Tuesday, September 25, 2012

New Pillowcases


I bought two pieces of fabric at QuiltFest for new pillowcases to liven up my bed.  When I got them home and washed, they told me that they wanted to stay together.  So I listened to them and used one for the hem.  The green piping was supposed to have been a hem but it looks much better as a small accent.

The HotDog pillowcase method is sooooo easy.
Here's a video of how to do it (even if she does call the selvage "salvage")







I've started a pineapple pattern quilt in white, cream, ecru, ivory, etc.   A good sized quilt for my queen size bed will take 156 blocks and I have about a third done.  I'm thinking that it will be a good foil for bed runners that can be changed easily and frequently.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

2012 Quilt Show

 Last weekend, the Austin Area Quilt Guild held its biennial show.  I entered my quilt Beaujolais, which is a portrait of my late cat.  It hung directly below another cat picture done by Katleen Clendennen.

I didn't receive any award, but I am quite happy with its showing.  It was judged and critiqued; the only negative comment was that additional quilting might help it to lay perfectly flat.  I'll take that!  The judge approved of the binding and corners.  She noted the 3D thread whiskers that I added at the last minute.  And liked the asymmetrical layout.

The show was very colorful and full of many gorgeous quilts.  The competition was pretty stiff.  There were around 60 full size quilts which had been pieced and quilted by a single member.

The sign read: "Beaujolais was our cat for eighteen years.  She came to us as a foundling kitten.  The vet noted on her card that she was 'fractious'; she didn't care to be petted by strangers.  She was sweet, she was mean, she was indifferent; in short, she was a typical cat.  After she died, I kind of missed having her around, so I did this portrait to remember her by.  It doesn't shed, it doesn't 'merow', and it doesn't strew kibble around.  Neither does it purr or snuggle.  But I'm not ready for a replacement cat. 

24 x 18 inches.

Machine Pieced, Machine Appliqued, Machine Embroidered, Machine Quilted"

Friday, September 14, 2012

Oil Painting Class Session Two

Elaine started another painting and I rejoined the class.
It's really nice to be able to go to class with a good teacher right in the neighborhood.  All the other students travel a good way to get here; I'm very lucky.

This subject is an Iris.  I'm reminded of my mother's irises; she mostly had the standard purple ones and white ones, but she also had some yellow ones.  Then in the early 80's, I bought her some bulbs that flower peach and pink and other soft colors.  My sister has some at her house from divisions of Mamas, and I plan to go dig some up later this month.  I plant to put them along the fenceline to the west in my back yard.  I hate edging and am hoping that this will cut down on the need for it.

Colors started with olive green and ultramarine violet.  The background was first washed with acrylic tan.

Lovely Rain

  1. It's been raining gently off and on since yesterday.  A welcome relief to the hot sun and dry conditions of the summer.
  2. Last year I planted an Esperanza and it bloomed today (or maybe yesterday0 for the first time.  Hurray, hurray!
Lovely raindrops.

Lovely flower.

Lovely rain.