Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity
I know I keep saying that this project is nearing the end of the cutting, but it really is.
I like this batch. There are some really great fabrics in this batch. I cut them during Darla’s March-a-long on a few afternoons when I only had a few minutes.
In my last post on this topic, I felt like all of my sewing work was heavy and unmovable. Fortunately, that feeling has passed. I have made some progress. I am also still thinking about working slower.
Finished 2016 Quilt Projects
Flower Sugar donation quilt (I feel odd putting this finish here as there is so much I didn’t do on this piece – still there isn’t anywhere else to put it)
Finished 2016 non-Quilt Projects
In Process
The ‘In Process’ is used to denote projects on which I am actively working or pretending to stitch.
Still WIPs
I still have WIPs. Who doesn’t, after all? A project in the ‘UFO’ category means I am stalled. A nicer way of saying UFO is a WIP. The list is a lot shorter and the projects are newer, for the most part.
Ready for Quilting
Wow! Everything on this list is new, as in it was never on the original 26 Projects list.
In Quilting Process
Binding
Hunting and Gathering
What’s on your list?
I couldn’t resist. It is a difficult prompt, but it was too perfect a day not to use it.
Definition: “A joke is a display of humour in which words are used within a specific and well-defined narrative structure to make people laugh. It takes the form of a story, usually with dialogue, and ends in a punch line. It is in the punch line that the audience becomes aware that the story contains a second, conflicting meaning. This can be done using a pun or other word play such as irony, a logical incompatibility, nonsense or other means. Linguist Robert Hetzron offers the definition:
“A joke is a short humorous piece of oral literature in which the funniness culminates in the final sentence, called the punchline… In fact, the main condition is that the tension should reach its highest level at the very end. No continuation relieving the tension should be added. As for its being “oral,” it is true that jokes may appear printed, but when further transferred, there is no obligation to reproduce the text verbatim, as in the case of poetry.”[1]
A good joke is succinct, containing no more detail than is needed to set the scene for the punchline at the end. In the case of riddle jokes or one-liners the setting is implicitly understood, leaving only the dialogue and punchline to be verbalized. Identified as one of the simple forms of oral literature by the Dutch linguist André Jolles,[2] jokes are passed along anonymously. They are told in both private and public settings; a single person tells a joke to his friend in the natural flow of conversation, or a set of jokes is told to a group as part of scripted entertainment. Jokes are also passed along in written form or—more recently—through electronic messaging systems. Internet joking has indeed become a major method of transmission. Either as written narratives or graphic cartoons, jokes are sent through email to friends and acquaintances; individuals joking with each other in a physical space have been replaced here by electronic social groups. This correlates with the new understanding of the internet as an “active folkloric space” with evolving social and cultural forces and clearly identifiable performers and audiences.[3] Along with individual transmission of jokes to email contacts, internet services are also available to provide a fresh joke-a-day to your email inbox or archive joke collections on electronic bulletin boards.
Jokes are a form of humour, but not all humour is a joke. Some humorous forms which are not jokes are: involuntary humour, situational humour, practical jokes, slapstick, and anecdotes. All of these are humorous, but none of them is a verbal joke. The Shaggy dog story is in a class of its own as an anti-joke; although presenting as a joke, it contains a long drawn-out narrative of time, place and character, rambles through many pointless inclusions and finally fails to deliver a punchline. Also, humour which is generated through performance can be funny but is not considered a joke. For the joke by definition contains the humour in the words (usually the punchline), not in the delivery. Stand-up comics, comedians and slapstick work with comic timing, precision and rhythm in their performance, relying as much on actions as on the verbal punchline to evoke laughter. This distinction has been formulated in the popular saying “A comic says funny things; a comedian says things funny”.[note 1] This article concerns itself only with verbal jokes, leaving performance comedy aside.” (Wikipedia)
Joke of the Day
tell a joke
One Piece: Captain Joke was the captain of a crew that reached the Ocean’s Naval ten years before the current storyline
Joke Jockey: Humor from the 30’s, 40’s 50’s 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, Infinity and Beyond!
Long Jokes
humor
Church Jokes
in-joke
Knock Knock Jokes
one liners
Blonde jokes
joke gifts
adult jokes
Anti Jokes (or Anti Humor) is a type of comedy in which the uses is set up to expect a typical joke setup however the joke ends with such anticlimax that it becomes funny in its own right. The lack of punchline is the punchline.
yo mama jokes
redneck jokes
lawyer jokes
animal jokes
sports jokes
relationship jokes
Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.
The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.
We are also talking about this on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #CPP
I know I promised I wouldn’t post any more donation quilts “for the time being.” The time being is over and I have another top and back finished. Things are kind of coming together with finishes lately, which is nice.
I worked on the Cutting Corners Donation top on Saturday. I was able to finish the top, the back and the binding. It occurred to me that I should make a Frankenbatting as well. I haven’t done it yet, but I have time before the meeting.
I know I said I was struggling with the corner pieces last time I talked about this top. I decided to move along by sewing together as much of the top as I could. After putting the entire top together, I found that the corners I had made and discarded actually fit in the corner spot. I was pleased and shocked to see how much the quilt shrunk up when I sewed it together. After all of these years, I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was. It is nice that quiltmaking can still surprise me.
I definitely like the way this top came out, but I am on fence about the ruler. I am not sure that using the ruler was the easiest way to get to the finish. I will probably try it again with different fabrics.
This project has been on my to do list forever. Now it is OFF! It is complete. Finished. Done.
Yay!
So, the deal with this piece is that I got the panel somewhere. I think I may have been collecting opportunities to practice my free motion quilting at the time. (Stop laughing!). It hung around for a few years. At some point, I probably put it on the to do list when I cataloged my UFOs. It was on the to do list for a long time. At some point I decided to get busy and work on these languishing projects.
The only thing I might do is embroider my name on the back. there is no label on this piece and I don’t want it to be anonymous.
Yes, this is donation quilt week. I promise this is the last one I have for the time being.
Last August, I talked about the Flower Sugar Donation top. I made the top out of leftover fabric from the Flower Sugar Hexagon (Attack of the Hexies) quilt. Gerre offered to quilt it. I got the finished piece back from her at the BAM meeting. She hadn’t completely done the binding, but had sewed most of it by machine. I had given her a piece of binding that was a bit too short, so I added to it. Then I sewed it the rest of the way on to the quilted piece then spent the time hand stitching the binding down.
I was feeling like a bit of a slacker, so I was glad to get this piece done. It felt like I had FINALLY finished something.
The fabric I used was, again, called Flower Sugar by Lecien. I still have bunches of it left even though I also used it for the back. I warned Gerre that she might be seeing another one with the same fabric.
I also used some Bonnie and Camille greys/taupes for the background pieces. They are from various lines. Compared to the cool greys I am using for the Flying Geese, these background pieces look really, really brown to me.
So, yay! A finished piece. I am so pleased it is a donation top.
I got a brief glance at my Improv Round Robin piece before Ruth whisked it away to work on.
More of the Philip Jacobs print is showing up and that is creating some interesting results. I do think the piece needs more space, so I will add more solid or, perhaps, someone working on it will add more solid.
I came across the mystery quilt I made at the BAMQG retreat a few years ago. When I found it it was in pieces. I decided I would put it together and give it to the Charity Girls. I sewed 2 seams max, put it in my bag for the meeting and handed it in. I love the fabrics, but they didn’t work out very well and I was glad not to have another UFO to clutter up my mind.
This mystery quilt was not successful for me. That statement has to do with me not with the designer of the mystery quilt or the organizer of the BAMQG mystery quilt project. It has to do with the fabrics that I chose. I wanted bold fabrics. I chose bold fabrics, made bold choices. They didn’t work. I’ll try again
I spent last Sunday finally working on the Cutting Corners donation top. I was fiddling around not knowing what to do. I pulled out a piece of Dear Stella orange dot fabric and was inspired to use it as the sashing. Off I went.
The Cutting Corners ruler is not an easy ruler to use, especially for someone like me who is pattern reading challenged. I finally got the critical information and worked on the sashing. The picture above shows the first steps of creating the lozenge shape.
I am not sure this is the easiest method to create this type of sashing.
I am having problems with the corner triangles. The directions for the side triangles are ok. The corner triangle directions are abysmal. There is one line about how to make the corner triangles. I have been emailing back and forth with Mrs. K, but I think I am going to have to call her and get more info.
I probably would have used a different sashing fabric if I had been thinking more. I went with my intuition, though and I kind of like the effect of the orange.
I hope to be able to finish at least the top soon. Perhaps this weekend.
N-Trance – British rock band
an act of entering, as into a place or upon new duties.
Disneyland Park Entrance
The goal of entrance counseling is to help you understand what it means to take out a federal student loan.
entrance mat
entrance fees
Definition: “the place of entering like a gate or door, or the permission to do so.” (Wikipedia)
“Entrance may also refer to:
ENTRANCE is a subtle psychological thriller centered upon Suzy (Suziey Block), a young woman in Los Angeles who can’t get comfortable in her own skin.
Entrance (2012 movie) is about the limits of our perception, how the things lurking on the periphery of our lives can lead to horrific conclusions; about how she fell out of love
entrance exam
EnTranCe is the hotspot of applied sciences for businesses and innovations.
In Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches, an entrance is a procession during which the clergy enter into the sanctuary through the Holy Doors.
Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.
The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.
We are also talking about this on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #CPP
Housekeeping
Thank you for leaving a comment. I really appreciate it. If you have never left a comment, I need to approve it. Recently, a kind person named Jen left a comment adding to the list of QuiltCon posts on the last V&S post. I could not approve her post, because, though it seemed real, she did not leave an email address or a website so I could check. This information, when you register, is not shared. Please do not leave fake addresses. I do appreciate your comments, but I need to confirm that you are not a spammer. Thanks!
Other Artists
I finally took a look at Melissa Averinos’ website. Her quilts are colorful, but have an element of sadness to them IMO. Her blog has a lot of OMG in it, but I think a lot of good has happened to her recently, so understandable.
Libs Elliott posted a great manifesto of sorts on Instagram. She posted it during the dark time on Instagram, so I am not sure how many people saw it. Take a look.
Exhibits & Events
The Monterey Peninsula Quilt Show is coming up on the weekend of April 9. Entry is only $5 according to their website!
Winners of the Lancaster AQS Show have been posted.
Piecemakers Legacies of Love Show will be held in Fremont July 16 & 17, 2016. Check the website as the date gets closer for more details.
Fabric, Tools & Supplies
I was directed to the Okan fabric shop. They have mostly indigos and other Japanese fabrics. After buying a lot of Japanese fabrics early in my career, I have sworn off them. The colors and clear designs are VERY hard to resist, though, and you should indulge. 😉
Yes, I have many of these low volume prints, but I will take the ones I don’t. Thanks.
Sew Mama Sew had an article recently called 12 Places to Donate Fabric. I was kind of disappointed, because it wasn’t a list of, say nonprofits, that actually take fabric; it was a list of places the might take fabric. We all know that many of the organizations that might take fabric are overwhelmed with generosity and usually don’t have the capacity to take it. Jenelle Monitlone wrote in a comment “Here’s a resource I pulled together which will allow you find Creative Reuse centers like SCRAP across the country and around the world” Jenelle’s list looks much more useful. Other suggestions include:
Take a look at the article as the ideas in the comments are more specific and useful.
Articles & Information
Frances has written a very good essay on why quilts matter. If you have listened to her podcast you know that the PBS series by the same title didn’t provide satisfaction in telling us why quilts matter. Frances picks up the slack in a well written and articulate piece.
I found an article about a mathematician who is also a quiltmaker. The article describes her method of ‘tube piecing’. The writer does not seem to have done any research into the current information, blogs, magazines about quiltmaking, because there is a tone of ‘awe and amazement at this little known artform’ (a description of my impression). I was also kind of surprised at the phrase “strip piecing, a technique developed by Ernest Haight in the 1960s and ’70s. ” I have never heard of Mr. Haight so I did a little digging and found an IQSCM exhibit featuring his work as well as a QNM article.
Frances has some thoughts on why the 16 billion dollar quiltmaking industry appears to be invisible.
Reminding you of a theme at QuiltCon, which was to learn what you can from classic quiltmakers, I wanted to share a blog post on borders with you. Jinny Beyer has always had an interesting take on borders and you might be be able to incorporate some points into your modern quilts.
Websites
TFQ told me about a color activity. Try it out. It tests your color acuity.
Check Sizzix’s Pic-a-Day post.
If you want fantastic soaps, check out my sister’s shop, Wooden Heart Soaps, on Etsy. If you see soaps in the shop, buy, because they are fantastic and made in limited quantities. She also has a Facebook shop where she posts tidbits of information.
I saw a post by My Creative Corner and took a look at her blog. I like her style of writing.
Now that Instagram is changing to a ‘relevant’ sort (a la Facebook) in the feed, are we all moving to Ello?
Patterns & Projects
Clue #3 has been posted by Charlotte of Scraptiude fame. This is for her latest mystery quilt Scrap in the Corner. Leave a comment if you are making this project with a link to your progress. I’d love to see how you are doing.
I made more progress on the Carpenter’s Wheel project over the weekend. I worked on this one in between working on the Cutting Corners donation top. I put in some newer fabrics and that makes me very happy. I am totally in love with that flower print I used for the center. It is by Studio E and that blue is fantastic! Especially since it is not turquoise. 😉
Now I have a dilemma. I now have 10 blocks. That is a very awkward number with which to lay out a quilt. I am going to look at the blocks and see if I can eek out two more unique layouts. If not, I may make two more of my favorites. I will also try to lay the blocks out in different ways to see if there is an interesting layout which will work for this piece.
At the EBHQ Show the other day, I noticed a lot of quilts that were made because the artist had something in his/her fabric stash already. There was a lot of “I made this quilt because these blues had been in the drawer for awhile” type of descriptions.
So, you made the quilt because you had some fabric laying around?
You didn’t like the pattern you selected?
There was no challenge in the technique?
You weren’t inspired by the blue of the sky and sea and picked appropriate fabric that you already had?
I don’t think it is wrong to use fabric in your fabric closet. I don’t think it is wrong to be inspired by a fabric line. If I did think that you would all call me out and you should!
Often, I am in the process of making a quilt and not at all inclined to go out, buy some fabric, wash and iron it before being able to finish. By that time it is time to cook dinner or someone needs my attention and the quilt will languish. I like having fabrics on hand with which I can work.
I do wonder why anyone would make a quilt solely because they had certain fabrics? Where is the fun in that? Quilts require a lot of effort so to have one aspect be the sole reason you make one seems a little odd to me.
I applaud using what you have, but let’s think about the whole process and not make the process solely about destashing. Process is really important to me. Some questions that float around in my head are:
Quiltmaking is not a life or death situation and if people want to make a blue quilt because they have blues in their stash, at least more quilts are being made. I hope that quiltmaking will keep my brain pliable and active as I age. I hope that all the different aspects of quiltmaking will provide a variety of opportunities to continue learning and growing.
Why do you make quilts?
Darla, of the Scientific Quilter, is hosting the #March-a-long event. The short version is that you do something quilty for 15 minutes per day. I failed last week, but was doing pretty well especially since I have a lot of ironing of fabric to do. After ironing comes cutting and that means more FOTY fabrics. Yes, I should starting putting FOTY 2015 together. I haven’t quite gotten to it, but soon.
I have cut a number of patches for the quilt and it is interesting to see the themes that crop up in my patches.
That purple on the bottom looks a lot better cut into smaller pieces. I pulled it out to cut and wondered what I was thinking when I bought it. Good thing I have no problem cutting up fabric.
Someone asked a question in a comment this week about organization. This sent me back in time to review my posts on organization, as it is always easier to point someone to a previous blog post than to write the whole thing over and over. Not that you aren’t worth it, of course. 😉
I am not sure I ever said, but I store most of my fabric, primarily, by color in plastic bins. Occasionally, I will put a special group of fabric together. For example, I have some silk fabrics in one bin (bottom right). I can’t buy those bins anymore, which is too bad, because I like the flat tops, but in an ideal world I would have some other system where the fabric wasn’t confined like it is in the bins. I am grateful to have the bins, but if I need light blues, there is a lot of manhandling that has to happen before I can get that bin out.
Some fabrics have spilled over to other parts of the closet, so I can’t just look in the orange bin if I want orange fabrics. I also have a drawer system, holds a lot of my dots. Not all, but a lot.
TFQ helped me pick out this as well. I like it and it holds a lot.
One issue I have is non-fabrics and non-patterns. I have pre-cuts waiting for me to make my intended project. I have blocks from the City Sampler project. I also have blocks from the quilt class with Frances. These are still a problem I haven’t resolved. I put them where I can find some space. This isn’t an ideal solution. The pictures in this post from 2008 make me sentimental for the good old days when this closet was clean. At least, I am continually removing fabric I no longer want to use for my own projects and making it into donation quilts or giving it to the guild. I am also paying more attention to fabric I buy so I don’t buy things that will end up in a donation quilt sometime.
One of the posts I wrote talked about organizing projects in project boxes. I have a couple of project boxes like the ones pictured and I don’t use them for projects. I want to use them for projects, but they take up more space than file folders. In my current space, with the current furniture, etc, it isn’t possible. The ones I have I use for patterns, especially bag patterns. And they are full, which means that I have to start churning out bags. HA! We’ll see since I have two bags on my to do list and all of those patterns are bags on my ‘someday’ list.
As I mentioned in another previous post, I still use the hunting and gathering method to make quilts. At the moment I am hunting and gathering for at least the following someday quilts:
There are other patches as well such as 2.5″ squares (you just never know when you will need some), donation patches, random HSTs and others.
I still use the scone boxes for hunting and gathering, though that trickle of new boxes has slowed. The company changed the cranberry orange scone recipe 🙁 and they just aren’t as good as they used to be. Not bad, but not worth the 360 calorie commitment. The scone boxes are a good size, but they have some issues. The rounded edges don’t poke me, which is not. They also don’t stack very well because of those rounded edges. Also, being disposable, the plastic is pretty thin and tends to break easily. Still since they come into the house filled with something rather than empty, they are economical.
Of course, I probably shouldn’t stack them 8-10 high. Fortunately they don’t open and spew fabric patches everywhere when they do fall. One thing to think about would be not to have so much hunting and gathering going on all at once.
I have a few miscellaneous plastic, former food containers as well. Good ones, for me, come from chocolate covered cherries and spinach.
At some point, I plan to replace these with more stackable and sturdier boxes.
There is a lot of other stuff to organize in my workroom, but it is all badly stored if adequately organized and I don’t want to show you photos. I really want better shelves or something for my books, embellishments, etc. I think I will be able to work better and get more day.
Off to buy a lottery ticket!