Sew Much Fun Block Tour Week 23

 "Sew Much Fun" 

Block Tour Continues!

Each week stop by to get 

the link for a fun 

(and free*) pattern with a cute sewing theme.

*Patterns are free until the end of the tour

Want to make it super simple? 

Take advantage of 

collecting kits when available!

This week we have a block designed by 

Rona Herman of Rona the Ribbitter

Click on the photo to get instructions for your free pattern. 

Join the Facebook Group to share your progress, 

find out more about each week's block and find out 

how to win some fun prizes!

Check back here on Jan 9th to see what Susan Arnold

of Quilt Fabrication has on offer! 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!!!!

Click on this button to go to our Rafflecopter site.  Rafflecopter is our way of sharing some great prizes with you.  Revisit our Rafflecopter at least once weekly throughout the Sew Much Fun Tour to be registered to win great prizes each week.  New week, new prizes!!!  Oh, and you can't win if you don't register!!  

Saturday Share: Lily

 

While not a traditional Easter lily, I decided to share a flower that I did some thread painting on a while ago. This started as a gorgeous panel designed by Stephanie Brandenburg who started Frond Fabrics. With the desire to add art into fabric her designs are a wonder canvas to play on and with. 

After doing some extensive thread work on the flower I appliqued it on to a sun printed batik. 

As I observe Easter, and many of my friends observe Passover 

I hope that we all feel the new hope of spring

and celebrate love and being loved. 

Saturday Share: Above Ground

 Happy first day of Spring!

I almost didn't post today as I've had quite a lot going on in my world the past few weeks that has left me looking for a moment to take a breath and rest. 

I can sometimes find myself buried under the weight of things I feel I should have finished already, or meeting deadlines for my business. But in thinking about the first day of spring I remembered a quote about being buried that has risen a number of times through-out history and literature and it got me curious as to the origin. 

As it turns out sources point to a Greek poet (Christianopoulos) who first wrote: "What didn't you do to bury me...but you forgot that I was a seed". 

This image has been useful for those fighting for social change, for fighting our own demons or in my mind today...feeling buried under a massive 'to do' list. What if I'm not buried...what if I'm just planted and ready to start growing to meet all these tasks that need doing? 

So I'll keep fortifing my roots and trust that my head will break the surface and feel that sunlight soon enough. 

This little art quilt was made a number of years ago, as I played with a theme of using a song title to create a small work. I was listening to an album by Norah Jones at the time and thought "Above Ground" was a good title to play with some different textures and techniques. 

Saturday Share: Sunshine

 My Saturday share is late coming today for a couple reasons...and all of them good. 

I started my day with teaching the 2nd half of a team-teach class with Karen Straight. Today we made little tree hollows for the cute felted raccoons we made last week. I love getting people excited and as addicted to playing with thread, texture and color so it was wonderful way to start my day! Working with Karen is a joy and getting to help this great little piece she created was so much. 

Next up I did a little recording for some fun new toys and tools that I've been playing with and I'm so looking forward to sharing them with you.

A nice call with my Mom followed--one of the highlights of my each and every day. She and my Dad are fully vaccinated now and Bob and I are one our way...so SOON we'll be able to go and actually safely visit. I can. not. wait. 

Then it was time to enjoy some of this beautiful sunshine we have here today. As a bit of lark I told Bob we should use this funny little toy bat and plastic ball and go play in the now clear from snow areas in the field. It's funny, because for the life of me I am not talented in any form of 'sport ball'....but I think I know what the fix is...I need to play with the toy version! I hit the ball, I caught the ball and even managed a few straight pitches to Bob. Maybe we need to form a Ladybug's Cabin leage! Bob was particularly fond of my hatchet chop form in hitting some of the pitches.  What can I say? I'm unique at everything I do. :)

After our game had wound down...well ok _I_ had wound down....I had a customer stop by to get some supplies for a little demo I'm doing for an online meeting in a few weeks. She happened to be in the area having got to see the Fiber show in Bigfork at BACC. (which I've been working on for a while now and is finally OPEN!) I hope that if you are nearby you'll go and check it out...and if you're not close enough to come see it, I'll be posting a virtual tour of the show soon. 

This evening is home made calzones and some fun Brittish comedy shows...or pretending to watch some fun Brittish shows while doze on the sofa....so yeah.....a solid good day. 

Saturday Share: All Who Wander...

 For this week's Saturday share I'm posting a new piece...it's a small work only 6 x 8" and was created to support an auction for the Studio Art Quilters Association. In it I played with soft body acrylics, hand painted and distressed lutradur and free-motion embroidery. 

All Who Wander...
Textile Art by Monique Kleinhans

Part of the fun of working on a small piece is the ability to play with an idea that you've not tried before, or in this case to start with a work that was begun a long time ago but hadn't yet found it's voice. 

I titled this All Who Wander (are not lost) because I believe that we have to do a bit of meandering in our art as well as out lives. Not just to get to the next destination, but learn and explore along the way. If we start every project with such a firm idea of what it needs to become we'll miss out on the sometimes messy, but often rewarding paths unseen. 

While it's much to cold for the owner of this nose to be wandering in the woods currently, I'm happily wandering in my creative landscapes and can't wait to see what might be around the next corner on after the next hill. 

Play on!

Saturday Share: Adding that little something extra...

 It had been a pretty mild winter here in Montana...that is until today when we got over 8 inches of snow and are forecast for another round the next few days. I don't mind the snow actually as we are also scheduled to see temps dipping down into the negative numbers so my plants are much happier having a snow blanket on them, plus it's just such a beautiful landscape with the snow draped on the trees and the crisp white covering all the browned grass and bare branches. 

As winter has finally arrived, I DO think it's ironic that tomorrow I'm teaching an embellishments class called Ba Da BLING for Spring! In this class we play with some of my favorite ways to enhance and embellish quilts and other creative projects...adding shine and 3D elements. 

I love sharing the products that work for me as I'm creating and always look forward to new ways that my students come up with as well!

So, regardless if your feeling the lean toward spring, or like us...feeling all the shoveling we did this morning...I hope your creativity is engaged and ready to play no matter what the season may be outside!

Ba Da BLING (for Spring) class coming in February!

Have some fun with Embellishments on your quilted projects and more!

Saturday Share: Out on a Limb

Out On a Limb

Textile Art by Monique Kleinhans

Our chickadees are some of our constant companions here at 'the cabin'. They follow us around when we walk outside, with their curious chirps and their songs change when spring arrives filling the hill side with calls to each other. Some mornings when we don't get the feeder put out soon enough you'll find yourself surrounded by this cute little feathered balls as they flock to grab seeds before you're even able to hang the feeder up! I never get tired of taking photos of these sweet little birds and I also love creating them in fibers and threads. 

In this piece I started with watercolor pencils on light batik fabric and then added layers of thread to create texture and extra shading in a process that I call 'twice painted quilts'. 
 

Saturday Share: My Heart Has Wings

 

My Heart Has Wings

Wall Quilt by Monique Klienhans

Lyrics for My Heart Has Wings by Aengus Finnan

My heart has wings, love,

Wings to carry me home.

And my heart it sings, love,

Your name is its song.

I created this piece for an exhibit at the Sandpiper Gallery a number of years ago. The background is pieced with a pattern called Hugs and Kisses (as it makes up Xs and Os.) The butterflies are thread embellished and appliquéd. There are three butterflies flying above the canvas of the quilt which were made using a special batting that allows you to mold and sculpt the item by heating it before it becomes permanent. 

I'm working on some new pieces for another Sandpiper Gallery show coming this spring. I'll be sure to keep you posted! 

Saturday Share: Frog

 

Frog

Thread painted wall quilt 

I love learning about Native Americans' beliefs of what animals have to teach us and that when you attention is caught by different animals the myths and stories of their nature can be used as a meditation for your own life. 

The frog is the totem of metamorphosis. It symbolizes coming into your personal power and it reminds us not to become bogged down in our day to day living. People with frog medicine give support and energy where it is needed.  They can cleanse the negativity from an environment.

This little frog came into being when my Mom signed us both up for my first ever thread art class with the lovely Ellen Anne Eddy back in 2007. Those two days were pure magic as I was introduced to the joys of thread painting and a whole new world of creating art with fiber. My Mother actually started this little guy in class and then gave him to me to finish (as I'm sure she could see that my creative fire had been lit and thread painting had become such a joy for me to do.) 

Between the wonderful support of my Mother's and Ellen's guidance, I certainly feel that this piece was the start of much personal growth both in my art and in seeing myself as an artist.  And now I get to enjoy passing along as much frog energy as I can while teaching others the joys of fiber art and seeing them begin to realize their own potential and power in their work. 

Saturday Share: Sunrise Over Montana

 

Sunrise Over Montana

Textile Art by Monique Kleinhans

This piece began with a quilt challenge. The goal was to include at least three different techniques to create stars. I created pieced stars, paper pieced sun, applique and quilted starts as well. I then decided to add some of the striking peaks and an impressionistic waterfall and trees.  Finally a flock of geese decided to fly through the big sky toward the dawn. 

Saturday Share: Walking in My Garden of Color

Thread Art Quilt by Monique Kleinhans

celebrating the beautiful fabrics of Stephanie Brandenburg

 Today's Saturday share might seem 'out of season' but it's appropriate as I'm teaching a Intro to Thread Art Class today online with The Original Sewing Expo folks.  

This quilt was made using some of Frond Design Studio's gorgeous flower panels designed by Stephanie Brandenburg. I thread painted/embellished each flower individually and then appliqued them onto the background design. It was a project that took me almost a year to complete but it was so much fun dreaming and scheming about what the end result would look like. And it was the first large scale art quilt that I made (Queen sized) 

It found it's new home at an art festival in Kalispell...a wonderful customer who wandered by and said that it was going to be her anniversary present from her husband. Apparently, he had been worried that he hadn't yet gotten her anything and she sweetly told him (before going to the art festival) to not worry about it,...she'd take care of it. :) It sounds like their marriage is as colorful as this quilt is! 

Saturday Share: Winter Moon

 

Winter Moon

Textile Art by Monique Kleinhans

Driving home one night I had to quickly pull over to the side of the road.  Before me the mountains were being lit by the last of the evening light and behind them a beautiful almost full moon rose larger than life.  Thankfully I had my camera with me and I spent some time taking photos and just taking in the beauty of the moment.  After looking at my photos I knew I wanted to translate the experience into thread and fabric.  Every time I look at this piece I immediately return to that moment on the road home, and the sense of wonder that this area offers us every day.

This piece was created using traditional appliqué techniques and extensive thread painting to create depth and the visual layers of the mountainside forest.  The piece was then quilted and stretched on canvas for easy hanging.

I'm excited to get to introduce some students to the joy of thread painting in my online class through Sewing Expo next week, and so grateful for the means of staying connected via technology! 

Saturday Share: Montana Barn

Montana Barn 

Textile Art by Monique Kleinhans 

Wooden barns are part of the makeup of the landscape all across Montana.  We see them in various stages of decay, but they never lose their beauty and even the ones that stand on their last legs still hold their original sense of purpose and use.  I loved spending time in my father’s barn when I was growing up…feeding the livestock or finding treasures of old metal long since discarded from their original purpose and watching the sunlight play through the cracks of the aged shelter.  My Montana Barn series captures a few of these majestic wonders sometimes named simply by the closest mile marker I could find.

I composed the background with applique, the trees using layers of thread and the barn with fabric and thread embellishment. Each layer was then appliquéd to the background and thread added to combine all the pieces into one.

Saturday Share: Eyes of the Great Herd

 

Eyes of the Great Herd

Textile Art by Monique Kleinhans

If you ever have had the opportunity to stand near one of these grand creatures you will begin to understand reason that they have such power in myth and legends.  Their size alone is enough to make you stand in awe. (but please...don't stand TOO near them--we've seen enough crazy videos of people approaching them in Yellowstone National Park.)

This piece was created using traditional appliqué, and then thread-painted to add texture and depth.  I then couched different styles of yarn

I'm also so grateful that this piece was purchased by a friend and relative...so I still have the opportunity to visit it from time to time! 

Saturday Share: Edgar

 

Today's Saturday share was created using a fun combination of techniques. The star of the piece (Edgar, named in reference to Mr. Poe) is thread painted using a variety of different colors and layers of threads. His background is two different fabrics woven together in a circle weave and then covered with a metallic netting. Leaves are appliqued at the base, both standard and some 3D. 

Ravens and crows have a special place in Native American folk-lore. The Blackfeet Nation believed that the Raven has the power of giving people far sight or messages from far away.  I’ve always been impressed by the sure mass of these birds and love watching them play in the thermals above our cabin.    

I wonder what messages the Ravens have for us right now as we head into a very uncertain moment in our country's journey?

Saturday Share: Many Winters

 

                                                            Many Winters

Some of the best memories I have with my Mom (and I have a LOT) are the two of us playing and experimenting together. This piece was created during one such playdate where we decided to experiment with four paste resists. 

You get to make up a big messy batch of flour and water and finger paint it all over your fabric. Then, you have to entertain yourself for a long enough time to let it dry completely---not a hard task when the two of us get together. 

Once the flour paste dries, it cracks and you can then paint over the top of the flour with ink (and where the cracks in the flour paste exist, the ink will reach the fabric. It reveals a fun and unique texture using this method and it reminded me of lots of bare tree branches crossing one another. 

I used this method to create Many Winters, creating a mask to maintain the outline of my tree and then did some texture quilting once the flour paste was washed away. 

We are having an early re-entry into winter this week with the snow falling again today covering the landscape in a blanket of white (which is good...as temps are forecasted to dip into possible single digits, the plants and trees will need any blanket they can get!)

I celebrate the explosion of color of the other seasons, but there is also a beautiful magic in the simplified palette of winter. It invites you look deeper than just the surface and see what might be revealed beneath the layers that are cracked and worn. It is a time to dive deep and nourish our own root systems---what are we taking in and up from our surroundings--is it feeding us well for growth come spring? And if not, what can do to change that in our lives. 

Winter has much to teach us. 

Quilting Around the Block Week 12: Pennsylvania

This Week's Complimentary Quilt Block From Faith and Fabric:

Join us over in the Facebook Group! 

quilting Around the Block - US Tour 2020  

It's been fun to see people posting their versions of the different blocks! 

 

If you're new to the US Block Tour, 

here is a quick description:

Every Sunday you will find the link here to visit the current 

weeks designer, so you can get the block!

Each week a new block has been designed for a new State. 

Zip back and forth across the country on a unique virtual 

voyage, complete with complimentary 6.5″ blocks, 

state & designer 

trivia and stories,  giveaways and bonus blocks too!

Have you signed up to get your free patterns yet?

If not, visit the home page here!

Or subscribe to my blog to make sure you see reminders

of when the next blocks are available!

And don't forget to enter to win some fun raffle prizes!

Join us this week as we head around the block to the

state of Pennsylvania with Jen Frost of Faith and Fabric:

Fall in the Poconos by Jen Frost of Faith and Fabric

Where are we headed to next?    Missouri

And next week offers a Two for One! Be sure to check back to find out more :) 

Participating Designers

• Charisma Horton

• Faith and Fabric

• Louanna Mary Quilt Design

• Slice of Pi Quilts

• Prairie Point Junction

• Tuning My Heart Quilts, LLC

• Traditional Primitives

• Inquiring Quilter

• A Stitch in Time

• On Williams Street

• TextileTimeTravels

• Stitch Adventure

• Designs by Sarah J

• Blue Bear Quilts

• Usquepaugh Baking Company

• The Quilting Room with Mel

• Orchid Owl Quilts

• Lizard Creek Quilting

• Seams To Be Sew

• Seams Like a Dream Quilts

• Pretty Piney Quilts

• QuiltFabrication

• One Quilting Circle

• Flying Parrot Quilts

• Stitched in Purple

• The Quilted Diary

• Katie Mae Quilts

• Wendt Quilting

• Calico Patch Designs

• Ladybug's Cabin

• Appliques Quilts and more

• KISSed Quilts

• Carolina Moore

• Charlie's Daughter, wool designs

• Quilt 2 End ALZ, Inc.

• Dragonfly's Quilting Design Studio

• Off The Wall Quilt

• Sarah Ruiz Quilts

• Quilt Doodle Designs

• PhoebeMoon Designs

• Orange Blossom Quilt Design Studio LLC

• Tamarinis
  

Saturday Share: My Heart Has Wings

The past couple of days I've had the privilege of attending the Studio Art Quilters Association's Regional Conference. (via zoom as this is a no-contact year). My head is full of ideas as I've been watching and listening to other artists share their work and talk about their process. It is such an amazing experience to be part of such an active group. I wish I could share a fraction of what is percolating in my brain right now, but I suppose since no one has yet invented a window for creative brains you'll just have to wait along side me to see what comes of the seeds that have been planted. But I can imagine my ideas flying around in my mind, much like these butterflies...

If you ever want to talk about SAQA with me, I'll be happy to share my thoughts with you...and if you're looking for a community that will offer you a treasure-chest of resources, consider joining in. 

My Heart Has Wings was a wall quilt created using traditional piecing with applique butterflies, some found fabrics, some painted fabrics, and some three-dimensional butterflies flying up and off the quilt that were quilted with heat moldable batting (which allows me to sculpt them using heat and then they keep their shape once cool). 

Saturday Share: Super Chicken

Back when I worked at one of our local quilt shops, we hosted a contest each year to create a small license plate frame sized quilt using any technique or theme of our choosing. I grew to love using these small projects as opportunities to explore. I had recently learned how to weave fabric strips in circular patterns and decided to use this process to create my submission. What came from my experiments reminded me of the galaxy or the outer limits of the universe. Because I'm a collector of funny fabrics, I happened to have on hand a funny chicken fabric where one of the chicks donned a cape (which frankly made me giggle and I decided to make him the star of composition. I added some angelina fibers to create the magical shine, and finally, I decided that my super hero would have taken over a tool usually used for it's own destruction and commandeered it as a power symbol now used for good. 

In this ever chaotic and turbulent time, it is good to remind myself that we can find strength even in the things that seem to be bent on our destruction if we approach them as opportunities to stand together, or when needed, stand up for those in need. I'm sending out extra love to all of you....my fine feathered friends!