Monday, 4 August 2014

Around the World Blog Hop

I wish we could just hop across the Atlantic as cheaply and easily as this! I was tagged for this hop by Judy at Quilt Paradigm , whom I met during the Triangle Quilt Along, and she's in  the USA, I believe in Arizona, and I'm in The Netherlands, Europe. I've managed to tag two others, for me much closer to home, but more about them later. First I have to answer some questions.

1. What am I working on?


At present I'm working on a few projects. I've finished three bed quilts and one throw this year:

two patterns from books,

Good Night

Jigsaw 
and two from QALs

Triangle Quilt 
Celtic Solstice
(Click on the captions for a link to the relevant posts.)

They were all destined as presents and I needed to concentrate on getting those done, before working on skill-improvement projects. So now I'm making cushion covers to try my own layout ideas and to practise FMQ on something small; I've had my fill of trying to manage 2kg of quilt going through the throat of my Bernina 440QE. (Bernina call it Quilters' Edition, but in my opinion that's something of a misnomer, the space is far too small.)

First cushion cover: finished 

The next two cushions in the making.


I'm also trying different piecing techniques. So far I've made this sample following a "workshop" in Jean Wells' book "Intuitive Colour .." but it needs to have a border and quilting before I start on the following "workshop".

I already have Ricky Tims' "Convergence Quilts" lined up for a future challenge.

My next start, however, will probably be something for Christmas. I have a charm pack of  "Midwinter Red" bought in a sale in January, and hope to start using it at the beginning of October.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?


To start with, my patchwork and quilting doesn't fit into a genre yet because I only started two years ago this week! (I'm not counting my false start at patchwork when I was nine years old and vowed never again! or the quilt for my granddaughter's crib, that was started nine years ago and took 5 years to make!). I consider myself to be searching, finding my way, discovering new forms, and accepting new challenges. Just like I have rarely read the same novel more than once (exception: Pride and Prejudice: six times!) I doubt I will ever repeat a quilt. Life is too short.

8 August 2012 was a turning point in my sewing experience when I followed a workshop in my LQS, Quilters Palet, in The Hague, where I made this:

ragtime
(or at least started it. I was painfully slow at cutting and had never heard of chain piecing.)
and another workshop, where I made this:

purple stars
and that winter followed the beginner's patchwork course (nine lessons) and made this:

Green Sampler

Also two quilting courses one for machine and one for hand quilting that same winter, which enabled me to quilt the green sampler in both techniques.

hand appliquéd EPP and, hand quilted
machine pieced,
machine quilted in the ditch
and hand quilted in the centre unit.
So far these seem to fall into a traditional style. Is this a 19th century genre? Please don't label me!
Perhaps it's because I'm a teacher that I'm nervous of autodidactic. I had to be taught the basic skills. I don't want to invent the wheel, but I do aim at modifying it!

A quilt to cover the long thin window in our front door was next on the list. I thought it should be double sided:

from the outside
so people waiting outside had something to look at. Unfortunately, although the rows on both sides are the same height (the geese are 3" high) they don't match perfectly so from the inside we have an unusual stained-glass effect!

Double Vision!
Friendship Stars on the inside and Flying Geese on the outside shining through
This was my first attempt at making something on my own: no teacher, no pattern other than the traditional blocks.

Since last August I have been on a two day fabric-dying retreat, but haven't used any of the fabric yet. I have done workshops in thumb-quilting and FMQ and I have challenged myself severely by taking part in Bonnie Hunter's Celtic solstice mystery quilt along (photo above). Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread! I underestimated the speed at which she expected people to work. I just about managed to keep up, but almost missed Christmas in my single-minded patchworking! (Good job I didn't need to work for nearly two weeks). It may seem odd, but in the last six months I've made so many HSTs that I'm almost perfect! A hurdle overcome: now just join them all up perfectly! Compare the points in the Green Sampler with those in the Jigsaw, or Triangle Quilt and I think there's hope for me yet!

I'm also participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge hosted by Angela at SoScrappy. I was so hooked by the word "rainbow", that I overlooked the "scrappy", so jumped in with only a 2 litre box of scraps to my name. Ha ha; I've been buying "scraps" (alias fat quarters) all year! At one stage I thought of using my self-dyed fabric for this, but decided I wanted to save it for something over which I had more control.

RSC January to June line up

OK, maybe now I've moved forward into modern traditional? Traditional blocks, modern fabrics. But genre isn't important at the moment: for me it's all about challenging myself to try new things and to perfect my existing skills. Who knows what I'll be doing a year from now?

Back to the original question: how does my work differ from others in its genre? It doesn't, except it was made by me, and I'm not others!

3. Why do I write/create what I do?


I write about my quilting experience to have a record of what I'm doing, but I've only been blogging since December last year. I started so I could join the link ups around the Celtic Solstice project and ask questions to other quilters. I unashamedly pick the brains of other blogging quilters, and will give my opinion, for what it's worth, when asked. Never (I hope) when not asked; I'm a teacher, remember, and we are a group prone to holding opinions!

Quilting is for me the last in a long line of handicrafts: knitting, embroidery, crochet, dressmaking, spinning, weaving, lace making (yes, really) in that order. Even though they're all different they're all textiles, and I've always wanted to create an eclectic project, combining several of the skills.

I learnt many years ago that all artists and crafts(wo)men have to learn their skills before they can branch out on their own and, in the case of artists, develop a genre. Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondriaan spring to mind. Until now I've been developing skills and pushing myself further: finding challenges, and I expect that to continue till I drop. I have been collecting patterns online from everywhere, but have the most quilting satisfaction in creating my own layout, like the window hanging or the cushions.

I don't consider myself an artist, but aim on being a good craftswoman in whatever field.

4. How does my writing/creating process work?


Both my writing and my patchwork and quilting processes are planned, with pauses for deliberation between times. Professionally I write concisely, and think sometimes my blog comes across as rather terse. I like to plan and to finish a project before starting the next, but sometimes fate conspires otherwise: someone really needs a quilt, or a workshop comes up which I really want to follow, both of which have resulted in current projects being put on the back burner.
Toadstool mini quilt,
workshop project.
Planned, but not by me.
After nearly a year: not a priority.
Is it a WIP or  is it a UFO?

However, looking back over the past few months I see a development away from the planned and into the experimental influenced by what I see online, especially Victoria Finlay-Wolfe's "playing", and LeeAnna's use of colour.
I'm moving away too from civil war reproduction fabrics and traditional layouts, and towards modern fabrics, again influenced by all the fabulously creative people out there  in the wide world of blogland.

I would like to introduce you


to two quilting bloggers who will be continuing the hop next week.
Firstly to Ruth of  Charly's and Ben's Crafty Corner who is an active member of the Irish Modern Quilt Guild, but not only creative with needle and thread, but also with lenses and shutter speeds, and probably much more besides.
Secondly to Gina, The Occasional Quilter, who lives in Wales and whom I met through the RSC. She is a real planner: she decided in January exactly how she would tackle the rainbow quilt and so far has stuck to her plan. I expect she will reach her goal by 1 January 2015, but I'll let her tell you about that and much more, next week.

I'm linking up to

stitch by stitch

   WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced    Sew Fresh Quilts



So head over there now to see what else is happening among quilters and other needle and thread addicts.

Happy Sewing

Marly.

16 comments:

Judy@Quilt Paradigm said...

Marly, I just love your post! Your drive to attain mastery over your craft shines through in everything you do! I am always in awe of your perfect points :) Reading more about your process was very interesting. It's very cool to see the difference in the styles you are creating now compared to those you made in the beginning. So fun to see the progression! Judy

Kaja said...

Hi Marly, just popped over from Anything Goes. This is a great post. I like your quilts and you give us a real taste of who you are and of your growth as a quilter. Thanks for sharing.

Gina said...

I love what you've written. I've really enjoyed seeing your work from before we came blog friends. THank you for tagging me xxx

ipatchandquilt said...

Hello Marly,
How nice to meet you and read about your quilting adventures!!!
I also have not been quilting very long, just about 3 years. I love it too bits!
Greetings from Hoensbroek, Limburg.
Esther

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

All that lovely eye candy!! I'm in love with your pillow cushions....wonderful!

Val's Quilting Studio said...

Hi Marly! So much fun to learn more about you through this post. Like I didn't realize you were a teacher!!! What grade? I too am begininng to play more with my quilter so can see why we follow each others blogs (smiles!) I also didn't realize you've only been quilting for two years....your work is so awesome!!! Thanks for sharing so much about yourself:)V

Ruth said...

Thanks for the tag Marly! Love the door decoration - I really like the double vision effect - I'd love to try that with curtains for the patio doors. Love the cushions too!

Jo Ferguson said...

Thanks! I really enjoyed getting to know you a little better. Your work is wonderful and I was surprised to find out that you`ve only been quilting two years. You`re obviously a natural.

Vera said...

What a lovely projects in progress. Those cushions are looking fab already! I also like your flying geese cover, what an idea! Well done.

Cynthia's Creating Ark said...

Wow. What a great post. I have complete my triangle along quilt but my Celtic Solstice quilt is still waiting to be quilted, so you are ahead of me there. I look forward to seeing more of your quilting journey.

Lorna McMahon said...

How nice to have this opportunity to get to know you a little more, Marly! Your work is lovely - beautiful cushions! It is wonderful to see your progression as a quilter. You are an inspiration!

Wendy said...

hello and nice to meet you! I love that door window hanging, I like the stained glass effect. I know what you mean about QALs, it's why I don't join in. I think they're mainly aimed at SAHMs or retired quilters who can make blocks each day, i only get time at the weekends and not always even then.

Marly said...

Thanks for reading this enormously long post, Cynthia. I intend to continue blogging about my quilting challenges.

Sarah said...

Your patchwork and quilting is really good. You are very adventurous in what you do! Thanks for sharing a great post I've enjoyed learning about your journey!

CeLynn said...

Those flying geese are just the ticket for your door window! Love the cushions as well as your other in progress projects.

Anonymous said...

What a great introduction. You have made some beautiful things. I, too, am currently practising new skills, but in knitting, not quilting. I, too, do not like to read the same book twice (or make the same project twice). I sometimes consider how I could improve the look of my first quilt if I ever made it again, but I have no desire to make it again :) I love the window cover you made, including the stained glass effect. I will have to keep that idea in mind for future reference. It was nice to meet you :)