Folding Can be Fun!

I haven't said much about what my round-robin group is doing this year, but thought this month's project was worth a post.
To have a year of 'less stress' we've each picked a 'book of blocks' that travels with a box of fabrics for each person. We make a few blocks for the person & hand it on.
My pal Lynn chose "3 D Folded Blocks" by Baron & Vermeer and once you catch on to the instructions, it's a blast!

 The only stitching is around the outer edge of each block. The rest is cutting & folding with a nice hot iron! The blocks can get pretty bulky as there may be up to eight or nine layers (of folded fabric). It'll be fun to see what she does with the pile of blocks that will be heading back to her--she wanted a black & white theme with some brights to add some pizazz!

These were my additions--aren't they cool?
Click on the pix to look closer..

Round Robin Update - the wayward block returns

You may (or may not!) remember my block that started the rotation for the most recent Round Robin exchange.  Fairly unassuming 8" little fella that left me long ago & had very few 'rules' attached to it.
The primary one: not to be wider than a certain measurement, as I wanted to be able to use it as a hanging in various areas of choice wall real estate. So compared to many that were included in this project mine remained much smaller--and looks the least 'finished' of any in the bunch (currently it's about 27" x 33").

The little traveler just returned home to me last weekend--so we're just getting reacquainted after about 15 months on the road. I'm thrilled! My ten team mates really pulled the stops & let their imagination go--I love that part! There are many embellishments, along with paper-piecing additions, three dimensional items, & Seminole piecing. It has so much potential--so many options--for completion. I can hardly wait! (but I'll have to for a little while at least...got get some other items finished & the quarter complete!)

You can click on the 'Round Robin' label at the bottom of the post to see the rest of the projects in this round--at least at the state they were in when I touched them!  Everyone seems quite content with their projects when they returned--although many were shaking their heads at mine, wondering "now what will you do?!". I think it's an honor that they broke out of the box on my behalf--regardless of how uncomfortable they may have been! Stay tuned for 'the rest of the story' later in the year...

Round Robin Update - the nearly last installment

Down to the final lap on the Round Robin projects--finish the last two, and then receive mine back with all of it's additions.

this is the 'before' shot--don't you love
the various embellishments?

This project belongs to my buddy, and often roommate at retreats, Kate. She started with an ethereal photo transfer of a statue she saw in Sedona, when on a very heartfelt get-away with her sisters following the loss of their parents--truly a sentimental piece.
There is only one more person after me, so there have been eight hands on this little gem.  You could have called it complete on arrival, couldn't you? (The great red lizard had just been added before I got the project box!)
After much thinking, I added those elements I most loved when I lived in Arizona:  the many colors of the sky--with the ravens on the wing--and the melting of the sky into the amazing landscape of so many colors.  Of course, I had to go with something a little less linear, so in went the curvy piecing, along with the First American influence of shapes & textiles. (Or at least that was my intention!).
Right up until packing it in the box & sending it along I debated over the blues--pretty risking move, which Kate may not like.  Also a bit on the busy side, but the piece holds up well, I think.  It's a little over 2 ft. tall now, so will make a lovely wall hanging for Kate's studio.  Bye for now, Mr. Wiseman...

The final project for me in this Round Robin journey was Juliann's sea-life homage.  It started out with her center block fish--which I love.  It's full of color & texture & character.  When it first started making the rounds, I wasn't sure where it was going--or if I would like it--but it's really quite fun!  There are so many surprises (little & big) included!  Don't you love the translucent jellyfish?! I added the left & upper borders--with aquatic colors & the great orange added previously.  I came across a piece of undersea print that seemed a perfect addition to the mix. I think Juliann will have a lot of fun  finishing this one up--and the size will make a nice wall hanging (about 3' x 4'). It's got some great embellishments & she'll likely add more.

 So all of the projects will soon be home to their owners--mine included!

Round Robin Update - the next installment

I'm nearly caught up on my monthly Round Robin projects--and good thing, too, as there are only two remaining after these two.

(Reminders: each has a 'before' & 'after' view, and any can be larger if you click on the photo.)

Kathy has a nice eye for traditional quilting & embroidery, so for her project she started with the nicely embroidered red work strawberries.



Remember the little pinwheels I was in the midst of?
Well here they are, completed and in the newest border, along with a great red & black batik that blended nicely with the previous addition. This piece is getting fairly large--it was over 50 inches when it went on it's way. One more person needs to do her magic before it comes back to Kathy. She thinks this will make a nice table-topper when it's finished--I agree! (I also hope those white/light corners have more embroidery added--but by a braver soul than I!)

When I got the pictures ready for this post, I realized the similarities in these two pieces with the flying geese around the square on point.  I had not really 'seen' that until now, as these two are so different from one another!

This is Lynn's--and started with her lovely appliquéd ginkgo in Asian prints. It, too, has only one other player yet to make an addition after mine, and is also getting fairly large--it's just under 50 inches. This piece has some really interesting embellishments including beading on the center flowers, painted ginkgo on the silk border near the middle, and some little rhinestone flip-flops added near the green triangles!

I really like all of the individual items--but something about the color combination puts me off a little. Is it just me?  I think it's because the purple silk 'reads' almost pink from a distance & then some of the painted ginkgo are very bright (shamrock) green. It has some lovely attributes, though, and Lynn will finish it beautifully when she gets it back.  Anyway, I added only a top & bottom border--don't ask me why! It needed a little more detail after those nice expansive stripped borders were added, so I tried to replicate the 'on point' look of the center piece. Asian fabrics are so fun to work with, and the purple/green combination is delightful.  It's now heading to it's last contributor before it returns to it's rightful owner.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea...

Too soon to post about the latest round robin projects--execpt to confess the challenge I got myself into for a border addition!

35 little pinwheels (i.e. 1 1/2" squares) didn't seem like a lot--but then two sides of a border made that into 70 pinwheels.
 O-kay...

the garbage pail of cut-offs...

And then each
2 1/2" square pinwheel needs four half-square triangles, and--wha-la-- suddenly you find yourself making 280 half-square triangles!

Kept me out of trouble for awhile...






In general, I'm not a fan of red & white quilts--which this project is--but I can be persuaded. And I certainly admire & respect great work, even if it's not my cup of tea.
When I was looking around for red & white themes I came across this upcoming March exhibit notice for the American Folk Art Museum in New York. I found this photo mesmerizing!

Hats off to the exhibit magicians! Let me know if you happen to get there to see red--650 times! I'll be green with envy...

Next Round Robin Update

Whew!
I've got alot of catching up to do! Striking the balance between projects underway, home life, and finessing two jobs has not left much 'posting time' since the holidays came & went--and noted by the poor orphan Wednesday on Whidbey posts.  I'll try to correct that in the next week--starting with this quilting post.
Projects have continued, but certainly not at my previous pace! Even though the number of hours worked a week are far less than the previous 'job-that-ate-my-life' schedule, I often find myself happy to read, watch a movie or sleep when I finish the day--rather than fire up my studio space.  The sleep part has been a surprise--I still like to get more than I've been accustomed in recent years--go figure! Several have said that starting a new job had that effect on them--so maybe it's only temporary. Occasionally still hear the 'lazy' message rattling about my brain....

Anyway, one project worth noting is the ongoing Round Robin with my group of special friends.  When I last posted, I had finished three, and today I'm offering up three more.  Even though they aren't particularly large, they can be taxing:  you want to be creative, not make mistakes, & contribute something that you think your buddy will like.  This group of twelve projects is very diverse--that's good but also challenging the old brain cells & technical capabilities. Here are the recent three that have gone on their way (and remember you can click on photos to make them larger):


This one is going to be quite elegant & lovely.  Mary is an outstanding embroiderer as noted by her center block (the beige section).  Even though several of us have contributed it still remains fairly small & will be a batik beauty when it's finished.

I added an asymmetrical border--something I'm trying not to do too often, as I've been told by those that follow me that my asymmetry is not always appreciated! 8-)  I've been intrigued lately with tessellations & all the possibilities.  This is not the best example, but it is a tessellation none the less.  I'm hoping that it's not too bright--pastels are not my forte. It will be fun to see how this one progresses.

The next one is also lovely & will likely be fairly large when it's completed.  Sally started out with the center block of four 'fireworks' blocks in Asian fabrics--always so striking to look at--as a tribute to our friend Andrea that passed away last year.  One of the challenges to each other with this project has been to add things other than just another fabric border--i.e. embellishments of all sorts.  That can be tricky as you are 'adding on' to someone else's work as opposed to having only your own work at risk. No chance for a 'Mulligan'. 

The outer triangles from the previous person were begging for something to be added & I had a great applique idea that unfortunately didn't come off very well.  Too late, I realized that there was not enough contrast with the background--it should have been added on a black background to stand out.  Since I couldn't 'undo' I needed to brighten it up--so added paint & thread to help.  Alas, I think not enough...

Andrea was always in love with anything gingko so the Asian appliques included some of those, plus some maple.  Here are some sorry attempts to show some detail...

The third one is shaping up nicely & is intended to be a tribute to the Pacific Northwest--earth, sea, sky, mountains, animals...   When I received the blue & brown themed piece you could easily consider it finished as is.  It looked self contained--except that it was wider than tall.  So I decided to add two borders; one top, one bottom with a hint of sky on top & ground on the bottom.  There was a nice inner border around the center block with three-dimensional triangles.  

I mirrored that pattern in a larger version, using some of the required fabrics provided--and added several of my own, again three dimensional.  This one will be fairly large when it's finished & will be cozy! It already has cool embellishments: beads, stitching, and some origami flowers among the ferns.

So, there we are!  Three more--or half way through. Hopefully more soon...

Round Robin Update

A few months ago I noted the start of a new Round Robin project with my special quilting buddies.  At tonight's meeting we are making the fourth hand-off, so I thought I would share what I've been up to so far.  Due to some coming & going of a couple of members at the beginning, I somehow got to be the 'first' addition on two different projects.
The projects are still early on in the process--as the months go by they will get even more interesting!  I'll share the next few projects again in a few months.  There are two pictures here for each project (and as ever, you can click to enlarge).  The first one is how the project looked when I received it, the second is following my addition.

1.  Ginny's--a Christmas adventure

2.  Judy's (the other Judy!) red/white/blue was a challenge for me--and so unlike her!  I couldn't help but change it up a little--partially based on her comments when she brought it.  (love her dove...)  Added more doves, 'purple mountains', & a rainbow of diversity...

3. On Beth's (I love her batiks & dragonflies!) I used paintstix, ink & fiber paints for the graphics.  Only added an asymetrical border mostly as a size precaution--this one may get tooooo big (I'm only four out of twelve & the piece was over 34" when I got it...)

Hambones Round Robin Project 2010

My monthly round robin group has once again launched a big project in common. After taking a couple of years 'off' doing other fun things, we are once again doing a true round robin--and this time, rather than divide into two or three smaller groups, we will all be doing something on everyone's project! That makes 11 hand-offs before the project will return to us. We have some new members since we did this the last time, & sadly have lost one as well (she passed away this winter). I think because we are all so aware of how precious we are to one another--because we have become such good friends over the years--we made the commitment to have a project that would have input from everyone, as a special treasure. There are some logistic issues with that idea--not the least of which might be size. As we continue building on, the piece can become pretty large unless we watch what we're doing/adding.

Anyway, I look forward to starting again, as it does challenge the old creative juices (for some it's too much pressure & they don't like to do it...). It's always so much fun to see what everyone comes up with--as our projects are very different from one another. I'll give some examples in a few months, so you get the idea. Meanwhile, here's the little solo center block (8") that will be mine after many hands have done their magic. Good luck, little fella!