The Raven by Natalia Lashko,
Kamienets Podilskyi Khumelnitskyi region, Ukraine

Click image for detailed view

I am very much connected to ravens. My house is filled with raven art. I even named my house, The Rookery (a gathering place for ravens). You may know that a group of crows is called a murder…but did you know that a group of ravens is called an unkindness?
 
This raven quilt is one of my most treasured pieces. It was made by Natalia Lashko. She is from Ukraine and for many years has created amazing embroideries using straw - yes… straw! That experience led her to quilting, and fabric... and you can see in this piece how she weaves hand-stitched, turned edge fabric that is no wider than a piece of straw.
 
The quilting scene in Ukraine has grown significantly in recent years. I saw my first Ukrainian quilt exhibition when I lectured in Moscow in 2012. One part of the show featured the Ukrainian quilts. I love that they are not bound by our traditions, but find great value in exploring and trying new things. 
 
Keep your eyes open… a Ukrainian quilt might just be coming to a show near you!

 

Detail, click for full view.

 TRY THE JIGSAW PUZZLE

Choose your own difficulty. Click the 9-patch grid to change number of pieces. Click the circle arrow to make the puzzle pieces rotating instead of stable orientation. Also, there are tips under the "?" on the upper right of the puzzle. If you'd like a full screen version, click the button below. Have fun!

  

 

2021 Critique Group

Challenge: Timepiece
Photo by Rocky Wells

Click to view larger image.

Rocky says:

Went more "traditional" with the subject matter this week but still had to include some of my obsession with editing by utilizing a few tricks from Topaz Studio 2 and Luminar AI. This is a pocket watch that my 2 younger sons brought back from Spain about 18 years ago when they were there participating in an International Study program for 6 weeks. At least they didn't bring me a present that read "My Kids Went To Spain and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt"... LOL

The rays of sunshine were added to reflect the fact that joy radiates from our hearts & souls when family members do something thoughtful and totally unexpected for us... it doesn't happen often! VBG.

2021 Smart Phone Challenge Group

Challenge: Nuts & Bolts
Photo by Pam Clark

Click to view larger image.

Pam says:

I noticed the nut and bolt on a Stop Sign post on the corner as I came into Kingsley. The convenience store is in the background. I added a Pencil filter in BeCasso, then did a few tweaks and strainghtened in LR. There are bits of snow clinging to the post and lots of peeling paint. I really had fun this week taking all kinds of photos of nuts and bolts. It's amazing all the possibilities you find once you have a topic to work on.

 

 

 

2021 52 Week Challenge Class

Challenge: Shutter Rotate
Photo by Shirley Sandoz

Click to view larger image.

Shirley says:

Walking along the path.

 

Kool Kaleidoscope III by Ricky Tims

Click image for detailed view

Kool Kaleidoscope III is a fun quilt, and it’s a bit like the ultimate mystery quilt. There is a logic to how it’s going to look, but there is no way to plan or predict how it will look when you finish this quilt. It is made using strip sets. Surprisingly, I consider it an advanced beginner quilt. It looks far more complex than it really is.

Look for the announcement for this online class on www.thequiltshow.com in the coming weeks.

 TRY THE JIGSAW PUZZLE

Choose your own difficulty. Click the 9-patch grid to change number of pieces. Click the circle arrow to make the puzzle pieces rotating instead of stable orientation. Also, there are tips under the "?" on the upper right of the puzzle. If you'd like a full screen version, click the button below. Have fun!

  

 

2021 52 Week Challenge Class

Challenge: Board Game
Photo by Mary Kay Fosnacht

Click to view larger image.

Mary Kay says:

I also tried a similar composition on the front of the gameboard. It was very colorful but a little too busy for me.

2021 Smart Phone Challenge Group

Challenge: Letters
Photo by Karen Koehle

Click to view larger image.

Karen says:

I consider alphabet cards to be one of my personal icons because they represent my love of reading and the joy I feel when teaching young children to read.

My grandson (age 4) selected alphabet cards with the first initial of family members. He set them on top of the rest of the pile.

Cropped slightly on iPhone.

 

 

 

2021 Critique Group

Challenge: Multiple Exposure
Photo by Marion Seasholtz

Click to view larger image.

Marion says:

This was fun - I love to photograph old barns. There are many of them within minutes of our home in Vermont in various stages of repair. Last fall just before snowfall we had to have a large maple cut down so it wouldn't fall down across our driveway. They left the pieces on the lawn cut up ready to split for firewood. A couple of days ago I was walking the dog and took a photo of the logs covered in snow. It's been windy so they looked like miniature mountains. Someone in the group mentioned the app photo blender so I thought I would try it out. Then I brought the combined photo into LR to adjust light and color.

 

 

2021 52 Week Challenge Class

Challenge: Mirror Image
Photo by Kathleen Madden

Click to view larger image.

Kathleen says:

This is a sculpture titled "Fragmenta" by artist Osman Akan of dichroic glass for the Anchorage Crime Lab. The artist wanted to have the sun's light block and reveal certain rays...much like forensics work in solving a crime I drive by it often and it never looks the same. It also reminds me of the Aurora that we often see here in Alaska. This was a fun challenge.

2021 Smart Phone Challenge Group

Challenge: Blue (no sky)
Photo by Linda Rowberry

Click to view larger image.

Linda says:

I found a blue vase, so I added some blue flowers and a blue bow. I added an oil painting filter from the BeCasso app. I’m really liking that app!

 

 

 

2021 Critique Group

Challenge: It's Alive
Photo by Gail Garber

Click to view larger image.

Gail says:

Meet one of the two Greater Roadrunners that hang out in my back yard. I worked on photos at other sites around Albuquerque, but nothing gets as close up as these two very friendly birds (they ARE wild birds) that are hoping for a handout, like so many roadrunners of the southwestern U.S. This feels a lot like cheating; it was so easy. Very minimal edits in Lightroom and a slight crop to get rid of a bright sun streak across the top.

 

Ricky's Challenge Photos:

Challenge: Its Alive
from the 2021 Critique Group

Click to view larger image.

Ricky says:

I went with the mirror montage. I haven't created one in a while and they are fun. I tried many different subjects, but wasn't happy - until this one. This is a tray next to my cook top, looking down onto the tops of salt and pepper shakers and a teapot. Also a pottery jug with a zippy bag inside. I thought the critter looked a bit intense - very much alive.

 

 

Challenge: Blue
from the 2021 Smart Phone Challenge Group

Click to view larger image.

Ricky says:

I kind a grab just about everything that was in sight that was blue because there’s not much blue which makes it a challenge. Duh

More Articles ...

Ricky Tims Online Store

Ricky Tims Photography 

The Quilt Show