Past and Present

Well folks, I am not in quarantine, definition:  

1. a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.

   "many animals die in quarantine"

   
   

But my lifestyle has been somewhat crimped forcing me to invent things to do around here.      

I should be in Cape Girardeau, MO right now at my sister's house and heading to the AQS show in Paducah, KY.  The show is thankfully rescheduled for September.

One thing I had on my list of things to do is to start an Etsy site and sell some of my quilts.  (photos above). These are former show quilts and are kept stored away.   My tastes have changed over the years, but I did absolutely love these colors and fabrics and traditional quilt blocks adding my own appliqué. 

But now looking at them again, I really don't want to part with them. It's not the money I'm after, just feel the need to downsize my collection.  

So, I think I'll just X that off my list. 

Another item on that list was to shorten some drapery side panels hanging in my spare bedroom.  When I actually looked at that job:  off the list too.  There is nothing worse than working with sheer gauzy fabric. Let them "puddle" on the floor.

I did design and start a new quilt project, pulling fabrics from my stash.  It requires lots of bias stems and since I don't have a bias tape maker, I made my own. I wanted them to be 1/8" in width, very narrow!  So, I made 1/4" bias tape, then folded that in half and used Sharon Schamber's glue tips to fuse into 1/8" strips.  I used the same glue to anchor them in place on the background fabric before appliqué stitching.  It has worked like a charm.

I have also started doing some needlepoint which I had given up years ago.  I needed a basket of some sort for my threads and found a pattern I  purchased long ago.  Fun project, except for the 20 steps involved.  And that extra firm Pellon interfacing is a bear to work with. 

Finally, my new kitty Birch is always interested in everything I do.  He loves packing tape, Cheetos, peanuts and of course, fabric. 

1. 
   

Birdsurround us

You read that title correctly. "Birdsurround" is not a word, but it is the title of my quilt in progress. And a clue to what these blocks are all about.  

My original idea for this quilt was to create bird mandalas (me and my circles again).  I started with the chickadee block and when I pinned the birds in a circle around a center motif, I noted what I thought to be an optical illusion.  Huh.  Neat.  OK, I went with that and just kept creating new bird blocks. 

But my sister Ellen correctly noted that they are really kaleidoscope depictions.  Exactly!  

Whatever they are, I'm having fun with this quilt.  There will be 9 blocks, set on point with sashing and appliqué of some kind in the borders.  

Some birds are still pinned in place as I may change them, some are stitched. Can you identify the birds? 

Quilt show

When I see a blogger's post saying "I haven't posted in a while" I am not interested in this fact, or the reason.  Just tell me what you want to say today.....

And this is my news for you today:

Last week, I had the pleasure of judging the 2019 Ladies of the Lake quilt show in Minocqua, WI.  There were many beautiful works of art to view and judge, not an easy task, but it was exciting and enjoyable.  

My Judge's Choice award was presented to my favorite quilt, not based on technique or anything else, just the one I liked the best.  

The ribbon went to "Chocolate Box" made by Sarah Bruso and machine quilted by Lisa Arndt. 

Here is a photo of me with this gorgeous quilt:  (shown here with permission)

That's all for now folks, short and simple.  I will post again with an update about my newest work in progress, it has to be "blog worthy" first.  

Happy Summer!

Gardens of Rock

This is one of my favorite but under recognized quilts.  I've shown it a number of times, but it has won few awards.  I don't think the judges quite "get" my idea here, or my inspiration.  

My workmanship is superb as is the machine quilting done by Ann Becker.  

Each block is a nature of garden interpretation of a favorite rock song or artist, thus the title Gardens of Rock (a play on rock gardens).  Are you with me so far?  The black circle backgrounds represent a vinyl record, the diamond circle border around each record depicts a diamond needle used to play the record.  That's it.  Very simple.  

I made a playlist of the songs and have copied it below.  

Rock On!

Gardens of Rock

93" x 93"

Playlist:  

https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/gardens-of-rock/pl.u-leyllRYu6LGvG

Neutral territory

In 2018, besides Greens of June, I made 5 other "non-show" quilts -  4 bed quilts and one wall hanging  Now it's back to my work on a new show quilt inspired by this photo of a cathedral in Penn Quarter, Washington DC.  Katy and I visited last June and she snapped this picture upon my command:  "Hold it!  There's a quilt here!!"

Cathedral at Penn Quarter

Here's a pic of the very center of my new design.  I have a long way to go, but you may see where I'm going with this.  It won't look anything like a cathedral. Well.... maybe.

Center Block

I was struck by the dimensional appliqué details of the cathedral, and also the gorgeous neutral stone colors. 

Here are photos of three of my recent quilts, also done in neutral tones:

December

Gossamer

Moonlight Migration

For more info about these quilts, you can search my blog.  Have a nice neutral day!

Quilt judging seminar

Quilting friends!  

Would anyone be interested in attending the NACQJ quilt judging seminar?  

If there are enough interested quilters, Maribeth Schmidt would teach the class in Wisconsin, location to be determined.  

I am planning to take this course, hopefully somewhere nearby. 

Let me know!  Here is the info:

INTRODUCTION TO QUILT JUDGING

The 2-day Introduction to Quilt Judging class was developed for the National Quilting Association over 30 years ago, and until recently was only taught at their national show.  In 2014, the Board approved a small group of Certified Judges to teach this class locally.  All local classes follow the same outline as the original class, allowing for differences in teaching styles and presentation.

Since the demise of the NQA, the Certified Judges have set up an independent organization to continue the tradition of certifying and teaching students to become effective quilt judges.  We are now the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges, www.nacqj.com. 

The class is 12 – 13 hours in length, involving two full days of instruction through lectures, visuals, and hand’s on judging for the students.  Student participation is a requirement.  Students will be asked to bring 3-5 quilts to be used in sample judging experiences, and will receive a notebook of information on all areas covered.  

The class fee is $210.  On occasion, an additional fee of $15 must be charged to cover the notebook and handouts.

This class is a wonderful opportunity for:

·     Quilters who want to improve their skills

·     Quilters who are intrigued by the judging process

·     Quilters who may want to become quilt show judges

·     Show organizers who are in charge of the judging process

This class does not guarantee national judging certification, but with theexperience gained during these two days, plus the notebook of helpful information forfuture reference and study, interested quilters will have an excellent foundation forenteringthe certification process, and/or conducting highly successful quiltshows.

INTRODUCTION TO QUILT JUDGING

Lorraine Covington will be offering this class in Clemmons, NC. She needs a minimum of 4 students, and classes will not be larger than 8 students.  The dates are flexible.  If you have a few friends who would like to take this class with you, please contact Lorraine with your preferred dates, and an additional class can be added.

 Suggested dates for 2018:

            March 19 & 20, Monday and Tuesday

            May 4 & 5, Friday and Saturday

            August 10 and 11, Friday and Saturday

            September 10 and 11, Monday and Tuesday

Classes will start at 9 a.m. and end by 4:30 p.m. with 30 minutes for lunch.  Class times can be adjusted depending on drive times for students.

Class fees are set by the National Association of Quilt Judges at $210 per student.  This will include your 90-page notebook, and a copy of the NQA Guide to Judged Quilt Shows.

A non-refundable deposit of $50 should be mailed to Lorraine with the enclosed registration form filled out, after you have emailed or called her to hold your spot in the class of your choice.  Deposits can be transferred if you have to cancel your attendance.

Please contact Lorraine with any questions about the class or about the dates:

Lorraine Covington

1940 Dunmore Ln.

Clemmons 27012

336-766-7191

lorrainequilts@cs.com

Students will need to bring to class:

·      Balance of class fee

·      3-5 quilts/wallhangings to be included in mock judging exercises.  For the judging we need pieces with mistakes, issues, flaws, problems, etc. J  We will be kind so don’t be embarrassed – this is a safe learning environment!  If you want, you can add your BOS to the pile – all pieces will be welcomed.  If you cannot bring any pieces, Lorraine has plenty!

·      If you have any samples of surface design techniques, bring those too.  These can include single layer examples of foiling, stamping, Angelina, burning, etc. – anything you made in a class or while just playing around.  These do not need to be quilted and finished.

·      A cushion for your folding chair

·      Lunch and your favorite coffee pod(s) or beverage

·      Any questions you have built up thru the years on what the judges were doing.

Provided by Lorraine:

          Coffee, & tea – hot and cold, sweet and unsweet

          Snacks – sweet, salty, and protein

          Notebook of judging information with extra note paper and a pencil for notetaking

          My kitchen is yours while you are here so feel free to cook/heat-up/chill/freeze…..

REGISTRATION FORM

Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Mailing address: _______________________________________________________________

City, state & zip code: __________________________________________________________

Home phone: __________________________ Cell Phone: _____________________________

Email address: _________________________________________________________________

Class dates: ___________________________________________________________________

Where did you hear about this class?_______________________________________________

Please mail to:  Lorraine Covington

                          1940 Dunmore Lane

                          Clemmons NC 27012

Deposit received: __________________________ Balance received: ____________________

A feast for the eyes!

I wanted to share the 2018 winning quilts from the IQA show in Houston, TX:

http://quilts.com/fqf18/iqawinners/list.html

Asheville, NC quilt show

I thought I'd share photos of my quilts at the Asheville, NC quilt show this past weekend. Both won Honorable Mention ribbons.  Wonderful!  

Ann Becker (who lives in North Carolina) is posing in the photos.  She machine quilted Gardens of Rock, absolutely gorgeous work. (A full photo with description of my inspiration follows).  We collaborated on Greens of June:  I designed the quilt and did the machine appliqué, she did the machine quilting.  This was the first showing of Greens of June.

 Gardens of Rock

 Greens of June

close up

Greens of June 

Gardens of Rock

Full photo

Each block was inspired by a favorite rock song or artist and done in a "garden" theme.  Here they are, starting at top left:

Songbird  - Fleetwood Mac

4 songs -    Van Morrison

I am a Rock - Simon and Garfunkle

Harvest Moon - Neil Young

Colours  - Donovan

Forever Young - The Band

San Francisco -  Scott McKenzie

Turn, Turn, Turn - The Byrds

Learn to be Still - The Eagles. 

Progress

Hello quilting friends,

When I meet someone I haven't seen in a while, I am always asked: "So, are you still quilting?"  and "What are you working on?" 

Yes, I have been quilting, sewing and knitting non-stop and have just finished several big projects, all for my daughter and grandkids.

First project which I started in January,  a king size quilt for mom and dad's bed.  A replica of an antique quilt, traditional LeMoyne star pattern, lovingly named The Behemoth.  The largest quilt I've ever made at 108" x 108"  and machine quilted by Ann Becker.

                                               The Behemoth, show off by Woody


Then two twin size quilts for Woody's new big boy room.  These were fun and easy to do, using lots of different blue print fabrics.  My daughter wanted random placement of the blocks.  I quilted these myself, a challenge as I haven't machine quilted in a while using stitch-in-the ditch and straight line echo quilting. 

And in addition to these quilts, I knit a stuffed bunny and a baby blanket (more like a rug) for my new granddaughter, June.  (No pics - darn), and stitched up several tablecloths and pillows, also for my daughter's home. She was "nesting" before the baby was born, getting all her home projects done.  

Now it's back to other works.  "Greens of June" is on Ann Becker's quilt frame, ready to get finished.  Here's a picture before I added borders:

                                                                   
New quilt designs are in my head, time to get at them! 

As always:  Happy Quilting!

All is new

It's a New Year, yes that's all we hear about right now, but still January 1 is a milestone.  It's time to refresh and renew. It's also time to share some of the projects  I've been working on and new projects in store.

Each year, I use a favorite quilt as my Christmas card photo.  I especially like the results I had using simplytoimpress.com to print my cards last year (odd to say last year already).  I used my most recent quilt "Blossoms in Wool" a collaborative quilt I did with Ann Becker.  

Another project completed:  a table mat done in wool, appliquéd by machine with hand embroidery.  Pattern by https://cranedesignbyjanmott.blogspot.com

And what do I have up next:  

My daughter Carla asked me to make this quilt for their king sized bed.  She found a photo of a vintage quilt and I created the design using my EQ7 program. Eight point stars, not the easiest pieced block in the world, but hey!  I can appliqué all those stars!  I will definitely pre-wash the red fabric using Synthrapol to set the color.  

And after this quilt is finished, she has ordered new quilts for Woody's new big boy room, a family room quilt and of course a quilt for the Woody's new baby sister who will be born in May.   

This should keep me occupied during the long Northwood's winter.

I'm planning on entering 'Blossoms in Wool' in the 2018 IQA show in Houston, Texas and the Fall Paducah, Kentucky show.  

Oh, and as far as my New Year's resolutions, I gave up trying to write them and decided to revisit this quote and leave it at that:  

New Quilt/New Venture

Untitled 

My newest quilt, yet to be named arrived yesterday from machine quilter Ann Becker, Always in Stitches.  It is always exciting to unpack that box and see what beauty lies within.  And no exception with this quilt.  Ann's quilting is amazing.  This photo is just a sneak peek.  The binding needs to be sewn, a sleeve and label added, good photos need to be taken once hanging.

I am also announcing a new venture in my quilt world.  That is, Ann and I have decided to collaborate on quilts.  This will be a new "learn as you go" venture for both of us, or should I say adventure?  

More and more show quilts are entered as a collaborative effort. I will continue to design and construct the quilt top and Ann will design and machine quilt the quilt, same as we have done in the past but now both our names will be listed as entrants at shows.  

It always seemed to me that this is the way it should be.  Quilting is such a huge part of a quilt especially in today's competitive arena.  Why shouldn't the quilter be considered an equal partner?

June weather is unpredictable here in northern Wisconsin, but there have been many beautiful days and then I'm outside working on my gardens or reading a book in the sun. But I'm hoping for some rainy days so I can get into my sewing room and get to work. 

Lake view of my home on Echo Lake

Beaded Blocks

Thought I would share photos of  my current quilt project.  I've added some accent beading, nothing too elaborate, just a little extra interest.  Check out my last blog post to see the layout. 

Now it's on to the borders.  

Oh, and Leo just enjoyed watching me work so much yesterday, he dozed off.  

Spring Quilt Week Paducah

Happy

This time of year, a quilter's thoughts turn to spring and for me, spring is all about Quilt Week in Paducah, Kentucky.  An annual tradition for the past 14 years, I enter the show and spend the week at my sister's home in Cape Girardeau, MO.  We attend the show together and just have a great time.  

I'm happy to announce that my quilt Happy has been juried into the show this year as well

another of my quilts A Few of My Favorite Things. 

                                

A Few of My Favorite Things

The competition is fierce in this international show, it's not that easy to be chosen as a finalist and even harder to win a ribbon.  I love seeing my quilts at the show among all that talent whether I win or not.  

And this year, another of my quilts Moonlight Migration will be on exhibit at the National Quilt museum in Paducah as part of their New Quilts From an Old Favorite challenge.  I'll attend a book signing on Friday, April 28th; I wrote a chapter about my quilt for the annual book published by AQS.

Moonlight Migration

So that's the latest news from Jane's Quilt World.

What am I working on now?  A smaller wall hanging, done in wool appliqué on cotton backgrounds using my raw edge machine appliqué technique to stitch the motifs.  Some of these blocks were adapted from my Flower Power quilt and others were newly designed.   
I love the results. All the blocks are stitched but not pieced yet and I'm in the process of adding some hand beading. Of course, there will be borders to design and appliqué.  

Happy Spring and Quilt Week!!

 

 What I'm working on now