It's in the Bag is tonight

I've created three handbags for the Greater Denton Arts Council's fund raiser,
It's in the Bag!

The party is this evening, May 9, from 5-7 pm at the 

Center for Visual Arts. 

400 E. Hickory, Denton, TX

Silent purse auction and Fundraiser

Sweet Tea, Bellinis, Savories & Sweets

Business dress, hats and gloves optional

tickets are $20 per person.

For more information call GDAC, 940-382-2787.

Fabric & Thread at the Black Box Theatre

Seventeen of my quilts are on display in the lobby of the Black Box Theatre. The theater is located in Denton at 318 E. Hickory between the Denton Record Chronicle offices and the Central Fire Station. It is 1 1/2 blocks west of the Downtown Denton train station.

The lobby is open during office hours Monday and Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The lobby is also open during theater performances. 

My exhibit called "Fabric & Thread," will be on display until July 14.

I hope you will stop by for a visit.

Merging Visions Show at the Libraries

The Visual Arts Society of Texas (VAST) collaborates with the Denton Poets’ Assembly and the Denton Public Libraries to create an annual exhibit of paired original art work and poetry in celebration of National Poetry Month. The exhibit opens April 1 at the Denton Public Libraries and is accessible to the public free of charge during regular library hours.

This year a created a quilt based on a poem by Beth Honeycutt called "The Doorway of Another Decade".

I combined photos of the Greenwood Store in North Texas with photos of old screen doors and "painted" the bright colors in PhotoShop.

"Jimmy's General Store" 19.25 x 29.75”

The image is printed on cotton fabric and quilted on my home sewing machine.

My quilt is on display at the Denton South Branch Library until May 17.

There are 51 pairing of poems and art in the three libraries.

I hope you will get a chance to see them.

Dallas Show 2013

I entered four quilts and a challenge block in the Quilter's Guild of Dallas show this year.

 Roadie, 12 x 15”, won third place

Roadie, detail

  These are Roadie's humans and the owner of the quilt. 

Thank you for letting me borrow it for the show.

  

 Marrakesh Express, 12 x 12"

This quilt was a challenge from the Not Your Grandmother's Bee. We had to purchase less than $5 worth of material from the SCRAP store in Denton and create a 12 x 12" wall hanging. 50% of the items used in the quilt had to come from the SCRAP store.

 Marrakesh Express, detail

It's All About the Journey, 35.5 x 56” won third place

This quilt was inspired by a photo taken in 2008. I did a motorcycle portrait of my husband in 2005 and wanted a companion portrait with my bike. It's mostly raw-edge applique on hand-dyed sateen. There is also inkjet transfer, fabric paint on sateen, bridal tulle and recycled men's shirts.

 It's All About the Journey, detail

 It's All About the Journey, detail

 Visualize Whirled Peas, 32 x 78”

Entered in the Show Chair's Theme category, "Edibles"

  Visualize Whirled Peas, detail

  Visualize Whirled Peas, detail

 Visualize Whirled Peas, label

The Block challenge was Sunbonnet Sue in her Garden.

Mini Quilt Donation

I've donated my mini quilt, Heart Bubbles to Dallas Quilt Celebration's Mini Quilt Auction.

Heart Bubbles, 10x16"

The auction went "live" at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, February 26th. Online bidding will close at 10 p.m. on Friday, March 8th. www.benefitbidding.com. 

The auction will benefit the dog teams at Search One Rescue. 

Search One Rescue Team is available to assist any official governmental agency with the location of lost or missing persons. This includes missing children, elderly walk-a-ways, suicidal persons, human remains, disaster victims, and many other types of searches. 

There will also be a live auction on Saturday, March 9 at 1:30

at the Quilter's Guild of Dallas', Quilt Celebration 2013 at Dallas Market Hall.

The show runs, March 8 -10, 2013

Friday and Saturday, 10 - 5 p.m.

Sunday, 12 - 5 p.m.

Twisted Stitcher Loot

Last night we did our belated Twisted Stitcher Christmas gathering. After a fabulous pot luck dinner we exchanged a wide variety of handmade ornaments.

Here's a link to the 2011 ornaments.

I made wool birds.

Robin made rayon batik stars.

Sandy made fabric crosses.

Jaunita made mushrooms of wool and vintage polyester.

Judy made zipper Christmas trees.

Sherrie made notebooks with handmade paper.

Sherrie also made paper ornaments.

Carol made paper ornaments too.

Becky made felt darling dolls. (I wish I had a better photo.)

Julie crocheted cute yarn balls.

It such a pleasure to spend time with these talented ladies.

Thank you!

Welcome 2013!

A Japanese Iaido teacher named John lives in our neighborhood. Iaido is the modern Japanese martial art of smoothly drawing the sword from the scabbard. 

(Another neighbor calls it martial arts for old men with bad knees.) 

For 16 years John and his students have performed a "First Draw" ceremony in the park at dawn on New Years Day. 

This morning Jon, Berek, Rusty and I got up early to watch.

John says that Iaidoka around the world participate in this ceremony.

It was a peaceful way to start the year. (Even if swords were involved.)

Happy New Year!