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Sunday, September 30, 2018

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: N U M B E R S //past posts\\

As I was thinking of today's quilt inspiration post, I found that it's becoming quite difficult to find new ideas. I've been keeping a list of ideas for several years, but haven't added to it in quite a long time. And the ideas still on the list are pretty lame. 

Minick & Simpson: big stitch quilting of Nightingale.....

This afternoon it occurred to me that I have several posts that are popular and I could try to revisit a few of those in the hopes that inspiration would come to me soon. So the next few weeks will revisit some of the posts that have generated interest. 


"Sunday Quilt Inspiration: N U M B E R S" was a wildly popular post from 2014 that is surprisingly popular even now four years later. 

One of my favorite quilts from that post is this pretty nine-patch red and white. The maker certainly knew what to do with her needle when it came to quilting this beauty. 

Other quilts that would fit into that board today include

sternwerfer

1 patch wonder with the occasional square within the blocks 


HST block alternating with 9-patch HST block also in red and white
Martingale - Simple Joys of Quilting, The eBook   



And a few more 9-patch sort-of quilts just for fun.
Wow, you guys. This quilt has been a looooong time coming! I started writing it a few months ago, finally made time for it after the Shieldmaiden Quilt, and after a very long drive, got the picture…tamara kate origami oasis starry migration quilt
Quilt Made to Order I am now booking May 2018 as a start date Ohio Star Black and White This quilt is even more beautiful in person!! I use Kona Cotton Black and Kona cotton White for the top of the quilt and the backing. It is queen size 90”x90” The Star blocks are 13” If youPatchwork Plaid Quilt Twin Plaid Homespun Fabrics Quilt Made By Lauren Applebee Patchwork Plaid Baby Bedding Plaid Patchwork Bedding


Can you find the 9-patches?
Little Women Quilt Pattern


This is my guess. What do you think? 

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Long-arm Surgery

Ever wonder what the inside of a long-arm looks like? My Innova had a little exploratory surgery. 

First you have to find a good-looking husband with a knack for fixing things and knowledge for solving problems. 

So, there's Richard.


belts and gears in the backside

He took off all the covers except the one that hides the long-arm. Said it's just a metal rod and too much work just for a picture. Considering that I'd already knocked down his light source, I couldn't afford annoying him. 



brain and electrical on the side







rod that makes the needle
 move up and down
Apparently it needed just a little tinkering and a few adjustments. Less than a day of hunkering down with his mechanical mind in high gear. 

close-up of the electrical components


computer board
Way back in 2014 my poor machine sat open at the seams for an entire week. Oh the horror! I showed the inside workings of my Innova then, too. I don't think much has changed inside this machine. There wasn't even much dust--which amazed me the first time, also. The best news is that, according to the best repairman in the universe, we're back in business. I haven't even turned it on. I trust him that much. Plus, he guarantees the work!



Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Pin It Weekly #255

I imagine it's time to get back to pinning. Question: was I on a herringbone/chevron thing before the computer crash? Well, whatever happened, it was hefty because there are easily 15 chevron quilts in one small section of my "heart, quilts" board

Planning a new quilt | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

What is a Jelly Roll in quilting terms? A Jelly Roll has forty 2½” x 44″ strips of fabric. These forty strips are layered, rolled up tight, and tied with a bow. Jelly Rolls are wonderful and save so m
Flourishing Palms: Reentering Reality Since Retreating "Picket Fences" quilt pattern by Elsie Campbell from String Quilts book

Modern quilt layouts - Google Search

Aren't they pretty? Also on the board are lots of easy scrap quilts. Something we all need if we're ever going to get those scrap bins under control, am I right? Here are a few:

Additional Images of Modern Quilt Magic by Victoria Findlay Wolfe - ConnectingThreads.comScrappy Strings HST layout 4

Stepping Stones pattern - love the colors of the homespun fabric in this quilt; black fabrics were used for the the centers....

Elsie Campbell, Artist, Dad's Plaids quilt http://www.elsiemcampbell.com/ - This is a pattern in her String Quilts book (2009).

Easy Plaids Scrap Quilt Pattern. So dynamic. I love the colours.

60183c664a08bef3eb210600464ef139.jpg 360×640 pixels

Monday, September 24, 2018

September Cotton Quilters' Guild Meeting

My gray, yellow and red version
I had great plans for writing about our September meeting, which we delayed by a week because of the Labor Day holiday. Then the computer mishap and the resulting week of limping along to finish a church project, followed by another week or so of geek repairs. 

Now that we're beyond all of that, I've looked over my pictures from the meeting and think I may remember some of that day which now seems so long ago. 


Mary C's Christmas version
I asked everyone to bring in their blocks or quilt tops from our row quilt. Each month I presented a new block and participants went home to make five or six (their preference) versions of the block using their color choices. 

When the time came, I showed them my almost completed quilt. My quilt is one month ahead of theirs so that I'd have examples to share.  It stills needs a binding, but I had finished the quilting and trimmed off the rough edges. That means it's ready for binding and label any time now.

Pam's colorful version
Wanting to build on what Marty Mason, of Marty's Fiber Musings, presented last month (my blog article is here), I showed them how I use improv to sew scraps together to form blocks or "chunks" of fabric. Since my quilt is not quite as long as I wanted, I added about 15 inches of improv fabric to the bottom of the quilt. My thinking is that this part will be tucked under the mattress so it won't show very much. 

 Finally we got to show and share, but I missed most of the photo opportunities since I plopped myself down to enjoy it all and forgot to take pictures. I managed to get three quilts but can't remember who the makers are. I'll leave you with the pictures and thank you for coming by.



Sunday, September 23, 2018

Bipolar 3: Balance {an art quilt series} Quilt Festival version


Number three in my series of art quilts exploring strategies for dealing with Bipolar Disorder is my favorite thus far, so I decided to write another post explaining the art piece.

Finding balance in life is especially important to a patient with BD because we tend to express emotion in extremes. Mania is the euphoria that we feel when everything is good. Depression is the polar opposite, so it's those hurtful, negative feelings that occur when life hands us a few hard knocks. 

People with BD tend to feel their emotions on a grand, out-of-proportion scale. What is a difficult situation to most people may become a disastrous situation in the emotions of a BD patient. 

Finding balance helps to keep those overly emotional states in check. Note I said "helps." BD requires a doctor's care and, most often, medicine and therapy. But balancing work, family time, and relaxation can help to alleviate the feelings of urgency that BD brings on. Eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep are other ways of creating balance. 

This piece, like all of the works, has a dark and light side, each representing depression and mania, respectively. On the dark side is a small, almost black circle which represents that place in depression that is almost impossible to return from. Notice that the quilting runs right through this darkness as though it isn't there.
On the mania side are organic, wavy pieces of depression, showing that both can occur at the same time and at any time. The red circles are like balancing rocks, always about to tumble but somehow carefully balanced. Those circles are the things in life that we can balance, however difficult. 


I've carried the motifs of light/dark throughout the series. Always depression and mania are touching along a vertical, wavy line, never the same. That's because the two are impossible to predict. 
Another motif is that one darker area of depression which is in the same general area, but always changing. A third motif is the quilting--vertical lines that sway and wave and go around some objects, through some objects and are changed by other objects. 
Unpredictable. That's what BD is. Unpredictable and not easy to follow or track. Always moving and keeping just a step ahead--science, medicine, therapy, help. 




Visit the Bloggers Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side to post your own quilt finish--but hurry because it ends tomorrow. Want some inspiration? See the 150 blogs posted so far! 

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Bipolar 4: Connection {an art quilt series} finished!


If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that I have Bipolar Disorder and that I've been trying to work through the emotions and problems of the disease. An art quilt series seemed appropriate for the task, so I started one back in May or June. Because I decided to hand quilt the first couple of quilts and machine quilt others, I am finishing them in a bipolar sort of order. Well, what did anyone expect?



This is number four, Connection, in the series. As I go along I'm researching ways to overcome the many challenges of Bipolar 1. It's not easy to keep up with them all. But this is giving me time to think, pray and meditate about living with a disease that will never be cured. One of the reasons that it's become such a big issue is that since I've retired, I begun sharing this information with others.



My family has known for a few years. I told Richard the day that I received the diagnosis. But I. I have always known that there is something different in my system. I figured out part of the puzzle when I finally saw a doctor and began taking antidepressants. But even the meds didn't "fix" everything.


Eventually I got the diagnosis and received medicine specifically suited for BD. I've researched the symptoms, the medicines, therapies, and so on. Even so, everyday seems to bring something new. 

Now I'm trying to include some of the strategies that have worked for others. That's how I've gotten here. And hopefully it will lead me forward.   


Look for other quilts in the series here:

Bipolar  {an art quilt series} 



And, visit the Bloggers Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side to post your own quilt finish--but hurry because it ends tomorrow. Want some inspiration? There are over 150 blogs posted thus far! 



Friday, September 21, 2018

Fleur de Lis is back, baby!

Innocent of all charges!
UPS came by this afternoon and handed over a big box. The inside was filled with mostly air and very heavy cardboard, but in a sliver of space was my Dell computer. That one that Milly plowed onto the floor. 

It's all better, which is great because I expected they would have to replace the whole thing. Nope, but there's a new hard drive and electrical outlet thingy and some plastic casing. That baby can do some damage!

Storms can bring in some beautiful clouds.
I love the way this one has that line of white reflecting the sun.
While my computer was away getting some geek love, I was just living large: a trip to the doctor with Richard, a day at the in-laws' with Richard, two hours (and $200) in Walmart with Richard. On occasion I snapped a picture, just because I knew this day would eventually arrive. And finally it has.
An old barn near the doctor's office. I just couldn't resist.


A pair of doves by Richard's shed.