Ocean Effect Quilted

 

Ocean Effect is all quilted now. This is not exactly how the finished quilt will look, the edges are only folded under and pinned for the photo. I am glad that the angle didn't end up on in the corner, that was my plan and I'm glad it worked.Now to work on adding the other parts of the design.

Veering Off

As expected, the remainder of the quilting for Ocean Effect has veered off from horizontal or vertical or the established 45° angle. This was one of the things I was noticing in the Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park series. There always was a "reason" for any non-vertical or horizontal lines, in this case it's my green rectangle. Just like you can see on the surface of the ocean if there's a big enough rock underneath, a way of acknowledging the volume of something that takes up space.

  I marked out a lot more of these lines but haven't stitched them yet.

I think I'm going to stick with the very light green thread that I've been using. It's subtle enough that it's not fighting with the background fabric. 

Possibly Ocean Effect

 

The pin basting for the quilt in process that I'm working on had to happen before I did much more walking foot quilting. 

My trusty Parmesan cheese container of safety pins came out. This is such a tightly woven cotton, they had a little trouble getting through the fabric. Or maybe the safety pins need sharpening? Is that even a thing?

As promised I veered off from horizontal, using the corner of the green rectangle as my starting point.

I have postponed the decisions on the sheer fabric until tomorrow.

And then I went vertical for the section in the right hand upper side. So far so good.

I think the possible (maybe probable) name of this quilt is now: Ocean Effect.

Continuing the New One

I'm starting out the quilting/construction of this new quilt from the bottom up. There are two lightweight upholstery pieces (thank you FabMo), that are getting stitched down with fairly close lines of stitching. I chose a very light green rayon thread. I like how it pretty much disappears, reminds me of some of the Agnes Martin paintings I've enjoyed seeing at at SF MOMA. That works for me, as I wanted this piece to be a combination of things that I've learned from modern artists.

 After a couple lines stitched, I remembered to put my walking foot on, and that was working better. Stitching through upholstery stuff onto a finely woven cotton is a challenge, but I tried to take it slow at the transition point. I put on a good audio book (Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson) and my headphones and got the entire bottom section all quilted.

The last thing to add is the sheer, but I have to decide several things.

1. How to attach it, just at the top and leave the other 3 sides loose?
2. If I attach all four sides, whether to quilt on top of the sheer or not? 
3. If quilting it, change thread color and go with horizontal lines of stitching?
4. Do I keep the folded up (and thus darker) part at the bottom or not. If so, how to make the curve stay? (because I Really Like that curve). Maybe the stitching in the sheer could echo the curve?

I pinned up the gold part just temporarily to make sure it will still work in the composition. I am really glad I chose this hand-dyed piece for the background. It's an old one from back when I was first learning dyeing.

 I think I'll continue the walking foot lines of quilting, but probably will switch up either the thread color and/or the direction or spacing of the lines.

Still thinking up a title.

Starting A New One

 

I started out on making a new quilt for the BAMQ display at the San Mateo County Fair by piecing together the backing out of some FQs that I know I'll never use and a few scraps. I also pieced the batting too. Approaching the quilt making endeavor by fooling around with the basically non-creative part of the process is sometimes how I actually manage to get myself going. The title of our display is From Modern Art to Modern Quilt. We are using the inspiration of modern art to inspire us to make a modern quilt. I don't think the quilt I'm making is strictly a "modern quilt", but hopefully that's okay.

I've decided to try and do a quilt that is inspired by the works of California painter, Richard Diebenkorn, specifically his Ocean Park series. I first did a sketch to work from, 

And now I've started choosing and cutting some of the fabrics that I'll be using.Mostly using my own hand-dyed cottons, along with several layers of sheers. Still casting about for a title.

Earthset via Artemis II

An Earthset, captured by the Artemis II crew from the Orion Integrity spacecraft during Monday’s flyby. Photo credit-NASA

Credit...I am deeply, powerfully moved by this image, shared from the crew of Artemis II just before they lost  communications while passing around the Moon's dark side. Earth Day came a little early this year.

The crew members observed a solar eclipse as they emerged from the other side of the moon.Credit...NASA

This solar eclipse picture is almost too much to comprehend really. That's the Moon blocking out the Sun in a way that we never get to experience on Earth. And yes, they still had to wear their cardboard eclipse glasses!

But to me, even more important, is what one of the astronauts said in their first words sent back to Houston Control when they regained communications with Houston Control:

 "We will always choose Earth," Christina Koch, a mission specialist on Artemis II, said once the crew members regained communications. "We will always choose each other."

Could there be a greater, more cosmically measured distance between those beautiful, inspiring words of humanity than those offered up almost simultaneously by our deranged madman president threatening that "a whole civilization will die tonight"? Here's hoping...and all prayers and good thoughts offered up that the Earth that the Artemis II crew eventually returns to does not include the aftermath of such a catastrophic event.

Flowers for Monday

 

I got my Covid booster shot today, and then went to the gym, so no sewing today. But I spent some time in the garden this morning. The very out of hand Wisteria is blooming so nicely it's hard to be mad about it.

The old reliable Peace Rose bush is blooming like crazy. All the remaining pictures are of different roses on the one bush.

Seems like a good time for a bunch of Peace to break out and show itself once again.

I love the variation in each flower's colors. 

And the colors change as they age too.

And one last super yellow one.

More Mosaic

During Sew Day, I made some more blocks for my 1-2-3 Mosaic class project. I think it's heading towards being a table runner size project.

We got to have a little on-site field trip break to see inside the sanctuary at the church that we hold our Sew Days. The beautiful display of rainbow origami butterflies was being hung up.

And our guild member, Mary C. made this gorgeous banner that hangs in the entryway. 

Kawandi Finish

 

Since I got back from LA, I've been continuing to stitch the kawandii quilt. My goal was to finish in time for the BAMGQ UFO Challenge which is due on our Sew Day (which is today).

As I got closer and closer to the center I had to finalize it, added two last pieces into the mix, right before the stitching reached that area of the quilt.

I found the stitching got harder and harder to do as I got into the center. 

The pieces got smaller so there were a lot more edges to contend with and that meant more layers of silk to stitch through.

It has been a fun and challenging project and I’ve really enjoyed learning a new way to make a quilt. I started working on this project in a SBMQG class with Sujata Shah back in 2021

Here it is, all finished! 

I ended my last stitching line with an X just because, "x marks the spot" has always made sense to me.

The corners got a little ravel-y, but they're still looking nice. As Sujata said in class, "the Kawandi looks "naked" without a fula in each of the four corners."

And that's #2 on my BAMQ UFO Challenge list completed just in time to show at Sew Day.

Creative Play 2 Done

Back to work on the Creative Play piece I was working on. I left the next step all set up for myself on my worktable. This is the second one that I've gotten to work on, I think there's only two going, but maybe not.

So I got this finished up in time to pass it on to someone else at Sew Day on Saturday. Can't wait to see how it all turns out in the end.

April To-Do

Here's how my design wall is looking at the beginning of April. The Patchwork Palooza quilt top is folded over on itself on the left. Snake in the Garden is up so I can see how much more stitching I need to do. The blocks I've made so far for the BAMQ BOM is the middle. The second BAMQ Creative Play piece is done. And the small blocks from the Mosaic Improv class are on the right.

Note: the use of 🥏👽  by a project name indicates that it's on the 2026 UFO Finishes challenge list of six projects that I committed to finishing at the beginning of the year (more on that list later). Note, this is not the same list as the UFO Challenge for BAMQ, that UFO will have this next to it on the list:🌀🌐

QUILTS

Design & Begin

Design and make a quilt for the BAMQ Challenge Modern Art to Modern Quilt display at the SMCF - No picture yet

Design and make a quilt for the BAMQ library display for The Wizard of Oz - No picture yet

Work on and finish my addition to the Creative Play for BAMQ before Sew Day so I can pass it on.

Pantone Project - work on an overall design, either in EQ8 or up on the design wall.

Lupine & Laughter Mystery Quilt - keep making units following the clue instructions

BAMQ BOM - make monthly blocks of varying sizes through the year.

Continue Assembly

Patchwork Palooza - Decide on borders, make backing & binding

Keep working on Sour Grass Grace from Jane Sassaman class.

Old Town Mystery Quilt - make a backing & binding, decide on whether to have it quilted

AG Stamp Quilt - continue to make more blocks using the final group of fussy-cut stamp block centers from Tula Pink fabrics.

Continue the piecing of Selvedge Candy (maybe the name) quilt originally designed for the 2025 MQG challenge.

🥏👽 Sew the last 6 columns and sashing together of the 2023  Temperature Quilt together to make the quilt top.

🥏👽 Bohemian Wife -  Sandwich this and start quilting it

                                      

Quilting

leaving this category right here so I don't forget to use it next time

Final Steps 

HANDWORK/BAG/CLOTHING PROJECTS 

Make a Cotton Candy pouch for myself.

Make a Charlie's Aunt wool purse for myself, first felt the wool from Pendleton Mill.

Toned-Down Circle Sampler - now that I have the appropriately sized grey background felt, arrange and appliqué the circles, start embroidering.

Y.E.S. Coat - continue making pieces/blocks. assemble on foundation, cut out lining pieces from the fabric that I dyed

Snake In The Garden - Finish hand stitching 🌀🌐

Kawandii - Finish hand stitching/assembly🌀🌐 trying to finish this by Sew Day as it's my #2 

Hey! This Is All Finished!

Nothing this time!

So...no actual finishing happened, after two months in a row. feels like I've lost a little finishing mojo, but I'm so close to moving several of these projects along in April.