It. Is. Done.
'Floating cubes' is all quilted. I would not have believed it possible to quilt a queensize in under 4 days, but I have! Not only is the quilting finished, but it looks very good.
I just had to dash out to Quilters Dream my favourite quilt shop - Hi Elizabeth! - to show 'n' tell, and also to get the velcro specified in the exhibition entry requirements.
Since then I've added the hanging sleeve, trying a new idea for blind-hemming its lower edge, and machine-stitched the binding all around. The blind-hemming idea worked very well, and has saved 2 metres of hand-stitching. It's a technique best kept for quilts with a fairly busy background, but that's most of my work.
All that remains is handstitching the final binding edge - about 8.5 metres. Tomorrow's task!
on reaching the home straight unexpectedly
Today it seems quite likely that I will complete the 'cubes' quilt within the exhibition submission deadline. I would not have believed this 4 days ago, but when I stopped this evening, I was well ahead of project schedule. Providing I can overcome the threadsnap issue in the morning, and I will, quilting should be done by midafternoon. That leaves just enough time for binding and hanging sleeve. It's been a mighty effort, and 3 things have made it possible:
1. great skills. Setting modesty aside, I have good technical competence, and don't waste any time fumbling.
2. quilting-friendly environment. The best husband in the world has made all the dinners and a heap of other good actions.
3. A champion! My dear friend Veronicah gave the gifts of time and belief.
1. great skills. Setting modesty aside, I have good technical competence, and don't waste any time fumbling.
2. quilting-friendly environment. The best husband in the world has made all the dinners and a heap of other good actions.
3. A champion! My dear friend Veronicah gave the gifts of time and belief.
Three quarters
A very quick update on progress completing my two Symposium exhibition entry quilts.
'Flag' is almost done, with three quarters of the binding handstitched down. The more I look at it, the more I like it. It may be my favourite ever. It's certainly the foundation piece for a series in the flag format. The final title is still to come, the perfect phrase uniting the ideas of fertility and absence may arrive in a dream.
'Cubes' is also at a 'three-quarters' milestone- that's how much of the background quilting is done. This is radiating straight lines, I am very pleased with how it looks. There a still an unknown number of cube motifs to quilt...but at least te design for them is figured out. The title came to me during this morning's walk 'Comsentience at Waypoint42' a reference to my recent birthday, and an homage to one of my favourite science fiction writers, Frank Herbert.
'Flag' is almost done, with three quarters of the binding handstitched down. The more I look at it, the more I like it. It may be my favourite ever. It's certainly the foundation piece for a series in the flag format. The final title is still to come, the perfect phrase uniting the ideas of fertility and absence may arrive in a dream.
'Cubes' is also at a 'three-quarters' milestone- that's how much of the background quilting is done. This is radiating straight lines, I am very pleased with how it looks. There a still an unknown number of cube motifs to quilt...but at least te design for them is figured out. The title came to me during this morning's walk 'Comsentience at Waypoint42' a reference to my recent birthday, and an homage to one of my favourite science fiction writers, Frank Herbert.
and now, for a complete change of pace. Overdrive!
Suddenly realised the deadline for entries in the Queenstown quilt Symposium is January 14th. Since I'm going back to work on the 10th, that's the real deadline. The entry needs photographs, which require natural lighting, which means the photo session will have to be on Sunday 9th.
One entry is complete, another is at the stage of handstitching the binding. No worries. The 3rd is 'Floating Cubes'. It's a very generous queensize. A dear friend's help and encouragement gained me a whole day, and quilting is well under way. But it's still a big job for 5 days. Good thing I love it! So
there might not be any more posts until those entry forms are in the post
One entry is complete, another is at the stage of handstitching the binding. No worries. The 3rd is 'Floating Cubes'. It's a very generous queensize. A dear friend's help and encouragement gained me a whole day, and quilting is well under way. But it's still a big job for 5 days. Good thing I love it! So
there might not be any more posts until those entry forms are in the post
Passion vs. maintenance
The word for today was 'maintenance' in the sense of all the things I do, or might do, that are *not* my passion. For example: singing the music of JS Bach is one of my passions, whereas vacuuming the house is not. Stitching an original art quilt? Passion. Cooking dinner, not. And yet, some maintenance must be done. Either I do it myself, or charm/coerce/pay someone else to do it on my behalf. Or decide it need not be done at all.
Yesterday I wrote about the need to make my original art quilts - a passion - my first priority. This is still true. But I wonder how much of my time should be given over to maintenance. How much maintenance did Picasso and O'Keeffe do? Going-to-work is maintenance. So is exercise. Maybe an answer is to do the maintenance with great passion too.
Yesterday I wrote about the need to make my original art quilts - a passion - my first priority. This is still true. But I wonder how much of my time should be given over to maintenance. How much maintenance did Picasso and O'Keeffe do? Going-to-work is maintenance. So is exercise. Maybe an answer is to do the maintenance with great passion too.
There are heaps of great quilts in my sketchbook...
....but for all of them to come into material existence before the entropy death of the universe, some things must change. Some of these changes are relatively easy, or at least, relatively obvious. Skills acquisition is one major area. For example, several of the ideas really want custom-dyed fabric. I'm not yet confident enough of my abilities in this area, but I also doubt that what the quilt wants is out there waiting for me to buy.
Another significant change needed is to STOP some kinds of quilting. There are works I make purely because I can do so comfortably, or because I already have the fabric, or because I'm copying someone I want to be like. These aren't bad reasons in themselves, but it dilutes the 'real' works.
Lastly, and most difficult, to make my own original work the first priority use of my time. Picasso did that. Georgia O'Keeffe did it too. I don't see myself as possessing talent on their level, but until I make that change, I'm not making the best of the talents I do have.
Another significant change needed is to STOP some kinds of quilting. There are works I make purely because I can do so comfortably, or because I already have the fabric, or because I'm copying someone I want to be like. These aren't bad reasons in themselves, but it dilutes the 'real' works.
Lastly, and most difficult, to make my own original work the first priority use of my time. Picasso did that. Georgia O'Keeffe did it too. I don't see myself as possessing talent on their level, but until I make that change, I'm not making the best of the talents I do have.
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