More projects moving along

 Citrus (the colours have dictated what I've been calling it) is now hanging up in my office at work.  It's a nice, bright contrast to the dreary days to come and takes the place of a lovely watercolour of a stone farmhouse in winter.  Just the sort of house I'd love to live in, but as I'll be seeing more than enough snow up close and personal, I could use some contrast.

It's quite different from other things I've made and I didn't even mind all the fussing with the binding.

I'd mentioned the Through the Trees quilt from Kate Conklin.  Here are the blocks in the process of being all sewn up.  They are in a pile now, all sewn, just waiting to become a quilt.

One new thing and one old thing.  I'm going to try to complete one UFO for every new thing I take on.  The little Christmas throw is keeping my feet warm while I bind it.

 

 ...and the latest new thing.  Still just material, fresh out of the package from Flare Fabrics, but oh, so pretty and graphic and interesting.    It came so quickly (free shipping in Canada!) and they responded to a couple of special requests I made, so I'm a very happy customer.  

I know, I can't take a rotary cutter to them until a) Through the Trees is a quilt and b)I've finished ANOTHER UFO.  And maybe um...put a label of some sort on Citrus.  I should be writing this in a very small font as I know I'm going to hear about it when a certain someone reads this.  And rightly so.  I'm not great about labels. 

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.