What a Book Can Do

 This past year has been a trying one with family and personal  health issues. Somehow through this crazy time  I lost my creative edge. I have sewn pieces that were already planned but never got back the joy that I used to feel when I really became immersed in my creative process.

Then in Guelph when I was picking up my show from the Guelph Quiltery and Gallery, I found an amazing book at the checkout table. On the way home I read this book from cover to cover and could't wait to go home to try these techniques.

"Quilting Line +Colour"

Techniques and Designs for Abstract Quilts

by Yoshiko Jinzenji 

This was the first piece designed. Although it looks simple, the piecing was a challenge mostly because the long thin strips were inserted into the seams. It is called "White Space" because the white space is what provides the impact.

detail one

detail two

 Now to play with some other ideas that came from the book.

study #1

study#2

Now that  I have found my groove once again who knows what will happen next. Thank you Yoshiko.

Pat's Retreat

I spent a wonderful time the weekend before last with a fun group of ladies at Pat's Annual Retreat. I was the "newbie" this time and they all made me very welcome. We come from all different places and our interests varied but we sure had a lot of fun. Each person brought their own projects and we shared information along the way.

This is a detail of a sheep commission. I had decided to bring four pieces to finish and I was ready to sew until my fingers bled or I fell asleep at the machine. Friday night I hit a huge snag. Somewhere along the way I had sewn with bad thread. After finishing the free motion on my animals, I sewed them into the piece , layered the top with batting and backing and proceeded to quilt. First I noticed one small pop as the thread used in piecing the background broke. But not liking to reverse sew I soldiered on. More pops and then I just had to come to terms with the fact that I had to take the whole thing apart. Elaine's fabric is too fabulous to throw in the can. I took it all out that night and then put it away to finish at home. Below is the result of this week's work. It took me a day to iron, pull out the thread and re-quilt it. Now I am happy with the result and it can be delivered this week.

The next day went much better. It must have been the company. I finished my sample for ourLoose Threads Retreat at the Opinicon in Chaffey's Locks the end of next October.We will be learning bobbin work, silk screening on cotton, and lots of embellishing techniques with Wendo ,Pat and I. More to come later.

Below, lots of pics of our fun weekend. I should have made a slide show. Oh well I will tackle that idea another time. More to learn.
My roomie and swimming partner Sally busy at work.

A terrible trouble maker.

Consultations.
Hand and machine at work.


More trouble makers in the corner.
Our resident artist Bonnie Lemaire.

Much fun was had by all. Thanks everyone, I'm in for next year.

Taking classes and finishing things

To my dismay the first time I finished this quilt and hung it on the wall the sides were like the ocean waves going up and down . It was definitely not flat against the wall and I thought that I had conquered this problem a long time ago. One must not take things for granted after all.

I had come home from a class with Anna Hergert in Kingston and was so excited to start a new project that I finished this one in a hurry.You know the little voice in your head that tells you to finish a few things before starting down the next path. I learned my lesson. It took me one whole day to take out the sides, add more free motion stitching to bring it flat ( I cut out a whole inch from the facing fabric, no wonder it was wonky) and below is the finished result hanging in my living room.

I am now loving living with this piece.

Now for Anna's class. I had forgotten my camera but I can show you the end result of my time spent with her.

It has been quite awhile since a workshop took me to so many new places .I often have pieces in my head which I can't make because my technical ability has not yet caught up with the creative process. I just don't know how to make it happen,YET.

Anna is an amazing teacher, warm, supportive,giving of her expertise in a way that you know that you can do it. Below is a detail of my first little sample.

Hand stitching, I never thought that I would be embracing embroidery again! It is fab, especially when you use those lovely hand dyed yarn. Then using a craft heat tool to cut the sheer after you have stitched it on. Brilliant!. I don't know how much fabric I have wasted in the past trying to cut it just so. Oh , of course and using Shiva sticks to get those sheer shapes.

This works so well.

I roomed with my friend Pat and started second small piece in our spare time. I am not a late night sewer but we were up until 1 a.m. to work on this project.
The biggest compliment to Anna is that I went home and finished them both. I must also tell you that her work is sublime. You can check it out on her website.www.annahergert.com

She is also an amazing teacher. To take a class would be a treat .

When I came home my idea that I couldn't make work is now possible. I pulled out these fabrics to look at while I pulled it all together. The wheels are turning and I will keep you posted.
Fabrics by Elaine Quehl and me.

Working on a Series

Working in a series is a really fun process. I took a size, 12 in.x 12 in. and designed four pieces, the four seasons. Choosing fabrics and embellishments was the fun part, choices were made to represent the time of year and the temperature. When finished all were framed on the wooden frames and I took the pics. Now they are ready to go places.

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

Try it , you will like it.

Another one Bites the dust!

Sometimes when you make a piece, it does not sit with you well. Although my friends told me that they liked this, it always bothered me, it just didn't seem to belong with the rest of my work. It was a response to a challenge and I left it way to late to do the original picture justice.

Mike's Flower

Detail

When I am not happy with something I am working on , I used to throw it in a box and forget about it. Now I turn it into book covers and it's amazing how great it looks when finished. These books go on blank, acid free books from Wallack's and the cover can be used over and over again. Who doesn't like a pretty book to write in?

This is the back. I take a chance and cut the whole piece to get the most number of books out of it and they always look great.

I managed to get four out of this piece. Look for a tutorial on how to make the covers. Next time I make a batch, I will take pics and show you how to make them. They are great gifts as well.

Fin ishing things

Every once in awhile I get on a real finishing splurge. Although I generally like to work on 5 or 6 different pieces at the same time, when they reach a certain stage they need to be completed.

Meditation One

Sunset
Sunrise
A dress for Janie Hickman of Janie's Knits. A way cool project for a yarn lady.
Now I'm off to the Vermont Quilt Festival. Can't wait, I probably won't get much sleep tonight..

New Stuff for Paper Images Gallery Show

Photo by Peggy deWitt

Every year I am invited by Peggy Dewitt to participate in her" Tampered With Show" at the Paper Images Gallery in Picton. This year I chose the photo above as my subject matter.

I always like to stretch myself with this gallery show and try something different. Using a stencilling method, I came up with the image below. Once the painting had been completed , I then proceeded to my favourite part, the free motion work. Lots of texture was created and some copper mettalic thread and copper beads were used to give the piece some sparkle. Subtle but effective. 

Can I Play Now?

You can see this piece at Paper Images Gallery from June 1-14th and meet the artists on Sunday June 7th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a lovely drive to Prince Edward County and you could even come back and use the ferry. There are great lunch places close by.

Madonna piece chopped up.

Do you remember my mosaic experiment? I was a whole week putting this together and free motioning it all down. I never liked her face, it seemed hard and contrived, not at all the mood I wanted to convey. And then the baby's face never seemed right to me either.

I spent another day taking out her face and redoing it, still not happy. Then I got out the pencil crayons to lighten the grout. Still not happy. Eureka, I got and idea.

I have been turning my scraps left over from projects and my bits of things I don't want anymore, I have bags and bags of scraps, into journal book covers. The idea needed a name so I am calling it "Scrapworks" Perfect solution, I am going green and providing something beautiful at the same time.

Below you will find the six books that came from my unsuccesfull experiment. They are for sale for $40 and the books inside came from Wallack's so once your book is full, you can get another.

number 4-sold
number 2-sold
number 3-sold
number 5-sold
number 1-sold
number 6-sold

The books are 8.5 in. x 6 in. and if you are interested you can find me at catelaw@ripnet.com

New Web Site

Hi all,

I have been spending the last few months learning to set up my own web site. I have a much greater respect for all web designers everywhere. 

With help from Bonnie Lemaire a wonderful artist illustrator, I am up and running.Her stuff is fab so check it out at www.bonniella.com

 It needs more tweeking which will be done in the coming weeks and I would love some feedback . Just click on the email tab and you will get to me quckly.   www.catharinabreedyklaw.com

Another thing learned. I guess this excercise will keep my mind functioning.

Commission just finished

I was pretty thrilled when Bev Jackson wanted to buy my "Dragonfly Whimsy " piece. After a chat on the phone she requested a companion piece so that the two of them could hang in her dining room. A commission, hurrah!

I went for a visit to her home so that I could get a sense of the colours that she loved and together we came up with a plan. Bev loves red which is very evident when you enter her lovely home. The colours are rich and inviting especially the chartreusy- yellow -green that is on the walls. 

Beautiful hand dyed fabrics and silks went into the piece as well as silky rayon threads and delicate japanese glass beads put on by hand one by one. The green was repeated with thread, fabric and beads. 

The finished product which looks stunning in it's new home.

WORKING AT HOME

My bed quilt top is finished and now it will be off to Pat Lemaire at Purplepatch Pieces to be quilted on "Elvis" her longarm machine. It sure feels good to have this project to this point .



Back to my mosaic experiment. This certainly has been great free motion practice as I have gone around each shape three times. I sure got the texture that I was expecting.




Then it was more free motion between the shapes. I wanted to push the grout down even more.

A closeup of the stitching, I love my new camera. As you can see the stitching doesn't have to be perfect to be effective.

Now some playing with paint. These will become the binder covers for our retreat.

Love what happens when you spritz it with water.