I'm still here...

Just so no one gives up on me, that black quilt is keeping me busy. It is quilted, the binding is nearly finished, and I keep getting ideas for more quilts. It will be ready for a new owner before the weekend. I don't have a new photo to show but will soon. 

Here is a repeat from a favorite that is only a queen, but it goes edge to edge on our king bed and is the first big quilt that I made many moons ago. The blocks are 6" and it represents a Scottish hillside. It is soft after lots of curling up in and a few trips through the wash, but as bright as it was back in the day even though I used inexpensive fabric before realizing there was such things as quilt stores and far better options.

Full size photo of "Just a Tad Over Par"

With the comments on Judy's quilt, I realized my post for my golfing quilt did not have a full view photo. Here it is.

It was in a show, hence the fingers at the top holding it up. I've never take a full photo myself, so this is a scan of the one taken at the show. Remember, par is average in golf. Over par is below average, so the title is a play on words. It is heavily quilted, free-motion. I even put a hot air balloon in the sky. My golfing husband loves this quilt.

The pattern was in a McCalls quilting magazine, 1995 or 1996 and is called "Follow Through" by Cynthia Wheeler. I saved it, but no dates on the pages. Try this link to contact Cynthia. It is not in the McCalls archives.

Judy Villett - Quilt Artist & Instructor

Yesterday's Grad Club at Earthly Goods brought back the person who had the idea for a quilter's degree program in the first place. She is Judy Villett who now lives in Vancouver. She brought two quilts, but I didn't bring my camera. Her slide show did feature this one. It is done in 2" squares, watercolor fashion, with some fabric painting added for effect. 

Judy encouraged me during one of my first "degree" classes on color. I brought "Just a Tad Over Par" (above par in golfing is not as good as below par so this title is a word play). When I showed it to her, she actually gasped and told me I should put it in a show. That remark is one of the big reasons that I'm still quilting. 

One note, any references on the www for Judy's website will take you to one that you do not want to see, so just have a look at the link on her name above.

I am still quilting that hearts/log cabin quilt and working on a little one for a paint chip challenge. Pictures soon. Right now I hardly have time to quilt, never mind take pictures and blog. Sorry about that. 

So little time...

We all say it... so little time, so many _____ . Fill in the blank. For me, it is 'ideas.'

Yesterday I made the "mistake" of looking through a box labeled "Inspiration" and before long had quilts happening in my head. Too bad they didn't happen as easily in the physical realm of weeds to pull, floors to sweep, company to cook for, holes to mend, and on and on.

My first quilt inspiration came from the cover of a magazine, McCall's I think but that was long before I knew to record my 'source.' A woman had made a golf quilt for her husband. It was a wall hanging, but I wanted to make that quilt. I figured it would work if the blocks were six inches instead of her four, and if I added a couple of borders. I spent hours on CorelDraw designing it and at the same time buying fabrics that seemed to fit this design. I phoned all over the city and found what I am sure was the last yardage of the golfing print that inspired the original. After hours and hours, I started to cut out the pieces. This was before I knew anything about quilting.

Finally, I laid all the pieces on the floor and stood back. I was so amazed that I started crying, and at that point was totally hooked.

At that point I also realized I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Instead of taking classes (I may not have realized there were such things), I made a half dozen or so baby quilts as practice for this one. Then I sewed it together, sandwiched it on the floor of my dining room, and quilted it on my Bernina 1630, freestyle. It has been on our bed ever since, and while the photo is a partial, the colors and general idea is here.

My husband, the golfer, understands the title, "Just a Tad Over Par." In golf, par is average, and being over par is not as good as being under. All tad aside, I still feel pleasure at this 'first quilt sort of' every time I look at it. The points match and the "quilt as desired" turned out pretty well for such a beginner.