Eye on the Prize

It seems I'm getting all my blogging done today, along with all the other little odds and ends that pile up on my to do list.

I have been getting a little time in my studio here and there, so this is my latest completed work.

I called it Eye on the Prize because it does sort of look like an eye to me, but also because "keep your eye on the prize" is a phrase I often repeat to myself when I'm have a difficult or discouraging day. The prize, of course, is living a joyful life doing the things I love and being with the people I love.

If you've been following my blog you might recognize that this was one of the pieces that I started in the Nancy Crow workshop that I took last year. I had been in such a rush to complete the top at the workshop that I had just randomly sewn some sections together, but I had never been quite satisfied with them. It hung on my design wall for a long time while I glared at it, trying to figure out how to fix it.

I finally just took all the sections apart, found more unused sections, and more of the left over fabric and then rearranged and reconfigured the pieces. I am much happier with this new version.

Another new technique I used with this piece was to face the edges instead of using my usual narrow binding. I didn't want a binding to detract from the composition.

While I was out photographing this piece I figured I might as well snap a couple of shots of some older quilts that I somehow never took pictures of.

This first one is called Color Blocks 1 (obviously, I meant to do more - still might!) It is a take on the graphics used on the cigar band of a Cohiba Cuban cigar.

The blocks are joined by zippers. This is so that you could rearrange the composition and zip it back together. Another idea that I meant to explore more. Color Block is hanging in Room 14 in the carriage house.

This next one is called Card Trick. This is not the best of photos because the wall is showing, but I wanted to take a quick shot in case it sold before I got any photos!

It is currently hanging in upstairs hall of the carriage house (next to the McKnight).

My next task is to get these up on my website. Maybe tomorrow. ;-)