The Flip Side

Everything I have posted lately falls in the realm of "family quilting", so for a change of pace I thought I'd share something a little more creative. "California Poppies" is shown above, still a work in progress since I haven't done any quilting yet, and I'm not even sure if the composition is finished. (My design wall is blue, that is not a border on the quilt. Sorry, my photography skills need work.) This one is not going anywhere, except maybe on my wall, so I can show it here. I do like what I have so far.

I think I am calling this one "gathering storm". This is one of those "abstract into nature" paintings I love to do. (It is on paper, not fabric.) Techniques used: watercolor, acryllic, pastel, pencil and collage. I like parts of it very much, but there is a little something lacking. Contrast maybe.

Here is my favorite. It is part of my "river rock" series. Techniques used are the same as above. It seems a little unfinished, but I think I am just going to start another painting exploring the same theme rather than rework this one. I hope to be able to translate some of these into cloth, or maybe a combination of paper and cloth.

A New Quilt Top

Things have been busy here, and in anticipation of the latest family wedding, here is the new "family project" quilt top We have a family tradition to make a Christmas quilt for each newly married couple, and this is the latest one. It takes quite a bit of coordination to get everyone to participate, but it is fun and it makes a very special contribution to the wedding gifts. I am planning the wedding shower for my niece Carrie, to be held on Sept. 14th. I have decided on a brunch menu, complete with mimosas. We will probably get silly and have a lot of fun, something I am counting on. This is the 7th "family project" wedding quilt I have seen to conclusion. Trust me when I say that it would be far easier to do it all myself, but the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the project makes it all worthwhile.

On the "artful" front, there is another quilt I am working on that I will share soon. In recent times, it has put quite a damper on blog sharing to have so may restrictions on what can be shown, but I think this one is not going to be entered in a show so I can feel free to share it.

Recently I spent quite a lot of time going through my art supplies and discarding everything that was no longer useful. I have also resumed my watercolor painting and sketching and I feel great about it. Even if a lot of what I produce is not worthy of sharing, I am enjoying every minute of it.

On a more somber note, my 93 year old FIL Clyde is in the hospital tonight with symptoms of weakness, low blood pressue, and pneumonia. If you are so inclined, remember him in your prayers.

Quilts for Babies

I've been taking a break from blogging for a bit, but here is some of what I have been working on quilt wise. Last month and this we have had special celebrations for babies in the family. Little Emily had a one year old birthday celebration and my nephew Jeff and his wife Jean are expecting their first child (a baby girl) next month. Back in 2006, I blogged about their wedding, and now they are moving on to the next phase in their lives.

Showing the front and back, and also a closer view of the "chantilly" quilting pattern.

Jean's nursery colors are pink and brown, and she definitely has a modern sensibility in her decorating style. After browsing the current selections out there, I tried to pick fabrics with a "modern vintage" feel. She was really happy with her quilt, and I think I got it right.

Here is a picture of Amy receiving the quilt I made for Emily. It seems like no time at all has passed since I blogged about the baby shower, and here we are more than a year later celebrating the first birthday. This very simple quilt was the perfect choice for Amy's old fashioned romantic taste. It was amazing how much prettier it looked after quilting. She was so happy, it made me feel great. Hopefully little Emily will like the quilt too. I wanted a cute picture of the baby sitting on the quilt, but no way was her mom willing to put it on the ground despite what I said about it being easy to wash. Sitting next to Amy is my terrific 93 years young FIL Clyde. Emily is just one of his great grandchildren.

Besides the baby quilts, there are three more weddings this year. Two will be family projects (more fun but difficult to organize) and one will be for some long time friends who are finally tying the knot. My quilt art has been on the back burner for a while since lately it's been all about the quilts for special occasions.

In other quilt related news, besides hostessing a couple of sewing days, I made a last minute trip with my SIL Diane to the Long Beach quilt show. Fantastic quilts! I came home inspired, but so far the most I have done is fiddle around with my new Stewart Gill paints (they're wonderful!) I'm sorry I didn't connect with any blogging pals, but I guess that's what happens when you don't plan ahead.