Roberta Ranney

Roberta is the next member of Uncommon Threads that is featured. She is a retired social worker gone textile artist. The comments are by Roberta.

"Janice's Blue Horse"

It depicts one of the interesting things my sister had in her yard. It now lives in my back yard and is a pleasant memory of wonderful yesterdays with my sister.

"Suntiger"

It was part of an exhibit at Waverly House entitled "Untamed" The butterfly is thread painted.

"Snowy"

This is one of my owl works which I enjoy making. The owl and the pine needles are all thread painted. Thread work on my sewing machine is my favorite part of art quilting.

Dianna Callahan

We'll feature a few of our members for the next couple of posts. Meet Dianna Callahan, retired art instructor from Southwest Baptist University. Dianna excels in textile portraits and serendipitous or spontaneous fabric collages. She once demonstrated how she makes her collages and made it look so easy AND fun.

"Elvis" is in the current juried theme show "At The Movies" at Waverly House, Springfield, MO.

 He is one of a series of five rock star portraits which depict them singing to their audiences.  This is a mixed media work which starts with a Shiva oil stick painting on fabric, then has other fabrics appliqued around the face.

These two pieces, "Blossom Hill" and "Spring Beauties" are on consignment at Waverly House.  "Blossom Hill" is a contrived landscape while "Spring Beauties" is inspired by the Iris in my garden.  In addition to fabric, BoNash adhesive, misty fuse, foil and Angelina heat bonded fibers are used.

The Blue Horse

Roberta Ranney brought this charming piece to the most recent meeting of UT. She says  that she has a wooden horse that belonged to her sister sitting in the backyard. . She decided to honor the little horse by appliqueing him to a background fabric dyed by Ellen Anne Eddy with appliqued irises representing the ones planted by her husband. More of Roberta's work can be seen on her blog.

Spring Fling 12 x 12 Challenge

This is our last 12 x 12 challenge. Since only nine people participated it probably means that people have lost interest. Humpf! Oh well, these are fun and colorful. Frankly it's been a long, cold March and April here in Southwest Missouri and these look like we are more than ready for sunshine and warmth.

 Sunrise Sunset - Dianna Callahan

It's Tulip Time - Cathy Jeffery

 Daffodils In Spring - Donna Olson

 Spring Down the Rabbit Hole - Vivian Terbeek

Spring Green - Merrilee Tiesche

 Majestic Spring - Carol Bormann

 Poppy Time - Maureen Ashlock

 In Spring A Young Man's Fancy Turns To Love - Emmie Seaman

Can't Wait - Diane Steffen

April's Show and Share

Vivian Terbeek has done a piece with two layers. Two quilts in one! The top is like a "fringe" of white and small pieces of fabric.

 

 The bottom layer is a pieced "quilt."

Winter's Bonfire

Lodge Pole Pine by Roberta Ranney

 Clouds and Shadows by Lettie Blackburn

Lettie won the Fiber Award in the Senior Art Exhibit sponsored by the Missouri State University Gerontology Department. I think Lettie is our youngest member; Barely a "Senior."

Favorite Tree Challenge

We had three months to work on this challenge - Favorite Tree - chosen by Lettie Blackburn. People either found it very challenging or really liked the subject because of the  11 people participating 15 works were created.

 How To Choose From Riches Such As These

Lettie Blackburn

 The Last Stand...Remembering

Lettie Blackburn

Lettie says this is a dead pine tree whose design fascinates her and this is the third time she has used it in her artwork.

 

 Georgia Street Gingko Tree-October 16th

Carol Bormann

This interpretation of the gingko tree was inspired by a photo Carol took a few years ago. The viewpoint is from under the spreading limbs looking up toward the sky. The canopy of the tree was covered with yellow leaves. The piece was created using applique and machine embroidery.

 

 Georgia Street Gingko Tree-October 17th

Carol Bormann

This piece abstractly illustrates the yellow leaves that all fell in one day. The black trunk and branches of the bare tree contrast with the circle of fallen leaves. Machine embroidery gives pattern and dimension to the mat they formed. The tree silhouette was fused on top of the leaves.

 Grace

Dianna Callahan

A drawing on fabric.

 Tree in Ozark Sunset

Dianna Callahan

 Redbud

Cathy Jeffery

Tree in Sunlight

Donna Olson

 

 Owl In a Pine Tree

Roberta Ranney

 Boo Hoo Wahoo

Emmie Seaman

A Wahoo tree is a small native tree usually found in the wild in damp areas. It has beautiful color in the fall and red berries in the winter which the birds love. Emmie's beautiful Wahoo in her back yard was destroyed in the ice storm of 2009 and only a bare trunk was left. The tree trunk is cut free form and fused to the hand dyed background. Embellished with machine embroidery.

Wahoo Tree (back)

Emmie Seaman

This was a first attempt but the above was preferred so this was used for the back of the of the quilt.  It is a photo image of the tree in fall foliage with berries printed onto canvas. A  photo image of the dead tree is fused onto that.  

 Ginkgo

Lucy Silliman

 Dogwood

Diane Steffen

 Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Vivian Terbeek

Non-Deciduous Palm

Merrilee Tieche

Merrilee misses the warm coast.