Jill in the Pulpit
Quilt No. 166, August 2016
#3 in the Color Series: Purple Passion
I have no serious thoughts about the color purple even though there’s a novel with that title, and even though it has so many interesting connections (which were explored in my last post and which seems like it was written about a year ago, but really it’s only been several days). Where do summer days go to? To family picnics, visiting relatives, long interstate drives, trips, lounging around in hot weather cleaning house. . . the usual. And then I had to ponder what I’m passionate about? Quilting, for sure, so in the end, the reality is to Get The Thing Done, diving into my passion of quilting, but hampered by. . .
. . . my shoulder going rogue, rendering me only a bit less helpless than the Black Knight in Monty Python, which is the standard by which we judged all injuries when raising the children. Yes, “tis only a flesh wound,” became our rallying cry for getting up and going, and so I did, and got the quilt done. Cause? Pretty sure it was the cheap-o yoga class I signed up for early this spring, and couldn’t finish because of the pain. I’m sticking to walking. Or sword-fighting.
All the purples in my stash (with the exception of the Kaffes) were purchased about the time of the Knights of the Round Table — all plummy and grayish and dated — so while in Utah, I visited *this* shop and *this* shop, acquiring a few new fat quarters.
Just before sleep one night, I sketched out an idea (top). The next day I proceeded to massacre my idea (the rest of the photos). Finally I decided that I should just slash it where it had problems and insert other fabrics, so I did, using *this video* for help in sewing curves.
I line up fabric underneath the slash, position it, then move it about 1/4″ back from my imaginary positioning line, then rotary cut along the shape. Stitch a 1/4″ seam. Press.
Repeat with other side.
Keeping the bag of frozen peas balanced on my “flesh wound,” I quilted this, stopping often to rest and ponder the state of the universe. . . or what I was doing. I hate that I have a new quilting machine, and haven’t really been able to use it much. “Soon,” my husband says, as he rubs my shoulder nightly and soothes my worries. “Soon.”
I whacked it here a little, there a little, turned it and whacked it again, until I got this ungainly flower-like thing quilt in a sort-of balance.
Now you know why I named it Jill in the Pulpit. It’s irrelevant whether you like the candidate or not, as the Big Deal is that we have come far enough to nominate a woman, and I thought that deserved some recognition.
So there you go–my Purple Passion Challenge.
Please visit the rest of our group, to see how they interpreted Color: Purple Passion. We also have a blog, Four-in-Art Quilts, where you can find us all.
Betty https://www.flickr.com/photos/toot2
Camilla http://faffling.blogspot.co.nz/
Catherine http://www.knottedcotton.com
Janine http://www.rainbowhare.com
Nancy http://www.patchworkbreeze.blogspot.com
Rachel http://www.rachel-thelifeofriley.blogspot.com
Simon http://quiltalicious.blogspot.com
Susan http://patchworknplay.blogspot.com
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
There is always so much happening in your Four-in-Art minis and the accompanying posts! Even your title is thought-provoking! I sincerely hope your flesh wound heals and you can unleash your talent on that machine which is waiting for you! Your husband is an asset to you too, I expect!
Sorry to hear about your shoulder and I hope it gets better soon. I love the result of your experimental slashing and whacking against the odds. Having the flesh wound was not easy for working or for morale. I’ve just been looking up Jack in the Pulpit and think the kaleidscopic way you’ve captured the feeling of it is great.
Hope there is a solution to your shoulder injury that will be satisfactory! Been there, but took me a long time to give in to the surgery. My shoulder was impinged. All I wanted to achieve was being independent to hook my bra in back. Surgery was successful, front hook bra’s became a standard wear item for months. Full range of motion took several months of therapy following surgery. Love the slashing when things don’t work right on a project. I saw the green of the mat peeking thru in one photo and thought you would adding another color, then realized it was the mat.
Well, you’ve done it again and with a bum shoulder to boot! Actually, I think it’s very therapeutic, when things aren’t working just right, to slash and see what happens (how much worse could it get, right?!). Your vision from the start was wonderful and vibrant and then you just amped it up and it soared to meet the challenge. And I had no idea where you were going with the title, but, as usual, you made it timely and perfect. Great job, Elizabeth!!
Very good, and it looks like a fun process. I don’t do a lot of curved (or un-straight) piecing, but when I do, I’m always glad I included it. And each time that happens, it makes it easier to do the next one. Wishing you well on your shoulder hitch. Frozen peas are a good remedy for pain, but healing is better. Soon…
Sorry to hear about your shoulder. I hope it soon feels better and you can get to play with your new machine 🙂 Your quilt has turned out beautifully. I’m certainly inspired to start slashing and dashing. And I agree it’s great that you’ve got a woman in the running for president 🙂
When I saw the title I was being much more literal as I have a female friend who studied to be a priest in Vatican II days in hope of more change. So while your piece speaks to current political success, there is a long way to go still.
Love the piece and the title, and I will remember how to deal with pain! Sorry you have to. (Retirement was meant to be pain free, right? So we could get all that stuff done that we planned.)
In your case I think purple equals brave. You were very brave to whack into the sewn pieces and add new elements. The end result is just wonderful and has a very improv quality about it that I like a lot. Here’s to hoping your shoulder gets better soon so you can get fully absorbed in your passion.
So much fun. Way to go with taking something and just cutting into it to see what would happen. I would probably keep fighting with it and scrap the whole thing. I think that those slashed pieces brought the brightness of the piece up a bit. It’s funny how hard it is to photo the purple, looks a little different in each picture. Great title, and we truly are in an historic era, aren’t we?
You have inspired me, Elizabeth. I would have pitched it when I had those issues and you have taken the issues and nourished them with a fabulous finish. Your fabrics are just perfect for the improv design. Great challenge!
I do hope your shoulder feels better soon. It’s awful to not feel top notch when you have so much to accomplish.
I love the way this grew improvisationally, I think it’s really effective and very flowerlike. Here’s to a rapidly recovering flesh wound!
So fun to always get to see what you come up with. I like your sewing rounded petals, and then slashing them. Sometimes cutting something up is more helpful than figuring out how to add more of the same. I also found I didn’t have much purple current purple in my stash. I’m sure it will become a trendy color in the next 10 years or sew. In spite of needing to ice your shoulder your quilting turned out beautifully.