Alas, I missed Maine Quilts this year, where these quilts debuted.  (The good news is that I was teaching at Quilt Nebraska…more on that soon!) Here is the display (thanks Louisa for the photo!) of our challenge quilts at the Maine Quilts show:

The Coastal Quilter's Challenge quilts on display, with curious viewers

And a close up of someone looking — and the photos and tags:

A close up of Louisa Enright's A Thousand Flowers and my quilt, the clipper ship

From all reports, the quilts and display got lots of attention.  On the far left and far right I included a blurb about the challenge itself (the requirements I talked about in the previous post).  I then pinned photos of each of the products and asked viewers to figure out which photo went with which quilt.  I numbered the quilts, then made tags with lift-up fabric to reveal the  identity of the quilt by number, the maker, the title, and the product.

And here is the right hand panel that I’ll feature today–you’ll note that the photos don’t necessarily correspond to the quilts on that panel, I wanted to mix things up!

The right hand panel

A Thousand Flowers is at the top left:

This honey is a locally produced, raw, organic honey available at the local Farmer's Marke, again Louisa got the OK from Clay and Maggie King to use their label and wording. Quilters could use colors seen through the packaging as well as the label, hence Louisa's honey colored hexagons!

A Thousand Flowers by Louisa Enright. Using the traditional paper-pieced hexagons for the honeycomb was perfect, and very time consuming! Louisa also stamped bees onto the quilt, words, and more... absolutely WONDERFUL!

I wanted to do something Maine-ish, and trolled the aisles looking at labels for a while.  I found my inspiration in something I don’t usually drink:  beer!

Shipyard Ale. I thought the town on the label looked more like Wiscasset, but I wanted to make mine the Camden Harbor (the library is on the right!).

While at Quilt Festival last November, I chanced upon John Flynn’s booth.  I had mulled over how to do the storm at sea border that I had in mind:  fused?  painted?  Then I spotted his miniatures quilt.  Yes, insane.  The small square in a square block FINISHES at 1 1/8 inch!   I also learned that miniatures are VERY bumpy and I would have done better to set aside my beloved “skimming” free-motion foot and used the hopping “darning” foot.  I had to tug to get the lumpy bits under the skimmer foot, and that wasn’t so good for the quality of my stitching.  Bummers.  Oh well…lesson learned!

Sarah's quilt...of course can I remember the name right now? No! Sheesh.. I think it is From the Schooner Coast (since this area was known for shipbuilding and the windjammers). This one is based on a photo, used with permission of Capt. Jenny Tobin, of the Schooner Louis B. French. The library is to the right of the sail and the hills are the Camden Hills silhouette.

Millie chose sardines for One in  a Million:

Notice the Reny's (a Maine store) sticker!

And her interpretation in cloth:

Millie Young's One in a Million. Isn't that fish GLORIOUS?

Barbara Melchiskey is a master at appllique, which she used to great effect with Heinz 57 Ketchup:

Heinz 57...notice the tomato....

Barbara Melchiskey's Tomato on a Vine. Love the gold beads to make the 57!

Next is Maggie’s Maruchan kid…she even got written permission from Maruchan to make this design using the logo on the ramen package:

Maruchan ramen

Perfect! Maruchan by Maggie Schwamb. The workmanship is impeccable!

And in the final dash to done with me was my co-program chair Gail Galloway-Nicholson.  She sent me this photo and said it was a Cline Vinyards wine.  I immediately replied:  “Cline Vinyards?  From California?  As in Nancy Bunting Cline?”  Now how the heck is Gail supposed to have a clue what I’m yabbering about…

Cline Vinyards Cashmere wine

So I head (where else) to Google, source of instant knowlege.  Yes indeedy, it is Cline Cellars!   And why is this such a big deal?  Well.. I went to high school in California (just north of San Francisco, San Domenico School)  with the then-Nancy Bunting.   A few years later this funny lady (she is still witty) married a guy named Cline.  And they started their own vinyard.  And I can now go buy their wine here in Camden, Maine!!!!!! How utterly amazing is that????????? I checked the Photo Gallery pictures and yes indeedy that is Nancy…like me a bit older, a bit of gray, but still Nancy!  Shall we all join hands and sing a chorus of “It’s a Small World After All” while enjoying Gail’s quilt, with 3-d awning over the shop and soft and fuzzy fabric for the Cashmere in the window?

Gail Galloway Nicholson's Cashmere--notice the "C" on the label and on the awning!

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am at the challenge, the results, and the outstanding work done by these 11 ladies and one gentleman!   Here’s to the next two years of challenges!

This past year my co-program chair, Gail Galloway-Nicholson, and I, also took on the annual “Chapter Challenge” for the Coastal Quilters of the greater Camden (Maine) area.   We both had the same idea, but didn’t have enough time to implement it for 2011, so that will happen in 2012 (and be announced at our October meeting).  Then I had this FUN idea for this year…what about groceries?   Some of the wine labels are just awesome in color and graphic designs!   So I noodled around the idea.  Last August at the Coastal Quilters annual picnic at Joan’s camp cabin, I deputized those present and sounded them out.  They loved it and had some great suggestions…. so guess what… The local quilters came through GANGBUSTERS!

The (Camden area, Maine) Coastal Quilters Chapter Challenge 2011

The Challenge was this:  to take a packaged food or beverage product (not the fruit which is nice, or cleaning stuff which is work), but a food item of some sort.  You had to use at least four colors from the packaging (all of the colors if the label had fewer than four), plus you could add black and white.  But then I thought hmmm…someone could just troll the aisles looking for a package in colors they liked and wanted to use.  So I added a kicker:  you had to use something from the packaging in the quilt.  For example, if you used Tabasco sauce, you could use red-hot chili pepper fabric.  Or you could use rotini (corkscrew pasta) and make a corkscrew quilting motif.  I am so proud of this group:  12 signed up, 12 finished quilts (2 of us, including me, finishing a week before I had to turn the quilts in to Maine Quilts for hanging in the show and only 2 months after the ostensible deadline that I set!), and all are FANTABULOUS.  I’ll share them all in two long blogposts.  This is the panel I’ll share today:

The first panel of quilts

The finished size was 20 1/2 by 20 1/2 inches, in the hoeps that some of the traditional quilters would be tempted to participate as mostly the art quilty types have done recent challenges.   The irony:  the two with really traditional bits are by Louisa Enright (the hexagons) who is a contemporary quilter and does watercolor painting and me!  I had figured with this size you could do four 10×10 blocks (for example, what if someone bought frozen succotash–corn and lima beans–and used the traditional corn and beans block) plus have a bit for binding.  Or do a 12″ block and sash it, etc…. Sigh!

The first quilt completed was by Eleanor Greenwood, who does almost everything by hand!  She used a Naked smoothie bottle, and got permission from the Rainforest Alliance to use their frog logo in the center of the quilt (it appears on the back of the bottle).

Naked protein smoothie

The frog is stuffed and 3-D, the beading is spectacular, as are the colors, the 3-D petals… you name it.  WHAT a way to begin!

La belle grenouille contente (the happy frog) by Eleanor Greenwood. This takes my breath away every time I see it!

Next on the drape (I’ll do the quilts on the left, first):

Leigh's Blueberry Soda

Leigh Smith used a bottle of blueberry soda with an arched window as her item. She used a green metal garden stake as the rod and the rope to edge the window.

Karen Martin stretched the definition of food and beverage to include Centrum Vitamins:

Centrum Vitamins....notice the curve in the rainbow color logo and how Karen interpreted that in the blocks

Karen Martin used improvisational curved piecing which she learned from Northport (Maine) quilter Dianne Hire to make her blocks.Clever!

Next up is Jim Vandernoot’s AWESOMEly quilted piece.  Jim works for Campbell’s so used the V* Fusion drink as his inspiration.   I wish I had written down the proper title….  Jim, if you read this please send it to me because it’s perfect for this piece:

V-8 Fusion

Jim Vandernoot is a part-time Maine resident; we're thrilled he likes to take some of his vacation time and come visit with us!

Update:  the correct title (Thanks Jim!) is “In Search of the Quilting Gene.”  LOVE it!

Betty Johnson chose Land O’ Lakes half and half, and the curved lines in the graphics for her quilting motif:

Land O Lakes Half and Half (I'll take the full fat version!)

Btty Johnson perfectly captured the swirling lines and colors of the package graphics, wondei\ring about the fish swimming under the surface of the lake!

And on the bottom right of this panel, Rebecca Hokkanen made Tea-Bags using The-Tea Nation…with real teabags in the florette on the largest of the bags… notice the “T” in each bag??? How punny! (Please do not throw tomatoes at me as they will only mess up your keyboard…)

Cranberry Tea

Rebecca Hokkanen makes bags, and drinks tea, so she make Honest-Tea T-Bags!

If anyone wants my instructions for the challenge, just write to me and I’ll send you a PDF!

Wow what a fun way to start the day:  open up an e-mail from Quilting Arts about “Ten Art Quilting Lessons Learned” to see that they have a new book.  I knew months ago that something I had written for Quilting Arts several years ago was to be included in a new book.  Well this is it, titled The Best of Quilting Arts:  Your Ultimate Resource for Art Quilt Techniques and Inspiration, AND they featured my photo/pieces for the edge-finishes article in the e-mail!!!!!!  Here is a link to see that e-mail online; scroll down to see my little green quiltlets.   And here is a link to pre-order the book.  Make sure to click on the tab to see what is in the book (my bits are in the first section).  It looks like it will be a great book, and I am so thrilled and honored to be included!

The major sections in the book are:

• Introduction
• 1.  Starting and Finishing:  Articles on Art Quilt Basics
• 2.  Trends in Surface Design:  Articles on Stamping, Dyeing, Printing and More
• 3.  Represent!  Articles on People, Pets, and Text in Art Quilting
• 4.  Make it Green:  Articles on Recycled and Natural Materials
• 5.  Too Much is Never Enough:  Articles on Embellishment and Mixed Media
• Contributors
• Resources
• Index

It is 160 pages and only $24.95… can’t wait to buy my copy!  I am thrilled giddy and silly to be included with folks like Jane Dunnewold, Terry Grant, Jane Davila, Melanie Testa and so may other talented artists. WOW…just pinched myself, and I really am awake and it really is true!

Time to get caught up on what all I’ve been doing the past month… first, I came home!

Flying in to mid-coast Maine at sunset....sigh....those rays of sun I call angel escalators. When I was 4, we returned to the US from living in Argentina. I had never seen escalators before and was entranced! I was also bundled off to Sunday School where they wanted us to NAP (not!). I wondered how the angels got from heaven to earth, and decided that sunbeams must really be angel escalators, so that's what they've been ever since, and now my kids know about them, too.

The best part of coming home to Maine is, of course, the people and the critters starting with my husband, sons, pug and cats!  But coming home to Maine is pretty amazing.   I flew in from teaching at Quilt Nebraska on July 31 to this…how can anyone NOT want to live and be here?

I love these aerial shots, this one taken over the wing of the prop Cape Air plane (about 9 seats I think). This is the peninsula just south of Owl's Head which is just south of Rockland. The airport designation is RKD, but it is really in Owl's Head and is 35 minutes from home.

Then the sun began to set…OH MY!

Just LOOK at those colors!

And the clouds…oh my oh my…

And a different view....love those curling up wisps and that one dark cloud hovering over the sun

And more...

As we were landing...

And a close-up

The color got really intense and dark when I zoomed in on the sun.

And touchdown…

And on the ground...see the windsock in the distance... I think the blob in the upper right is part of the plane/tail.

Hi all… I am beginning to resurface and return to being me…what a concept!   After the tumult and demands of the past four years,  it appears I was up for a change of pace.  I NEVER do stuff spontaneously…just too much to do, too many obligations.  Then I saw Jane LaFazio‘s Facebook post about her new Joggles class, Sketchbook and Watercolor:  On Location, two days before it was to begin.  So I signed up, that day! Fortunately, I had most of the supplies on hand.   In something that hasn’t happened in about two (or more) decades, I am actually doing a class, doing the homework/assignment the week it is assigned!

Our first “location” was an easy one:  home!   We were to sketch keys, journal style…. I missed that part.  The Journal, not a whole shebang thing.  I was so excited I took plenty of time and really worked at it, and am thrilled.  My ability to draw is still tentative, but I worked at it enough to get it!

In utter decadence, I sat on the front porch, taking my art supplies with me in a basket. I used a journal sketchbook as a plain background to better see the keys.

Next, I sketched, taking my time:

Here, I have sketched the exercise in pencil, inked over it, and begun erasing the pencil marks. My 5x7 "block" of watercolor paper hadn't arrived yet so I used some student-grade watercolor paper I had in a pad in the studio.

Then it was time…GULP… to start with the watercolors.  I have two travel sets…one larger, one smaller.  I used the larger one since I was at home:

This set is "Yarka St Petersburg" which I must have ordered from Dick Blick. They seem to have a high pigment load...must have been a good price. And the blue thing is a Niji waterbrush...LOVE them!

So I started coloring in…what a different using watercolor paper makes!  It doesn’t bleed!  You get edges you can control!!!!!!

Not bad... this might have been a good place to stop as a "journal" exercise.....

But I kept going.   Learning how the colors would look on the paper was, well, a learning exercise!  I used the bottom of the page to test color:

Mucking about with the colors to see what combinations would make the color I wanted. I need to do more of this.

Not quite done…. colors need tweaking in this next photo:

I thought originally that I wanted to use my favorite Caribbean bright and clear colors. Wasn't working for me. So I went over the backround to blend in the shadows, and over the pink wihich was too little-girl bright. If you look at the key on the right, you can see the original pink next to the key and the washed-over / toned-down on the outside.

Finally, done, and I’m happy:

Done!

So far I am loving the class.  Lots of good participation by the students which makes the class even better.  Also, I really like Jane’s replies.  She comments on each and every effort posted.  And she doesn’t shy away (as some teachers do) from making suggestions or commenting when things are off.  Her replies are always kind and courteous, but you learn so much MORE when the teacher will point out what is amiss and how to fix it.  She also shared this blogpage where she lists *her* favorite supplies.  Most helpful!  Anyway, I’m having a BALL!  What an utter job to be able to relax, learn, muddle around with art, and take some time for myself.  I am sincerely hoping that the stress and tumult of the past four years are over, and I can return to something resembling normalcy.   I said in a post to the class that I feel like I’ve been in a years-long drought and have just found a spring of water and nourishment.