Secret Circles

 

Almost all the fabrics I used in this quilt are ones I hand painted. There are a few hand dyes which were needed to give the quilt some colors and values it needed.

Each of the circles was inset into a background square.

How many circles can you find? Look very closely as some of them are hard to see.

This quilt was done for almost a year except for the hand sewing required to finish the facings and rod pocket .

I even had about 8 hand sewing needles threaded. Then why did I put it off?

I was dreading sewing on the black background fabric I used on the back. I did find myself moving to a spot nearer the windows to see better. I also find when I am having difficulty seeing something I can actually work by feel, rather than sight if extreme accuracy is not necessary.

I like to use pretty fabrics on the back of my quilts that have some relationship to the front of the quilt. I also choose fabrics that have a lot going on so if the quilting is “less than perfect” it won’t be obvious when you look at the back of the quilt.

I know you have thought I have forgot about including puzzles in my blog. Unfortunately I just haven't had time to do it until today. So enjoy "Secret Ovals" with a "Circle" cut!

Triangle Quilt

I pieced this quilt about 5 years ago.

I added the borders today.

The fabrics were ones I dyed over an extended period of time. The border is that cotton/linen damask I love so well. It dyes up beautifully and adds so much texture to my work. Some of the fabrics were discharged. There is even some of the fabric that my son called the ugliest piece of fabric I’d ever created. Fabrics that are ugly as a whole can be fantastic when cut up and used in a composition.

It is about 37 inches high.

It will probably be the next quilt I quilt as I have the correct color bobbins wound!

This one will be a challenge to figure out how to finish it and hang it.

I Won!

I don’t enter blog give-aways so imagine my surprise when I got a message from Judy Laquidara that I won.

I shared my quilt on Judy’s June color Palette – not even realizing there was a giveaway connected with this.

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/07/01/july-color-palette-challenge/

I just love to share my work when it fits the subject.

She and Vicki Welsh have teamed up for a monthly color challenge.

My prize was a fat quarter pack from:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vickiwelsh?section_id=7607555

I love both these blogs and was thrilled to win my choice of a fat quarter pack.

This is the pack I chose. It is quite different than anything I have dyed and will work nicely with some of the hand dyes I have done myself.

Thank you Judy and Vicki. I read both your blogs ever day.

Quilts For Sale

I have had several questions/requests asking if my quilts are for sale.

Most of them are.

I don’t want to make my blog a commercial for selling quilts.

I am wondering if I should just add a separate blog listing quilts for sale?

Does anyone have a better idea – other than a website which I really can’t take the time for right now?

I’d appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Surface Design Quilt Quilted

I created these fabrics and pieced this top a little over 2 years ago. It often takes me that long (or more) to decide how I am going to quilt something. The gold fabric was created with flour paste resist and then paint was added. The black and navy fabrics were painted.

I’m pleased with the quilting and will be finishing this very soon.

This is a closeup of the quilting.

This quilt is more subtle than my normal work and I like it very much.

Still Having A Ball!

When I gave Blake a yarn ball for his birthday Nicholas tried juggling it. I asked him how many balls he could juggle and he said three. TO celebrate his birthday HE received 3 yarn balls. He had fun unwinding and rewinding them and juggling them and liked the surprise inside! I had hoped the surprise would be in the last ball he unwound. I calculated it right so it did happen that way.

When I told Jared he could wind all my yarn for me he quoted me an astronomical price to do the job! We talked about the cost of winding a BIG ball of yarn.. So he received a very BIG ball of yarn with knitting needles and the gift tag said it was a Do It Yourself Scarf Kit! He unwound and rewound it. He then decided he’d like to start knitting. I tried teaching him, but we didn’t have enough time. His sister knows how to knit so she will be his knitting tutor!

Jared received a ukulele for his birthday so he no longer has to share the Family ukulele. The whole family is musical and gets their talents from Julie’s side of the family.

Sunrise Sunset Potato Chip Quilt–Finished

This quilt was started in 2011 so it only took a little over a year to finish it!

I straightened up the edges and put a dark multicolor batik binding on it that blended with all the fabrics.

I also added a casing to the top edge on the back. I am not sure I will need the casing as I am thinking of adopting this as my new blankie!

I don’t think this is a quilt I want to sell.

If I want to take a nap I find if I cover myself with a blankie and sit in a lounging chair I am out in a few minutes!

I have previously posted the directions and more information on this quilt on my blog.

You can find the directions here:

http://quiltspluscolor.blogspot.com/2011/04/sunrise-sunset-quilt-tutorial.html

I can not begin to count the people who have used these directions and made some really great quilts. I hope you will make one too.

July 4th

I am sharing an old post card from my post card album with you today.

It has a 2 cent stamp on it!

I purchased an album of post cards at the Shipshewana flea market almost 20 years ago.

There are some beauties in there. As I find time to scan others you’ll get to see some of them.

I also have another post card album that belonged to my father in law.

Almost all of these post cards were actually sent through the mail and have messages on them.

They are so much fun to read.

For Never Plaid 2

It only took 3 years and this is done.

The blocks for this quilt spent 3 years on my design wall. I was not looking forward to putting them together as they were different sizes and shapes with no straight edges.

Even after they were joined and quilted there were still a few problem areas. I did some serious trimming and blocking to make this lay relatively flat. The quilting also helps flatten some of the surface irregularity.

The facings control the fullness on the edges.

 

I will have to say I did not really like the quilt before it was joined, quilted and finished.

Now I love it. It is quite amazing what quilting does for a quilt.

I think it also is successful because even though you may not be able to figure out my plan, there was a definite plan (formula) to the quilt.

If you can figure out the plan then the work is not as successful. Sometimes when a piece is completed I can’t even figure out what my plan was!

 

Yes, there was a For Never Plaid 1! It was started and finished 3 years ago.

Woven Gradation Quilt

I have no clever name for this quilt yet so I am just describing it!

This is one of the quilts I found as I was going through my works in progress. I really love it.

It is on my design wall and will hang there while I decide how I want to quilt it.

I used gradations of 3 colors horizontally and three different gradations vertically.

The background is a large print that reminds me of a jungle with tiger lilies!

Even using a large very busy print for the background the woven effect created with the hand dyes is not lost.

I am sure I did like this one when I pieced it but I had to go on to other things at the time and didn’t have time to finish it.

I always say though, if you don’t like something when you finish it put it away for 6 months and you will probably be very pleasantly surprised when you look at it again.

I would guess this one was pieced 15-20 years ago.

I’ve Got Some Neat “Young” Relatives

I’ve had so many quilt posts to share that somehow I didn’t get to post about my visit with my newest great niece.

 

She is such a pretty baby.

She has a beautiful Mom, handsome Dad and Awesome older brother.

Since she spends so much of her time sleeping and eating I’m going to share a few pictures of her awesome big brother who is a perpetual motion machine.

Here is 2 1/2 year old Sean washing the Morris Minor. Hope Dad doesn’t decide to sell it as Sean thinks it is his.

Sean is interested in any type of vehicle! I wonder if Dad has a little influence here!

He’s even ready to take off in flight with this small airplane.

I’ll be seeing them again, along with the rest of the family the end of the week.

Anderson Arts Center 20th Anniversary Juried Alumni Show

I was the only fiber artist to have work juried into this show.

My work is in the center and one the right. All the work in this particular gallery was black and white with a few touches of color on one piece.

I am not a skilled photographer and want to state that before you view the rest of this post.

The lighting of the work is first class. The Arts Center has fantastic windows that let in a lot of light. If I was a better photographer those things would not be a problem.

They allow the work to be shown in all it’s glory, but the photos I will be posting are not the greatest, even though the work itself is.

That said, let’s get on with the show!

“Girl’s Swim Team”  by Janet Roberts was an oil on vintage fabrics. I loved her work and have been drawn to it in previous shows at the AAC.

I guess you could call this piece another fiber piece but she is a painter rather than a fiber artist in my opinion.

“Team Guys”, an oil and mixed media is also by Janet Roberts.

“Wisconsinite Lackoon” by Michael Kutzer is an acrylic painting. There are so many things about this work that draw me in.

“Bullfrog’s Lullaby” is also by Michael Kutzer. Another favorite of mine.

This is a show I plan to visit again as there is so much wonderful art. I hope I have shared enough that you will get to see the show in person too.

Sea And Sand–It’s Finished

This is another finished quilt that I started in 2012. When I started to quilt it the quilting design just flowed for me. Often I have no idea how I am going to quilt something until I get it under the needle and it just happens. That is exactly what happened with this one.

This is a close-up of the quilting on one section of the sand.

This is the quilting design I used for the sea.

Another section of sand – with a color variation.

I do not do realistic, but I sometimes suggest real things abstractly which I have done in this piece.

Mystic Spirit

This is the first of two quilts I finished yesterday.

I am so happy with this quilt – design, quilting and workmanship.

Can you see the spirit in this quilt?

Almost all the fabrics are the shibori fabrics I created in the recent dyeing season.

My word for 2011 was imperfection. I seem to have forgotten that when I made this and strived for perfection. I’ve come as close as I ever do to that!

This is the back of the quilt. You can see the facings I used to finish the edges as well as the casing (rod pocket) at the top to hang the quilt.

I used fusible Pellon polyester fleece as a filler. The backing fabric coordinates well with the front of the quilt.

Some of the finished quilts I have been showing you recently were started years ago. This one was only started months ago.

Ramblin’ Rose–It’s Done!

Ramblin’ Rose is finished. I am so pleased with it.

And to think, it only took me 19 years from start to finish!

I used Pellon fusible polyester fleece in this as the filler.

I backed it with a medium weight drapery fabric. This gives a wall quilt body and helps it hang flat.

Depending on the size of the quilt, it normally does not require a casing on the bottom to make it hang straight.

Heading Toward Another Finish–It’s Quilted

This is ready to layer and then quilt.

I am using Pellon Fusible Polyester Fleece. I fuse it to the back of the quilt top.

You can see the fabric at the right that I am using for the backing, facings and casing.

I like to choose a fabric that coordinates with the front of the quilt. You may not see it when it is hanging on the wall, but when I have a nice fabric on the back I do my best work.

I compare it to wearing pretty underwear – no one sees it but it makes you feel good!

I really enjoy doing the machine quilting. I did slightly irregular horizontal lines on this quilt.

I can really put the pedal to the medal and zoom across the rows. I also find this is almost a Zen form of quilting.

This is a close up of the quilting. The stitched lines are 1/8 to 3/16th inches apart. This was the best proportion for the size of the quilt. It also adds body to the quilt.

The only thing left to do is attach the facings and casing and sew them down by hand. That will actually take longer than it did to quilt it!

Design Process – “Rainbow Quilt”–Working On It

This is the point I am at right now with this quilt design. I am not so sure it will be the final design, but it is only about the 10th idea I have tried with these fabrics.

I’d like to share a few steps along the way with you so you can follow my design process on this particular piece.

I started out by joining the three pieces that will make up the center area of the quilt.

I added a strip of the secondary fabric to each edge after I determined what I though a proportional width should be.

I really thought that this would make a great asymmetrical design so I cut strips a width I thought would work and pinned them to the quilt.

It was soon obvious they were too wide so I went on to the next design you will see.

While this was an improvement it still wasn’t good.

This is where I listened to the quilt and it told me it wanted to be symmetrical.

I added two strips that were the same and moved them towards the outer edges.

The last thing I did was to add the center strip you saw in the first photo.

I will now leave this on the design wall and study it while I work on other pieces.

Even though some things I create look simple you can probably see now that simple is not quick and easy!

Gorgeous Quilt Is On The Wall

We were able to get this quilt hung on the wall in Jessica’s room yesterday. It is the perfect finishing touch to the room.

Unfortunately the lights in this room are not color corrected like those in the studio so the color is a little off.

Since Jessica didn’t come to visit this weekend, we may have to call this Jared’s room for now!

Jared’s Jams

I enjoyed spending time with my grandson Jared yesterday. I asked him if he would like to make some Strawberry and Raspberry jam with me and he said he would.

We made freezer jams and he did most of the work!

We made one batch of each. This is our yield from the two batches – minus two containers Julie took to his other grandma and the one container we taste tested.

It is now ready to go into the freezer and/or refrigerator.

It is delicious – nothing like homemade jams and jellies!

What Is A Tessellation?

I have done many posts about my adventures with Tessellations. I received a comment this week that made me think this is a  post worth repeating.

She said she NOW understands what a tessellation is after reading this. I hope if any of you are wondering this will clarify it for you too.

Tessellations from The Colors Of My Life series - Rerun

In reality all the quilts in this series qualify as tessellations since they are made up of squares.
One definition of tessellation is fit together without leaving any spaces.
The quilts I will feature are those where the shape of the design element forms a tessellation.
I will also share some where the design element comes close to creating a tessellation but doesn't quite.

The design formed by the four patches of individual colors in this quilt are NOT a tessellation. I had to fill them in with the one patch of a different color.

Each unit of color tessellates in this quilt. Each unit is made up of 18 shaded squares of a color. I wanted this quilt to be square so there are partial units along the edges. I could have continued them for full shapes.

This design is similar to the previous one but the units do NOT tessellate. They had to be filled in with the 4 gray squares.

The simple crosses form a tessellation in this quilt alternating black, brown or gray for every other cross.

When you first look at this you may say the shapes here do NOT tessellate. Keep looking and see if you CAN find the shape. It may help you to see the tessellating shapes if you squint or take off your glasses.

If you can not find it now look at the photo in gray scale and I think you WILL be able to see it. There are light shapes and dark shapes that tessellate with each other.

There are many other ways to create tessellated shapes. You can find some of them on my blog by putting tessellations in the box on the upper left hand corner and clicking on the magnifying glass. This is a fascinating adventure and I hope you will enjoy it.