WIPs That Work

Every once in a while (which, for some of us is not quite as often as for others!), one has a day of sewdio time that just....flows...

3" hexagon background -
English Paper Piecing

Today was one of those days pour moi.  Some time ago now, I posted about the background I was creating for my next 15 x 15 Group piece with the theme, "East Meets West".  It was a series of 3" hexagons, English paper pieced.  Until some time in the middle of last week, I was pretty certain it was going to take forever to create!  I needed to cover at least 16" square to allow for quilting and trimming, and I began to wonder...

"Japanese" print backing (stash)

But by Monday, all had come together.  First I sandwiched the quilt with a great "Japanese" background.  Then I quilted it, tone-on-tone, with straight lines top-to-bottom only.  After that, I was ready to plan and work out the foreground.

I knew I wanted tea pots.  I'd collected photos of a variety of styles, purportedly 'English', 'Chinese' and 'Japanese'.  From these I traced the shapes...and from there I planned to create them in fabric.

But...what colour?

Enter "Inspiration" in the form of Linda Kemshall, and one of her latest DMTV videos, in which she's doing a sketchbook study on the colour RED.  Aha!

Based on her suggestion that one research one's colour, I looked into the significance of red for the Chinese and the English (I couldn't find much re: the Japanese but perhaps I wasn't looking in the right places).  Regardless, RED has served as a colour associated with royalty (Imperial China), revolution (as in the rise of "Red" China) and the military -- as in the English "Red Coats" who fought (in vain) in the American Revolution.  Those same "Red Coats" played a part in Canadian history...and then there are our RCMP "Red Coats"...and red is the dominant colour on the Canadian flag...not to mention the Japanese flag... (sorry; I can't seem to draw a 'border' around that circle to clearly delineate the Japanese flag...nonetheless...

I rest my case.

Today, I auditioned three batiks (from Hamel's Fabrics' Show Special in Red Deer last year -- thank you!)...traced the tea-pot shapes I'd found...and auditioned them in place using a Teflon sheet, because the plan was to fuse each grouping and then fuse the grouping(s) to the background.  I'd not used this technique in a while so have to confess...this is the first time I really got the concept!  Who knew?!

Pieces fused together on Teflon sheet

Next I placed them on the pre-quilted background. fused them down and quilted them -- using machine applique on the raw edge and a tiny blanket stitch (1.5 long by 1.5 apart on my Husqvarna Lily 555).

Tea, Anyone? - Detail 1

Tea Anyone? - Detail 2

That's all you'll see until the 'reveal' at month-end...but that's a pretty good "hint" as to what I've created, don't you agree?  ;-)

I just love it when everything comes together...especially on a Wednesday, generally the "odd day out" in my week.  What about you?

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at The Needle and Thread Network...

See you later!

Seduced by Colour - Part I

As my head-cold worsened, my ability to think clearly about colour declined...hence several days' delay between my last post and this one.

The afternoon of that last post, I drove in to Red Deer for the Annual Central Alberta Quilters' Guild Show -- one of the largest in these parts.  This year, I was going on a mission...mainly to do with the merchants at the show.  

On arrival, I was greeted by my friend Briony, who is in charge of the Exhibits this year.  She's also a collector of antique and vintage sewing machines.  This year she collaborated with other collectors to create a special exhibit:

Log Cabin quilt - date unknown - on loan
from the Innisfail & District Historical Village

My favourite machine was this one, owned by M. Wagner:

1911 Singer Fiddle Back with inlaid mother of pearl

From there, I made my way around the circumference of the main room and down the hall, then back to take in the quilts on display.  I confess that this year there weren't many traditional quilts that took my attention.  There was one that showed a wonderful use of fabric, though, and reminded me of Bonnie Hunter's adage that no fabric is so challenging that it can't be used if cut small enough.  Once it's cut small enough, a print "just becomes another colour" -- in this case, shades of blue and turquoise.  Wonderful!

"Eureka!" - Donna Parsons, Red Deer

"Eureka!" detail 

Then there was the collection of wildly coloured pieces by my friend and colleague, Patti Morris.  Two I particularly liked:

"Bubbles #2" - Patti Morris
Made for a class she taught at Quilt Canada 2013
"Colour Play and Experiment"

and her prize-winner at the show -- Best of Show, 'Innovative Art':

"Art Camp @ Lazy M"
From an art workshop at Lazy M Lodge

Demonstrating the use of colour in a different way...my friend and SAQA colleague, Wendy Greber, who made a sample for the Guild's "candy bar challenge".  The concept?  Take the colours from a candy bar wrapper and use them in a quilt.  Made to inspire her fellow guild members, Wendy's was a show winner too:

Here's the wrapper...

And here's the quilt:

"Chocolate Bar" - Wendy Greber, 2014

My adventure with colour didn't stop at the exhibits, though.  I moved from there back to the designated shopping area.   Hamel's Fabrics was having their regular show special: 1/2 metre cuts of batiks at $4.99 each.  I bought six...in the palette I plan to use for EB's MC topic this month...

And then it was suggested I visit one of the vendors 'down the hall' -- Quilters Dream Fabrics of Vancouver (not to be confused with Quilter's Dream in Edmonton) where, apparently, there was a wonderful collection of 1 metre cuts -- more batiks...and I bought 4 more...

Here's the collection:

To go with, I treated myself to one of Jerry's books at Copperfield's Books:

Ms. Issett is someone I couldn't afford to see when she taught (teaches?) at Gail Harker's Creative Studios in La Conner, WA...now I have her in my library...another book to inspire play...

And I visited the Superior Threads vendor, Cotton Mills Threadworks, where I bought a couple of spools of King Tut (my fave for my landscapes) and a package of needles...

I left around 3 p.m., completely satisfied with my afternoon.  :-)

To find out what happens to the fabric, stay tuned for Part II...