Finally Finished my Ode to Asia

I started this quilt last year, and finally finished it yesterday. The design is roughly some pattern I once saw in a quilting magazine, but I have since lost the magazine, and then I just made it all up. The back is almost as perfect as the front, actually, I do rather find it more interesting. The ladies at the quilt guild always show there quilts, then they turn them around and show the back, and say "oh I just threw the rest of the fabric together on the back..." Well laudeedau for them. Piecing that back easily took longer, and definitely more Math skills than the front ever did. I had the piece quilted by Kathy Gyles and I think she did a great job. The larger squares have lotus blossoms - and the rest is bamboo.

Kati's Quilt

This summer I bit the bullet and finally started working on Kati's quilt. This is a drawing that I had Kati due when I was in a textile's class at KU. After she made the drawing on a large sheet of butcher paper, I traced the image with black resist on cotton. Between the 2 of us we then painted it with thickened dyes. From the start I loved it. I loved it so much I was terrified to work on it. With the help of Kris Barlow, I put together the top, and decided to quilt it on a long arm. Kris taught me how to long-arm, and together we used the same drawing ideals that Kati used, and I quilted it. Yeah. Somewhere there is video - but that is on a memory card that has briefly taken a vacation from my posession.

I even really enjoy the detail that shows up on the back due to the different color of threads. There is a lot of thread on this fabric, but I feel that it doesn't lose the quality and stories of Kati's mark making.

It has been a miserably long time since I have posted a blog, and the horror of it all is that there have been many things of which to post. First. Gramma's auction. What an event, amazing that a woman could have that much loot left after she was convinced she had gotten ridden of everything. I did walk away with a ton of quilting materials so I shan't complain. And my mom's high school yearbook. It was a fabulous day, and I spent it with great people. Atleast 5-6 months after the even I am pretty sure that is how it went.....

Later for more.

Heading South

Well, it's official...next year I will be teaching at Olathe South High School. I bet Bill is really excited about moving all my crap. Oh, it'll be good for him. This move is a mixed bag. Yes, I want to go, but it will be hard leaving CST behind. But CST will not be the same place next year, all the 9th grade teachers are moving up, and with budget cuts, all extra teachers are being moved around too, so time moves on. Really?

OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!

OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!
That quilt show was sooo much fun. Too late to turn back now....... People actually liked my quilts.

My Quilts will be Displayed at the

Kaw Valley Quilt Guild Show

April 24 and 25

Douglas County Fairgrounds

Lawrence, KS

10:00 - 5:00

Admission: Adult $5, Under 12 - Free

Fosters is Finally Finished

Well, on the road to Grampa Dixon's I finally finished the binding on the Foster's quilt. My bindings are getting better I think. I really love the free-motion stitching on the Foster's Friends.

Doni picked a few of the primary fabrics, and I threw the rest together out of the fabric I had on hand. The owl fabric and the polka-dots are the only fabrics actually purchased for this project. Once again, I am just using up scraps of fabric - Doesn't everyone have purple velvet and leopard print fur on hand.

This quilt was part of her Christmas present, so I suppose it is a good thing I finally got it done. I know that as soon as it comes off the wall, she will be bundling up with it. I hope it will always be a hug when she needs it. Oh so sappy....