That's odd. I was sure I posted since last weekend.

I am sure I posted late last week but it doesn't seem to be there. Oh well, to recap, Thursday evening I was at the inaugural meeting of a new fibre artists group. There were four participants and one person who couldn't make it. I was apprehensive about the group because I found the group on the Art Quilt list and since I have never made an art quilt, I was doubtful what kind of contribution I can make to the group. But the women were very welcoming, each with a different focus but also each with either some or considerable experience in innovative techniques. We decided to meet once a month (next meeting at my place) and bring a project which we have completed based on an idea in Quilting Arts Magazine.
I started on the project this weekend. It's supposed to be a bag made from a 14" quilted square. It's a good thing there were explicit instructions because I wouldn't have had a clue where to start.
I based my colour scheme on an approximately 32" by 24" strip of fabic given to me by Klara when I visited and met her in Israel last fall. I used fabrics I already had -- duppioni silk (I bought it on sale at Fabricland a while back with no immediate plans to make anything but I couldn't resist the colours and the price), some fabric from sample books that Gwen brought to the Pomegranate Guild last year and no one else seemed to want), some sheer fabrics : blue organza from Carmit's detritus, some ivory organza left from Dori's chuppah, and another shimmering and sort of opaque creamy organza which I bought because I couldn't resist, and also some of Klara's fabric strip itself. I added one or two gold trims and created a collage of rectangle and squares. Once I have everything positioned the way I want it (I'm not sure I'm there yet), I am supposed to put a tulle overlay and quilt the sandwich. Once that's done, I'm thinking of adding hand embroidery and beading. But I'm not sure that I'm going to make the bag in the end. I may just leave it as an art quilt wallhanging and make another one. Anyways I'm really excited about the group because I already feel energized and motivated to create.
On Friday, I pulled a Christmas card out of the garbage at work because the design was lovely and I wanted to see if I could replicate the design in fabric. It was fir trees covered in snow and glitter. I tried making it from some silver and gold ribbon I bought ages ago but didn't use because it was too flimsy for the type of work I was doing at the time. I did a sample putting a triangle of silver on navy blue tulle and free motioning in silver thread on it. And it turned out not too badly. But the blue tulle was not necessarily a good colour choice. I have to check my stash and see if I have fabric which will make a background for the trees. I may just make a postcard-sized piece using that idea.
I asked Menachem to photograph my shadow boxes so I can post them on craigs list or ebay to try to sell. He uploaded the pics but they're upside-down and I don't know how to rotate them. He's at work so I'll ask him to fix it when he gets home.
So I'm off to try an idea I just had to enhance the art quilt.