Kerry's Adventures in Quiltland

Is fabric ...heaven???

2008-05-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

it is so totally crazy...I am going to have to have my daughter make me a t-shirt that says I work for fabric!!

walking around the shop where I work (www.webfabrics.net) just straightening fat quarters and bolts...egads...I added way too much to my stash...

then I find that I have to cut more fabrics to build up a sales stash!!! OMG~~~ my poor heart cannot take this...I know when I checked out this afternoon...that I worked for fabric today...TOTALLY...

Now I need some time to put my *paycheck* together and show you all what I am working on!!!

I have now decided that I will use the euphemism paycheck for my stash....lol

I don't know about everyone else...but I am holding my breath waiting for the Laurel Burch Christmas fabrics.....er...paycheck!!!

More tomorrow...I need to tell you all more...I have fallen into the best job I have ever had...the people...the product...the environment...I have never known better...

oops got to run...my son and I need to root on The Pittsburgh Penguins!!!

Peace out!!!

another few days...

2008-05-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

I spend my days between cutting and packing gorgeous fabric and working on my own fabric pieces...there are a few chores niched in between...but fabric has definitely become my medium of choice...
I'm nearing the end of the fantastic art quilt group I'm in...based on Jane Davila and Elin Waterston's Art Quilt Workbork...I have been meeting monthly with a wonderful group of woman (only 6 of us), but from such diverse artistic backgrounds!!! It has imbued this group with such depth...I am desperate to find another Workshop/Workbook so we can continue to explore art together...it's been 6 VERY short months...and that has included end of the year holidays...

In the next few days I will post photos of my WIPs... works in progress...

so little time...so many fabrics...

Applique

2008-03-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

I have been taking a fantastic class about Applique as it relates to quilting...or sewing, in general... I do so love the "look" of applique on a quilt or an art quilt...we are working through an applique workbook...and I have been making hearts 'almost' by the hundreds...there are 12 different processes described in the book and I've tried them all...I was quite attached to English Paper Piecing...for the overall final result...but in a random, chance reading on Mark Lipinski's Pickle Road Yahoo group...I found another and an ultimate applique *trick*...

using a fusible interfacing and placing it right sides together with the fabric...sewing around the edges and then slitting the back and pulling around to right sides...then pressing the fusible interfacing so that it fuses the edges down solidly...they are perfect edges...so easily appliqued...with no chance of raw edges popping out...I spent the greater part of today undoing the basting of my paper piecing on 40 odd hearts...and re-setting them on fusible interfacing...
I have an art quilt that I have just finished appliquing...unfortunately before I read about the technique...:(
I will just continue with the piece and experiment with art quilt finishing techniques...like ANY good quilter (even a beginner..hehehe) I bought enough fabric to do it right the next time...

K

Catching up!!! or as usual...oh stop it...it's not even a WHOLE month...

2008-03-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have been learning so much about quilting day by day...it makes my head spin...there are the magazines...the websites...the Yahoo Groups...the books...and my favorite spot to spend time...my local quilt store with it's free classes every Saturday...
it is no secret that I live near the finest Quilting store in the country (by the way it is www.webfabrics.net)...and it IS the largest quilting shop in the Washington, D.C. area...
but almost like being asked to the Prom...I was invited to become a staff member and accepted (even faster than the Prom when I was 16!)
It's only been 3 weeks (time truly does fly when I'm having fun there)...it is a wonderful place to work and what I learn every day I'm there fascinates me even more...being a little basting stitch in the quilting world is fantastic!

There it is...my excuse for not posting...what could be better!!! I have 1700 WIP's in various stages...but I've come to learn from co-workers (the nicest gals on the planet) and the customers (delightful women willing to share their thoughts and ideas) that having fabrics for use in 5-10 years is normal and that having projects LIKE that actually add to one's longevity...plus as far as UFO's are concerned...I don't have near enough!!! How can you NOT love quilting for all it's forgiveness!!!

*crossing fingers behind my back*

I WILL post more regularly...

;>

Kerry

it's barely March...

2008-03-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last week *un-sewing*...that would be picking out the stitches that joined pieces... it was a really cathartic week....it, combined with moving furniture and receiving pieces from my grandmother's bequest moved quite a bit of my world...
working in old pieces and un-picking them didn't hurt so much...
Today, I received quite the opportunity of a lifetime....the chance to work at my local quilt shop...regardless of salary and price...it is the opportunity to work with fabric people that really appeals...
I can sew and un-sew to my hearts content...but to be able to work in an environment ...so creative...well...I am just in 7th Heaven...

Regards

Kerry

it's only a day later!

2008-02-05T17:02:00.001-08:00

this post is a matter of principle...keeping my promise to me...I *AM* posting....lol

I spent a lovely 3 hours with the Waterford (Va) Quilt group working on "Dear Jane" squares...there were lively discussions about applique vs reverse applique... and the cardinal sins against a member who epitomizes politically correct hand quilting circa 1863.

I must say that Dear Jane has given me a totally new view of history...even being new to quilting...whilst I hand piece squares...I really *do* imagine a woman working by lantern light and using leftover fabrics from old dresses...
Even though I am using modern techniques and fabrics...the history has not escaped me...

tiptoing in...

2008-02-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

ok...but it's only been one month since my last post...to be fair...I've been cleaning up my work area...moving the living furniture into several different configurations...reading...looking through books and magazines for inspiration...watching Alex Anderson every morning...

I've worked on several small projects and made several sketches for new pieces...the more I do the easier everything seems to be getting...which has, in turn allowed my creative side to control more of my brain...since it hasn't had to figure most of the stuff out...hehehe...

I will definitely...YES definitely get some pieces uploaded...and plan on at least one or two posts a week...that shouldn't be TOO ambitious...

I am an awful blogger!!!!

2008-01-04T16:51:00.002-08:00

it has been 3 months since I posted a word!!! I have done lots of quilting...and my 2 groups have inspired me immensely...but I will have to blog a huge amount of photos to corroborate my quilting allegations!! But PLEASE give me a few days...I have been involved in so many types of quilting and art-quilting...I will upload too much VERY shortly!!!

my new portrait...

2007-09-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

isn't this a neat drawing? my (very talented) daughter did it from a photo and it looks like me...so here it appears...

the next Block of the Month...

2007-09-21T16:42:00.002-07:00

this was a lot of fun...got iffy when attaching the last segment but I figured it out...which is really cool...my confidence is definitely UP!!!!

playing with curves...

2007-09-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

I have to find the book that made me feel confident enough to make my first curved pieces...(or it could have been a Simply Quilting demonstration that gave me the confidence)...

of course, now that curves seem to be within my grasp, I have been eying books on circles...when I was getting school supplies together for DH this year, I found some lovely round rulers in Staples...and at a significantly lower price than the local sewing store...I also got an adjustable ruler for delineating my own curves...

quilting is not turning out to be the art form I thought it was...I probably would have tried it years before but I was convinced that it was all exact angles and points meeting other points and there was no forgiveness in it at all...but the books, television shows and lovely ladies I've met at Webfabrics have opened a free flowing artistic world for me...I have relaxed, knowing that I will NEVER be doing precise kaleidoscopes like Paula Nadelstern...lol...

anyway....here is my first curved piece

I found the photos!!!

2007-09-21T06:27:00.001-07:00

just like everything else...I put them "in a safe place" on my computer...lol...I realized as I was falling asleep where I'd moved the folder...

<<<<>>>>

2007-09-20T17:58:00.001-07:00

shoot...I cant find the photos...*sigh*...

as Scarlet said....tomorrow is another day1

my fun Block of the Month...

2007-09-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

this has been a huge help to me in learning quilting patterns...I just picked up the third pattern yesterday...but I've a bit more stitching to do tomorrow ...

Here are the first two...plus the duplicates I've done in Asian fabrics...

these squares are things I'd never try on my own...which is comfortably outside my "box"...

aw..here's my squares...
>

I forgot this last night...

2007-09-18T04:14:00.000-07:00

I thought I would list links to a couple of the Alex Anderson series...

How Alex Anderson changed my life...

2007-09-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

When I first contracted the quilting bug from my sister, Chris...I was told there was no vaccine...no 12 step program...no cure...in short....no hope for me...

But there was some light at the end of my tunnel. It came in the form of Alex Anderson and "Simply Quilts" on HG-TV.

After waving my DH off to work, starting laundry, checking emails, and making a fresh pot of coffee, I sat with a notepad and Alex explained, interviewed and generally, used her charm to further drag me into quilting. I made notes, downloaded PDF's full of information on show segments, visited quilters and artists websites and sat quietly in the 746.46 stacks at my library.

What could have been more natural than when I started building my library of Quilting books , that Alex would be my first choice.

I have 9 of her books. With my first..."Start Quilting", I felt comfortable. Her style of writing is the same as her on-air personality. I could almost "hear" her, as I read.
That book was followed by " Rotary Cutting", which made me at ease with the "fabric pizza cutter" !!! lol
"Keep Quilting" encouraged my growing confidence and added some more pattern ideas to my list of "Quilting To-Do's".
I've found that my "newbie" questions have been easily answered in her many volumes. Whether it's a simple design choice or a finishing technique, these books make it so simple...
I really can't improve on her shows' title!!!

I own and totally recommend for ease of understanding , especially for brand new quilters...(like me...hehehe)

Start Quilting
Rotary Cutting
Keep Quilting
Paper Piecing
Hand Applique
Finish It
Hand Quilting
Beautifully Quilted
Baby Quilts

quiltlinks

WebFabrics...

2007-09-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

I am so very lucky to live near WebFabrics ( www.webfabrics.net ), the largest Quilting store in the Washington, DC area...every Saturday, they offer free classes in a variety of areas.
We've had simple classes about using different types of iron on adhesive inter-facings...Fabric Postcards...Snippet Art...fabric gift bags...pillowcases that can be made to match a quilt or to store a quilt in...rag quilts...gosh I can't even remember all the things I've learned...
Most often they are tied into fabrics, books or patterns that are available in the store, but the staff are such delightful people, that going each week has become a joy and it's visiting friends.
Today's class was about quilted sweatshirts/ jackets....some were appliqued, some just fun finishes with fabric.
So, of course, I ran off to Ross and found a cheap sweatshirt to turn into a jacket...it's a nice teal color also...which will be perfect with some of the Asian fabrics I have in that color family... pictures when I get closer to finishing it!!!

2007-09-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

This is the Thanksgiving table runner I made this week...I learned those lovely trees...
I also got a chance to play with some fancy stitches on my sewing machine...I will be quilting the plain leaf squares...I have a nice leaf chain that will look really nice...
I also sewed together some silver and blue Christmas fabric ( I think it's Hoffman)
I will post a picture of that tomorrow...

I've spent most of today working on plans for my Art Quilt for the Purcellville Art Quilt group... we are having our second meeting this coming Wednesday .

I gathered fabrics and embellishments that I thought might work with my basic idea...I narrowed it down (after re-reading the chapter three times...lol) and I made myself walk away...tomorrow I will be able to start with a fresh eye and hopefully I will still like my choices...

I love Thangles!!!

2007-09-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

I am a newbie quilter...with all the accoutrementes that being a newbie entails...INCLUDING Thangles!!! I made a table runner for Thanksgiving today and after struggling with half squares and hourglass squares for Ohio Stars....OMG ...I love Thangles....
they totally take the math (which I hate) out of quilting!!!