We always look forward to our challenge reveal meetings. April was our first such meeting of the year.

Oceans

Seaform Siren 24" x 28"
by Tracy Visher

Artist Statement:  The source of the design was my imagination.  I used:   Silk Noil, Heavy linen, commercial cotton and batik fabrics. Pro Chem fabric paint, razzle, cotton and chenille embroidery threads, Inktense pencils and blocks, netting, beads, tulle, 80/20 batting.

How I stretched myself:  This is the first piece I didn’t make entirely in my studio. I went on a weeklong retreat with some girlfriends. We rented a house and all brought whatever we wanted to work on. I had to anticipate what I might need out of my massive collection of possible parts I might want to include. At home, I can have a thought and turn around and put my hands on what I need. I made about half of the quilt while I was gone and only felt I’d not thought of one item to get it to that point. I’m a planner, so I did an ok job of anticipating!

I strove for perspective. I wanted the viewer to feel like they were up on the dune looking down at the beach. Texture is a critical essence in my work, so getting the feel of the weathered fence boards and the sand were challenging.

Ocean View 19" x 17"
by Mary Stori

Artist Statement:  The source of the design was my imagination.  I used:  Japanese cottons, raw edge applique, Hobb's Thermore batting, machine quilted with metallic thread, double fold binding & hanging sleeve.

How I stretched myself:  Limiting myself to create a smaller price point art quilt and use ONLY fabrics from my stash.

Fantastic Creatures

With the Wind 21" x 31"
by Mary Stori

Artist Statement:  The source of the design is my imagination.  I used:  Japanese cottons, layered sheers, metallic thread, water-soluble image enhancement, raw edge fusible applique, Hobb's thermore batting, machine quilted, double fold binding, hanging sleeve attached.  

How I stretched myself: Developing methods to alter the color contrast of the design motifs to allow them to become more visible.  The fussy cut herons ranged in color from grey to pink tints.  Application of white water-soluble crayons in varying strengths unified them.  Additionally, by appliqueing the rather plain ginkgo leaves with high contrast metallic thread, they no longer blended into the background.  

Bettina (Timtellius Bumbly!!) 11" x 16"
by Tracy Visher

Artist Statement:  The source of the design was my imagination and my yard.  I used:  Commercial batik, cotton, metallic fabric, angelina fibers, dazzle embroidery thread, ceramic clock face, Vinyl upholstery fabric, colored wire, glass jewel, organza and metallic thread, 80/20 batting, heat and bond light fusible.

How I stretched myself:  I think what took the most consideration was the subject itself. I considered many different types of mystical creatures but had no luck getting fired up about any. This bee was a random thought while not thinking about it at all! I have many bees in my yard and have watched them pick up flower pollen and see it stick to their legs. I put French knots on her legs from the same thread I made the flower stamens. 

Abbra-Kadabra Alakazam
by Lynda Lasich

Artist Statement:  Aladdin's Lamp is an iconic fairy tale that appears throughout centuries of stories.  My inspiration was a tiny drawing of Alladin's lamp and genie.  I used cotton fabric, angelina fiber, lumiere paint, artist's paint sticks and stencils, wool and cotton batting.  

How I stretched myself:  Although I have a supply of angelina fiber, I had never used it to create a quilt.  Aladdin's lamp fabric was a scrap from a previous quilt.  

Night Mare - Equus Fantasticus 19" x 24" 
by Stephanie Bennett-Strauss

Artist Statement:  2026 is the year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese Lunar Calendar.  The inspiration was the Game of Thrones.  I've never seen it, but it had a character called the Fire Horse Nightmare.  I used cottons and glittery cottons, cotton/poly and metallic thread.

How I stretched myself:  This was my first every attempt at Trapunto.  

From a Song or a Poem

Fly Me to the Moon 12" x 12"
by Karle deProsse

Artist Statement:  When thinking of a black & white design, the song just popped into my mind.  I used cotton fabrics and batting for enhancing the shape of the moon.

How I stretched myself:  Using only black & white fabric with a pop of color.  My quilts tend to be whatever size they end up being with no preset idea.  I wanted this one exactly 12" square.

My American in Paris 22" x 22"
by Joan Mosley

Artist Statement:  This quilt is my interpretation of the symphonic tone poem,  American in Paris, by George Gershwin:  an American traveler in 1920's Paris, walking stick in hand, enjoying the colors and textures of the city as he experiences all it has to offer.  I wanted to depict him as a dancer, in homage to the Gene Kelly movie I have watched and loved dozens of times.  I used a mixture of French themed fabrics for the backgound and appliques.  Small amounts of inktense pencil and fabric paint added a bit of embellishment.

How I stretched myself:  Making the stretch from my musical life to my quilting life is a first for me. I wanted to keep this piece simple and let the dynamics of the fabrics speak for themselves.

Taste and See 18" x 18"
by Karla J. Rodgers

Artist Statement:  Original Design inspired by a magazine page featuring Chinese Take Out, and a poem titled: Chinese Food.  I used  Gold Dupioni Silk, Beautifully wrapped stationary from Japan, Rat-tail cording, cotton fabrics, Magnifico gold thread, Metallic Buttons, a ceramic button, chopsticks, Hobbs 80/20 batting, EC6000 glue, Ink jet fabric sheet for the menu 

How I stretched myself:  Deciding what to create from the inspiration of a magazine page was the first challenge. Working with the Dupioni silk for the binding posed its own set of challenges. Adhering the rattail cording was a huge challenge/stretch. I tried couching it, hand sewing it,  sewing with monofilament thread...none looked right. Finally, I remembered Ardy Tobin telling me about EC6000 glue...it worked great! Lastly, a fun stretch was designing my own take-out box and using gorgeous silk for its body. 

A Moment in Time

Peaceful 19" x 19"
by Desiree Davila

Artist Statement:  This was inspired by a page in a magazine.  I drew a sketch and worked from that.  I used fabric with a forest scene on it for the background, extra batting to make the clouds puffy, a wooden fence that I painted white, colored fabric for flowers with sequins and glass beads.

How I stretched myself:  I used free motion to thread paint the flowers and pathway.  I used sequins and glass beads to create the flowers.