Sometimes It All Comes Together at Once

 Life continues apace, each day bringing a fresh start, which I try to hold onto even as my emotions continue in flux.  The challenge to keep an even keel for an entire day is very real right now!

That said, on the Very Best Days, Things Get Done!  Even better, sometimes I accomplish more than I expected because...well...sometimes it all comes together at once.

Last week I drove into Red Deer to Curiosity Art & Framing, to pick up invitations for the Christmas Reception that's happening there December 3.  I won't be the Featured Artist by then (that's coming to an end as I type, because another artist -- a painter -- will be featured) but my work is staying there for the time being, and will continue to be shown.  And I'll be at the reception from 3-5 p.m. that afternoon.  The Featured Artist will be there in the evening.

While I was talking with owner/manager Andrea, she asked if I could bring in some small pieces -- 5" x 7" -- in case someone in attendance would like to purchase something with only a little financial lay-out.  I confess, that cheered me up and lit a fire under me.  With only a couple of weeks to the event, I needed to act pronto so I could take them back to Andrea for framing.

Ol' Man Winter, it turns out, was on my side too.  We had wild wind and blowing snow here on Monday and Tuesday -- so I stayed inside and went to work.

In the summer, I'd dabbled with some fabric painting, mainly on some semi-sheer synthetic stuff -- just for fun, when I was taking the "Cloth to Codex" workshop (online) with Susan Purney Mark -- and I'd written about it HERE.  I decided to dig out the fabric and see what I could come up with.

Well...this

became this...

On the Dunes - (c) 2021 - 5" x 7" 

and this...

Slough-side - (c) 2021 - 5" x 7"

This...

became this...

A Dream of Spring (c) 2021
8" x 10" mounted on 12" x 12" 
painted stretched canvas

And another piece --  fabric print that I altered with mono-printing and paint sometime last year -- became this:

Winter Grasses - (c) 2021 - 5" x 7"

I was on a roll so, having decided to paint the canvas for A Dream of Spring, I also got busy and painted the one I needed for Forgiveness.  (Alas, I lack great spaces for phography in my house, so this was taken at an odd angle and looks wonky; it's not!)

All of these are at Andrea's now for framing -- in my usual black 'floater' frames -- but the invitees at the December 3 reception will see the finished products.  I, for one, can't wait!

In the Xmas Gift Department...

I used left-overs from at least two other, larger projects -- maybe three -- to make this comfort throw for a friend who shall remain nameless for the moment (Christmas gift, remember?)

What's Left in the Box of Chocolates? (c) 2021

It's really simply a batch of 2 1/2" squares sewn into 9-patches and then all joined together, surrounded by narrow "zingers", wider pieced borders and even wider solid-colour borders -- with outer corner-stones made from HSTs (half-square triangles) left over from yet another larger project.  No pattern; I just made it up.

Technically,  it's a medallion quilt because it features "something in the middle, and something around it" -- to quote Joe (The Quilter) Cunningham.  Further, per his friend and mentor, the late Mary Schafer, it's a "country medallion"  -- not a "fancy" or "more sophisticated" one, because the 'something in the middle' is pieced, rather than featuring a central motif that's appliqued.  And my borders include piecing, not applique. 

I learned all this on Saturday, when I was working on the borders of this piece and attending Joe's latest Quilt Freedom Workshop.  Yep; it was all about medallion quilts -- antique and vintage inspirations -- with his guests (and friends) collector and quilt historian, Julie Silber, and Carolyn Ducey, Curator of Collections at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska.  

I confess I pay to take these classes ($50 CAD a pop) not only to see if I can play with fabric in a new way, but also because I think Joe's one of the best quilt artists out there; he makes me think; he stretches my mind and my perceptions, and he introduces me to quilt history in the most interesting way!  Not all the topics he covers interest me, so I've yet to spring for a monthly Patreon membership (about $50 CAD per month, which is expensive for me these days); I prefer to pick and choose.  So far, I've attended most months -- but not all of them.  Sometimes I make a project; sometimes I don't.  This month, my medallion piece was on theme but not even close to Joe's style.  Still, I could imagine, decades from now, someone coming across this little throw in a thrift shop or antique market, and wondering at the provenance, at the colours chosen, the design, even the size.  That's what makes quilt history come alive for me -- and Joe and his friends and colleagues have given me that appreciation. 

In that vein, I've just purchased a soon-to-be-released book -- Alberta Quiltmakers and Their Quilts -- authored by Lucie Heins, Assistant Curator for the Daily Life and Leisure Program at the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) in Edmonton.  

I met Lucie years ago when she and Patti Morris, former SAQA Western Canada Rep for Alberta, joined forces, with two other quilting organizations, and created an exhibit at the RAM.  SAQA's contribution was "Meet the Best of the West", which had toured around Canada, and finished its tour there (late summer 2014).  Here I am -- much younger -- with my piece, "Mutt and Jeff" (upper left corner) and others, at the reception for the participating artists, as many as could get there:

But I digress...there's Xmas knitting too!

And it's all done but for one piece, for a friend who lives a few blocks away.  That will be done when the time comes...

For now, I am ready to meet my daughter on Sunday to pass on gifts to her for herself, for her friend (the commission) and for my son, his partner and her son.  All are finished, washed and ready to wrap!

The commissioned socks were an adventure because of the size required, which was larger around than the lace pattern could accommodate.  I'll spare you the details -- especially those of you who don't knit or understand the language (!).  Interested parties can read my notes on this adventure on my project page on Ravelry.  Here they are, just before I grafted the toe of the second sock:

Pattern: Hummingbird 
Designer: Sandi Rosner
Publication: The Knitter's Book of Socks
by Clara Parkes
Yarn: Gathering Yarn - The Basics Sock

These are long socks -- 11" from cuff to bottom of heel; 10" from heel to toe -- but I still had some yarn left over from the skein!  And the hand-dyed yarn colour-way is spectacular!  I am more than pleased -- I only hope the recipient is too.

I've also finished the hats and mittens I planned for giving:

• Not one but two hats for my son (the first shown a few posts ago, but here it is again):

Pattern: Ribbed Toque
Source:Knitting Stories - Sylvia Olsen
Yarn: Cascade Yarns "Anthem"

And here's the second:

Pattern: "Bankhead"
Designer: Susie Gourlay
Yarn: Baycrest Sayelle Knitting Worsted (d/c)

• And a hat and fingerless mittens set for his partner:

Hat: Violet Waffles - Designed by Halldora J
Mittens: Simple Fingerless Mitts
Yarn: Schoeller + Stahl Limbo Mexiko Color
in "Fjord" 

Here's one of the mittens on my hand.  
I added an inch to the body after the cuff,
in case she wants them long enough to go inside her coat.

I finished my daughter's Christmas Socks a few months back; lest you missed that, here they are:

Pattern: Thermal Weasleys
Designer: Desiree Bowman
Yarn: Gathering Yarn Merino Sock Italian

And yes, the "Weasleys" reference is from Harry Potter... 😉

The other gifts I'm giving aren't made by me...but are ready to pack for delivery on Sunday afternoon or to put in the post later this month.

One of the latter is a selection of two designs for a 2022 calendar, created by my daughter, who is a talented photographer (as I've mentioned before, as followers of this blog will know).  This year she assembled "This Chickadee Life" and "Chubby Cheeks" (featuring squirrels and chipmunks).  You can see these on her Facebook page -- or if you are in Edmonton, Alberta, at Mandolin Books and Coffee or Apache Seeds -- available now for purchase.  I've chosen one for my cousin James in Scotland, and another for my next-door neighbours here in town.  Perfect!  

At this point, anything else I divulge would spoil surprises for Certain Gentle Readers...so that's it for now!

Aside from that one knitted gift for a local friend, I'm ready for new knits -- and for me, that means returning to two pullovers that were just started before the Xmas Knits took over.  More about them in a future post...and more about quilty things too.  Bonnie Hunter's 2021 Mystery starts in earnest a week from tomorrow (right after American Thanksgiving) -- and I'm hoping it will be another fun challenge for this year.  

I'm also closing in on the 98 string blocks (5 1/2" square, unfinished) that I need for Bonnie's free "Basket-weave Strings" pattern; this top will be reserved for when needed for charity.  I've been using a pile of collected strings, and have 84 blocks done...but the pile doesn't seem to be getting any smaller...Sigh.

Upcoming: 

The 3rd Annual (second In Person) Lacombe Encore! Under $100 Art Market at the Memorial Centre, Lacombe, Alberta -- Thursday, November 25 from 4-9 p.m., Friday, November 26 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday, November 27 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (COVID protocols in place.)

I have four 5" x 7" pieces in the sale (NOT the ones shown above!) and my daughter Gina will have some of her photography there too.  I'll be on cash on Thursday from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m., so if you're a local reader, do come by, see the lovely work, and find something that's just right for you to give at the holiday season.

And of course, as mentioned above, Curiosity Art & Framing has a Christmas Reeption the following week (Dec. 3); I'll be there from 3-5 p.m.

After all this, I'll be glad to be home knitting and string-piecing quietly in the lead-up to Christmas.  Our parish church, where I'm now the lone musician music "team", is still discussing the timing of a Christmas Eve Service, and I've no idea what our family is able or willing to do this year re: getting together...so whatever happens, happens.

This coming week, American family and friends will be celebrating Thanksgiving.  I send good wishes to all who are doing so, and hopes that you will stay safe and have a loving, happy time together.  

I'm linking this up to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday, where she's busy bringing a new creative idea to life.  She's facing a deadline -- so I hope that for her, too, it will all come together at once!

And for you, Gentle Readers, Happy Thanksgiving to the Americans for November 25 -- and may all of us have a safe, healthy, creative week ahead!

"Time it was, and what a time it was it was..."

 The content of this post references "Bookends" from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel...but only in a very general way.

On August 24, shortly after my last post, I had a test for COVID -- and the next day it came back "+ve", as I pretty much suspected it would.  I hinted as much then...and I was right.  (I have my suspicions as to where it invaded...i.e. the hardware store in a nearby village, where at the time I and 1 other customer were the only ones wearing masks, and I let my guard down briefly...just long enough for the delta -- suspected because I was fully vaccinated x 5 weeks -- to grab hold.)

There followed a couple of Very Miserable Days, with incessant coughing, nose-blowing, fever and chills.  That said, by the evening of August 24 I was feeling much better -- and paid for the privilege by having my senses of taste and smell disappear!

There's something really weird about not being able to taste the toothpaste when you're brushing your teeth!  Just sayin'!

I recovered gradually over the course of the next week-and-a-bit, so by the time I'd finished my designated isolation period -- the morning of Sept. 3 -- I was well enough to go into town to run some errands.  

By Labour Day Monday (Sept. 6) I was ready to go-go-go -- and in that week mowed all my lawns (east and west) and dug sod for a modest 'wildflower island' bed.

But in between and every day...as I recovered and past that...there's been a wide assortment of quiet crafting going on.  I'm going to try to summarize it, because it's easier that way...

Starting with the yard/garden -- a few "autumn approaches" photos.  

I ordered some seeds for native (that would be Alberta) wild flowers (see wildaboutflowers.ca if you're interested) -- and I chose the "Wildflowers for Bees" mix, because the mix for birds and the one for butterflies, and the one for all three at once didn't quite suit my purpose or my plan for a gradual approach. 

At the same time, I knew that these seeds would have to be planted this month, because they need to over-winter to get started in their germination, so I created this wee bed at the base of the Big Old Willow(s) -- part sun, part shade, depending on the time of day:

Wildflower bed created around a two-trunk old willow

I also researched online for options re: dealing with the sod, and found that my instinct to pile it up -- upside down -- was pretty good...so I added to the "bed" you see behind the "island" in the above photo, and then put down a new "bed" (sod upside down) at the base of the small Mountain Ash (Rowan in the UK) across the way.  It needs to be covered with newspaper and mulch over the winter; in the spring I'll remove the mulch, put a good layer of topsoil over it and go from there!  

I bought a special pack of wildflower seed for this bed -- the "Wildflowers for Kids" mix (😉) because it includes some "instant gratification" seeds that should flower next summer.  The mix for bees is for perennials which -- with respect to wildflowers -- can mean several years before anything much appears.  I knew that I'm just enough of a "kid" to want to have some "immediate" results in order to be encouraged and motivated to continue this project!

Sod bed created at the base of 
a young Mountain Ash

The seeds arrived Friday in the mail, and yesterday (Saturday) I was able to get them planted.  I have yet to prepare the sod bed, but that should happen later today.  Then there's cutting back the spent perennials and so on and so on and so on...

But is there stitching?? (I can hear you asking.)

Yes!  When I was recovering and in isolation -- but before I had my full energy back -- we were blessed with abundant pleasant, not too hot, not too windy weather.  

• I added more motifs and borders to "What Remains is Love" -- but took no photos.  Sorry!  
• I got Serious September Startitis: Knitting Edition.  This means I...
• Finished my Socks from Stash August socks, mentioned in my last post, which will be a gift to my daughter for Xmas (yarn colour approved);
• Decided Sweater Weather was approaching and started -- not one but TWO -- pullovers:
• "Turtle Dove II" from L'espace Tricot, in Gathering Yarn's "Haynes Creek Heathers Aran" in a glorious teal -- purchased at The Crafty Lady in Lacombe before she took her show on the road.  (NOTE: Lori -- TCL -- still carries Gathering Yarn products, which can be ordered online at her shop HERE.); and
• "Ranunculus", designed by Midori Hirose -- yes, I fell down a rabbit hole!  I've been pondering this pattern for months -- ever since I heard a fleeting mention of it on a YouTube 'cast from The Woolly Thistle.  

When I went to Edmonton to visit my daughter (more about that another time), I stopped in at The Fibre Nook (a favourite shop of mine there) -- by appointment due to COVID.  I was the only customer, and boy! Was I treated well!  I had a wonderful hour with the young man who was serving me -- and I bought 3 skeins of the most beautiful yarn -- BC Garn 'Bio Shetland' GOTS (now discontinued) -- in a dark navy, the last 3 skeins available.  In the shop there was a Ranunculus pullover made of yarn in a similar weight, which confirmed that I had enough in the 3 skeins to make one of my own. 

 About 10 days -- or so -- ago, I stumbled onto Selma and her Little Big Knits 'cast on YouTube.  She's Canadian -- from Ottawa, a place that has many special memories and meanings for me.  And she's made multiples of this sweater...and has been running a Knit-ALong (KAL) on the "Little Big Knits" group on Ravelry.  Well, then.  That's when I fell.  Hook, line and sinker.  So...I'm on the yoke now.  Fingering-weight yarn on 6 mm needles...with a top-down pattern that's simple but challenges the mind.  It definitely rivals the "Turtle Dove II" for a spot in my current affections...

 

The start of my Ranunculus pullover

It doesn't look like much -- yet -- but I'm having fun with it and it's going to be great!  😊

Of course, there are always socks!  This month's theme at the Socks from Stash group on Ravelry is "Food and Drink"; I'm making "Lollipop" socks in a self-striping, marled yarn in shades of purple and blue, with a bit of grey:

Pattern: "Lollipop"
Designer: ela m.
Yarn: Queensland Collection "Perth" in "Royal Blubell"
(yes, that's how 'bluebell' is spelled on the ball band!)

One finished September Sock

And...in yet another "Startitis" knit...I'm making a pair of fingerless mittens for a cousin of mine (late DH's family) who had a bad fall a good 18 months or so ago.  She sustained nerve damage that particularly affects her right arm, and her right hand is always cold.  A while back, when I still worked part time at The Crafty Lady (who still stocks the Queensland sock yarn, above), I was given a sample skein to bring home.  It's lovely stuff, and there's just enough of it to make these mitts, with perhaps a bit left over.  The first one is finished now:

Pattern: "Reciprocation"
Designer: Michelle Hunter
Yarn: Mirasol Sulka Legato in colour #13
- "Purple" -- for obvious reasons! 😉

The cable pattern is really cool -- and will be the mirror image on the right hand!  The yarn is 60% wool, 20% alpaca and 20% cashmere, so I think my cousin-in-law will love these as much as I love 'em.  (I have another ball -- a different but equally lovely yarn -- so I think I just might have to make myself a pair too!)

In betwixt and between, I've been sifting and sorting yarn and fabric.  This has resulted in a purge (pretty much 100%) of anything "bulky" in my yarn stash -- i.e., anything requiring needles larger than 6 mm...and even some of those.  A bag-full went to the local charity Thrift Store earlier this week.  Photos were taken of yarns being kept in my stash, and stash quantities have been up-dated.  To ensure I kept on track with Things I Want to Make, I put yarn(s) and patterns together in storage, so that I can grab a "kit" and immediately cast on a project.  I also ensured that WIPs/UFOs also had the patterns and notes that I'll need when I come to finish those projects.  A couple of "I'll never finish this!" projects were frogged!!

A labour of love, to be sure -- but at least now I know where I stand!

With respect to fabric...

I've cut up a batch of bits-and-bobs into squares and rectangles a la Bonnie Hunter -- i.e. her Scrap Saver's System -- and bagged them.  I found I had a batch of left-over half-square triangles (HSTs) from "Frolic!", so I turned them into this year's "Leader and Ender" challenge -- "Fish School".  Of course (Murphy's Law of Left-over Quilt Materials) I don't have enough to make anything significant, but at least there's an idea started...

My "Grassy Creek" top went to Sylvia-the-local-long-arm-quilter this week, to be quilted.  Here's my version -- before quilting.  Miss Pookie approves!

And here's the back -- mostly polyester, from my "inheritance", clinging to the rails on the back stoop (it was starting to rain and there was a breeze!)  My late friend Joan, who supplied most of the fabric in this quilt, was the "Queen of Polyester"!

There's been a bit of artful play, too.  While I was recovering, I dug through my magazines, and found an article in Quilting Arts -- April/May 2018 issue -- featuring the practice of Canadian Maggie Vanderweit of Ontario.  I decided to play with plant and rust 'bundling', and so created a couple of bundles from two old white tea cloths.  

• I soaked one in the water from cooking purple cabbage (I ate the cabbage; it was from a friend's garden and it was delicious!).  I'd added a bit of powdered milk to the soak as a mordant.  
• I soaked the second in the milk solution only.
• Then I bundled the "cabbage" one with outer leaves (removed from the cabbage before cooking and saves for this purpose), some 'rusty bits' (I have a collection) and some assorted red and yellow onion skins (ditto).
• And I bundled the "plain" one with more 'rusty bits' and more onion skins.
• I steamed them for several hours, and then put the pot aside in my back room to cool; I left it there for 3 days.
• Then I unbundled everything, threw out the leaves/skins, put away the 'rusty bits', rinsed the cloths and hung them to dry:

I think the one on the right had the cabbage soak.

These are now dry and ironed lightly, set aside for the moment when I'm inspired to work with them.  I expect they'll be cut up into smaller pieces and worked by hand, but one never knows.  It'll be up to them and the Muse!  

To wind up the past month* (!), yesterday I joined Joe Cunningham for another "Quilt Freedom Workshop".  This session, the topic was "Secondary Patterns" -- how the use of colour, block placement and other design elements can create movement and interest by leading the eye to more than one pattern in the same piece.   I dug out 3 fabrics from my stash, none of which I'd used nor had any idea what to do with, and came up with this:

 I call it "Secondary Rhythm"
and no, it's not perfectly rectangular; it's
a bit wonky!

I'll quilt it and face the edges, put a sleeve on it and see where it takes me.  The process has given me an idea for my strings...

And there you have it.  *I counted, and yes, it was really four weeks since my last post.  No wonder there's been so much to share in this one!  If you've read all this way, then I thank you, Gentle Readers -- you are more than patient with me!

If you want to read more, you can follow this link to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday blog, where I'll be sharing this post, too.

Here in Alberta we're in a Public Health State of Emergency because of a Comedy of Errors and Egos (too much to go into here!), so we're all trying to cope with a return of public health protocols, dealing with Rebellious Nay-sayers, Vaccine Refusers and others, and just trying to manage with as much patience, kindness and civility as we can muster.  Our health care personnel are exhausted, overworked and underpaid.  So...it's good to work with one's hands out in the yard and garden, and inside in the studio -- and to be able to share it with you.

Take care, stay safe, remember your manners and healthy practices -- and I hope to connect again soon!

P.S. One more thing!  My SAQA Benefit Auction piece comes up for bid in Section 3 -- you can see it and all the wonderful pieces available by going HERE.  You need to have a (free) account to bid, but you can look and enjoy without one.  Thanks!

Always Be Humble and Kind
(C) 2016

Down the Rabbit Hole with Joe...

 

I spent a good part of last Saturday with Joe.  Joe Cunningham, quilt artist, that is.  Those of you who follow my ramblings likely know how much I enjoy his work and his teaching.  I own his Craftsy class -- which I can access once more because the new owners got their act together! -- and I've watched his appearances on The Quilt Show several times.  Since May, when he began to teach workshops online monthly, I've participated in nearly every one.  On Monday afternoon, when he did a live-online "chat" with Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts, I watched that too.  And as it was recorded, I watched it again yesterday afternoon as I was hand-stitching the binding on my daughter's Turning 40 quilt.

Yep.  I think he's great: funny, inspiring, interesting and with a quirky turn of mind that I find fascinating.  I don't understand how he thinks or sees the world, which he interprets in his art, but I remain intrigued -- so I've gone down the rabbit hole to try and find out more.

Which End is Up?
(C) 2020

In each workshop, Joe has us make at least one item, or sample.  Sometimes they're even useful!  😉  In September I managed to make a couple such items: a small top that will become a 'tummy time' blanket, and a cushion cover.  In August, I what I think is my favourite piece thus far -- and I've just spliced a couple of batting pieces so I can quilt it.  

On Saturday, the purpose of the workshop was to explore the work of an artist -- not necessarily in the textile medium -- and, drawing inspiration from that work, to make something using similar principles.  In this case, the artist was painter Stuart Davis.  Joe showed several examples of his work in a book, and landed on one -- entitled Cliche -- that we were to use for the workshop.  I confess, I preferred some of the other examples, but a class is a class...

So off we went!  

I'd picked two contrasting pieces of yardage from my "inheritance": a piece of deep navy and another of white.  Both have starry motifs printed on them in metallic gold.  I had no idea what I'd use them for, so they were perfect for playing in the workshop.  😊

The idea was to cut one fabric into 1 1/2" strips, and the other into random "chunks", much like we'd done in the very first workshop in May.  Then we were to reassemble the strips and chunks with one caveat: you couldn't have two strips or two chunks butting up against each other.  That lead to all sorts of adventures with angles and inset seams (or not).  Not being partial to fussing, I chose the 'slice it off' method for dealing with those!  

I didn't get the piece finished in the workshop time, but I pressed on, and worked on it again on Sunday, ending up with this:

Or maybe...this...

My design wall is 48" wide x 24" long, so you can see that this thing fills up a good bit of that space.  If you look closely, you'll see one tiny spot where the background (white) of one piece butts up against the background of another, but I don't care.  It is what it is.

And that's as far as I've got with it.  Working title?  Asteroid.  I know what I want to do to finish it, but I haven't come across the right fabric for a background to the shape.  I also know how I want to quilt it, but it'll have to wait till I find that fabric.  No matter; it was just another adventure down the rabbit hole with Joe!

I like these workshops because they've helped me loosen up a bit as an artist.  Someone who "sees" so differently, and is able to get his or her ideas across with humour and an easy-going style is someone whose teaching is hard to resist.

I find myself being more willing to experiment.  At the same time, I'm looking at my stash of materials differently, because I'm called on to play with them differently...and that has translated itself into new work.

I was particularly thrilled on Saturday when Joe and his colleague, Julie Silber, showed a quilt done decades ago by a quilter named Anna Williams.  Joe prefers to work with large chunks of fabric, and admitted that he tosses his tiny scraps but, Gentle Readers, I happen to love small bits, crumbs -- as you may well know.  Anna, apparently, loved crumbs too!

A couple of years ago I played with crumbs to create four "road-themed" pieces, the first of my "crumbpilations" series.

(L) Crossroads; (R) Take the Back Roads

(L) You Can't Get There From Here
(R) Never the Twain Shall Meet

Each of this quartet is 12" square, and is now mounted on stretched canvas and framed.  

Around that same time I made this piece for SAQA's Global Exhibit, "Season After Season"; entitled Incarnation to Resurrection: Reflections on the Colours of the Church Year, it's completely string-pieced from scraps:

That was a time of exploration, but in this chaotic COVID time, I've also found comfort in the practice of simply sewing together bits or strings of fabric, cutting and piecing and trimming -- and piecing some more.  That same comfort was what got me started quilting decades ago, when the stress of my husband's advancing illness was increasing, and two good friends who were quilting recommended it because, they opined, "knitting isn't enough".  (And they were right!)

This summer, I made two new art pieces from crumbs, and mounted them on large stretched canvases -- 12" W x 30" L.  (I have yet to pick them up from my framer.)

I've followed these with a couple of pieces that are going to be "soft" -- not on canvas, but hung with a sleeve and dowel.  

The working title of this one is "Chaos Can Be Colourful", measuring 24" W x 33" L.  I've yet to quilt it, but I expect I'll do it as I've done the others, with straight lines close together, and I expect I'll put a facing on it rather than a binding:

Another piece underway -- a glimpse of which I showed you a few days ago -- is on my design wall, blocks ready to be sewn together.  In the end it'll measure about 25" W x 20" L (before quilting):

Fence? What Fence? -- plus 2 random blocks...

Those two blocks on the right will end up somewhere else; I think the piece on the left is just the right size.  Again, it will likely be quilted with straight lines, faced, and provided with a hanging sleeve and dowel.

At the same time, I've been creating some crumb blocks that I expect will end up in a utilitarian quilt -- with sashing and borders; the stack of 8" square blocks numbers 17 right now, and there are more under construction:

In her interview/chat with Joe on Monday, Patricia Belyea noted that Joe once referred to himself as 'a quilt maker' but more recently, has begun to call himself an 'artist' or 'quilt artist'.  Thus ensued a conversation that really struck a chord with me.  

Just two days before, during the workshop, Joe and  his guest Julie Silber had had a similar bit of conversation about quilts and art.  Julie opined that "not all quilts are art; not all photographs are art -- and not all painting is art".  So...when a similar conversation happened in the Monday interview, I was excited.  Joe said his "aha" came when he realized that all of the quilts he'd made over the years were really "art projects".  That's when he also moved from copying the work of the quilters of yore that he admired, into creating quilts from his own unique and original ideas about art and the world around him.  He was particularly inspired by this quote from artist William T. Wiley:

I think art should be more and more amoral, a realm of exploration. Especially in school, if you could just get that idea across to people, it just means a whole threshold of getting into art, or the aesthetic experience, or awareness. Just give people a chance to go into it and really flesh out a lot of things and feel themselves in it. -- from Richardson, Brenda, "I Am My Own Enigma", published in Wizdum, University Art Museum, Berkeley, CA, 1971, p. 10.

I continue to chew on this thought.  Note: the word Wiley uses is not "immoral"; it's "amoral", which means 'not concerned with the morality of a thing' -- which in this context I interpret as "being completely objective", giving one the freedom to explore an idea or concept in an original way as one works it out in art, music, writing...etc.

My chaos pieces are just such an exploration, using the arrangement of shapes and colours of fabric in a way that attempts, for me, to bring order to the chaotic circumstances in which I find myself both in my small corner, and in the wider world around me.

I told you Joe had taken me down a rabbit hole!  😉  

What are you exploring in your work, as you make choices about colour and shape, quilting design, threads, embellishments and pattern?

I'll leave you with that question, and links to both WIP Wednesday over at The Needle and Thread Network and to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday.

Whatever you're creating, whatever you're pondering, Gentle Readers, thanks for stopping by -- and may you stay safe and well!  😊

What Day is It?

During these strange times of mostly-staying-home, I know I'm not the only one with a tendency to forget what day it is.  I'm better with dates, but only marginally.  Blessedly I have a few hard copy calendars around.  My favourite one is from Kate of The Last Homely House, hanging in my studio; it's so pretty, it'll remain unsullied by notes in the squares. 

My utilitarian calendar is on the door of the pantry in my kitchen -- essentially "command central".  Once upon a time it documented my part-time work schedule, lunches with friends and other appointments.

Nowadays?  The part-time work ended in mid-February -- before COVID -- but the virus eliminated all 'normal' appointments and lunch dates until June, and even so, they remain few and far between -- and mainly ones for Zoom meetings.  I've taken to writing in home-care activities such as "Roof?", "Mow?", "Edge front sidewalk".

I also keep a mostly-daily journal, adapted from the "Morning Pages" of Julia Cameron fame.  I've always included the date and the time at the head of each entry, but since COVID hit, I've been adding in the day of the week, just to keep my bearings.  😕

In recent months, there are two online gatherings I've attended regularly, and they feed my heart and soul: SAQA and Friends' "Textile Talks", which I've viewed almost every week over lunch (they play on Wednesdays at noon Mountain Time), and Joe Cunningham's Quilt Freedom workshops -- the first or second Saturday of each month for three months now.

The "Talks" are entertaining and educational; I particularly enjoy the ones featuring a panel of artists who talk about their work in general and in a particular exhibit.  Joe's workshops explore his various approaches to quilting in a free and spontaneous manner.  I've always found it challenging to be that spontaneous, so watching and learning from him stretches me, sometimes causing my dominant left brain to screech with protest!  😉

In an earlier post, I showed my piece from Joe's first workshop in the series.  It's now squared up, sandwiched and pin-basted, but not yet quilted.   His second workshop focused on his technique with bias tape; I enjoyed it but wasn't inspired to create a project.  The third worshop was centred on two-colour quilts.  Joe's fondness for quilt history means that he included examples of these sorts of quilts, provided by his friend, quilt historian and collector, Julie Silber.  It was a great introduction, seguing into how he's adapted this approach in his own work, and finishing with two projects for us to work on.

The first was a 'slice' technique with directions for layering our chosen fabrics and slicing them at very particular intervals.  I chose a creamy closely-woven muslin and a bright batik* and came up with these options:

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3 - stitched!

*The batik was one of several fabrics I won in a game played at the SAQA Western Canada Regional Retreat in 2016. The card attached shows it was donated by my friend and colleague, Mary Wilton.  Thanks, Mary!

I've got to sandwich and quilt it, but as you can tell from the captions, the third time was the charm.  I'm thinking of putting a sleeve on each of the wide sides (i.e. in the horizontal plane) and calling it "Which End is Up?"  😉

The second exercise was "dice" rather than "slice" -- based on the four-patch -- and is one of the approaches Joe has taught in his Craftsy class --- which I own.  I'd never played with it, though.  In the end I created a small table topper with this as the centre:

I added a bright yellow 'zinger' and an outer green border to enlarge it a bit; once quilted I'll give it away...or not.  We'll see.

In addition to online webinars and workshops, I've tried to anchor my days with Morning Prayer from Canterbury Cathedral in England, and after lunch, weather permitting, with hand-stitching in my Outdoor Studio.  Last week I sent my friends the "Toronto Sampler" bell pull that I finished for their 45th wedding anniversary -- being celebrated as I type (Sunday, August 23).  In prior posts I promised to show it off once it was finished, so here you are:

Toronto Sampler
Designer: Jeannette Douglas
of Calgary, Alberta

Centre Detail

Bottom Detail

My friends received it earlier this week and, I'm glad to report, were very taken with it.  I mounted it top and bottom on a thin, flat black metal 'scrolled' hanger, so they can put it wherever they choose.

With that finished, I've been working in earnest on "Man Cave" from Peter Underhill, which I showed in an earlier post.  I've nearly completed the top half of the piece, but it is slow going.  Although it's ony cross-stitch, there are horizontal and vertical half-crosses, sections that require a strand each of two colours, and still other sections that call for only tiny bits of this and that, with frequent colour changes.  I'm enjoying it but will be hard pressed to get it finished for Christmas!

If the days are a bit rainier -- or very hot -- I find myself indoors, still plugging away at Bonnie Hunter's "Unity" Sew-along project, which I'm calling "Star Crazy!"  I've one more set of  9 blocks to do for one long side border -- and three are finished.  That's clue #7 of eight!  I'm determined to get this bit finished by month-end, because September 1st I plan to start cutting the fabrics for my daughter's "Turning 40" quilt.  I'm giving myself a deadline of November 1 to have that top -- queen-sized -- finished and ready for my long-arm quilter to work her magic.  My daughter's birthday is in January, but who knows how many quilts will be ahead of mine?  So...onward!

Here's what "Star Crazy!" looks like at present -- draped over my ironing board and puddling on the floor, as it's almost 64" W x 72" L -- and there's Clue 8 -- one final border of stars -- to go!

Can you see where I goofed?  And no, I'm not fixing it!

In the mornings, and sometimes in the evenings, I knit as I watch news or other YouTube videos.  The August Socks from Stash (Ravelry) are proceeding apace -- I'm nearing the toe of the second sock of the pair.  I've even picked the yarn for September's challenge -- but I've also decided to gradually tackle a project that was shelved last summer because I got that big commission to recreate an art piece as a bed quilt.

I love my handknit socks and wear them a long time.  Of course, as you all well know, this means some can start to develop holes.  And I absolutely hate darning!  But I love to knit -- so I thought I'd try to deconstruct the worn bits, and knit new ones.  I'm calling these "Frankensocks".  😉

Here's the first pair.  

I lucked out finding some yarn left over from the first time I knit them.

And here's the finish -- new toes!

I know; you can clearly see where the old socks end and the new toes begin -- but who cares?  That's why they're "Frankensocks"!   There will be some in future that get entirely new feet -- in completely different colour(s) of yarn...but that will be part of the fun.  These aren't top of mind right now, but stay tuned; there'll be more to come.

This has been a long post -- but that happens when one day drifts into another and time just seems to roll along, as it's doing during this COVID time.  I'll bid you adieu for now, as it's time to go out into the sunshine for a walk and some stitching in the Outdoor Studio.

I leave you with a link to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday, where there's always something new and interesting to see -- and some current photos of my garden, from which I'm now enjoying zucchini and broccoli...and more.

Have a good day, Gentle Readers, whatever day it is when you read this...and I'll catch up with you again soon. 

A Brown-eyed Susan, some daisies,
some marigolds and a poppy

Dancing Tiger Lilies

A rose quartet

My first zucchini -- salad sized!

A broccoli bouquet