One More Time–Another Quilt For Sale

LUCKY STARS   45 inches wide x 56 inches high

Price $1150

Price does not include shipping and insurance. Payment by PayPal or check.

This quilt is an original design and my original technique to create a 6 point star

The Jinny Beyer fabric border is perfectly mitered with identical miters on each corner.

This beautiful rose print is used to back the quilt. There is a fabric casing at the top to insert a slat or rod to hang the quilt.

Awesome quilting that compliments the quilt design. This close up of the back shows some of the quilting that was hardly visible on the photos of the front.

This is a generous size wall quilt that could also be used as a throw or napping quilt.

Prove Me Wrong!

I got an email from a friend this morning. She told me how she had taken a beginning quilting class. The teacher said you could NOT get perfect points by sewing a block together on the machine.
My friend, a talented professional costume stitcher sewed hers on the machine and they were PERFECT. The teacher said she was lucky…..NO, she was skillful and the teacher was a poor teacher in my opinion.
I had sewn for years before I began serious quilting. I had sewn almost any kind of clothing from the skin out. I had sewn drapes, bedspreads, slipcovers and just about anything you could imagine.
I have sewn almost all my work on the machine. Some things are easy to machine piece and some are challenging. I want to share a few of the more challenging ones with you today.

I didn’t expect all 16 points in the center of this quilt to come together without a hole in the center and knew I could just applique a circle over the center.

There is absolutely NO hole in the center and everything came out perfectly.

I pieced this Mariner’s Compass point with pieces I cut from a border print. It’s hard to tell where the seam is.

When I look at this quilt it is hard to tell where the seams are on the circular border. 

Yes, I can see them on the closeup, but when looking at the entire circle it is hard to find them.
It all depends on where one’s skills are as to whether it is better to hand or machine piece. They each have their advantages and disadvantages.
I try not to say there is only one right way to do something when teaching.
Yes, I share the way I prefer and think will be easiest for my students.
Whether it is piecing skills, quilting methods and designs, or use of color and design I demonstrate what I think works best.
When students question my ways, I always tell them to “Prove me wrong”!
I think that is a good way to challenge them to think for themselves.

National Quilting Day

I have decided my contribution to National Quilting Day will be sharing some of my favorite traditional quilts I have made through the years.

This is a miniature Amish Bars quilt I made. It is about 8 inches square. I hand quilted it.

This is a very simple 9 patch with stars quilt that was part of my Historic Concepts series.

This basket quilt was made in the 30’s style with a muslin background and what I call mattress pad style quilting. I photographed it before I removed the markings so the motifs between the blocks would show up better.

This pattern is called Lady Of The Lake. I titled this particular one Gardens of the Grand Hotel as it reminded me of the way the flower beds were laid out at The Grand Hotel in Mackinac, Michigan.

This is an original block I designed for a 15th anniversary. Although it is original, it has the feeling of a very traditional design.

Threads Through Time is a log cabin block that is a tribute to my ancestors. It is hand quilted around each individual log.

Through The Years is an original design using 3 different traditional blocks. It is the only quilt I am showing you that is machine quilted.

This Trip Around The World quilt was made entirely with silks. It just glows and works well in a dark spot.

Silk takes color so beautifully.

Since I started as a traditional quilter these are just a small portion of the traditional quilts I made.

I had no idea when I started that there were any other types of quilts.

A Reunion With A Long Lost Friend!

I spent a great afternoon with my first college room mate today, Donna Dempsey Lee.

She hasn’t changed a bit and I would have recognized her anywhere. It has been close to 50 years since we have seen each other.

I really enjoyed hearing about what she has done, about her family and where she has lived.

The most exciting thing is she lives about 10 miles from me so we will have more chances to get together.

I still remember the first time I walked into our dorm room and she was sitting there on the lower bunk.

I also remember her sewing skills…..I had never seen anyone who could do such small beautiful even hand stitches as she did on her award winning chartreuse skirt!

Yes, it is true…everyone moves to Florida eventually!

Knowing My Own Artistic Style

I’ve always loved quilts.

When I started quilting my goal was to make one of every block there was!

I had NO idea there were so many, but at the time there was so little information that I thought I could do it.

I also had no idea we could design our own blocks.

Along the way my interest in quilting took many different directions and paths leading to where I currently am.

Without those paths I could not be where I am today.

I am going to share some of my somewhat recent work with you so you can see where I am along that path today.

FAST FORWARD TO 2013-2014………………..

You’ve seen this one recently and it was the first time I’ve made blocks with freeform curved piecing.

I was never going to dye my own fabric…I thought it took too much time and I could buy it from others and save my valuable time for creating.

There is no way anyone else could have dyed this piece I recently dyed!

I know I am much more comfortable with my own original designs. 

I love designs that don’t repeat in a regular format and are asymmetrical and somewhat intuitive.

This doesn’t mean these are the only types of designs I create, but they are those I am generally most satisfied with.

I also have learned not to rush a piece to complete it. I know that like fine wine, some take a long time….even years and that’s OK with me.

Where do I go from here?

Wherever the path leads me!

Quilt For Sale At Special Price For Limited Time-SOLD

I will be offering some of my quilts for sale at very low prices from time to time.

Of course they will be on a first come basis.

If they do not sell within one week they will again go back to their regular price and be listed on my Quilts For Sale page.

http://kaysorensenshop.blogspot.com/

SERENITY is the first quilt I am offering.

I hope the Zen like design will create serenity in you life.

It is made with fabrics I have shibori dyed. The fabrics are 100% cottons along with a piece of special cotton linen damask.

The quilt was intuitively pieced. The quilting compliments the shapes of the patchwork.

It measures 15 inches wide by 25 inches high. It has a rod pocket on the back to facilitate hanging and displaying it.

Regular price: $520   Special price through March 16, 2014 11:59 p.m. $295.

SOLD

Prices do not include shipping.

I will accept PayPal or check.

If you would like more information about this  or would like to purchase it  please contact me at: kay@kaysorensen.com

STRATA–It’s Not Something You Eat

At least to a quilter it’s not!

I am currently working on a secret project that I can not share until sometime in April.

I’m in the process of making the strata for it and I am loving it. Once the strata is complete it will be “sliced and/or diced”!

This is a strata pieced to possibly use for the quilt I am going to show you.

This piece of strata was pieced diagonally and I sliced off one end to make it even. It could be used for binding or in the design process of a piece.

This is a small quilt I started years ago and haven’t yet finished. The thing that has been holding me up is that I ran out of the background fabric and need to create more.

This quilt will go on the back burner a while longer as I have other work with higher priorities.

This was made from a “form” of strata.

I used a striped fabric and just sliced it to create a Trip Around The World design.

I give the Seminole Indians credit for this technique as they have used it in their patchwork clothing since around 1920. this beautiful skirt is an example of Seminole patchwork.

 

We use our rotary cutters to cut the fabric and slice and dice the resulting strata.

Their method is to tear the strips. I know they used treadle machines to make their clothing at one time.

I’m not sure  what tools they use today.

Remember To SPRING Ahead Tonight

You don’t have to get up at 2 a.m. to change your clocks! Do it before you go to bed!

Fortunately our computers reset themselves.

And don’t forget to change those smoke detector batteries.

Whatever you do, don’t FALL back! You can’t do that until November 1st!

This has been a public service announcement on my blog!

Serenity–Finished

I am always thrilled when I finish a quilt. I am even more thrilled when I am pleased with it.

Serenity is my 386th finished quilt.

This is what it looked like before I trimmed the edges. I had planned on finishing it with a curved irregular edge, but as I was working on it I realized it wanted to be squared off.

I used shibori fabrics I had dyed. They were actually left from previous quilts I created.

The piecing is freeform curved piecing, a technique I gave a demonstration on to our Art Quilt group recently.

It is such an easy and freeing way to work.

Generally I let the quilting mimic the pattern in the shibori fabrics.

This quilt told me it wanted me to emphasize the free form curve piecing.

I may start with a general idea when I create something, but I make many changes and decisions along the way.

I think this allows me to create better art.

THIS POST IS MY 1400th POST TO MY BLOG.

Mt. Dora Lake and Canal

 

Tuesday we took a boat ride on Mt. Dora Lake and canal.

It was a perfect day – not too hot and not too cold.

The lake was so much larger than we had thought it was.

The ride winding through the canal was so interesting.

We saw eagles, alligators, snakes, birds and other wildlife.

The vegetation was lush, interesting and varied.

After the tour we walked to The Goblin Market and I had my usual, the Tempura Dipped Artichoke Hearts.

We spent some time browsing in the shops and I am happy to report I didn’t buy a thing!

456,654–One Of Them! AND A New Quilt I’m Designing

At 9:27 a.m. on 3/5/2014 I caught another Palindromic number of posts on my blog.

I’m not just sitting at the computer waiting for them to come up……

I am busy cutting test strips of 19 fabrics to use to design a quilt.

I’m excited about this as it’s all about color, shading and value differences.

I’m using a yet to be released group of commercial fabrics and doing this as a sample and pattern for the company.

I’ll posted what I am doing if and when I have their approval to share.

MORE Needle Felting With My Embellisher

I am working a series of small needle felted pieces.
These 12 are at various stages of completion. When I am finished there will be about 34 of them.
Each is being done on a fabric swatch and the colors flow through the spectrum.
The designs change as ideas flow in and out.
It is my goal that each will stand on their own as a small precious piece of art and that they will also make a cohesive statement when viewed together.

Mystic Spirit is another piece I needle felted. I painted a piece of silk noil. I laid various fibers on it and needle felted the layers together.
If is framed between 2 pieces of glass. When you hang it on the wall you see a little of your wall color between the art and the frame. The white circle is a reflection of the flash. I have not learned how to take photos of something behind glass without getting that glare.

Simple Elegance is another piece I framed between two pieces of glass. It is made from hand dyed fabric and is fused, machine appliqued and hand embroidered. Another spot from the flash.
A nice feature about framing work this way is that when you add your wall color as the back ground they are great on almost any color wall. This one is not needle felted but shows the same framing method.

SOLD
A Sacred Place is one of my larger framed works. It is needle felted. There is no quilting. This uses a variety of silks and other fibers. I am in love with the way silk takes color.

Monolith is another needle felted work. I created it with my hand dyed cottons. Again, there is no quilting and it is a larger framed work.

Needle Felting With An Embellisher Machine

So many people think you need to use wool with a needle felting machine. I am sharing some of the things I have done with mine.

I do use wool roving, but only in small amounts usually, to shade, accent or change the colors of the other fabrics I choose to use.

In addition to making quilts I also use my color and design skills in some other mediums.
This is a pillow I made with my Embellisher machine.
When I start a project with the Embellisher I have no idea where I am heading. I just pick up something for a base. Then I start adding bits and pieces of fabrics. Nothing is off limits when I use my Embellisher. It needle felts the layers together.
It looks like a sewing machine but you do NOT use thread.

This is a closeup of the design panel on the pillow. I used a lot of what I call cheapy sleazy slippery fabrics. I also used wisps of wool roving to blend things together an also to accent the design.

I finished this with a polymer clay bead I had made and some vintage beads. The beads were sewn on by hand. The only time I sew something on my hand is if there is no way it can be done on the sewing machine!
I really enjoy this carefree way of creating art.

When I went to a fiber art retreat I took my Embellisher machine with me.
At the retreat there was a large collection of fabric we could play with. Much of this was fabric I would never touch or look twice at. Sleazy shiny polyesters and nylons, ugly cottons and linens, sheers, reject hand dyed or painted fabrics, etc..
These were the perfect fabrics to experiment with. I truly was going from rags to riches.
By the time the retreat was over almost every one there wanted one. It is so much fun to work with.

This piece used some cut offs of silk fabrics I painted along with other fabrics. It also includes some wool roving.

This one uses commercial fabrics of varying weights and textures.

I used a lot of sheers and semi sheers on this piece. I also used the selvedge part of the pink fabric to provide another texture.
Nothing goes to waste, even the smallest scraps when you have this machine!

After layering a collage of different weights and types of fabric, including some metallics I added the silk textured yarn for an additional texture.

Metallics, sheers and wool roving are the basis for this piece.
An Embellisher is a machine with several barbed needles that "fasten" the various fibers together.
There are several different brands. They use NO thread.