I am not sure why I feel compelled to write at the moment , but I do. Perhaps I have been neglecting the thoughtfulness I try to put into my posts lately. Life is busy and that takes a toll on my quiltmaking and blog writing. I try to keep up, but usually it means a picture and a few words. I am still looking for an art patron to pay me to stay home and sew, if you know of anyone.
What I am Reading: Parallel Motions by John Anderson. It is a biography of Nevil Shute, the author of one of my favorite books, A Town Like Alice.
Audiobook on Tap: A Room with a View by E. M. Foerster. You are probably all familiar with the film. I could never get into the book, but it was a free audiobook at some point, so I thought I would try listening. I thought it would be good since I am enjoying Downton Abbey (better late than never) and read The Lady Julia Grey series, also set in Victorian England, earlier this year. I thought that it was the right time since I seem to be embroiled in Victoriana.
What I am Working on: Today, I spent time making blocks and doing the kind of things that need to be done to make progress later.
The Corner Store is in progress and I had to cut a bunch of squares to make more blocks. I have about 60 blocks so far, but they are very small, so to make anything larger than a placemat I need many more blocks. I have a lot of triangles, so I just cut the Kona Snow squares. I went through about 3/4s of a yard of Kona Snow and know that won’t be enough. I probably need another 120 blocks to make anything large enough to satisfy me.
I finished another Swoon block and have to admit that I have a project going. I think I will make another 3 blocks for sure and possibly another 6. I have plenty of fabric, of course. There is something about this project that is interesting to me in terms of color, so I am not quite done with this project yet.
I worked on the A-B-C Challenge blocks and started to prepare for the QuiltCon (what a stupid name, don’t you think?) block challenge. I have the fabrics, they are washed. They need to be pressed, but I need to plan the block.
I don’t feel like I accomplished much, but I know I was doing prep work that needs to be done.
Last weekend I finished the Blue Donation top that evolved from blocks into an actual top.I am pretty pleased with the way it came out. Chunking made this go together really well.
Last night I made a Franken-batting for it and started a back, but I don’t think I will finish the back. We’ll see.
This is for the BAMQG Charity project. Although it is not completely finished, I am putting it in MY finished category, because someone else will take over the quilting and binding.
Fabric, Tools and Spools
Sorry, I couldn’t help the rhyming. Moda’s Lissa had a great round up of favorite tools from various teachers and other prominent quilting people. She named it April Tools and posted it on April Fool’s Day. Clever, eh?
Ruby is the Modern Madness Champion. Congratulations, Camille! And now she has let us know she is coming out with yet another line of fabric call Marmalade. All I can see is the edges of folded fabric in a big stack. I am in love with the edges. When will it end?
I often search on Quiltshops.com for fabric. It is very easy to compare prices and see a wide variety of fabrics. 50 cents or a dollar off makes a difference. I am not always successful, but Quiltshops.com is a great place to find fabric that is older. I was randomly searching the other day and came across From Here to Quilternity (great name, huh?). Terri, the owner, had a great selection of Philip Jacobs fabric and a really nice FQ pack that tempted me. I didn’t buy the FQ pack, because I could only see the ends of the fabric. I mentioned it to her when she emailed me to thank me for my order. A day or so later she posted photos with more of the fabric showing on her blog! Wasn’t that nice? Excellent customer service!
Philip Jacobs English Rose Sky - May 2009
I am really liking the fabrics from Philip Jacobs. I know that won’t come as any surprise to any of you. I especially like the Sky background color he is using lately in different color ways.
In seeing the various prints around my workroom, I decided that using them as backgrounds wasn’t a terrible idea. It would show off the large repeats and make the piecing of the back not so fiddly. There are only so many bags I can make so this is a happy compromise. Look out for lots of flowery backs in upcoming quilts.
Around and About the Web
Do you have a dirty little quilting secret? Tanesha of Crafty Garden Mom has 7 of them. If you don’t mind a little off color language, and, c’mon, you can handle a few damns and hells to laugh like crazy, right?, go read her blog.
Nina talks about her organizational efforts in her studio. The thing I like about this post is that it is a post for real people. You will see cardboard boxes and plastic containers.
There was a recent discussion on Flying Geese. I make them using the Deb Tucker ruler, but with squares rather than triangles. I found out that Pam from Hip to Be a Square makes them the same way. Here is a tutorial sans special ruler.
Claudine Helmuth has a web series on her blog about finding your artistic style. Part 2 has been posted and she links to Part 1. I think this is a useful series to glance over related to the Design series I am doing with Sandy.
Jelly Roll Race Thoughts
As you know, the Renewed Jelly Roll Race caused me some agony (the artist kind, not the pain kind) and is now almost a forgotten memory. Katie, of Katie’s Quilting Corner website, blog and podcast, had some thoughts after doing a Jelly Roll Race quilt. She has some tips and tricks, and a video listed in her post as well. Sweeter Lemon has a kind of tutorial/explanation posted on her blog. I saw this after I finished my original top, but not in time to do anything about it. Some people miter the edges. I didn’t think of that, but would have used the Judy Martin Point Trimmer, if I had. I know I have told that is one of my favorite tools. As I mentioned Tanesha of the CraftyGardenMom podcast had some great ideas about the Jelly Roll Race. You can see any number of different Jelly Roll Race quilts if you type that phrase into your favorite search engine.
Sketchbooks and journals are a very important part of my quiltmaking life. As you know, my favorites are the Miquelrius journals. I have almost exclusively switched to them for writing. They have a new no-water, no-chlorine version, which is well illustrated in this [yes, it’s advertising] video. Do you use a sketchbook?
Quilts Out and About
Some of the nation’s most treasured quilts were produced around the middle of the 19th century influenced by quiltmaking in the nation’s third largest city of the time, Baltimore. A dozen of these works of art – most created in a distinctive and elaborately conceived appliqued style known as album quilts – are the focus of the newest exhibition at Colonial Williamsburg’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. “Quilts in the Baltimore Manner” opens June 9 and will be on view through April 2014 in the Foster and Muriel McCarl Gallery and reflects the strong textile industry and innovative quiltmaking styles of America’s largest seaport of the period 1845 to 1855.
The Emily Cier-Kate spain ‘issue’ has jumped out of the quilt world and into the Tech world with a blog post on Techdirt. Techdirt got hold of this issue via Leah Day’s post called Copyright Terrorism. Here is a quote from Techdirt that I thought was good, even if I am not sure we are flourishing without copyright, “It’s really a wonderfully rich post, which touches on many aspects of copyright and creativity, and I urge you to read it — along with the forthright comments (already there are 142 of them.) It provides another example, alongside the fashion industry, of a field that is currently flourishing without copyright, but that is under threat from those who have bought into the story that assigning ownership to something as insubstantial as ideas somehow promotes creativity, when in fact all it does is to shut it down through a creeping, paralyzing fear of infringement, as Day so vividly describes.” Perhaps this is the issue that will get quiltmaking out of the closet and have us playing with the big boys?
Thomas Knauer also has a very thoughtful and well organized post on copyright, which he posted on April 3, 2012 and updated on April 4, 2012. I particularly liked these few sentences “Ask any author how they feel when they see their work plagiarized. Any creative endeavor is an incredible amount of work; working in a creative capacity is not just a job, it is a vocation. It has extraordinary rewards, but it can be very costly on myriad fronts. This is about respect. Whatever you may think of Marxism, I think Marx got at least one thing right: our labors are an essential part of our being, and to steal that labor is in no small way to dehumanize a person.”
Now I am getting away from the Spain/Cier/C&T issue and climbing up on my soapbox. Please think about whether you want to dehumanize someone by copying their pattern or [insert other henious crime here] and giving it to a friend? There is someone who reposts every single blog post I write to her blog. Every single one. Pictures and all. She never asked. She never responded to any emails. I could look up her address using the tools I have at work, but I have chosen to just let her rot in hell (or wherever) when the universe decides it is her time. She is dehumanizing me. My writing is one of my creative expressions. I really don’t mind if people want to repost what I say or even pictures as long as they ASK and LINK back and are nice to me.
Other
In other intellectual property news (don’t worry, this won’t become a law blog!) I saw this on one of the law blogs I read, “Renae Gilbert Allen, Brigham City, Utah, has developed a patent (8,141,507) for an “apparatus, system, and method for facilitating the instruction of quilting techniques.” ” I read the description of the patent and have no idea what it means. New longarm machine, perhaps? You can look at the full text of the patent application at: http://1.usa.gov/I3xRAW
Everyone needs a hobby. Here is what happens when your hobby is equal parts cupcakes and maps.
Kathleen from BAMQG made a pillow with a block pattern from Badskirt (fun name, huh?). It is called x and a +. From the post, the author says that it is a Nancy Cabot design from 1938. I have not yet been able to find it, but I also have not hauled Barbara Brackman’s book off the shelf. I plan to use this for my X block for the ABC Challenge, even though I want to make it RIGHT NOW.
Paolo modelling the hat
I have a red hat that my great grandmother made for me when I was a child. It is knitted, has large purple, green, blue, pink, yellow and orange crocheted (?) flowers all over it and fits closely on the head. it has a tab (??) with a snap that closes it under the chin. Somehow this hat became a legend with Mark Lipinski.
MarkL in the Flower Hat
I told my mom about the exchange and a short while later she showed up at my house with an updated version of the flower hat. It took me awhile, but I finally sent it off to Mark and he was thrilled with it. He posted a picture of himself wearing the hat to his FB page and on my FB Wall. Good feelings and fun all around.
What arrangement did you decide on for your blocks?
order
Music definition: The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as “the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structure” (Corozine 2002, p. 3). Orchestration differs in that it is only adapting music for an orchestra or musical ensemble while arranging “involves adding compositional techniques, such as new thematic material for introductions, transitions, or modulations, and endings…Arranging is the art of giving an existing melody musical variety” (ibid).
Please 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, and how your work relates to the other responses.
Geometry Definition: In geometry and combinatorics, an arrangement of hyperplanes is a finite set A of hyperplanes in a linear, affine, or projective space S. Questions about a hyperplane arrangement A generally concern geometrical, topological, or other properties of the complement, M(A), which is the set that remains when the hyperplanes are removed from the whole space. One may ask how these properties are related to the arrangement and its intersection semilattice. The intersection semilattice of A, written L(A), is the set of all subspaces that are obtained by intersecting some of the hyperplanes; among these subspaces are S itself, all the individual hyperplanes, all intersections of pairs of hyperplanes, etc. (excluding, in the affine case, the empty set). These subspaces are called the flats of A. L(A) is partially ordered by reverse inclusion.
If the whole space S is 2-dimensional, the hyperplanes are lines; such an arrangement is often called an arrangement of lines. Historically, real arrangements of lines were the first arrangements investigated. If S is 3-dimensional one has an arrangement of planes.
The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. Are you already a member? I created that spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses. Please join and look at all of the great artwork that people have posted.
Sandy and I spent some time talking about pattern the other day and here is the next installment of our Design series. You can listen to the accompanying podcast on Sandy’s site or via iTunes.
Pattern is an Element of Design
What we are talking about is NOT a “plastic baggy with the instructions for a quilt inside.” (A Fiber Artist’s Guide to Color & Design, pg.99)
Definition:
“Pattern is a repetitive design with a motif appearing again and again.” (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 49)
Pattern is “formed by the repeat of shape, line or form within a design field.” (A Fiber Artist’s Guide to Color & Design, pg.200)
“…design or designs formed by the repeat of shape, line or form within the design field. When a shape is repeated three or more times a pattern is formed.” (A Fiber Artist’s Guide to Color & Design, pg.99)
The repetition of the motif, color, value, line, shape, or texture does not necessarily have to be identical in order to create a pattern. (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 49)
A pattern is often regular, high in contrast and represents something we can identify, like a plant. (Pentak & Lauer, pg. 168) See figure A
A quiltmaker can “use design elements such as solid colors and plain thread without any pattern in them, and use them in a way that creates a pattern in the whole composition.” (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 80)
“If fabric has a large scale pattern, its repetitions will not even be visible when small pieces are cut from it. If the fabric has a medium scale pattern, the repeats may be visible and be a strong part of the design.” “It is important to remember that the size of the fabric pattern will influence its readability at a distance.” (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 80)
Types of pattern: “patterns can be broadly grouped into categories according to their style or shape.” (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 81)
geometric or amorphous: mostly straight lines with angles. Designs with curvilinear lines are sometimes geometric.
Realistic: something can be identified such as objects or people (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 81) (The Tarts Come to Tea)
abstract: simplified shapes that suggest a subject (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 81)
non-objective: abstract without suggesting any realism(Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 81)
Pattern used in Quiltmaking
repeat motifs on a length of fabric, like dots. “Fabric will pattern may be used to contribute to the unity, balance, or variety in the design, but the scale of the pattern, that is its size in relationship to the size of the pieces that are cut will determine the impact of the pattern on the overall design of the quilt.” (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 80)
repeat of a group of designs on a length of fabric (fabric repeat)
Notes:
“A pattern is created when the viewer is led to anticipate the same elements in a design.” (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 49)
“The repetition does not have to be symmetrical, nor does it have to be precisely place for the viewer to be able to anticipate or find a pattern. Sometimes a pattern is noticed by one viewer and not another.” (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 49)
Consistent Feel
“The shape does does not have to the same size or scale [to create a pattern], but it does need to have a consistent feel.”(A Fiber Artist’s Guide to Color & Design, pg.99) The example of the fabric to the left has a variety of motifs, but the line quality and relation of motifs to each other gives the design a consistent feel. thus creating a pattern. Of course, there is a repeat in the design as well.
“Pattern and texture are often used interchangeably because a pattern may give a surface the appearance of texture and because textures have a distinct repeating arrangement that creates a pattern.” (Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 79)
Pattern is sometimes called visual texture.
“The essential distinction between texture and pattern seems to be whether the surface arouses our sense of touch or merely provides designs appealing to the eye. In other words, while every texture makes a sort of pattern, not every pattern could be considered a texture.” (Pentak & Lauer, pg. 168)
Examples:
Claudine Helmuth points out Edouard Vuillard’s work. “He would fill his paintings to the brim with pattern. Every surface is covered in pattern, none of which normally go together but somehow it all works.” Claudine Helmuth’s Series on Finding your Artistic Style, pt.2)
Swoon Block #1 - finished
The Swoon block shown was discussed in the episode as one of the examples.
Resources
A Fiber Artist’s Guide to Color & Design by Heather Thomas
The Super Secret project is ready to go to the quilter, so I am back to my 26 Projects list. Before I start the Corner Store, I plan to put together the blue donation blocks into a baby quilt. I am going to put it together with sashing rather than just putting the blocks together. I think it will look nice. Hopefully, it won’t take long.
What do you think of the fish heads?
Scrappy B&W Donation Blocks
I hope that the black on white background fabrics will be considered fun and different rather than a poor choice. I don’t have much plain white, and I have plenty of the black on white.
One of the reasons I wanted to put this quilt top (not planning on quilting it, but you never know) together was so that people wouldn’t feel obligated to go out and buy fabric so they make blocks with the black on white designs to match mine.
I did put some of the earlier blocks in the donation basket at the last meeting.
Joel Dewberry Donation Block
I know it is silly to call this (3rd image from the top) block the Joel Dewberry block, but that one square of his print really stands out (2d row, 2d from the left). I like the graphic nature of that patch, so I always think of this block as the Joel Dewberry block.
The blocks I am showing today are all new. I already have enough blocks to make a small baby quilt top, so I guess these blocks will be for the next top!
Dot Donation Block
I know the 4th image from the top is a bit of a repeat, but it is nice to see the blocks together. I was thinking of using black on white for the sashing, but looking at this image makes me wonder if I shouldn’t just sew the blocks together next to each other?
TFQ cut a lot of these squares as we were working on the Super Secret project. I really couldn’t have made all of these blocks without her.
Blue Donation Block
I am also really like the Accuquilt Go!. I cut many of the background fabrics using the 2.5″ square die, which made cutting a breeze.
I took a week off from the Block-a-Long last week, trying to decide whether or not to continue. I have a few more ideas, so I decided I’ll post a few more blocks. Besides what would I post on Mondays?
This block is related to Two Square Columns and Corner Squares in that I am working with squares and tall rectangles. I can really see this one going well with 2.5″ squares in the center. If anyone is interested I will post a pattern for that size (about 8″) as well.
If you have made blocks or a quilt from these patterns, please post a link in the comments section of the relevant block or on the AQ Block-a-Long Flickr group. I would love to see what you have made.
I wanted one post where I showed all the quilts together. You never know when you need to refer back tot hem and it is much easier to refer back to one post than several.
Stars for San Bruno #1
I can’t decide which is my favorite. They all have their charms.
#1 is really a classic design with a kind of random set of the blocks.
DH commented that he really liked the colors. I have a Mariner’s Compass for him pretty far down the list, but when I make it, I will consider making it blue and gold.
I first did the thin border on a quilt called Water Kaleidoscope (not sure if I have a photo) and have always wanted to use that kind of border again, so I was pleased to find that opportunity in #1.
The series of three also gave me the opportunity to try some different things while still working with a limited set of blocks and colors.
Stars for San Bruno #2
I do like the asymmetrical border on #2 and I may not have done it on another quilt. Having a lot of SherriD’s blocks to work with made that border possible. I think it was also a good use for those blocks.
I think being able to try out that type of border and see how it looked made me more comfortable with, perhaps, using the design element on another quilt in the future.
I also notice that #2 seems to have a lot more stars than the others. #1 and #3 still seem to have enough stars, which is good.
We’ll have to see.
Stars for San Bruno #3
By #3, the concept of these quilts was getting old and I wanted the project finished. I also did not want to infuse the quilt with bad energy, so I took up a new design challenge, which was a row quilt. This was a challenge, because of the variety of sizes of blocks I had to work with. With my SIL’s embroidered blocks, I was also able to take the asymmetrical border idea in a different direction.
I also wanted to take the opportunity to say that I could not have done this project without the help of the people who contributed blocks and my mom who not only made blocks, but also made backs and bindings and was my general quilt dogsbody. The awesome contributors are:
Reva Bailey, a member of the Contemporary Quilt & Fiber Artists, California
As promised, I am posting a photo of the Stars for San Bruno #3 quilt.There is probably only one more post left in this project and that will be to tell you how the deliveries went.
My normal quilt hanger was not tall enough and his wing span wasn’t large enough to hold the quilt straight, so I commandeered Mom and TFQ to do the work. They are both tiny, so they stood on chairs and let me snap away.
I know some of you are sick of hearing about it, but I need to keep it under wraps for awhile longer. I thought I would give you just a little taste of the Super Secret Project I have been working on.
This is the back and I think that Philip Jacobs fabric looks great. The back was not a drama queen either. With a large piece of fabric like that, it went together really fast.
Just as soon as I can share info, I will. Stay tuned!
rising air used by soaring birds and glider, hang glider and paraglider pilots for soaring flight (Wikipedia)
movements in pair skating and ice dancing (Wikipedia)
facelift
ski lift
forklift
a symbol used in music notation (Wikipedia)
hydraulic lift
Please 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, and how your work relates to the other responses.
The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. Are you already a member? I created that spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses. Please join and look at all of the great artwork that people have posted.
Here is the list, again, still in no particular order. This time I have moved the finished pieces off. 23 WIPs left! I had to add two more projects to the list. I can’t believe I forgot about the Stepping Stones. Also, I have a Super Secret project that I did, but it took me such a short time that I don’t know if it really counts.
Jelly Roll Race: at the quilter. Needs binding, quilting, sleeve.
Original Bullseye: needs border, backing, quilting and binding. Went rummaging through my fabric closet to find this top, because I was fired up to put the border on. I couldn’t find it. It is lost. I know it is in there somewhere. I am also working on my border idea and have definitely decided not to put that particular border on this quilt, if I ever find it, but I am glad I am doing the test.
Corner Store: foundations cut; some blocks made, triangles pinned to foundations and ready to sew.
Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered.
Infinity blocks: I know where they are.
A-B-C (A-Z) BAMQG Challenge – I am actually not sure if this should be considered a WIP, because I don’t really have enough blocks with which to make anything yet. I am making good progress. In April, I need to make O and P blocks.
Aqua-Red Sampler – steady progress has stopped and the class more than the quilt is really weighing on my mind. As far as I know Frances has still not finished her Dresden Plate. I really don’t know what am I going to do with her? The next class was going to be fusible machine applique’, but I haven’t gotten past cutting out the templates. Perhaps I should skip to machine piecing curves?
The Tarts Come to Tea: I haven’t quilted on this since April 2011. I need to work on the quilting. I was making good progress and then got sidetracked.
Flowering Snowballs: I have several parts of several border blocks done. I am doing them assembly line fashion, so there will be a lot of borders blocks all done at about the same time. The hand piecing is going very fast, but it usurping work on the Stars for San Bruno #3 binding.
Garden: used this piece for my beading demo for the 2012 EBHQ Voices in Cloth show (March 17), which means that I added some beads. It needs some machine quilting.
Flower Garden: I still find the ‘flowers’ too spiky. I think I need to soften them up a bit.
Moon and Stars: need to finish handquilting. This quilt is not interesting.
This week’s patches are from the batches I have washed recently. I have been trying to press a few yards as a warm up for my quiltmaking sessions. Trying to do that means that I am making progress on the ironing and cutting.
I was afraid that I just wouldn’t get to the washing and cutting and ironing this year. I know people say that they get so much fabric that they can’t wash it all before they use it anymore. I can’t imagine using a lot of fabric I haven’t washed. The unwashed fabric stinks so when I press it.
As I mentioned, the squares and rectangles are a pleasure to work with so far.
A lot of the black on white prints come from working on the Flowering Snowball. I cut two of the purples (above towards the right side of the photo), because the motif is so large that the pieces I cut look very different from each other. I like that print a lot, especially the background color. We’ll see if I remember once I start arranging and laying out the quilt top.
FOTY 2012 Patches, too
There is a lot of white in the prints I have cut so far this year. I wonder if this will be the year of the much lighter quilt? The white doesn’t bother me so much, but we will see once I start arranging.
I also found that I have started to press and cut the larger pieces that have been languishing. In some cases, at TFQ’s suggestion, I am just pressing the edges and leaving the rest of the piece until I use it. Most of them are not very wrinkled, so I think it will work out.
Patches for FOTY 2012
I also have to say that using rectangles and squares makes it much easier to photograph the patches when they are cut.
The top and back are done. The binding is made and I took the quilt to the quilter on Friday.
You will have to click on the photo to see the border I put on. It is relatively small – 3″ or 4″, I forget- and mostly it is there to stabilize the edges of the piece. I think it gives the diamonds some breathing room.
When I look at this piece, I see a lot of movement. I first thought the rows and columns weren’t lined up, but the variety of fabric makes the piece look like it is moving rather than misaligned. At the moment, the top is 61″x61″ approximately.
I decided to use most of the rest of the diamonds on the back. I still have a few left, but they will end up in some other project another time – perhaps in a pencil roll or gift bag. Hhhmmm….
Renewed Jelly Roll Race - back
Again, I decided to try not to make myself crazy. I used a large piece of purple Moda Marble for the sides of back. Around the diamond is some random solid I had and I had to throw in a few other pieces to make the back large enough.
I felt bad having so little to show at BAMQG, but next month, or in June, hopefully, I will will have a lot. I do like those finishes.
I have decided to give it to my aunt as a gift. She is doing something really nice for me for which I can never thank her.
