"Catalyst: Colorado Sculpture"

 

What better place to exhibit landscape sculpture than Denver Botanic Gardens?  Lovely gardens dotted with stone, resin, metal and ceramic works of arts--a nice walk through the gardens on any day is a delight.  Walk with me as we stroll through these paths to view these twelve artists' work.  "Catalyst:  Colorado Sculpture" is at the gardens through January 12, 2014.

 

 

How about 15,000 handmade ceramic leaves?

This wall is created by Kim Dickey

"Mille Fleur"

We pause to take in the beauty of the border flowers.

"Spiral Dance" painted aspen tree trunks

Nancy Lovendahl is the artist



Carl Reed is the artist for "Ring for outliers"

Three related forms along the waterway

Colorado Plein Air Painters in the Gardens 

Patrick Marold designed "Stepped Mound"

created from cable wood spools

Yoshitomo Saito "Colorado Loop"

Emmett Culligan

"Crew #4, Crew #5, Crew #6 were on display a short distance apart

Pard Morrison "Schneewitchen"

I like the contrast between the frame of the sculpture and the building in the background

In the prairie area, you will find this interesting piece by Patrick Margold

"Shadow Line, Fall Equinox"

Nancy Lovendahl with her "Fractal Echo"

The Lily ponds had added interest with three lovely works of art.  This one by
James Surls--perfect location!

Another wonderful piece by Yoshitomo Saito is located in the Bonsai garden

Linda Fleming's "Refugium"

Looking between the lines..........

"Marker's Mark" by Terry Maker

 

Another wonderful piece by Linda Fleming greets you at the entrance to the garden

super walk through the gardens

Those Bonnie Hunter Gals............................

Those Bonnie Hunter Gals are meeting today, but I'm not with them as we are on the road back to our winter home in Texas.  I already miss those gals and knowing that today they are gathering at Wooden Spools, sewing away on their project, makes me a little teary eyed that I'm not there with them.  Thanks to my friend, Judy, who introduced me to the Bonnie Hunter Club gathering........making new friends, learning new techniques, sharing some laughs and joys makes one happy!

Blue Ridge Beauty! 

Holy Toledo! in batiks!  Absolutely Susan!

Judy shared one of her fall creations with the group

And the fall leaves stitched into the border

This is a Bonnie Hunter mystery via Quiltmaker's magazine--ran for three months

Love it!  even though it's in purple--what a fun perky quilt

Judy presents her finished "Holy Toledo" quilt--nothing but shades of blue and browns--smashing!!

Judy was busy on her last quilt retreat--here is her first complete on the four day adventure--love the sheep and sheep fabric!

Another one of Judy's retreat finishes--this looks difficult!

Now, this one is fan-tas-tic!!  Simple, fast but so unique!

 

Susan, on right, has her quilt top to show off--looking for border fabric to finish up this elegant quilt

Cheryl (another one of those Cheryl gals!) had this quick jelly roll top to show off--

Cheryl was looking for backing fabric--I think she found it with the top fabric--this will be a colorful quilt to top anyone's bed.

Thanks gals for a great summer--I'll be sewing with you throughout the year!!

Shhhh! It's a Secret!

It's always a secret until----all is revealed!  And only the master behind the plan knows the ending--yes, we are talking about a mystery-- It all begins when Lyn Brown begins her mystery quilt along--every Tuesday for nine weeks, there will be a clue........................

And then comes final clue and the solution to the mystery and it is not a secret anymore!

What a super Spangled Quilt this is--perfect for Quilts of Valor.

The best part of finishing this mystery were the clues a week at a time--it didn't seem such a big project--binding in the red once it is quilted.

Thanks Lyn for another fantastic mystery quilt!

It's Spinning Time!!

When it comes to spinning, there is nothing like spinning the finest in fibers--silk! Bombyx Silk is the greatest to spin--well, it almost spins itself--such long delicious fibers that move easily through your fingers.

One bobbin finished....................

Beginning the second bobbin..............

such a fine single thread.....................
And now to ply the two bobbins together for that finished yarn..................

Usually when I ply, I ball the bobbin and then ply with thread inside and outside, but silk is so slick that it will knot up in the process

A nice fine two ply thread ready for weaving!

A full bobbin for that special project............

since I didn't have a coin handy to show the size of the two play, I used my pencil instead.  It will be skeined and the twist set.

 

Weaving is Good.........................

There is a rhythm to weaving..........the throw of the shuttle--back and forth--back and forth.  The traveling of the feet across the treadles.  It's a peaceful feeling of being--swish, swish; tromp, tromp..........and so it goes.  

 

 

 

 

How about this look?  Just winding two different multi-colored silk threads together can give interesting and varied looks to the handspun weaving.

 

The first scarf has been woven and we move on to this scarf--woven with different colors and different look.

Here is the first scarf--8H turned twill pattern

I love the look of this handspun

Here are the two scarves side by side

Plain woven.  I like that you can see the twist in the warp yarn--super!  A bonus!  all that needs to be done now--tie fringe and wash and block--ready to wear!

time to warp the loom again...........................

WIP--as always!

Never can resist Sindy's patterns from Fatcat Patterns.  These great patterns come up each month, making for a fun time diving into the stash bin!

Loving these dogs!  Sindy is posting two a month--free of charge until the next one pops up.  Miss a pattern, don't despair--you can purchase them as downloads.

Really need to do something about his eyes--or does he really have no eyes?! 

Woof!  Woof! 

These blocks will make great Binky Patrol quilts--I try to make them colorful with playful designs

Perfect fish fabric for this swimming fella.......swim on dude!

 

Hoot!  Hoot!  Loving these owls--although, they do take some time to decide on the right stash fabric to make the right impression

Here is Gerda!  She certainly is unique......................