Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Houston and the Last Bernina Fashion Show

If you want to see what my 2008 Bernina ensemble looks like try this website:
http://www.quilts.com

Click to enter, then click on the ruby slippers. That should take you to a selection of the Houston quilt winners (always worth looking at) and the Bernina Fashion Show by Thursday or Friday. I hope it works, but I won't be near a computer to test it.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

This is what the Party Line quilt looks like now. I'm supposed to be adding another border, but I just haven't felt up to any serious designing.

Instead I've been weeding through my stash getting rid of small pieces of fabric and those why-did-I-ever-buy-this pieces. I've already donated 5 grocery sacks worth of scraps to one of my students and I feel lighter already! My room looks better, too.

I'm also slowly making fabric covers for the plastic boxes where I store fabric under the bed. After I make a cover I rewash all the fabric in the box, give it a quick press, them fold it and put it away with it's new cover in place. Why? Let me put it this way, what does a big box full of soft cushy fabric look like to a couple of long-haired cats...

Sunday, October 19, 2008

At Loose Ends


Here it is Sunday and I find myself with nothing pressing to do. I'm all prepped for my classes, the new fabric I bought has been fondled, washed, ironed and put away and I even cleaned off the tops of some of the worst junk collectors in my cutting room.

I "should" be working on a design for a new project, but that's the sort of thinking that just isn't happening today. Do any of the rest of you have days when you just need something mindless to do? That's me today, but I've been caught with nothing prepared.

Instead I will post the next picture of the Party Line quilt once it got its first border. Still not too exciting, right?
I think I'll go clean a bit in my studio and see what can I come up with. Maybe I will even find some PIGS (projects in grocery sacks) that need my attention!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Pictures!

I have not posted any photos recently of what we've been doing so here are a few.

My Palomar class is working through some of the exercises from The Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila and Elin Waterston. We recently challenged ourselves to make the pear in colors we were unaccustomed to using. I LOVE color so I challenged myself to work in just black and white and here are my results.
We are also doing a project that I call Party Line Quilts. Each person that chooses to participate makes their own center and brings that, plus an assortment of related fabrics to class. The class discusses ideas as to what should come next. Here is my center, a rather homely 18" square block. Not too exciting yet, right? Keep watching!


We just finished the semester's "big quilt" and this is my lap sized version. The corners are a tad dark in this photo and actually match the center. I definitely need to work out a better place for photography that doesn't involve a lot of set up time and effort.


And finally here is next week's hand's on project for the class: a yo-yo encrusted Christmas (or other holiday) ornament. If you plan on coming to class don't forget your yo-yo maker, needle, thread, scissors, ~3" styrofoam ball and buttons.

Today I had a blast going to the Ramona Quilt Show with some friends. The show was great fun and we picked our own best in show, even though they didn't let us vote (something about not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings). Then we hit 2 great fabric shops: The Crazy Nine-Patch and Rosie's plus did lunch at D. Z. Akins. Fun, food, fabric and friends, who could ask for anything better?!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Ideas For Change

I feel like I'm stagnating and need a change so I started dreaming up ways I could challenge myself. Here are a few of my ideas:
  • Work through one of the many wonderful books I've purchased and done nothing with (Ricky Tims' Rhapsody book, Colleen Wise's book and Norah McMeeking's Bella all come to mind)
  • Journal quilting has been a fad of the past few years, but I never participated. Now that my kids are gone and my husband is away, now may be the time!
  • A monthly challenge based on a different interpretation of a consistent theme (interpret a theme as a closeup, a grouping, through a fog, line drawing or quilting design only, a la Andy Warhol, etc.)
  • Work through the 9-patch of design as stated in Katie Pasquini Masopust's design book
  • Play days to share and explore working with unusual materials and techniques

Anyone else have any great ideas? Please share them with me!

I would dearly love to find a group to work with that would help me to stretch myself as a quilter and as an artist. I've been a member of several start-up critique groups and it seems like we get together once or twice and it starts out well, then falls apart. I am the only one who completes the projects (yes, I am a project-oriented person) and due to lack of participation the group falls apart. I realize that some people are more process-oriented, but the groups keep falling apart without results. Am I the only one out there who wants a small group to share the journey?

Friday, October 10, 2008

Visitors

My sister was out for her first visit to California last weekend. She was charmed by the weather! While she was here she got a new puppy. Her official name is Raisin in the Sun and Cindi hopes to show her. I'm not sure why Cindi feels that Raisin needs clothes, but here is the little darlin' wearing a new shirt.

And here is a picture of Cindi and Raisin. As you can probably guess they've bonded quite nicely. They're back in Maine now and missing the California sunshine.

Raisin is having fun in Maine zooming around with her new friends, Kenya and Lucy. So far she seems to love it there. Just wait until her first snowstorm when she has to go out and pee!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Class Cancelled

The Tuesday night Bits and Pieces class has been cancelled due to low enrollment. It was a new class and I'm sure it would have done better in time, but it takes a while to build up and with the recent cutbacks at Palomar...

The Wednesday afternoon class, 1-4 at Bits and Pieces is still being held as are the Thursday afternoon class, 1-4 at OASIS (3rd floor south side entrance of old Robinson's-May at North County Mall) and the Thurday night class, 6-9 at the Poway Senior Center. Please welcome any students who are changing venues due to the cutbacks.

Lisa