In April after the Improvisations workshop and at the 2.0-year mark in my quilting life, I was lying. How could I claim to be a quilter with only one 9x12 journal quilt finished? Piecer, yes. Quilter, no. So I set up goals for the year. With the holiday season coming, I may be in my studio but crafting instead of quilting. So now at mid-point is a good time for evaluation.
□ UFOs: 4 out of 12 finished;
□ working with prints: 4 out of 4; and
□ workshop explorations: 1 out of 6.
A little off the mark but I'll continue working on these. Once over that holiday hurdle, I have three major goals before May:
□ finish at least one other quilt for the EBHQ's Voices in Cloth show in April;
□ homework for Nancy Crow's Sets and Variables workshops in May (yes, pre-workshop homework!); and
□ free motion quilting. I won't be coming up with 365 different designs like this quilter. I just want to get comfortable enough to FMQ a quilt and not feel like I have to hide it.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Leaping over hurdles
They're finished! Gosh, for once I am prepared in advance with grab bag gifts for a family Christmas exchange. 
Mileage and firsts out of these:
□ started with found log-cabin blocks – recycle/reuse;
□ so the colors and prints were not of my choosing. My challenge was adding more prints - one of my goals for the year;
□ these were nos. 2 and 3 for machine quilting with a walking foot;
□ one was quilted with a twin needle - a first;
□ one I designed my own quilting lines - another first;
□ made and used freezer paper templates for circles and curves - first again;
□ used a variegated thread on one and a heavier thread weight on the other;
□ used Sharon Schamber's technique on one binding; and
□ Superior Threads fusible thread technique on the other. Both firsts.
These small projects were approachable and got me over a couple of big hurdles: machine quilting and finishing a project. Thanks to these, I was confident enough to quilt and finish a workshop piece now hanging in a guild show.
Mileage and firsts out of these:
□ started with found log-cabin blocks – recycle/reuse;
□ so the colors and prints were not of my choosing. My challenge was adding more prints - one of my goals for the year;
□ these were nos. 2 and 3 for machine quilting with a walking foot;
□ one was quilted with a twin needle - a first;
□ one I designed my own quilting lines - another first;
□ made and used freezer paper templates for circles and curves - first again;
□ used a variegated thread on one and a heavier thread weight on the other;
□ used Sharon Schamber's technique on one binding; and
□ Superior Threads fusible thread technique on the other. Both firsts.These small projects were approachable and got me over a couple of big hurdles: machine quilting and finishing a project. Thanks to these, I was confident enough to quilt and finish a workshop piece now hanging in a guild show.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Back to the drawing board
After a wonderful four day respite in Yosemite with Dr. Phyl and two responses to my last post, I reapproached the bold workshop piece with a fresh outlook. Once again with Photoshop, I make a simple cut and rearrangement. 
This I like and the main figure stays! Many thanks to Wanda and Connie!
This I like and the main figure stays! Many thanks to Wanda and Connie!
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