A... quilt?

I was saying the other day that I gave up (just temporary!) quilt making, when a thought suddenly crossed my mind (yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but in the dark hole from my head from time to time thoughts are passing by :PPP). And that though is that I FORGOT to show you the most quilt of my quilts so far!

I made something I've never made before, I've used techniques and gadgets not used before at all, or just very little, I worked my ass out, and the result was completely satisfactory: the recipient was left speachless when she received it.

The idea was to give a gift with a mark of every colleague that worked together with the one that was leaving, because this was a good by collective gift. So I gave everyone a piece of fabric and some textile markers, and asked to write a text/make a small drawing etc. I received back all the patches, and then I started the real work.

The "written" patches were all various shades of yellow, I wanted to make the the centers of flowers, and the whole quilt to be a huge bouquet of flowers.

So I draw every single flower in real dimension, calculating angles and shapes, then I cut them out in vliesofix. I've added that to the fabrics that were ment to be the petals, then cut them and fixed them all to another piece of background fabric.

Here you can see the flowers in their individual form, laid out to see how they will get together on the quilt.

  Then I started sewing the flowers prepared to the big background, one by one, free-motioning around each of them. The layout changed a bit while working, I didn't manage till the end to have the same placement as in the original, but hey, who's perfect?

This phase being done, I've put together the quilt sandwich and started quilting... around the flowers middles. 

Then I had another big question: shall I make the border square, as a frame to a painting, or shall I make a rounded border? This was going to be a wall hanging after all... The rounded border idea won the argument, so I started making yet another new-to-me thing.

To make a long story short, I will just say that I've quilted three echo-lines around the same round border, added some sleeves to the back, and gave it off to a person that was enchanted, thrilled, completely surprised and totally amazed to receive this.

 Some flower details.. I forgot to mention that all applique was raw edges.

 And, as a nice story ends, they lived together happily ever after :)
The end!

Ladies and gentelmen of the jury...

  ... let me defend myself!

I've been accused lately of showing little or no interest at all to the "textile matter", of "quitting the patches", of "running to a different hobby". Well, let me explain myself: I've always told that I have more than one focus, and that I like to do more than one thing :). In my defense, you can see the very motto of this blog (yes, look up, in the title, there you have it!).

Secondly, I didn't quit the patch world. At all. Just that I'm very busy, and the quilting projects tend to run a lot slower and to be much more time consuming than the others (aka jewelry, for now ;) ), that is why you get to see more of the quick products and less of the slower ones.

I have proof to sustain my afirmations:
Some quilt tops:
Boy one:

Boy two

Girl:

quilt sandwich to be quilted, for grandpa ;)

and, not quilts, but (who said it's not possible?) from patchwork fabric (oh, that yummy, tasty, mouth watering Kaffe Fasset....) two skirts for a young lady that requested "summery, colorful, twirling skirts)

aaaannnnnnddddd a preview of my insanity, side, back and front.

Why insanity, would you ask? well, that is a completely different story, that will be the subject of another post....
Till then, have fun and enjoy life!

Mail

We're beginning, slowly, to move.

We started with the most unused and unneeded items in the house: my fabrics, my supplies, my creative things.... well, not olny because of unneededesness, but because also, my sewing studio is one of the rooms that are ready.

Beside this news, mail is incoming every now and then. This time, it brought me the supplies for a special order for two special little girls: the "double flower Winnie" project. The name comes from the number: two girls, the absolute urge to have the above mentioned bear and the necessity of flowers.

Enjoy the samples!

Looking back...

...at 2009.

It's been a very busy year, with many happenings in my life. It changed a lot, and it stayed the same, but in a much fuller way. I've gained a bunch of new friends, and I've managed to make my quilting dreams come not one, but more steps further. I've learned a new technique. I'm moving in a new home.

I think is time to let go. Good bye, 2009!

Welcome, 2010, with new projects, with new perspectives, with all new surprising days!

And, for you, my dear quilting friends, may the year bring the same joy and happiness as it already brought me... A big hug for all of you!