And More Progress

Bicycle 101
pieced and ready to quilt
@ 30 x 36

I had this next piece hanging on my design wall since August 2013.  It was done during a workshop with Elizabeth Barton at Arrowmont.  Elizabeth graciously complimented the composition, but all I kept seeing was the big CBS eye.  It began to make be a big crazy, as it stared at me day in and day out on the wall.  A few days ago, as I was cleaning up some the the piles of fabric from a project, I decided that I was tired of it's glare.  And I had exhausted all ideas of what to do with it.  This thing had become an intrusive monster.  I snatched it from the wall and hacked it up with my rotary cutter. There! I said as I tossed the pieces into the trash and went back to my cleaning.  Feeling much more relaxed.  

However, those pieces were still wimpering for help the next day.  I reluctantly salvaged  them from the trash and began to play with them again.  The results were very pleasing to my eye, and as it hangs on the wall today, I am at piece with it's rebirth.  

eye to eye
@ 20" x 28"

Progress

Working with my hand dyed fabrics, choosing colors and shading

Coming along, with a change here and there

All pieces cut and pinned on the design wall.
Well, almost all.  

Now to allow the bicycle to hang around while I mull over any changes that might need to be made.  Once I have decided that this is as good as it's gonna get, then on to piecing.  

Meanwhile, I have had interludes of quilting &
finished quilting the peacock.

Evie's peacock.
50" x 60" 

Now to finish quilting the nephew and bride quilt.  AKA, "Flight Patterns"  

WIP struggles

When I was a little girl I always wanted a purple bicycle.  When I was a little girl there were no purple bicycles to be found in my hometown.  Daddy bought me a pink bicycle.  I did not like pink at all.  But it was a bicycle, and so begins the education of accepting what is given to me with grace and thankfulness.

A few years ago a took some photos of bicycles snuggled into their stanchions. It reminded me of the dairy cows in my daddy's milking barn.  The juernesys were semi locked into a space with piles of oats as enticement while they were being relieved of their milk.  Later on they were replaced by the more productieve holstiens.  You might ask, what does this have to do with anything?  I might reply, this is just the natural progression of my thoughts.

This piece began as a deep violet bicycle with golden wheels.  Those colors were just not as enticing to me as a golden yellow bicycle with violet wheels.  Sometimes what you think you wanted is not really what you want at all.

The subdued background may be changing as well.  Life is, after all, a work in progress.

Collaboration

Last fall my daughter, Casey, suggested that we might collaborate on a project, and since it involved quilting I readily agreed.  Also, to collaborate with my talented daughter and learn from her was exciting.  She had several ideas and sent me sketches.  After a bit of back and forth on the sizes, colors and design, we were off and running.  Her ideas were based on bringing the outdoors in by using constellations, but in a very minimalist style.  That style was a challenge for me, as I tend to over do it, just a bit, (wink)  

However, we were able to agree on the designs and once completed, I felt that they turned out quite well. Click here and here to see the photos of the completed quilted blankets  They are hanging in Tanner Goods shop in Portland, OR and are for sale!    

Moving along

Wild Rosie is pieced together and ready to be quilted.  Or should I say, she is ready for more accessories.  

Off to find the appropriate threads.  Hope she agrees with what I find.