The Lotus The lotus is an interesting plant. It grows in the unattractive mud, and yet blossoms into a symbol of beauty. There is not one peer of the lotus’ beauty, in its surroundings. And yet, its nature is to unfold into a work of art, it has a vision and a path, at the end of which is its beauty. The lotus has taught me that it is not your present situation that defines you, instead it is your destiny, the path you must take that leads to a happy and content life. Our lives are a mosaic, built out of pieces of love, sadness and joy. It is ever changing, so fixating on one negative piece ..read more

FINISHED PIECE The challenge here was to remake a piece we had, but didn't think quite worked. Below is my original piece. BORING! I was inspired by a personal photo, but I was really just playing around and the piece ended up being a bit dull. I liked the hand stitching and I added paint, lace bits and some other interesting fabrics, but it needed something. I decided to look for a NEW technique, something different to try. I had been watching several different You Tube videos on the art of Momigami which is a Japanese method of kneading paper into a fabric. This seemed like an interest ..read more

Challenge due May 31st. 2023 "Oh dear, now what!" We all have them, the project that looked great in our heads but….well not so great when done. So pick a project and rework it into that something great! Use a finish project or piece of something you started and cut it up, add to it, paint over it. Use whatever technique it takes to give an old project a new twist! For extra fun show a before and after photo ..read more

I love books! As a parent and a teacher I've loved sharing my love of reading. One of my kids favourite books was the The Big Hungry Bear. We read it daily, well some days it felt like hourly. I could read it with my eyes closed. Now as adults my children share my love of books. The bear and the mouse love strawberries. Can they learn to share? Here are a couple to share. The strawberries are painted and then thread painted. The field is strips of frayed upholstery fabric ..read more

My Challenge pieces is called "Blessings" and was inspired by the book The Way Of The Wolf  The Gospel in New Images,  by Martin Bell.  The book is a collection of short stories and poems which has been moving around the country with me since the 1970's. I not sure how I found the book originally but I still find myself picking it up every once in a while to reread. * The base of my piece is a brown/gray velvet.  I didn't want my night sky to be to heavy looking.   * The stars are silver thread which are just tied and cut short. * snow flakes are embossed on the ..read more

In my teen/college years I was very taken with a Dutch author Max Dendermonde.  In my memory, his book, The Door Ajar, literally opened up a door to a world of adults who were very different from the stratified 1950's environment in which I was raised.  I am showing the door ajar leading to a wild world of colour,  Brendan Marlo's fabric and his personality both personify "this world beyond" that so beckoned me.     ..read more

I was under the weather during this challenge period, and wasn’t able to complete the quilt for the reveal date. I finally picked it up again this week and finished the quilt top. Better late than never!    Now that I’ve fused the pieces down (I used Lite Steam-A-Seam), I’m stumped about how to quilt it. Should I quilt each piece individually about 1/8 inch from the edge? Should I use quilting to add detail and enhance the design? Should I throw a sheet of tulle on top and quilt some lines over it? I’m open to ideas and suggestions – otherwise it may live on my design wall for seve ..read more

Mosaics – Vivian Kapusta – The Ugly Duckling! 'Why an 'Ugly Duckling?' The day I started this - I had a lot of 'things on my plate' ...  my mind was elsewhere!  So, after working for a while, I realized that this was not what I started out to do. I figured I could 'fix' it and added more to it!  That didn't work - so, I thought 'not all items you make are wonderful, the Ugly Duckling should have its day!' Art is a process, not a destination ..read more

Next challenge. Due March 31, 2023 Be inspired by a book you have read and that has had an impact on you. It could be a children's book, fiction or non-fiction. Think back and see what lives in your memories. Of course, an explanation of the book and its impact and how it inspired your creativity would be great.    I adapted this challenge from Project Quilting with their permission.  https://kimlapacek.com/.../14-4_anovelproject-challenge-4... In fact, they encourage us all to participate with their challenges too.  But then you only have a week to finish your art q ..read more

My reflections are about my own breast cancer journey; treatment and afterwards.         Each of us lives afterwards with a different focus. I think I was determined that nothing was going change in my life.  But recently I visited a friend who went through this journey during COVID.  I was struck by how she focuses on "enjoying life now".   She is a quilter and at her guild meeting, the free table provided this panel and some of the pink fabrics I used, including the ubiquitous pink ribbon, which I so dislike myself.  I love the pink insect b ..read more