Upcoming classes at AQS Quiltweek Lancaster

I was just adding my AQS Lancaster Instructor button to the sidebar of the blogs and when I attached the link I noticed that my Doodle Quilting class is SOLD OUT! How awesome - thanks to all the amazing quilties that have signed up. Don't worry, if you missed that class I still have others -- check them out (click on the image below or in the sidebar). I can't wait to meet new friends and catch up with old ones!

Way overdue on catching up...

My apologies! I am so overdue for a blog post - it has been entirely too long. Where to start?...

I'll start with my last post - the pelicans (Just the Two of Us). This piece debuted at the World Quilt Show Florida Competition. Well... just say my critique wasn't so good. I should rephrase, it was okay, it had good points but also suggested I should crop the background down (quite a bit).  That comment had my brain flying -- should I have gone with the more dramatic water, was the soothing water too plain?  Too many questions, self-doubt, etc. Then, True Colors (aka White Lines) hung at Road to California - again, a less than desirable critique. No, nothing devastating, just thought-worthy. We all know the problems this quilt went through, and yes, black thread on black fabric, along with my needing a new prescription for my lenses added up to not-so-perfectness - this is life. Critiques usually don't bother me - I take the good and the bad and learn from both. I guess I was a little down as I was stressing on preparing for back-to-back teaching events as well as getting the Build-A-Stitch workbook ready for print - not to mention being insanely behind on client work. Not a worry though, I'm now over it and have entered Just the Two of Us in other shows - too bad if someone thinks the background is too much. It very well may detract from the pelicans, but that was the photo I took and that was the quilt I created -- I LIKE IT! And as with all forms of art, that is all that matters.

So on to the Build-A-Stitch workbook.  YES, I finally finished it - some of you have been waiting for over two years way too long! If you are interested in grabbing your very own copy, there is a link in the sidebar of the blog or you can click on the photo and be taken to the website. Either way, check it out. The book covers everything from my Build-A-Stitch class as well as other tips, tricks, and goodies. I'm already working on the next two -- Build-A-Stitch: Even MORE Stitches (workbook #2) and Build-A-Stitch: What to Do With All Those Stitches (workbook #3). It'll be a short while before the other two are done, but definitely not as long of a wait as this one (I promise)!

And just to let everyone know that ordered from the website - all orders went out on Friday. Thank you all so much, I was overwhelmed with the amount of interest in this workbook - you are all wonderful! I hope the workbook keeps you stitching and doodling away! If you want to leave a comment and/or review, feel free to add it here in the comments - I might share it on the website too!

Okay, back to catch-up...

The end of January brought me to the East Coast Gammill/Statler Conference in Richmond, VA - I'll just start by saying I love teaching, but this place - the students, the hosts, the atmosphere, the venue - it is soooo cool and I'm thrilled to be a part of it!  Here are a few pics in no particular order:

Then I had two days to do laundry prepare for teaching at the Port St Lucie Crazy Quilters biennial show. Another great show - I must admit this is my local guild and they asked me to teach kind of last minute (well in show prep last minute, I had a couple months notice).  Again, some pics in no order:

photo credit: Theresa Olson

photo credit: Theresa Olson

photo credit: Theresa Olson

photo credit: Theresa Olson

photo credit: Theresa Olson

photo credit: Theresa Olson

photo credit: Theresa Olson

Many thanks to my left-brain, Nancy!

photo credit: Theresa Olson

And even quilty teachers need to eat (and check email)...

photo credit: Theresa Olson

photo credit: Theresa Olson

photo credit: Theresa Olson

 And there she is, Theresa Olson - the one who manages to get all the pics when I forget!

So a really awesome thing happened at this show.  My quilt, Thought Process, was awarded the NQACJ Award of Merit by Certified Judge Pat Harrison.  Whoa! This is a really big deal!!

For anyone that doesn't know, The Award of Merit is (at the certified judges discretion) awarded to one quilt achieving recognized standards of quiltmaking excellence.  And... as we all know, the NQA has been dissolved (unfortunately), BUT, the NQA Certified Judges will go on as the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ). So to make this even better, Pat Harrison has since contacted me and would like to award one of the new logo'd ribbons to this quilt - how freaking awesome!!! So once I receive the new ribbon I'll be sure to post a pic!

Well, that's the full scoop. I think we're caught up - for now! I know it was a really long post and thanks for reading through all the way to the end.

Just the Two of Us - the pelicans are finished!

There they are! The pelicans are finished!  I am thrilled with how this project turned out. So many ups, downs, and even sideways to get to the end, but finally, we made it. Thank you so much for following along their journey with me - you are all amazing, helpful, supportive, you know - the best!

Here's what happened since the last post:

I decided on the freehand painted background -

Lots of invisible applique:

More invisible applique - placing the pelicans onto the background:

Loading of the beautiful ice-dyed backing (this one was dyed by Helia Ricci):

And then the quilting:

And then the blocking and drying:

The first facing.

Believe it or not, this was my first time facing a quilt.  On my first attempt, I cut my pieces, folded in half and pressed and then attached to the four sides of the quilt.  Well, I was so unhappy with the miters this happened:

After talking with my friend I decided to do a full facing (waste a lot of fabric).  And since I really wanted some wow, I decided to curve the edges.

Just a little bit more and it will be finished!

So that's it... it went by a lot faster in pictures!  

Pelican progress is at a standstill

Being not exact might just be a good thing.

I'll elaborate on that...

I've been at a standstill working on the Pelicans. That darn background (again). If you've been following the progress you'll remember that I ditched my original plan of appliqué on the water background as it was distracting and would overpower the pelicans. I ordered more silk in a slightly different shade and did some freehand water and waves. It was okay, better than the appliqué but still not perfect. Anyway, I dropped the background and went to work on the pelicans themselves -- which turned out awesome. Time came for me to get back to work on the background. As I still wasn't thrilled with the background I decided to try a different approach. I created a stencil of the actual waves from my master copy and painted according to the stencil. This was an exact replica of the photo. Well guess what... I didn't like it. I felt it was entirely too much, it pulled your eye to the background instead of to the pelicans. That was totally not my intention, why would I spend so much time and effort to create these beautiful pelicans only to have them fall second to the background?!!

Here is the original photo:

Here is the freehand background:

Here is the stenciled background:

I asked my two best friends opinions and they liked the stenciled background. When I questioned if it distracted from the pelicans they replied that it didn't, without the movement of the water the piece became flat. I asked another good friend and she choose the freehand background saying the stenciled background was too much and did cause distraction. Ahhh!  So, I put the two pictures out on Facebook and asked for opinions.  It was a landslide -- the freehand background, and for all the reasons I thought initially. While the stenciled background showed waves and water movement it was entirely too distracting. Your eye went immediately to the water background as opposed to seeing the beautiful pelicans. A few people mentioned the stenciled background looked as if it was rough seas. Well, me being the photographer, it was. It was a crappy day, which explains the rough-looking waves and why the pelicans were hanging at the boat ramp just waiting for fisherman to clean their catch and drop some scraps. Another person mentioned that something has obviously caught the attention of the one pelican which is why he stood up and that perhaps I should place something in the water. Well, it was me who caught his attention when I walked up to photograph them.

The majority of Facebook land agreed with me and thought the freehand background worked better for this project.  I do appreciate every opinion and comment!  They helped me to get over my must-be-exactly-like-the-photo mentality.  Because all this being said I am kind of a nut when I create these pieces -- my brain tells me it must be exact. And no, I don't like the exact in this piece. So I guess it is okay to take some creative license and soften the background, staying with the freehand painting. I want the pelicans to be the focus, not the water - that must remain a background as opposed to a focal point. The eye needs a place to rest. And, I also have to remember that thread will be added to this when it gets quilted -- thread which will also create additional shading, highlighting, and movement.

So back I go to finish the freehand background (no, neither background is completed in the photos). Wish me luck -- I want this piece to be perfection!