Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Getting started

One quilt top and I've decided this is for me. I am shooting for the moon. Quilts shall be the medium for this artist.

I've sewn for 40 years and still own quilt books from the 1970s. I've even dabbled with Seminole patchwork. But traditional quilts are not my thing. Maybe that's why I never got into it. Now I've discovered the other world of contemporary quilts. Graphic. Abstract. Freeform. Whoo-eee!

I'm just getting started. Two things occupy my thoughts, time and efforts for now. First, finishing my first quilt. Second, building up my stash.

My first quilt top was finished in June. Can't decide which way to piece the backing, so I have yet to cut into it. I have a walking foot. And after the basic machine quilting class, stitch-in-the-ditch is no longer an unfamiliar term. The mechanics are in place. I just need to do it! KISS for this first one?

Designing and planning a project is fun and exciting for me. Keeps me up nights dreaming and scheming. My mind jumps onto the next project before actually finishing the first. But this obsession also eats up a lot of time and keeps me from doing.

I found some great quilting fabrics at bargain prices at the flea market. They were part of an estate sale, so I feel for the quilter who is no longer with us. IKEA also have great graphic prints. I'm old-school - preshrunk all of this. And then catalogue them all on 4x5 index cards. OCD? Will this system be useful later? These time consuming tasks give me a semblance of order, so humor me for now.

That first project is calling me. When that Indian summer arrives, I'd stay out of my garden and give it some attention.