First, Second, Third...

First off, a heartfelt "Thank You!" to everyone. I deeply appreciate the wonderful comments and the positive feedback/support for my "Work Quilt", shown in the post below. You guys rock!

Second, the picture up top is of some beautiful Dupioni silks that I have been hoarding for who knows how long... I think it is time to use them!

Third, I am going on a Holiday vacation from blog posting... just for a bit... (will be back sometime in January). You see, Christmas is coming, the house is a mess, I have lots and lots of sewing I wish to do, and Eldest Daughter is coming home from her semester abroad in ONE WEEK!!!! WhooHoo! I can hardly wait, I miss her so!!! (Last week found her in Paris and this week finds her in Spain... oh, to be young and able to roam!) I am on pins and needles, just waiting to scoop her up and hug her tight, and to hear all about her adventures!

Happy Holidays to Everyone!!!

Work Quilt - Finished Photos

Early this morning the sun played a little game of peek-a-boo, before deciding to hide once again behind dark ominous clouds. It was just enough light to get these shots...


I know to some, this quilt may look like a lot of random patches just thrown on and sewn down, a bit of cloth chaos. However, each patch of fabric and every stitch was placed with a lot of thought and intention.


The oddness of it was intentional as my muse were the heavily patched work quilts from long ago, where scrap patches were placed wherever the hole was, and stitching was simple but often varied and sometimes a bit quirky.


I find myself becoming increasingly drawn to those old patched textiles. Maybe it's my age, for as I grow older I am starting to feel worn in some places, and with each new phase of life I feel a bit more patched and mended, (teenagers will do that to you) and layered with memories and stories but with a lot of life and purpose left in me... Just like those old quilts. I think there is an inherent beauty to that and I am looking towards exploring it and expressing it in my work during this upcoming new year. This quilt is the first step on that path.


Thanks to everyone for the positive feedback you have given me on this piece during its construction. I hope the final results didn't disappoint. I am really in an exploratory stage right now, fumbling a bit in the dark and I truly appreciate how accepting everyone is each time I shift directions in my work!

NOTE: You can see close up, detail photos of each of the individual nine blocks that make up this quilt on my Flickr site. You can also see the richness of the colors and the clarity of the stitches more true to life over on Flickr, (not sure why but the photos are always a wee bit fuzzy and the colors a bit off on the blog). xo

Almost Finished

All the hand stitching is completed now and I am ready to sew the binding on, which I hope to do later this evening. The light is lousy today as it is pouring rain... so these are the best photos I have to show...


I struggled a bit not just with that whole perfection stuff, but also with the balance between overworking the stitching and under-working the stitching, and staying true to my initial vision... Hoping I got it right.


I will post pics of the whole (and finished) quilt later this week, assuming the sun comes out to play. :0)