Trick or Treat V2

Inspiration struck yesterday

and I decided to act on it

instead of makings notes for later.

This is the flimsy for Trick or Treat as I shared it in October.

The top was "finished" but I wasn't happy with it.

I cut the borders away from the center panel

a few weeks ago, knowing that I would "remake" the top.

Since then my brain has been working in the background

considering ways to redesign October's kitchen table quilt.

* * *

I had pulled out Gwen Marston's classic

Liberated String Quilts because I remembered

that she had a string tulip block and quilt in it.

(those came up because of Ann's upcoming QAL for AHIQ)

One of the other quilts in Gwen's book caught my eye and . . . 

EUREKA!

I knew exactly how to solve my Trick or Treat conundrum.

When I checked the stash, I found the last of the purple Marbles fabric

I had used in the original top.

(whew)

I also found the dark floral yardage from Jason Yenter's Floragraphix V line.

(our LQS is closing because the landlord won't renew her lease

since he has a new tenant who wants the entire building -

that floral yardage was one of my 1/2 off closing sale finds)

I cut as many 12.5" squares as I could from the flimsy's center

and the strata leftover from its making.

Then I used the cut offs and leftover strips to piece together

four more blocks for the layout shown below.

V2 measures 63" x 63" and I like it a LOT more than V1.

A whole lot more.

The new top plays beautifully with the original back

AND the striped binding.

So now this can go into the rotation for quilting

come August or September

and my brain can move on to other projects.

(p.s.  more about my plan for those string tulips soon)

Quiltdivajulie

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“I’ve always been multi-cultural myself.  I’m not black and I’m not white.  I’m not pink and I’m not green.  Eartha Kitt has no color, and that is how barriers are broken.”

Eartha Kitt

Don't Make Me Break Out the Flying Monkeys

Who remembers the flying monkeys

 from The Wizard of Oz movie?

I was afraid of them when I was a child.

Honestly, they still creep me out.

* * *

In 2008 I was part of Tonya Ricucci's online Summer class

where our challenge was to make a two color quilt.

I struggled for weeks to come up with an idea.

On July 11th during a perfectly awful day at work

I realized exactly which phrase I would create

with free pieced letters on my class quilt.

It didn't take long to decide on my two colors

(a multi color dot on black and a collection of yellows)

and get the first few words pieced.

I also started testing potential border ideas.

By July 21 all of the words were pieced.

I shared this photo of a sketch showing 

my asymmetrical border plan on July 24th.

The inspiration for my borders 

came from Collaborative Quilting

by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran.

I had made lots of piano key borders 

but this was the first time I'd added 

one of Gwen's serpentine strips.

This photo of another border's design

shows the black background print really well

as well as some of the many yellows.

I had nearly 6 yards of that background when I started

and only very small scraps when I finished.

So typical for liberated free pieced quilts -

ALWAYS buy more background

than you think you'll need.

At least twice as much and more if you can.

A double row of broken dishes blocks

created an interesting secondary design

for the quilt's top upper edge

and it helped balance out the large 

monkey wrench blocks at the bottom.

I debated about adding a third color

since it was a two-color challenge

but since the quilt NEEDED the pops of red

and we all know I'm not all that good

about sticking to "the directions or the plan" . . . 

I shared the finished flimsy on August 24.

It measured 61" wide x 86" long.

I then handed the top and back off 

to my good friend Chris

for custom free motion quilting.

I shared the completely finished quilt on October 1, 2008.

(that's just under three months from idea to completion)

Here's how Chris quilted the serpentine border.

And here's how she quilted the broken dishes border.

The custom work she did on this quilt

was light years ahead of what she had been doing . . .

I don't know which of us was the most thrilled!

In November, I shared the quilt during the 2008 edition

of the annual Davies Manor Quilt and Fiber Arts show.

And in December, DH hung the quilt 

in our newly-painted foyer.

(the door trim wasn't even installed at this point)

* * *

Fast forward a year or so . . . 

Tonya Ricucci was in the process of writing a book

about liberated letter making.

She had already asked to include my quilt

from her 2007 First Ever Online Class

AND SOMETIMES Y.

(you can see "Y"in this photo

taken during AQS Nashville 2008)

Tonya sheepishly asked if I would be willing 

to also let her include The Flying Monkeys

and, of course, I was happy to say YES.

Both quilts were shipped to her publisher in January 2010.

In October of that year, The Flying Monkeys

traveled to the Houston Quilt Show where 

it made an appearance in the Martingale booth.

Look closely and you can see Tonya holding the quilt.

(she was so surprised at how large the quilt was)

The quilt also travelled to The Quilt Show

when Tonya made an appearance there

to promote her book's upcoming release.

(episode 907)

My quilt was too large for the stage set

so this impromptu photo was taken

of Tonya (and someone else) 

holding up the quilt backstage.

Both of my book quilts came home on December 9th,

eleven months after leaving Tennessee, and

my copy of WORD PLAY QUILTS arrived on December 14.

What a happy day for liberated letter makers everywhere.

(this photo really illustrates the scale of the letters)

* * *

So I'm sure you're wondering why 

I am sharing this particular post today . . . 

Lynne has been telling the long and winding story

 of our friendship in a series of posts on her blog.

(look for Julie and Lynne - Our Story in the sidebar

below the SSOBB logo and before the Labels list)

Last week she shared her 2013 photo 

of The Flying Monkeys hanging in our foyer 

and we both discovered that I'd never 

put together a comprehensive post for the quilt.

This post was the closest I'd come.

The oversight has now been corrected.

Enjoy!

(and you can see more of my liberated letter quilts HERE)

Quiltdivajulie

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“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.”

Karl Menninger

Gwen's Baskets

I'll be teaching a class featuring 

Gwen's liberated stars and baskets

at Fabric for the Flock in early June.

I had two quilts on hand to use as

shop samples for Gwen's liberated stars.

Amazingly, I had not made any of her liberated baskets.

This is the freshly-pressed back side

 of the top's central section.

Those stitched but invisible handles tickle me.

Here is the quilt top with its borders sewn on.

(I've had that blue-green batik in the stash

for at least ten years - feels so good to use it)

Quilted with multi-directional free motion fans

using Affinity (variegated) Turf in the center,

Marine (variegated) in the border, and

companion Glide (solid) threads in the bobbin.

31" wide x 35" long

* * *

When I started this quilt I had no idea 

Gwen was battling an aggressive cancer

or that she would pass away late last week.

What an amazing legacy she leaves behind

with her decades of teaching, her fabulous books, 

her excellent iQuilt classes, and

 the thousands of students who were blessed 

to spend time with her, many of whom 

now share her teachings with the rest of us.

I was never able to attend one of her classes

(the closest I came was in late 2016)

but Gwen's teachings and writings have

enlightened and influenced me so much.

I am and will be forever grateful to her.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Perfection is not a god to be worshipped, 
nor does it have anything to do with art."
Gwen Marston

Chattanooga Part 2 - Abstract Quilts in Solids Class

 

Lynn Harris taught our

Abstract Quilts in Solids class.

We covered all sorts of 

liberated quilt making topics

from fabric choices to design ideas.

We learned about floating squares,

Spikey Business (elongated triangles),

the "ish" factor,

curved and wedge-like inserts,

and SO much more.

Everyone in this hands-on class

learned something new from Lynn about

Gwen Marston's liberated techniques.

(Lynn has been a student of Gwen's

for over 20 years now) 

Later in the day, 

Lynn pulled out her 

liberated log cabin blocks 

and a WIP log cabin quilt

to illustrate different ways

of combining our small compositions.

I love that I was able to capture 

her hands in this photo.

(Lynn's quilt in the background 

is featured in my one of my favorite

quilt photo ops of all time)

This class was extra special for several reasons.

ONE 

I finally broke the barrier and

 worked played with solids.

Mine are Bella Solids by Moda.

TWO 

I met long-time online blogging friend Lynn Harris.

Lynn takes the most gorgeous photographs

and makes absolutely beautiful scrap quilts.

She also contributed photos for

BUILD A BARN - like the one

that is featured on the two page spread

at the very beginning of the book.

Lynn also signed my copy of her book.

THREE 

I met up with long-time online blogging friend Cherie Moore.

We have taken 2 different classes together in St. Louis -

Lynne Tyler in 2013 and Sujata Shah in 2015.

We've also met up with each other at

the 2014 and 2016 Paducah shows.

(strawberry shortcake for lunch - yum!)

FOUR 

I met long-time online blogging friend Heidi Burkhardt.

Heidi and I have corresponded for years.

(we both discovered Gwen Marston 

through Tonya's Lazy Gal blog)

but we never anticipated meeting face to face

since Heidi lives in Germany.

(Have I mentioned lately 

how much I love

our long distance 

blogging community?)

and

FIVE

Heidi, Cherie, and I are all 

Charter Members of 

the Secret Society of Barn Builders 

and it was 

SO MUCH FUN 

to spend a day together

playing with fabrics and sharing scraps.

(quilt in the background is another of Lynn's)

During a break,

Cherie shared one of her long-term quilts

that was just back from the longarmer.

SCRAP SALAD is fabulously liberated

and full of gloriously happy colors.

This was my piece when the class ended at 4:00.

The neutral strips came from Cherie.

The magenta strip pieced

between the neutral segments

came from Heidi.

I love that I have bits of their fabrics

worked into my project.

L to R:  Lynn, Heidi, Cherie, Julie

Thanks to Valora

("The Janome Lady")

for taking this photo of us.

And many, MANY thanks to Lynn

for leading a great class!

* * *

One last note:

Be sure to visit the 

BUILD A BARN blog

for more Chattanooga photos 

including a few from the

SSOBB Gallery Quilt Special Exhibit.

Quiltdivajulie