French Lilacs

8.5" x 10"
Cotton, seed beads, twine and fusible

I am currently at loose ends with my studio in storage so I needed a project that I could do by hand and this one fit the bill.  Created with a split compliment of purple, green and blue, I just couldn't resist recreating these beautiful lilacs in cloth.  Each flower petal was individually cut in the shape of a 1/2" hexagram and secured with a seed bead - all 275 of them!  I plan on finishing this piece by placing it into a portrait finish once my studio is back up and running again.

Trillium Grandiflorum

It is almost Spring in Michigan and that can mean only one thing – it's trillium time! Trillium grandiflorum, also known as the great white trillium, are low growing woodland flowers that are one of my favorite signs that Spring has finally decided to grace us with Her presence.

I love traipsing through the woods in search of these rare and delicate little flowers. In creating this piece, I used a photo that I took in 2012 in Columbus, Michigan (St. Clair County) on the eastern side of the state. Set against a mottled, impressionistic background of woodland decay, this delicate little flower offers the promise of more Spring beauty yet to come.

I hope that you enjoy this piece as much as I enjoyed finding the trillium inspiration for it. We still have lots of snow here - several feet in many places, but the grass is trying really hard to poke its way through in many others. . .that can only mean that the trillium can't be too far behind. 

14.5" x 17“

Raw-edge fused applique

Hand dyed and commercial cottons, tulle, pencils and paint

Sign me. . .

Anxiously awaiting Spring.

Cheryl Casker

Your comments and critiques are welcome.

Cityscape: A Study in Blue

51" x 61" 

Commercial cotton, silk and polyester fabrics and threads

This piece has been on my drawing board since last fall: the pattern was drafted, the blue fabric palette had been auditioned, and the quilting design was determined.  All that was lacking was the time and motivation to begin.  Thanks to this timely challenge, I have not only started the piece, but finished it too (albeit a week late in the posting).

I have toyed with the idea of a series of cityscapes since last summer, and have drawn inspiration from many quilts and quilt artists on the Internet, our own Fast Friday contributor Meena Schaldenbrand's "I Love Detroit" http://fastfridayquilts.blogspot.com/2013/09/i-love-detroit.html, and the many incredible art quilts created by Ludmila Aristovta http://ludmilaaristova.squarespace.com/.  

This imaginary cityscape serves as a practice piece to sort out a few techniques for my future cityscapes including selection of appropriate fabrics for building surfaces, the quilting of water, working with reflections in water,  and getting proportions right for a realistic look.  While admittedly, this work is not even in the same class as one of Ludmila Aristovta's works of art, I certainly aspire to her level of artistry and look forward to creating more cityscapes that reflect many of the great cities that we all know and love.  This is my first step in the process and I thank you for allowing me to share it with you.

Your comments, suggestions and critiques are welcomed.

Warmest regards,

Cheryl Casker

Hauntingly Familiar

13"x18"
Hand-dyed and commercial cottons, crystals, fusible 
Raw edge fused applique technique 

I finally finished it!  Well almost - it still needs a binding . . .

Based on a photo of my friend, Mauri, at her cubist best with her friend lovingly looking up at her thinking that she looks hauntingly familiar. . .and somehow - she is!  

I had a great time working on this piece and I learned a lot - which is the reason why I joined this challenge list in the first place.  Working on smaller pieces makes it easier to try something new - which this month was to work in raw edge fused applique without tulle on top to hold the fraying down.  

Thank you for this opportunity to participate and share.  I LOVED the cubist slant on the challenge.  It definitely took me out of my comfort zone - in a good way! :-)

Warmest Regards,

Cheryl Casker

P.S. Your comments and critiques are welcome.