more mailbox views

Here are more views of my mosaic mailbox . I still have to grout and seal it but do like the way it is turning out

Mosaic mailbox

This is one side of a mailbox I am working on.

I have been glueing glass and tiles and am adding embellishments as well.

This will be a 3 season mailbox as I don't think it will withstand Michigan winters even though I used all materials that were recommended for the climate.

This is one of several projects in progress including several tables .

I will grout them all at once when they are ready.

Trip to QN with CCC

CCC went on another fun trip .. this one to Quilt National in Athens, Ohio to admire some very contemporary quilts. We also saw the wonderful musical, The Quilters , and stopped at several quilt shops along the way. We added some treasures to our stash, shared lots of stories and enjoyed great friends.

Cyber quilting hints

Make your own jelly roll form your stash 2.5 inchs x width, about 40 strips
1 lb of quilting fabric is equal to 4 yards .. 1 yard is approximately 4 ounces
Project Runway begins on August 20 on Lifetime

Clean the iron by ironing hot over a wet Mr Clean magic eraser..Works great, no fumes, no mess.

Dritz self-threading needles: Pop the threads down through the top slip and then work the threads into the quilt.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, is hosting a quilt exhibition in November, 2009 To create the exhibition, which will be held at UN headquarters here in Geneva, the quilt challenge is on the theme "Making a Healthier World for Our Children." Once the exhibition finishes in Geneva, it will be shipped back to the U.S. for touring at regional quilt shows in order to educate Americans on the vital work of the Global Fund in addressing these three major diseases - AIDS, TB and Malaria -- diseases which strike mothers and children disproportionately and are so disruptive of development and education for children. We are seeking American quilters interested in submitting a quilt for the exhibition via a challenge competition. Quilters and guilds which do not choose to participate in the quilt challenge may also support children's health programs by donating quilts of any kind to the U.S. Mission for sale at the annual UN Women's Guild bazaar, which yearly raises nearly $500,000 for children' charities around the world. Quilt guilds are also encouraged to adopt the Global Fund as a charity and donate to the Fund via the UN Foundation. Entry Requirements :
Theme: The aim of the exhibit is not only to explain the devastating effects of these diseases, but also to spotlight solutions and progress being made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, particularly in relation to children around the world. The exhibition would be comprised of challenge quilts submitted to the U.S. Mission and photographs and informational panels provided by the GlobalFund. For those with older children who are studying international relations, this project presents an excellent opportunity for parent-child (or grandparent-grandchild) collaboration.
1) No size limitations. All quilts must include a 5” sleeve for hanging on the back.
2) Sew a label onto the quilt with quilter’s name, home town, year made and quilt title.
3) Fill out the entry and donation form, attached to this page, on the Challenge website. http://www.quiltchallenge.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/quiltbrochure.pdf
4) Provide a statement explaining the concept of your quilt and linking it to the challenge theme.
5) Group quilts are encouraged.
6) Finished quilts should be mailed by September 25, 2009 to: Dick Wilbur,Deputy Public Affairs Counselor,5120 Geneva Place,Dulles, VA 20189-5120

http://www.harperhousestudio.com/CanCards01.html popcan postcards
http://www.cddesigns.com/AfternoonProj/index.html
http://www.diamond-needle.com/pdf/EN-04.pdf
http://annemaundrelldesigns.com/wordpress/
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/templates.htm
http://www.eyfellsandeyfells.com/eyfells-k-portraitsandpaintings-celebrityportraits.htm
How to remove rust http://www.ehow.com/how_18793_remove-rust-fabric.htmlhttp://www.atcsforall.com/forum/gallery/index.php?
http://www.thefrugallife.com/rust.htmlhttp://www.wisegeek.com/how-can-i-remove-rust-stains-from-my-clothes.htm
http://www.xl-wip.net/15filidoro/ various Italian quilt shows
http://needlemarket.com/quiltedmoments/michigan-quilt-shops
http://pbtex.com/MARC_skirt_rayon.pdf reversible wrapped skirt
http://www.lmpoole.blogspot.com/
http://www.tanyabrown.org/10Months.php click on details of eyes and hair
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=altered%20art%20shoes&w=all

Teacher's exhibit self portrait

Am teaching a class on textures at Quilting Unlimited, a retreat for the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild. I chose this quilt for the teacher' exhibit.

Time Flies When You are Having Fun: A Quilter’s Journey 24 x 30 inchesSeptember 2006
Thread sketched caricature; Washers, fiberglass window screen, charms, credit card signature.
“Superman” from Pepsi Can because I feel great when I finish my quilt

John Donelson's graduation quilt

Turned many of my nephew, John's clothes including overalls, Tshirts, and some photos into a memory quilt for his high school graduation. It includes his vital statistics at birth, schools, jobs, clubs, and travels. Many of the pockets hold assorted items including a pair of socks...his mom always gets him socks for him at Christmas. I even cut apart a shoe and sewed it in.

Peacock quilt

We created the main peacock in one weekend. Sucheta and I made duplicates of the same peacock in one weekend with Aai's help. I added mine to a watercolor quilt I had made many years ago.

I added a couple more peacocks because I thought he needed more company.

popcan postcards

These are my popcan postcards for a Fiberart Traders swap.

Some of them were crimped and beads , doilies and charms were added for embellishments.

Cyberquilting hints :

Blue gel glue as resist just soak the piece in room temp water for about 10 - 15 minutes & the glue melts out.

Solid-colored shower curtain: soft, flexible and easy to sew through. Uses: totes, purses.

Before covering your design wall with white flannel, draw a giant grid with a Sharpie. This shadows through the fabric just enough to act as a guideline for squaring and blocking.
..or use 1" fusible gridded interfacing for your design walls

Ribbons and rosettes from horse/ dog shows: apply velcro dots on the back of the ribbons ..hang and move them easily.

To square and block on a carpet, first lay the quilt on the carpet and start with the top edge. Pin one corner, then smooth it out or tug a bit until the other top corner is right. Then securely anchor the whole top edge with plenty of pins. Now pull the rest of the quilt gently into what seems to be approximately the right shape. Put a pin in each of the two bottom corners. Measure. If the dimension across the bottom matches the top, you are getting there. Check the side dimensions to see if they match each other. The really important measures are the diagonals (top left to bottom right, and top right to bottom left). When they are identical, you know you have a perfectly squared quilt. Just keep adjusting the angle and amount of tension by re-pinning the two bottom corners until you have matching dimensions. Then you can pin it securely all round. You can make sure the edges are straight with a long straight edge of some sort if you have one. If you don't, pin a piece of string to one corner and stretch it taut to the next corner and use it as an adjustment guide down the edge to
be sure it is straight.

Prewashing with Synthrapol helps remove excess dye. If a quilt is constructed without this pre-treatment, use Retayne to stop the fabric from bleeding, particularly when a dark fabric is sewn to a light fabric. For future washings, use Woolite's Dye Magnet or Shout's Color Catcher, which resemble dryer sheets to pick up any renegade dyes in both the washing and drying cycles.

Children’s quilts:
...use alphabet blocks to spell a childs name and applique blocks of favorite toys.
... blocks in the colors of the parents favorite teams

Angelina in needle felting: combine some of the Angelina fibers with either wool or silk roving. The Angelina will blend into your piece with the natural fibers you combine it with and leave a nice sparkle. This method also dilutes the Angelina so it is not as intense as applying it by itself.

fabric /mousepad.. Just make it like a slip cover, with elastic around the edges and put it over the mousepad...It works just as well and can be washed.....

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_linens_fabrics/article/0,,diy_13765_3558619,00.html or use heavy duty double sided fusible
Felting tutorials http://www.tryourdesigns.com/FreeTutorials.htm

http://www.marcusbrothers.com/makeit/ideas/creative_fabric_panels/index.html

http://www.freequiltpatterns.info/QuiltCategories/FreeBabyQuiltPatterns.htm http://www.forevergreenquilts.com/baby_quilts.html http://home.howstuffworks.com/flying-geese-quilt-pattern.htm http://www.stitchinpost.com/freepatterns.html http://twelveby12.org/theme.html
http://quiltersguildnsw.com/quiltshow/
http://www.fiberarts.com/back_issues/Summer-2009/mixed-media-with-beads.asp
http://thegoldenthimble.com/pennypenquin.pdf
http://www.krazydad.com/kaleido/ make your own kaleidoscope

http://www.robertkaufman.com/quilting/quilts_patterns/imperial_garden/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/truvy57/sets/72157619967810794/show/with/3643650189/

Diya

Worked with 11 year old Caitlin on a quilt, Diya.

She did used beads, sequins , shisha mirrors, trims and did such a great job!

Michigan Invitational Art Quilts

The challenge for this year is The Art of Nature.

My quilt is called Earth's Dynamic Organic Art and is 20x24".

Magnet swap

These are my magnets for the Moo Moo magnet swap with Fiber art traders .

I can't wait to see what I will get back.

Cyberquilting hints

Interesting tidbits I learnt from the internet ...

Foiling: with Misty Fuse .. so fine , and you can paint or otherwise color it before foiling as well. You can also just use the sharp side of your iron to get little 'stripes' of foil.

Pitt Pens: are India ink pens and don’t dry out so fast as the pigma pens..also the tips seem more indestructible....the ink so far has passed the soak it in water to see if it runs test...they also come in a wide range of tips and colors.

Teflon pressing sheets/ substitutions:
.... Reynolds parchment paper
... NON-stick Reynolds aluminum foil

If you have some extraneous paint stick paint on your cloth, you can use a piece of masking tape to get most of it off if it is fresh
.. You can also use the slick side of freezer paper as a palette. Load some color on it (mix colors if you want) and then dab the stencil brush in the paint

Sign with free motion stitching. Straight, not satin stitching. .do it fairly large - about 1" high, which makes it easier. Draw top and bottom horizontal lines with painter’s tape, as a guide
.. Thicker thread shows up better if you're looking for contrast. Print out your words in strips if you need to have everything spaced exactly so that you can use the strips as guides.

The best way to raise the table ( if it has 4 legs) is to go to the hardware store and get 4 lengths of PVC pipe......measure the length of the legs and add 6 inches (or however high you want the table) and slide the pipes up over the legs. Be certain that you purchase PVC pipe that is just a little bit bigger in circumference so that it will slide up over the legs. When you are finished..just slide the PVC pipe off the legs and resume as normal
.. Go to your local hardware store get 4 pc of pvc pipe about 2 " SO IT WILL GO AROUND YOUR TABLE LEGS and 10 - 12 " so it will fit YOU Then get 4 caps so the cut edge will not hurt your floor with help get them on one end then the other your done and take off when not in use WORKS SO WELL and so budget friendly

Make all test blocks out of Christmas fabric. Then when I need a quick gift, they zip together for a scrappy sampler.

You can order black canvas or already stretched black canvases from Dick Blick. The already stretched canvases are not gallery wrapped. I have purchased white stretched gallery wrapped canvases and painted them black. I went to Lowe's and had them mix flat black wall paint for me. My regular framer was even impressed with how great my fiber pieces looked mounted on the black canvas.
..But, house paint on canvas is not archival. It will eventually come off. Raw canvas needs to be primed for oil paint. Acrylic paints act as a ground instead of gesso; there is acrylic gesso. When making fine art, destined to hang in a gallery, the archival quality of the substances used is imperative.

A facing for the edge of my quilts, just for a different look from a binding. Cut a two inch strip and sew it to the front, right sides together. Then turn and iron it and iron the edge so it looks nice and clean and iron the facing to the back. Iron under a 1/2" fold on the facing so when I turn it to the back, there's not a raw edge. Then , hand stitch it down on the back. Do two sides even with the quilt edges, and on the other 2 sides, I make the facing an inch or so longer so I can fold it in and make it neat when I turn it to the back.
.. Once I have turned the facing to the back, I run a line of machine stitching just 1/8" to the outside of the seam line, taking in the facing and quilt layers in that seam allowance area - press it and then turn the raw edge of the facing under and then slip stitch down.

Irregular shaped top: during construction it is possible to build in serious stiffening and then at the level below the lowest point on the shaping attach a regular rod sleeve. This needs to be planned in advance, and is not something you can do at the last minute when you find you have ended up with something 'irregular'.
.. attach Velcro at intervals along the shaping, and then cut a board (marine ply or heavy duty foam core) shaped similarly, but a bit smaller than the outer edge of the quilt-- drill two or more holes to slip over screws or picture hooks, and on this board place Velcro all round the edge to correspond with the Velcro on the quilt's edge. When the board is properly placed, press the quilt onto it; adjust for straight drape
.. If you are wanting sticky-out bits down the side of the quilt, these
Too need to be planned for and coped with during the construction phase
Rather than attach another sleeve and rod partway down.
Hold a pattern steady while tracing and cutting it by filling film containers with sand and using them as pattern weights.
Easy baby rag quilt: cut squares of muslin and leftover material into 7" squares. Pair them up with wrong sides together and stitch them any way you want - this will be the quilting of this quilt. Sew them on the diagonal, on the perpendicular going through the center, a square 2" in from the center, a heart, you name it. Once these are done, pair them up with fabric sides together (which is the top/muslin is the back) and sew together using a 1/2" seam. Sew two pairs to another pair and you have a foursome. Make 12. Lay them out 3 x 4 and sew those together. All the seam allowances will be on the front. Now clip all the edges with scissors every 1/4" on all edges, wash you quilt twice and you're done.
The owner of Superior Threads about all things thread, said that the restriction against using polyester threads with cotton was just an old wives tale--like the one that says we should only make quilts with cotton fabrics or that the only TRUE quilts are all hand made. He said that they had done extensive testing and found absolutely no evidence that polyester threads were any more likely than cotton to tear the fabric. The only threads any warnings about are those gorgeous rayons, which evidently lose their color over time, and weaken with age.

Clean brushes after acrylic paint dries It is expensive to buy the acrylic cleaner... a wonderful, inexpensive substitute: Lysol pine scent cleaner. It actually emulsifies the paint and the brushes come out like new. It also gets the dreaded acrylic out of clothes very nicely and doesn't harm the material.

Great ideas and inspirations from books at our local libraries:
Painting trees and landscape in watercolor Ted Kautzky 751.422 Kau
Fabric Painting Ginny Eckley 746.6 E
New Creative Artist Nita Leland 701.15 L
Feathered motifs http://www.forestquilting.com/freemotifs/freemotifspageone.html
http://www.artincontext.org/image/default.aspx?Disc_ID=14
http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/tvt018.asp burn synthetics Wood-burning tools and some fine-tip soldering irons can be used on nylon and polyester to cut and finish the edge,
Scraps http://tipnut.com/scrap-happy-update-more-fabric-scraps-remnant-ideas/
http://www.thebrush.org/Quilt2007/qshow2/index.htm
http://www.howtopedia.org/en/How_to_Dye_Fabric_/_Textile_with_Natural_Colors%3F
http://www.equilters.com/library/techniques/slashstars2.html
http://cynthia-stcharles.blogspot.com/
http://quilts.com/sqf08/enVivo/videoClips/video-DyePaint.html
http://www.canadianquilter.com/events/index_events_ttc2008.htm

The big picture..Free program for poster printing/enlarging; then click on Download:
http://www.tml.tkk.fi/~tmakipat/thebigpicture/thebigpicture.html

Printer’s option... prints, and then click on PROPERTIES. Choose how many pages it will print on, from 2 to 16. Use this for making posters for speaking engagements so that people in the back row can see.

Dyed towels or any sheet type paper product can be turned into fabric-like
material quite simply. All you need is a water base glue such as white craft glue or carpenter's glue or some of the Aleene's glues, etc. I like to use the ones that do not dissolve after drying. That way your finished item can be washable if you want.

Dilute the glue 4/1 that is 4 parts water for 1 part glue. It will look like diluted milk or rice water. This measurement can be altered to suit also as glues are quite variable in consistency but it needs to be very watery not thick in any way.

Paint this watered down glue onto a light piece of cotton fabric placed in the bottom of a tray of suitable size and which is waterproof. Continue adding watered down glue until the fabric is totally drenched.

Let this wet glued fabric sit for several minutes so that the watered down glue can really soak into the fibers of the cotton. It needs to remain looking really drenched with the watered down glue. Add more glue water if needed. Some of the watery glue can even be puddling out of the fabric. Then lay the desired piece of paper (in this case the colored
paper towel) onto the surface of the wet fabric. Use a brush or your fingers to press the paper into complete contact with the soggy wet glue soaked fabric. You want no air bubbles between the paper and the fabric. The paper will soak up lots of the watery glue. I find the bristles of a stiff craft brush works good for this pressing down stage as some papers get very fragile when wet. The finished paper/fabric item needs to be still dripping wet when finished at this stage so add more watered down glue if it is needed. The amount of watery glue varies with what fabric and what paper is used.

Let dry laying on the tray for a day or two, it may curl up around the edges a bit.When dry peel the fabric off the tray.
Admire your new piece of material. It can be pressed with a medium iron and used in any way you would use fabric.

You need the watered down glue to really soak well in to the cotton fabric and into the paper item with no air bubbles remaining. You do not want a high ratio of glue or the finished fabric will be very stiff.

This trick can be used for brown paper bags and dinner napkins and tissue paper and wrapping paper, and even recycled coffee filters. If the coloring of the paper is not color fast then some of the colors will migrate with the glue and water.

If you want to make a water proof item out of this new fabric, such as a purse or raincoat or hat, just paint it with one more layer of this watered down glue solution when all the work and stitching has been completed to seal stitching holes, threads and seams, etc.

sharpie tie dye: http://blog.sharpie.com/2008/11/sharpie-to-tie-dye-for/

skipped stitches are usually due to the needle you're using. Try moving to a larger needle since the painted edge may be making it harder for the hook to grab the thread since the thread is being held tighter to the needle. Also, make very sure that the needle is fully inserted and is facing the correct way when you install it. Just a smidgen off in any direction can cause skipped stitches. If a Sharp needle isn't working for you, switch to a Universal and see if that helps. On occasion you can use a size 18 needle when working with embellished fabrics. www.marathonthread.com and usually buy just the Sharps without the fancy stuff like MicroTex, etc. The brand I like is called Organ and they are made for high-speed embroidery machines so they don't respond to heat like some of the other brands do.

..use Kaufman pimatex, a very tight weave, dense fabric (maybe similar to sewing on painted fabric although not that dense) and even with the right needles my machine will skip when adjusted "normally" when sewing this fabric (pfaff 1475). So when I take it in for service I always bring in a sample of the fabric and they adjust the hook to be closer to the needle

made entire tops out of paper towels! Used gloss medium on the towel. Two coats. Also iron the towel to make it flat. I have a whole cloth quilt waiting for me that is just paper towel. I've quilted on copy paper, other high-end papers, even watercolor weight paper. I have no suggestions for using it bare. But what you get with your paint rags can be neat.

..they are very fragile so either put organza on top before stitching or a gel medium after.

.. for collages, and could probably be attached to thin fabric with gel Medium

A creative re-use center in Durham, North Carolina, The Scrap Exchange, http://www.scrapexchange.org.They opened in 1991 and it is an amazing place to go. They do community events, have in house classes, and they have an Artist gallery. It is definitely a place to visit if you come to the area.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24065392@N03/
ladybug http://goodygoody.typepad.com/goody_goody/2009/05/bitty-bug-pincushion.html
http://www.fiberartalliance.com/links.html
http://sylviasquiltdepot.com/schoolhouse.htm#wallhangings
http://beesquarefabrics.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-make-zig-zag-quilt-without.html
http://www.jinnybeyer.com/quilttips/index.cfm
Here you can get Best, Good and Free Designshttp://www.bestembroiderydesign.snble.comhttp://embroideryfiles.snble.com
http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/projects-ideas/table-toppers-runners/summertime-table-runner_1.html

How to Create a Tile Quilt Mosaic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0JkHMRVhJA&eurl

machine or serger cover. http://sewing.about.com/od/freeprojects/ss/machinecoverins.htm
http://www.quiltwarehouse.com/Jan%20Designs/wire_quilt.jpg
http://quiltmaker.com/currentissue/qat17/retiringtiesextra/
http://www.denacrain.com/blog/?page_id=547

Fire

This is the picture of the fire that was right next to the place my daughter rents.
She heard an explosion next door, saw the flames and rushed out the door and locked her doors behind her around 10 pm. It seems someone next door had been using a gas grill for dinner. The firefighters broke her doorframe to get in after she left and we had to call someone in to board up the windows that had cracks and to reinforce the door frame around midnight.
The vinyl siding on the side of her house looks terrible in daylight. They say it is structurally sound but there will be lots of work left
to do at her place as well.

She said the firemen arrived very quickly.
Luckily everyone in the neighborhood is fine.

She had a skunk that loved to live under her front porch. The fire smell got rid of the skunk smell!

Fabric microscope covers

Made 11 fabric microscope covers for the Cytologists at St Joe's Hospital, Ann Arbor. The occasion is National Cytotech Day on Wednesday. Ten and the same fabric and one is a golf fabric for an avid golfer.

Check out this article about my friend, Cyn Geist in the Detroit News:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090508/METRO04/905080376/1409/METRO/Genoa-Township-resident-paints-her-politics-on-garage-door

I feel the same as Cyn about the government spending .
My Journal Quilt about it is on my feb blog.

Way to go Cyn for expressing your views so publicly!

Recycled Art by Jean Shin

Saw a great exhibit of Recycled Art by Jean Shin at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC at 8th and G St NW. She used many items one could consider garbage such as old ties, pill bottles, computer keyboards, unravelling yarns.
we were not allowed to take photgraphs.
check out her work online..
http://images.google.com/images?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS311&q=jean+shin&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=1ncBSoG8I5PkNbbdmPwC&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title

It is definitely worth a visit if you are in DC . It is available till July 26, 2009

Bottle collection

A new home for my bottle collection.
Love those colors and shapes.

Embellished Top

Originally, this purchased top had too many beads and stones. Removed about half of them, and added them to my embellishment stash for future projects.

rugs from placemats

Zigzagged two striped placemats along the long edges while butting them side by side.Then zigzagged the floral placemat in the center for a quick kitchen rug!

All 3 were finds at a garage sale.

Guitars: A Study of Colors, and Actual Transparancies

Detail, A gift for my music loving daughter

Autumn Textures

Created for a class on Textures : Quilting Unlimited for GAAQG this summer. We will be working with over a dozen techniques including burning holes in sheers, layering with synthetics , mini scraps under net, steam shrinking threads and heating Tyvek.

The Seasons ..Quilts x3

The girls and I each worked on a separate quilt background. Each of us cut leaves and shared them to create 3 wonderful quilts.

I found this mat after we made all 3 quilts..what a coincindence!

International Fiber Collaborative (W.R.A.P)

This the my leaf contribution to the International Fiber Collaborative.
Participants will create a full-sized tree for display in April 2009 at Big Springs International Park in Huntsville, Alabama. Here are some of the other leaves.
http://www.internationalfibercollaborative.com/html/gallery.html

south carolina trip

A beautiful sunrise!

Enjoyed the art museum with an interesting exhibit of Tools.

The Wild woman is for a friend.

This fiber postcard is for Kim Ritter's art car. She would like symbols of Peace for “The Peace Expedition”. For once I finished before the deadline!

Journal Quilt 2009 detail, economy

detail: Credit is tight, the housing market and the downward directions of banks, stock market, autos is creating the recession and our depression. Emotions sink as we view the negative values of our 401Ks.In a rush to do something to fix the economy, elected officials pass an unread 1100 page bill which is grossly padded with pork! The debt climbs into the trillions with the addition of each bailout as they are printing more money to cover the costs.

Gee, I wish I could print more money to cover my expenses the way they are handling the financial crisis!

Materials: Beads, charms, cottons, hardware cloth, ribbons, sheers, ties, Tyvek, and washers.

Jai Ho, Jai Ho Quilt

The faces are shisha mirrors and the text is windowscreen. I love Bollywood songs and AR Rahman's song has a wonderful beat from the Oscar winning movie, Slumdog Millionaire. The meaning of the words:

Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!) Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale (COME ON MY LIFE, JOIN ME UNDER THE BIG ROOF)Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Ke Tale (COME JOIN ME UNDER THE GLITTERING BLUE SKY)

Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)

Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale (COME ON MY LIFE, JOIN ME UNDER THE BIG ROOF)Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Ke Tale (COME JOIN ME UNDER THE GLITTERING BLUE SKY) Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)

Ratti Ratti Sachi Maine Jaan Gavayi Hai (NIGHT AFTER NIGHT I TRULY DIED..)

Nach Nach Koylo Pe Raat Bitayi Hai (SPENT THE NIGHTS DANCING ON HOT COALS..)Akhiyon Ki Neend Maine Phoonko Se Uda Di (I BLEW AWAY THE SLEEP IN MY EYES..)

Neele Neele Tare Maine Ungli Jalayi Hai (I BURNT MY FINGERS TRYING TO TOUCH THE STARS..)

Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale (COME ON MY LIFE, JOIN ME UNDER THE BIG ROOF)Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Ke Tale (COME JOIN ME UNDER THE GLITTERING BLUE SKY)Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)

Spanish: Baila! Baila! (Dance! )

Ahora conmigo, tu baila para hoy (Now with me, you dance for today) Por nuestro dia olvidas, (For our day, just forget..)

los problemas que sean (whatever problems there may be) Salud! (Cheers!) Baila! Baila! (Dance! Dance!)

Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!) Chakh Le Ho Chakh Le Ye Raat Shahad Hai Chakh Le (TASTE IT, THE NIGHT IS HONEY, TASTE it) Rakh Le Haan Dil Hai Dil Aakhri Had Hai Rakh Le(KEEP MY HEART, IT IS THE LAST LIMIT, YEAH KEEP IT) Kala Kala, Kajal Tera Koi Kala Jadoo Hai Na(DARK, THIS EYELINER OF YOURS, IS LIKE A MAGICAL SPELL)
Kala Kala Kajal Tera Koi Kala Jadoo Hai Na(DARK, THIS EYELINER OF YOURS, IS LIKE A MAGICAL SPELL) Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale (COME ON MY LIFE, JOIN ME UNDER THE BIG ROOF)Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Ke Tale, Jai Ho, Jai Ho (COME JOIN ME UNDER THE GLITTER BLUE SKY,.. IT ROCKS!IT ROCKS!) Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)Jai Ho Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)

Kab Se Han Kab Se Jo Lab Pe Ruki Hai Keh De(FOR SO LONG, YES FOR SO LONG, WHAT'S BEEN KEPT FROM YOUR LIPS, SAY IT) Keh De Ha Keh De Ab Aankh Jhuki Hai.. Keh De(SAY IT, O SAY IT, NOW THAT YOUR EYES ARE SHOWING IT..SAY IT!) Aisi Aisi, Roshan Aankhe, Roshan Dono heeray, Hai Kya(SUCH, AH SUCH LIT-UP EYES (OF YOURS), BRIGHT AS DIAMONDS, AREN'T THEY? ) Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale(COME ON MY LIFE, JOIN ME UNDER THE BIG ROOF)Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Ke Tale(COME JOIN ME UNDER THE GLITTERING BLUE SKY) Jai Ho.. Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!) (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)

Baila baila (Dance! Dance!) Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)Baila baila (Dance! Dance!) Jai Ho (LET VICTORY BE YOURS!)

Miami Art: Banana Batik

The artist called these figures collaged on banana leaves, Banana Batik..

These zebras were painted on banana leaves...

While on a Miami, Fl snowbird trip, we enjoyed an outdoor art fair

India E Postcard received

This beautiful postcard was created by Robi Ganguli, the recepient of my postcard.

Postcard Swap with Artists in India

Back of Postcard above.Keep Cool, hot pepper roof

This is the Front of the postcard I mailed out. It was Machine sewn with a Pepsi can, charms, beads, trims, fabrics.

Dreaming of warmer weather during a long, cold, snowy Michigan winter

Cannot wait to see the postcard I get back.

A Celebration Of Model T

As Detroit's Auto show comes to a close, here is another car I built in fabric that marks the events of another decade in the twentieth century, the 1910s. It took almost 3 years for me to complete this quilt. It was hard to work with just black fabrics for the model T, so i used black and whites instead, added lots of embellishments and I love the way it turned out.

Medusa, snakes hair detail

Medusa

Medusa came home after traveling for a couple of years. It was so much fun to create her hair full of snakes!

Passion and Fun

On snowy days during the winter, I love to quilt. It has been my passion and fun for over 28 years. I could spend hours quilting and the time just flies by.In this quilt, the head is a rotary cutter, The limbs are rolled metal tubes.
the heartbeat is rattail cord woven thru a metal grid.
The feet have locks and the key is elsewhere in the quilt.

Originally, I made the background of this quilt for the Tsunami. After it travelled as apart of the Sacred Threads exhibit, I cut it apart and reworked it so it applies to my passion for today.
Last week I thought about entering my Seven Steps Around the Sacred Fire quilt to the Sacred Threads exhbit this year but decided against it for two reasons. It has many fragile embellishments and it is already framed.

My Block for GAAQG worker's quilt

Celebrate Life Daily

detail

Full View

Wedding Quilt: 7 Steps Around the Sacred Fire

All auspicious beginnings include a havan, or a sacred fire which is symbolic of Agni, the Fire God. It is through fire that our prayers are said to reach God. During a Hindu marriage ceremony, the couple exchanges garlands of flowers and take 7 steps, Saptapadi around the fire, and each step represents a vow. My actual wedding chunni(veil) is used as the wedding sari in this quilt.

Wedding Quilt detail

The 7 steps around the fire and thier meaning: Step 1: May the couple be blessed with an abundance of food
Step 2: May the couple be strong and complement one another
Step 3: May the couple be blessed with prosperity
Step 4: May the couple be eternally happy
Step 5: May the couple be blessed with children
Step 6: May the couple live in perfect harmony
Step 7: May they be the best of friends forever