Brush Strokes ~ finished

To be gifted in June, Brush Strokes is now ready to go.

textural rainbow

boldly subdued shades tumble

orderly chaos

Created with Marcia Derse fabrics

(from her Streamline and Third in Line collections),

this liberated Yellow Brick Road lap quilt

has a wonderfully scrappy reverse.

Chris chose the Shiva panto and a rich gray thread for her quilting ~

the effect is perfect!

The Urban Squares green and Yuwa newsprint were leftover

after making Lynne's Obsolecence ~ and, due to my

overzealous block construction, the colors from the 

front appear again on the back, creating a two-sided quilt!

It was windy and surprisingly cool outside,

so the photo shoot was kept short.

I've updated the Haiku 2011 page (see link in sidebar)

(and my Quilt Album tracking software entries).

It does feel good to cross things off the to-do list!

I found another article that discusses the spiritual art of

four word poems ~ distilling the essence ...

Here's what I chose for Brush Strokes ~

Happy fifth wedding anniversary

Quiltdivajulie

Dancing Star

First, go back and read my post from August 28th about this quilt.

In the words of Essie Bendolph Pettway (b. 1956),

who's quilts in the Gee's Bend book served as my challenge inspiration:

"leftover irregular shapes and sizes of prints and solids . . . 

combination of introspection, action, and

flexible but unbreakable will . . . "

She continues:

"I love my job, but at times it gets a little stressful.

I come home and sew. . . 

Sewing at home gives me peace of mind and a challenge."

Once again, Chris did an awesome job of quilting on Dancing Star.

Here you can see (from the back) the design she used

on the three circular elements.

Just look at this wonderful swirling free motion texture . . . 

Here is the quilt, laid on the driveway.

And here it is from the other side.

I followed the 2-sided "get-together" process

of Polly Bennett (b. 1922), another Gee's Bend quilter:

". . . just putting pieces together - any color, any sizes.

Back in them days, I didn't care how they looked,

I just put them together using old clothes mostly,

and sometimes go down to Linden and get scraps 

they were throwing away in the clothes factory . . .

the dump truck going to come get it anyway."

Again, in Ms. Pettway's words:

"I get pleasure from my quilts.  

I enjoy seeing other peoples enjoying my work.

I enjoy doing good work."

So do I . . .

Quiltdivajulie

Stars Over Leehaven ~ design work

Stars Over Leehaven

has become my working name for Karen's blocks

that are soon to become a flimsy.

There are two blocks with signature squares pieced into the centers

plus several 3" or 3-1/2" individual name squares.

I chose the third star

(the one in the middle)

as the best color bridge.

Pondering a layout for this grouping...

In preparation for the arrival of my swap quilt from Lynne,

(six to eight weeks from now)

I've moved my Baobob Tree quilt (from DDIL's African safari)

to my design studio.

I really like it in this spot!

See, Lynne ~ the spot for No Rules is ready and waiting!

(yes, that's what I've named my quilt)

Quiltdivajulie

Dancing Star

This is what has been scattered all over

my ironing table . . .

Pieces and parts that will soon become

another PIF quilt.

The jumble of colors reminds me of this quote

(and provides a name for this quilt):

"One must have chaos in oneself in order to give birth to a dancing star."

Friedrich Nietzsche

Dancing Star is one of two more PIF stash quilts I need to design, piece,

and get to Chris before September 1,

so she has plenty of time to get them quilted

before the late fall rush ~

Here I've randomly put the fabrics on the design wall

to better assess what I have to work with.

No plan yet ~ just ideas.

[My 2010 PIF goal is

two quilts for local Silver Bell seniors

and

six quilts for Alzheimer's Study Group participants ~

all eight to be delivered/shipped in December.]

And guess what's finished?

The Binding Tree!

Quiltdivajulie

Work in Progress AND a Finish!

In the design studio, I've started painting the binding tree!

The yellow, orange, and pink were edited out

after the first coat ~ poor coverage

and just not what I envisioned

(reminded me a bit too much of

the early Fisher Price toys).

This will take several more days ~

multiple coats + drying time.

I'm excited that it is underway!

Over in the sewing studio, I decided to work on

one of the PIF quilts that just returned from Chris.

I bought this kitty panel a long time ago,

intending to make something for my late MIL.

Not only is MIL gone now,

but my own Angel kitty

is no longer here

to quality test my work.

So, this lap throw will go to one of the

Alzheimer's Study Group participants ~

hopefully someone who needs some

comforting visual purring.

Chris used a wonderful panto

and the most perfect variegated thread.

The quilting lines look just like kitty fur!

Now I can start a stack of quilts waiting to be sent off!

Quiltdivajulie

Colorful Work Ahead

I spent my lunch hour at the local big box home store's paint department.

On the menu:

Island Orange

Sumptuous Purple

Bright Parrot 

Cosmic Pink

Peek-a-Boo Blue

Gold Abundance

and the 

Fabulous Red

of my recently painted chair.

It wasn't until after I got home and

started working this post 

with the color cards scattered about

that I realized how closely 

my choices

echoed the colors of

Laurel & Freddy & Ruth, Oh My!

(the quilt that covers the table under my laptop).

Remarkable!

(especially since this connection never entered my head until just now)

Next step will be to wash down the binding tree

in preparation for its makeover.

Since the heat index was still well over 100 degrees even after dinner,

that outdoor prep work will wait for a weekend morning.

But, one day soon,

you will see work in progress!

Here's to the glorious powers of COLOR!

Quiltdivajulie

Not Yet ... But Soon!

I will NOT start on this until the pickles are done! 

Karen Griska is holding a Quiltalong featuring her asterisk tutorial . . . you can see the fabrics I've pulled.

I've wanted to make a black and white and blue quilt since Jackie first started the Black and White Quilt Challenge but it just hadn't happened ~ until now (oops, I mean soon).

See, I've even  put the box of black and white fabrics way down there on the bottom shelf ~ behind my newly finished pondering chair.  [That's the liberated letters fabric for Jester on the end of the cutting table . . . Jester and Spirit Song MUST be flimsies before I can work on the asterisks . . . must resist . . .]

And no, you are not imaging things ~ I did change the template and design of the blog . . . how does it feel to you?  Yes?  No?  What works and what doesn't?  (Not promising I can figure out how to tweak certain bits and pieces, but I'll give it a try). 

Here's to the weekend!

Quiltdivajulie

Time in the Studio

The blocks for the center of Jester are done!  These were made using a book design but the rest of the quilt will be all mine, including some liberated letters.  [For those who are new ~ Jester is a companion wall quilt to the king size pickle quilt (Spirit Song) I've been working on forever, the one that Chris started over 5 years ago.]

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you ... yes, there are TWO red chairs!  The chair on the right will go downstairs to our sunroom (near my laptop).  The round back chair needs another coat of paint before it can return to duty as my newly-enhanced design studio pondering spot.  [After seeing how well the first chair turned out, I just couldn't resist painting the other one!]

Quiltdivajulie
---------------
"Red has guts .... deep, strong, dramatic. A geranium red. A Goya red ... to be used like gold for furnishing a house ... for clothes, it is strong, like black or white." (Valentino)

Red Chair Dreams Become Reality

Before and after ~ I took 15 minutes to wash down the 15-year-old chair using TSP before I went to work Thursday morning . . . then put the first coat of paint on after dinner Thursday evening (you are not imagining things ~ I have the chair on top of the cutting table in my design studio ~ mixed media work at its finest).

Why in my design studio?  There was a fierce thunderstorm raging outside and the humidity here stays near or above 90% from now until late September ... painting indoors (with air conditioning) is the only sure way for the paint to harden and dry (and for me not to pass out).

Here's who kept me company while I painted.  I've loved his music ever since I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show back in 3rd grade.  This double album from a year or so ago is amazing as is the DVD of the performance that came with.  Comfort food for the ears and the soul!

Sujata of The Root Connection commented that we should start a Red Chair Club ... Let me know if you want to play along ... red chair quilts and real red chairs welcome!  No rules, no time limits ... just a celebration of red!

Oh - and the color of my chair?  It's called FABULOUS RED.

Quiltdivajulie

Red Chair Dreams

I've always loved red chairs . . . like this one painted by KGreen . . . 

and this one painted by Caprice Clark.

There's this one, painted by Laura Verdu. . .

And this one - entitled "Fort Garland: The Red Chair" by Lela Bouse-McCracken.

My late mother-in-law had a petite colonial-red plank chair in her bedroom.  DH says she had it from the time he could remember.  We don't have it now (it wasn't the least bit comfortable - only to look and pile things on).

Over the weekend, our younger son returned a chair that he borrowed several years ago and it is perfect to become MY red chair (once I paint it, that is).

Wish me luck ...

Quiltdivajulie
----------------
"When in doubt, wear red."  (Bill Blaiss)