I'm Just Sayin'

This week I had a student at retreat who was working on a quilt that I thought could benefit from a particular technique - a la Libby Lehman. However, she wasn't "seeing it." So, I spent some early morning time before class creating a small sample. I liked the sample enough to quilt and finish it. After seeing this, the student "got" it and loved pursuing her project in a similar manner.

Sometimes doing something small and quick can be a real shot in the "creative" arm. There's a couple of technical things I wish were different, but the fact is - I had fun - and I like it. I'm open to a better title if you have suggestions.

Do you ever side step from a big project just to do something small and fun - to break the monotony? If not, maybe today is a good day to do just that!

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Lifelines II by Ricky Tims (40" x 30")

Susan, my newest collector!

Detail of Lifelines II

I'm happy to present my newest quilt, Lifelines II (approx. 40" x 30"). The technique used is the improvisational technique I call Quilting Caveman Style. That means there are no templates, no rulers, no measuring, and no quarter-inch seams. Whoo-hoo!

Of course, the fabrics are hand-dyed in the bright colors I love so much. It is quilted with Rainbow thread by Superior, in particular the one called Carnival.

This new quilt belongs to my good friend Susan who lives in Wichita Falls, TX.

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We had a wonderful quilt seminar in Rocklin, California with about 650 attending making it our second largest super quilt seminar ever! Whoo-hoo! Many thanks to the Foothills Quilters guild who enlisted volunteers and to Colleen Voet who started this ball rolling in 2006 and stuck with us for four years.

Everyone who attends the seminars attend all the sessions. There is no sewing, no class selection, just intense learning and a LOT of fun.

As always, thank you Bernina of America for the support and hat’s off to Meissner’s Sewing Center for providing a beautiful 830 for the stage.

Find upcoming seminars and information here.

Watch the video.

Read what others are saying. Check out these blogs from those who attended the Rocklin seminar.

Redefined – Whoo-hoo – by Sandi G

Quilt With Us – Rosalie Hughes

Pointless Quilter – Barbara

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Lifelines I, 20" x 20" - Ricky Tims (2010)

The little quilt above was born out of samples I created in my recent retreats. The sharp spikes are set in seams, not applique. I like the way this turned out and I got many suggestions for names. Many folks seemed to think it reminded them of clothes on a line. Others saw an elephant. Some of the suggestions were specific titles for this particular quilt, but I see this as the start of s series so I wanted a name that I could tack on a roman numeral. So the clothesline got me thinking and while I diverged from the suggestion I have settled on Lifelines - like the unique ones on our hands. Titles are always intriguing to me. Do you ever struggle with titles? 

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Here's my new little quilt. It came about as a result of a hand-dyed mono-print sample I made while teaching mono-prints in a dye class. After the sample was washed I found it intriguing and after looking at it for a few days I began seeing it as a background for a village of teepees with smoke rising. I had many suggestions as to what to name this quilt. In the end, I researched Native American words. The name Awendela means "daylight" or "morning." Since I have had teepees on my mind (see previous posts) it should be obvious why this quilt was born. It's not earth-shattering, but it was fun to make.

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Now that Little Bear has been revealed, there is still a bit of mystery about Big Bear. Some of you have guessed it to be a medicine hut or a sweat lodge. This video shows a new element - the fire pit - being built. Stay tuned.

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It's exciting when a much anticipated day arrives. This video reveals the secret of Little Bear and is a HUGE hint as to what is going on with Big Bear.

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The cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde are amazing - no doubt about it. The ancient Puebloans thrived in these magnificent dwellings. In time, they dispersed but their heritage lives on in several Puebloan cultures today. The cliff dwelling image is Cliff Palace, the largest of the dwellings in Mesa Verde. I was thrilled to be able to take this photo before tours began so I didn't have to dodge tourists in the photos.

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I am taking a mini-vacation with Justin, my high school friend (Bernie) and his family. We have headed west from La Veta to a destination in Colorado that is one of the most mystical and awe-inspiring national parks in America - Mesa Verde - a UNESCO World Herritage Site. The park features numerous ruins of homes and villages built by the ancient Pueblo people known as the Anasazi. The Anasazi made this stone village their home in the 1200s AD. It is best known for several spectacular cliff dwellings — structures built within caves and under outcroppings in cliffs. We will visit the park tomorrow.

Today our journey took us over the famous Wolf Creek Pass. The photo above was taken at a scenic overlook near the top of the pass. Scenes like this is why I love Colorado!. If you have been to Mesa Verde - share your thoughts. If you have another favorite national park or place to visit (U.S. or abroad) tell us about it.

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