2017 Finishes

I wasn’t going to do this, but it is fun to look back and see that you’ve accomplished more than you thought you had. Because of the way I work, most of these were started in other years, and finished this year.

My Noah rug is one of my favorites this year.

This is a little scrap quilt that I made for a woman’s shelter. I actually made a second one but did not document that one.

The artful log cabin quilt from the Katie Pasquini Masopust class.

And “My Flower Garden” made from the leftover strips from the above quilt.

This was a top I made long ago, and just finished quilting this year. (Thank you, Juki!)

Another top I made a LONG time ago, and also just quilted this year.

A little improv scrap quilt. I like this one. I don’t know where it is right now

Dust if you Must–made from an internet poster that was making the rounds. I changed it just a bit to personalize it.

Worlds within Worlds.

A second kantha blanket.

The Light of the World. I enjoyed making this one, and it went fairly quickly.

Pink is Pink.

My Guide.

O Death Where is thy Sting? Finished previously, but the cross was beaded this summer.

As you might know, many other projects were started this year. I hope that I will be able to finish as many in the coming year.

 

2015 Year in Review

Here are the quilts I completed in 2015. There were a number of quilt tops that I finished, and techniques that I explored, but in the end I decided that I would only include completely finished projects.

In February of 2015 I exhibited a number of my quilts at Oak Hills Church gallery–quilts from the two series “The Signature of Jesus,” and “The Psalsm.” I made several of these small crosses at the beginning of the year.

And this was also a last minute finish for the exhibition:

I made this small piece for special friends who were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.

I really like this next quilt–made using my “zig zag technique.” I’m using it on the foot of my bed right now.

Another in The Psalms series, finished after the above mentioned exhibition. This is one of the few quilts where I have done the kantha style stitching across the complete background of the quilt. It is very time consuming, but effective, I think.

The nine patch quilt. I worked a long time on this one, and finally finished it last year. But I don’t actually like it that much–its a little too jarring for me.

 

I started a series called “What They Said,” and only got as far as finishing these next two pieces. There are another 15 just waiting to be finished! Hoping to get to that soon.

A little experimental stitching:

And I finished the Kandinski inspired quilt that I had started the previous fall with Rosalie Dace.

I was inspired to try a new method of using the kantha stitching.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature.”

 

“Every good thing given comes down to us from God our Father who created all the lights in the heavens.”

And I finished a little lap quilt that is one of my all time favorites!

I couldn’t help myself. I made several of these rag rugs.

I found and finished this little project.

“Be Filled with Joy.” Another experiment with stitching on a quilt.

Finished a quilt top for my gardener’s new granddaughter.

And the Fire Quilt. Inspired by a worship service at our church held while the Butte Fire was still burning in our community.

“A Closer Look.” Just fun fun fun. Using my little box of two inch squares, my zig zag technique, my baggie of Cherrywood fabrics, and a lot of perle cotton embroidery thread!

“His Kingdom Will Never End.” The last quilt I finished, and probably the one I think is my best composition.

I finished the year as I do many times. Quietly hand quilting on an older quilt top. Dreaming of all the new projects and techniques that I want to try in the coming year. Wishing all the best for you and your families in 2016!

A Quilted Year in Review

Well, this was a good exercise for me. Because I think I have been a bit scattered this year, and I know I have MANY unfinished projects. Starting a new project is always so fun and exciting, and sometimes (almost always) finishing a project is just plain boring. All the creative ideas have been decided upon and executed, and now it is mostly just grunt work putting in boring quilting lines (my apologies to those whose greatest love is the quilting line!)

So it was good to go through my archives and see that I had finished a lot of quilts, and to be reminded–oh yes, there is another unfinished idea and/or quilt…

In January I started my new “job” writing a column for The Quilt Life magazine as “the healthy quilter. Between this and my occasional blog for The Quilt Show website, it has provided good accountability for staying on track with my healthy diet. I lost (re-lost) 25 pounds in 2013.

In January, I had the amazing experience of having my first gallery showing! It was an exhibit called The Housetop Quilts. I wrote about it here, and you can see a slide show of the quilts here. Here is the last quilt I finished for the exhibit.

I went to Haiti in January, and two new quilts emerged in February that were directly related to that experience.

We Are One

Colossians 1

In March, I made a grand effort, and actually finished and bound this New York Beauties quilt (that I started probably over five years ago.) It is extensively quilted, and is pretty heavy because of the fabric I chose for the backing. It has been my winter bed quilt this year, and every night I get a lot of enjoyment out of looking at both the piecing and the quilting that I did on it.

In April I finished a little quilt that might be my favorite for the year. The idea for the words started in December with the Sandy Hook tragedy. This quilt is in a series that I call “The Psalms.”

Hope in Uncertain Times

May found me in Ohio at Nancy Crow’s Timber Frame Barn workshop. I loved the whole experience. I have not continued with the extensive strip piecing that I learned/did at that workshop. But I have learned that all of my experiences influence the direction of my work, even if I am not doing that particular technique.

I think I should call this a crazy little quilt. Because that is what it seems to me.

In June I reverted back to the style that I had done in “The Psalms” quilts. I really like this style. Hmmm. I see this is a very unfinished picture of the quilt. Well, it is one that I am currently working on (the drudge part.) It has a LOT of circles and hand embroidery added to it, and the words of one of my favorite Psalms have been added. And then, for some unknown reason, I decided to hand quilt it. I work on it a little bit every night. Maybe it will be the first quilt finished for the new year!

July: This is just one square from a large quilt (that I finished later in the year.) I like this technique very much (inserting skinny strips into a block) and included this to remind myself to try that again. I am also liking the use of prints WITH solids.

August:  This is really a half-baked idea. I keep coming back to it, but I haven’t figured out how to make all the pieces work together yet. Perhaps the new studio will help : )

September was all about finishing this hooked rug and attending the rug convention.

Evidently I did not post any pictures in October. I know I was doing something. I did go to the Pacific International Quilt Festival, which is always inspirational and overwhelming. I met some of my SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) compadres for the first time when I volunteered to work in their booth for a few hours. Joining SAQA has really been a great experience for me already. They have so many resources and opportunities, education and assistance. And the people I’ve met have really been so nice and encouraging. If you are at all interested in art quilting, I encourage you to check them out!

November: Here is the “mosaic cross” finished. Only its not finished either. I decided to include the “world” by hand embroidering a semi-sphere at the bottom with green and blue perle cotton thread. Whose great idea was that??? Well, it is mostly done. I will post the entire quilt when I finally finish it.

And in December, of course, I was finishing Christmas presents.

Well I can’t end this post without an update on the new studio. The contractor began working on it just one week before Christmas. I enjoy watching him work. He works very peacefully, looking at his work and figuring out the next step (a lot like us quilters,) and then all of a sudden, it seems, a LOT has been done. Every day I am surprised at the progress. Last night I came home and found the walls up, so you can see the outline of the doors and windows!

Oh, and where did I come home from?? From a trip to Costco, where I got cabinets for the studio closet, and 18 storage bins, and 13 project bins. I be getting myself organized in 2014!!