Tag: sewgocreate

SEW SEW SEW Excited!

Libby Christensen, designer/owner of SewGoCreate.com wins a top regional award at Montgomery Museum of Fine Art….with a QUILT picture of quilts. “The Quilts at Poppy Lane Farm” depicts a clothes line of quilts with house, barn and tree, perfect for the “HOME” themed exhibit.

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

My “The Quilts at Poppy Lane Farm” wall hanging won a huge award–one of top three–at a regional art competition, and it is currently on display into September 2025. It’s one of about 60 pieces juried in (from 430) for the themed “Home” show of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Montgomery, Alabama. It won the “In Memory of Rick Mills” award. What an honor!

I’m especially thrilled that a fabric piece won as art!

The techniques I used include applique (buildings), fused applique (tree and cat), 3-D applique (barn doors, quilts and hanging clothes) , free-motion quilting (grass and pebbles), free-motion embroidery (the poppies), and photography on fabric (the purple quilt is my design, a photo on fabric of MY quilt), and the biggest quilt is pieced and quilted from vintage fabric. I also made the little clothes from scratch. For more details, scroll to June 5, 2023, blogpost. Also, there’s a video on home page–on the far right.

It was definitely a labor of love, and I was so pleased when it made a Best in Show at the Prattauga Art Guild Summer Show two years ago. It was also featured in Nancy’s Notions. However, this is a HUGE regional show and a $1000 prize, so it’s especially wonderful.

In the same show, I have another wall hanging juried in: “Live Oak Bay.” (below) It doesn’t have the 3-D touches, but it’s interesting because it was a Keepsake Quilts Challenge project. I was only allowed to add two fabrics to the ones provided, so I chose the brown for the tree and white for the background and “frame” border. The blue sea, yellow sand and pink cottage were scrimped from one piece of batik, and the flowers “fussy-cut” from the green used for the tree. I pieced a log cabin background, cutting up a blue/white floral for the sky. The lavender bushes and magenta yoyos are from two other required fabrics. For more details, scroll to June 28, 2024, blogpost.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get it to the challenge on time, but it’s received some recognition locally, which is always fun!

Forgive my crowing, but awards are really exciting! It’s so nice to be able to show and share my work. If you live near Montgomery, AL, you can visit the museum, and on Sept. 13, 2025, I’ll be there all day with the MMFA Fall Festival–I even was filmed for a promotional commercial! Y’all come!!

WOOHOO, WHOOPEE and even YEEHAW!!

Libby

January Solo Quilt Exhibit–SewGoCreate Quilts in Montgomery

Sixty Christensen Creations SewGpCreate quilts, large and small, are hanging in the Anita Folma Gallery in Montgomery, AL, the month of January 2024. Made and designed by Libby Christensen, many are samples for her website. Other more complex wall hangings were created for art shows, two winning “Best of Show.” Jan 19, 1-6, open house, art talk 6-7:30 on “Quilts: Art or Craft?”

Nearly 60 of Libby Christensen’s quilts are currently on exhibit in downtown Montgomery, AL, at the Anita P. Folmar Gallery in the Learning Arts Center throughout January. (It’s on 1018 Madison by the Cramton Bowl.) 

My opening reception was this past Friday, but there’ll be an Open House Reception with demonstrations 1-6 on Friday, Jan. 19. That’s followed by an art talk I’ll give on “Quilts: Art or Craft?” If you’re in the area, please join me!

This is a huge honor to have the whole gallery to myself. I’m absolutely delighted, and the powers-that-be seem very pleased. I’ve already been asked to teach and to do another show in the future, perhaps on “Embellishments: Clothing, Accessories, and Decor”–we’ll see what ensues! Here’s a sneak peek.

Although many of the quilts are samples from my https://sewgocreate.com website, there are others from art shows and old ones rarely seen. Here are some unusual ones that are rather fun: “Audacious Cretaceous” (below left) commemorates the meteor that created the valley of my town, Wetumpka, with dinosaurs and plants from that time period. The triceratops are pushing the T Rex over the cliff, and the water is made of sheer blue gauze with stuffed sea creatures underneath. The “Kite Charmer” is a paper-pieced charm quilt (every fabric different) and the froggy is “‘Gotcha! Quoth the Silver-Tongued Frog Prince Gobbling the Y2k Bug.” (If you’re too young to understand, ask your grandparents about that!}

On the right is “Kelly’s Mantel,” made for the Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts in Wetumpka. Director Jennifer Eifert wanted a mantel for Christmas, so I made one!! The ”painting” is in Kelly’s style and colors. Above are two of my many Platter Pad designs–tiny quilts that double as huge hot pads.

This next one below is one of two wall hangings that have made “Best in Show” at an art show; this one won at a SAC’s Water Show (Society of Arts and Crafts in Central Alabama). It depicts the town of “Tallassee Now and Then” with my photographs printed on fabric. The town is known for its crumbling red bricks and unusual awnings downtown, with a river/dam in the background.

These give just a sneak peek. Eventually, I’ll try to make some videos to post, but in the meantime, please stop by to see them in person if you can. You’re allowed to touch and take pictures!

AND….for those of you near Montgomery, I’m now part of Artists Alley at Amy’s Flea Market and Antiques on the bypass. Come in and head left. I only have a few screens and one shelf as part of a group, but I’ve displayed some photos and a few crafts. (Hey, I’ve got to use up those scraps!!!) At the moment, I have marked-down Xmas ornaments, towels and hot pads, but soon I’ll put out some valentines!

Always creating, Libby