QuiltCon: What I made, bought, and scored

QuiltCon was such a great experience in so many ways.  Every lecture I heard was so interesting, and the exhibition of quilts was so beautiful and inspiring.  The variety of classes offered spanned every possible quilting interest.  I took one full-day class with Jacquie Gering of Tallgrass Prairie Studio. She's a founding member of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild, a current member of my Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, and an executive board member of the Modern Quilt Guild, the same board which successfully organized this first modern quilting conference.  Jacquie's class was on architecture-inspired patchwork.  I'm not finished with this piece but am pleased with what I have so far.  A lot of the fun of this class was seeing what others created during our short time together.  Jacquie is a teacher who commits herself fully to the creative process - I am amazed at her ability to think on her feet and problem solve.  The inspiration picture is one from my Columbus, IN brother.

  Wow.  So much to chose from.  These three Marcia Derse fabrics seem to fit in with the Asian direction my eye seems to be heading towards.  The little bundle of shot cottons caught my eye - at $20/yard this is not a casual purchase.  And despite vowing to not get another purse/bag pattern, I had to buy this one.  I won't even begin to list the things I did not buy, including an Oliso Iron.  I'm intrigued by it and used it all day in my workshop.  But I can't tell whether I really want it or whether I'm just having a case of iron envy.
There were some goody bags which contained a lot of advertising and a nice variety of freebies - some charm packets, some Aurifil thread (yippee), and some interesting bags/totes. In talking to the Kona representative who thought she knew me, I did confess that the one thing I was looking to purchase was a Kona sample card - and she gave me one. Nice! At Luana Rubin's lecture on Color Trends, I was one of 15 who won a doorprize - a fabulous packet of 25 fat-eighths. Luana is from eQuilter.com, the place where I do most of my online fabric shopping and I think I'm a fitting recipient! I'm proud to be a modern quilter. The charitable focus of my local guild, of other guilds, and of the Modern Quilt Guild brings many to tears. There were 46 quilts created for the Austin, TX Children's Shelter. In meeting other guild officers, what we do for charity was at the forefront of our discussions. Are you wondering why I'm not posting what I saw? Every quilt exhibited at QuiltCon is worthy of priase, and others do such good photography. I'm sure I'll point you to some of these quilts in the days and weeks to come. Heather Grant did a wonderful presentation on the design fundamentals of Modern Quilting. These design elements include negative space, no borders, minimalism, graphic color palettes, improvisational piecing, (alternative) grid work, asymmetry, exaggerated scale, pixelization, modern traditionalism, and texture. Modern Quilters use these techniques - certainly not all of them at once - in various combinations. For me, texture and minimalism are at the top of my list. I had a chance to hear Yoshiko Jinzenji Friday - her work is stunning. I think I'll go to her two books, both of which I have, and try to center and prioritize my growing list of what I want to do first. ...from the quilt by Nancy Scott of Berne, IN - a large quilt using negative space

QuiltCon Linky Party

Going to QuiltCon in Austin, Texas from February 20th - 24th is terribly exciting for me.  This first modern quilting convention will have displays and vendors and quilters who will provide all the creative nourishment I could ever want.  Over 15 from the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild will be in Austin, and we are proud to have a charity quilt ready for the Austin Children's Shelter.  What fun it will be to see this quilt hung with the others.  Also, Erika Sews from our guild has a quilt which will be exhibited - Erika is also embroidering name tags with our Chicago logo!  That girl is clever.

 So for this Linky Party, here are 5 things you probably already know about me:

1.  I loved teaching high school English, but I love being retired even more.
2.  I'm overwhelmed by the whole modern quilt movement and the impact it is having on my work and my aesthetic.
3.  Involvement with the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild is yielding some of the best friends ever.
4.  No matter how much time I have to sew, it is never enough.  With recent parental issues and stepping up volunteering for AAQi.org , I'm having to be much more selective about what sewing I do.
5.  My husband and traveling with him make me happy.  In March we are going to Morocco. 

And here are 5 things you may not know:

1. After I taught in Chicago for two years, I backpacked around Europe for the entire 1973 summer.
2.  When my husband gave me the "being Miss Piggy at the banquet of life" lecture, I listened intently.  I traded my piano for some stained glass pieces and have never looked back. 
3.  I went to a small Christian liberal arts college in East Tennessee - Milligan College.  Every fall this native of Chicago gets homesick for the mountains.
4.  I had a short-lived career as DoJo the Clown when I was in my early 20's.  
5.  I'm old enough that I once had a stash of calicoes.  

I am constantly agog.  Even as recently as the seeing the winners of the Madrona Road challenge.   When I was cutting these fabrics for distribution at the guild meeting, I was thinking "ho-hum." But then I see these pieces and I'm all like , "OMG! These are fabulous!"  You know, that whole Gaaahhhhl-leeeeeee thing...  I feel like Gomer Pyle at each show and tell our guild has.  We have some quilters who just amaze and inspire me.  Yes, Emily Bruzzini and Emily Lang and Erika Sews and Jacquie Gering and the Sarahs and Jen and Beth and Eileen and Robbi and Rachel and Terri and Karen and Ebony and Sue and Melissa and - wait, this list could go on for a while.  I'm feeling like Miss Frances from Romper Room.  My point:  I'm looking forward to QuiltCon.

A Happily Received Baby Quilt

Evocative Quilting

Life's issues have been on the dark side the past two months. My mom will be released from rehab in 10 days. Even though she is physically healthy-ish, she is mentally blank. Very pleasant but blank. My father is even sadder, retreating more and more into himself and his world. What has lifted my spirits is the welcomed pregnancy of my niece Jennifer. That there is a birth balances out other current events. As I did the math for this quilt - the design was created by Jacquie Gering of Tallgrass Prairie Studio and used with her permission - I found myself getting lost in the process and in the color decisions. I loved seeing this come together. And almost best of all, I loved doing the quilting. There is something so soothing about laying in rows and rows of stitches. That textural payoff is well worth it.  Jacquie calls this quilt "Outside In."
 

There was  a shower for Jen in NYC on Saturday, January 19. We have had Book of Mormon tickets for Sunday, January 20, in Chicago for 18 months. I told Paula I really couldn't go and worked hard not only on this baby quilt but also on the diaper bag/tote which serves at the quilt wrapping. (This tote is great - it's zippered, has a zippered compartment on the outside, two generous inside pockets - Jinny Beyer fabric). I figured I would get them in the mail by the 12th. But wait! I remembered that John and I have flight vouchers for Southwest Airlines because we missed our December trip to Charleston, South Carolina, and these miles expire in February. So the perfect solution: go to Manhattan for the day. And so I did.  Yesterday I left Midway at 8:30, got to LaGuardia at 11:30, shower in midtown at 1, and returned to LaGuardia for a flight at 7. John was at Midway and I was home by 9:30 last night?  Gosh, does this make me a jet setter?

It was good to be at my niece's shower.  Focusing on Jen and Tim and their little Baby P balances out the events at the other end of life's spectrum.  Perhaps I'll listen to the Lion King soundtrack and "The Circle of Life" as we drive downtown for Book of Mormon.  

Quilt Courier

I wish I could take credit for this quilt, but I'm just the courier. The seven blocks of this quilt were submitted to the Modern Quilt Guild as part of the QuiltCon Block Challenge. The Modern Quilt Guild's goal is to put a quilt on every bed of the Austin Children's Shelter - Austin is where the Modern Quilt Guild is holding its first convention in February 2013. These 7 blocks were sent to the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild for our donation quilt to the shelter. Thanks to a clever layout by Iris Johnson and even cleverer execution of this layout by CMQG Program Chair Sarah Shulman, Debbie Bookman, and Debbie Pine, this top (and look at the wonderful backing), this quilt is ready for quilting. The top and backing have travelled 50 miles from Vernon Hills to Lemont, the home of T and F Quilting Studio and Terri Karls.

Once this is quilted, bound in orange, and washed, I'll do another post. (The last time I used the word courier in a blog post, you wouldn't believe the spam the post generated....)

Happy New Year!

It's good to find time to sew. A year ago I was setting blogging goals for the year, and I have followed as some of my blogger friends have assessed their year's work and set goals for the new year. With all that has happened, I am thrilled to find any time to sew. Setting and assessing goals isn't for me right now. My mom is slowly rehabbing at Plymouth Place, a mile away. So it's easy to pop in for meals or therapy sessions. The background of this picture is the back of a baby quilt for my NYC niece Jen. Her shower is January 19, and I'll blog about this quilt then. Meanwhile, it does provide a nice backdrop for some improvisational and foundation-pieced blocks, preparation for the January CMQG meeting!

Ready for Christmas

Christmas sewing is done.  One little zippered pouch for Kim, and Mors Bags for the worker bees at Plymouth Place.  They are all neatly packed away in one of my totes and ready for delivery today and tomorrow. 

 Ok, so maybe this is my last entry of the year...

An Odd End to theYear...

 My mom fell Nov 29.  After elbow replacement she was transferred from LaGrange Hospital to Plymouth Place on Dec 13.  Her progress is slow, especially since she's still in a cast and learning to use her left hand for the first time in over 80 years.  So I'm obviously not spending much time in my studio.  Instead, I've been practicing my hand work. These 12 x 12 blocks aren't fabulous, but at least a needle is feeling more comfortable.  I still have the lower right one to finish.  What will I do with these four?  Not sure...yet.

I have started a new project and don't want to say too much about it at this point.  This is one-half of a quilt, design copied from Jacquie G at Tallgrass Prairie Studio - I need to tell her...  It  felt very good to be cutting and measuring and ironing. 

 The staff at Plymouth Place are gentle and kind.  I know I will be there Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day as well.  Going empty-handed isn't an option.  So I'm working on a pile of Mors bags (Qff Wayne, what would I have ever done if you hadn't taught me about Mors bags?) as a tiny thank-you to those who take daily care of my mom.  So far I've made three, have 6 kitted and ready to sew, and have 5 more sets of handles.  Fourteen will have to be enough.

And of course there are quiltlets from the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative coming in.  I'd like to complain about them, but here's the thing.  There are three of us who do the quilt scanning.  Diane was diagnosed with breast cancer and is in the middle of chemo.  Eileen's father died last week.  And me - well, my mom being in the rehab center gives me a bit of time.  So I'm the one with the least to complain about! 




Bloggers like to set goals at the beginning of the year and then post about whether they've been met.  Quilters are madly finishing presents.  Some are trying to get all their UFO's completed.  Me?  I'm trying to do what I can with the timing of the holiday and my family.  I didn't make the goals I set for myself last January.  I think this will be my final blog post of 2012.  I haven't made much in the way of presents - the Mors bags are taking priority.   My sister-in-law Kim has requested a little zippered pouch - I would very much like to do that in the next few days.  But this is all okay.  I'm at peace and doing what I can daily - for my mom, for my husband, and for me.  And here's to 2013!

The Studio as a Guestroom

My mom has been hospitalized for 10 days - tomorrow she is having elbow replacement surgery.  And I think she'll be there another almost week before going to a rehab center.  This has been rough, especially since she has no memory at all of anything.  All of us have slept at the hospital, but as brother Al pointed out, there is no coffee maker in the room and people keep coming in all night to do vitals.  So yesterday my studio became a guest room for Paula. 

I've never thought about napping in the studio.  Suddenly it's appealing.

And what a great surface to lay fabrics out on!

An odd birthday for my sister

Paula is 60 today.  Every year I blog about her present ahead of time and ruin her surprise.  This year I didn't blog, cleverly wrapped her present, putting one bag inside of another inside of another, kind of like those nesting dolls, and mailed it off to St. Joe, MI.  And then my mom fell.  She's in the hospital awaiting surgery - a new elbow - and letting her cracked pelvis heal and be less sore.  So Paula came here.  And her present is in St. Joe.  And seriously, are these nice or what?  A duffle/tote, a Mors bag, a Roundabout purse, and wide-mouthed ditty, and a drawstring bag, all in wonderful Asian fabrics.  The outside of her tote bag on one of the special fabrics I bought in Scotland this past fall. 

Gotta get to the hospital and let Paula go back to St. Joe for a bit!