Week in Review 2022 – 03/18

Going Crazy

Lola on the Stairs is a wrap.

Am I going crazy? There are so many nuances to that question. I know I am not deranged. However, the answer would be yes, well at least a little if crazy refers to forgetful. It is a resounding yes if I am speaking about all the projects and activities I am involved in.

Back side of Lola on the Stairs. Rather than hanging sleeve on the back of my smaller quilts, I prefer corner triangles for hanging.

I thought I had shared my Lola on the Stairs the finish. Apparently not. Proof of the forgetful side of going crazy. My thread painting of Lola has been positioned on the stairs. I did some free motion stitching around the edge to imply fur. She is also fused into place.

Lola on the Stairs measures 12″ x 12″. It is my Benefit Auction piece for SAQA’s annual reverse auction. All work in the auction is required to be that size. Since this piece is small, I felt a hanging sleeve in the back wasn’t the way to go. I was leaning more toward hanging triangles. You would think with 36 years of quilting behind me I would know how to both face a quilt and add hanging triangles simultaneously. I couldn’t work it. It was driving me nuts. Shout out to all the free tutorials on the internet. I found this gem and was in business.

So Many Projects

Five hand dyed petals in fuchsia and white are topped with a yellow circle against a back ground of deep green hand painted fabric
I will be adding a thread painted bee pollenating the flower.

While I was on a roll with whipping out small quilts, I figured it was time to start putting together smaller works for Cohasset Open Studios. My goal is to complete one or more pieces a month from January to October. The open studio is in November. Well, that goal went out the window. I made one in January and here we are half through March. The impetus for this one is a fabulous book I just finished titled The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin. There is something that is so compelling about butterflies and bees and on flowers.

Half square, quarter square and square units combine in golds, white and black, forming a symmetrical 8 pointed star with a patterned surround
This is my second yellow block for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

So Many Ideas

Fortunately, I already completed my three yellow blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this month. Made that deadline. 🙂

Image of Putin holding a microphone and driving home a point
It isn’t easy to find images of Putin with his mouth open. This will help with inserting his vampire teeth.
Cartoon image of a vampire with a large overbite
Possible collar?
Image of vampire costume with red brocade vest and white ruffle collar.
I liked this debonair vampire with his vest and collar ruffle.
A sampling of the photos I referred to create my own image of Vile Vlad

My primary focus, though, has been an image swimming around in my mind of Putin as a vampire. SAQA recently announced a call for entry titled Color in Context: Red. It is rare for me to tackle such heavy subject matter in my artwork, though I have done it before. The original working title was Vile Vlad. However, this morning, when listening to an audiobook which has zero to do with politics or the state of the world, I heard the phrase bat sh*t crazy. I knew I had my title. All that is left is to make the quilt. Talk about crazy making understatements.

Pencil drawing on tracing paper of a bust of Putin as a vampire
This is the tentative blueprint for my next large ( ~ 54″ H x 40″ W) quilt.

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By Gwyned Trefethen

I am an artist who uses fabric, thread and miscellany to create designs gifted to me by my imagination.

6 comments

  1. Your ‘Lola’ is a sweet piece and so beautifully executed! Thanks too, for the link to that tutorial. I’ve been wanting to try those triangles for small pieces, so must check it out. 🙂

    1. Margaret, do check out the tutorial. It is my new facing with triangles for hanging obsession for small pieces. Only change next time will be to use smaller squares. The size recommendation was probably for a piece closer to 24″ or 60 cm.

      Lola is very precious. You can tell by her pose who rules our home.

  2. SO many ideas, and for me a few too many challenges. Am I crazy? I sure wouldn’t ask my husband that question!! lol

    1. I had a feeling one of my fellow over committed would “get” my post. I suspect my husband has no doubt I’m crazy, at least when it comes to all I take on with art projects and groups. Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  3. OMG that cat – love it – perfection 🙂 and you got Putin and the vampire so correct will love to see how that turns out

    1. I had fun and the usual struggle interpreting the photo I took of Lola. At first I was going to simply abstract a cat. Didn’t like how it looked, so I thread painted her instead. Creating Vile Vlad is going to be a challenge. I tend not to appliqué or use large, whole cloth type sections of fabric. My mind is reeling with different approaches. Fingers crossed I can pull this one off.

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