Morning Glory Studio

make life simple, indeed!...

Honoré here: Lack of evidence to the contrary (i.e., no posts), I have been proceeding with Christian's Quilt, which continues to be a challenge...and I've not even begun to stitch. Sunday afternoon, before the major storm we had ( quarter million folk lost power; trees felled and houses/cars damaged; and sadly, three people lost their lives), I cut out the fabric rectangles needed to eventually make the 36 blocks...

(dining room tables that seat 8 really come in handy)

...only to discover I was a half-yard shy of one fabric (pink). Monday, a return trip to my local quilt shop, thinking they had the fabric turned out not to be...so, I wound up finding/ordering the fabric on the Internet - how did we ever live without?! The fabric arrived yesterday (USPS priority mail rocks)!

For the past couple hours, I've been marking fabric...

...to make the 21 templates per block in order to cut  252 pieces for 12 blocks (one-third of the  756 pieces for the 36 blocks total, needed).  Again, I say: it's a good thing she's not going to need this quilt when she leaves for Rutgers Aug 28! I think it's going to be great fun and I've decided how I'm going to use the Sweetwater for Moda Make Life fabric. Tomorrow I am meeting my friend Nora  for a couple hours of stitching...I'm taking the makings for one block...

Now, if I could only find a couple templates I made...

Saturday was another knit class day; I got back in the mood to knit (it also probably helped that I read about 4 books last week on knitting - that always infuses me with the drive and desire to knit). I've run into a stumbling block and for the life of me I can't figure it out: I'm decreasing stitches, knitting the same pattern twice in the same row. The first reduction works/ed like a charm; the second time around, I've managed to decrease by only one rather than two stitches. I've tinked (unknitted) three times and even frogged once - ripped (i.e. ribbit, ribbit)  the row once. I refuse to be stymied on this: my plan tonight is to try ( as I watch a ball game or two - great background for knitting) the stitch pattern for this row on a practice piece and see if I can figure out what's not happening. Wish me luck.

Hoping to have a true progress report and all problems solved, next time.

Cheers!

not much get up and go...

Honoré here: Blame it on the heat. For the past 4-5 days or maybe even longer, I've not had much get up and go, you know, energy, excitement, eagerness to start a couple of new projects...or even, for that matter, finish up the several that keep callin': Honoré, Honoré, over here; we're waiting for you... There they sit on my design wall. Ignored.

Vying for my attention: two new Crimson Tide blocks of the month - both June and July - to stitch; the continuing saga of the Great American Afghan blocks. (I haven't picked up a knitting needle since last month's session and it's time for another [session]. Glory, the fourth Saturday of the month rolls around fast.); at least four other projects that would be great to list in the done column. And a quilt for my college-bound niece Christian who leaves Aug 28. Not that she's going to need a quilt if this heat spell holds (and I've no reason to think it won't; after all, August is known for being H-O-T!). But, if I don't get busy and start cutting strips and what not to make the blocks, come late October, she's not going to have a nice warm grown-up blankie (and she's prone to being cold, too). 

I have all the fabric for the quilt. I plan to  make Denyse Schmidt's Drunk Love 2-Tone in hot orange and hot pink. The quilt pattern is from her book, Denyse Schmidt Quilts. I'd love to share a picture of the quilt but copyright precludes that. In fact, I went to several copy shops to have the pattern templates enlarged, as directed in the book, and not one would oblige. And in order to obtain the publisher's permission, I would need to wait 4-6 weeks, if that soon...however, as fast as I'm [not] going these days, it might just take me that long to ramp up my get up and go... Here's the fabric, though. The turquoise is the backing and the printed fabric, by Moda, is called Make Life. I plan to include it in the quilt and also make a pillow; should be fun.

Since all I want to do these days is read, read, read  (not that reading is such a wrong or bad or wasteful activity - quite the opposite!) and since it's now after 5 PM, I think I'll make my life simple and go downstairs, fix a vodka and tonic, and read. Tomorrow I'll start Christian's quilt...

Have a cool evening.

Cheers~

and more from "sisters east"...

Honoré here: I realized the other day that I'd neglected to include two quilts from the quilt show. Doris wasn't able to join us but she sent these two mini wall quilts - both were challenges made in the mid '90s...

and here's a closeup of the flowers surrounding the tree - they're made from ribbon...

Both quilts are hand appliqued, machine stitched and hand and machine quilted....

Last year (2009) when I was in Sisters OR for the week-long quilters' affair workshops and outdoor quilt show, seven of the Gee's Bend Quilters came for a trunk show and they also gave a special workshop. Naturally, Pat and I signed up for the workshop and we were ever so glad we did..it was such a special occasion. We made a quilt-top in their tradition - not worrying about exact measurements or 1/4" seams, etc. We just selected fabrics from the stash we each brought - old pieces of old clothing, scraps, maybe a new fat quarter of two, pieces exchanged with our neighbors - and we sewed. The workshop, a too brief 75 minutes, was so much fun... empowering and liberating. 

For a year now, I've been debating on how to finish the piece I made [note that each of the quilters signed her name]. At first, I thought about a pillow and then, maybe framing it and finally, I decided to mat the piece on another piece of fabric, much like one mats a portrait or picture. My dilemma now: which mat (fabric) looks best?

Gold?...

Green?...

Blue?...

Your opinion and vote are welcomed...I'd appreciate your assistance in helping me make a decision.

Stay cool, if you can...it's been unbearably hot and no relief in sight.

Cheers~

"sisters east," continued...

Honoré here: More from Saturday's outdoor/indoor quilt trunk show...I left off with the amazing needlepoint stitched by Sue. This photo is a crazy quilt-top she made and uses as is, since it's very heavy (velvets, silks, heavily embellished,etc), she says...

Margaret's great grandmother made this crazy quilt, circa 1870's (my apologies for the glare in the photo; I was shooting from an angle)...

Pat's in the process of making a quilt for her grandson who plays the guitar and will be a college sophomore this fall. All the blocks have a musical notes motif...

Pat also made this Window in the East quilt and surprised her daughter with it - a wedding anniversry gift (that's Pat's daughter's big grin at the very top of the photo)...

I just love the colors of Addie's quilt...

and Sandra's is dazzling - just look at the color play...

Nora, whom I met in Sister's this past April - we both attended the Intuitive Color & Design workshop - made this quilt for her granddaughter---amazingly, the fabric is not old; it just looks that way...

I end with this last photo, a quilt in progress from Nora, using the Intuitive Color & Design technique and a fitting tribute to Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and our own sisters east affair.

We had a great time and I hope you did too.

Cheers~

"sisters east"...

Honoré here: Yesterday (July 10) was the 35th Anniversary of the Sisters, Oregon Outdoor Quilt Show, an international event that draws over 10,000 people to the tiny town of Sisters, OR - pop. 1925+/-. Last year, my friend Pat and I were ever so lucky to attend the show and the week-long quilting classes that preceded; this year, we couldn't  go---so, I had the bright idea: have an outdoor quilt show at my house…

In the quilt show’s 34 year history, it has never rained - and yesterday was no exception on the west coast...however, in the east was a different story: Mother Nature decided to reward us with some much needed relief in the way of r-a-i-n from the 100+ degree days we were experiencing. Who could complain; certainly not I. So, we moved the show inside and had a wonderful trunk show, stitched  with a chance to reunite with friends, eat good food and drink fine wine...

Here are a few pictures of the quilts. I lead with my shadowbox quilt with the facing that gave me such a fit last week; in my next post, I will share more pictures from sisters east... Enjoy!

Cheers~

...the red binding around the picture of the Geisha is what gave me "fits"...and a view from the top...

 

This quilt belongs to my friend Margaret and she dates it back in the 1930s'...hundreds of tiny squares...

This next quilt features hand-crocheted hearts made by Theresa's (the quilter) mother - the quilter is in her 80s, so that should give you some idea as to how old the hearts are. Take note too of the hand-stitching...

Sandy's college-aged daughter's faith is both Judiasm and Chrisitanity, so Sandy made this quilted menorah for her to use in her dorm - since lighted candles are not allowed, Sandy's sister came up with the ingenious idea of making a pocket to hold the candles until it is time to "light" one each day of Hanukkah...

...here's a close-up of the pocket... pretty clever, no?!

Not every item in the trunk show featured quilting: Sue's Morning Glory Kimono needlepoint project took several years to make; it's stitched and embellished with lots of beads...

I would love to own this but alas, Sue has to send it on the American Needlepoint Guild; my loss, their gain  [sigh]. TBC.

the amazing brain...

Honoré here: I am making progress on my 4 quilting projects, despite the heat, holiday and other assorted distractions. Actually, the heat has been a great incentive... best to stay inside than out, with record-breaking temperatures these past 48+ hours...and another day yet, to bear.

Sunday, I spent a lot of time, longer than I care to share, sewing a binding on a 4.75" square. The binding had mitered corners; I was using a really simple and nearly fool-proof technique and yet, when I got to the fourth corner, I just could not get the fabric to miter. So, out came the books and they, offering no answer to my problem - so obvious that I couldn't see it, at the time - sent me to the Internet for a possible solution. I found quite a few YouTube videos, several quite well-done and yet, not quite what I needed, or so I thought. One I filed away and bookmarked for future reference (deciding to quit for the day, watch the the end of the Nats ball game and enjoy the rest of the holiday celebrations on TV). 

Sometime before I awoke Monday, my brain revealed the problem: I'd started my binding at a corner rather than inches away from the corner...duh! And so, when I came to the fourth corner, I was short on fabric I needed to make that corner... I'm sure the bookmarked video was the key. I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, I find the brain to be absolutely amazing! I am almost finished with the piece and will post it Sunday.

Yesterday, friends from Albuquerque came for the afternoon on their way to the airport for the return-trip home. I have these lovely flowers as a visual reminder of their  visit...

Stay cool!

Cheers~

on the agenda...

Honoré here: A quiet July 4 celebration is on the agenda. I have a stack of magazines and a couple books - always - that are new in my reading pile and shortly, I plan to go out on the deck for MSQT, especially before it gets hot. We've had lovely weather  this past week and today, it's promised to end!  After MSQT, I plan to sew. I have four pieces I will finish by Friday. Tonight, watch the fireworks on TV...it's the best seat in the house.

Enjoy your day and a Happy July 4!

Cheers~

P.S. The stars -n-stripes ornament is another one of my Ohio finds.