Finishes

I finished Color Prints #4 this morning.  

It is not as warped as it looks, but it is narrower at the bottom.  

:P

I might have to turn it upside down and see how that looks.

I thought I might like Color Prints #1 better if I oriented it vertically.

I do.

A little. 

In my 2013 wrap-up I didn't show finished versions of these three Nancy Crow exercises.

I finished the tops last fall sometime.

This was the first day, a black & white strip piecing exercise.

I added the green at a time when I thought I would enter it in a guild challenge.

The challenge was a quilt using only black, white and one other color.

I think this was the second day.  

Two exercises using bright plus black. 

First one was just "be big and bold."

This is about 42" square.

The second one was to make it "Busy." 

Really Busy.

So I called this one Busy Signal.  

It's about 15" square.

2013 Retrospective

Yeah, everyone's doing it and it may be really boring to read but this blog is primarily for me to chronicle my adventures, and if others find it interesting, okay.  So, with that disclaimer here's my visual look back at 2013.  I realize that some of these quilt tops have been completed but I never photographed them since they weren't quilted and faced. Maybe I'll do that this weekend, and update the entry.  I hvae decided that in 2014, the definition of "done" will be completed quilt tops.  I need to accept that not every exercise is worthy of quilting well, but also not bad enough to use for practice.

Here's to a productive, creative 2014 for all of us!

Color Prints #3 Top Finished

I ended up ripping apart this piece and starting over.  There was enough there that I didn't want to just discard or recycle it, so I reworked it.  I still don't like it as much at #1 but it is much better.  This is a blurry iPhone photo because I thought it would be easier than plugging in the camera and cord.  Not.  Grr.  Anyway:

Color Prints #3 Updated

Color Prints #3 Original

There was a sense of weaving in the original, which got lost.  I liked the way the blue seemed to go over and under the lavender stripes, and also under the yellow bar.  But otherwise it was pretty clunky.  The new version seems more harmonious, although that little purple ledge sticking out beyond the purple bar is sort of annoying.

I need to develop some consistency to naming pieces, too. I called the "first" one in this series #8, because I had considered using the series title "Color Prints" for all the "Golden Mean" quilts, (4 golden means and three partials =7).  But then I decided that made no sense, since they didn't have prints in them.  Not to mention that I forget the first Color Print, which was "Are You Crazy?"   I'll get there, someday.

Christmas in July - Well, August

Yesterday I finished attaching and stitching down the binding on this - Point-y Settia.  Hee hee.  My first paper piecing project.  I'm learning not to use large scale prints in small pieces.  I hate when that happens.

Today I sandwiched two pieces and started practicing Lisa-Call type tight rows of stitching.  Don't know how she does it so neatly!

Checking Things Off The List

I'm on a mission to get things off the UFO list, either finished or given up on.
Yesterday I finished Elisabeth's iPad case (hope she's not reading, I want it to be a surprise).  Hard to see (I know, I know, learn to take a #$*& #*$& decent photograph).

And the FFFC Art Deco Challenge (it just needed binding/facing). Two pieces off the list!

  I also finished piecing the Christmas paper piecing project, put a border on it and then this morning sandwiched it.  All ready to quilt! Moving to the quilting list.  

Then I went back to the NC "Busy" strip piecing assignment for awhile, until I felt like it needed a rest...

So I pulled out and nearly finished all the blocks I had cut up in January for a curved piecing exercise (that was supposed to be in preparation for "Lines, Circles, Curves and Figure Ground."
After the photo, I got about 5 more blocks done - and started assembling the final composition   That is the fun part!

I spent Saturday evening watching basketball, and unsuccessfully trying to put beads on another UFO ("Deep Sea Strata"). Could not get needle and thread small enough to go through the pearl beads I'd intended to attach.  After talking to an expert at the bead store today I found out it was not my fault.  It's just that pearls are drilled with very small holes... for whatever reason.  But I bought some finer needles and threads, might give it one more try.

Now for the easy stuff:  Two more coming off the list: Katie's Napkins - never did them, wasn't sure how, the place mats are probably worn out by now anyway.  Shopping bags for gift exchange - no one else did the exchange, so I'm not going to either.

Now I need to get back to the Pink Petunias.  That has been hanging over my head like a dark cloud for too long.  I tackled the most difficult thing, the buds, first.  And when I couldn't achieve what I wanted there, I got frustrated and put it away.  I will start now on the easier part.  Fusing, I think.  But I might want to try to piece it.  That would NOT be easy.

Filmstrip Quilt Top Completed

Here at last is the finished "Filmstrips" quilt top.  The piecing was completed over a week ago, but with grandkid visits and then finally some good weather for gardening, I didn't get back to photographing and blogging until this morning.   I'm happy with it.  I'm mostly happy that I finished it.  I don't have any illusions that it will win at Quilt National.  (because I won't enter it, among a few other reasons!) But as a process, as an exploration of ideas, an a practice at implementing them, I think it was successful. Lessons learned:

• Don't think so hard.  The last two corner pieces that were "thrown together" relatively speaking are my favorites.  
• Pay close attention to values.  One reason I like the corners may be the contrast.  The other areas especially the original blocks before putting the filmstrips back in are relatively dull because they lack definition, or focus, maybe.  
• Construct more carefully.  It is nothing but frustrating when you damage the piece trying to handle it.  Especially if I'm going to do more pieces this size.
• Cut more carefully.  Even if freehand, the pieces should be relatively square, unless you are really trying for wonky... I struggle with this. 

I just now realized it's the largest art quilt top I've made.

To see what I mean about value, I reduced it to black and white.
The pastel blocks have no focus, but there is enough going on elsewhere
 that I think they work as a place to rest the eye.   

After an intense push to complete something I have a strange inclination to just walk away from it.  I need to get some perspective literally and figuratively before I can come back to it and think about next steps.  Even though Nancy stresses completed tops, not quilts, I am going to quilt it.  1) I need the practice, 2) I hate the feeling of "UFO's" hanging over my head. 

I have some ideas about how to quilt it - I've been "studying" others... But I don't think I am ready to FMQ it, so there is going to be a lot of wrestling it through the machine, and first my least favorite activity sandwiching and basting.  I think I will use spraybaste instead of pins on this.  I'm worried about stretching out or damaging the badly seamed areas, and it seemed to work well on the large bed quilt.  Hopefully DH has a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood somewhere so I can spray outside, that stuff stinks!

Liberated Log Cabins Completed

Liberated Log Cabins

After taking this class with Gwen Marston in May of 2011, these partial blocks languished in the UFO drawer until sometime in January, when I realized I needed SOMETHING I could be proud of to take to the Nancy Crow workshop.    I enjoyed the free-form design and piecing, and especially the very free-form echo quilting.  It didn't get big raves at the workshop, but then I didn't expect them, in that company.  I showed it to Grateful Threads and at the Moonlighters Guild show and tell, and both of those venues seemed to like it. I was especially gratified at the GT's comments on the quilting.  I am eager to do more in this vein, but freer.

2011 Retrospective

I guess it's about that time again, to look back at what this year held.   It's been a busy year, and I didn't do as much quilting as I'd hoped, but having a wedding thrown into the middle of the year is a pretty good excuse, I think.  I took a lot of classes.  I think classes are important  for me to learn anything and everything I can - every different style, approach, method.  Attending QSDS was a huge step for me and gave me a great opportunity to meet a wide range of art quilters.

Classes I took:

May 8-9, 2011  - Janet Fogg Workshop "Unexpected Combinations."  I'm still excited about the project I started in this class although it  has never gotten past the full scale cardboard pattern and selection of fabric.  I hope I can still remember all her techniques when I finally get back to it.  That would be a good "real" art quilt to tackle this year. 

May 13, 2011 -  "Liberated Log Cabin" with Gwen Marston - I am just this week finishing the quilt made from the pieces I created in her class.  I'm doing a more dense all-over pattern that is getting me away from my tendency to stitch in the ditch.

Janet Fogg

Gwen Marston

June 11 - 15, 2011 - "Favorite Places," with Valerie Goodwin at QSDS Symposium
October 10, 2011 - Karla Alexander, "Stack the Deck" quilts via Moonlight Quilters.
December 10, 2011 - Jan Hudson, "Needle-turn Applique."

Goodwin

Looking only at things that are totally completed, i.e. hanging on the wall, ready to be hung, sold, gifted or used, here are my accomplishments:

Functional Stuff - Quilts
1.  "Stolen Moments" was my biggest project, first full-size bed quilt, and winner of a nice blog prize. It took most of my time during the first three months of 2011.

2.  "Organic Waves" is the couch-throw size quilt that came out of Karla Alexander's class.  Fabric selections, cutting, class, and finishing occupied October and half of November. I wish I had not used cheapo poly batting.

Functional Stuff - Other Stuff
3.  Katie's placements.  This was fun. I enjoyed the intuitive piecing process and learned about color, value, and how to or how not to mix prints.

4.  Cora's apron - was pretty quick and easy.  I was glad to be able to do something for Elisabeth as she's always ready and willing to help me out.
While I did learn something from these functional pieces, a goal for next year is to resist the temptation to make modern quilts, home decor or other accessories and to focus on art quilts.


Art - FFFC Pieces

5, 6.  Sadly, I only fully completed one piece, #56 and that was the Goldsworthy ephemeral piece, the nature of which was to self-destruct. I hereby resolve to finish at least 6 next year! I thought about them all anyway.  Sigh. The only other one I even started, was #52,  Marriage.  (Color Field Theory) I loved the idea, hated the result.  I'm thinking some paint or other surface texture might help it.  Note:  Forgot that I also completed the Celtic Knot piece...   The Art Deco and Notan pieces are more done than not, and could get finished fairly easily, now.  So that's really five that were completed at least to a postable stage.  Next year I'll finish those as well as the challenges.

Art - Other Stuff
7.  The Bird Brain shop hop block.  Fun.  Pulled me into doing more embellishment, something I keep saying I want to do, but don't end up doing.
8.  The Acropolis, from Valerie's class.  Greatly expanded my comfort level and familiarity with more surface design techniques.  I hope that next year I will focus on the map quilt idea and try to develop a "body of work" or at least explore a concept in more depth.

I've spent a fair amount of time in the first three or four rounds of the Moonlight Round Robin too, and will end up with some sort of finished piece at the end of that. My contributions so far include hand stitch, beading, words, and felt+button flowers. My favorite was the experimenting with "Words." This is a theme I'd like to pursue more next year.


The other goal will be to either finish the UFO's or accept them as practice and decide not to spend any more time on them.

Maybe I can finish one more piece before the stroke of midnight on 12/31/11?  The log cabin piece is basted and ready to quilt.  Edit: quilted about 1/3 of it last night.  It's slow going with the walking foot, but I'm not yet fluent in free-motion.  Another goal for 2012!

Organic Waves Finished

Here is the finished quilt from Karla Alexander's class.  Sorry for the terrible photo.  I stuck it up on the wall in a hurry before I took it to show and tell at the guild meeting Monday, and this is the first chance I've had to post it.    


Overall I'm happy with how it turned out.  I'm not thrilled about using the cheapo fluffy batting, but when I realized I didn't have anything else big enough in the house I went ahead with it.  It's not something I'm going to love forever, and at least the poly stuff is warm. It looks nice on the couch.   I learned a lot from this quilt about color and value.  That even when you combine twenty greens, they don't all play nicely together.  I thought from the start that the light yellowy one with the olive leaves on it stood out too much, but I did it anyway.  Mistake. And the mossy green in the dark group is too light and stands out too much.  But still - overall - it's fine.  


I quilted in the ditch on the squares and on the wavy lines.  If I'd had thinner batting I would have done more dense quilting, but I had enough issues with the backing getting folded and puckered.   I was able to get almost all the quilting done on Saturday and finish the binding by Sunday night.  I did both sides of the binding by machine.  I really don't mind the look of this for regular, functional quilts.  I used all dark fabric to bind, to sort of provide an edge or frame, then used dark thread on the top side, and light on the bobbin.  


I think I'll go curl up on the couch with it right now!