CRAFT TEXAS!

The current exhibit featured now at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is CraftTexas 2012 .  Inspiring!  Unique! Unusual! This exhibit CraftTexas 2012 was juried by Jean W. McLaughlin, Executive Director of the Penland School of Crafts in Bakersville, NC; Rachelle Thiewes, internationally acclaimed metal and jewelry artist from El Paso, TX, and HCCC’s 2009 Texas Master; and Jade Walker, Director of the Visual Arts Center in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Austin.

"Oh You know the colored girl" by Joy O Ude features printed Jacquard fabric, Nigerian fabric, etched brass plate

Robert Galusha presents "K Chair in Cherry"  wood and leather

In ceramics we see "The Optimist Luggage" by David Bogus

Very creative luggage, although not very useful for traveling.

This large installation was presented by Laura Nicole Kante, titled "Equilibrium"

Crochet linen and cotton thread

One large doily in the center extending out

One of our members, Cindy Hickok, had her purses on display--what fun!

"Grab Bag"

"Laundry Bag, Lunch Bag, Grocery Bag, Sleeping Bag"

Samara Rosen  has this interesting installation.

"Thread and Glue"

Who would ever think that just those two ingredients would create an interesting design?

Catherine Winkler Rayround uses her experience of papercutting in this piece entitled,  "Capitalism at Work"

Have any old film strips just lying around the house?  Tore Terrasi used old microfilm to design "Grid Study--Random"

How about reuse, recycle, repurpose?  This piece uses old wool sweater with a fulled base and strips of fulled wool to make fringe on this collar by Tanya Ermakova

Heading to Goodwill to look for wool sweaters!

"Dueling Pistols and Roses Game Board With Rebus Beer Cap Checkers" by Ed and Cornelia Gates: stoneware tiles, wood frame, and 24 stoneware pieces.  There are many more unique pieces displayed in this exhibit through December, 2012.  Drop in and take a look soon.

Let's Hear It For The Gals!

Tuesday is always a special day! Either we are visiting with weavers, spinners or quilters. This Tuesday it was expatchers quilting day!

We usually meet at Judy M's studio--perfect place to sit, sew and visit.  Judy was showing off her antique quilts that her 103 old yr. aunt made.  Her aunt recently passed away and Judy was honored to receive these two quilts from her aunt's estate. 

This quilt is an interesting flowerpot design.  You can tell the quilt was loved by the amount of wear.

Yeah!  I got to see Karen!  She was working on a baby quilt for her daughter's friend.

She has been very careful with her selection of fabrics for this special quilt.

Karen was using a combination of these two patterns--these came with templates, making the cutting easy peasy!

Remember this sewing string from Camilla in one of our earliest post?

Camilla is now putting the lengths together to make her split rail fence quilt.

Judy M has this pattern in the planning stages.

Her fabrics are all carefully laid out and ready for cutting

And Annette was there too!  Was good to see her smiling face and see what she was working on.

Her fabric selections are 'stash' orginated, but will look smashing in the final project.

Linda was back from her journey and visit with son/family in South Africa.  She was stitching the binding on this colorful Binky quilt.

Judy has done a masterful job on the quilting.

Granddaughter requested another hat from Nana Judy, so she picked this pattern and pink yarn for the creation. 

For my bring along project, I brought this finished quilt to stitch down the binding--not much done though!  lots of gabbing, laughing during the time.  We were all thrilled to see Judy C!  But, we had some sad news from Brenda, who just returned home from hospital stay--she is in our thoughts and prayers lately.

Here is one of the blocks from the above quilt.  This was a year old stitching project--from Little Bird Stitches--lots of fun to stitch!  Have no idea where it will go.

Judy did lots of feathers for quilting!  Perfect for the birds!!!

And another stitching project that took some time--"over the river and through the woods".  Finished just in time to hang for Thanksgiving!

Snowflakes!  Yes, it was another great Tuesday!

OH! NO! More Mysteries to Solve!

Here they come--more mysteries to solve! As I'm a sucker for mysteries, but why do they come in November, the busy time of the year? Oh, well, doesn't really matter. We are gearing up with our mystery solving equipment and putting on our detective hat...........
As you can see by the side notes, one of the mysteries involves lace knitting shawl........Remily Knits.  She is offering the first one of her series free of charge, so any good detective jumps onto the case right away, even though the clues don't appear yet.

The next mystery involves more lace knitting with beads!  Okay, get out the stash and all those pretty beads, ready the needles and look for the first clue here..........designs-by-atalante on Ravelry page.  This one costs now as we missed the free period--darn it!  But, it looks like it will be a fun adventure with the first clue up now.  This mystery is based on Grimm fairy tale Frau Holle. 

Onto the next exciting mystery in the knitting category and comes from one of my favorite hat designers--Woolly Wormhead.  Yes, this one costs some too, but her designs are always interesting and unique.  Here is the first mystery clue solved.

This is handspun-two ply wool, silk, mohair blend.  This is the headband or brim section of the pattern.

Why is it I can never remember how to do the Kitchner Stitch?  Either I have to reply on the printed word or this excellent Utube video.  And please, no distractions while in the process of doing this stitch!  Lose concentration and boy, what a mess!

All finished!  Clue solved and ready for clue #2--bring it on! 

Now, on the quilt scene--two mysteries in the wings.  One from Quiltville, Bonnie Hunter.  It begins at the end of November; here on this post, you can see her fabric selection--she calls this mystery "Easy Street"!
From From QTMysteryQuilts at yahoo groups comes mystery #7. If you are not a member of this yahoo group, join and begin the mystery adventure there.  Free to join!
And if none of those mysteries tickle your fancy, then how about this one? Quilters Club of America is hosting their 7th mystery also--Nana's Surprise! The first clue is posted and I'm ready to do some serious investigative work! Free!

YEAH! It's Quilting Day!

YES! It's Tuesday and time to meet up with expatchers for quilting, gab, and fellowship. Okay, there were only four of us there, but it doesn't make any difference--we were still together! Sure we missed the missing expatchers but it was time to catch up on everyones adventures since my last attention in May!

Judy's studio is speaking "FALL"!  She has decorated for the season.....pumpkin quilt

up close look at Judy's nice quilting

There are pumpkin banners around the room

No way Judy is 'the' witch! 

Even the table top shows off the fall season with this colorful runner!

Debby W arrived with her finished quilt top--'cancer panel' made into quilt for her hubby who faced a serious bout with cancer recently--doing well now.

We all should remember this "cancer cannot invade the soul"--we will not let it invade our spirit either!

Debby had this finished throw ready for the quilting machine.  From across the room, I thought it looked like fruit and vegetables, but it's not--it's wonderful artistic designs in blooming colors.

 

Here is the back. 

Debby used this product to create her interesting quilt throw.

Crooked Nickel Designs presents "fast, simple, and perfect" way to create grid work.  Check it out!  place, press, sew and you're finished!

Debby also had her top from Long Beach Quilt workshop she took this summer.

Simply smashing!  Charlotte Angotti is the genius behind this pattern.

Debby had to add borders, so lighter batik for the inner border and darker fabric for the outer.  The light tan lying under the quilt top at the top right of the photo is the backing.--well done, Debby!

And at the machine is Camilla--working on her batik strips for a split rail fence block.





Judy M is displaying the t-shirt quilt that she has designed for one of her daughters.  Clever and unconventional layout for this quilt.  Judy is studying the quilt for awhile to decide on the quilt design she'll lay on the top.

so, this is what you can do with all those t-shirts just lying around the house with no place to go except into an useful quilt.

And Judy is making progress on her Grandmother's flower garden top--all this is handwork with English paper piecing.  Judy declares it will take her years to finish but it's good handwork for those TV watching days.