TIME HAS FLOWN

 Digging through a bin of red fabrics I came across a piece purchased in 1987.....at the beginning of my quilting career.  Heck, I blinked and nearly 40 years have passed!!

How old is some of your fabric?

FINISHING UP

 A follow up on my recent post..... It seems there are decisions to make from the beginning of a project to the end. I'm now at the quilting phase and thought I'd share one of my approaches.

I do not FMQ, instead quilt with the aid of my walking foot. For my designs, generally simple background stitching works best to add motion, sometimes color, not overpower, and of course to hold the layers together.

Since my Asian inspired pieces feature scattered motif placement plus background open spaces, I've found it best to outline each motif first. (See photo #1 - backing). Next background quilting is addressed. For this piece I wanted some "cloud" lines....not necessarily connected, rather keeping it sparse and simple.

One trick I use is to audition quilt designs by drawing them onto clear plastic laid over the top of the quilt. Then, with an erasable pen I try out design options. (photo #2). In the end I decided not to use the idea shown. A more continuous design would be better to prevent random puffy pockets of the fabric developing on the unstitched areas around the isolated stitching.

Selecting the thread comes next. (Photos #3 & 4, 5) A variegated darker blue on top and invisible in the bobbin were the final choices.

The binding, sleeve & label are next......I'll be back soon.

RAMBLING

**This is long......grab some coffee or take my preferred "bubbly" hydration break while reading.

Several recent comments I've received have generated this post. I'm so thankful for the loyal and growing readership on both my Facebook and Blog accounts which amazes me since I do very little in the way of growing my social media presence. I'd rather be sewing!

Followers are either quilters themselves or simply interested in art quilts and hopefully they are collectors too. It's necessary to sell work in order to keep producing (and avoid having our offspring figure out what to do with them when the time comes. Haha)

So, let's get to it. I'm guessing most of you are well aware that creating one-of-a-kind art quilts is a different process than following a published pattern or making a quilt from a kit. Selecting fabric doesn't take a short period of time. At least for me it can take not just hours but sometimes several days to hit the right combo of design, color, scale etc. Where do my ideas come from? In short, everywhere. Visual surroundings, a comment or phrase, striking color combinations, and most often the fabric itself. I 'shop' for fabric in my own stash.

My style has changed a lot over my career. From whimsical, highly embellished, & whole cloth hand quilted creations, then morphing into nature inspired after our move from WI to the mountains of NC. Asian themed pieces have popped up fairly frequently too after inheriting a very large stash of fabric from a dear friend.

The later has been my biggest challenge and happily often those smaller pieces sell the quickest. With age I've noticed my art reflects a preference for living with simplicity, focusing on minimalism, using earthy but not totally muted palettes, and leaving unadorned spaces.

I've had a preference for working with whole-cloth (rather than pieced backgrounds). In fact one of my books was titled "The Whole Cloth Garment Stori". I began making traditional patchwork quilts in the mid 80's, but VERY soon tired of repeatedly sewing identical blocks. My pieces are always original designs, never duplicated. That takes time!! I may start with an idea, in this case a piece of fabric for the background and some 'fussy cut' circular motifs from another piece. These fabrics are 'auditioned' on my large flannel wall. They are added, subtracted, perhaps added again until the right combination comes together. This could mean hours of pulling piles of fabrics from shelves, standing and staring at them on the wall, sometimes knowing it's not right, but not how to fix it. Time...it takes time, experience and a stick-to-it attitude.

Okay enough...you get the idea. Here are just a few of the many design options I tried while creating my current small art quilt. I'm so fortunate to wake up every day excited to CREATE art quilts! Perhaps this explanation will shine light on my process; creating work to sell. I encourage you to follow your passion, whatever that may be. The finished piece is coming soon..... quilt motif decisions are still being made.

Circles are too big and overpower the design.

I knew I needed a vertical element, yet hadn't hit on just what that was yet.

Back to those darn circles.

Notice, I keep wanting to use those circular motifs......sometimes it's very hard to give up on an idea, even when it's not working!!!

The shifts in design may be small....like the placement of the birds....but necessary to obtain the right balance.

FLIRTING WITH JAPANESE FABRIC

Yup.....another blank fabric slate has pulled me in............

2:00 AM thoughts will be bombarding me in the coming nights. NOT complaining.....I live to create!! And that means pulling out bins and fabric stacks from closest, under bed storage, ETC. .........you get the idea. Stay tuned won't you??

I CAN'T RESIST SHARING THIS......

 Born and raised in Wisconsin and lived there a good portion of my life.....in fact I never considered living anywhere else.  Life happens.

Wisconsin has 3 food groups.....Beer, Brats, & Bars (as is such desert items as brownies.)  My pal Lynn just sent me the list of foods available at this year's Wisconsin State Fair.  One would have to visit the Fair all day, every day to sample all of these items.

Have to say.....a big NO for me.... NO worms, no crickets, no Spam, no Okra, NOOOOO pineapple on pizza.  This is sure not the Wisconsin I grew up in....give me a Meisfeld's brat and a Sheboygan hardroll....I'd be in heaven. Enjoy this food journey:  https://wistatefair.com/fair/new-foods/

                                      Soft serve Beer

                              Bloody Mary Mac and Cheese

Bugged Out Frozen Cheese Cake on a Stick. - yes crunchy worms and crickets......NOPE, NEVER!!!!

CRIMSON SUN

 It's taken me years to get comfortable working with Asian style fabrics which has now proven to be time well spent.

These smaller wall art pieces portray feelings of serenity, streamlined designs, and harmonious color palettes.  Wall art is one of the most accessible ways to update and refresh your rooms.

There are numerous such pieces now available in my online gallery shop.  

The finishing touch of hand sewing a hanging sleeve to this new piece has been completed.

CRIMSON SUN - 17.75” x 17.25”

Available

Japanese cottons, raw edge appliqué & machine quilted with gold 

metallic thread. Double fold binding, hanging sleeve attached.

THAT SPECIAL TOUCH

 Unique design motifs can make a wall quilt extra special. Thank you Lori for sharing these inspiring pieces of fabric with me!! Of course I wasted no time incorporating a section into my in progress piece. Coming very soon.......

DESIGN DEVELOPING

My once large stash of Asian inspired fabrics has to my great surprise dwindled. Actually, the type of prints in that stash have mostly been used up, leaving only small pieces that I'm still attracted to.

Here's how I'm using them on that blank slate I shared yesterday.....a design is developing...

       

                                                            

TRANSFORMATION

 Blank slate.....stay tuned for the transformation.

REFLECTING

 Having a bit of a sentimental moment this morning as I reflect. 

My twin sister's spirit walks with me.  Our shared journey didn’t end with her departure 24 years ago today.  It took on a new form of happy memories that continues to live with me.