My Quilt Journey talk at Jan guild meeting

I don’t feel I warrant the title of “Star Quilter” and suggest that this segment be renamed “Quilt Journeys”. As a member of the audience I have been very impressed with those of you that have done this before me and felt no way am I worthy to be up there.  But when I was asked by Judith I agree only because I enjoy these quilt journeys so much,  and to be sure they continue I need to participate.  Besides what is the worst that can happen, you boo me off the stage?  I hope not.

Like many I learned to sew in 6^th or 7^th grade making clothes.  I did make two quilts while in High School for each of my siblings wedding.  I knew nothing about quilt making and those quilts probably still exist in some dingy basement or landfill as they were 100% polyester.

Soon after graduating college I found myself with lots of free time.  After all I didn’t have to spend my evenings studying or partying.    First I did a lot of jigsaw puzzles but that soon began to bore me.  I even mixed two puzzles together to make it a more challenging. 

One day I decided I’d try quilting.  I don’t recall what made me make this decision but I’m glad I did even though my pocketbook isn’t.  I went into a quilt store in Morgan Hill and saw a quilt that I liked.  The sales woman explained to me about rotary cutters, mats, rulers and which book I would need.  She helped me pick out fabrics but I only purchased enough for a lap quilt because I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this hobby and didn’t want to invest too much.  The quilt was one of the Quilt In a Day by Eleanor Burns.  I had the blocks done in a day or two and went back and bought more fabric to make it this size.  Once completed I gave this to my friend, who graciously loaned it back to me for this talk.  
 

I made several of this Pineapple quilts before venturing on to other patterns.  I next tried the Bargello pattern.  It taught me several techniques especially about sewing rows in opposite direction so that the rows did not curve.  

At the time I was into scuba diving and each year my husband and I would take a vacation to a warm water dive location.  So when I went to the quilt store in Pacific Grove I got hooked on all the fish fabrics they had.  As I’m too lazy to keep a fish tank and didn’t get into underwater photography this was my way of bringing that aspect into my house.

About this time I read or heard that it is a best practice to show your work to get feedback.  So I naively did this.  I entered this quilt in the Marin Quilt Show.  The fabulous feedback I got was “not enough quilting.  Too much dog hair”.  At the time this feedback devastated me.  After all couldn’t they tell how magnificence of a quilt this was?  As the years have passed I agree there isn’t enough quilting and there was too much dog hair. 

My advice is this: I agree everyone should show their work!  But maybe not in a juried show the first time.  By the way our quilt show is NOT juried.

 

In the mid-2000s bought EQ5 because I thought I would enjoy designing my own quilts with the fabrics I had collected.  I did several designs but I think this is the only one I made into a quilt.  I gave up on EQ5 as I spend 8 to 10 hours a day on a computer for work and then spending more time on EQ5 was not fulfilling my creative itch.  I might go back once I stop work and getting on a computer will be more enjoyable.

 

I really like this pattern, The Big Ez, as it utilized large scale prints.  I quilted an overall leaf pattern.

 

This quilt is based on the book 9 Patch Pizzaz.  I have made several 9 Patch Pizzaz quilts but much smaller.  I got one of those new fabrics that look like a photograph, of a road during autumn and felt a 9 Patch Pizzaz would show off the fabric well.  

Last year while at Sister’s Outdoor Quilt show I saw a quilt that I really like and per the “story” it was based on the book Accent on Angles by Susan Purney Mark.  So when I got home I went to purchase the book but realized I already had it.  So I made this from fabrics from my stash.

 



I got this candy fabric and thought it would make a great stack-n-whack.  I was inspired to make this from the book Stack-n-Whack ipedia.  I call it Warm and Cool Candy Stars.

I had seen a sample of this quilt several years ago a High Mountain Fabrics in Redmond Oregon.  The quilt stuck with me and I collected dot fabric for several years.  Then last year when we visited the story they had hand written direction for each block and the one large dot fabric. 

My husband calls this the LED Experience.  In his warp sense of humor it is a play on words for LSD Experience. 



 

I spent this pass year exploring modern quilts.

 
Also worked on improving my paper piecing skills.  My mom and I made the quilt top.  We took Llean’s basic skill class on paper piecing this past year.  It was a great class and I highly recommend it if she teaches it again.  After the class my mom wanted a project to help enforce the steps for paper piecing.  I had purchased this kit from Crafty’s and originally didn’t want to make it because it was paper pieced.  So after the class my mom and I split the Umbra strips and each made half of the blocks.  

I call this next quilt: Jim’s Encouragement. About two years ago, Jim was showing me some of his quilts and I was so impressed on how he got the fabric motif to be in the same part of the many pointed stars.  Jim said it was easy because it was paper pieced and when I told him I “hated” paper pieced.  He strongly encouraged me to try it again and start with the book Bella Bella.  I did buy the book and foundation papers but No…. instead I tackled this, Arcadia Avenue. 

Thank you all for sharing your quilt journeys and learnings with me.