Art Piece # 081: Once In A Blue Moo (Pam Beal Class)

Once In A Blue Moo, Art Piece 81 Renovation

Once In A Blue Moo, AP 81
| Cindy Anderson
Once In A Blue Moo, AP 81
Once In A Blue Moo, Art Piece # 81

The Origin Of Its Name

“Once in a blue moon” is a well-known idiom. The phrase, which happens every thirty-two months, refers to the occurrence of a second full moon within a calendar month. The idiom was the inspiration for the naming of this art quilt. The project took on a whimsical nature with the addition of an unusual embellishment and fabric strip. A quick glance will reveal the presence of a vertical navy blue section of fabric with the word MOO repeatedly printed on its surface. The color of the fabric as well as the wording inspired me to call my project Once In A Blue Moon Moo.

Original Features

In its original completed state the quilt measured 7 3/4” x 7 3/4” with these identifying features:

  • a multi-colored barn with a stylish, wood-grained, teal door
  • a teal zipper pull functioning as a door handle
  • a chimney fashioned from a single teal fabric scrap
  • a grassy base represented by the horizontal fringed, teal fabric strip and
  • cleverly applied hand quilting, using both matching and coordinating colors (note: look for the stitches used to represent smoke arising from the chimney).

The Renovation

Early in 2020 I made the decision to reinvent a number of my fiber art pieces. This small art quilt was one of the chosen projects. After removing the facings from all four edges I began the process of retrofitting it for a stretched canvas frame. To the freshly trimmed edges I added two borders. The first is a soft blue and the second a lively print. Both were chosen because they mimicked colors already present. The new borders were quilted with color coordinated threads using simple straight line stitching. The finished 12” x 12” art form sports a fresh new look. See for yourself!

Once In A Blue Moo, AP 81
Once In A Blue Moo, Art Piece # 81

I think the added changes elevated my fiber art piece to a whole new level; a level that resulted in a sale. This composition was SOLD during my solo exhibit at Raven’s Wish Gallery last summer.

Thank You

Thank you for spending that last few minutes reading about my latest adventure. I hope that you found the experience enjoyable. Till our paths cross once again stay safe and healthy!

With warm regards,

Solo Art Exhibit at Raven’s Wish Gallery

On The Diagonal II, AP 9
| Cindy Anderson

I’m so happy to announce that a number of my art pieces are currently on display at a solo exhibit in Raven’s Wish Gallery. The event runs from July 31, 2020 until August 25, 2020. You can observe the exhibit by following this link to my show. All of the items are available for purchase.

Here is one of the items in the collection.

Esmerelda, Art Piece # 55
Esmerelda, Art Piece # 55

thank you!

Before closing let me thank you for showing an interest in my activities. I am grateful for your participation and look forward to your comments.

Best wishes for a wonderful day!

About Cindy

The world of art has always brought me joy. From my childhood explorations with chalk and paint to my creations using fabric and thread, I have utilized art as my vehicle to stretch my wings and explore the world around me.

My favorite art form has been given many names; I know it as “free-form” quilting. This direction has taken me on a journey resulting in the formation of more than 200 art pieces. Most of them center strictly around the manipulation of fabric. Some of the later pieces have added elements of hand stitchery. All of them have brought me an immense sense of joy.

I use this blog to share glimpses of my art and the environment in which it is created. Most of my art pieces are available for purchase. You may see a sampling of them at Raven’s Wish Gallery in Janesville, Wisconsin.

My art is periodically on display in a variety of venues. To learn about my current exhibits you may send an email to cindy [at] inastitchquilting [dot] com

Now go and create your own masterpiece. With warm hugs…

Cindy Anderson

Once In A Blue Moo, AP # 81

Once In A Blue Moo, AP 81
| Cindy Anderson

“Once in a blue moon” is a well-known idiom. The phrase refers to the occurrence of a second full moon within a calendar month. This phenomena only happens about once every thirty-two months.

The phrase “Once in a Blue Moon” was the inspiration for today’s art quilt. Initially begun at the Pam Beal Minimalist Design, Maximum Impact class, this project took on a whimsical nature with the addition of an unusual embellishment and fabric strip.

Once In A Blue Moon Moo, AP # 81

A quick glance at the above photo reveals the presence of a vertical navy blue section of fabric with the word Moo repeatedly printed on its surface. This piece of fabric gave me the idea to call my project Once In a Blue Moon Moo. 

A careful tour of the 7 3/4 x 7 3/4” art quilt will reveal:

  • the presence of a multi-colored barn with;
  • a stylish, wood-grained, teal door;
  • sporting a teal zipper pull to act as the door’s handle;
  • a chimney fashioned from a tiny teal fabric scrap;
  • a grassy base represented by the fringed, teal, horizontal, fabric strip;
  • cleverly applied hand quilting using both matching and coordinating colors (note the stitches used to represent smoke arising from the chimney);
  • as well as a machine applied zig-zag stitch to secure raw edges.

All of these added elements helped to make this special art quilt a great addition to my portfolio. I hope that after you have examined each of my design elements you too will be able to grasp my vision.

Thank You for sharing your time!