LOST AND FOUND

Way back in 2016, Melissa Averinos came to Chattanooga to teach a group of us how to make faces with fabric.  It was great fun and she taught us lots about creating portraits.  My first face didn't please me very much, and thankfully I had time to create another.  I liked it a bit more and even completed it shortly after the class.  Determined to try more faces, I cut and glued and made several more.  Then, as usual, I was distracted by something else and I stuck those portraits in a drawer and forgot about them.  

Somewhere along the way, in the infamous year of 2020, I completely lost my desire to create with fabric and just sat around making beaded jewelry. After making dozens of earrings, bracelets, and necklaces and lamenting my loss of mojo for fabrics, a friend sent a photo of her beautiful floral collage made with fabrics.  That little nudge clicked and I started searching for those old 2016 collaged faces.  It was a long search because I had no idea where I had stashed them.  I finally found them in a drawer stuffed full of paper patterns from old art quilts from years past.  I had even forgotten that I had saved so many of them, since I never, ever make the same thing twice.  I also uncovered a couple of portraits I had created of my granddaughter and found that I liked them better now, after they have "aged" a bit.  

In just a few days, I have them quilted and bound! Ideas have been swirling around like dervishes.  Hopefully my mojo will keep me inspired to play with fabric once again.  And I hope that some of you might like to purchase one of them before they are stashed into a drawer to be forgotten for another 5 years.  

Some people say this is a self portrait.  I don't really look that, do I?  

"Pouty Paulina" is 16" x 22" and come pout on your wall for $50 + shipping

"Sophisticated Sally" is 16" x 20" and could grace your wall for $50 + shipping

 

"Just Pat" 18" x 23" is available for $50 + shipping

Then there are these 2 characters.  I'll let you name them, but I think they are a couple from the 1960's Haight Ashbury.  

17 1/2" x 21 1/2" 

$100 for the pair

Now Showing

 completed pattern 

my hand dyed fabrics are chosen

Poplar Leaves are Falling

23" x 35"

What a fabulous trip to Seattle, Mt Vernon, WA and on to Portland, OR.  The only problem being, that is was just a bit too short.  Of course, I didn't want to wear out my welcome, as I do want to return soon.  Last Wednesday my friend, Nifty Quilts, picked me up at SeaTac and we immediately headed out to the Seattle Art Museum to meet Tina for lunch and to view the Joan Miro exhibit.  I was inspired by Miro's use of color and style.  It is always much better to see fine art in person.  Photos can never do it justice. Right?

OK ~ I couldn't resist having my picture taken with some
of the other art before reaching the Miro exhibit

Lots of fun, food, fabric and friends for the next two days. And a tour of a the Theo chocolate factory.  All organic, and high chocolate content, with lots of free samples.  I highly advise anyone, whether you be a chocoholic or not, to make this tour a must when you visit Seattle.

Then on Saturday and Sunday, Nifty and I are off to Mount Vernon for a 2 day workshop with Freddy Moran.  This is the first time I had the opportunity to meet this legendary lady, and I came away even more impressed than ever.

"That is one cool rock and roll apron, Freddy".   I must have one.

Freddy with one of her originals.
Love that tree!

Stephanie, a delightfully energetic young woman,  hosted the event with  fabric, friends, and foods.  Check out her blog for some great photos at  http://kwiltzbystephanie.blogspot.com/2014/05/whoop-whoop-freddy-moran-is-in-house.html 

 I was able to create one piece and begin another with my twist on Freddy's collage methods.  I may really get into this instant gratification of cut, glue, & paste.  I can create a large piece ready to quilt in a day. That is movin' on for me!

in progress
unedited 40" x 48"

 in progress
unedited, 34-ish " x 54-ish "

Then it is on to Portland to hang out with my daughter, Casey for a few days.  My friends Tina and Mary drove me to Portland where we lunched at a new French~Norwegian spot named Maurice.  What can I say ~ other than exquisite.  Then it's off to catch up with Casey.

She had a busy schedule and I had to be on my game to keep up with her.  She was a host for the grand opening of the Madewell shop in Portland on Tuesday.  The shop will also feature items from local artists, and Casey created hand turned wooden vessels for ceramic pots filled with succulents that will be sold in the new shop.

cool - huh?

 Champagne brunch, shopping, and the grand opening gala at 6pm.  Food and beverage is the best in Portland, and Casey always chooses just the right spots to enjoy. As an added treat, the weather was very warm and sunny.  Perfect for walking around the city and enjoying the sights.  We did stop off at the Tanner Goods shop to see our collaborative quilts.  I must admit, I was thrilled to see them hanging in the shop.  Plus, the light fixture you partially see, was designed and made by Casey.

On Wednesday, my lovely friend, Bonnie, picked me up and we go for a deliscious lunch.  And off again to the 'burbs to meet with Bill Volckening and view some of his fabulous antique quilts. It was a treat to meet and talk quilts with such a knowledgeable person.  And get to see some of the quilts that he has made.  

Bill proudly shows his latest quilt

an antique quilt from Tennessee

Those are a few highlights of my week in the great northwest.  I can't wait to return.  There is always adventure around every corner.  

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.

getting it together

After spending a delightful afternoon with Melody and some fellow Bad Ass Quilters, I am inspired once again.  And not to take away from the charms of these artists, but the sunshine and 72 degree temperatures helped as well. We were all reveling in the glorious weather.  

The quilt for nephew and bride, has come together at last.  So without further ado

to be quilted, soon, very soon

 After chatting with the kids about what they might like to have, I tuned in on a few of their key words:

greens

earth tones

neutrals

triangles

traditional
an original Mary quilt

SO

greens, earth tones, neutrals = my loose interpretation of colors

traditional = flying geese

 triangles + original = circles with loosely drawn geese

(my theory being, that no two geese are exactly alike)

= an original Mary quilt

This quilt was one of those that I felt my way blindly throughout the making, as I am not so good at discerning just what someone else's vision might be.  

Here's to hoping the kids will like it once it is quilted.  

Which is rumored to be soon, very soon.  

Cheers, y'all

out of commission

It began with my photo of Dad's hayrake as it lay rusting behind the shed.  As always, these old things bring back a flood of memories.  Dad is no longer here to hook it up to the tractor and it has been out of commission for years.  The old farm implements intrigue me in their complicated simplicity.

All wheels keep turning in some respects,
 whether out of commission or not.  

September into October

Where does the time go?  

The past 6 weeks I have attempted to become more: 

Focused. Disciplined. Structured.  

I am getting better with my new FDS regimen. 

to wit - this is completed

inside out
54" x 70"

 I only have the binding to stitch down on this one

sketch 4
28" x 30"

threw this one in the garbage as it needed 

drastic simplification modifications

 completed piecing this one and placed it in line to be quilted

flair
42" x 45"

 drew some sketches to consider for patterning

this was was a bit mundane

 iris buddies with buds

so decided to use this sketch for a pattern

iris closeup
36" x 48"

off I go using my hand dyed fabrics,

cutting and pinning

What has spurred this new regimen?  The past few weeks have been wonderfully encouraging for my ego.  

One of the quilts that I have pieced for a dear friend (but yet unquilted, eeks) was featured in "Love Patchwork", a quilting oriented magazine from the UK.  It was totally unsolicited, complete surprise when I received a request from the magazine editor.  Naturally I could not say no.

And then, to my surprise, I was asked to do an interview with a feature writer, Jen Jeffrey from the Chattanoogan.com

What a flattering portrait she painted.  Thanks Jen.  

my Pink Dogwood just won a first place ribbon in the wall hanging division 

in a local quilt show.  

If my luck continues to hold, there could be more good news to share in the near future.  

If the good news actually occurs, hopefully it will help me to continue this new regimen.

 If it doesn't work out, hopefully I will still continue this new regimen.  

See ya next month.

TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE

Once upon a time 

there was a young, innocent, country girl who loved to play along the fence rows and road sides where wildflowers grew in abundance  Having no playmates, she made friends with all the lovelies that nature had to offer. Acorns were her best buddies, always tucked away in the pockets of her clothes. Daisies were woven into delicate crowns to top her head.   

 

Queen Anne's lace made wonderful chains to circle her waist.  

Gathering many other beauties along the fields and dusty roadsides, the young girl scattered the seeds of all of her lovelies in her ma's well manicured yard, 

much to ma's dismay.      

Ma explained that these were weeds, and would just take over her lovely flower bed, turning it into ruins. The young girl was so dismayed to hear that all of her lovelies were considered to be undesirables.  Even though she could not understand why they were thought to be inferior to ma's iris, roses, lilies and jonquils, she obeyed her ma and learned to appreciate the right and proper ways of life.  She grew in to a woman and always tried to remembered  the rules as her ma had taught her.

Many, many years later, the woman remembered her love for the simple, road side lovelies where she spent many happy days in her daydreams.   So she decided there and then, it was time to find that openness and idyllic playfulness of her youth.  Disregarding all of the rules of prim and proper ways,  she once again let her imagination guide her. Playing with fabrics, she made a not so prim and proper quilt.  It began with free form log cabin blocks in mostly solid colors.  That still didn't make her happy. 

Where upon she decided to grab her scissors and cut lots of  
free form flowers which she randomly stitched onto the top of the quilt with wild free motion zig zag stitches.  If the fabric frayed a bit, all the better, she decided.  And continuing along with the idea, she created many more free pieced flowers stitched in colors to rival Joseph's multi-colored robe.    

Multiple leaves of all shapes and sizes were added to the mix.   

 Lots of freely pieced blocks bordered the quilt in fence row style. 

And all along the border the quilting will be sticks and blocks of all shapes and sizes. 

 Finally after days of play, the ole girl, deciding that the plain ole log cabin blocks were covered with enough colorful posies, it was time to quilt it.    She decided to cover the quilt with hundreds of quilted seeds with sprinklings of posey shadows.  







  The old girl was, at long last, free to be what she wants to be.  

The moral of this story is ?

Time to play some more

So many ideas, so little time

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.