Project update - Gracie Jane quilt

I'm almost done sewing the top together. Just one more row to cut out and attach. The photograph shows part of it.

Update - Now it just needs the binding :)

Another update - Barbara is doing a fat quarter giveaway at her blog. To enter for the drawing you have to commit to donating fabric or make a quilt. http://thegraciejaneproject.blogspot.com/

I've opted for a white binding and added more straight line machine quilting. I'm seeing some sub patterns in the design so may try something AFTER I've finished up some of my "in-line waiting" wallhangings

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative - Quilt Auction

I enjoy visiting the AAQI site. The art work is inspiring and the stories behind them vary from funny to heart rending.
The latest auction starts on Wednesday. Go take a look at these beautiful mini quilts. Maybe you might feel inspired to make a piece of your own to donate :)

http://www.alzquilts.org/quiltauction.html

My first real introduction to Alzheimer's was a hospital stay when we were living in Michigan. My "roomie" for a few days was an older lady with Alzheimer's. When she was lucid she told me how she felt inside when she was having one of her "moments" and how that impacted her "normal" self. She was still at the stage of being aware of what was happening as she "switched" from one to the other and "watched" herself do and think strange things. She was well aware that as the disease progressed she would lose her normal self and she grieved for that. However she chose to be cheerful about her condition. I was able to gently help her through a day of her "other self" while we were together and help her keep her dignity.

This is one of the mini quilts, 10"x8", from a previous auction. Made by Kathy Scheidt in memory of her grandmother who grew Bleeding Hearts in her garden.

Project update - "Oh Mumsie" - part 2

Darling daughter has handed over the quilt we designed and made on Saturday evening /Sunday afternoon. I helped her with the design and cut the fabric. She sewed.

She opted to tie it since we did not have time to hand or machine quilt it. I might try a variation of it soon.
The pattern we came up with takes 2 yards each of three different colors plus a strip of fabric she had left over from her own quilt.
I am currently working on my "maybe" wall hanging. As usual it has morphed and taken on a life of it's own. The flimsie top just has to have the corners mitered and next week I plan on doing the applique.

Wedding quilt for my niece

This is my mother-in-law's award winning quilt that she made years ago to give to my oldest niece on the event of her wedding. Hand made yo-yos in each square and hand quilted.
Her goal is to make a wedding quilt for each of her grandchildren (22), if she lives that long. She has a few on the go.
My sister-in-law took the photograph on her cell phone so it looks a bit more muted than it actually is.

Blog of the Week - The Gracie Jane Project

The Gracie Jane Project is back up and running again with a new look and a new pattern. The link is in my sidebar.

Head on over there and read the Gracie Jane baby story. If you want to send fabric or a finished quilt contact Barbara for information. I sent fabric last year and committed to making at least one quilt top for this year.

Project update - something old finally finished :)

On Saturday I heard "Oh mumsie can you ........" come forth from DD#2. She wanted to finish her quilt and make a gift for a friend. (I'll show you that one later this week.) We designed and started her quilt in middle school when her bedroom was still blue. It met with a couple of accidents along the way and sat in a bag for a few years. She now has a year left at university!!!!!
After much ripping apart and downsizing, her quilt is now about single bed size. I may surprise her with something made from the remaining blocks. She opted to tie it and had a lovely nights sleep under it on Saturday. It is currently winging it's way back to Provo with her.

Quilting Gallery - weekly theme - flowers

Quilting Gallery has a weekly themed contest. This weeks theme is "Flowers" and I decided to enter. There are a number of lovely, make that - fabulous, entries. Hop on over to vote for me though I won't pout if you decide to go with someone else :) Mine is "Retro Pinks" and can be found further down the list.

http://quiltinggallery.com/2010/08/20/vote-now-flower-quilts/ Poll is now open and will close late Sunday.

International Quilt Study Center & Museum Nebraska

Have any of you visited the center? I would love to know what you think. It's on my list of "must go visit".
This Friday sees the start of a new exhibit - "Childhood Treasures: Doll Quilts from the Ghormley Collection". It runs through December 12 and promises to be very interesting. I'm all thumbs when it comes to tiny piecing and really like the look of this little beauty.

http://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2010/07/26/Doll+quilt+exhibit+opens+Aug.+6+at+quilt+museu

If, like me, you have never visited the center you might like the web site. Lots of interesting information in there and every month they spotlight one of the quilts from their collection. You can also have fun creating your own quilt :) http://www.quiltstudy.org/

It's An Interior Thing - What's Your Creative Style ?

This short quiz is doing the rounds and I decided to give it a go. Here's what I learned about myself :)

Creativity is a release

For you, creativity is first and foremost a form of expression: it creates a special link between the internal and external worlds. It allows you to get a grasp of your powerful emotions, by moulding them into a physical form. In fact, the most important thing for you is to be able to release your emotions. You need to be able to touch them or look at them in concrete form, and to do that you have to find a way to make them come alive. This is how your desires and anxieties take shape. Keeping things bottled up creates a tension that can only be resolved once you have expressed how you feel. This means you have to be strong enough not to let yourself get swept away by chaotic impulses; if you turn your creative urges on everyday life — making a picnic, singing to the baby, choosing what to wear — you can express yourself while staying rooted in reality. Creativity is principally cathartic. It relieves a deep need, an almost primal, archaic impulse. For you, being creative is about having the power to give form to something you feel, to those deep personal issues that are often raw and disorganised. For these reasons you are usually attracted to art that demands physicality, that allows you to express what’s inside, and that unites spontaneity, strength, freedom, power and movement.

Well I do like photography and it gives me ideas for my wall hangings :)

If you want to take the quiz go to http://www.psychologies.co.uk/personality-tests/whats-your-creative-style/

Some textile photos from our recent trip to Historic Kirtland, Ohio

Project update - eyesore fabric #1

I'm currently playing with circles on squares. I have a thumbnail drawing of the whole project done and was somewhat surprised that this part of it used exactly two repeats of the circles. Doesn't look like much at the moment but in a few weeks it should be ready for proper viewing.
My ALQS4 quilt has arrived safely in ......... Singapore :) You have to head on over to Vreni's blog http://oops-lah.blogspot.com and see the view from Singapore's newest hotel. Very interesting looking structure in it's own right.
I've been having a lot of bad headaches over the past few months. New "office" glasses for middle to short distance should fix that and help me see to sew better :)
So family vacation time is coming up and start of school for the kidlets. Our oldest girls are coming into town on Saturday which means my sewing room will be reverting to guest bedroom. We are hoping that the heat and humidity will decrease somewhat so that we can get in some decent "happy family" sightseeing.

Rainbow Around The Block - quilt blocks for flood victims in Nashville

Local textile artist Anna Maria Horner has a worthwhile project underway. She is collecting quilt blocks to make quilts for local flood victims.

Go to http://www.annamariahorner.com/rainbow.html for more information. 3rd. date deadline (1st Sept.) is coming up fast. The blocks will then be made into quilts and delivered locally. If you know someone who should receive one please contact her through the e-mail address at the above link.

If you would like to read Anna Maria's initial posting about how the flood affected her personally you can find it at http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/2010/05/under-water.html

It's an Interior Thing - Pojagi

I love stained glass windows and when I look at some of my "flimsies" before quilting they remind me of that. There is actually an ancient fabric style called Pojagi that looks like this form of art and is quite exquisite in its own right.

This one is a modern, more stylised version based on a 4 patch log cabin.

If you head on over to http://thesillyboodilly.blogspot.com/ and scroll down a wee bit you'll find some gorgeous examples AND some tutorials on how to create your own window hanging. We might have to move house to be able to hang one :)

If you can sew a regular dressmaking seam and are willing to learn how to do a french seam then you can create one of your own fairly quickly.

If you want to learn a little more about the history of Korean wrapping clothes head on over to http://threads.srithreads.com/tag/pojagi Gorgeous.

And a beautiful 3 dimensional interpretation can be found at http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2008/12/sidetracked-by-korean-textiles.html Simple yet very elegant.

A panel that I saw up close belonged to a neighbor (since moved). She used it as a drape for her living room window. It had pockets in it and she would change out the flowers depending upon the season. Looked lovely.