Bowers Museum Trip

I went to the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA yesterday with 3 friends. They had a quilt exhibit called "Quilts. Two Centuries of American Tradition & Technique", that we wanted to check out.

It wasn't a very big display but it was well done. All the quilts were antique.

This was a lace throw that had some very pretty embroidery on it. I couldn't get very close to it or I would have taken a better picture. I also couldn't use a flash so the pictures are a little dark. The lace was also beautiful and ornate.

They had one traditional Crazy Quilt but I didn't think it was a very good example of workmanship. The stitching was very mediocre. With all the amazing CQ's out there you would have thought they would have chosen better.

There were 2 other quilts that were in the tradition of Crazy Quilts, in that they had stitching on them like this pineapple foundation pieced quilt.

The quilt that was the most striking to me was this quilt. I don't know what the pattern is called but it was pieced like a hexagon quilt with paper templates. It was unfinished but I think that adds to how fantastic it was. You could see how it was being made. This was worth the trip to see!

It had some fantastic stitching on it. It really showcased the stitching because the fabrics were mostly solid. We can learn from this in our own CQ's by keeping the fabrics less busy. Even though you wouldn't know it from my 2012 CQ! LOL!

The paper templates were interesting, too, because they were snippets of the times with printing on them.

We checked out the whole museum. They had many fascinating displays. One of which was titled "Weird and Wonderful". I thought this was interesting because for the last 30 some years, my day job is as a Dental Technician. I can relate to this lady making things that had nothing to do with dentistry, using dental tools.

She made this skeleton out of ceramic materials. Very complex and detailed. It was only about 10 inches long. Wow!

They had these Chinese Corbels that were awe inspiring!

So intricately carved from wood.

This is the Fair Damsel, Jeanne Bird. She is so fun!

If you live in the Southern California area, I think the museum is worth the trip. The quilt display runs through January 16th so there is plenty of time.

2012 Crazy Quilt and LA Fair

I have been stitching on my 2012 CQ. I work a very full time job. Many times 10 hours, or more, a day so the stitching has been going slow. I wish I was a housewife that could stay home and clean house and cook and work on my quilts. I never would have said that when I was Young. I was stupid! I know better now but.....

I decided that because my fabrics are so bold and modern that I needed to start with some heavier threads. I used size #8. I will layer them with other size threads as I work. Probably a lot of #12 which is my favorite size to use.

I am also working on all the blocks at the same time, and spreading the stitching out. My past experience taught me to do this. It will keep the blocks looking evenly embellished. If I work on one block until done and then start on the next, I don't know that it will look even and equal when I put it together.

These are basic stitches and will be added on to, to layer them. They need to be bold in order to show up with these fabrics and colors. I may even use some metallics with them. I am not sure yet. I am going to let it talk to me as I work on it. This is definitely the boldest quilt I have ever done.

These are my threads that I am using. That is a gallon bag full of Art Fabrik hand dyed variegated threads! Love them!!!! They are my absolute favorite threads. They come in 5, 8, 12, and floss. A little pricey but there is a lot in a skein. I also love the Presentia Finca solid color threads. The colors are very nice. Stay away from the variegated. They don't work well for embroidery because the variegation's are too far apart.

This is Bruce. I Love these photos. He hates them. He will be horrified that I put them on my blog. LOL! Too bad! He didn't want me to take his picture.

Tough guy! "Ok, put the camera down!" Priceless!

I went to the LA County Fair with Jeanne, Dorene, and Jan a couple of weeks ago. I have never been to a fair. It was hot and crowded. I am not sure I would do it again. They had a few CQ's. I took some pictures. I do not know who made them. The display was not done very well. Most of the quilts were folded and the lighting was terrible. They were in glass cases so you could not get close to them.

This doll had a nice little CQ jacket.

2012 Quilt Frustration

Ok, I am struggling. My Husband doesn't like my colors of this quilt. It is not his thing. He likes pastels. I like jewels. He told me it looks dark. Dark???? I don't see that. What are you going to do?

I have put these strips in between the fans. Is it ok? I am totally second guessing myself with this. Do you do this too. I may take the green center out and put a regular block in there. I am not sure yet.

I am most worried about the fans. I don't know what else to do there. I am tired of re-doing blocks with this quilt. Can you tell I am getting frustrated? Let me know what you think about the fans and strips in between.

Vintage Linens Quilt and "My Fair Ladies" Round Robin

I finished the border of my Vintage Linens quilt in time to put it at The Fabric Patch Quilt Shop where I will be teaching how to make it in September. I strip pieced the border and used vintage linen hankies at the corners. They have a multi-colored, crocheted edge. If you are in Southern California, you can see it in Montclair at the shop.

I sent the "My Fair Ladies" Round Robin quilt to Marci yesterday to hang in the Northland Needlers quilt show on September 18 & 19, 2010 in Kansas City, Missouri. There will be a large Crazy Quilt display from the "Just a Little Crazy Stitcher's Club.

I took some additional pictures showing the border. The pictures are not the best but I didn't realize it until I started the blog post today.

Here is the border embroidery with crystals. It gives it a little glisten and pop. Very simple.

2012 CQ Redo Update

A lot of people seemed like they couldn't get around the green silk in the middle so I put the fabric piece behind the blocks to show what I envision with the half squares around the outside. The green looks bright in the picture because it is silk and it gets shiny with the flash. I promise that it doesn't look so bright with the blocks. It fits with the colors. The brown African fabric will be the border around the green silk.

I have put the strip blocks in between the fans at the corners. There will be purple silk on the outside edge. I am liking where this is going more than before.

2012 CQ - Plan redo

I have been reworking my plan. I tried re-arranging the blocks, moving the fans around, and came back to the original plan.

I am thinking that I will expand on the fans and add strip blocks in between the fans. There will be a small strip of purple on the outside edges of them like the fans.

I will have to see how I like the little outside fans once I try the strip blocks to see if they still look good where they are.

I took a picture again and the white areas will be where the strip blocks will go.

Try and not get focused on the green in the middle as the half square blocks around the outside of the quilt will also be that green so I hope this will tie it all together. In person it is not as stark as it looks in the picture. It is because the flash makes the silk look shiny. Also, remember the brown African fabric that will be the border. You can see it here.

2012 CQ, Re-Do

Ok, this was my original plan. I thought I would have the 4 blocks around the center as something different. As I worked, I changed my mind and did basic CQ blocks. This just go's to show that what you think at first is best.

I look at the blocks as they are and don't like the center area. I think I need to do fans there in the 4 blocks that I changed. What do you think? Please let me know what your ideas are. I am going to change it. Just not sure how yet.

I want this to be a very graphic CQ. Something that has a visual impact. This isn't it.