Words to Live By - The Quilt

Words to Live By is finished!

Measures 48" wide x 60" long.

Quilted with liberated free motion Baptist Fans

using Eggplant Glide thread.

These photos were taken outdoors 

on a very overcast (damp) morning.

Indoor photos just did not do the colors justice.

I am so very pleased with the way this came together!

Thanks to Ann and Kaja 

with the Ad-Hoc Improv Quilters

for their "words on quilts" challenge.

The texture and feel is wonderful.

Fully recliner-tested and approved.

* * *

Take-in days for the upcoming Davies Manor quilt show

are Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Thursday is hanging of the quilts day.

The show runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10-4.

If you are in the greater Memphis area,

I hope you'll come see the show!

Quiltdivajulie

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"No matter what people tell you, 
words and ideas can change the world."
Robin Williams

Words to Live By - The Back

I tried taking photos of the scrappy pieced back

on my design wall in the studio

but the colors were hopelessly awful.

So dappled sunlight in the backyard

became our photo shoot destination.

I cut two WOF strips each 8"-10" 

from seven different stashed purples.

The stamped phrases were then positioned

between the different bands of purple.

I used three Marcia Derse prints,

one KF fabric, a couple of Gallery Basics,

and a floral that I've saved for far too long.

Again, the phrases are about me 

as a quilt maker and human being.

I must get the two mystery quilts 

as well as Poppyseed's baby quilt 

quilted in the next couple of weeks

(their deadlines are looming)

but then I really want 

to get Words to Live By

pin basted and quilted.

I'd love to have it ready

to share at our local quilt show

in early November.

Quiltdivajulie

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"No one else but you can make your marks. Listen to your bones. Speak with your spirit. Edit with your head. Live with your heart."
Susan Holland

Words to Live By - The Flimsy

Indoor photo of WORDS TO LIVE BY

50" wide x 63" long

(photo should supersize if double clicked)

I think I auditioned at least ten different fabrics

for the vertical sashing strips before 

discovering this leftover backing

in one of my resource boxes.

I love how the deep darkness 

sets off the brighter colors in the charms

and lets the words become the stars.

I used two different Moda Bella solids for the words

so that they would offer yet another layer of interest

and a subtle sense of repetition with their placement.

I'm delighted with the result!

Next step will be to design and piece

the scrappy back with more words/phrases.

Hope to have it ready to share next week.

Thanks to Ann and Kaja 

for a thought-provoking AHIQ challenge.

Quiltdivajulie

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"You have asked for and been given enough words - 
it is now time to live them."
Meher Baba

Words on Quilts - AHIQ Challenge

Ann of Fret Not Yourself shared this quarter's

Ad-Hoc Improv Quilter's ("AHIQ") 

challenge in THIS POST.

I've done a lot of quilts with free-pieced words

and I wanted to try something different this time.

But what?

I spent a lot of time browsing photos of quilts online

as part of my contemplation process.

When I chanced upon the quilt shown above

I knew I was onto something.

(the quilt was a previously sold item from Etsy 

without any information on the maker)

A while back I shared this photo of the starting point

for this quarter's AHIQ challenge quilt,

so I was looking for an inspiration quilt

that was somehow related 

to the KF charms I have in abundance.

Last week, I finally found time to sit down

and start stamping using Kaja's tutorial.

The ink is meant for fabric use and once heat set

is washable in cold water.

I tested a couple of words and it seems that will hold true.

I also played around a bit with the positions

where I would insert the words

in order to create quilt top in the 48" x 60" range.

In these photos,

I've grouped the stamped words into sets of four.

All of the words relate to me as a quilt maker.

Some describe my attitudes.

Others describe my preferences.

As I was stamping words,

I decided to change the plan for the quilt's scrappy back.

The blues shown in the earlier photo

fell out of favor in lieu of these purples.

Time will tell if this group makes the final cut.

More stamped words.

I actually scrolled back through blog posts

looking for words that appeared frequently.

"Listen to your quilts" prompted the word LISTEN.

And my gestation notebooks

prompted the word Gestation.

The quilt that hangs above my sewing machine

reminded me to include PLAY in the collection.

It took several hours to stamp all the words.

But it was a day when I was physically tired

after being sick so sitting and stamping was perfect.

And, in the midst of stamping, the quilt named itself:

WORDS TO LIVE BY

There are now forty stamped words for the quilt's top.

I stamped a few more to include on the back,

but before I worry about that step in the process

I want to get the top sewn together.

Stay tuned!

* * *

Linking up with Ann and Kaja 

for this month's AHIQ gathering.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Creating art is an affirmation of the 
conscious nature of our existence."
Ian Semple