New Class Samples

I've been having fun embellishing my Crazy Pieced Heart Block and also making a new "Frame It With Flowers" class sample, this time honoring my husband's family.  Have a look!

This block has a whole new incarnation when it is quilted and then embellished!

This is such a simple project, but what a fantastic gift it could be....!  You still have plenty of time to get one done before Christmas.

...and....Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Flower Experiment...progress

I have a very nice spot in which to work.....

You have to love a place with no phone or TV, but excellent WiFi....lapping waves...sparkly sunshine...
The bright colors all around are just right for working on this project.

One of Debra's hummingbirds flew in!
As always, I am trying to use my seam treatments to "shape" the composition of this piece.  If these flowers were still available when we get home, I would do more pounding and take more pictures to add another border of them...but alas, by then they will be gone.
Still, this is a nice warm up for what could be a large project next year.....

"Rainy Spring"...Working in Sections

The blocks are now sewn into nine sections.  When I want to add a seam treatment, I just take one section down from the design wall to work on it.

This has been working out really well.

From the back, a section looks like this. 
Each block has been interfaced, trimmed, and the edges zigzagged so this is all very stable for working.  Notice the seams are all pressed open.  Less bulk this way.

I've been having fun with it!  Lots of sequins....This is the upper left section.  I finished the edges of the fans pretty simply, the same in all four corners of the quilt.

A close up of one of the seams...


I've been combining machine and hand embroidery, and am writing about that for CQMagOnline's next issue.

Here is the overall view as of today...

You can see the sections.  I get a feel for the quilt overall as I work, but only have to deal with 4, 6, or 9 blocks at a time.  It's a good system.

I went to the bead store yesterday and got a bunch of crystal beads....I keep thinking about raindrops....

"Rainy Spring"...A Whole Lot of Couching Going On

First the trim took me in an unexpected direction, and now the thread has!

These Kreinik metallic ribbons completely beguiled me.
I decided to couch over all of my seams in my 49 blocks with these wide threads (1/8") and other narrow trims. I just don't know what got into me to try working this way but I've had a blast roaring away on my sewing machine.

All the block seams are covered now.

 It started with wanting to cover the light blue seams with this shiny stuff, to symbolize all the rain.

 

 Then I just carried on the same concept with the outer blocks.  What I liked about this approach was that the decision making was fast and furious. 

Sometimes I would combine threads and trims along one seam, sometimes not.

 It really was fun.

In this picture all the blocks in their rough state are pinned up on the wall.


 Since I took this shot I've been interfacing and trimming the blocks, sewing the fan shapes down, and generally making things much more cohesive looking.  When it is sewn together I'll have a much better idea of what I've really got here.
For all this will function as the basis, or background, for the surface embellishment.

 For the sun IS starting to shine....
...and the flowers ARE starting to bloom....

 I'm sure they will surprise me too!

"Alliances: Soil and Sky"....Embellishment Progress

Lots of work has gone into this Alliance quilt project this week-end, as you can see:

Plants have come up in the soil, the carrots are in place, and the flowers, birds, and butterflies have all joined in.
The next phase is to fill in that sky.....

I've been thinking and thinking for a week, trying to decide which quotation to embroider there. I'm feeling the need for some text on my quilts these days and that sky is like a blank page.
I finally found what I was looking for, too!
It is long and will require small letters that will take up a lot of the space. I think I will use fine white thread so the whole thing could almost read as a cloud, but when you look closely you'll be able to read it.
It's a bit risky so wish me luck!

There is also the matter of how to handle the edges of the quilt.

I have an idea for that too, which I sure hope works.....

Meanwhile, my good friend Michele Muska is working on her Alliance quilt as well. Here is what she has so far....

I am loving what she is doing with all that hand-dyed Hanah silk ribbon, velvet, and cording!

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Also, I just want to say thanks again to everyone who has sent me sweet and kind letters about my book, which finally got released this past week. It means a lot to me to hear from you!
And now I can finally say, that is what I was doing during the summer and fall of 2009...when you thought all I was up to was making flowers for my Vintage CQ!

If any of you feel moved to, it would be so helpful if you could post a little review up on Amazon on my book's page. There is a button to the right of the my picture that says, "Create your own review", and it is pretty simple.
Thanks again!

Crumb Pieced Pillow....Stitching Complete

I think I really enjoyed working on this project because the stitching for once was so simple.
Just the feather stitch, in different sizes, colors, directions, and out of a few different threads---but really, the decision making was minimal here compared to normal crazy quilt work, which made this "fast, fun, and easy", as the saying goes.

My threads:

These are all hand-dyed silk floss from Vicki Clayton and silk perlee from Kreinik (alas, discontinued.)

Don't you love to see the back of a crazy quilt? I do.

As always, I interfaced my pieced "block" (though this was big, by block standards, 20" X 24") with fusible knit interfacing before I began the handwork. It really helps keep things flat and stable without a hoop. I'm not a hoop person.

Here is the piece, every seam covered:

I think this still looks plenty chaotic, but the uniformity of the stitching does tame that somewhat. Or maybe it is that subliminal message that says "yes, she did slow down and take her time here, even though it looks wild!" I don't know...anyway, I like the look!

Those two large-ish patches in the center, the brown one and the maroon one above it, are fairly begging for some motifs. I'll work on those next.

for Reba and Vince

They are old friends of mine, and Reba is feeling poorly, so I thought I would send them a present.

This mounted block is about 7" X 8".
The fabric with the roses on the lace is a photo printed on cotton...actually, the hummingbirds are too.
I'm becoming more and more interested in the graphic quality and composition of my crazy quilting, rather than just over-the-top stitching. I'm trying to let print, texture, weave, balance, and contrast do a lot of my work for me. I must be getting lazy!

Vintage CQ....Border Block by Block

I sure have been flying around lately! 4 trips in the last 6 weeks...so it's been good to have portable stitching for all those airplane rides.
The Vintage CQ border blocks have fit the bill quite well.

I've put in enough work on the individual blocks that it was a surprise when I got them all up there on the design wall to see just how this project is starting to jell.

I thought I'd give a block by block tour here, starting from the upper left corner and going clockwise around the quilt...


Block 1. I added that wide red vintage ribbon in the upper part of the block, and the purple oya trim along the bottom. That's a very strange seam treatment on the middle right...sometimes I just let my imagination wander and come up with something weird. Whenever I look at it I will remember being in a cramped middle seat on a cross country flight....It looks cramped, doesn't it?


Block 2 has that big chunk of a truly vintage crazy quilt pieced into it. I added the floral trim and some big lazy daisy stitches...these are actually showing up all over on this quilt.


Some ombre ribbon, embroidered rickrack, a lace motif, and more lazy daisies were added to Block 3....That "AA" vintage tape was a very nice gift from Freda B awhile ago. I love sneaking it into all my quilts.

Block 4 has another one of the lace motifs that I scattered around the border. It's cut from some old lace that Cathy K sent to me last year. I love having reminders of my friends in my quilts! More of those variegated lazy daisies are here, too. Nice big fat stitches.


Block 5 has even bigger detached chain stitches, done in variegated blue knitting ribbon.


My friend Bev wrote to me that she thought the yellow triangular patch on the bottom left of Block 6 here stuck out too much, when viewed in the context of the overall quilt. She might be right, and I might lop off a little of it. Meanwhile, more lazy daisies...these white ones were worked in Aurofil #12 cotton thread which I LOVE.


Block 7 again has a big chunk of that old crazy quilt pieced into it. I think I will be leaving it alone and not adding to it in any way. But next to it some very large ombre ribbon detached chain stitches and the purple oya hopefully integrate the block a little. Another lace motif will tie it into the other border blocks as well.


Block 8 has my embroidered lucky clover that Conni J sent to me. AI LUVZ IT. (Conni and I are good LOLCat buddies, and we only talk in LOLspeak to each other.) This block is so busy that I am a little stymied as to how to "shape it" with the embellishments so I am letting it speak to me further before I add more.


Block 9 has that big piece of handwoven silk/wool that I bought in Varanasi, India 9 years ago. I so love that fabric.
Yet another lace motifs was added as well as another of those strange seam treatments which fortunately blends in with the orange patch it is on. I'm not snipping it off, though!


Block 10 received some more oya trim, embroidered rickrack, and giant lazy daisy stitches. The jacquard ribbon in the center of the block was from Betty P. I love having her here!
That embroidered white fabric was brought back from the Philippines by my grandparents over 60 years ago...


God Bless America! That's what Block 11 is about, and all the additions are to develop that little theme. Do note the cherries in the fabric next to George Washington! I added the star trim somewhere over Iowa....


Block 12 received two lace motifs and some timid little white stitching on the right. I need to punch this block up a bit.


Block 13 is one of my favorites. It has the Egyptian fabric my peripatetic grandparents brought home from Cairo a long, long time ago. That giant lazy daisy fan is new and I want to make a bunch more of them. The fifth and final of Cathy's lace motifs is here.


Block 14 has the blue plaid Millenium ribbon that Kathy S sent to me especially for this quilt. There are more big stitches added on the seams and a twisty ribbon as well.

All of the blocks are assuming their own personalities to me as I spend more time with them as individuals.
.....Yes, crazy quilting is a world unto itself, isn't it? Anthropomorphizing blocks, are we?

Cotton CQ...Seams done

Thank you all for your very kind comments...I do love hearing from each and every one of you!

Lori asked if the butterflies are cut out from fabric.

Indeed they are. They are machine zigzag stitched with clear thread first, then gone over with a machine buttonhole stitch in Exceedingly Well Behaved Fashion Twist Kreinik Metallic Thread. I have never before had the pleasure of working with a machine metallic that did not shred on me. It is great stuff.

My seam treatment style on this piece is simple and hopefully graphic enough to enhance the whole but not "take over".

So I matched the colors and values of the ribbon and threads to their respective backgrounds. I wanted this to read "crazy quilt" but not get too busy.

Still, that center of appliqued flowers is no longer "holding its own". I've been waiting for last to develop and build up the center with ribbon flowers and stitching.
After all, aren't we supposed to eat our desert last?

Even though the weather has been really cold and wet (good for stitching), we still get some spectacular lighting around here in early spring...

...and it changes from minute to minute.

Hope your weather is better than ours!

Vintage CQ...Finishing the Center in Progress

All those little wheel blocks are sewn together, but that doesn't mean the center is finished!

The fly stitching in the seams between the triangles in each block must now be added to the seams between the blocks. I am adding little silk ribbon flowers at the intersections of all the black diamond points too.

It is slow but very agreeable work.

I'm placing a Swarovski pearl at the center of the wheels themselves, just to help define them a little bit.
The outer blocks are up on the design wall calling to me...but I may not be able to dive into them until my quilt retreat at Point Bonita at the end of the month. That will be such a joy....

"My Madonna"....UFO finished

My good friends Barbara Curiel and Debra Spincic have been working on a joint project called "The Madonna Idea" for a few years now, each making their own quilts about the Madonna and collaborating on some too. They have a blog where you can see them here. They are wonderful.

When Debra and I first "met" online over four years ago, I emailed her my favorite image of the Madonna and she made a gel transfer print out of it for me. In February of 2006 I started working with it at the annual quilt retreat I attend at Point Bonita.

This is as far as I got, appliqueing all the elements by hand....

For some reason I was experimenting with laying out my quilt and embellishing it directly onto batting as my foundation. I can't remember why I thought that would be a good idea, but I do remember not liking it.
After I got home from PB, my Madonna waited almost four years for me to finish Her.

This is what I started with a few days ago.

And here it is, completed. She is 15" X 20 1/2".
I wanted the embellishments to be lavish but very understated. You have to come close to really see them...a metaphor, perhaps, for our inner approach to Her.

Here are a few detail pictures, though.

This is supposed to suggest a rose window in a church...at least, that is what it meant to me.

I enjoyed drawing from my collection of lace motifs and doilies, sometimes layering one over part of another.

I'm so glad this is finished...it's going to hang in my room at last.

Garden Lace...Embellishment Finished

The quilt just needs to have a back and some corded binding put on it, and then it is done!

It is my second contribution to the Alliance for American Quilts "Crazy for Quilts" contest....as a board member, I am not eligible to compete, but I am happy to provide another quilt for their online auction of all entries next fall.
So you'll be able to bid on it, and all the entries, in a few months... ;-)

I thoroughly enjoyed making this, working within my strict design parameters of lace seams and my home printed floral fabrics. I kept the beading and embroidered stitching on the laces simple, wanting not to overpower the flowers in the fabric.

It was a little hard not to add a bunch more fun stuff on here, but I was determined to keep it simple!

The lace in the print (lower left) is nice with the real lace on top of it.
I know I'll be doing more of that in the future.

In fact, I see this as a warm-up for a large quilt project...
...which is a great way to view the making of a quilt for the Alliance's contest. Exploring ideas and honing concepts, contributing to a major force for good in the quilting world, getting your work out there on exhibit...this is a win-win for everybody.

You've still got plenty of time. So jump in and enter! Details are here...

Not enough people know that the entire collections of such institutions as the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, the Museum of the American Quilters' Society, the Library of Congress American Folk Life Center, and so many more--these are their entire collections--are online and free for your viewing pleasure, inspiration, and education. When you take time to poke around the institutional collections here on the Alliance's Quilt Index , you will understand why I love supporting this fine non-profit, and hope you will, too.

The Quilt Index holds the above collections as well as thousands of other quilts. These can be accessed by:
--pattern name
--quilter
--quilting group
--location made
--time period
--project/collection
--fabric fiber
--fabric type
--fabric pattern
--religious/ethnic/or cultural affiliation
--publications, exhibitions, or contests

Pretty amazing, isn't it?
If you don't want to enter the contest, you can still support the Alliance by becoming a paying member or donating. Find out here....