Laurie Stephens Vance - ALL THE GOOD YOU DO

 

Laurie Stephens Vance

I have always stitched and loved stitching as far back as I can remember. Many times I have told people I could sit and embroider all day long if I could. A more wonderful and relaxing activity I have never been able to find; lest it be swimming, perhaps. Thankfully, finding a group with like-minded people (who love stitching, too), has been such a blessing for me! And I hope for them, too.

 ALL THE GOOD YOU DO

 Vintage Hankie, Viol, Fabric, Lace, Floss, Bias Tape,

 Various and Sundry Embellishments like Fake Rhinestones and Plastic Figurines.

This piece was a lot of fun to put together! It is frivolous and fun; but also highlights the very important truth: All The Good You Do Will Come Back To You! There is only so much energy in the world and when someone does something, good or bad, it will eventually come back their way. So, why not let it be Good? Even when one thinks they will never see the benefit of the good they are doing; one day, totally out of the blue, the Good Deed surely flies back to us. Much to our surprise and amazement!

Sherri Shokler - We Are Stardust

Sherri Shokler

We Are Stardust

Hand-dyed cotton and linen, commercial cotton fabric, vintage doily pieces, rick-rack, cotton, wool and metallic threads, beads, netting and hand made paper.

Stitching a humble sampler

A beginners attempt at applique

A daughter’s heart and soul

Fraught with dark energy

Circles of cloth and a simple grid

Hands and spirit lead the way

No rules, no plan

Just exploration

Of a color that delights,

A texture that comforts,

A material that sparks interest

Stitching becomes a meditation

A relief, a respite

From the pain and anguish of a situation

That is uncertain and unpredictable

In everything except in its unrelenting chaos

Stitch transforms

One stitch, then another and another

Breathing

Quietly

Within the circle of creative energy

Something new emerges

Spiraling upward, onward

Stitching a sampler of starlit galaxies

Filled with endless possibilities

Maureen Griffin HOPE

Hope

Cotton fabric and embroidery thread, Czech crystal beads.

11” X 5”

Custom Wooden Frame (by Lynn’s)

“There is always hope,” spoken by a five year old boy who was asked by his Hebrew teacher if he knew the meaning of the sanctuary light in the temple. He had recently lost his father to cancer. The Tree of Life image holds great meaning to his mother.

Kris Dohm RED THREAD

Red Thread                                                                                   

Vintage Linen, embellished.  10” x 11”

The “Red Thread” quote is from a Chinese saying.  It perfectly reflects how I felt when meeting my first grandchild, adopted from Taiwan.  I imagined her looking out the window at the same moon as I, not yet knowing that we’d meet, when we’d meet.

Fabric and fibers are my choice of artistic medium.  I have sewn, quilted, stitched, printed, dyed and collected all kinds of textiles and trims for most of my life.  I recently have connected with a circle of like minded stitchers and reconnected with my love of hand stitching.  One of my favorite forms of art is using vintage linens and trims in my work to both honor the original makers and add my own mark.

I sell some of my work at CharlotteOnSunday.etsy.com

Bobbie Malone TURN, TURN, TURN

Turn, Turn, Turn

59”X 42.5”

wool yarns, cotton felt, cotton threads embroidered on antique crazy quilt, mostly silks

            I told my late sister-in-law, Betsey Scharlack (1945-2015), about the punch lines quilt as I was working on it, coincidentally, as she and my brother were cleaning out their house getting ready to move. She sent me this antique crazy quilt in its currently disintegrating state and another quilt top aching for something to liven it up. I promptly put them aside in the basement.

            When our group came up with the theme for this Artisan Gallery show, I immediately thought of the “Turn, turn, turn” lines and looked to see if I had some fabric in my basement stash that might have some circular motif. That’s when I noticed that the crazy quilt—with its embedded and meticulously worked circles—was just perfect for repurposing. Dear members of the group helped me figure out how to transform my ideas into reality.

            The original crazy quilt must have been quite the beauty in its day—about a century ago—and I feel fortunate to think that I have rescued and recast it, giving it a new lease on life. I am dedicating it to Betsey’s memory.

I am an author, historian, and quilter. I began doing embroidery in earnest only after engaging in one of Leslee’s original Café Allongé presentations.I have been working almost exclusively with words, which seems appropriate, given that words are my primary medium. I just happened to combine them with old, found quilts for these two projects. Perhaps I will move on to images, but perhaps not!