Stay in place, Reaching out

April 22, 2020

I have decided to take the time and add some posts to a sadly neglected blog. For those new friends, I primarily post about textiles and quilts.

The Malaspina Arts Society hosts a monthly art display at the Vancouver Island University campus in Powell River, BC. There was some empty space between exhibits , so I suggested that we fill the space with something colourful for the rest of February, which can be a rather dreary month here on the West Coast.

As it turned out , The quilt display stayed up much longer than we planned. The Covid-19 closure of the campus has postponed all exhibits for a while , and I just went today to pick up all the pieces that I had hung.

This was not the first textile exhibit that I’ve help hang in the VIU foyer. But this time, I chose the wilder colours, the happier ,whimsical pieces and thought that I would choose to show the possibilities of using scraps to make art pieces as well as traditional quilt patterns. These quilts span a long period of about 15 years.

The quilt below was part of my string series, exploring this simple scrap method with irregular string pieces.

This is one of my favorites and inspired by the work of a Japanese quilter, Keiko Goke. The last red irregular border is faced instead of using binding. one of the first times I challenged myself to try different construction methods. Part of the String Series.

This was part of a personal challenge. I chose to portray the alphabet or interesting words in a series of 26 quilts. This was U is for U-Turn and I was able to use a few scrap pieces of kid’s prints with cars.

More strings! I love strong contrast in the colour wheel, so chose orange and blue bins of scraps for the quilt on the right.

The next photo shows a string quilt on the right with a very irregular border to solve the problem of using the last pieces of white and black strips. I had a lot of fun playing around , adding lots of polka dots and some stripes.

The small quilt on the left was exploring with some ideas based on Yvonne Porcella’s techniques

This is a very traditional pineapple pattern. I was experimenting with 2 different brands of plexiglas rulers, preparing to present a demonstration at the guild. It was nice when both brands of rulers produces blocks that ended the exact same size and could be combined in this lap quilt.

Many years ago Marg Pauls and i challenged ourselves to spend a whole guild year and explore geometric shapes that formed Tessellations. We then gave a presentation and workshop for the guild. This PLUS shape is so simple but so effective. I’ve made a number of these quilts since that year of exploration.

Another tessellating shape is this oddly sliced square. It has a lot of interesting ways to set the block to give many different looks. And I enjoyed useing lots of left over orange bits. This was a hit with some homeschoolers who came for a tour. It was interesting to hear their questions and see the exhibit through their eyes.

This wall of quilts was a series with a few different goals , but all had to be a long skinny rectangle. I was hoping to see what that restriction would do to my creativity.

The red and cream quilt on the right was inspired by Sue Benner, but instead of using her surface design technique, I chose to do large boro stitching. The blue and lavender circles used lots of scrap pieces of madras cotton- remember that fabric? And the boro stitching seemed to fit with the soft loosely woven fabrics. Not the usual firm weave of common quilter’s cottons. Both used contemplative stitches.

The left hand quilt above was a guild challenge. We were able to choose a plain brown bag at random , which turned out to contain a Tarot Card. The one I chose was the Hangman. As I knew next to nothing at that time about Tarot, I had to do a lot of online searching and many months of pondering. If you know anything about that card, it was downright spooky how well it fit with my Fall, Winter and Spring. And I learned a great deal about solving problems , like the intertwining loosely connected bias strips, the double layers of quilts hung together and the squares cut into the top quilt and finished with facings.

This blue and aqua quilt ( second from left ) went together very quickly as I love the improv method of constructing blocks , and trimming them to all fit together.

The three quartered circles was the start of another love of circles and a series. I enjoyed the boro hand stitching.

The last quilt on this wall was one more experiment in curved free hand cutting. It surprises students that they don’t need to sew on the bias and they can have a flat quilt in the end without ripples and puckers. Yes , you’re right, the borders are intentionally NOT straight.

This blue quilt uses a lot of raw edge applique and free motion quilting. I had started a guild challenge and the ideas just kept bouncing around , so this was the 3rd that grew from the same surprise package of fabric.

My Earth series is still in process. Yes, and today is earth day as I make this blog post. This small wall hanging was based on the chocolate brown Fat Quarter of fabric. I wasn’t too keen on the fabric , but if you’re given lemons, then make lemonade. One of the reasons that I like guild challenges is that it gives you time to break some rules or come up with solutions.

This piece is “Erosion” and I follow Bonnie Hunter’s rule. If you don’t like the fabric, then you haven’t cut it up small enough and added enough of other fabrics to distract you. It’s free random rotary cutting, adding other slices and then veins of turquoise and gold twists of yarn with small chunks of turquoise or sea shells with beading.

The last piece is a partner to a portion of the alphabet series, but these scraps of colour were hanging out on the edge of the cutting table and since I was thinking of geology, this became “Strata”.

Thanks for stopping by. I am going to next organize my photos for a series of 58 quilt tops that I made in 2018, all based on some rules that I set myself and 34 boxes of scraps.

Where did the year go?

It is hard to believe that this month is almost half over and we will be struggling to remember how to write 2014. I will now be able to get back to updating this blog. We had a very successful 100th Birthday bash for the Patricia Theatre, and were so pleased with some rather nice publicity worldwide from Andy Clark’s photo coverage of the week-end with his blog and photos for Reuters that have been sent around the world to many newspapers and websites.
I can also brag and say that I was really pleased with the 100 posts that I was able to do for the 100th birthday history. It took me many hours of research , but I learned so much about local history as well as so much about the film industry in general. One fellow I met while giving tours , is interested in doing a video of Ann and the theatre with perhaps some expanded history, so there may be more fun in the coming year.

Now I can get back to showing you all my secrets that I have been sewing.
First, I had the pleasure of collecting some movie themed fabrics, and making a cuddle quilt for Ann and Brian and the cats. I presented it the week-end of the birthday and we had it on display in the lobby for the tours. I found the pattern thanks to Sherry, a fellow guild member, and I can find the website if anyone needs to adapt the idea for a family quilt.
This is the front with the film strip theme.

This is the pieced back with silent film themed fabric, paired with a fabric that really cracks me up. It depicts cats sitting in red plush movie seats, some eating popcorn , but all with horrified faces , obviously watching sci-fi, horror or a mystery.

What day is it again??

I have been taking a break from quilting since my last post for a couple of reasons.
one- the garden needed so much attention that I have been out there almost every day.

And two….. I have been doing a lot of research for a second blog that I have been working on. I decided that on July26th, I would start a list of historical facts relating the movie industry and the Patricia Theatre for the 100th birthday of the Patricia. I have been doing a fact per day and will end the 100 bits of trivia on November 1st right on the birthday week-end when we celebrate with cake, concerts, special performances and several classic movies. One will be Casablanca and the other is my all time favorite “Singing In The Rain”
If you want to read what I’ve been up to check here. I am on Day 88 now.

But also there is a third reason to neglect the quilting and that is that I’ve been struggling along making a 50’s bobby soxer outfit as well as a 20’s flapper evening dress. Now that the Art Crawl is over, I can devote the next 2 weeks to getting these done for the birthday week-end.
I’ll be back soon to update the blog as I have my special November birthday gift to reveal and I have photos of the Fiberspeak group and their display at Henderson House for the Art Crawl week-end.

mid year resolutions

I don’t think of new year’s as a good time to make resolutions, but I do find the end of the quilt guild year is a good time to look ahead and make a list of what is ahead for the rest of the year.

I had decided quite a while ago to complete 2 quilt tops from Bonnie Hunter’s Quiltville website. She has great tutorials and lots of free patterns for scraps.

I have just completed  a 36 block quilt top in the Scrappy Trips Around The World pattern and of course have barely touched the 2.5 inch strip bin

And in the last post , you can see a photo  of  Delectable Mountains in oranges and mint greens. I liked that pattern so much that I have a stack of fabrics ready to do it again with the featured fabrics in fruits and vegies.

Also on my list are 2 quilt tops in 1900’s repro fabrics , and appropriate historical block designs to be placed on the beds at Henderson House. These 2 are ones that I would like to hand quilt. The fabrics are picked out of the stash and I’m pretty sure of the designs I’ll try, but they will be on the end of the list. I just ordered 2 books on dateing vintage fabrics, so we’ll see how close to authentic my fabrics are and see if i have to order some repro fabrics to supplement.

The list priorities changed when I was asked to help a beginner sewer and guide her to do a quilt for her mom for christmas.I’ve got 2 easy patterns picked out and a selection of fabrics that may work well.

There is also a fundraiser for a friend so she may head to Mexico for some MS therapy. I plan to complete some table toppers for the silent auction. The tops are mostly complete, and just need sandwiching.

Then I have a birthday quilt to complete by November. But I found the “perfect” fabrics and the “perfect” pattern so I am eager to get this started right away. This is a special birthday,and we might be short of time so my friend Shawn will be quilting it. I’ve already reserved some time in late Oct for her to work her magic.

There’s a presentation to the guild on October. They’ve been successful with the short demos about 20 minutes long , with the members rotating from table to table. I am talking on WHY you need a perfect 1/4 inch seam, HOW to press successfully and HOW to square up a block. That will require preparation of a handout and some demo blocks which can be fit in between all the other stuff as a leaders and enders project.

Summer plans- subject to change

Two trips out of town in May really made a hash of the plans to be more deligent about posting to the blog. And already, there are new plans for new arts council events that require some change of plans.

I very much enjoyed the CQA conference in Penticton. My class with Margie Davidson was exactly what I had expected and just the right class for me . Now I have to start taking apart some clothing, repurposing, block printing and experimenting with some more hand work. I had enjoyed working on 3 pieces a few years ago which included Kantha Stitch, and now it’s time to get back to that series.

I continue to plug away at the pre-cut strips and decided to tackle one of Bonnie Hunter’s patterns again . I’ve admired her student’s samples of the Scrappy Trip Around The World.

I’ve noticed a lot of different quilt magazines on the newstand have published a rendition of this in the last few months and there have been a lot of blogs by the “Modern Quilt Guild” movement posting their versions and some tutorials. BUT Bonnie’s version has been online at her website for years and years, so she is the originator of this scrappy look as far as I can see.

This is not making much of a dent in my bin of 2.5 inch strips.You only need 6  16 inch strips for each 12 inch block Each block goes together very nicely, but there is going to be some pressing(or rather re-pressing) to be done when the blocks are placed side by side.

I also like Bonnie’s method of constructing the traditional Delectable Mountains with speedy strip piecing, and here I had absolutely no problem with construction.

Making Lists and chargeing camera batteries

Having  just been to Vernon for the provincial Arts Council conference where I ran out of battery juice at a bad moment…….I am making sure that I have top battery power for the trip to Penticton.

Barb and I head out on our road trip on Wednesday, hoping to be able to attend the awards ceremonies for the National Juried Show on Wed eve. We’re curious to find which award has included the guild’s donation. We hope to see the winner of the award and perhaps take her picture, and find out more about her for the guild’s blog and website.

I hear that a number of guild members are taking the road trip as well, so there will be lots of comparing notes on the fav quilt, newest technique or the best bargain at the vendors.

I too will hit the vendors as I’d like one of those new bendable lamps for the sewing machine.

I am in a 2 day class with Margie Davidson. There will be block printing and hand embroidery in the Indian style which has interested Margie and prompted a trip to the East. This has become my favorite type of class-relaxed-short supply list-historical-cultural and slides and videos to illustrate design ideas. Everything I need will fit in a ziplock baggie. This is so much better than a ton of stuff hauled along and never used in other typical classes that I’ve taken over the years.

Denise has been kind enough to send me links that I plan to share later on indian designs, particularly the henna designs that are gorgeous and swirly.

 

I love pre-cuts

Well I love my own precuts that I’ve created myself. I’ve got shoe boxes of all shapes and width of strips, so when a block was demo’ed at the guild last month, I had all the parts and pieces to try a few blocks. The few blocks grew to 36 scrappy blocks and I have a community quilt top ready for our 2 day workbee in May.

You just need: a 6.5 inch square, 4 rectangles or bricks cut at 3.5X6.5, and 4 squares cut at 3.5 inches. As usual I have lots of strong medium to dark values, but had to look around and find small pieces in the drawers to cut up into the lights required.

The block was here at quilter’s cache:

http://www.quilterscache.com/S/SquareswithinSquares2Block.html

and here is my version:

I will be adding a red border of calico that was gifted to me from a estate clear-out. I do love to use these orphan fabrics that need a good home.

One month into the new year.

On the first day of the year, I always take down the christmas tree, put away all the decorations, and tidy up the christmas gifts.

This year I washed all the christmas quilts, freshened them up, checked for sticky candy on the lap quilts, folded them neatly and put them back on the shelf for another year.

I decided to take all the other quilts off the shelf and check them over. I like to keep all the challenges and the series together, and I wanted to make sure that the gift quilts were near the top of the stacks.

Turns out that I discovered 3 different categories. There was one stack that just needed freshening or refolding, a second stack that lacked proper labeling.I may have sewn a label that gave the name of the quilt, my name and date , but other facts like purpose of the quilt and the design were lacking, so I have a lot of secondary labels to make.

The 3rd stack was of quite early quilts that I may give away , but I am displeased with the quality of the quilting or the amount of  stitching.I’ve decided to add more machine quilting, and use them for practice to try out some new patterns. If I’m not happy with the stitching when I’m done – then they can be camping blankets or dog beds. In my early quilts, I find that there are lots of fairly wide borders that have only stitch in the ditch and could use some stitches.

The fiberspeak theme for December was “about face”. I have wanted to do some experimenting with windows in a piece and this was a perfect time for the first idea.

This piece is about 10X10 inches. It was 2 sides sewn together and the swivel in the middle is simply held by some beading thread and some beads to act like washers at the pivot points. I think this will be a series of a few pieces as I work out the bugs.

 

The theme for January was to pick your favorite flavor, and I picked citrus. Here’s what I made one evening.

 

Our theme for February is “out on a limb” and I am stumped for an original idea.

Archival Diving-Found the Brown Bag Challenge

I am doing an early purge way before New year’s and I am going thru some papers. Decide to try and cram some of these into the file drawer instead of the cardboard box under the sewing table , but first need to glean the file drawer.

 

What do I find ??…. not only an article by Sharyn Craig on Triangulation , but a Triangulation Revisted article- unfortunately both are undated, just issues #17 &  30 of Traditional Quiltworks.AND there attached as well are my class handouts – also not dated!

 

A lesson to be learned is never throw anything out AND always document the class, where it was taught and the date.

But now do not have to reinvent the wheel if we ever want to do this class again.

 

Shirley and I were reminiscing, and brainstorming over the “rules” of this Brown Bag Challenge. Everyone brought a pile of squares, sliced them diagonally in half and share 1/2 in a community brown bag of lights and darks. Then you picked an equal number out of the light bag and the dark bag, intermingled them with the 1/2 square triangles that you kept and proceeded to make one large 1/2 Square (bias ) block and 5 smaller ones. Then you designed your own blocks and constructed some rather nice scrap quilts.

 

Neither of us could remember the size of the squares to bring or the exact formula of making the smaller units out of the left over strip. Now we’ve got the info!!

By golly, and I think I still have at least 3 of the class samples that I made for that class. Should get those out again and take some photos.

Date wise I know it was while we were still over at the Fine Arts building – so that is at least 15 years ago- way before computer notes and saved files.

Zero Waste Audit

So I signed up to be part of the study in zero waste for Powell River. I already compost , and we recycle all paper, plastic,styrofoam,glass,metal. The cardboard goes down in the garden as mulch. Now this is quilty related, because anything that I can’t repurpose,reuse or recycle is going to the dump AFTER I weigh it and report what I was not able to recycle. I have always felt sad about all the little bits of fuzz and fiber that I toss out each month from blocking and trimming quilt blocks. Well for the next 2 months , i am gathering this and then weighing it to see what i am throwing away. I’ll let you know what happens.