Charmed

Charmed

79" x 79"

This quilt is sadly one of those that I don't really like that much after it is finished.  I began it with such wild enthusiasm, and then it didn't have the overall visual appeal that I thought it would.  A great lesson for me, one that I am apparently still learning.  But, I believe it is probably a shared experience.  And it is disappointing to spend so much time with it, and then not like it in the end.  

Regardless of my feelings for the overall look of it, I LOVE the closeups of the little fabrics.  And it has hundreds and hundreds of different fabrics! You can see more of these in previous posts from last fall (part 1, part 2, part 3).  It is a quilt that I LIKE getting close to.  And, there are some things I like about the design. For example, I love how the alternating light and dark solid fabrics make the blocks kind of twinkle and move your eye around.  It kind of reminds me of a stack of Starburst candy. 

It is also the first one in a long time that is NOT two-sided.  I found a suitable fabric for the back, and am happy with it.  I also chose to face this quilt and flip the facing to the back.  Each square has a different color attached, and one that is different than the front.  It makes me happy!

Here it is from the front side, folded, with the back and the facings showing a little bit! 

And, apart from my disappointment, it is so lovely to finally have another finish! I have been struggling with repetitive use injuries from obsessive quilting.  My solution is to work on multiple projects that are in different stages. I can work briefly on tasks that utilize different parts of my body.  It is difficult to work this way.  I find that I like completing a project before moving on to the next one.  I had racked up 4 different quilt tops doing this, and then had 4 quilts to quilt, which sort of defies the purpose!  This one is finished.  On to the next... 

Florabunda Baby Quilt

Florabunda Baby Quilt
41" x 41"

I had so much fun making this little baby quilt with Melanie Testa's new fabric line Florabunda!  And, I am delighted to be part of the blog hop (see below) to showcase her new line!

I started making quilts many, many years ago.  My first quilt was a log cabin quilt.  After making a few traditional quilts, I was drawn into the world of art quilting.  The learning curve was quite steep as I had no real art background or training, but I knew that's where I wanted to go!  However, there are also times when my brain needs a rest, and I am drawn back to working with quilting blocks and commercial fabrics.  This was one of those instances, and it didn't disappoint.  I loved touching this fabric.  It was soft and the colors and patterns were so appealing to me.

I had an idea to use some triangles for this quilt, and started coloring on graph paper, and this is what evolved.  When the fabric arrived, I was ready to go!  The entire quilt went together in just a few days.

I added some hand quilting with Superior's heavy weight Sew Sassy thread, which looks perfect with the aesthetics of this quilt.

Here it is, photographed in the wild.  I would have put a baby on it, if I had one!  :)

Now for the blog hop info!

Twelve artists have joined with RJR Fabrics, Quilty Box and Melanie Testa to host an Instagram Florabunda introduction and fabric GIVEAWAY!  You are invited to join the Blog Hop each day, June 7 through June 16.  Please, visit and like all Florabunda Blog Hoppers on Instagram, including @RJRFabrics, @QuiltyBox,  and @MellyTesta to increase your chances to win! RJR Fabrics will post chances to win Florabunda Swag daily (June 11 through 16). Don't forget to check out Melanie Testa’s blog each day too. You will get highlights and interesting info about each participant!

Tiffany Hayes http://needleinahayesstack.blogspot.com June 7

Deborah Boschert http://deborahsjournal.blogspot.com/ June 8

Sara Mika http://www.mockpiestudio.blogspot.com/ June 9

Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.com/lyric-kinard-blog/  June 10

Kathy York http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com   June 11

Teri Lucas https://terificreations.com June 11
Susan Brusker Knapp http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com June 12

Leslie Tucker Jenison http://leslietuckerjenison.com              June 12

Tiffany Hayes http://needleinahayesstack.blogspot.com June 13
Jamie Fingal http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/            June 13

Debby Brown https://www.debbybrownquilts.com                June 14

Heidi Kelly http://www.hkellydesigns.com June 14
David Gilleland  https://www.facebook.com/VectorQuilts/                June 15

Melanie Testa http://www.melanietesta.com June 15

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity
94" x 95"

Neurodiversity is simply a term that means a lot of different kinds of brains.  I think this makes for an interesting world.  It is difficult dealing with people who are different than I am, but I can see value there. I am also of the firm belief that if we seek answers for today's or tomorrow's complicated problems, we just might need that "out of the box" style of thinking. 

I abstracted this idea to color choices in my quilt.  I wanted to show lots of diversity in color combinations.  What I found really interesting is that some of the colors I used were not favorites of mine.  I couldn't imagine how to use them all together in a way that would be appealing to me.  I learned that when pairing up these colors with other colors, suddenly I could see the beauty.  It opened my eyes. And, put all together rather randomly in a small photo, it's a bit overwhelming.  However, the giant size of this quilt, in person, is really quite nice.  I love seeking patterns in all of this chaos!

It's all hand quilted too.  You may remember me talking about this quilt in a previous post? I really enjoyed slowing down to do the work, and the meditative quality of time spent hand stitching.  It was good. 

I also thought for this quilt, it would need a colorful back.  So I took some of the same fabric I used for the front and created a new pattern for the back.  I call it Light Box, though I am not sure why.  Honestly, after I finished it, I actually preferred it to the front!  I am really drawn to the organization of the colors because it has a calmer energy.

If you notice, all around the edges, the squares are cut off.  This is because I always make my backs larger than the fronts.  That way, if the front side shifts at all during quilting, the back is still covered.  I can't tell you how many times I have relearned this lesson in previous quilts! 

Speaking of neurodiversity....one of the things my brain struggles with is putting things into categories.  Is this an art quilt or a modern quilt or a variation of a traditional quilt???  I plan on listing it in one of my gallery pages, so where do you think it should go?

Anyway, I have made another Light Box quilt, and entered it into the new juried show called A Celebration of Color.  The show is judged and will have prizes and opens at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago this April.  I will post about the new quilt next week!

A Diamond in the Rough

A Diamond in the Rough
70" x 84"
A Christmas Story

We used to joke that my dad could find a golf ball hidden under 4 inches of mud in the middle of a lake!  It wasn't far from the truth.  Each Sunday when my dad came home from playing golf, he brought with him about 70-80 found golf balls.  He like to walk the course, and he walked on the sides, the roughs.  He always found a lot of lost golf balls.  He cleaned them up, played with the best ones, traded some for golf equipment, and also saved most of them.  It grew to quite the collection over the years as you can imagine.

Well, this quilt is all about my dad, but not just because of all the balls he found.  I also think of him as a diamond in the rough.  He grew up in a household with a lot of kids and a mom to take care of everyone.  She frequently had 2 jobs to make ends meet.  There were lots of stories of fighting over food and collecting bottles to get extra money.  He went from these modest beginnings to pursue a lifelong career of entrepreneurship.  He could always see a way to make money and save money in unusual ways.  He owned a chain of stores, he rented properties, he made deals.  He had a type of stewardship of property and money that was just brilliant, and all with only a 10th grade education.  He also earned his GED, and got an international consumer credit credential.  He joined the army during the Korean War, and was very proud of the time he served there.

It was the later part, about being a veteran that he talks about a lot today.  When I was a kid he never mentioned it.  But now, in assisted living, he bonds with other veterans.  So, I was inspired to make this quilt for him, in red, white, and blue.  It is a log cabin block, because that is both the first block I ever learned how to make, and also because it is about home, and this is his new home.  The choice of red for the center traditionally symbolized the hearth of the home.  The arrangement of the blocks, that part is the offset diamond, or a diamond in the rough, that's my dad.

I went to see my dad this week and gave him his quilt.  He was quite pleased with it, and also very gracious about accepting it.  I am so glad.  I hope it will keep him warm and give him comfort.

A Treasured Fabric Meant to be Used: Road Racers

A Treasured Fabric Meant to be Used: Road Racers

I bought this wonderful little animal racing fabric when my son was about 2.  I fully intended to use it on something, but could not decide how to best cut it up.  I had it stacked in my closet with a set of other fabrics that would go with it, and nothing ever happened....until I stumbled across it a few weeks ago.  Same kid is now 18.  It might be okay to cut this up!

I think we all go through this.  Buying a beloved fabric and then too afraid to cut it up.  I suspect for me that there was something about needing to keep it whole that prevented me from cutting it up.  And, for whatever reason, I don't have that need anymore.  Time to move on.

I had fun making these rather wonky blocks.  And to extend the fabric a little bit further, I was able to add some pastel strips to the little sections of racing cars.  This allowed me to make a half yard of the fabric into a quilt top that is about 45" square.  Then I added this black and white racing checks border to finish it off.  LOVE!

And, I know I will have fun quilting it too, when I get to that part.  I forgot to take a picture of the fabric I used for the back, but will make sure to include it when I get the quilting done!

Purple Passion Patchwork

Purple Passion Patchwork
60" x 73"

I made this lap quilt for a friend of mine who loves purple.  She has been a long time friend and great supporter. This is a surprise for her and I can't wait to give it to her.  Fortunately, I can post about it here because she doesn't use a computer.  And, it is SO FUN to return to patchwork, if only for a while.  It is so peaceful. The top is completed, but it still needs quilting.  Luckily, she won't need it for a while since it is so hot here!

Commission Quilts Completed!

Commission Quilts Completed! 

These past several months I have been busy working on these two commission quilts. It has been an interesting project and one that I have felt honored to be included in. These quilts were made in memory of Walter S. Piskun, M.D., an amazing and gifted man from all accounts. He was a Colonel in the army, a neurosurgeon, an avid golfer, and a loving a husband and father to 6 children. I made these quilts for 2 of his children, from his shirts. They are lap quilts 50" x 74" designed with help from my client. It has been a long time since I have worked with traditional patterns, but I really loved the project. It was like returning to my roots, and had the added benefit of being rich with meaning and comfort. I hope they are well loved and well used in their new homes!