 So for an upcoming COOTS (Central Otago Outside The Square) exhibition, we are supposed to make things to sell (as well as our portrait, challenge piece and exhibition pieces). The size for the sell items was 5 to 6 inches square, and minimum of 3 pieces. I decided to make smaller beetles, mounted on canvases then I embellished the critters with metallic paint and Modge Podge for shine and a bit of glitter well MP'd down. Just for fun. Our exhibition will held in the Arrowtown Museum gallery March 5 - April 12th. |  |
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So recently we had an event in our family that necessitated a rushed trip from NZ to the USA. My darling (much older) sister had quite unexpectedly gone to sleep on earth and woken up in heaven. Before we boarded the plane for the states there were three quilts that had to be dealt with for different reasons. Two under deadlines. Such a mundane consideration at such a time, but in truth we had been planning on going over to the states just 4 weeks later anyway to celebrate the arrival of a grandchild. Two quilts had been promised to the NSW quilt show, in Sydney and needed hanging sleeves attached before being posted. The other quilt was with a professional long arm artist being quilted for my eldest grand-daughter's upcoming birthday. I rang my contact in Sydney and asked I could send the quilts to her instead of waiting for the specific date requested? Yes of course. The Beetles and Joyful Tweets both needed to be sent. I also rang my Wellington quilter and asked if she could post the quilt, not to Blenheim but to Idaho? Yes of course. She was doing her wonders on the child's quilt. With the tiny bit of time between learning we had to leave and actually leaving there was only time to put the hanging sleeve on ONE quilt. The obvious choice was to try to prep the heaviest and largest. The other had to be packed up and taken with us to be posted from America. On the way to the airport the largest (bird) quilt was posted. About two weeks after we arrived in the states, the second exhibition quilt was posted, and the Wellington to Boise quilt was anxiously awaited. Three of my precious works were somewhere out over an ocean winging their way to their proper places. When the two exhibition quilts made their way safely to Australia, there was a huge sigh of relief. (This time next week we will have seen them at the NSW exhibition.) The child's quilt arrived in Boise before the much anticipated 6th birthday. Hopefully that sort of stress will never be mine again! Whew!!! There is a story about the bird quilt and the Hawaiian monstrosity as well, but this post has gone on quite long enough.
 Lately, (let's say for the past four years) my love for raw edge appliqué has gotten a bit more frequent. Still love traditional methods of quilting, but oh how those raw edge shapes appeal!
Why? Maybe the challenge? Take an idea, turn it into a line drawing, reverse construct the drawing into pieces, then decide on colors, and turn it all into a fun puzzle. When the old shoulder gave me fits, my position at the machine changed out of necessity. For least stress, my chair is very low and my arms rest on the sewing table. This gives me maximum control with minimum stress on that shoulder. This has become a permanent change methinks. It also has the bonus of being very close to where all the action takes place, easy to see all the little twists and turns needed to accomplish this method. If you are looking for an addiction, give raw edge applique a go!
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Debby's ChatLetting you into the inner sanctum of a quilter's thoughts and activities. Archives
March 2025
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