zoom, zoom!

After a whirlwind weekend trip to meet our newest granddaughter, we are back in the valley.  zoom, zoom!

 Such a precious bundle!  We were more than content to just watch her sleep.  :)

 We weren't there for long, but we were there long enough to catch some local color.  hahaha!  The street signs have accents!

Other than meeting our granddaughter, not much has happened since my last post.  I finished the first collage,

 and started a second.  I have plenty of the same scraps still in the pile, so I'm going to try and do something a bit different with this one.  We'll see what happens.  Notice the little stars?  I found those at the bottom of the box.  I'm not sure what I fussy-cut them for, but they're perfect.

And I guess that's all I have for now.  I've begun the hand-quilting on another project, as well as set a goal to finish machine quilting one that is half done.  Perhaps I'll have one of them done in time to enter the next AQS quilt show.  Goals are good!

A Few Finishes

I've been steadily working my way through the stack of baby quilts that I basted last week.  I'm not going to win any races, but it feels good to check a few marked off as "done."  The aqua and grey quilt was the first one finished:

 Then there's this one, that was made from leftovers pulled from my leftover boxes.

 Number three is now quilted, with the binding in the process of being tacked down.  I like this picture, because it shows most of my studio.  There is the design wall on the left, and the ironing board directly behind me.  Behind the ironing board is the wall of cabinets holding my stash.  It looks like windows, because they're reflecting the window that I look out while I'm sitting at my machine.  I also like this photo because you can't see the floor, which is stacked with half-finished/undealt with projects/stuff.

 In cleaning out a closet, I found this treasure from 50 years ago.  Does that make it an antique?  My mom had it framed when I was little, and I had it in the attic.  When the glass broke, I put the picture in the closet.  Without the glass to protect it, it tore.  I didn't want to keep the physical drawing any longer, so it's now saved digitally.  If you wonder why I've long thought I'm not an Artist, this might give you a clue.

 Apparently when I was 5, I wasn't so worried about what others thought.  I knew it was beautiful, and proudly signed it.  If I were to name it today, what would I call it?  "Bald Hydrocephalic Lion"?  wow.  And yeah, I always did have trouble with faces...

I think I'll stick with fabric.  It seems to be my most successful medium.

Happy Quilting!

SAQA Auction Donation Quilt

The deadline is almost here for the submission of quilts for the annual SAQA fundraising online auction.  The quilts need to be there by 6/1/12, which is right around the corner.  I could ask, "What happened to May?!" but that's a whole other topic.  :)

Anyhoo, I've been trying to come up with something/anything to donate.  Yesterday, I finally made a decision/commitment.  It's supposed to be an Art Quilt, and I struggle with Art.  Design, no problem.  But Art?  It's a stumbling block.

Back in 2011, I went to Asilomar, and took a class with Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer.  This woven piece was one of our assignments.

 Some time last year, I quilted the weaving, and added some accents.  It's been hanging on my design wall every since, looking/waiting for inspiration.  Inspiration hit when I realized it was more than 12" square, and I could cut it down for a SAQA donation.  Chop, chop!  I pulled out the rotary cutter.

 This is the result:  a 12" square, with a splash of color.

Try as I might, I just can't seem to bring myself to collage with abandon.  I am too straight-laced, too uptight, and too set in my ways.  I wanted to be "organic," I've got raw edges all over the place, but my favorite part?  It's the smooth finished ribbon and lace.

The funny thing is that, if someone else had done this, I'd probably love it without qualifiers.  But to say that I made it?  Well, it just doesn't feel right.  Then again, it IS finished, and it IS something.  Let's hope that it speaks to someone else in sweeter tones than it does to me.

And that's all I've got, folks.  'Til the next time.

P.S.  Sorry about the margins and jumping back and forth from centered to left justification.  Blogger seems to make its own choices as to how to arrange my text.  I'm just lucky I can get it in there at all!!  mutter, mutter, "improvements"

I Cut Something!

I've been trying to decide what to work on.  How wonderful, to actually have time to quilt!  And yet, so little time.  I want to make the most of it.  How can it best be spent?  Good question.  How do YOU decide what to work on this minute?  Is it the project you've been working on steadily?  Do you go back to an abandoned UFO?  Does an upcoming potential deadline motivate you?

I keep getting the SAQA reminder that auction quilts are due by June 1.  That means that if I'm going to do anything - and I guess at this point, I should stress the "IF"... it needs to be EXACTLY 12" square, finished, and at its destination in less than 3 weeks.  At this point, I have nothing.  Is there a UFO in my box that could be put to use?  No, not really.

But wait! 

I have a box, containing a collage vest project, ala Rosemary Eichorn.  I took a class at least 5 years ago, got started, and never finished.  I pulled it out for a second embellishment class, added some beads, and shoved it back in the box.  I've grown (larger) since taking the class.  Why spend time on a vest that will not fit if/when finished?

 

No point, is there?  I haven't been motivated, despite loving the fabrics, the theme, and the collage work I'd already done.

And then I had the "aha!" moment.  I have a rotary cutter, I have a ruler.  Let's see if we can make something useful out of that useless vest.  Three hours later, here are the results.

 I have always been particularly fond of these frondy sea plants and sea urchins.  I don't want to cut it down, it measures 14" in one direction.  It will not do for SAQA, but it will do for a project when I need one.

I like the sea turtles too.  But to get them all in the frame, I still can't trim it down to 12".

The sea urchins standing alone are also fun.  Can't you just see some additional embellishments adding a lot to this understated piece?  It measures less than 12".

 There were some 5 x 7" pieces that will work for future quilted cards.  Useful for me, not for SAQA.

And finally, I took the leftovers and zigzagged them together.  I like the look, it's definitely "fiber art," eventually it may be quilted.  But it's not big enough for SAQA, and I don't have enough leftovers to make it bigger.  It is a fine size, as is.

 

So there you go.  I got inspired by a SAQA deadline AND a UFO.  The UFO is definitely on its way to becoming all kinds of fun art quilt project, but a SAQA piece?  No, not even close.

Despite my "failure," I'm pretty pleased with myself.  Today has been exceptionally productive.  woohoo!!