Weekly Report 2014 - 03/14

Entwined by Gwyned Trefethen
64" H x 48" W

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

It is said that to become a true artist you need to have a recognizable style. The artist's voice is strengthened by working in a series. I have one series/voice that I tend to return to as a place  to recharge. This is my Shifting Value series. Most of the pieces in this series are anchored with a primary palette of black, grey and white. Another commonality in the series is that the majority of the work is traditionally pieced. I love the process of working in this style. In order to start one of these pieces I first determine the piecing structure. Next I select how I want the light and shadow to flow. I mark my pattern with the numbers corresponding to each value, so that white would be #1 and black #10. I never, ever shade in the pattern. This way as I piece the quilt I simply pull a square #3 or a half triangle #7 and stitch the seams according to the structure. I am as surprised by what materializes as anyone else who looks at my work. It is a very soothing, meditative way to work.

The quilts for my first four grandchildren were on the traditional side with alphabet animals, sea creatures, beach elements and pond life. For my fifth and I expect final grandchild I just couldn't resist working in my own voice, a strong black and white palette, traditionally pieced. It felt good this week to relax and do what I know best. Of course that isn't all I did. Here is what I accomplished:

1) Tickling the Ivories - Due March 15th

a) Photograph the quilt. - Done
b) Make the sleeve. - Done
c) Make the label - Not yet.
d) Attach the sleeve and label. - I have started attaching the sleeve.
e) Create a Tickling the Ivories web page - Done
f) Announce the completion of Tickling the Ivories on Facebook - Done
g) Add a Tickling the Ivories album to my Facebook fan page - Done

2) Leah Day projects.

a) Baste the face, torso and arms to Express Your Love II. - On hold until the quilts with deadlines are completed.

b) Do Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting lesson. - Done

Two interpretations of free motion quilting motif Basic Star

Leah's free motion quilting assignment for the week is titled Basic Star. It is an eight spoke star inside a circle. It requires a fair amount of traveling stitching and the pattern didn't grab me. I was curious as to what it would look like if I replaced the eight spoke star with a traditional five point star. I quilted half the space Leah's way and half the space my way. I decided that for small spaces, where the circles are around half an inch in diameter I prefer the look of Leah's motif. However, as the circles get bigger than I think a five point star has merit. 

Mixed Media interpretation of
my family tree.

3) LifeBook 2014 - Do the assignments.

If you read last week's blog posting then you know I found my birthmother only to learn that she died in July 2013. In one of those Twilight Zone moments this week's Life Book assignment was titled the Tree of Life and focused on our interconnectedness. I couldn't resist creating a family tree that shows me as part my adoptive family, part the family I made with my husband, part my birthfather's family and part my birthmother's family. I'm the bird at the top of the tree free to hop from family to family and containing colors from all four families.

Tumbling Blocks is
50% pieced

4) Continue piecing Tumbling Blocks I (Due April 30) - Done

5) Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fall (Due August 3) - a commissioned quilt - On hold until quilts with earlier deadlines are completed. 

Start piecing the quilt.

It should be another relaxing week next week as I focus on piecing the Tumbling Block quilt. I will take occasional breaks to work on Life Book and free motion quilting, too.

1) Continue piecing Tumbling Blocks I (Due April 30) 

2) Leah Day projects.

a) Baste the face, torso and arms to Express Your Love II. - On hold until the quilts with deadlines are completed.

b) Do Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting lesson.

3) LifeBook 2014 - Do the assignments.

4) Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fall (Due August 3) - a commissioned quilt - On hold until quilts with earlier deadlines are completed. 

Start piecing the quilt.

5) Tickling the Ivories - Due March 15th

a) Make the label

b) Attach the sleeve and label.


I am now linking up to two blogs on Friday's. The first is Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting Project and the second is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays.