July Rebels, Mary's Quilt from Marston Workshop

July Rebels: Roberta McAbee, quilt in progress

Grocery Bag II, 54"x72"

The Collaboration Quilt

We haven't started quilting the collaboration quilt yet, but thought you might like to see the "label" Kay made from all the labels from all the shirts we used in the quilt. It's BIG--about 12" x 12". (The backing will be black and the quilting will be black.) I have the quilt right now and will start the quilting and then...off to Kay. Will keep you posted.



This isn't a great photo, but you get the idea...

Scraps-pulled-from-a-grocery-bag-school of quilting

Idea from http://niftyquilts.blogspot.com/2010/07/denyse-schmidt-and-sisters-quilt-show.html

Sounded fun and I had to try it. Working in a 50"x 80" format so that tops can be used as charity quilts. After 5 blocks, I decided on row format, and sewed 3 blocks together, as I went along. That also reduced decisions, and made final assembly easier. Will try again with an enriched mix of scraps. It is lots of fun, and amazing what works. Not everything does, but .... You would think that having fabrics picked at random, that there wouldn't be any further decisions. Not so. Try it and see. I started with 14 blocks left over from the Anna Williams inspired quilt.

Process: sort scraps by size into 3 grocery bags labeled: small, medium, and large. You have to use what you pull, though not all of it. Put it where you want, and use as much or little as you want. .

Thrift Market Men's Shirts Quilt, 66"x66"

Also stash fabrics, and accent in Judy Robertson fabric. Used a layer and cut technique, just because I wanted to try it. Shirt fabrics a gift from Patty H.

The State of Oregon

In October my friend Kay and I are having a show called "A Quilted Conversation"...I respond to a quilt of hers, she responds to a quilt of mine, and we make a quilt together that we collaborate on. Last weekend we finished the collaborative quilt top, and this week I finished my "response" quilt, responding to her terrific "State of Oregon" quilt. Today I start the quilting. Oregon is big and varied, and..ahem..so is my quilt top. It looks a bit overwhelming, but some of the details are nice. So here's a quick tour of the state:



Crater Lake



The John Day river



The Willamette Valley and the Cascades (MT. Hood, MT. Jefferson and the Three Sisters)



The coast range, the beach and the ocean.

Off I go!

hello rebels

Thank you Buffy! I just had to be a REBEL. ;-)
You guys rock. SO much fabulous, glorious, fantastic creativity..
I hope to meet a few of you when in Seattle.
Every thanksgiving!
I'm trying to finish a little somthin' for myself.
thanks to Tonya's inspiration... ;-)
It might not be perfect, but it's mine.

Organized Chaos

 This is one of my quilts I can honestly label as scrap quilt. All of the pieces were from one or the other previous quilts. Mostly  two to four and a half inch pieces.

The crazy kaleidoscope pattern was born from not wanting to buy new fabrics!

Each block has different combination of scraps and there are no repeats.. I think!

As I was making this quilt i had discovered that by placing the corner pieces strategically I could have what I call sparks in the pattern. There are total nine of them.  

I think there is enough spark and craziness int his quilt that would make me go blind if I look at it for too long!

 This would be my somewhat Anna Williams inspired quilt.

Here is one that was made from one of Kaffe's books.

  and the close up of that quilt.

Jean Wells

Jean Wells at High Desert Gallery in Sisters, OR. Jean was the Celebrated Artist for the Show this year. There was a collection of her work in this gallery. Here she is being interviewed by a reporter, and her quilts are in the background. This was the 35th anniversary of the Sisters Show, and the event that has put Sisters on the map.

My Anna Williams Quilt

I'm almost finished hand quilting this quilt inspired by the most inspirational of artists---Anna Williams. I'd like to do a post on my blog about quilts inspired by her. If you've done one and would give me permission to post it let me know. Post it here or email a picture to me bbrackman@sunflower.com Thanks.

Before and After

Off to Sisters!

On Wednesday, we leave for Sisters, Oregon, and the two-day workshop with Denyse Schmidt. I'm already learning a bunch! The class supply list says to bring 4-5 fabrics, 1/4 yard each. It's HARD to narrow the choices down to a handful of fabrics!



So, being the rebel I am, I'm bringing a second handful. Just in case.

Close up of Quilt by Reynola Pakusich

She had this quilt at her workshop in January. Of all her quilts, she like this one least, and we (Rebel-types) liked it the best. Her quilts tend to be more somber and restrained, even elegant.

The first photo is the reference to the pattern she used. I believe it comes with templates.

Matisse top is done!

My first hand applique project. Copied "Ivy in Flower" by Matisse, 1953, as closely as I could. His was 112" x 112"! Mine is 38" square. He is such a master. I tried cheating on some of the design details, like the border, but his worked so much better. Now to quilt it by hand, hopefully finished by the end of the summer!

Kaffe Scraps/Hawaiian Vintage 75"x 76"

More Kaffe scraps, sparked with Alexander Henry vintage and other Hawaiian fabrics. Colors really more intense than photo. The flash has dulled them some. We haven't had much sun this summer, and I have to use flash.

Patty H. Show & Tell, Rebels, May 26, 2010

Amish Impressions

A Perfect Storm (lightening/Zigzag)

Please read about this journey here.

Nifty Quilts response to Gee's Bend Show in Tacoma, a couple of years ago

That was about the time we realized what treasure was to be found at thrift markets.

X and O Top, 70"x70"

Made from Kaffe and other scraps by paper piecing. Started in Freddy Moran workshop, October 09.

Eye-Dazzler by Nifty Quilts left, and Buffy right

These are our Anna Williams inspired quilts, hung "side by each" for fun. The solids vs. the prints!

Rebels, 6/23/10, Patti goes to thrift market

She has gifted me with a stack of these shirt fronts, and I'm finding the grayed palette a challenge. It will be an ongoing challenge for both of us. There is lots of this fabric. She has only used the sleeves, and gets 2 blocks and a left over triangle from one sleeve. Oh my!

Hawaiian Shirts Rule!

I finally finished quilting the Hawaiian-shirt-baby-quilt and delivered it to the expectant Mom a week before the baby was due..NOT my usual M.O. Now I've started working on the state of Oregon quilt...more on that later. Just wanted to publish "homage" to nifty...my teacher in all quilt-related things.

Hawaiian Shirt Quilt

This one was a "commission" for my friend's daughter, Janet, and her partner, Jen. They are two young professionals living in NYC. It was fun to see their color palate emerge as they chose their favorite shirts from my stash. Then I added new fabrics to fill out the mix. It will be sent out for quilting, at their expense--yea! My payment will be dinner at their Brooklyn apartment someday--double yea!

Quilting/Recording Studio

This is how my quilting studio looked on Saturday. My son's band made it into a recording studio. Thankfully, it's all cleaned up now!

Tina's Guatemalan

Dot Crazy

Flower Pot

I was too frustrated for some unknown reason! Needed to have a quick fix! Here is what made me happy!

Large flowers are old Alexander Henry Fabric. I took advantage of it's black background and framed it with Kona black. The pot was leftover patch from the Ferris Wheel Quilt. 

This really was an easy fix!

I used bias binding to work around the curvy edge of the quilt. I had a strata left from a previous quilt so I cut bias strips from that. Makes it look like it was work piecing the binding!

Patty H. Show & Tell, Rebels, May 26, 2010

Paper piecing with and without walking foot

Upper block without walking foot. I used the 1/4" foot. The paper moves faster than the piece. The resultant disparity causes the curl. I noted this when I did a similar block with the pieces going crosswise. It is much worse with the longer pieces.

Lisa Jenni, Convergence Quilt

Problem: How to quilt????

Inspired by Anna Williams

Roberta McAbee, design class project

Rebels, Ann Lindquist

What do you do with all those quilts?

Do you have some of those friends that come to your house and admire your quilts, and then say, "But what do you DO with them all?" This question always renders me speechless. So I began to wonder myself. What DO I do with them all?

Well, after giving one or two to each relative, donating some to charity, dressing each bed with at least three, and reserving a pile for picnics and cold spells, I tend to put them all over the living room. It's a good thing my husband doesn't mind!

What do YOU do with all those quilts?