Michael Miller's Retro Rocket Kids is the perfect fabric for the center.
I am still finding hidden loot in the corner of my studio. You might remember I found a lot of quilt blocks I had assembled as well as a few other unfinished projects (this post here). I found a fat quarter bundle of prints in a rainbow of colors I had put aside to make shorts for the wee one three or so years ago. Since she has grown quite a bit since that time, I thought I would use the fabric to make a quilt for her.
Using Elizabeth Hartman's instructions for creating wonky blocks, these babies are waiting for two more levels of piecing.
My niece was smitten by the Retro Rocket Kids so I thought I would highlight these characters by using Elizabeth Hartman’s quilt pattern, Sunspot, from her book, The Practical Guide to Patchwork. I have been a fan of Hartman’s work for some time and her modern view of quilting helps a ditsy artist like me pair prints with blocking. Plus, her tips and tricks for quilting basics are clear and concise. You can find the later on her blogsite, here.
My first sewing project was making a quilt. Either I was naïve or just plain stupid, but I chose the Double Irish Chain to be my introduction to quilting. During the process, I found quilters to be one of the most generous and supportive group of artists out there; be it detailed tutorials and instructions on blogs and pages or the peeps, who attend local guilds or shops, I always had someone to reach out to when I had a question.
Do not worry: No pins were sewn over or needles broken for the sake of a pretty picture.
I am still on the hunt for the perfect sashing fabric for the Space Kids. I hope I can find the right color combo and print sometime this week. In the meantime, I plan to assemble the other large panel of patchwork I had composed in years past, which I am sure will be documented in an upcoming post.
finished quilt: 55' x 65'
Our lives are like quilts - bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love. ~Author Unknown
quilt blocks made from Moda Fabric, sashing is Kona Cotton
I once had a professor define art as the act of creating order from chaos. I never fully understood this idea until I began to parallel my own artistic processes to various events in my life in my early thirties. The last few weeks have brought many a challenge: sad news of people I knew and loved transitioning to the next life, metaphorical roadblocks and bad news, and a sour chilling wind of uncertainty. It did not surprise me that I would find a pile of quilt blocks I had assembled and sewn five years before in the corner of my studio, which needed to be pieced, stitched and made whole.
Before Binding: Backing fabric by Sis Boom and JoAnn's Novelity Prints
The technical aspects of sewing, primarily quilting, have always provided a soothing effect on my frenzied soul -The mechanics of measurement provide the mystical formula of order and the world makes sense once again.
ps: the pin cushion in the previous post was made by the fabulous Maija Lepore
While cleaning a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon some old journals I had scribed circa 2005. As mentioned in previous posts, I have never been able to keep a regular art journal without abandoning the project. I was surprised to see how much art was spread through out the pages of these three volumes.
What buried treasures do you have?
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
