The Wake-Up Green

Everywhere I turn...
out on my morning walk...
looking out the window....
in other people's postings here on the web...

there is a blossoming... the world is warming up, turning green...
trees with new coats of green; a happy bursting forth of new green...the WAKE-UP green.

The perfect canvas for the riot of wildflowers...daffodils, cherry blossoms,
and purple flowers of so many types as the list would be way too long...
but all the inspiration bead shopping; flower beads, to help celebrate the season.

How did I do?
Couldn't leave the downtown LA area without shopping for a bit of fabric, too.
check out my shopping map for my favorite places

Sketchbook Postings - Sole Survivor

This week there were lots of fun designs that appeared. NOT!

Seems like the Tuesday Group chose to jump right into gelatin printing...
Go Figure!

So, rather than seeing different drawings and interpretations I'm sharing a bit of the day of printing fun. Tomorrow is another printing day...
any suggestions of sketchbook words?

Iowa Dreaming

This past week I had my first ever trip to Iowa. I flew into Des Moines with high hopes and all of them were most excessively, exceeded. I was greeted by Pat,

from the Des Moines Area Quilt Guild and from that moment until the time when I was dropped off at the airport by giddy-as-school-girls Cinda & Joyce the laughter and conversation never seemed to stop.

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is find and experience 'local' stuff and there was no disappointment in this part of my trip either. The first night - after visiting the lovely Creekside quilt store, Pat & I were joined by the members of her small group (in CA we call them friendship groups) at a local favorite Living Farm for great food and lots of quilt talk.

Tuesday I presented two lectures to the guild members -- 1st was my trunk show -- which is always fun, for there is nothing like sharing quilt stories & the quilts themselves. Then, during the evening lecture that things got a little 'different' for me.

This is when I got to experience a 'new' first -- the first time I have heard the tornado warning sirens go off and headed for shelter at the place we were meeting. It took a bit of time, but the meeting started in the sheltering room and I did get to present my 'Organized Quilter' upstairs with the sounds of heavy rain making us all feel glad we were inside, rather than outside.

On Wed & Thur I presented two workshops, BUT just after everyone got settled into sewing on Wed and I started to take a few pictures the camera ran out of juice. You can get the jist of it from the few photos I do get to share with you.

All in all -- I can not wait to go back to Iowa and get more time to explore.

Tuesday Teaser

The Tuesday Teaser subject this week is:

'sole survivor'

Join in fun, and share with others your own Tuesday Teaser

drawing & collage, or words & short tale.

It’s easy, so grab your sketchbook or some paper.

1. make a timed drawing (5 minutes) of something/ anything that comes to mind when you think about the teaser

2. create a collage (15 minutes) using the drawing ideas to guide your way

Or if you love is of words…

1. make a list of all the words this week’s teaser makes you think up (5 minutes)

2. create a short tale (15 minutes) using your word list

I'll be posting the design group's sketchbook results on Monday-next.

I'd love to share yours, too so email your drawings or word wanderings to me... Tuesday Teaser and I'll include as many as possible!

Quilting Begins on the Yosemite Chapel Quilt

Though my day yesterday was filled with catching up with emails, getting correspondence underway again and general paperwork.... I happily found time in the afternoon to get some stitch time in. In the first picture today, there is a look at some of the completed couching... yes, I did say completed!

With the couching done I started to contemplate the machine quilting that I wanted to have on the piece.

When I begin this process, I hang the quilt back up on the wall and let it tell me where 'line' may be used to enhance the design. Afterall, quilting adds thin lines to your piece and this may be used to add detail, or used to pull entire sections together. (for thicker line elements I use embroidery floss hand sewn)

To get started I pull out threads I believe may work out well and lastly, I grab one of my favorite tools -- a Chacoliner/ by Clover.

I've included pictures that show the threads & chacoliner tool. Then below are two photos of one section where you can see how I use the chalk tool to block in my stitching and finally, how that same section looks after being quilted.

The quilting will continue... then it's on to the point where I square up my quilt and machine stitch that pile of  binding onto the edges

But, that's not the end --- it's just the beginning, and you'll have to stop back again to see what embellishments I'll pick to use. 

Happy Stitching!

Yosemite Chapel - Quilt Saga Update

I am home and in-between travels to Texas and Iowa -- and, luckily for me there is a bit of time that I am able to keep working on my Yosemite Chapel quilt. Right before leaving for Quilting Adventures in Texas I stitched and stitched away to get the top done. I thought it would be fun to show during the evening when the teachers got to share their own work.

I did manage to get it all pulled together, but I have to admit that in the process I broke my own rule.....'never cut or sew on anything important after 9pm'. Being a morning person, by nine at night I start to really slow down and through the years I have learned - or so I thought... well, thinking, just this time/ I was so close..

should have thought again... would have saved a lot more time and effort if I would have just waited til morning.

In any case, the quilt top is DONE, done, done and lickity split it was layered and pinned.

This is how it traveled to and was shown in Texas - along with the original unfinished quilt top. The folks there totally understood me when I declared that I must have been possessed when I chose those fabrics. I think most of us have been there!

Since coming home I have been working on the next step - couching yarns -- so the saga will continue...

Tuesday's Teaser - Sketchbook Challenge

The Tuesday Teaser subject this week is:

bingo

  Join in fun, and share with others your own Tuesday Teaser
drawing & collage, or words & short tale.

It’s easy, so grab your sketchbook or some paper.
1. make a timed drawing (5 minutes) of something/ anything that comes to mind when you think about the teaser
2. create a collage (15 minutes) using the drawing ideas to guide your way

Or if you love is of words…
1. make a list of all the words this week’s teaser makes you think up (5 minutes)
2. create a short tale (15 minutes) using your word list

I'll be posting the design group's sketchbook results on Monday-next.
I'd love to share yours, too so email your drawings or word wanderings to me... Tuesday Teaser and I'll include as many as possible!

CHALLENGE: How about a little sketchbook twist? Every once in a while it's good to through a little twist into these stretching exercises. How 'bout spilling all your collage strap materials onto the table; then close your eyes and grab a handful. Using just these scraps create a collage... no peeking now! Have fun.

Sketchbook Postings - Exit Serenely

Exit Serenely

I shared this little 'get started' exercise with my workshop attendees in Texas and it was quite a lot of fun to see all the different takes and sketches these little words evoked.

My own drawing started with eyes - first open - then closed - then discretely averted as one might do when slowly backing out of a room. At least one of my students sketched a serene picture of the BIG exit and others chose versions of rivers running - water exiting...

Meanwhile, my design group at home also used these words and I hope to be able to share the pics later on this week.

What came to your mind?

Homeward Bound

below are just some of the students
& (of course)their quilts. Enjoy!

Well, the fabrics are all packed up and have made
their way home now, but the learning, laughter and fun have left their imprint on us all --

Over the Shoulder

Mounds of fabrics in the hands of quilters - especially quilters with 5-days where they get to hang out with other quilters, learn from fun teachers, have someone else cooking.....turn into wonderous things. On this particular day we can take a look over these adventurous souls shoulders and take a peek at just what they are stitching together.

It would be cruel not to share some of the work these guys have worked on all week, so hope you'll stop by again soon to check them out.

Mounds of Fabrics

What happens when you sit 15 quilters in room -- mix in lots, and lots, and lots of fabrics, a bit of new, fun things to learn & of course a multitude of electrical plugs??? Well, almost immediately the mounds of fabrics spread out, grow and generally start to reach for the ceiling...

Well, I'm dieing to find out, too. So, I promise to share photos of the incredible (they just have to be!) quilts being stitched together in just one of the classrooms in the hill country of Texas this week. Stand By!