
Three small pieces
Last week found me sick, distracted, and stuck, and so I did not post. It wasn’t that I didn’t have time, with the kids home and all, it was that I couldn’t stand to hear myself. Today my need to show up outweighs the need to feel presentable (and I DO feel better!).
These three ‘sketch’ quilts were made over the last two weeks. The Journal Quilt on the far right did not start out as a house, but once I put the windows on there was no going back.

Journal Quilt Feb 15, 09
The thing I like most about this quilt is not the final result, but the way the cotton batting took the needle as I hand-quilted the background. So often, I am quilting through four, five, six layers of fabric, one of which is drapery weight, with poly batting (almost necessitating pliers!), so I want to remember how smooth and easy this was for future projects. Also, I dyed the muslin in coffee and the aged look is nice. The house I can take or leave, mostly leave. Perhaps the slumping roof expresses the time of year and the wish to get out of town while staying home. For future projects, I also want to explore using that silk of the roof for ‘drawing’ a fish — I can just make out the beginnings of a large Pacific salmon in a leaping arc there.
I seem unable, however, to generate any polar bear that I can stand to incorporate into the kitchen table quilt. The bottom is nearly done, and the top, still waiting. I experimented, unsuccessfully, with printing onto lutrador, and also tried using oil pastels on fabric.
If I am going to include this in the quilts that will be showing at the Arsenal Center for the Arts starting Friday, I’ve got to hustle. Or jettison the idea of a polar bear altogether!
Here’s where I’ve been having some fun:
I’ve spent some time browsing and looking at your work.
It is just wonderful. The art of quilting is so amazing and your works really food for the soul and spirit.
Hi Kathy… Thank you so much for taking the time to look. I just looked at your etsy shop, and you too, have been hard at work… I especially love the bowls — the beautiful free application of glazes end up looking like landscapes to me! I’ll mark you are a favorite!