I've not met Ricky Tims but have used his ideas and am a member of "The Quilt Show" that is usually taped in La Veta Colorado. Most know about the fires that have swept through that part of the world. Sadly, Ricky's home is in the path of that fire. It is likely burned. If anyone wants the latest news, this link will take you to his blog. His partner has taken computers, quilts, and their dogs to safety.
This is my "rhapsody" quilt inspired by Ricky's instructions.
Another well-known quilter's home could also be in danger. Judith Baker Montano lives in La Veta. Her sister lives in my city and I know her fairly well, enough to feel emotions of this family.
Fire is one of the most devastating tragedies. Others have lost homes - because a man (already in police custody) decided to light this one.
I know this blog is about quilting, but these quilters are part of our world and our love of making quilts.
The last comment reinforced my decision...no holes. Just line them up using a half-size block to finish the ends. Here is part of it on my 4 x 8 design wall. The rest is laid out on the craft table and only some of the half-blocks are done. They are 6 x 6 because the larger blocks are actually 6 x 10, not 5 x 10 so the setting will be uneven... which makes it more interesting anyway.
This is what Scott's king-size looks like now. I have to finish quilting the sand, all the foliage on either side of the sand and water, and this stretch of foliage along the bottom. I'm working one hour a day, which is about all I can handle. My meds and heart condition makes naps a must and there is eating and so on... Sigh.
Oh don't you love it when the doing goes beyond planning and then turn around and bites you? I've made a bunch of these blocks (randomly placed)
and then decided I like them better in the next layout (also randomly placed).
The problem is I'd like to fill those 2 inch holes with something dark, but have no idea how to sew it together without a whole mess of partial seams. If I started out with making a pattern with wide and narrow rows, it would have worked, but that would remove the ability to do much rearranging.
Sigh. Does anyone have a recipe to make this change? Or maybe the first design looks better anyway? All comments and opinions appreciated.
I don't set time goals for quilts because this is supposed to be relaxing, right? But this quilt has not been (no, I'm not going to whine). Now I'm quilting it. Here is a small section partly done. Actually, this part was fun. The leaves are dark enough that my jiggles and jerks are not too visible.
This is a relaxing break from the beach scene. The pieces are all 2.5 x 6.5 making blocks that will finish at 6" x 10" - I'm making about 81 or more of them, and likely a border. Good stash buster that will require more thinking/planning when the blocks are all finished and need a better arrangement. At the moment, sewing them is like a coffee break (I don't drink coffee) when free motion becomes tiring. I will use a panto on this hot chili pot!
Scott's king-size is on the long arm, but instead of showing a picture of it partly quilted (will later), here is a picture of the backing. Before pinning and rolling up some of the front, it was draped over the machine and looked like a 4-person tent! This particular backing is 120" wide.
I let the photo stick out to emphasize how I feel about working on this monster. I've never procrastinated so much in my life over anything else.
This is my 'cure' or therapy for keeping on when a project takes so much energy... make another project using a panel. This one is simple and cute. I used a panto on it for practice. The only 'extra' is the yellow piping with the red binding. I used the method explained by Susan Cleveland and her excellent tool to help make it.
Our city has a group known as "Basically Babies" who collect a year's worth of items for layettes to give to needy families. Quilts are welcome, so this one is designated for them.
I have several other quilts ready to go on the longarm, so back at it...
I've been frustrated with too many things in my sewing room. It is large and envious, but like a blank wall cries out for graffiti -- or empty drawers demand to be filled... you know how it goes. So this week after a harsh look, I moved some furniture. My hubby has been coming in to 'visit' and watch TV but my big lazy chair was not in the right place. So now it is. I put an awkward cupboard beside its twin and moved the TV at an angle so that chair affords a perfect view of the hockey games.
And a desk (for drawing, etc. and guest quilters) is now under the window where it should have been in the first place. One ironing board is beside it so that works. Also, I've been folding fabric for days now. It was a jumble because I'm too busy to put it away properly. Besides, I knew if I did, I would be inspired and frustrated because life will be too short to use all those pretty fat quarters, yardages, and the stuff in the overflowing scrap bins. But now it looks like I intend to!
I made this large runner (18" x 72") for a charity silent auction. It is from the 2nd book "Skinny Quilts and Table Runners." All scraps. Those things are like rabbits and multiply in the dark when no one is looking! The hexagone one below it is also from scraps and for the same auction, but the 'picker' didn't pick it. I'm not into pink/purple, but it will find a home.
Also, I finished another one (which will likely be a Quilt of Valour) that is 56" x 73." It is hanging with a backing, batting, and binding. It is golds, oranges, browns and went together fast. No photo yet. There is a baby quilt on the machine, so the four others ready to quilt will have to wait awhile.
