Birch taking in the Spring air

Thanks for the warm welcome back. It's great to being doing creative things again. Of course, just as I get in the swing, the schools take a two-week break!

My classes were both fun. Didn't really learn anything from the scraping class, but didn't expect to either. That was more for getting me jump started, which it succeeded in quite nicely. The teacher provided all the pre-made booklet pieces with white paper (something I realized in class that I never use), one stamp and black ink, so it was more cut and paste, but I enjoyed arranging my photos in a pattern that amused me. As usual, I've not finished it. I'm not much of a class taker because I find I generally don't like following exact project directions and never seem to finish in the time allotted. Can't believe I'm the only one, but still, these are not a qualities I would emphasize in a job interview. Sorry for the low light on these photos - more rain!

I did have a moment of intense mortification during class. In my defense, I was set up. The teacher and I were chatting about how deeply ugly some things can turn out after you've expected and hoped they would be beautiful (Risa, I think you can guess what sparked the conversation by looking at these photos). We were trading stories on this topic for several minutes when a fellow student walked all the way across the room and shoved a photo in front of me. The afternoon sun was shining in behind me and I could barely read the image, but I knew it when I saw it and promptly said, "Yeah, that's surely fugly too!" To which she said, "That's my award winning jacket - I got the blue ribbon at the state fair for that!" What can I say? Just imagine Collinette's entire line of fibers in a pink, mint green and cream colorway crocheted into a Grand Ol' Opery circa 1980 does Victorian Bordello jacket (with matching hat!). I try to save my sharp tongue for one-on-one exchanges because I really, truly do NOT like to hurt anyone's feelings about their creations. My take on any artistic creation is that if you enjoyed the process and like the results, more power to you. I may not like it, but the next person may. I can only hope for the same courtesy. But please, don't shove it in my face while I'm talking about fugly. I turned 10 shades of red.

The Kaffe Fassett color seminar the next day was very good. One of my local quilt stores has really embraced the "new" quilt style with lots of Free Spirit (e.g., Amy Butler) and Rowan/Westminster fabrics and inspiring samples all over the shop. The other student was a painter, so the three of us jumped right into Kaffe's books deconstructing his approach to combining colors. The last hour was spent collecting fabrics for a quilt of choice and discussing the fabrics with the instructor. Lots of fun.

I picked these fabrics on the right for A Few of My Favorite Things quilt. I like the fabric. I like the pattern. I didn't like them together.

Regrouped for Kaffe's Snowball quilt (that's his from "Museum Quilts" on the left). The teacher of my class has done a version that I love too. It's more interesting in person.

OK, may have stopped by the store again for a few more colors. Damn, that man is wicked evil!

Decided I needed more colors so I logged on to Glorious Color and added these:

This is going to be for our wall, so I want to sew it well. I know it's a lot of money spent on fabric, but I've convinced my DH that it's cheaper than buying art. But now the bar's been raised - I need to make Art. A warm up was required, and it never hurts to empty stash a little, so this is what I've been working on while Snowball percolates:

This pattern is called Turning Twenty because it uses just about every last inch of twenty fat quarters for the top. My oldest, for whom it's being made, helped me build the blocks and I let her choose the layout of all the squares. I think she did a great job! Much work was needed on my rusty sewing, but as it progressed I finally got consistent 1/4 inch seams. Trouble is that just one or two misshapen or missized blocks can throw off the entire joining process, so those early botches followed me the whole way through. Still, it's my best joining to date. That front right corner was stepped on by the dog while photographing this - it's not that wonky.

Because I'm perversely thrifty (when it suits me) I pieced the back from spare yardage and the scrappy bits left from cutting the fat quarters. At first I couldn't for the life of me get the quilt sandwich to be flat, then I actually looked at one of my books and learned to tape it to the floor. World of difference! I'm loving our floor tiles which make the perfect grid, though they're murder on the knees.

A lot of kneeling is required to create this sea of pins:

Planning to return to my bag making too. I never did show this large tote I made for Rhinebeck last fall. I adore the patterns and the velvet together and it holds the kitchen sink! I've got another in progress and will try to share that tutorial soon. These photos were taken at the old house, but the bag still looks great after lots of use.

Knitting? Where's the knitting? Isn't this a knitting blog? Okay Okay. I've been knitting too.

Sandra wrote me a nice little note about my Birch and I felt sooo guilty. Birch, once my passion, was tucked into the closet, bereft. So we renewed our vows and are a couple again, maybe not monogamous, but happy in our own little unconventional way. Here, in trying to photograph that Kidsilk beauty I got a little help from the breeze:

Like Marilyn over the grate, Birch kept showing off her beauty...

Look at that pattern! Look at those shadows! Ooh la la! I kept clicking ...

Thank goodness that a knitter's reflexes are like those of a mom and I caught it mid-air with nary a stitch out of place.

Comments

[Ruthanne (in Seattle)]

what a delight to see another post Nancy. . . you have been busy it seems to me. Birch is beautiful - the green is just lovely. Looking forward to more posts from you - the quilting is beautiful and your daughter did a grand job getting everything laid out!

[Jan]

Nancy, this post is just not fair. Too much to comment on!
The quilts...what a lovely, lovely selection of fabrics for the Snowball quilt. I can't imagine how that wouldn't be a work of art when it's finished. The Turning Twenty quilt is going to be wonderful. How nice that your daughter was interested enough to help out.
The bag...that fabric in that particular colorway has caught my attention numerous times. I'm afraid now that I've seen your bag, resistance is futile. Gorgeous tote!
Lovely color on the Birch.

[erin]

The colours in turning 20 are so pretty and happy. Patchworking is such meticulous work, it must require a lot of patience. Thanks for the inspiration, I will try it someday. And I love the rich browns in your lovley tote too.

[JessaLu]

Birch looks beautiful and I can't wait to see the bag tutorial!

[SpiderWomanKnits]

Thanks for the color inspiration. Your quilts are beautiful :-)

[juliet]

Gorgeous!!! I love your potential quilts. As for the fugly comments - ieeeeeeee I have been there, but I justify putting my foot in my mouth by saying I have made my share of fuglies, although I hopefully have learnt in the process. Actually what is worse than plain old fuglies are the Twuglies - the twee sort of uglies that postmenopausal women make to so they look like Bo-Peep or similar, I mean eh???? (Perhaps that was a foot in the mouth moment and you are sitting there in a new tie-dyed wimple and matching bustle, although I think not) or even worse are the sort of things some people knit and then put small defenceless children into - yikes. See - once you work up into a sweat about fuglies it cannot be stopped in a hurry, or even deviated from its course by someone showing you a photo of their prize knit, the woman was wrong, WRONG to show you her picky at the worst possible moment - there is no way you can switch from fugly without warning. Still at least her project is no longer a smugly (an ugly thing knitted by a smug person).

[--Deb]

The quilts look lovely (and, oh, I hate having to pin/baste them together, too . . . which probably explains the number of years since my last quilt). And your "fugly" story was funny . . . she really should have known better!

[PJ]

Oh, this post just warmed my heart because it has everything I love! From piecing to colors, great fabric to beautiful lace, and a great bag! Yummy stuff!

[Terry]

You just have a really nice sense of color - your quilt fabrics choices are wonderful. You do have a very valid argument that a quilt may be cheaper than art but in reality, it's priceless b/c it's yours and you made it.

We all "put our feet in our mouths" sometimes but there are those who should not butt (thereby making things worse. Glad you're enjoying your new "resurgence"

[Vicki]

The fabrics you chose for the quilt are absolutely beautiful - draped over the table they already look like art to me so I have no doubt the finished product will be incredible. The "turning twenty" is also beautiful... The bag is gorgeous...and birch. Geez...I'm feeling pretty incompetent at the moment to be honest!!

[Jeanne]

Happy sigh!

This is the next-best-thing to wandering around in a fabric and yarn shop -- lovely. Thanks!

[Donna]

You have such great projects! I love the color of your birch! I too need to pull mine out of the piles and get working!

[Claudia]

Your quilt projects are wonderful and I love this bag in your kitchen!
It's great that you're back on your Blog, thanks for your inspiration!
Greetings from the sunny Munich!

[Christina]

I love that picture of Birch. The color is gorgeous.

[Kate]

You know, the back of your quilt is nice enough to serve as a second front! 2 for the price of one.

[brooke]

So many lovely things!

[Kristin]

Wow! I just found your blog. You are inspiring.

[Marie]

You're amazing! Quilting, bag-making, and knitting (birch, no less!)! I'm in awe. I'm just starting to dip a toe into quilting and your post has been very inspirational (as well as making me feel better about buying more fabric :) ). The Turning Twnety Quilt is beautiful. Certainly a work of art.

[knit and purl grrl]

You are amazingly talented -- I hope you know that! Birch is absolutely lovely. I adore the bag, too -- would love to make one if I can figure out how to use my sewing machine! And the quilts -- oh my -- I can only dream! (And I will not even attempt them because the last thing I need is another hobby!).

Love your little scrap book. We did one at a recent conference that was all about inspiration. I like yours better. :)

Remind me again of what camera you use???
xxooxox
Lain

[kelli ann]

gorgeous, gorgeous all! and a fount of inspiration...

[Teresa C]

Wow! Not blogging sort of suits you, you are getting a lot done! What color is your Birch? It looks eerily similar...

Are you going to quilt your quilt by hand or machine? Or tie it? I have only tied, and when I had a quilt sit around for a couple of years for my daughter to take to college, I finally just sent it off to be machine quilted. Well worth the money. I'll be looking forward to seeing what you do.

[Diane E.]

Just picked up more K. Fassett quarters for a new wall hanging. I could have spent an arm and a leg with all the spectacular prints! Finished Birch this winter. I was so delighted with it I draped it around the house for weeks. Love your photos!