Quilting on the brain.

Plus nine patch?

it is well with my soul

I tried very hard this Christmas to make everyone's gift. Some were more successful than others. This was one of my gifts for my Mom.

When she saw it, she cried.

She cried because these are lyrics from the song, It is Well with My Soul. This song was played at her father's funeral and her sister's. It carries strong memories and touches her soul. When she hears this song, she is instantly taken back. And almost every time it is played, she cries.

So knowing that it is so meaningful to her, I thought about using it for her gift. I just didn't want it to upset her whenever she saw it. I was hoping that instead, seeing it would bring back all the amazing memories and stories, that naturally get forgotten about everyday.

In making this, I had to make some decisions. I thought it would be nice to display the lyrics in a bold, modern take since the song was so old. I liked the mix of ideas and themes. For color choices, I knew I wanted the piece to be warm. I wanted her to feel alive when she saw it. The background is natural, but the letters are metallic. I used acrylic paint for both.

I absolutely love the way this turned out. And Mom does too. We miss you, Nana, Papa and Lisa.

Making Corn Rye

baby quilt for my favorite baby!

{let me first say that i made this quilt summer 2010, but never wrote about it or showed it off! completely disappointed that i waited so long, i am now forcing myself to post.} one of my best friends had a gorgeous baby girl & i decided she needed a one of a kind quilt to bundle up in!

so, this was the first quilt that i sewed by myself. no help {other than "ok mom, what's next?} i've made others with my mom, but yes i can proudly say i made this quilt.

i enjoy quilting and following patterns, sometimes. but with this one, i chose to just piece and go. don't plan too much. quilting like this was so much fun because there was no pattern so there really weren't any mistakes {best part}. i also got to use a lot of random pieces of fabric. it didn't matter what size they were. just sew them together! it just works.

the back has a stripe of leftover scraps. thought this was nice for the back to be different that the front, which is so busy. & the quilting creates a diamond pattern with 3 lines.

i loved making this quilt, but it was so hard to give it away! at least i have these pictures to look back on. i think handmade gifts really do say more to the ones you love. i love you baby nia!

nana's chairs: re-done!

Alright, I know it's been a while.... no actually a really long time! we almost went a whole YEAR without posting! I'm going to blame it on being in school and having no extra time! I am happy to finally post again, though. I've been working on some random projects at the same time, and you know what that means. Nothing ever gets finished! {Note to self: probably shouldn't do that.} But, that's me and how I work. I have to keep it interesting! Staying on one task for too long is not my style. Eventually, I finish things! Yay me! And then I get to write about it and show you guys- the fun part!

Moving into my house last fall, I had NOTHING! My living room was so bare! I took advantage of my mother's kindness and basically robbed her. I took her sofa, coffee table, rug, end tables and an assortment of little goodies. Now she was left with nothing! As you know, my nana passed away almost 2 years ago. In that horrible time, we inherited a ton of furniture and adorable, vintage knick-knacks! Perfect for making my house a home.

My mother gave me 4 wooden chairs, all different, but roughly the same size. Great for the kitchen table. I began by spraypainting them gray. {I love spraypainting my furniture. The instant gratification is amazing!}

yucky old chair, spraypainted gray

In a small, small, small amount of time, all 4 chairs were gray! Two of the chairs had upholstered seats and two had wicker seats. Now comes the time to cover those awful cushions! Mom had 8 12x12 log cabin quilt squares. She was going to use them in a quilt, but moved in a different direction, lucky for me! So, of course, I scooped them up, knowing they would be gorgeous on the chairs! I then sewed 4 together into a larger square, large enough to wrap the seat. I didn't even take off the old fabric. I stapled mine right on top. In a matter of minutes, with the help of my staple gun {WHICH I ADORE}, I had chairs that looked like I had paid A LOT of money for! So cute!

finished chairs!

 

 

 

My favorite part about this diy is that I used my nana's chairs. Her treasures, small and large, have decorated my entire home. I love having her spirit around me everyday!

xo, Lark

Getting ready

Up to my hands in dye. Working with my mother's linens. Got a show Thursday night at Chroma. Can we say procrastination?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

a thank you for a great break the fast.

We have some great friends who, year after year, take pity on my sweet husband and always invite us the most amazing evening. As usual, I ate way to much. I made her some hot pads for the next time. The large one will be perfect for that amazing blintz casserole. Gut yontif a day late.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Lark's Leaving the Nest

Moving Out my Baby!

Just letting you know I am helping my daughter move into an apartment. Going to be a busy weekend. A little excited...a little blue.
She already wants to paint the walls...her mother's daughter!

xoxo
Lori

Current

The process of interpretation.

a new direction.

One of my oil paintings

Hey everyone. Been in the thought process for months about my work. thought I'd share it with you. I am currently a professional artist in Savannah. Luckily my work has always been well received. I've painted southern landscapes for years. But, last year I stopped working to take care of my mom. She passed away in November after 11 months of fighting the cancer that was taking her away. I regard that time as the most special, difficult, nurturing, loving and revealing time in my life. Would not have missed a minute, because she knew, without a doubt, how much I loved her.

Now to why I am blogging. When people ask me what started me as an artist, I say a poster contest in kindergarten. "Keep North Carolina Clean and Green - Don't Be A Litterbug". That was the first time I was recognized. I won. But now I realize something else... In all the packing unpacking and such, I have discovered memories I long forgot -quilting. My grandmother Emma, a seamstress, lived with us until I was 11. As I opened closets to pack, bits of yellows or blues would remind me of sitting with her and my mom, cutting up my dresses, and rearranging small pieces to make the most beautiful things. I remember her fragile hands sort through my outgrown hand-me-downs (the youngest sister!!!). As I recall this exposure, I realize that these simple acts are what actually shaped me as an artist. Things that I saw as domestic tasks were actually artistic processes. My grandmother and my mother were artists! Of course. And I am an artist.

Mama Grooms' Hanging Out

With this beautiful realization, all I want to do is connect through the process. My artistic drive is changing. I KNOW in me somewhere is the fruition of embracing my past and my current work. I am currently trying different things: cut fabric, cut paper, fabric and painting, collage and painting... OVERWHELMING! Because it is new to me, it is taking some reflection and many attempts.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted.
Lori