Can you guess where I have been?

A few random photos 

love this flying geese maze

Inspiration everywhere

Hexed

It all began innocently enough.  Last Saturday I rejoined the Chattanooga Modern Quilt Guild.  First let me just say that this is one fun group of ladies.  They even handed out goodie bags from their visit to Quilt Con in Austin, TX.  In my goodie bag was a little package of precut 3/4" hexagon patterns and 2" inch squares of fabric, along with instructions on English paper piecing.  At the top of the instruction page was the warning.  "Addicting and Contagious!"  Yeah right, I thought to myself.  I do not. hand. sew. anything. anymore.  Way too slow for my lack of patience.  But then, as I was sitting in front of my sewing machine, contemplating how to proceed with the quilting on my totally machine made tree quilt,

                           I was somehow distracted by that little package of hexies.

Okay, just for the heck of it, let me just see what the internet hoopla is all about.
  Before I could blink twice, I was hexed!  

I quickly checked the instruction page to find out how to order my own set of precut hexie patterns. Being the impatient person that I am, I proceeded to google hexagon printable patterns.  To my delight, there were all sorts of available patterns.  Instant gratification, almost.  I still have to patiently hand cut all those little hexies.  So why not increase the size.  Easier to cut, to sew, for faster quilt finish.  

But those darn 3/4 inchers are so darn cute.

After printing out a couple of pattern pages, I patiently and precisely as I possibly could, cut out the paper patterns.  After a night of watching "Call the Midwives",  "Mr. Selfridge", and "The Borgias", practicing patience has paid off.  

  

I must say that no matter how painful my arthritic hands might be, the mental joy, calmness and satisfaction outweigh that pain.  Patience, is indeed, a virtue that I need to practice more often.  

It seems a strange coincidence that I opened up my email box on Tuesday morning and saw the latest newsletter from Robert Genn regarding patience.  

Time to slow down and smell the proverbial roses, methinks.   

  

For now, back to the machine quilting.

I just cannot wait to make more hexies. I may be "watching" more TV in the coming days.

It's a never ending battle in my mind  . . . . . 

New Ways vs. Old Ways

I tried a new technique with this project.  Rather than dividing the pattern into often oddly shaped pieces, I opted for panels.  Let me tell you, it really made a big difference when sewing all the sections together.  All the panels lined up perfectly (well perfectly for me) and was quite a bit easier to stitch together.  

"The Old Road to Home", measures 45" x 70" unquilted.  

The gray geese are also sewn together and ready to be quilted.  Now to get this one quilted as well as it's mate, the bird house.  Methinks these guys will get along well together.  

Now to get busy with the quilting part.  I do know I want to use silk batting for light, summer quilts.  What I don't yet know, what to use for the backs.  Try as I may to choose a softer, neutral, perhaps solid backing, I keep pulling out all sorts of my old large scale, patterned Alexander Henry fabrics.  Can an old girl ever get on board with the new ways?

Flying off in a new direction >>>>>>>>

I got carried away by the geese.  The thought occurred to me that it would be fun to make a coordinating quilt to use with my low volume quilt. 

Besides, I was stuck for a bit on finding just the right look for the middle section of the trees.  All it took was a nice walk on a sunny day for some good inspiration. (We finally had a couple of days of sunshine down in the "sunny South")  Now I am on a roll.  Up and down the ladder, pinning pieces to the wall.
 

Note to self
* next time you get stuck, take a walk*
Now I really must grab one of the tops that is languishing in the pile of the unquilted,
get it sandwiched together and quilt it.
That will only give me 3 projects to work on for a few days.  A day filled with designing, piecing, quilting.  How could a person ever get bored, I ask you.  So many quilts.  So little time.

Fits and Starts

After a business trip & back home, catching up with odds and ends, I find more stress relief improv is needed.  Trying to downsize the content of my scrap bins, I pulled out neutral scraps, found some leftover geese, & began to play.  

original idea

try as I may

the geese will go on the back

close up of blocks

Now then, all de-stressed, ready to go back to the trees for more improv.

      

"Dream Again"

For all of you who love quilting, art, and music, check out the new link I have showing at the top right of the screen.  For several years I have enjoyed the beautifully designed art posters and ads for the famous Sister's Quilt Show .  Dennis McGregor is the artist and he  is hoping to publish a fabulously illustrated book about Annie, her horse Grace and a quilt.  If you are able to assist in the publication via Kickstarter, please do so.  I am making my pledge right now.  Can't wait to receive my copy of the book.  How about it?

a bit of studio time

stress relief therapy 
a sea of plaids and stripes
inspired by Sujata and her photo

using up leftovers from the Nancy Crow workshop

If it's Wednesday, it must be trees on a gravel road

the fun part - selecting the fabric

Sunday's progress pinned on the wall/
no sewing yet

Commission

Last October, asked by my city's Chamber of Commerce if I would accept a commission to make an art quilt to hang in the lobby of the new Jetport, I paused about 3 seconds.  My brain was shouting, "WHAT! are you crazy to accept a commission?"  My mouth never listens to my brain, and it said that I would be delighted.  Of course the panic quickly dissolved as I was told that I would have free rein on the design. The new Jetport terminal is a rustic, craftsman style building, so I thought it best to create something to fit with that theme.  I listened to suggestions and thoughts from the committee.  They liked the idea of a autumn trees with a sunset.  So I am off in a tizzy to have it completed by the first of December .

full size sketch on freezer paper

pattern drawn and begun

November progress with deadline looming

          Thankfully, there was a bit a construction delay on the Jetport and I was able to get it completed in time for today's grand opening

.

The quilt was delivered and hung on the stone fireplace on Tuesday.  I was thrilled to see another of my art quilts hanging in a commercial location.  

What an honor.  

Now back to a more relaxed schedule. 

Ms. Iris is waiting to be quilted. 

University of Florida vs University of Tennessee

ready to be quilted with orange thread perhaps

Free for All

Sometimes I just must take a break from free motion quilting and the piecing of tiny, intricate curvy slivers of fabric.  So, I started a list of projects that have been on the back burner for far too long.   Several of the projects are free for all pieced blocks intended for some of my family members.  I can intermittently play with basket full of scraps rather than spending my time on non productive activities.  If ya know what I mean.

These blocks are for a young great nephew who, despite living in the middle of Big Orange University of Tennessee football land, prefers to cheer for the arch rival, University of Florida. Okay, so UF colors are orange and blue.  UT colors are orange and white.  I began with orange and blue four patch for the centers.  Next I pulled random strips of solids for the basket and started sewing them on in a sorta log cabin rotation.  A few times I might forget which comes next in the rotation and haphazardly sew a strip wherever it happens to land.  It's a free for all fun way to brighten up a rainy day.

Oh, and just in case he might change his mind one of these days, (or earn a scholarship to UT) I began to throw in some bits of white near that orange.  We won't mention that fact to him, so mums the word.  Hmmmmm - note to self - add more white...........

totally fiberliscious

The excitement continues.  See what I received by mail the other day!  My very own autographed copy of

DRUM ROLL ........

TA-DA.................

I am completely thrilled with Victoria's book filled with delicious eye candy.  The layout seems more innovative than lots of other books on quilting.  For instance, the center section of this book has all sorts of ideas on making your own improv blocks based on the good ole basic traditional quilt blocks.  These ideas can certainly jazz up your repertoire in the use of fabrics and colors.  What fun.  

There are tons of scrumptious examples of quilts created with "made fabric" blocks from 15 Minutes Play groups interspersed through out the book.   Victoria has successfully gathered quilters from over the world to share blocks with one another to fulfill each individual's ideas of their own quilt.  Each challenge could keep me busy for years.

Of course there are Victoria's own superb quilts.  Whimsical, witty, colorful, striking, totally deboxed are some adjectives that come to mind as I flip through page after page of 

15 Minutes of Play

If you are looking for inspiration, got nothing to do with that bag of little scraps, bored with the same old stuff, and feel the urge to play for just a few minutes every day, this is your cookbook.  Easy peezy recipes. Laid back ingredients. Results guaranteed to warm the cockles of your heart for a lifetime. 

Oh, and I must confess. Not only am I promoting Victoria's book, but just wanted to let you know that one of my quilts is in this book.  (page 63)  And, I was a block contributor to quilts made by 15 Minutes of Playmates.  Yeah, I am totally shameless.  

Thanks Victoria

I look forward to your next book.  

Oh yes, and your upcoming fabric collection!  

Your next move is to order this book here,

cuz I am not showing any more photos.  

Don't want to get nabbed for copyright violations.  

heehee

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all

Can it already be November?!?!?!?!

Momma always said that the older you get the faster time passes.  She is 92, pushing hard towards 93 years of age and time has slowed down for her.  I suppose when you no longer have the stamina to do much more than walk, eat and sleep, life begins to drag.  It reminds me of my preteen years, when Sunday afternoons were long and boring.  Mom and Dad took naps, and I paced the house hoping for something exciting to happy.  Needless to say, in very rural southeast Tennessee, the most exciting thing that might happen on a Sunday afternoon would be when some of the cows decided to make a run for it.  I know just how they felt.  Too bad I didn't follow their lead, use some imagination and make something exciting happen for myself. Back when I had all the time in the world.  C'est la vie.

Now that I am older and wiser (well OK, older at least,) I am becoming better at making life more exciting.  There again, I can't take full credit for making the latest excitement.  I must thank a forward thinking interior designer and a bank president.  My Fractured Honeysuckles was purchased to hang in the lobby of a new bank.  Giddy, euphoric, ecstatic and yes, even excited, describes my mood lately.  And if I might just say, it looks absolutely splendid in it's new home.

My new FDSB regimen is paying off as I am better utilizing my time.  And just in time I might add.  I have accepted a commission for another local facility and have been diligently plodding away with excitement.  I have a short time frame for completion and I am determined to meet that deadline.  So far so good.  Can't reveal too much info at this time, but just for fun, I will share a small peek.

Now back to work.  Or can you really call it work when it is more like play? 

C'est la vie.

Remember to keep all the victims of super storm Sandy in your thoughts.  

If you want to help out, I suggest that you check 

with Victoria, aka,  Bumble Beans  

click here to see what is needed.