After spending months working on the writing and years creating the various quilts, I’ve finally put them into a book called “A Journey of 10,000 Stitches”. At this point, I’m waiting for the first copy to make sure it has no mistakes and then I can order copies and post it for publication and ordering on various venues. Stay tuned! It’s very exciting!! In a nutshell, it’s about expressing various journeys through fiber arts using fabrics, images, embellishments, assorted designs and more. Here’s the photo of the cover minus the lettering . . .
Category Archives: New Fiber Arts Projects
Poppies Everywhere
Somewhere around the middle of May, my poppy garden is in full bloom creating a gorgeous area of waving red orange petals outside my kitchen window. One of my favorite spring flowers, the poppy keeps me humble as a gardener. I never could grow a single one anywhere I lived yet when we moved to Port Byron, they just appeared one spring and kept coming back without any help from me. I just need to admire them and be in awe of their determination. Like in quilting, sometimes the most unexpected and unplanned combinations or designs work out and everything just feels right. This art quilt was originally made for the Cherrywood 2024 Challenge. It wasn’t accepted as a finalist yet is one of my absolute favorites in all 5 I’ve entered. “Remember Yesterday, Celebrate Today and Hope for the Future” is filled with dimensional flowers and stems/buds, drips with sparkling beads and crystals, is covered with hand dyed laces and secretly has the names of family and friends who have passed away listed on the backs of the “taggies”. Love this one!
An Exciting Month!
After many months of creating artwork, Christmas projects, etc., 15 of my artquilts were set up and on display during February at the Art Domestique Gallery in Washington, Iowa. As part of the Fiber Arts celebration through the Washington Library, visitors can view them along with the lovely variety of paintings at an art gallery. Included is a 3 minute video of me explaining some of the artworks I did so be sure to check it out. And, to top it off, I got to be interviewed by the local radio station and attend an artist reception! Wow! No one has asked for an autograph yet so guess I’ll need to write a book or something. 😂😂. This image is from a piece I just finished called “2023: The Year of the Northern Lights: Did you See Them?” Lots of bright colors, intricate quilting, sparking beads and crystals plus more.
Creative super nova
As an artist, my work is a growing collection of the special moments that speak of the rhythm of my soul and the creative spirit that energizes me each day. Whether the artworks are formed from fibers and fabrics or canvas and paints, the inspiration for them tumbles through my brain like the rushing Lake Erie waters that crash against the rocky shore and drain back into itself generating another wave. How does one channel this energy into an artwork that speaks of that time and place? That’s what my blog site will share with you: How to take solitary moments and pull them into a kaleidoscope of color, beads, threads or paints that speak of that to you, the artist, and to you, the reader. Come join me on this journey. . .
Graffiti: Checking out all the Wall Art
The Cherrywood Challenge this year was “Graffiti” so research included checking out all the local and world wall art projects, online examples, graffiti alphabets, and more. Since it couldn’t be political and by nature, graffiti is often “making a political statement”, it was a challenge! “What is Art”, the name of my entry, has always been a question so I free motion quilted definitions on top of the sunflower-like splats that had been quilted and then painted over. Lots of fun techniques on this! I love the vibrancy of the colors and the final design so am just waiting to see if the fabric company also likes it and wants it included in the touring show.
Anyone Need an Art Jacket?
After a number of requests, I held an art jacket making class this spring and found some wonderful ladies who created some very unique jackets. I expect each of them to enter theirs in the wearable art section of the September MVQG show this year. Mine will be entered too unless it is selected by Hoffman Fabrics to go on tour as part of their “Into the Meadow” Fabric Challenge. I’m waiting to hear about this at the moment but just finished the final beading of the buttons, creation of the appliqued dimensional flowers and painting portion.
A Green Wedding
Finished this beautiful all green quilt for Faith and Josh as they celebrated their wedding this spring. She graduated in landscaping and set the tone of their wedding for shades of green so . . . Figured she might like this! She did and even used it on the table going into the ceremony and reception. I loved all the greens going together in this modern wedding design. If you look closely, the free motion quilting overall is one of leaves, vines, small flowers and pebbles. I wanted to keep with a nature theme so tied this into the design.
What Happens at the End of the Semester?
It’s Wacky-Do Time for teachers, students and those of us with Fiber Arts challenges all due! No matter what, we all seem to gravitate to “school time” whether we are in it or not. So here goes:
___ Challenge for “Harmony” (Sacred Threads, Broadway gallery in northern Virginia on exhibit). Finished, submitted, juried in. (“It’s a Yin Yang Thing”)
This image was selected because balance as in Yin Yang just seems to go together with Harmony. Fabrics that were white with black and black with white were balanced within and circles were duplicated overall in the quilting pattern.
marykayhdesigns 