kathleen murphy designs

Christmas Row Robin - part 2

2012-01-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

I finished quilting my Christmas Row Robin! I made the trees using a friend Go Cutter and the borders and my friends Susan, Sue Pelland, Sharon, June and Pattie made the rest in that order.

I quilted the whole thing in circles. My quilting improved about 1/2 way down from the top, mostly because I slowed down. My plans are to embellish with lots of fun buttons and of
course Swarovski crystals.

I love the details my friend June did on her row, the Christmas tree skirts and packages.

I started with a new spool of Aurifil thread I won from Alex Veronelli @ Aurifil. Look how much was left when I finished quilting! It's a beautiful variegated apple green.

I am working on two memorial quilts and I'll post pictures as soon as they're complete.

Fiberactions Challenge - using the color wheel

2012-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our fiberactions challenge this month was to challenge ourselves using the color wheel. I chose to use the half I use the least. I am more comfortable with the blues and purples.

I searched the words "color wheel" by image - it's total eye candy!

I used 4 coordinating threads to quilt it.

I used my hand dyed fabrics and some coordinating batiks.

I did the stitch I'm most comfortable with. It's easy and enhances my design.

Check our all the other fiberactions challenges here.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sketchbook Project 2012

2012-01-05T21:12:00.001-05:00

I finished my sketchbook! I'm participating in the sketchbook project 2012 again this year. I chose the them Stitches and Folds. These little quilts are quick sketches I did with fabric and a rotary cutter. I stitched them with lots of quilting and folded it. It sounds simpler than it was :)

I made the outside of the book in two different sketchin sessions at Sue Bleiweiss's studio. One part was made using silk, shaving cream, dyes, stamps and inks. The front section with the feather was using silk, thermofax silkscreen prints with acrylic paints.

I ended up using a sturdy grograin ribbon to keep it closed. I stitched it to the center of the book.

The book can be looked at multiple ways. I think it's fun. You can stretch it long or look at each page individually.

I used hand dyed fabrics and batiks, my palette of choice lately. I used Aurifil Black Wool #12 for the satin stitching along the edge. It was perfect and I think it will hold up well.

I tried to use several different stitches and I changed threads a lot!

The finished book has to be less than 1" so I had to cut one landscape section off but I'll use it for something else. I think I made it!

You can see my friend Kathy's beautiful sketchbook here. I'll be sending it off to the Brooklyn Art Library where it will be on display and then tour around the country. Last year 28,000 people sent in a sketchbook, I wonder how many will be this year?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Today is the beginning of 2012, I have lots to accomplish and I'm looking forward to it!
Last year I wanted to make a bag a day, I didn't succeed but I did make/sell more bags than ever!

Made-to-order Murphy Bag - she sent me the fabrics and I had fun mixing them together.

It has 8 pockets and a key fob

I free-motion quilted it and add Swarovski crystals.

An Ipad Murphy Bag

I made a lot of bags from this line of fabrics gifted to me, thank you again Sue! The large tote is still available here.

Look what I got for Christmas....a 5 pound chocolate bar!

Happy New Year!

The Blog Hop Party with Giveaways prize winner is...

2011-12-17T12:26:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all who left a comment during the Blog Hop Party with Giveaways! It was nice reading all of the ways people are supporting small businesses. The winner (chosen randomly by comment #) of the Murphy Bag Kindle Case is
Emily H.!

This is her comment - I'm a craft fair junkie when it comes to Christmas gifts. I've been known to go to the same craft fair 3 times in 2 days! I love handmade gifts from local shops and crafters. This year I bought a birdhouse, melted wine bottles made into a cheese board, spoon rest, and coin bowl, etched glass glasses, and 4 pieces of stained glass! My husband is tolerant enough to come along with me and be my packmule for all this stuff too :-) I also make my own gifts, and am working on finishing up a King size quilt as a Christmas/wedding present, as well as a lap quilt for a close friend who's daughter just passed from cancer.

She and her husband are Army Veterans! Thanks to both of you for your service and bravery.

I'm including an extra treat with it, a copy of the book The Devil's Puzzle by Claire O'Donohue. I was asked to review the book and give away a copy. The book is part of a quilting series about a young quilter in a small town in upstate NY. I loved her references to New England and the Red Sox. The story is engaging and a quick read. I hope she enjoys it!

My bags are for sale in a shop in Easthampton MA called The Wandering Peacock Arts Center and Studio. You can find them on here on facebook. I bought these ADORABLE handmade stuffed animals there. They are Christmas presents for some little kids I love.

I made this mini Murphy Bag for a client as a Christmas gift to herself, I love this idea! She came to my studio with her husband, they are newlyweds, and picked out the fabrics. I love her choices. It's a mini because it measures 10" wide x 7" tall x 4" wide.

Thanks again to everyone that left a comment, I hope you have a Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Murphy Bag giveaway for supporters of small businesses

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've been making some Murphy Bag IPad/Kindle/Nook cases....and sold them all over the weekend at a Christmas Fair. Except for one....I'm giving it away :) at the end of this blog post.

I got an Ipad for my birthday/Christmas (one of the benefits of having a December birthday). It is the coolest thing! It is amazing to be able to do everything with your fingers....

I made this one for myself.

I also made this large tote bag with an adjustable strap and a medium cosmetic bag.

The Wandering Peacock Arts Center and Studio in Easthampton, MA will be carrying Murphy Bags! The owner is a friend from college and she has an amazing place full of handcrafted art! I'm trying to make, shop in small local business or online shops like etsy for my holiday gifts. I hope you are too!

Here is my Blog Hop Party Giveaway! Visit the Quilting Gallery Blog for all the blogs with giveaways this week!

A little Murphy Bag 10" x 9" it will fit a Kindle Fire or it could just be a cosmetic bag.

The fabric is from The Wizard of OZ collection. I machine quilted it and added lots of red Swarovski Crystals.

To win this little Murphy Bag leave me a comment about a gift you made or bought from a small business. If it's from an online shop, link it in your comment. I'll pick a random winner at the end of the week!

Winging It part II

2011-11-23T10:16:00.001-05:00

I made some more blocks for my butterfly quilt Winging It. I made 7 total and have 5 left to make. I love choosing the fabrics. Each one is a different batik with 4 of my hand dyed fabrics and some purchased hand dyed. I used a coloring book to get the outside shape and then designed the inside however I wanted to.

I was going to use black thread for all of the stitching but changed and used an accrue to match the background fabric. I used Mistyfuse - this project wouldn't be possible with out it! I am making such tiny cuts. Also I have had to move them around and with mistyfuse I can pull it apart (I do it when it's cool to the touch) and reposition. To applique them down I'm doing a tiny zig-zag stitch free motion so I don't have to stabilize! I don't like to stabilize. I did stabilize this pink block but not the blue one below. There is a bit more puckering but I can live with it - I'll quilt it out ;)

I'm trying to decide about the middle. You can see in the first photo I have some orange slices cut from a great batik. The problem is they can't all be the same size because of the different butterfly wings. I'll take a photo and show you, I would love some feed back.

I'll be vending at the United Parish Holiday Family Bazaar on December 3 2011 10 - 3 at the United Parish, Route 140, Upton, MA. It's the first time doing this event and it's my 46 birthday! I've been making these little cosmetic Murphy Bags ($15 - $35) and some ipad/tablet cases.

I love this pink one, the fabric is for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Structured Landscape

2011-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

This is my Fiberactions challenge quilt made using the word Structure -Structured Landscape 20" x 16"

It can be hung from any side, it changes with each turn.

I used a piece of hand dyed fabric from Vicki Welsh for the pool and batiks for everything else.

I did all the quilting free motion and I made life easier by only using Black Aurifil thread 50W. It looked more graphic, like one of the sketches in my sketchbook.


I used mistyfuse for the applique and for the facing. I'm putting together a tutorial for how to do facing with mistyfuse, I'll share it soon.

I have been working on a series of these landscape design quilts. Landscape #1 27" x 22" is the first in the series. If you would like to have a fiber landscape art quilt of your property you can go to my etsy shop and check out this listing....

IQF Houston 2011

2011-11-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

I just got back from the International Quilt Festival. I went with my friend Sue. We had a lot of laughs and met lots of friends. We spent time in the Mistyfuse booth which was very cool. I also did a demo of my new pattern in Sue Pelland's booth using her Leaves Galore Template. I got to enjoy dinner with a lot of wonderful woman in the quilting world.

I went there with just a few things on my list....there are hundreds of vendors so the shopping is prime. I needed more batiks and I found a wonderful hand-dyed green to continue my landscape series.

I also got some zippers for my bags, Aurifil thread, a Smooch ink spritzer, Swarovski crystals from Cheri's Cyrstals, Silver decolorant and a cool trim with many purposes from Artistic Artifacts.

The New England Quilt Museum had a bag auction to raise money for the museum. I made this bag for our guilds donation to the auction. It was filled with items donated from other guild members Sue Pelland Designs, Deb Wednt, Michelle Civetti, and Linda Ramrath.

When I went to the International Quilt Festival in 2009 my friend June bought some gorgeous hand dyed fabrics from Marcia Derse. Just before I left for IQF last week June asked me to pick her up some more. I love to shop with other people's $$$ :) Marcia doesn't sell her hand dyed anymore because a manufacturer picked her up and is printing her whole line of fabrics. They are fantastic!

If you are a quilter, you have to go to IQF at least once...it's crazy fun :)

Memorial Quilts - made from his shirts part 2

2011-10-27T16:05:00.002-04:00

Here are the other three memorial quilts I made....

I used flannel for the binding and the back of each one.

I made this one for the mom, it's a bit bigger than the other three.

I cut one of his pockets and incorporated into the quilt

What an awesome experience it has been to make these quilts.

Memorial quilts - made from his shirts

2011-10-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

Back in the spring one of our wonderful 2nd grade teachers lost her husband to a brain tumor. They have three beautiful daughters. We were all heart broken for their family. I didn't know her very well but when I saw her walking in to school a few weeks later I asked if I could give her a hug, it felt good. A few days later I got an email asking if I would make quilts for her and her three daughters using his shirts.

I have made a handful of memorial quilts for people, it's an awesome experience. It's difficult but therapeutic. I'm aware of the loss with every stitch but I think about the comfort having these textures to touch will be to his family.

This is the first one I finished. His shirts are the gray and white plaids.

I found the perfect flannel for the back of each quilt, nice and cozy.


I stitched the binding down using a blanket stitch, it should be nice and sturdy and last a long time. It's been a true honor to make these quilts.

Here are three of them in different stages, I have finished them and will photograph and blog about later.

Departures of all kinds...

2011-10-08T10:24:00.004-04:00

Karey Bresenhan, Queen of the Quilting World, owner of Quilts, Inc. and Director of the International Quilt Festival is opening the Texas Quilt Museum. She asked quilters to donate a small piece for their gift shop to help raise funds for the museum. I sent her my Fiberactions Challenge - Departure of the Sun.

Departure of the Sun 16" x 20"

I'm heading to Houston in November to the International Quilt Festival in November with my friend Sue Bleiweiss. We'll be assisting Iris in the Mistyfuse booth and I'll be doing a demo in Sue Pelland Designs booth. I'm really looking forward to seeing lots of online quilting friends and the quilts of course!

This lovely spider built her web across the door to our deck. A few days into her living there we watched a sweet bird land on the rail look at the spider, fly to the window and eat it! It was crazy, she was gone just like that.....

I published a pattern!

2011-09-29T10:07:00.000-04:00

I designed a new pattern using my Leaves Galore Template. It's called Hot and Cold Flow. You can purchase the PDF pattern here in my etsy shop.

Hot and Cold Flow 19" x 29"
The pattern will show you how to use your stash of batiks to create your own flow!

Here are the templates...three sizes and multiple uses! You can see all the cool things you can do with the tool here at Sue Pelland Designs. Sue lives in the next town over and we have been quilting friends for 12 years. She is a talented quilter and a genius when it comes to designing tools quilters need.

There are lots of photos with clear instructions to help you create your own flow quilt.

Below are a few samples of quilts I've made using the Leaves Galore Applique Template.

I've been having fun playing with color!

I love the negative space!!!

2010 International Quilt Festival/Houston Silent Auction donation.

2011 International Quilt Festival/Houston Silent Auction donation.

To purchase the Hot and Cold Flow PDF pattern click here.

Flow with Texture - Fiberactions challenge reveal

2011-09-15T10:22:00.001-04:00

Our Fiberactions challenge word for September is

texture.

Flow with Texture 16" x 20"

Facing this was a bit of a challenge but it worked! Pinking shears were the secret:)

I bought some needle felting supplies when I was at the Lowell Quilt Festival from one of the vendors, Jane Davila. I took an online class from her so I was happy to meet her in person:)

I loved needle felting! I played with the silk and wool fibers.

I added a few beads in this perfect apple green color.

I'm working on publishing a pattern from this design using my Leaves Galore Template. It's in the works and should be for sale in my friend Sue Pelland's Booth in Houston at the International Quilt Festival! I have chosen it as my piece to donate to the IQF silent auction.

Massachusetts Historical Landmarks Raffle Quilt Part 3

2011-09-10T09:42:00.002-04:00

Guild members made a block representing a Massachusetts historical landmark. They was quilted by Kathy Sperino. There are closeups of some of the blocks on her blog.
We'll be selling raffle tickets for both quilts at the

Waters Farm Festival October 1-2 10-4 Waters Road, West Sutton, MA. Mendon Country Fair October 8 behind the Mendon Country Gift Barn,

A Quilter's Gathering November 3-6 Nashua, NH

Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. You can send me an email quiltsomuch@aol.com if you want to purchase a ticket.

samples and barters

2011-08-30T14:59:00.001-04:00

I made this as a sample for the Franklin Mill Store...they have a huge selection of Kaffe Fasset and Phillip Jacobs fabrics, they are all fabulous! One of the owners, Mary Verdin, does an amazing job buying fabric. She has a great eye and good sense about what fiber artists want!

I used 10 different prints...their fabrics blend beautifully....almost too well. When I finished it I thought it looked like one piece of fabric...but it's full of surprises and fun to look at.

fuchsia 36" x 36"

Here's a close up....

If you read my blog you know that I barter with my hair stylist Linda. She has several of my Murphy Bags but was in need of some window treatments for her salon, Attitudes, in Uxbridge.

I got the fabric and trim at Sewfisticated in Framingham, they are are the discount fabric store that bought Fabric Place. I bought 5 yards of fabric, lining, and 10 yards of the trim for under $100 dollars!

family and friends...

2011-08-19T15:24:00.001-04:00

I made this commissioned Murphy Bag for a friend for her 40th birthday. She came over and picked all the fabrics and the style she wanted. If you have read the book "I Feel Bad About My Neck" by Nora Ephron than you know about the search to find the perfect bag. I was just like her, buying expensive logos trying to find a bag that met all my needs. They never did and I was sick to death of seeing everyone with my bag. I love carrying a bag that is perfect for me and one of a kind.

My friend Regina is a newly certified genealogist so I asked her to do our genealogy. I am totally amazed at the research she did! The book is incredibly well organized and easy to follow. Some of Kevin's family goes back to the early 1600's here in MA. Someday, when funds allow, we will have her delve deeper and research back to Europe, etc.

I made this ice/heat therapy Murphy Bag for a online friend when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She sent me a wonderful note of appreciation and I ended up making her another one:) She is doing better and on her way to being cancer free!

Kathy Sperino volunteered to quilt our guilds Massachusetts Historical Landmarks raffle quilts ~ check them out here...If you want to buy a ticket, send me a message or leave me a comment.

Lowell Quilt Festival Images 2011

2011-08-09T15:56:00.000-04:00

I was going to write about the Lowell Quilt Festival in this blog post but I got some good news via email last night that will make it more interesting. I won second place in the Art/Innovative Category for my quilt, Blue Willow!


Blue Willow 57" x 30" made to put under the glass on my dining room table. machine applique, machine quilted, embellished with swarovski crystals. photos taken by Sue Bleiweiss

Images was one of the first quilt shows I attended and the first big show I entered a quilt in back in 1994. I love the show, the venders and all the fiber art happenings going on in the city of Lowell, MA. Here is a link to the schedule of events Lowell Quilt Festival

Some of you may remember the quilt below, I made for my inchie collection I acquired while participating in an inchie swap last year. I participated in a second swap and luckily they all found a new home on this quilt. It was tricky because some were really difficult to place...

Hidden Treasures 9" x 36"

Petite Murphy Bags

2011-08-06T18:23:00.001-04:00

I've been making these petite Murphy Bags 6" x 5" - just big enough to hold your phone, cash, plastic and lip gloss. I have had fun designing each one using only scraps (waste not, want not). It's feels good to use up all of these luscious fabrics.

The strap is 57" long so you can wear it messenger style, over the shoulder or like a necklace.

My 19 year old daughter asked me to make her an ice/heat therapy Murphy Bag to take back to school with her. They are petite too, like her.

I made her two so she'll can always have a cold one ready....

Did you know they can be used as a wrist rest for your laptop or mouse, too...even better, warm it up and then use it :)

I have been able to spend more time in the studio during the summer than ever before. I started quilting in 1993 and have been raising 4 kids for the last 19 years. This summer the kids are finally old enough to keep themselves busy...I'm not wishing them away but I'm am thankful for some more time to create.

dividing my time

2011-07-24T10:00:00.001-04:00

I've been working on some new Murphy Bags!

I bought that funky buckle on etsy, so cool! This bag is a messenger/shoulder bag. It has an adjustable strap for flexibility.


We rearrainged the deck so the bench now faces the photo below

I've been trying to make it a habit to come out and sit for a little bit whenever I can. I love to be in my studio but I don't want to miss these beautiful days!

My potted plants are loving this shady corner.

Check out the morning glory taking over the side yard...I planted a little packet of seeds next to the house about 4 years ago and it has spread like crazy...we have eradicated the worst of it but I thought it was cool covering this weedy slope.

Departure of the Sun

2011-07-15T11:05:00.005-04:00

The word chosen for this month's Fiberactions challenge quilt is Departure... the sky fabric was the inspiration...there was a patch of yellow in the fabric that looked like the sun setting....departing for the day.

Departure of the Sun 16" X 20"

I used my own purple hand dyed fabrics with the sky piece made by my friend Sue.

I used some of my variegated threads for the applique and quilting.

The house quilt below is another departure quilt of sorts. I was commissioned by a friend to make it for lovely family who just move to Missouri. I took a picture of their house and printed it onto fabric, then created the patchwork watercolor border using some of the leftovers from the Massachusetts Historical Quilt in the last post.

Departure from Massachusetts 16" x 13"

You can check out all the other Departure themed quilts on the Fiberactions blog here.

summer 2011 styles

2011-07-07T15:46:00.000-04:00

My most recent Murphy Bag, I love these fabrics...

Here is Jill the day of her graduation party, I love that Maxi dresses are in style!

Here a are a few shots from Jillian's graduation party. Below is a table we set up on the porch to display some of her High School accomplishments.

The black boxes are a gift from me. They are filled with all of her athletic certificates, dance recital booklets, report cards, medical forms, birth certificate, memorable school work from pre K and up, and even the winning ball from a field hockey playoff game against Uxbridge (her old school mates) where Jill scored the winning goal in overtime 1-0! It's laid out on the quilt she started at 14 and I finished for her to take to college.

We had a lot of family travel long distances to be here and it was awesome to see them. We also loved seeing local friends and family, it was a great time!

Massachusetts Historical Landmarks Raffle Quilt Part 2

2011-07-01T13:53:00.000-04:00

Massachusetts Historical Landmarks Raffle Quilt(s) made by members of the Thimble Pleasures Quilt Guild.

I just finished piecing the top of ONE of our TWO raffle quilts! There are Eighteen different Massachusetts Historical Landmarks . We divided the blocks into TWO wall quilts that will be raffled off on April 19th 2012!

Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5 and you can contact me at quiltsomuch@aol.com if you want to buy a chance to win ONE of these quilts.

It measures 39" x 41" and will be ready to hang.

We had 18 members of the guild make one block for this quilt. They used a photograph and replicated it with fabrics. Each one is amazing! I only have half of the blocks in this quilt. This quilt has The Boston Public Library, Nobscot Lighthouse, The House of Seven Gables, The Merwin House, The State House, The Grist Mill, The Franklin Public Library, The Robert Paine House, and The Paul Revere House.

I'll try to get a photo of the other quilt with 9 different Massachusetts Historic Landmarks; the New England Quilt Museum, the Mayflower II, The Trinity Church in Boston, Bunker Hill Monument, A covered Bridge, The Wayside Inn, Foxboro Memorial Hall, Martha Mary Chapel, The John Farnum House.
We are very lucky to have Kathy Sperino in our guild and she has agreed to quilt them for us. Check out her blog and see her gorgeous quilts.

A small group of us got together and made and added the watercolor pieced border around the blocks. I loved making the borders. It was a super challenge to get them to line up together!

The Robert Treat Paine House, Waltham, MA made by Sharon Morris

The House of Seven Gables, Salem, MA made by Annie Bosma

The Merwin House in Stockbridge, MA made by Jane Metzger

The Paul Revere House, Boston MA made by me :)

The State House, Beacon Hill, Boston, MA made by Sandy Davidson

Summer of 2011 Murphy Bags

2011-06-27T07:09:00.000-04:00

My goal of make a Murphy Bag a day has been a lofty one...but here are a sample of the ones from the month of June....

Gardens Growing

2011-06-13T15:19:00.000-04:00

I took the camera out to the garden about a week ago and took some shots of all the blooming going on.

my blended clematis'...I had one and a friend gave me one last year...

My peonies...I only get three blossoms every year....if you have any suggestions for me to get more blossoms, please leave a comment :)

Love the purple iris' behind the chartreuse hosta...which has now been eaten buy the deer :(

Every spring I am amazed that the patch this patch of dirt in the yard blooms into such a delightful patchwork of color and texture!

Graduation Goodies

2011-06-06T07:42:00.001-04:00

I wanted to make some graduation gifts for my daughter's friends. I made these little Murphy Bag coin purses for them using my batik scraps.

I love planning the color palette for each one.

I'll put some cash or a gift card in each one.

This is Jillian and her friend Kyle, they were both recipients of the U.S. Army National Scholar/Athlete Award during the award ceremony held the day before their graduation.

Jill is off to Suffolk University in Boston in the fall. I'm thrilled both of my kids will be in college in Boston ~ it's such a fabulous city.

Good luck to all the kids graduating and their parents for successfully raising a child!!!

I made my own sketchbook

2011-05-31T08:59:00.000-04:00

My friend Sue helped a group of us make our own sketchbooks in her new studio. She let us choose from her awesome paper stash and guided us on the construction to make our own sketchbook.

I chose the pink and brown paper as my main design element and then added other pieces to accent it.

The pages are a variety of textures and colors. Circles are a reoccurring theme.

handmade sketchbook 9" x 12"

This is the first sketch in the book, I'm working on designs from nature that will someday be fiber art .

I drew these dogwood flowers using the paper on the left as my inspiration.

I used my watercolor pencils for this sketch, I plan to go over it with a wet brush to blend the colors.

I used my set of black and gray markers to draw the trees in the woods out back just as they began to bud.

I filled this page during a town meeting. I used the cover paper as a reference. I hope to fill this in with color.

SAQA Benefit Auction

2011-05-23T15:10:00.004-04:00

I made this small wall quilt for the 2011 SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) Benefit Auction. I was inspired by the way the trees look after a week of rain in spring. The green of the leaves blooming is so bright it's almost unnatural.

12" x 12" Rain in May

I made the background using Mistyfuse and Angelina Fibers. I fused that onto a hand dyed piece of chartreuse silk charmeuse.

I used three different shades of dark gray batiks to make the trees. I enjoyed making this quilt, it came together easily and quickly:)

I'm donating the quilt because I think quilt artist and lovers of quilt art can benefit from SAQA's efforts.

SAQA's Mission and Goals

Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt through education, exhibitions, professional development and documentation.
Founded in 1989 by an initial group of 50 artists, SAQA now boasts over 2,700 members: artists, teachers, collectors, gallery owners, museum curators and corporate sponsors.

SAQA defines an art quilt as a contemporary artwork exploring and expressing aesthetic concerns common to the whole range of visual arts: painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design, assemblage and sculpture, which retains, through materials or technique, a clear relationship to the folk art quilt from which it descends.

SAQA's goals include:

Publish a newsletter and e.Bulletin addressing the professional needs of the working quilt artist.
Publicize information about the art quilt through a web site, Professional Artist Member portfolios, and referrals to teachers and speakers for workshops and symposia.
Educate through a series of conferences and lectures.
Create a network of collectors, dealers and artists.
Produce quality exhibitions, with documentary catalogues and critical reviews.
Encourage critical writing, research and publication of articles about art quilts in the art press, popular press and scholarly journals.

Murphy Knitting Bag

2011-05-17T11:22:00.000-04:00

My blogging friend Judy asked me to make a Murphy Knitting Bag and I suggested she send me some of her gorgeous hand dyed fabric. I loved the fabric and enjoyed designing her bag around it.

She sent me a yard of painted canvas which I used for the exterior and a yard of painted cotton for the lining and handles. The canvas quilted very nicely.

There are 3 pockets with invisible magnets for her round needles and 6 narrow pockets for her straight needles inside the bag and 4 pockets of varying sizes on the outside.

It was great to make a bag, it had been a while (so much for the bag a day!)

I've been busy with dance recitals and all the great activities that come along with having a daughter graduating high school in a few weeks. Here she is ready for her prom a few days ago....

Embellished

2011-05-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

Embellished 16" x 20"

This is my piece for the Fiberactions online challenge this month. It was my turn to choose the word for this challenge, I chose Embellish.

I chose that word so that I would use up some of the fun materials I've purchased or been given over the years. I used a piece of hand dyed fabric from Vicki Welsh for the foundation. I made fabric using Mistyfuse and Angelina Fibers. I cut them with my Leaves Galore template. I chose to hand stitch using a hand dyed flossI purchased 10 years ago from Friends Fabric Art. The silk was tricky, I could only use it in 10" pieces because it would shred from the stress of being pulled by the needle through the fabric.

I embellished each curve with french knots using hand dyed cotton floss, variegated wool yarn, glass beads and Swarovski hotfix crystals. I felt like doing some machine quilting so I used an Aurifil thread in a coordinating green.

I love the iridescence from the Angelina fibers so I chose to leave some without any embellishment. I faced it completely and closed it on the side because the back was a mess!

Now go check out all the other pieces made for this challenge at the Fiberactions blog.

Mother's Day Blog Hop

2011-05-10T07:58:00.000-04:00

I was invited by collage artist Claudine Intner to Blog about motherhood and welcomed the opportunity. My life has been dedicated to being a mother for 19 years. I have four kids and I love them with my whole heart.

Morgan

Jillian

Paige

Griffin

I've tried to share my love of sewing and all things fiber with my kids. Below is a quilt started by my daughter Jillian five years ago. She chose all the fabrics from my stash and began piecing the blocks together. She lost interest and it sat in a box for a few years. About a year ago I decided I would finish it for her and give it to her as a graduation gift.

She is going to get black and white bedding for her college dorm, should be pretty sharp looking. I put a floral flannel on the back and the binding to make it nice an cozy for the cold nights in Boston.

I made this quilt with my daughter Paige when she was 8, she pieced the large 9 patch squares and made several of the snowball blocks around the outside.

My friend Kathy Sperino quilted it for me.

I made this quilt for my daughter Morgan as a graduation gift last year. She chose all of the fabrics, too. She took it to college with her - a little piece of home and her mom.

I'm planning a quilt for Griffin, the youngest, with his help. I sketched out 12 blocks with different sports equipment and he has redrawn each one with details and color options.

My kids are artistic not because of genetics but because we have always had markers and paper at our fingertips and drawing has been encouraged. It's helpful to let them express their art because they understand my need to be in my studio. I hope that they will incorporate art into their lives no matter their chosen profession. It's good for the soul!

Please go and visit the other Mother's Day Blog Hop participants, too!

May 1st – Claudine Intner
May 2nd – Melissa Liban
May 3rd – Lynn Krawczyk
May 4th – Ishita Bandyo
May 5th – Jeri Greenberg
May 6th – Kathleen Mattox
May 8th – Amanda Ruth
May 9th – Judi Hurwitt
May 10th – Kathleen Murphy
May 11th – Hannah Phelps
May 12th – Helen Hiebert
May 14th – Hannah Klaus Hunter
May 15th – Claudine Intner

silk fusion landscape complete

2011-04-30T19:57:00.001-04:00

I finished my silk fusion landscape...It's a commissioned gift for someone I'm really glad to know. I took these shots at night so I was playing with lighting and flash.

This shot was taken with the flash on...the colors are true in this shot.

This was the piece of silk fusion I had made with my friend Sue Bleiweiss.

I put the silk fusion piece over a piece of hand dyed turquoise, batting and backing. I used them to blend or enhance. This shot was taken without the flash.

I love the sheen the silk has and how it enhances the quilting. I changed threads 6 times. You will see in some of the close ups below.

I faced it so that the landscape continues....

I bought some more silk fibers from mielkesfiberarts.com so I can do this again.

Winging it works better for me

2011-04-21T08:28:00.000-04:00

I'm always amazed by large applique quilts when I go to quilt shows. I even bought a pattern a few years ago - Stars in the Garden by Piece O' Cake Designs. Recently at a local quilt show I saw several versions of it, all beautiful and each one very different. For several days I looked at the pattern and directions but something was bothering me. I realized I didn't want to make someone else's quilt, I wanted to do my own thing. I'm bad about following directions, I work better winging it!

Within a matter of an hour I had planned out the whole quilt. I'm making 12 22" blocks. Each block will be a different butterfly using one batik and 4 coordinating hand dyed fabrics. I've been thinking of a way to use a bunch of my hand dyed fabric in one quilt since my first batch of hand dyed fabrics were folded and put on the shelf.

I don't care how long it takes to make. It's my nature to finish one quilt at a time (for the most part) but I am going to work on this over time. There is no rush. I think this quilt will be for one of my daughters when they get married. Ideally I'll have 10 years to finish this...hint, hint:)

Choosing the fabrics was easy, fast and fun. I love this part of the process. The batik leaf fabric is a favorite of mine and I was so happy to find in a tiny quilt shop in Sturbridge, MA called the Quilt & Cabbage.

I'm not sure how I'll use this fabric in the quilt yet, but I have plenty of time and yardage to figure it out.

I'm using Mistyfuse and I pre-cut it to make the fusing part easier. Below is my new large Goddess cloth, a smaller Goddess cloth and the tools I use to keep them clean.

I plan to do all the appliqueing and quilting in black thread, I think it will accentuate the fabrics beautifully but mostly it will be simpler and I'm all about making things simple.

first attempt at painting clogs!

2011-04-14T10:19:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting a pair of painted clogs forever! A friend gave me a pair to practice on and I finally got the chance to do it. I have a sprained ankle and should be off my feet. I could do this sitting down. I referred to Lyric Kinard's great tutorial! She explained it so simply and her painted shoes are the coolest. She used DecoColor pens but I didn't have any. I did have a lot of acrylic paints that I bought and really should use.

I will get some of the pens though, straight lines were a challenge for me.

I painted the main butterfly in the Liquitex to make an orange. Next I mixed black and a little bit of the white pearl for the black. Then I coated the whole thing in the pink iridescent interference color called whirlwind from Stewart Gill. I sprayed it with a clear coat varnish. I did a few coats and I think I'll try a flat finish next time. I used the white Elmers Painters ink marker for the dots on the wings.

Reminder ~ these are the first pair, I learned a lot about a steady hand in painting!

They're going to a friend who works in a local library. She's been busily working on our family genealogy for the past year - I can't wait to see what she has found!

Now to think about what I'll do on my pair....

spring means...baseball, blossoms and quilt shows!

2011-04-11T09:25:00.002-04:00

Spring in Boston...what a beautiful thing! I took these pictures in the Public Gardens. We were lucky enough to go to a Red Sox vs. Yankees game last night and watched the Sox win 4-0!

I recently watched Good Will Hunting and noticed there is a scene in it that looks exactly like this photo. I hope to make a quilt inspired by this photo.

I love the twisted order of this tree...

The Machine Quilters Expo is happening this week in Providence...there's a special exhibit Pretty as a Picture and I entered my self portrait done in a Patt Blair's class using tsukineko ink . The show is fabulous and the vendors are the best! If you click on the link you'll find all the details and you'll see two of my quilts in the slide-show...pretty cool.

I'll be teaching quilting classes beginning in the fall at the Franklin Mill. The first class will be this pattern by Amy Bradley called Quilt Diva, you can see all of her clever patterns here. Everyone will make their own version of themselves... I changed the pattern to suit me and so will the students in the class. The quilt is on display there with a sign up sheet if you are interested. You can call the store and have your name added to the I'm interested list. I loved making this quilt. There are lots of my personal interests incorporated into it.

March spilling over with design

2011-04-02T12:01:00.001-04:00

My last sketch for the theme Spilling Over for the Sketchbook Challenge. I was at my friends Sue's Studio and she had this very cool, huge jar of colorful buttons.

I have been having some quilting friends come over once a month to sew and learn some new techniques. I wanted to start a project with them that we could finish in a day. My piece below was cut caveman style ala Ricky Tims using a rotary cutter. I fused Misty fuse to the batting and then laid the pieces out on top like pieces to a puzzle, overlapping just a teensy, weensy bit, then I pressed it using my goddess cloth. I used several cotton, variegated threads that helped blend the fabrics. I used a combination of hand dyed fabric and batiks.

It's for sale at Bambi's Vive Le Chic in Wrentham, MA. She has a beautiful shop full of original art; jewelry, pottery, paintings, bags, glass-work, etc. She is also carrying my Murphy Bags. Stop in and check out the shop, she is close to an ice cream shop right in down town Wrentham.

16 x 9 Sunset in Batik

Sunset in Batik - Detail

I found these fabulous clogs right here in town! The price was better than some online sites. I bought a pair of slip-on black that I plan to paint!

Here are the results of a recent renovation for a really wonderful client. We found the fabric at the Franklin Mill Store in Franklin MA. We bought it on the sale table for @ $9.00 yd. We thought about buying more and it was $78.00 yd. With help from Margaret at FM we found a great brown denim to add to the hem.

I have been making Murphy Bags too, this one was a gift to my daughters' dance teacher. She celebrated her birthday and I wanted to show her my appreciation. I used a hand dyed fabric for the top of the bag and did some free motion quilting with a beautiful coral thread.

decisions made and stuff getting done...

2011-03-24T08:35:00.001-04:00

It's an exciting time here at our house, Jillian is graduating in just a few months. She made her decision as to where she will go to college. She chose Suffolk University in Boston. I'm thrilled that she will be close to home, but in a fabulous city. It's also convenient that she will be near Morgan at Northeastern.

I made the last of a series of small wall quilts called Fall On Your Wall for my friend, Julie, for her 50th birthday. She and I met during a crazy time while living in Uxbridge. She ended up running and winning a spot of the Board of Selectmen for three consecutive terms. She brought intelligence and calm to the BOS. The inspiration for the quilt series came from a photo my husband took of the Mumford River in Uxbridge and I thought it would be a nice reminder for Julie.

I've been busy making ice/heat therapy bags. Hopefully I'll get them in my etsy shop soon.

I've also been getting lots of bags done, still trying to finish one bag a day.

First Impression revealed

2011-03-15T07:08:00.000-04:00

I am part of an online art quilt challenge group Fiberactions. The theme word this month is Impression. This was my first quilt for the challenge and I wanted to make a good first impression.
I used the word to interpret a view I see every day, my backyard. I challenged myself to piece every bit of it. About an hour into piecing the trees I said "I could have used Mistyfuse and been done by now!" but I wanted to see if I could do the math and make it work.

I used a combination of my hand dyed fabrics for the sky, batiks for the trees and a funky commercial fabric for the binding.

Below is a photo I took after the quilt was done to show you what I was trying to capture.

Inchie Swap again....

2011-03-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

I'm participating in an Inchie Swap again...I made them using a funky fabric, fusible thread, foil, variegated thread, and crystals. I used a postcard-sized piece of fast 2 fuse to make 16 Inchies.

My guild just had it's semi-annual Get-A-Way weekend. We went to the Sturbridge Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA. I was able to get several Murphy Bag fronts done. They are fused on to fusible batting and are now on my frame ready to be quilted.

During the GAW I pieced the rest of a quilt Jillan (17) started a few years ago. She chose all the fabrics, she has a good eye. I plan to give it to her at her graduation party. She hasn't decided which college to go to yet. Either UMass Amherst or UMaine Oreno in their Environmental Science Programs.

I love this combination of Westminster fabrics and batiks.


I bought a new iron recently, so far so good. I have spent a lot of money on irons over the past 20 years and they all have their flaws. This one get nice and hot but some of the control buttons are on the handle. I have shut it off, or changed the settings while ironing, something I will have to get used to.

It has a nice sole plate. I don't put water in my irons anymore. I use a spray bottle instead. Too many times my work would be dirtied when using the steam feature. The spray bottle works great for me.

You can see the quilts from the previous Inchie Swap here

Commissioned Laptop Murphy Bag

2011-03-07T19:30:00.001-05:00

This is a commissioned Murphy Bag made to hold an Mac Pro Air, Ipad and blackberry specifically. It will fit lots of other stuff too.

The center pocket with the key fabric is for the Mac Pro Air ~ it's a sling style pocket. It hangs in the bag so the precious contents don't touch the bottom of the bag. I used double padding for this pocket.

The pocket on the top of the photo is 3D so-to-speak and therefor allows for cords and other bulky things.

The pocket on the left is for the Ipad and then there are two pockets on the right. The checkered fabric is for the blackberry.

It can be worn as a shoulder bag or messenger style.

My bags are available at a cool shop in Wrentham, MA called Bambi's Vive Le Chic! Bambi is a visionary who wants to make art available to everyone. The store is full of one-of-a-kind gifts made by over 100 artists from New England.

mushrooms....

2011-02-28T11:30:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a new shape for my bags...it reminds me of a mushroom.

I made this bag for my friend Mary from the Franklin Mill. I bought the mushroom fabric there, it's Japanese. I used the measuring stick fabric for one of the pockets knowing she has been using or seeing those all of her life!

I made an I Spy quilt for my cousins new baby boy. There are two of each fabric in the quilt. The black fabric is flannel so the quilt is very soft. I used flannel on the back too, nice and snuggley. There is a mushroom fabric in this quilt, can you find it?

I figure they can play concentration, I Spy and Person, Place or Thing with it...

Sketching and sketching.....

2011-02-24T08:23:00.003-05:00

Here we are at Sue's new studio...it's absolutely marvelous!!! The Sketchbook Challenge was her great idea...our first sketch-in... we all sketched and it was great to work and talk to each other. So many creative and really, really nice people in one room.

I was having a hard time with the theme word opposites until I got to our sketch-in. I grabbed two paint brushes and said I'm going to warm up. I put no pressure on my self I just drew what I saw. I draw in pencil first then I go over it in an India ink pen. I used colored pencils to color them in. Notices it's the area left white that makes them look "real" :)

Sue had a nice pile of apples and oranges (now why didn't I think of that?) and I used water soluble crayons. I outlined my drawing in a thin blue ink before I colored it in.

This is wicked cool!!! That's my sketchbook (wide purple binding close to the center) there on the shelf at the Brooklyn Art Library along with 29,000 others. I found the picture on their facebook page. I would love to see this exhibit...

I've been doing lots of sewing too...here's my new spring bag....

I have to say I love the pockets in my bags....everything has a place. I don't always put it back right away but I know it has a place.

Tutorial on making pillows with piping and a zipper

2011-02-22T11:17:00.005-05:00

While making some pillows for a client I thought it might be nice to show a visual tutorial of how to make a throw pillow with pipping and a zipper.

I made the piping first. Cut the fabric on the bias, I try to piece the piping in a way so the fabric's colors match up. The width of the Bias strip should be 3 x's the width of the piping.

I use my serger on all edges of the fabric/piping for a nice clean finish. If you don't have a serger you can zig zag or use pinking shears.

I cut the fabric about an inch larger than the finished pillow. It's tricky to do this but you want the cover to be taught. It's not a perfect square, there is an extra flap on one side which you will sew the zipper to and create the flange that hides the zipper. It's size is determined by the width of your zipper. I made mine 1" and folded it over.

I cut the corners of the square so that the pillow doesn't have pointy corners.

Sew the zipper to the flange (right side of zipper facing down.

I start with the zipper open and then close it - it's easier....

Sew the piping to the other square of fabric with a zipper foot or a piping foot. Make several small cuts at the corners being careful not to clip past your stitching line.

Pin the two pieces together and stitch as close to the piping as possible, you may need to go around a couple of times...

The flange that hides the zipper

I'm sure there are steps I left out...sorry for that. Hopefully you will get through it. I used down fillers in these pillows which I recommend if you are going to go to the trouble of making a pillow.

Let me know how it goes.

More Murphy Bag Totes...

2011-02-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

More new bags ! I'm still maintaining my goal to make one Murphy Bag a day (or so). This bag is for my Aunt Aggie, if you know me you know how special she is to me. She helped me design this tote bag for her as her Christmas gift during her last visit.

13" tall x 22" long by 8" wide with 2 25" handles

I originally made this MBT (Murphy Bag Tote) for a friend from High School who is getting married. I was given the fabric and loved how romantic it was.

11" tall x14" long x 6" wide with 1 25" handle

I took this to give you an idea of how big it is...nice and roomy!

but there was something about it I didn't love for her, so that bag is for sale and I made her this bag instead....She loved it ans so did the attendants at the shower...it was passed from table to table and lots of cards were handed out. The fabric is denim with a velvet damask pattern, so soft and so cool.

12" tall x 18" long x 6" wide with 2 25" handles

I used a piece of my hand dyed fabric for the lining and some more fun fabrics that were gifted to me:)

studio redo III

2011-02-08T13:14:00.000-05:00

I'm lucky that I live near some really cool artists...My friend, Sue Bleiweiss, has been designing and building (along with her husband) a new studio and I got to see it last week. You can see it too because she is documenting her experience in Studios Magazine and on her blog. Sue's studio is everything an artist could ever want and more! I helped her fold her fabrics which I loved and I was lucky enough to come home with a bag of goodies. I wanted to paw through it but knew I had to clean my studio first, it was a mess!!! I wanted to experience what Sue is about to experience ~ the joy of having space and knowing where all your stuff is...it's a fleeting feeling but one worth having.

Before.....

After.....

everything's folded and put in it's place....

found a place to put my ribbons...a group quilt made by my guild in 1996...

refolded my hand dyed fabrics.....

The peg board is organized with my favorite tool ~ my Leaves Galore Templates (orange with curves) designed by another friend Sue Pelland.

Sue B. told me to pass on anything I didn't want or need. I was planning to fill another bundle for the Iraqi Bundles of Love and now I have enough for two bundles. It's a wonderful program a quilters husband started to get sewing supplies to woman in Iraq.

Maybe this post will inspire you to purge/reorganize and send a bundle to?

new Murphy Bags

2011-01-29T14:01:00.002-05:00

I'm doing well on my 2011 bag a day pledge... To save time I've been quilting them on my Bernina quilting frame with my Bernina 440 and it has been so quick!

Here is the finished bag - the color is so happy and bright.

I thought this was sweet for Valentines Day and beyond.

I used a bunch of my favorite fabrics for this bag, I'll be making more like this!

I used one of my green hand dyed fabrics for this bag, it quilted beautifully.

Another patchwork with lots of fun fabrics.

Love this! I used my hand dyed turquoise for the top of the bag and quilted it in variegated pink thread.

I love this combination of chartreuse and olive green.

I will put these bags in my etsy shop soon...if you can't wait till then, email me.

the sketchbook challenge - Highly Prized 3

2011-01-26T16:10:00.003-05:00

Here are a few more sketches that fit into the theme
Highly Prized....My opportunities to sketch are infrequent but I've learned to sketch whenever I can even if it's only for 5 minutes.


I went to lecture about bullying by Joe the Biker at my daughter's middle school last week. While sitting a room with 500 7th and 8th graders I watched the teachers standing around the gymnasium watching the kids. I am thankful we have so many excellent teachers in our school system. Bravo to all the teachers my kids have had!

We've had bluebirds come and go over the past 6 years but since I made some suet and hung it on the Christmas tree that we moved out to the deck we have had a fabulous bird show a few times a day.

Can you see how many birds are on the tree? I think we counted 7.

I made a little postcard to send to my daughter's friend Sarah...she was diagnosed with Leukemia shortly after Christmas. She is back home for a bit and doing better everyday. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Massachusetts Landmark Raffle Quilt in progress

2011-01-20T16:54:00.002-05:00

I have been making more ice/heat Murphy Bags ~ love the whole process from picking out the fabrics to selecting a quilting design. I've been filling them with rice because it allows them to be very flexible. I have been writing the heating instructions on the back with a fabric pen. When I figured that out I wanted to push the "that was easy" button. Feedback about them has been good so far, I know I enjoy the one I made for me:) You can see them for sale in my etsy shop.

Below is a laptop bag I made for my nephew Tyler, he's a Fashion Design major (check out the tape measure fabric I used on the strap).

Here are the blocks for the Massachusetts Landmark Raffle Quilt we are making for our guild. The blocks are amazing!!! There are three pieces of paper used for filler blocks. We have one outstanding, hope she finishes soon:)

We got together last week to decide on how to handle the background. We decided on a blended look with 1 1/2" squares in lots of different blues and greens.

These are from my stash, funky but they'll work perfectly.

I used this technique on my Slice House quilt and it was a fabulous way to finish the picture. On the quilt below I sewed strips together and cut them at varying widths, the eye naturally blends the colors, so cool.

2011 goal - a bag a day!

2011-01-16T09:13:00.000-05:00

My goal of making a Murphy Bag everyday this year is going well so far!

This bag is for Jane my client in FL...we customize each bag via a blog I set up that she can look at options and make comments...it's working out nicely.

I love adding little details to my bags...

plenty of pockets!

During one of my guilds Get A Ways I made this wallet with the help of my friend Sharon M. It's a brilliant design that I think she may write a pattern for, I will let you know if she does.

It has tons of credit card holders, pockets and a nice big zippered section for change, etc. I was making it for my daughter Jill (17) so she chose the fabrics! Then decided it was bigger than she needed so I took it! I may make a new one is fabrics I like but for now it's an awesome wallet.

Sharon was a huge help! She walked me through the process and had lots of good tips!

I made another large tote bag...I have to make this for myself. I quilted it on my Bernina 440 QE using my Bernina quilting frame...it was so quick and easy I will do that again!

28" long x 15" tall x 8" wide - great for travel, trip to the mall or the beach...I know you are thinking it will get dirty...throw it in the washing machine! Seriously it will look great and the crystals won't fall off, I promise:)

There a re 12 pockets and a zipper closure for safe travels.

A welt at the top of the bag adds some body to it....plus I get to add another fabric to the bag!

This is the coordinating bag to go with the tote. I made them both for Linda my hair stylist - bartering again:)

I used this great sky fabric that goes from dark to medium blue with a hint of clouds for the handle.

I listed this Raspberry and Black Murphy Bag in my etsy shop...love using up small pieces from my stash to create a unique colorful bag.

It has a zipper, an adjustable handle in two funky fabrics and 8 pockets!

Now it's time to get ready for the Pat's VS. Jets game this afternoon....

GO PATS!