NEW ZEALAND
DEBBY WILLIAMS QUILTFEVER
  • HOME
  • About
    • QUILT RELATED BLOG
    • QUILT FEVER QUIZ
    • FUN BLOG >
      • Vanuatu
  • 1 DAY CLASSES
    • TRICKS OF THE TRADE INTRO CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • TRICK OF THE TRADE INTRO NEEDS LIST
    • SHAPER STARS CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • SHAPER STARS NEEDS LIST
    • ENCOMPASSING STARS 1 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • ENCOMPASSING STARS 1 DAY NEEDS LIST
    • OLD FASHION HAND QUILTING 1 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • OLD FASHION HAND QUILTING NEEDS LIST
    • MY BARGELLO BABY 1 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • MY BARGELLO BABY 1 DAY CLASS NEEDS LIST
    • HAND APPLIQUE YOUR WAY 1 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • HAND APPLIQUE YOUR WAY NEEDS LIST
  • 2 DAY + CLASSES
    • TRICKS OF THE TRADE CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • TRICKS OF THE TRADE NEEDS LIST
    • ENCOMPASSING STARS 2 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • ENCOMPASSING STARS 2 DAY NEEDS LIST
    • MARINER'S BLISS CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • MARINER'S BLISS NEEDS LIST
    • BEGINNER'S TOTE 2 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • BEGINNER'S TOTE NEEDS LIST
  • gallery
    • HISTORICAL QUILTS >
      • THE FIRST QUILT
      • YO YO INSANITY
      • GRANDMOTHER'S FAN
      • THE PURPLE PINEAPPLE
      • MAY BASKETS
    • ART QUILTS >
      • CONSEQUENCES >
        • INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS
      • ROSE WINDOW
      • GENTLE TEA
      • NATIVE NINE PATCH
      • REINVENTING THE WHEEL
      • DADDY'S BOUQUET
      • CLARITY >
        • clarity words
      • FOREST FELINE
      • JANZOONS
      • POSTCARD CHALLENGE
      • CREATED
      • CITRUS SORBET
      • EMERGED
      • STARLIGHT SONATINA OPUS 8
      • SERENITY
      • OH RUBBISH!!
    • QUILTS FOR CHILDREN >
      • GIRLS HAPPY VILLAGES
      • GRACE'S BUNNY QUILT
      • LUKE'S BABY QUILT
      • CHILDREN'S BIBLE STORY QUILT >
        • CLOSE UPS OF BIBLE BLOCKS
      • BETHS BUTTERFLIES
      • GRACES SYMPOSIUM ENTRY
      • CHILDREN'S SUMMER CLASS
      • GRACE AND BETH CREATE TOTES
    • BED QUILTS >
      • DOUBLE WEDDING RING VARIATION
      • MY SON'S LEAVING HOME QUILT
      • DAD'S TRIP AROUND THE WORLD
      • GOLD ANNIVERSARY CLOSE UP
      • GIRL'S BUNK QUILTS
      • DOUBLE WEDDING RING FOR MUM
      • DRUNKARD'S PATH
      • GRANDMOTHER'S OTHER FAN
      • GRANDPA'S GEESE
      • BARBARA'S TRIP AROUND THE WORLD
    • MOST RECENT QUILTS
    • CLASS CANDIDS >
      • Manutu 2015 Encompassing Stars
      • Manuatu 2015 Shaper Stars
      • TRICKS OF THE TRADE TIMARU the 2nd
      • TRICKS OF THE TRADE TIMARU
      • CLASS CANDIDS 2
      • CLASS CANDIDS 3
      • BRAIDED RIBBONS SYMPOSIUM CLASS PHOTOS- BARGELLO
      • BRAIDED - MARINER'S BLISS
      • BRAIDED - TRICKS OF THE TRADE
      • ROTOITI
    • OTHER QUILT RELATED PHOTOS
  • contact me
    • useful links
  • MY SHOP
    • STARWHIZ
    • BARGELLO BABY

To wash or not to wash...

1/22/2020

0 Comments

 
 Quilts that are washed sometimes look a bit different.  Is it worth it to wash a quilt that is 'new'? (You risk slight colour changes or warping/wrinkling in un-quilted areas.) Not always, but sometimes it becomes a genuine necessity.  Especially when a quilt has been handled a lot or has been worked on over a large expanse of time.  My example is the 2019 World Quilt Exhibition entry mentioned last blog.  The quilt was carefully handled, packed up between quilting sessions but -in fact- had been in progress for many years and even with all the care I could give it couldn't possibly be clean.  We lived in five different houses between the beginning and end of this quilt.  (We  do move around a bit so that's no surprise really)  The point is that no matter how much you take care of a quilt, in reality it might need to be washed.  This quilt did not LOOK dirty, or smell.  I was just painfully aware of how many hours I quilted, and how many times it had been out then packed away. (How many years it had been unwashed.)  To wash such a huge thing first a large bath was filled with tepid water then a colour safe soap was added.  THEN the quilt was added.  It was a huge shock to realize how much dust had landed on this baby over the years.  Three rinses saw the water clear.  Yikes!  In case you are wondering, the discoloration in the water was not dye, when the tub was drained the first time, there was a layer of wet dust stuck to the tub.  The moral of this story is to consider washing any quilt that hasn't been washed in years, even if it looks/smells good.  
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

I had wondered -Will it ever be done???

1/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
This was one of those forever projects because of the design and further because once the top was made it was heavily quilted using marine life themes.  The William Morris border fabric that was used for the Kaleidoscope blocks created some pretty amazing shapes.  Overall I was pleased with the outcome and with the fact it was accepted to tour with the World Quilt Exhibition 2019. Now back home it will travel to the states later this year to become a permanent part of my younger son's belongings.  

Picture
0 Comments

Revisiting an idea can be a good thing.

1/11/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
One of the things I appreciate about challenges or competitions is the fact that it forces me to focus and meet a deadline.  When creating 'just because' I tend to dwaddle or overthink.  SO for the Wanaka Aspiring Art show I revisited a quilt that I created some years ago.  Unlike the previous incarnation this is mounted on a canvas and hung 'on point'.  It was still carefully assembled and hand quilted.  The original was much larger and had a large black background creating an upper horizontal edge so it could be hung.  I'm REALLY liking the way quilts appear on canvas.  This piece was accepted for exhibition in Wanaka.  If you want to see a bit about this competition check out the button link below.

Aspiring Art Wanaka
0 Comments

    Debby's Chat

    Letting you into the inner sanctum of a quilter's thoughts and activities.

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    RSS Feed