Denver Satellite Reef From Spun Exhibit

This week was our chance to visit Denver Art Museum and right away I was fascinated by the Denver Satellite Reef exhibit that was located throughout the museum.  As my friend, Judy P and I roamed we found these wonderful displays of crocheted reefs.   This installation combines math, marine biology, hyperbolic crochet techniques and community participation.

"The Bleached Bone Reef" is from the Institute For Figuring Crochet coral Reef project.

The bleached bone reef are pieces created by workers at the Handcc Crochet Factory in Shantou, China

Other pieces like the ruble corals, red and white anemone trees, tube worms and mudibranchs were designed and created by artists from California, Texas, Australia

Other artists from New York, Washington state, Ireland gave us delicate sea urchin and Irish lace designs

Visitors are encouraged to crochet their own reef creations to add to the Denver Satellite

You can just imagine these anchored to the sea floor with colorful fish swimming and hiding in the landscape

Crochet coral reef and satellite reefs have been constructed in 25 cities world wide.  This project seeks to engage people from all walks of life.

The Institute For Figuring has worked since 2006 with communities around the world to create these local reefs

Above one display these sea creatures are floating

Pod World No. 1--Blue Corral Landscape features Noro yarn pile, stag horn coral, pearled kelp, blue tree, coral head

Then there is the Pod World No. 2--Southwest Vista

I really enjoyed this crawling coral and admire the skilled hands it took to create

There are more coral reefs to view at the DAM--all wonderful and fascinating!  And not only can you view these creations, you will also take in textiles galore..................more later on other fabulous exhibits!

SPUN! Adventures in Textiles

How can you begin your summer any better than a HUGE textile exhibit at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) Here is the line-up:   

Red, White & Bold: Masterworks of Navajo Design, 1840-1870

May 19, 2013 – September 22, 2013

Pattern Play: The Contemporary Designs of Jacqueline Groag

May 19, 2013 – September 22, 2013

Material World

May 19, 2013 – September 22, 2013

Bruce Price: Works on Paper, 2007–2012

May 19, 2013 – September 22, 2013

Fashion Fusion: Native Textiles in Spanish Colonial Art

May 19, 2013 – September 22, 2013

Common Threads: Portraits by August Sander & Seydou Keïta

May 19, 2013 – September 22, 2013

Cuppetelli & Mendoza: Transposition

May 19, 2013 – September 22, 2013

Western Duds

May 19, 2013-September 22, 2013

All in one location and for one price!  But, we can see it all at one time?  Not me!

 

Good-bye, Little Friend

Good-bye little friends! You have served me well! You were there when I needed you!

You gave life to many a warp--large and small!

You traveled many miles!

Many feet treadled you!  Many weavers, old and young, gave you life!

And now we must send you out into the world so you can give other weavers and spinners the opportunity to spark ideas, textures and dreams.  You are grand and will live on in another neighborhood. 
Happy treadling, little friend!

They're Everywhere!

Yes, you can find talented quilters anywhere and everywhere you travel!  And the best part of the quilting world--they are warm, friendly and giving.  Of course, I feel that way with any person who works with fiber. 

Any time you can gather with fellow quilters, you will see completed quilt tops.  Pat had this Bonnie Hunter finished top to show off--great work!

 

And this one from knitter friend Judy (so glad she has come over to this side of the fiber world!)EZ Street is the title, but to me--this was not an EZ top to piece!

 

And Judy's color choices are super duper!  She said she used paint chips to decide on color

 

And look at the back!! outstanding!  she has given it an additional look

 

"Christmas Pickle" by Marsha--just WOW!  She said she wanted a real pickle look

 

The back is so neatly done--seams pressed flat--such a good quilter!

 

Marsha is now working on this top--all it takes is two different blocks--2" squares in 16 patch block and 2" strips that are snowballed

 

With this setting you get star pointers

 

Now add the color of your center star and you have a complete 22" block--this is going to be one outstanding quilt

 

Across the table from me, Cheryl had her plaid strips ready for sewing

 

And sew it goes...............strip after strip

 

Now with all these HSTs (some put into sets of 8--needing 36 sets) how do you keep track?

 

Judy has found a clever way to keep track of her HSTs--she bought this storage container at the Container Store and she is so good about labeling........

 

Another Pat in the class is working on trees--The tree part is paper pieced but look at all those 1.5" squares!  She has lots of patience to work with all those tiny pieces.
This was my first time to be with these gals, but it won't be my last.............they are a great bunch of new quilter friends!

Bonnie Hunter Club

We have arrived at our summer residence--ready, willing and able to begin our adventures here. My knitter friend, Judy P, has got me involved in Wooden Spools Bonnie Hunter Club meetings.

I've been going through my stash of plaids.

Anything goes for this quilt top, as long as it is plaid or stripe

These will work nicely but of course, I couldn't resist buying more plaids & stripes

We are working for this book by Bonnie Hunter

And this pattern which takes lots of HST (half square triangles)
 

Used up all my paper strips to make HSTs for this project--sew with small stitch, tear off paper and you have a pile of HSTs ready to be pressed (ugh!) to be added to the blocks.

Here Little Fishy!

Another fun quilt top to make for Binky Patrol is this one, again from designer Sindy at Fat Cat Patterns

I tried to find the funkiest fabrics I could to make these sea creatures

The water fabric was a batik that I found at Fabrics where with $35 purchase, there is no shipping fee and we can't find $35 worth of fabric?!

this is the first fish in the collection and I made him before I had the background so he doesn't quite stand out like I would want him too, but not all fish are noticeable in the ocean

He's just a plain old run of the mill flounder fish in my book!

Ahhh, a kissing fish! 

Anyone Want to Inkle??

There are various ways to weave--and inkle loom is one that is used for making bands, hence inkle means "ribbon" or "tape".

Inkle loom weaving is a nice video (with great music accompaniment).  Our local weaver's group has members who are interested in learning this technique.  The more we learn, the more we incorporate into our weaving skills.



Leigh (in green, standing) is giving some instruction to Joan with Marian looking on.  Gretchen is warping her inkle in the foreground.

Gretchen winds her warp--over this peg, under this peg "oh, did I do that right?"

Gerry is counting her warp for that first pick-up

Leigh is working her directions with experimention--Leigh is a 'master' at inkle!

A look at Leigh's work

This little loom has heddles but can still be used as an inkle

Samples to inspire!  Inkle on gals!!