Kaffe Fassett - Spectacular Quilts

Well, the time has finally arrived.  It's silly how much I've been looking forward to just being in the same room as the textile artist that has inspired me to quilt, knit, do needlework and explore mosaics.  I have been buying his books way before I ever tried any of these things.  Especially the quilting books, I would salivate over the pictures yet I was too chicken to ever give it a try.  Finally a new quilting co-worker came along and showed me the basics.

Kaffe Fassett will be in the Bay area for a few days - I am going to his lecture tonight.  I believe he is going to be focusing on his latest book - "Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts".  Then on Wednesday I'm going to one of his all day workshops.  I just want to be in the same room as he and his team, to just absorb and take it all in.

I'm also excited because I'll be staying at the Berkeley home of a former roommate (some 20 years ago!).  We lost touch after her first marriage and only recently became re-acquainted through Facebook.  Tomorrow is a free day to hang out in Berkeley as well as haunt the Gourmet ghetto - which is within walking distance from her home.  We have a dinner reservation tomorrow night at Alice Water's Chez Panisse Cafe.

More to come, I'm sure . . .

There's Always A First Time

Well, I did it . . . I created my first "Art Quilt".

Last year, my visit to the International Quilt Festival inspired me to no end to one day aspire to make beautiful art quilts.  So far, I've thoroughly enjoyed putting together quilts by using patterns and fabrics from my favorite textile artists.  And I'm content to continue in that manner for a while longer.  However, I had purchased a bit of fabric while at the Quilt Festival with the hopes of using it for my interpretation of Klimt's "The Kiss".  Realistically, that quilt is a long way off so I decided to make a wall hanging for above the bed in our Master Bedroom.

The fabrics that I considered

My inspiration

Buttercup loves to sleep on my works in progress . . .

There are definitely things I'd change - I wanted to do uneven and crooked pieces yet I didn't know how to achieve that result.

I think it's alright for a first attempt, a first time . . .

And it fills up the blank space above the bed

Yesterday was my birthday - we had a wonderful meal at the Manzanita Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Truckee.

We've been spending the week at Lake Tahoe.

Vacation mode has settled in nicely.

Wordless Saturday

An Escape From The Heat

June Project Updates

It's almost the end of June, the summer heat has arrived, and quilting endeavors continue . . .

Hannah and her new quilt - she said she wanted blue and purple and that's what she got!  I made a quick trip up to Oregon to attend her high school graduation and give her the quilt.  Plus I had a chance to see all her brothers, of course!

And to continue with the same colors - I finished the quilt top for the Diamond Quilt!

Last night I finished the binding on the Jewel-Toned Quilt . . .

The quilt top was originally made into a curtain at our old place and I finally

finished it up for the family room sofa.

Can you believe it - I make Ross watch his Tennis games with a head-set on . . . the grunting of the players gets on my nerves (ha)!

Poppy and Buttercup have perfected how to spend a hot summer day . . . 

they are my role models!

Going In Another Direction

Well, I decided to do a different quilt for my niece Hannah’s 18th birthday/high school graduation quilt. The one I originally set out to make would have been too big (the one shared in my last blog entry). Plus I was feeling uptight about all the diagonal pieces – wasn’t having much fun because I was worrying about critical eyes judging my handiwork (not Hannah, just others). I really do like the pattern (and Ross does too) so it looks like that one will stay with us.

I think that when you make a quilt for someone else that it should be made with joy and gladness of heart. I love just thinking about the person while I’m putting together a quilt for them – sending good thoughts of peace and comfort and letting the love flow. Since I’d already shown Hannah the fabric (I had her choose the color combination from a couple of choices – Amy Butler’s modern pastels or Kaffe Fassett and Philip Jacobs bold and colorful prints.) Well the deep colors had won out (a girl after my own heart) and so I bought more fabric and put together this very blue, green and purple (with some pink) quilt top. I cut the fabric out last weekend and sewed the top together this weekend. It’s quite a busy quilt with so many patterns yet I’m hoping that a certain young and talented girl will appreciate it.

Hannah is hoping to go to Culinary School in the Fall. In addition to studying the culinary arts she is also planning to study Textiles. It’s been a windy weekend and the rain started a few hours ago so it’s been easy to stay inside and sew. I still have a couple of months to get the quilting finished.

Yesterday was kind of a funny day, I found myself drawn to the color pink and only realized later that maybe it’s because I’ve had all this blue and purple around me lately. It started with a morning online order with Jackson and Perkins for some bare root roses – one side of the front yard I want to landscape with soft colors – pinks and lavenders. More about garden plans in my other blog “The Making Of A Garden”. After ordering a bunch of pink rose bushes I went up to the Auburn Quilt Show and proceeded to buy a bunch of pink fabric pieces at their “Country Store”. These are a few of my favorite swatches . . .