I've been putting in the hours on my yellow silk piece and am happy to report it's very close to being done...finally. Just finished the scribbling on the last of the 16 blocks. Just the scribbling alone in the middle of each one is taking me between 30-45 minutes and lots of thread. I just emptied the first cone of Kimono Silk which is 1,090 yards and have a new cone ready to put in the machine.
I like to tell my students if they have an "awkward moment" in their quilting they should fill it with a "distraction" rather than ripping out. Well I had a major one yesterday and I know at least a few of you will be able to relate. I was sewing along on the border doing itty-bitty pebbling and echos around the feathers and something didn't feel quite right. Has your excess backing fabric ever folded over and you quilted it into your quilt??? I've lost track of how many times this has happened to me...you'd think I'd learn how NOT to let this happen. The quilting was soooo dense it would be impossible to rip out. So I had to cut it out. Guess where the hanging sleeve is going? My awkward moment will be covered with a distraction. sigh.
The French knots on the top are very time intensive and a pain in the neck but I do love how they look...hate how they look on the back. In order to keep the knot on the top very firm and pulled tightly in the sandwich, I had to make a boogie knot on the back to secure them and I hate how it looks. Soooo, I've decided to cover each and every stinkin knot on the back with tiny bead clusters. Another distraction.
Last night while working on beads and knots in the living room, I noticed how pretty this quilt looked in the dark room with only my table light illuminating it so I had to share. I am starting to add my repetitive lines on the outside edges of the feather border. I made them a little longer as I will be trimming them down to square it up when I'm blocking it. The awkward straight line you see going thru the last feather border photo is part of my straight basting lines with the washout Vanish Lite thread. When this piece is washed this will go away.
I am trying to come up with a name for this piece...if you have any ideas could you please comment? I am using this piece for the teacher's exhibit at Road to California next month and it will also be shown at a couple of other shows where I'll be teaching.
I'm busy rewriting handbooks and am happy to report I've made good progress so far. Feathers and Backgrounds is 99% done...all the free supplements have been rewritten and combined into one 40 page handbook...the Open Thread Bar handbooks are on the chopping block now. A new linen wholecloth quilt is nearly done with the designing process and I'll be sharing that with you soon. Oh, and my Christmas shopping and wrapping is DONE. whew.
Wishing each of you a very blessed Christmas. Hugs, Cindy :)
It's beautiful! How about "Candlelight" or something with that in the title?
ReplyDeleteCindy that is so beautiful. I know exactly how you felt when you came to your distraction - I have done that many times too. You really would think we would learn :) However it happens. I love to see your work and am looking forward to your re-writes. I still have your Craftsy class - yet to do ... and am so looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely Christmas and do take time to smell the roses ..
Your quilting can distract me anytime! It doesn't matter how many "mistakes" you make - your project just gets better because of them.
ReplyDeleteAs to a name - well, it reminds me of Baroque or Florantine in style. A mix of elements from the main design element united with the feathers and then your quilting. A concerto. So how's that for deep thinking?
Cindy; I can't imagine you needing a distraction from your quilting!!
ReplyDeleteIt is just stunning...I do know what you mean though; things do happen, but what gorgeous work
I have done that so many times and when getting another quilt ready to quilt I remember and pin the edges ad then remove them while stitching cuz they are in the way and...yup...the back folds under..ugh! How about "Luminescence".. it really does glow! Your quilting never ceases to inspire/motivate me in my quilting journey/adventure! Christmas Blessings....Doreen
ReplyDeleteSo, so gorgeous. :) Hanging sleeves and labels - world's greatest bandaids!
ReplyDelete"Moonlight Sonata". Your quilt needs a musical related name I think. Might need another word in it to make it more original. Maybe "Beethoven in Moonlight". It is lovely.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely of you to share your mistake and make us all feel as tho we are not alone in doing this. Love your quilting and I love the Beethoven sonata name mentioned in the above comment.
ReplyDeleteDear Cindy,
ReplyDeleteits so great to see that even you have little " accidents" like us normal Quilters... I was laughing as I startet my little wholecloth cover for my Bernina Machine about the same time as you your big yellow quilt and i come along from time to time to see how far you are and just about the same time I had the same accident... A corner flapped over without me noticing. And i was just happily quilting along and when I finally noticed there was no chance anymore for any rescue. Luckily I added a lot of spare cenitmeters at the edges to cut the quilt straight after quilting and I hope it will be enough to cut that edge out later. Thank you so much for your crafty Course. You definatley sent me on the right way with it. The best wishes from Germany
Kattinka