Remebrance Quilts

Quilts almost always tell some type of story.  Sometimes, however, the story makes the quilt.  It is really quite special for me when I get asked to create these "Remembrance Quilts".  They are so unique as well, they would have to be as they tell the story of someone or event that should be remembered.
The quilt pictured to the right here --------------> was the Christmas gift I created for an accomplished runner.  For this quilt, I was given her cross-country and track or marathon t-shirts.  All the teams she she called hers and all the competitions she ran are here in this quilt for her to remember.  They aren't in a box somewhere at the bottom of the closet anymore.  This quilt in now in her college dorm room screaming to world that this girl loves to run!
   

Another silk tie quilt is about to be born.  In this photo, you can see how I am chain-piecing these Windmill blocks.  My awesome husband once again fused the interfacing to the ties and cut all pieces for me.
(Note:  Choose the lightest weight non-woven fusible interfacing that is made for sewing into clothing.)  This quilt is going to the grandson the Johns Hopkins graduate.  This was a great tie collection with a lot of character and what I started dorkily calling "NovelTies".  I did some special pieced blocks out of some of the ties and then we made 56 windmill blocks.  It was a touch small for a bed so I added sashing strips in beautiful brown silks and then borders.  I finished the top yesterday and am going to quilt today.  I must say, I think this quilt is gorgeous! It turned out so much better than I had imagined and that is really rare!  I am so excited to quilt it today.  Here is the Hopkins Block, tune in next week for photos of the finished quilt.

We have a lot of tree clean up to do this week.  They came through and cleared 5' each side of the power lines on our property last Wed.  Now, I know this was a necessary thing and we kept all the logs to make furniture or such out of.  The Lorax in me though is so very sad at this tree death.  These were even healthy trees without signs of pine beetle. So, while I quilt today, I think Sid and friends will be cleaning up all this mess.  At least the professionals took down the giant tree with a rotten core that was going to fall on my studio and long-arm!

That's all of a catch up for now, I have to get to quilting.  Happy New Year and Happy Quilting!

Twas the Week Before Christmas...

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house, no one is safe, especially that louse!  Just kidding!  After last weeks blog, my mood this week is shameful.  I have been busier than usual though as I picked up a babysitting gig.  I have been discovering that how one uses words really affects how they make you feel.  Last year, I didn't "have to go to work", I "got to go to work".  You see how one makes it feel like a problem and one makes it feel like a privilege?
Therefore, I am not babysitting, I get to hang out with my new friend Miles twice a week.  He is a really great kid and I think he will help me remember how to just play.  The ability to play is something I completely forgot how to do.  All the stuff I did for play/hobbies have become my means of work.  And I do a lot of work but am very stressed.  Crawling on the floor and playing ball or cars or just making noise laughing is so good for my soul!!!!  When I got home after the second day, a jealous husband asked if he could pay me $10/hr to play ball with him.  Maybe I should, it was fun when he taught me to play lacrosse a few years ago.  Later though, right now he is template cutting pinwheel pieces out of silk ties for me.  Isn't he great?
What a great week we have:  Happy Channukah, Solstice, and Merry Christmas!
Let light, love, and laughter abound!

Giddy-Up and Go Time

Today is the day I decided to wrap up and box all of the presents to be sent out.  My goal is to get them in the mail tomorrow which would be ahead of time for me.  I trained my family members years ago that Christmas is mid-January in my necks of the woods.  I've been slowly returning to my Holiday Duties (as I see them) for a few years now.  I remember calling my mom 4 years ago and asking if the family would understand if I just didn't do Christmas that year.  You see, my husband had just broke his neck (C2) and was in a halo and I just couldn't face getting everything taken care of.  My mom said of course the family would understand.
Well, I've been getting back into the swing of things ever since.  This time of year is really a reminder to hold those family members dear.  It is not about the purchased gifts, it is about LOVE!  Love for everything - love for all humans, animals, plants, rocks, light, laughter.  Love for those close to you and love for strangers.  Every holiday season, the people of Boulder get uglier and meaner while doing their shopping.  It is horrible and builds in tension each day until Christmas is over.  For years now, my husband & I jokingly refer to this phenomena as the "Christmas Spirit".  Honestly though, it is quite sad.  I believe it happens because everyone wants to make everybody else happy for the holiday.  News Flash:  Angry people aren't happy!  Instead of fighting for and/or over that "perfect gift" (i.e.- whatever is popular and expensive), invest some time or love instead.  Love is much more rewarding and definitely the longest lasting man-made item out there.
Good luck to all in the next few weeks.  Share smiles with strangers and maybe they will pass them on too.  

Quilting Companions

 I wanted to show you the quilt I did last week with Sid's help, but it is a Christmas present for a client's adult daughter.  I don't think she'd see it here, but I would hate to ruin a surprise for anyone.  I'll post photos after the holidays of this really cool t-shirt quilt.  I have Sid working for me again this weekend.  We have begun another silk tie memory quilt.  This one is going to be in a windmill pattern.  For some reason, I like doing traditional patterns with these beautiful silks. Sid and I have created many wonderful quilts together both traditional and non-traditional styles.  The quilt pictured here really captures both of our talents. 

            We are very proud of this quilt named "Kundalini".  It was made several years ago as a commissioned piece by someone who liked our seed of life quilts.  This client used the word Kundalini when describing what they wanted.  I did a touch of research and discovered that fire and snakes were associated with Kundalini energy.  The client thought it was wonderful and so we created the quilt you see here.
All of the fabrics were dyed by Sid and I did everything else.  I am fond of saying that my quilts are a series of mistakes.  I learn incredible things when I allow myself to make mistakes.
The lesson this quilt taught me was about bias tape.  I had made my own and used bias tape for years.  Then we got this brilliant idea to dye the snake fabric on the bias and cut it 2 1/2" wide.  This looked great! What I learned is that bias tape over a certain width will not lay flat in curves!  After an hour of freaking out,  I decided to methodically pleat the inner curves and sew them down.  This solved the main problem and gave the snakes such LIFE!  It really looks like the snakes are moving and writhing around in the knot work.  You can view other quilts we've made using the Seed of Life pattern at our website, www.mountainjoyquilts.com.
Well, it's truffle time.  I must dip and package many of these chocolaty delights to send to all my loved ones.  Sometimes, I think it's a cop-out to send truffles every year.  I know they are looked forward too though with great anticipation and I might even get in trouble if I don't send them.
We all need a yearly overdose of chocolate, don't we?  Happy quilting and creating!

Thanksgiving Time

I've been doing a lot of hand applique this past week. I have been doing a block of the month for a client. I began it last year and discovered I really enjoy doing hand applique in the middle of winter. It is a great way to still be working while not moving 5' from the wood stove. I started on it earlier than expected this year thanks to last week's power outage.
The devastation of wind-downed trees is quite sad and impressive. I am always in awe at the raw power of mother nature when in a mood. We did lose several trees on our property. Out back, the top of huge Blue Spruce came down and took out a Ponderosa pine and large aspen.
I've got Sid arranging another quilt for me at the moment. Our brains work quite differently and we try to use that to our advantage. He excels at creating chaos while I still try to find some kind of order even in a crazy quilt. This quilt is a memory t-shirt quilt for a woman to give her daughter for Christmas. The daughter is quite an accomplished runner with lots of track shirts. Sid is composing the crazy quilt look for the top and then he'll dye the backing too. I get to sit here and write to you folks about it. At some point, he'll announce he's done and go outside to blacksmith. That's when I'll get up and sew it all together into a top.
It is the time of year to remember how blessed we all are. I am continually thankful for all those who have helped me get this far in life. I am thankful for all those that love me and accept my love in return. I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Crazy Week

It's a good thing I was feeling caught up last week. It enabled me to say, "Sure I'll do a cake and cater a wedding for complete strangers with 6 days notice for 11/11/11!" All I can say is that people are funny and YES, I am quite a sucker. The wedding went wonderfully from all reports and everyone loved the food.
I am quite exhausted right now. It was seriously windy last night. The wind has not been bad for a few years now so the newcomers did not even have a clue as to what wind might be. All the area gulches lost power for about 12 hours because of downed poles. We had one tree go down. As Sid drove to town, he saw lots of trees down and lots of people wandering around outside looking for things that they left out last night. Sid got to explain to these newcomers about the Wind Gods up here and their demands for sacrifice. Our hatches were battened down and it still felt like we might loose a roof or 2.
I remember the first wind we experienced many years ago. It was shortly after moving up to the mountains and we had a very sleepless night. (That house really rocked and swayed) We headed off for work the next day and came upon some tin roofing somewhere in the driveway. My husband & I both turned around to see if our new rental had a tin roof. Luckily for us, the roof was shingled. We certainly had a good laugh until we realized that someone else was in need of new roofing.
There are many of us up here who can cuss a blue streak and put many a pirate to shame. The absolute worst cuss word around these parts though is a 4 letter starting with W---. Mention that one word and you will get all the locals riled up. I'll talk to you all in January about our other 4 letter swear word that rhymes with tow.

Quilting & Recycling

I managed to get all the quilts I needed to done on time. My reward to myself is that I now get to go through all my clothes. Not much of reward, huh? They've gotten out of hand over the past year. I'll admit, I am a bit of a pack rat. Not too bad, but I definetely hold on to things longer than I should. As a quilter, going through the closet is really difficult.
I start off all gung-ho, everything not worn must go! Then, I find they only go as far as the studio. After all, I got the clothes because I loved the fabrics. I'm sure I can make (and will!) make them into something. Now, I graduated from making quilts out of any old thing years ago. Yet I still have boxes full of old clothes waiting to be given a new life.
It's a funny habit, this fabric hording. I guess the clothes boxes aren't nearly as bad as the one box my husband spied while moving years ago. He momentarily stopped my forward motion to the storage unit with a box actually labeled "Scraps Too Small To Use". He asked if that was what was really in the box. I replied "Yep!" and kept walking to the storage unit.
What's the silliest scrap of fabric any of you have saved? come on, you can safely admit it to this fabric pack rat.