Look Who Finally Came Home

After spending the summer with Michael and Julia Oakshott and attending the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, Colour Shot came home to roost.... is it possible to be jealous of one's own quilt?

Look at the wonderful post cards Michael made up of my quilt....I'm quite thrilled he sent me a stack.

Guess what else came home with my quilt.....Thanks so much  Michael and Julia!!

The Oakshott Booth at the Birmingham Festival of Quilts. 

Can you see Colour Shot hanging out with all the other fabulous quilts? What a fabulous opportunity.

Think I'll Go Back to Alberta....

weather's good there in the fall....
So then why did they add the line....if I get there before the snow flies

Oh dear, it's always so hard to leave my beloved West Coast Studio.
I did make a few improvements while I was here.
I'm always amazed how moving a few things around can make all the difference, in how a work space functions.
 I think I've mentioned that this is my third attempt, but this time I think I actually got it.

Hanging the TV, freed up more space than I anticipated. 

 

 The cupboard that used to act as a TV stand is now beside the desk, creating an extra work surface...can never have enough of that.

That same cupboard with a much larger TV used to sit right here....now that's  it's gone ,there is one huge design wall.

The whole room is much more functional now. Of course, now that I've got it just the way I want, it's back to Alberta.

Four strong winds that blow lonely......good thing my adorable grand kids are there....

 Improv... rather than patterns or exact methods is the way I like to work. It's a journey that's often a little difficult to describe and takes inspiration from many walks of life.

Jean Wells does a wonderful job of it, in her book, Journey to Inspired Art Quilting.
 Jean also covers the topic of presenting or displaying quilts in unique and innovative ways.

This is  a very well laid out and inspiring book full beautiful photography, where Jean's love of nature shines through.
 

 

The Design Wall that Just keeps on Growing/Quilt Photography

 Now that I'm back in my West Coast Studio, I just couldn't help adding a few more panels to my design wall....and to my pleasant surprise, they were quite simple to move around.....those Command strips really are amazing.

 

By making the decision to switch the TV, in the room, to a smaller one, that can be wall mounted...I created more wall space, and you know what that means!!! The design wall now measures approximately 60 inches by 143 inches, and there's still room to go up higher, I'm still considering that.

 

Would you look at the size of that baby. It took moving stuff around several times, to get a layout that accommodates a design wall this large. I find work spaces can be tricky to get just the way you like them....you actually have to work in them, for a while to see if the flow is right. I think this is probably my fourth layout, for this particular room.

 

On photographing quilts....I'm going to try something new. I've decided to have a few of my quilts photographed professionally.

 

Many quilters don't think twice about sending their quilts out to be quilted, something I won't consider, because I'm just too much of a control freak. So I'm saving money there, right? See how I easily I rationalize to myself.

 

But in all seriousness, when I think of the all the hours that we put into making our quilts it would be wonderful to have a portfolio of professional quality. I would love to hear if any of you have taken this route.

 

September Free Bee Block

 I spent yesterday working
on my Free Bee block for Nicolette.

She gave us a marvelous mosaic of windows to choose from. It was the stained glass window that kept calling me.

 

These fabrics have a very luminous quality about them. The black is a linen look...which is hard to see in the photos

I'm more accustom to working larger, so to help with the scale I pinned a 14 1/2" block on the design wall. 

It definitely helped keep me on track.

 

My only worry is that all the rest of windows, in the mosaic have a very weathered quality about them....I hope this block doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

I'm a Colour and Pattern Junkie

Colour and pattern call my name.....continuously. 

 

it shows up in my work...

in how I display my scarves and purses...

 the purses I choose to buy....

 in my stationary and notebooks...

yikes, even in my coasters... 

And yes, last not but not least, on my dinner table....

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Canadians out there.

 I hope you've had as much to be thankful for, as I have. Two beautiful new grandchildren this year....words can't express, how thankful we are.

Oh, the Distractions.....

The first thing I thought, when I saw these on the design wall is.....I have to tone them down.

So I woke up all ready to do just that and managed to cut a few strips. Then the power went out for a good while.... I might as well just settle in with a good novel right!

Then just as the power came back on, my husband returned from his morning coffee and suggested a walk.......  

How could I resist...the call of the ocean is just too strong. After a long long walk in the sunshine..... that novel and a cool drink just called my name. I might even have dozed off a few times.

I did sew a few more strips after dinner.

Back on the West Coast

 I'm delighted to be back on the West Coast, for the next few weeks...the weather here is glorious.

After a few days of drinking in the beauty of my surroundings, I decided to pull out the machine.

The last time I was here, I left these reverse applique circles on the design wall....they started calling me almost the moment I arrived.

Taking my least favourite, of the bunch, I sliced it into strips and added the dark blue strips.....let me think if I even like this.

 

 

I'm glad I got myself started....I'm warming up to work on my two Free Bee blocks.
 

Swatching......thinking in fabric

I've just realized something, I'm not much of a sketcher but more of a swatcher. I need to start cutting and sewing and throwing fabric about the room, in order to get my creativity flowing. Maybe I just think better in fabric, than I do on paper.

Different techniques lure me almost as much as colour and fabric. I use swatches to play and push and think.  Not every swatch is quilt worthy but the every swatch has value....even the "What WAS I Thinking??" ones. Hence the reason my blog is all over the map.

I have come to the conclusion that not every swatch is a work in progress, but rather an idea in progress. This might be just a way to rationalize the growing piles in my studio but I don't think so.