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Archive for the ‘Machine Quilting’ Category

Friday, July 6th, 2012

This is the cover of the catalog for the Dinner at Eight Rituals exhibit which will debut at IQF Long Beach at the end of the month. Scooter and Mr C are in the slice that is second from the right!

You can go here and have a peek at all of the beautiful quilts. The show is sponsored by Moore’s Sewing in Long Beach and Havels Sewing will sponsor the show at IQF Houston.

It is such a pleasure to have summer ensconced in Portland. I spent most of the morning formatting a huge e-newsletter for Northern California SDA members.

I got down to the studio this afternoon to figure out what was wrong with my satin stitch using the zigzag stitch. After some research, I decided that the acufeed foot might be the problem. I switched to the applique foot and with a bit of tension tweaking, I was in business.

I still need to do the edging for the air piece. I want to print with the deconstructed screen that I made in Kerr’s class. It will be nice and warm for batching tomorrow so I am hoping to play with that.

Tonight, I went to a beautiful concert with Mr. C — part of the Oregon Bach Festival. It was a choral concert. The first piece was a Bach Mass; the second piece was A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett. It was amazing. Here are the notes about the piece:

Compelled by the needless suffering he witnessed in World War II, British composer Michael Tippett created the modern choral masterwork A Child of Our Time. Its story concerns an act of justice in a time of war. But its effect is one of urgency and somber beauty, like the work it was modeled upon, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Tippett integrated American spirituals such as Steal Away, Go Down Moses, and Deep River in place of the Passion’s chorales to reach the deepest levels of our common humanity. Its haunting narrative and rich climaxes embrace both the shadow and light of our collective whole.
We had a great dinner out before the concert. And here is today’s 3 x 3.

A Good Thing

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

I am not sure why or when it happened, but I now feel so happy in my studio, full of ideas, getting work done and feeling good about it. I used to feel this way, but something happened to me last year — maybe a several things — I don’t know for sure. I just know that I am happy and creating again. And that is a good thing.

We had a fairly uneventful 4th of July. It was a perfect day. We took a long walk with Scooter and checked out the end of the parade that our neighborhood has every year. I quilted the air quilt. In the evening, the Barnes family, minus Mia, came for a BBQ on the deck.

Here is the air quilt which I think will be titled, Riding the Thermal.

I am in the process of finishing the edges of this quilt and the fire quilt. I decided to do satin stitch edges, but my satin stitch on my Janome is nor behaving. I don’t know what the problem is. I have cleaned my machine, changed the needle, fiddled with the tension. Not sure what to do next.

Yesterday’s 3 x 3 – up there – is a piece of hand-dyed fabric which I cut and stitched. Here is today’s:

You have to love magenta and lime green!!

I Did, I Put a Bird On It

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

This piece is moving right along. And, I am having fun with it. I started quilting the thermal tonight.

I will applique the bird once the background is quilted.

I have had a busy and productive day. I got Alternate Universe labeled and the hanging sleeve is attached. It is ready to send to SAQA for the I’m Not Crazy exhibit.

I got my hair cut and did grocery shopping and picked up some great veggies from the CSA farm. I don’t have any big plans for the 4th of July, but I think Steph, Jack and Miles may come over for dinner.

Here is my 3 x 3 for today. I am enjoying the red/violet color.

Sparks are Flying

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

I edited this and removed a lot of the sparks and started stitching. I found out that it is Google Chrome which caused the problem with uploading the photos. I switched to Firefox and no problem!

I am stitching the heck out of this because I have so many small pieces. Here is a detail.

I have to say that this piece is making me very happy as I feel I have gone back to what I love doing — making abstract quilts out of my art cloth.

I have had a very busy day. I did lots of laundry, got the guest room ready for my special company coming tomorrow, made a batch of berry freezer jam to use up some of the berries in the freezer from last summer, shopped at the Farmer’s Market and quilted!

I rented an infant car seat and a bouncy chair for Paige. Mr C and I successfully installed the seat in the car. I will be off to the airport at 8 in the morning. Soooo excited.

Tomorrow, my granddaughter leaves for a wilderness adventure with kids her age from all over the country. She will spend 2 weeks with other 6th graders surfing, rafting, climbing and hiking all around Oregon. She was given a scholarship for the program, and I am so proud of her. I know it will be an exciting time for her.

Here is today’s 3 X 3.

 

Cloudy with a Touch of Warm Sunshine

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

It was a nice week-end. I felt much better. The rain stopped by 3 in the afternoon and the sun came out and so we were able to have appetizers and drinks on the deck last evening. Then we fit 12 people around the dining room table and had a great meal together.

I bought new napkins at Crate and Barrel that are really cool colors of the rainbow.

I have just about finished my mythology piece. I am channeling Jamie Fingal and Terry Grant and using only black thread for the quilting with batik fabrics.

And here is today’s 3 x 3.