Handworks Art Gallery, Main Street, Oliver, B.C.

It was a very hot 37 degrees Celsius today and the Gallery was warm. We had a decent crowd out in spite of the heat and the fact 4th of July celebrations were taking place just a few miles away. I was very pleased with the comments and sincere interest.
Here are a few pictures to give you an idea. I have 22 pieces in this show.

Rusted Love

Love this rusting business!!!
I used a commercial piece of cotton... a pale green with a white floral.. what, not really a tone-on-tone but sort of?
I am hoping to soon have some 'real' time to be able to work with these pieces.
Below is a small piece I did using this fabric and some other cool techniques.

Rusted Love 2

Here is a little 7.25 x 7.00 piece using a small piece of the rusted commercial cotton fabric. I used stamping, foiling,stenciling, embroidery stitches and beads to make my piece.
I have Lyric Kinards 'Surface Design... Sample Platter' DVD. It is excellent. I had made the stamps some time ago after watching the DVD, so decided to have some fun.
Here is my Rusted Love 2... it reminds me of a love letter from long ago... maybe a 'Delta Dawn' type postcard.
You, too?

Show in Handworks Gallery is set-up

We set up the show.....'Soft Expressions' is the title I have used in the past and have called this one by the same name. It looks good... I am excited and so is the Gallery owner. I did not take pictures today, as the gallery props and other displays will be re-arranged before the 'official' start of the show, which is Thursday. So, Saturday when I have my reception, I will take pictures and post.
Carole

Purple Apple

I have been wanting to take Ellen Lindners Double Reverse Applique [Adventure Quilter.. I have a link on the left] for some time, finally did and here is the result... a Purple Apple.
I have a stash that doesn't seem to end, but it was very difficult to come up with the 'apple colors'.. such as red, green, gold,I even tried the grey/white scale with no success. so this is it. A very nice technique, definitely useful.

Judges Choice Award .. Update

June 15,2009
Update... I got it!! and more....
The Certificate is really classy, the ribbon is happy to share the wall with my other ribbons [The last time I won a ribbon from CQA was 2001.. an Honorable mention]. And, of course, the cheque will spend beautifully! ha

Also a 'keepsake' letter from the Vice-President and a scissor/cell phone charm with the CQA logo on it! How nice is that!!
A happy day for me, and now I can look forward to the 2010 Trend-tex Challenge with the big show in Calgary, Alberta.
_________________________________________________

I received a Judges Choice Award in the Trend-tex Challenge at our annual Canadian Quilters Association show in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I have been reluctant to post yet, waiting to receive my Ribbon, Certificate and $100.00 cheque. They have not arrived yet, but I think it is time.... the details are on the CQA website, so it must be OK.
Here is the link to the piece.... you will remember it as ....
Edge finishing.... 169 Buttons....jpg">

I have received many complimentary comments and now I am waiting to see who bought my piece.
BTW, this is the ONLY fundraiser the Canadian Quilters Association has and I have been a contributor since 1994. This is my 2nd award.

Mangolicious

I have finished the last in my Still Life Series....
[my study with Pamela Allen during the month of February].
It is pretty much all done by hand, only the smallest amount of machine stitching. Beads adorn the leaves... I had to laugh when I got this completed, the candle on the left looks like it was left in the sun too long.... it has a definite 'lean' to it.
Oh well, it is done and I like it.

Working in this format is very enjoyable and I can see myself doing more along this line.

Rust dying

The pieces below are the results of my first attempt at rust dying fabric. What a lot of fun.
Unfortunately I got these in the reverse order to what I had intended [need more experience here].. so if you start at the bottom, then roll upwards you will have the sequence. Sorry... but enjoy ...

The best of the 3

This piece is also something with a synthetic in it, but it looks like linen.
Again, I took the vinegar, wet the fabric, wrapped the angled rebar with it and again left it about 24 hours. Then I rinsed, washed and dried all the pieces.
I think they are quite interesting... seeing several shapes... even x-rays...
I will look forward to hearing what you see.

this post is of the same piece, but turned end on end...
I must admit I have great plans for these pieces.

Now I am excited so I go for a walk, there is some construction happening on the back of our complex. A scavenger hunt yields 2 pieces of rebar. One straight with numbers and one angled.
More fabric... the same fabric as my first one and I used the straight piece of rebar.
Same process, but left it until late this afternoon... so pretty much 24 hours.
You will notice the color is more intense.

Rust dying

I have been having fun with this new 'to me' technique...
I read about it for ages, then Norma Schlager posted yesterday and I decided to just 'do it'.
With this piece I used a beautiful heavy-ish and very drapey polyester.. I am not sure what it is called, but I had it in with my dress-making fabrics.
I didn't have anything rusty, so went for a walk and found some guys working on the house up the street. I told them what I was after and why, so one guy gave me a handful of nails. He had a logging chain he offered me, but alas it was too big! I wet my fabric with vinegar, wrapped the nails in the fabric and put it in a plastic bag. About 4 hours later [I couldn't wait any longer]... I took it out, rinsed it and dried it.
It is quite pale compared to how it was when I took it out.

I should add tho" the background is the white, oh so white of the original fabric.