Joan: When we decided on this idea for our inspiration, I knew right away what I wanted to do. My bed is right under a window and each morning when I wake up, I pull the curtain aside to see what the day is like, As I search the sky for sunshine, clouds or *lately* snow, I think, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
I took a photo from my window using the angle I see when I look out from my bed, I then printed it on fabric and quilted it. The quote from the scripture is printed along the side.
I added "curtains" with some organza. Inspired by the movement in the fashions of Project Runway, I left if free so that it would move with a breeze or when someone walks by.
Pat: I am a project behind so brought my "feminine" piece that was due last time. I was inspired by the strength of women and by my own challenges of late. On the day I made this piece, it was Friday the 13th, it was the day I officially became a free and single woman, I was rushing around trying to get health care before the closing deadline and it was home inspection day. A long day but I made it through.
Marcia: "In the Beginning"as in "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ...... and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.…..." I wanted to create the water vision inspired by that passage. I used many different fabric types from hand dyed to velvet and commercial with variety of fiber content. I collaged them raw edge. The piece also contains tulle, beads, fabric paint and crystals.
Cathey: I also had the Genesis passage in mind. I wanted to represent the earth as it was forming. ".....The earth was formless and void, and darkness......." I made the background from black felt and the earth from hand dyed fabrics. The new stars forming in the heavens are broaches & buttons from my grandmother. I quilted chaotic swirls in the black "void."
Shelia Rae: From the gospel of Thomas - "Split a piece of wood: I am there. Lift a stone, and you will find me there." That quote is also in the movie, "Stigmata" and was considered heresy by the Catholic Church.
The wood and the holy stone were found objects. The other fabric stones in the corner were made using a process in a recent Quilting Arts magazine. The grid in the piece is tea dyed linen. Behind the linen is a greenish/gold metallic fabric. I remove threads from the linen in a grid format. In the openness created, the metallic fabric shines through, simulating the radiance of God.
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Show & Tell
In addition to our inspiration pieces, we had a large show & tell this month. Here are the pieces from that:
Joan: I made another piece using my enhanced zinnia photo. This one is titled "Zinnia Zowie." I made it for last month's Quilting Arts reader challenge. This time I tried something new for the binding - a piece if frayed organza type fabric. I like the added texture. There is some foil embellishment at the top of the flower.
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Marcia: "Going Up" This is a piece I finished based on Judith Lazerele's strip piecing technique. As usual, I added a few button embellishments.
"Snow" I just made this today. We have had so much snow, I just had to make a snowy landscape.
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Pat: This is a quilt I quilted on my longarm. It was made by URI pharmacy students and will hang on a wall in the pharmacy building.
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Shelia Rae: "Just Say No" is about the monkey on your back when you have a drug addiction.
"Flying Sideways" is made with 1920 bee fabric and some bees I got at Brimfield.
"I Heard the Robot Call Me by Name in the Dark" is about mental illness.
"White Out" is inspired by all the snow we have had this winter.
"The Dawn" this piece is heavily beaded and contains a laminated elephant.
"Sarah" is inspired by a black woman who died at the Alamo and went unrecognized for many years.
"I'm in Miami, Bitch" is about heat & color.
