Happy to be Scrappy

Hello Beloveds:

I am working on a quilt potentially to be entered into the 2013 NJ State Fair.  It started out as scraps from another project.

They are wonky Shoo Fly blocks a la Gwen Marston in Librated Qultmaking II.  There is a tutorial here.  I'm playing around with the layout.  Here are some options:

Option A

or

 

Option B 

Any thoughts or suggestions? ~ksp

More Quilting-Liberated Style

I have been very busy this holiday season. I have challenged myself to, wherever possible, draw from my already rich craft cabinet to create many of this season's gifts. Over the next couple of weeks, I will feature some of my gifts here. My family rarely, if ever visits me here in blogland so I believe there won't be any spoilers.

A couple of weeks ago I mail-ordered (yes, there is still such a thing) two quilting books:
Liberated String Quilts and Abstract Quilts in Solids by Gwen Marston.

They're autographed too.

The colors are so vibrant and feature both vintage and newly created quilts. I love Gwen's eye for color and her willingness to go wherever the creative process takes her. The book inspired my participation in one of the several swaps this season.

Complimentary postcards! I've already mailed one off.

The quilters of the African American Quilters (yahoo group link), are holding a Kwanzaa block swap. The rules are, using traditional Kwanzaa colors and using any piecing method you like, produce five 9 1/2" squares. Drawing on inspiration from Gwen's books and other great quilting bloggers, I bellied up to the table and produced these two quilt squares.



It took me some time to adjust to flying without a net, and at least one of these squares was subsequently cannibalized for other squares. Any guesses which one? By the time I had produced my requisite number of squares I had gotten a flow for my process. Alas, I didn't take pictures of them all. When I get my swap squares back I will plan to make them into a table runner for my brother for his Kwanzaa table. ~ksp

Liberation

I am a huge fan of Gwen Marston and her style of quilt making. Not because I've read any of her books, but rather as a fan of her many converts seen here, and here and here. I get tremendous inspiration from these women.

So last night, after sketching out ideas for weeks, I began a quilt top for my friend Tim in Atlanta. Tim and I have been friends since college, after seeing the quilts on my blog, he made a (not so) subtle request for a lap quilt of his own. My intention is to create a 72" x 60" wonder for use while watching television (he is a big guy). Since it will live in the living room (which is shades of beige) when not in use, I am using very neutral tones.

This is what I have so far.


This process has shown me how, even though I think of myself as a rebel, my sewing/quilting is reliant on patterns and someone else's directions. When faced with the opportunity to chart my own course, I floundered a bit. I must find my seam ripper. Between this "square" and the obnoxious Olympic commentators on NBC, I went to bed early last night. Sigh.

I am now off to the public library to borrow a copy of Liberated String Quilts. Hopefully, it will help. Live and learn. ~ksp