Last two Miss Emilie blocks DONE...

Finally, the last two "Miss Emilie's Garden" blocks are hand appliqued, soaked to remove the glue, cut to size, and pinned on the design wall. Twenty-five little jewels...now on to the sashing, borders, and a finish.  The red and green fabrics I have chosen for the setting should add a little needed zip to the blocks.

I sure am glad I had those 25 blocks prepped and ready to applique before starting all those road trips this summer.  It was comforting to have something portable in case I had the time or the will to stitch.

So, some of you have emailed me to ask if I did any shopping at the two AQS shows I have been to this summer.

Well...I invested in some hand-dyed fabrics to add to my stash of tone-on-tone pieces that I use for applique.

The directions that came with my purchases said to pre-wash them, even though many rinses were included in their making.  Wow!  I think I emptied the hot water heater 3 or 4 times while aggressively rinsing them...LOTS of unincorporated dye!  

After a very physical session of multiple hand rinses, I put them in the washer for a final hot water rinse and a spin.  I was pleased to see the water drain "clear" when finished.  Thank God we don't have to do that kind of hand washing anymore!  I used to think I was born in the wrong century, but I do like my washer and dryer!

Now to find storage space for all of them...or just leave them out and USE THEM!!

I have developed a Pinterest habit...one thing that is really fun to collect is pictures of old, antique quilts.  That way I can really study them.  I am really enchanted by antique appliqued album quilts, especially where each block in the quilt is different.  But lately, I have been fixating on a couple with multiples of one block.  Here's one that speaks to me that is a Rose of Sharon variation...

I showed it to Steve and his first comment was saying it looked like a swastika.  OK...point taken.  I have been drafting and re-drafting the block, adding some elements to make it look less like a swastika and more like just pretty flowers, vines, and leaves.

Now I am wondering if I have the attention span to make a quilt with nine identical blocks.  I really like the swag variation with flowers for the outer border and the flowers for the corners.

I am also drawn to the quilts of Susan McCord, many of which reside about 25 miles from me at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.  Lately I have been studying this one...

Mostly, I love the shape of the urn.  I have sketched that urn with some different flowers in an 18 inch block.  Again, do I love it enough to make nine identical blocks?  Hmm...

In stitches, 
Teresa   :o)

2014 AQS Chattanooga Quilt Show, Part Six...

This is the last post of AQS Chattanooga Quilt Show pictures...enjoy!

"Believe it or not, this quilt contains two versions of the traditional New York Beauty block.  One is a paper-pieced, simplified version for the leaves and the other is a curved point, machine appliqued flower."

This won Second Place in the "Bed Quilts - Innovative" group.

This was such a delightful quilt to stand in front of and study!  And while I didn't get a picture of the back (I didn't have my camera out when someone was pulling back the curtain to reveal it...), each backing square was a different beautiful fabric, making it reversible.  Each little block is a separate quilt...bound and quilted, THEN put together into a whole quilt...awesome!

"This quilt is made in the traditional 'Maine Potholder' method. Each of the 77 blocks are hand appliqued, quilted and bound, and then stitched together.  Wendy loves the Potholder method, which is ironic since she hates to cook!"

"This silk dupioni quilt was inspired by a perfect beach day, taking its colors from those of summer and the pocket full of beach stones that are always brought home.  All motifs are free drawn and free motion quilted from Bethanne's own photography."

This won First Place in the "Wall Quilts - Traditional" group.

"Loretta's passion for striped fabrics and stars is revealed in this original design.  This quilt is paper-pieced and machine quilted using the push pull method of quilting."

"The Visit is based on a photo taken by Linda's husband at Point Park on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN."

"Naida and Laurie wanted to share their concept of the Trinity. Three, exactly the same in form and design, yet individually different because of color, which was born from the gift of Light. Smooth, flowing Faith is surrounded by an erratic mixture of Humanity."

"Enjoying the tiny, colorful blooms and buds inspired Mary to interpret the flowers in an enlarged, detailed form."

This won First Place in the "Wall Quilts - Innovative/Art" group.

"Jennifer designed the quilt based on a photo taken by her cousin, Peter Hynes, Hynes Sight Photography.  She used a raw-edged applique technique taught by Ricky Tims.  The fused crystals imply water droplets."

"The great white egret, a solitary bird, walks incredibly slowly so as not to disturb his prey.  A photograph by Heather Centanni inspired Lily to create this quilt.  She used thread painting to add details that can only be viewed up close."

"This celebrates the Day of the Dead, complete with song, dance, and playful embellishments.  The quilt contains silks, cotton, rayon threads, glass beads, and rickrack trim."

"This is a study in free-motion filler patterns.  The threads include solids, variegated, cotton and polyester with weights from 40 to 60, changing as the quilt demanded."

"Listen to the lyrical strains of "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber.  Dianne's take on it was so painfully sad, yet sumptuously beautiful.  This took 17 years to create and corresponds to Barber's sad nuances.  She also added intricate hand beading for dimensional texture."

This won Third Place in the "Wall Quilts - Innovative/Art" group.

"Historic research inspired a depiction of the feared and revered Apache Chief Cochise with the rising sun behind his beloved Dragoon Mountains in the distance."

"Havasu Falls is a thirteen-mile hike down into the Grand Canyon on the Havasupai Reservation.  The creek water acquires its striking blue green color from sunlight reflected off limestone bearing a heavy concentration of suspended calcium carbonate."

"A monoprint of a Maasai woman from Africa along with the attendance on a safari was the inspiration for this quilt.  The spontaneous idea to make a group quilt evolved at a Scrappy Sisters annual retreat."

"Vibrant colored, fluorescence threads paint three exotic flowers illuminated inner beauty is portrayed by a free motion exact replica. Design Source: "Midnight Garden" pattern by Stephanie Brandenburg, Quilt Trends magazine."

"Improvisational curved piecing, solids, unexpected colors, and immense texture have created Margaret's version of a modern fall scene.  All the quilting is hand guided."

I am sorry if your quilt or your favorite quilt is not pictured in these posts.  I took as many pictures as I could in the time I was at the show, and I know I missed getting many pictures.  I try to swoop in and snap shots when there are no people around, and sometimes I forget to go back and try again.  I feel thoroughly motivated to go sew, how about you?

In stitches,
Teresa   :o)