Spring has sprung - somewhat

Enjoying all this wonderful weather we are having. 

 

This is my favorite time of the year in California. Weather is just nice and comfortably warm, grass is getting greener from the rains and flowers are blooming on trees and in the garden.  While my roses are really sprouting new growth the daffodils are in full bloom. Got some very nice orchids coming out, this photo is one on my front porch and on the patio 4 huge stalks are getting ready to open any day now.  They say rain is coming again next week, but it does make the air fresh and the gardens sprout.

Now, there are those pesky weeds and I will have to find time to get out there and clean them out - maybe next week after a rain and the ground is soft.  The older I get, the harder it is to bring myself out on my knees, then trying to get up.  I love my yard and flowers, but it suffers somedays  when I can't find time to get out there and fuss with it.  Also, with having time spent in Oregon each summer, my yard really misses me.

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New Quilt "Connections"

Full Quilt

Closeup

This is a new quilt I have been working on the last few months.  Comprised with multiple panels, stitched together with free motion stitching on water solvable stabilizer with 30 wt. cotton thread in the bobbin and 12wt cotton on the top. I dyed all the doilies and did a lot of beading and embellishments.  I had it accepted in the Oklahoma Quilt Show this last weekend and just saw on their site I had won a 1st place ribbon in the "innovative/art" category.  Always exciting to win a ribbon.

New Class Quilt

Getting back to creating and here is a class project coming up in April. I always find that new students to art quilts are very intimidated with being creative. I designed this small quilt "Visiting Steampunk" to demonstrate some easy, basic techniques to use.  Students will learn techniques which includes tabletop dying with Seta Silk dye for iron/heat setting, some of my favorite simple free motion quilting styles, cutting up the dyed pieces for a quilt, connecting blocks with free motion stitching, embellishing with found objects and old jewelry for the Steampunk theme. Students will also learn about different supplies to use in art quilt that you won't find in the quilting aisle. 

Sold

Sold, oh how nice that expression sounds. I received notice today, that my 12" Block on the Members Wall "Fall is Coming"  has been sold.  Such a wonderful feeling!  See September Archive for photos.

Haven't been up to much this last month.  Between the Holidays, taking care of my daughter after her surgery and having surgery on my foot, creative work has been slow to get done. Just two gimps trying to help each other!    Did do some dying for a class project I am designing -- hope to have photos up soon.  Want to work on some more zentangles too!  Oh, so much to do and so little time.

Zentangle

Southern California has been having a lot of rain and now it feels a little more like the Christmas Season, as we all think it should be cold this time of year.  As a kid we had snow in Chicago, but am glad, as adult, I don't have to drive in it or bundle up in it -- too old too make snow angels, snowmen and sidewalk tunnels from old memories.
I have been a little house bound this last week after surgery on my foot - can't drive.  I cherish any time out in somebodies car.  Due to a wonderful friend, Phyllis, I was able, yesterday, to attend a very fun Christmas Class at my friends house, Dianne of  Desiree Designs.  We made Zentangles and it was a real inspiring day. It was a great day to celebrate the season, meeting new friends and artists, drawing and painting, and eating wonderful Potato Soup, Quiche and rich goodies on a rainy day. I'm sure all the calories was removed from the food before we got there!  This is the Zentangle I created and I know I will do more - have lots of ideas for a new quilt coming up.

Soft Expressions local news

I'm always exited, as any artist is, to see their work in print. Local shop and Online store "Soft Expressions" is featuring a Quilts on the Wall exhibit.   My quilt "Pieces" is featured on their advertising. Go to the link below and scroll to the bottom for the Exhibit information .Copy and Paste the link into your browser.
http://www.softexpressions.com/frames/Flinkindex.html

New Project

Finally getting back to some quilting.  I have been working intermittently on a small quilt with lots of beading.  Not finished yet, but have posted this photo of a partial corner.  It has been a really fun project and I am hoping to finish it by December 22nd to enter in an upcoming quilt show.  Parts were a big experiment with attaching the panels together with free motion stitching using "Blendables" 12wt and 30wt thread.