Challenging Fabric

Note: If you are in a bee group that decides to do a group quilt, they might decide that one fabric should be in each block to create unity.

In the WannaBee at the Ocean quilt, it was this gorgeous fabric.  Can I just say that I was there for that shopping trip?

Note:  If the bee group decides to shop for the unifying fabric, cancel your plans and go with them.  Even if it means rescheduling the carpet installation, the plumber, and the people who are going to hang the glass shower doors.  It will be less of a headache in the long run.

This has been a public service announcement. 

I showed you my inspiration picture yesterday.

Here are the fabrics I am inspired to use, that I want to use.

Aren't they pretty?

Here is the fabric that the rest of the WannaBees picked without me.  The fabric I have to use.

Do you notice what's missing?  Blue.  White.  Soft.  Dreamy.  Yeah, that.

I'm not making judgements.  Really I'm not.  I wasn't there so I can't complain.  But honestly?  How am I going to make all these play well together?



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WannaBees House Challenge

With our guild quilt show coming up in September, it's time for the WannaBees to get cracking on our group quilt. We've been batting around ideas for ages, finally chose a house theme, and now we've selected some fabric. Somehow none of us (that I know of) have started actually, you know, sewing.

Maybe it's because we can't imagine it coming together the way the last one did. Maybe it's because this one requires some actual artistic skill - there's perspective to consider.

 Whatever it is, we've procrastinated. A lot.

Ben has graciously used his actual artistic talent to draw out the house and some key lines.  We've each chosen the room we want to create.  I chose the master bedroom.  This cracks me up because my own bedroom is generally a pit, the dumping ground for all the homeless things in our house. 

We've decided it's a 1930's-ish house.  Someone else mentioned a farmhouse, but what fun is that?  I want to DREAM!

Funny story.  When I started looking for inspiration, I googled "1930's master bedroom" and the first link that popped up was this gorgeous room.  I realized that the decorator is a guy I graduated with from high school, who is now some big name designer in magazines!   Our 25th reunion is in October, and I'd love to bring a picture of the finished quilt to show him. 

Image from Elle Decor

I finally sat down with my outline and googled drawing+perspective.  I found this tutorial that is dumbed down almost enough for me and started sketching.  I also started a Pinterest board to save all the pictures that I love. 

Here's what I have so far.  Tomorrow I might try actual cutting.  Sewing will have to wait until next week.

Tomorrow I'll share the fabric dilemma. 



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Going to Guild - Ann Hazelwood

Last night at guild our speaker was Ann Hazelwood, a woman of many talents.  In addition to being a quilt appraiser, author, speaker, and something of an expert on red and white quilts, Ann will have her first novel out this summer. 

Ann came to teach a redwork class and then share her amazing collection of red and white antique quilts with us.  She explained why red and white quilts came into fashion after the previously popular red and green quilts revealed their fleeting beauty.

The Turkey red stays vibrant while the green fades away.

This originally featured green pine trees.  Now it features batting poking through the fabric.

These are just a few of the gorgeous quilts, mostly c1900, in Ann's collection.  She says she was attracted to them because of their simplicity and graphic impact. 

The quilts were mementos of people, animals, and everyday life.  This stunning flower quilt was given to the pastor of a church to commemorate his 20th anniversary. 

Each petal has a signature inside.  Absolutely priceless!

At the end of the lecture, Ann also shared with us something I had never heard of.  They're called "splashers" - pieces of embroidered linen that were hung behind a basin to protect the wall. 

The workmanship in these is amazing, especially considering their purpose!  Most are not in English, and translations are iffy.  We had fun making up our own text.

Have you ever heard of splashers?



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Up for Air

It's been a long crazy Spring with absolutely no quilting going on and not much else. What have we been up to while I've been not blogging?

Can't believe it will be my kid next May!

• Volunteering - way back in August I smiled and raised my hand when they asked for someone to head up the graduation night lock in that the Junior parents put on for the new grads.  Most of the time it was no trouble because we had some awesome committee chairs, but in May it was May-hem!  It went off without a hitch and the kids had a great time, but I'm relieved it's behind me.  

"Not up to code."  YIKES!

• Remodeling - it started with the leak in the basement, grew a little with a leak in the shower, and ended up being a giant remodeling job that included moving all three kids and both dogs into my parents' house for 8 days.  I'm so happy with the finished work, but was NOT happy on the day they told me my "tile repair" in the master shower was really turning into gutting the bathroom.  All because of some lazy, corner-cutting builder from 17 years ago.   

 

• Nursing - Gracie was sick almost the whole last week of school with a lingering cold, and Georgie managed to crack one of his toenails up the length of it.  I'm not proud that, when he met me bleeding at the door, my first thought was for my new floors.

Poor George!

No, he's not going to Yale, but who could resist taking the picture?

• Marking milestones - Gracie celebrated her (and our) last day of elementary school, The Bear is working on his behind-the-wheel time in anticipation of getting his driver's license in October, and Deuce is now officially a senior in high school working on his college applications.  The Pit Boss and I will have been married for twenty years next week and my in-laws will be celebrating FIFTY years in August!  It's all good!

So.  I know Heather got married and Jodi has moved into her beautiful new sewing room house; Ben has also been remodeling and Quilt Dad has been involved in some gang activity.  But what are you up to?



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