Zoom Zoom Zoom

Zoom - it's gone!

The Flooded Prairie, 2012 (Sold)

It's a good thing I took lots of photos of this one.  You can see full photos on the post from 2 days ago.  It's gone to a new home already!  Along with this one...

Flax at Jackfish #4, 2012 (sold)

And this one...

Bloom #4, 2012 (detail) sold.

Thank you so very, very much!  I am flabbergasted.  Well, I guess I have my work cut out for me now.  Time to sew!  How's that for a "Finished It Friday"?

Now what?  I have purchased loads of interfacing for a memory quilt.  It's something I promised I would do a long, long time ago for my cousin Steffi.  I don't know why this was so tough to get going.  To be honest, I think that the sheer size of the project scared me.  We had a couple of phone calls & emails, and it seems much more do-able now.  So in some spare time, I'm fusing and cutting squares from her late son's clothing to piece a very simple top for a queen sized quilt.  You can read more about that here.   Warning: heartbreaker.

Thank you for all the beautiful compliments on the latest art, and on my NJS entry as well.  That's been really wonderful for me to read.  And... WOOHOO - the outdoor pools are open! ; )  Happy weekend everyone! 

New Bloom 4

a new do of 'Bloom', 2012 (4x6"), a photo by My Sweet Prairie - Monika Kinner on Flickr.

Making Progress, Counting Down

Here's what I've been busy with - another 'pile of prairie' for the Spring Show & Sale at the end of the month.  (see the top of the blog for details).

That photo was taken a while ago.  Now to do more handstitching...

starting on the handstitching now

hand stitching to be added - just a few tiny white stars I think.

mini flax field remake - 4x6"

Two more Bloom pieces just finished!  4x6" and 3x9"

I feel better after making this post.  It looks like I've done so much more than I thought I had.  I've been slowly working on things throughout the blog give-away week, but never really felt I had made much progress.  I'm linking up to The Needle and Thread Network.  Please drop by to see more fabulous works by bloggers from across the country.  Thank you for stopping by my blog!

Work in Progress...

I feel kind of weird. I just mailed away a Prairie Rug #3 to it's new owner in Vancouver (the far west of Canada), and my 'A Prairie Dress' is gone on it's way to Halifax (the eastern side of Canada) for the National Juried Show.  I am still in a blurr over that one!  How very strange to be spread coast to coast like that!  sigh.  Please be gentle Canada Post!  : )

I have been stitching too!  I have two smaller 'Bloom' redo's, and two smaller 'Flax at Jackfish' pieces.  I am currently working on the 'Denmark/Australia' commission... but I'll reveal that when it's done.

'Bloom' in progress once again.   Love it every time I stitch it!

For the rest of the week I have a hand quilting class, and YOU have more contests to enter.  Fun Fun!  I'm really glad I took a chance and asked for prizes.  I found some terrific sponsors!  So snoop around on my blog this week.  Winners will be announced on Saturday May 5th.

linking to The Needle & Thread Network!  Come see what others are up to...

Bloom, take three

Here is Bloom 3, all finished!  I love it!  It's 3 by 9 inches, vertical.  I'll put it into a similar frame and matting as Twelve Trees.  Take a look!

Here's some better-lit details...

: )

Happy Monday,

Work in Progress

I was finally able to get more done on this piece...  Eve's Glow.  October's Glow.  October Eve.  (sigh)  Still not decided on the title.  I am really enjoying every stitch though.  ; )

rusty French knots in the reeds to show off curls

I am still so very impressed with how those Wonderfil rayons really make the water look like water.

I'm also at the point of hand stitching this piece.  I haven't shown you yet.  It's a new take on Bloom.  It's 3x9 inches... vertical!  I love the feel that cropping things differently creates.  Here's some pretty close-ups of the work thus far.

Bloom 3, in progress

Here is the first Bloom from last year, 6x8".

Bloom, 2011 (sold)

Now that I have more colors, I really look forward to stitching in the blanket flowers onto Bloom 3. 

Check this out.  I was wandering aimlessly around a department store, looking for treasure to perk me up after a week of tending to sick me and sick children.  (Do you ever do that?)  I found it!  Bernat decorative bundles of yarn fibres.  It's a 'scarf making kit' at Zeller's... but I have other plans for these pretties.

mmmm... couching, couching, and more couching : )

No kidding!  Zeller's for ten bucks each.  Nice.  There's a heck of a lot there!  I'm impressed.

Linking to The Needle & Thread Network!  ; )

 

Workin' on It!

Sorry the posts have been slow.  My kids have had four days off and we've been playing, playing, playing.  What a great start to winter.  When my husband has been home, I've been making trips back and forth getting matts & frames.  What a LOT of work it is preparing your own art.  I used to complain that framing was so expensive.  Right now, paying someone else to do it would be worth every penny.  I'm pretty happy with the selection I've collected so far.  These photos are a bit dark as the nights come early now!

First I clean up the loose threads, and then I satin stitch the open edges to the canvas underneath.

finishing Flourish, on of my favorites.

As much as I love variegated thread, I find solids work best here.  Otherwise, you get stripes of repeating colors.  The right solid seems to blend way better.  Trust me.  Learn from my mistakes.  ; )

This time around, I am making a variety of sizes and a variety of frame styles.  Last show, I had one uniform style.  So far so good - I am liking the variety.  Here are some lying on top of matting & frames as a simple way of auditioning to find a good match.

Winter Comes at Night looks simple and striking in a minimalist square frame

I like the drama with that last small piece when it is laid on the stark & deep white matting.  The frame is a deep dark brown with undertones of orange the really make the deep indigo POP.

Bloom II in a coppery brushed wood grain really brings out its warmth and texture

This next one is already sold as a commission.  I love the blonde solid wood frame with the barley.  It's a very feminine piece.  I haven't heard back yet what color of frame the buyer is wanting, so I will wait before going ahead with this choice.  It looks very modern and sharp with a dark coffee colored frame.  The coffee brings out the greens.  hmmmm...

So that's what I've been doing.  I've been finishing things.  It will take over a week to get all this completed for the show.  I went to the Centre today to check out the space.  It's not a huge wall and I have about ten pieces, so I'm sure I'll fill it all.  I'm sure people were looking funny at me when I was in the mall.  I'm like my mom - I measured with my arm lengths and then went home to compare it to our wall space.  lol.

I'm also registering for my class that is being sponsored by a scholarship from the Saskatoon Quilters' Guild!  (thank you thank you!)  I get to start in January.  I'm taking 2 classes through University of Saskatchewan Certificate of Art & Design program and one on Handquilting.  Lots of you have asked, so here is the description of the first one:

USCAD Experimental Fiber Art Advanced II

"This course will be an advanced level on continued exploration and development of personal interpretations and experimental approaches to fiber art and design. Student will focus on creating mixed-media works of art utilizing a variety of media and techniques such as weaving, fabric collage, dye, screen printing, knitting, and crochet utilizing analytical and critical thinking during the art-making process. Course content will be presented through hands-on projects, demonstrations, lectures, discussion and critique. Students are also encouraged to experience and engage in starting projects reflecting on variety of media such as sound, vocabulary, other visual media and various contexts of their interest."

Linking to The Needle & Thread Network.  Tell your knitter, crocheter, weaver, dyer, and embroidery friends if they have a Canadian blog, they are more than welcome to join. ; )

The Colors of Late Summer

I really love late summer.  Things feel like they come to a completion, and then September brings so many new beginnings.  Last night I dropped in at Periwinkle quilting for their 10th anniversary party.  I got to see lots of great women from the store, for our guild, and Molly too!  (Hi Molly : ).  Judy M. from the Studio on 9th was there.  She's so interesting!  I look forward to getting more involved in the classes there this fall.  I missed Margot Lindsay unfortunately, but I did talk Michelle into selling me these new packets Margot put together.  They are embellishing yarns/fibres and no two packs are alike.  I picked this one, inspired by harvested field you can see on the university grounds as you come around circle drive.

Margot's mix

I love they grey sky and the ?? tawny chartreuse ??  What are those colors?  Honey and wheat and greenish beige.  I dont' know what they are called, but they sure are relaxing.  They are the colors of the end of summer.

my photo from 2010, driving to the berry barn outside of Saskatoon - perfect match to Margot's color!

The colors are dry.  They are strange.  They are hot and cool at the same time, aren't they?  I love those colors!  I have been so inspired by color, but have never been interested in fabric dying.  I have been pondering dying my own threads, and that gets me excited.  Then last night while picking out frames and matting form my embroidery, I spied this on a discount rack!!!  

just waiting for color!

It comes with 36 read-to-dye skeins plus red, yellow, and blue dye powders in bottles.  I will try to mix colors to get more natural looks, and most likely I'll save some skeins for natural dyes from my kitchen or garden.  Not bad for under $8!  I will let you know how it goes!  : )

As for Friday Finishes, this is now matted and framed and oh so beautiful!  I hope she likes it. ; )

Bloom, 2011 in a coffee frame.

See you later!

~Monika

I like to consider September as late summer because the days are still so hot.  I am linking to Stitched in Color's Celebrate Color post!  Everyone is adding their September palettes there if you would like to see!  : )

Works in Progress Wednesday @ TN&TN

I'm working!  I'm working!  I have been doing so much 'paperwork' (ie: computer documents) it's incredible.  I finished my article for A Needle Pulling Thread Magazine.  That's one important deadline completed!  Break out the bubbly!  I filled out application forms and guild membership forms.  I wrote out the tutorial for my guest post at 3CS, which is coming up very soon.  I will blog when it happens so you can go see.  My thing will be threadsketching.  I have yet to add all the photos and maybe a video.  It's a lot of work!  : )

I have my project well under way for the big show!  Flo at Butterfly Quilting was sweet enough to bring me some patterns to pick from.  I found a great one!  Thank you Flo!

paperwork.

I copied out the pieces so I wouldn't wreck hers.  I used gift bag tissue paper.  Why not?  I also had to add over and inch and a half of waist length.  This is a big learning curve folks!  Remember, I can't follow a pattern!

using my window as a light box

That's all I can show you there!  I am documenting it so I can post it all later (when my hands are recovering).  Smart hey!?  I finished this and finally got a half decent photo of it.  That was no easy task.  With all the colors in there and even good day lighting, something kept registering funny and messing up the hues.  So I tried a technique I had heard of before.  I laid a greyscale paper on the side of the piece, lined up the camera, focused, and then removed the grey paper before snapping the shot.  It worked!  Brilliant.

Bloom, complete.  2011

I'm also preparing for the online course Embroidery, Embellish, Create by Karen Ruane in the UK.  I am so excited!  We just got our supply list from her and I'm getting it all together.  It's all white on white embroidery including cutwork and cross stitch...  (yessss).  Can you believe a guild friend of mine here in Saskatoon is signed up too?  We'll have to present our finished projects to the guild for show and tell I think!   Just look what this fabulous woman does!

Karen Ruane's photo of her work, blogged with permission

Her class begins Monday.  My postcards class at Bernie's is set for Sunday, Sept 18th. There are a few spots left if you would like to try your hand at quilted postcards.  Just email me.  mysweetprairie@gmail.com
Speaking of which, look what arrived in my mailbox from PostcardCottage!  Thank you so much Heather P. of Mississauga, Ontario. : )

"My Favorite Place" postcard from Heather P.

No Jesica's Quilt?  No Jesica's Quilt.  I dislike my quilting and am pulling out a lot of stitches.  I will post after I redo it!  :(  Linking to The Needle and Thread Network...  come join if it fits!

LINK HERE

See you tomorrow!
~Monika

Fabulous Friday Finish!

It's done!  It's done!  I did it!  I did it!  I'm just auditioning frame and matting choices.  I think we are going with this one: coffee wood and sage matting.  It's just sitting on top of an existing picture right now.  I'll head out soon to go get another for this piece.

"This Piece" is all I've come up with for a name.  I don't know why this is so difficult to name!  I took it on Canada Day.  It has all the colors of the rainbow.  Any suggestions!?  You all helped me out with naming Boundless, which was perfect.  I could use your help again.  It's sold and I need to name it before I put it under glass.  Here's the original.

July in bloom, set on high contrast to bring out the colors

I really love the purples in there sooo much, that I began to embellish anoother unclaimed one that I began.  There's something about the light, bright green in the distance, and the blue hills that feel so magical to me. It was inspired by this postcard, for the My Happy Place swap.

just popped into the mailbox! 4x6" with a stamp on the back

So I happily combined my favorite parts and spent much time stitching purple and lavender and cornflower blue yesterday morning.  Let me tell you I loved every second of it!  I used fine rayons that are so full of sheen.

a new one - purple on the prairie

I love the feel of this one.  I will put heavier masses of purple into it plus some stems.  (Eventually.)  Here's a close up of the free motion machine & hand stitches.

Thanks for dropping by!

~Monika