Nature Inspires

Our meeting was back online due to Covid-19. I wonder if someday we will look back on this and say remember when . . .

Darcy Hunter shared her quilting with us once again. There is always something new to learn from Darcy. She is now operating under a new name - Darcy Hunter Art. Her website can be found at https://www.darcyhunterart.com/ and one may subscribe to her newsletter.

She explained that nature inspires her work. She has received a Creation Grant to travel New Brunswick for inspiration and create 6 pieces of work. The Sackville Waterfowl Park art quilt is completed.

                        

The Hole in the Wall in Grand Manan is coming along. Darcy shared that she had been struggling with the rocks.

Darcy also has received an Arts Smart Grant to work with Nashwaak Valley School where she is teaching elementary students at many grade levels to make art quilts with simple materials. These are all works in progress and tie to the students' experiences and studies.

This shows the Nashwaak River and the start of the Durham Bridge.

This shows highlights of New Brunswick: fiddleheads, the Hartland covered bridge, the Big Potato in Maugerville, lobster, and so on.

These are tree trunks.

Darcy did an Odell Park Residency last summer in the botanical garden. People could watch her create. 

Darcy encouraged us to experiment with using nature treasures on quilted pieces such as shells, branches. She uses various fabrics for special effects: organza, lace, upholstery, burlap. Darcy says she often rips instead of cutting fabric to add texture. Here are other pieces she shared with us. They show how nature truly does inspire Darcy. If you look carefully you can see the use of different materials.

Members had the opportunity to share what they have been working on. Mary Ellen has made a quilt for a friend who wanted a special gift for a grand niece who is getting married in June. It is lovely. 

Mary Ellen has also made a quilt for her niece who had a baby girl in August. Gisele will be quilting this one as well.

Pam has stitched some more blocks for her quilt in progress, Random Houses.

Pam has been lucky to share her love of sewing with her 14 year old grandson. He is learning to use a sewing machine and has made a coat for his dog, Lennie.

And Milo has made a bear for a good friend.

Christa has made a comfort quilt top for our stash.

Gisele made a lap quilt for her daughter for Christmas.

Gisele has also made placemats for spring that turn into a table topper. Directions for them can be found at Place Mats Turn into Table Topper.    Here they are apart . . .

And together . . .

Gisele also has made a lap quilt for a son-in-law.

Susan A got a top and backing from a quilt that needed new hands to finish it. She quilted it herself and now plans to give it back.

Heather has made a new barn quilt. She wanted to do a tree. 

Heather also received a couple of crafty Christmas gifts - a snowman wall hanging from a friend and a knitted garland from her sister.

Susan F made a cute zippered pouch out of scrabble tiles fabric. It has a nice flat bottom.

A Festive Gathering

 In December we gathered to have a lovely meal catered by Debbi D and her helper elves. Mine was delicious! There was a prize for the best decorated table. Here is the winner. 

And their chairs were adorned with stockings . . .

Here are some of the other tables.

Things looked very festive indeed.

Our community project was making travel pouches from face cloths and to fill them with useful items. I am not sure of the number collected but there was more than a box full, all ready to be donated.

There was show & tell to inspire our creative juices. Debby H had made a quilted piece using a panel.

And showed a wooden ornament that she had carved out of wood. Very interesting. 

Rose-Marie showed lovely birds which she had paper pieced. The colours are wonderful.

Toni just got back her dresden plate quilt from the machine quilter (Thank you, Gisele). After much thinking Toni created a nine patch of nine patches for her alternate blocks. I love how it looks like it is set on point and it really is not. The colours make it so cheerful.

Gisele had finished her placemats from the workshop and made the star flakes. 

Ruth gave repurposing ideas with a tree skirt she made from old lace.

And stockings made from an old afghan with holes in it that someone wondered if she could use. They are lovely.

Melanie made a seven duck pillow for a daughter. 

Our November workshop was making placemats. Here are end-of-day results

from Carlinda

from Christa

from Gisele

from Joyce

Looks like it was a very productive day!

Other projects shared include this hooded bath towel Diane made for her granddaughter.

Pam is working on a quilt done in red and cream. She is calling it Random Houses as the blocks are different sizes and have houses from different patterns. 

Christa finished placemats to send to Ontario.

Linda has been super busy. Here are a blue hat for her son, a hat and scarf for a granddaughter, and pot holders.

Linda says she tried to use up all her fabric in this double slice quilt. She shares that it did not work, she still has lots of fabric. It was machine quilted by Janet Melanson.

A table runner

A wall hanging (quilted by Janet M)

More hats for grandkids

Table runners, potholders, more hats

Here is a special gift for Grammy from Linda's 7 year old granddaughter. She painted the quilt rack herself. The lettering is from using a decals.

Linda says this quilt is her last project of 2021. It was machine quilted by Janet M. What a lot of work! I can say Linda was definitely ready for Christmas.