I would love to know who exactly started this Blog Hop and when...I tried Googling but there are soooooo many Around The World Blog Hop posts it's impossible to find the first one. I agree with Sophie - there should be a master page somewhere that lists all of the hoppers...maybe a suggestion for next year's blog hop??
1. What am I working on?
The bottom of the Drip quilt. the colored part started out as a project in a class I took at Road to CA from Katie Pasquini Masopust. Most of the applique is done - I just need to finish that one last bottom piece (I don't care for how the under piece looks...) before I applique the piece to the border fabric.
The whole Drip quilt against the fabric that will be the borders - it is a very neutral looking piece of what must be home dec fabric - I have no recollection of how it came to be in my stash! It is a half yard piece, but from selvage to selvage, it is two yards wide. The Drip quilt will measure more than a yard when the borders are added. I was initially worried about using this fabric because it seemed a bit thin, so I washed it...and it still has the same crispy body. It should be fine, since this is an art quilt, not a quilt that will get washed a great deal. I love the color against the finely dotted neutral...I have another fabric that is actual quilting cotton that is essentially the same pattern in a different shade of tan, but I like the color on this one better. Plus...there is more of this one so I can applique it directly instead of cutting border pieces. I need to iron the color block, but will wait to do that until I finish that last wee bit of applique.
The mini Eclipse quilt - I did the blocks at last retreat. I put the center together by hand since that is the only way I can get nice sharp intersections. For the borders, I have been trying different combinations of the Fossil Fern fabrics and I think I like this one with the triple border of orange, purple and pink best. I keep finding more fat quarters of different Fossil Ferns almost every time I look through my stash. They are in a separate pile now. Need to get this one done before next Retreat as there will be a showing of all of the Eclipse quilts.
This is a detail from the Mixed Media piece from a class with Patt Blair at Road To CA...it needs a bit more quilting and the buttons need to be sewn on before I am happy with how it looks.
More buttons...
The whole Mixed Media quilt...with the buttons pinned on. Most of these are antique buttons from the stash I inherited from my Granny. (The green hearts are a more recent vintage!)
Framed Hexies - this was a project Pirate (another blogger I know In Real Life) started, decided she didn't like this particular technique for hexies so she gave the whole kit and caboodle to me. I worked on these during my vacation. Not sure what it will end up being...or how big it will get - there is enough done that with a couple more blocks, it would make an interesting table topper. But there are oodles of cut pieces still in the project bag...they are cute, quick and portable...and a conversation starter...
Tuscan Landscape - it is very nearly done. I added a flock of sheep on the hill after looking at some more pictures of this view of Tuscany which I have discovered is in Val d'Orsia. I may take the bottom edge quilting out since its getting too puffy...I need to quilt tiles into the floor and add some decorations on the archway.
My 'Forever Project' - the wee hexie basket...this is made with 1/4 inch sized hexies..I just have the background to finish..the boring part! It will likely get minimal quilting and be put into a hard frame to be hung on the wall when it is finished. (I need to take pictures more often...I see something I need to fix again!)
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I tend not to use commercial patterns, though I have done some...and I really dislike making the same block over and over, so there are only a few quilts like that in my repertoire. And you won't find very many 30's reproduction fabrics in my stash. I tend to like either true-to-life colors or bright saturated colors. Batiks and hand dyes are my favorites.
3. Why do I create what I do?
I have always been creative - I come from a very creative family, where creativity is cherished. My paternal grandfather was a professional artist - there are still examples of his art on display. His brother was also a professional artist. Their father was a master jeweler at Tiffany's in New York. My maternal grandmother was a prolific quilter - she and her charity group made hundreds of quilts for the homeless. As a child, I designed Barbie clothes, dressed my dolls and stuffed animals, made all sorts of things - my favorite magazine when I was growing up was Pack-o-Fun. Every month, I would
I love trying new techniques just to see how they work. As a consequence, I have oodles of WIPs (Work In Progress) and PIGZ (Projects In Gallon Zippies) which is a common occurrence with most quilters, I suspect.
4. How does my creating process work?
I draw inspiration from all around me. Sometimes a new quilt is suggested by something I see, though a goodly number of them are class projects. I know some folks never finish what they start in a class, but I feel obligated to at least do something with the materials since I have invested time and money and fabric - I can generally figure out a way to finish any project (I would not have taken the class if I didn't at least think I would finish!) - some just take longer than others! I still have at least three in various stages that are waiting their turn to be finished. But...I will finish them - God willin' and the crick don't rise!
I noodle around with an idea for a while and mostly I can 'see' the finished product before I start...though I have been trying to loosen up a bit and try different things after the basic design is done..
I am supposed to tag three more quilters. It is getting hard to find quilters that haven't been tagged!
So...here are my tag-ees! I haven't heard back from the last blogger, but am putting her link info in in the hopes that she will reply back in the affirmative.
Rian of Rian's Pages who recently moved into a new house and has just re-started quilting. She has a very interesting technique where she uses large sheets of freezer paper with flowing designs, mostly rendered in yummy batiks.
Sophie of Sophie Junction who already did the Around the World Blog Hop post. I am fascinated by her use of color. Another of the quilters I know In Real Life as I have attended a Retreat with Sophie.
Tanya of ByTaniwa who is a quilter from Japan. She moved to Japan from the US to teach English...and ended up staying after she met her handsome hubby Tetsu. I enjoy reading about all of her adventures.
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