Working on a New Art Quilt--Fifty Shades of Gray

I mentioned, in one of my latest blog posts, that I am going to be starting a new art piece and that I'm going to be documenting my progress along the way. Well, here goes...

I've had a picture in my "Inspiration" file for quite some time. I took the picture while I was with my husband on one of his business trips. I was in the hotel looking out over the city. (I can't even remember which city it was--they all run together after awhile.) Anyway, this is the picture.

It came to mind because SAQA currently has a call for entry for an exhibit called "Concrete and Grassland." This is the part of the "show concept" that made me think of this photograph--"This call for entry asks artists to submit works that explore either the soft lines of nature or the hard lines of urban structures..." I'm thinking this photo fits the "hard lines" part; the lines are what drew me to the photograph to begin with. I don't know if I'll try to get into the exhibit or if I'll get it finished in time, but it has given me an incentive to get to work on a new piece. Now, I just have to figure out how to put my rendition of this photograph into fabric.

Look for my Fifty Shades of Gray (so named because I'm thinking of making this first piece in lots of shades of gray) blog posts to follow my progress (or lack thereof).

 

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New Kicks

When I was in Missouri awhile back, I bought some new Sketchers "Go Walk" shoes. I bought the lightest color (closest to white cloth) they have, but I just CAN'T wear PLAIN sneakers. I finally got them finished. What do you think?

 

I think I can wear them now. (I need a "smiley" emoticon.)

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While the Cat's (Husband's) Away, the Mice (Quilter) Will Play

For those of you who read the last post, I DID reconstruct the block that had been sewn incorrectly. It wasn't fun, and it took awhile, but I'm happy with the top now (at least I thought I was). Every time I looked at it before the correction, my eye went directly to that block. THEN, one of my readers sent me an email and asked me if the block above it was correct...

Nate has been on a cruise for a few days, and I sewed from morning till night every day while he was gone! I had sewing/quilting "stuff" ALL OVER the house. Do you ever do this? You might ask, "Why aren't you sewing in your studio?" Well, I don't have a DVR in my studio (I might have to remedy that!), and I needed to catch up with some shows I had taped.

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

KITCHEN

You can see my new Sketcher Go Walk shoes in this picture. I'm in the process of Zentangling on them. As a side note--I'm having my stitching group here today (and my husband is coming home tomorrow), so the house is all cleaned up. I even cleaned my studio and worked down there last night.

I finished my large queen-size quilt top and made blocks for the Country Threads block of the month quilt. I only have one more month to go to be caught up with that. Here are my Country Threads blocks.

The blocks are all different sizes. If you are interested in this Block of the Month project, head on over to Country Threads where you will find the instructions for the blocks. I've enjoyed working on some traditional blocks for a change. It is a good diversion AND uses up a lot of my fabric that I won't be using in my art quilts.

For my fiber art friends who read my blog (if there are any left), I am starting a new piece and finishing another. I've decided to document the work on this new project on my blog. We'll see how that goes.

 

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Does This Ever Happen To You?

As I was completing my traditional LARGE queen-size quilt top, I noticed something that didn't look quite right. There was a block in the last row that didn't look quite right. I thought, "How can that be?" I remembered that I had taken a picture of all the blocks I had put out on my studio floor. I had really checked them out to make sure they were laid out correctly. When I went back to really scrutinize the picture this is what I found.

I had labeled each block with the row number and position of the block in the row (something I usually do not do). It had gone together SO smoothly. How could this have happened? When I studied the error, I realized the block placement was correct; the block construction was the error. Luckily, the block wasn't in the center of the quilt; but, nonetheless, it would be a pain in the butt to take out. What do you think? Did I leave it this way and call it my "humility block" or did I take it out, take the block apart, remake the block, reposition it, and resew it into the row?

 

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Look Ma--No Pins!

I'm still working on my traditional quilt. I just thought I'd share this picture with you.

Now, those of you in the "Quilt Police" will probably find fault in the matching of the seams, but for the vast majority of my friends (and definitely for me) the matches look pretty good. This quilt has a "ton" of seams to match. If I had pinned every one of them, I would have been working on this quilt for months and months. It is NOT an heirloom quilt; it is a scrap quilt. I expect it to be used and loved. That being said, I still expect the workmanship to be good. I did not use a single pin in the construction of this quilt.

"How did you do that?" you might ask. I find that careful pressing (seams pressed in opposite directions) allows for the seams to "snuggle" up to one another. If they are having a "snuggling problem," I use my trusty porcupine quill to push/hold them together. That porcupine quill is indispensable. I have found them at random booths at the Paducah quilt show, and I have purchased them from St. Theresa's Textile Trove. I imagine Becky still has some; contact her here if you are interested. While you are on her website, check out all the other great stuff she has.

 

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Working on a Traditional Quilt

I worked on some traditional quilt blocks during our guild quilt retreat in February. I really thought I got a lot done, but I didn't realize until I got home that I needed EIGHTY-ONE blocks for the size quilt I needed. I think I finished twenty some blocks at the retreat. Well, I have been worked on those remaining blocks this week while my husband was in Vegas.

I was a bit worried about a place large enough to lay out the blocks but found a spot in my studio. I laid the blocks out and...wouldn't you know...I was short ONE block!

I decided I'd not only make that missing block, but I'd make enough for another row, so the quilt would be rectangular instead of square. So, now I'm on my way to making TEN more blocks. If you are interested in this pattern (which is a great scrap buster), it is a Kaye England Signature Scraps Pattern called Bordered Nine-Patch. You can find it here--Bordered Nine-Patch.

I haven't done a lot of traditional piecing lately, but working on these blocks has been somewhat theraputic. It almost feels like meditation when I work on traditional blocks (and most of my family tends to like my traditional pieces as gifts better than my art pieces). Making traditional blocks is easy work for me--unlike working on my art pieces. I know the art part comes easy for some artists; but that doesn't come easy to me. It is WORK. I find working on my art to be invigorating, challenging/hard, rewarding, scary, meaningful, exciting, and so much more. When I need a break (time to "rest" or when I just need to make a gift); thought, I find myself turning to traditional quilting. When I need a "hit" of creativity, I work on my art.

 

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