Daily Details

Breakfast?

2011-02-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

This is a design I have made on the Spoonflower site. Breakfast, bacon and eggs with biscuits, orange juice and milk.

Fairy Houses

2010-09-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.nature-museum.org/events-programs/fairy-house-tour.html

This is the second year that Grafton has participated in a Fairy House Tour. After the books written byTracy Kane became popular, more people started making Fairy Houses. They are to be constructed using natural materials. Any construction aids need to be covered. I was able to construct this one with the use of nails, clothespins, string, and glue. I chose hydrangeas for the thatched roof because they do so well drying in place. If a fairy wants to come live in this one, I will be delighted.

Approaching my Fairy House

Stone steps, Birch bark walls, Hydrangea roof.

A row of bark quilts

A chipmunk was spotted entering.

Ponds of Marigolds

Quilt Row

The whole time I was constructing this house, I had an audience.

Delilah

2010-09-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

Delilah has taken up residence at my house. Her job description is Mouse Patrol and Entertainment. She came from a local shelter. She was part of a litter that was born in a woodpile on Colony Road. She was bottle fed and is now six months old.

Tote bags for Townshend

2010-08-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

Front

Back

Local artists were asked to design tote bags for Fair Days, a benifit for Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend, Vermont. Here is my donation.

Dante's Fabrics

2010-08-02T13:53:00.001-07:00

Dante is a talented photographer and artist in Grafton, Vermont. Double click on these images to see the beautiful Spoonflower fabric designs he has made.

Daylily Days

2010-07-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

We had a late frost and then a very hot July. It has made all the flowers go crazy. The daylilys are fighting for attention. So, here they are.

Wedding Flowers

2010-07-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Double click this to see the fabric from my series, "Jessica's Wedding"

2010-06-27T21:16:00.001-07:00

Korean Shoes

2010-06-01T17:16:00.001-07:00

I loved looking at the shoes in Korea. An empty shoe, left at the door of a temple, or the entrance to a home suggests all kinds of things about the wearer. The shoe that is attached to a foot says less, but often defines the person's role in life. The yet unpurchased shoes speak of dreams to come.

Postcards I made in Korea

2010-06-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

I was in Korea in October of 2008. I had such a good time. As always, I made postcards with the pieces of papers and stickers and stamps that I was able to forage locally. These are even better after the postal workers have cancelled the stamps and they have come through the mail.

2010-05-09T08:23:00.001-07:00

Double click to see my Spoonflower Design. This is from a photograph of flowers from Jessica and Peter's wedding.

Garden Ironwork

2010-04-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Garden

2010-04-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

Vermont Daffodils

2010-04-23T20:11:00.001-07:00

2010-04-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

Fungal Peeps

2010-04-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Please Mail Me Something.

2010-04-08T20:31:00.001-07:00

I have been doing art mail for years. My favorite way is to make postcards from the materials that are in front of me. I mail them to myself several times so that I get multiple stamp and canceling images. Yes, these postcards are completely legal. If a postal person tells you that you cannot do this, just be polite because I promise you, you can. Once in Tokyo, I was having trouble getting the hotel personell to mail something for me so I just went outside and pushed it into a mailbox. It was a red laquered paper fan that I had addressed to myself. It came a day or two after I had gotten back to the USA.

These postcards have been sent to the Art House Coop in Brooklyn as part of a mail art project that they will make a book and exhibit from. If you want to "play" my address is on the card below .

Mail Art. Please Readers! Mail me something.

2010-04-08T20:27:00.001-07:00

Mail Art

2010-04-08T20:25:00.001-07:00

Mail Art

2010-04-08T20:23:00.001-07:00

Mail Art

2010-04-08T20:20:00.001-07:00

Split Rail, Embellishment

2010-04-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

Lupines and Pansies

2010-03-23T05:22:00.001-07:00

Beneath the Surface

2010-03-17T10:34:00.001-07:00

Dinner at Eight Artists presents Beneath the Surface, a special exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA - July 22-25th at the Long Beach Convention Center.
Sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers http://www.moores-sew.com/servlet/storefront and Brother International http://www.brother-usa.com/homesewing/.
http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/

Split Rail, Embellishment

2010-03-16T20:04:00.001-07:00

Cupiferrous

2010-03-16T19:51:00.001-07:00

Bee Balm

2010-03-16T19:38:00.001-07:00

A repeat print from one of my quilts, "Bee Balm"

Double click to see fabric or to order.

Spoonflower

2010-03-16T19:13:00.001-07:00

This fabric, my design, is available on Spoonflower.com. http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric_items/new?buy_this=true&design_id=173976&fabric_item_id=98328&show_comments=true

2010-03-13T09:19:00.001-08:00

Snow Dyeing

2010-03-09T15:14:00.001-08:00

I have been snow dyeing in my studio today.

I soaked a vintage table cloth in soda ash and froze it. Then I took it to the sink at my studio and packed snow on top of the cloth. I used black cherry dye and then did another batch of snow and poured some fuscia and more black cherry on the snow. As the snow melts, it should make some interesting patterns in the cloth.

I left the sink stopper open so that the water will drain. This is a studio sink, not a kitchen sink. It is not a sink used for food preparation.

Brattleboro, Vermont.....Lachis Theatre

2010-03-08T06:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.latchis.com/

We went to the Lachis Theatre for a Bach Festival Sunday afternoon. The theatre has movies but also arts performances. An art deco building, it has some stunning details. I took pictures on my way in....

Light fixtures in the Lachis Lobby are true Art Deco wonders. I love them.

Balconies inside the theatre are elaborate.

Austin Birds, Early Evening Activity

2010-03-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

Grafton Snow

2010-03-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

There was so much snow last week that the trees were almost covered. We were snowed in for two days. These pictures look like they were taken with black and white film. No, just not much color in all that snow.

The girls liked the snow. They could run across the top once a little crust formed.

2010-03-01T21:40:00.001-08:00

Last winter, the view out my side door showed the icicles with the church in the distance. This year we have more snow and less ice.

Shower Cap

2010-02-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

InYoung modeled the fancy shower
cap at MacKenzie Childs.

Chairs at MacKenzie-Childs

2010-02-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Thistle Chair, Red

Thistle Chair, Purple, White

This Arm Chair just makes me want to sink into it and stay.

Harlequin and Stripes.

Fish Chair

Garden Row

2010-02-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

Dupioni Silk, Felted Sweaters, Beads, Buttons, Thread Spools, Rubber Frog.

My Studio

2010-02-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

The Tuttle Barn, in Grafton, Vermont. Still a work in progress. The building was originally a barn, circa 1871. It was remodeled into business space in the '70s.

Valentine Heart

2010-02-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

Front of heart is heavily machine quilted with a layer of Textiva over part of it. There is a clear window with embellishments below the surface. The words are Kind Hear, Tender Heart, etc. The back has more words. The heart is stuffed with a variety of objects, words and recycled fibers.

DIFFA, Design Industries For Fighting AIDS

2010-02-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

I was invited to decorate a jean jacket to be auctioned off in Dallas for DIFFA. I used Shiva Paint Sticks, Glitter Glue, Acrylic Jewels and a checkerboard stencil.

Reverie, A Sculpture by Linda Fleming. In Front of the Lincoln, Nebraska International Quilt Study Center

2010-02-15T21:00:00.003-08:00

Old Town, Omaha, Nebraska

2010-02-13T19:47:00.000-08:00

A cup of coffee,

2010-02-11T21:53:00.000-08:00

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-02-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

Last October, pumpkins on the ground waiting for the kids.

2010-02-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

My favorite exhibit at the International Quilt Show in Houston last fall was the Eye of the Quilter: Inspiration. I think it has had a lot to do with my interest in this blog. I am enjoying showing some of my work, but I tend to forget that the photography we are doing is part of the art. Below, I have my photograph taken at the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. I have also included some of my other favorites.

Postcards from Korea

2010-02-06T23:36:00.001-08:00

Last year while I was in Korea, I sent a number of my handmade postcards to people who wanted to donatte to the blind school where I used to teach. This was one of them. I used only materials that I could purchace or repurpose while I was there

Con Amour

2010-02-04T00:34:00.000-08:00

With Love, It is February. Let's start early. Happy Valentines Day. Con amour is Spanish for "With Love."

San Antonio with In Young and Jane

2010-02-01T02:14:00.000-08:00

In Young took all these pictures. Jane accompanied us to San Antonion and kept us laughing with her indomitable energy. We had Mexican Food in this wonderful restaurant and then browsed in the "Tienda" Mexican Markets afterwards.

Donkeys with guitars in their backs. Very handy.

\Pinatas in the restaurant.

Mariachis sing "Beso mi Mucho" (Kiss me a lot)

Jane and In Young give us the V sign.

Wedgewood and Strawflowers

2010-01-30T19:39:00.001-08:00

My mother collected Jaspar Ware made by Wedgewood Pottery Company in England. She had some pieces that had belonged to her mother. So, that makes me a third generation collector. I like the way it looks in the shelves which are painted a lighter shade of coral.

Fireworks? Chihuly? Sea Urchins?

2010-01-30T18:47:00.001-08:00

Quiet Animals

2010-01-29T22:23:00.000-08:00

Very quiet animals.

Crossway's Glass

2010-01-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

Glass images from my Vermont house.

MOMA Glass

2010-01-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

Digital Imagry

2010-01-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

The images below are part of a whole room installation. By changing one color/shape element at a time, Orozco has made a large number of prints, each unique, each part of the vast whole.

I finally got his ear.

2010-01-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

Some loved him, some were the opposite. But there were no people without opinions about Franklin D. Rooseveldt. My father would have been proud that I finally got Mr. Rooseveldt's undivided attention. The thing is, though, he just sat there like an old stiff. He died a few months before I was born, so this is the only way we could meet.

Still Life with Compotier, 1879-1882, Paul Cezanne Snippets

2010-01-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

Jackson Pollok, snippits.

2010-01-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

I could look at Jackson Pollock's work all day. I love it.

I could hear somebody's grandpa talking about how maybe he just threw the paint without looking. OK, he probably threw lots of paint, but I will dare Grandpa to do this.

Monet's Waterlilys. Snippets of his paintings.

2010-01-25T21:33:00.001-08:00

InYoung and I spent quite a bit of time yesterday in New York's Modern Museum of Art (MOMA). I was entranced by the small details in the paint surface of Monet's paintings. Without even seeing the whole painting, the smaller sections are still good compostitions.

The Cubist's Edge

2010-01-24T17:22:00.001-08:00

Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison curated a quilt show last summer called Edges. This was my contribution, The Cubist's Edge. I used the same image twelve times, using the same colors. After each was constructed and quilted, I cut them into fourths and reassembled them. The entire piece is 36x48. There is an article in Quilting Arts Magazine Oct-Nov 2009 issue about this show and it has this same image one one of the pages.

Quilting Arts Magazine Oct-Nov 2009

Trading Card:

2010-01-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

In Houston last fall, we made trading cards at the Quilting Arts Open Studios. I used Timtex, Textiva, press stickers, free motion stitching and cut the cards into 2x3 inch pieces.

Pearl Buttons

2010-01-23T22:07:00.000-08:00

I bought these beautiful vintage, dyed, mother of pearl buttons at the International Quilt Show. Sandy Shore sells them in his booth.

Gerber Daisy

2010-01-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

Liisa had these beautiful Gerber Daisies at Sam Batteglino's birthday party. Grafton does not see many black tie affairs. We all had fun.

Fritz and France at a Black Tie Ball.

2010-01-23T07:54:00.001-08:00

InYoung in Vermont. Alice in Wonderland?

2010-01-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

Overwhelmed, InYoung takes a look around a gift shop in Vermont.

Family Dinner

2010-01-23T07:11:00.001-08:00

My God Daughter, InYoung has been visiting from Korea. We all met in Vermont and had dinner at Fritz' house. We made Texas Chili and we all did the V sign in honor of InYoung and all the Koreans who put their fingers up in the Victory sign when their pictures are being taken.

Frances Holliday Alford, Sallie Holliday, Fritz Maassen, InYoung Kim, Patty Rhien, Lily Holliday.

2010-01-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/RevA08Alford.html

Sketchbook: "Wish You Were Here" Postcards

2010-01-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

Sketchbook: "Wish You Were Here" Postcards

2010-01-22T06:48:00.001-08:00

Sketches from our table cloth quilt.

2010-01-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

A bunch of us have been sitting around the table, doodling on this length of muslin. It is at Kathy York's house now. When I get back to Austin, we will decide how to quilt it. It can be whole cloth or we can cut it into pieces and each of us work on a part. We will embellish it after quilting, probably with small seed beads. None of us has a theme. We just sit and drink coffee and talk about stuff and let our hands do the drawing.

Rubrum Lily

2010-01-18T20:17:00.000-08:00

These come up in my garden every summer. They are glorious.

Sketchbook Post Card, Aerial Map

2010-01-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

Doorstop, Grafton Historical Society

2010-01-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

I do not know if there is Grafton history involved or if it is actually documented as an artifact. They use it to hold the door in place.

Blue Jean Jacket, Auctioned for DIFFA, Design Industries for Fighting AIDS

2010-01-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

I used Shiva oil paint sticks and a checkerboard stencil to make the pattern on the denim. There are large silver acrylic jewels on it.

Balloons, guest photographer, Judy K

2010-01-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

If you want some really intersting pictures, give the four year old the camera. Judy took the pictures and was having a fine time until her parents worried that she would break my camera. So they let her use theirs. (That one is ok to break?) She didn't break the camera, but took amazing pictures.

Kalanchoes and Roses

2010-01-13T22:26:00.000-08:00

SMU did a wonderful job of decorating for commencement last spring. When John Holliday graduated, I took this picture.

They did a good job with the roses too.

Jessica and Peter's Wedding Cake

2010-01-13T22:12:00.001-08:00

When Jessica and Peter, my nephew, got married in September they had this beautiful blue and white wedding cake. What a glorious confection. The flowers were excellent too.

And a beautiful bride.

Table Decorations for Christmas Eve

2010-01-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

When I gave the reception after church on New Years Eve, I had fun making table decorations. The pedestals for the smaller arrangement are candle stick holders that I got from Ocean State Job Lots for a dollar a piece. I used washable school glue to attach them to the bottom of the container. The stack of glass plates and goblets were also done with school glue. I was able to stack them and use them to serve cookies and chocolates. The glue came off when I washed the pieces later.

Above the Mantle

2010-01-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fun just before Christmas trying to find things that "enhance" my beaded art quilts. These were originally made for Karey Bresenhan's Journal Quilt project for the International Quilt Show. I wanted to do something that involved a theme, and I kept thinking about how it would be interesting to use small objects, buttons, beads and other items as color rather than theme or embellishment. Since then, these 8.5x11 inch pieces have been in shows in different parts of the country. Presently, they are in residence above my fireplace at Crossways, my house in Vermont.

I have a lot of fun collecting objects for these projects. I have every intention of leaving a large stash behind when I die. I never want to run out.

Sweater Weather

2010-01-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

I am not in either of these sweaters. It was a shot too good to pass up one night at the Phelps Barn when we were all gathered to listen to some very fine music. In Grafton, Vermont, when the temperature goes way down, The Old Tavern at Grafton is a welcoming place with their music in the barn. We had a fire in the fireplace and we were all warm.

Embellished Red.

2010-01-09T21:58:00.001-08:00

Embellished quilt construction, 8.5x11. A variety of objects are sewn to a stiff backing material. They are joined by a red glass goblet, a souvenir of Huron Lake and a music box from St. Basil's Cathedral that I purchased at their gift shop in Moscow.

Trevor's Car

2010-01-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

It was hard for me to wait to post about my brother's car. It was Trevor's turn to get a gift from me in our sibling exchange. I was at a loss until I came across this circa 1958 CHAMPION car. Trevor had a red one, but as he says, "Close enough." I had my helper, Dante, build a box for the car and we put a teddy bear in the driver's seat. Of course Daisy wanted to take the fun away from the bear, so she go in too. I am not sure if she was trying to hitch a ride to Arizona or if she just wanted to hog a little attention.

Trevor teaches high school history in Arizona. He called to tell me that he loves his car so much that he has been driving it all over the house. "What man wouldnt want a Champion?" he asked. He wants to drive it to work but I am suggesting that it could make a very nice magazine rack.

I bought the car from an 84 year old man who was the original owner. He says he only drove it to the bank and to church on Sundays.

Did you notice my red floors? Old Vermont houses often had painted floors. When I moved into my house the floors were taupe downstairs and mint green on the second and third floors. I chose the traditional Chinese Red that was used in so many colonial houses. It is a cheering color and I never get tired of looking at it.

Here is what Trevor has to say about his Champion:

What's the greatest thing about The Champion? The mileage is great - with the top down it's just perfect for cruising on historic Route 66. Zero miles to the gallon. Maybe Carolyn and I will drive north to Holbrook and stay overnight in one of the concrete tepees at the Wigwam Motel. Parking is simple - just drive inside! The color looks like blue in the pictures but it's really an amazing shade of turquoise - perfect for The Grand Canyon State. I need to post a picture of Mickey the Dachshund behind the wheel...

Julie and the Alien

2010-01-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

Here is Julie holding the green alien I sent her when she turned (gasp) 40. She has the hands of a true artist and I am happy that she loves the alien.

Julie's Fanta Purse

2010-01-08T08:31:00.001-08:00

Going to Julie Upshaw's house is a major treat. Something to look at in every direction. This is her Fanta Purse. I will ask here where she got this, but I had a mirror frame that was done in a similar fashion that came from Africa.

Hibiscus, Floss Painting.

2010-01-08T08:27:00.001-08:00

"Francie's Table" guest photographer, Rachel Parris

2010-01-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

Rachel took this picture while I was working away on a hand project. I use floss the way some artists use paint or colored pencils. I just love the colors and the possibilities.

Group Conversations

2010-01-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

Our Austin Group made this piece together last Spring. The artists are Kathy York, Connie Hudson, Sherri McCauley, Frances Holliday Alford, Barbara Forrister, Pearl Gomez, Leslie Tucker Jenison, and Dianne Sandlin.

Promises to Come. Spring some day.

2010-01-06T20:03:00.001-08:00

I visited the Holliday plot at the Springfield Cemetery near North Springfield, Pennsylvania last May. Our early American ancestors came into the United States from Scotland and settled in Hollidaysburgh and the Lake Erie area. There are still a good number of Hollidays in the area. (All good looking and above average in intelligence!)

Intermolecular Structure

2010-01-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

17"x 22" Multimedia Beaded Quilt. Elements are depicted at a molucular level.

Yellow Polka Dot Bikini...I have never owned one!

2010-01-03T20:22:00.001-08:00

This piece was made by me last February for the Rock and Roll Challenge for the Quilting Arts Magazine. It was published in the July August issue. It relates to one of my favorite songs of the era.

The one below is painted from a piece of greenware that I glazed and fired. The square is from "My 57th Year". My sister Sallie and I made the ceramic angels and then I later painted the image. Sallie's little angel had a red suit with yellow polka dots. We have had lots of debate about the colors or that bikini that "she " wore.

The other images on this page depict the tea we kept drinking that week while she visited.

Canvas Creation

2010-01-02T19:16:00.001-08:00

During the Interntaional Quilt Show in Houston last October, we worked on this canvas in Leslie Jennison and Jamie Fingal's room. It was large piece of gessoed canvas and we used a lot of textile paints. Judy Coates Perez, Rachel Parris, Kathy York, Nina Perez, and I worked on it along with Leslie and Jamie. I think Leslie had a great idea when she started this project.

Floral Compliment

2010-01-01T17:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/projects/galleries/My%20Quilts/Our%20History/1-6-87/Floral%20Compliment

I made this quilt for the Alliance For American Quilts. As a board member, I am particularly proud of the work that the alliance does. This piece, a sixteen inch square, was auctioned on ebay in the summer of 2008. Merle Stalder, of Falls City, Nebraska won the bid and donated the quilt to the Stalder Gallery permanent collection. I was particularly flattered that he had to bid against my CPA who also wanted to buy it.

This piece is mixed media using silk flowers, Textiva Film, assorted commercial fabrics and DMC floss. It is a complimentary color combination of orange and blue which are opposite each other in the color wheel.

Here is a picture of Merle looking at my solo show at the Stalder Gallery, 2008.

Seventeen Pound lobster holding the telephone

2009-12-30T09:27:00.003-08:00

This guy is not holding a wimpy cell phone. This is the regular portable phone from my kitchen. I have no idea who he is calling or what lobsters talk about, but this one was 17 pounds. I never thought I would get tired of lobster, but I did.

Balsam Branch

2009-12-28T23:37:00.001-08:00

Buying a Christmas Tree

2009-12-28T21:41:00.001-08:00

We went here first. There were not many trees left and the needles were getting dry. But the "Pay Here" slot was a nice thing. We drove over to New Hampshire and found another lot.

This lot had lots of very fresh, healthy trees. It was 06 degrees outside so it didnt take long to choose one. Mine was so tall I had to remove parts from both ends to get it to fit the room.

Orange

2009-12-27T20:25:00.001-08:00

I have an orange paperweight in front of my embellished orange piece.

Stars

2009-12-27T18:35:00.001-08:00

These beautiful star Christmas ornaments are limited edition pieces made by my friend Cynthia Orr and her husband. They have a studio http://stores.ebay.com/ILLUMINATIONS-GLASS-AN-ART and have been making the ornaments for a number of years. I have at least fifteen years of the ornaments, each different from the past years. I first met Cynthia when she and I participated in some round robin embellished jacket exchanges. Cynthia has a wardrobe of beautifully executed art to wear jackets as a result of her work. She is also a writer and illustrator. She is an artist of considerable talent.

Sketch of Mail Art from page 18 of my book.

2009-12-27T16:16:00.001-08:00

Flora Cupriferrous, Detail

2009-12-26T15:11:00.000-08:00

I made this quilt which was displayed at the International Quilt Show in The Hague, Netherlands.

Mail Art Sketch Book, detail

2009-12-26T15:08:00.001-08:00

Rose Arbor, July at Crossways

2009-12-26T15:03:00.001-08:00