post some folded twill tape. It’s quilted with Sulky rayon threads in white, gray, black, varigated white/blue and red.

Today is Thanksgiving Day and I wish you all the best one ever!  For us, we will celebrate tomorrow as family work schedules have interfered with the planning.  So today while you are all overeating and watching the ball games, I will be making pumpkin cheesecake and sewing while Roomba cleans for me. There’s much to be thankful for!