Checking in....

Time really flies when you have so much to do.  I have had a full plate at work since February and the arrival of our new CEO.  And things are changing...a lot of which I have been tasked to be involved in.  We even had a week long staff retreat in Monterey, California at Asilomar.   But, I have been sewing and trying new techniques.   I have always considered myself a traditional quilter with a slant toward using non-traditional fabrics. I like reproduction fabrics and the 1930s fabrics, but I enjoy using batiks, Aboriginal and African fabrics more. I also love the Japanese taupe fabrics. But lately I have become fascinated with the modern quilt craze. I can't even remember where it started... Most of the colors are so basic, grays, whites, blacks, lots of solids and bright color patterns - all of which I love and use a lot. I am not sure I want to be categorized as a modern quilter, but I have to admit that I am kinda liking some of their stuff. I have been flipping through a few books (I know I shouldn't be doing that, but hang in there with me) and I have noticed that a lot of their patterns use big blocks. Big blocks are great for fabrics with large prints and for those fabrics that you just hate to cut. So, I am thinking that maybe I could convert the fabrics that I love over to the more modern genre to see how they will look. Well, I have been experimenting a little to see what I could come up with. Here are a few photos of a series of quilt tops (soon to be flimsies) that I have completed over the last couple of months. The first one is a flimsy from several years ago and the other 2 are my interpretation of modern quilts.   I am not in a rush to quilt them. I just wanted to see how they would turn out and to experience the "modern quilt-making craze" a little. I did enjoy the almost instant gratification and fun of making them so quickly (3 in one week -- that is a record for me) but I am definitely going back to what I love with some modifications.

This one is called Tropical Vacation.  Started it about 3 years ago.  Made with batiks and I
free-hand cut the curvy blocks.  It is now a flimsy.

 

I made this top with a variety of Aborignal prints. Lots of bold color. After taking the picture,
I realized that I need to add another border on the left side.  I don't know how I missed that.  It will be a flimsy too.

Is it obvious that I am a lover of all things lime green?  I named this one "Everything Looks Better with Lime Green."
 It too will become a flimsy until I find the right backing and time to get it quilted.



I took the last 2 pictures at Asilomar in Monterey, CA.  I wanted to pitch a tent with a sign saying I will work for food.  The first photo was taken at Point Lobos Natural Reserve in Monterey.

The 2nd photo was snapped at Asilomar Beach.   This is why I Live Blue...