Using Extra Blocks

I'm Working On It

These blocks were created as demonstration pieces as I taught this original sampler class. It took me over 20 years to use them in the following quilt.

Although it may not seam I am working on this now, deciding how to quilt it is one of the steps in creating a finished quilt. That is where I am on my journey right now

Why I Blog

What Do I Get From Writing My Blog? Part 1

I really get a chance to observe what I am doing and think about why I have been doing it for almost 10 years.
It gives me a chance to think about priorities and what is important for me.
For me it is my personal diary that I share with all of you.
It also gives clarity to things that happened long before I started this.
My blog post yesterday was about the quilts, both finished and works in progress.

It is not a race to see how many quilts I can make. Each one has served a different purpose from the very first quilt from a Lee Wards kit I made to those I am currently working on. There is little similarity from first to last other than the fact that they all use fabric.
It is my passion and since I no longer teach this is one way I can share my work with you. I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to all those students who I have had the pleasure to share sewing and quilting with. They kept pushing me for more, more, more and 
No, I very seldom do tutorials, but there are a few.

My Block Printed Quilt

 

Hand Carved Block Prints

About a year ago some friends and I got together and carved our own blocks to print.
Then a few days later we met again and practiced printing with them.
I brought a variety of fabrics with and experimented with different paints, brushes and rollers, and how they worked on the different fabrics. I was bound determined I was not going to purchase any other paints or supplies.
I was semi pleased with most of them. Robbie kept telling me they were good prints.

All of the fabrics had been shibori over dyed with black or red dye.
Fast forward to last week when I decided to cut them up and make something. 
The irregular spacing made it a time consuming process to fussy cut and get the most useable prints, I used 30 of the 34 I was able to cut.
I spaced the block I had most of every other space, filling in with the others.
I cut narrow strips for the border from what was left.
My favorite part creating this quilt was doing the spiral machine quilting. It has become a feature in my recent work

Broken Star,Quilt

 

Broken Star With Special Hand Quilting

I shared this quilt on a hand quilting list and everyone is going crazy over it.
The background fabric has these swirly line printed on it so the quilting follows those lines. 
The fabric also has an ombre effect which I used to advantage.
It was acquired by collectors of my work.

Granny Loves To Entertain

A1

I often refer to it as my studio in the tree tops and this is the view as I sit at the machine and sew. Granny is right there keeping me company.


Granny loves to invite her girlfriends over to visit.

Grand Finale

 

Two Quilts In One–My Masterpiece

If you look at this quilt from the left this is what you will see. 

When you look from the right this is what you will see. The view changes and blends as you look and walk from one side to the other.

When you are at the center this is what you see.

It was a very challenging piece to create.
I spent several YEARS trying to figure out how to assemble it so it would allow each side to stand on it’s own.
I felt like I had to climb inside the quilt to sew the sections together.
The last part had me stumped. I could not make the armatures myself to fill the sections.
Off to my favorite gallery . 

Starting The Journey From Wearable Art To A Qullt

 I spent about 6 hours today taking apart this jacket.

All I removed is this one small section of quilt blocks,

When I make something it is never going to fall apart and that is why it took so long.

The journey has just begun but I am anxious to see the result.