tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55688838225083802042024-03-14T07:01:30.131-04:00Quilter Beth's BlogThis is a blog about my passion--quilting and textile art.Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.comBlogger694125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-83015346171888135172023-04-26T09:51:00.001-04:002023-04-26T09:51:14.456-04:00A Retreat and an Embroidery Jackpot! The week of April 17 I got to spent time in Tennessee with some of my quilting friends. Twice a year we meet and have a retreat at a friend's house in Crossville. What a wonderful time we had! I finished binding a bargello quilt, a toddler's quilt, a bed scarf or bed runner, and three table runners. I also did some hand quilting on an art piece I have started.(I'll show you all these piecesQuilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-9435401098829239432023-04-03T16:20:00.003-04:002023-04-03T16:20:51.843-04:00Finishing Up Some Things and a VisitI have been finishing up some UFOs while practicing quilting on my new Bernina Q20 sit down long arm machine. I need to get A LOT of practice in before I attempt to quilt my two Phoenix art quilts. I DO feel like I’m getting better, and I’m feeling more comfortable on the machine.This is my latest finished work. I had made the table runner awhile ago, but got it layered, basted, and quilted Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-41661881630162636162023-03-13T17:45:00.003-04:002023-03-13T17:45:30.559-04:00Tie Kawandi-Inspired QuiltFor those of you who know me, you know I lost my husband (Nate) in June of 2019. Last September, I started a quilt made with his silk ties and some of his shirts using a method I have dubbed "kawandi-inspired." It is sort of like appliqué and quilt as you go combined. The size is decided up front; this kawandi measures approximately 60" X 70".In my kawandi, the ties and shirts serve as a metaphorQuilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-47089166204032292262023-02-23T20:03:00.008-05:002023-02-23T20:07:02.021-05:00Myriad Interpretations of Language ProjectAwhile ago, Sam Hunter put out a call for some blocks for a quilt she wanted to make. I thought it was doable for me at that time, so I decided to make a block. This is the idea she shared with us—“I invite you to stitch a block, following some very simple instructions. The project is to interpret the instructions the way YOU think fit; there is no right or wrong. Once I put the collective Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-53542514820538560392023-02-21T14:17:00.000-05:002023-02-21T14:17:04.962-05:00It Has Been a Minute!During the pandemic, I took a kawandi-making class and made this piece. It is called "The Days Run Hot and Cold." That is how I was feeling at the time. I made lots of "mistakes" with this first kawandi. I didn't know how to judge where to add my pieces, so some of the seams were not secured as they needed to be. That "mistake" led me to adding some embroidery onto the surface. I ended up Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-54989610849298916552020-11-08T15:56:00.002-05:002020-11-08T16:02:21.271-05:00Still Making Masks--Mask Pattern for Men with Big Beards I never gave it a thought that men with large heads and huge beards might have trouble finding masks that fit them. Well, that problem DOES exist. My niece recently contacted me to ask if I could make a mask for her husband. She said that when he wears a "regular" mask he looks like he has a duck bill and his friends are giving him a hard time about it.I began the search for a pattern I Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-79228226455663616402020-10-20T19:19:00.002-04:002020-10-20T19:19:49.574-04:00Exciting News for MeI got some really exciting news recently--I will have a quilt in Quilt National '21! The email said, "Congratulations! Your quilt, Journey of the Painted Ladies, has been selected by our jury to participate in Quilt National '21. Acceptance into this show is a great honor, as the jurors have been very selective to ensure a compelling and diverse exhibition that highlights excellence in Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-46416780621821627452020-10-06T21:54:00.002-04:002020-10-06T21:57:01.087-04:00An Exhibit by the Art Cloth Network--The Space BetweenOn Monday, I went to Krempp Gallery in Jasper, IN, to pick up a piece for a friend of mine from an exhibit that had just closed. While I was there, I got to see the new exhibit of pieces from the Art Cloth Network. The Art Cloth Network is "a diverse group of professional artists from the US and Canada who have come together with a common goal--to promote the medium of cloth as an art form and Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-43113358843362064162020-09-18T10:53:00.001-04:002020-09-18T10:53:24.042-04:00Fractured Finished (2)In my last post, I wrote about working on a quilt I called Fractured. Well, IT IS FINISHED! As I'm writing this, it is in the washing machine. I finished hand stitching the binding last night. First, let me show you all the "help" I had while stitching that binding. What is it about quilts that cats like SO much? Every time I took a break from working on it, I had to shoo a cat off of it!I Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-72001527779245279232020-09-02T16:20:00.006-04:002020-09-02T16:20:48.042-04:00Working on "Fractured" (1)I've been busy working on my "Fractured" quilt--making block after block. As Kathy suggested when she commented on this blog post, "Make lots and lots and then make some more." Well, I have done that. In the last week or so, I have made approximately 75 blocks. I haven't yet decided what size I'm going to make the piece, but I wanted to have a variety of blocks from which to choose. I MAY end up Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-60926316122251640752020-08-24T18:59:00.002-04:002020-08-24T19:01:00.322-04:00Some Much Needed Sister TimeMy birthday was last week, and my sister made the trip to my house from Tennessee. We have both been very careful with COVID protocols and both are in agreement that being with family is essential for our mental health. She made my favorite foods--her chicken salad and a big German Chocolate cake. We ate on those all week. They were both DELICIOUS!We took a little drive to our hometown (Orleans, Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-59060860352048785582020-08-17T12:04:00.000-04:002020-08-17T12:04:25.444-04:00In the Meadow--Wool Table Runner Last week I finished up some things I had started LONG ago. I found three wool projects--all in different stages of completion. I still liked all of them and decided it would be worth my time to finish them.This is the first one I finished. I think it is really cute and will be gifted to someone special this Christmas.This is a Backyard Friends pattern called #292-In the Meadow. I really enjoyed Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-53134233811694181342020-08-09T12:44:00.001-04:002020-08-09T12:46:48.600-04:00Dryer-Sheet QuiltI have been working on my "dryer-sheet" quilt this week. Used dryer sheets are the foundation for the blocks. The dryer sheets are thin enough that they won't have to be removed once the blocks are finished.I have completed several blocks and am ready to put the blocks together. I have put the blocks up on my design wall and have to decide how to put them together. Here are a few of the Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-38609477986024950582020-08-04T14:04:00.000-04:002020-08-04T14:07:49.249-04:002020 Stitched ArtI have found that hand stitching brings me a kind of peace I can't find doing anything else. It is like meditation for me. I am currently taking on-line classes through the Textile Artist website. I belong to what they call a "Stitch Club." I pay a monthly fee and get three classes a month led by VERY prestigious fiber artists. This week's class was led by Cas Holmes, whose work I have loved for Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-46413144162190957802020-08-01T16:37:00.003-04:002020-08-01T16:39:56.089-04:00Something to Do While You Work/A TripSince the last post, I have listened to two more audiobooks and have made a trip to Arkansas and Tennessee. First, I'll fill you in on the books. My favorite book was This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. I have heard from people who read his mystery series. (I haven't read any of those but plan to.) These books are definitely not mystery books. This book is about four orphans trying to Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-62583068601501475332020-07-21T21:11:00.000-04:002020-07-21T21:11:32.018-04:00Audiobooks and SewingWhile I'm doing some of the things I HAVE to do but don't really LIKE to do (like making and attaching a sleeve to my quilts, squaring up my quilts, and facing my quilts), I listen to audiobooks and podcasts. I have been using my local library apps (Libby and RBDigital) to listen to a book while I work on my fiber art (and while I do some of my chores around the house). I have some wireless Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-28363301613649733752020-07-08T11:23:00.001-04:002020-07-08T11:23:38.909-04:00It Isn't My Favorite Thing To DoLately, I have been trying to do some finishing work on two quilts that have a deadline. Finishing work is definitely NOT my favorite thing to do. I like the designing, drawing, playing, figuring things out, putting things together, and bringing the ideas I have in my mind to life. First, there is trimming and squaring up the quilt. I looked for a good video tutorial on squaring up an art Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-52712761687804024602020-07-03T11:11:00.003-04:002020-07-03T11:21:09.851-04:00Catching UpLast week, I was reading my SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) Journal and was pleasantly surprised to see my quilt, Scorched Earth, in the magazine.As I looked at it, I realized the quilt is printed upside down. Oh well, I was excited to see it in the magazine, and I like how it looks both the way I oriented it and the way it was printed in the magazine.I also finished a quilt top that has been Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-20592825033225431662020-06-30T15:39:00.001-04:002020-06-30T15:50:49.508-04:00It Has Been a Long TimeIt has been such a long time since I posted to this blog. After Nate (my husband) died, I had a hard time concentrating--getting started on anything. Now, with this COVID situation, I find myself in much the same mindset. I have more time, but I am having trouble concentrating on anything. Are you having trouble too?I have been sewing--"mindless" sewing. I have been collecting used dryer sheets Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-31352533850421520002019-08-31T15:21:00.000-04:002019-08-31T15:22:18.354-04:00Isn’t He Cute
Isn’t he cute! He also has a story.
He comes from the Fish Museum and Circus on-line shop owned by Deborah Fisher. She hand makes all the little ceramic curiosities in her shop. She puts out an email newsletter in which she lets the subscribers know when her on-line sales will become active. If you are interested in getting one of her pieces, you have to know this because her Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-1130825009137455292019-08-19T00:00:00.000-04:002019-08-19T00:00:21.012-04:00Retreat—Nashville, Indiana
I just got back from another quilt retreat. This one was in Nashville, Indiana, at the Cornerstone Inn. The participants of this retreat come from a lot of different places—Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida. I only get to see (most of the participants) twice a year, so I would hate to miss this one.
This is the first time I’ve seen these girls since Nate died. I’m was a little Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-22160832866940812332019-08-17T15:28:00.001-04:002019-08-17T15:28:22.891-04:00The “Girls”—Nashville Retreat (August 2019)
I just completed a retreat in Nashville, Indiana. This particular group of women meet twice a year at the Cornerstone Inn for five days and four nights of fun. We manage to talk a lot, eat a lot, laugh a lot, and make some progress on projects we want to get done.
I can’t say enough about how supportive this group of women are to one another. I am a relative “newbie” compared to many of them;Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-76876663967068995752019-08-09T11:06:00.000-04:002019-08-09T11:13:20.453-04:00Retreat Finale
At this latest retreat, I really tried to stay focused and work on my “butterfly” quilt. I managed to get a little more done. (It takes a LONG time.) I have found that it isn’t as much fun to work on the dark, neutral colors as it is to work on the parts that contains those beautiful Caribbean colors.
Here are pictures of what others were working on.
Lora worked on a jelly Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-25863678134669570952019-08-07T11:41:00.004-04:002019-08-07T11:52:29.730-04:00Quilt Retreat—Days 1 and 2
I am currently at a quilting retreat with friends. I haven’t done much creating for many months, and I was a bit concerned about whether I could concentrate long enough to get ANYTHING done. I HAVE managed to do a bit (and write this blog post).
For the first two days, I worked on my “butterfly migration” art quilt. This is a VERY time consuming endeavor. Each piece is hand drawn, hand fused,Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568883822508380204.post-73388640502409605762019-08-04T00:00:00.000-04:002019-08-04T00:00:05.201-04:00Meet Macy
Warning—this is NOT quilt or art related.
Most of you that kept up with my life for the last nine months know the story of my new kitten, but for those of you that don’t here goes...
When Nate was in hospice, I told him I didn’t know what I’d do about picking out a new kitten/cat without him. (The cat I have is 15 years old; I love that cat. It would be really hard on me to be Quilter Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692414632379402401noreply@blogger.com9