Thursday, January 21, 2010

Inspiration to Exhilaration

The inspiration...a drawing done by my youngest son when he was in 6th grade. (it hangs in my living room)

The process...the inspiration was given to my sew connected buddies and they made the blocks for me. Aren't they fabulous!! The process was excruciating, crazy, frustrating and believe it or not, fun. I've never made a quilt this difficult...many, many set in seams. All of the blocks were different sizes (which is what I asked for!) I pressed/starched these blocks within an inch of their lives. It was more like sewing with blocks of wood than fabric, but they stayed straight. Thank goodness, because the seam ripper got LOTS of use in this one. You'll notice that the layout is different in the final top. My design wall was my saving grace for this quilt. I can't even tell you how many layouts I went through to achieve this. This is what a virtual quilting bee is all about for me...pushing me farther than I would go on my own. I can't thank my bee peeps enough. I learned so much.

Exhilaration...I'm so proud of this, I can't even tell you. It almost makes me cry and I only made one of the blocks. I LOVE the negative space that is created by the blocks. The chocolate brown and aqua is my favorite color combination (I've been using so much brown lately). I love that Jon's drawing was the inspiration.

I have one more block that will be the centerpiece of the back...the back is going to be soo cool...if I can pull it off. (Audrey, that's your block).
I will tell you that I almost wimped out, sashed all the blocks the same size so I could easily put them together. I'm so glad, I struggled with this to make it like I had envisioned it. I'm wondering now how quilting will transform it.

Remember, the neighborhood quilt auction for Haiti ends at 8 am tomorrow. Last chance to get your bid in...

77 comments:

Becky said...

That quilt is stunning! Beautiful!

Abby and Stephanie said...

WOWZER!!! Thank you for your perserverance. This is stunning. I love the graphic-ness and the colors are bold yet subtle.

Meg said...

This just takes my breath away! I think this was the finished quilt that I've most been wanting to see. Amazing job!

Nichole said...

it really does look beautiful jacquie! your perseverance really paid off with this one. i love the colors as well. the chocolate brown and aqua look great together.

country mouse said...

Just beautiful!! Those inset seams can be a real pain, but all your effort was well worth it. Your quilt is absolutely stunning!!! Great job!

Anonymous said...

WOW! I have a menatally retarded brother who draws Partirdge Family buses. When he colors them in, he has such an amazing sense of color.

I drew out a grid and had him color it in. I'll be making his quilt. You can see his creation here:
http://www.loiscreates.com/2009/11/anthony-quilts-too.html

I can't wait to make it!

Thanks for sharing your son's inspiration!

elle said...

The math makes me pinch my nose but what a smashing quilt. Excellent job everyone: from son to bee!

Twisted Quilts said...

That is so cool. Like Elle I can't imagine the math involved in figuring it all out. I am amazed.

Lesly said...

Wow - that is truly spectacular! What an accomplishment!

Cristin said...

I just adore this quilt top! Can't wait to see it finished... its going to be a show-stopper! Well done to you and your bee peeps! ;-)

Monet said...

That really is amazing--congratulations!

Mary P said...

This is fantastic!!! I really love it. It is a helpful warning to me, though, because I was planning to have my block swap group create blocks of all different sizes--I guess that will be quite the challenge for me! Really excellent work Jacquie--it is gorgeous.

allsewnup said...

This has got to be one of my favourites! It's absoluletly
Amazing {with a capital "A"}!!

Carolyn

Needled Mom said...

Fabulous idea and beautiful results!

Vicki said...

gorgeous, Jacquie!

Angie said...

I love it!

Rachel said...

Cool! Very modern. Your son is a talented artist. :)

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

FANTASTIC!!!! It's amazing Jacquie!

Nutsy Coco said...

Wow, that looks amazing! You should definitely be very proud!

Valerie said...

Simply breathtaking, so cool and clean and fresh!

yahaira said...

Ive been waiting for the reveal of this quilt. I saw some of the blocks on flickr but seeing them all together is breathtaking. I'm glad you pushed on!

Trisha said...

You are truly and artist, Jacquie.

beth said...

woW! It gorgeous!

Sandra said...

I can`t stop admiering your work. This is amazing a real piece of art!

Unknown said...

Unbelievable!! I can see why you have become exhilarated! Beautiful!

carol said...

AMAZING! And truly mind boggling! I can't even imagine what it was like to put that together. That's why you are you and I am me, I guess! Bravo! I'd protect that quilt with my life, if I were you!

grendelskin said...

Zowie, Jacquie Lloyd Wright! You've done it again! It's fantastic, just wonderful.

Julie said...

love (100000000)
its breathtaking. thanks for sharing

Ashley said...

wow, wow, wow! this is stunning jacquie! I can imagine how long it took to put together, but it's so definitely worth it!! just gorgeous - a real treasure!

Jessica said...

Truly stunning. Such a good balance between the blocks and the sashing--it almost looks as if it was printed as one panel, if that makes any sense...everything is just where it should be. Also, so wonderful that this is a QB quilt--you will love it all the more for the care everyone's taken in realizing your son's artwork in fabric form.

I will be so interested to see what design you choose for the quilting. I have such trouble deciding how to quilt--very daunting for me.

Congratulations!

MichelleB said...

It is breathtakingly fabulously wonderful.

Sequana said...

Oh, I think this is the BEST design you've done yet! I can't stop looking at it....

So, so beautiful!!!

nettie said...

it's awesome! can't wait to see it finished.

Janet said...

Fabulous.. Maybe your son can help you design more quilts?

Alissa said...

WOW. You are on fire these days with new innovative looks. I LOVE this quilt!! Amazing work.

connie said...

This one is amazing. I love that it was inspired by a drawing your son did. Thanks for your inspiration!!!

Lunden said...

Absolutely gorgeous and so innovative. I am in awe of your creativity.

Rebekah said...

gorgeous! What an amazing way to use quilt bee blocks

Poppyprint said...

I love hearing the gratification for all the hard work in your voice. It must feel incredible to be absolutely satisfied by the result after all the tweaking. Congratulations on a real beauty!

Meg said...

Jacquie, I remember seeing the original posts about you getting these blocks back, and being so curious to see it all come together. WOW--It was worth the wait! It is gorgeous--your bee folks did a great job translating the art into blocks, and the layout is divine. Gorgeous!!

Cheryl Arkison said...

WOW! I would have done anything to be with you while you figured it all out. That is my favourite part of the process. It makes me very excited to be working you on a bee now.

leigh said...

How cool is that drawing your son did!? So cool. And what a great idea to turn it into a quilt. It looks very very cool. And difficult. Glad to know that starch helps.

Audrie said...

That's amazing! I'm waiting on my last blocks from my first bee to put my quilt together and this is making me so excited :)

Rita said...

You did it and it looks super cool! all your efforts were definitely worth it because this is going to be a stunning quilt! It's so amazing to see your idea transformed into life so wonderfully!! go Jacquie!

Victoria said...

man, oh, man... how i admire your tenaciousness and perseverance! you are creating something really original and powerful. out of the box goodness, and i love that it was inspired by your son's drawing! very exciting to see this!

Amber said...

You are just amazing - it is incredible!

Gillian said...

Amazing. A fantastic modern quilt.

Stephanie said...

Just fabulous! I love it so. It's great in sooo many ways!!

Jackie Russell said...

Love this!

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

be still my heart!! That is amazing, stunning, wonderful, super, and so on, and so on!!

Unknown said...

Jacquie - I saw the photo of your sons artwork on flickr when I joined up a few months ago and fell in love with it - but to see the work that your quilting bee has done and how you've put it together is, well beyond words really, but some that come to mind are: stunning, fantastic, inspiritional, exceptional, breaking all the rules in the right way and superb

G'G'ma said...

Fantastic!!! It reminds me of some of Frank Lloyd Wright's windows. Someone once asked me to make a quilt from one of his windows. The asker disappeared from my life so I didn't have to attempt to make the quilt. Oh, so glad since I had no idea how to even begin. Yours is spectacular.

KateKwiltz said...

Way, way cool. I'm happy you didn't wimp out, too! Tremendously graphic, and great colors!

Tracey Jacobsen said...

so cool!

My son is only 9 mos. old, but I too love that his drawing was your inspiration... this is no wonderful and original and sentimental... a special combination methinks.

Unknown said...

Oh, my G ! I saw a whole city of highrises there! This is so FABULOUS, YOU HAVE REASON TO BE PROUD! And what memories, with all your friends to help!

Rene' said...

Wow!!! That's all I can say.

Donnelly said...

I can't wait to see this finished. Wow!!!

debbi d-w said...

LOVE the graphic interplay - can't wait to see how you quilt it. I'm beginning to think all modern quilter's should take 6th grade art...on Jan 10 I posted a quilt I made from one of my daughter's 6th grade art projects - how spooky is that?

Julie @ Jaybird Quilts said...

great quilt... but even better story.. it never ceases to amaze me where quilters can get their inspiration from!!

zarina said...

My 7yo little people use the software Paint to do this -very similar to yours. Thanks for reminding me - need to open up the folder and look through them.

Marit said...

Your quilt is amazing! Love the colors and the very graphic design. To me its a bit like a Winter Scene by Mondrian, or the architectural layout of an ancient village in Greece...

Very visually stimulating, and amazingly square. Lovely work!!

dutchcomfort said...

Amazing work Jacquie!! It reminds me of Mondriaan, a famous Dutch painter.

audreypawdrey said...

It is truly amazing! It is so reminiscent of modern art that I can see it hanging in MOMA next to other pieces. It also is so architectural. It reminds me of this sculpture: http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=1017
I really love the way this came out. I am so excited that you will be able to use the block that I made! I can't wait to see it.:)

Dani said...

Wow, that is stunning! I am really interested in also seeing how you quilt it.

Anonymous said...

O.K. This tops the cake! I've been following your blog for several months and just love your quilts, love even more that you share your process, but this week's worth of posts convinces me that...you must have a wife! How else do you get so much done? And you blog about it! I am shaking my head in disbelief and smiling at your most recent triumph. The ONLY thing my process seems to share in common with yours is ruthless reliance on my seam ripper. You continue to inspire me to take risks. Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

I'm at a loss for words!

Deb said...

Jacquie, once again you've outdone yourself. It looks like you have a fantastic virtual quilting bee where you all seem to be in unison. 5*****s for this one. I'm on pins and needles waiting to see how you quilt it. Have a great weekend!

Cher said...

well done on bringing that inspiration and vision to a stunning resulting quilt top. What a fabulous quilt this will be to have and enjoy on so many levels-the connection to your son, your bee's contributions, and your own triumph in bringing it all together. Kudos to you!!! I too will look forward to seeing how you decide to quilt it.
truly this is a break out quilt show quality quilt and I hope you do enter it on the national level.

CitricSugar said...

I had been seeing all these blocks on other blogs and wondering if I'd missed the final product... It is gorgeous!!! Very mod. Jon's artwork is something that I would gladly hang in my home and what you've done with it is simply amazing! Your sense of vision is an inspiration to me.

Jessica said...

Amazing!

bonnie said...

what an awesome quilt. it is very special that your son's drawing was the inspiration.

Stephanie D said...

It's a wonderful project but it gives me a headache just trying to think of how to put it together!

You're a better woman than I!
Really striking!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Fantastic! Can't wait to see it quilted!

annette said...

AMAZING! What a truly talented group of quilters; what a truly fabulous sense of vision you have! I am truly awed!

Anonymous said...

The art work and the quilt are both wonderful. nice work!

Anonymous said...

WOW, I can believe that you are proud of it - it is absolutely stunning and fabulous and all other wonderful expressions!! Love it to bits!!

Amanda Jean said...

the quilt looks amazing! good for you for rising to the challenge and going against your comfort zone.