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.

Wonky Cabins

Over the long weekend I was able to finish the quilt top for a piece I am calling "Wonky Cabins."  It is a nine-patch (obviously) made up of the bits and pieces I created in the Gwen Marston class in May.   I consider it a practice piece.  I'm not unhappy with it, and in fact hope to have it sandwiched, quilted and on the wall for our office party on December 16.   But rather than a work of art, I consider it a learning experience.  I definitely prefer working intuitively to following a set pattern or system, even if the design is of my own devising, I get bored executing it multiple times.  But it's hard sometimes to see where you're going when you start without and end in mind.  I wasn't sure that the black blocks with the "bits" really even wanted to be in the same composition with the wonky log cabins, but to be honest, I just wanted them all "used up," because I was ready to move on.  I'm also ready to be done with prints.  Too bad I have a huge stash of them!   

I am not sure yet if I will put a border of some sort on it or not.  Looking at Gwen's samples She uses a wide border frequently to sort of corral things. 

Wonky Cabins

So my own critique: 

Pros:  

1) The color palette is varied enough to provide interest, but limited enough that it doesn't seem totally random. 

2) I like the wonky then squared feeling of chaos within organized framework.

3) I like the way the orange stripes give it a "base." (Only turned it sideways after completing and decided I liked it that way),   

4)  I think the repeated fabrics, especially the aquas and oranges, pop out and create enough contrast in the blocks to keep the eye moving and interested. 

5) Ditto for the floating blocks in the center of the black squares.

6) Even though the blocks were randomly pieced and not measured at all, I liked being able to inprovise enough to make them line up in rows.  

Cons:  

1) The intended light/dark log cabin blocks don't have enough contrast (or I wasn't consistent enough) to make the pattern recognizable. 

2) The Xs in the black squares stand out too much, I wanted the Ls to be floating in a sea of black.

2) Some of the dark colors are too muddy next to each other. 

3) I'm not sure if it's wonky enough or just looks like I'm really sloppy or lazy.

4) There's no focal point or hierarchy so my eye just wanders in circles.

Bits before being assembled

Anyway,  I read a really good comment recently and swore I'd remember where it was this time so I could link and credit, but of course I don't.  The gist of it was that it's not bad to be dissatisfied with your work, because if you are passionate about your art, then you will always be striving to be better with each completed piece...    

Liberated Log Cabins

I made these six blocks in the workshop.

Well, good morning!  Yesterday was day three this week of having fun with fabric and creativity, and (almost) not thinking about work.  Yay.   It was extremely enjoyable and motivating.  Gwen Marston has a delightful style of teaching and a wonderfully quirky sense of humor.  She brought some of her earlier small quilts as well as newer ones where she's using one block for the whole piece.  Of course as soon as I saw it I had to buy her newest book, because there were so many more color-block type pieces.  These really motivated me.  


There was much less teaching time and more sewing time that in the Janet Fogg workshop, but I didn't really mind as I was eager to get to sewing right away when the ideas started to flow.  But I try to make a point of remembering in classes that I paid to be there hearing from the instructor, and learning from the other students' works and ideas, not to sit in a corner and sew, which I can (theoretically) do anytime. 

I also made 16 partial mini-blocks - One seems to be MIA

There were a few familiar faces from past classes and the guild, and it's nice to feel like I'm finally starting to get to know some other local quilters.  There was also a fair contingent of "in the box" people trying to figure out how to get out.  They all should get an A+ for effort because there was a whole wall full of really great blocks posted by the end of the day.  I'm off to get started on the weekend chores, then I'll be back to post photos.
Much as I want to jump back into my log cabin or my piece from the earlier workshop, I think I will buckle down and finish the placements first today.  I need to get that project cleaned up and off the table.  
Later:  Place mat piecing is finished.  I need to decide how to bind.  I don't think I can face  6 mats x 4 sides x 14" each = 336 inches of strip binding, so I will probably use a pillowcase type, with top stitching.


So as promised, here are some shots from the workshop:  First, some of Gwen's samples:

This is the one that made me want to try the small "half-cabins."  It's about  18 x 24, maybe less.

Another earlier piece.  
I think the big border helps calm the "wonkiness."

This one used a whole bunch of prints, many of them with stars.

Her current work is all in solids, and she's been playing with the idea of entire quilts being made up of one giant block: 

Here's one of her single block pieces, surrounded by some of the student work.

This student did a good job with the "giant block" theme.

Student work

More 

One of the nicest student projects

Some of the quilts in the book worked with very minimal color palettes, which I really admired, but couldn't see myself doing - at least not at this workshop...  Here's a very nice example.  

Really nice compositions and effective use of color.

I didn't photograph all of them, but it was very interesting to see how different they all came out,  here are a few more random shots.  I was surprised how many people chose to "fussy cut" from novelty fabric.  The last picture shows my favorite of this style, where she interspersed some white printed fabric in her bright blocks. 

More on Unexpected Combinations Class

Janet has developed the idea of combining two or more subjects in unexpected ways as a creative "hook," a way to get students thinking outside the box, loosening up the creativity that is inside everyone.  It was fun during the brainstorming session to hear all the different takes each person had on the little ticklers she gave us, phrases or nursery rhymes.  People who professed not to have a creative bone in their body came up with really cool concepts, any one of which could have been developed into an idea.  


It mad me sad to hear how many of the women were so self-deprecating about their own abilities and skills to "get out of the box" or be creative.  They all have it in them! As usual I was a bit of an odd duck, lots of ideas but very few skills.  I also felt like I was the only one with a full time career besides quilting.  Why didn't I find a wealthy man to marry 20 years ago?!?  ;)   

Anyway, I found that the exercises were useful for me for several reasons - 1.  I always feel like my ideas have to come ONLY out of my head, and I worry if I am "inspired" by something else or take suggestions from someone else, or use someone else's method, that I'm cheating, or not really creating.  Janet's methods, and even more, seeing her quilts firsthand, showed me how ideas can be sparked by different photos or memories and still be combined into totally unique pieces of art.


She was also very honest and informative about how much real WORK goes into the pieces she produces, and about what it takes to compete at the level she does (and not just complete but win).

Great workshop

The two days with Janet Fogg went by in a flash.  She's a wonderful teacher, very organized, very creative and very willing to share her talents with all the students.  I'll have a lot more to share about the workshop as soon as I can get some time to sit and download my brain.  After six solid hours today, I felt more mentally exhausted than I have in years.  But in a good way.  Like I'd really used my brain to the greatest extent possible. 


I went into the first day with no idea what my project would be (I didn't even realize we were suppose to bring a project) - and ended up with a concept and design that I'm really excited about and can't wait to get back to.   I started out with a picture of a butterfly that I liked, but it was just a picture.  The theme of the workshop was unexpected combinations, putting together two things that are unexpected, to make you think about them in different ways...   At the beginning of the first day, we did a brainstorming exercise where we each pulled a slip of paper with a saying or movie or book title, and we were each to come up with an image that comes to mind from that title.  Mine was "The Painted Veil."  The minute - the second - I read the words I had a vision of a Muslim woman in a full burqa, but instead of black, as the fabric flowed around her it became a beautiful feminine pink and blue design.  


From there it was a surprisingly long hour or so before it all came together in my brain I realized that the butterfly was the "painted veil" I needed to portray.  First we were each supposed to show the photos we brought and what our design idea was.  I had nothing.  But I showed some of the fruit crate label designs that I liked, not even the butterfly, I thought it was too trite.  Only after I sat down and others went on to show their ideas, did the combination come to me.


Then this morning there was another breakthrough when I realized that the eyes I'd carefully drawn out were way too detailed to fit into the woman's face...and thought I'd have to discard them.  But I had something in the back of my mind about "eye spots" on butterflies, and magically when I overlaid the eye drawing on the butterfly the eyes seemed to fit right into the wings.   From that point it only took the rest of the day to get a composition and rough tracing on the wall.  


Janet was very complementary, and I think she will be interested to see if I can execute it.   I just have so much less technical skill and experience than most... I'd say almost everyone in the room except me had been quilting over twenty years...  oh well.  Gotta start somewhere.

APWQ Symposium

I spent four days in Olympia last week attending the Association of Pacific West Quilters symposium. What an amazing time I had! The event was held on the campus of Evergreen State College, a beautiful setting. We stayed in the dorms and ate in the cafeteria, and spent as many hours as possible sewing and learning and meeting new friends.