Seeds: Part 3

Seeds: Part 3

71" x 71"

Here is the full view.  Perhaps you can see the hand quilting which alludes to the design on the back. The back is called Bloom! Which then reveals the inspiration of the quilt.  

I plant a lot of seeds as a parent, carefully cultivating and nurturing them, but I never know which of the seeds will take hold and bloom. When I see my adult kids 'blooming', I can't help but wonder how they came to be such incredibly wonderful and gifted individuals!

This quilt was originally scheduled to open at my solo exhibit in Houston this fall, Both Sides Now.  The exhibit is a collection of two-sided quilts that I have made over the last 5 years or so.  Then the pandemic hit.  The Houston Quilt Festival was cancelled.  I did not think my exhibit would look good on-line because I really wanted the viewer to be able to walk back and forth between the front and the back sides and see them full sized in real life.  So, I will try again for next year and keep my fingers crossed. 

I will start posting photos of the back next week, but for now, some of the quilting process photos. This is a close up of my sewing machine.  Perhaps you can see the white arrow? It is a piece of index card which was taped to a popsicle stick and then taped to my walking foot.  The shadow follows the previous quilting line which allows me to sew a 1" space grid. It is not perfect, but I have always been a fan of the slightly less than perfect and more organic feel of straight line quilting.  

It was an interesting process to decide how to quilt this project, because the back was so different from the front, and because I wanted the quilting lines to be meaningful from both sides.  I choose to quilt a grid from the front side because seeds are planted in a grid.  On the back side, the grid would allude to the origins of the "bloom".  I also decided to hand quilt from the back side, to show on the front side, so that the future of the seeds would be referenced.  I will share more of those photos when I post about the other side.  Thanks for stopping by!

Bloom: Part II

Bloom: Part II

71" x 71" (the other side of Seeds)

Here is the full view!! So pretty!

And a close up:

Where we left off after the previous post:

Since I knew my design was going to be a bit asymmetrical, I knew that I needed some organization of the design pieces, especially as it got bigger.  So, I pinned the right side of the front side of the quilt (Seeds) to the design wall (wrong side out), and placed the pieces of Bloom on top of it, where they would actually be centered.  The center of Bloom was designed to be right on top of the blue seed from Seeds.

I can't tell you how many times I thought about making this a one sided quilt, with the 'seeds' as the background for this big bloom.  It is definitely compelling! Anyway, by designing it on the go like this, I was able to plan better as I got closer to the edges of the quilt. Here are some photos near completion, where you can see the grid quilting from the front side (Seeds).

This one is the entire back after it has been trimmed and is ready for binding. 

After the I completed the quilting from the front, and bound the quilt, it was time to start the hand quilting from the back. I opted for a double line of heavy 12 wt. thread, Sew Sassy.  It was perfect and Superior Threads had enough colors to mimic the gradient of my fabrics!  I also wanted the quilting to look the same on the front as it did on the back.  This is really NOT easy.  The only way minimize the space between stitches and have the stitches look similar on the front and the back is with 'stab and jab'. The needle needs to go in at a 90 degree angle (not obvious from this picture, sorry!) This is a very slow process, on an already longer than expected project.  Just when I thought I had gotten close to the finish line, it moved further back! Ultimately it looked good, and was just what I wanted.

  

And, lastly, it just worked out this way, but I was ready, if necessary to take those blue arcs right up and into the hanging tube.  I got lucky this time!  Just a simple and plain white hanging tube was all it needed. Yeah for the little things!

Seeds Part 2

Seeds Part 2

71" x 71"

...I was stitching these small circles....And, then I decided where to put the blue one.  The blue one relates to the story of the quilt and what the other side will be about.  The grid is not complete yet, as the finished size will be 9 x 9 circles.  But it was time to cut out the white blocks that these circles would be stitched to.  And, it was time to visualize the real spacing of the circles, something more like this:

Each corner of a circle will be stitched to each corner of a white square.  Then all the white squares will be stitched together.  Also, these are still looking larger that they will actually be because they are just placed, and not yet stitched, so the seam allowance of the circles is still showing. Here's a close up.

Many afternoons that looked like this: (Also, perfect project for zoom meetings!)

When I finished all the little arcs, it was time to start stitching them to the white blocks. I needed to make sure to sew the right piece to the correct corner and it helped to lay them out in order.

Pinned to the blocks, they kind of look like little boats:

Just another issue, since all the circles were slightly different sizes, the corners of the white blocks had to be cut to fit.  This essentially meant measuring the size of the stitched circle and then using that to draw an arc on the corresponding corner (and then making sure to cut a slightly larger seam allowance).  At first it felt daunting, but after getting organized, it was fairly straightforward.

I think back to making these blocks and being surprised that they weren't perfect.  I had taken so many steps to try to piece them accurately, and yet some of them were just off a bit.  The question was that after I discovered the tiny imperfections, should I re-do it or leave it as is?  That was when I sort of fell in love with the imperfections.  They are like life, imperfect, and I love them!

I also discovered this wonderful halo effect, of the outermost ring color showing through the white background fabric.  This will most likely get me some pretty negative comments from judges because it is seen as a mistake or poor craftsmanship.  I realized early on during the piecing phase that this would happen and decided to leave this because it looks like a small halo and like the seed is starting to grow!  Which is fantastic!  I love it! 

The last photo I have before the reveal next week is the blocks, all pinned together.  

Seeds - Part I

Seeds - Part I

71" x 71"

It started with an inkling of an idea to make tiny pieced circles.  I already know how to applique circles, but I wasn't sure if I could make some tiny pieced ones.  I selected a color palette and got out my compass. I really like a large sampling of colors.

I started with quarter circles drawn on freezer paper, cut out the pieces, and then pressed them to the fabric.  Once they were on the fabric, I used my scissors to cut a 1/4" seam allowance, and then started the stitching.  I actually thought I would be doing this on the sewing machine because I had gotten quite proficient at sewing quarter circle curves on this quilt.

For reference, the A1 section has about a 1" radius.

I also wanted my circles and sets of circles to be lots of different sizes.  So I drew about 8 different sets, some with just 2 rings, and some with 3 rings.  Here is Sharky trying to distract me! 

Quite expectedly, this project required a lot of repetition.  I cut out 4 pieces of each quarter circle template, and then traced the edge of the freezer paper as my stitching line, lightly with a pencil to the back side of the fabric. 

I did try stitching these by machine, but it was an epic fail.  Also, using a 1/4" seam allowance on these small pieces was a fail.  I just could not get the fabric to stretch enough to go around the tiny inner curves.  My solution was to cut a tiny seam allowance for the inside curves only, approximately 1/8".  Well after starting my project, Jen Carlton-Bailly began posting on Instagram about sewing tiny curves like this! Ah ha! Great minds think alike!  Then MQG offered her tutorial on her process.  It involves glue basting the seams and cutting the seams, and then trimming the seams after stitching, ultimately down to tiny seams....which I was already doing.  My methods were not any easier nor harder, so I just buckled down and continued on.  I did like that she offered plastic templates, that could have saved me some work, but I wanted to custom choose my own sizes. The traced pencil lines helped me hand piece more accurately.  And, the hand piecing of the curves went relatively fast.  I mean, the pieces are so small, that they don't require very many stitches. So good!

Ultimately, I used pins, only 3 per seam.  The first pin is pretty easy to pin, right in the center. I folded the pieces in half to find the center. 

Next, I would sometimes hold it up to the light, to overlap the seam line and stick the pin in just the right spot.  These are those tiny little applique pins.  

The pins to line up the ends are a bit tricky to both hold and pin at the same time.  (I think you can also see in the above photo how small the seam allowance is in the orange piece.)  I got better over time, but it definitely took some practice. Also, I don't know why, but these started looking like little fortune cookies to me!

This is one that is stitched, and before it is pressed flat.  I became a bit obsessed with the interesting 3D shapes of these little curves. So fun!

Over time, I became increasingly concerned that the seam was so small, that it would unravel, especially when some of my fabrics were more coarsely woven.  Some of the fabrics were linens, and those were both easier to stretch and sew, but also more likely to become unwoven.  So, I went back and added a line of stay-stitching.  Also, since this is going to be a quilt, the quilting lines will help hold together the seams.

Over time, I began accumulating a set of the little circle quarters and arranging them on my design wall.  I improvised to select the next round of colors and sizes. 

The colors and the shapes were so incredibly satisfying! The power of circles! 

Austin Area Quilt Guild Biennial QuiltFest

Austin Area Quilt Guild Biennial QuiltFest

Sept 23 - 25, 2022

I meant to post about this last year, but I have gotten a bit lost in home repair projects that were not supposed to take so long. I am hoping to start posting more regularly again this year, as most of the projects and the related stress are now behind me. 

My entries, folded and stacked, waiting to be delivered in person to the show!

I submitted 3 quilts. The show is not juried, so if they have room, then all 3 will be shown.  I requested to have both sides shown of my two-sided quilts, hoping that they would have the space, but not expecting it.  I was incredibly pleased that they were able to honor my request! I mean over-the-moon happy about seeing both sides of my two-sided quilts displayed! Fantastic!!!

I was delighted to be able to attend the awards ceremony.  I did not help hang the quilts this year, as I was having some problems with my back, so I was anxious to see all the quilts. And after the awards ceremony, the show is open to members to get to see all the quilts before the crowds come in during normal show hours. Irresistable! 

I saw a lot of great quilts, very inspiring. And, I was planning to share them here, but I cannot for the life of me find them on my camera. Nuts!

seeing the show with friends: Andrea Brokenshire, Sherri McCauley, me, Pat Romohr

Even more surprising, I won a LOT of awards.  I never know what to expect of my quilts in this regard. Sometimes I look at them for so long, I get tired of them, and then I am surprised when someone else enjoys them. So, I am usually authentically surprised when a judge likes my quilts enough to select it for an award.

The following photos of the show were taken by Pat Romohr, and I am so grateful that she shared them with me. 

Plenty to Go Around/Scarcity won a 3rd place and the Quilt Show Chair's Award! Here I am with my super squinty smile, and in the second one, mouth open surprise, perhaps about the color of the ribbon both matching my quilt, and looking good with my outfit! Almost as if, it was made for me!

Plenty to Go Around

Scarcity (the other side)

A note about this quilt. It got extremely high marks on my judging sheet. I got one negative comment: "dark shadows show through light fabric".  It was intentional.  It needed to be that way to illustrate the contrast of the story of the two sides.  The quilt NEEDED some transparency, as it is about the relationship to white privilege and racism. Because the quilt is hanging at a quilt show, and has back lighting, you can see hints of the other side regardless of the side you are standing on. It was a conceptual choice that did not go over well with the judges, or perhaps was misunderstood? 

Another note: this quilt is currently on display at AQS Paducah.  It did not win any awards there and it will not be displayed with both sides showing. I was very content to have it juried into the show and have an opportunity for it to be seen. And though I have not been to that show, I suspect the competition is fierce. I had also planned to enter it into the Houston Quilt Show this year, but sadly it is now too old.  I missed my chance to enter it last year because I was a judge.  And so it goes...

 

Next up my quilt Caterpillars/Butterflies. It also won two awards! It got a 1st Place and a Design Award. The Design Award is extra special to me.  It is one of the things that I value most about a great quilt.

Caterpillars

The two awards, and a close up of my super dense matchstick quilting with every line sewn with a different color of thread.

Last up, my quilt Seeds/Bloom.  It did not win an award. Although, I have to laugh at myself because of my three entries, this one is perhaps my favorite.

Seeds

Bloom

Vertigo

Vertigo
27" x 60"

The yellow bellied bird has a fear of heights and sits paralyzed below the sunflower seeds; a metaphor for the fear of success. A contrived and artificial path waits before him. If only he would realize that he has wings to fly...

This is the fourth in a series using real construction fencing as an embellishment in my quilts. (You can see the others by following this link to Plover Lover, Only One, and Balancing Act, you might have to scroll down a bit. ) You could call this art using trash, as I found the construction fencing blowing around in the street. None of the workers near by seemed to care that they were missing a piece of this lovely fencing blowing around, so I decided to make the world a prettier place, in more ways than one!

I am thrilled to say that I got the fat envelope from Houston. This means that it got juried into the show, which is an amazing thrill in and of itself. Even better was the next letter. It said that Vertigo had won a cash award. The awards ceremony is this Tuesday night. I can't stand the suspense!!

Yahoo!! Vertigo won second place!!

I am thrilled! If I hadn't already lost my voice, I would be definitely shouting from the roof tops! And our group quilt, Kiwi and Fuschia Meet for Mojitos, also won 2nd place! If you haven't seen it yet, scroll down a bit. You can see all the winners by clicking this link.

Honorable Mention at Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival!

 Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival

Conversations

Wow! I won an Honorable Mention for my quilt, Conversations, at Visuals #3 National Quilt Competition! I entered in the Mid-Century Modern Quilt category. I am a little in shock because the Mancuso Brothers quilt festivals are very competitive and I didn't think my quilts would do well there. It is so funny because I always love my quilts A LOT, but the judges do not always agree with me.  So, a very humble and special thank you to Sue Nickels and Marjan Kluepfel (the judges)! The online show is from Feb 24 to Feb 27.  

I also have three other quilts in this festival. The next one was also in the Mid-Century Modern Quilt Category.

Let Your Hair Down

And the next two were in the Full Size Innovative category:

Turn the Dial

Seeds

I have taken a few minutes to check out the other quilts and they are stunning! And they made the images really large, easy to see, and easy to scroll through with the arrow keys on my keyboard.  I am grateful for the close-ups, but mostly the big images look really good. A nice platform for viewing quilts if you can't be there in person!

I would also like to give a big thank you to the show's sponsors: the Hampton Convention and Visitors Bureau, BERNINA of America, A Different Touch, Cottonwood Quilt Shop, Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics, Zappy Dots and The Grace Company.