One more my friend's shirts quilt finished

Another one bites the dust.  Bound and ready for snuggling on a chilly day.  

front 
All shirtings set together with 3 different pieces of orange shot cottons.
Straight line machine quilting with variegated threads.

back
Using an old piece of chambray which had the corner cut into, I added a length of shirting strips along with a couple of more pieces of shirting to make it large enough for the backing.  

Originality

Recently some friends and I were talking about originality.  As in, there is nothing original in this world.  I do agree with that.  As much as I try to create an original quilted piece, and I occasionally think that, aha!, by jove I've done it.  I've only to go as far as my laptop and find that the little black sliver of fabric I've inserted into one of my last quilts to make the blocks line up has already been done!
Yet, that seems to inspire me to try and try again. 

I do enjoy a challenge.

The past few days I have been playing with triangles.  Nothing new there.  But just maybe.  If I take my pattern from the last piece, 

and play around with the lines in a new sketch, I'll find another way of doing this motif.  (Am I really going to do a series?)  Yeegads!

First I cut 1 1/2 ", 1", and 3/4" strips of black and white fabrics, using my ruler.

Next, using my scissors, no measurements, no rules, I cut little triangles from multiple colors.  I decided to sew alternating black and white strips on two sides of the triangles.  Need I mention that it became addicting.  Here's what I have got so far.  

Although I didn't stick to the sketch, I am enjoying the way it is going.  So far this is some good therapy and some good fun.  It makes me happy just to look at it.  Not too sure where I'll go from here, but I like the idea of the colored triangles being different sizes.  Little bits of color.  Zig zags.
Original?  Maybe not in the worldly scheme of things. but for me, definitely yes.  Geometrics.  Series.  I would have never dreamed that I would be doing this.

Now that I've gotten several triangles made, I'll sew them together and see what happens.  And I am not going to stress over matching them up perfectly, as they are all just a bit different in size.  To my eye, that is what will make it more interesting.  But then, that's just my opinion.  Life is good.  Maybe not too original, but still good fun. We'll see what tomorrow brings.  

Food for thought

Geometrics are not my strong point.  It's been a challenge for me to take a motif and convert the lines into something pleasing to the eye.  Part of it might have to do with the decision making process.  Trying to visualize what to make of these lines. I agonize far too long over all sorts of sketches.  Why can't I just pick up the fabric and start cutting and sewing?   Without a pattern?  Yikes!  That is the other difficult part for me.  No drawn pattern so that I can get the proportions and scale right.  So I ended up drawing a scale pattern.  And I got it finished.

After all the serious doubts about which way this was going to hang, I went with my first thoughts.  At the suggestion of a friend, I kept revolving it.  As this assignment for my art quilt study group was about asymmetrical balance, I liked the way it felt at this rotation.  It invokes an Asian design to my eye.  It turned out nothing at all like my original sketch.  Yet it was interesting and fun to work through the process to see what it might become. 

room setting with another motif project, the pillow.
can anyone see what the motif is supposed to be?
does it look balanced?

I am going to let it hang this way as I continue to study it and perhaps go back to the original sketch and try another design.  This series stuff could be fun.  And hopefully the next one I will attempt to do without drawing a pattern.  

Wordless Wednesday

Well not really wordless. 

Not really Wednesday.

At first I thought I would just post some pictures.  Then I thought I should first do a bit of 'splainin'  since I had created no posts since the first of December.  It's like this,

Christmas prepartions

Stripping wallpaper from 5 rooms

Painting 5 rooms

Redecorating 5 rooms

Being a guest lecturer (don't ask)

Beginning a new art study group

Cleaning out the basement for an indoor fabric dyeing studio

At last I am back to the good stuff.  Oh how I missed quality time in my studio.

And I really missed "talking" to all my online friends.

But now, I am back, albeit sporadically, I fear.

When I began blogging, I wasn't too sure I would stick to it.  I sorta got out of the habit tried to stop spending so much time on the internet and become more productive.  So I might not be blogging as much for a bit, but if I have anything to show, you betcha I'll be showing off.  

Here is what I have gotten done lately.

I finished piecing the string stars quilt using shirts from my friend's husbands shirts. She asked for the more traditional layout, whew!

Ready to be quilted

  

Another shirt quilt for my friend's family. All Gee's Bendish and laid back.  I used 3 different colors of Kaffe Fasset's shot cottons for the sashings.   It's actually quilted and ready to have the binding stitched.  (Sorry my computer ate that picture.) 

 A few of my friends and I began an art study group using Lorraine Torrence and Jean Mills' book, Fearless Design for Every Quilter.  There are 10 lessons and we are attempting to do one lesson per month.  This quilt is the result of one of my "study" blocks from the first lesson. Done by the seat of my pants, feeling my way along and figuring it out as I go.  It is 45" square and destined to hang over the mantle in my living room.  Maybe.  If the quilting goes well.  If not, it might be the first of a series.  I cut 1 1/4 inch strips of fabric and stitched them together.  Then cut them into the various shapes.  Lots of quality therapy time with my rotary cutter and Juki.  

And speaking of Juki.  I bought the new Juki TL-2010Q from this wonderful shop.  (I felt that I was justified because I had sold two of my quilts.)  Now, I love love love my Juki TL-98Q, but the new model has a speed control.  Yippee.  A brighter light. More yippees.  It came with all the necessary feet and tools.  What more can I ask?  I would highly recommend  Raichert's online shop in case you are in the market.  Great prices, excellent customer service.  And nothing sews like a Juki. 

Now, if I only had 44 hours in my day and could mange with 4 hours of sleep.