Thought I would share some fabrics I have dyed in the past year or so and the ways that I have used them!

Create your own free photo slideshow

I have also just finished a whole cloth piece that I died a while ago.

Rorschack Mountain

There is loads of machine quilting as well as a little hand quilting.

Optical Quilt Finished - almost!

Last fall at the UnCommon Threads Guild Retreat I took a class from Vanessa McCallum on her optic quilt, a circular checkerboard pattern. Vanessa sews two sets of strips, one light and one dark and cuts them using a 10 degree ruler for wedge shaped pieces that are then put together.

The piecing went together easily. I was finished a couple hours after class ended.

At home I decided it needed corners. And I discovered I did not have enough fabric. So I ordered some from http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/ and waited...

And after the fabric came and was laundered it took weeks to get inspired to put the corners on... then took a while to begin quilting it. But I finally began last week.

THEN I had issues with my machine. I was trying to place long curvy lines, but could not get them smooth. Partly it was not having enough dexterity and there are two places on my quilting frame where there are bloop zones - the machine suddenly goes contrary to my movements...

After ripping out for an hour I returned to my Bernina and quilted some.

Then inspiration hit - I have a sit down table for my Handi Quilter! I drug it out of the attic and took the machine off the frame and am newly in love!

Since finishing the quilting portion I have started the painting portion. It will be a lengthy process as I can only stand the tedium for an hour or so at a time and can not do it for the entire day. It will be a great time to work on other things as well -- as if I were ever too focused for too long!

I will post some detail shot of the painting soon...

Here is the address for the creator of the 10 degree ruler.

http://phillipsfiberart.danemcoweb.com/

There are two great artists, Linda and Laura Kemshall. They have regular shows on different things relating to fiber and art. Linda did a series on Altered Books. I have been working on one for weeks now - a slow process, allowing for each layer to dry on each two page spread.

Here is what I have done so far. Most of the spreads (46) have not even gotten a coat of gesso. Only 9 have had something done to them and of those I think only a couple are 'finished'.

A free digital slideshow by Smilebox

I hope you enjoy looking - I have really enjoyed the process!

Here is a link to the Kemshalls

http://www.lindakemshall.com/DesignMattersTV.html

These are some images of things I have been working on...

Apart from everything else; the reno, lecture at IQF show in Cincinnati... There are no images of 'Because' until after the Knoxville show... then I will share it all!

This free picture slideshow created with Smilebox

Thought you might enjoy some photos of the renovation, before and after...

The piecing is finished on the new Irish Chain. Can you see how the lines run throughout? And see the idea of relationships intersecting?

It was an interesting construction process because I was trying to work ahead of myself. So I would not have as many bumps along the way -- made me realize why so many quilters like a pattern. DIRECTIONS!

I did try some new things with pressing that I hope will make quilting it easier. I pressed all the seams of the light pairs open which I hope the hopping foot will glide over and the rest to the darks. I plan to stitch in the ditch around the darks and not quilt inside them and hopefully the pressing will allow that to proceed smoothly.

Now I am thinking about the quilting. I want to quilt each colour with a repeating motif, but some areas I want to treat as one large area, those where several lights squares are adjacent. That would be in order to show off quilting. Is that the point though?

We shall see... I may put something else on the frame and let this marinate for a while.

Then again...

Oh -- if it looks like the exterior row of blocks is larger they are. I find the edges of the quilt, on the frame, to be insufficient. This is the first time I have built in extra room to make getting the top on the frame simpler. Another idea yet to prove itself worth while!

If you are interested in more information about the history of the traditional Irish Chain

http://www.womenfolk.com/quilt_pattern_history/irishchain.htm

There has been progress, though yesterday I could not tell. See all the bits on the left -- that is all the stuff I sewed that I can not use. Wrong colour, wrong lay out...

The center started out simple. Everything to a certain point is symmetrical. Then it is not. I continued to construct as if it were still symmetrical. I needed mirror images and redid things to create that. That seemed like all I did yesterday.

REDO!

Today has seen progress. I have only the parts on the top and bottom to put together and then rows can be assembled.

One thing new with this project are the start and stops... I used to use a scrap of fabric folded in half to sew over and the end and beginning of each seam. This is common in chain piecing and keeps everything tidy.

I recently started using small squares, placed together at the beginnings and ends. So far in the process of piecing this top I have pieced this pile! A good start to another project and with little effort!