Making Landscapes to enjoy: Martell and Rasmussen

Sue Martell 

    The World Quilt Show New England X is this weekend in Manchester NH. I had so much fun that I spent two days there.

     It is always a pleasure to visit the cheerful vendors at the Quilt Essentials booth. Betsy Dorr, the owner usually knits and quilts and her sister Sue Martell inspires me with her piles of totally hand-appliqued landscape quilts. Sue is quick to point to the printed fabrics she uses; books on the topic, and the cloth support onto which she collages her fabric segments of "grass," "sky," "water," and "rocks." She repeatedly suggests I get to know Jo Diggs, a respected teacher and landscape artist. I no more got home from the show this year than I found in my e-mail a note from The New England Quilt Museum listing a Saturday morning workshop with Jo Diggs. I signed up! The Commons, a gallery in Eastport ME, carries Martell's landscapes.

Winter's Approach by Sue Rasmussen

   

    Ever helpful Sue Martel pointed down the hall to a beautiful landscape created by Sue Rasmussen, professional quilter from Simi Valley CA. "Winter's Approach" is entirely machine quilted. She used a printed fabric for the sky filled with branches and a shibori type fabric for the mountains. She pieces beautifully and I have been getting to know this artist by her work "on-line."If I had known I would blog about the quilt I would have taken a better photo. If you link to See How We Sew, you can see detailed photos, as well as  read about Sue, her book and her upcoming TV appearance. You will also want to visit Sue's website by clicking on this link.

      I believe both of these artists like the clean edge and the soft hand of a pieced or appliqued image.  I eagerly await my workshop with Jo Diggs mid-September at the New England Quilt Museum. Click on photos to enlarge.

Crafting puzzles of memories

    I have been gathering ideas for a celebration. There will be some small children at the event to entertain or offer a souvenir. Usually I have markers and paper, but I have been so busy with  photos, slideshows, movies and dvds, that I wanted a photo craft to involve them. Back when I used my darkroom for photography, I made puzzles for children. I would enlarge their photo on black and white thick matte paper and heat bond it to wood. I believe I also have used matte medium brushed on the back of the photo and onto wood to adhere the two together, letting the piece dry for four hours under pressure.

Click to enlarge.

     Today I decided to use a heavy duty spray adhesive since it was sitting in front of me! There is only a one hour wait for adhesion. I got out my camera to show what I first gathered together: my old Dremel scroll saw (my favorite tool of all time that I learned to use in 7th grade), two pieces of l/4"thick plywood the size of the photos (these 9 x 12s are birch and smooth), extra strong spray adhesive. I also grabbed a scrap piece of lattice work to see if I could still cut wood; and I double checked to see that I had plenty of blades. 

      First, I printed two photos on thick paper. Of course in art and craft something always goes wrong. This time, the printer started adding white borders around my photos. Or was the computer setting the problem? Nevertheless, I am forging ahead. Can't waste ink or paper. After I cut these out, I will lay them on cardboard from tablets, and put a clear wrap around...and they should be presented in a ziplock bag to hold the pieces for another round. I hope the puzzles please and inspire the children.
 
      I am back from cutting out the puzzles. I placed them on tablet cardboard. These puzzles are difficult!! I am glad they have white borders to assist the puzzlers, but at the same time entertain them for awhile!