All You Need Is Love

 

All You Need Is Love, 18" x 13", handmade by Pam Geisel, January 2022

Ever since I made Be a Spark a few years ago, I've been wanting to make more art quilts with the same technique of using squares rotated and on top of squares with letters and sheer fabrics on top but I've been having trouble coming up with inspiration.

A few nights ago I was thinking about the Village Artisans' lobby show that we're going to hang this week, which has the theme of "All You Need is Love." Knowing I had a deadline coming up, I spent the weekend working on this piece.

Originally it was going to be on a white background and I pulled out the red fabric that I used for the background fabric thinking I could use it for the binding. The white background wasn't working for me and I considered not finishing it but then I tried the fabrics on the red background and I started to feel excited about this project. This project is this size because that is all that I had of that red fabric.

I don't have a lot of pink fabrics in my stash, but I did have some small amounts of dusty pink fabrics, which I used for the larger squares that form the heart (that are at a 45 degree angle). 

Because the layout dictated that the letters would be spaced far apart, I decided to make the letters of each word the same color and have them go in the rainbow order of blue, indigo, violet, purple, and then red (and I didn't have enough room for the word "Love" so I used a heart).

It's quilted with a dusty pink thread which crosses through the squares instead of around the outside which make the sides stand out from the background.

It's embellished with a chunky, funky red/purple variegated yarn that outlines the heart (and breaks the frame by going above and below the background) and a thin red silk ribbon framing the edges. The sheer fabrics, the glitter in the yarn, and some handsewn beads add sparkle to this piece.

The "All You Need is Love" show at Village Artisans runs through March 21. Village Artisans is located at 100 Corry St. in Yellow Springs and is open M-Sa 11 am-5 pm and Sun noon-5 pm.

More about All You Need Is Love

Mystical Moon Cat - Project Quilting

"Mystical Moon Cat" 6" x 6" x .5", made by Pam Geisel for Project Quilting, Season 13, Challenge 2: In Silhouette

Recap for "In Silhouette":

Be inspired by the concept of silhouette; explore the idea of a simple, contrasting image.

I love using silhouettes in both my art quilts and also in my graphic design. I've just started a larger project that I think will have a silhouette in it, although I'm not positive what the silhouette will be of. If I get that project finished, it won't likely be until summer time.

Because I've worked with silhouettes in the past, I've already got some sketches of silhouettes, including this one of a cat on a crescent moon, although I did spend some time trying to decide which fabric to use. It wasn't until I remembered I had some Island Batik Sea Salt Sandie fabrics (one of my favorites from when I was an Island Batik Ambassador) that I knew this was what I wanted to make.

I've made several of these little 6 x 6 wrapped around canvas pieces, both for other Project Quilting challenges and for Island Batik projects and they're quite fun to make.

More about Mystical Moon Cat.

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Click on any of the photos to see larger images.

To read more about Project Quilting, go here.

To see other entries for this challenge, visit the In Silhouette page.

Rainbow Plaid Baby Quilt - Project Quilting

 

"Rainbow Plaid Baby Quilt" 30" x 30", made by Pam Geisel for Project Quilting, Season 13, Challenge 1: All the Colors

Recap for "All the Colors":

Your project must be colorful with at least five colors.

Considering that the quilt I consider my first art quilt had the rainbow colors in it ("Rainbow Pinwheel") and I both made a quilt called "All the Colors" and one of my solo shows was also called "All the Colors," this was not a challenge for me, but fun nonetheless.

I used the six traditional rainbow colors although the one that I used for the blue I also used for the backing and binding. 

It's blue but also has some rainbow stripes that cross to make a fun plaid pattern, which is why I named this baby quilt "Rainbow Plaid."

It's quilted with blue thread that make "x"s through all the squares.

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Click on any of the photos to see larger images.

To read more about Project Quilting, go here.

To see other entries for this challenge, visit the All the Colors page.

Project Quilting Season 13

It's time for Project Quilting's 13th Season! It's a three month on-line event that challenges participants to create a quilt in one week, with a week off in between. You can participate in as few or as many as you like. Participants are entered into random prize drawings and at the end of the season there are grand prizes awarded. The more challenges you enter, the better your chances.

I've participated in every year in some form or another (and I was the overall grand prize winner of Season 2). Some of my favorite quilts that I've made were Project Quilting challenges.

The schedule for when the challenges start is:
- Challenge 1: January 2
- Challenge 2: January 16
- Challenge 3: January 30
- Challenge 4: February 13
- Challenge 5: February 27
- Challenge 6: March 13

Each challenge is posted at noon CDT and due exactly one week later at noon CDT.

The challenge will be posted on the "Persimon Dreams" Project Quilting blog and you can also find links about past seasons there.

Custom Quilts made in 2021

This year I made two large custom art quilts, which I've already shared but here they are again, anyway. Plus a t-shirt quilt that was made as a Christmas present, a table runner, and someone saw one of my mini art quilt cats but it had sold, so when I offered to make another one for her, she suggested changing the cat from white to orange, since that was the coloring of her cat.

Touching the Sky, 30" x 48"

Serenity, 69" x 49"

T-shirt Quilt

Terra Cotta Table Runner

Orange Cat Love

Last Minute Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers

If you are in need of some last minute gifts or stocking stuffers, look no further! If you're local to Yellow Springs, Ohio, most items are available at Village Artisans, 100 Corry St. or contact me (PamGeiselArtQuilts@gmail.com) to arrange for pick up. If you need shipping (prices not included), the USPS suggests shipping by Dec. 17 to arrive in time for Christmas. (Mugs can only be purchased directly from me and are not available for shipping.)

Wine Glass Coasters, set of 4 for $8, many colors and themes (including Christmas) are available.
etsy.com/shop/PamGeiselArtQuilts?section_id=5213991

This table runner is 14" x 32", washable and dryer safe, and double sided! The purple and gold side is pieced with six fabrics from the Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer "Midnight Sky" collection and the backing is a piece of Island Batik with light purple and blue sunflowers. The binding is a purple fabric with tiny gold dots. $50 (with free shipping). etsy.com/listing/740138358

These fun artist trading cards are only available at Village Artisans or by contacting me. They are 2.5" x 3.5" and made of fabric. $5 each.

Quilted postcards are also made of fabric but are 4" x 6" and really can be sent through the mail. Many options to chose from including mermaids. $10 each, with more options at Village Artisans than online. etsy.com/shop/PamGeiselArtQuilts?section_id=5281554

Rainbow colored quilted bookmarks are 1.5" x 8" and are great for marking your spot in your favorite book. $6 each. etsy.com/listing/565789909

Mugs with images of my quilts are only available directly from me and need to be picked up. They are $15. 

(You can get any of my quilt images printed on a mug or other items from pam-geisel.pixels.com and they will ship them, but you're not likely to get it before Christmas).

Four Lovely Little Flowers

(Clockwise from upper left) "Cheery Blossoms," "Winking Periwinkle," "Purple Petals," and "Daffy O'Dilly," 6" x 6" each, wrapped around canvas frames, by Pam Geisel 

I have a solo show at the Yellow Springs Brewery. As I was getting prepared for it, I decided that I wanted to make some more small 6" x 6" pieces wrapped around canvases. I also wanted these pieces to go with "Morning Glories for Georgia," which at 24" x 30" is a little larger. 

I didn't have any more of the green hand dyed fabric that I used for the background but I did have a similar piece of commercial green fabric for the backgrounds, and just like "Morning Glories" I used hand dyed fabric for the flowers.

They are raw-edge applique with the edges sewn down. Three of them are embellished with bead while the daffodil has a vintage button that was the perfect size, shape, and color.

The exhibit at the Yellow Springs Brewery is up through Jan. 5, 2022. The brewery is located at 305 N. Walnut Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and they are open Mon.-Th. 1-9 pm, Fri. 1-10 pm, Sat. noon-10 pm, and Sun. noon-8 pm.

More about Cheery Blossoms,  Winking Periwinkle,  Purple Petals,  or Daffy O'Dilly