Preview Your Quilting Designs

I'm pretty confident in my color choices and my design decisions. Generally, I can visualize the outcome and make decisions fairly quick. But when it comes to deciding how to quilt the piece, everything slows down considerably or comes to a screeching halt. I understand how to use my machine(s), I know how to make many quilting designs and I'm a pretty good quilter. Each quilt is unique and I'm just not sure what quilting design is best for each quilt. It's not as simple as choosing an allover pantograph design.

Maybe it's just a general fear that I could ruin a nice piece with an awful quilting design. We have all seen quilts improved and ruined by the final layer of quilting.

Eventually, I need to get over it because there is a deadline to meet. So, I take a deep breath and begin quilting, and the creativity begins to flow. And everything is fine .  . . until the next quilt.

I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted to quilt this top, but it still sat on my design board for a long time. I printed the photos on a tightly woven fabric and I knew that if I had to remove any stitching, you would see the holes a mile away, and the piece would be ruined.

Even though I wanted to stitch through the photos, I just didn't have the confidence to do it. I discussed my problem with my artsy friend Ranell, who has a long arm quilting business. Fortunately, she doesn't have an issue sewing through anything.

Ranell had a great suggestion for me (and maybe you too) that set me and my quilting decisions free. She suggested that I use a piece of plexiglass to draw and audition quilting designs. I bought a 30 x 36" piece, taped the edges, placed it on top of the quilt, used a dry erase pen to draw / erase quilting lines until I was confident that the design would work.

I put paper behind the plexiglass so you could see the lines clearly.

What a concept! So simple and so effective. That's all it took to get me quilting and I haven't ripped out a single stitch. I've got a lot more quilting to do, but for me, the hardest part is getting started.

If you have a tip that helped you get over a hurdle you were having, please leave me a comment. I would love to hear from  you. I hope I'm not the only one with an issue.

Summer Solstice Celebration

Every year, Santa Barbara has a huge summer solstice parade and party in two of the city parks. I've never seen anything like this parade, but from what I've heard, Mardi Gras is probably the closest comparison. The theme for the parade this year is Creatures.

 The sun was probably 20 feet tall. It's body parts were made from flowing fabric. This is my favorite photo of the day.

 This looks like some sort of creature that would live in the woods.

This alien wore old school curlers on her head, carried a baby alien in her arms, mopped the ground, and dusted the crowd.  Definitely a multi-tasker. 

And what is this thing coming up the street?

It's a giant octopus like bubble with a woman inside doing acrobats on a ring. What a great finale!

The party continued at the park, but my camera wasn't invited.

Decorated Boxes

A re-election campaign is underway for Helene Schneider, the current mayor of Santa Barbara. I don't live in Santa Barbara, so I'm really not involved in any of that, however, a good friend of mine hosted a party for the mayor and I helped her with some of the decorations.
Recycled boxes that had been decorated especially for the occasion and filled with an unknown prize inside were being offered to guests for a donation of $50.00. Arlene wanted the boxes to look unique and enticing. Here is what I came up with.

This box began as a brown and white box that said Happy Birthday all over . That just wasn't going to work. I broke out the spray paint and gave it several coats of pink and purple paint. It turned out very pretty with this giant pink bow on top.

This box featured hand made flowers. The multi-colored flowers were crocheted. The coral flower on the bottom right was made using origami techniques. The pink flowers on the bottom left are folded strips that are gathered and slashed. I have quite a few flowers ready in case I need something in a hurry. They came in handy.

I added some fabric, ribbon, made a sun out of clay and gave it a coat of gold paint. It was a fun little project. Quite different than what I usually work on.

Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the party because I was preparing for a baby shower at my house. Why do all the fun things happen on the same day?

Happy Summer Solstice to All!

Love Ice Dyeing

Okay, I admit it . . . I'm addicted to ice dyeing.

I just love everything about ice dyeing and it seems like I can't get enough of it. I always wait for a nice day because I do it out on my patio, get all my materials set up, and then relax and enjoy the process of watching luscious dye colors mix together over ice.

These are fat half yards of a gorgeous sateen fabric. These are all so uniquely patterned and colored, it is really difficult to choose a favorite.

A few of the pieces in the back row have very rich saturated colors that are gorgeous. Next week, I'll be dyeing some more fabric and probably some silk scarves too.

I think blue, red and purple will be a good combination to try next. What colors do you think would look good together?

I may have to start selling some of this fabric to support my dyeing habit!

Published in Art Quilting Studio Magazine

I was really excited when the magazine finally came out and I could see my articles in print. Yes, that is plural, I am featured in three different areas of the magazine. I'm really pleased with the way the articles turned out, which is saying a lot. Overall,  it was a good experience and I'd be happy to do it again.

Here is the article that I wrote for the Special Feature section, "Too Hot to Handle". 

If you've read my blog for a while, you'll remember reading about the fires that came through the Santa Barbara area. This article gives a bit of the back story, how it affected me and my art.

 Inside Out is an interview that covers a bit of my background and the inspiration behind my "Inside Out" Cellular Series.

 This interview is in the Quilting Odd & Unusual section. Who knew that such a section ever existed until now. It figures that I would land there. LOL

 "Gridlock" is in the Patchworks section (right page). It has two photos and a description of how I went about making it.

If you haven't previously seen Art Quilting Studio magazine, you should pick up a copy. It is always packed with great articles, photos and information. It is and has been one of my favorites and I wish it was published more than twice a year. I believe you can buy it at Barnes & Nobles, Joann's and Stampington.

Sunprinted Fabric

Last weekend, my Fibervision group decided to have a sunprinting play day. I used Dye-na-flow paint instead of the usual Setacolor. I've found that both work equally as well, so use whatever you have on hand. There was a fourth piece which was more subtle than these, but one of my good friends admired it, so I gave it to her.

 I feel like I'm in an airplane looking down on the scenery.

 Love the jewel tones.

I will never have too many circles.

One of the questions in my FV group was "How do you know when a piece of fabric is finished?" Honestly, I don't think there is one answer that will be right for everyone. Some people might think that my first layer is over the top! I believe that if you follow your gut instinct you will generally make the right decision for you. How do you decide when to stop?

The Rolling Stones Concert was Fabulous!

Mike (DH) and I went to see the stones at the Honda Center last weekend in LA and had a great time. It's amazing how much energy Mick has. He's like an energizer bunny . . . he just keeps on going and going and going.

We saw them thirty years ago in LA and thought that would be the last time. Who knew they would stay together so long. I'm really glad they did though.

The stage and light show were great. As usual, it has the walkway in the shape of a tongue. All the instruments are wireless now, so everyone can travel around while performing. I took this shot while we were waiting for the arena to fill in. It took FOREVER for people to get through security, and the show began an hour late. After the Boston Marathon incident, I'm sure everyone is on high alert everywhere.

There was a huge video screen behind the band. This photo is actually a projection of Mick. If you look close, you will see the band in the foreground.
Hope some of you get to see them too!

New Studio Photos

Several months ago, I broke down and purchased an HQ Sweet Sixteen. The most difficult part about the whole process was fitting the new machine into my space. Mind you, it really isn't that large, but my studio was already packed. Two people could fit in my studio at the same time as long as they didn't move too much. My studio needed a complete re-design and that's what I did.
Now it's spacious with plenty of space for several people to move around. This studio is used for designing, sewing, and photographing art. Paint and ink is generally not allowed into this space. That's all done in the other studio which contains all the messy stuff and my computer and printer. If the weather is nice, I can work outside on the patio too.

 My Viking Designer 1 and the HQ Sweet Sixteen.

See the great design board that covers the entire length of the wall. 

 I have great light in this room and a beautiful view of the garden.

Quilt Storage

Is anyone else out there running out of space to store all the quilts they make? It's a good thing I don't make really large ones. I just don't know what I would do with all of them. My biggest concern is fold lines so that's what determined my storage method. I actually started rolling my quilts many years ago, but recently I added some improvements. I used to roll the quilts around some archival paper, but that wasn't very effective because the paper flattened out in a matter of minutes. Now I sew a fabric tube and use it to cover a pool noodle and roll my quilts around that. That works much better. I wrap the whole roll in plain white fabric tie it with fabric strips and slip the roll into a long  6 x 48" box. Each box is numbered and labeled with the name of each quilt that lives inside.

Each quilt has been photographed and is entered into my inventory database. The info includes the year made, where it is currently located, whether it's been sold, amount of sale, etc. The only information that I need to enter into the database is where each piece has been exhibited.

That takes care of the larger quilts . . . . but what about the smaller quilts?? I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with these yet. They seem too small to roll, but too big to store flat. What do you do with yours?

I have one final dilemma. What do I do with the quilts I just don't like anymore? They are constructed well, they aren't really ugly. They just don't appeal to me at all. I'm thinking of removing the labels and putting them on the FREE table at the quilt guild. LOL The thought that I actually made this one cat quilt cracks me up. It would be a great one to show as a "Then and Now" type story. Maybe I'll take a photo of it for the next post. You'll crack up too! 

Happy Dance!!

Yippee . . . . I'm going to have an article published in the summer issue of Art Quilting Studio magazine! I won't tell you what it's about so you can still be a little surprised. I can't wait to see and hold the actual magazine. I love my computer, but it will never replace real books and magazines. Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I feel! If you would like to get a copy of the magazine, you can pre-order it from Stampington here or check your local newsstand around June 1st.  

Above is a small piece that I have hanging in the CPAC exhibit. It's called Swept Away. The opening reception for the Fibervison exhibit went very well. All of the art looked great and quite a few people were in attendance. There will be a guided tour of the exhibit on Saturday, May 18th. If you are within driving distance, stop by for a visual treat.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the guided tour because we have tickets to see the ROLLING STONES in LA. We saw them 25 years ago and I figured that would be the last time, but obviously, I was wrong . . . they just keep on going. Is anybody else going to see them at the Honda Center?

You're All Invited . . .

Over 60 pieces were submitted, many of them quite large. I only had three small pieces to submit, but they are all quite nice.
If you are within driving distance, I hope you find some time to see the exhibit. I would love to meet any of you, so let me know if you're coming!
Saturday, May 18th at 10:00 am will be the guided tour.

Beautiful Spring Day

This was the coldest winter in Southern California since I moved here in 1979. We must have had 20 frosts this year. We had to cover our newly planted avocado, grapefruit and lime trees every night to prevent them from freezing. For our extra effort, we've been rewarded with tiny grapefruit and limes.

We planted a garden before my surgery and everything is growing well. Our back yard is really filling in nicely. It is still a work in progress, but that's how gardening is. The bird of paradise, kaffir lilies, and angel trumpets are blooming and all the birds and bees are happy.

I'm still not getting much art done during my recovery, but I'll share a photo with you that I captured of a bee enjoying an agaphanthus.

Hope you have a great weekend.