"Stitch and Pitch"

A friend helped make this "yarn bomb" at the Seattle Mariner's baseball park.    It's up for today only, in honor of "Stitch and Pitch" night.  They're encouraging participants to bring their knitting, quilting and hand-sewing to the game tonight!  Now, THAT's a baseball game I'd like to attend!

Quilted!

I spent the week quilting this and learning new skills. 

"Winter Solstice"  68" x 88"

Pattern by Gwen Marston in her book, Liberated String Quilts.

                                                       

I thought I was learning feathers, but they turned out to be hearts.  Oh well.  I like hearts too.

I never thought I'd say this.  FREE MOTION QUILTING IS FUN!  (With plenty of dark chocolate.)

Now, off to shop for binding fabric and baste the next one. 

This just may be the summer of fmq for me!

Back to Sewing!

I've been away from sewing for awhile, working on a home improvement project.  Thankfully, it's mostly done and I can start sewing again.  Feeling a little out of the swing, I needed some inspiration to get going again.  

I  became intrigued by Beth's post on "low volume" quilts.  Many quilt bloggers are making these.  There's a flickr group here.   What is it about white?  For me, it reminds me of the old quilts my great-grandmother made, those cool to the touch, lightweight quilts I slept with during the summer as a kid.  

So I started playing around with my "low volume" scraps.  But, being who I am, I just had to add some red.  Then I realized it's looking a lot like a quilt that Bonnie made.  She worked on hers at my house a few years ago.  After that, I noticed that even Victoria is getting excited about white!  It's amazing how ideas get planted, and you don't even know they're there!  

Bonnie's quilt

Yesterday I went to Buffy's house for more inspiration.

Tennessee Lightnin' got a border!

  Buffy said, "We really go out of our way to use outrageous fabrics."  Yup.  She's right!

Here's one of the corner stones.  Mary very generously sent me an old bark cloth curtain panel she had. I was going to border this quilt with it, but I'm hoarding it for another project.  By the way, you'll enjoy visiting her today and seeing the amazing quilt she's making from a Nancy Crow workshop!

And I basted "Winter Solstice."  Can't wait to start quilting this! 

It feels great to be back in the saddle again!

Exciting Email!

I received a most exciting email from one of my heroes--Nancy Ray!  She's been collecting string quilts for 30 years, and has an amazing collection.  I've been inspired by a number of her quilts in Gwen Marston's book, Liberated String Quilts.  She spotted my "Spring Equinox" quilt, and wrote this lovely email with a photo of the original inspiration quilt!  

Hello,

  Your string top, Spring Equinox is lovely, and I'm happy to see that string quilts are getting so much attention. I own the spider web quilt that is the inspiration for this top (and many others), and I've always considered this quilt to be a masterpiece. In fact, Gwen and I were disappointed that the publisher gave it such a small picture in Liberated String Quilts, but nonetheless it seems to reach out to quilters. When I think it was pieced on newspaper, long before design walls existed, I'm awed by the quilter's ability to combine so many different fabrics with such a sure hand. She really was a master.

  I'm sorry I can't put my hand on a better picture of it at the moment, but I'm attaching a picture of this quilt hanging at the Vermont Quilt Festival in a special exhibit of my string quilts in 2005. I've loved string quilts since I bought the first one 30 years ago, and this one is an enduring favorite.

   Best,

   Nancy Ray

Spring Equinox, 2012, 85" x 85"

My quilts are on display!

At Bernina Northwest in Seattle.  If you're in the area, drop by and see them.

They'll be there until July 31.

 

Don't miss their yummy selection of threads while you're there!

I got to have lunch with Kathy of Quilted Under the Influence this week.  She was in town for her son's graduation.  She gave me this lovely little quilt.  Hmmm, mug rug or tiny wall hanging?  Isn't it sweet!

Vintage Water Wheel

While on retreat over the weekend, I made this "Water Wheel" quilt using vintage fabrics. 

Many of you will recognize the gems you sent me!

Each block is 8.5" finished.  I used the Accuquilt Go! Baby with the "chisel" and 3" hst dies.

Then I started this.  I've had several large pieces of Hawaiian bark cloth sitting around for years.  

I decided to try them with some blacks.  We'll see.

While I was away, my husband got a new girlfriend!  Oh no!

For those who wanted to see the beloved pink commode, here you go!  

We have pink sinks and bathtub to match.  Vintage 1963.

Small Things

A few little finishes before I go on a 4-day quilting retreat.

"Study in Pink" is done.  It will hang in the bathroom with our beloved pink toilet from the 1960's.

I made this pillow for a special little girl's birthday and sent it off.

The kitties come from a pillow case my grandmother made when I was a little girl.

And I planted pots of red geraniums with chartreuse sweet potato vines.  I love this combination.  

It reminds me of a quilt I'm about to work on with the same color combo.

'Tis the season for quilting retreats.  I hope you've got one too, even if it's a one-person retreat at home!

Tennessee Lightnin' Strikes!

I've been working on this slowly over the last few weeks.  Lots of fun.  It'll have a border eventually.  

It includes fabrics from several friends.  45" x 63"

The weather finally warmed up enough for Malti's annual haircut.

  I think she likes it!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Fun with Gwen!

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of spending the day with Gwen Marston in her class on small quilts!

Here's what I made the first part of the day.  I'm calling it "Study in Pink," 16.5" x 14".  It's my first small quilt.  It was so fun and easy.  I can't wait to make more!

Here's Gwen with my little quilt before I put the borders on.  

She is really a gem.  I've taken several classes from her, and will definitely take more.  I never tire of her generous spirit and great sense of humor.  I love hearing what she says about learning from old quilts.

Here she is at the beginning of the class, showing us some of the 450 small quilts she's made.

Can you guess who's wearing those cowgirl boots?

Do you have Gwen's fabulous new book yet?  You can order it directly from her, complete with signature.

The second half of the day I started this one, a rendition of my favorite quilt in the book.