I was at my Uhuru Quilter Guild meeting the other week and the topic was about quilting designs and ways to transfer the pattern. The suggestion was brought up to use tulle or bridal illusion to mark your design. I had never heard of this before, but clearly there are other quilters who have done this. Check out the following links for some more on this:
I have been doing a bit more of facing a quilt rather than binding the edge. In part, I think it works a bit better with a curved edge and sometimes I just don't want to see that extra lump around the edge. Facing is a garment making technique that gets used a lot with edges and especially curved edges like necklines. There are a few articles out about facing quilts. The most recent article I have found is on Jeri Rigg's blog. I've seen two other articles on the technique as it pertains to the quilting world, one in Quilting Arts Issue 31 called Whole Cloth Facing written by Vikki Pignatelli and one was a project by Kathleen Loomis in the American Quilt Society materials.
1 found inspiration in curves: the curved line of a fence and the curves on a windmill.
We have been traveling in the Netherlands. Traveling is different with a three year old than with only adults.
Our first night, we could admire the dance of two ferry boats across a canal. On each side, they would load up with cars, bikes, motorcycles or walk-on passengers and then they would both leave the shore. They would spin in the middle of the canal and then dock on the other side. We watched this dance for quite some time.
Our second day, we walked along the river and watched the boats and drawbridges. Between two drawbridges was a lock and we watched that too. Large barges would enter the lock. Sometimes the barge had another boat on top of the roof of the cabin and sometimes it had a car. This was in addition to its normal load.
We went to the family event and our three year old played happily with cousins around hrs age. We had some family time the day before and it was good to see how my aunts and uncles interacted with him.
I have a great group of friends and one of them sent us an article from the NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/science/26tier.html?ex=1204779600&en=f3105889859fb138&ei=5070&emc=eta1
The article focused on how everyone has a difficult time limiting their options, even when doing so would be more "rewarding".
I find that there is a creative cycle to my art work and evidenced in my studio. There is an odd balance of creative chaos that, at some point, turns into chaos without creativity. At that point, I take the time to straighten things up, put things away and start over.
But, I don't always apply the limiting options to my design wall. So, I took down a number of the items that have been hanging on the design wall this morning. I have one quilt to machine quilt and then can work on what is on the wall. I still couldn't limit myself to one item though. I realize that I need to do so, but just am resisting it so far. And my brain wants to use the emptier wall as a place to put up a bunch more new things. Again, I too am irrational and cannot handle the loss of options in favor of the benefit of focus.
Well, the quilts are up at the US District Courthouse in Greenbelt, MD. My understanding is that a group quilt of mine, Essence of Fan, is up and generating a lot of interest. The courthouse is at 6500 Cherrywood Ln # 400
Greenbelt, MD 20770.
Then, in April, Cloth & Chocolate will have a group show at the Friendship Heights Community Center. Plans are underway for that exhibit.
And, another exhibit for Cloth & Chocolate will happen in September.
In between all of that, I have my own solo show to get ready. When it rains, it pours.
