Sophie Yinli Moser

Today was a big day for Sophie Yinli...she turned 6 years old and started kindergarten! Susan shared this picture with me and I thought you'd all enjoy seeing it. Susan won't be joining us in October, but we'll hopefully see her in the spring.

Stashbuster Tote - A New Look

The leftover 3 1/2" squares from the French Rose quilt Lauren and I made last week along with a new and improved rose (two additional layers) were used to make the tote pictured below. I used 36 squares (6x6) for each panel, quilted the panels diagonally, and then stitched the petal layers of the rose and leaves directly onto the quilted panels. I love the results and am anxious to create more bags with raggedy-edge applique. I'm calling this one Sierra Rose...I think that's fitting on several levels.

An "Aha" Moment

In the past few weeks I've discovered a quilting deficiency about myself and am about to bare this weakness. I figure by sharing the ugly truth I'll be forced to deal with it, change it, and hopefully become a better quilter. The truth is: I play it safe! For example, I approach art with great caution, completely intimidated by a blank canvas or a blank piece of watercolor paper or piece of PFD (prepared for dying) fabric. Afraid to make the first mark. When I finally do work up the courage to make my mark and it happens to be one that is pleasing, I'm petrified to go further for fear I'll lose the small success of that first mark. This overly-cautious attitude has carried over to my quilting and I didn't realize or wasn't willing to admit it until now. Or, maybe I am now able to clearly identify and articulate the problem, thanks to the best book ever written on color and design for quilters, "A Fiber Artist's Guide to Color & Design" by Heather Thomas.

Most of you know our family friend, Vera Allen. Vera was home on summer break and she reminded me  (I'm "Auntie" to Vera and have been since she was in junior high) that she needed a replacement tote for the one I made her several years ago. She'd loved it and carried it until it was old and tattered. It's always fun to make something special for a special person, so I decided to put a little extra effort (actually, just an additional hour of extra effort) into the project and make her a tote like the one I carry, which is comprised of eight log cabin blocks of brights and black and whites. The blocks used in mine were discards, made at a Stix retreat when Maria and Sally spent more time having fun and laughing than checking their 1/4" seams. The blocks didn't work and were thrown in the trash. I retrieved them for a later use and, wahlah!, made them into a tote that I carry just about every day and love! Thank you, Maria.

On to Vera's tote...I chose several black and white fabrics along with a wide range of brights. I didn't have the variety of black and whites that were used in the original, but I had enough to do the job. My bright stash was plentiful having combined all brights in one bin during the Cinco de Mayo project. The brights Maria used were a variety of heavily printed fabrics, most of which were purchased at our semi-annual visit to Tayo's for their Fat Quarter Frenzy. I chose my brights carefully, skipping over solids and the very large or busily-patterned brights. All of mine had small to medium motifs. The tote went together beautifully, perfect 1/4" seams. When I finished, I stood back and admired my work (technically, very nice), but the tote lacked the charm and spontaneity of the original. It lacked the interest (I never tire of "reading" the tote I made from Maria's discards...her blocks included fabrics I would have considered much too large and too busy to cut into 1 1/2" strips; they included spirals, plaids, hearts, stars, geometrics, weird little unnamed creatures, sunglasses and sandals, and more). My color choices were perfect, but the fabric choices were not! I'd played it safe and made conservative choices in the prints (motifs). Not too large, not too small, but just right. But they weren't just right, they were all wrong! They were boring and held no interest! They lacked the unexpected! There was nothing to read, no story told! Disappointed!!! I knew I'd played it safe and selected more conservative fabrics than those Maria used. But, I didn't appreciate the significance of this shortcoming until tonight.

Now, on to the book...I'm on page 90, just a few pages into "The Language of Design" and absorbing every word. I've finished the first half of the book on color (loved it!) and have been reading about design, specifically, line and shape. I've had enough art classes to have a solid understanding of line and shape. I turned the page and began reading about "visual texture" and use of pattern scale and design. In contrast to tactile texture (that we can touch), "visual" texture has no feel to it. It is created by the motifs printed on fabrics. Put plainly, visual texture is a sophisticated term for the beautiful designs and prints created by artists/design houses for textiles. It's the reason we all have a stash, some larger than others. We fall in love with the designs on fabrics...the visual texture. That's the easy part. Successfully combining those designs, visual texture, when we create quilts is another story. It's one of those Tough Choices (see my earlier blogs with the same label) and if done right can create contrast and interest in a piece, or not! Vera's tote fell into the latter category. Heather's words got my attention, but it was her illustrations that really hit home. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words! She showed three examples of squares within squares, all using the same colors (purple and green), but different motifs: the first had a mottled background with a small print square in it (just slightly more boring than my fabric choices for Vera's bag); the second was bolder with a wavy-lined background and polka dot square; the third was an eye-catcher, with a background of text and a square of very large circles. My problem became so clear to me that I had to leave the book and share this experience with...ME (and you, if you're interested). I don't want to forget this "aha" moment! I intend to apply it to my next project and one after that. I'm a changed quilter! No more playing it safe! Get the book - there is something (much) in it for everyone! 

Another Donation Quilt and More

Lauren's visit this month was far too short and we had far too little time quilting together. This was due in part to the scorching-hot weather, which made it impossible to work in the cabin past about 2 pm, and two trips to Sac and one to Carson City, which used up three of our days together. I'm not suggesting those days weren't enjoyable (had a few "must see" movies on our list, including Hope Springs, which was very cute, and The Beasts of the Southern Wild, which I would have enjoyed more with sub-titles as I couldn't understand a single word), but that time could have been spent stitching together! She came with a prioritized list and at the top was to make her donation quilt for one of DD Lou's cancer kids (I now call Dianna, our resident nurse at Cottage Hospital, Outpatient Services in Santa Barbara, "DD Lou" as that is her Words With Friends name. We always have 2-3 games going and she has become DD Lou to me. So, DD Lou it is!) Back to Lauren, here she is with her finished blanket that will be sent on to OPS.  

Not on her list was helping me make Verne's 95-year old mother and Lauren's grandmother a quilt for her birthday, but my sweetie did it willingly and with her usual enthusiasm. Made completely from our stash of Moda pastels (which is dwindling), the French Rose quilt below is perfect for Clara, both in color and size. She seems to shrink a little with each year and this 60" square quilt will be more than generous in size for her bed or lap as she sits and cross stitches.

Finally, Lauren was able to begin a new project, which will be given to her best friend from law school, Torrie Poplin, who now lives in Chicago. We first saw this quilt, designed by Jean Wells, on the cover of a quilting magazine Cece brought to our last retreat. Cece bought the fabric for the quilt as a kit and made it this past month. We put together a similar collection of fabrics completely from our stash. This has become a stash-busting month and it feels good! Here's the first block of the quilt...

Stashbuster Totes

I sold a second Stashbuster tote a few weeks ago to Wendy Hunter, a honey vendor at the Pine Grove Farmers Market. She admired my veggie tote I was carrying around the market and asked where she could get one...that was the beginning of our idea to sell the totes at her stand. Maybe I should say "display the totes" as we have yet to sell one. Our concern was a valid one...there's not a lot of money amongst the Pine Grove clientele. The totes were well-received, admired by all, but all balked at the price of $35. We agreed to give it a try for two weeks. At that time I'll either go to Plan B (approach the kitchen shop or the little art gallery in Amador City) or Plan C (give them all away as gifts). Regardless, they're fun (and a bit addictive) to make! Here's a picture of Wendy with her honey, herbs, fruits and my totes.

Inspiration

I've just signed up for a two-day workshop at the end of September with the quilt artist Patt Blair (search the internet to see her work). We'll be working on a whole-cloth, painted quilt. Imagine facing a 20" square piece of white fabric, being given brushes and a set of fabric paints, and told to create a quilt! Totally intimidating! I can't wait! You're lucky I've already decided on a project for our October retreat! 

Longarm Projects (and Other Stuff) Completed in July

In spite of a slow start (through mid-month), I managed to longarm four quilts. The first was Sally's Petite Prism made from Moda fabrics and the second and third quilts were for Lauren, another Moda Petite Prism she made during spring break in March 2012 and a French Rose. Actually, Lauren didn't make the French Rose, Maria did several years ago as a graduation gift for Lauren. No...not a gift for graduating from Lewis and Clark Law School this past May, but from Berkeley. Shame on me!!! It's been waiting to be quilted for 3+ years. Oh well, there are some even older than that...a few that Jana made before she started college in 2002 or 2003 (when was it???)! The fourth quilt (just eked out this past weekend - two days before monthend) was Maria's Kaffe Fassett snowball quilt made at the February retreat. Kudos to me!!! Four quilts longarmed in one month...this has got to be some kind of record (for me, anyway)!

While I admit I was sluggish the first half of July, I did do a few good things during those two weeks...I finished the beaded bracelet I started in May and kick-started with the help of Lori Yardley in June. Again with Lori's help, I started and finished a peyote bracelet I'm calling Broken Wing (it's a solid peyote stitched cuff with three blue birds sitting on a branch) and gave it to Sally as a belated birthday gift. I love it and plan to make myself one and call it Bluebird of Happiness (from the movie KPax).

Here's a pic of Broken Wing, inspiration for the bracelet shown below. Broken Wing, a bold little bluebird living in Santa Barbara, spends much of his time in and around Sally's courtyard. He's always on the lookout for Good Eats...he considers peanuts to be the creme-de-la-creme of birdie treats and (to save Sally a few steps, I'm sure) he will walk into her kitchen, jump on the counter, and help himself to her stash of peanuts! 

Now here's a pic of the finished beaded bracelet...I think there is very close likeness to Broken Wing. What do you think?

Finally in July, I started the Unusual Lone Star by Karen Stone. Haven't gotten too far with it, but the fabric is stacked next to my machine along with about a dozen finished blocks. It calls to me whenever I'm working (or not working) in the studio. I'll get back to it in August...and that's a promise!