Week in Review 2014 - 04/18

Ariana 

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Sample block for the Community Quilt Workshop

Last week I left you with this cliff hanger: "It is down to the wire for finishing Tumbling Blocks. The big question is what will happen first. Will I finish the quilt or will my grandchild be born?" The answer is in, Ariana arrived on April 14 and I am still completing the finish work on her quilt. Heavy sigh, since I hate to miss a deadline. Still, I am delighted to welcome my fifth grandchild and second granddaughter to our family.

One of the reasons I didn't have Ariana's quilt done before she was born was because I joined a local artisans collective. Their mission was to fill a popup gallery with art, music, poetry and workshops. I am one of the artists, have volunteered to run a workshop I titled "Community Quilt," am organizing the schedule of gallery hosts and of course attending some of the numerous planning meetings. The exhibition is next week. We have built it. Now, fingers crossed, the community will come to see what we are about and engage in the numerous interactive art events. The hope is that this will be successful enough to become an annual event.

Even with all this excitement I did manage to move ahead ever so slightly with my published plans for the week. Here is how it went.

Detail of Tumbling Blocks border quilting - backside

1)  Tumbling Blocks I (Due April 30 - however, Ariana had other plans) 

a) finish quilting the border - Done!
b) block and square up the quilt - Not yet.
c) make the binding - Started
d) attach the binding - Not yet.
e) make the sleeve - Not yet.
f) attach the sleeve - Not yet.

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. - Not yet.

Actually, I was very tempted to do this, but decided to save it for next week when I would need a free motion quilting fix. 

We were encouraged to use puff paint.
I don't own any, so I substituted glitter glue.
I just can't resist all things sparkly.

3) LifeBook 2014 - Do the assignments. - Done!

Traci Bautista was the teacher for Week 16's lesson, titled "In the Moment." The premise was to create the piece intuitively with each new mark and shape being suggested by what had come before. This is the first mixed media piece I have done where I felt my text work actually enhanced versus detracted from the piece. 

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 - make and attach the label.

My priority for next week continues to be finishing Tumbling Blocks. I am very confident that I will meet my goal of mailing it to Ariana before I head out in a few weeks to give her the grandmother seal approval, a kiss on that precious baby's head.

1)  Tumbling Blocks I 

a) block and square up the quilt
b make the binding
c) attach the binding
d) make the sleeve
e) attach the sleeve

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 - make and attach the 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.