Finished the Prague Quilt!

Well, I've been talking about it since August 1, and I have finally finished the Prague quilt. There are more details from the photograph that I could have added, but I was ready to stop.

It was a great experience for me - I have been enjoying doing quilts from photos lately, but none has been as challenging for me as this one!

I was glad to do something that involved perspective, and I think that part worked.

It gave me lots of practice in free-motion machine quilting. I was able to get to the point where I didn't become tense doing it.

I printed a Prague crest on Extravorganza; I originally thought I might put it on the front to break up that big expense of cobblestone, but I decided to just put it on the back, on the sleeve...

I put a copy of the original photo on the label on the back.

I took it to my favorite quilt shop last night for Show and Tell. Coincidentally, there was a young woman shopping there who had lived in Prague for four years, so she took a look, too.

Well, this will get delivered soon, and I'll move on to some other projects,

An Inspiring Quilt Show

Today I went to one of the best quilt shows I have seen in a long time! At the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, there is a show of  Water Quilts , and it was absolutely inspiring and beautiful!

I love shows with a theme, and it is always fascinating to see how different artists interpret and represent that theme. Water quilts are near and dear to my heart, and these were some of the BEST!

I loved seeing silk being used more than usual in quilts, and the "silkiness" really enhanced the images of water.

If I had to pick two favorites, one would be the cut-silk quilt by Tim Harding. Several years ago I saw a cut-silk work by him, similar to the one I have shown here. It was in a book from the Quilt National Show, and I really found it breathtaking. But in person, his work is even more so.

My other favorite had to be the fish quilt by Ruth McDowell. It was a very large piece, and her masterful use of fabrics, like the detail I have shown here, has long been a model for me. There is nothing more I can say about her work; it speaks for itself.

I really recommend this show. I will definitely be going back at least one more time! It is on until December 19; you can stop in the gift shop, too,  to look at the treasures there.

Nice long weekend!

The nice long weekend draws to a close, and very soon, the new month will start. 

I have enjoyed the holiday weekend, with good visits with family and friends.

I had everyone over for chili and soup; we had a good combination of family, neighbors and friends, and everyone enjoyed it.

This week my goal, in addition to sewing, is to get to several quilt shows in the area. At the downtown Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, there is a show of "Water Quilts," all from one person's collection. Water quilts are among my favorites, and I am looking forward to seeing these. 

Then at the Carnegie Center in New Albany, there is a show which includes works by several outstanding area quilters, so I want to get to that one, too. I think its theme is "Earth Works", so it should be fun to see several interpretations of that.

Now that December is almost here, I have to get serious about finishing the Christmas gifts I have started.  

I hope all of you enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday weekend!

Another scrappy project

I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving. It is important to pause and think about all the things we tend to take for granted.

As I have said before,  I love making projects from scraps. I rarely throw things away, and I almost never regret it.

While going through some scrap boxes, I found these pieces that I had used years ago, when I was making "wearables." 

I made jackets and vests and tunics, and they often had panels down the front or back. Although I enjoyed making them, it was often the case that the person who wanted a particular piece would want it bigger, or smaller, or a different color. 

So at some point, I started making wall hangings - "One Size Fits ALL."

But I still had all these pieces cut, too good to throw away. So I made this runner, and it will be a Christmas gift for a traditional friend who will probably use it for a table runner. I used it as another opportunity to practice my machine quilting.

Now, after a break, I am ready to return to my big project, and keep working toward my December 4 deadline...

Have a great weekend!  

More Machine Quilting

I finished the last five buildings yesterday, putting machine quilting on each one for texture. I did a different pattern on each building, and I am  pleased with the results.

On the gold building, I made a curved pattern, similar to the squiggly designs on the fabric.

I got a start on the chimneys , just following the lines for a little texture.

Then I need to go over the whole quilt to tidy up loose ends and raw edges. I was hoping for a sunshiny day for better light, but that's not going to happen.

After that, I'll put the backing on and bind it.

Back to my Prague quilt

Now that I have returned from a wonderful and restoring Florida vacation, and have mostly recovered from foot surgery that  has kept me off my feet for about 6 weeks, I am back to sewing and enjoying it!

My first priority is my quilt of the Prague castle houses; it is a Christmas gift, and will be going to Prague after Christmas with its new owner, who is living there for three years.

I have finished all the piecing (really, fusing,) and I am getting lots of practice in free-motion quilting, as I add texture to the buildings, the cobblestones, the chimneys and the sky.  

This square pattern doesn't look great from the back, but it adds a great depth to the dark blue building.

  

The freehand zigzag is on the red building. That fabric was a gift from the person who will get the quilt, so I enjoyed including it...

The pale blue building got simple stripes. I am trying to give each building a distinctive texture, within my limited ability to do machine quilting patterns.  The peachy building to its left got a simple tight zigzag pattern.

I have four buildings to go, and then a lot of details to tidy up. I have set December 4 as my finish date. I have several other projects to do before Christmas, along with everything else.  I'll post more photos when it is finished.

In the meantime, I am making two big pots of chili for a Thanksgiving open house. One is a vegetarian chili with wheatberries, black beans and garnished with avocado. The other is more traditional (as traditional as chili can be on Thanksgiving) with my additions of cumin and bitter chocolate.

LESSONS FROM THE AMISH

When we were in Florida, I visited a quilt shop in an Amish area of Sarasota, and as there always is, there was a group of Amish women sitting around a big traditional quilt, quilting and chatting.

I asked their permission to sit with them for a few minutes, and they were very gracious and welcoming. I found sitting with them very calming, and I enjoyed talking with them for a few minutes.

Afterward, my Florida friend let me borrow this little book, Plain and Simple, by Sue Bender. It was a very pleasant book to read, and had some good lessons, for sewing and for life.

It talked about having joy in your work, rather than fretting about the outcome.  It was a good lesson for me,  to have pleasure in every step of the process of whatever you are doing, rather than having "Accomplishment" as your goal.

I really recommend it. I am going to try to get her next book,  Everyday Sacred.