Since last week the neighbor’s chickens and I are up around 5:30am. About midweek I found myself wandering into the studio instead of the garden or behind the computer. I puttered around with a couple of quilts and soon I’d filled ALL of the design walls, mostly with new projects, because, why not?
My routine has been to piece one block for each of the quilts daily. You’d think that wouldn’t take long, but I swear, I sew much faster in my head and before I know it I’ve ended up spending a full day in the studio. Rotating through each quilt has been a good improvisational process for developing the color ways and holding my attention. I’m hoping to show you one of those in the next post if my momentum continues.
Today I’ve got another oldie that has traveled all around the world with one of the first Modern Quilt Guild shows, but never made it to some good photos. It deserves a remake, but reminds me of how far modern quilting’s evolution has come in design and artistry.
I can’t recall much about my creative process in making this quilt, but I remember having played with the improvisational Slice & Insert technique from our book Quilting Modern in the same way early on in this quilt here and wanted to apply it to a different layout.
Run-In has been my best example in my straight line quilting workshop of a more organic 90ish degree turn using a walking foot. Quilting it this way was pretty carefree. I don’t think I’d do it differently in a remake.
I like a generously sized baby quilt and for backing went for a wider Echino fabric intended for some pillows that never got made, no piecing required. Linen on the front and linen on the back gave it fabulous drape. Washed up it’s super soft and finally ready for a new home with a neighbor baby.
I finished the ironing station I mentioned last week. I was trying to be all precise with measuring to make a top (here’s the old one and the tutorial) and somewhat achieved a satisfying cover. It will do and certainly needs some use to lose the puffiness three layers of batting gives it.
Luckily I’ll be looking at it from the top most of the time so the off-set of the print on the side will only bother me when I’m walking down the stairs.
One of the quilts on the design wall is a scrappy mix between my Value Hearts and Splintered Hearts Quilts with a plan of adding improvisational triangles. Not sure how it will develop, but having my scraps handy is pretty convenient and inspirational.
The timing was perfect. With the subfloor in the kitchen leveled/replaced yesterday my old pressing station became a mobile unit for some of my cookbooks and a few plants. We’ll move everything back in as we figure out floor plans for altering the break your neck basement stairs and the impact that will have on the kitchen layout. At least now things won’t magically roll north.
To answer a few questions I’ve been getting:
-No, it’s not you, I turned off comments since I was getting spammed too much for Viagra.
-My website contact form isn’t working for some people, but the email address is there on the page.
-Thanks for the inquiries, but I decided not to teach at Quiltcon next year. I’m still contemplating Craft Napa and some sort of live on-line guild/workshop things. If you’d like to be notified when just shoot me an email and I’ll add you to the list and/or will announce here.
The good news of no kitchen is take out for lunch AND dinner, freeing up the whole day for the studio. Hope you’re all finding some creative ways to embrace all this change.
xo Katie