I drove to La Conner, WA last week. This small town with a population under 1,000 is situated in western Washington about one hour north of Seattle on the Swinomish Channel. It has a commanding view of Mount Baker, lovely restaurants and an excellent fiber arts museum. The building itself makes a visit worth your […]
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Toned Down Sampler Part 15
I’ve shared an image of a Great Grey Heron that perched on top of the building next to us for an entire morning. It’s always wonderful to see these majestic birds! But on to the Toned Down Sampler and the 3 1″-circles I’ve just completed. The first circle is grounded by the Pistil Stitch in […]
Toned Down Sampler Part 14
We have managed to get through an ice storm which did a lot of damage in Portland and the surrounding areas and are back to having mild, light rain. We feel quite fortunate in not experiencing the loss of power or any damage to our property that so many others have. We were only inconvenienced […]
Netsuke Sculptures
Earlier this month I visited the Portland Japanese Garden, a true sanctuary in the city, no matter the season. The garden itself is always a pleasure to be in, but they also had a special exhibit of netsuke (pronounced nets-keh) titled Masterpieces in Miniature. I had to see it! Small enough to fit in […]
Peaches Accepted for New Exhibit
I am particularly thrilled to share here that my art quilt Peaches has been accepted for Birds of a Fiber 2024 at the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum in La Conner, WA. It’s not often that I see a call for entry where I can enter Peaches, and this one is all birds. […]
Toned Down Sampler Part 13
In the past I have come to designs that I felt were too difficult for me. After much hesitation, I passed over them and worked on designs I was confident about. Seeing the unworked circles that I had passed over each time I picked up this project was a blow to my confidence. Eventually, I […]
Christmas Ships on the Willamette River
The image to the left is of our sunrise on the river the morning of December 8th. The colors were spectacular! The air was so clear and clean. The Christmas Ship Parade started in 1954 with one sailboat from Portland Yacht Club. Bows of green with some ribbon were tied along the rails and it […]
Peace on Earth
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to celebrate peace on earth. Now. In the spirit of thinking globally and acting locally, we have freshened our home to welcome the season. New pillowcases always make a difference. I found some delightful fabrics that perfectly melded with my Christmas quilt which we’ve enjoyed since 1999. […]
Still At Home with Postcards
Since I created my last postcard here it has a new home. I also got a request for another one with the same theme. So, here is the new one. Many years ago I had work in a local gallery in Oakland, CA, where I was also able to have my book and […]
Wordless Wednesday
We Are the Revolution
I gathered with a few friends this past week and went to a very exciting exhibit. We Are the Revolution features over 100 works by 32 artists and is just a smidgen of the vast collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation. The collection currently numbers well over 20,000 works of art, each […]
Happy Halloween
I couldn’t help sharing this: The Bluebird is helping to keep Portland weird. Note the potted plant to the right of the pumpkin. Click on image for a larger view. How about that door with a knocker! The sign to the left of the door gives the name of the bus. […]
At Home with Postcards
I recently had an opportunity to trade a fabric postcard with a group who was participating in an online seminar through Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). Names were drawn and people were paired for the trade. I had the good fortune to be paired with Samantha Boot, a fiber artist from the UK whose work […]
Gentle Reminder
Wordless Wednesday
On the Waterfront
Waterfront Pearl that is. I live in a condo which is part of a 2-building community on the Willamette River which is on the edge of the Pearl District in northwest Portland. The buildings are surrounded by a water feature and snugged up by the river. The buildings are shaped like the prow of a […]
Refreshed Website and Printed & Stitched
I have spent the last several months working with Holly Knott to refresh and repair my website. There were too many things not happening – for example, my blog posts were not being sent out to subscribers! – and I had no control over it. Well. That and other issues are solved and I have […]
New Beginnings Soon
I’ve placed this posting in the “Work in Progress” category because, after all, that is where I always seem to be. My web site is also a work in progress just now; it will soon turn into a new beginning. My site will have a fresh, new look and, I hope, will be much easier […]
Toned-Down Sampler Part 12
A while ago I shared an update on the Sue Spargo Tone-Down Sampler that I am working on. See here for a refresher. I complained about one of the one-inch wool circles that I shared with you. I didn’t feel I had enough information from the pattern to make an educated guess about where exactly […]
Sketching: Foundations 1
I have just begun a new online sketching class with Liz Steel called Foundations. I first met Liz in a sketching class through Sketchbook Skool a few years ago so I know I am working with an excellent teacher. I have been away from sketching for too long and felt that the best way to […]
More Botanical Printing on Paper
Earlier this week I spent a lovely afternoon with my botanical-dye-and-printing-friend Katherine, catching up, enjoying being in the yard and doing some printing. I’ve been using Fabriano Medioevalis paper since I began my botanical printing adventures and I have always been happy with the results. The papers measure 3.5″ x 5.5″ and are a nice […]
Precious Metals: Osmium Fini
The first of my new series is done. I’m happy with the final look and feel to this piece. A bluish-gray overall color is right since that is the color of the metal. I had to purchase some beads (there is always something needed); everything else was already in my closet. Though one could not […]
Precious Metals: Osmium Part 2
I have made progress, just not as quickly as I had expected. I finished the beading on Precious Metals: Osmium. I am now auditioning fabrics for the binding. Finding a bluish-gray bead or fabric is a problem. I think the blend of beads creates that bluish-gray effect, but it is more difficult with fabric. Perhaps […]
(almost) Wordless Wednesday
Sunrise captured by construction crane.
Precious Metals: Osmium
Osmium is the densest naturally occurring element. It has a blue-gray tint and is the densest stable element. Manufacturers use its alloys with platinum, iridium, and other platinum-group metals to make fountain pen nib tippings, electrical contacts, and in other applications that require extreme durability and hardness. Osmium is estimated to be about 0.6 parts […]
Wordless Wednesday
Toned-Down Sampler Part 11
As a preface to this posting I’d like to mention that the link for sending my posts out to subscribers has been disconnected for many months. I have just managed to get the link enabled again. That said, you have probably missed a few of my posts so you may want to check out older […]
Printed & Stitched
I am thrilled to share that my work Eucalyptus has been selected for the juried regional exhibition Printed & Stitched. Eucalyptus uses three botanical prints of eucalyptus leaves on silk fabric pieced together with botanical-dyed cotton fabric. Each print is roughly 5” x 3”. Machine quilting and hand embroidery complete the design. The […]
Botanical Printing on Paper
I found my supply of botanical printed notecards dwindling quite low so I grabbed my pruners and took a walk to gather some foliage. In no time at all I had quite a nice selection of leaves that look devine when printed on Fabriano paper. I am still using diluted soy milk, iron water and […]
Eucalyptus II done
I am pleased with how this piece has turned out. It took longer to complete than I anticipated, but that simply seems to be the new normal. During the process of threadpainting I planned to complete the quilting and then do all the hand work. However, after doing just a bit of the quilting I […]