Inspiring Quilting: Elly's blog to boost your creative IQ

Are you game for a quilting challenge?

May 14th, 2013

Take 20, detail

The intriguing themes of the Quilt Alliance’s 20th anniversary contest and auction always jump start my creativity, and this year’s theme, “20″ had me immediately sketching.  In fact, this is probably the first time I’ve had an idea and stuck with it. My inspiration was the crossed legs of a classic bistro table form  a double X, or XX — the Roman numeral for 20.

Friends and readers of this blog know about my fondness for upcycling foil-lined packaging. If you’re new to this blog, you may wanna look at my entire ReUse series before this one in my earlier post, Trash Stash Quilting. The great things about using trash are: free materials, no need to press, and the knowledge of helping the environmental situation that plagues our throw-away culture.

And the great things about making pieces for the Quilt Alliance’s annual fundraiser are: a push to produce work with definite guidelines, the opportunity to show work, the knowledge of contributing to this amazing organization, and, in my case, the freedom to exhibit in the public realm a piece that’s full of branding and logos many venues would not accept.

So I love this challenge, and pass along TWO challenges for you. First, you have until June 1 to submit your own “20″ quilt. Dimensions must be 20″ x 20,” natch, and all the info is on the website provided above.

Second, and you may have to place the winning bid on my quilt in order to rise to this challenge, I incorporated a little “I Spy” game in my quilt: Find twenty 20′s–characters (like the XX table legs), text (there’s lots on the packaging, such as “Use before 2012″ or the words for 20 in other languages), and quantities of items (5 Four-Patch blocks, 20 flowers).

Maybe, just maybe, the number 20 marks your own anniversary, birth date of the month, sports hero jersey. But even if  20 has no special meaning for you, consider bidding on my quilt because of the advisory behind the title: It’s called “Take 20″– because everybody needs a break now and then, even if it’s just 20 minutes to enjoy a cuppa with a friend.

Alas, no time for that now—I’m off to mail in my entry!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

One Response to “Are you game for a quilting challenge?”

1. Darnell Simcox says:

   May 18, 2013 at 1:35 am

   love the post.Custom Contracting 1235 Fairview St #169, Burlington, ON L7S 2K9

   Reply

2 Responses to “Earth Day Dabbling”

1. Fran Apland says:

   May 17, 2013 at 6:38 am

   This quilt is intriguing with the movement of the colors and the textural depth. Will it be traveling with you to Alaska? Look forward to meeting you in June. Fran

   Reply
2. Eleanor says:

   May 17, 2013 at 11:20 pm

   Well, Fran, this quilt so far exists only in my manipulated photo. I do agree that it would make a neat work in fiber…and I’ll be sure to bring other examples of my crazy, eclectic work! I look forward to meeting you, too!

   Reply

9 Responses to “A Flower Show is rather like a Quilt Show…”

1. Karen Horton says:

   March 6, 2013 at 4:09 pm

   Eleanor, this is great — would love to see it. Not in the cards this year, but maybe next? So if you want company in 2014, holler!
   Can almost smell spring looking at the images.

   Karen

   Reply
2. bonnie tarses says:

   March 6, 2013 at 4:21 pm

   Nice blog and great flower show! I love looking at flowers.

   Reply
3. Carl Harringto says:

   March 6, 2013 at 7:53 pm

   “Brilliant” pictures and commentary.

   If you go to the flower show, don’t miss the Jack the Ripper exhibit. Dark and mysterious but a ripping good exhibit.

   Reply
   • Eleanor says:

     March 6, 2013 at 8:37 pm

     Here’s how it’s described in the Flower show notes: “This exhibit travels back to 1888 and the distorted, dark streets, the cold, factory-driven silhouettes of the East End, the back-alleys where illicit activities were the norm. And Jack the Ripper roamed.” Sounds dismal. Looks divine.

     Reply
4. Heidi Butler says:

   March 7, 2013 at 1:02 am

   Beautiful writing. Not a prepositional pile-up in the piece. Gorgeous pictures. Makes even this failure of a gardener want to go to the show.

   Reply
5. Beth Wheeler says:

   March 7, 2013 at 4:58 am

   This is fabulous Eleanor! It makes the small Home Show in Fort Wayne look mighty puny. Thanks so much for sharing!

   Reply
6. Leona Law says:

   March 9, 2013 at 4:58 pm

   Hi,
   Glad to see you remain a visual person. Photos make you feel almost a smell. Thanks for the visit!
   Hope to be in the city with Trina and Nancy, in the spring. We will call for a lunch date.
   Peace, Leona

   Reply
   • Eleanor says:

     March 9, 2013 at 9:39 pm

     Oh, to see the divine Treona-Breona trio! I’ll be looking forward to that!

     Reply
7. HelenMarie Marshall says:

   April 23, 2013 at 1:45 am

   Think that is a flowering crabapple…maybe in latin is is a “prunus” something

   Reply

more trash into treasures

January 30th, 2013

 

I admit it, I am a trashy art lover! No, not soft porn, or sexy comic-book art, but art that utilizes the graphic excitement of commercial packaging and found objects. With these imaginative concoctions, that which is usually thrown away gets a second life  worthy of our highest regard. Not to mention that each one is a treasure of entertaining pleasure.

Eileen Neill commented to my last blog post: “I too make art quilts from trash. there is a particular brand of potato chips (Miss Vickie’s) here in Canada that has a really nice bag. I have made many small wall quilts using these bags. I commission my grandchildren to eat the chips for me.”

Miss Vickie’s, by Eileen Neill

Fun! And makes me want to hit the pantry for some crunchy munchies myself!

I’ve shared in a previous blog how Amy Orr uses cut-up credit cards in her art. Get a load of another masterpiece with a diversity of discarded “gems.”

Alphabet Quilt, by Amy Orr
Crack vials, action figures, miscellaneous plastic and metal fragments, Publishers Clearing House stamps and glass beads, hand-stitched onto velvet
41″ x 32″

Doncha LOVE it? Amy’s use of unusual trash and found objects always provide an underlying, almost subversive dimension to her collage fiber art. So, although you’re looking at a textural icon recalling a joyful classic juvenile quilt style, Amy is also commenting about the dark, dangerous horrors all too prevalent in the environment or future of a child living in urban poverty.

 

Ellen Saul, one of the  Dumpster Divers of Philadelphia now exhibiting in Upscaling: Trash into Treasures, used a stained, vintage hanky and vegetable bags, among other things, to make her little masterpiece, My Way, below. Excuse the glare from the glass, and like all these pieces, you just have to see them in the cloth! And, her other little hanky-pankies, on her website.

Another member of this esteemed group of artists bound together by their talent for taking trash to the max is Ellen Benson. With the understanding that art quilts are one step away from more 3-D forms of mixed media, you’re bound to fall under the spell of Ellen’s talismans (talismen? taliswomen?).

In the event you need an extra reason to covet them, Ellen makes a variety of weathered, ancient-looking labels available, so you get to choose the figure you want, plus the nightmare you wish to ward off. I seem to need the one that says Amulet to protect me from my computer going down….Talisman to prevent cellulite…or to ward off loud cell-phone users. You might prefer  Protection from overwhelming urges to go shopping–although I think there’s only good karma in purchasing from Ellen or other artists at dumpsterdivers.org.

Finally, let me share the work of one more Dumpster Diver in this show–soon to close at the Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, PA: a new and wonderful friend whose work was recently exhibited at the esteemed Snyderman-Works Gallery here in Philly: Linda Lou Horn.

Linda Lou Horn

These “Ladies” are:

“Lit Up for You,” created with a parts of a lamp and other electrical components

Slinky Sally Shimmers, created with chair parts and part of a broom

Dart of My Heart, with a brush, doll shoes, and one found object that makes it an irresistible target for adoption.

If you like treasures from trash, green quilts, mixed media from found objects, please   comment below, share your work with me at elevie@comcast.net…

… and stay tuned for more adventurous art!

Posted in Recycled Art | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “more trash into treasures”

1. Sam says:

   January 30, 2013 at 9:58 pm

   Love it! Is there an easy way to source fabric from clothes that don’t sell either at retail outlets or thrift shops? Any tips for finding good dumpsters for crafting?

   Reply
2. Anne Copeland says:

   February 1, 2013 at 2:40 pm

   What you want to find for fabric that isn’t sold at retail outlets or thrift shops are stores that collect and sell rags. Generally, these rags are the ones that are used to weave rag rugs, and they are also used for other household uses (which is why they are collected). You can generally buy the stuff by the pound. Also, some larger thrift stores (not all locations) have a “by the pound” area where you can buy a lot of things very cheaply. I have found things thrown away and have gone after them in dumpsters in my mobile home park. Sometimes in some apartments and mobile home parks, there are tables where people can (and do) leave things for others to take. Anyway, you can check google for good resources for rags in your area and if not, there may be places where you can get them cheaply. I also use (as Eleanor does) things from my own home that would be thrown out. The bags cat and dog food come in are often a very nice, heavy plasticized paper and it can be cut and sewn. There are all sorts of things that generally get thrown away that you can use.

   Reply

Trash Stash Quilting

December 19th, 2012

My immodest alter ego calls it Recycled “Art.”

ReUSE #1, by Eleanor Levie, 2009
REUSE/Re:use/ Re: us/Re: U.S….

Here’s the thing: I just can’t throw away colorful, foil-lined packaging–the kind that holds a crease. So colorful and sturdy. So easy to cut and sew through. Pressing is just pinching—no ironing, unless the packaging is really wrinkly (which can be a good thing).

So besides the clear Rubbermaid tubs of fat quarters, and the drawers of wool, linen, upholstery-weight cottons and dress goods, I’ve now got bins of coffee bags–the kind that fold down, boxes of tea bag envelopes like Stash and Constant Comment, plus sacks of dog food bags for large backgrounds, Alka Seltzer and energy drink packets,  and even thinner packaging if the graphics rock. My friends save their empty bags for me. They know about my ReUse series (see it on my website gallery here). Yup, every so often I return to my stash of trash to make quilts. I could probably devote the rest of my quilting to using this medium…

The first one I made is on the wall of our just-renovated kitchen. Grease and dust? No prob, just sponge it off.

Another one is in our archway, between a gate and our front door. Silt and dirt from the city streets

are equally easy to wipe away.

Grounds for Recycling, by Eleanor Levie, 2011

 

Here are 2010′s and 2011′s ReUse series pieces, donated to the Quilt Alliance for their fundraising auctions:

ReUse #3, Home Sweet Home, Eleanor Levie, 2011; in the collection of Mark Lipinski

Tahrire Square, by Eleanor Levie, 16″ square, 2011; in the collection of Meg Cox

The latest entry for the Quilt Alliance was three-dimensional:

Coffee House, by Eleanor Levie, 15″x19.5″x 2″, 2012

Coffee House: side view

Coffee House: open door

 

 

I’m excited to say that one of my best friends–and suppliers of used coffee bags–won the auction bid on this Coffee House. So, for Christmas this year, I made a little sign: Emmetts’ to go over the Coffee House oval, and glossy photo of their beloved English Springer– hopefully in scale!–to personalize their new piece. I’ll add a photo of the new piece when it’s available, but in the meantime, you get the point!

 

 

 

 

 

The newest addition to my ReUse series is this little sample for a class I’ll teach for the Pomegranate Guild in Philadelphia next October. Notice it’s a simplification of Tahrire Square, featuring the Middle East hamsa, a good luck motif that wards off the evil eye. I’m also taking the opportunity to reuse bottle caps and vintage buttons. Not only that, my go-to background and backing is craft felt that is made from recycled plastic bottles. Once again, trash into treasure.

Kitchen Hamsa, by Eleanor Levie, 2012, 9″ x 11″, not including dingle-dangles

So….after you’ve got your serious work done, and your deadlines met, why not play hooky with a stash of trash? Here are my top tips:

• Use small amounts of glue stick to hold appliques in place.
• Use small amounts of cellophane tape to hold patches together, but be sure you are not stitching through the tape.
• Use a size 90 needle in the machine, 50 or 60 weight thread, and larger stitches: you don’t want to perforate the foil-lined packaging so much that it tears.
• Perforations are there to stay, so forget about ripping out. Just cut and restitch. Or throw the unit away–it’s just trash.
• When your “quilt top” is done, lay it over a larger piece of felt in a coordinating or contrast color: this will show as your edging, and also provide the thin, soft filler. No pins or tape necessary. Quilt simply, and not too densely, working from the center outward.
• Lay the quilted piece on another piece of felt, the same size as before. Quilt around the edges, adding a strip at the top for a hanging sleeve, and catching its top edge as you machine-stitch through all the layers.
• Trim the felt slightly larger than the quilt top all around, using pinking shears or your rotary cutting supplies. Hand-tack the bottom edge of the sleeve in place.

These are just tips. There’s only one rule for making Recycled Art with a stash of trash: HAVE FUN! Please leave a comment. What do YOU recycle into ART?

Posted in Recycled Art | 10 Comments »

10 Responses to “Trash Stash Quilting”

1. Cheryl lynch says:

   December 19, 2012 at 8:32 pm

   What wonderful pieces with such delightful compositions. I have some snack bags I brought back from Israel with Hebrew printing. Now I know what I am going to do with them. Thanks.

   Reply
2. Cheryl lynch says:

   December 19, 2012 at 8:33 pm

   BTW,I’ll be teaching at the Pom convention too. Hope we get to meet.

   Reply
   • Eleanor says:

     December 20, 2012 at 10:47 pm

     I met you at a Quilt Market, where I congratulated you on your new Quilt Fiesta! You are the queen of inspiring ideas! Let me know if you want home hospitality while you’re in Philly!

     Reply
3. Eileen Neill says:

   December 19, 2012 at 9:20 pm

   I too make art quilts from trash. there is a particular brand of potato chips (Miss Vicky’s) here in Canada that has a really nice bag. I have made many small wall quilts using these bags. I commission my grandchildren to eat the chips for me. I would send you a picture of one of them if you would give me your e-mail address. Cheers, Eileen

   Reply
4. Ann E. Ruthsdottir says:

   December 20, 2012 at 2:06 am

   LOVE what you are doing with recycling!

   Reply
5. Jennifer OBrien says:

   December 20, 2012 at 2:20 pm

   Really fun stuff. What a good idea. I have not done any recycling in quilting but I think I will try it.

   Reply
6. Lynn Kunz says:

   December 22, 2012 at 12:43 am

   I, too, have dabbled in making art from plastic bags and packaging. The quilting is fun to do. I framed a piece and SOLD it at a gallery showing last summer! What a surprise! The framing really set it off. It inspired me to make more. I usually do some ironing to melt the plastics a bit. I also add fibers and beads. Now I’ll have to work on lettering. Your stuff is great! Thanks for the inspiration.
   Lynn Kunz

   Reply
   • Eleanor says:

     December 22, 2012 at 2:13 am

     would LOVE to see this work of yours–and showcase it on the next blog post. Send me jpegs–elevie@comcast.net.

     Reply
7. Linda Lou Horn says:

   February 1, 2013 at 9:40 pm

   I love these Eleanor . . . I’ve been saving my 99 cent potato chip bags (something I should not have, but on occasion indulge-Baked) for a long time . . hoping to quilt and or weave something.

   Reply
8. Are you game for a quilting challenge? « Inspiring Quilting: Elly's blog to boost your creative IQ says:

   May 14, 2013 at 6:30 pm

   [...] Trash Stash Quilting [...]

   Reply

10 Responses to “Yellow = Optimism”

1. alison schwabe says:

   November 14, 2012 at 2:18 pm

   English embroiderer, the late Constance Howard, with whom I was priveleged to attend a workshop years ago, taught us that absolutely every colour scheme must have at least the tiniest bit of a’yellow’ somwhere in it, to make it sing, she said. ie some value of yellow which could range from almost curry coloured through greeny yellows to orange yellows – some appropriate value of yellow. Even if it is just a few small embroidery stitches , or, in the case of quiltmaking it’s very easy to choose some kind of print with some yellow in it if you don’t want a whole piece of ‘yellow’, or include some very small slivers or tiny patches here and there. And I am sure she was right. I have problems whenever I see one of the technically complicated and marvellous quilts by a very well known north American quiltmaker who teaches, is published frequently, etc: her colour schemes are always brightly and strongly colured, but somehow lifeless and I am sure this is why – not a sign of any value of yellow.

   Reply
2. Elizabeth says:

   November 14, 2012 at 2:19 pm

   Thanks for adding some sunshine to my day!

   Reply
3. Betty says:

   November 14, 2012 at 2:23 pm

   It’s a wonderful color. It makes al gloom go away. There is so much grey during the late fall and winter and a shot of yellow perks everything up. Makes one want sing and dance.

   Reply
4. Eleanor says:

   November 14, 2012 at 8:57 pm

   Comments like these are enlightenment and mood-lightening. Thank you for writing!

   Reply
5. Eleanor says:

   November 14, 2012 at 8:59 pm

   What Alison Schwabe said on email: Nice pics. At least a little of some value of yellow is essential to give any scheme ‘life’. It doesn’t have to be bright sunshine yellow, and a colour can be ‘relatively yellow’ when put alongside others in a piece and it is therefore at that time behaving as ‘a yellow’ even if away from all those other colours it is an odd kind of grey/yellow or some kind of curry colour.

   I could never wear yellow when young, but now I am older and only when I have a touch of sun in the summer, I can wear a nice canary kind of yellow – but even better are the citrus values of yellow.

   Reply
6. Cathy Perlmutter says:

   November 14, 2012 at 11:46 pm

   I have a love/hate relationship to yellow, susceptible to outside influence. Your post may push me over to the love side, at least for a while!

   Reply
7. Anita says:

   November 15, 2012 at 12:23 am

   The photos make me homesick for the east coast and I can’t wait to move back. Arizona has lots and lots of yellow but it just isn’t the same. My favorite yellow quote is by Vincent Van Gogh, who said “there is no blue without yellow and orange.”

   Reply
8. Madeline Hawley says:

   November 18, 2012 at 1:13 pm

   I love all of your yellow photos, it must have been a fun expedition. I agree that a bit of yellow makes a piece sing. Personally, the color makes me happy. Enjoyed your blog.

   Reply
9. SandraB says:

   December 19, 2012 at 8:40 pm

   The quilt with the many small dresses was made by Rachel Brumer. I’ve been an admirer of her work for many years. The name of the quilt is Let Her. It’s pictured in the book, The Art Quilt. I wouldn’t consider Rachel Brumer a folk artist, IMHO.
   SandyB

   Reply
   • Eleanor says:

     January 5, 2013 at 7:36 pm

     A late thank you for that response and for providing that credit. I remember being surprised that it is Rachel’s work, because I was so enamored with her very sophisticated, deeply meditative installation “Cover Them.” She used dresses there, too, but also stones, train tracks, ravens or doves, hands, and other references to the 10,000 French children killed in the Holocaust. Quite a difference to this light-hearted lenience to her daughter picking out what to wear to school!

     Reply

One Response to “Costume Review!”

1. Antoinette Rappe says:

   November 12, 2012 at 12:28 pm

   Dominique on May 10,2011″I believe that life is a prize, but to win doesn’t mean your alive!”-Moment 4 Life (ft. Drake) Nicki Minaj!!.

   Reply

At play with mud…mud cloth, that is!

August 18th, 2012

Here I am with the hub in Belize–this was taken a couple of years ago. Only photo I could easily locate where I’m carrying my go-to travel tote, an airport purchase, made in China, waterproof, and many-pocketed. But not my own work, and despite the leopard print, eminently forgettable-looking. So NOT worthy of the author of Unforgettable Tote Bags–don’t you think? So I recently went about remedying that.

The process was a cinch, using small pieces of mud cloth.

Bògòlanfini or bogolan (“mud cloth”) is a handmade cotton fabric from Mali, woven in narrow widths and dyed with fermented…you guessed it, mud.  It is a symbol of Malian cultural identity.

Newsflash from Janet Goldner (see below):

Although usually translated as “mud cloth,” bogolan actually refers to a clay slip with a high iron content that produces a black pigment when applied to handspun and handwoven cotton textiles.  Mud is any old bit of earth mixed with water and will not dye the cloth.  Although bogolan is traditionally done on hand woven bands of cotton cloth, the word actually refers to the dye process.”

 Check out this wonderful site from the Smithsonian, called Discovering Mud Cloth. I love the fashions of Chris Seydou on this site, and there’s also a fun little interactive section for making virtual mud cloth–quick and dirty–NOT. Don’t want to actually mess with mud? Do what I did, and buy pieces of mud cloth from  Lisa Shepard Stewart of culturedexpressions.com.  Lisa no longer has the scraps (unless we all “virtually” get down on our knees and plead with her?), but she does carry packets for making mini purses, journal covers, and more on her website.

I removed the tray from my sewing machine, and with the free arm–or shall I say, arm free (like for stitching sleeves and pant legs), I could get the needle into the pockets. It was a simple matter to straight-stitch or zigzag-stitch the edges of the mud cloth to the outsides of the tote’s pockets.  Now, the delicious pattern and texture of the mud cloth tote-ally adds style and uniqueness. A few vintage buttons sealed the deal.

 

 

Click here for another fashion foray in mud cloth for you all. And, if you want to visit Mali and see for yourself how mud cloth is made, then you can do no better than to keep in touch with my friend Janet Goldner.  Janet is an amazing artist, sculptor, writer, photographer who frequently visits Mali– sometimes as an art tour guide. Not to mention, well, here I go mentioning—a passionate activist. And an inspirational model for how white chicks like me can get away with dressing African style! That’s the global trend, friends, for the utmost in style and sophistication.  Read the fashion mags, rags, and you’ll see, it’s clear as, well, mud.

Posted in Quilted Accessories, Unusual Materials | 3 Comments »

3 Responses to “At play with mud…mud cloth, that is!”

1. Marc says:

   August 19, 2012 at 6:40 pm

   Those mud cloth bags are gorgeous! Love seeing how you craft such beautiful objects from such interesting materials!

   Reply
   • Eleanor Levie says:

     August 21, 2012 at 6:56 pm

     All the same bag–in process, and turned around! But yeah, I should make a lot more!–one for Marsha, Maya, and Daniela??

     Reply
2. Elizabeth says:

   August 27, 2012 at 1:17 pm

   Nice bag!

   Reply

4 Responses to “Goodies for the Good Guys & Gals”

1. Gloria Hansen says:

   August 9, 2012 at 12:42 am

   Congratulations on your new book!! I’m sure it will be another winner!

   Reply
2. Cathy V says:

   August 9, 2012 at 12:02 pm

   Congrats on your new book! Looks great!

   Reply
3. Jeanne Marklin says:

   August 9, 2012 at 1:21 pm

   The new book looks great. I’m sure your instructions will be easy to understand as usual, and give many hours of quilting pleasure.

   Reply
4. Cathy Perlmutter says:

   August 9, 2012 at 2:38 pm

   It looks great, Eleanor, I’d love to review it in my new blog!

   Reply

What have we wrought here?

July 8th, 2012

 

While producing the book, Choosing Quilting Designs–one of the volumes of the Rodale’s Successful Quilting Library Series, I really got jazzed fleshing out unexpected sources of inspiration as suggested by Elsie Campbell in the chapter, “Great Inspirations.” Since then, I have frequently snapped architectural details with an eye toward how I might find good candidates for quilting. Here are some elegant ones, all in wrought iron, from my trip to Brussels, Belgium earlier this year:

My hubby and our friends walked the Art Nouveau neighborhoods, and I could hardly stop snapping:

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But here’s my all-time favorite design:

  

 

 

That window design was the one that inspired my latest piece of wearable art. As I was designing for summer, it unfurls itself as free-motion stitchery and applique rather than quilting. I used it to embellish–and rescue–a sort of kimono top that I got at Loehmann’s decades ago. It came with a skirt that no longer fits–go figure! (Cuz my figure has already gone!).

Oh so blah!

 

Click on this to enlarge for an embarrassing bootie call!

Traced the blown-up window image onto Sulky Solvey.

So now I had a pattern to follow, and a stabilizer. Once the lines were free-motion stitched with a heavy thread–like King Tut, the kimono was rinsed, and the Sulky Solvey dissolved.

Next, I added circle and leaf shapes: pulling from my black and white fabrics, with Wonder-Under to fuse, a lighter-weight thread to outline and secure.

 

 

 

 

Doncha like the modesty panel I added to the bottom–to cover my bottom? Also lengthened the sleeves–cuz what’s the good of a short-sleeve jacket, anyway?

If you’d like to hear more about Choosing Quilting Designs, learn about it here.

 

Wanna bring a fun program to your quilt guild? I’ve got lots of wearable art pieces that fit a multitude of body shapes, so YOU get to be the runway models for Quilt Wearabouts: Strut Your Stuff. Tons of inspiration and laughs! Add a Show ‘n Tell where guild members bring their wearables–tote bags and purses, too.  Just click on the colored text above, and I’ll take you there (so to speak).

Comments always welcome!! No gobblety-gook to type in to prove you’re not a robot! Tell me what you think! Tell me what unlikely sources of inspiration rock your quilting designs!

 

Posted in Fashion or Costume, Inspiration, Wearable Art | 3 Comments »

3 Responses to “What have we wrought here?”

1. Beth says:

   July 22, 2012 at 6:35 pm

   I love your jacket, and I like the addition of the “modesty” panel. The length is very nice. I use architectural inspirations for quilting designs too. I also use drawings I’ve made from designs on ancient pottery that I find in museums.

   Reply
2. Linda Steele says:

   July 22, 2012 at 8:24 pm

   Congratulations on your jacket, it looks great. Thanks for telling us about your process. I love all your photos. I must remember to take more photos of that sort of thing.

   Reply
3. Lorchen Nunn says:

   July 22, 2012 at 8:36 pm

   There is nothing wrong with your bum!….. Gorgeous jacket. Looks real classy!

   Reply