Cindy Grisdela ~ art quilter

Journal Cover

Well, I had every good intention of getting back to work in the studio this week, but my kids are home and I haven’t been able to string enough minutes together to do anything productive. That’s OK, though. I feel very fortunate that my teenage boys still want to spend time with me every now and then!

I thought I would share the journal cover I made for my husband as a Christmas gift at right. I started making these covers about six weeks ago to sell at my holiday shows and they proved to be very popular. My husband wanted one for Christmas, but they all sold out, so what was I doing Christmas Eve but frantically stitching a new one for him? These are great fun to make because I get to play with small leftover blocks and scraps that otherwise might go to waste–that’s my kind of project! I never know exactly what it’s going to look like when it’s finished, but he was very pleased with this one and I was happy with it too.

This isn’t a quilt, but I couldn’t resist sharing. We got two feet of snow yesterday and the wind sculpture in my back garden was covered in snow on every surface. It still rotated in the wind and was so beautiful I’ve been wondering all day how to make it into a quilt design! The sculpture has two arms that rotate independently so you see a different circular image depending on how much wind there is.

We were fortunate that the snow came on a Saturday so my husband was home from work, our younger son wasn’t in school, and our older son was home from college this weekend for the holiday, so the whole family was together. We shoveled snow, made cookies, put up the Christmas tree (finally), made a fire and watched movies. It was a fantastic break from the usual hustle and bustle of the season and so special that we were all at home together to enjoy it.

Happy Holidays to All!

Charmed Zebra II

I just finished my last show of the year this past weekend, so I can get back to blogging more regularly. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see me the last couple of weekends at my shows in Great Falls and to all those who have given me such positive feedback on my solo show at Katie’s Coffee at the Old Brogue Restaurant in Great Falls.  It’s so much fun to see old friends and make new ones! See my earlier post for information about the Katie’s show, which will be up until Dec. 30.

“Charmed Zebra II” at right is hanging in the Small Works exhibit at the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts Gallery at 1144 Walker Road, Suite D in Great Falls. It is open Saturdays from 12-4 and by appointment. Visit their website for more information at

http://www.greatfallsfoundationforarts.org/GFFFTA_Gallery.html

This piece is mounted on a 12×12 artist’s canvas. I used improvisational piecing with the zebras as the focal point and touches of red to spark the black and white color scheme. It is quilted using several different motifs with black and white variegated thread. Then I created a background using red with insets of black and white and stretched the whole piece over the canvas. It’s a cheerful piece that would be great to brighten up a small space in a kitchen or office area, perhaps.

I’m pleased to announce my new solo show at Katie’s Coffee House at the Old Brogue Restaurant in Great Falls. The show features ten of my contemporary art quilts and will remain up until the afternoon of Dec. 30.  Katie’s hours are 6 AM-3 PM Monday-Friday and 7 AM-2 PM Saturday and Sunday. It’s a warm, welcoming place to have a cup of coffee and a muffin and chat with friends, so please stop by if you’re in the area!

This is my first time exhibiting at Katie’s and I appreciate the opportunity to show my work in such a great environment. The photo above shows three of my pieces in the show–from left to right they are “Fly Away Home,” “Snails in the Garden,” and “Herb Garden.”