Improvisational Quilting Class

Friday afternoon sitting in my car, stuck halfway up the driveway, watching the snow come down, waiting my hubby to tow me up to the street -- I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to get to Burlington, Vermont in time for my Saturday morning quilt class.  I felt determined and was not going to let the unexpected snow storm stop me from trying.

"Are you crazy? Do you really have to go?" my hubby was yelling as he hooked up the cable from his truck to the front of my car.

"Yes.  I paid for it and I'm going.  I really should be OK. The snow has stopped in Concord.  If I can make it there, I should be fine."

"A quilting class...in Vermont...in the winter?  Really?

"Yes.  If the roads are horrible, I'll stop at the Lee traffic circle and wait for the plows and sand trucks to go by.  But I'm going.  I'll call you when I get to Concord."

And with that, he got me to the top of the driveway.  A hug and a kiss later, Selim and I drove off at a snails pace on the snow and ice packed road.  I'm not going to lie, the roads were still a bit dicey and I had a tight grip on the steering wheel for much of the drive.  Normally, I would not have ventured out in conditions like that.  Right before the Epsom traffic circle, we saw the back edge of the storm on the horizon and the roads started to improve.

End of the storm in sight.

In Concord, the sun started to peak out

Robert made it to our prearranged meeting place about the same time as we did.  I called Nedim to let him know we had made the first leg of the journey safely.  At 4:00 I was back on the road and happy that I still had an hour of daylight with me.  The roads improved with every mile north and west that I traveled.  I stopped a few times along the way and pulled into the hotel parking lot just south of Burlington around 6:45.

Saturday morning I drove into Burlington with plenty of time before class to get some breakfast.  I stumbled upon the Magnolia Bistro. Oh my. I ordered the coconut peanut tofu scram and ate it all.  The vegetables were perfectly diced -- fine, but in big enough pieces that I knew what I was eating. The tofu, light and fluffy. While ordering, the waitress asked me if I was either vegetarian or vegan because I had the option of butter or non-butter on my toast.  My kind of place.  I could eat there everyday and be happy.

Tofu, home fries, and toast. Yum!

Even if my class disappointed, the breakfast and the fact that I was on an adventure by myself was worth it.

I'll be back!

But my class was anything but a bust.  It was fabulous.  I had the best time.  I heard about the class sponsored by the fabric shop Nido from a quilting blog that I follow.  At first I didn't sign up, thinking that it was in Vermont, in the winter, a 3+hour drive away (every argument my hubby gave to me the day before, I realize), basically an extravagance.  I'm not sure what made me call on Wednesday to see if they had any openings...but sitting in the parent pick up line at the middle school, I made the call.  Someone had just cancelled and I got the spot. Destiny or some such thing.

Anyway, the class was taught by Heather Jones, who wrote the Quilting Local book that I have found so inspiring.  The title of the class was Improvisational Linework and Design.  We set up our machines and work stations at 9:30 and began the class at 10:00.  All of us brought 6 different solids and none of us had the same color combinations.  Some ladies' outfits matched their fabric choices and that gave everybody a chuckle.

The class was improvisational.  Not having a pattern, and cutting free hand with scissors gave some of us a bit of anxiety.  I'm so used to trying for perfection with my cuts and totally straight seems, that this other method took a bit of time to get used to.  At the end, it was liberating, not scary at all.

We were grouped in tables of 4.  I sat with great ladies.  We made a blanket apology at the onset that we were sorry for any bump or unanticipated sudden movement that caused a disturbance to the other.  There were moments when it felt like we were in a competitive cutting class or a who can sew the fastest class.  But it was really fun and made us all smile when we vocalized what we were thinking. It took until lunch time for everybody to relax and get into their own space where the motions of others didn't register too much.

Speaking of lunch -- I had brought my two Embassy inspired quilts with me.  During our break, I showed Heather my patchwork version and then told her that her book opened my eyes to the possibility of quilting with the same inspiration but not in block form.  I wasn't copying her style as I was still more literal in my own way, but her work inspired my second quilt top, for sure.  I think she was pleased to see that I had read the book and had used it as a basis for my own spin on design.

For the class, I set up my workstation with the cut fabric strips on my right and would chain sew those for a while before moving on to the next step.

All my strips, ready to go

Chain sewing

After finger pressing the strips open, we randomly combined two strips together to form blocks.

Ready to trim

Next step was trimming the blocks into squares and arranging into a bigger square.

16 smaller squares make one block

And sewing the squares into a big block of 16.  I love my first block, especially the little strip of yellow.  When I made my fabric selection, I had in mind the colors of the recent sunsets over Great Bay.  That tiny sliver of yellow reminded me so much of the sun going  down between the water and the clouds.  Not planned, unintentional -- perfect, in the improv moment.

Block #1 - my favorite part is the thin strip on yellow in the bottom row

I made two blocks and started on the third by the end of the class.

2 finished blocks

Before we packed up and left, we all taped one block to the wall.

All together now!

Visually it was so wild to see all the variation in blocks made up of fabric solids.  Even if we had all had the same fabric, no two blocks would have been the same.

What a great day.  So fun to be in community with others doing the same thing.  This was my third sewing / quilting class and I might have to make this a more regular experience.  I'm energized and exhausted at the same time. Maybe next time I take the class, I won't start out with such an inauspicious opening act and my hubby won't be so worried about me.  Other than that part, it was fabulous.

Embassy Inspired Quilt Design

I have made so much progress on my Embassy inspired quilting.  My goal last weekend was to finish the top of the patchwork quilt before the Sunday football games.  With the football season winding down, I wanted to be able to enjoy watching some of the action.  At 12:20 (in plenty of time for the 1:00 kick off), I had sewed row 4 to row 5 and pressed the last seam!

Looking at it, I am very satisfied with the overall block design.  It is pleasing to my eye.  The pattern can be expanded or shrunk very easily, depending on need.  So from that standpoint, I'm happy with my first foray into pattern design.  I also love the fabric that I chose.  There are lots of Carolyn Friedlander's architectural inspired patterns from her Doe, Botanics, and Carkai collections.  I have my new favorite geometric pattern, Squared Elements, by Art Gallery Fabrics.  I also have some grays from Cotton and Steele as well as several from my stash.  The colors go well together and it looks pretty.  So that is good.  With that said, I think that it needs more contrast for the tan window blocks to really stand out.  Next time, instead of the long green rectangles underneath the gray triangles, I think I would have a darker color -- maybe even more gray.  That would make the tan window frames pop.

I look at the quilt top and think windows, window frames, architectural detail.  Green center window panes are for the trees reflected from Grosvenor Square.  Tan window frames are for the color of the building.  And gray triangles are for the darker architectural details that appear recessed in between the larger windows. It is representational for me.  But I think I could make it up in totally different colors and still like the design.

I found a picture that I had taken to capture the horizontal nature of the building.  That was the jumping off part for my second quilt.  I wanted to try something less patchwork-y and more abstract. Since the Green Bay and Washington game got so lopsided and not so fun to watch, I went back to my sewing room and got started on the new project.

I couldn't totally give up blocks of color, because I used four shades of white when I could have used just one.  I used Bone and Snow from Robert Kaufman's Kona Solids.  The other two fabrics were in my stash.  Strips of Kona in Ochre separate the blocks of white.  Using bigger blocks of fabric certainly speeds up the process!  Before I went to bed, I had sewed the top white rows together.

Selim, working on his homework while keeping me company.

I got the idea of using 1" strips in random order from the quilt pattern Jalousie from Alethea Ballard's Maverick Quilts.  I have had visions of making this quilt with a big Hawaiian print.  I've used up the majority of Hawaiian prints that I got from Rosie's in San Diego.  Next time I go back, I'll have to get more.  I digress.  Anyway, this might have been the first time where my cutting and sewing skills were spot on.  All the rows finished at exactly 44" wide and the golden strips look straight and even.  Uuuuuunreal, as my nephew would say.

Because I'm not used to editing and editing down my ideas and I'm still a bit literal minded, I designed this quilt to have a dark base, akin to the Embassy itself.  In retrospect, that might not have been my best idea.  The top is so light and the base is so heavy.  The contrast might be too extreme.  I could have made the same size quilt with just the white blocks and gold strips and been happy.

Finished top rows, design notebook with cutting instructions, browns, my needlepoint pillows in the back.

On Tuesday I managed to be homework parent, and dinner chef, and still had time to steal some time in my hideaway room and finish the more abstract top.  It was too late in the day to take outdoor pictures.  I'm finding that the combination of my cell phone and the florescent lights at night do not good photos make.  I really miss my good camera.

I had hoped to put both quilt tops on the clothes line this afternoon for a side by side view.  But it was so windy that I couldn't get off a good shot.  I ended up putting them down in the fresh snow.  The corners flipped up, but I managed a half way decent shot of the two tops.  I think they look really cool next to each other.  They represent the same building, but in two totally different ways.  That excites me.  I have a few other buildings that I want to explore in these two different ways.

They look a little blue in the snow, but otherwise, they are unfinished pieces, ready for the next phase of long arm quilting.

Hopefully the wind will die down in the next day or so and I can take a nicer picture. Shooting light colored fabric on top of new snow does not set off the quilts very well.  But I didn't want to wait for the good weather.  I wanted to link this up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced and have something to show.  They are works in progress, and I can't wait to send them off to a quilter to finish!

The Meeting of Architecture, Photography, and Quilting

I'm finding it hard to even know where to begin this posting since I have been thinking about this project for so long.  I love architecture from a design standpoint, and buildings themselves for their form, function, and the way they interact with their surroundings.  I love photography.  Aside from family, I take pictures of buildings, sculpture and statues, and my quilt projects.  And I love quilting, because I get to play with color, pattern, form, function, and design.  I have yet to put all of my three loves into one project, until now.

When was in London back in 2011 and 2012, I took tons of pictures.  I wanted to do something with them, other than framing and hanging them up.  This spring I watched a program on fabric design and wondered if I could translate some of my photographic imagery into fabric.  While I would still like to do that, I need a different computer set up and chunks of time, neither of which I think I will be getting anytime soon.  So the next avenue was designing a quilt pattern based on a building that I photographed.  Light bulb moment for me.  The first I chose was our Embassy in London.

Three of the photos that I took.

The building is striking.  It is beautiful and geometric and has a repeating pattern.  It seemed perfect for my first attempt.  My third try at pattern design resulted in something that seemed workable.  The blocks aren't square. However, they are to a scale that I could make a quilt big or small, and not end up with it really thin and long or wide and short.

3rd attempt at designing a pattern.

That was back in April.  I didn't more forward with finding fabric or anything else because I had my big Birdbaths at Sunset quilt to finish and we moved.  I haven't unpacked all the boxes yet, but we're in the house and know where most of our stuff is.  I finished the Birdbaths quilt on Monday.

Pattern by Elizabeth Hartman

Tuesday I cut out the fabric for my Embassy quilt according to my pattern sheet.  I should have made it up with each size be a letter. Instead I lettered by fabric pattern.  Note to self on ways to improve for clarity when I do this again.

Recording the selvages to reference the designer

Tan for window frames, green for the windows, gray for the architectural detail

Wednesday I got Selim to Concord where I met Robert who took him back to the Ashram.  I drove on to Henniker to Quilted Threads as a treat.  I had visited their website before but never made my way down there.  Oh boy, what a wonderful shop!  I had a lovely time and will go back some day when the weather is better and the road conditions allow me to relax and really enjoy the experience.  I'm glad I made the trip, but also glad that I left when I did.  By the time I got home, the roads were slick with frozen fog and drizzle.

Beautiful shop, but at 4:30, it sure was dark.

Winter wonderland and slick roads

When I got home, I began sewing the top row.  I did all the tan window frames and green centers.  I chose green because the trees from the park often reflected in the glass.

Large windows arranged

Before I began to sew the gray triangles, my fabric rectangles looked really big.  I went back to the tutorial at the Modern Quilt Guild website and realized that I did the math wrong.  Instead of the 5 x 7 rectangles that I cut, I needed them to be 3 x 4.  Sigh. I don't know what I was thinking.  I cut twice as much fabric as I needed.  It turned out not to be an epic fail, as I was able to cut 2 rectangles out of each fabric piece with minimal waste.

This morning I brought my mug of tea down to the sewing  room and began on those triangles.  The tutorial is great and I had success on my first attempt.

Sew on either side of the pink line

Cut on the pink line and get 2 sets (I made 2 of each set).

Pressed open, and not.

Pressed and trimmed.

And now, I have the top / first row complete.

When the quilt is finished, it should measure 44 x 60.

Detail.

I can hardly believe it. I feel such a sense of accomplishment.  Granted, it is only the first row of 5 that I planned...but I did it.  My math worked; the pattern pieces all fit together.  It looks just like I envisioned.  I'm so happy.

I've read two quilt books recently that have been really inspiring, for different reasons.  The first is Quilt Local: Finding the Inspiration in the Everyday, by Heather Jones.  She has transformed her locale into beautiful quilts.  I love how she has taken elements of architecture and made a whole quilt from the sometimes small detail.  And I appreciate how un-patchworky her art is.

Since reading her book, I revisited my Embassy photographs and sketched out a second idea for a quilt that is more modern, streamlined, and not patchwork.  I'm excited to try that next.  I like the idea of using the same starting point and having two different outcomes -- one more traditional in the patchwork approach and the second, a more modern and abstract based.  I have several more photographs where I believe I can do the same thing.

The second book is Wanderlust Quilts: 10 Modern Projects Inspired by Classic Art & Architecture by Amanda Leins.  I don't plan on making all 10 of her projects -- it is seeing her photos and how she translated them into fabric that will blew my mind.  They are so beautiful.  I'm amazed and awed.  Her work gives me hope that my simple start has the potential to evolve if I stick with it.  Looking at her quilt based on photos of the Pantheon in Rome, I flash on my photos of the ceiling at the Library of Congress. I aim to develop my skills enough that I could translate my vision of that ceiling into a fabric reality.  Before I begin that one, I need to get better sewing curves.

I think 2016 is going to be a great year for project development.  I'm excited to experiment with my quilting and try new things: designing new patterns, honing my sewing skills, getting out to new quilt shops and attending a workshop or two.  And if I could figure out how to exercise, work full time, keep a cleaner house, and be more on top of the homework and school thing for Selim, rekindle my spiritual practice, and develop my creative life...now that would be awesome.

Christmas Recap

Christmas didn't sneak up on me, exactly.  I mean, it is a holiday that happens on the same day every year...but for some reason, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed short.  I don't think my week in DC helped my cause.  I came back excited about the material covered and exhausted at the same time.  I slept much of that first weekend home.  That left only a couple of weeks for the magic to happen.

I did get my baking done on schedule.  Having a big freezer helps.  Selim and I baked citrus rounds, lime coconut shortbread, ginger snaps, almond jewels, mint chocolate crinkle, chocolate espresso stars and trees, and cranberry orange drops.  I handed out five plates at work.  I kept a container in our freezer.  I brought the rest to the Ashram where we had some on hand for the holiday and then I made a big platter for the Schongalla family event.

I got most of my projects and shopping done on time.  I didn't have to send my boxes to California overnight mail like I did last year.  Selim and I made the ornaments in time to put in the boxes.  We had a lot of fun with that craft project.  We used Styrofoam balls, craft tape, and beads to make ball ornaments.  We made a huge mess on the dining room table and laughed the whole time.

Christmas itself was sweet.  Nedim came with us to the Ashram on Christmas Eve and that meant a great deal to Selim.  Robert had inflated the air mattress and put it in Mom's room where we were sleeping.  Selim didn't want to sleep on the inflatable.  With Nedim's back issues, he wasn't going on there.  So I happily went to bed there.  Both of my guys had trouble falling asleep.  Selim kept waking up during the night and verbally checking in with me.  Around 5:30 I suggested that he come on down to the floor with me.  He fell back asleep within minutes.  So there I was, pressed up against the desk, not sleeping, while my little one finally, totally relaxed.  As I watched the room lighted with the sun rise, I smiled, remembering that I found my sister and JT in the exact same position last year.

As usual, I made scones and a pot of tea for us to nibble on while we opened presents.

They took a bit longer to bake this year.

Flaky, cranberry scones

Pretty china waiting for the tea to be poured.

 In our stockings, Santa left three identical scarves.

Under the tree, we got what we wanted: sweaters for Nedim, fun things, a new electronic device, and a new hat for Selim, pretty earrings and other things for me.

From our family in the North, thank you Uncle Tyler.

Did I mention pears?  Dad and Valerie sent us a box of pears that taste like Nirvana.

The thing that we will remember about this Christmas for years to come is the weather.  We enjoyed mild days.  The forecast for Christmas Eve was the 60's.  There was too much fog for us to hit that record.  But Christmas day we did reach the upper 50's.  The boys played outside in short sleeves and even I walked around the track in a summer tee shirt and light vest, and shoes without socks.

The mild weather held for our drive down and back to Sudbury to attend the Schongalla day-after get together.  Not all the extended clan could make it.  We missed those in Oregon and California.  I'm grateful for the lack of heated political arguing.  I wouldn't have been able to take it this year.  I enjoyed the flow of conversations and catching up with those that I don't get to see very often.

Max in his festive sweater.

Electronic sharing

The evening ended with their variation of the Yankee Swap.  Malcolm ended up with Robert's contribution, a book on Tropical Diseases authored by the US Military.  And Nathan ended up with the ceramic lady with her big skirt cake dome that has been in the rotation for the past three years.  Selim drew for Robert and ended up with candles in the shapes of chocolates to which he said, "Mom, if these had been real chocolates with wicks in them, they would have been epic!"  At least he didn't get the tropical disease book.

The re-gifted cake dome cover.

This Christmas had many of our usual traditions: cookie baking, Robert and I tag teaming for mashed potatoes for the Schongalla dinner, opening an ornament present on Christmas Eve, scones and tea, family photos while we wear festive headgear, beautiful Christmas trees, and love.  No matter how the gatherings happen, the love of family is front and center.  May we continue to feel the love and grace that comes our way.