Yikes! What happened?

This morning I completed the Asian-style wall hanging. The fabrics came together in such an amazing, extraordinary way.  I love the look of this piece. One problem,that could prove difficult, is that the large center panel does not lay flat. EEK! I have read many accounts from long-arm quilters that quilt tops that do not lay flat cannot be quilted well, or in some cases, at all. I hope this is not the case because (1) this is a gift and (2) the visual effect of the fabrics is pleasing and beautiful. Just looking at it makes me feel calm. I have decided that this piece will be titled "Tranquility," not that I feel particularly tranquil right now knowing I have this little challenge to resolve. Every quilting project presents the opportunity to learn, problem-solve, and - ideally - to avoid making the same mistakes.  I am hoping that the perfectionist in me is just being overly critical. I'll have to wait to hear what my quilter has to say.  Yet another adventure in "quilt land."

Asian Influence

Yesterday, I cut fabric for an Asian-style quilt.  Will wonders never cease.  I never thought I would ever do anything with Asian fabrics because they are not my style.  I had great fun selecting the fabric for what will be a wall hanging for the office of a health care provider of mine. 

The pattern is beautiful in its simplicity; a large center panel with a lovely female figure, surrounded by flying white cranes and green foliage, with an inner and outer border.  The Asian fabrics I selected are spectacular; the colors are rich and complex.  

I am starting to sew this quilt today.  It's a quiet Monday in Loomis.  I long to be home - quilting away - with my doggies at my side.  I feel so blessed to have this time in life, which I owe to my precious husband.   

Quilting to Provide Comfort

I have a friend whose ten year old daughter is battling cancer right now.  I have been trying to determine what I could do to bring some comfort to them. Suddenly, it struck me that making a quilt for her daughter would be perfect. So today, I'm off to the quilt shop to find the perfect fabric for a 'comfort quilt.' I know her favorite colors and interests, so I will include them in the quilt, which will make it uniquely hers. I hope it will bring some measure of comfort to this brave girl.  Childhood should not include such traumas as cancer.  She should be running and playing with her friends, instead of spending so much time in the hospital.  I pray for her recovery.  This quilt will truly be a 'labor of love' and I can't wait to get started on it.  

Yet Another Learning Experience

On Tuesday, I took a beginning piecing class.  Going into the class, I thought it might be a little too basic for me as I had already made four quilts.  OMG, was I ever wrong, wrong, wrong!  I learned so many tips that will not only improve the quality of my end product, but will make the entire process of creating the quilt top much easier.  The instructor at Cabin Fever Quilt Shoppe in Auburn, CA (east of Sacramento) is great and has extensive experience in quilting.  I finally was able to figure out that my alleged 1/4" foot does not produce a 1/4" seam.  This explains why my blocks are always smaller than the patterns indicate they should be.  Now I know and have corrected this problem.  Yesterday, I actually sewed a section that turned out to be EXACTLY the right size.  I nearly fell off my chair when I measured it and it was right on the money.  What a high!  Alright, it isn't like doing a change-edge spiral in ice skating, but it was just a great feeling to solve one of my major challenges.  So, while I am not able to quilt today, I am looking forward to some serious quilting this weekend.  

Speaking of ice skating, this is my other great passion and hobby. I had a great experience this weekend seeing three of my dear skating buddies pass tests they were taking in ice dancing and Moves In the Field (used to be called "Figures").  Each did a fabulous job and I was so proud of them for all their hard work and accomplishing their goals.  It's an honor and privilege knowing them and sharing the ice with them.  I was supposed to test an ice dance with them last Sunday, but our skating club was not able to find 3 ice dance test judges, so I was a spectator only. Hope to test this dance (called the Ten Fox) in March!  

As I retired in September from a lengthy career as a marketing and account management executive in a variety of companies, I now have the luxury of doing new things (like quilting and taking voice lessons) and spending more time ice skating, which I began about 10 years ago (I cannot believe I've been skating this long and still consider myself just beyond the "beginner" phase).  But ice skating has been a wonderful sport for me and I feel so blessed to have the time and resources to pursue this dream.

Discovery - whatever it means to you - is dynamic. I believe once you stop learning, you are ready to put one foot in the grave.  And even in the "third phase of my life," I am certainly not ready to pack it up.  Keep moving, keep learning, and cherish the gift of discovery every day.  I certainly do.  

Everything Happens for a Reason

If a journey begins with a single step, mine started with a single quilt.  I worked at the time with some amazing women who were (are) quilters.  One day, one of them brought in a magnificent quilt, the likes of which I had never seen before.  At this point, I had always thought of quilts as big blankets with cute little rose patterns, too many shapes, and way too many different kinds of fabrics.  In fact, I didn't even like quilts!  I thought, "You've seen one quilt, you have seen them all."  In reality, the exact opposite is true:  If you've seen one quilt then that's what you have seen - one quilt."  Quilts are as unique as people or snowflakes.  I don't think I'd be going out on a limb by noting that no two quilts are alike, not even if the same person makes two of exactly the same quilt.  But I digress . . .

When my friend showed me her quilt, it literally took my breath away.  It contained some elements that I love (dogs) and some that I could take or leave alone (Asian-style fabrics).  It may be difficult to envision this combination of themes, but there it was, right before my eyes - and it was exquisite.  The concept, the detail, the pattern, the colors - and all the work - had come together into what I realize in retrospect was a beautiful work of art, much like a painting or sculpture.  In that very moment, I came to view quilts and quilting not as a sewing hobby, but as the work of an artist, like a painter or sculptor.  I remember thinking to myself, "I wish I could create something like that." And, my next thought was, "I could NEVER create something like that."  

That single quilt (which I still love and inspires me) opened a door for me that I decided to walk through.  While it has only been 3 months since I began quilting - and I am certainly not yet a quilting artist - I have created four quilts, each one reflective of another step in my journey. 

Discovery is dynamic: Becoming a Quilter

When I told some of my dearest friends who have known me for ages that I started quilting, the typical response was, "You? Quilting? You're kidding, right?"  I wasn't surprised by their reactions; after all, I didn't even own a sewing machine.  Although my mother was an expert clothing maker, I didn't inherit that particular DNA.  And, as a self-proclaimed *action junkie*, I have a challenging time sitting down for more than - well, 5 minutes - at a time.  I am inclined to hobbies a little more active, like ice skating.  

So, how on earth did I get to the phase in my life when I use words like "stash" and phrases like, "That fabric will read like a solid"?  My journey is all part of the greatest gift we have been given - the gift of discovery. This blog captures the discovery process I've been on since November 2008, when I wandered into a JoAnn store in Rocklin (a suburb of Sacramento, CA) to take a quilting class.