Batter Up! October 30, 2008

I am working away on this Batter pattern. It is proving to be quite complex. I made the finished size 20″ x 30″ which is what can fit comfortably on four sheets of 11 x 17 paper tiled together. This pattern has been requested by many of my students and fellow quilters. It came from my “Batter” wall-hanging that was published this year in the AQS calendar. Usually when I design a pattern I start drawing with the intention of separating the drawings into individual pieces. This was different. I made the quilt a few years ago and worked from a sketch I had drawn and blown up and then made separations as I was cutting the fabrics – no patterns. So I actually had to scan my finished hanging and work backwards. I have the whole batter drawn and cut into pieces.

All pieces cut and ready for assembly

You will see several layers of each piece. That is because I need to make 4 samples of each pattern for store displays/samples. UGH!  Below is a picture of one of the pattern layouts mid-stream. You will see I am assigning numbers to each piece as well as making corrections to the piece for fit or overlap.

Corrections and number assignments in red

As I am cutting, correcting and numbering I am also starting to assemble the first sample. After the batter is assembled I will start working out the background colors and fabrics. My goal is to get one full pattern assembled, look it over and then start the remaining three. When I start the remaining three I will be focusing on writing directions as I go. As you can see it is a long process. This pattern will be in a large pattern bag and priced a bit higher because there is a lot more work and paper patterns/positioning sheets included.

I have the top together and I am working on the shoes and the details within the shoes. There are a bunch of small highlights on the batters hands which I will provide tiny pieces for – but I will be suggesting to paint those details with fabric paint.  I really would love to get this all together by the end of the day tomorrow and start sewing and making patterns next week. We will see!

The election-UGH! Thanks goodness it is all almost over! I have been getting the nastiest email against Obama – and they make me sick. I am firmly for Obama. I respect his education, his working history, his drive and his optimism. I really would like to tell the world – the “racism” thing is over! That ship has sailed. Give it a rest! Skin color does not matter- nor does hair color or eye color! We have a young vibrant intelligent reasonable man willing to walk into the Lions Den in DC – let’s all support him and let him do what needs to be done to turn the country around. Gary and I are registered Independents. We do not care if you are republican or democratic. We do not care if you are black or white. We do care that you are smart and healthy. It is time for someone to step up and UNITE and not divide. Go Barak!

New work 10-20-08

"Rooster" 12" x 18"

For the past 3 weeks I have been giving an abbreviated lecture to my Miltown guild members. I really love teaching this class. It is an outline of my “Art Creations” class. It is so rewarding to see highly skilled quilters take their first steps toward creating their own original art. The ladies are really doing an AMAZING job! Last week I showed the group how to trace objects and make them their own. After that I showed how to make patterns and use steam a seam lite. As an example i chose a picture of this rooster. I told the ladies I would finish up a simple rooster wall quilt to show them how it all came together. That is the result pictured above.

I also finished the a piece called “evolve alone”. The name is a spin off of my “e series”. One of the “e series” hangings is named “evolve”. This last hanging of that series was done alone – hence the name with no type on this one.  I had started this series a few years back. I had made a large quilt top and decided to cut it up and make a series of 6 hangings. This was one of my favorite cropped pieces that sat on my studio wall for years. I brought that to the class on the second day to finish up. The finished product is below.

Emerge Alone 15" x 21"

This weekend I took my boys (Austin and Brooks) to Georgetown. We had a blast! We left at 12:30 and did not get home until after 8pm! Who needs girls? Brooks is a real clothes horse. Austin is taking close notes from his brother! We went in to numerous boutiques but really hit the mother-load at Urban Outfitters. What a cool store! Great clothes and lots of books and cool things! The boys got several things. I got a great Obama tee shirt.  It was so much fun. We decided that we are really an “Urban Wannabe Family”. We “think” we would love city life – however the education in DC schools is poor at best! We ate at an English pub. The food was great but the service was tooo slow. Now – the best was yet to come. We went into a store called “The Paper Source” – OMG! I was in heaven! It was every color of stationery in every size in every shape – it was awesome! They had walls of gorgeous sheets of wrapping paper! Upstairs was a full create center with stamps, cool findings, art books…. I almost had a heart attack! I found some new magazines called “art life” which are about journaling – that is the direction I want to take my quilts in – art journaling/painting.  I am now absorbing all the visual candy i collected and hope to process it into my next big quilt.  I did some sketching last night – I may post that tomorrow. I am off to my Fiberlectic Art group. 🙂

Handwork 10-12-08

Friday I had some minor surgery on my right calf. I developed a benign tumor in my leg. My dermatologist tried to remove it in early Spring of 2008 simply, unfortunately it grew back. So Friday I actually had surgery to have it removed. It was deep – about the size of a golf ball. We are pretty sure is it one of the unwanted side effects of all the chemo and radiation I had in 2003-04 for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

The recovery is 4-5 days of no activity and keeping my leg elevated. Knowing I was not going to be moving much I dug out an old pattern – a traditional pattern – oh yea – and it is hand applique! You would never guess I would be interested in this – but I love it! It has over 1,00 leaves in the border. I know I must be nuts – but I love doing it! Below is a picture of the finished quilt. I am doing slightly darker colors.  I started the leaves at the show that Maria and I vended at  and I am still turning leaf edges.  I am setting a goal to have it done by Spring 2010 – Let’s see if I meet the challenge! I have always wanted to have a small project to carry around in my purse – now I have it! The leaves are small in size but huge in quanity!  The pix below does not look all that impressive – that is due to the mediocre colors shown and the fact that pictures never due quilts justice. I will keep you updated on the progress!

Joined SAQA 10-10-2008

Last week I applied to SAQA – Studio Arts Quilting Association and was accepted as a professional member. I now have a link on SAQA and Aqua Aurora and St. Francis are on the professional artist’s slide show loop on the homepage. It is a GREAT site for art quilters.  I have enjoyed going through the artists and viewing their websites. Seems like a great organization for art quilters – I will let you know the benefits over the next year. ( www.saqa.com )

Last night I made two Block of the month blocks for my guilds. They were silly little Halloween blocks – but they were tons of fun. I love the way the cat came out – what do you think?

I am also in the process of patterning the Batter. That will be a popular pattern. I hope to have it done as well as 2-3 more stamps before Pittsburgh market in May!

Vending at EQG Quilt Show in Manchester MD

Me in our booth at the Show

This weekend Maria O’Havor and I set up a booth at “Everybody’s Quilt Guild” in Manchester MD. It was a local show put on by EQG which has about 80 members.  It was a very nice small show. We both saw many quilt friends and sold quite a few patterns. While there, we got invited to another large quilt show in March at Goucher College put on by The Baltimore Heritage Quilt show – we took the information and plan to attend.

This was our second quilt show as vendors. Maria and I get on very well and work very fast and efficiently. Below is a picture of Maria and her Maryland Quilt that is very popular in our area.

Even though we have only shown twice we are pretty good at set up and break down. Unlike the Annapolis Quilt Show – we had some down time.  During that downtime Maria did some hand work and I started this INSANE hand quilting Civil War pattern that i bought 12 years ago! I made tiny leaves for 5 hours!!!!! This quilt has over 500 appliqued leaves – by hand! OMG! Maria challenged me to get it ready for out FCQ quilt show in 2010.

As soon as the show was finished – we bolted and I made it to the last few innings of Cole’s Fall Baseball game.  Below is a pix of Cole – my 11 year old and his long time baseball pal Jack. They are so silly! They are having a great time on their team – The Renegades. That’s all for today. I will be designing Philly this week as well as prepping my baseball player for printing of the patterns. More pix to come!

October 1st! It is fall already!

October 1st 2008 – I can hardly believe it is fall already! Time is whooshing by! Last week my oldest son Brooks (16) went to a Homecoming dance with his “best friend” Elena. They have been best friends for about 5-6 months. Now when I was in high school we said we were “going out” – but today they do not like labels! Sooo – it is his “best friend”. Over the summer Cole (11) was our build in spy! The funniest day was went Cole sounded the alarms and yelled out – “Hey Mom….Brooks is kissing his ‘best friend’ in the pool”! Being a mom is always an adventure – but having teens today is an out of body experience! OMG! I have a picture to show how nice they looked. They are both great kids!

This weekend Maria O’Haver/Pangor Quilts and I (Zebra Patterns) have a quilt show that we are vending at in Frederick. We will set up on Friday and vend on Saturday and Sunday. So if you live in the area and want to come support us here is the info: Everybody’s Quilt Guild, Westminster MD. Oct 4-5, 10am – 5pm. The show is being held at the Manchester Fireman’s Activity Building at 3297 York Street in Manchester. We have a few set up details to get together but we should be good to go by Friday.

Today I spent most of the day folding patterns and stuffing them into plastic zip bags. I finished the NY City stamp and delivered my first patterns to Capital Quilts in Gaithersburgh and Patches in Mt. Airy. I think Capital is showing this weekend at the Dulles show – so the patterns and samples will be there. Seminole Sampler and Patches also have samples.  So next is onto Philly.

Why Philly?  There are two reasons.1. It is another area close enough to Maryland that my current local vendors would have reason to carry the pattern. 2. I will be for the first time vending on a national level at the Spring International Quilt Market held in Pittsburgh. It is a market only show. I am trying to recruit my sisters to come help me for the weekend.

I am also working on a new Floral – the Bleeding Heart. I fully intend

to continue these flowers to have a complete resource for quilters of beautiful flowers that they can create as wall hangings and/or add to their quilts.