The Abstract Expressionist quilt is done!

I'm very happy to say I have completed this quilt, hanging sleeve and all!  Feeback from my classmates felt really great, mostly because this was one talented group of women. 
I'm not happy because it's done, as I enjoyed every bit of making it.  I can highly recommend Dwayne Wanner's class as a wonderful source of inspiration.  I met some wonderful people and kick started myself back into sewing.  I'll get a better pic, but at least it shows it's done.

I thought I'd throw in a picture of the inspiration for my getting back on my quilting horse (how's that for mixed) after losing my quiting mojo...what?...3 or 3 1/2 years ago.  Can you blame a girl?  These pics of Dwayne's quilts were taken at the Halton Quilters' Guild show earlier this year.

Now that I'm back at it, I'm procrastinating as I type, on the quilting of a little Christmas throw I started....3+ years ago and over the weekend got all the blocks together for this lovely quilt, Through the Trees by the very talented Kate Conklin of Australia.  Normally, I don't use the same fabrics, but I saw the fabrics at Greenwood Quiltery before I saw the pattern and loved the whole thing together.  I'd post a pic of my blocks, but they're just...well, blocks, so far.  I'll get them together after doing that throw.  More machine quilting...Ugh!  I'm pretty lousy at it.

More inspiration came my way, however, in the form of Maggie Vanderweit at the One of a Kind Show on the weekend. (What a GREAT show!) I remember my guild hosted Maggie a few years ago when I was on the Programme Committee, so I had the chance to meet her and admired her work.  She was at the show, so we chatted for a bit and I remembered why I loved her work so much.  It has so many elements I relate to...and her machine quilting's fantastic!  I have her upcoming class schedule so I'll see if I can get up to her studio to take a class. We discussed how the only way to be an artist is to make art (I think I'm paraphrasing) but it's true, so....off I go upstairs to quilt now.

I'd love your feedback on my first effort in a few years!  If it hadn't been for the great suggestions of classmates, it wouldn't have turned out nearly as nicely as it has.  I love when people are generous with specific ideas.  It can be a brave thing to give honest criticism.

Binding

I'm pushing myself to have my Abstract Expressionist quilt bound for Show and Tell at the Oakville Quilters Guild meeting Thursday night.  As it's uneven all the way round (new for me), I'm not at all sure I'm doing the binding as well as I might, but as long as it holds together I'll count it as a success.  Above is a picture of it in progress during the second day of the workshop.  You can see how there are bits and pieces sticking out here and there.  I'm trying to maintain them. 

Accepted!

I'm very happy! The piece I submitted to the Greenwood Quiltery show (pic in my December 31st post) was accepted to the show. "Fusion", that starts March 4th! I'm really happy about it, as I've always loved the works that appear at the gallery.

I've also found a really cool website called Big Think, which is a website about ideas, dialogue and debate. Right now, there are 2,650 ideas on the site, according to the header. I think it's a site I could get lost in.

Alex got his braces off today, and his teeth look great! Almost $6,000 well spent. I have to tell myself that or I'll cry. I didn't realize he had the night off work, or I would have bought corn on the cob for him, because he loves it so much. I think I'll get some tomorrow as a treat (ha! corn as a treat!! I fugured by now an entire bar of McIntosh's Toffee would be gone, but I don't think he's had anything unusual to eat today).

Taking the Plunge

I've been working on getting myself motivated to take decent pictures of my Eggplant #1
piece for about a month now. Taking the pictures means having taken a step toward commitment. I'm concerned I wont do it properly, or perfectly, but I need to just step up and do it. What's the big deal about taking some pictures? I'm planning on sending them to a gallery as an entry for a show in early 2008. This would be a first for me.
I've spent a good deal of today cleaning up - both physically and metaphorically. The clothes I've been carrying around in my car, along with some Alex had outgrown (had he even worn them?? They look new), are now in the Salvation Army depot by our house, the basement is vacuumed (now THAT's an achievement), the pictures are now taken, (55, edited down to 6) with thanks to Donna Funnell of my quilt guild for photography hints, and I've been finishing off some, but not all of the many things that need to get finished off.
Out to dinner tonight with a friend I've known since kindergarten and her significant other, who I've also known since public school.
Happy New Year to one and all!