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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Finding my voice

The Project Modern Challenge this quarter is "find your voice". Since this is something I've been wanting to do for a long time, I thought I'd give the competition a go. I'm now 2 weeks from the deadline and though I have a ton of sketched ideas for it, I hadn't actually started sewing. My friend, Latifah, came over a few weeks ago and helped me to wrap my head around how I could try to get some of my favorite curved shapes worked out in pieced fabric. She shared with me her copy of Dale Fleming's book "Pieced Curves So Simple" (liked it so much I bought my own copy).
I finally had my kitchen (kind of) unpacked enough last night that I felt able to pull out fabric and attempt a little piecing of curves.
And here's what I got! I'm pretty excited, because I held it up to one of my oversized collages and it was totally "me", it looks like all my doodles and collages... I think I'm on my way....

Almost done

When I finish the final 1 foot of binding on this puppy, I'll take a photo in color and share this project with you. I've been working on it for about 4 months. It's taken so long because I decided to hand quilt it! It was totally unnecessary for the design of this particular quilt, but I'd just heard a presentation on hand quilting and wanted to give it a try. So now it's almost done and ready to give to a special pal of mine.
The problem is that the kitchen remodel and an unexpected second foster child's arrival this week has set me back so far. I'm actually late in my quilting bee for the first time in 18 months and haven't gotten my machine out in weeks. (sigh, I feel like I'm missing an arm).
Anyhow, maybe today it will get done. Last night, I brought it to the LAMQG meeting to try and multi-task, but I had to bring the little Princess (our new 4yo foster placement) with me, because she was afraid of being left with the babysitter. Halfway through the meeting, she got really sad and started missing her mommy. Then she started crying in the middle of the talk and we had to sneak out the back... What I heard of the talk was great, it was Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle via skype! Very inspiring. And I can't believe they are in Oak Park, Illinois, my favorite hometown. I had no inclination to quilt while I lived there 2001-2005, but had I, I would have been able to connect with them. Oh snap.
Now I'm gonna see if Baby will nap and Princess will play just long enough for me to make a few complete stitches. Then I'll snap a color pic. :)
This one was taken at the park the other day while the kids played in the splash pad as I watched, sewing on the sidelines.