Sun Trout #2

This one is almost done, just need to trim the edges, add a binding and sleeve for the back, and trim loose threads!

Reception & Noho Arts Night Out This Friday!

Crow Dreams of Fire

Autumn Hills: 
Quilted Landscapes 
by Elizabeth Sylvan 
October 1 – November 30
Edward Jones Office 
6 Market Street, Northampton 
Monday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm 
Artist’s Reception 5 – 8 pm, Oct. 14
Drop by to explore the colors of the season!

www.SylvanQuilts.com

Scottish Thistles - done!

Another one finished!  This one's shipping to PA shortly.  Can't wait to complete the layout for the rest of my other "large" project so I can show it off!  That one's coming soon!

detail - these were fun!!!

Sun Trout #2

Here's another piece in progress.  It's got pins all through it, ready to stitch.  I'll be adding more rainbow color to the trout, bringing out the greens in the corner foliage, and dropping a few more highlights into the water.  I spent part of last week's vacation (in a cottage on a Maine lake) laying out this one.  We didn't see trout, but the loons sang us to sleep every night, and the kayaking was great!

Thistles - August update

The Scottish Thistles are almost done!  Here's a shot of the fabric I chose for the grass in the foreground, before and after taking an assortment of fabric markers to it and adding the Scottish Broom in behind it.

before

 

 

 

after

Here's the final piece with stitching almost complete!

Catching up ... Scottish Thistles

Another current commission - here is the sky, in progress.  This one is not stitched yet, but when I add thread it will lighten the darker, shadowed portions of the clouds so that they blend in more.

cloud highlights, traced, cut out, and laid in place

blue sky and shadows beginning to blend in

the full width of the sky, ready to stitch!

catching up... Winslow Homer

Ok, so here's a taste of some of my recently completed work... the woman this one's for had a really long week at work, and I was happy to finally hand this off to her and put a smile on her face.

My commissioned version of The New Novel by Winslow Homer is complete!

Paradise City update - Day 2

The weather was soooo much better today!  We all felt cooler.  Had lovely chats with so many people!
The show runs from 10-4 on Monday.  If you haven't been yet, please check it out.  This year's art is amazing. 

Blueberry Moon # 10 - part of the American Beauty:  From Landscape to Dreamscape special exhibit at the Gazebo in the main building

Paradise City Update - Day 1

A warm thanks to everyone who came out the the Paradise City Arts Festival today despite the 95 degree heat in the buildings!  Tomorrow promises to be a bit better.  Here's my booth this year, and two of my neighbors.  Everything is gorgeous as usual, and the mango smoothie generously supplied by two friends was much appreciated!  Oh, and this first shot is of what we found in the yard Friday after getting home from setting up my booth at the show!

Double Phoenix

This is the finished Double Phoenix quilt that I did several years ago.  It now hangs in our entry-way.  I had so much fun using all my favorite autumn colors from my stash!  Some day I'll play with this block design some more.

Kestrels

I'm almost finished - just need to stitch the bird into place.  This is an American Kestrel - a species that we sadly don't see as often as we used to.  This year, Paradise City Arts Festival, over Memorial Day weekend, is donating the proceeds from their silent auction to benefit the Kestrel Land Trust.  I will be donating either this piece, or a similar one, to the auction.  It should be a wonderful weekend!

Kestrel #3:  Summer Haze

Workshop Update...

A dozen wonderful ladies met today for six hours to learn about landscapes, layout, and design.  Here's what they worked on!  All the small white and yellow dots are pin heads - these pieces are pin-basted and ready to stitch.  The hours just flew by.  We shared fabric and turned out some amazing pieces!  All are in progress.  Many will be at our guild meeting tomorrow, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church.  Meeting details are here:  http://www.handsacrossthevalley.org/

I'm so proud of everyone - they we very brave and jumped right in!

everyone brought LOTS of fabric to share!

look, faeries!

desert with yellow flowers coming into bloom!

don't you wish you were on this beach today?

sky, mountains, fields..simple lines can be dramatic.

wonderful purple desert shadows

I love dark, mysterious skies!

sky, mountains, lake/river with boat - the white spot in the foreground just isn't filled in yet.  Love the gold sun and purple clouds!

and just look at what you can do with batiks!

wonderful rocks!

dryer sheet clouds!

can you spot the frogs?

look, architecture!

adding tulle on top

stitching away!

my studio, after prepping for the workshop, getting ready for Paradise, and working on commissions!

Workshop tomorrow!

Here's one of the samples I'll be bringing to my Hands Across the Valley Quilters Guild workshop tomorrow.  It's not stitched yet - this is to show everyone how I do the layout.  I can't wait - this is going to be so much fun!

Multi-tasking Part Two...

Ok, I know there's recent research about how multi-tasking isn't effective, but I kinda feel like it doesn't take into account those of us who have families or multiple responsibilities.  I've always loved multi-tasking.  My brain would get bored if I couldn't move between projects as inspiration struck, and I get lots more done when I have multiple projects going at the same time.  Some things I can do over my lunch hour, like cutting out fabric.  Others need to happen at home, like selecting fabric from my stash and fusing pieces down.  When I have multiple projects going, that means I always have something to work on when I have a spare five minutes.  I sew sleeves during my son's Aikido class, I cut fabric while helping him with homework, and I trim threads while waiting for appointments.  So, here's a taste of all the things I have going at the moment.

from Winslow Homer's painting, The New Novel.  Fused, with printed and hand-colored face.  Not a stitch in it yet, but there will be soon!

My attempt at ripples.  Not sure if it's quite done.  Maybe.  This one will be ready for Paradise City.

A sample sky for the landscape workshop I'll be teaching in April.

Multi-tasking...

So, I've got lots of new things happening.  First, I'm doing a quilted version of Winslow Homer's watercolor painting The New Novel for a work colleague.  This one's got a way to go, but it's a fun project and not too large.

The painting

The quilt

This month, I quilted a top that I made 17 years ago when I had only just been bitten by the quilting bug.  Back then I didn't know how to quilt, so I tied it.  Now it finally feels more finished!

I'm also working on making ripples on top of an abstract watery background.  Cutting out all the tiny blue bits is time-consuming, but I'm fascinated by the patterns and reflections found in lakes, streams, and fountains.  We'll see how this one looks after it's a bit farther along.  Right now... not so sure yet.

With any luck, I'll have another more involved commission soon, and I'll also have work up in the Northampton Cooperative Bank in Amherst for the months of March and April.  In my spare time (that means during my lunch hours) I'm hoping to do a few new pieces to bring to Paradise City over Memorial Day weekend.  Am I crazy?  Absolutely, but at least I'm having fun.  Besides, I like to multi-task!