Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Fall is here and I'm back working in my studio

 

I've been away for the better part of the summer which was wonderful but it does make a person go really off schedule.  Since being back I've been super busy with just getting back to normal, making up for missed appointments and cleaning and reorganizing my home and studio.

So today will be a short post to get my motivation and rhythm back in gear.

One of the things I was working on this summer was using my gelli prints.  I've done some experimenting with printing on fabric and it's been a bit of a trial and error thing. Most of the informatinon I see is working on paper.  I find the fabric  aspect to be really challenging but equally exciting. 

Getting the fabric to mantain a soft hand is hard and I think a lot of experimenting with different types of paint is going to be critical.  I must admit to date my paints tend to be of the cheap variety.  I have been waiting to invest in better paints till I understood the process a bit more. This sounds like a reasonable plan but at the same time poor materials can be frustrating. So the idea of saving money definitely needs to be evaluated often and at some point you may need to just dive in and get the better stuff.

Above is a selection of my current prints.

Most of what I've made so far has been used for journal pages but I have started to use a few prints to make note cards.  

Gelli prints on cotton muslin.

Paint and other fabrics added.


Embroidery, paint, netting and bits of silk ribbon are added. Mounted on cardstock and then blank note cards.
My remaining prints are now wrapped around a wooden spool waiting for another project.

I hope this quick post inspires you to start a small project to restart your creative journey.

Have a great day! 
MaryEllen

Sunday, September 6, 2026

SAQA Auction


This is my donation to the 2026 SAQA Benefit Auction, (Studio Art Quilt Associates).  The auction will take place online September 11 through October 4, 2026.  

Each donation is 12" X 12".  Funds go to outreach programs and to support SAQA exhibitions.  More information about the auction and SAQA can be found on their website, saqa.com.

The title of my piece is Her Legacy, and is a tribute to vintage woman's handwork.
I love working with vintage materials and embroidery. This piece incorporates a lace doily and an embroidered doily, tatting, and an embroidered handkerchief. I've also added my own embroidery work, silk ribbon and beadwork.

Below are some details from my piece.



I hope you will take a minute and check out The SAQA Auction and all the artwork from our SAQA artists.

Have a wonderful day!
MaryEllen






Friday, September 4, 2026

The Barn an art quilt

I started The Barn as my submission for the SAQA Benefit Auction later this fall.  However once I finished it I just couldn't let it go, it had become too personal.


The piece started with a personal photo of the family barn which  I had printed on fabric.  The photo was taken in 2009.
 The trees had overgrown around the barn and the poor barn roof was sagging. 

By 2019  winter storms and neglect had done their worst and the barn could no longer hold on.  It was the end of an era.  The barn had been built in 1934 after  a fire burned the original barn to the ground. 

Today I'm blessed with beautiful memories of growing up on the farm.  The milk house, the cows (which alway seemed to get out at night), the chicken, new cut hay and fresh crops, and of being told to go to the field and wave the dish towel so dad would know it was time for dinner.

I rescued the cupola from the top of the barn.  I hope someday to make a place for it in my garden.  It's bigger than you would guess and it lives in my shed at the moment.  
The background: hand-dyed fabric, loose weave burlap, tea bags and stalks from twisted dyed satin.
Personal photo printed on distressed fabric and thread painted.

Raw edge applique of the cupola on top of the barn.
Stylized hay bays made with twine.

Embroidery details.  The finished piece is 12" X 12".
The finished piece.  I hope you can see why The Barn means so much to me.

Have a wonderful day!  Thanks for stopping in!
MaryEllen