Vintage Tuesday: Blood & Oil

Blood & Oil: The Peace Quilt, 1990
Blood & Oil: The Peace Quilt, 1990

March was an odd month, as I know I keep saying, so I am pressed for content. As a result, I decided to show some older quilts.

I have a couple of quilts that have to do with war. As a mother of a boy, I am concerned about how easily our recent presidents seem to engage in war. I don’t see my son as expendable.

This quilt was made before the Young Man was even a dream in my eye.

This quilt was made as a gut reaction to the First Gulf War. I was sitting home alone watching CNN’s coverage of bombs falling on Baghdad, Iraq. After living in Austria, I know that people everywhere have moms and jobs they go to and children who need to be taken to music lessons and soccer camps. The type of war we have now does not spare civilians and that is of great concern to me. It is a reaction to war itself – the death, the devastation, the violence and makes no comment on the justification for that particular war or any others. It is also not a judgement of those soldiers who choose the military as their career choice. The military does a lot of good for a lot of people and I applaud those who choose that path.

The background uses a technique by Mary Mashuta called ‘pushed neutrals’. The idea is to use several different fabrics in a similar range of hues to make a background instead of using one fabric for the background. This idea has lodged itself firmly in my brain and sometimes comes out these days as mosaic quilting.

This quilt probably has the most organized and intentional use of mosaic quilting of any I have made. It reminds me that I can use it as a design option. It also reminds me of low volume quilts which are such a craze right now. They use the same idea for the whole quilt rather than just the background.

Although the subject matter is difficult, I think this is one of the best quilts I have ever made. It was shown at the San Francisco Quilters Guild show in 1990, with much controversy. It was on display at the law firm of McKenna & Cuneo, LLP from 1997-2000.

I think I will need to take a better, higher resolution photo of this piece at some point.

Pretties

Recently I bought some stuff. Quiltmaking stuff, of course.

Pink Chalk Solids
Pink Chalk Solids

Pink Chalk had a special on these Indian Summer by Jenelle Clark solid grouping and they were kind enough to cut half yards for me. I will use the blues and greens for the Tale of Two Cities piece, but I do like looking at the gradation.

Reflecting Pool Perl Cotton by Anna Maria Horner
Reflecting Pool Perl Cotton by Anna Maria Horner

Yes, I am easily led by color. I have been looking at the Anna Maria Horner Perl Cottons in the Reflecting Pool colors for awhile and finally decided to bite the bullet. Fortunately for me they were on sale in her shop when I went to buy them. When received, I found that they are prettier than I imagined. Again I like the gradation. I am thinking about the Big Stitch for quilting as well as embellishing in the style of my Pamela Allen quilts. Perhaps the Serendipity Lady will get some embellishing?

Sashiko Thread
Sashiko Thread

I had hand stitching on my mind at the EBHQ Show. When I saw this Sashiko thread, I had to buy some. Pink and Turquoise! What could be better?

The pink will work well for the Serendipity Lady as will the cream. I could use the turquoise for the flowers and the green for the leaves, unless I decide to make the leaves a different color. I do need to get back to that project.

I have the FOTY 2012 and the Fresh Fruit to bind as well as the EPP stars all as hand projects. Clearly, I am in need of some embroidery on which to work. Either I need to get going on the Serendipity Lady, so she is at a point where I can bead and embellish or I *shock*horror* need to get another Pamela Allen style quilt going. Perhaps I could embellish See? I’ll think about that as I do recoil a little bit when I think of starting a new project.

EBHQ Show Pretties
EBHQ Show Pretties

Finally, here is what I bought at the EBHQ show. Shockingly, I have some ideas for some of it. The fish fabric in the middle left is the most exciting. I have an idea that I will make a top of strips running vertically in warm colors, especially reds and pinks. Then I will cut out those fish and applique them along the bottom. I do feel excited about that piece. Some of the pinks and reds shown would go into it.

The Young Man told me he now wants a music quilt. I saw some fabrics in the Keepsake Quilting catalog and confirmed that he liked them, but saw these at the show and picked them up. I don’t have an idea for the layout or anything yet, but I will eventually. I am guessing that will be his graduation quilt. We’ll see.

The other fabrics were just fun. I hope to get them into something soon. The two turquoise pieces (cups and text) may end up in the Tale of Two Cites.

Mosaic Quilting for a Project

Brown Fabric
Brown Fabric

Some people call this crumb piecing. I have always called it mosaic quilting since I saw Shannon Williams on Simply Quilts about a thousand years ago. I like the term mosaic quilting. It sounds fancy and important. 😉 Crumb piecing sounds like something I have to wipe off my counter with a sponge (with apologies to Bonnie Hunter!)

I consider this to be making new fabric from scraps – some very tiny scraps in some cases. I am putting scraps together into a larger piece so that I can cut it up later using pattern pieces to make something new.

When I am working on a piece like this, I often use it as leaders and enders. I usually have several small pieces to which I add, then at some point I sew them together to make a larger piece. The piece above is getting to large to work on comfortably and I have not yet sewn it to the larger piece.

There are a lot of seams and these pieces get to be pretty heavy. I like them, though as I think they add interest and create a topic for conversation in a piece. Also, it is a technique you can use to draw people in closer to look at your quilt.

Once you have made your ‘fabric’, you can cut it up again into squares or other shapes and use them as patches for your quilt. You have to be aware of the seam allowances, because they can get quite thick. This technique is a good time to press your seams open.

I have several pieces of this new brown ‘fabric’ that I am making to use for a project that will be a gift for a friend. I will show you the project eventually, but for now you will have to be satisfied with the sneak peek above.

Fabric of the Year 2014

FOTY 2014 - First Patches
FOTY 2014 – First Patches

This has never happened before. FOTY 2013 has not even had its chance on the design wall and I am already cutting for FOTY 2014. That is, apparently, the way it goes sometimes.

I like this group, though the greys are a bit of a downer, and think that many of the prints would be considered very modern.

The FOTY 2014 patches are cut 3″x5″. The reason for this size is that I have been trying to achieve a certain size of rectangle in a couple of projects (one was FOTY 2008) . I kept forgetting to factor in the seam allowance, so the rectangles, once sewn, were too small. They worked fine in the quilt, but the look was a little small for what I wanted.

This slightly larger size will also showcase more of the pattern on the fabric.

Creative Prompt #252: Zipper

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/or your blog.

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

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.

Definition: “A zipper, zip, fly or zip fastener, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding the edges of an opening of fabric or other flexible material, as on a garment or a bag.[1] It is used in clothing (e.g., jackets and jeans), luggage and other bags, sporting goods, camping gear (e.g. tents and sleeping bags), and other items. Whitcomb L. Judson was an American inventor from Chicago who was the first to invent, conceive of the idea, and to construct a workable zipper.[2] The method, still in use today, is based on interlocking teeth. Initially it was called the “hookless fastener” and was later redesigned to become more reliable.[3]”

Modern quiltmakers have taken to making zipper pouches

Zipper Interactive (1992-2012)

“Numerical conformal mapping software: zipper -ZIPPER finds a numerical approximation of the conformal map (and its inverse) of the unit disk onto any Jordan region (bounded or unbounded).” (Washington,edu)

Zipper is a free compression program, and you don’t need to pay anything for it. It doesn’t contain pop-up ads or other annoying things. (Trans4Mind?)

Zippers by the yard

shorten a zipper

Zipper the Dog from a National Geographic game

Zipper is a tool for inspecting and extracting the contents of compressed archives. Zipper was initially written by Dirk Olmes. (Non-GNU.com)

2014 new zipper technology used on Olympic athlete clothing

invisible zipper

zipper cover

PageZipper – Life’s too short to spend clicking “Next”. Ever read one of those top ten lists or photo galleries where every item is on a different page?

Zipper is a little fly character from the animated series Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers.

Zipper foot (for a sewing machine)

Herbert Zipper Concert Hall at the Colburn School.

The Big Zipper is the affordable zipline experience.

Zipper Lacing. This method “locks” the laces at each eyelet pair. Great for lacing skates tightly because the lower sections hold while tightening.

Feb 25, 2014 – For the last few years Japanese artist Jun Kitagawa has been installing these giant zippers in public locations around Japan.

Zipper Press, Inc., is a publisher of high quality children’s books.

Zipper: Coney Island’s Last Wild Ride (movie)

Zipper Braid Updo (video how-to)

“In 1851 Elias Howe received a patent for an “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure”. He did not try to seriously market it, missing recognition he might otherwise have received.[6] Howe’s device was more like an elaborate draw-string than a true slide fastener.” (Wikipedia)

Heavy duty zipper

dress, pants closure

The Zipper is an idiom that uses the idea of “context” to the means of manipulating locations in a data structure. (HaskellWiki)

various roller coasters

Film production company known for producing the 2012 Academy Award Winning Feature Documentary Undefeated.

No. 663: Zippers and Design

 

Tale of Two Cities Start

Tale of Two Cities Fabrics
Tale of Two Cities Fabrics

This project has been on my mind since December when Friend Julie suggested it. I am finally making a wobbly start. The start is that I have started to choose the colors.

Julie bought me the book as a gift and after some discussions with her, I decided I would be inspired by the city around me. This, in my mind, fits into the ‘City Sampler” theme that Tula Pink encourages also.

In the winter, the sky is very blue here and, though cold, I enjoy the strong light and clear colors. It should be no surprise that turquoise factors into my choices. I just can’t help myself.

Another appeal of this project is the block element. I miss making blocks on a regular basis like I did for the A-B-C Challenge and the Star Sampler. This project will help me satisfy that craving and, hopefully, will not annoy me.

Finally, shortly after Julie and I talked about the project, Kelly brought it up as a BAMQG small group project. This means I can have fun with Julie and participate more in BAMQG.

I was having trouble getting started. I have been distracted by life and picking a few fabrics (I am sure I will need more) really helps me to get the process out of my head and started.

March CQFA ATCs

March 2014 CQFA ATCs
March 2014 CQFA ATCs

It has taken me awhile to post these, because I thought I lost one and was trying to figure out what to do. It has also been kind of a crazy month and organization hasn’t been my strong suit. It turns out that it was very flat and stuck to the back of one of the others. What a relief.

I am thrilled with these. I love the creativity and the combinations of materials. The upper right hand corner ATC with the flowers (by Maureen) has paper flowers.

The lower left hand corner piece (by Nancy) has text, which adds an interesting element.

These are fun to make and I am thinking about my next group for the May meeting. You can see mine in a previous post.

Disappearing Pinwheel Top Complete

No joke. I worked diligently on Saturday and finished the top of the Disappearing Pinwheel. When I last wrote about this project, I didn’t really feel like I could ever finish it. I may not have conveyed my feelings in the post, but I was feeling pretty low about it. I don’t know why.

Then Friday, I had a lot of paperwork and boring stuff to do (e.g. sign Young Man up for ACT test-bleah!) and didn’t work on any quilt anything. So, Saturday was the day. I had to get up at 5am to get the Young Man to a Drumline competition (do you sense a theme here?), so by 9 I was ready to sew. I spent most of the day sewing the top and got it done.

Disappearing Pinwheel Top
Disappearing Pinwheel Top

I am pleased, though a little disappointed that I ran out of the background fabric. I could have gotten more (thanks to Kelly O! for the offer), but I decided to use what I have and get the top done, so I can move on. I didn’t want to wait for an order, or for a friend to send the fabric.

It turns out that I actually like the way the second background drops out and the first background looks more highlighted.

I plan to have Colleen quilt the second background in a slightly darker grey so that the lightness is toned down a bit. When I talked to her about it, she said OK.

The smaller detail shot shows a close up of the second fabric. It was also one of those I bought with an eye towards using it for the Russian Rubix. Too beige for that project, but it worked ok for this one.

Disappearing Pinwheel detail
Disappearing Pinwheel detail

Vital Statistics:

  • Size: 84”h x73”w
  • By Jaye A. H. Lapachet, 2014
  • For the collection of Pierce Lapachet
  • Pieced by Jaye A. H. Lapachet
  • Longarm quilted by Colleen Granger

I also finished the back. It was a pain, as backs are wont to be, but I wanted to get it to Colleen yesterday, so I powered through. I thought I would get a lot more done on Sunday, but I didn’t. I just got the back done and then I had to clean up my workroom. It made me cranky to work on it, so I am glad it is finished. I continued pulling from my grey bin and a lot of greys you see have been in my fabric closet for over 10 years. I am happy they are finally getting an airing.

Disappearing Pinwheel Back
Disappearing Pinwheel Back

I still have to make the binding. What color do you think would work with this top?

Two Quilts Return

FOTY 2012 and Fresh Fruit
FOTY 2012 and Fresh Fruit

I can’t tell you how pleased I am to have these two quilts back. Colleen is going great guns on her quilt backlog and I am the lucky recipient.

I was really pleased to get Fabric of the Year 2012 and Fresh Fruit back earlier this week. I was only expecting FOTY 2012 when I dropped off Scrapitude, so Fresh Fruit was a pleasant surprise.

Perhaps it is immodest, but I love the way these two quilts look. FOTY 2012 is one of the best Fabric of the Year quilts so far. I really see how my color work over the years is paying off. I am reinvigorated to get busy on FOTY 2013.

Fresh Fruit was a pattern, as I described in a previous post, and I used the same fabric, but I really love the way it came out. I was planning to give this one away, but I might hang it on the wall for awhile first.

I started in on the binding for FOTY 2012 Thursday night and really got quite far. I do need to make a sleeve, which adds to the time it takes to finish, but I am looking forward to finishing this piece and hanging it up.

The Disappearing Pinwheel Continues

DPW Block
DPW Block

I had hoped to show you a finished quilt by now, but that is not yet to be. Perhaps over the weekend I will finish. Despite being off of work, I have been quite busy this week and whenever I haven’t been busy, I have been laying on the couch or face planted in bed. Neither of those activities are conducive to finishing the DPW! ERGH!

Still, I have to remind myself that there are no prizes for finishing and the process is important. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Finally, all the blocks I am going to make are finished. I am pleased with the blocks. They look fun, are a bit off and not my usual style. The background adds to that idea. I am wondering if this is stretching my fabric choices. If so, then this quilt pattern was a good one to use to stretch, because I wasn’t in love with it.

DPW Block
DPW Block

Don’t get me wrong. It is a fun project, but I didn’t have a good reason for doing it, so using fabrics I wouldn’t normally use was a good thing. It also used up the Mod Century layer cake which was an impulse buy and not slated for another project. I also used that grey background, which was sort of an unfortunate purchase (online), but worked out for this project.

I really enjoy seeing what other people are making with the same pattern and this project was no exception. There is a lot of variety in the DPW projects the Twilters are making and it is interesting to watch.

I am really glad I had little bits of this fabric to work with. I don’t think it ever caught my attention in a quilt store, but I like the different prints and think the shapes and colors are interesting.

I think the border will be very interesting. You’ll have to wait a bit to see that as the piece is in such disarray at the moment as to prevent me from taking a photo that would be anything but embarrassing. Soon, trust me.

The bad news is that I probably won’t have enough background fabric to finish the borders. I am going to look around and see if I have more. If I do, I certainly want to dig it out and use it, but if not, I will find something else. No, it won’t be the same, but I want to use what I have on hand.

All DPW blocks-March 2014
All DPW blocks-March 2014

Previous Posts

  • March 20: More Disappearing Pinwheels
  • March 2: Make a Disappearing Pinwheel
  • Feb 23: Disappearing Pinwheel Blocks
  • Jan 28: Disappearing Pinwheel

Creative Prompt #251: Ship

Aboard ship

Abandon Ship

Mercy Ships: Ocean vessels providing health care to the poor in port areas around the world.

ghost ship

Definition: “In modern parlance a ship has been any large buoyant watercraft. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size, shape and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing, entertainment, public safety, and warfare. Historically, a “ship” was a sailing vessel with at least three square-rigged masts and a full bowsprit.

Ships and boats have developed alongside humanity. In armed conflict and in daily life they have become an integral part of modern commercial and military systems. Fishing boats are used by millions of fishermen throughout the world. Military forces operate vessels for combat and to transport and support forces ashore. Commercial vessels, nearly 35,000 in number, carried 7.4 billion tons of cargo in 2007.[1] As of 2011, there are about 104,304 ships with IMO numbers in the world.[2]

Ships were always a key in history’s great explorations and scientific and technological development. Navigators such as Zheng He spread such inventions as the compass and gunpowder. Ships have been used for such purposes as colonization and the slave trade, and have served scientific, cultural, and humanitarian needs. After the 16th century, new crops that had come from and to the Americas via the European seafarers significantly contributed to the world’s population growth.[3] Maritime transport has shaped the world’s economy into today’s energy-intensive pattern.” (Wikipedia)

Tall ship

airship

The Student Health Insurance Plan is a comprehensive major medical insurance plan, providing medical, counseling, prescription, vision and dental services. (UC Berkeley)

Ship of Fools

shipping

Pack ‘n Ship

Ferry

Ship’s model

ship in a bottle

Mother ship

shipwreck

cruise ship

Short for romantic relationship, popularized in fanfiction circles. (Urban Dictionary definition)

spaceship

Liberty Ship SS John W. Brown.

Solar Ship Inc. builds aircraft to service remote areas. Most of these areas have no roads.

shipshape

Borough of Ship Bottom Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

sinking ship

 

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/or your blog.

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

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.

Dots and Pearls

Dots Option
Dots Option

Last year, TFQ gave me a bundle of dots for my birthday. Since then they have been sitting on my cutting table waiting for inspiration to strike. I didn’t want to use them alone in a quilt, because I thought it would be too boring (dots, boring? I know, but my mind works in mysterious ways sometimes).

Tone-on-tone Pearl Bracelets
Tone-on-tone Pearl Bracelets

Recently, I saw some of the tone-on-tone Pearl Bracelets (great imagery in that name, don’t you think?) and these dots came around again in my thoughts. I am wondering if I could use the two of the groups together in something interesting?

What? I don’t know yet.

What about all of those other projects?

I know. I need to focus. It is just a thought and I can’t do anything about it until I come up with a better plan, such as a pattern.

Chinese Fabrics

Chinese Fabrics
Chinese Fabrics

Julie brought these fabrics back from China for me. She had an adventure trying to find quilting fabric. She told me the story of going to find them and being frustrated by not knowing the words for quilt, dots or cotton and not knowing how to describe them with sign language. Though it probably wasn’t funny at the time, she related how a tribe of very small tailors followed her around the shop while she tried to shop, apparently relating their skill in making garments as she looked around. Imagining this pantomime made me laugh.

She was a little unsure about the fiber content and wanted to make sure that I washed them. I will. It was so nice of her to bring them back.

EBHQ Show

I spent the day Sunday at the East Bay Heritage Quilters Biennial Show. Again it was held at Craneway Pavillion. This year there were a number of special exhibits including one featuring Rosie the Riveter in conjunction with the Rosie the Riveter Museum in Richmond.

Craneway Pavillion
Craneway Pavillion

The first time I saw this space was at the EBHQ Show in 2012. This space used to be a Ford Assembly plant – the largest on the West Coast. It is now part of the Rosie the Riveter/WWII National Historic Park and is a beautiful location. The views of the Bay are wonderful and today’s views were exceptional, because the sky was blue and there was no rain (a sad thing in itself, but good to enjoy the space). I was reminded how much I would love a quilt space with the windows in this venue.

I went by myself as TFQ was working in her garden and Friend Julie is back in China after three weeks at home. It was nice after the intense people day I had on Saturday. I was quickly over it and met up with Kelly and Angela there. We looked at vendors (saw Colleen) and their gorgeous fabric. I was also inspired to make the box or bucket on my To Do list when I saw a sample at a booth.

The quilts, of course, were great! The quilts in an EBHQ show have such a different look. Often there are classic patterns, but with a twist, or the fabric adds a twist. I was trying to describe the look of an EBHQ show, but I couldn’t. It is clear from the quilts that there is a lot of creativity in that group and the creativity of everyone spurs everyone else on to be creative. Wonderful.

Glad you Joined Our Patchwork Nation by Kate Murphy, EBHQ Show 2014
Glad you Joined Our Patchwork Nation by Kate Murphy, EBHQ Show 2014

I am always surprised at what catches my attention at these shows.

“Glad you Joined Our Patchwork Nation” by Kate Murphy caught my attention. It is definitely not my colors, but the ladder effect made me stop and take a longer look. There are some interesting fabrics, but I really liked the idea of using this block (1 large triangle, 2 small triangles and a square) to make donation quilts. I think the possibilities are what caught my attention. I can imagine one element (the square or the large triangle being constant, the small triangles being background and the other parts bright and cheerful. I like the simplicity of the unit and the possibilities for complexity when you make more. I also thought the border was interesting. Different.

Untitled by Angie Woolman
Untitled by Angie Woolman

This quilt by Angie Woolman (Untitled) is one of my favorites. I liked the variety of fabrics (some Marimekko, I think), the different sizes of the motifs and the way the quilting fit with the piecing.

My World by Anne Grundler
My World by Anne Grundler

Kelly made me post this one for her. The photo shows it to be a little darker. The quilting is really nice and makes me want to practice my free motion quilting.

I really had a nice time and am glad I made the effort to attend the show.