The Wedding Quilt is Done!

I finally had a sunny day when I was also ready to try to take a picture of the log cabin quilt that I made for my daughter's wedding on October 2nd.

It's not an easy thing to photograph a king size quilt by yourself, let alone on a slightly breezy day! (Wasn't too bad, just blew over once.)

I wish I could have had the whole thing hanging straight but it is mostly.

Tomorrow I ship it off to California to await the wedding. My daughter plans to use it has the backdrop for some of the wedding photos. I'm also using a photo of the quilt on a special chocolate bar that we are making as favors for the wedding

It was a relief to finally finish this huge quilt, but at the same time I'm sorry it is done. I enjoyed handling all that fabric and sewing all of the pieces together.

I'll probably continue working on some more traditional quilts while our workshop season is still in full swing. Then come winter, I'll switch to art quilts. I have some ideas for some larger scale pieces and the workshop studio will come in handy for that.

We had a week off over the Labor Day weekend and flew to Seattle to spend the time with my daughter and future son-in-law. My daughter was a good daughter and immediately gave me the address and directions to several fabric stores and a yarn store!

With a store name like this how could one not shop for yarn with abandon?

These skeins are destine for a "break out" sock. I've been using the same simple sock pattern for years. It's time to try something with a stitch pattern to it! This is why I choose a more solid color yarn.

I bought this yarn with the idea of making a shawl or shrug to go with my mother-of-the-bride dress. But who am I kidding . . . I won't be able to finish something like that in the remaining time!

Then this lovely bunch is going to be turned into washcloths, while I try to convert my knitting style into "picking" instead of "throwing."

I finished another pair of socks on the flights back and forth from NY. Knitting is a great thing to while away the time in coach. Not enough room to do much else!

Then I blew the rest of my fiber shopping budget on fabric.

I'm trying to stock up on dark and light values, as my stash is heavy in the medium values. Sorry, I forgot the name of the quilt shop, but it is just down Market St from Cupcake Royale in Ballard, WA. A nice shop with friendly people. The fabric is contemporary, with a lot of "Amy Butler" types of colors and prints.

Modern Retro Ties in Black

My daughter and her finance have asked me to make some custom skinny ties for the groom and groomsmen (and woman) at their wedding. They wanted a solid black tie that looked like a '50's skinny tie.

But being me, I couldn't resist trying a little decorative stitching on my prototype tie!

However, I did send this sample tie for final approval! If they want plain, I'm happy to make them that way.

I like the way the stitched version turned out though, so I might have to make some more to sell at our Inn.

I use to sell these Crazy Ties at street fairs in California and they did fairly well, but I must have had over 40 ties leftover when we moved here. They have been steadily selling at the inn and I have to restock!

One of our artist instructors, David Taylor of Australia, has specifically requested another tie when he teaches here next year. He wears them to his exhibit openings and when accepting awards!

Fields of Promise

I couldn't wait. I was going to wait until after I had taken a good photograph of my latest Fields of Promise piece before hanging it up at the inn, but it was taking too long to find a moment to set up my photography area. So I hung this one:

And this one in our front dining room.

I'm midway through the quilting on another Field of Promise piece and am hoping to finish it this coming Saturday.

David Dunlop is teaching a workshop at our inn this week and he always has such enthusiasm for art of any kind that it is hard to not catch that enthusiasm and want to get into your studio and create!

That Other Thing

Ok, I didn't mean that previous post to sound like some sort of pity party. I most certainly do not regret my choices, but for me, it is easier to be an artist when I can accept that, at the moment, my other career comes first.

I can stop beating myself up over missed opportunity deadlines and stop agonizing about how long it is taking to finish my next art quilt.

There is, after all, a strong tie between my desire to be an artist and my dream of building an environment where artists can come together for learning, encouragement, and community.

When I first got into quilting and art quilts, way back when, I was a workshop-taking-fiend. Yes, I wanted to learn everything I could and find my own path, but also the value of being able to spend 6 hours a day with like-minded people who understood the language I was speaking, who were seeking the same thing that I was, was priceless.

Even though I was not able to take a retreat-type workshop at the time, I could understand the tremendous freedom one would have if they could put aside their daily lives, even if just for a week, to eat, drink, breath, and live in your art and to be around others who were doing the same.

For me, the benefit of the workshop, is not just what you learn from the instructor, but what you learn from your classmates. This is not to say that who you take a workshop from isn't important. It takes an excellent teacher to facilitate and encourage a learning-rich environment such as this and to recognize that everyone can learn from everyone in the class.

I love being an innkeeper and workshop director. I love being around artistic and creative people. So that is my choice and I'm sticking with it! But I'll never give up creating my own art because it is what I am.

That One Thing

Today on the Quiltart list a question was posed - "What is the 1 thing you need to be successful as an artist?"

My first thought was that I needed more time, but that is such a pat answer and doesn't really lead to any kind of solution.

So my second thought was I needed another lifetime. While this answer doesn't offer the struggling artist any solution, what it does do is recognize that sometimes you just have to accept the reality of your choices.

The reality of my choice is that I choose to pursue a business that requires a lot of my time. I'm talking about being the owner/director of the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops. I have chosen to put my all into a business that I hope will further the success of other aspiring artists.

I want so much for this business to be a success, that I have recognized that I must put my own art on the back burner, even though there are times I feel the loss acutely. But I am only one person and I've made my choice.

I'll still revel in every moment I get in my studio and still create my art, but I'm not going to worry about being a success as an artist. I don't need that kind of stress!

Mini-Winter Landscape Quilt

An artist friend of ours is going through a tough time and so I thought I'd make her a quickly little landscape quilt. She is a watercolor painter now, but use to be a fiber artist, so I know she will appreciate the work.

This week at the inn, Natalie Sewell is teaching her fabric landscape class which always inspires me to make more landscapes!

I'm still itching to do some more work on the paper and fabric journals that I started in Kathyanne White's workshop.

But realized as I was clearing my tables to work on the landscape piece that if I want to make progress on more of these collaged journals, I'll need a more efficient way of storing all the STUFF. Right now I have stuff, such as beads and buttons and ribbons tucked away in a tall plastic set of drawers. Unfortunately the drawers are tucked away in a corner with a table and other stuff blocking the way! This makes it difficult to get any work done when you have to fight your way to the stuff you need! This may be a project for next winter.

It's in the Bag at Gloversville Sewing Center

Can't believe it has already been 2 weeks since I went to Gloversville Sewing Center to buy some orange fabric for the back of my daughter's wedding quilt!

But I found two fabrics that worked well together and luckily there was enough on the bolts, although I emptied one of them! And since I dropped over $100 dollars on this purchase, my shopping bag was 2 fat quarters sewn together. Clever and appreciated -- nice fabrics, too!

I have put together the back for the quilt in a checkerboard fashion using 15" squares of these two fabrics. (Sorry Adina, I just couldn't restrict myself to the use of just one fabric! But it will look great!)

I'm taking it to the longarm quilter's at the end of the month and she'll quilt it in May. Once I get it back I'm going to try to get a picture of it hanging off the second floor balcony of the Inn.

Now that that is done it is back to art quilts.

I made another "fields of promise" piece last Saturday and will finish putting the sleeve on it this Saturday. Then it will be ready to photograph.

Carol Taylor is teaching a workshop with us this week at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops and her vast arrange of fancy fibers for sale has put me in the mood to do a little couching of yarns myself - which I did on the Fields of Promise 2.

I was collecting fancy fibers way before I became a knitter. I like using them to cover the edges on raw edge applique. I love the sparkly stuff - great for adding the little bit of umpf to the lines of a piece.

I couched yarn or metallic cord over all of the Moon Series quilts. This is one of them.

Sewing of a Different Nature

I thought I was going to get to start a new art quilt, but then I remembered that I had sewing of a different nature to get done.

One of the loveseat cushions in a guest room was getting frayed in one corner, and having inquired about professional reupholstering costs previously, I decided to give it go myself! (Not putting down the work or the worth of professionals, but we have a lot of furniture and not unlimited funds! LOL)

Luckily it was just the cushion needing help, so I was confident that I could do a reasonable job.

So here are the results.

I should mention that I'm a big fan of MacKenzie Childs and their wildly decorated furniture! Obviously, this it not quite as wild, but I'm starting gently!

I think it turned out rather nicely. I just made a simple zippered box cushion cover without welting. I made matching arm covers, but I'm thinking I now need to make new cover for the pillows in a coordinating moss green fabric for some more contrast and to complete the "patchwork" look.

Today I go shopping for the orange fabric I need to complete my daughters quilt.

Disappearing Posts

Think you are seeing things? Thought you saw a post there and then it was suddenly gone?

It's not you, it's me. I use Blogo to maintain all of our blogs and it is way too easy to be so busy writing a post that you don't even bother to look at which blog you are posting to until it is too late!

Got make sure the brain is engaged before clicking POST. Sheesh.

Air Pen Doodles and Knitting

Here is my air pen doodles. Fun. Probably won't be getting one until the winter when I have more time and can also go to the big art studio with more air ventilation. My 3rd floor studio is tiny and does not get much in the way of air circulation with just one window.

Finished another couple of knitting projects. Another fickle finger scarf and some more socks.

Can one have too many hand-knitted socks? I'm not sure -- I'll have just keep at it until I know!

The socks I keep, the scarves I sell. I recently sold quite a few of my scarves, so I'm working to restock.

New Toy Craving

I finally got the chance to sit for a moment with Susan Shie and have her show me how to use an airpen. What fun.

It takes a bit a practice to avoid blotchy lines but once you get in the groove, it's not too bad. I could see the possibilities.

But I will have to learn not to gesture when talking if I have an airpen in my hand!

I just doodled, drew silly things, and wrote meaningless sentences, but even that would be fun to paint and then cut up to use in something. I'll have to take a picture of my "masterpiece" and post it later on.

I already know the piece that I NEED this airpen for. It is an idea that I've had for a long, long time but hadn't been sure how to pull it off. It may still not work, but at least now I have an idea of what to try!

If the airpen doesn't work, I can always turn it over to Mark for decorating the chocolates!

The Air Pen that Susan uses is made by SilkPaint -- in case any one wants to get one for me! LOL!

In Search of Orange

I finished the top for my daughter's log cabin quilt and started putting together 15" squares of fabric to form the backing. I was using a wild assortment of novelty fabrics and multi-color fabrics (you know -- the ones that don't fit in any color family!).

I was almost finished when I thought I better check with my daughter to see if this would suit her style. So I email her and asked if she would mind a quilt back that included fabric with pictures of sushi eating cats!

I was not surprised by her answer. I should have known. My tastes do tend to be a little more "colorful" than hers. But how can I argue with someone who always looks fabulous and so put together. She does have a wonderful sense of style and fashion, even if different than mine.

So now I am in search of the perfect orange. I used an orange fabric, by Robert Kaufman - Designer Essentials, for the center square in each log cabin block.

But this is a long discontinued fabric and so I've had no luck finding any more. However, since the center square is so tiny, I guess it won't make a difference if I just get a fabric that is similar in color.

But of course I just can't accept any old orange fabric. It must have something interesting in it!

I've seen some potentials online, but I think I'm going to have to go shopping at a local shop to see the fabrics in person.

We have a break in workshops coming up next week so I'm planning a little shop hop of my own.

Susan Shie is here this week teaching a workshop. It is very interesting watch her use an airpen to do the writing on her diary quilts. Makes me want to run out and get one!

She brought a number of pieces of her work. Such incredible detail and texture.

It is a small class, so I thought that maybe I'd get a chance to sit in and watch. But the work of running an art workshop program, inn, and chocolate business is never ending. 14 hour days are the norm.

But it is all worth while when the people tell me what a great time they are having and the teachers say what a wonderful place is it to teach. That is my reward and what keeps me going.

Log Cabin Times Two

I have finally finished the two sets of blocks for the log cabin quilt I'm making for my daughter's wedding. (One for her and one as a back up if any disaster should happen to the first one!)

This afternoon I took the blocks out to the carriage house art studio to lay them out in the final arrangement. I'm happy to have such a big floor space to do this in. I don't think I could have spread it out in any of the other rooms of our inn - Victorians were are not known for large rooms!

The arrangement I needed to get the right size for a king size bed is 9 blocks by 8 blocks. (The blocks are 12" blocks.)

This is one of the tops.

Unfortunately, that means that this particular arrangement (Sunshine and Shadow) does not come out even. I'm thinking that I'm going to drop that last column and make up the needed width with a border.

This is the second one.

I'm shooting to finish these tops including borders by the end of next week because our first workshop checks in on March 14th and that means my available quilting time will be sharply curtailed! Besides the fact that the art studio floor will no longer be available as my design area!

A Snow Day

Winter has finally blanketed our area with a hefty amount of snow. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of living at your place of business, you don't get to have a snow day because you can't get to work! So while my normal work day continued, I did get to take a break to tromp around in the fluffy white stuff with our two dogs - Hudson (the Dalmatian) and Bree (the Ridgeback).

I just love a snowy landscape. Very inspiring - art quilt-wise! All those stark whites and blacks, with shadings of gray and blue.

Restocking the Stash at the Joyful Quilter

Making 2 king size log cabin quilts has depleted my stash of navy blue, moss green, chocolate brown, and tan fabrics. The stash was definitely in need of a refill.

This was just the excuse I needed to plan an outing to theJoyful Quilter in Glenville, NY. One of my favorite shops and shop owners, Bob Silverman of the Woodstock Quilt Supply shop had recently closed his shop in Woodstock and joined forces with the folks at the Joyful Quilter and I wanted to go check it out!

Here is Bob cutting all of the fabric I just couldn't resist.

The shop had a wonderful selection of fabrics and was full of light and quite joyful.

I had a hard time sticking to just the colors I needed, but came away with this batch of fabrics.

I already have a number of them washed, ironed and cut into strips.

Log Cabin Set 1 Done

It feels good to be making progress. I finished the first set of 72 log cabin blocks.

Now I'm starting on the second set. Thank goodness that old groundhog saw his shadow today and we'll get 6 more weeks of winter. Always a good excuse for staying indoors and sewing!

I finished another knitting project. This time a fun scarf. The pattern was called Fickle Fingers and I found it in Interweave's Knits magazine. I don't remember the issue, but it was a couple of years back. This was a quick knit and I really like the way it turned out. It will definitely be one to do again.

Knittin' and Stitchin'

It's been a while since I had a chance to blog. We've been busy at the inn making, packing, and shipping chocolate orders. (Where is my winter going?!)

I'm continuing to work on the King size Log Cabin quilt - a wedding gift for my daughter. This is the first traditional bed quilt that I've made in quite a while and it is taking more time than I imagined. I'm certainly glad that I've started this early - the wedding is in October. I'm actually making 2 of them because I want to have a back up incase anything goes haywire along the way with one of them. If both turn out fabulous, then I'll have one more quilt done for our inn rooms.

I'm almost finished with the 72 blocks for the first set. I'll finish the second set before I layout the two quilts so that I have more flexibility with which blocks are used with which version.

I've also been knitting in the evenings when I hang out with Mark and/or Hudson and Bree.

This is a picture of a sweater I completed a couple of months ago - finally got a picture of it. I had fun trying to take a picture of myself with it on. I used the timer function on the camera and set the camera up on the fireplace mantel. I kept dashing back and forth to "strike a pose" that didn't cut off my head, didn't make me look silly or fat, and still showed off the sweater - which was the main thing.

Still cut off my head a bit, but the sweater looked best in this shot.

Inspired by the View

In between making Christmas gifts for friends and family, I started a new series inspired by all the farm land in our area. I've always loved the view of a farm - with vast fields of rows upon row of something. When driving through farm country I'd guess at what each field was growing.

I even liked the empty fields because they seem to always hold such promise. What would be their next harvest?

This first of the series I called "Fields of Promise"

It is about 24" x 15". The "field" part is pieced. The horizon landscape is raw edge collage.

I have 2 other "fields" prepared, but have not yet decided how I will treat them.

In the meantime, I continue work on my daughter's wedding quilt.

Our office assistant and chocolate saleswoman, Delores, gave me a wicker towel rack to use in my studio. It is doing a great job holding all of the fabric strips for the log cabin quilt.

I set it up resting between a drawer and my cutting table. It closes me in to my sewing area, but that is mostly a good thing! It is very light weight, so it is easy to move around. Handy for my small studio space.

Here is a closer look at the rack.

On another topic, I'll admit that I am a sock knitting fiend. I can't stop. It is a very relaxing thing to do and I love wearing socks that I've knit myself.

Here are a couple of my latest.

I'll never wear boring white socks again!

Winter Studio Bonanza

Every winter as the workshop season at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops draws to a close I always envision a bonanza of time to spend working in my studio. Let's see if it actually happens this year!

Last year the chocolate business took off, so most of my "spare" time was spent packing and shipping chocolate to the over 100 stores that carry our chocolates. This year we have more employees, so hopefully that will free up my time for fiber art!

In the short break for Thanksgiving I did actually get to start on a new series of landscape quilts and finished one of them. I have a stack of quilts in one of our guest rooms waiting for me to have time to photograph them.

I've also realized that my Crazy By Design website has been woefully neglected. It is pitifully out of date and the design/layout is so "yesterday". I started a new design last winter, but same story - chocolate got in the way!

In between the fiber art I'm working a a wedding quilt for my daughter. She is planning a 2010 wedding and I'm hoping for a late 2010 date to give me plenty of time to finish the quilt! She has requested a log cabin quilt in the colors of navy blue, moss green, and chocolate brown. I have about 11 blocks done and 60+ more to do to finish the king size quilt!

A Bit of Studio Time

Haven't had much time in the studio lately because we've been so busy with the workshops and then when we do get a small break the weather heats up to the 80s and 90s with high humidity - and then you can just forget about staying for more than a second in my studio - no A/C, no fan = no me in the studio.

But last Saturday it was reasonable, so I set to work on another of my left over Nancy Crow workshop projects.

I had it hanging on my design wall for more than a month. I was waiting for inspiration and/or procrastinating because the ideas I was having for it would mean un-stitching some areas. Not what I was looking forward, too. So it continued to hang there.

Finally a couple of weeks ago, I decided that maybe it just needed more units to make it a larger piece. So I took out the fabrics we had made in the class -- but then, DANG -- I couldn't for the life of me remember how we had put together the units in class. I could have kicked myself for not taking better notes or pictures. So the project sat some more.

Then this past Saturday I gave myself a good talking to and said "shut up and just do it! You KNOW how it is done, just start doing it and you'll remember." I should listen to myself more often, but it worked. I stopped trying to think about what I was doing and just did it.

So here is a shot of the project ready to be quilted. I added another row of units and I liked it a whole lot better.

I could see getting carried away and continue making unit after unit, until the thing was ready to take over the world, but my studio is small and hot and I'm not prepared to wrestle with anything larger at the moment.

I'm quilting it with a light blue metallic thread and a pale variegated thread of blues, greens, and pinks. I haven't decided whether I will square it up when I'm done or let it keep its funky shape.