Just as many women feel like they wear a multitude of different hats, that is just how this week has felt. I am not completely back into the "just quilting" mode, now that my kids are back to school. That said, I did get a couple of client quilts through the studio, and another will come off the frame this weekend, but the list of customs, and larger customs increases daily.
One of my very much time-sensitive items -- the binding of this purple whole cloth -- is well, done enough. To hand finish the scallop piping and hand stitch the binding has taken by best record about 30 hours. I have about 16-18" around one corner to remove though because the corner looks crappy. It doesn't pass muster with me, and won't get past a judge unless her glasses are lost. When I said "done enough" I meant that it is ok for me to get the photos I need to enter it at Road to California, which are due by end of this month. I have until mid-Dec to actually finish it. Let's just assume that early December will be crazy here!
Here's the component of my week that apparently I could have skipped. I am starting an article on feathered borders. I sort of need another sample for that, but sort of I could have just used what I have. I also had put in to teach a class at MQX on feathered borders. I figured that this would be a nicer teaching sample than what I had. Teacher contracts came out this week, and go figure, sheesh...this class was not on my list of classes! I'm a bit unhappy about that, but oh well. They take a variety of classes, and fill the available schedules. I'll beg for it one last time, and then it will go into my stockpike of things to use in my book. Thing is, this class was in theory going to be my catalyst for finishing that!
Other tid-bits of progress (just no photos)... The backing for my next show quilt, very soon to be on the longarm (maybe in a week!) is pieced. That was no small feat, as it is a Paula Nadelstern directional print which I am pleased to say I actually pieced to appear that the pattern matches! I am also creating templates to trace so I can start marking this beast. It will be different from my usual quilts in that it's darker colored, and I can't mark with blue pens. I have some experimentation in the coming days. I am also almost done with the little fixes that the piecing needed - just one to go. Now, it's no picnic to deal with what I have, but it can be done simplest with a little handwork.
A couple of magazines came this week...Here are a couple pages from the NQA's Quilting Quarterly. This magazine is terribly bittersweet -- it is showing the Masterpiece quilt (below), but yet last week NQA formally announced that they are disbanding. This rocks my world. NQA judges are the best in the business. They are formally trained to judge based on technical merits, and we all know I am most definitely a technical quilter. There have been rumors that perhaps their Masterpiece Quilt program and the Certified Judges programs may try to be chaired by others, but time will tell. Gosh I hope so. Getting this award was sweet, but it would mean way more if others can also receive it.
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4 comments:
My kids have been in school for 5 weeks and I still don't feel like I'm into the swing of things yet. It sure looks like you're managing to get your usual gorgeous work done!
I was at Quilt Expo and enjoyed seeing your quilts in person. I think you will be pleased with your ribbons.
That binding treatment is luscious! I was wondering what you didn't like about the points you added to your hexies? (you said you added them against your better judgment). I also wanted to let you know: I pulled the blocked quilt up today, and after a second washing cycle the silk batting is less "spongy" now than wool batting would be, closer now to the softened texture of quality cotton battings than wool. More fluid feeling than cotton, though. But it definitely has a shallower fill to the quilting motifs after this washing than wool would still have. Hope that makes sense and conveys what I'm trying to explain.
Did I miss it on a previous post??? Did you say your bringing out a BOOK?? Oh YES!! Please tell when we can expect it? I strongly feel you are one of the best educators on longarm technique. Your book will be an amazing resource!
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