What if? Some Experiments....

What if I...

• made smaller, faster quilts, not as labor-intensive, at smaller price points?
• tried some new techniques with fusing and curved seams?
• explored new color combinations?
• created a series?

My new series is USELESS EMOTIONS. I will attempt to convey an emotion with color and design. Part quilting. Part therapy.

Starting with "Useless Emotion: Envy" In process. so far, fused pieces. stitching and embellishments to follow. This is a fun mix-it-up process.

Champion Companion

Who knew that his last social outing would be my quilt show?
Or that my last blog post would be on the eve of his death?
He was so excited to see me right back quilting after my show, obviously a sign that this time I wasn't burned out.
He loved it when I was quilting. He saw it as a positive, self-nourishing activity.

I loved to show him my latest creation, because he was my biggest fan and thrilled to the colors and compositions.
I loved brainstorming the titles for my pieces with him. It tapped his love of the way language can capture just the right feeling and tone of artistic expression.

He was happy to help however he could, this time meticulously pealing off the little pieces of fusing paper from 300 squares of silk sewn into strips. It saved me a few hours of tedium.

He was the smartest, funniest, most honorable person I've ever known. I wish I could show him my new series. He would have SO much to say on the subject of useless emotions. So here's to you, Jackie....

Change of pace -- Aprons

I'm sewing with cotton for a change. It seems easy by comparison and presses out so crisply. I'm also having fun finding companion fabrics from my stash.

Thomas thinks these cartoon cats are curious creatures with their funny colors.

Ironing Board

I just can't put it away.

To-Do List

The in-process quilt. Yes, I will photograph everything as finished, but I just ran across this snap and thought I would show the Quilting Assistant as he assesses the coral squares. "They need buttons," he says. "Buttons it is," I reply.

Opening Reception

They came to say HI and to see what the new work was all about. I overheard little conversations, such as "but it could go in the entry by the..." or "my favorite is...." and so it was all very promising, with two sold and one commission and another one or two in consideration. Stay tuned...

Synapse

"Impulses transmit along nerve fibers, arriving at a synapse, a junction, that is actually a gap, where neutotransmitters must cross to their waiting receptors. That's where the magic happens. From the Greek "sunapsis," or point of contact."