Minimalist Exploration Continues

I'm continuing to explore the concept of minimalism. I'm working on a series of black and white quilts. I think removing all color and print is challenging me. It's now all about how the shapes work together.
The second one I'm working has a more "organic" feel with sweeping curves. It's an interesting experiment for me. So far....I'm in to it.Every time I post a picture like this, I get a slew of emails asking about the quilt rack. The rack was designed and built by my dad. I have three of them. They're so great. He even started to write a pattern for them since so many folks asked about them, but it never got in final shape. Let me know if you want me to talk with him about it again. If you're in the area I'm sure he'd love to make one for you....for a price.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Traveling, Teaching, Talking

That's what I've been doing lately and having a ball. I love talking about quilts and teaching quilting is about the best thing ever. The only disadvantage is that it takes me away from my sewing machine. I have a stack of quilts that are basted and ready to quilt. I'm hoping to get to them soon!This is the "Leftovers" quilt top. I don't think I shared the finished top. It's made from leftover strip piecing that was laying around taunting me. The background is that fabulous Kona Pomegranate. As much as I love that color, my son said it looks like Barney threw up all over it. I hate to quibble, but Barney was purple, not pink.

Nevertheless, it's in that stack of basted quilts. I had to clean and organize the studio when I got home. How can chaos happen when I'm not here? Well, maybe it was that way before I left. Well, the studio is clean, organized and I'm ready to start quilting.

Yipppeeeee!

Did you know that the Block Party blog tour is up and running? Check out the schedule, visit all the stops and be sure to come back here on Thursday for your chance to win a copy of the book! See you then!!

Pieced Together

I had just a bit of time to sew this weekend with all the goings on...rehearsal, wedding, anniversary. Thank so much for the anniversary wishes! We are planning for many more!

I put my mid-century house blocks together into this wall quilt. It's a bit bigger than the space I wanted to hang it, but I'll find a place. In between the wind and the rain I tried to take a photo of it for you.I changed my idea for putting these blocks together and decided to go very neutral and architectural with the setting. I wanted the shapes of the houses to be the focus.
I love the interesting house blocks that the bee members made for me. Thanks everyone! This is going to find a special place in my house.
I have 4 quilts basted now and I've run out of basting pins. That must mean it's time to do some quilting. Hopefully this week will go smoothly and it'll be full speed ahead!

Strength and Stability of a Square

Sorry to have disappeared for a bit. Pick an excuse...

• My laptop died. It really did.
• My internet provider and I broke up. I'm starting a new relationship and we're in the 30 day trial stage. I'm hoping it will be a long lasting, satisfying relationship.
• I have family to take care of....they come before quilts.
• Bruno ate my fabric...naw...he'd never do that.

On to business. I was finally able to get the comments on the Block Party giveaway to appear and the random number guy gave me lucky 13. Paula, that's you! Congratulations. Block Party is yours!

I've been reading and rereading Yoshiko Jinzenji's book, Quilting Line and Color. She's such a master of simplicity and minimalism. She talks in her book about "the strength and stability of the square." In this top I used very simple piecing and played with composition of large scale print fabrics. I love how in many of her pieces she lets the background integrate with the prints and her work appears complex though simple in construction.

Placement is everything in a top like this. I wish I could show you all of the versions this top went through to come up with this. As I look at it in the picture I wonder if I made the right choices.
The "strength and stability of a square" are inspiring words for me. Strength and stability and two things that I could use right now. Another top is on the design wall that has come from that phrase.

Hopefully, lots of sewing this week. Have a good one!

Inspiration is a Funny Thing

People ask me all the time how I get inspired. Inspiration is a funny thing....you never know when or how it might strike or manifest itself. Between storms, bad internet and power outages I did get a little sewing in. I was considering how to tackle this Roberto Capucci inspired chevron and I decided to make a maquette to experiment with some ideas. A maquette is a preliminary piece, sometimes a small version of a larger piece used as practice or a test. I learned about the concept from the Gee's Bend ladies.

I improvised another chevron from the scraps left over from the larger piece. I experimented with setting it in the background with some improvised curves....at this point I was simply practicing. I happened to put it back on the design wall upside down and there it was...a tornado. After my experience this weekend and the crazy weather in the midwest I felt compelled to go there.

That coincided with a conversation with Katie, my writing partner, and she happened to mention an idea of slicing the chevron in half. After that I started playing with making the chevron appear to rotate like the funnels we saw near our house.

The black seems to give it an ominous feel to me. 'Twister' is about 16" x 36". Quilting lines have the potential to enhance the tornadic feeling of this piece even further, but I'm not sure I want to work on it any more right now. It's weird.
The large chevron still on my design wall is taller than I am, so I still don't know where to go with that. Maybe I should make a larger version of Twister, but I'm not sure.

A reader in Monday's comments said something like could a tornado quilt be in my future...inspiration is a funny thing.

PS...I'm working on getting a winner for the Block Party book...arrg crappy internet. I'll have it as soon as I can!

Pre Market Sewing

I'm heading to quilt market in Salt Lake City on Wednesday. I'm so excited. I have my list of things to do, things to learn, people to meet. It's a first for me. I've been trying to whittle down the list of things to do before I leave. One of those things is to finish class samples.I had this leftover pile of strip piecing from a previous quilt so I decided to make a quick sample for my improv class.
I started cutting and sewing and before you know it I was making a whole quilt. How does that happen? I ran out of pomegranate kona cotton so this will have to wait until after market.
If you're heading to market too, don't forget about the Modern Quilt Guild meet-up on Friday night. We'll be at the Marriott Destination's Lounge, Friday, May 13 at 8:00 p.m. See you there!! Can't wait to meet everyone!

Oh, and thanks for entering Friday's giveaway. Laurie's fabric will be heading to ColoradoLady! Congratulations! Send me your contact info and I'll get your fabric off to you. Thanks again to Laurie for providing the fat quarter set.

Nose to the Grindstone

That's where it is. I hope I'll have this quilt done to show you on Friday. It's super cute.

My youngest son is home from college for a week between semesters. I've forgotten how much time it takes to wait on a young man. (Making gravy...big breakfasts...dinners...desserts...hugs...long conversations...)

Make It Modern and Spit to the Rescue...Again!

I wrote an article for the April issue of Quilter's World magazine. I love how they styled my quilts. Quilter's World seemed like a pretty traditional magazine to me, but they're moving to include more modern pieces and articles. I'm thrilled to share this issue with the likes of Jan, of Daisy Janie fame. Jan's got a cute quilt in this issue with her Shades of Grey fabrics. Jen, of Reannilily Designs has one of her signature bags in this issue. Jen is a Wichita gal. Pretty cool to have two Kansas girls in the issue.
Sewed and quilted a bunch over the weekend. Snow, yes, snow kept me out of the garden and from working outside.

Had a little stabbing incident quilting this quilt. I was quilting along and didn't even notice that one of the basting pins was stuck in my hand...just above my thumb....I don't even know how long it was there. I stopped to adjust the quilt, pulled my hand back and the pin popped out...blood was spurting everywhere. What a mess. I grabbed a scrap of batting and slapped it on my hand, but not before the quilt was covered in bright red dots.
Another opportunity to unleash the power of spit. Yes, I've done this before. Spit actually is the best method for removing blood when it needs to be done NOW and you don't have the traditional blood removal ingredients on hand. I had to rip out a section of quilting, but saved the quilt. Hoping to finish the quilting on this baby today...sore thumb and all.

Night Forest

I was so excited to get this top done and show it to you. I'm so happy with how it came together. In some ways it's not a typical quilt for me, but the improvisational piecing and freedom to design is so me. Thanks to Krista for the challenge! You can see the original challenge and inspiration in this post.
I love that the tree fabrics are all from my neutral scrap box. The blue in there was totally serendipity...stuck that piece of blue in that box by mistake, but I adore how it works.
So cool how the eye of a bird now becomes a scar in the birch bark. All of the cutting for joining the pieces was done freehand, no ruler! Cutting sans ruler creates curves and a more organic feel to the forest.
The top finished at 19" x 41". I hope I can find the perfect place to hang this when it's quilted and bound.

Back On The Design Wall

Birch is back on the design wall.
While I'm taking breaks during the quilting of my Kaufman challenge quilt...I'm going to finish this baby. I'm excited to be back to it!

Reality Bites!

After the euphoria of the KC Star article yesterday all I wanted to do was sew, sew and sew some more. That's a great feeling!My KC Modern Quilt Guild 'Robert Kaufman No Prints Allowed Challenge' quilt has been on the design wall for weeks so I tackled it. It was coming together pretty well until that row...that dang row that didn't look just right, but I ignored it. A couple of rows later, that row was on my mind, bugging me. My perfectionism took over and I grabbed the seam ripper and went at it.
Sometimes a little ripping is a good thing, sometimes it simply multiplies the problem. In my case, it was the latter. I'll leave out the colorful language, but it wasn't pretty.
It got so crooked, and then I tried to save it with pressing. It wasn't cooperating. Everything I did made it worse. So, instead of cease and desist I ripped some more. I'm stubborn.
It's a wake up call to go from an 'I can do anything I put my mind to' feeling, to being manhandled and bested by some 2" squares and some thread. Reality does bite sometimes. I guess that's why they call it a challenge.

Exploring Minimalism

One of my goals for this year is to explore minimalism. Minimalist art makes me catch my breath a bit. I seem to be drawn to it and I'd like to explore it in quilts. I got Yoshiko Jinzenji's book a couple of weeks ago and have been pouring over it. She is the master of minimalist quilts. I was surprised to find out that she uses a lot of reverse applique. I was inspired by the internal complexity of her minimalist designs (how's that for an oxymoron?). I wondered what I could do with piecing. So I started cutting and sewing.
I gravitated right to my fav color combo right now...orange and gray. I know it's that in your face orange again, but I like it. I'm still exploring here, but it might turn into something.

I haven't sewn for me in a long time. It's so different that sewing for something commercial like a book or a magazine. You have to think about if it's too hard or if a instructions or a pattern can be developed.

I call this sewing for free. No strings attached. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
I also turned the sample spool from Wednesday's tutorial into a gift for someone special. I hope it will find a home in her livudio. (Living room studio). Katie turns 40 on Sunday. Head over and tell her happy birthday! Notice that little zipper tab on the bottom? My first invisible zipper thanks to Katie and her tutorial.

I've avoided zippers since my garment sewing days. Ripped out too many zippers in my time. Katie made me do it. That girl teaches me something every day. It's nice to have a friend like that.

I'm taking the weekend off to eat Hooter's wings and watch the Superbowl...yes, I love football. Go Packers!

Top Done!

The top of my selvage spools is done! I changed it a bit...there was too much space in it...I squished the spools together more. Makes it more colorful and fun. I overestimated the wall space available to hang it, so it had to get a little smaller. The good news is that I have 5 spools left over. Maybe a little gift for someone?
I had to post all three pictures just to show how nutty I am to get a picture of a quilt. Neither wind nor snow can stop me!
Isn't it cute blowing in the wind? Wouldn't a bunch of quilts brighten up the woods at this time of year? I digress.
One more bee block complete. This one is for Cheryl. I adore this block. Cheryl wanted curved shaped blocks. So mid-century modern. I think I hit her inspiration target, at least I hope so. For those of you who are asking how I made this. The orange and brown curved sections are pieced into the background. The philco tv shape is fused and attached with raw edge applique. Then I cut the final curved shape of the block.

Savor Every Stitch

This is the first project I'm tackling from the "closet of shame", now renamed the "closet of overflowing creativity!" Since a studio sprucing is first on my list, this is going on one of my walls and I'd love to have it finished. It's so bright and cheery and says sewing studio to me. Before I get going on my own projects, I have bee blocks to make. To my quilting bee buddies: by the end of the weekend your blocks will be on the way. Scouts honor.
I was reminded while working on the projects for the book, to savor every stitch, every opportunity to sew. That sounds a bit silly, but when I asked my blog readers why they choose handmade (in this post); it was the most inspiring set of comments I've ever had. No one, not one person said they make things because it's fast or easy. They said things like they are compelled to, it fills their soul. Words like accomplishment, satisfaction, and joy filled the comments. That "quick and easy" culture slips into the world of quilting. It's not quick or easy for me. Sometimes its damn hard, but I savor each stitch I put in or tear out. Many people tell me I work quickly, but I don't, I just work a lot.

All that pent up sewing will have to wait a few more days. My hubby decided to break his shoulder over the holidays (cute story, but if I want to keep my good wife status I'm keeping it to myself!) Since his work requires him to travel and being the one armed man doesn't work very well I get to be the spouse valet. There's always an up side. I get to be with my hubby instead of home alone. I'll take my sketchbook, and pencils and be a happy camper.

Shhhh...The Volume is on Low

I turned the volume WAY down on this new design. I've tried to work low volume before and it's pretty difficult for me. First, low volume fabrics are hard to come by or maybe I should say, I don't buy low volume very often. I'm still tweaking this a bit, but it's coming along.

It always surprises me how values change when placed with different fabrics. The dark gray in this quilt is Kona ash...a pretty darn light gray...i couldn't find a gray solid lighter than that, so the lighter gray is actually a stripe. A friend was over the other day and commented that only I could make prison gray striped fabric look girly.
The whites in this quilt are actually a mix of kona white and kona snow. The subtle difference gives the quilt a little depth that I like. The kona snow almost takes on a pink tinge when it's next to the blush pink.
I love baby quilts that are sophisticated. I think this one fits the bill. I'd sure love to design a nursery around it, it's so soft and understated. Actually, I think it might make a nice big girl quilt too. What do you think?

In other business, the winner of Kajsa's book is Debbie of Esch House Quilts! Congrats! Your book and cards are on the way.

Techno

Happy Monday! It's a chilly, windy sunny day here. I love fall days like this! This is a new quilt design again inspired by my sons. My oldest asked me if I couldn't make something with all right angles...no off kilter stuff. He's kinda of a symmetrical kind of guy. It's not symmetrical, but definitely lots of right angles. My other son wanted me to lose the prints...that's not too hard cause I'm really in to solids right now. So, "Techno" came about.
I had some assistance from the wind during the photo session!I'm pretty excited to quilt this one and there's a companion on the way too. I'm working on patterns for both.

I have some giveaway winners too. I'm glad you all liked War of Art...truly an inspiring read.

I drew two winners from the commenters and two more from my list of Quilter Butt participants. The winners from the comments are:

Brenda who said, Amen, sister! I find I can rationalize lots of stuff, but when I go out and just do it, the results are amazing. Like yesterday, I spent several hours making Christmas gifts and finished a whole bunch. It didn't take a lot of time, just a can-do attitude. thanks for a chance at your giveaway.

Rachel's Quilts who said, I think I need to read that book. Thanks for the push to get up and do something this morning.

and the other winners are Krista of Spotted Stone and Sara of A Pirates Bounty. Drop me an email and we can talk about a custom fabric bundle just for you!

In other news, Kajsa's blog tour for her new book, Scandinavian Stitches starts today. Be sure to check out all the stops and come back here on Wednesday for a chance to win her fabulous book. It's a must buy!

Late Night Spooling Around

I couldn't sleep last night, so I made a few more of these. I'm up to 23 spools. I think it may be time to put it together. It's planned for a space in my studio...it can't get much bigger or it won't fit.
I was inspired by a little gift from Nichole. She sent me this great pack of selvages and they just happened to be sorted by color, so I went after it. Thanks Nichole!!

Now, back to business.

Work My Fingers to The Bone

Tomorrow is a big day for me. I'm speaking at my guild...I'd sure like to have these quilts bound and ready to show and talk about and I'd love to show them to you too. For now, just a peek. I'm pretty proud of all of them.
I have less than 36 hours to bind four BIG quilts. I will be working my fingers to the bone to get them done.

While you're waiting for me to finish, you might want to check out Heather's blog later today. She's starting a quilt-as-you-go quilt-a-long. I've never done the quilt-as-you-go thing, but it might be just the ticket for you.

Wish me luck. I'm going to need it.

There's A Lot of Giving Going On!

To those of you who headed over to Alissa's to give to Action Kivu, I can't thank you enough.
It's not too late to get some action on this bundle of Flea Market Fancy. The fundraiser on Alissa's blog is going well, but we're not there yet. Can you give up a yard of fabric this month and donate $10? Or would you like to get your hands on this wonderful bundle of joy? A $75 donation will get you in the draw. The money we raise beyond our $7,500 goal starts putting kids to school in the Congo. Alissa has raised the goal to $10,000. We can SO do this! If you thought about making a donation, go ahead and do it now.

What else is up around here?

I've been making quilt backs...so far I've got backs for these three finished. Quilt backs are one of my achilles heels (yes, I have more than one!). Sometimes when I've spent so much energy on the front, it's hard to tackle the back. But now there will be some quilting going on.
I received a bit of good news this week. My little home on the net was featured in Quilter's World magazine. Pretty cool. I like that she called me no-nonsense. I sure try to be. Inspirational...geez....a pretty nice shot in the arm during a tough week.

Red Cross and Fitness Friday

I had two of my virtual quilting bees make cross blocks for me, and then I made some more. I have crosses coming out of my ears, so before they take over the place I thought I'd better get started with them. I started with this amazing embroidery and teeny, tiny cross and made them a focal point for the quilt.I changed the layout loads of times and came up with this. I love the idea of crosses forming crosses.
Pretty fun looking at the differences in the individual crosses...there are some stunners in here. I think I'm going to like it!
And guess what? The American Red Cross featured this quilt on their facebook page. How fun is that!!
FITNESS FRIDAY!
I actually posted on Friday...aren't you impressed! We have some new members to the team this week. Welcome! I'm still working on getting you added in. The winner of the scrap prize is SARA! Sara, send me your address and I'll get it out to you. For the next prize....everyone is in...you just have to move! Sounds like most of you are doing pretty well. I actually made my goal this week....Yeah! Hope your butt is still in motion!
Have a great weekend!