Now Showing

 completed pattern 

my hand dyed fabrics are chosen

Poplar Leaves are Falling

23" x 35"

a finish and a new name

Introducing "Totto" 

(channeling Georgia)

36 1/2" x 45 1/2"

closeup of quilting

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"  

Everchanging

Back from my whirlwind trip to Italy, full of new ideas, sensory overload, unable to settle down and start something new (well, sorta). I committed, (yet again) to get some pieces finished.  So stick a fork in 'er, she's done!  44" x 68" of heavy quilting.  

This old gravel road is long gone.  

I had taken lots of photos before everything changed on the farm and chose to document some of my memories in fabric.  A sign of changing times, new roads to be traveled, out with the old, in with the new, 

you get my drift.  

So, since I am not able to totally commit to machine quilting for hours on end, I did play around with some more ideas on the side.  

A couple of months ago, I got waylaid by 3/4" hexies.  Hundreds of hexies later, and several design idea changes, I am hand piecing (gasp) in a semi improv fashion.  I think I will call it "secret garden".

currently approximately 33" x 30ish and growing.

And then, there's the boxes of solids strips still hanging around from the Nancy Crow workshop last year.  Cannot seem to get them out of my system.  As if I don't use them, it will be a total waste.  Time to change that thought, doncha think?  Oh well, I did have a flashback idea as I was digging through those boxes waiting for something brilliant to happen.  The sights of Venice, Pisa, Sienna, Florence, Rome worked it's way into this.

the colors are not showing up correctly on my computer ,
(read terribly off),  so

I thought it might be a good idea to change it to gray tones to see how
 the design and values are working.
yet to be determined.

The ideas are still flowing.  Maybe I can stick to one of these for a finish before I begin another.  hahahahahahahaha

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.  

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.  

Who's to say

Maybe I should entitle this post 

Venus and Mars

or

 man and woman

or

night and day
or

positive and negitive
or
back and front

or
to and fro
or
right and wrong
or
left and right
or

opposites attract
or
 need I continue?

I like the last one best.  Occasionally opposites do attract.

Well to my mind, it worked this time.

so here it is:
Selveges inspired front

Mandingo inspired backing

In any case, I have finished a king sized bed quilt as you go.  And my wrestling days are over, let me tell you. Marianne's QAYG method is fabulous, but I won't be doing another king bed size quilt in my life time.   Call me lazy, call me a slacker, just don't call me to do another king size quilt.  Whatever was I thinking?

Oh, and just for reference here, the Mandingo inspiration

Oh, and just to show the masculine feline approval (or at least I think he approves)

Both Sides Now
Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds * that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As ev'ry fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all


Thank you Joni

back in bizness

In an attempt to get back into a schedule, I have committed to completing somethings.  Notice that I say somethings, as in plural.  So here we go.  Remember the block that I was exchanging with Sujata way back when?  Our theme was to be trees. In case you don't recall, here 'tis:
 

"Family Holiday Tree"

Sujata's "Snow Falling on Cedars" 

Sujata's block is exquisite.  An amazing graphic piece that I hope to see again and yet again in an amazing quilt at some point whenever she decides it may happen.  There was a story behind her block, but I will let her tell about it.
My block began simply but ended up being a bit more complicated.  Long story short, ultimately we decided that we would return the respective blocks to each other for several reasons.  It was an emotional decision for both of us, I do feel.  What emotions we can connect via the web, right?  Tears well up as I write.

At last I felt it was time to get on with it.  Is it because of the approaching fall season which always brings the holiday emotions to the surface.  Perhaps so, and I did get on with it.  I expanded on my family trees.  And now, I am thinking out loud here, can it be a year that has already passed?  Yup, afraid so.  YIKES.

Original block on the right.
Beginning the addition on the left.

and so it grew to a completed panel

I have joined more trees and finished this piece. Yet the cycles continue.  As family goes, hopefully, it is never a complete journey.  And as friends go, we hopefully continue to expand and connect via the w.w.w. and continue our journeys together. Who knew, huh?

for Mallory Kate

Quilt label (front)

Mallory Kate (front)

Mallory Kate (back)

machine quilting closeup

quilt care label

  Mallory's mom chose the fabrics to coordinate with the nursery decor and asked for a simple quilt that could grow with her into her "big girl" bed.  I made it into a twin size so that Mallory will enjoy using it for years to come.  She is a month old now and is a beautiful, sweet baby. 

It started with this

it started with this

it ended up like this

 

Don't you think that it would make a wonderful rug for my family room.  

If only everyone would remove their shoes before walking on it. 

I named it 

"not your prim and proper log cabin with posies inspired by the ladies of Gee's Bend" 

I followed no rules, no patterns and broke most of the right and correct methods of piecing,applique, quilting, and binding that I possibly could. 

It was most fun I have ever had in making a quilt.

I highly recommend this method.

TGIF

Thank god it's Friday.

Although when you are retired, every day is Friday. Well, almost everyday, some days are not so Fridayish, some days it seems as if I need to get an outside of the home, paying job for a bit of relief.  Nah, not gonna happen anytime soon.

Let me start over:

Thank god it's finished:

I think that I actually had more trouble photographing Vanilla Bean, that I did working with a  neutrally colored design.  Forty odd shots later, this is the best I could do.

The quilt as you go method was so, so cool.  It was almost a shock to realize that once it was all stitched together, it was completed except for stitching on the binding.  I am so hooked on this technique.  "Beanie" finished up to a whopping 68" X 82". 
What began as playing around with linen scraps left over from making slacks, jackets, blouses, along with all types of scraps of batting,

resulted in a lovely coverlet for someone's bed.  Probably not my bed, alas, 

as Miss Annie-cat's claws would reek havoc with the coarse, linen weave.

The QAYG method easily allows for straight stitching feed dogs up style.  Which is what I did with Beanie, since there is no way I can stitch a straight line free motion style.  But now that I have gotten this under my belt, why not try a bit of free motion quilting on the next piece. 

 

  Got this Fresh Modern style piece in the works, which I had originally planned to straight stitch.  However, it just seemed to be asking for a curly, loopy design and off I go. Best laid plans never seen to work for me.  Nothing could be easier than free motion quilting on a piece that is only 12" to 15" in width.  Even though it is 62" in length, it is much more easily manipulated under Juki. In no time at all I've gotten one panel all quilted up.  Great practice for my free motion skills.

Only four panels to go, add the QAYG border, and voila', instant quilt.  Let me tell you folks, I am sold on this.  In case you missed my previous post on what I am talking about, and you have an interest in giving this a go, jump over to The Quilting Edge.  

Marianne has the best tutorial on how to. 

It's the weekend, go have some fun!