Through the Fog

Do not adjust your computer monitor, dear reader, for this is the view from my studio
yesterday morning:

Who would believe that there is a beach out there? Here’s how it should look:

Better late than never

When I rocked up to the Post Office at Baltimore, Ohio with some 15 kilos (32 pounds) of surplus fabrics from my Nancy Crow workshop back in July, I said something along the lines of “I don’t care how long it takes, I want to ship this at the cheapest rate”. Another case of, be careful what you wish for. Seventeen weeks later, the relcalcitrant parcel has finally materialised (in every sense of the words). Now to find somewhere to store it!
I posted off my guild calendar challenge quilt today - very much in the spirit of participation rather than competition. Here is an image of Le Printemps (it looks better if you squint):

And here is the inspiration - some wildflowers from the French Pyrenees:

Going Dotty

I finished piecing my calendar challenge quilt but, despite adding extra for seam allowances, it has shrunk below the required size. I auditioned some borders but did not like the overall effect so it is staying like this for now:

Up a Creek

Be careful what you wish for. Here was I craving a return to piecing and then I remembered that I had promised to make a 12″ Kayaks block for a friendship/farewell quilt:

As you can see, this block requires precision piecing and it’s been a while since I have required sharp points. In the end, I decided to go the foundation piecing route so that I can withstand scrutiny from the quilt police.

Larch Shibori

As promised, here are my last two shibori style pieces (emphasis on last):

This one has 25 circles and was loosely intended for my challenge quilt for the guild’s 25th anniversary. Once again, this photo does not do justice to the rich curry colour:

I’m Over It

I declare my brief but intense infatuation with shibori resist dyeing is over. I spent several hours this week carefully stitching two larch pieces (see Erica’s blog for some directions) and left them batching in dye while I travelled to the city today for a guild committee strategy meeting. Upon my return, I was eager to see whether the larch/circle pattern had taken. To make a proper assessment, I needed to loosen and remove the stitching and rinse the fabric. It took an age and, as I tugged in vain at the stitching thread, I felt all enthusiasm dissipate. It didn’t help that I nicked a small hole with my embroidery scissors as I tried to snip the threads Both pieces turned out OKish (photos tomorrow) but I am ready to return to my first passion - piecing all the way!

A little mountain air

Today’s destination was the re-fabricating difference textile exhibition at Springwood in the bushfire zone of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney and some 2+ hours from Copacabana. There we found 30 quilts on display including impressive contributions by Alison Muir , Antonia Valentine and Sue Dennis.

No photography was permitted although I did purchase a CD catalogue for $10. Not all of the exhibits were of the highest calibre but the standouts make the trip worthwhile and a variety of techniques were employed. Many of the quilts were for sale and I was struck by the very modest pricing. Personally, if I was to put a quilt up for sale (and it’s not something I am particularly inclined to do), I would prefer to put a higher price/value on my work and not sell it rather than undersell myself.

I have a number of projects under way at present but many are gifts and cannot be shown on my blog for fear of spoiling the surprise. I made a belated start on my guild calendar challenge quilt this afternoon - entries are due at the end of November. So far it looks something like this but I suspect it will morph into something else along the way:

The long & the short of it

Thankfully the temperatures are cooler today as I wrestle with quilting a queen size quilt on my Bernina 150QE - the machine I use for all of my quilts including bed quilts such as Synchronicity (pattern available here):

I am often asked how I manage with such big quilts and a domestic sewing machine with a smallish throat. My short answer goes something like this:

• practice and build confidence with smaller quilts;
• create a flat sewing area to support the quilt - in my case, I stack plastic fabric bins to the left of my SewEzi table;
• make sure the quilt is securely basted. I usually spray or fuse baste. Lisa Call offers an instructive basting tutorial but personally I’ve never had much success with pin basting. The pins are not compatible with my basting surfaces (polished hardwood floors or the dining table David made) and, too often, the pins wrangle with my free motion foot because I get too carried away quilting and forget to stop and pull the pins out;
• work from the centre of the quilt outwards;
• don’t roll the quilt - turning your quilt into a telegraph pole is not the answer! instead pile your quilt wherever you can so that you have a flat area around the needle. Women with larger boobs often find their chests make a useful resting area but I have to throw the quilt over my shoulder; and
• stretch beforehand and take regular breaks.

I have friends with long arm machines but I’ve developed a good working relationship with my everyday machine. Find what works for you.

Where there’s smoke…

there is sometimes fire. And although the bush fires are a long way from here, it’s been a hazy, smoky day with layers of ash gathering on every surface in my studio. Add 38+ C (95-100 F) temperatures and it’s not exactly optimum quilting weather. At least the beach is only a short walk away and I can go swimming to cool down

Basking in the Sun

My Summer Meadow quilt has enjoyed more than 15 minutes of fame. First it was the cover quilt on Issue 94 of Down Under Quilts (which contains a profile of yours truly):

And now it features as a project in Issue 103 (December 2006) of Down Under Quilts :

And here’s a detail shot: