This happy face is my husband Ted.   He won Chancellor's Choice Trophy at Ozark Technical Community College Car Show today.

This is the car that won the trophy for him.   As you can see the trophy is huge, over 6 feet tall.   The car is an 1966 Mercury Montery S55 Convertible.     We do have lots of fun in it.

This is my latest textile to be entered in Waverly House Spring show entitled Untamed.   I hope I get into the show.  Even if I do not get accepted  I just love him hanging in my sewing room.   He is watching me every day as I work on my next project.  

The sunsets are great in Arizona. I had fun in the sun and went to lots of quilt shops and shows until I broke my ankle. But I have lots of photos and lots of new ideas for new art quilts. So stay in touch.

Copper Canyon Fossils ( sorry I am sold)

I am getting ready to go to Arizona for the month of January to warm up. I remember the last time I was there I was way out in the canyon and found fossils just laying around.

Ladies Choice

I have been working on this since the summer and was inspired by our Morning Glory's. One day I was looking at the Morning Glory and discovered they were being surrounded by lady bugs. We were all out early and enjoying the morning sun.
This is currently in the Sky Line Challenge at Ozark Peacemakers Quilt Show.

Spring Meadow

I know it is winter but last month we planter over 300 tulip and daffodil bulbs. I was thinking of spring and what it will look like when all these bulbs push their way through the earth.

I am pleased to announce that the following 5 pieces of art work can be seen and purchased through Waverly House Gifts and Gallery. 2031 S. Waverly. Springfield, Mo. 65804 417-882-3445. www.waverlyhouse.com or you can visit Waverly on face book.com.

Wildfire (sorry I am sold)

Autumn (sorry I am sold)

Jungle Flirtation (Sorry I am sold)

Meadow Lupins (Sorry I'm Sold)

Molten Sea (Sorry, I'm SOLD)

I have felt inspired for this textile after viewing photos of my daughter, Teresa's, photos of the active valcaano in Hawaii. I call it the Molten Sea. It is my idea of what the ocean might look as molten lave pours into is from a volcano. I used 4 fabrics and Ricky Tim's Harmonic Convergence idea to accomplish this look. I have added lot of original ideas and fabric to give you the feel of the ocean.

This textile was accepted in a show at Waverly House Gifts & Gallery to run form November 4, 2011 to December 17, 2011. The show is "Journeys" and will benefit A Sporting Chance.

I have not been a complete flake this summer. I have been doing a few Art Quilts worth posting on my blog. I have not felt especially creative so I have been using other Quilt Artist as an inspiration. This wonderful bright orange Pod Grass is inspired by an article in Quilting Arts Magazine by Laura Wasiloski. She calls it Zen Doodle Quilts. I had lots of fun freely creating flowing lines and circles to quilt around.



This lovely cone flower is from a class I took from Ruth Powers. I had lots of fun in the class and finally finished it today. I have cone flowers in my back yard and I can say they look like this so I am very happy with this pattern. I hope you enjoy it also.

Two from Figi

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A few months ago My daughter, Teresa, went to Fiji for a much needed, get away from it all, vacation. She was thinking of me and sent me lots of fabric from local markets and shops. So here are two from the Fiji Fabric and some from my stash.
I will be sending her both. One for her to keep and one to send to their hostess for their home in Fiji.
I was trying to recreate the look and feel of Fiji without actually going there. But I had lots of photos to guide me. You can see these beautiful photos on her blog Thedoglived(andsowillI).blogspot.com

Desert Abstract

I went to Green Valley for a month to warm up and painted this. The desert is beautiful in the spring. So much clear color and flowers you can no help but be inspired.

Spring Bunny 12 X 15

This is a very small thread painting on 100% cotton. I learned this method from Ellen Ann Eddy's class in thread painting several years ago. The bunny was thread painted separately and later attached to the background. Many colors of brown thread is used to make the fur on this woodland bunny.

Pink Plumeria 23 X 23

You can almost smell the pungent sweet smell of the native Hawaii flower. There are beads and sequins on 100% cotton.

There is a Snake in my Garden 12 X 19

This is a small colorful piece of garden fun to brighten a small area in your home. Kind of funky. But you will never find another like it.

Arctic Struggle 22 X 25

This is a somewhat controversial piece because it depicts the ongoing struggle in the frigid waters of the norther sea.
It is hand dyed cotton and the colors spread in just the right configuration to depict the sun on the ice flow and the blood spilled in the struggle and death of the seal.

Ice Column at the Fresh Gallery 3-2011

This is a photo of me and Ice Column at the Fresh Gallery opening night and Artist Reception last night, Friday, March 4,2011. There were lots of people milling around so I could not get photos of my other two pieces. They were Cracked Ice and River Rock. But you can scroll through my blog and see them if you wish.
Fresh Gallery is a co op gallery here in Springfield, Mo. and this was their Annual Emerging Artist Show, which while will be there until March 28. Hope you can drop by if you live near.

Winter Grass SOLD

This is 16 X 19. Hand painted silk, satin and polyester. Texture is created with yarn, ribbon and strips of fabric and beads.

Fantasea III

When finished this will measure about 45 X 55 It is still in the designing stages and too large to frame.

Fantasea II SOLD

This is 17 X 22. Hand dyed cotton and appliqued object from under the sea. My Fantasey of warm ocean life.

Spring Grass

This is 18 X 20 and ready to be framed. It is hand dyed silk, satin and polyester. The texture is achieved with ribbon, yarns and torn fabric. Some bead work finishes the light airy look of spring.

Spring Daffodils

This is 16 X 24 just the right size for framing. All Cotton textiles, heavy thread work and beading.

Fall Grass

This is 16 X 20 and can be framed. it is hand died silk, satin and polyester. Texture is achieved with ribbon, yarn and tron fabric.

Hot August Days

This is 13 X 17. A small piece with beading, hand painted fabric and texture developed with ribbon, yarns and strips of fabric. This could be framed.

Lets get back to work?

OK the holidays are over. The dinners have all been cooked, the presents all put away the tree is down and the ornaments packed away for another year. Winter is settling in here in Missouri and the day and nights are cold. Not just cool but cold. As in nights of 20 and days it warms up to a big whopping 28. So You would thing that now I may have time to get back to art quilts. We can only live in hope. But for some reason I am just not in the mood to do much in my studio. I have walked in there, cleaned up boxes, cleared out shelves, and folded fabric and still no inspiration is coming to me. I have been reading lots of good books though.

Maybe what I need is a change of scenery.

Fall Inspiration

OK so fall is finally here. Today it was only in the 40's and mostly gray and overcast damp and just generaly ugly out. Tonight will be in the 30. More of the same tomorrow. Time to light the fire and stay indoors and get cracking on some new and wonderful quilts. I am inspired to work like crazy after my 3 days at the biggest quilt show in the world. I went to the Houston Quilt Festival. There was 1,800,000 sq. ft. of quilts and quilt related "stuff". A bit overwhelming. I think I seen it all but when I viewed the CD I think I missed half of the quilts.

Here is a photo of some of us from the Great Bus Trip to Houston Quilt Festival 11-2010