My Curve is Basted

This piece is now 32" x 32" and ready for some hand work.  Some echo quilting in the background and something in the curves.  I like this.  I'm not sure what the orientation should be.  Maybe I'll figure that out as I stitch.  One observation about the process:  there is no economy of fabric.  I took these leftovers and pieced together a little Runaround, which I gave  to Sherri Lynn Wood last night after her lecture to our guild - a little remembrance of her very chilly and successful day in Chicago

Homework from Camp Stitchalot

What a great weekend!  Sarah S, Melissa and I went to Camp Stitchalot with 28 other campers and camp counselors Carolyn Friedlander and Sherri Lynn Wood.  The whole experience was fun AND educational!

We decided to go one day early to have the luxury of extra sewing time and make Two-Zip Hipsters.  All turned out nicely by Friday morning.  Special thanks to Sarah for figuring out the twisted zipper secret.  Then Sarah, Melissa, and I decided we needed to go to Pink Castle Fabrics about 45 minutes away.  Carolyn and Sherri asked if they could go with us.  Um, yeah, well - OKAY!  Later that day Carolyn led us through design choices and her method of applique.  There will be more about Carolyn and this project in a couple of days.  But now?  Gotta focus on Getting My Curve On and Sherri.  She's our Chicago Modern Quilt Guild Speaker tonight, and I promised I would have what I worked on in class in a more advanced state.

Sherri led us all through her approach to improv quilting - guidelines that involve no rulers and working at one's creative edge.  Look at the link above to see her sweeping, bold, and wild use of color and design.  After I made these three wedges, I was done.  I needed to think about what is next with these pieces and how I want to create something that I want to keep in my home.  So I took them home.  Last night I began to play.

I tried overlapping these wedges, like so many in class had done.  but my instincts kept leading me back to keeping these pieces separate. And I also knew I that needed to trim these up and make them more symmetrical. 

Wonder if John has missed this Tupperware lid I keep in the studio...

As I have been blogging, I have had several epiphanies. I think I will stop, take a walk, and come back to this. Let's see if I was paying attention when Sherri was teaching how to sew curves. To be continued...maybe even today!

Hand Project Completion

 This project, which measures 72" x 94" and was done by hand, is complete.  I started it (and blogged about this) in April of this year.  Each time I headed to my parents', I had these blocks with me.  Through my dad's hospitalizations, I continued to work on these blocks.  Just as he died, I finished piecing the this top.  And then I decided to quilt this by hand while sitting with my mom.  Each time I got to my mom's I would take out this quilt, show it to her, and tell her that I now sew because she taught me how to.  And each time she smiles and says, "I did?"  My stitches are big and primitive.  I used a No 8 perle cotton.  Some of the stitches are with No 5 perle cotton, which is just too difficult for me to work with. 

The batting is wool.  And the texture of this quilt is wonderfully lofty and airy and warm.  This project has provided me with solace and purpose as I have sat with my parents.  And I love it.

I'm heading to Camp Stitchalot (***squeel***)in Ann Arbor with Sarah S and Melissa today.  And I am packing this quilt. 

"City Spokes" is home!

After traveling with the International Quilt Festival for several months, "City Spokes" is home.  John hung it in a space intended for something not quite so tall - the grandchildren and travel tchotskis seem to be blocking the bottom of this piece.  And I'm surprised at how much I like this piece (she modestly says...) in this particular location.

The wall hanging made from t-shirts bought in Nairobi now hangs in the first floor hallway to the bathroom. 

Today was spent quilting this gorgeous piece made from shot cottons.  I was torn between which binding to use.  But just taking these pictures and looking at them has clarified what I need to do.  The sedate grey wins over the multi-colored.   Love love love the fall time change.

Hello, Winter! Goodbye, Summer...

All pieced - and I love it

The final version - all pieced and ready for quilting.  70" x 70"

Final Layout

This  might be it.  Seeing the layout on a screen will help tweak certain bits. 

Quilting Tip from "Macbeth"

Today's layout features horizontal color arrangement and staggered columns.  This layout is closest to the layout of the inspiration quilt by the Australian Helen.  But actually I like the first of these layouts with the cluster of colors.  Lucky for me I am busy for the next two days and can't do any sewing.  But when I do get back to this, I think I will need to be "bloody, bold, and resolute" and just pick a layout and do this instead of dithering for days about which one is better.  All these are beautiful, right?  (I think I will try a column of warm neturals and cool neutrals on both sides to make this 66" wide.)  To be continued...

Design Wall Goal

A new design every day.  Here's #2.  I still have a set of blocks to do in warm neutrals.  I think they need to go into this mix.  And today the staggering on the columns is less pronounced.    Do I have this upside down?  Note to self:  Put iPad on ScreenLock and study.

Wordless Wednesday