IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.
I have been traveling all over the world, which means, of course, there has no time for stamping, printing, dyeing etc. But how inspiring to see  what women in other countries are creating.
  Last year in February we visited Central America

So here  my are "color bytes" from Guatemala.

Tourists like quilts, so the locals accomodate them.

But it's the huipils, the women's blouses that are the most fascinating

Here framed and used as a wonderful wall decoration.

Look at this woman's embroidered roses combined with woven borders.

They do not use vegetable dyes; and how else would they get the vibrant colors  mimic the flowers in the flower market

These woven pieces are museum pieces, each representing a separate region of the country

We visited a weaving museum outside Antigua, where three generations of one family are training young women the intricate patterns of weaving, so they won't be forgotten.

Flower market with vibrant colors

Women standing in line to be paid for their work

Why are mannequins never the size of the customers?

Old woven pieces from different regions of the country

The birds are woven, not embroidered.Amazing work

Good job I have a large trunk. All the stuff from the reception.

Show at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

This past Friday, September 6, I had an opening reception for my exhibition at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Library Gallery.

Since I print on fabric I feel this blog is an appropriate place to tell about my show.

 In 2010 the president of Birmingham Quilters Guild Pat Lovelady

was instrumental in getting the fabulous Ginny Eckley to conduct a workshop here in Birmingham.

This got me started screen printing and I still get my screens from Ginny.

 In fact two pictures in my show, 'the Ranch' and 'Geisha' were inspired by Ginny's own pictures.

Thanks to family and friends my reception was more than nice.
 And the library staff members were really great.

And my baby granddaughter got a new friend, three weeks her junior.

Copying an Old Quilt

    

Here is the quilt I spent two weeks in January making

                                                   Lena quilted it on her long arm machine.
                                                            We chose yellow flowers.

       I tried to make it authentic,

       like the old quilt I copied.

                                                      So I chose different tones of yellow
                                                       and reds. Making it was great fun.

                                            Down to the charming corners,
                                             which I chose to perfect

                                                         12 squares in all on the new,
                                                      the old one has 30. Makes a difference.

                                       Compare the two - well mine lacked the borders at that point

                                                              The old quilt

                                                           Five across, six on the long side.

                                                          Who dares these color combinations ,
                                                    well, whoever made this  quilt, was that daring.

                                                      I would love to know who made it.

                                           Old shirt fabric. I'm looking for that particular blue.
                                          Then I would  make another copy with all 30 squares.

                                         

 And here is one of the old quilt's corners

A Lucky Mistake

My Allsorts candy quilt. I wanted a print out,  but.....

 

pressed the BLACK button on the printer and got ... lots of shades of gray!!

That became the start of a twin bed quilt,
 which now is on its way across the ocean for a favorite niece.

Kathy Joiner quilted it for me and....

did exactly, what I had asked - and more. I wanted the quilting
in white on the black backing, so the quilt could be turned.
 

This photo shows it better.
 I am very pleased with this quilt.