Dropcloth ~~ a modern finish

I decided about a month ago that I wanted to enter a few quilts into QuiltCon. Hopefully, the jury will accept them, but for now I just want to try. I tried last year but missed the mark, so this year I decided to try a different tactic. I'd make a quilt especially for this purpose.

To that end, I read the rules. Several times. Then I pondered and mulled and thought. And I read the rules again. I decided. One quilt would meet the requirements of the two-color challenge, and the second would shoot for the requirements of the small quilt entries.
Small quilts – A modern quilt that measures 36" or smaller per side. The quilt can be any shape as long as it does not exceed the size limit on any side.

Hmm, that seems doable. So I had an idea. I once saw a painting on a sitcom that I liked. I don't even know if the show is still on the air, but I remembered some things about the painting that I really liked.  A couple of circles in lime green and orange-sherbet colors were important. So I started there and planned an asymmetrically pieced, neutral background so the colors would really pop. 

Then there was a problem. The quilt didn't want to be what I had in my mind. It wanted to be a drop cloth. You know, the kind of cloth painters put on the floor to catch drips. That's what the quilt wanted, and who am I to argue? I let it be a darn drop cloth. The circles became the rings that are caused when paint pools at the bottom of the can. A few droplets appeared. The quilt was doing its thing. 

Since paint can look different when it dries in different ways or when the light hits it, I played with colors using fabric and threading painting. But still it just looked like circles and blobs, and the quilt didn't really want that.

So I added a bit of a footprint. As though the painter stepped on the edge of the cloth while working. I just pulled off my own shoe and used it for a pattern. I really liked that. The footprint made the difference. But when two construction workers come in and they don't recognize a drop cloth when they see one, maybe it's not a drop cloth. Yet.

So I pointed out the obvious and they sort of agreed with me. "Except the thing is too clean, and who knew that was a footprint anyway? It doesn't even have a heel," he said.

So I added another footprint. Bigger. A bolder footprint to satisfy a hard-headed son. I used his dad's shoe for size and decided that maybe this guy stepped in or on the blob just for effect. And I was really happy.

Happy enough that I started quilting it and finished before another construction guy could come in and dash my joy. And as soon as I had a good 200 or so stitches in, I had the brilliant idea that maybe this is one of those drop cloths that you can see through. So I removed some of those first stitches and started building blocks with different motifs in each. Kind of a changing tile floor. Or maybe this is a showroom floor. I'm not sure, but it's definitely a floor because a construction worker came in and recognized the drop cloth lying on the back of the sofa. A different son. One who has a better imagination and knows what he's looking at when he sees a drop cloth.

Pin It Weekly #135

What are you pinning this week?  I'm pinning fruit.  Sure, why not?

Just kidding.  I've been looking at and pinning a few photos of artwork with fruit.  It's part of my preparation for the current quilt.

Wooden Bowl with Citrus

Finally, I thought I'd introduce you to 

Nerdist Podcast, which I found through Letters of Note when I read the letter from Nerdist producers asking Tom Hanks to appear on the show.  Letters of Note provided the link to the podcast--I clicked. 

The letter on the right is a picture of Tom Hanks' letter, which he typed on the 1934 typewriter that the editors gave him when they popped the question.  Brilliant, huh? He agreed. 

Fruit in a bowl?

A new quilt.  A new concept.  A new theory.

Wooden Bowl with Citrus

I'll see how it goes.

And keep you posted, of course. Another way to keep up with my work is to like Fleur de Lis Quilts on Facebook.

And if you're like me and have returned to work, here's hoping that all is going citrus-y!

Modern Monday Finish! Louisiana Traveling Quilt

Here they are--the promised photos of the latest quilt!  This one is the Louisiana Traveling Quilt.  For several months (10 maybe?) the quilt top traveled around the state (and to D.C) from studio to studio.  Once it arrived, the caretaker of the month took a good look at what had been done before and then made a block to add to the top.  

It began with a simple concept....to create squares in neutral colors and arrange them in a circular shape.  Beyond that, the block designer could have fun.  I even created a block to give them some idea of what was in my head--it's the one encircled in red in this first photo.

Someone decided that I didn't know what I wanted and played with the idea of a circle in a square....

Others decided that circles and squares are more fun if they are released from....well, everything!

Here's where the communication began breaking down.  A square in a round or a round in a square?  Hmm, I know a square in a round in a square in a round in a....

This one!  Oh, yeah, I had fun with this. I extended the stripes into the background; then rather than quilt the stripes like a normal person, I quilted the background in stripes.  You know, when it's your quilt you can do the  most abnormal things.

Someone else was confused by the rules...so she tossed them all!

And then there are these quirky circles. Pancakes, I called them.  So like I do with pancakes, I split them up into bite size pieces and ate them.  They were pretty good.

 But there were more.  And donuts.  Ha!  They thought they'd fill me with carbs and then I'd crash.  Not this chick!  I eat carbs like I'm going to run or yoga or lift weights.  Nope, I'll just eat more carbs.  Pass the syrup!

Really, though, this is just weird.  What do we call this? My sister is a math teacher and she doesn't have a name for this.  Well, she is also a 60's hippie child (born in 1967) so she might just call it groovy.  Regardless, I stepped up to the challenge and quilted it with circles.  Check out the circles....imagine being on LSD and looking at these babies!  And because I can, I feathered the weird circles.  Who doesn't like a good challenge?  Those feathers just kiss the edges of the weirdness.   Ha!  Take that your royal strangeness!

I really had fun with this whole idea.  From working on blocks for other quilts to keeping track of the quilts on Pinterest to receiving and quilting my own top. Every part was fun. But perhaps the most fun has been showing the quilt, explaining the idea and, of course, getting all the compliments!  

Now it's your turn: what are your favorite things about this quilt?  Leave a comment!

Modern Monday: traveling quilt woes

I've mentioned that I've joined the Louisiana Traveling Quilt group and, as such, have agreed to send off a quilt block each month.  That means I'll have to keep up with due dates--that will be the hardest part.

So today I had a bit of a shock...I thought I'd missed the first deadline.  Of course I got busy immediately.  Only to find out a couple of hours later that the deadline is the 25th of the month.  Whew!  

This is what I have so far.  It was easy to choose fabrics, and since I decided to work on the block in a truly improvisational manner, it was also easy to play and have fun.  In my world letting the quilt speak is the most fun form of quilting.  Although I broke the rules several times (and caught myself doing that) I just continued. Apparently this quilt is aware that the quilt police do not really exist. What a fun way to play!
Happy Quilting,