SAQA Donation Quilt Underway

I decided to use the maple seeds for my 12" x 12" donation to the SAQA Auction so I reworked the original design seen in the previous post, cropped the seeds closely and squared the design up. But still wondering what color to make the seeds.
Sunday after church we stopped by the Fresh Market for some dessert supplies and I found these wonderful red and green maple seeds. My color scheme is now at hand. Put a few Hypericum blossoms with the maple and popped them into one of Mom's little blue bottles for a small arrangement for the studio. If I can just refrain from tipping over the bottle and getting water on stuff, it will be a delight to have.
I finished inking the design on Tuesday. Want to take it with me on Thursday morning to the SAQA Visioning Conference. Anyone want to make bets?

Nancy

Designs from Passion

I found wonderful little group of maple seeds in my driveway last week. Knowing that I was planning to do a maple seed quilt again, I brought them into the studio. The sketch below is my first trial at a design. I always sketch with pencil and a fat eraser at hand. I found the different sizes of the "wings" intriguing. I will probably change the color when I do the inking of the design.



Any suggestions for color? I am going to work on a salmon colored piece of hand dyed fabric.

Nancy

Creating Glass Beads - book Review

This book is a bit off the track for my fiber art friends. However, many of us love beautiful and interesting beads, so take a look. Jeri Warhaftig has written a delightful book on creating those quirky beads that so many of us love to use. Lark Crafts and Warhaftig are to be congratulated on the publication of this all too seldom found book. It is a book, not for the rank beginner or the coffee table, but one for the ambitious novice and intermediate glass bead maker. The type of book that is too rarely found in any craft area. It is well designed and laid out for ease of use and reference as a technique-driven book that will take the ambitious novice many strides forward in learning about tools and techniques that are building blocks to creating in one's own style.




There is an opening chapter on tools, safety and how to use the book. Then 10 chapters that are individual projects and four appendices on specific techniques like mirroring with silver and working with resin. The project are each laid out with the same structure covering what the session will teach, tools and materials and specific illustrated instructions. My favorite parts of the book were the work done by testers and the examples they did with the techniques and how they branched off from the basic instructions to make their own work. If you are interested in how to make those fancy beads, this book is a delight. ISBN: 978-1-60059-582-0 HC, 144 pages, $24.95

Nancy