Just Me and My Seam Ripper

It was supposed to be smooth quilting this morning.

 

 I explained to my sailor husband.... when all the conditions are right you just have to quilt.....just as he has to sail, right?  I spoke too soon!!

Not all that smooth......either the wind died or I got hung up on a sandbar....

So alas...it was just me and my seam ripper!!!! 
May I take a moment to mention...NOT ALL WALKING FEET are CREATED EQUAL!!!!

To borrow one of my little granddaughter's favourite words....I Neeeeeeeeeeed my Bernina. She's only allowed to have her soother at bedtime but every now and again likes to remind us that she Neeeeeeeds her sooosey. I know just how she feels, I could have used one myself.

Nothing quilts quite like my Bernina, which of course is back home. The Pfaff has a built-in walking foot but I find it just doesn't compare.

So when all else fails..... 

 Quilt a spiral...something my Pfaff does do quite well. I'm of the start at the same edge camp, rather than alternating sides. With spiral quilting you can just go round and round.

A little hint: it really helps to stabilize the block if you stitch in the stitch on just a couple major seams. I really hate stitching in the ditch, so I do as little as possible

 I'm not sure I'm liking the raw edge of the reverse applique, but I set a course and am sticking to it.

Creative Funk or Fabric Flying Everywhere

I got into a bit of a creative funk this evening....you know, fabric flying everywhere.

 I almost bit my poor husband's head off when he innocently asked if I was doing another re org. Can I blame that on my artistic temperament?? Ach...I didn't think so.

My studio, out here on the coast, is not as hidden away as it is in Alberta, which means my messes are NOT hidden either.

 Doesn't everybody know, creativity requires fabric flying in all directions....well at least in my case it does.

This is another work in progress that I started a little while back, so that's a plus. 

Let us see how long the funk lasts and where it takes me. 

First Finish For 2013

My Not so Negative Quilt came out of the wash in lovely riot of wrinkles, I wish I thought of my own wrinkles that way.

 

 Since my shocking discovery, of only one finished quilt in 2012, I'm determined to complete some of my many, many works in progress. Having started this quilt in November 2010....I was almost giddy pulling it out of the dryer this morning.

I used some of the blocks in several of my QAYG tutorials so it might look a little familiar to some of you.

I just couldn't resist photographing it beside my tulips (an all time fovourite flower of mine) .

 

Quilt Back 

Feeling in a mellow mood, I actually did the binding by hand....giving it that last little bit of loving. But in all honesty, I'm so slow it will be back to machine binding after this.

My Not So Negative Use of Space

Almost every definition of modern quilting that I've read uses the term Negative Space as a strong characteristic of modern quilting......I keep failing on a regular basis. I just can't help myself.

A lovely fellow quilter/blogger once said to me "I'll keep talking until somebody shuts me up." She'll probably recognize herself, but hey I'm not naming any names or passing judgement.....I'm not exactly known for being a woman of few words myself.  I'm the same way in the quilting world. I love negative space but I just keep adding more colours and fabrics....perhaps somebody should stop me.

 

 I love silence but maybe I love words more.....I love negative space but maybe I love filling it more.

I spent my week working on my Not So Negative Quilt......hmm, does that make it a positive? Is it still modern with it's lack of negative space? Lets not put modern quilting in a box....whoops maybe we already have.

 

 I had plans for negative space midway through this project, last year (note, this Work in Progress is a few years old).

 

 but look at what one walk in the park did for that idea....inspiration struck and more colours and fabrics had to be added.
 

 

 

Now, back to joining those rows together.....

Back on the West Coast

Alberta is just a little cold at the moment......so off I ran for warmer weather. And would you believe it, instead of starting something new, I'm finishing a Work In Progress!!!!!

It took me a few days to get going.....
I'm here with a fellow quilter and the sound of her machine humming everyday got me motivated. 

 

 

 Seeing heather in bloom in January is a sight for sore eyes to an Albertan.

 

 

 

We even found a tree starting to blossom.....oh, the wonder of that in January.

Walking, quilting and laughing......oh and even a bit of knitting, what a lovely way to spend January.

Free Bee Quilt....Still Quilting

I've been wanting to quilt this fabulous block ever since Dan (Piece and Press) made it for me. I'm really happy with the straight lines and angles...so much fun. 

Here are Dan's and John's blocks all quilted and ready to go.....

Next under the needle is Ethne's fabulous block....
but as you can see not all is smooth sailing  (I  know , I know...I just couldn't resist).
My plan entails a little free motion for the water, but as you can see my seam ripper is hard at work.

I wasn't happy with my thread choice, the tension was off and I was off.

But, no worries....I'm off to spend a little happy time with the grand-kids and will take a different tack later.

Let The Quilting Begin

 The final, fabulous, Free Bee Block was placed in my hot little hands by Leanne from she can quilt, this week....and it's a beauty!!! 

Leanne based her block on a photo of City Hall, in our city, which makes it all the more special to me.  Thank you so much, Leanne.... I love it!!

Now that I have all these seriously spectacular blocks in my possession.......LET THE QUILTING BEGIN!!! 

So, just how does one go about putting together and quilting  such an exquisite collection of blocks?

Here's my thought process:

• I'm going to treat each block as a separate piece of art.
• Since I have no idea of the block placement yet, I've decided to use Quilt-As-You-Go, and save that lovely challenge for later.
• I chose a grey/taupe thread colour, in keeping with the industrial theme.
• There are so many lovely angles in the blocks, that  I want to emphasize them with fairly simple, straight, quilting lines.
• I'm hoping to add some depth and movement to the blocks.

I started with John's (Quilt Dad) Block....

And I'll see from there.

Following My Quilting Bliss

I'm following my Quilting Bliss by playing in the Scrap Bin. 

Even though this quilt isn't finished, it created a lot of interesting QAYG scraps while I was working on it. 

 They have been calling my name

 

 Would you look at that striped fabric I picked up before Christmas....without even thinking of this particular set of scraps. It was probably in my subconscious somewhere.

 

 I have no Idea where I'm going....NOW THAT'S MY QUILTING BLISS....the excitement of the unknown.

Back at It

After spending the week recovering from the Christmas and New Years festivities, I'm savoring the joy of having the house to myself, for a few days. 

 Yesterday morning was spent clearing the last deadline off my desk....now I'm really doing the dance of joy!

 My sewing world came to a grinding halt over December, as did my basement takeover and design wall obsession. I cleared things up as best I could, so the kid's from Montreal could have the basement for 10 days, but now I'm back at it.
 All in all I'm happy with my progress...there are still things to sort, but It's a very manageable list now.

My creative, chaotic brain is usually at war with my visual  need for beauty and order so it's an ongoing process  battle to keep things from getting out of control. I have the ability to create tremendous messes whenever I'm in the middle of a creative funk....which happens on a regular basis.

I'll take you on a little tour.......

I did leave the little play kitchen downstairs for my grandchildren....the rest of the toys are upstairs in the play room (my old office).

 

 

Wasn't it nice of me to leave my husband his pool ball rack??? 

I even hung my knitting bags on hooks.

Now it's time to get some actual sewing done.....
I can't wait !!!!