2017 – Page 8 – Artquiltmaker Blog

Phoenix Inspiration

Aside from what was at the Heard Museum, I found a lot of other details in the Phoenix area to be inspiring as well.

I saw a floor -probably in the airport or in a, gasp, horror, restroom- that I thought would make a fabulous modern style quilt.

I like the different sized squares and rectangles that comprise the columns. I wonder how many people use inspiration from tile to make their quilt designs?

I can see it with various solids in big and small pieces. I can also see it all in white with ‘grout’ between the white in very thin strips.

Airports are also full of inspiration, if they aren’t being remodeled yet again… I loved the Drawn to Pattern exhibit. The art pieces reminded me of the circle quilt I made with Gerre.

There were mosaic-type floors as well. This circular example was on the floor of the bridge to the light rail from Sky Harbor airport.

If you follow @parisfloors on Instagram you will recognize the format of the photo. while clogs are not excellent for hot weather they are very convenient for going through security in airports and also comfy for an unknown amount of walking.

Light rail art - Phoenix — Light rail art – Phoenix

I hadn’t been to Phoenix for many years, probably since my aunt died in 2006 and it looked really different to me. Of course, I stayed primarily near the convention center, which, I am sure, is built to give a good impression to tourists. There was some nice art and I enjoyed the light rail as well.

This piece of art I saw while riding the light rail would make a great quilt, too. I see some similarities to a piece of fabric that looked like New York Beauty or an extended New York Beauty quilt.

The convention center hosted a piece called The Earth Dreaming by Isaiah Zagar, 2008. It was a mosaic of the style I’d really like to use as back splashes in my bathroom.

There are more photos, so I will probably write another post on the topic. In the meantime, enjoy.

9/11 Again

Once again, 9/11 is upon us. It sort of snuck up on me this year. There hasn’t been the hoopla surrounding the event as there was last year. I guess there has been too much other stuff going on.

What Comes Next hangs in my workroom so I look at it every day. In some ways, it can be construed as an altar, because I do look at it every time I pass by and hope that my wish espoused in this quilt is not too far away. It isn’t just part of the background even after so many years.

Like Down the Drain, this quilt was meant to be and came together relatively quickly and with few problems.

I still remember 9/11. I had an almost 5YO. DH was out of town with our BIL on a vacation. I didn’t even know what had happened, because I don’t listen to the news before I head off to work. My mom called me in a panic telling me to turn on the TV. I didn’t want to and couldn’t imagine why it mattered. I couldn’t imagine something like the actions of 9/11 happening.

What’s worse is what came after. The wars, ISIS, Al-Quaida, the European cities under siege, the huge debt that will crush us all one day. The mess that is the Middle East. I am not saying that those things wouldn’t have happened anyway, but I think a different response was required.

Labor Day Sew In Success

I know Labor Day is only a distant memory, but I felt so good after it that I had to prolong the joy by posting.

During the weekend, I prepped, sewed., and finished like a wild woman. I kept forgetting to tag my posts #LDSI over the weekend, but I was creating along with everyone else.

Saturday, as I said, I prepped. After prep comes sewing. I was so glad I prepped, because I didn’t have to keep stopping to mark or cut. I could just sew. I finished the HSTs for En Provence, which, in a roundabout way, led me to the QSTs. I did cut out more Little Cell Phone Wallets, but I haven’t yet sewed any of them. I want to do a big assembly line and just need to take the first step. At least, they are ready to go.

I also made progress on the Stars Donation top #3. I hope to get it done this weekend so I can take it to guild next weekend.

After struggling with the Triple Star cutting, I put a block together.

I sewed a couple of the gift bags I prepped as well. I still have a few more to go, but progress.

I really feel like I got a lot done. I felt really good about my sewing and I am sure some of that is due to the fact I was piecing and not quilting. I can’t wait to get back to the machine.

Creative Spark #18: The Pleasure Principle

I went to work on Tuesday still on a high from the sewing I completed over the weekend. I felt so good and wanted another day to prolong the feeling. I guess that is why it is so hard for those in recovery.

This spark is about seeking pleasure. “Your life is full and, no doubt, you have your hands full – with work, family, and other responsibilities. You probably don’t take many moments to check in with your desires because you are so busy working about everyone else’s” (pg.77). “Children seek pleasure at every turn. they don’t need reminders about how to have play, how to have fun, or how to make room for themselves. They know what feels good” (pg.77).

Bloomston asks what about ourselves?

Well? What about it?

I know that sewing makes me feel good. I must get a rush of endorphins when I accomplish certain tasks that my body craves, because I take every opportunity to sew.

Some of the challenge is about allotting limited resources (pg. 78). “Responsibilities, financial pressures, plans” (pg.78) and I would add guilt for doing something fun, “…are the reasons we forget to play and have fun” (pg.78). It is important to pursue creative activities that make you feel good otherwise you will forget how to be creative. Being creative requires practice. I find that I don’t flail around as much, because I am in the habit of being creative and I am in practice. I still struggle with the guilt of taking time to make quilts. I don’t know if I will ever get over the feeling that I am not doing something real. I may not get over it, but I don’t have to listen to the voice.

Ms. Carrie has a worksheet, which I think looks deceptively easy. the really good advice is “Unless you begin to uncover yourself from the bottom of the heaping, mountainous pile of your obligations and busyness, you might not get a crack of time to cultivate your creative self. That is why you need to get in touch again with what feels good, just for you. If you can begin to discover and uncover your desire, you can pursue the Spark” (pg.78).

Nota bene: we are working through Carrie Bloomston’s book, The Little Spark. Buy it. Support the artist. Play along. There is much more to each spark than what I am writing. The original chapters will help you. Go buy Carrie Bloomston’s book, so you get the full benefit of her fabulousness! You can see my book review, which is what started this flight of fancy.

You can find the last spark on the blog a few weeks ago.

Triple Star Test Block

I made another cutting mistake on the Triple Star and decided it was time to make a test block. I laid out two blocks so I could see what I was working on and came up with some great blocks.

I fooled around with the colors until I was happy and began sewing.

I am really happy I made the test block. Even laying it out on the design wall would have been helpful. This block is not difficult, but it is confusing. Still, the effect is really great.

Triple Star - first block sewn — Triple Star – first block sewn

The block came out really well. I am not sure about that mustardy color and may limit it. I am hoping that it will enhance the other colors. Not sure sure yet.

QST Success

You probably noticed that I was a little annoyed yesterday with the continuing En Provence saga. I am ready to put blocks together.

Monday morning, I got some tea and sat looking at the weird orange sun. I was very pleased to have another day off.

As I whined about the unfairness of mystery quilts 😉 to my journal, I started to sketch out colors and make little drawings. Then I looked at some En Provence photos I had saved and thought about what additional color I wanted to add in. I made some

Suddenly, I was happy. I decided on a color scheme or a potential color scheme. I had a plan and so everything fell into place.

Later that day, when my mom came over, I looked up some tutorials on quick piecing quarter square triangles. Some I couldn’t understand, but then I found one that is a great tutorial. It had the fabrics placed in the same places I wanted them, which meant I didn’t have to work that little piece out. It’s a small thing, but was important to me at that moment. Also, all the steps were laid out with photos, so I could see everything. I found another tutorial that I would like to try, but haven’t. The look of the second one is much more modern, but I can’t vouch for the quality of the instructions yet.

I used four fabrics to make some test blocks and they came out great. I was very pleased with the tutorial, my sewing, life in general.

That night was Craft Night, so I spent the time cutting all the fabrics I need. I used fabrics from my Aqua bin and I think I haven’t used fabrics from that bin in a long time. Some are old and don’t seem to have any FOTY parts cut from them. It seems odd, since I love Aqua and many of the fabrics are great. I have to press them, but they are cut, marked and pinned and ready to sew.

This step didn’t turn out to be as nightmarish as I though. I guess it is all about attitude

DONE: En Provence HSTs

En Provence HSTs - Clue 5 — En Provence HSTs – Clue 5

One of the projects I prepped at Sew Day was Clue 5 for the En Provence quilt. I used my triangle technique, which made the hardest part of the process, pressing and trimming.

I have to admit that I thought I was done and could get to putting the blocks together.

Sigh.

No such luck. I checked out Clue 6 and found I have to make a bunch of Quarter Square Triangles AND I need to introduce a new color. This will require some thought.

At least I finished something, no matter how small.

Sew Day Success

I went back and forth on what to bring to Sew Day. I thought for sure I would bring my machine. We are having a heat wave, which means record temperatures. I was hot and not really in the mood to be dragging a ton of stuff around, so in the end, I just brought projects to prep/cut out.

This focus was a good move. I was able to cut out or prepare 5.25 projects, which means it is time to sew again – HA! Not that it is ever time NOT to sew:

Finished trimming Dots & Stripes HSTs
Prepped En Provence HSTs
Cut out Napkin fronts
Cut out gift bags
Cut out 2 more Little Cell Phone Wallet bag parts
Started prepping more Sew Together Bags

I found another stash of HSTs that go with the Dots & Stripes HSTs I mentioned last week. They will make the piece larger, which is always good. I trimmed the last few I didn’t have time to trim at Craft Night and trimmed this new stash. Some progress.

I had cut the squares for the En Provence HSTs on Friday night, so I had sixteen less things (fabrics) to haul to sew day. I pinned the squares together and drew the lines in preparation for sewing using my Triangle Technique at home.

I grabbed the coffee fabric, which had been hanging around for awhile. I always intended it to be napkins, but I get tired of making them after a few. I had never gotten to cutting this fabric. I did on Saturday and yesterday I had an idea of what backing to use and who they will go to as a gift. I need to get to work.

It is hard to know whether to count cutting out gift bags as one project or one per fabric. I counted using a hybrid method. There were three different fabrics and I will end up with probably 7 bags total.

I also found the fabrics for my last two cell phone wallets. Now all of the pieces out of all the fabrics are cut. I need to start sewing, because I really miss not having the matching bags when I wear my tunics and dresses.

Finally, I started three more Sew Together Bags. One will be for me. I will use it for embroidery. The other two will be gifts. I only got one step of pieces cut, but it is a start. After making three at a time last winter, I think it takes almost the same amount of time to make three at once as it does to make one at a time. As you know the cutting of the pieces is the worst part. The weird thing is that the fabrics I want to use for the exterior have disappeared. I can’t move on to sewing until I find those.

Anna and Nicole, who I had never met came and showed off their projects. Anna is making a table runner with a Lone Star block in the center. She is using nice soft colors. Nicole is hand quilting a beautiful log cabin quilt made from a lovely combination of blues and greens. The fabrics looked like batiks, but I didn’t look that closely.

Mary had surgery on her elbow so mostly chatted with me, but did a little bit of handstitching. She also met with the Retreat committee.

Bonnie was making nametags for the Retreat with help from Nancy.

Marti was making round mug rugs. I have been thinking of making a couple of mug rugs for the Puzzle Guys at work, so she inspired me.

Lynette was working on zipper pouches she will donate to a holiday boutique to raise money for the Belmont Senior Center.

Others were there as well. We tried to keep cool and had some fans to help. It was a fun day and I am glad I went. I feel like I accomplished stuff.

26 Projects List – September Edition

Finished 2017 Quilt Projects

Finally! I have at least one finished project! I finished the Peacock and entered it into PIQF.

The art quilt is nearly finished, but I can’t put it in the done pile yet.

Finished 2017 Non-Quilt Projects
While finished quilts are thin on the ground, as you know, I have been sewing and I have finished a lot of small projects. I am working on quilts and t I plan to make more small projects this year.

Shockingly, the above along with donation blocks and tops is about XX yards of fabric this year and I am not in the black in terms of usage.

Doing Good

In Process
The ‘In Process’ is used to denote projects on which I am actively working or pretending to stitch. I try not to put away projects, because that will ensure I never work on them.

City Sampler – blocks all made. Need to sash the blocks and finish putting the top together. Due to some issues I had with my seam allowance, some of the blocks are smaller than others, so I will have to adjust them in some way – either adding a piece or two to the block or with sashing. I did actually put the sashing and the blocks in my bag for Sew Day yesterday. I just didn’t get to working on them. I need to press the VERY large piece of backing fabric and it was just too hot.
Dots & Stripes HST Quilt (or Something) – half square triangle blocks are made. I laid them out and see what is what with them.
English Paper Piecing Project– half hexies – I am still making stars. I am still using the big stack of fabrics I cut over Thanksgiving to make them, though I am starting to run out and I will need to cut more. I am filling in the weird shape I talked about last time. Next up, adding a border to one side to keep me from making it a weird shape again. I need to find the triangle papers and the fabric I planned to use.
En Provence – I finished the the fourth clue and am in the process of pressing and trimming HSTs required for the 5th clue. I think the end is in sight!
FOTY 2016 – I didn’t capitalize on my excitement after seeing the Ellsworth Kelly exhibit and now I have lost that rush. I still need to get on it. 9 months into the year and I am still not done.
Lobster – I still have more stitching to do and then I need to quilt it.
Triple Star: I am sewing the pieces in between other projects.
Under the Sea: class project; like the design and am happier with the colors. I had an idea for it, but got another idea last week at Craft Night that might be better.

Still WIPs
I still have WIPs. Who doesn’t, after all? A project in the ‘UFO’ category means I am stalled. A nicer way of saying UFO is a WIP. The list is a lot shorter and the projects are newer, for the most part.

1. Aqua-Red Sampler – I need to lay the blocks out and put the piece together.
2. BAMaQG IRR – this was never on the list before, but I have clearly been working on it for a long time. I think the last time I even really thought about it was in June of 2016 when Ruth returned it to me. The last post has some good ideas about what I need to do next.
3. BAMaQG Color Round Robin – this was just returned to me and I think I will just finish it and send it off to a friend who has a 1 year old.
4. Octagon 9 Patch: It is ready to put together. I could have used it as leaders and enders for a number of different projects I have going. I didn’t, mostly because I have a lot I can use as leaders and enders. Not sure what I am waiting for. Do I want to lay out the blocks more carefully? I actually have a plan for it, so I should get on it. I should do a lot of things.
5. The Tarts Come to Tea: I still haven’t worked on this since April 2011, though, I did bring it to the 2017 CQFA Retreat as a potential project. It is still in a prominent location so I have easy access. I plan to bring it to the BAMaQG retreat.
6. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. No progress.
7. Pies and Points from Victoria Findlay Wolfe class. No further progress. I did wash the background fabric I found when I went to Portland, so I am ready to cut. I need to focus on this and it is not up high enough on the list yet.
8. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I am stalled on this again. Again, I didn’t capitalize on the excitement I got from my career counselor and now the feeling is lost.
9. Serendipity Lady Quilt: no progress.
10. Stepping Stones #2 – I am still ready to make the border blocks , but haven’t gone beyond designing them yet.
11. Lozenge quilt – need to trim blocks.

Ready for Quilting

Carpenter’s Wheel – I took this to Colleen’s a few weeks ago and am waiting for her to get back to me. I am hoping it will take less time than the Peacock.

In Quilting Process

Thanksgiving tablemat – I started quilting this piece at the 2017 CQFA Retreat. I made good progress, but it isn’t finished yet. It will be another BAMaQG retreat project.
Theoretically, the Tarts Come to Tea is in the quilting process, though I haven’t worked on it in a while. See above.

Binding

Down the Drain – the binding was machine sewed on last week and now I need to hand stitch it.

Hunting and Gathering

30 Something: I am still cutting 1.5 inch squares. I am pretty sure I have the 800 I need, but I am not ready to sew these yet, so whenever I have a chance I cut more. It will give me choice when the time comes. I’ll have to think up a new name, too.
Blue Gradation Quilt: cutting 2.5 inch x 4.5 inch blue rectangles
Blue Lemonade: cutting blue, green, purple 2 inch squares. I used a lot of these squares for En Provence, so I will need to cut more.
Pink Gradation Quilt: cutting 2.5 inch x 4.5 inch pink rectangles
Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. I probably have enough fabrics and just need to decide to start.
Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering. I am supposed to be cutting a variety of greys for the background. I bought a new template, so I should be able to get going again

Other

Stepping Stones #3 using the Macaron pre-cuts from Hoffman. I have all the fabric in pre-cuts and am just waiting for space (and desire) in my schedule.

What’s on your list?

Hexies on the Mind

EPP Stars - January 2014 — EPP Stars – January 2014

Gerre talked a bit about putting the Merit Hexies together in a project at the last meeting. This discussion was swirling around in my mind when I went looking through my media library (where all the photos I have posted to the blog live). Yes, I posted this photo back in February 2014, but with Gerre’s comments on my mind, it struck me anew today.

While I am not super bothered about sewing the merit hexies into something, I also don’t want them laying around for the rest of my life and then getting thrown out when I die. It would be interesting/fun to make pillows out of them, or cushion covers, and see how many I will make before the project peters out.

I thought a couple of things:

I could arrange my hexies in this shape on a pillow or bag.
I could make some extra Half Hexie Stars and make a pillow.
I really like the color combination here (is anyone surprised?).
Putting a straight edge on a cushion or small project would give me practice for the Half Hexie Star Quilt.
I kind of like the idea of a hexagon shaped pillow. I suppose I would have to stuff it and that would be a hassle.

TBT: Pointillist Palette Quilts

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I was dabbling in quiltmaking. I had made a couple of projects with fabrics I bought specifically for those projects. The Internet was just starting to be something that quiltmakers could use and I was on a Usenet Board where quilts were discussed.

I went to Seattle for a conference and visited a quilt store called In the Beginning. At that time, it wasn’t just a fabric line, but there was a huge store. It was one of the largest I had ever visited. I saw the Pointillist Palette fabric there – the whole line. I was amazed and thrilled. This was fabric I really liked. Up until then, I was trying hard to avoid dusty rose and teal.

I like these quilts and think they might be the precursor, in some small way, to the Fabric of the Year quilts.

I wrote a lot about my inspiration in another post, which is good since then I don’t have to rehash it. I did think about one of the quilts in the series back in 2014. years ago, I know, but the thought hasn’t died. There is hope.

Various & Sundry 2017 #13

Help Those in Need

As many of you know Hurricane Harvey is still raging as I write this. I am sure we will be asked to send fabric, quilting supplies and sewing machines to those quiltmakers who lost everything. That time is not here yet, but other supplies are needed. Hobbs Batting is filling their trucks and driving them to the affected areas. Read about it on their IG feed. Of course, national and local agencies are taking donations and blood banks need blood as well.

Fabric, Tools & Supplies

I picked up a Quilts & More magazine and then forgot about it. 🙁 I saw it in the [giant, endlessly teetering, some of these papers and flattish things done have a home] stack on my desk and leafed through it while my computer took its time booting up. In it I noticed that Windham has a cool new panel of the US. It is kind of mid century modern version of a U.S. map.

I recently saw an Instagram post with some fabulous fabrics. In scrutinizing the photo, I also saw a ruler. It turns about to be the Classic Curves Ruler by colorgirlquilts. I have never seen it before, but I am definitely interested. Have you tried it?

On the Blog

My links got away from me. I recently found a couple that were out of date for some reason. Gabi Campanario – Seattle Sketcher – was one of them. I love his drawings and his drawing style. Check out his site and his blog for inspiration.

I am horrified to say that I never updated the link to Sandy’s site after she moved hosts 12 years ago (exaggeration for the sake of emphasis). You should be able to use my blogroll to get there now.

I also updated the Quilts in Print page. Have you read any of these books?

Finally, will be giving a trunk show in September. In anticipation of that activity, I began looking through my blog’s Gallery to see what I wanted to bring to the show. As a result, I have also started adding more quilts to my gallery, especially older quilts. I don’t have as much information on those older quilts as I do on my current quilts, but I have made a start. Stay tuned.

Sites

We all know Spoonflower, but my friend told me about Shop Vida. It seems like the same sort of idea, but with more wearables – scarves, shirts, and wraps.

My friend had a skein of sari “yarn”. Sari silk is twisted over yarn or string, I think to make something like yarn that you can knit or crochet, etc. I saw a tutorial for making your own with fabric scraps. I am not sure it would work for something like my scarves, but it might work for a rug.

Other Artists

Melody Johnson has a cool improv stars project on her blog. I love the colors. Very cheerful. Very quickly she turned it into Moon and Stars. Fabulous!

Have you seen Sharon Risedorph’s website? She took the photos for Roderick Kiracofe‘s book, Unconventional & Unexpected:
American Quilts Below the Radar 1950-2000. This is a gorgeous, well researched and interesting book. Sharon’s site shows more than just quilts. It is spare and the photographs are highlighted very well.

Media

You can purchase the entire archive of American Patchwork & Quilting (1993-2016) AND Quilts & More (2005-2016) on a USB drive for $149.00 (probably around $165 with tax and shipping – YMMV). Go to their shop. While generally, I have enough projects. I am very tempted by this as it is a complete collection. It will also allow me to go through my project sheets and toss the paper. Also, there are a number of projects in Quilts & More that I have really liked and would like to be able to see what I may have missed. I will have a searchable archive. I think you get updates as well, because the ad says that a 2016 update is now available.

There is an article someone sent me about the health benefits of knitting. It was in the NY Times. It references the study that came out a few years about how quiltmaking helps brain health.

August BAMaQG Meeting

If you want the full, official minutes of the meeting, check the BAMaQG blog. This will just be some impressions of things I liked or inspired me.

Three of us were chatting and admiring each other’s pedicures. I took a picture and posted a photo/joke up on IG about the latest BAM challenge. I wasn’t 100% joking though I don’t know if I have time to make something. We’ll see what people say.

I was invited to do a trunk show next month. Gerre had spoken to me about it several months ago and I had completely forgotten, so I was a little stunned when she announced it. Of course, I am extremely flattered. Since the meeting, I have been thinking about which quilts to bring. I can’t bring them all, because I don’t have them all. Also, there are too many even of the ones I still own. I am going to focus on my older quilts. I haven’t, for the most part, showed them at guild and I think they will be the most interesting. In preparation for this exercise, I am preparing some Throwback Thursday posts. Look for those.

Gerre is starting to talk about projects that can be made out of all of our merit hexies. She has started to collect ideas on a Pinterest board and there are some fun ones there. I am not sure what I will make. I don’t want to sew them all together like a Grandmother’s Flower Garden. I have enough EPP with the Half Hexie Star project.

The Charity Girls have some interesting blocks. I have never really been interested in the Monkey Wrench block. Of course, all blocks have beauty in their own way blah blah blah.

I think I must have missed the call for these blocks. I saw them laying on the table as I was wandering around and found them to be the most exciting Monkey Wrench blocks I have ever seen. I particularly liked the top one. I took pictures of it in detail in case I want to make some like it – for the charity project, of course.

Monkey Wrench - charity — Monkey Wrench – charity

I think all of the MW blocks use fabric cleverly and that makes them much more interesting than just using two colors/fabrics. My favorite is particularly interesting, not just because of the fabric, but also because of the reversal of foreground and background. I am not an eye researcher so I don’t know the particulars of how the eye sends information to the brain, but I think that I was looking at it more. My eye was moving around the block more because of the foreground/background switch. My brain was trying to make sense of the information the eye was sending to it. I am VERY tempted to try making a few of these.

August 2017: Charity Quilts Available to Quilt

The Charity Girls still have a lot of quilts available to quilt. This makes me nervous because I always bring quilt tops. I barely quilt for myself and quilting for charity might send me over the edge. I was pleased that someone had taken the Stars #2 Quilt right away to quilt. Another thing I don’t have to worry about.

Most of my info seems to be about Charity. There is a lot of interesting work going on with Charity right now. A lot of people stayed until the bitter end, but not a lot of people sewed. There wasn’t a lot I could photograph, as a result.

Reminds me of Renewed Jelly Roll Race Quilt

The last Charity effort I saw reminded me of my Renewed Jelly Roll Race Quilt. The colors in the fabrics are little bit dustier than my quilt, but this is still a very cheerful and attractive quilt.

It was a great meeting, as usual. The Board is doing a great job.