SCQ Fall Retreat 2010

A group of quilting buddies and my bested quilting buddy Donnamo and I attended South Carolina Quilting Guild Fall Retreat. We all shared quilting, friendship and fellowship.

Our new program chairwoman 2011 Carolyn was one of the stars of the quilting retreat evening festivities. She had the dubious honor of turning a bag of truly ugly fabrics into something. She received a standing ovation for her incredible beautiful quilt honoring the ravaging of the Gulf Coast . The beautiful art quilt had a mask decorated with beautiful cowrie shell and beads from Africa and this country as well.

Carolyn is explaining how it was difficult it was to come up with what she was going to do and her son encouraged her and said "Do what you always do, Mom" The result was a masterpiece honoring the suffering of the people and land in the ecological tragedy of the Gulf States this past year.

The dark area behind the Mask is the gulf oil spill.

Carolyn Received a Standing Ovation.

Each year a person is chosen to receive a bag of Ugly Fabric and create something with in. It is really a dubious honor bestowed on one chagrined quilter by the Self-Proclaimed Queen of SC Quilting Pricilla Harris -  an amazing teacher who encourages quilters of all ages and teaches the most beautiful techniques. She is quite hilarious as well.

This year Queen Pricilla retired her lady- in - waiting seen her dressed in her shower curtain royal robes of state.  Apparently she had enough of the monthly weekend visits to the country, the toting of the royal bags and the coffee and obligatory scones.  Carolyn did make a pocket book for the Queen's Costume, her cape and spectre is also made from past un-fortunates. However Carolyn overdyed all the other fabric for her art quilt.

I took the Dancing Cat Doll class from Karen Preston who is also in our guild. She was a fabulous teacher and I really loved the class and am hoping to take a Jacket Class from her when she offers it next time.

These are a small sample of Karen's Fabulous Art Dolls. An Art Doll is a soft-sculpture doll that is not meant to be played with.  I love the art dolls and I think they are so beautiful.
 

This is Karen in her Teaching Mode  -  very kind, very encouraging and very sharing.

Francis and Harry Sue were in the class. Here Francis is painting her granddaughters Peace Cat Dancing Doll. Francis got such a kick out of her granddaughter thinking that the peace sign was something new and original to her generation and had never had heard of the Sixties. ( Did you know that if John Lennon has lived - he would have celebrated his 70th birthday on October 8th).  Mea Culpa, I did not take a picture of her doll, I will do better next time, Francis, I promise.

The inspiration for my doll came from the Avatar Movie that I saw with my oldest granddaughter Gabba. Here is the inspiration from my art doll: 

 

 

I would love for you to share pictures of your art dolls with me if you are an art doll maker.