Secondary Images

This is my most recent cane, a design based on the original designs of Ruby S Mckim. Ruby is one of the innovators in the Quilting world, in the 30’s she wrote patterns for the Kansas City star. I received permission from her family to reproduce some of her designs into jewelry.

This is a pieced rose, but if you look at it, there are bear paws, and in the center is an Ohio star. Isn't it great! I love when designs do this, include secondary images within them!

I have to say although, I like these colors, they seem to be flat, they don't "sing" as the colors in the last Celtic knot did. Because these canes are reduced into small sizes, I have to look carefully at the values of the colors I use; I want the designs to be seen even at a small size. However, I think I have been worrying to much about value, and not enough about the colors themselves. (Does that make sense?)

I have one more cane to do in the McKim series, which is my next project, it is a pieced pansy. I hope that I will do better color wise with it.

Cya
Jenny P

http://www.quiltedinclay.com/

Voices?

Let's Talk!


I am reading a lot these days about the Synergy conference and finding your "Voice.” I am not sure what they mean.

First of all the voice in my head is beating me up! I was going to go to this conference, but a mundane thing like needing work done on my bathroom took precedence. Now I feel like all my friends went to a party and I had to stay home. The voice is saying things like "you really did not need a toilet" and "FLOOR, what do you mean you wanted a FLOOR!" Therefore, I stayed home to make canes.

I did not have the opportunity to go to college to study art. I have a problem understanding abstract ideas, like making art that has a "voice.” I am just a simple farmer’s daughter, who has a need to create. I also need to feed my family! Now, do I have to worry about what my work is supposed to, "Say"? Goodness, if one of my quilt pins said something I think it would scare the bejesus out of the person wearing it!

Seriously, I don't know if my work has a "voice" or not, and I am not sure how I would give it that "voice" I just like to make canes, I get lost in the designing, choosing colors, the challenge of making a difficult pattern, and the Joy when it turns out just like the one in my head! Then I turn it into a form that I can sell, because as much as I would like to create just for the Joy of it, it is my job to keep my family fed. My work does fill a niche too; my customers are quilters, who have a passion of their own. They like my affordable jewelry, which represents their own passion.

I don't know HOW to give my work "voice"! I really do wish someone would explain it to me.

When I have time, I like to play with new ideas, try out new techniques I have learned, or heard about. I love to sculpt, but it takes so much time, that I seldom do it anymore. Maybe if I ever win the lottery and don't have to earn my way, I can take the time to work on the "voice" part. For now, I will just keep on doing what I am doing, because I don't know how to do anything else!

Besides, the wolf at the door really does like to eat!

Oh the bathroom??? Well the plumber ended up in the hospital with appendicitis, so the project is on hold until he recovers. Maybe I could have gone to Baltimore!

Until next time
Jenny P
http://www.quiltedinclay.com/

Fun with knots!

So I am having way to much fun playing with Celtic Knots! This is my second version, and I already have a third one brewing in the back of my brain! Although I do think I might have to stop and move on to something else. I have a number of "must have's" on my list, that should be done before the next show.

But those knots keep calling!! (chuckle)

CYA
Jenny P

http://www.quiltedinclay.com/

Celtic Knots

I have been wanting to make celtic knots in canes for ages. Occasionally I would test it out, I tried a couple different methods, but they just didn't quite do it for me. I wanted more!! Last fall as I was working on another project the answer hit me! I figured it out! But didn't have time to actually test it out until these past few days.

The cane below is my first test! I am very please with how it came out. These 2 are the same cane, I just changed the color of the outside border on them.

I do have plans on doing another set, maybe later this week. I am so thrilled, that I can't wait to try more!

CYA

Jenny P

http://www.quiltedinclay.com/

Oops!

I forgot to include these in the last post! I also made a bunch of swirly beads. They still need to be sanded and polished. But I will wait until I have enough to fill my tumbler before I do that.



Jenny P

http://www.quiltedinclay.com/

Remnants

One of the benefits of making canes are remnants. And I call them remnants because in MY head scrap is something you throw away! Think about it, you don't go to a carpet store to buy a scrap piece of carpet, you buy a REMNANT!


So in the past week I made a cane to fill in a gap in my inventory. The original block is a black and almond Log Cabin block. Click on any of the images to see a larger version.


After making the original block I combined 16 of them together to make a complex log cabin cane. The original block will be used for earrings, and the complex cane for pins and large pendant necklaces.


When the complex cane was done, I decided to play a bit. I started again with the original log cabin cane, and morphed them into some Kalideoscope canes. WHAT FUN!! I love how they turned out! But I am not sure how I am going to use them yet.



If you make canes you know that when the canes are finished you are left with a table full of Remnants. These can be used many ways, this week I chose to make them into hearts and barrettes. I made all of the ones in the pictures below, and I STILL have remnants on my table!






I decided It was time to move on, so the remainder of the remnants are going into a zip lock, to play with later!

Cya!
Jenny P

http://www.quiltedinclay.com/