Back to it

Yesterday was a day spent largely in the car or in a chair at a workshop.

Too much sitting.

Too much driving.

Too little hydration or food (until the very end...thank you, my adoptive family).

Not enough sewing/quilting.
A new technique? Yes.

A 100% totally useful technique? Not so much.

I will admit there was a practical take-away, something I may be able to utilize in coming applique pieces, but by-and-large - while I loved the experience and seeing Vikki's quilts up close (and very personal) - I can't see using the actual sewing method to make a quilt top.  Perhaps I will change my mind in years to come, but the quilt purist in me is kicking and screaming at the stitching portion. [sigh]

I was drop-dead tired, but with the non-stop nocturnal interruptions (of the feline sort), my mind was churning all night (even in the fitful bits of slumber).

I need to get back to quilting....but first, a nap.

Decisions, decisions

I have been taking a break (for much of the past two months) from VGS, and I feel ready to get back to it.  Sort of.

I have accumulated a good selection of the background colors found throughout the far left hand side of the image (from row G through row J), and desperately want to move further down the image than normal just to 'play' with something other than yellows.  Say....two to three rows ahead, and just get that portion out of the way, but I feel that that would prove disastrous once I return to the area at hand.  Because, at some point in time, I would have to get back to what remains of E.

So I remain committed to finishing Row E first.

Steadfastly.
Resignedly.
Sadly.
Utterly.
Gloomily.
Committed.

However, during the time away from VGS I did manage to get other things accomplished, and I have sort of cleansed my mental palette of the nagging thoughts that there are other things I could/should do/finish/begin.  Here is one of those projects.  This weekend I will complete the colorful portion of this top, and when I can afford to get my hands on the necessary 'white' for the border (not to mention the backing and batting), I will stretch then quilt it, too.

Until such time (and funds) presents itself, I have decided I will (sort of) happily dive back into VGS.  It needs me.

And I need it.  Sort of.

And so it begins

I have wanted to applique' since I began to make quilts in earnest, and that was a little over half my lifetime ago.

In all honesty, though, the urge (desire) to applique' probably r e a l l y didn't manifest itself in me until a few years after I began quilt-making, but that's neither here nor there.  What really matters is that the desire (urge) to applique' has only grown stronger over the last two or three years, mostly when I realized there were some quilts I wanted to make that could be created no other way than to applique' them.

So, here I am.

I am cutting my teeth on a fairly easy project as my quilt path diverges yet again.  It is a 2/3 portion of a Picasso line drawing, and the materials were supplied by the mom of the young person it is going to.  The photo is hours old by now, and since I snapped it I've finished sewing down the large black and yellow torso-and-arm piece.  I've also basted down the leg that will be to the far left, and have that appliqued in place (oh, about a quarter of it).

But now, it's time for a little housework and dinner, so all fun stuff halts for a little while.  If I can make myself stick with it tonight, I might be able to finish off the left leg, and maybe baste down the head for this whirling dervish figure before my eyes slam shut.

What are you up to?

Dumbfounded

Once again I am completely dumbfounded and mystified by the words and thoughts of (of all people) hand quilters.

Yes, that's right. I said "HAND QUILTERS."  Not all of them, but there are too many harpies in that crew.

Mind you, I have absolutely nothing against those lovely people who can (and do) piece and quilt their works of wonderfulness all by hand - from the first stitch to the last.  NOTHING, do you get my meaning?  Am I coming through loud and clear?

I could even be tempted to admit I am envious of their time and gumption to piece by hand, but it isn't envy I feel, really.  There is a strong sense of admiration in my emotions I suppose, if it truly needed to be named...this feeling that I'm feeling.  In fact, it could almost border on respect if it weren't for the absolute superiority complex of a number of hand quilters I have come to read and know lately.

I cannot tell you on how many occasions someone has made a simple comment in a particular hand quilting Fb group - this comment having absolutely nothing to do with dissing FMQ, whatsoever - which was then completely blown out of proportion and dragged to the wrong side of the tracks by a small faction of simpleminded snobs, who then proceeded to make disparaging remarks regarding "machine quilters" for absolutely no reason.  These conversations are generally begun innocently enough, with nary a word against one quilting faction or another, when B A M !  Those nefarious aforementioned malcontents crawl out of the woodwork to slam FMQ with gay abandon, and without any provocation they hurl the same sad, nasty comments over and over.

Thankfully, today there was one kind soul who stood up and made some absolutely kind and (given the company of her brethren) generous remarks towards free motion quilters, and I could do nothing more than thank her profusely.  She could have been stoned - or excommunicated from the Fb group - had the Nasty Nellies had their way.

My point (because I feel my blood boiling just thinking of all the ways I wanted to respond but didn't)....my point today is this:

How can a lifetime of pursuing a pastime, of learning a craft and honing your skills with beautiful objects and soft materials, of relative pacifistic ways, be so filled with dislike - hate/loathing/just plain mean-spiritedness (you choose) - and have no room for new techniques or styles?

I am dumbfounded by those folks who can't be more open and accepting of other creative talents and bents.
And anyway, if there's one sort of quilting that doesn't belong, it's those appliqueing FUSERS.  There is no room for gluing pieces down to accomplish what should be rightfully done with a needle and thread.  If you want to applique, then learn how to do it the RIGHT way!  "Art quilts" my ass.  Raw edge quilts - pleh! Ptooh!

Great [pant, pant].
Well...I almost feel better.

Almost.

Holy smokes

As if VGS wasn't enough of a handful, I have decided to go ahead and start my first actual, all applique' quilt.  It's just a wee bit of a thing, but it's still applique', and not something I know much about.  In fact, aside from sort of appliqueing a two-inch lure/circle on a stocking, using a feather stitch (crazy quilting, don't ya know), I know nothing about applique'.

Oh, wait.
I do know I love looking at it.  LOVE it!  But I don't/can't/have never applique'(d).

So, here I am, diving into the deep end, beginning a thank you gift in exchange for a dining table and chairs.

More later, for now I just need to go pick up that needle before I lose my resolve.  More later - including images.

Go figure

I only managed to make a few measly entries in August, but I thought a lot about it all month - I promise I did. : )  Didn't get nearly as much quilt-making done, either.

Although, I did give myself permission to take the month 'off' and concentrate on a few other needful activities (away from VG).  It was not an easy thing to do, and thank goodness it's now September. [insert tremendous sigh of relief here]

I survived!

Yea!

What's that?  You want to know if it was worthwhile to abandon something so cool and wonderful, and in need of constant attention and work, in order to get other stuff finished?

HA HA hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha [gasp] ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa!

Who said anything about getting other stuff "finished"?

Huh...although (again) I did finish an alteration. : )