Mid May garden tour out in le’Cabbage Patch, blooming now iris, daisies and the peonies are not open yet but maybe by the weekend? The strawberry bed I keep saying I’m going to pull out is teaming with green berries and blooms so I guess it’s proving me wrong 😉? Do you see all those wire baskets, they are from dollar store to keep the bunnies from nibbling the marigolds, zinnia, cosmos, eggplant, peppers and cucumbers. I tried spraying a homemade hot sauce pepper spray but that only made the buffet tastier😕 #indigo #persecariatinctoria #marigold #gardening #vegetablegarden #dyeplants #dyegarden #fiberart #textileartist #seed #art #seedstarting #midwestgardening #grow #zone5 #midmay #chicagoart #garden #handmade #artquilt #fiber #dyeplants #japaneseindigo #modartquilt #modernmaker #naturaldye #artistsoninstagram #may

New under the needle today; Linen, cotton velvet twill from furniture makers, hand embroidered wool and cotton fabrics, peruvian highland wool yarn, linen batting This piece is quilt #2 of the Fibershed Series, a series of work devoted to the exploration of raw wool locks woven into my art quilts. Fibershed celebrates the wool community, the growers, farmers, shepherds, artists, fiber mills, spinners, dyers and consumers who realize the importance of such a wonderful beautiful, sustainable material, wool. How amazing these natural fibers are to work with! #wool #saqa #americancraftcouncil #yarn #art #artquilt #modartquilt #woolyarn #rawwool #artgallery #cotswolds #fibermill #unprocessedwool #textileart #artist #fibershed #linen #sheepfarming #shepherd #yarnquilter #yarnquilting #quilt #recycle #contemporaryart #contemporarytextiles #tapestry #upholstery #recycledtextiles #cottonvelvet

“Fibershed” 55” x 64” Upholstery fabrics from furniture makers, marigold dyed cotton, cotswold sheep wool, various yarn, wool batting Fibershed celebrates the wool community, the growers, farmers, shepherds, artists, fiber mills, spinners, dyers and consumers who realize the importance of such a wonderful beautiful, sustainable material, wool. Fibershed was completed today hand quilting all the layers with wool yarn using my sharpened steel darning needle. The raw wool has been scoured and woven on a homemade loom then sewn into the quilt. Fibershed is dynamic and modern, thick and heavy, finished with a faced edge. How amazing these natural fibers are to work with, this is the first in a series exploring wool locks in my quilts. #wool #saqa #americancraftcouncil #yarn #art #artquilt #modartquilt #woolyarn #rawwool #cotswolds #fibermill #unprocessedwool #textileart #artist #fibershed #sheep #sheepfarming #shepherd #potterybarn #yarnquilter #yarnquilting #quilt #recycle #contemporaryart #contemporarytextiles #tapestry #upholstery #recycledtextiles

Fashioned this rustic homemade loom from a picture frame found at the thrift store and some nails in the junk drawer and it’s working very nice. I predrilled the nail holes first then strung it with warp thread I found at the student supply shop within my local weaving school (The Fine Line Art Center, St. Charles IL). I’m using an old school ruler and a piece of cardboard to move my wool down to compact it. The wool is my freshly washed cotswold sheep fleece and I’m using the locks just barely pulled longer to weave the weft. A few pieces of vm may still be present but it’s a natural vibe I’m going for here. I just cannot get over how beautiful wool is, it’s luminous! This weaving will be incorporated into my current art quilt “Fibershed” -more on that later Really loving weaving and this loom is so portable it may be quite nice to take with camping? Are you a weaver? Have you ever tried weaving? #weavings #fiberart #textileart #modartquilt #fibershed #weaving #chicago #woven #artquilt #art #modernart #americancraftcouncil #saqa #rawwool #wool #cotswolds #sheep #wearwool #tapestryweaving #loom #may #quilt #woolyarn #handmade #handquilted #weaving #repurposed #fiberartist #unprocessedwool

It’s time to pick and card the fleece to get ready for the next phase of the “Fiber Shed” quilt! I have an old tablecloth on the floor and made that my mess station. It’s going great I have one whole day devoted and wouldn’t you know it’s going to spill into day two. Wool has some awesome properties it does not retain dirt it just falls away in the soaking and the vm (vegetable matter in farm speak-straw, grass etc) just falls away with a gentle pick shake and fluff. In the video I posted “after” wool next to the “before” wool see if you can tell the difference after picking and light carding. I won’t tell you what I’m doing with this wool exactly it will be revealed when this piece is finished, but you will be shocked I think! Hard frost this morning here in Chicago zone 5, it’s expected we always get these, don’t worry the sprouts are nice and toasty in the kitchen. Onward. *Mom painted a beautiful sunrise in the sky this morning so it had to be Rachmaninoff. Thanks Mom🌸 #midwestgardening #fiberart #textileart #modartquilt #fibershed #zone5 #chicago #frost #artquilt #art #modernart #americancraftcouncil #saqa #rawwool #wool #cotswolds #sheep #wearwool #grape #rachmaninoff #april #gardening #quilt #handmade #handquilted #weaving #repurposed #fiberartist #unprocessedwool

How it’s going #fiberartistsofinstagram #surfacedesign #modartquilt #fibermill #artquilt #quilt #texture #handmade #handsewn #yarnquilter #shepherd #wool #keepquiltsweird #reducereuserecycle #recycledlinens #saqaart #modquilt #wallart #modernart #contemporaryart #modernfolkart #americancraftcouncil #saqa #textileart #sheepfarming #art #fibershed

Happy 17th Birthday to our bright, caring, smart, beautiful Ava! How happy we are every day because you were born! Love you more! ❤️mom & dad

Sunrise over le’ Cabbage Patch Did you catch a glimpse? “Wherever life can grow, it will. It will sprout out, and do the best it can.” —Gwendolyn Brooks #indigo #persecariatinctoria #marigold #modernart #dyeplants #dyegarden #fiberart #textileartist #seed #art #seedstarting #folkart #musicforindigo #moderncraft #slowstitch #slowart #midwestgardening #grow #chicagoart #garden #handmade #artquilt #americancraftcouncil #saqa #fiber #wooldying #dyeplants #japaneseindigo #modartquilt #modernmaker #artistsoninstagram

The 2024 SAQA Spotlight Auction is live now and ends Saturday April 20th! You do NOT have to be a SAQA member to participate - bidding is open to everyone. All proceeds will help support SAQA programs. Over 360 pieces of artwork will be available for bidding. Each piece is mounted on an 8” x 10” mat with a 4.5” x 6.5” opening and placed in a clear cellophane sleeve. Go to SAQA.com/spotlight to view auction! #saqa #artauction #art #textileart #fiberart #auction #studioartquiltassociates #artistsoninstagram #handmade #embroidery #miniquilt #slowart #contemporaryart #onlineauction #modernartist