Oh my word, it has been a crazy busy week. There were finishes, teary goodbyes, weather issues, and also….some cheese. I’ll start with cheese because I know you’re wondering what in the heck is she talking about now? Today is National Cheese Lover’s Day and in our house, Amanda is our fearless cheese leader. Her favorite place to go is the Bloomy Rind in Hingham which is a specialty cheese store. When I asked Amanda what she wanted to do on college break, she said she wanted lunch at the Bloomy Rind. We had a wonderful reunion with the shop owner and she whipped us up UNBELIEVABLY good grilled cheese sandwiches…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Told ya so. And here is our master of cheese ceremonies, Amanda, and her amazingly good natured sidekick, Leah…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we ate, we tasted and purchased more yummy cheese…our current favorite is the Prairie Breeze Cheddar. When I tell you that Amanda and this shop owner have a cheesy connection, it’s because I see both of their eyes light up when they talk to each other about the creamy goodness that is cheese. Maybe I have a future dairy farmer on my hands?

The teary goodbyes were with Lindsey last weekend as we brought her back to UVM (Univ. of Vermont) also known as the frozen tundra right now. And a teary goodbye to Amanda a few days later as she headed back to the University of New Hampshire. Also very snowy and cold right now. I love when they are home and it just breaks me when they leave. Luckily,Leah is still home for another year and she gets to be the sole focus of mom and dad’s attention…ha ha ha. Bet she loves that! Don’t all teens?

On to the quilts…there were finishes and a start. I finished long arming Sharyn’s amazing quilt with a new pantograph and mocha thread that makes every quilt look gorgeous…

 

 

 

 

 

 

detail image…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The back….

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll get to the other finish in a moment…but here is Nancy’s stunning card trick which is next on the long arm….

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today is snowy and sleeting and generally yucky but I’ve been working on this portrait quilt and it has totally lifted my spirits. Any time I can combine photos with quilts is a win!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, my last finish is for the Step Into Your Art 2019 Challenge that I am hosting. There is a facebook group dedicated to the challenge and several of us are stepping out of our usual comfort zones and joining in on a monthly project. It’s not too late to join. You can find the group from the Quilt Cabana Facebook page. The challenge for January was to use the theme Light The Way and create an art quilt based on your interpretation of that theme. We also challenged ourselves to use a supply or technique that was new to us. We also are including an artist statement. Finishes are rolling in and this one is mine.

Shine Where You Are

It took some time for me to discover how the theme, Light The Way, would translate to my life and my work. Since I’m currently working on a mindset challenge, I thought I would try incorporating a strong woman aspect. I searched the internet for images of a strong woman and then realized that I was a strong woman! So I took a photo of myself. Next I looked for a light source and guess what? I realized I was a source of light! That silhouette of me is not receiving light, it is giving light. Two weeks ago at church, we sang a song with the lyric, ‘shine where you are’. I knew instantly this was to be the title of my piece. With a change in mindset for 2019, I will remain strong and shine where I am.

This piece is made on a background of felt (new to me technique) and the silhouette of me is made from fused silk roving. I made this fabric of silk roving last year and never used it. I also used Angelina fibers, embroidery thread, sewing thread, and Peltex (the piece is mounted on the Peltex).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I hope you’ll consider joining our Step Into Your Art 2019 challenge!
Sandi