Monday, January 22, 2007

Road To California

Well, I'm back. We had a great time at Road to California, lots of beautiful quilts to see and fun classes to take. I must really be getting to be an old lady because I am exhausted from not being able to sleep well away from home. I had to go right back to work today, too. Have to pay for these little junkets and shopping sprees somehow.

The little quilt above is something I made in Laura Wasilowski's class. It started with the Ladder motif I've been working with and morphed into a garden trellis when I started adding shapes. I call it "Pea Pods in the Garden". I'm thinking I may have been a little enthusiastic in using my new toy, the pinking edge rotary cutter. I have not decided whether I'll do a fused binding or just back and turn it with an "escape hatch" finish.

I enjoyed Laura's class a lot, she is a good teacher, easy to be around and has a great sense of humor. Not a bad singing voice either. I also had the good fortune to meet Melody Johnson of Fibermania fame. She told me I looked familiar...it was from my little blog picture. I probably sounded like a stalker when I gushed about how much I admire her work.


Here is a little project I started using some of the new fabric I bought at Road. These are antique reproduction reds and cheddars, which I love. I always wanted to do a quilt in these colors. I think it's funny that they are actually old fashioned fabrics when they have so much zing. I will say one thing about making these blocks, they stretch like crazy if you aren't really careful. I think that's why it's so common to paper piece them (these are not). I only have two blocks done, but you can see that it will have a nice secondary pattern. It will be a small quilt or a table runner, haven't decided yet.

I love trips, but it's nice to be home.

8 comments:

dee said...

Glad you're home safe and sound-Such fun to be able to take a class from Laura and meet Mel. I like the piece you did but I especially like the reds and cheddar-Red is just so cheerful and maybe that's what we need more of in Jan.

Suzanne Earley said...

I love your piece from Laura's class. Love the colors and the pinked edges are very fun!

Anonymous said...

I just love that piece you did in Laura's class. I'm glad you got to meet the bodacious Mrs Mel!! I can't wait to see her again at Art Quilt Claremont.

jenclair said...

Sounds like a great experience (except for the lack of sleep)! I really like the piece you did in Laura's class.

Debra Dixon said...

I love the red and yellow piece! WOW! make more blocks!

Rian said...

Yep, always nice to be home. I really like the piece you made. Very lively!

DebbyMc said...

I love the little piece...great negative spaces...I think the new blade really works well with this! And, of course, I love the vintage look of the red and cheddar...I've collected cheddars over the last few years...nothing going with them yet, though...I guess they are simmering...

Unknown said...

Glad to come across your blog again and see the red-and-cheddar blocks. I've been bitten by the traditional bug and am starting a red and cream "Lady of the Lake" quilt this weekend. I'll get it cut out, anyway. Can't wait to see more!