I have been going to a winter quilting retreat. It is a great time to finish up old projects that haven't gotten much attention. This year I was able to finish three such projects, and continue to work on a fourth. The first, pictured on the left, it is "Esterita's Cave". I made it in a class with Esterita Austin. She teaches you not only how to frame your fabric selection to get the right spot for highlights and shadows, but how to enhance them with a little paint. I used one of my snow dyed-fabrics. The second project is "Ellen's Bug", from a class with Ellen Ann Eddy. Again I used my hand dyed fabrics, some angelina fibers and a lot of thread. Both of these just needed to be quilted and bound. The third project I haven't taken a picture of it yet…but it's being used on my table. It was a table runner made in a class with Carol Taylor. The fourth project is a quilt-as-you-go log cabin being made out of batiks. It is not done, but I'm getting closer. I started it in a class at Grand Quilt (a store I used to work at), with Nancy Roelfsema. She told us not to plan to make a bed quilt, because we wouldn't finish it…well I thought she was speaking to the rest of the class, not me. Anyhow, it's been like 8-9 years. Instead of doing the whole queen size quilt from the quilt as you go blocks, I will now just use them as a border around a hand-dyed center panel that I will quilt on my long-arm. I can see the end, with a lot of left over batiks. Shucks! The third picture on the right is my first long-armed quilt. It was a line study that I made after taking some classes with Nancy Crow. While in class, we only used black and white, and straighter lines. After class I wanted to experiment with adding more variation in shades as well as the curved lines. I have another line study waiting to be quilted when I am more proficient on the long-arm. I now have room on the shelf for some new projects that I have been thinking about. But before I can get started with them, I have some dyeing, much studying to do. May you find happiness in your creative endeavors!
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