Mixed Media Fiber Artist: July 2016

"All Dressed Up"

Cherrywood Lion King challenge

Rejected or Not?

"All Dressed Up" was not accepted into the Cherrywood challenge, does that mean he was rejected? I'd like to think not. He will have a permanent home watching over the goings on in my husbands office. Hopefully he will bring a smile to those that get to see him.

Working on this challenge was a learning experience and a demand on completing a project. I had actually announced that I would not start or complete the challenge because time was of the essence. I had been using much of my time to tend to issues that required my time more than working on the quilt. At the eleventh hour I decided to complete the challenge I'd signed up for.

It turned out to be a great diversion from the issues previously requiring my time. The challenge made me dig deep into my creative mind and allow it to lead me to creating this fun and 'out of the box' quilt.

One of the biggest challenges I continue to need to grow in is the required photo taking of my quilts. I learned so much on how to work the set up and take photos for this challenge that will carry over to the next challenge I enter (what ever that may be).

Was there disappointment because he was not accepted into the challenge, absolutely! Will there be a next challenge to enter, without a doubt!

To the 120 quilters who had their quilt accepted into the challenge, CONGRATULATIONS! I can't wait to see your quilt at PIQF this year.

Respectfully,

Barbara

Alzheimer's Disease

"We don't know how strong we are until being strong is the only choice we have" Alzheimer's Disease Awareness

Most people I know either are intimately connected to Alzheimer's Disease or know someone who is. It is a life changing disease, with no boundaries. It is not particular who it attaches itself to, young, old, happy, sad, rich or poor.

In honor of all those I know and those I don't I've created a quilt depicting my creative thoughts about Alzheimer's disease.

I dedicate it to my sweet loving mother in law Patricia Grandon who has loved and accepted me for the past 35 years into her loving arms. I don't know how much longer she will know who I am, however I cherish every single moment she still does.

Also dedication goes to all my family members afflicted with this horrific disease, which not limited to our grandfathers, uncles, cousins, and grandmothers.

Let us not forget the caregivers whom dedicate their lives to making sure their loved one with Alzheimer's is able to stay in their homes as they selflessly give up their own life.

Now to the making of the quilt!

The concept begins: I examined my close experience with my mother in law to sum up how her disease is progressing, what she has shoved in the corner of her mind (faded memories) while focusing on a few items. For her, she doesn't remember or even think of putting on her lipstick before family pictures are taken, nor does she know many Sundays have passed and she has not been at church and she has not colored or cut her hair in years.

The things she focuses on most are her dog and the neighboring feral cats. The dog has become her "baby" and often times she won't leave the house because her "baby" can't come.

The design concept continues. As my mother in law's world becomes smaller and smaller she is confined to her home and she doesn't realize it. Her memory gets pushed further and further to a corner of her home and is left there. This depicts a room in her home with her memory in the right hand corner.

All the parts are beginning to come together.

The sewing has begun, the tedious work of sewing down all of these "stepping stones" which represent the path to her home.

Sewing down all the paths leading to the things that consume her life, her dog (her baby), and cat (s). You can see her memory behind the netting, contained and protected but removed.

Hundreds of threads are buried!

The tangles in the brain of Alzheimer's victims. These will be trimmed and secured with Swarovski Crystals.

Detail work of floating memories that settle anywhere, hundreds of Swarovski Crystals hold done all the tangles in the brain representative of Alzheimer's Disease.