It's the Small Things

It's been years since I have done any hand-quilting, but I am pleased that my skills are mostly intact. Very satisfied with how this quilting looks.

As of yesterday, I started the last class that will complete my Masters in Accounting (do I know how to party or what?). It's nice to have project to pick up when I can manage a quiet moment. That said, my brain is already clamoring to think up some new project. If I can just keep it from running amok in the next 7 weeks, then.....

Cityscape

After spending months, then years trying to renew my once intense interest in quilting, it was only after giving up on the idea entirely that I now find myself bitten with the art quilting bug. I pulled out a panel that I bought a year ago, and sandwiched it in preparation for hand-quilting.

The strange thing is that I am not really a fan of panels - but something about the colors and design of this one..... It's a Hoffman called Cityscape.

My intent is to hand-quilt so the individual buildings pop. I'm using a dark orange thread.

I've been looking at embellished art quilts online. These inspirations have caused my mind to wander.  A trip to Michael's did not help.

I'm not sure Cityscape will be enhanced with embellishments. It may be prettier without. But I'm thinking about attempting a Day of the Dead quilted skull. Now if I can just get it out of my head and into fabric.....

Around the World Blog Tour

P. at The Way I Sew It, invited me to join in the Around World Blog Tour.  Once an avid quilter, after a long hiatus, I am trying to again give quilting a prominent place in my life.  So I was happy for the opportunity to participate!  Thanks P.!

What am I working on?  The Pansy Quilt - named after the pansy focus fabric.

I'm currently quilting the outer green border and will soon start on the butterfly border.  This quilt was the result of a block exchange.  We sent each participant a piece of our focus fabric - in my case the pansy fabric - and watched as the blocks rolled in.  A block exchange is loads of fun.  First of all, there are blocks in the quilt that I would have never created.  This appliqued and embroidered Sunbonnet Sue is a good example:

Or this paper pieced spiky beauty:

The other fun aspect of a block exchange such as this is it forces you to work outside your color comfort zone when making blocks for the other participants. It also provides a low stress way to try a new technique because you are making only one block, and not committing to a full project.

Why Do I Create?

Interesting question.  Um...., because I enjoy it?  It's fun!  Seriously, I feel like I am supposed to have some deep philosophical answer, kind of like in literature class when the instructor asks you to find the underlying meaning, and I'm wondering what is wrong with the apparent meaning.  :p  Teenage angst?  No, I'm 50, so that won't work.  Because a box of 64 Crayola Crayons wasn't enough for me as a child?  I have at times found quilting a way to relax and decompress, but I enjoy it even if I don't need to decompress.  Heck, I'm going with my original:  Because I enjoy it.

How Does My Work Differ From Others of It's Genre?

Differ?  Not sure my work is all that unique.  My quilts tend to be scrappy - even when color controlled.  Scrappy is kind of my hallmark. I enjoy the tones and textures, and so even if I am making a color controlled quilt, it will sport a lot of different fabrics like this one:

The thing I like most about quilting is the colors and textures.  Fabric is like my paint pallet.  I also enjoy the geometry - which may be why I tend more towards pieced blocks than appliqued.  Applique tends to be more organic.  A beautiful genre - but I only rarely enjoy creating with applique myself.  And since biting the bullet and buying the Juki, I am learning to enjoy the actual quilting.  What a cool way to create texture!  I aspire to these examples from the Common Threads Quilt Show, held every other year in Wichita, KS:

For years, I didn't have a machine that was adequate to the task.  Consequently, I have a backlog of tops waiting to be quilted.

My Creative Process?

It usually starts with, "Ooh! Shiny!  I want to make that."  Unfortunately, I do have a propensity for starting new projects before I get the others done.... Then I reacquaint myself with my stash, piece by piece, as I search for the widest variety of suitable fabrics.  I often find much loved pieces that I forgot about, or revisit a piece that's simply lovely, but has proven to be difficult to incorporate into projects.  This is a much enjoyed ritual.  Then it's on to cutting and piecing. I'm not much for strip piecing, often preferring templates.

Now to pass along the quilting baton to the next round of bloggers!

I have been following Karen of Quilts....etc., for a number of years.  Karen often hand-pieces, and hand-quilts.  The results are nothing short of incredible!  And she's FAST!  I do not know how she manages to get so many projects completed.

Next up, Elzaan of the blog Huisvlyt.  Elzaan lives in Mauritius - making this a truly Around the World Blog Tour - but was born in South Africa.  I like visiting her blog because her work is distinctly different from mine, utilizing techniques that I do not - such as applique and embroidery.  Sometimes she blogs about her part of the world, which I find incredibly interesting.

Lastly, also from Mauritius, but born in Norway is Astrid of Grandma's Red Needle.  Astrid is a woman after my own heart with multiple projects going at the same time.  You can count on her site for some lovely eye candy.  She seems to be in Christmas mode at the moment.  Smart to be working on it now.  I always seem to start with the Christmas theme too late to actually complete it in time for Christmas. (Unfortunately, I have not heard back from Astrid.  I am wondering if I caught her at at time when she is on vacation.  Deciding there were no quilting police, I tagged her anyway, figuring whenever she posted - it would be okay.)

Thanks for including me in the fun P.!

2 Minutes Quilting; 30 Minutes Ripping

I saw a really lovely border design I wanted to try - the one at the bottom of the picture:

(courtesy of Green Fairy Quilts)

(Check out her blog; it's awesome!)

Yeah...., Although I did trying drawing it on paper first, and really wasn't able to consistently emulate her beautiful consistency, I decided to give it a shot.  My quilting didn't look any worse than my drawing, but I discovered my brain really balked - a lot of "duh..., which way now."  Spastic!  I like free motion quilting, but wasn't enjoying trying to make this design.

As with anything, my first thought was to keep going; I'm bound to get better.  But I am working on an outer border.  There is going to be too much time spent finishing it to do a design I don't enjoy.

Next up, the nestled circles above it!  :D

A UFO to the Rescue

The thing of it is, no matter how long it has been since I last quilted - my quilting has been very minimal and sporadic the last several years - there is still that same pile of UFOs that was there when I last looked.  They didn't magically get done in my absence. Overall however, that has been a good thing.  It has been nice to re-acquaint myself with the various project stages by way of those UFO's. So while a part of me is eager to start something brand new, mainly I am glad to simply ease back into the process.

It's not been without its complications.  A few weeks back, I posted about the new sewing room painted in purple and peach.  I was thrilled with the natural light from the big slider.  However, as far as functionality..., well the room simply wasn't big enough.  Too many windows and doors, and not enough wall space.

The sewing room went back to the basement where there is plenty of room for any configuration.  I am really quite pleased.

Sincerely enjoying those purple walls, I decided to move my bedroom into the former sewing room.  I am really liking it.  But I need a new quilt - and like yesterday.  I don't really have anything that coordinates with the purple.

An old UFO came to save the day.

Even better, it was nearly done when I stopped working on it back in 2011.  I am down to quilting the outer green border and the butterflies.

As to the one peach wall in the purple room?  Well, it's soon going to be a lime green.