A COUPLE MORE STORY ROPES

• We traveled to Bridgeport, CT today to visit with our dear friends, Isaiah & Comfort (photo), in from Ibadan, Nigeria.

I've been to Nigeria 1x to met & present to artists, who want to use their art for God. Nelson's been multiple times. Today we met them at the home of friends from Ghana.

Knowing these are all folks who work with people, I made up some story ropes in African fabric for them, thinking they might be interested in using the idea.

And yes, once they 'got it', they were bubbling with ideas!

• I looked briefly at the Rahab quilt. Yesterday I put it on the work wall, framing it off with strips of white felt, covering up some of the intended length to see what it looked like. Tomorrow I'll have time to work.

Click here: Presenting in Ibadan & Jos, Nigeria

click on photos to enlarge

VICARIOUS JOURNEY AHEAD! project Uganda #8

Short post today. Brian sent me this photo with a short note to say he received the Wordless Book I made for his friend in Uganda.

Indeed he has! And I'm noting that Brian is surrounded by artifacts from his trip to Uganda & other parts of Africa. (click photo to enlarge)

The book & story ropes travel to Uganda next week, carried by his friend, Marie. And she promises pictures. So we'll all continue on this journey vicariously!

Miss any of the Uganda Project story? Click here.

SCRAPpY WALL

I started building the wall today. This is the wall that Rahab's* house sits upon.

Pulled out darks from the scrap pile.

Over painted fabrics that I thought would work but needed a purple night-time cast.

Using the fabrics, mostly uncut, this design is just happening.

Top of the wall so far.

Ironed down with 'wonder-under'.

* Who is Rahab? Story in future post.

click photos to enlarge

click here & scroll down for earlier posts on creating Rahab's story quilt.

LOOKING BACK FOR AN ANSWER

I am back to the Rahab quilt & still stumped. How do I design the wall in the story?

The wall needs to go across the span of the piece. Do I make the wall in 4 different sections created with different fabrics? The story IS in 4 scenes - shown with 4 similar houses against different skies.

I had a break through when I thought back to the rowboat series I did years back.

I was determined to loosen up. So I limited myself to working with my pile of scraps for the first couple of very small quilts.

Here are 2 of those scrappy boats.

OK! That's it. Make a haphazard scrappy wall just using scraps. This will be fun!

Click photos to enlarge.

A GIFT FOR BRIAN'S FRIEND project Uganda #7

Continuing Brian's Uganda experience:

Brian woke up one morning asking what he should do that day. Someone reminded him of the 2 crippled guys he had seen the other day. He followed the suggestion & was off to see them, both polio survivors. All it took was that one day and they were friends.

Upon returning home, Brian learned that his Ugandan friend's home had been destroyed by rebels in what Brian calls, "the troubles of northern Uganda" - a terrible era that only recently came to an end. Brian (& his friends) helped with finances to rebuild the house.

In Seattle (Finishers Forum) after my class, Brian told me some of his life journey you've been reading about. I looked at him and said, "You have a powerful life story to tell."

I made this book for Brian to give as a gift to his Ugandan friend. Brian is going to use it to share his story over email as his friend in Uganda looks at the colored pages.

I mailed it yesterday & Brian should get it on Thursday. On Saturday Brian will hand it to Marie, who will take it to Brian's friend in Uganda.

I have a feeling that this story is just beginning!

Click on photos to enlarge.

• Brian in Nairobi

• mailed to Brian:

book, pouch, story ropes

• close-up first 2 pages

• book back-African fabrics.

Miss any of the Uganda Project story? Catch up by scrolling back or click here.

FINISHED!! project Uganda #6

I completed the Uganda Project today!

YES !

• Machine stitched signature & date to the green page - less obtrusive than on the yellow page.

• Made pouch to hold the accordion book.

click photos to enlarge

• Mailed it to Brian.

Tomorrow

• How Brian met his Ugandan friend, who will be on receiving end of this project.

• Final photos of finished work.

If you missed any of the Uganda Project story, catch up by scrolling back.

PAGES & POWER CHAIR project Uganda #5

I made progress on the Wordless Book, destined for Uganda. Expect to finish it in a couple days & send it to Brian in Seattle. From there it will go to Uganda.

Brian continues his story by telling about injuring his knees at work.

"I had surgeries on each knee & returned to work. Then took out my back trying to save the knees. While recovering, I again injured my knee. It seemed I had set off a chain reaction. Every time I overused a joint to let another heal, it too went bad."

"The doctors had me tested for all sorts of things, but learned nothing conclusive. They theorize that I have deformed collagen which is the main building block of all connective tissue."

"Over the months I began to use a manual wheelchair. That’s when we began to discover that the pressure on my wrists and shoulders was making more problems. (Insert African trip around here.) The doctors & I eventually decided that only using a power wheelchair would help slow down the deterioration." And there's Brian in his new power chair!

Ahead - tying the stories together.

STITCHING & STORY project Uganda #4

If you missed - scroll back for first 3 story posts of Project Uganda!

I made good progress on the Uganda Project these last 2 days. The 6 pages are almost finished. They just need buttons, sequins & sparkly stuff. Each 'page' is backed with a different African fabric. Then I stitched the 'pages' into an accordion book. Too complicated to explain!

Let's catch up with Brian, finally realizing his dream to go to Africa! Here he is - now in a wheel chair. More about that in next post. Brian continues his story.

"A year before, a gentleman had seen me in a manual wheelchair at a local group. He had a strong calling to find and help the disabled. He invited me to Uganda, I am not sure just why. "

"That was it! The time had arrived for me to go! I was given a few personal connections to help me when I arrived, but basically on my own. How exciting! Just like old times!"

"I spent time visiting a child I sponsor, was introduced to & drew pictures with the African Children’s Choir, toured slums, visited schools founded by one of my friends, hired a boat for a look at Lake Victoria, cruised the Nile surrounded by Crocs & hippos, found the source to that mighty river, got lost in the claustrophobic aisles of the main Kampala market, ate grasshoppers & goat, basically had a great time. I WAS FEELING IT !"

To be continued...

FIRST BEACH QUILT

A pic of the 1st beach quilt I made when I first starting making quilts (1980's). I did a series of 3, inspired by shells washing up on the beach. I sold 2 but still have this one. It's up on the wall & I enjoy it everyday.

My family had a bungalow at the 'shore', as we call it in New Jersey. It was those beach memories that got me going in the direction of coastal art, even to this day.