Color My Quilt – September

Joelle's Instructions - Color My Quilt
Joelle’s Instructions – Color My Quilt

I realized late last week that I really needed to get busy on Joelle’s Color My Quilt piece. I was prepared to start it early, as in right after the August meeting. Somehow time got away from me.

Like I did for Amy’s piece, I wanted to make something that Joelle could cut up and use to put the other pieces together. She also really wanted solids and the combination didn’t work for me.

I just started improv piecing. It probably isn’t challenging me at all, but I seem to be focusing on the color and worrying less about the actual design. I’d be a lot happier with this project if people were making blocks, but I understand that that is not the idea behind this project.

Joelle's Color My Quilt
Joelle’s Color My Quilt

I am pleased with my piece, especially the colors. I didn’t have enough solid scraps to do the whole thing in scraps, so I tried to keep it to tone-on-tones. When I started to stray, I stopped piecing. I didn’t intend for it to be so long and skinny, but that is the way it turned out.

ColorPlay: Kahlo Detail

Kahlo: The Bride Who Becomes Frightened....
Kahlo: The Bride Who Becomes Frightened….

The image I chose comes from the detail of a painting by Frida Kahlo called The Bride Who Becomes Frightened When She Sees Life Opened. You can find more of the interpretation of this painting on the FridaKahlo.org website. I saw this painting at the  Heard Museum in Phoenix. It was one of an exhibit that was only making one other stop in the US.

ColorPlay: Kahlo detail default
ColorPlay: Kahlo detail default

The default was very brown. I think it would make a good palette for a house. Someone else’s house – not mine, but the neutrals are appealing in some way. Perhaps I am getting used to them or am starting to be able to appreciate their value in the scheme of hues and tones.

ColorPlay: Kahlo detail n.1
ColorPlay: Kahlo detail n.1

I moved the circles around to any colors just to get some colors. There is a sherbet/sorbet feel to the first palette I made. I like the Kona Amber, though I think it looks more like a perfectly ripe apricot.

 

ColorPlay Sept 15 n.2
ColorPlay Sept 15 n.2

This example clearly plays off of number 1. Where the hues in n.1 blend more, this one shows more contrast. Not tons, but some. the Kona Earth looks much different that the Kona Honey above.

ColorPlay Sept.15 n.3
ColorPlay Sept.15 n.3

I made some changes to the circles to try to get some brighter colors and the pink kind of fulfilled that dream. I do think that the colors Rivera and Kahlo use are a bit on the dull side – not horrible, but not as bright as I was looking for. Still, the Deep Rose and Gold look great together.

ColorPlay: Kahlo detail - original
ColorPlay: Kahlo detail – original

Another detail I took was of this little owl. The fruit behind him/her makes it look like s/he has a big yellow beak, but I think the beak is actually small. I was fascinated by the feathers. I also liked the shape of his body. I don’t know if it is real or mythological owl (creature), but s/he is cute.

Heard Museum-PHX

Back in June, I went to Phoenix for work. It was that week that was incredibly hot and I was actually out and about in 119 degree heat. I won’t be doing that again.

I was invited to a vendor event at the Heard Museum. Since I had nothing better to do and enjoy visiting places unique to various cities, I went. I am not much of a fan of Native American art – I don’t hate it, it just doesn’t float my boat – though I can always find something to inspire me in ally types of exhibits.

I was incredibly pleased to see the various collections that were amazing and extremely inspiring.

Frida Kahlo/Diego Rivera Exhibit
Frida Kahlo/Diego Rivera Exhibit

They had an exhibit of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera pieces that I felt incredibly lucky to see. Not only were there paintings by the pair, but there were also photographs of the pair and their family. The exhibit was only going to be shown in one other place in the US (not sure what other city, sorry!) and that place was not in San Francisco.

Their paintings have a simplicity, without being simplistic that I like. This was the first time I had seen the sexual aspect of their paintings, as well. This was the first time I had seen paintings of a couple of Rivera’s patrons, the Gelmans. These paintings are great examples of simplicity, without being simplistic.

Kahlo had a number of self portraits in the exhibit. I really liked her hair in a number of them.

She also had some pretty interesting paintings, at least to me. The above photos show a “composition that borrows from the historical motif of the Virgin and the Child with St. Anne in which the saint embraces Mary and Jesus.” (from info at the museum). This is definitely not a boring picture and there is a lot to look at in it.

The bride who becomes frightened when she sees life opened by Kahlo and Landscape with cacti by Rivera are a couple of other interesting paintings. Again they have that simplicity (flatness of the paint application???) that I like, but are not simplistic.

The photographs gave a realistic glimpse into their lives and brought up the suggestion that both artists had other lovers.

Stay tuned for post coming to a blog near you of other art at the Heard Museum.

Stars #3 Donation Top

Somehow I didn’t get to working on any of my other projects on Sunday. I did do some random sewing as well as tidying up. My cutting table was a wreck. It was getting to the point where I had about six square inches in which to cut. Very difficult, I assure you. I started chopping up the scraps that were making the mess into pieces for future use.

Stars #3 Donation Top
Stars #3 Donation Top

One task I did accomplish was finish the third Stars donation top on Sunday.The BAM meeting is next Saturday and I wanted to get that done, so I was pleased. I had been rummaging around in my fabric the day before and was reminded how much backing fabric I have one hand. I made a back from some of the fabric even though it made the quilt more girly than boyish. It was quicker to use a large piece than to piece a bunch of smaller pieces together.

I am pleased with the asymmetrical layout of the top. It isn’t quite ideal, but it is much more interesting than the first version of this design. I don’t know that I will make more of these blocks right at the moment. I have some blue and white 16 patches that have been hanging around waiting for their turn on the design wall that I think I will work on next for a donation quilt. We’ll see.

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.

Phoenix floor
Phoenix floor

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.

Sky Harbor Bridge floor
Sky Harbor Bridge floor

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.

Phoenix Convention Center mosaic
Phoenix Convention Center mosaic

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, 2001-2002
What Comes Next, 2001-2002

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.

Clue 6: QST Finished

Finished QSTs
Finished QSTs

I finished Clue 6, which I described last week, and that is really all I got done today. I can’t decide if I am happy with the fabric choices or wish I had gone with the darker blues. I supposed I’ll have to see when I start putting the whole piece together.

That being said, I do like all of the fabrics individually so that has to count for something.

I did use the Marsha McCloskey Precision Trimmer. I bought this ruler a long time ago (see previous references to my love for rulers). I can’t remember ever using it, but it came in very handy for these QSTs. There is a dot that marks the center of different sizes of squares that helped me line up the ruler over each QST in a precise manner. Except for sliding all over the place, I was very pleased with the ruler. It worked like a charm I remedied the sliding with some True Grips.

I am also very pleased with the precision of the 6600. The quarter inch seam allowance is excellent, which makes for easy assembly of blocks. All in all a good day even though I didn’t accomplish much.

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.

Design Wall, Labor Day 2017
Design Wall, Labor Day 2017

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.

Sew Day Projects
Sew Day Projects

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

Triple Star Test block - half sewn
Triple Star Test block – half sewn

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.

QST Doodle
QST Doodle

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

QST Doodle
QST Doodle

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.

Test QSTs and fabrics ready to sew
Test QSTs and fabrics ready to sew

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

Weird Red Sun
Weird Red Sun

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.

Sew Day Prep Completed
Sew Day Prep Completed

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
Sew Day Projects
Sew Day Projects

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:

  1. I could arrange my hexies in this shape on a pillow or bag.
  2. I could make some extra Half Hexie Stars and make a pillow.
  3. I really like the color combination here (is anyone surprised?).
  4. Putting a straight edge on a cushion or small project would give me practice for the Half Hexie Star Quilt.
  5. 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.