Needle-turn and Double Appliqué

Three things I'm restoring to my new home that were lost; 

two needle-turn appliqué pillows and this Hibiscus Quilt.

Why?

Because I forgot to take them with me when evacuating.  Join me as I reconstruct the Hibiscus Quilt first - only because the needle-turn pillows are taking a lot of time, go figure. I will update you with the progress of the pillows and quilt in future posts.

The appliqué technique of the center of the original Hibiscus quilt was raw-edge machine appliqué.  Not the new one...

It's emerging using two techniques: traditional Hawaiian needle-turn (the leaves) and double appliqué with the hibiscus petals and centers.  Why?  Traditional Hawaiian appliqué isn't done in layers.  I felt a different method was in store after finishing the leaves - a method I'd never tried: double appliqué.  You can see a partially finished petal attached to the center block, above, and zoomed in, below.

The right side of the fabric is sewn on the line as traced around the pattern to lightweight, non-woven, non-fusible interfacing.  The interfacing is trimmed and curves clipped close to the sewn edge.

Slit the interfacing to turn the piece, and iron - rolling the interfacing under.

 Tah dah!  You're ready to machine or hand appliqué.  I chose to continue to hand appliqué since I'd already started needle-turning.  

When I walked into the Maui Quilt Shop (www.mauiquiltshop.com) to peruse and relax after snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing, I saw a few patterns I'd lost, and completely unaware, I began to weep.  Turning away from shoppers to compose myself, I then saw the exact fabric of a Hawaiian dress I also lost which didn't help the eye-watering situation. Turning another way, I saw needle-turn pillow kits (to purchase and use with their classes offered on Fridays, which I'd taken years before) and I was absolutely a goner. Noticing I was the only patron in their tiny but cozy shop, I approached two employees, asked for a tissue, got in control, and explained the situation.  Big breath.  There, I can shop now. Of course I bought patterns, dress material, fabric to make pillows, and signed up for a needle-turn appliqué refresher course that very Friday.  I was in heaven!

I have the series of half-square triangles all cut and sewn together, since this quilt is primarily made of them.  It's a very simple but stunning study of contrasts, illusion and transparency.  I purchased some fabrics on the island  at another very nice quilt shop (www.sewspecialmaui.net) but they had a flat effect.  So I came to the mainland and found these at Fiddlesticks here in town (www.fiddlesticksquiltshop.com), and will keep you entirely in suspense until I finish the quilt! I was a bit disappointed that the exact fabrics weren't available anymore, but what quilt fabric lines stay around for long?!?  BTW, Fiddlesticks was one of the shops that garnered the 2015 APQ Shop Hop award!  You can purchase the Spring/Summer issue right now.

I am swimming in batiks but not drowning!  Stay in tune for the reveals!

"The Quilt Show" 2015 Block of the Month - I am chosen as longarmer!

Many of you have been anxiously looking for the first signs of spring, as I have.  From buds on flowering and leafing trees to longer days, we’re all ready for change. 

I look for dragonflies, such as this one that caught my eye while photographing quilts at a client’s lovely home last fall just before leaving Colorado toward a life that continued to change.  

Why am I talking bugs on a quilting site?  

Is this really about TQS 2015 Block of the Month?

Before answering I have to talk bugs.  

Dragonflies are amazing creatures to watch as they hover in one spot for a very long time and dart from place to place.  They’re long-tailed, four-winged insects that inhabit the waters and wetlands of North America. And although they have four wings, they come in two sets, and if needed, they can fly just fine with one pair.  They can go from a dead halt to about 90 miles per hour in just a few seconds.  

In the 22 months since the devastating Black Forest Fire that took home and quilting studio, I have flown far from everything I’ve known all my life.  With my husband, I've tweaked future plans, changed states and retired.  I’ve physically done just about everything I can to rebuild home, business and life … and metamorphosed.

What does this bug offer all of us who try to adapt to change?

Dragonflies are amazing creatures, and amazing creatures often come with interesting mythology. In part, the meaning of the Dragonfly symbol to some Native Americans represents transformation and life's ever constant process of change.  This symbolism is based on the life of a dragonfly which in the first year or more of their lives, they live in the water as nymphs. They then metamorphose - change - into the flying creature we recognize as the dragonfly. This particular insect has been on Earth for over 100 million years.  Because of this, they have a wonderful ability to adapt to their surroundings – to change. 

In the Dakota/Lakota mythology, the dragonfly is equated with the mirage or illusion, because their wings beat so rapidly that the human eye cannot see it. They tell us that things are not always as they seem, and that life itself is not always what it appears to be.

Now on to the quilting part of this post.  What does this have to do with quilting?!

I was pretty beaten down moving from Colorado, trying to rebuild my quilting business.  But I realized through the encouragement of family and friends who reminded me of the talents I still had to offer, that things are not always as they seem, and that life itself is not always what it appears to be.

I needed to adapt to change like this little creature and begin life and business anew.

An opportunity to let my talents shine - and to beat with all four wings - was presented to me in the form of this singular quilt, to be featured as the 2015 block of the month on The Quilt Show (TQS) sometime later this year between July and December.  I was invited by Lilo Bowman, Editor-in-Chief, to attend one of the tapings last month, but had to refuse due to scheduling conflicts.  Drat.

The TQS 2015 Block of the Month quilt!

 The gorgeous quilt top...

 ...quilted!

 For me, it's all about balance.  Balance in texture, style and art form.

 That ornery fox.  It'd better not eat that chicken.  I don't think he's as sly as he thinks because he's having a hard time finding it.

Above, locate the block with the bird atop the horse to the far left: ...

 ... it's singing a few notes into the background!

 This dogs' name is Spot - so monikered because of the spots I thought he needed.

 EVERY country home needs a pebbled pathway, and the sheep need cotton-bally texture.

 Outer border detailing.  Since the inner border was flanked with prairie points, stitching was constrained within these areas.  No problem, thanks to being able to drop the belts on my Gammill retrofitted Statler Stitcher and use the old trusty hand-guided mode!

 Isn't there a smell of spring flowers on this breeze?  And the gate is beckoning our visit.

  

This shot shows the first taping of this quilt at The Quilt Show, as sent to me by a good friend who just happened to buy a ticket to go, and emailed it to me.  Another dragonfly?  I think so.

Things are not always as they seem. God turns everything to the good for us as we strive to adapt to change and live life to its fullest.  His love comes in different ways: friends, family, clients, fires - and if you believe - even dragonflies.

May you be blessed to find your dragonfly soon.

Dear Jane!

My last post included a snippet of photos taken at a friend's home in Colorado - a friend who is the creator of this intricate Dear Jane masterpiece I quilted last year.  

Dear Jane is a vintage pattern..."which is why many quilters have heard of the legendary Dear Jane Quilt. Jane A. Stickle, who was born on April 8, 1817 in Vermont, is the creator."  The original quilt is pictured below:

"Jane made the quilt during the Civil War, completing it in 1863. It is a sampler quilt, comprised of 169 square 5” blocks, each one different. There are also 4 pieced corner triangles, 52 pieced border triangles, and a unique scalloped border. One of the corner blocks is embroidered “In War Time, 1868".  Altogether, there are an astounding total of 5,602 pieces in this quilt!  The Jane Stickle Quilt is a well-known and much loved masterpiece. Perhaps the most astounding is that every block is made of a different fabric. Where did a farmer’s wife, living in rural Vermont during the Civil War, find so many different fabrics?"

The remaining photos are taken of the contemporary Dear Jane after quilting was completed, before trimming and the scalloped edge was bound.  In the photo, below, you can see where my client drew in the scallops to define the edge for the quilting process.  She requested a feather fill within these scallops, as well as in each corner.

A couple views of the backing turned toward the front.

Block detail:

"In 1996, Brenda Manges Papadakis published a book called Dear Jane: The Two Hundred Twenty-Five Patterns from the 1863 Jane A. Stickle Quilt. Thanks to Brenda and her informative book, quilters around the world have been able to recreate their own unique versions of the beloved Jane Stickle Quilt. This version, made in Colorado, includes 121 of Jane’s blocks."

I'd like to thank my client for her generous submission of Dear Jane Quilt history for this post, her encouragement in continuing my business through a studio/home total-loss fire and an out-of-state move all within 18 months, and her lovely creations - some of which she graciously allows me to quilt.  

It's customers like this - and like you - that reinforce the reasons why I quilt.

Pacific Patchworks' Grand Re-Reopening

It's not a typo.  

I'm really having a Grand Re-Reopening

in my new studio

Saturday, February 14th 

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.!

Two open houses in less than two years

is a bit much, but a lot necessary. 

(Is that grammatically correct?!)

Many of you receiving this update cannot come

due to travel issues.

But know your patronage over the years

has made my business what it is

and what I can continue to provide

in my new locale.

See the rest of you there!

A new blog look, a new location!

We've finally moved into and established our new home in a new state, and created a new studio, business name and cards.  And with a couple of new, local customers - and a couple of 'old', loyal ones - I'm feeling regenerated, reenergized and grateful.

Other than these changes, what else is new?  After retrofitting my Gammill Classic Plus to a computer-guided machine a few months ago, I have redefined my services.  I'm offering computer-guided machine quilting as well as free-motion quilting.  Why?  Short answer: because I can.  The long answer is because I am trained at both: 7 years hand-guided, free-motion and 1 year computer-generated.  My Statler colleagues wonder why I haven't totally converted to their way of thinking.  Short answer: I'm an independent thinker.  Long answer is because my passion is quilting design from the heart and not from the computer screen. Oh, don't get me wrong. I appreciate the fact that computer design has to come from somewhere.  But I pass the 'middle man' and go direct from heart to textile.  I'm thrilled at being able to offer all kinds of choices to my customers, though.  It is, after all, their choice.

What remains the same?  I hope you'll agree that the personalized service, professionalism and quality continue.  

Some things never change.