Shadow Selfie #1

I've been taking shadow selfies for about 4 years now.  I don't know why I like them, but I do.  Perhaps it's because I don't care if I have make up on, what I'm wearing, or how many wrinkles are on my face.  My shadow always looks good.  Since I post so many of the shadow selfies, many of my Facebook friends do it now too!  I think they are having as much fun as I am.  I've taken them at rodeos, on hikes, on bike rides, and on many of my daily walks.  I especially like the ones taken early in the morning, when my shadow is long and leggy.

Sometimes, when you're drawn to something, you really can't put your finger on the reason.  Artists get their inspirations from many sources, and I'm no exception.  Are we getting a message from the universe that we should pay attention to?  What do these pictures say about me?

Since I like to turn pictures into art quilts, I decided that a series of my shadow selfies would be really fun.  I decided to make them 12" x 12" and to try to make 10 to start with.  All of them will have black shadows and black binding.  But the rest will be whatever inspiration strikes me at the moment.

Shadow selfie #1 started when I picked one of the shadow selfies for this quilt.  There was a really great batik that I had with ombre dying in it plus some strong horizontal lines.  So with these 2 things as my inspiration, I sketched up a design that would be quick and that would convey my photo.

I traced the wedges and put them on top of the fabric, matching up some of the horizontal lines.

These were pieced, the shadow was appliqued to the background, and it was simply quilted with teal thread.

Shadow Selfie #1 by Joanne Adams Roth  March, 2018

I hope you like it!  And have fun taking shadow selfies too!

Arizona wall quilt

My sister retired from a job in Alaska and didn't want to spend one more winter freezing.  She and her husband actually both retired and headed to Arizona, where they found a nice home.  She sent me a few pictures of bare walls and asked for a quilt (or two) to help decorate her home.

Here are the bare walls and color preferences.

I used to make Native American themed quilts and thought that perhaps I could do that.  But I then started thinking about other desert motifs and how they are more prevalent in Arizona vacation homes now.  I showed my sister some of my ideas and she sent me more pictures.  We settled on a sunset scene.

The background was made using freehand cutting and sewing with some strips inserted.  My sister likes the Kokopelli motif, so I sketched this one onto steam a seam light and fused the black fabric to the background.  It was quilted and faced.

I hope you like it.

Paper fabric postcards

I wrote a previous blog about making painted paper fabric.   Some of the pieces that I made were just the right size to cut up and make into postcards.  They are a really fast and fun way to get things done so that you have the feeling of accomplishment!  So many of our projects take years to complete, and most of us quilters/fabric artists have several in progress.  Fabric postcards are just the ticket to give you something you can finish without slowing down all of your other projects.

Here are a few of the postcards that I made with that painted paper fabric.

Enjoy!

Fabric, fabric and more fabric

Our quilt guild holds two stash bazaars a year so that our members can clear out their "junk" and sell it to other people as their "treasures".  I recently went to one of those stash bazaars and I was bombarded as soon as I walked in the door.  So many people know that I love lime green anything, and especially lime green fabric.  So a few of them had set some aside underneath their tables, lying in wait for me!  It's all in fun... but since I have lime green fabric lust, they cleared out my wallet!  I keep telling myself I WILL NOT BUY ANYMORE LIME GREEN FABRIC.  It isn't working.

Anyway, I now have a bunch more of it, and I love it still.  I hope I'm not the only one.

Is there something that you love too?  Something that you just can't get enough of?   Happy Quilting!

Getting Nervous about my solo show

I had to admit to a few people that I am starting to get nervous about my solo show approaching in October.

I've made a list of all the quilts I want to display - around 100.  One task done.
I've written to all the people that have quilts I want to borrow back for the show.  Second task done.
I've made most of the card stock labels that be pinned to the front of the quilts.  Third task almost done.
I've sent pictures to our publicity chairperson for the postcards and flyers.  Fourth task done.
I've done a preliminary layout of the show.  Fifth task almost done.

However, some unplanned tasks are starting to crop up:  Several people have asked me how to wash their quilts, how to get them to me, if I can do a few "small" repairs, and to let me know there isn't a hanging sleeve sewn on the back of the quilt.  Oh oh, that sounds like some work for me.  I don't mind a little bit of work.  I just know that it's summer and this is my traveling, gardening and biking season.  So, it feels like there is going to be a crunch time coming.  And that is making me a little nervous.

Wouldn't it make you a little nervous too to gather 100 of your quilts from around the USA and Canada?

Anyway, still over the moon that I was selected to be the featured artist for Clark County Quilters.  Mark it on your calendars:  October 19-21, 2018.  Opening reception is on October 19 from 5-7 pm.
H.H. Hall Building, Vancouver, WA.

Painting paper fabric

I bought a whole bunch of muslin when I saw a sale at Mood on line.  It was purchased for making dress fitting muslins.  But it was so much, like 10 yards or something!  And I don't sew that much clothing.  I remembered a technique that I did one time where I glued tissue paper to the muslin to make a "paper fabric" base.  This time, while everything was still wet, I went crazy with water colors and fabric paints and made up some interesting painted paper fabric.  It is so fun to have a play date and do things like this.

I want to make some art quilts with it; perhaps a nest.  Who knows?

Anyway, here it is:

Sewing with the cat

If you are a quilter and you have a cat, or cats, you already know my dilemma.  The cat likes to be near me, on me, on top of what I'm working on, underneath what I'm working on, underneath my feet......  You get the picture.   I end up with cat hair on everything.  But I love my cats!  OK, I might go so far as to say that I have made my cats co-dependent on me.  I've turned into a cat enabler.

Here is my current cat, Jack, sharing my chair while I'm waiting for paint to dry and goofing around on my computer.  Do you see how much chair I get to use?

Here is a picture of my previous cat, Fly, who loved to sit on top of my sewing machine while I was sewing.  Sometimes, she would hang her feet over the edges and get so close to the needle, I thought that I might accidentally sew over her paw.

Here she is sitting on top of a quilt while I was sewing on the binding.

And here is a really old picture, showing me holding a kitten when I was about 6 yrs old.  So you know I've liked cats for a long time!

I hope you have room for pets in your life too!