Amazing origami exhibit at BAM ends Sept 21

My husband and I spent a couple of hours yesterday at the Bellevue Art Museum looking at the amazing origami exhibit.  This exhibit features work by over 40 international origami artists and takes the technique into amazingly advanced sculptural realms.  The last day is September 21 so if you were thinking of going, do it!  I include some photos of pieces that used techniques I am attempting in my experiments in my studio but there are other amazing pieces featured on the Bellevue Art Museum webpage in a very nice slideshow that makes clear the broad range of forms possible. And if you go, they are open 11-6 through the weekend.

The animal below caught my eye as I approached from the left and thought at first it was an armadillo.  I was particularly entranced as I am attempting to do a similar textural motif on a new accessory I am developing.

This silk dress was among the first things we saw coming out of the elevator and it definitely caught my eye.  Much more impressive in person as the reflected light from the silk blurs the lines of the folds somewhat.

I really want to make some of these out of silk.  I think they would be an amazing way to show off the colors of my hand dyed or marbled fabrics.

I also got a good idea of how striking a limited color palette can be with the textural forms above and the wall sculpture below.  More intriguing input for my ongoing experimentation!

Quick bolster cover with novelty sushi cats fabric

Yes, indeed, I said sushi cats fabric.  I've been ruminating about my direction as an artist while reorganizing my home studio.  So, I 've been finishing up some easy projects while letting my brain work on what to do next.

Hence, this quick bolster cover using the novelty fabric.  (Yes, I like novelty fabric.  Some of you will remember the Betty Boop motorcycle quilt I posted about here. )  The pillow is supposed to be 9" in diameter and 20" long.  I think they measured after it was wrapped and compressed a bit.

I am particularly amused by the goldfish being held in the chopsticks here in the closeup shot.

After I took the pillow out of the wrapper, I measured its circumference as 31. The piece of cat fabric I had was 20 inches wide and 40 some long so I cut it to 32 inches long on a pattern break so the ends matched up.  Then I cut a 9.5" circle out of the trim fabric for the closed end and a 12" wide strip for the open end.  I sewed the strip on the end and trimmed to it was the same length as the cat fabric.   Next, I sewed it into a tube and hemmed the trim end.  Then I put the circle in the other end, using lots of pins to spread the gathers evenly.  And made a tie out of the scrap cat fabric.  Total time, about an hour and a half.  If I were to do it again, I would make the trim on the open end a couple of inches wider so the tied part wasn't so scrunched and the circle would be 10" in diameter.  This lovely bolster now sits on our brown leather couch and brings me a bit of joy every time I sit next to it.