First Place Quilt at Wood County Fair

FIRST PLACE, FIRST PLACE, YEAH, FIRST PLACE!

"SISTERLY LOVE"

This is a quilt my sister, Barbara Smith Squire and I worked on together.  Her husband has  4 hour kidney dialysis, three times a week and to give her something to do while she waited, I purchased embroidery panels for her sew.  Barb finished them several months ago and I pieced and quilted the top.  I finished it just in time for the Wood County Fair in Ohio.  We are so thrilled. 

My sister Barb, in on the right with her friend. 

This is our mother, who passed away last year.  She taught us to sew, craft and tried to teach us crochet.  She was much better at it than us.  

Let's pass our talents on to our loved ones. 

Set aside time to teach your grandchildren what you love to do and share it with me.  

Designing Fiber Art to make the world smile and be at peace.

That's the title of my Blog
SMILE WORLD AND BE AT PEACE. 

Why you ask,  Because we need more peace, more smiles, showing more love and hugs and less anger, less hate and less killing.  (I feel American's have no respect for life anymore, example:  killing someone because he killed someone, Killing innocent by standers, just because they got in the way,,, killing video games, violent movies  and I could go on and on.)  Life is precious, we need to hold it dear. We each have a purpose on this earth. 

Fiber really touches our souls,  We wear it, we feel it, we sit on it and we sleep under it.  All of us, All colors, race, religions, occupations or no occupations.  

I make art to share my love of things that make me smile.  I put my heart, soul, design ideas, and physical stamina into making my art.  I want the view to see something new, to touch their lives with good things, nature, color, movement, life.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/275488562/alleritare-patterned-after-bonnie?ref=shop_home_active_7

  I want the owner of one of quilts to feel safe as they wrap it around them, to sit down on it and enjoy a moment with a friend or grandchild, to sleep in natural organic warmth on a cold chilly night.   

https://www.etsy.com/listing/288668609/meadow-in-bloom-doublequeen-size-quilt?ref=shop_home_feat_3

Well, for those who knows me,  this is one of the ways of what I do to show my love.
To bring peaceful feeling to an nidividual.
To help someone smile.

WHAT DO YOU DO THAT MAKES THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE?  

I would love to hear about it.  

Creative Pause

The deer paused for his picture.  "You looking at me?"

The giant tree paused and waited for spring.

We paused for a grandchilden gathering and added Syler, too.

Today, I paused to be thankful for all I have, to rest my creative mind, to rest my body.  

What's new under my needles?

Sisterly Love!   

My sister, Barb Squire, and I are working on her quilt together.  She embroidered  all of the white squares and I am putting it together and quilting it.  I left the piecing simple because I want the embroidery to pop.  I will be purchasing wool batting to make sure it happens.  It will be a little bigger than a queen with a drop, just in case it gets passed down to someone with a kingsize bed.  We plan on entering it into the Wood Country Fair Grounds.  I have pieced it with my 780 B Bernina Sewing Machine and it will be quilted with some traditional feathers and echo quilting on my Sweet Sixteen Handiquilter.  

How special is the sissy quilt!  

 The quilt below is for myself.  It is greys, browns and off whites large pieced roses.  It is a contemporary kingsize quilt.  It will be quilted with the rose like quilting with echo quilting around the large pieced roses so they pop.  Yes, I like think to pop and I like quilts to be soft and not too much quilting.  I hand based this quilt using Sharon Schamber method.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA   My quilts get ruffed up alot and moved around between the time I finish the top and start to quilt, especially the kingsize ones.  Sometimes I wish I had a long arm and I could put it downstairs or rent one at my favorite quilt shops, but I don't want to spend that kind of money.  I do not want to make money just quilting.  Putting my tops together and designing them are the favorite thing I enjoy so much.

What is under your needle today?   I am sorry that these quilts are going to someone already, so they will not be in my Etsy Shop.  But please go to the website and see what is available. https://www.etsy.com/shop/justforyoutoo?ref=hdr_shop_menu      Thank you.

Look around, there is ART everywhere!

WHAT IS ART? 

 

Art to me is beauty, something to look closer at, something that makes you think or wonder and something that makes you want to touch it.  It is a bird in flight, the sun glowing in the morning, a leaf budding, a flower unfolding, the sound of the ocean waves against the sandy shore, the taste of a morel mushroom for the first time, the tingle of your first kiss that you will always remember.  the feeling of being grounded and back home again when you visit your old hometown or the sound of a crisp bell with different tones. To me ART encompasses all our senses: visual, smell, touch, wonder and hearing.  

This picture was taken in South Carolina at Huntington Beach State Park.  This little gal was in the wet lands protecting  her nest.  I love her orange feet and blue head and her eyes.  This picture invokes in me the smell of salt water, the quiet of the wetlands, the wonder of the bird's nest and the feel of the sun on my face.    This picture will become an art quilt someday. 

My cats are always a source of ART to me.  Their funny antics, the look on their faces, the shapes of their bodies the feel of their silky coat and those cute little pink ears. 

Music is ART.  It evokes feelings, sound, drama, bass that you feel in your soul, the grandness of the peristyle and the uncomfortable seats.  

  Are ya sitting at the train track, waiting for the train to pass.  Open you window, listen to the sound of the track as the train passes over it, hear the blowing of the warning horn, smell the metal and look at the surrounding safety lights.  This is ART to me.  Can you see this as a picture, an fiber art quilt, painting or a 3-D toy. 

A different scene.  Peace, closing of the day, Good night feeling.  Smell the lake, feel the cooling of the earth, listen to the ducks. Day is done.  This is ART. 

What is your idea of ART? Would please share it with me?  

Animal Art Quilts.

I so love birds.  It all began with my home in Maumee, Ohio.  It had a beautiful dogwood tree planted right outside  the living room window next to the patio.  I placed a feeder in it and "they came"  All kinds, red, yellow, black, white, brown.  And over head were canadian geese and ducks in the yard from the near by Maumee River.  It just fascinates me.  To fly, to be so free, to live in a little next of their making, live thru the seasons, or fly away to warmer lands, to scatter when a bird of prey comes around or my cats who make noise at them thru the window.  

A screech owl from Nature's Nursery, Whitehouse, Ohio 

 He is so adorable.

 Owls, Hawks, Grand Eagles, I love them all.

I worked at Nature's Nursery   http://www.natures-nursery.org/  for a short time, it was a joy to see the animals everyday, not so much the people.  Now that I am retired, I am picker about my workmates.

I have experimented, fiddle with, cut out fabric, painted, colored all kinds of birds for my Bird Art Series I want to make.  Nothing has inspired me until I purchased Intense Ink Pencils. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBJ7_mXw1Uo    I will be using Linda M. Poole's method for her drawing technique, so stay turn while I make something today.

One another note, I have established an Etsy Shop for purchasing of my fiber artwork.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/justforyoutoo?ref=hdr_shop_menu
 Thanks for stopping by and please leave a message.

April 9, 2016 and it snowed- 8 inches

 So (I can't believe it) Snow day for sewing.  Well, and grands sledding.  We had a very mild winter so, not much practice on the snowboard.  And late and early snows always make for great snowman building.  

 

This king size quilt found a new home in Texas from my website on Etsy.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/justforyoutoo?ref=hdr_shop_menu

I had just gotten back from Aruba and Florida winter get away and saw that it sold.  What joy!  So I've been busy making more quilts and  new items up for sale at various art galleries and consignment shops in the Toledo area.

Today, there will be an Prism Art/Literature Menu in downtown Toledo for a few weeks at the Fifth Third Building. https://www.facebook.com/prizmcreative/  The Fiber Art Group I belong too will be showcasing a large quilt made from pieces designed by individual members in our group. Art Quilt Group Quilt Foundry-ART 2 QUILT. This is a closed group so you will need to ask to join.

Other business on the horizon, is teaching at Stitch Bernina Shop located in Sylvania, Ohio. http://www.stitchtoledo.com/ 

Please check their web site for times and dates.

The Beginning of my art story!

My Art Story begins with my mother.  Jeanette (Pohlman) Smith loved crafting of all kinds.  She taught me to sew at a young age on her Singer, then a White with zig zag. I made my own clothes starting in Jr. High and thru out high school on her machine.  She was my girl scout leader and she tried to teach me and the other scouts to knit and crochet but I never figured how to do it until the book came out "Knitting for Dummies". I just couldn't figure out what to do with my fingers.  In high school, I took Art Classes with a great teacher, Mrs. Goforth.  One of my drawings was placed in the Safety Building downtown which was a big deal and I had my picture taken with the drawing for the local newspaper.  My Mom was so proud and hung it in her bedroom for about 20 years. She was my biggest cheerleader, encourager and mentor.   When my mom moved into the nursing  home, she had the horrible disease called Alzheimer.  It was hard for her to say what she wanted to say. It was difficult to concentrate on anything too long.  She couldn't follow along during her favorite show, "The Wheel of Fortune"  But I could get her to show me how to crochet.  This was her last project before she passed.  We made it together for her granddaughter Courtney.  It became a pillow with mom's mistakes and all.  

Here is Mom at 91 showing her stuff off.  Of course with her oxygen and wheelchair.  Her COPD became her downfall along with pneumonia. 

I Miss her so much.  She also crafted those beaded bracelets on her wrists if you look closely. Thank you Mom for passing your loving gift of crafting to me.  

2016, I can't believe it,

My New Years Resolutions.   Most of the time I do not like to make promises to myself that I fail later and it makes me feel like crap.  But this year is my 61st year on earth,  I am creeping into old age and I want to be active, happy and loving more than ever. 

I AM GOING TO RIDE MY BIKE MORE.  LET THE WIND BLOW IN MY HAIR.

 Yes, as I write I am thinking if I should join a gym with a pool so I can swim more or just buy a treadmill and set up a nice gym in my basement.  So more exersize to give me strength to sew at my sewing machine and give me thinking times for my artwork. 

I want to do more contemporary designs with layering colors but I want it to be framed like "real art"  I will also make more kingsize quilt.  Why not,  for prosperity.  

SO STRONGER BODY, STRONGER CREATIVE WORK, STRONGER LIFE AND LOVING MY FAMILY.