Creating

Research

February 16, 2011February 16, 2011 Elizabeth E.1 Comment

Okay, so I did what any self-respecting woman with a computer and fast internet connection would do: I searched the web for other variations of this quilt. First up: Google with 217 pages (about half applied). Then Google Images, then Flikr, then change up of keywords, then Flikr and Google Images again. How are all you quilty people out there in the universe making YOUR Everyday Best quilt?

Some left the flowers off of the borders, some included them. Some quilts were very dark, with striking contrasts, others made light quilts. Some put small circles in the middle of the large pieced circles so as to cover the intersections, some did not. Some stopped at one block, some did fancy borders (not flowers), some had impeccable craftsmanship, others were just learning. A couple in here are variants of this quilt–not exactly the same.

In other words, everyone’s quilt is slightly different. What I did learn, though, was to press on through my doubts and go for it. Yes, it may take me a while, but once all those flowers in the border are finished, and it’s quilted, it all works. Enjoy the slideshow.

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Creating

Quilt. Not. Working

February 16, 2011 Elizabeth E.2 Comments

In any quilter’s life, there is a point where the quilt is not working. You can zip along in your creative automobile at a fabulous pace, then it’s like someone reached over, turned off the engine and threw the keys out the window. You drift, you steer, you try, but basically you’re just coasting to a dead stop. Which is shown in the quilt above.

I’ve corralled my husband to have a quilt discussion with me (not his gig). I’ve cut out zillions of red “flowers,” plopped them all over and had a discussion with myself about why it’s not working. Some questions that have come up (especially late at night) are: Why do I have to do THEIR version of a border? Why not just fly away on my own and finish off those fabulous crop circles in the middle in my own way? Are those fabrics on the sides too bright? (Yes.) Where did I put those other flow fabrics? (Cue: searching bins in the garage.) Will I have to buy more fabric?

In that way, this quilt reminds me of the one I did with Ruth McDowell some years ago. I think I bought every yell0w-green fabric for miles around, trying one then another then another, trying to make them work. I’m very happy with the end result, but that quilt took me AGES to complete–the pansy staring at me with its happy face, and me, making faces back at it, as I tried yet another yellow-green fabric around the edge. It looks a little much here in this flat photo, but on the wall, it has a richness and pulls the viewer in.

It’s raining today, and I have to wait for a delivery, and my hand hurts (too much cooking on Valentine’s Day) and I have two more papers to grade (that came in late) and I need to prep my lesson for tomorrow, and still haven’t cleaned the bathrooms. Bleh.

I have a little book I read when I want to remind myself of getting back to the creating. It’s called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Usually I randomly open the book (short chapters) and read for a while to get me motivated and my head unfuddled. Today’s random reading:

The professional arms himself with patience, not only to give the stars time to align in his career, but to keep himself rom flaming out in each individual work. He knows that any job, whether it’s a novel or a kitchen remodel, takes twice as long as he thinks and costs twice as much.

Sigh.

Clothing

New York Fashion Takes a Cue from a Quilter

February 14, 2011 Elizabeth E.2 Comments

Looks like the zeitgeist is strong for pink and orange–check out the colors used in this model’s outfit.

I could wear this and match my quilt!

From New York Fashion Week, Feb 2011.

100 Quilts

Cara-Cara-Kumquat

February 13, 2011May 16, 2026 Elizabeth E.5 Comments

Say that two or three times–it just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

Cara Cara is a type of sweet navel orange that has pinky flesh, and is an early navel variety. Kumquats are a small sour orange fruit that you pop in your mouth and eat–skin and all–and although it makes your face pucker up when you first bite into it, it leaves your mouth feeling really fresh. I pull one off our trees out front when I’m going somewhere as it freshens my breath. Add them together and you get the name of my latest quilt: that pinky-orange 9-patch that I’ve been working on for a while.

UPDATE: quilt pattern available in my pattern shop, as a pay-what-you-want download (could be free! and that’s okay).

My husband held up the quilt this afternoon in bright sunlight, so it’s really on full wattage. It’s a little more mellow indoors.

The quilting, by Cathy of CJ Designs, is a heart-and-loops design.

The back is pieced, and is a Marimekko fabric from Crate and Barrel’s Outlet Store (which regretfully moved 90 minutes away from my house–how I am supposed to get my quilt backs now?). This is supposed to be stylized fruits (see the grapes?) but sometimes I wonder if the people in Sweden have different fruit than we do. Let’s be real: I chose it for the colors.